Claydream
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Feature
Claydream
Rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes!
The meteoric rise and dramatic fall of “Father of Claymation” Will Vinton is the subject of this fascinating portrait of one of cinema’s unheralded innovators. Known as the “Father of Claymation,” Will Vinton revolutionized the animation business during the 1980s and 90s, creating such iconic characters as the California Raisins and Domino’s The Noid. But after thirty years of being the unheralded king of clay, Vinton’s carefully sculpted American dream came crumbling down. Structured around interviews with this charismatic pioneer and his close collaborators, along with a treasure trove of clips of their work together, CLAYDREAM charts the rise and fall of the Oscar®-and Emmy®-winning Will Vinton Studios. Documentarian Marq Evans brings to life the battle between art and commerce in this affectionate, insightful portrait of an artist who put so much of himself into his craft.
USA, 2021, 96 minutes, directed by Marq Evans
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“Brilliant! Heartbreaking! Riveting!”
– Guy Maddin -
“A must for animation history fans! Answers almost all that you ever wondered about the rise and fall of "Claymation" - and its corporate re-birth as Laika Studios.”
– Nora Lee Mandel, MAVEN’S NEST -
“Through copious clips of studio work and bittersweet interviews with Vinton, his former colleagues, and his family members, we get a sense of both his strengths and weaknesses.”
– Elizabeth Weitzman, THE WRAP -
“The story of a pioneer of American animation, and how he was denied his rightful place.”
– Stephen Silver, TILT MAGAZINE -
“’ClayDream’ is a cleverly packaged oral history exercise, centered on an interview with Vinton himself…”
– Peter Debruge, VARIETY -
“It was a real blast from the past to see so much of [Vinton's work] on-screen.”
– Jared Mobarak, THE FILM STAGE -
“A well-edited, insightful and captivating documentary about an artist who deserves more recognition. It also serves as an illuminating glimpse into the complex and challenging crossroads between art and commerce.”
– Avi Offer, NYC MOVIE GURU
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