am2xAnimated Movies was launched by Olivier Mouroux in 1999. In addition to a daily news report, he also created a database of information about past, current, and upcoming films. In 2003, he took a job in the industry and had to give up his work on the site. Several fans of Animated Movies decided to take on the task of keeping the news portion of his site going, and founded what is now Animated Views.

As AV turns 15, let's take a look back at the site we descended from. Below you can explore the database Olivier compiled at Animated Movies during its existence, as it last appeared online in October 2003.

THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

The Man Behind The Magic  * Filmography



A number of Disney animators are expressing strong dissatisfaction with the direction of the studio since the departure of Jeffrey Katzenberg and his replacement by Tom Schumacher, with several saying that the current emphasis has gone from featuring character and story to showing off whiz-bang graphics.

In an interview with the New York Observer, Disney animator Tom Sito remarked that Katzenberg "doesn't give notes like 'That character's hair is the wrong color.' He says, 'I don't believe he loves her, and without a love story you don't have a movie.'" Another animator told the Observer that recent Disney films may be "technically proficient but very deficient in terms of storytelling and character."

The publication also quoted from a note posted on the Motley Fool website last week by 20-year Disney veteran animator Dave Pruiksma who, referring to Disney's latest release, remarked: "With Atlantis, it was more about filling the screen with action than developing characters and story. And that's what makes Shrek popular -- the writing and the vocal performances."
 



Animated Movies original content © Olivier Mouroux