February 18th
Saturday February 18th
I took my three year old to his first movie this weekend. This may not seem like such a big deal to other people, but for me as an entertainer, that ranks as a seminal moment in one’s life. I still recall the first movie I ever saw on the big screen, Walt Disney’s “Robin Hood” in November 1973. My grandmother took my brother, cousin and I to see it at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. It wasn’t just a movie, it was a production. Before the film, the Rockettes would come out and perform, then they would show a newsreel, a short cartoon, and the movie. When the film was over, the Rockettes came out again to wrap things up. Wow!
My son’s first time wasn’t as spectacular, just a visit to the local multiplex (though it did have comfy stadium seats, something we didn’t have back in the 70’s.) We did the requisite popcorn, candy and soda ritual and settled into a toddler filled theater to see “Curious George.”
Growing up, I was a fan of the children’s books written by H.A. and Margaret Rey. They are classics, still read to this day. I was apprehensive about seeing this new version of “Curious George” partly because I loved the books so much, but also because reviewers that I respected panned the film as unappealing for anyone over 4. (Well, my son fits that group.) I was pleasantly surprised. The movie was a delight. The pacing was good, the story was interesting, and the music written for the film added the right tone. It was so good, in fact, that I’m going to write to the two most important creative people directly involved with the film, director Matthew O’ Callaghan and singer/songwriter Jack Johnson.
Matthew O’Callaghan
After graduating from the California Institute for the Arts, Matthew O’Callaghan was hired as an animator by Disney. (He worked on “The Great Mouse Detective” “The Little Mermaid” “Who Framed Roger Rabbit“ and “Mickey‘s Christmas Carol.“) He then moved to television, where he created the award winning FOX animated series “Life With Louie” based on comedian Louie Anderson’s stand-up routines. His early work with computer animation brought him back to Disney where he created the first computer generated Mickey Mouse feature, “Twice Upon A Christmas.”
Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson had been a professional surfer until an accident, which forced him to take some time off. He learned to play guitar at age 14, but did not seriously pursue a career in the arts until his college years. After graduating, Jack decided to spend time traveling, when he co-directed, composed the music for and shot the surf film “Thicker Than Water.” This launched his music career and eventually lead to the release of his first album, "Brushfire Fairytales" in 2001. After touring for almost two years, Johnson released his second album, “On and On” in 2003. In 2004, Johnson founded the Kokum Hawaii Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaii. His soundtrack for “Curious George“ debuted at number one on the Billboard charts.
I took my three year old to his first movie this weekend. This may not seem like such a big deal to other people, but for me as an entertainer, that ranks as a seminal moment in one’s life. I still recall the first movie I ever saw on the big screen, Walt Disney’s “Robin Hood” in November 1973. My grandmother took my brother, cousin and I to see it at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. It wasn’t just a movie, it was a production. Before the film, the Rockettes would come out and perform, then they would show a newsreel, a short cartoon, and the movie. When the film was over, the Rockettes came out again to wrap things up. Wow!
My son’s first time wasn’t as spectacular, just a visit to the local multiplex (though it did have comfy stadium seats, something we didn’t have back in the 70’s.) We did the requisite popcorn, candy and soda ritual and settled into a toddler filled theater to see “Curious George.”
Growing up, I was a fan of the children’s books written by H.A. and Margaret Rey. They are classics, still read to this day. I was apprehensive about seeing this new version of “Curious George” partly because I loved the books so much, but also because reviewers that I respected panned the film as unappealing for anyone over 4. (Well, my son fits that group.) I was pleasantly surprised. The movie was a delight. The pacing was good, the story was interesting, and the music written for the film added the right tone. It was so good, in fact, that I’m going to write to the two most important creative people directly involved with the film, director Matthew O’ Callaghan and singer/songwriter Jack Johnson.
Matthew O’Callaghan
After graduating from the California Institute for the Arts, Matthew O’Callaghan was hired as an animator by Disney. (He worked on “The Great Mouse Detective” “The Little Mermaid” “Who Framed Roger Rabbit“ and “Mickey‘s Christmas Carol.“) He then moved to television, where he created the award winning FOX animated series “Life With Louie” based on comedian Louie Anderson’s stand-up routines. His early work with computer animation brought him back to Disney where he created the first computer generated Mickey Mouse feature, “Twice Upon A Christmas.”
Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson had been a professional surfer until an accident, which forced him to take some time off. He learned to play guitar at age 14, but did not seriously pursue a career in the arts until his college years. After graduating, Jack decided to spend time traveling, when he co-directed, composed the music for and shot the surf film “Thicker Than Water.” This launched his music career and eventually lead to the release of his first album, "Brushfire Fairytales" in 2001. After touring for almost two years, Johnson released his second album, “On and On” in 2003. In 2004, Johnson founded the Kokum Hawaii Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaii. His soundtrack for “Curious George“ debuted at number one on the Billboard charts.
posted by Chris Lucas | 11:10 PM
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