140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW
Very entertaining, but also surprisingly detailed & informational documentary about one of the most important & least appreciated careers…
Spoiler-free Movie Review of I Know That Voice:
This documentary on voice acting and the details of the job is the brainchild of renowned voice actor John DiMaggio, who also narrates. Even if you think you know a lot about how important talented voice actors are to the entertainment industry, there is a lot of great information here. I knew it would be entertaining, but I had no idea how informative it would be.
In some ways, this film is almost a recruitment tool for future acting talent. The interviewees spend some time looking for some respect as actors and explaining the importance of the gig, but far more time going into detail about the ins and outs of the business. This includes how to develop your craft, what their agent does, what goes into a typical session, the nature of the employment – it’s really quite extensive.
That doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining or for the casual viewer. The actors are fascinating to listen to and very funny. No amount of listening to them show off their abilities is sufficient, as I was in awe of how completely they control their instrument and the level of understanding that goes into the process of developing a character’s voice. There’s plenty of “funny voices” to laugh at and enjoy, but even more interesting are the discussions of how they arrive at the techniques used.
The movie is really well put together, with quick editing and fun little visuals to organize the conversations into different topics. It has a very nice flow to it, naturally addressing all parts of the business.
I Know That Voice is highly recommended for any fan, but particularly those of animation & video games. You’ll gain a whole new perspective on these enormous talents.
Starring (a list of all of the talented actors interviewed):
- John DiMaggio
- Kevin Conroy
- Jim Cummings
- Corey Burton
- Gregg Berger
- Diedrich Bader
- Grey DeLisle
- Colleen O’Shaughnessey
- Jason Marsden
- Phil LaMarr
- Maurice LaMarche
- Tom Kane
- David Kaye
- Josh Keaton
- Tom Kenny
- Rachael MacFarlane
- Laraine Newman
- Daran Norris
- Nolan North
- Rob Paulsen
- Kevin Michael Richardson
- Stephen Root
- Cree Summer
- Fred Tatasciore
- Wally Wingert
- Alanna Ubach
- Kari Wahlgren
- Jim Ward
- James Arnold Taylor
- Billy West
- Gary Anthony Williams
- Jim Meskimen
- Jessica DiCicco
- Robin Atkin Downes
- Nika Futterman
- Jennifer Hale
- Jess Harnell
- Richard Steven Horvitz
- Elizabeth Daily
- Nancy Cartwright
- Hank Azaria
- Edward Asner
- Jack Angel
- Carlos Alazraqui
- Charles Adler
- Pamela Adlon
- Dee Bradley Baker
- Eric Bauza
- Jeff Bennett
- Bob Bergen
- Robert S. Birchard
- Noel Blanc
- Steve Blum
- Chris Borders
- Devon Bowman
- Justin Brinsfield
- Clancy Brown
- Gerald Burke
- David X. Cohen
- Kevin Connolly
- Matt Corey
- Debi Derryberry
- Mark Evanier
- Bill Farmer
- David Faustino
- Dave Filoni
- Kelly Ann Foley
- June Foray
- Pat Fraley
- Stan Freberg
- Morgan Gerhard
- Frank Gladstone
- Seth Green
- Matt Groening
- Mark Hamill
- Jim Hanks
- Peter Hastings
- David Herman
- Gordon Hunt
- Danny Jacobs
- Tom Lawless
- Meredith Layne
- Jeff Lenburg
- Eric Lewis
- Jeff ‘Swampy’ Marsh
- Mona Marshall
- Chuck McCann
- Mary Elizabeth McGlynn
- Tom McGrath
- Ginny McSwain
- Breckin Meyer
- Kate Miller
- Gary Owens
- Dan Povenmire
- Bill Ratner
- Andrea Romano
- Marion Ross
- Will Ryan
- Lisa Schaffer
- Jeremy Shada
- Sara Jane Sherman
- Tom Sito
- Dana Snyder
- Carlos Sotolongo
- Kath Soucie
- Wes Stevens
- Tara Strong
- James Patrick Stuart
- Lee Supercinski
- Jamie Thomason
- Lauren Tom
- Andrea Toyias
- Heather Vergo
- Janet Waldo
- Pendleton Ward
- Nancy Wolfson
- Cedric Yarbrough
- Kris Zimmerman
Poster:
Trailer:
http://youtu.be/dFKq3J7eLIQ
The whole thing – I believe this to be an official link to the film. If not official, I will happily take it down.
http://youtu.be/bRwUjYwXE3Y
Bechdel Test:
n/a
The Representation Test Score:
n/a
| Main Cast | John DiMaggio Himself/Narrator, Kevin Conroy Himself, Jim Cummings Himself, Corey Burton Himself |
| Rating | |
| Release Date | 2013 |
| Director | Lawrence Shapiro |
| Genres | Documentary |
| Plot | Several voice actors discuss their art and their careers. |
| Poster |  |
| Runtime | 90 |
| Tagline | |
| Writers | Brandon Sonnier |
| Year | 2013 |
