It feels reductive to spend this space writing about movies after the nightmare that children, teachers and their families went through last week at Silver Rail Elementary here in Bend. So then I thought I should make a list of comforting movies that parents can watch with their kids to help block out some of […]
Laika
No Strings Attached
By the end of the year, there will most likely be at least three American animated films on my Best Films of 2016 list. “Finding Dory,” “Sausage Party,” “Kung Fu Panda 3,” “Zootopia” and now “Kubo and the Two Strings” have all been wonderfully entertaining works—and we still have a few more probable greats to […]
The Little Animation Company That Could
Amid a sea of films aimed for the kiddie market, Laika has been able to distinguish itself not only by its mastery of the visually thrilling and time consuming process of stop-motion animation, but also through an embrace of a dark side. Like some of Disney’s earliest features or the anime genius of Studio Ghibli, […]

