Every time I hear Steve Blum's voice I think of Spike Spiegel

He sounded very much like Spike in this movie. Similar vocal mannerisms and everything. Plus, the characters themselves were very much of a type.

I have to say I'm very glad we've reached the point where we have so many talented voice actors that make a career of it, rather than a handful of people making "funny voices" as well as some drama class rejects.

Used to be the only time you got a good performance (outside of Mel Blanc or a Disney movie) was when a regular TV/movie actor was "slumming it" in voice work.

I want to say it started changing in the 90s with shows like Batman and Gargoyles, but maybe it was a bit sooner. I know anime dubs and video games didn't start catching up until later. I know Cowboy Bebop was held up as the gold standard for dubs for a long time.

I want to say it started changing in the 90s with shows like Batman and Gargoyles,

Andrea Romano certainly had a huge effect on the animation industry, but it should be noted that American animation was in serious decline until The Simpsons/Roger Rabbit/Batman: The Animated Series came along.

Spielberg deserves some credit for launching Animaniacs and Looney Tunes and giving people like Rob Paulsen, Tress McNellie and Maurice Lamarche worthy outlets for their talents.

America has always had a tradition of excellent voice acting, going back to radio. The talent has always been there; June Foray has been working steadily since the 1940s. What happened in the early 90s is that TV animation became more sophisticated, and directors started demanding more subtlety from their actors.

So I just watched this Michael Shannon movie called Take Shelter. Has anyone else seen it?

Yes.

I thought it was excellent, but I was left wondering if we were supposed to take the ending literally, or metaphorically, or both, or what. Because it kind of works any way you cut it, and it's kind of messed up any way you interpret it.

It seemed literal to me. I was left wondering what the point of the movie was.

Looking back at Animaniacs, the animation was terrible. The attempts at physical humor were poorly timed, and usually fell flat. The show relied almost entirely on voice acting and music to carry the show. It’s more like illustrated radio more than animation. In fact, some of their best bits were in fact recycled radio gags.

The show relied almost entirely on voice acting and music to carry the show.

Good thing they had the best patter songs of the last forty years, and some of the premier voice talent.

Good thing they had the best patter songs of the last forty years

The ice-cream truck on our street uses "Turkey in the Straw" as its godforsaken, tinny song blaring from the loudspeaker. And every time it comes down the street, I get earwormed with "Wakko's America." Damn those Animaniacs.

And I just earwormed myself with it just by posting about it.

Well played, Animaniacs. Well played.

Well played, Animaniacs. Well played.

Second-hand, even. Well played indeed.