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Celebrating Spring Equinox with Five Animated Films

The best thing about Spring Equinox is not the longer days, but the times spent with family and friends, and there’s a few favourite films I like to watch too.

Spring Equinox at the Movie Theatre As Spring Equinox is officially in full bloom, just what I want to view is not your regular fare. My recommendations better reflect the season than any spiritual aspect; my top five favorite animated works include more than just current movies. I have short films on this list too.

And so I’m not spending the entire time indoors, what can be viewed can be done in an evening while the afternoon is spent hunting for eggs. Unfortunately, no bunnies are on this list. For part of this Easter Sunday, I’ll be enjoying:

To Spring (1936)

Very few tales acknowledge Spring Equinox as passionately as this classic produced by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising, and directed by William Hanna before forming his own studio. It’s a simple tale where gnomes are helping the world transition to the new season. But challenges are in store for them….

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Lucasfilm’s Maul – Shadow Lord, My Reaction and What to Watch In Prep (Which Surprisingly Isn’t Much)

The good news is that there’s more animated content from the Star Wars universe with Maul – Shadowlord, but the bad news is…

Coming to Disney+ in 2026

During Star Wars Celebration, which is taking place in Tokyo, Japan, Lucasfilm treated fans to a teaser of their next animated project, titled Maul – Shadow Lord. His story is most likely going to continue to explore the seedy underside of this other universe. CCO Dave Filoni, VP of Animation Athena Portillo and voice actor Sam Witwer were present as the news and teaser dropped.

As far as I can recall, after a rough alliance with Ashoka in the former series, this villain could live out his life much like how Garmadon left after the fight with the Oni in LEGO Ninjago. Not much is known about what has happened since, and I have chosen not to read the comic books and novels which followed.

The production remains secret aside from the news. From ComicBookMovie.com, what’s revealed is that the animation style will not match the previous series and that has me hesitant to endorse. Despite making this visual change, I will watch it. At least, the story is going in the right direction. This website wrote:

“After the Clone Wars, Maul plots to rebuild his criminal syndicate on a planet untouched by the Empire,” reads a brief synopsis. “In a new series set after the events of the final season of The Clone Wars, Maul rises again to lead the underworld factions.

According to Variety’s report, Portillo said fans can expect to learn “a lot,” about Maul in the series. “Unfortunately, I can’t tell you too much, but what I can say is Sam Witwer’s involvement in the show has been pristine,” she said. “I’m very excited about him being able to review the scripts and provide input in all of that as well. Dave Filoni and Sam created the character for animation, and so it’s very important to hear his thoughts as well for the character depth.”

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To Not Say “Elli and Her Monster Team” Is Not Riding a Ghostly Ghost Train May Seem Unusual, But…

When getting rid of the double entendre makes sense for the American side presentation of Elli and Her Monster Team, the interest in checking out this film needs help to chug along!

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This review credits the original voice actors.

Originally titled Elli and the Ghostly Ghost Train, this movie from Germany got renamed to Elli and Her Monster Team for obvious reasons. When this title character wants to be like Casper the Friendly Ghost, this film written and directed by Piet De Rycker and Jesper Møller has morals to preach. Fortunately, it’s not too blatant to undermine the action.

It has moments to like and other bits to puzzle over. When this team had Ottfried Preußler’s “The Little Ghost” in mind as their inspiration, not everyone is going to recognise this storybook! Fortunately, I’m familiar with that work and Hui Buh. They may be the two best-known films outside the country about a spirit looking to make a name for him or herself.

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With (S)KiDs, It’s Not Just But Still Rock and Roll to Me

The beauty with independent animated works is that they don’t have to play by the rules. For (S)KiDs, the creators must make sure the message is heard, not just blasted.

Available to stream on YouTube (free, see below)

The year (S)KiDs take place in may seem unusual, but it feels appropriate to show what teenage life was like back in the early 90s. In a nutshell, I can’t help but think this film is Smells Like Teen Spirit meets The Breakfast Club. This song released by Nirvana in 1991 is more than age-old to reflect upon what this film is about.

Here, this animated film looks at the life of Scotty (James Priestner), a self prescribed punk poet who finds life in a new town difficult. Although he finds a few friends, others soon label them skids, not typical outcasts. Although this derogatory term is not in vogue these days, to escape that label is tough. Molly (Michele Garceau), Billy (Will Letos), and Craig (Les Solis, who also directed this film) are fairly chill, but the fact they all have demons is more telling as the film progresses through their final year at St. Elmo’s High School.

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Finally Watching White Snake Afloat! A Touching Review and the Quest to Find This Lost Tale of Love

Although there’s still no proper North American release for Light Chaser Animation’s White Snake Afloat, thankfully eBay has come to the rescue! And I got info regarding the two types of Blu-ray releases available. Meanwhile Warner Brothers Malaysia is handling distro.

White Snake Afloat in this package release The home video release of Light Chaser Animation’s White Snake Afloat is now available in China and select surrounding regions. When I saw a limited edition box set released back in December, I wanted to buy it—but I didn’t have the funds saved.

Fast forward to now: it’s still attainable through eBay, albeit at nearly double its original retail price. Unfortunately, it’s not listed on official English-language retailers like YesAsia or Amazon, and Light Chaser hasn’t made it available on international streaming platforms either. For those willing to pay a premium, the set is a visual treat. It features beautifully illustrated packaging and includes a bonus booklet. While I hoped for additional extras, it appears that beyond the artwork, there’s little else included. Still, I’m relieved the Blu-ray comes with English subtitles.

As for whether Bianca’s (White Snake’s) journey concludes in this final chapter, I’d say yes. Her arc comes full circle. However, I hope the Fox Demon’s story continues. Her subplot remains unresolved and full of potential. She’s a manipulator, often acting as a mysterious merchant of souls across all three films. But just who she’s serving—and why—remains unanswered.

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When The Day the Earth Blew Up Spuddered. Is It A Crazy Looney Tunes Movie?

Some Warner Brothers cartoons are truly classic and can be viewed time and time again. But when this latest misses its mark, not even When The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie creates confidence.

My fondness for Looney Tunes will always place the Golden Age classics well above the modern revival era (2015 onwards). With The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, the nuance and wit that once defined the series are largely missing. The humour leans more toward Tex Avery’s zany chaos than Chuck Jones’ clever restraint. In fact, some of the slapstick borders on Ren & Stimpy-style absurdity, which may not sit well with traditionalists.

While many creative voices have shaped the franchise over the decades, it’s Jones’ signature blend of heart and timing that I value most—more so than the foundational work of others like Friz Freleng and Bob Clampett, who helped establish the tone in the 30s.

The strongest shorts came in the 40s and beyond. By the 90s, the franchise reached new heights with Animaniacs, and stayed strong into the early 2000s with Duck Dodgers: The Animated Series. Since then, attempts to honour that legacy have been hit-and-miss. This film’s high-definition look—using crisp digital animation and glossy textures—lacks the warmth of traditional hand-drawn styles. I’d prefer softer, pencil-textured visuals over hard-edged CGI.

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