Things We Love: Magical March Picks

Absolutely enchanting! Critics, audiences – basically everyone and their abuela sang the praises of Disney’s latest visually stunning musical fantasy, Encanto. Fresh off their Golden Globes win, the story of a Colombian family who must rely on a (gasp!) Ordinary girl (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) to restore their magical gifts hits records. Even if you’ve already seen the hit by Jared Bush and Byron Howard, you won’t want to miss the bonus features covering the Madrigal family, their Enchanted Casita, the music (by composer Germaine Franco and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda ) and more . (Disney, $20 DVD / $25 BD / $30 4K, Feb. 8) [Buy Now]
Deliciously Dark Fantasy: If your toon preferences are more heavy metal than CinderellaPhilip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King’s The spine of the night is the horror fantasy of your twisted and twisted dreams. The hand-drawn rotoscope tale is inspired by Frank Frazetta and Ralph Bakshi to follow a group of heroes from different eras on a quest to stop sinister magic. The stellar voice cast includes Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless and Patton Oswalt. (Picture, $28 DVD / $29 BD / $36 SB, Feb. 1) [Buy Now]
The crime of purring: Selina Kyle Tries On A Fierce Anime Look In New DC Animated Movie Catwoman: Hunted, directed by Shinsuke Terasawa. Catwoman (Elizabeth Gillies) can’t resist stealing the biggest emerald in the world – unfortunately, she snatches it from the hands of the criminal empire Leviathan, who have put a bounty on her head. This hunt for cats and tricksters is joined on disc by a documentary on the bad guys and a focus on Feline femme fatale se. (Warner, $30 BD / $40 4K, Feb. 8) [Buy Now]
More to watch this month
- Attack on Titan: Final Part of Season 1 (Funimation, BD$65 / LE$85, Feb. 22)
- Berserk: The Complete Series (Funimation, $70 BD, Feb. 15)
- Onyx Equinox: Complete Collection (Sentai, $60 BD, Feb. 22)
Pages from the past: Explore 620 pages of studio history in Daniel Kothenschulte’s latest edition The Walt Disney Film Archives: Animated Films 1921-1968re-released by Taschen as a landscape hardcover featuring 1,500 photos, sketches, and cel setups from Animation’s Golden Age, and more affordable at $80 (February 25). [Pre-Order]
Aspiring authors also have the chance to nab a priceless 10th anniversary edition of Bill “The King of Indie Animation” Plympton’s Create toons that sell without selling, for paperback ($45) and ebook ($32). Dive into the secrets of crafting poignant expressions of your vision with the Oscar-nominated animator as your guide, offering time-saving techniques, secrets to crafting a great story and more. (CRC, January 26) [Buy Now]
You know, here we tell the story of an underrated anime heroine. While toon enthusiasts are likely familiar with the older feature, The Adventures of Prince Ahmed (1926), a new picture book by Fiona Robinson aims to introduce a wider audience of primary school readers to her pioneering German director. Out of the Shadows: How Lotte Reiniger made the first animated fairy tale movie is a tribute to a little girl’s love for traditions and paper-cut silhouettes have become a piece of female film history. (Abrams, $19, February 8) [Buy Now]
We care a lot! CloudCo and its partners are ramping up time to market this spring to celebrate the Care Bears 40th Anniversary with a variety of licensed products. Launching the rollout is a candy-colored vegan leather backpack, wallet and shoulder bag (pictured, $40; Pre-order) from Loungefly and clothing for adults and children of H&Mwith hints of retro style, tie-dye and patterned sweater – the black hoodie is so in the mood ($25) [Buy Now].
Message in a bauble: These sirens siphoning money from Funko are again, this time with irresistibly cute (and, of course, collectible) greeting figs called Poppies: Simply press the bow button on the base of the character’s box for a surprise bubble! Launched with a Valentine’s Day line, the collection includes characters from Disney/Pixar, DC, Marvel, Peanuts and more. ($7 each) [Shop All]