Julia Merriam's blog

Everyone has something they were terrified of as a child. Sometimes it was the shadows lurking in the closet, sometimes it was the malevolent clown doll perched on the highest shelf, and sometimes it was that creepy house across the street. But what happens when those imagined dangers, often considered the folly of childhood, become a very dangerous reality? The answer, of course, is Monster House, Amblin Entertainment's newest animated film and Gil Kenan's directorial debut. An innocent and yet surprisingly mature film, Monster House explores both the mystery of the neighborhood's haunted house and the complexity of adolescence with minimal belittlement. Offering a fresh take on an old idea, Monster House approaches its youthful themes with maturity, dignity and a healthy dose of good ol' supernatural fright, making it nothing less than a top-notch children's horror film.

San Diego, CA – If there is one company capable of consistently capturing the imagination of young and old alike, one that is constantly pushing the boundaries of special effects and creature creation, it would be the Jim Henson Company. Responsible for everything from children's classics like The Muppet Show and The Dark Crystal to more modern and mature offerings like Farscape and MirrorMask, the Jim Henson Company has always striven to fulfill the dream of its creator, “to leave the world a better place.” At this year's Comic-Con panel, Lisa Henson (producer of MirrorMask), Brian Froud (conceptual artist for The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth), Scott Stewart (producer of Big Love) and Genndy Tartakovsky (director of Samurai Jack and Dexter's Laboratory) divulge the company's upcoming plans to make that dream happen.

San Diego, CA – In a small, out-of-the-way room away from the larger, more popular panels at Comic-Con, there stood a sight one would be hard-pressed to forget. Towering over seven feet tall, in all his fiberglass glory (an upgrade from his original thermoform plastic), was Robbie the Robot, one of the most memorable mechanical denizens to ever grace the screen. His presence, along with a slew of aging stars, betokened the upcoming 50th Anniversary release of classic sci-fi film Forbidden Planet, by Warner Home Video.

San Diego, CA -- Guillermo Del Toro's new film, Pan's Labyrinth, promises to be a stunning, fantastical, and insightful new film. The plot is a fairly typical coming-of-age story in which a young girl, faced with the reality of post-war fascist Spain, retreats to her own fantasy world using mythic devices to approach and manage the difficulties of real life. However, while the plot may seem initially superficial, Del Toro combines Spanish sensibilities, fairytale conventions, and a battery of visually remarkable effects to make Pan's Labyrinth something entirely unique. Described as "some Alice [in Wonderland], some Hans Christian Andersen, and lots of oral tradition," Del Toro says he hopes to show how much imagination Spanish and Mexican filmmakers really have, and, for this reason, would not do the film in English, despite its widening the prospective audience.

San Diego, CA -- With a release date set for March of 2007, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles has left behind its childhood days of men in rubber suits in favor of CGI, darker themes, and a more authentic comic book feel.