Since the demise of the International Tournées of Animation and the regular Spike and Mike shows, independent animated shorts have become increasingly difficult to see in the U.S. It's commendable that King of the Hill creator Mike Judge and Oscar-nominated director Don Hertzfeldt put together this collection (with slightly different content than the theatrical release), but it's regrettable that most of the films aren't better. Koji Yamamura's Mt. Head and The Rocks by Chris Stenner and Heidi Wittlinger present off-beat, personal visions. The Cathedral by Tomek Baginski boasts dramatic imagery, but a clichéd storyline; Jeremy Solterbeck's brooding ballet méchanique, Moving Illustrations of Machines, doesn't really go anywhere. Adam Elliot's Brother, Cousin, and Uncle and Corky Quackenbush's The Adventures of Ricardo combine crude stop-motion animation with mean-spirited narratives. Ultimately, The Animation Show remains less than the sum of its parts. (Unrated, suitable for ages 16 and older: grotesque imagery, nudity, sexual situations, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon
The first volume of the Animation Show on DVD kicks off a definitive series compiling the world's best animated short films, personally curated by Mike Judge ("Beavis and Butt-Head", "Office Space"), and Academy Award nominated animator Don Hertzfeldt. This inaugural DVD collection features highlights from the award winning 2003 Animation Show theatrical program alongside new favorites, including four Academy Award nominees, a treasury of special features, rare and early cartoons by Mike Judge, Academy Award winner Adam Elliot's complete "Brother", "Cousin", and "Uncle" trilogy, plus three new cartoons made exclusively for the show by Don Hertzfeldt.
OFFICIAL PROGRAM:
Welcome to the Show - by Don Hertzfeldt
Mt Head (Atama Yama) - by Koji Yamamura
Brother - by Adam Elliot
Parking - by Bill Plympton
The Adventures of Ricardo - by Corky Quakenbush
Moving Illustrations of Machines - by Jeremy Solterbeck
La Course A L'Abime - by Georges Schwizgebel
Billy's Balloon - by Don Hertzfeldt
Cousin - by Adam Elliot
Cathedral (Katedra) - by Tomek Baginski
Intermission in the 3rd Dimension - by Don Hertzfeldt
Fifty Percent Grey - by Ruari Robinson
Uncle - by Adam Elliot
Early Pencil Tests and Other Experiments - by Mike Judge
Aria - by Pjotr Sapegin
Bathtime in Clerkenwell - by Aleksy Budovski
The Rocks (Das Rad) - by Chris Stenner and Heidi Wittlinger
The End of the Show - by Don Hertzfeldt
Video Description
Finally, there's an animation festival with the artists themselves at the helm. Following the critically acclaimed theatrical tour of "The Animation Show" we bring you "The Animation Show Volume One" on DVD! Kicking off in the spring of 2004, "The Animation Show Volume One" is a collection of the best animated short films from around the world, personally programmed by co-producers Mike Judge (Office Space, and King of the Hill) and Academy Award nominated animator Don Hertzfeldt. This year's DVD line-up spans eight countries, featuring everything from 2003 Academy Award winner Adam Elliot's claymation films "Brother", "Cousin" and "Uncle" to the very latest in computer animation - with four recent Academy Award nominees (including Mt Head, The Rocks, Fifty Percent Grey, and The Cathedral), brand new films from Mike and Don, plus extra surprises. Never before has such a visually stunning and hilarious collection of animation been gathered together in one program. This first volume is loaded with special features including Audio commentaries by animators Bill Plympton, Corky Quakenbush and Don Hertzfeldt, deleted pencil tests by Mike Judge, Production art galleries by Don Hertzfeldt, "Mt. Head" galleries of concept art and character design, "The Cathedral" motion tests, animatics and production art, "The Rocks" production photo album, "La Course A L'Abime" storyboard to scene comparison, and much more!