In terms of comedic tone and style, "Archer" and "Bob's Burgers" are about as different from each as possible. Nevertheless, characters from both animated series will appear together during the upcoming fourth season of "Archer."
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, voice actor H. Jon Benjamin confirmed the "Archer" and "Bob's Burgers" crossover, in which he will play both of his leading characters: Secret Agent Sterling Archer of ISIS and Bob Belcher, restaurant proprietor.
“It’s like a Bourne Identity-type plotline," explained Benjamin. "It starts off with Archer as Bob, making hamburgers, but he doesn’t know that he’s Archer. He’s at the restaurant and these, like, I think Russian thugs come in, and Bob dispatches them expertly. And then he’s like, What just happened? How did I do that? So he has to try to figure out why he’s so good at killing people.”
“It’s Archer-style animation, but with all the accoutrements and characteristics of the [Bob’s] characters.” continued Benjamin. “It is a little weird, because you have to be a fan of both to understand it. But you don’t have to know about 'Bob’s Burgers' to enjoy it.”
Benjamin also noted that the idea stemmed from "Archer" creator, Adam Reed, with the full approval of "Bob's Burgers" creator, Loren Bouchard. ”It was prompted by Adam," said Benjamin. "But Loren was into it.”
John Roberts will also appear on the episode as Bob Belcher's wife, Linda. But Benjamin added that "the [Belcher] kids aren’t in it. I guess it must’ve been a budget restriction or something. Like, ‘I can’t afford to pay an extra three grand to pay actors.’”
"Archer" season 4 is expected to hit FX in early 2013.
It's the combination of the film's visual prowess and the genuine emotional content that makes "ParaNorman" such a singularly powerful experience. It would be one thing to just watch the movie, alight at all that you're seeing. But there's something deep and truthful that elevates it to another plateau. You'll wipe away tears while you're screaming for more. It's not only the best and brightest surprise of this long and dreary summer, but it's easily one of the best movies of the year, a complex and multifaceted blast. "ParaNorman" is a micro-sized masterpiece that wears its heart (and its half-eaten brains) on its sleeve. [A]
Unlike the polished universe of Pixar's "Brave" or countless other recent CGI efforts, "ParaNorman" maintains a delicate, handcrafted look that underscores its ideas. The movie is truly progressive down to a handful of minor details (in a sly nod to a society that has moved forward, the closing scene includes an acknowledgement of sexual preferences that I'm pretty sure has never surfaced in a movie of this type). And yet everything that makes it succeed also draws attention to the derivative and often sloppy qualities of the script that hold it back. As a gothic fantasy aimed at viewers the same age as the protagonist, "ParaNorman" is both a cut above and more of the same.
ParaNorman is a triumph for Laika on all fronts. It’s a family-friendly horror comedy that will leave a positive impression on everyone who sees it.
Also influencing the DNA were the works of the Italian horror masters, such as Dario Argento.
“We looked at some Italian stuff, Mario Bava and Dario Argento, for the color,” Fell said. “We wanted the film to be a color movie. We didn’t want to do gothic or black-and-white ‘50s-type thing, so we were really into the color from those directors, and we looked at early Sam Raimi stuff for some of the kinetic camera work.”
The directors’ horror influences also come through in myriad references scattered throughout ParaNorman, from the lighting to props to locations, such as the bar named “the Bargento” or the “Suspiria Blue Drink” vending machines.
“I love some of the shot choices when Norman first sees Mr. Prenderghast,” Butler said. “That sequence of shots where you cut to the hedge, he’s there, you cut to Norman, you cut back to the hedge, he’s gone, was sort of Halloween.”
“And actually Neil’s dog, Bub, Bub is the name of the tame zombie in Day of the Dead the zombie the scientists are trying to socialize,” Fell added. “So there’s tons of them — we can’t actually tell you how many references there are because it’s dripping in them!”
On 8/28/12, Warner Home Video will release "Looney Tunes: Chuck Jones Mouse Chronicles", a 2-disc Blu-ray set featuring 19 classic cartoons. There is no word yet on pricing or special features, but reportedly, it will have special material.
The included shorts: (all directed by Chuck Jones)
- Naughty But Mice (1939) - Sniffles
- Little Brother Rat (1939) - Sniffles
- Sniffles and the Bookworm (1939) - Sniffles
- Sniffles Takes a Trip (1940) - Sniffles
- Egg Collector, The (1940) - Sniffles
- Bedtime For Sniffles (1940) - Sniffles
- Sniffles Bells the Cat (1941) - Sniffles
- Toy Trouble (1941) - Sniffles
- Brave Little Bat, The (1941) - Sniffles
- Unbearable Bear, The (1943) - Sniffles
- Lost and Foundling (1944) - Sniffles
- Hush, My Mouse (1946) - Sniffles
- Aristo Cat, The (1943) - Hubie & Bertie
- Trap Happy Porky (1945) - Porky Pig
- Roughly Squeaking (1946) - Hubie & Bertie ; Claude Cat
- House Hunting Mice (1948) - Hubie & Bertie
- Mouse Wreckers (1948) - Hubie & Bertie ; Claude Cat
- Hypo-Chondri-Cat, The (1950) - Hubie & Bertie ; Claude Cat
- Cheese Chasers (1951) - Hubie & Bertie ; Claude Cat
Deadline is reporting that Disney has shut down production on "Nightmare Before Christmas"/"Coraline" director Henry Selick's new stop-motion animated feature. This would have been his first for his newly created studio, called Cinderbiter, that was, initially at least, conceived of as Pixar's stop-motion division. (Pixar luminaries like artist Lou Romano found themselves in high-ranking positions at the studio and Cinderbiter reports directly to the vaunted Pixar Brain Trust.) According to the Deadline report, Disney has given Selick the option to shop the project to other studios.
I liked ParaNorman. It was like a much more solemn Hocus Pocus without the cheesy music, and more effort in the 1 liners. And throw in a bit of "what happened after the witch trials in the Crucible" thrown in. Way more intense then I expected, would not take very young kids to it. But thumbs up.