Once the Literary Editor of BBC magazine, The Listener, J.R. Ackerley went on to publish My Dog Tulip in 1956. His charming memoirs reflect upon his relationship with his dog, Tulip, from start to finish and make for both thoughtful and entertaining viewing. Husband and wife team, Paul and Sandra Fierlinger bring Tulip to life in the first ever animated feature to be entirely hand-drawn and directly painted onto computer technology.
Beginning with confirmed bachelor Ackerley's accidental acquisition of Alsatian bitch, Tulip, and running through her early history, first home and unsociable conduct, the film covers key points in Tulip's life, including her first trip to the vet, repeated failed attempts at mating and her final pregnancy. Ackerley's desperate attempts to mate Tulip are key to the film's humour - there's talk of "arranged marriage", "genealogy", finding a dog of a similar "class" and even a romantic scene as Ackerley watches...
Beginning with confirmed bachelor Ackerley's accidental acquisition of Alsatian bitch, Tulip, and running through her early history, first home and unsociable conduct, the film covers key points in Tulip's life, including her first trip to the vet, repeated failed attempts at mating and her final pregnancy. Ackerley's desperate attempts to mate Tulip are key to the film's humour - there's talk of "arranged marriage", "genealogy", finding a dog of a similar "class" and even a romantic scene as Ackerley watches...
- 7/19/2011
- Shadowlocked
This is the Pure Movies review of My Dog Tulip, directed by Paul Fierlinger and Sandra Fierlinger, and starring Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave, Isabella Rossellini, Peter Gerety, Brian Murray, Paul Hecht and Euan Morton. You could be forgiven for forgetting that animation was all done by hand in the days before the Toy Story/Shrek phenomena digitised everything to Infinity and Far Far Away in 3D. This charming film based on J.R.Ackerley’s memoir about his dog Tulip is nostalgic, and quaint, with beautiful hand-drawn characterisations that are without the colourful polish we have become used to. All the more delightful as a result, the experience watching My Dog Tulip is very like being read to - the cinema equivalent of being cosied up next to a warm fire drinking hot chocolate on a cold autumn evening.
- 7/15/2011
- by Gabriella Apicella
- Pure Movies
Reviewer: James van Maanen
Rating (out of five): * * * *
The Queen and her Corgis, Churchill and his bulldog, J.R. Ackerley and Tulip. If that last one doesn't ring the bell, no matter: a gong may sound in perpetuity once you've seen the new animated film My Dog Tulip, the newest from husband-wife filmmaking team Paul and Sandra Fierlinger. J.R Ackerly, a British literary editor and writer, had his book of the same title (a reminiscence about the relationship between him and his dog) published in 1956 in England and later here in America. Reissued by New York Review Books in its Classic Series, Tulip is currently that series' best-seller.
While all this may sound a bit like the Brit version of Marley and Me, be assured that it is not. For one thing, Tulip is not a film for children. One of the first things to greet us on-screen are...
Rating (out of five): * * * *
The Queen and her Corgis, Churchill and his bulldog, J.R. Ackerley and Tulip. If that last one doesn't ring the bell, no matter: a gong may sound in perpetuity once you've seen the new animated film My Dog Tulip, the newest from husband-wife filmmaking team Paul and Sandra Fierlinger. J.R Ackerly, a British literary editor and writer, had his book of the same title (a reminiscence about the relationship between him and his dog) published in 1956 in England and later here in America. Reissued by New York Review Books in its Classic Series, Tulip is currently that series' best-seller.
While all this may sound a bit like the Brit version of Marley and Me, be assured that it is not. For one thing, Tulip is not a film for children. One of the first things to greet us on-screen are...
- 7/12/2011
- by weezy
- GreenCine
Deep End (15)
(Jerzy Skolimowski, 1970, UK) John Moulder-Brown, Jane Asher. 92 mins
Where has this movie been for the past 40 years? It's as fresh and stylish a snapshot of late-60s Britain as we've ever seen, and a twisted coming-of-ager to boot. New kid Moulder-Brown wades into the depths of adulthood at the public bathhouse, and develops an unhealthy obsession with his worldlier colleague. The acting is natural, the soundtrack groovy (Can, Cat Stevens) and the visuals bold.
Hanna (12A)
(Joe Wright, 2011, Us/UK/Ger) Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana. 111 mins
A novel fusion of Bourne and The Wizard Of Oz, this thriller packs some visual punches (aided by a Chemical Brothers score) and trowels on the symbolism. Blanchett relishes her she-wolf role, hunting little teen assassin Ronan across Europe.
13 Assassins (15)
(Takashi Miike, 2010, Jap/UK) Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya. 125 mins
Noble samurai spring a trap for an evil lord...
(Jerzy Skolimowski, 1970, UK) John Moulder-Brown, Jane Asher. 92 mins
Where has this movie been for the past 40 years? It's as fresh and stylish a snapshot of late-60s Britain as we've ever seen, and a twisted coming-of-ager to boot. New kid Moulder-Brown wades into the depths of adulthood at the public bathhouse, and develops an unhealthy obsession with his worldlier colleague. The acting is natural, the soundtrack groovy (Can, Cat Stevens) and the visuals bold.
Hanna (12A)
(Joe Wright, 2011, Us/UK/Ger) Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana. 111 mins
A novel fusion of Bourne and The Wizard Of Oz, this thriller packs some visual punches (aided by a Chemical Brothers score) and trowels on the symbolism. Blanchett relishes her she-wolf role, hunting little teen assassin Ronan across Europe.
13 Assassins (15)
(Takashi Miike, 2010, Jap/UK) Kôji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada, Yûsuke Iseya. 125 mins
Noble samurai spring a trap for an evil lord...
- 5/6/2011
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Last year gave us three animated features of the very highest quality. From Pixar came the brilliant, Oscar winning Toy Story 3, we also had Fernando Trueba’s jazz inflected Chico and Rita and finally Sylvain’s Chomet’s L’Illusionniste adapted from an unmade script by the legendary Jacques Tati. Both stunningly beautiful and melancholic, The Illusionist was an animation for grown ups; an almost entirely silent love story between two outsiders; a French magician whose art is becoming increasingly irrelevant in the modern world and Alice, a young Gaelic girl.
My Dog Tulip shares something thematically with Chomet’s film. Based on a novel described by Truman Capote as “One of the greatest books ever written by anybody in the world” it too is a tale of love between misfits – a misanthropic writer, J.R Ackerley (voiced by Christopher Plummer), and an abandoned Alsatian named Tulip.
Last year gave us three animated features of the very highest quality. From Pixar came the brilliant, Oscar winning Toy Story 3, we also had Fernando Trueba’s jazz inflected Chico and Rita and finally Sylvain’s Chomet’s L’Illusionniste adapted from an unmade script by the legendary Jacques Tati. Both stunningly beautiful and melancholic, The Illusionist was an animation for grown ups; an almost entirely silent love story between two outsiders; a French magician whose art is becoming increasingly irrelevant in the modern world and Alice, a young Gaelic girl.
My Dog Tulip shares something thematically with Chomet’s film. Based on a novel described by Truman Capote as “One of the greatest books ever written by anybody in the world” it too is a tale of love between misfits – a misanthropic writer, J.R Ackerley (voiced by Christopher Plummer), and an abandoned Alsatian named Tulip.
- 5/6/2011
- by Matt Conn
- Obsessed with Film
There's not a hint of cute in this beautiful, understated animation about the redemptive powers of a rescue Alsatian, says Catherine Shoard
Beware of the dog: this ain't no Marley and Me. Nor, despite the cartoon pooches, is it a top ticket for canine-mad kids. Paul and Sandra Fierlinger's adaptation of the Jr Ackerley memoir about the redemptive powers of a rescue Alsatian called Queenie (renamed for the film) is a good fit for those who like their New Yorker funnies, and like them good and sour. Christopher Plummer does a nice job voicing our misanthropic yet smitten narrator, and there's undeniable beauty to the understated animation (hand-drawn plates, in a variety of sketchiness). But such a graphic and persistent interest in the contents of Tulip's tum, and in Ackerley's attempts to pimp her out ("The application of a little Vaseline to the bitch...") smacks first of obfuscation, then of desperation.
Beware of the dog: this ain't no Marley and Me. Nor, despite the cartoon pooches, is it a top ticket for canine-mad kids. Paul and Sandra Fierlinger's adaptation of the Jr Ackerley memoir about the redemptive powers of a rescue Alsatian called Queenie (renamed for the film) is a good fit for those who like their New Yorker funnies, and like them good and sour. Christopher Plummer does a nice job voicing our misanthropic yet smitten narrator, and there's undeniable beauty to the understated animation (hand-drawn plates, in a variety of sketchiness). But such a graphic and persistent interest in the contents of Tulip's tum, and in Ackerley's attempts to pimp her out ("The application of a little Vaseline to the bitch...") smacks first of obfuscation, then of desperation.
- 5/5/2011
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
The 2011 edition of a movie critic's dream unreels again this week. In my own home town, I'll be able to show the films of my choice in a classic movie palace, flawlessly projected on a giant screen before a movie-loving audience. To paraphrase Orson Welles when he was given the run of Rko Radio Pictures to make his own movie, it's the biggest train set a boy could ever want.
Ebertfest 2011 runs April 27-May 1. The passes have been sold but we've always been able to find room for everyone in line inside the 1,600-seat Virginia Theater. Its long-term renovation continued this year with work on the lobby, the concession stand and the upstairs lobby. The marquee is a work in progress.
The preservation of theaters like this is invaluable; such buildings will never again be constructed, and most of our filmmakers will never have seen their films with such a large audience.
Ebertfest 2011 runs April 27-May 1. The passes have been sold but we've always been able to find room for everyone in line inside the 1,600-seat Virginia Theater. Its long-term renovation continued this year with work on the lobby, the concession stand and the upstairs lobby. The marquee is a work in progress.
The preservation of theaters like this is invaluable; such buildings will never again be constructed, and most of our filmmakers will never have seen their films with such a large audience.
- 5/5/2011
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
Jr (Joe) Ackerley (1896-1967) was one of the great literary editors of his day (working on the BBC's now sadly defunct weekly the Listener), a writer of fastidious prose and as openly gay as he could have reasonably been at a time when homosexuality was a criminal offence. In his 60s, he wrote two rightly celebrated semi-autobiographical novels inspired by his Alsatian bitch, Queenie, both moving, extremely funny and rather daring for their day.
In We Think the World of You, published in 1960 and filmed in 1988 by Colin Gregg, an Alsatian bitch called Evie becomes the subject of contention between a sad, middle-aged queen (Alan Bates) and the family of his butch, working-class ex-lover (Gary Oldman).
In its companion piece, My Dog Tulip, published in 1956, Queenie is called Tulip (Ackerley's many gay friends thought the Alsatian's real name would raise titters) and it has been made into an exquisite animated...
In We Think the World of You, published in 1960 and filmed in 1988 by Colin Gregg, an Alsatian bitch called Evie becomes the subject of contention between a sad, middle-aged queen (Alan Bates) and the family of his butch, working-class ex-lover (Gary Oldman).
In its companion piece, My Dog Tulip, published in 1956, Queenie is called Tulip (Ackerley's many gay friends thought the Alsatian's real name would raise titters) and it has been made into an exquisite animated...
- 4/30/2011
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
The greatest dog book is now the greatest dog film
There are many methods for turning your life into a piece of performance art, and one of them is to get a dog. A dog is a wild experiment. Or so you can argue by observing the example of Jr Ackerley, who was a friend of Forster and Woolf, editor of the Listener, determined prowler for boys and the owner, for 15 of her 16½ years, of a German shepherd called Queenie, whom he described, under a transformed name, in his memoir My Dog Tulip – first published in 1965, two years before he died aged 71 – which has now been made into a gorgeous animated film by Paul and Sandra Fierlinger.
This book is the greatest of dog books, and now this film is the greatest of dog films – to invent two unnecessary genres – but before the unprepared reader imagines an account of cuteness,...
There are many methods for turning your life into a piece of performance art, and one of them is to get a dog. A dog is a wild experiment. Or so you can argue by observing the example of Jr Ackerley, who was a friend of Forster and Woolf, editor of the Listener, determined prowler for boys and the owner, for 15 of her 16½ years, of a German shepherd called Queenie, whom he described, under a transformed name, in his memoir My Dog Tulip – first published in 1965, two years before he died aged 71 – which has now been made into a gorgeous animated film by Paul and Sandra Fierlinger.
This book is the greatest of dog books, and now this film is the greatest of dog films – to invent two unnecessary genres – but before the unprepared reader imagines an account of cuteness,...
- 4/30/2011
- by Adam Thirlwell
- The Guardian - Film News
Yesterday I wrote about movie time travel, today someone drove a DeLorean to Ebertfest. I'm quickly beginning to realize it's that sort of film festival: fun, whimsical, and totally dedicated to the movies. It's so relaxed too. Because it's not a market, or a place where new films premiere, there's none of the pressure I typically associate with film festivals. Nobody's here to tell you how they spent four years of their lives and their parents' savings on their movie about the endangered marmot. People really let their hair down.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Day 2 began with its hair up, with a panel dedicated to Ebert's Far-Flung Correspondents, a brigade of writers and critics from all over the world. I tend to shrivel away at the prospect of critics talking about -- and invariably complaining about -- themselves, but this was something different, less a panel discussion...
But I'm getting ahead of myself. Day 2 began with its hair up, with a panel dedicated to Ebert's Far-Flung Correspondents, a brigade of writers and critics from all over the world. I tend to shrivel away at the prospect of critics talking about -- and invariably complaining about -- themselves, but this was something different, less a panel discussion...
- 4/29/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
I found some good animated films in 2010, but I didn't find ten. And it's likely that only two of them are titles most moviegoers have had the chance to see. My list reflects a growing fact: Animation is no longer considered a form for children and families. In some cases it provides a way to tell stories that can scarcely be imagined in live action. The classic example is the Japanese "Grave of the Fireflies" (left), about two children growing up on their own after the Bomb fall.
The first of my best films, unlike some of the others, was primarily intended for children:
"Despicable Me"
This one begins with the truth that villains are often more fascinating than heroes, and creates a villain named Gru who freeze-dries the people ahead of him in line at Starbucks, and pops children's balloons. Although he's inspired by many a James Bond bad guy,...
The first of my best films, unlike some of the others, was primarily intended for children:
"Despicable Me"
This one begins with the truth that villains are often more fascinating than heroes, and creates a villain named Gru who freeze-dries the people ahead of him in line at Starbucks, and pops children's balloons. Although he's inspired by many a James Bond bad guy,...
- 1/3/2011
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
Director: Paul Fierlinger, Sandra Fierlinger Writers: Paul Fierlinger, Sandra Fierlinger (screenplay), J. R. Ackerley (novel) Starring: (voice) Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave, Isabella Rossellini, Brian Murray, Paul Hecht, Euan Morton J.R. Ackerley (Christopher Plummer) is not a dog lover at the moment when -- nearing 50 -- he adopts Tulip, an 18-month-old Alsatian. Ackerley lives in a small Putney flat overlooking the Thames (where he lived the final 25 years of his life) and Tulip plows into his life and home with reckless abandon, a wild and uncontrollable ball of energy. Tulip grows quite fond of Ackerley and slowly but surely begins to settle down. Ackerley -- a gay man beyond his days of cruising for dates -- finds Tulip to be his ideal companion; in fact, during their 14 years together, Tulip turns out to be the one true love of Ackerley’s life. My Dog Tulip reveals an author who is not...
- 10/22/2010
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
J.R. Ackerley's slim, beautifully observed memoir My Dog Tulip is often called one of the finest works about a dog ever written, though Truman Capote came closer when he called it "One of the greatest books ever written by anybody in the world." Those who love the book might have reason to be wary of an animated adaptation of it. But Paul and Sandra Fierlinger's My Dog Tulip -- which opens in Los Angeles this Friday, with other cities to follow -- is a double rarity: An adaptation that wholly and faithfully captures the spirit and mood of the book it's based on, and an example of computer animation -- the 2-D sort -- that shows the human touch in every frame.
- 10/20/2010
- Movieline
Very happy about this news. Paul and Sandra Fierlinger's Diy animated feature, My Dog Tulip, the story about a gay man and his Alsatian bitch, based on a memoir of J.R. Ackerley and featuring the stacked voice cast of Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave and Isabella Rossellini just became the first title on the resurrected New Yorker Films label. I am not even a dog lover and this film made my heart melt over its 80 minutes. No small feat for a film which is pretty much a record of the sex life of a dog. A rare animated film for adults that can also appeal (perhaps on some level) to children even if most of it goes way past their heads.
My Dog Tulip will be released September 1, 2010 at New York's Film Forum with a limited release to follow.
Via Indiewire (and hat tip to Jeffrey Wright for being on...
My Dog Tulip will be released September 1, 2010 at New York's Film Forum with a limited release to follow.
Via Indiewire (and hat tip to Jeffrey Wright for being on...
- 7/15/2010
- Screen Anarchy
Toronto -- "Mary & Max," a claymation film from Oscar-winning Australian animator Adam Elliot and voiced by Toni Collette, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Humphries, earned the grand prize for best animated feature at the Ottawa International Animation Festival, which wrapped Sunday night.
The Ottawa jury also gave honorable mention to "My Dog Tulip," from U.S. directors Paul and Sandra Fierlinger, an animated feature voiced by Christopher Plummer, Isabella Rosseillini and Lynn Redgrave.
And the Estonian film "Kaasundinud Kohustused," (Inherent Obligations) by Rao Heidmets picked up the grand prize for best independent short animation.
The 33rd Ottawa animation festival also awarded "Madagascar, A Journal Diary" from French director Bastien Dubois the best adult TV animation trophy and the Nfb Public Prize.
The Ottawa jury also gave honorable mention to "My Dog Tulip," from U.S. directors Paul and Sandra Fierlinger, an animated feature voiced by Christopher Plummer, Isabella Rosseillini and Lynn Redgrave.
And the Estonian film "Kaasundinud Kohustused," (Inherent Obligations) by Rao Heidmets picked up the grand prize for best independent short animation.
The 33rd Ottawa animation festival also awarded "Madagascar, A Journal Diary" from French director Bastien Dubois the best adult TV animation trophy and the Nfb Public Prize.
- 10/19/2009
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Paul and Sandra Fierlinger’s “My Dog Tulip” is a vivid, whimiscal animated feature about the relationship between a man and his dog. We gave Fierlinger and others a free-form style interview to gather their thoughts on their careers individual projects. Editor’S Note: This is part of a series of interviews indieWIRE will be running with the filmmakers screening in the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival’s Discovery program. You… 1. I have …...
- 9/2/2009
- indieWIRE - People
Curioser and Curioser.. First off, the world premier of road trip comedy Bunny & The Bull which we reported on a Long time ago. Next is Gaspar Noé's Cannes premierer Enter the Void which didn't fare too well.. I'm betting this is a new edit. The winner of the grand jury prize at Cannes, Un Prophete will have a special screening. Hugo Weaving's gritty Aussie thriller Last Ride (we'll have a review up soon, got a screener!) is also playing along with another flick from down under we've been clocking, Beautiful Kate. Let's not forget the world premier of Yoichi Sai's ninja flick Kamui.. plus so many more!
Full listing of films added by section after the break.
Vanguard
Accident Soi Cheang, Hong Kong, China
North American Premiere
Gripping and smartly constructed, this unconventional crime thriller/psychological drama, revolves around assassins who commit murder by making perfectly staged crimes look like unfortunate accidents.
Full listing of films added by section after the break.
Vanguard
Accident Soi Cheang, Hong Kong, China
North American Premiere
Gripping and smartly constructed, this unconventional crime thriller/psychological drama, revolves around assassins who commit murder by making perfectly staged crimes look like unfortunate accidents.
- 7/24/2009
- QuietEarth.us
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