Tuesday, August 31, 2004

On a lighter note...

I saw *Monsters, Inc.* last night. I've wanted to see it for years and was totally pleased with it. I nearly died in an eruption of guffaws when Mike (near the end of the movie) tried to get Boo to laugh. Huh-larious. Plus, the animation just blew me away.

It's a weird compulsion for such a stuffy, bookish, old-fashioned guy as myself, but I simply LOVE all those CGI/animated comedies, pretty much without qualification. (Maybe I just have low standards. *A Nightmare Before Christmas*, *Toy Story* (1 and 2), *A Bug's Life*, *Finding Nemo*, *Ice Age* -- you name it and I'll probably like it. People that know me never quite believe me, but it's true. Same thing for the show, *Blind Date.* I'm a raving fan and that baffles people. Now if only they'd animate it -- I'd never sleep!

Strangely enough, though, I have an equally strong distaste for CGI in non-animated films. Give me clay, plastic, rubber and metal monsters any day over that etheral, felt-chalkboard gimmicry of, say, the *Star Wars* re-releases. Indeed, the only part of *The Passion of the Christ* I disliked was the scene in which a CGI dove flew in superimposed frenzy over the trial.

As you may or may not know, my brother, Hunter, is a phenomenal, truly outstanding artist. He's finishing up at Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD), with, well, I'm not exactly sure what kind of medium-focus. He's expressed interest in working for Pixar or Dreamworks as an illustrator/ designer, so maybe my taste for animation is just a family affair. I've had it in mind for some time to collaborate with him on a kids' book, or maybe just an illustrated novel. "Written by Elliot Bougis - Illustrated by Hunter Bougis" What dreams may come!

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