Brian's Flingo on actors/perverts
In 1937, a little movie called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released, sparking a love of animated movies that hasn't died in this country since.
But no, it did not star the voices of Maurice Chevalier, or Bette Davis, or Gretta Garbo. In fact, its voices went uncredited. So began the voice actor, the actor whose vocal variety and talent humanized animation and gave life to animated films. The best voice got the job, whether a male doing a female voice or vice versa.
Flash-forward to 1992, and the release of the Disney masterpiece, Aladdin. The movie featured Robin Williams, a major star, who accepted the role on union (minimum) pay, on the conditions that his voice not be used for marketing (toys) and that his character not comprise more than 25% of the movie's poster. These conditions were not met, and he refused to return for Return of Jafar, but the damage was already done.
In 1994, The Lion King featured distinctive, animated, unique voices - James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane. But since, the voice actor has been almost completely supplanted by boring, nondistinct celebrities whose role in an animated movie is to sell it on voice talent.
Money used to be spent on the animation and story of the film. Now it's spent on Elijah Wood, Rupert Everett, Cameron Diaz. I saw the (atrocious) movie Over the Hedge last summer, and didn't recognize the voices of Bruce Willis, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church, Allison Janney, or Avril Lavigne until the end credits. Steve Carell and William Shatner were good ideas -- the two distinct voices that provided the only real humor in the film. Everyone else was nothing but a waste of money.
The movies are suffering, and audiences are responding. Animated movies feel like the same old crap now. Surf's Up, which was actually apparently good, made a disappointing $17 million its opening weekend.
Where's the charming, unique, fresh animation of yore? Where are the movies kids will grow up and continue to watch when they're 21? They're gone, with the voice actors that made them possible.
And that makes puppies sad.
In 1937, a little movie called Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released, sparking a love of animated movies that hasn't died in this country since.
But no, it did not star the voices of Maurice Chevalier, or Bette Davis, or Gretta Garbo. In fact, its voices went uncredited. So began the voice actor, the actor whose vocal variety and talent humanized animation and gave life to animated films. The best voice got the job, whether a male doing a female voice or vice versa.
Flash-forward to 1992, and the release of the Disney masterpiece, Aladdin. The movie featured Robin Williams, a major star, who accepted the role on union (minimum) pay, on the conditions that his voice not be used for marketing (toys) and that his character not comprise more than 25% of the movie's poster. These conditions were not met, and he refused to return for Return of Jafar, but the damage was already done.
In 1994, The Lion King featured distinctive, animated, unique voices - James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane. But since, the voice actor has been almost completely supplanted by boring, nondistinct celebrities whose role in an animated movie is to sell it on voice talent.
Money used to be spent on the animation and story of the film. Now it's spent on Elijah Wood, Rupert Everett, Cameron Diaz. I saw the (atrocious) movie Over the Hedge last summer, and didn't recognize the voices of Bruce Willis, Nick Nolte, Thomas Haden Church, Allison Janney, or Avril Lavigne until the end credits. Steve Carell and William Shatner were good ideas -- the two distinct voices that provided the only real humor in the film. Everyone else was nothing but a waste of money.
The movies are suffering, and audiences are responding. Animated movies feel like the same old crap now. Surf's Up, which was actually apparently good, made a disappointing $17 million its opening weekend.
Where's the charming, unique, fresh animation of yore? Where are the movies kids will grow up and continue to watch when they're 21? They're gone, with the voice actors that made them possible.
And that makes puppies sad.
Labels: actors, animated movies, rant, sad
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