Disney Journeys to a Place Beyond What’s Possible in ‘Strange World’ Trailer

June 6, 2022June 6, 2022 Michael Lee

Walt Disney Animation Studios is no stranger to having films about characters going on thrilling adventures into the unknown. Now, we are getting a first look at what’s to come in the first trailer for Strange World, a throwback to the classic pulp magazines of the past which featured stories of explorers to lost worlds and bizarre places.

Animation, Movies1 Comment

Remembering the Rescue Rangers: A Brief History of ‘Chip ‘n Dale’

May 16, 2022May 16, 2022 Mike Manalo

There’s no case too big, no case too small. When you need help just call, Ch-Ch-Ch-Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers! For those of you who may not have grown up in the ‘90s, the major TV networks, such as Fox, UPN (now The CW), or Disney Channel used to play cartoons after school in syndication to give kids a nice breather between school and homework.

Animation, Movies1 Comment

Subscribe on YouTube and Win a Digital Copy of ‘Turning Red’

April 29, 2022April 29, 2022 The Nerds of Color

Disney and Pixar’s Turning Red debuted this week on all major digital platforms and will be available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on May 3, with never-before-seen bonus material including seven deleted scenes, three featurettes and audio commentary with Director Domee Shi. Plus, we’re giving subscribers to our YouTube channel a free digital copy of the movie!

Animation, Movies1 Comment

‘Lightyear’ Trailer is Not Pretending to Go to Infinity and Beyond

February 8, 2022 Michael Lee

It all started with a cowboy and a space ranger in Pixar’s Toy Story. Nearly 30 years later, the studio will be releasing Lightyear, its first spinoff film based on the Toy Story film franchise, that follows the man that inspired the Buzz Lightyear space ranger toy. While previous trailer slightly teased a journey to the unknown, We are getting a better sense of the story in a brand new action-packed trailer that mixes high-stakes space exploration with futuristic humor.

Animation, Movies

Pixar’s First Animated Boy Band will Steal Hearts and Bring Nostalgia in ‘Turning Red’

February 8, 2022February 4, 2022 Michael Lee

The late ’90s and early 2000s pop culture scene were full of jelly bracelets, Tamagotchis, music CDs, flip phones, and, of course, boy bands. And Pixar’s Turning Red captures the spirit of that time by weaving in nostalgia with cultural specificity and a profoundly resonating coming-of-age story.

Animation, Interview, Movies

Domee Shi Talks Blending Real-Life Stories And Anime In ‘Turning Red’

February 7, 2022March 8, 2022 Michael Lee

In just a few short weeks from now, Disney+ subscribers will see how messy growing up can be in Pixar’s Turning Red. Based loosely on director Domee Shi‘s life, the film follows Mei Lee (Roseling Cheng), a confident 13-year-old girl struggling to balance her life as a dutiful daughter to her mother (Sandra Oh) and the chaos of her youth. And things get more complicated when she finds out that if she gets too excited or stressed, she turns into a giant red panda.

Animation, Movies1 Comment

‘Turning Red’ Reimagines the Coming-of-Age Story Through Cultural Specificity

February 7, 2022February 4, 2022 Michael Lee

Pixar’s Turning Red is a film unlike any other. Directed by Domee Shi, the film centers on Mei Lee (Rosalie Chiang), a 13-year-old Chinese Canadian girl torn between being the dutiful daughter to her mother (Sandra Oh) and navigating the chaos of adolescence. But her life gets turned upside-down when she discovers she turns into a giant red panda if she gets too excited.

Animation, Movies

Walt Disney Animation Studios Reveals First Look at ‘Strange World’

December 9, 2021 Michael Lee

Walt Disney Animation Studios has taken us to beautiful, even mystical worlds that are far beyond our reach and yet filled with grounded characters. Now they delve into the strange by reuniting a familiar creative team behind one of their most popular films. Today, the studio revealed their first look at Strange World an animated adventure helmed by director Don Hall (Big Hero 6, Raya and the Last Dragon) and co-director/writer Qui Nguyen (Raya and the Last Dragon), and produced by Roy Conli (Big Hero 6, Tangled).

Animation, Movies, Music

Adassa and Mauro Castillo Celebrate Colombian Culture Through Music in ‘Encanto’

November 19, 2021November 19, 2021 Michael Lee

Encanto, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 60th film, is an animated musical that tells the story of the Madrigals, an extraordinary family who live in a magical casita hidden in the mountains of Colombia. Every Madrigal child is blessed with a unique magic gift, like super strength and healing powers, to use to help the family and surrounding town. Unfortunately, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) is the only one who didn’t receive a gift. But when she discovers that the magic is in danger of disappearing, she sets off on a quest to save it while also learning more about her family and realizing her true worth.

Animation, Movies, Reviews

NOC Review: ‘Encanto’ is Mostly Enchanting

November 17, 2021January 12, 2022 Mike Manalo

First of all, score one for Walt Disney Animation for putting out two releases in one year that celebrate different stories from different cultures! With the terrific Raya and the Last Dragon earlier this year, and now the charming Encanto, it’s refreshing to see that the House of Mouse has been more proactive in telling stories that aren’t just rooted in Western European fairy tales. I think Moana really opened the door for this, and as far as our site is concerned, we couldn’t be happier.

Animation, Movies

‘Encanto’ Directors and Writers Find Magical Realism in Colombian Culture

November 5, 2021November 8, 2021 Michael Lee

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Encanto is an animated musical that celebrates Lantine and Latinx culture, specifically everything Colombia offers. The film follows Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz), the only child not blessed with a magical gift. As she struggles to find her place within her multigenerational enchanted family, she finds out that the magic that has helped them and the town is in danger of disappearing. So she sets off on an adventure to prevent that from happening.

Animation, Interview

Natalie Nourigat Talks How ‘Far From Tree’ is Personal and Speaks to a Larger Audience

September 30, 2021October 1, 2021 Michael Lee

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Far From Tree may feature a pair of raccoons as the main characters, but they have very humanistic qualities. Like the protective instincts of a parents or the genuine curiosity of a child. Set on a quiet idyllic beach of the Pacific Northwest, audiences will get to see how the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree applies to every parent and child relationship, even those who are raccoons.

Animation, Movies

How the Magical Casita in ‘Encanto’ is a New Kind of Disney Castle

September 30, 2021September 29, 2021 Michael Lee

Encanto follows three generations of family, of which everyone but Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) has magical powers. Despite being ordinary and spending her entire life trying to measure up to the rest of the Madrigals, Mirabel discovers that the magic that defines her family’s legacy is in danger and that she may be the only one who can save it and them.

Animation, Interview, Movies

‘Encanto’ Directors Talk Representation and Working with Lin-Manuel Miranda

September 29, 2021November 5, 2021 Michael Lee

Walt Disney Animation Studios gave a group of selected journalists their first look at their upcoming musical, Encanto. The film centers on the Madrigals, a magical family who live in an enchanted casita in the mountains of Colombia. At the age of five, the home gifts a Madrigal child a unique magical power, who then uses it to help the family and neighboring town. Everyone except, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz). However, she when she discovers that the magic is in danger, she sets off on a journey to save it from being extinguished.

Animation, Interview, Movies

How Colombian Culture, Music, and Dance Tell a Magical Story in ‘Encanto’

September 29, 2021September 29, 2021 Michael Lee

Making an animated film at Walt Disney Animation Studios is a tremendous undertaking. It takes years of development, not to mention countless rewrites to perfect the script, numerous in-house screenings, and so much more. Encanto, Disney’s 60th animated feature, brings music and dance together to tell the story of Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz), a Colombian teenager facing the fact that she is the only one who doesn’t have any magical abilities in her family. But when she discovers that magic is in danger, she sets off on a journey to save it.

Animation, Streaming

Manila to the Moon: An Interview with ‘Blush’ Director Joe Mateo

September 28, 2021September 28, 2021 Mike Manalo

Imagine if you will that you’re a minority in the entertainment industry. Picture yourself working proudly on some of the best, most well known animated projects of all time, and then — BAM! — a studio asks you to tell your own story. What would be the story you’d want to tell? For Filipino animator, Joe Mateo (a 25-year veteran artist and animator who worked on Zootopia, Big Hero 6, and many other classic Disney Animated works), that dream came true.

Animation, Interview, Music

‘Us Again’ Director, Zach Parrish and Choreographers, Keone and Mari Madrid

June 9, 2021June 10, 2021 Patrick Strange

Hello everyone! Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of participating in an amazing virtual conference to celebrate the release of Disney’s ‘Us Again‘ as it arrived on Disney+! The conference was hosted and led by superstar dancer & choreographer, Derek Hough, whom we came to find out was a big fan of the short film as well! We gained some insight into what exactly it took to put this short film together and afterwards received the opportunity to speak with some of the amazing talents as well! So, here we go! Here’s my conversation with Director, Zach Parrish and Choreographers, Keone and Mari Madrid along with some information they shared during the Conference!

Animation, Interview, Music

‘Us Again’ Composer, Pinar Toprak and Producer, Brad Simonsen

June 9, 2021June 11, 2021 Patrick Strange

Hello everyone! Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of participating in an amazing virtual conference to celebrate the release of Disney’s Us Again as it arrived on Disney+! The conference was hosted and led by superstar dancer & choreographer, Derek Hough, whom we came to find out was a big fan of the short film as well! We gained some insight into what exactly it took to put this short film together and afterwards received the opportunity to speak with some of the amazing talents as well! So, here we go! Here’s my conversation with Composer, Pinar Toprak and Producer, Brad Simonsen along with some information they shared during the Conference!

Animation, Interview, Reviews, Streaming

A “Short” Conversation with ’22 Vs. Earth’ Director Kevin Nolting and a Mini-Review

April 29, 2021May 15, 2021 Mike Manalo

They may have won the Oscar this year, but Pixar has not lost its “Soul.” That’s right! As we reported recently, this Friday, Pixar is debuting its latest short, 22 Vs. Earth on Disney+. The film is a prequel to last year’s Oscar winner for Best Animated Film, and recipient of the highly coveted “Mike Manalo’s Favorite Movie of the Year Award,” Soul. It reunites us with the hilarious Tina Fey as 22, as well as the unborn souls and the Jerrys, prior to 22 meeting Joe Gardner. And to commemorate the return to The Great Before, The Nerds of Color was given the opportunity to participate in a short press event with other members of the press, to speak to the short film’s director, Kevin Nolting.

Animation, Movies, Streaming

Disney’s ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Comes at a Poignant Time for Asian Americans

March 3, 2021February 6, 2022 Laura Sirikul

There’s no question the global pandemic has affected the lives of many within the United States having the highest COVID-19 cases and death rate. The previous administration under President Donald Trump blamed China for the deadly coronavirus, labeling the disease as the “China Virus” and, more broadly, putting targets on the backs of Asian Americans by fellow citizens who are angry by the economic and social impact of the pandemic. Since then, there has been a rise in Anti-Asian hate crimes throughout the U.S. After multiple attacks on the elderly Asian population, the media started to notice, thanks to the help of Asian American advocates and allies pushing for these stories to be shared. Multiple brands, including Disney, Nike, and Apple, began releasing statements condemning the attacks on Asians and where people can donate and show support.

Animation, Movies, Reviews, Streaming1 Comment

NOC Review: ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ is Relevant, Rollicking, and Remarkable

March 1, 2021February 6, 2022 Mike Manalo

In 1937, Walt Disney debuted something that changed the history of cinema — the release of the first full length animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This in turn gave birth to Walt Disney Animation Studios and a long history (at times problematic) of classic stories and adventures involving dragons and princesses that has, for the most part, arguably withstood the test of time from generation to generation. But generations change. Art and time change the world and, in turn, the world and time must also change art.

Animation, Movies, Reviews, Streaming

NOC Review: ‘Us Again’ Charms Right Before ‘Raya’

March 1, 2021May 15, 2021 Mike Manalo

If you have the great fortune of seeing Raya and the Last Dragon in a safe, socially distant drive-in theater this coming weekend, I’m happy to say you’ll be treated to a neat little short from Walt Disney Feature Animation called Us Again.

Animation, Movies, Streaming1 Comment

Disney’s Short ‘Us Again’ is More Than Just Dancing

February 28, 2021May 15, 2021 Laura Sirikul

Director Zach Parrish knew he wanted to tell another story for Walt Disney Animation Studios. After the success of his Short Circuit film Puddles, Parrish wanted to touch on something that he was struggling with — aging.