Actor Wallace Shawn (1943)

TAn animated supernatural black comedy film, The Addams Family 2 (2021), is a sequel to the 2019 film based on the characters by Charles Addams. At a science fair, Wednesday Addams plans to present her experiment using her pet squid Socrates’ DNA on Uncle Fester to demonstrate how humans can be enhanced (though it also has the side effect of slowly changing Fester). However, she becomes disappointed upon seeing her family’s arrival. Despite this, her work catches the attention of scientist Cyrus Strange. Meanwhile at home, Gomez worries that his children are growing distant from him and Morticia. In an ...

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made (2020) is an American fantasy comedy film, based on the book series by Stephan Pastis and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. In a world where imaginary friends co-exist with humans, Timmy is an 11-year-old residing in Portland, Oregon with his single mother Patty. Operating Total Failure Inc as well as his own detective agency, Timmy ‘solves’ cases with his trusted partner Total (widely believed to be the result of his father’s absence). Together they roam the city, outsmarting what Timmy refers to as ‘the Russians’ (but are actually just bearded hipsters). ...

The comedy film, Rifkin’s Festival (2020), is the work of writer and director Woody Allen as an American-Spanish-Italian collaboration. Mort Rifkin, a snobby elderly film critic from New York, confides in his therapist about recent events in his life. He reluctantly accompanies his much younger wife Sue to a film festival in San Sebastián. She works for Philippe, a French director whose ordinary and unoriginal anti-war movie is being hailed as a masterpiece by all but Mort. As Sue and Philippe’s relationship turns flirtatious, Mort becomes increasingly envious. His unsettling thoughts and fears are ...

Animal Crackers (2017) is an animated comedy-fantasy film directed by Scott Christian Sava and Tony Bancroft, written by Sava and Dean Lorey and based on the animal-shaped cookie. In 1962, brothers ‘Buffalo’ Bob and Horatio Huntington run a successful traveling circus together, despite their contrasting personalities. After one of their shows, Esmerelda, the circus’ fortune teller introduces her beautiful niece Talia to the brothers in hopes of finding her ...

The American computer-animated Christmas television special, Toy Story That Time Forgot (2014), was produced by Pixar Animation Studios and aired on ABC on December 2, 2014. Trixie, a toy triceratops, is frustrated with Bonnie’s lack of dinosaur playtime. A few days after Christmas, Bonnie brings Trixie, Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Rex, and Christmas ornament Angel Kitty to her friend Mason’s house for a play date. However, instead of playing with her toys, Bonnie joins Mason in playing his new video game console and leaves the toys in Mason’s playroom. There, they encounter a large ‘Battlesaurs’ playset that Mason received for Christmas. This ...

The Halloween special Toy Story of Terror (2013) is a collaborative effort between Pixar Animation Studios and Disney Television Animation, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. During a road trip to visit Bonnie’s grandmother, she has tagged along her beloved group of toys – Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Rex, Mr. Pricklepants, Mr. Potato Head, and Trixie. While on the journey, the toys are engrossed in a horror movie on a portable DVD player kept in the car’s trunk. As fate would have it, their trip is cut short due to a flat tire and they are forced to spend the night at the Sleep Well roadside motel since help won’t arrive until morning. As ...

The animated short film Toy Story Toons: Partysaurus Rex (2012) was written and directed by Mark Walsh. In the film, Rex is worried about making a mess with bubbles and is scolded by his fellow toys, who call him ‘Partypooper Rex’. When Bonnie starts preparing for a bath, the other toys scatter, leaving Rex alone. But then Bonnie plays with him and her bath toys until it’s time to go to her grandma’s. The bath toys are happy to have a visitor but become sad when all the water drains out. Since they need water to move and don’t have any arms, they wish someone could refill the tub. At first, ...

Toy Story Toons: Small Fry (2011) is an American computer-animated short film written and directed by Angus MacLane. One evening at the fast-food chicken restaurant Poultry Palace, Bonnie is disappointed to receive a Zurg belt buckle as her kids’ meal toy instead of the Mini Buzz Lightyear she was hoping for. This happened because the restaurant had run out of Mini Buzz toys. In a nearby display cabinet, a Mini Buzz Lightyear expresses frustration to a Mini Zurg about never being played with, but Mini Zurg chooses to stay put. After finishing her meal, Bonnie heads over to play in the ball pit with Rex and Buzz ...

Toy Story Toons: Hawaiian Vacation (2011) is an animated short produced by Pixar and directed by Gary Rydstrom. Three months after Toy Story 3, Bonnie has winter break and plans to go to Hawaii with her family. The toys are looking forward to a relaxing week, but Ken and Barbie secretly hitch a ride in Bonnie’s backpack, hoping for a Hawaiian adventure. However, Bonnie leaves them in her room instead, much to Ken’s dismay when he realizes their destination is not Hawaii. Barbie tells Woody that Ken had planned for their first kiss at sunset on a beach, inspired by a travel brochure of Hawaii.

Toy Story 3 (2010) is a popular animated movie by Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. The film follows Andy Davis, who is now almost an adult at the age of 17 and getting ready to start college. Having not played with his toys for many years, only a select few remain: Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Bullseye, Rex, Slinky, Hamm, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, the Aliens and three toy soldiers. Before leaving for school, Andy decides to bring Woody with him and packs up the rest of his beloved toys in a garbage bag to be stored in the attic. However, a mix-up occurs when Andy’s mother mistakes the bag for trash. The toys then find themselves on an ...

Scooby-Doo and The Goblin King (2008) is a direct-to-DVD animated film that falls within the popular series of Scooby-Doo direct-to-video productions from Warner Bros. Animation (though it does feature a Hanna-Barbera logo at the end). The plot centers on the Mystery, Inc. gang who attend the annual Coolsville Halloween carnival. However, their evening takes an unexpected turn when they encounter ‘The Amazing Krudsky’, a resident magician who refuses to let Scooby see his show after an unfortunate incident. Angered, Shaggy and Scooby expose Krudsky as a fake during one of his performances, causing him to seek revenge on them. As they are kicked ...

Written and directed by Richard Kelly, Southland Tales (2006) is a dystopian black comedy thriller film. In an alternate reality of the United States on July 4, 2005, twin nuclear attacks destroyed two Texas towns (El Paso and Abilene) causing mass destruction and loss of life. This triggered a catastrophic chain of events that threw the country into chaos and panic, leading to a Third World War (based on the effects of the War on Terror). As a result, the draft was reinstated by the government, while US-IDent, a new agency with extended powers under the PATRIOT Act, constantly monitors citizens’ activities ...

The Incredibles (2004), an American animated superhero film from Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures, follows Bob Parr (also known as Mr. Incredible) on the day of his wedding to Helen Truax (aka Elastigirl). In an act of heroism, Bob stops a man from jumping off a building and then uncovers a robbery by supervillain Bomb Voyage. However, he is interrupted by Buddy Pine, an eager fan who wishes to be his sidekick. Bob turns down Buddy’s offer and manages to remove a bomb that Voyage planted on his cape. Unfortunately, this results in the destruction of an elevated train track and forces Bob to quickly stop an incoming train. Following their wedding, ...

Woody Allen wrote and directed the American comedy film, Melinda and Melinda (2004), which first premiered at the San Sebastian International Film Festival in 2004. During a dinner conversation, four writers debate the nature of life – is it inherently comedic or tragic? One writer shares a true incident he heard about a woman named Melinda who causes chaos at a couple’s dinner party, leading to affairs and a suicide attempt. As two playwrights in the group tell their versions of the story, one focuses on humor while the other takes a darker approach. In the latter version, Melinda stays with her friends Lee ...

The crime comedy film, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001), was written and directed by Woody Allen and starred him as well. In 1940 New York City, efficiency expert Betty Ann Fitzgerald had a hidden relationship with her boss, Chris Magruder. He assured her that once his divorce from his wife was finalized, they could be together publicly. During a dinner at the Rainbow Room, magician Voltan enlisted Betty Ann and her co-worker C.W. Briggs to participate in his hypnotism act. By using the trigger words ‘Madagascar’ and ‘Constantinople’, they were put into a trance before being awakened. Later ...

Toy Story 2 (1999) is an animated feature created by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. In this sequel, Woody and Buzz Lightyear have become the co-leaders of Andy’s beloved collection of toys. However, during a playtime mishap, Woody’s arm gets damaged and he is accidentally left behind on a shelf. While exploring his new surroundings, Woody finds Wheezy, a penguin toy who has been sidelined due to a broken squeaker. Shortly after, Wheezy gets taken to a yard sale by Andy’s mom. Determined to save his friend, Woody jumps into action but ends up getting stolen by Al McWhiggin – the greedy owner of Al’s Toy ...

Toy Story (1995) is a classic American animated comedy film from Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures. The story follows a group of toys who come to life when no humans are present. They live with their owner, Andy Davis, his sister Molly, and their mother. The leader of the toys is Sheriff Woody, who sends Sarge and his army men to spy on Andy’s birthday party through a baby monitor. The toys are worried about being replaced by new toys that Andy may receive as gifts. Among the other toys are Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Rex the tyrannosaur, Hamm the piggy bank, and Bo Peep the porcelain doll. During Andy’s birthday celebration, he receives an ...

Radio Days (1987), an American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, nostalgically looks back at the golden age of radio in the late 1930s and 1940s. Set in Rockaway Beach, New York, it follows a working-class family, with fictional narrator Joe (voiced by Allen himself) recounting their adventures. Among these is how two burglars stumbled upon a radio show while robbing a home. For Joe, old radio songs evoke childhood memories of his time living with his modest Jewish-American family in Rockaway Beach during the late 1930s and early 1940s. His mother was ...