Hollywood Insider - News Entertainment & Culture

Substance & Meaningful Entertainment

Against Gossip & Scandal

Independent Media Network

Global Stories From Local Perspective

Factual Culture News

The Hollywood Insider Pinocchio Review, Guillermo Del Toro

Photo: ‘Pinocchio’

“The Adventures of Pinocchio”

Pinocchio has been a story told for over one hundred and thirty years. The first rendition of it came to us through the Italian novelist Carlo Collodi. “The Adventures of Pinocchio” came out in 1883 and in 1940 Disney made it their second animated feature film. Even before Disney’s film, there were attempts at a silent version (1911), and an unfinished animated Italian version (1936). The book found tons of success and showed the story had the morals and values that we wanted to instill in our children.  

Since then it is hard to put the exact number of renditions or offshoots to the story. There have been hundreds of versions of this story. Opera, theater, films, television, adaptations, and more. The original story shows how important life is and that when given the opportunity to really live, you should. 

Things to do: 

  1. Subscribe to The Hollywood Insider’s YouTube Channel, by clicking here. 
  2. Limited Time Offer – FREE Subscription to The Hollywood Insider
  3. Click here to read more on The Hollywood Insider’s vision, values and mission statement here – Media has the responsibility to better our world – The Hollywood Insider fully focuses on substance and meaningful entertainment, against gossip and scandal, by combining entertainment, education, and philanthropy.

The Process

Guillermo has made a new version using stop-motion animation and, of course, his undeniable style. Ever since I was young, I have been drawn to the craft of stop motion. It is a delicate process that involves tons of patience in getting to what you see on the screen. Let’s break this down just a little, in order to give you an idea of the process. 

There are two ways to shoot stop motion to make fluid movements look natural. You can choose to shoot in ones or twos. Shooting in “1’s” means that you shoot one picture for every frame. In film, most things are shot at twenty-four frames (pictures) per second (FPS). This means that for every second, you shoot twenty-four pictures. This gives a superfluid movement to characters and is sometimes not the best for properly styled “film” acting. Shooting in “2’s” means you take twelve pictures and double each one up to create the movement. This means less picture-taking but adds a more realistic movement of the puppets to the human eye.  

Related video: Full Commentary – Cast & Crew Spills Secrets on Making of ‘Elvis’ | In-Depth Scoop | Austin Butler

Related video: Full Rendezvous At the Premiere of ‘Elvis’ with Reactions from Stars | Austin Butler, Baz Luhrmann

Related video: Come Behind The Scenes of ‘Elvis’ | Austin Butler, Tom Hanks and Baz Luhrmann

Hard Found Funding

Guillermo said he was trying to get funding for over fourteen years for the film. Stop motion is not the most popular approach to film, and the art form seems to be getting lost in the modern era. The only way to keep making stop motion is to champion it when it comes out, after all the artistic craftsmanship is extremely high. Each frame is literally brought to life by an animator and a picture. Each move is delicately balanced to ensure the figure moves well when putting it all together. The time it takes to make one scene is expounded by the process itself. At one point Guillermo even said they had over sixty small scenes filming in one day with different animators.  

I can tell why funding was given to this story. Guillermo and co-director Mark Gustafson had a grand idea for such a miniature world. Guillermo brought in his own flare and style, which changes the overall feel and message of the story. 

Different Story

We start with Geppeto (David Bradley) and his son Carlo. They built their relationship beautifully, by showing just how important they are to each other. Eventually, Carlo meets death through the war that Joseph Stalin helped create in the 1930s. Geppeto is overwhelmingly struck with grief.  

We then meet Sebastion J. Cricket (Ewan McGregor,) he establishes his home in an old pine tree. After being unable to cope with his loss, Geppeto decides to make a new son out of the same pine tree. In a drunken stupor, he creates Pinocchio (Gregory Mann). In some cultures, the forest has life and many mysterious things exist in it. It is no different here, as Guillermo creates some creatures that hear Geppeto and help bring Pinocchio to life.  

Related article: MUST WATCH – The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s Love Letter to Black Lives Matter – VIDEO

Related article: Why Queen Elizabeth II Is One Of The Greatest Monarchs | Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of United Queendom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland (Video Insight)

Related article: All Best Actor/Actress Speeches From The Beginning Of Oscars 1929-2019 | Hollywood Insider

At first, Geppeto is unsure what Pinocchio is. When Pinocchio first comes to life, he is so excited about all the things he sees. Just like an adolescent child, he acts and reacts to the world around him with fresh eyes. This throws Geppeto through a loop, because he sees the world under different circumstances. Geppeto eventually turns this around, but it takes all the lives Pinocchio can muster.  

Everyone wants to take advantage of Pinocchio except for his papa Geppeto.  He ends up meeting Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz) and gets coerced into performing in order to send money to his father. Then the war machine tries to use him and it causes another important turning point, but Pinnochio remains steadfast. Pinocchio’s spirit is wonderful, reminding me of the many ways I was when I was young. 

Master of Macabre

As the story goes on, we see just how much the master of macabre has altered the story to his own style. The very end gives purpose to life through death. When we are alive, we must live fully, and we shouldn’t let the grief of life distract us from how precious our time here is. When one thing ends, another begins or so the saying goes.  

The comedic relief that Sebastian provides is perfect in the context of the film. At every turn, he recognizes just how dark the story is, which provides a blanket for the arc of the newly envisioned idea. This children’s story may have been made again, but it has been done with an originality that Guillermo always brings to his work.  

Guillermo’s Fingerprint

In the industry, there is something called a fingerprint. Just like a fingerprint at a police station, they represent the exact identity of a particular artist or filmmaker. Guillermo’s fingerprint is all over this project, and after just a few frames you can not only tell it is him, but you can tell all the hard work it took to create this masterful work. Stop motion must always get proper recognition because it is a tireless process that is always exciting to watch.  

Related article: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase: “The Importance of Venice Film Festival as the Protector of Cinema”

Related article: The Masters of Cinema Archives: The Hollywood Insider Pays Tribute to ‘La Vie En Rose’, Exclusive Interview with Director Olivier Dahan

Related article: – Want GUARANTEED SUCCESS? Remove these ten words from your vocabulary| Transform your life INSTANTLY

The details of the sets, puppets, props, and movements are unprecedented. They even bring us to the time period with miniature backdrops; using the likes of Stalin and his authoritarian regime in the 1930’s. Guillermo’s Italian roots make me understand his love for the story. He was able to show Italy through these tiny sets in a way only an Italian could. 

I have seen a ton of stop motion in my day, even helping to create a Simpson version myself. We have all seen entertaining stop motion with the likes of ‘Wallace and Gromit’, ‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’, and ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. If you haven’t, start now, and Pinocchio is a great example of the best of them. Guillermo‘s style of stop motion is one of the most well-thought-out and designed I have ever seen.  

Guillermo has re-envisioned one of the most-told stories and has done it superbly. It is released in theaters now and will be streaming on December 9th on Netflix. This is something to go check out on the big screen. I know you might think you have seen all the Pinocchio you need for a lifetime but trust me when I say you have not. Guillermo has molded a classic story into life once again. He has made a real boy out of Pinocchio, and that is a hard feat in the oversaturated world he has lived in.  

___________________________________________________________________________

Directors – Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson

Mentioned Cast – Ewan McGregor, Christoph Waltz, David Bradley, Gregory Mann

By Nathan Paul Pasquale 

Click here to read The Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Cinema, TV and Media. An excerpt from the love letter: The Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, We have the space and time for all your stories, no matter who/what/where you are. Media/Cinema/TV have a responsibility to better the world and The Hollywood Insider will continue to do so. Talent, diversity and authenticity matter in Cinema/TV, media and storytelling. In fact, I reckon that we should announce “talent-diversity-authenticity-storytelling-Cinema-Oscars-Academy-Awards” as synonyms of each other. We show respect to talent and stories regardless of their skin color, race, gender, sexuality, religion, nationality, etc., thus allowing authenticity into this system just by something as simple as accepting and showing respect to the human species’ factual diversity. We become greater just by respecting and appreciating talent in all its shapes, sizes, and forms. Award winners, which includes nominees, must be chosen on the greatness of their talent ALONE.

I am sure I am speaking for a multitude of Cinema lovers all over the world when I speak of the following sentiments that this medium of art has blessed me with. Cinema taught me about our world, at times in English and at times through the beautiful one-inch bar of subtitles. I learned from the stories in the global movies that we are all alike across all borders. Remember that one of the best symbols of many great civilizations and their prosperity has been the art they have left behind. This art can be in the form of paintings, sculptures, architecture, writings, inventions, etc. For our modern society, Cinema happens to be one of them. Cinema is more than just a form of entertainment, it is an integral part of society. I love the world uniting, be it for Cinema, TV, media, art, fashion, sport, etc. Please keep this going full speed.

More Interesting Stories From The Hollywood Insider

Want GUARANTEED SUCCESS? Remove these ten words from your vocabulary| Transform your life INSTANTLY

A Tribute to Martin Scorsese: A Complete Analysis of the Life and Career of the Man Who Lives and Breathes Cinema 

Do you know the hidden messages in ‘Call Me By Your Name’? Find out behind the scenes facts in the full commentary and In-depth analysis of the cinematic masterpiece

A Tribute To The Academy Awards: All Best Actor/Actress Speeches From The Beginning Of Oscars 1929-2019 | From Rami Malek, Leonardo DiCaprio To Denzel Washington, Halle Berry & Beyond | From Olivia Colman, Meryl Streep To Bette Davis & Beyond

In the 32nd Year Of His Career, Keanu Reeves’ Face Continues To Reign After Launching Movies Earning Over $4.3 Billion In Total – “John Wick”, “Toy Story 4”, “Matrix”, And Many More

pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio, pinocchio

Author

  • Nathan Paul Pasquale

    Nathan is a passionate filmmaker that graduated from Columbia College with his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. He is an enigmatic storyteller and development catalyst for making content that matters. He sent out to help make this world a better place through the avenue of film and television. His path aligns with all those that are trying to make content that contains substance for our human race. This aligns with The Hollywood Insider and its mission statement to stay away from gossip and write about the things that matter. He will always create Cinema and television that might be able to cause people to change and heal the world one snap of the slate at a time.

    View all posts
Website It Up