So... I'm postponing my long Chronological Disney Canon review of "Zootopia" until it's out on home media. This is partially because everyone already knows that it is an excellent movie and there isn't much I could add to the current conversation. It's mostly because I really want to do a Live-Tweet commentary (I need a name for these; Twitmentaries?*) of it because this cute Disney cartoon movie where animals wear clothes and talk and do people things is freakin' packed with interesting stuff to talk about.
Which brings us, in the meantime, to this very cool and good Fusion channel documentary, "Imagining Zootopia". It is not only reminiscent of the "Making Of" documentaries the Disney Channel used to air in the immediate wake of their new animated film releases, a tradition I dearly miss, it also demonstrates just how much careful consideration was taken into the film and the issues it tackles. You'll get to see different, generally darker and weirder early versions of "Zootopia", great demonstrations of the intersection of art and science, moving personal stories from the writers, and it really is just awesome to see the current team of Disney animators at work. It was posted on YouTube a few days too early, and is officially marked as unlisted, but you can watch it here. Note that there are spoilers with regards to plot and theme, so watch this after seeing the movie.
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Art of the Day!
By far the most controversial part of "Zootopia" is the traditional Disney end-credit scene, cause it's just John Lasseter pointing at the audience, laughing at us, and saying, "Ha ha, you are all Furries now!"**
My Fursona would totally fall for the Pawpcicles.
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* - Speaking of Twitmentaries (I like that name; I'm keeping it), I really need to do "Frozen" as part of the Princess Project one of these days, huh? I'd really like to do "Inside-Out" sometime too. I've also been sitting on this rental DVD of "The Good Dinosaur" for days, and "E.T." was just added to Netflix Instant -- boy-howdy, that'd be an awesome one to analyze. In the meantime, adults, watch "E.T." with a kid you know cause I feel like there's a generation who missed out on being thoroughly freaked out by it.
** - I'm going to get weird comments from humorless people about this aren't I?