Jerry Seinfeld is finally apologizing for “Bee Movie,” the 2007 animated feature from DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures for which he voiced the lead role and co-wrote and co-produced. Only a moderate box office success, “Bee Movie” has become best remembered in the 14 years since its release for the questionable relationship between bee character Barry B. Benson (Seinfeld) and human character Vanessa Bloome (Renée Zellweger). The plot hinges on their developing friendship, but the film is often made fun of for unintentionally making it seem like the two could be romantic partners. Seinfeld apologized for the ambiguity during a recent visit to “The Tonight Show.”
“I apologize for what seems to be a certain uncomfortable subtle sexual aspect of ‘The Bee Movie,’ which really was not intentional,” Seinfeld said. “But after it came out, I realized, ‘This is really not appropriate for children.’ Because the bee seems to have a thing for the girl.
“I apologize for what seems to be a certain uncomfortable subtle sexual aspect of ‘The Bee Movie,’ which really was not intentional,” Seinfeld said. “But after it came out, I realized, ‘This is really not appropriate for children.’ Because the bee seems to have a thing for the girl.
- 10/4/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Mamoru Hosoda’s “Mirai” will open the second Animation Is Film Festival, slated for Oct. 19-21 at Hollywood’s Tcl Chinese Theatre. Hosoda will attend the screening, which will be the North American premiere of the film, which debuted in Cannes.
“Mirai” is also among the initial films in competition announced by the festival, produced by independent animation distributor GKids in partnership with animation festival Annecy, Fathom Events and Variety.
Other competition titles hail from all over the world and include “Another Day of Life,” “Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles,” “Funan,” “I Want to Eat Your Pancreas,” “Okko’s Inn,” “Pachamama,” “Penguin Highway,” “Ruben Brandt, Collector,” “Seder-Masochism,” and “Tito and the Birds.”
The Animation Is Film jury will once again be presided over by Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge, who will be joined by Warner Animation Group Evp Allison Abbate, NBA star and now Oscar winner Kobe Bryant,...
“Mirai” is also among the initial films in competition announced by the festival, produced by independent animation distributor GKids in partnership with animation festival Annecy, Fathom Events and Variety.
Other competition titles hail from all over the world and include “Another Day of Life,” “Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles,” “Funan,” “I Want to Eat Your Pancreas,” “Okko’s Inn,” “Pachamama,” “Penguin Highway,” “Ruben Brandt, Collector,” “Seder-Masochism,” and “Tito and the Birds.”
The Animation Is Film jury will once again be presided over by Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge, who will be joined by Warner Animation Group Evp Allison Abbate, NBA star and now Oscar winner Kobe Bryant,...
- 9/19/2018
- by Terry Flores
- Variety Film + TV
Odd List Ryan Lambie 28 Apr 2014 - 06:21
From Japanese anime to Disney via stop-motion, here are 18 animated films that are mystifyingly unavailable on Blu-ray...
Not all movies need to be seen in HD, but if there's one type of filmmaking that regularly benefits from the Blu-ray format, it's animation. Let us cite one example at random: My Neighbour Totoro. Until fairly recently, the only copy we had on the shelf was an early, imported version on DVD, which was grainy and a little washed-out.
When Studio Canal issued Totoro on Blu-ray in 2012, the difference in image quality was little short of a revelation: Hayao Miyazaki's colours and fluid lines positively shimmered. In short, it was like seeing this fresh, sun-drenched film again for the first time.
The same could be said for so many other animated films, no matter what country they come from: in high-definition, we can truly...
From Japanese anime to Disney via stop-motion, here are 18 animated films that are mystifyingly unavailable on Blu-ray...
Not all movies need to be seen in HD, but if there's one type of filmmaking that regularly benefits from the Blu-ray format, it's animation. Let us cite one example at random: My Neighbour Totoro. Until fairly recently, the only copy we had on the shelf was an early, imported version on DVD, which was grainy and a little washed-out.
When Studio Canal issued Totoro on Blu-ray in 2012, the difference in image quality was little short of a revelation: Hayao Miyazaki's colours and fluid lines positively shimmered. In short, it was like seeing this fresh, sun-drenched film again for the first time.
The same could be said for so many other animated films, no matter what country they come from: in high-definition, we can truly...
- 4/25/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
135 filmmakers and executives have been invited by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences to join its ranks. Recent Oscar nominees and winners such as Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Mo'Nique, Carey Mulligan, Jeremy Renner, Gabourey Sidibe and Christoph Waltz have been invited to join; but even "Saw's" Tobin Bell and "Avatar's" Zoe Saldana received invites.
New members will be "baptized" in an invitation-only reception in September at the Academy's Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills.
Here's a complete list of the 2010 invitees:
Actors
Tobin Bell -- "Saw," "The Firm"
Vera Farmiga -- "Up in the Air," "The Departed"
Miguel Ferrer -- "Traffic," "RoboCop"
James Gandolfini -- "In the Loop," "Get Shorty"
Anna Kendrick -- "Up in the Air," "Twilight"
Mo'Nique -- "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," "Phat Girlz"
Carey Mulligan -- "An Education," "Public Enemies"
Jeremy Renner -- "The Hurt Locker,...
New members will be "baptized" in an invitation-only reception in September at the Academy's Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills.
Here's a complete list of the 2010 invitees:
Actors
Tobin Bell -- "Saw," "The Firm"
Vera Farmiga -- "Up in the Air," "The Departed"
Miguel Ferrer -- "Traffic," "RoboCop"
James Gandolfini -- "In the Loop," "Get Shorty"
Anna Kendrick -- "Up in the Air," "Twilight"
Mo'Nique -- "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire," "Phat Girlz"
Carey Mulligan -- "An Education," "Public Enemies"
Jeremy Renner -- "The Hurt Locker,...
- 6/27/2010
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
it's not Tuesday but it's time for a Top Ten anyway... as this is yesterday's news already!
AMPAS used to hide their membership roster like the vote tallies but in the information age, they've opened up. Now we get to see the whole list of new invitees each year. I wonder how they keep they're membership around 6,000 given how many people they invite annual. Maybe enough people reject the offer, stop paying their dues, or pass from this mortal coil each year to balance it out?
You can read the full list of recipients at Indiewire, but as is the Film Experience tradition, we like to pinpoint the newest (potential) members whose future ballots we'd most like to see. So let's have at it.
New Academy Member Ballots We Most Want To See
10 Bono & The Edge (music)
They're two separate people but we'd like to imagine them filling out their ballots together inbetween sets.
AMPAS used to hide their membership roster like the vote tallies but in the information age, they've opened up. Now we get to see the whole list of new invitees each year. I wonder how they keep they're membership around 6,000 given how many people they invite annual. Maybe enough people reject the offer, stop paying their dues, or pass from this mortal coil each year to balance it out?
You can read the full list of recipients at Indiewire, but as is the Film Experience tradition, we like to pinpoint the newest (potential) members whose future ballots we'd most like to see. So let's have at it.
New Academy Member Ballots We Most Want To See
10 Bono & The Edge (music)
They're two separate people but we'd like to imagine them filling out their ballots together inbetween sets.
- 6/26/2010
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
HollywoodNews.com: Adam Sandler is gearing up for the release of his new film, “Grown Ups,” and has just been announced as one of 135 artists selected to join the Academy.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 135 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2010 to the Academy’s roster of voting members.
“The work of these individuals has been appreciated by moviegoers all around the world,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “The Academy is proud to invite each and every one of them.”
The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 180 new members in 2010, but as in other recent years, the several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held...
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 135 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitation will be the only additions in 2010 to the Academy’s roster of voting members.
“The work of these individuals has been appreciated by moviegoers all around the world,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “The Academy is proud to invite each and every one of them.”
The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 180 new members in 2010, but as in other recent years, the several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held...
- 6/25/2010
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
Oscar winner Indian sound recordist Resul Pookutty has been invited to join the coveted Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences as a member. Along with Resul the invitation has been extended to 135 film professionals from around the globe that includes Christopher Walts (Inglorious Basterds) and Jacque Audiard (A Prophet). Resul was awarded an Oscar last year for Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire.
Members of the academy vote for the annual academy awards.
“The work of these individuals has been appreciated by moviegoers all around the world,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “The Academy is proud to invite each and every one of them.”
The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 180 new members in 2010, but as in other recent years, the several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since...
Members of the academy vote for the annual academy awards.
“The work of these individuals has been appreciated by moviegoers all around the world,” said Academy President Tom Sherak. “The Academy is proud to invite each and every one of them.”
The Academy’s membership policies would have allowed a maximum of 180 new members in 2010, but as in other recent years, the several branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than were proposed to them. Voting membership in the organization has now held steady at just under 6,000 members since...
- 6/25/2010
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 135 filmmakers and executives -- including such recent Oscar nominees and winners as Vera Farmiga, Anna Kendrick, Mo'Nique, Carey Mulligan, Jeremy Renner, Gabourey Sidibe and Christoph Waltz -- to join its ranks.
The Academy issued its annual invitation list Thursday.
The actor's portion of the list ranged from genre favorites like "Saw's" Tobin Bell to "Avatar's" Zoe Saldana, from "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini, whose film credits include "In the Loop" and "Get Shorty" to rising leading man Ryan Reynolds, who's appeared in "The Proposal" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."
An international sampling of directors made the cut: Among them France's Jacques Audiard, Argentina's Juan Jose Campanella, Denmark's Lone Scherfig and, from the U.S., Lee Daniels and Adam Shankman, the latter of whom co-produced the last Oscar show.
Oscar nominee "District 9" was well represented: Matt Aitken and Dan Kaufman...
The Academy issued its annual invitation list Thursday.
The actor's portion of the list ranged from genre favorites like "Saw's" Tobin Bell to "Avatar's" Zoe Saldana, from "Sopranos" star James Gandolfini, whose film credits include "In the Loop" and "Get Shorty" to rising leading man Ryan Reynolds, who's appeared in "The Proposal" and "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."
An international sampling of directors made the cut: Among them France's Jacques Audiard, Argentina's Juan Jose Campanella, Denmark's Lone Scherfig and, from the U.S., Lee Daniels and Adam Shankman, the latter of whom co-produced the last Oscar show.
Oscar nominee "District 9" was well represented: Matt Aitken and Dan Kaufman...
- 6/25/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
DreamWorks's 1998 animated feature sanitises the tale from the Book of Exodus while adding Ben Hur-style chariot races, a musical score and a cameo appearance by a whale shark
Directors: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells
Entertainment grade: A–
History grade: D
According to the Book of Exodus, the Hebrew people were enslaved in Egypt by a pharaoh.
There is historical debate over whether Exodus records history, myth, or a mixture of both.
Family
To save her son from an Egyptian cull of Hebrew baby boys, Moses's mother seals him in a basket and floats him off down the Nile. The pharaoh's queen plucks him out of the waters and adopts him. The film's story bears a glancing similarity to the legend of Sargon of Akkad, a Sumerian king of the 24th century BC (around a millennium before Moses). Sargon was sealed in a basket by his mother and floated off down the Euphrates,...
Directors: Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells
Entertainment grade: A–
History grade: D
According to the Book of Exodus, the Hebrew people were enslaved in Egypt by a pharaoh.
There is historical debate over whether Exodus records history, myth, or a mixture of both.
Family
To save her son from an Egyptian cull of Hebrew baby boys, Moses's mother seals him in a basket and floats him off down the Nile. The pharaoh's queen plucks him out of the waters and adopts him. The film's story bears a glancing similarity to the legend of Sargon of Akkad, a Sumerian king of the 24th century BC (around a millennium before Moses). Sargon was sealed in a basket by his mother and floated off down the Euphrates,...
- 12/17/2009
- by Alex von Tunzelmann
- The Guardian - Film News
This review was written for the theatrical release of "Bee Movie".Cartoonists have thoroughly explored the animal kingdom, giving anthropomorphic vigor to mice, dogs, cats, birds, donkeys, fish, pigs, bugs, dinosaurs, roadrunners, coyotes and even one big green ogre. Now it's the bees' turn in DreamWorks Animation's "Bee Movie".
Unfortunately, bees just aren't that funny. They talk funny now and then thanks to that force of comedy, Jerry Seinfeld, who co-wrote, co-produced and stars in his first animated feature. But they aren't intriguing cartoon creatures. Nor is the odd story Seinfeld and his collaborators dreamed up very inspired. The film labors too hard for its comic moments and never discovers a cartoon logic that will allow bees and humans to interact.
When "Bee Movie" opens, honey will equal money for the first week, but repeat business, so vital for animated films, is not likely to be heavy. Seinfeld's considerable and loyal following certainly will help.
Seinfeld's extraordinary humor, which propelled one of TV's most successful comedy series for nine years, is wildly cerebral and serendipitous. It's geared for making mountains out of molehills and exploring the minutiae of life in all its frustrating, explosively funny glory.
And nothing could be more cerebral than the idea of a bumble bee named Barry (voiced by Seinfeld) getting so outraged that humans are "stealing" honey for consumption and profit that he sues the human race. But do you want to see cartoon courtrooms and cartoon lawyers? Or hauling music superstar Sting (playing his cartoon self) to the stand to explain a stage name stolen from "bee culture"? It might sound funny, but it doesn't play all that funny.
Barry wins his case over a stereotypical Southern lawyer (John Goodman, playing it very broadly) so honey gets yanked from shelves, bees lose their honeymaking jobs, flowers don't get pollinated and all vegetation dies in Central Park, which in the Seinfeld world view means everywhere. So you get something you never saw on "Seinfeld" -- a moral lesson, in this case an ecological one.
Directors Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner struggle to make bee bodies into a thing of comedy. About as far as they get are antenna becoming mobile phones and Barry's best buddy, Adam Flayman (Matthew Broderick), replacing his lost stinger with a plastic toothpick sword. Flights through the park and canyons of Manhattan's high rises add a bit of zip. Barry also gets stuck to a tennis ball that is then volleyed back and forth. But throughout you sense the strain to get any comic action going.
Barry violates the bee code of behavior when he speaks to a florist named Vanessa (Renee Zellweger). They then become fast friends, she encouraging his lawsuit and he courts her like a suitor and thereby upsetting her beefcake-but-no-brains boyfriend Ken (an amusing Patrick Warburton). But unlike the rat and rookie chef in "Ratatouille", there is no inherent logic to this relationship. One can't do anything for the other. Everything instead rests on the dialogue between them and the self-evident absurdity of bees and humans conversing. It probably would play better on "A Prairie Home Companion".
Among the voice actors, Chris Rock fares best in, interestingly, a very short appearance as a fast-talking mosquito. Kathy Bates and director Barry Levinson have fun with Barry's stick-to-honey parents, while Larry King nicely kids himself as a Bee Larry King.
BEE MOVIE
Paramount
DreamWorks Animation SKG in association with Columbus 81 Prods.
Credits:
Directors: Simon J. Smith, Steve Hickner
Screenwriters: Jerry Seinfeld, Spike Feresten, Barry Marder, Andy Robin
Producers: Jerry Seinfeld, Christina Steinberg
Production designer: Alex McDowell
Visual effects supervisor: Doug Cooper
Music: Rupert Gregson-Williams
Executive music producer: Hans Zimmer
Art director/character designer: Christophe Lautrette
Editor: Nick Fletcher
Cast:
Barry B. Benson: Jerry Seinfeld
Vanessa Bloome: Renee Zellweger
Adam Flayman: Matthew Broderick
Ken: Patrick Warburton
Layton T. Montgomery: John Goodman
Mooseblood: Chris Rock
Janet Benson: Kathy Bates
Martin Benson: Barry Levinson
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
Unfortunately, bees just aren't that funny. They talk funny now and then thanks to that force of comedy, Jerry Seinfeld, who co-wrote, co-produced and stars in his first animated feature. But they aren't intriguing cartoon creatures. Nor is the odd story Seinfeld and his collaborators dreamed up very inspired. The film labors too hard for its comic moments and never discovers a cartoon logic that will allow bees and humans to interact.
When "Bee Movie" opens, honey will equal money for the first week, but repeat business, so vital for animated films, is not likely to be heavy. Seinfeld's considerable and loyal following certainly will help.
Seinfeld's extraordinary humor, which propelled one of TV's most successful comedy series for nine years, is wildly cerebral and serendipitous. It's geared for making mountains out of molehills and exploring the minutiae of life in all its frustrating, explosively funny glory.
And nothing could be more cerebral than the idea of a bumble bee named Barry (voiced by Seinfeld) getting so outraged that humans are "stealing" honey for consumption and profit that he sues the human race. But do you want to see cartoon courtrooms and cartoon lawyers? Or hauling music superstar Sting (playing his cartoon self) to the stand to explain a stage name stolen from "bee culture"? It might sound funny, but it doesn't play all that funny.
Barry wins his case over a stereotypical Southern lawyer (John Goodman, playing it very broadly) so honey gets yanked from shelves, bees lose their honeymaking jobs, flowers don't get pollinated and all vegetation dies in Central Park, which in the Seinfeld world view means everywhere. So you get something you never saw on "Seinfeld" -- a moral lesson, in this case an ecological one.
Directors Simon J. Smith and Steve Hickner struggle to make bee bodies into a thing of comedy. About as far as they get are antenna becoming mobile phones and Barry's best buddy, Adam Flayman (Matthew Broderick), replacing his lost stinger with a plastic toothpick sword. Flights through the park and canyons of Manhattan's high rises add a bit of zip. Barry also gets stuck to a tennis ball that is then volleyed back and forth. But throughout you sense the strain to get any comic action going.
Barry violates the bee code of behavior when he speaks to a florist named Vanessa (Renee Zellweger). They then become fast friends, she encouraging his lawsuit and he courts her like a suitor and thereby upsetting her beefcake-but-no-brains boyfriend Ken (an amusing Patrick Warburton). But unlike the rat and rookie chef in "Ratatouille", there is no inherent logic to this relationship. One can't do anything for the other. Everything instead rests on the dialogue between them and the self-evident absurdity of bees and humans conversing. It probably would play better on "A Prairie Home Companion".
Among the voice actors, Chris Rock fares best in, interestingly, a very short appearance as a fast-talking mosquito. Kathy Bates and director Barry Levinson have fun with Barry's stick-to-honey parents, while Larry King nicely kids himself as a Bee Larry King.
BEE MOVIE
Paramount
DreamWorks Animation SKG in association with Columbus 81 Prods.
Credits:
Directors: Simon J. Smith, Steve Hickner
Screenwriters: Jerry Seinfeld, Spike Feresten, Barry Marder, Andy Robin
Producers: Jerry Seinfeld, Christina Steinberg
Production designer: Alex McDowell
Visual effects supervisor: Doug Cooper
Music: Rupert Gregson-Williams
Executive music producer: Hans Zimmer
Art director/character designer: Christophe Lautrette
Editor: Nick Fletcher
Cast:
Barry B. Benson: Jerry Seinfeld
Vanessa Bloome: Renee Zellweger
Adam Flayman: Matthew Broderick
Ken: Patrick Warburton
Layton T. Montgomery: John Goodman
Mooseblood: Chris Rock
Janet Benson: Kathy Bates
Martin Benson: Barry Levinson
Running time -- 90 minutes
MPAA rating: PG...
- 10/29/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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