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Perry’s Previews 2011 Disney D23 Expo Review: “Perrific!” Attractions (FOR MORE -- MUCH, MUCH MORE -- FROM THE INIMITABLE CARMEL VALLEY SIXTH GRADER...VISIT THE REAL DEAL AT http://www.perryspreviews.com/.)
2011 Disney D23 Expo Unveils New Attractions By Perry S. Chen How would you celebrate the 25th anniversary of one of the most creative studios in the world? Well, at the Disney D23 expo, we celebrated the awesome anniversary of Pixar with delicious cupcakes, about 4000 of them! Each cupcake looked like a ball with a red star and a blue stripe, and it was very soft with a sweet and slightly tangy frosting. Everybody got one and my mom and I really enjoyed them!
Perry Chen enjoying Pixar 25th anniversary cupcake (photo by Zhu Shen) It was very fun at the D23 fan expo this year! During my second visit to the Disney Fan Expo, My mom and I got to see a full 3D film, find out about upcoming films, and attend interesting panels. This expo was quite a blast!
Perry Chen at press check-in (photo by Zhu Shen) On the first day, we drove off from a friend’s house that we had been staying with for a film camp in Burbank, where I learned how to make live action films with a few friends. I even made a live action short which I co-directed, did the screenwriting for, and starred in, called “Life of a Businessman.”
Perry Chen having fun at D23 (photo by Zhu Shen) We arrived at the Anaheim Convention Center, picked up our press badges, and went to see the main event of the Convention, Building Worlds: Inside the Walt Disney Studios. There we got some super sneak peeks at future films coming out in 2012 and 2013, such as Brave, a Pixar film about the adventures of a warrior princess in Scotland, Monsters University, a prequel to Monsters Inc, and many more interesting upcoming films. Four thousand people attended the packed event, and the screen showed pop quizzes and interesting facts about Disney, so I didn’t get bored.
Then when it started, Disney/Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter introduced many directors and stars of upcoming animation films.
Perry Chen checking out Wreck it Ralph videogame (photo by Zhu Shen) The first film introduced was “Wreck it Ralph,” the story of Ralph, a villain in an 80’s arcade game who longs to be a hero. The first 4 minutes of Wreck it Ralph were shown. I don’t think there has been a feature film about a video game villain before. John C. Riley, a great actor I interviewed at LA Film Festival in 2010 at “Cyrus” red carpet, is the voice of Ralph. We later met people who have been working on this film at the “Wreck it Ralph” display at the exhibit center.
Perry Chen with Disney modeler Tony Jung (L) & character technical director Si-Hyung Kim (R) who work on Wreck it Ralph (photo by Zhu Shen)
Next, John Lasseter talked about “Brave,” a story that takes place in ancient Scotland, where Merida, a Princess changes her own destiny. I thought that the ancient Celtic symbols and designs were very pretty. We got free posters of the film after the presentation.
Brave by Pixar Also, they showed pictures from Monsters University, a prequel to Monsters, Inc., about how Mike and Sulley developed a friendship, with voice talent Billy Crystal (Mike) on stage, they showed the differences between the teenage and older Sulley and Mike. I really thought that the designs for the monster university were great, since the buildings still look like buildings in reality, but the doors have teeth and there are different designs on the walls like eyeballs and heads. Monsters University by Pixar There were quite a few more upcoming films and every one of them sounds exciting. There is “Frankenweenie,” directed by Tim Burton, a story about a boy who brings his dead dog Sparky back to life; Frankenweenie by Tim Burton “John Carter,” a story about a civil war veteran who is accidentally sent to Mars; Marvel’s “The Avengers,” and “The Muppets,” which is about the Muppets, with special appearance by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy; and 2 untitled films from Pixar, one about a journey into the mind, and the other about what would have happened if the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs missed earth. My friend Pete Doctor from “Up” whom I interviewed in 2009 and 2010, is directing the one about the mind with Jonas Rivera the producer, which will come out in the summer of 2014. Bob Peterson, co-director of Up and voice of Dug the dog, directs the dinosaur film, which is scheduled for release in the Holiday season of 2013. Finally, the best part about the event is that everybody got a delicious cupcake for the 25thanniversary of Pixar. Here is a photo of the Disney characters made by the same bakery: It was extremely difficult to get into the panel “A Conversation With the Pixar Creative Team” starting after the main presentation. Mom and I waited with a few other media people and were finally let in moments before the session started. The directors and head of story of some of best Pixar films are there: Pete Docter & Bob Peterson, Ronnie Del Carmon from Up, Andrew Stanton from Finding Nemo, Mark Andrews from Brave (wearing a Scottish skirt!), Dan Scanlon from Monsters University, and more! We were the last ones to get in! It was “Perrific!” and worth a separate posting: Then, we went to the screening of Lion King 3D. It was quite a treat to watch the Lion King 3D at the first public screening! It had been quite a while since I watched Lion King on DVD (the original film was made in 1994 before I was born!), so I was a little bit vague on the details. I enjoyed the film greatly and gave it 4 starfish. Perry Chen at Lion King 3D premiere
(4 out of 5 starfish) At the morning presentation, the filmmakers told about the making of Lion King and the behind the scenes stories were intriguing and showed how difficult it was to complete the film. The film was wonderful and I really enjoyed the music and the great visuals. One of my favorite scenes is when the film shows leafcutter ants walking on a branch close up, and then it focuses on zebras running in the background. The flaws of the film were mostly scientific ones. First, I thought that when the herbivores were all killed off, the plants in the grasslands should flourish, instead of being sparse and depleted, but, I guess that is poetic license signifying sadness. Also, when lightning started fires all around Scar and Simba while they fought, they stayed there and did nothing! Ordinarily animals would flee instantly from fire but the 2 lions kept on fighting. Finally, I thought that it looked even better with the 3D too. It took hundreds of animators months to make the 3D effects! The characters seemed to pop right out of the screen! We stayed at a friend’s guest house in Newport Beach that night. I thought that a guest house is even better than a hotel. There was some food there, and internet access, where I entered a code on club penguin that got me a super rare club penguin hoodie! The beds were very comfy, and I could not wait for tomorrow, where there are many more interesting panels. The next day, we drove off to the D23 again. While waiting in line for the “Art of Brave” presentation, I had fun working on my drawings. The panel was presented by Tia Kratter, shader art director, and Steve Pilcher, production designer, and learned many new things about the art design for the film. The creative team traveled to Scotland twice to learn about the history and check out the landscape and sceneries to get a realistic feel for the film. They traveled to a forest, where different shades of green and brown were all over the trees and moss. I even got to ask the last question: What advice do you have for aspiring young animators? “Always carry a drawing pad with you and draw all the time,” said Tia Kratter. I’m happy to say that I’ve been doing that for a while now. “Also you have to love what you do and be passionate in your interests,” remarked Steve Pilcher. Great advice! After the presentation, a fellow San Diego Union Tribune journalist Roger Showley came by to say Hi, mom and I had a nice chat with him. Roger read my movie reviews on the Union Tribune. Mom & I also met Disney’s veteran animator, director Eric Goldberg (Aladdin, The Princess & the Frog, Winnie the Pooh) who gave a great demo on animation and autographed a “Winnie the Pooh” poster with fellow Disney animator Sean Felix. He remembered me from ASIFA-Hollywood’s 2010 Annie Awards where he won an award for animation and I was a presenter. Finally, it was the end of the day, and after a delicious meal at P.F. Chang in Anaheim’s GardenWalk district, we drove home. All I could think of the rest of that day was,”When will we get to come again?” ————- About Perry Chen: Perry Chen started reviewing movies and family-friendly entertainment with his unique, kids-friendly starfish rating system at 8 in third grade. He writes movie reviews for the San Diego Union Tribune, Animation World Network (AWN); Amazing Kids!, and his own Perry’s Previews website, with a combined readership of over 2 million. He became a national sensation with his network TV debut on CBS Evening News as the youngest film critic in 2009 and has since appeared on numerous national and international media, including NPR, CNN, Variety, the Guardian, spoke at a TEDx conference, and presented at Annie Awards for Animation. He won a prestigious “San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Award” in 2010 and is the youngest honoree of Cox Communications’ annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. He regularly interviews filmmakers and stars on the red carpet and film events. Perry started drawing when he was three, and frequently gets inspiration from nature. He has won numerous art awards and started learning computer animation using Toon Boom Studio software in November 2010. More info: http://www.awn.com/blogs/perrys-previews/holocaust-through-eyes-child-animated-child (Animation World Network: The Holocaust Through the Eyes of a Child – Animated by a Child) For more info and to donate and support this film, visit the official website: Become a Facebook Fan: http://www.facebook.com/IngridPittAnimation http://www.facebook.com/PerrysPreviewsFan Follow him on twitter: http://twitter.com/perryspreviews Read all his movie reviews: Subscribe to his YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/perryspreviews For media & business inquires, contact Zhu Shen, Producer, Perry’s Previews 858-761-7955 bioforesight at gmail dot com Child Film & Food Critic Perry Chen in Feature Documentary Film “Average Joe on the Raw”
Perry Chen on the set with "Average Joe on the Raw" filmmakers L to R: Seth Hayhurst (Star & Producer), Russell James (Raw Chef & Producer), Daniel Hayhurst (Director & Cinematographer) (photo by Zhu Shen) Child Film & Food Critic Perry Chen in Feature Documentary Film “Average Joe on the Raw”
If you watched director Morgan Spurlock’s Oscar-nominated documentary “Super Size Me,” and the more recent “Forks Over Knives,” you will LOVE the new feature documentary “Average Joe on the Raw,” about a young man Seth Hayhurst’s (“Average Joe”) incredible 60-day journey on nothing but raw food in the hopes of reversing the damages of 30 years of “average” American diet. What did he do and what happened to him? What can you do to improve your own health with what you eat? You can find out by pre-ordering the DVD, and save $10, watch the trailer and order NOW before the offer expires on June 21, 2011: Click here to view more details Mom (Zhu Shen) and I are both featured in the film. I got invited because I review restaurants and food, in addition to movies and events, and can provide a child’s perspective on food. Mom and I grow lots of vegetables and fruits in our backyard. I am also a member of my elementary school’s Garden Club. Mom is also a producer of this film, along with our dear friend, fellow producer Angel Burns, who introduced the “Perrific!” filmmakers Seth and Daniel Hayhurst (2 brothers) to us. Here is a clip of my interview in the film:
The idea for the film started many months ago when Seth Hayhurst talked to raw chef Russell James (http://therawchef.com/). Seth’s brother, Daniel Hayhurst, a filmmaker who graduated from Los Angeles Film School (where my animation short “Guard Dog Global Jam” had its LA premiere on May 20, 2011), became the director and cinematographer for the film. We met all three of them during the shoot and enjoyed learning about preparing healthy, raw food from them!
Mom & Producer Zhu Shen on the set with director Dan Hayhurst (photo by Russell James) As you first see Seth at the start of the film, he seemed like a healthy young man, with a bit of flabby tummy, but not obese. Then he got tested to find that even at the age of 30, serious health issues were lurking around… We met Seth on his 57th day of raw food diet, he looked amazing!
This film is more than raw food. You will meet many interesting people along the way who are closely involved in growing, harvesting, preparing, selling, reviewing, and enjoying food. Today, nearly 1 in 3 American children and teens is already overweight or obese. These kids are more likely to develop serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. With America’s fast food culture and unhealthy diet in the past decades, our generation could be the first generation to die at a younger age than our parents, if we don’t make drastic changes soon! There’s an opportunity to pre-order and save $10, which will expire in 7 days (June 21, 2011) when they go into post-production, do yourself & your family a favor, cheers to your health: Click here to view more details While you’re on the site make sure you do 2 things… 1. Sign up for the free goodies (including recipes from Raw Chef Russell James). 2. Pre-order the DVD. 3. Share with your friends and loved ones. Other ways to keep up with the film: Like the Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/averagejoeontheraw Follow them on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ontherawfilm Become a fan on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/PerrysPreviewsFan By the way, since my parents and I watched “Forks Over Knives” and mom and I being on the set of “Average Joe on the Raw,” we have adopted a diet that is 95% vegetarian with a lot of raw vegetables, we’ve enjoyed it! My next restaurant review will be at Kitchen 1540 in Del Mar’s L’Auberge Hotel. I look forward to interviewing chef Paul McCabe, acclaimed James Beard fellow: http://www.laubergedelmar.com/kitchen1540/chef-paul-mccabe.php Check out my four restaurant reviews on San Diego Entertainer Magazine: http://www.sdentertainer.com/dining/restaurant-review-grand-del-mars-amaya-feast-senses/ (Grand Del Mar’s Amaya) http://www.sdentertainer.com/dining/reviews-dining/san-diego-dining-restaurant-review-the-french-gourmet-perry-chen/ (The French Gourmet)
———– Become a fan on Perry’s Previews Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviewsfan Perry S. Chen is a 11-year-old award-winning film critic & artist, actor, TV/radio personality, Annie Awards for Animation presenter, TEDx speaker, filmmaker and animator. He writes about movies for San Diego’s largest newspaper, the Union Tribune with over 1 million readers. Perry is also the youngest columnist and entertainment critic for the San Diego Entertainer Magazine. He also blogs for Animation World Network, the leading animation industry publication, and is the resident film critic for Amazing Kids! with about 1 million readers. Perry’s collaboration with Oscar-nominee Bill Plympton led to 2 animation shorts: “Guard Dog Global Jam” which won “Best Experimental Film” at ASIFA-EAST Animation Festival; and “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” which will premiere at Comic-Con in July 2011. http://www.perryspreviews.com/?p=15 (About Perry Chen) Perry won the San Diego Press Club 2010 Excellence in Journalism Award, and is represented by Rebel Entertainment Partners, a talent agency in Hollywood; and Shamon Freitas Agency in San Diego. Perry started writing movie reviews using his unique kids-friendly starfish rating system on his website (www.perryspreviews.com ) as an 8-year-old third grader at San Diego’s Torrey Hills Elementary School from the Del Mar Union School District. Perry became a national sensation when he debuted on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric in May 2009 as the youngest film critic in the country. He was featured on National Public Radio (NPR) with host Liane Hansen in March 2010, and has reviewed over 70 movies and DVDs on a multi-media platform: TV, radio, print, and web. He is the youngest member of the Asian American Journalist Association, the San Diego Press Club, and the youngest honoree of Cox Communication Channel 4’s annul Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Perry reviews films on a kids-friendly starfish rating system, 5 being the best. Perry’s reviews are available on his website: www.perryspreviews.com. Subscribe to his YouTube: www.youtube.com/perryspreviews Check out his Internet Movie Database (IMDB) profile: Read his press releases http://pressroom.prlog.org/PerrysPreviews/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/perryspreviews (over 1800 followers) Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/perryspreviews (over 9 million connections) For media and business inquiries, contact Zhu Shen (bioforesight @ gmail dot com) Producer, Perry’s Previews Perry's Previews Movie Review: – RIO is knockout animation and a 4-Starfish Treat!
(4 out of 5 starfish) What a relief after four months of mediocre animations to finally have a great animated film! “Rio” is a superb film with rich characters, dazzling visuals, lively music, great humor, and an interesting story with many twists and turns in the plot. The film is created by the same team that made The Ice Age, and opens nationwide on April 15, 2011, rated G.
Blu, a domesticated, mild-tempered male blue macaw, is one of the last two birds of his species left in the world. “Rio” tells the story of how Blu and his owner Linda (a young woman who works at a Minnesota bookstore) go to Rio so that Blue can meet the last female blue macaw named Jewel, and preserve the species from extinction. Along the way, a vicious bird named Nigel and his cruel poacher owner are out to get them. I noticed that Rio’s opening is very similar to “Up,” because it shows the characters when they are young, and the lovely sequences of images without dialogue, indicating the passing of time in both films. The opening scene is one of my favorites. It dazzles you with multi-colored birds in the Brazilian forest, dancing in lively, energetic samba music. I love the rich characters, especially Blu and Jewel. Jewel is assertive, bossy, always making it clear to Blu who’s the boss. Blu, the submissive male, goes along with it because all his life, he relied on a female to provide and care for him. I like how the film shows Blu, my favorite character, gradually gaining courage and becoming a protector and hero at the end. I give Rio 4 starfish, it’s “Perrific!” There are some minor flaws. When baby Blu was found by Linda as young girl, she fed him milk in a bottle. That is not very realistic because parrots cannot metabolize lactose. The same thing goes for the hot chocolate that he drank later in the film. Just like how chocolate can kill dogs and cats, it is dangerous to parrots, too. I would recommend this film to ages 10 and up because of mild references to bird reproduction, as the film is about reuniting the last male and female of the blue macaw species. Rio is about greed, corruption in the illegal animal trade; but also about rivalry, love, and trust. Love can give you wings to fly. My shorter review together with other movie panelists’ reviews published on San Diego Union Tribune: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/apr/15/movie-panel-loves-aposrioapos/ Copyright 2011, by Perry S. Chen
About Perry Chen – Gifted with a keen eye from a young age, Perry began writing movie reviews for his website “Perry’s Previews” at age 8. Characterized by his starfish rating system, his “Perrific™” favorite movies, and his family-friendly movie choices, Perry is often regarded as one of the great up-and-coming movie critics. The youngest honoree at the recent San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards, Perry also serves as -resident movie critic for the Amazing Kids! Magazine (http://mag.amazing-kids.org), http://mag.amazing-kids.org/category/ak_columns/amazing-movie-reviews/ -film critic and blogger on Animation World Network, a leading professional animation industry publication: http://www.awn.com/blogs/perrys-previews - movie panelist for the San Diego Union Tribune with over a million weekly readers: - San Diego Entertainer Magazine’s youngest columnist and entertainment critic, reviewing films, restaurants, and entertainment events: http://www.sdentertainer.com/?s=perry+chen Perry has been featured in numerous publications and television interviews, including a recent article in Variety, which spotlighted the top 3 up-and-coming young movie reviewers: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026037.html?categoryid=4137&cs=1 (Variety: Kid Crix Grade Pix through Different Eyes, Oct 22, 2010) and The Young Icons, a nationally-syndicated TV show. In May 2009, Perry made his national television debut on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and in March 2010, he appeared in his first national radio interview on National Public Radio (NPR) with host Liane Hansen. Perry’s hobbies outside of film reviews include drawing, reading, folding origami, exploring nature, and gardening. Perry is represented by Rebel Entertainment Partners, a talent agency in Hollywood; and Shamon Freitas Agency in San Diego. Perry’s talents extend to filmmaking and animation. He recently finished two animation shorts in collaboration with twice-Oscar nominee Bill Plympton: “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” about a young Holocaust survivor” which will be screened at the Burbank International Film Festival, and “Guard Dog Global Jam,” which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2011 to rave reviews. For Perry Chen’s movie reviews, film project updates, visit: Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviewsfan For press and business inquires, contact Zhu Shen: bioforesight at gmail dot com Perry's Previews: SXSW Film Festival Premieres Animation Short Featuring Perry's Work... SXSW Film Festival Premieres Animation Short Featuring 5th-Grade Animator & Film Critic Perry Chen In 2010, renowned animation master Bill Plympton decided to remake via the internet his 2005 wildly popular Oscar-nominated animated short, “Guard Dog” about an over-protective pug who imagines every flora and fauna is out to kill his beloved master. Perry Chen is among over 70 artists from around the world invited to make “Guard Dog Global Jam,” each with different levels of expertise, recreating each shot of the film in their own style. The global team represents animators from Canada, the UK, Scotland, Ireland, France, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Spain, Lithuania, Argentina, and the U.S.
(Bill Plympton & Perry Chen discussing animation film feedback before Annie Awards (photo by Zhu Shen) Plympton is the storyboard artist on “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest,” an animation short about a young Holocaust survivor, in collaboration with Perry Chen, the sole animator of this film, sponsored by Toon Boom Animation, the leading 2D animation software company; and Wacom, the leading computer tablet company for the animation industry. “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” is in post-production and will be ready for film festivals starting April 2011. In November 2010, Perry created scene 41 (bull thinks of hamburger) in “Guard Dog Global Jam” using Toon Boom Studio 5.0 and Wacom Intuos when he was 10 years old. “I am thrilled to see our film finally making it to SXSW! I have learned so much about create animation using Toon Boom software for this film.
It is magical to see things moving on the computer screen from my own creation.” said Perry. “I created 35 drawings on my computer for the 7-second scene 41 by watching Bill Plympton’s original Guard Dog again and again. With my mom’s help, the help of Toon Boom’s wonderful technical support team and other local animators, I was able to finish the scene within one month and by the deadline.” “Guard Dog Global Jam” had its world premiere at 9:30 pm on March 11, 2011, the opening night of the South by Southwest (SXSW Film Festival and Conference, March 11-20, 2011) http://schedule.sxsw.com/?conference=film&category=Screening&day=11# http://www.vimeo.com/20252572 (Guard Dog Global Jam video clip) “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond The Forest” is a 5-minute animated short told through the eyes of a young Jewish girl, Ingrid Pitt, who survived the Holocaust after being in various concentration camps in Poland with her mother from age 5 to 8. Pitt eventually became a film and TV star and appeared in the classic World War II film “Where Eagles Dare” with Clint Eastwood. The film is already accepted to screen at the Burbank International Film Festival September 10-17, 2011. Perry’s Previews is an online resource for kids, teens, parents, educators, and movie lovers of all ages to read and comment on family-friendly movie reviews from a kid’s perspective. To date, over 50 reviews are listed on a multi-media platform, including TV, radio, print, and web. In addition, Perry’s Previews features Perry’s art and animation videos. Reader participation is encouraged through and via Perry’s website, Facebook fan page: (http://www.Facebook.com/PerrysPreviewsFan) and Perry’s twitter feed @PerrysPreviews. About Perry Chen – Gifted with a keen eye from a young age, Perry began writing movie reviews for his website “Perry’s Previews” at age 8. Characterized by his starfish rating system, his “Perrific™” favorite movies, and his family-friendly movie choices, Perry is often regarded as one of the great up-and-coming movie critics. The youngest honoree at the recent San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards, Perry also serves as the resident movie critic for the Amazing Kids! Magazine (mag.amazing-kids.org), film critic and blogger on Animation World Network, a leading professional animation industry publication; a movie panelist for the San Diego Union Tribune with over a million weekly readers; and the San Diego Entertainer Magazine’s youngest columnist and entertainment critic, reviewing films, restaurants, and entertainment events. Perry has been featured in numerous publications and television interviews, including a recent (October 22, 2010) article in Variety, which spotlighted the top 3 up-and-coming young movie reviewers; and The Young Icons, a nationally-syndicated TV show. In May 2009, Perry made his national television debut on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and in March 2010, he appeared in his first national radio interview on National Public Radio (NPR) with host Liane Hansen. Perry’s hobbies outside of film reviews include drawing, reading, folding origami, exploring nature, and gardening. Perry is represented by Rebel Entertainment Partners, a talent agency in Hollywood; and Shamon Freitas Agency in San Diego. For Perry Chen’s movie reviews, film project updates, visit: For information about Perry Chen, media & business inquiries, contact: Zhu Shen, # # # Perry’s Previews features multi-media reviews by Perry Chen, an award-winning 10-year-old entertainment critic of movies and family entertainment, TV/radio personality, youngest blogger, filmmaker featured on CBS & NPR. Details: http://www.perryspreviews.com. 10-Year-Old Perry Shen's Previews Movie Review: The Last Lions – A 5 Starfish Treat!
(Five out of five...starfish; that's good.)
By Perry S. Chen March 11, 2011 Can you guess how much the population of African lions has dropped in the past 5 decades? The statistics may alarm you! Half a century ago, 450,000 lions roamed the vast African savannah. Now, with increasing human encroachment, less than 20,000 remain. Scientists predict lions will be eradicated from the face of earth by 2025 if we do nothing now. In “The Last Lions,” a stunning National Geographic documentary film that opens TODAY (March 11, 2011) in San Diego’s Landmark Theaters (La Jolla Village and Hillcrest), a fierce mother lioness, one of the 20,000 remaining wild lions in Africa named Ma di Tau (“Mother of Lions”), is risking everything to keep her cubs alive. Stranded on an island in the middle of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, she was driven from her territory by a pride from the north, which was being forced south by human settlement, her mate and protector was killed by the Northern Pride and she fled to a nearby island. Unfortunately there are dangers with every step she takes, such as crocodiles, elephants, huge wild buffalo, starvation; and, being a lone lioness she faces the danger of the northern pride, led by Silver Eye, a vicious lioness whom Ma di had partially blinded in an earlier fight, and whose sole mission was to kill Ma di’s two surviving cubs. Ma di experiences loss and victory, defeat and triumph as she struggles to survive and raise her young. I give this film 5 out of 5 starfish, the first for a documentary! The movie is filled with drama, action, surprises, and has a lot of heart. This film shows that Mau di Tau has an almost human-like emotion. The most moving scene is when the most dominant and powerful bull of the herd severely injured her cub, Mau di Tau took him head on and later formed an unlikely allegiance with her former enemy Silver Eye, to bring down the bull and avenge her cub. The saddest scene is when the bull crippled Ma di’s daughter, Ma di was forced to leave her behind despite her heartbreaking calls.
The cinematography of this film is breathtaking. Filming the lions is a risky task, and the lions were filmed from a car with no doors, roof, or windshield, as I heard on the filmmaker’s interview with NPR Fresh Air host Terry Gross last week. A lot of times, the cameras zoom in on the eyes to show how the animals are feeling. Also, the the award-winning husband and wife filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert (Photo: below.) really captured the bravery of Ma di, who courageously took on the thing lions fear and detest most: water, in order to adapt to her different environment to survive.
One of my favorite scenes was when the cubs played together. I bet anybody who saw the adorable cubs would fall in love with them, as they rolled around playing king of the hill and engaging in playful mock fights. Moral: The mighty lions are being quickly driven to extinction along with many other endangered animals. It is up to us to save them and try to mend what we have caused.
I hope a lot of people will take actions to save the last lions before and after watching this Perrific film! Visit the official site for details and showtime in your city: http://movies.nationalgeographic.com/movies/last-lions/ Copyright 2011 by Perry S. Chen ———– Perry S. Chen is a 11-year-old award-winning film critic & artist, actor, TV/radio personality, Annie Awards for Animation presenter, TEDx speaker, filmmaker and animator. He writes about movies for San Diego’s largest newspaper, the Union Tribune with over 1 million readers. Perry is also the youngest columnist and entertainment critic for the San Diego Entertainer Magazine. He also blogs for Animation World Network, the leading animation industry publication, and is the resident film critic for Amazing Kids! with about 1 million readers. http://www.perryspreviews.com/?p=15 (About Perry Chen) Perry’s Previews and Amazing Kids!, co-organizers of the first ever “Amazing Kids! Perrific Oscar Picks Contest” sponsored by Disney Pixar and DreamWorks Animation, recently announced 40 kids from around the world won of the contest. Perry also predicted best animation Oscar on stage as celebrity guest at the 2011 Oscar Night America – San Diego charity event to benefit a children’s charity. He enjoyed interviewing Oscar-winning “Toy Story 3″ director Lee Unkrich and Oscar-nominated directors Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders of “How to Train Your Dragon” at the Academy of Motion Pictures before the Oscars: http://www.perryspreviews.com/?p=2347 (press release) http://mag.amazing-kids.org/contests/amazing-kids-contests/amazing-kids-predict-the-oscars-contest/ http://www.perryspreviews.com/?p=2284 http://t.co/9lqSbCx (AWN animation Oscar prediction & interview) Perry won the San Diego Press Club 2010 Excellence in Journalism Award, and is represented by Rebel Entertainment Partners, a talent agency in Hollywood; and Shamon Freitas Agency in San Diego. Perry started writing movie reviews using his unique kids-friendly starfish rating system on his website (www.perryspreviews.com ) as an 8-year-old third grader at San Diego’s Torrey Hills Elementary School from the Del Mar Union School District. Perry became a national sensation when he debuted on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric in May 2009 as the youngest film critic in the country. He was featured on National Public Radio (NPR) with host Liane Hansen in March 2010, and has reviewed over 50 movies and DVDs on a multi-media platform: TV, radio, print, and web. He is the youngest member of the Asian American Journalist Association, the San Diego Press Club, and the youngest honoree of Cox Communication Channel 4’s annul Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Perry reviews films on a kids-friendly starfish rating system, 5 being the best. He was featured on “The Young Icons,” a nationally syndicated TV show on Nov 20, 2010, and on Variety as one of the most active young film critics in the country: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026037.html?categoryid=4137&cs=1 Perry’s reviews are available on his website: www.perryspreviews.com. Become a fan on his Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviewsfan Watch his videos on www.youtube.com/perryspreviews Check out his Internet Movie Database (IMDB) profile: Listen to his radio show on www.wsRadio.com/perry Read his press releases http://pressroom.prlog.org/PerrysPreviews/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/perryspreviews (over 1800 followers) Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/perryspreviews (over 7 million connections) For media and business inquiries, contact Zhu Shen (bioforesight @ gmail dot com) CEO, Perry’s Previews 10-yr-old Award-winning Celebrity Film Critic Perry Chen to Attend Oscar Night® America ~ San Diego Charity Event
The charity event is organized by Community Campership Council, a children’s charity organization, the only organization sanctioned by the Academy to host this official Oscar Night® event in San Diego. On Sunday, February 27, charities in 50 cities will host official Oscar® viewing parties during the 83rd Academy Awards® ceremony as part of Oscar Night® America (ONA), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ grassroots outreach program. The Academy sanctions charities across the country to host celebratory viewing parties on Oscar® Night with proceeds directly benefiting the charities. All parties will feature the live broadcast of the Awards presentation; many will integrate Hollywood-style party elements, including red carpet arrivals, local celebrities, “paparazzi” photographers, predict-the-winner contests and live entertainment. “We are very pleased to announce that Perry Chen will grace the red carpet as a special guest at this year’s Oscar Night® America ~ San Diego event. Of all the film critics we could have invited, Perry Chen is the most appropriate because of our focus on enriching the lives of San Diego youth. Perry is a role model for his generation and has already accomplished more than many film critics twice his age. Our guests will be participating in a Predict the Winner contest and Perry will be announcing his pick for the animated feature category. The mission of the Community Campership Council is to enrich the lives of San Diego youth and proceeds of the event will be used to send San Diego kids to camp.” “We had an enthusiastic turnout last year and were able to send 80 kids for a week at 24 San Diego area camps,” said Rob Sauvajot co-chair of the San Diego event. “We hope that being the sanctioned Oscar Night® America event will help us raise awareness about the importance of getting kids outdoors and help us raise enough to send twice as many kids to camp this year.”
“Oscar Night® generates excitement all over the world. With the Academy’s help, our guests will feel like they are on the A-list,” quoted co-chair Jerry Hemme. “The Academy will provide our party guests the same official program distributed to guests at the Oscar® presentation at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood. The appearance of Perry Chen will add to the excitement.” Watch Perry’s interview of Oscar-nominated animated feature directors Lee Unkrich of Toy Story 3 and Dean DeBlois & Chris Sanders of “How to Train Your Dragon” at the Academy of Motion Pictures on Feb 24, 2011: “I am thrilled to attend the 2011 Oscar Night® America ~ San Diego charity event, organized by the Community Campership Council to help more kids go to summer camps,” said Perry Chen. “I have enjoyed going to summer camps in San Diego in the past few years to learn about animals in the world famous San Diego Zoo and Sea World; practice gymnastics and swimming; make ceramics art and painting; hone my acting skills, and so much more! I hope more people will join me at the Oscar Night® America ~ San Diego charity event to help our kids go to these fun summer camps to learn and play.” Oscar Night® America – San Diego tickets are available at www.kidstocamp.org Perry’s company Perry’s Previews and Amazing Kids! are also organizing the first ever “Amazing Kids! Perrific Oscar® Picks Contest,” inviting kids 6-17 worldwide to predict best animation feature Oscar® winner on Feb 27, 2011 among three nominees (How to Train Your Dragon, Toy Story 3, and The Illusionist). Contestant can unleash their “inner Ebert” by sharing why they pick the film in 50 words or less. The contest ends Saturday Feb 26, 2011, the day before the Oscars®. Enter NOW: http://mag.amazing-kids.org/contests/amazing-kids-contests/a The contest is sponsored by Disney Pixar and DreamWorks Animation, each giving away 20 Blu-ray DVDs of the Oscar®-nominated “Toy Story 3” and “How to Train Your Dragon” to contest winners. Entries are coming from China, India, the UK, Canada, in addition to the U.S. Perry is eager to have more San Diego kids participate in the contest and become his Facebook fan by visiting his Perry’s Previews page: http://www.facebook.com/PerrysPreviewsFan The contest ended on Sat Feb 26, 2011. Winners will be announced the week of Feb 28, 2011, following the Oscars on Feb 27. Press release about the Kids Oscar® Picks contest: http://www.perryspreviews.com/?p=2265 San Diego Union Tribune online news story about the Kids Oscar® Picks contest: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/18/kid-critics-can-pick-the-oscars/ Watch Perry on NBC “Today in LA” show and commentary on this year’s nominees for best animation Oscar®: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/station/as-seen-on/The_Young_Film_Critic_Los_Angeles-116114914.html Watch Perry’s interview of San Diego kids about their Oscar® pick for best animation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI5Ym0TLRnk Visit Perry Chen’s movie review website for updates on movie reviews, upcoming events, promotions: Perry’s Previews (perryspreviews.com) is an online resource for kids, teens, parents, educators, and movie lovers of all ages to read and comment on family-friendly movie reviews from a kid’s perspective. To date, over 50 reviews are listed on a multi-media platform, including TV, radio, print, and web. In addition, Perry’s Previews features Perry’s art and animation videos. Reader participation is encouraged through and via Perry’s website, Facebook fan page (http://www.Facebook.com/PerrysPreviewsFan) and Perry’s twitter feed @PerrysPreviews. About Perry Chen – Gifted with a keen eye from a young age, Perry began writing movie reviews for his website “Perry’s Previews” at age 8. Characterized by his starfish rating system, his “Perrific™” favorite movies, and his family-friendly movie choices, Perry is often regarded as one of the great up-and-coming movie critics. The youngest honoree at the recent San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards, Perry also serves as the resident movie critic for the Amazing Kids! Magazine (mag.amazing-kids.org), film critic and blogger on Animation World Network, a leading professional animation industry publication; a movie panelist for the San Diego Union Tribune with over a million weekly readers; and the San Diego Entertainer Magazine’s youngest columnist and entertainment critic, reviewing films, restaurants, and entertainment events. Perry has been featured in numerous publications and television interviews, including a recent (October 22, 2010) article in Variety, which spotlighted the top 3 up-and-coming young movie reviewers; and The Young Icons, a nationally-syndicated TV show. In May 2009, Perry made his national television debut on CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, and in March 2010, he appeared in his first national radio interview on National Public Radio (NPR) with host Liane Hansen. Perry’s hobbies outside of film reviews include drawing, reading, folding origami, exploring nature, and gardening. Perry is represented by Rebel Entertainment Partners, a talent agency in Hollywood; and Shamon Freitas Agency in San Diego. Contact Information: Zhu Shen, Ph.D, MBA CEO, Perry’s Previews For Community Campership Council, contact: Beth Huss 858-268-9888 "A Tentative Balance" by Rick Friedman shares the author's memories of childhood through his experiences as a young man in New York City, Studio 54 and before...
When Friedman walked into a popular New York City bar called the Sporting Club on a warm autumn night in 1985, he never expected to find the woman of his dreams. That's where he met Christine, a stunning blonde who would become the love of his life. After catching her eye and exchanging a few words, the pair spent the evening dancing and laughing, intimately connected even though they had only just met. These and other memories are collected in "A Tentative Balance", a book of Friedman's personal experiences during a tumultuous time in his life "I have been telling these stories for years to my daughters and never really told the sad or bad ones," Friedman said. "I felt that they were now old enough to hear all the stories and wanted to share how an individual can find love after experiencing such sadness." The book offers recollections of Friedman's childhood in Great Neck, N. Y., his sister Linda's struggles and eventual suicide, partying at Studio 54 and other iconic New York hot spots, experiences with drugs and alcohol and much more. Intended to entertain and inspire, the book offers an unvarnished look at one man's life.
"A Tentative Balance" is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels. About the Author Rick Friedman is a first-time author. He was born and raised in the town of Great Neck, a small community less than an hour east of New York City. He attended Ohio State University and graduated with a business degree. After living in New York for 20 years, he and his family moved to the Phoenix area and later to San Diego. His love of golf and tennis is only surpassed by his devotion to the New York Yankees.
'Perry's Previews': First-Ever Kids Oscar Picks contest; Gnomeo & Juliet previewed & MORE!
Amazing Kids! ® (amazing-kids.org) and Perry’s Previews TM (www.perryspreviews.com) announced today that entries are now being accepted for their first-ever “Amazing Kids!’Perrific Oscars® Picks!” Contest. Amazing Kids! and Perry’s Previews are challenging kids and teens worldwide, ages 6-17, to predict the Oscar® winner for Best Animated Feature of 2010 for the upcoming 83rd Academy Awards® and make their voice heard. Contestants are asked to name which of the top 3 Oscar®-nominated feature animation films, How to Train Your Dragon, Toy Story 3, and The Illusionist, they predict will win at the Academy Awards ceremony on February 27, 2011. Contestants have the option of submitting the reason for their pick in 50 words or less on the contest site: http://mag.amazing-kids.org/contests/amazing-kids-contests/amazing-kids-predict-the-oscars-contest/ Prizes will include DVDs of the best animated feature film of 2010 Oscar® nominees and winner, and will be awarded to contest winners in a random drawing from those entries which correctly predict the Oscar winner. In addition, one grand prize winning “Best Essay” entry will receive copies of all three DVDs. The winners’ names will be featured on the Amazing Kids! website, amazing-kids.org with a following of nearly 1 million yearly visitors, and in the Amazing Kids! Magazine (mag.amazing-kids.org), as well as on Perry’s Previews (Perryspreviews.com). The winners will also be announced in the contest’s media sponsor, Kid Scoop, a syndicated weekly kids’ educational activities column appearing in over 300 newspapers across the U.S. (www.kidscoop.com/).
Updates: DreamWorks Animation and Disney Pixar have become the contest sponsors, each sending 20 Blu-ray DVDs of “How to train Your Dragon” and “Toy Story 3″ as prizes for winners! Entries have been received from China, India, the UK, Canada, in addition to the U.S. The “Amazing Kids!’ Perrific Oscar® Picks!”contest is one of several movie-related contests planned by Amazing Kids! and Perry’s Previews in the coming months, including an upcoming kids’ movie review writing contest for kids which will be judged by Perry Chen, Amazing Kids! resident film critic, along with some of today’s most prominent adult critics. The deadline to submit entries for the “Amazing Kids!’ Perrific Oscar® Picks!” is February 26, 2011, one day prior to the 83rd Academy Awards. More information and contest rules can be found on the main “Contests” page on the Amazing Kids! website: http://mag.amazing-kids.org/contests/amazing-kids-contests/amazing-kids-predict-the-oscars-contest/ Updates: DreamWorks Animation and Disney Pixar have become the contest sponsors, each sending 20 Blu-ray DVDs of “How to train Your Dragon” and “Toy Story 3″ as prizes for winners! Entries have been received from China, India, the UK, Canada, in addition to the U.S. The “Amazing Kids!’ Perrific Oscar® Picks!”contest is one of several movie-related contests planned by Amazing Kids! and Perry’s Previews in the coming months, including an upcoming kids’ movie review writing contest for kids which will be judged by Perry Chen, Amazing Kids! resident film critic, along with some of today’s most prominent adult critics. The deadline to submit entries for the “Amazing Kids!’ Perrific Oscar® Picks!” is February 26, 2011, one day prior to the 83rd Academy Awards. More information and contest rules can be found on the main “Contests” page on the Amazing Kids! website: http://mag.amazing-kids.org/contests/amazing-kids-contests/amazing-kids-predict-the-oscars-contest/ Watch Perry interview kids on the street about their own Oscar picks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI5Ym0TLRnk Listen to our show on Canadian radio talk show “Cutting Room Floor” with host Casey Ryan from Jan 29, 2011 show, featuring Perry Chen, Zhu Shen (mom & Perry’s animation film co-producer), Alyse Rome (Amazing Kids founder), and Karina Bessoudo (VP of Marketing, Toon Boom Animation, Perry’s animation short sponsor) discussing the contest and Perry’s new animation film: http://recordings.talkshoe.com/TC-81947/TS-445615.mp3 About Amazing Kids! ® Founded in 1998 by Amazing Kids! President Alyse Rome, Amazing Kids! (http://amazing-kids.org) is a children’s educational non-profit organization and award-winning website dedicated to inspiring excellence in children, while helping them to realize their amazing potential and launch their dreams. A recent recipient of the American Library Association’s Top 24 “Great Websites for Kids” for 2010, the Amazing Kids! website supports kids’ achievement, creativity, critical thinking, and literacy through hosting ongoing creative contests and publishing the award-winning, kid-created Amazing Kids! Online Magazine. For the past 13 years, Amazing Kids!’ Contests, http://amazing-kids.org/contests, have become widely-known and respected as one of the best online resources for kids contests (and appear in the top 2 listings for “kids contests” in Google rankings). Amazing Kids!’ Contests continue to receive the support of a “Who’s Who” of highly respected national and international corporations who act as contest sponsors. Past Amazing Kids! Contest sponsors have included such well-respected companies like DreamWorks Animation, Nintendo America, Carnival Cruises, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Random House and Ty, Inc. PERRY PREVIEWS GNOMEO & JULIET
Perry Chen at Gnomeo & Juliet press screening (photo by Zhu Shen) Liked: This film is a clever twist on a Shakespeare classic with a pair of sworn enemies: the blue gnome Gnomeo and the red gnome Juliet falling in love. It has one humorous gag after another. I like the many rich supporting characters, like the green frog, Featherstone, the flamingo and a canine-like blue mushroom who sniffed around. My favorite scene is when Gnomeo and Juliet fought for a rare orchid like acrobat. Disliked: The ending is too tidy in order to please youngsters. Another flaw is when Juliet got herself in trouble, her father superglued her feet to a pedestal to keep her safe, but when the garden was destroyed, she magically freed herself, and nobody got hurt! Would I recommend it? Find out from my Union Tribune review: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/feb/11/citizen-critics-on-gnomeo-juliet/ Copyright 2011 by Perry S. Chen Perry’s Previews and Amazing Kids invite kids 6-17 worldwide to enter the first-ever “Amazing Kids Perrific Oscar Picks” contest to predict which of 3 animation films will win best animation Oscar, you could win DVDs of Toy Story 3, How to Train Your Dragon, and The Illusionist! Details: http://mag.amazing-kids.org/contests/amazing-kids-contests/amazing-kids-predict-the-oscars-contest/
———– Perry S. Chen is a 10-year-old award-winning film critic & artist, TV/radio personality, Annie Awards for Animation presenter, TEDx speaker, filmmaker and animator. He writes about movies for San Diego’s largest newspaper, the Union Tribune with over 1 million readers. Perry is also the youngest columnist and entertainment critic for the San Diego Entertainer Magazine. He also blogs for Animation World Network, and is the resident film critic for Amazing Kids! with about 1 million readers: Perry won the San Diego Press Club 2010 Excellence in Journalism Award, and is represented by Rebel Entertainment Partners, a talent agency in Hollywood. Perry started writing movie reviews using his unique kids-friendly starfish rating system on his website (www.perryspreviews.com ) as an 8-year-old third grader at San Diego’s Torrey Hills Elementary School from the Del Mar Union School District. Perry became a national sensation when he debuted on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric in May 2009 as the youngest film critic in the country. He was featured on National Public Radio (NPR) with host Liane Hansen in March 2010, and has reviewed over 50 movies and DVDs on a multi-media platform: TV, radio, print, and web. He is the youngest member of the Asian American Journalist Association, the San Diego Press Club, and the youngest honoree of Cox Communication Channel 4’s annul Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Perry reviews films on a kids-friendly starfish rating system, 5 being the best. He was featured on “The Young Icons,” a nationally syndicated TV show on Nov 20, 2010, and on Variety as one of the most active young film critics in the country: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026037.html?categoryid=4137&cs=1 Perry’s reviews are available on his website: www.perryspreviews.com. Become a fan on his Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviewsfan Watch his videos on www.youtube.com/perryspreviews Check out his Internet Movie Database (IMDB) profile: Listen to his radio show on www.wsRadio.com/perry Read his press releases http://pressroom.prlog.org/PerrysPreviews/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/perryspreviews (over 1800 followers) Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/perryspreviews (over 6 million connections) 38th Annie Awards for Animation was Dominated by DreamWorks. It was held at UCLA's Royce Hall on Feb. 5 (Photo: How to train your dragon co-directors Dean DeBlois (L) Chris Sanders (R) producer Bonnie Arnold (M) with Perry Chen at Annie Awards red carpet.)
Perry and Zhu enjoyed meeting Toon Boom’s CEO Joan Vogelesang at the Annie Awards, who has been to China 20 times in the past few years and continued to see strong demand for Toon Boom’s 2-D animation products in China. Perry loved being a “lady’s man,” getting a kiss from Joan after giving her a beautiful Chinese silk scarf with Chinese calligraphy as a gift. Due to the absence of Disney/Pixar at the 38th Annie Awards, Perry predicted How to Train Your Dragon to win major awards here, including best animation feature, best director, best screenplay, best voice, character design, and music. Perry asked Dean if he could draw something special for Perry from How to Train Your Dragon. Dean said, “Sure, I would be happy to. I really like the one you drew of me at Comic-Con last year. Would you like me to draw Toothless or Hiccup?” “Toothless!” said Perry as he watched director DeBlois draw Toothless on the same notepad that he used to draw the director’s portrait at Comic-Con!
Perry Chen watching director Dean DeBlois drawing Toothless for him at Annie Awards (photo by Zhu Shen) “For Perry… From one artist to another! Dean DeBlois”
Perry Chen with How to Train Your Dragon director Dean DeBlois and his "Toothless" drawing for Perry at Annie Awards (photo by Zhu Shen)
Dragon co-director Dean DeBlois Toothless drawing for Perry Chen at Annies Perry spoke to co-director Chris Sanders and showed his support to How to Train Your Dragon by wearing his traditional Chinese dragon outfit and How to Train Your Dragon T-shirt... ...Perry and mom Zhu asked director DeBlois about How to Train Your Dragon 2. “I will be the only director for Dragon 2 because Chris Sanders is directing another film that will be released in 2012,” he said. “Which of the How to Train Your Dragon book will Dragon 2 be based on?” asked Perry. “This will be an entirely new movie, because Dragon 1 is so different from the book, we will creative a lot of new stories in Dragon 2 that are not in any of the books. Dragon 2 is scheduled to release in the second half of 2013, about 2.5 years from now.” commented DeBlois. Perry was delighted to reconnect with his buddy, actor and voice talent Jay Baruchel (Hiccup), Annie nominee whom he interviewed at the Dragon press junket in March 2010. Jay acted surprised about Perry’s interview of him was the most watched video on Perry’s YouTube channel with over 2,000 hits. “Really, I could retire tomorrow,” He joked with Perry who gave him his 5-starfish business card. “Awesome!” said Jay. He autographed for Perry too: “Perry You’re the man Jay Baruchel”
(Photo: Perry Chen, mom Zhu Shen with Annie-winning voice talent Jay Baruchel (Hiccup) at Annie Awards.) Before the Annie Awards started, Perry also met Annie-nominee David Chai (head of animation studio House of Chai, “Enrique Wrecks the World” nominated for best animated short), who together with Perry, are among 70 animators who created “Guard Dog Global Jam,” an animation short based on Bill Plympton’s Oscar-nominated Guard Dog.
Perry Chen with David Chai (behind Perry) and his animation gang at Annie Awards (photo by Zhu Shen) Perry had some fun moments with his animation short collaborator Bill Plympton who did storyboard and character design, and director Kevin Sean Michaels (Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest) at the Annie Award and earlier to review and discuss feedback about the short. The feedback from Plympton and Michaels were very positive! http://www.toonboom.com/products/toon-boom-studio/userstories/story/?id=PerryChen (Toon Boom Animation: Producing a First Animated Short at 10 Years Old) Perry enjoyed reconnecting with ASIFA-Hollywood President Antran Manoogian and talent manager for the Annie Awards Ned Lott whom he worked with in 2010 as an award presenter.
As Perry predicted, DreamWorks swept the awards, taking 15 out of 24 awards, including 10 for How to Train Your Dragon. A full list of winners are on Annie Awards official website: The Annie Awards this year was hosted by Tom Kenny, who had hosted these awards five times previously. His great sense of humor and impromptu quick-witted comments were enthusiastically received by the audience. Voice talent James Hong (Mr. Ping, Kung Fu Panda Holiday) gave one of the funniest award acceptance speech. Winsor McCay award recipient Brad
(Perry Chen with Annie-winning voice talent James Hong (Mr. Ping-Kung Fu Panda Holiday: photo by Zhu Shen)
Perry wants to remind his fans and friends about participating in the first-ever Kids Oscar Picks contest for kids 6-17 worldwide to predict best animation Oscar winner from the three nominated films, ending on Feb 26, 2011, details below: Become a fan on his Facebook to receive updates about the contest and upcoming movie reviews: http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviewsfan ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Perry S. Chen is a 10-year-old award-winning film critic & artist, TV/radio personality, Annie Awards for Animation presenter, TEDx speaker, filmmaker and animator. He writes about movies for San Diego’s largest newspaper, the Union Tribune with over 1 million readers. Perry is also the youngest columnist and entertainment critic for the San Diego Entertainer Magazine. He also blogs for Animation World Network, and is the resident film critic for Amazing Kids with about 1 million readers. Perry won the San Diego Press Club 2010 Excellence in Journalism Award, and is represented by Rebel Entertainment Partners, a talent agency in Hollywood. Perry started writing movie reviews using his unique kids-friendly starfish rating system on his website (www.perryspreviews.com ) as an 8-year-old third grader at San Diego’s Torrey Hills Elementary School from the Del Mar Union School District. Perry became a national sensation when he debuted on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric in May 2009 as the youngest film critic in the country. He was featured on National Public Radio (NPR) with host Liane Hansen in March 2010, and has reviewed over 50 movies and DVDs on a multi-media platform: TV, radio, print, and web. He is the youngest member of the Asian American Journalist Association, the San Diego Press Club, and the youngest honoree of Cox Communication Channel 4’s annul Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Perry reviews films on a kids-friendly starfish rating system, 5 being the best. He was featured on “The Young Icons,” a nationally syndicated TV show on Nov 20, 2010, and on Variety as one of the most active young film critics in the country: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026037.html?categoryid=4137&cs=1 Perry’s reviews are available on his website: www.perryspreviews.com. Become a fan on his Facebook & get updates about our “Amazing Kids Perrific Oscar Picks” contest and other movie reviews/events: http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviewsfan Watch his videos on www.youtube.com/perryspreviews Check out his Internet Movie Database (IMDB) profile: Listen to his radio show on www.wsRadio.com/perry Read his press releases http://pressroom.prlog.org/PerrysPreviews/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/perryspreviews (over 1700 followers) Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/perryspreviews (over 6 million connections) 'Perry's Previews (Carmel Valley 10-year old): 'The Illusionist' – Prepare to be Amazed!
(Perry Chen at The Illusionist screening (photo by Zhu Shen) Do you believe in magic? Do you remember how you felt when you saw a magic trick for the first time? Have you ever wondered what a magician’s life is really like? That is the story behind “The Illusionist,” a rapturously animated feature film by French animation director Sylvain Chomet about the languishing art of amusement, recently nominated for an Oscar. http://www.sonyclassics.com/theillusionist/ (official website with trailer) The main character, an old, curious, skillful, and good-natured magician, was based on Jacques Tati, who wrote the screenplay. He was also a famous actor, comedian, director, and mime. With many more successful enterprises coming out in the late 1950’s, such as Rock musicians and dancers, the magician and many other old entertainers, like puppeteers and clowns, are slowly being pushed to the brink of extinction, as they were fighting a losing battle. Searching for an audience for his profession, the magician meets Alice, a charming maid who looked as if she was barely a teenager working at a hotel. When he performs a magic trick for her, she believes that he can create anything out of nothing. After following him to Edinburgh in Scotland though, she gets vainer, feeding off the magician’s money to satisfy her needs. The poor magician has to toil hard over second jobs as a painter, a clothing shop promoter, and even as a car washer (which he got fired in all of them), to buy expensive gifts for the girl; since he has such fatherly love for her and did not want to disappoint her. Alice didn’t seem to understand that he cannot make something from nothing in real life. The magician and Alice slowly drifted apart, fueled by her vanity and newfound love as she grew older.
The Magician has a companion and main attraction to a younger audience, a very mischievous white rabbit who enjoyed biting people who put their hand too close to his cage. The rabbit always struggles furiously when the magician stuffs him into his top hat. He acts very “un-rabbit like,” as if he is rabid (rabid rabbit!). The magician is always scrambling after the rabbit as he escapes after each show! The rabbit adds a lot of humor to the film, making it more light-hearted. The kids will love him! I loved this magical film and gave it 4.5 star fish. It is “Perrific!” “The Illusionist” is gorgeously animated, especially the illuminated night streets of Edinburg, and the beautiful scenes in nature, in particular, a scene of a duck flapping off from a lake when a train passes by. Many other scenes are stunning, and the story is enchanting. The magician’s magic looks so real, but a recommendation for the film “Mon Oncle,” starring Tati, really helped enrich my understanding about Tati. It was recommended by Scott Marks, another San Diego film critic featured on KPBS Film Club and a good friend of ours. “Mon Oncle” incorporated a lot of physical comedy. After watching this film, you can really see all the similarities between Tati in Mon Oncle and the magician in “The Illusionist:” they are both silent types, they are curious and have the spirit of professionals, but the hearts of children, they have a stiff-legged walk, and their pants are too short. There is actually a scene in “The Illusionist” where the magician walks into a theater and “Mon Oncle” is playing inside. The music was delightful and light-hearted. It is very similar to the music in Mon Oncle. Both films have little dialogue. The story has a lot of humor in it. Besides the hilarious scenes of the rabbit, another funny scene is one of the lead singers of The Britoons, an early rock and roll band. My mom and I writhed with laughter, when the lead musician (Billy) writhes on the floor of the stage, in front of hysterical, screaming fans, refusing to leave the stage when his time is up, forcing the eager magician following him to wait for hours. I thought of a variation for a critical scene in the film, which my mom actually liked better. In that scene, the magician is on a train and sees a little girl looking for a lost pencil she was using for a drawing. He found her very short pencil and gave it back to her. In my variation, he does a magic trick in which he takes his own pencil, which is longer and gives it to her, so when she grabs her short pencil she gets a long one and looks stunned! I thought this will give the film more magic, power, and hope. This film is a bit more spiritual and I think adults will probably appreciate it more than kids. But I want to challenge children to watch it and discuss it with their parents, as The Illusionist is among the three Oscar-nominated animation features this year and included in our “Amazing Kids Perrific Oscar Picks” contest. Kids can learn a lot from this film which is different from most other animation films. http://www.perryspreviews.com/?p=2139 (“Amazing Kids Perrific Oscar Picks” contest press release) http://mag.amazing-kids.org/contests/amazing-kids-contests/amazing-kids-predict-the-oscars-contest/ (contest page) Today, the art of magic is flourishing. Many people create astounding tricks, and even children are in the magic business. If you don’t believe me, watch the film “Make Believe,” a moving documentary directed by J. Clay Tweel about a group of talented young magicians going for an annual international magic competition in the magic industry. My mom and I saw it at the Los Angeles Film Festival last year and met the filmmakers and star magicians in the film. If you believe me, watch it anyways. I am glad magic is alive and well nowadays! The Illusionist is about fatherly love, lost, and the dying art of amusement. Magicians may not exist, but magic definitely does. ———— Copyright 2011 by Perry S. Chen If you live in San Diego, go see “The Illusionist” at Landmark Hillcrest right away before the Oscars on Feb 27, because it’s only playing there for a limited period of time: “The Illusionist” is distributed by Sony Pictures Classics. ———- Perry S. Chen is a 10-year-old award-winning film critic & artist, TV/radio personality, Annie Awards for Animation presenter, TEDx speaker, filmmaker and animator. He writes about movies for San Diego’s largest newspaper, the Union Tribune with over 1 million readers. Perry is also the youngest columnist and entertainment critic for the San Diego Entertainer Magazine. He also blogs for Animation World Network, and is the resident film critic for Amazing Kids with about 1 million readers. Perry won the San Diego Press Club 2010 Excellence in Journalism Award, and is represented by Rebel Entertainment Partners, a talent agency in Hollywood. Perry started writing movie reviews using his unique kids-friendly starfish rating system on his website (www.perryspreviews.com ) as an 8-year-old third grader at San Diego’s Torrey Hills Elementary School from the Del Mar Union School District. Perry became a national sensation when he debuted on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric in May 2009 as the youngest film critic in the country. He was featured on National Public Radio (NPR) with host Liane Hansen in March 2010, and has reviewed over 50 movies and DVDs on a multi-media platform: TV, radio, print, and web. He is the youngest member of the Asian American Journalist Association, the San Diego Press Club, and the youngest honoree of Cox Communication Channel 4’s annul Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Perry reviews films on a kids-friendly starfish rating system, 5 being the best. He was featured on “The Young Icons,” a nationally syndicated TV show on Nov 20, 2010, and on Variety as one of the most active young film critics in the country: http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026037.html?categoryid=4137&cs=1 Perry’s reviews are available on his website: www.perryspreviews.com. Become a fan on his Facebook & get updates about our “Amazing Kids Perrific Oscar Picks” contest and other movie reviews/events: http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviewsfan Watch his videos on www.youtube.com/perryspreviews Check out his Internet Movie Database (IMDB) profile: Listen to his radio show on www.wsRadio.com/perry Read his press releases http://pressroom.prlog.org/PerrysPreviews/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/perryspreviews (over 1700 followers) Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/perryspreviews (over 6 million connections) Relate & TapHunter Present Craft Beer Night Opening Night on Thursday, Feb. 3 at Encinitas...
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