News

Ahead of the Academy Awards, we’re reviewing each short category. See the Animation section below and the other shorts sections here.

Blind Vaysha – Canada – 8 minutes

I did a double take upon hearing Theodore Ushev‘s name alongside his animated short Blind Vaysha during the Oscar nominations because I’ve watched his work progress the past five years. This Canadian by way of Bulgaria is a Toronto International Film Festival staple, a guy who alters his aesthetic with every new project. Whether rotoscoping, hybridizing Cubism and Constructivism, or dabbling in Abstract Expressionism, though, you always know it’s an Ushev film because of its content and craftsmanship. His latest is no different, the adoption of woodcutting lending an old school storybook feel to a tale that speaks towards today’s climate of hope and despair. Narrated by Caroline Dhavernas, Vaysha’s story begs us to open our eyes and see...

For animator/illustrator Robert Valley, the imperfections of life and art magnificently come together in his Oscar-nominated short, “Pear Cider and Cigarettes,” about his friendship with a self-destructive daredevil, who died despite reaching out to the filmmaker for help to get a liver transplant in China.

Valley first wrote about his childhood friend, Techno, in two self-published graphic novels. He was a gifted athlete but, even at a young age, drawn to danger like a moth to the flame. It’s a dark, tragic, passionate account of the American Dream gone bad and the idealism of loyalty and hero worship.

Read More: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Video Compares the Trailers for the 1991 Animated Film and New Live-Action Version – Watch

Yet even after the graphic novels, the Vancouver filmmaker (best known for “Aeon Flux,” “Wonder Woman” shorts, and Gorillaz music videos) was compelled to make a short about Techno. He set...

Featuring the voices of: Troy Baker, Nolan North, Grey Griffin, Kari Wahlgren, Phil Lamarr, Yuri Lowenthal, James Arnold Taylor, Khary Payton, Phil Morris, Josh Keaton, Jessica Dicicco, Andy Milder | Written by James Krieg | Directed by Rick Morales

The latest animated movie in the now long-running Lego DC Super Heroes series which was originally spun off from the cut scenes from the Lego Batman game(s) but now are all-new creations, Justice League: Cosmic Clash is another outing for DC’s superhero team-up – once again from the duo of writer James Krieg and director Rick Morales, who were behind the previous movie, Attack of the Legion of Doom.

As teased at the end of the aforementioned previous animated film, Justice League: Cosmic Clash sees Brainiac combing the universe for new additions to his collection of worlds – in particular he needs a planet to slot into his collection that begins...

I never caught any of these while they were airing, but Cartoon Network used to run shorts on Saturday mornings in a block called DC Nation that featured superhero characters from the DC Comics stable. Back in 2013, there were a handful of Wonder Woman entries created by artist Robert Valley, and now DC Collectibles is releasing a collectible statue by Jonathan Matthews based on Valley's art work. The super leggy version of Diana is straight from the '70s, and if you're a collector, I imagine this would be a coveted piece of art that would look great on a shelf. 

H/T: Comics Alliance...

Catching up with Joseph Trapanese is like getting a summary experience for a hustling composer. In the past year, he's scored, worked in sound design and arranged for a diverse array of films, including franchises like "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" and the "Divergent" series; remakes like "Annie"; a sequel like "The Raid 2"; and original scripts like "Nightcrawler." He's dipped into TV like for "Wonder Woman," and nabbed further video game gigs like he did for racing title "The Crew." On top of all that, he's still active in the pop music sphere, having just completed work with repeat customer Kelly Clarkson and collaborating with acts like M83 for live performances. I sat down with Trapanese back in January, after "Raid 2" punched Sundance in the face, and even after only 10 months, it was time we caught up. This week, during our chat, Trapanese exclusively revealed that he's on tap as...

As promised a few days when we got the first bit of casting news for the feature adaptation of Alterna Comics' The Chair, more names have signed on to the Chad Ferrin-helmed film, and we have all the info you need right here!

On top of an already talented cast featuring Bill Oberst, Jr., Eric Roberts, Derrick Damions, and Jacob Banser, the three new additions are as follows:

Naomi Grossman (pictured; "American Horror Story: Asylum") as the mother of Death Row inmate Richard Sullivan; Susan Eisenberg (the voice of Wonder Woman from the Justice League animated series) as Ms. Prince, the receptionist to Richard Sullivan's boss, Mr. Bates; and Ferrin regular Timothy Muskatell (Someone's Knocking at the Door, Easter Bunny Kill! Kill!) as prison guard Stevenson.

Ferrin directs a screenplay by Erin Kohut and Peter Simeti.

More casting news is set to come out over the coming weeks,...

Holy Previews, Batman! Check out a Ton of new content for this week's DC Nation block featuring Beware The Batman's second episode. Teen Titans Go!'s resident alien learns how to lie and Robert Valley is back with another Charlies Angels-esque short featuring Wonder Woman herself. After Young Justice and Gltas left us, it's good to have weekly previews again, right?Beware The Batman - Secrets Batman is hot on the heels of an extremely clever and dangerous thief named Magpie (Grey Delisle), who not only sports razor sharp talons laced with poison and an invulnerability to pain, but she also steals the memories of her victims. But Batman is not the only one on her trail. Lieutenant James Gordon (Kurtwood Smith) is after her as well…and the two will ultimately go head-to-head to catch that thief. Teen Titans Go! - Starliar When Starfire is the only Titan...