A Certain Point of View: Writing, Film and Stuff

Pros:  Gee-whiz 3D animation, witty script, great voice cast Cons:  None With the success of the Pixar/Walt Disney collaborative efforts  Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc,  and  The Incredibles , it looks as though animated films, particularly computer-animated films, are experiencing a creative Renaissance as critics and moviegoers of all ages are treated with features that are visually stunning, wittily written, and are appealing to kids and adults alike. Pixar, which started out as a tiny division of Lucasfilm Ltd and first wowed viewers with the short but visually stunning "Genesis Effect simulation" in 1982's  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , continues its run of avant garde 3D animated hits with 2007's  Ratatouille , a story of a French rat who joins forces with the son of a recently deceased chef to fulfill his dream of becoming, of all things, a gourmet cook. Written and co-directed by Brad Bird ( Iron Giant, The Incredibles ) t...

I don’t know if anyone reading this remembers Connections, a British TV import hosted by the congenial writer and commentator James Burke that was broadcast here in the U.S. by the Public Broadcasting System in the early 1980s. This 10-part miniseries explored the intricate and seemingly strange connections between individual scientific discoveries and simple inventions.  It also showed how those links forged the chain of our modern technological society.   Considering its theme and scope, Connections could have been about as exciting as watching paint dry, but Burke’s wit and effervescence made it both fascinating and indelible. I mention this seemingly irrelevant tidbit because after I watched that series while I was in high school, I became more aware that history and historical events don’t just “happen” and leave no lasting legacy.  After all, if this were the case, there would have been no Second World War 21 years after the end of the First World ...