Tag: Environmentalism

Reclaimed! The Woodsical Finds Plenty of Good in Old Wood

At @IntrepidTheatre Reclaimed! The Woodsical turns familiar rock songs into a campy #environmental #comedy about #recycling and #sustainability and waking up to smell the #wood. #fringe #yyjfringe #review

Reclaimed! The Woodsical Produced by
Peter Worden & Hailey Christie-Hoyle

I’m hardly stumped by the purpose of Reclaimed! The Woodsical. This show mixes rock parody, environmental comedy and cartoonish hijinks into a meaningful show that suggests we must do more to save our environment. It’s happening, but and what’s presented suggests we can do more than hug a tree. My big question is simple: will it remain limited to the Victoria Fringe Festival, or will they take this act on the road?

Peter Worden, the playwright and mastermind behind this work, told me everyone involved wants to take it further. Until a few more things fall into place, those plans remain uncertain. I’ll soon publish a quick interview with him that goes behind the scenes.

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Netflix’s Swapped Shows Who Is More of A Strange Animal

Rather than saying, “You’re a Strange Animal,” maybe the creators of Swapped were humming along to Gowan’s song when world-building a mystical realm where safety must come first rather than mixed breeding through magic.

Swapped Movie PosterNow streaming on Netflix

Netflix’s Swapped feels familiar. While it differs from Pixar’s Hoppers, where a human can masquerade as a beaver through technology and must walk a mile in another’s shoes, what’s presented here concerns a secret valley that is far more mystical than grounded in reality. This tale follows Ollie (Michael B. Jordan), a Pookoo, a groundhog-like creature, who meets Ivy (Juno Temple), a strangely Big Bird-like animal. The pair must work together if they are to thwart a looming threat.

There’s an angry Firewolf (Tracy Morgan) who has grown jealous of the peace bestowed upon the valley by enormous elephantine trees known as the Dzo. From that point on, I could swear I was watching a film that leaned heavily on the imagination of Jim Henson back when he conceived The Dark Crystal. While Swapped is brighter and more naturalistic, favouring cheerful colours and innocent charm, the similarities do not end there.

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Heidi Rescue of the Lynx and the Hayao Miyazaki Connection

Yes, we even need an aside from Fantasia Film Festival. Heidi Rescue of the Lynx is a continuation, especially if you know the story from Heidi, Girl of the Alps already.

Heidi- Rescue of the LynxNow Playing in Cinemas Across the UK and Ireland.

Heidi Rescue of the Lynx continues a beloved story, capturing the same charm and warmth found in Johanna Spyri’s classic Swiss tale—while also welcoming a new generation of fans. I first discovered this story through the 1970s animated series Heidi, Girl of the Alps, one of Hayao Miyazaki’s earliest projects. His work on the screenplay and production art—centered on nature, kindness, and emotion—would shape many of his later cinematic works.

At the time, shows like Lupin the Third and The Rose of Versailles introduced me to European stories told through anime. But Heidi stood out. It had a quiet, heartfelt tone that stayed with me. Its characters and designs even helped inspire others, like Mei in My Neighbor Totoro. Over the years, Heidi has returned in a few new versions. Most of them stayed close to the original story.

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On TVOKIDS, Various Secrets of the Forest are Teased At, and They Don’t Have to Be Super, Natural.

There’s a lot of terrific stories that reveal nearly everything that can go on in Secrets of the Forest. It’s not just an ecological docu-series.

Secrets of the Forest PosterAvailable on TVOKIDS (Canada), Roku and Apple TV (other regions)

Broadcasting online and on smart TV devices is Secrets of the Forest, a twenty-six episode series that has been releasing an episode a week since Earth Day. It’s an educational program to teach viewers of all ages the best way to cultivate humanity’s relationship with the boreal world. The reason I’m interested in this series is that it has a vibe that is familiar.

The format is similar to Popular Mechanics for Kids. Much like Elisha Cuthbert and Jay Baruchel. I’m sure this series’ face, Taviss Edwards, will follow the same path in her transition to become an entertainer as she grows older. She just sparkles in front of the camera.

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TheNFB’s May Release Schedule Celebrates More Than Asian Heritage Month.

And we offer a recap on titles we reviewed some months ago, and include a look at what’s coming, our top picks and trailers of a few TheNFB works too (where available).

TheNFB National Film Board of Canada LOGOSpring is in the air, and there’s lots happening over at the National Film Board of Canada. Not only are they also celebrating Asian Heritage Month, but also recognising new talents in the medium of animation and storytelling. It’s great to see that there’s some Asian talent being recognised in this TheNFB’s Hothouse program.

Here’s a list of what’s here and coming soon:

Starting May 1
Asian Heritage Month AT THENFB

  • Following a multi-award-winning festival run, Toronto creators Thao Lam and Kjell Boersma’s animated short doc Boat People uses a striking metaphor to trace one Vietnamese family’s flight across the turbulent waters of history. Our review can be read here, and it’s a strong piece to bring awareness about those grandparents who gave up a lot to give their children, and their kids a brand new life. (disclaimer: some of the video attachments are geolocked to Canada)

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[Victoria Fringe 2023] Introducing Pico’s Puppet Palace and Their Second Play, Pico and the Golden Lagoon

Balancing deliverying positive messages about how to respect the earth can be challenging, and in what Pico and the Golden Lagoon delivers balances family friendly entertainment with a message for all ages.

Sally Miller and Pico, Together, Forever

Pico and the Golden Lagoon continues in what Pico’s Puppet Palace excels in, to prove that you don’t have to depend on buying products to create puppets and items needed for their show. This regional theatre duo who wants to teach children the importance of environmentalism and being kind to one another.

This biplane pilot who does parcel deliveries around the world gets into some crazy situations! Although he only has two pulp style adventures under his belt, I’m sure more tales are planned. After the successful Pico Under the Coral Sea which toured Vancouver Island and beyond to great success, to have another tale detailing his life in the skies is the next logical step.

During a mail run, this aviator’s plane is nearly out of gas. He’s lucky to land safely by a deserted island, but when he realises he’s alone, that’s not good! Not even the local fauna, who amusingly can talk, want to help. He’ll have to make a smoke signal or hope someone lives in the cabin he spotted while descending. All of that is amusing, but if they don’t have fuel, how will he leave?

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