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1001 Animated Shorts You Must See - Part 16
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3
5.3
6.3
Give Up Yer Aul Sins (2001)
DIR: Cathal Gaffney
SUMMARY: A child's understanding of the story of John the Baptist.
WHY IT'S HERE: Cathal Gaffney's 'Give Up Your Aul Sins' is based around a recording from the 1960s of a little Irish girl relating her version of the story of John the Baptist. It's absolutely hilarious to listen to and director Gaffney has come up with some unforgettably sweet, appealing images to go with it. The character of the little girl is especially adorable, as we flit between images of her being interviewed in class and depictions of her off-kilter narration. Though I'm not a religious man myself and despise indoctrination, this short neither celebrates nor condemns and urges us to put aside religious debate and just enjoy the sound of children excited and happy to be on TV. 'Give Up Yer Aul Sins' was nominated for an Oscar and spawned a short series of animations based on similar recordings from the 60s of children telling their versions of Bible stories.
SUMMARY: A child's understanding of the story of John the Baptist.
WHY IT'S HERE: Cathal Gaffney's 'Give Up Your Aul Sins' is based around a recording from the 1960s of a little Irish girl relating her version of the story of John the Baptist. It's absolutely hilarious to listen to and director Gaffney has come up with some unforgettably sweet, appealing images to go with it. The character of the little girl is especially adorable, as we flit between images of her being interviewed in class and depictions of her off-kilter narration. Though I'm not a religious man myself and despise indoctrination, this short neither celebrates nor condemns and urges us to put aside religious debate and just enjoy the sound of children excited and happy to be on TV. 'Give Up Yer Aul Sins' was nominated for an Oscar and spawned a short series of animations based on similar recordings from the 60s of children telling their versions of Bible stories.
308
7.3
7.7
Cat Soup (2001)
DIR: Tatsuo Sato
SUMMARY: Nyatta, a kitten, travels to the land of the dead to save his sister Nyako's soul after she drowns in the bath.
WHY IT'S HERE: Japanese anime director Tatsuo Sato's 'Cat Soup' is one of the most bewildering animated experiences ever created. This half-hour headtrip is based on the work of manga artist Nekojiru (whose pen name is a portmanteau of the words Neko and Jiru, meaning Cat and Soup, hence the film's title) and follows the story of a young kitten's trip to the land of the dead to save the soul of his drowned sister. Without prior knowledge of the plot, you would never piece together what 'Cat Soup' is about and even reading a synopsis beforehand doesn't help much but it's clear from the bizarre nature of what happens on screen that the meaning of the images is less important than the experience of watching them. Although the story stars innocent looking cats, this is by no means a children's film and themes of death and cruelty, apparently frequently encountered in Nekojiru's work, are prominent here. Witness the sadistic treatment of a pig who the kitten's encounter on their journey. Although it may baffle Western viewers completely, animation fans will find much to enjoy in Sato's bold surrealist imagery and the finale, in which the majority of the characters flicker into nothingness like a broken TV, is a moment which lodges itself in the mind and lies somewhere between disturbing and funny. This is a fair assessment of the whole film and given the troubling nature of some of the content it is not entirely surprising to learn of Nekojiru's suicide in 1998. For Western audiences, 'Cat Soup' remains the most famous representation of her work and it is a unique, astonishing, if not necessarily always enjoyable, experience.
SUMMARY: Nyatta, a kitten, travels to the land of the dead to save his sister Nyako's soul after she drowns in the bath.
WHY IT'S HERE: Japanese anime director Tatsuo Sato's 'Cat Soup' is one of the most bewildering animated experiences ever created. This half-hour headtrip is based on the work of manga artist Nekojiru (whose pen name is a portmanteau of the words Neko and Jiru, meaning Cat and Soup, hence the film's title) and follows the story of a young kitten's trip to the land of the dead to save the soul of his drowned sister. Without prior knowledge of the plot, you would never piece together what 'Cat Soup' is about and even reading a synopsis beforehand doesn't help much but it's clear from the bizarre nature of what happens on screen that the meaning of the images is less important than the experience of watching them. Although the story stars innocent looking cats, this is by no means a children's film and themes of death and cruelty, apparently frequently encountered in Nekojiru's work, are prominent here. Witness the sadistic treatment of a pig who the kitten's encounter on their journey. Although it may baffle Western viewers completely, animation fans will find much to enjoy in Sato's bold surrealist imagery and the finale, in which the majority of the characters flicker into nothingness like a broken TV, is a moment which lodges itself in the mind and lies somewhere between disturbing and funny. This is a fair assessment of the whole film and given the troubling nature of some of the content it is not entirely surprising to learn of Nekojiru's suicide in 1998. For Western audiences, 'Cat Soup' remains the most famous representation of her work and it is a unique, astonishing, if not necessarily always enjoyable, experience.
40
7
7.4
DIR: Robert Morgan
SUMMARY: A cat with human hands steals the body parts of those it comes across.
WHY IT'S HERE: Based on a recurring nightmare that his sister used to have as a child, Robert Morgan's 'The Cat with Hands' is an effective if predictable little horror short about a creepy feline who thieves human body parts from its victims. Morgan switches between live action and skin-crawling stop motion to create his eerie, blackly comic tale. At just over three and a half minutes, 'The Cat with Hands' was a festival hit and became a cult internet film with a runtime short enough for people to give their friends a quick shock. Although it works effectively in this respect, 'The Cat with Hands' is more than just a cheap horror shocker. A lot of work has clearly gone into creating the nightmarish central figure and it is animated in unforgettable grim detail.
SUMMARY: A cat with human hands steals the body parts of those it comes across.
WHY IT'S HERE: Based on a recurring nightmare that his sister used to have as a child, Robert Morgan's 'The Cat with Hands' is an effective if predictable little horror short about a creepy feline who thieves human body parts from its victims. Morgan switches between live action and skin-crawling stop motion to create his eerie, blackly comic tale. At just over three and a half minutes, 'The Cat with Hands' was a festival hit and became a cult internet film with a runtime short enough for people to give their friends a quick shock. Although it works effectively in this respect, 'The Cat with Hands' is more than just a cheap horror shocker. A lot of work has clearly gone into creating the nightmarish central figure and it is animated in unforgettable grim detail.
28
7.1
7.7
DIR: Garri Bardin
SUMMARY: A group of grey origami figures turn on their white leader, only to become part of a cycle of hypocrisy and violence.
WHY IT'S HERE: Garri Bardin's 'Adagio' is further testament to the Russian animator's brilliance and eclecticism. This time round, Bardin uses origami figures with which he imbues a stunning level of expressiveness. Set to the familiar sound of Remo Giazotto’s 'Adagio', an oft-used classical piece, Bardin stages a satirical morality tale which encapsulates the nature of impulsive violence, power struggles and spiritual hypocrisy with a beautiful simplicity. Rarely have faceless paper figures been so emotionally engaging. Fans of Bardin's best known work, 'Grey Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood', will find a very different experience in 'Adagio', although the embittered satirical bent that drove the previous film and much of Bardin's previous work is still very much in evidence, counterbalanced by a disarming visual fragility.
SUMMARY: A group of grey origami figures turn on their white leader, only to become part of a cycle of hypocrisy and violence.
WHY IT'S HERE: Garri Bardin's 'Adagio' is further testament to the Russian animator's brilliance and eclecticism. This time round, Bardin uses origami figures with which he imbues a stunning level of expressiveness. Set to the familiar sound of Remo Giazotto’s 'Adagio', an oft-used classical piece, Bardin stages a satirical morality tale which encapsulates the nature of impulsive violence, power struggles and spiritual hypocrisy with a beautiful simplicity. Rarely have faceless paper figures been so emotionally engaging. Fans of Bardin's best known work, 'Grey Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood', will find a very different experience in 'Adagio', although the embittered satirical bent that drove the previous film and much of Bardin's previous work is still very much in evidence, counterbalanced by a disarming visual fragility.
2
9
6.6
DIR: Ari Gold
SUMMARY: Ari Gold remembers his mother Melissa Gold in the aftermath of the helicopter crash that killed her.
WHY IT'S HERE: Ari Gold's 'Helicopter' is an astonishingly powerful film that uses animation sparingly but effectively. For the most part, this 20 minute dramatization of the aftermath of a mother's death and the effect it has on her children is a live-action short but throughout the piece we continually see flashes of an animated helicopter at pivotal moments. While some may dispute 'Helicopter's place on this list due to the intermittent animated sequences, it is in fact an important film in showing what a powerful tool animation can be for a filmmaker. The helicopter crash, which we see depicted in stark black and white, is the central event of the narrative and Gold chooses to show this in an animated sequence, which epitomises the power animation can have when used in inventive and challenging ways such as this. As such, this fantastic film has as much of a place on an animation list as it does on live-action short lists. It may not be an animated film per se, but directors open to the medium in this way play a big part in helping doubters to see that animation is not a children's medium.
SUMMARY: Ari Gold remembers his mother Melissa Gold in the aftermath of the helicopter crash that killed her.
WHY IT'S HERE: Ari Gold's 'Helicopter' is an astonishingly powerful film that uses animation sparingly but effectively. For the most part, this 20 minute dramatization of the aftermath of a mother's death and the effect it has on her children is a live-action short but throughout the piece we continually see flashes of an animated helicopter at pivotal moments. While some may dispute 'Helicopter's place on this list due to the intermittent animated sequences, it is in fact an important film in showing what a powerful tool animation can be for a filmmaker. The helicopter crash, which we see depicted in stark black and white, is the central event of the narrative and Gold chooses to show this in an animated sequence, which epitomises the power animation can have when used in inventive and challenging ways such as this. As such, this fantastic film has as much of a place on an animation list as it does on live-action short lists. It may not be an animated film per se, but directors open to the medium in this way play a big part in helping doubters to see that animation is not a children's medium.
5
5.8
7.2
DIR: Martine Chartrand
SUMMARY: A young boy traces his roots through centuries of Black culture through the stories his grandmother tells him.
WHY IT'S HERE: Haitian-Canadian animator Martine Chartrand's 'Black Soul' is an astonishingly beautiful historical piece which dives headlong into Black culture in its ambitious attempt to cover centuries in a ten minute timeframe. With gorgeous images painted on glass, Chartrand successfully encapsulates an entire cultural history with carefully chosen moments. The film is framed by a grandmother introducing a young black boy to his history and his responses are appropriately wide-ranging, from anger and sadness to wonder and pride. The images are accompanied by a great soundtrack incorporating African rhythms, gospel and jazz. Chartrand's style has often been compared to the work of Russian animator Aleksandr Petrov. While visually there are similarities, Chartrand's work is distinct from Petrov's in its greater fluidity and the economy of storytelling in place of Petrov's detailed, lengthy and occasionally turgid approach. 'Black Soul' is positively alive with exquisite artwork, fantastic music and emotional resonance.
SUMMARY: A young boy traces his roots through centuries of Black culture through the stories his grandmother tells him.
WHY IT'S HERE: Haitian-Canadian animator Martine Chartrand's 'Black Soul' is an astonishingly beautiful historical piece which dives headlong into Black culture in its ambitious attempt to cover centuries in a ten minute timeframe. With gorgeous images painted on glass, Chartrand successfully encapsulates an entire cultural history with carefully chosen moments. The film is framed by a grandmother introducing a young black boy to his history and his responses are appropriately wide-ranging, from anger and sadness to wonder and pride. The images are accompanied by a great soundtrack incorporating African rhythms, gospel and jazz. Chartrand's style has often been compared to the work of Russian animator Aleksandr Petrov. While visually there are similarities, Chartrand's work is distinct from Petrov's in its greater fluidity and the economy of storytelling in place of Petrov's detailed, lengthy and occasionally turgid approach. 'Black Soul' is positively alive with exquisite artwork, fantastic music and emotional resonance.
2
8
6.9
Intolerance II: The Invasion (2001)
DIR: Phil Mulloy
SUMMARY: The second part of the 'Intolerance' trilogy examines the thirty year infiltration of Earth by beings from the planet Zog and the one man, Dwight Hokum, who attempts to stand up against them.
WHY IT'S HERE: The second part of Phil Mulloy's 'Intolerance' trilogy picks up where the first film left off, with the planets Earth and Zog planning to invade one other. The opening scene features a very funny moment in which the enormous armadas of both planets manage to fly right past each other because they are all indulging their particular sexual perversions. After this, we focus on the Zog invasion of Earth, with the Earth invasion of Zog left as a teaser for part III.
'Intolerance II' sees drunkard Dwight Hokum becoming the only man on Earth to realise that the planet has been infiltrated by Zogs who have bred excessively over the years and are now everywhere. Deemed a madman by humans and Zogs alike, Dwight responds by setting up his own church, 'The Church of the Solitary Believer'. Fans of Mulloy's work will definitely enjoy this second part of his excellent trilogy. It is filled with the sort of satirical bite one has come to expect from this director, with swipes at intolerance of all kinds as well as the absurdity of religious hypocrisy. Peppered with dirty jokes, most of which serve a satirical purpose and are not just the throwaway smut that Mulloy's detractors suggest, 'Intolerance II' is another fine additions to the canon of an underrated animator.
SUMMARY: The second part of the 'Intolerance' trilogy examines the thirty year infiltration of Earth by beings from the planet Zog and the one man, Dwight Hokum, who attempts to stand up against them.
WHY IT'S HERE: The second part of Phil Mulloy's 'Intolerance' trilogy picks up where the first film left off, with the planets Earth and Zog planning to invade one other. The opening scene features a very funny moment in which the enormous armadas of both planets manage to fly right past each other because they are all indulging their particular sexual perversions. After this, we focus on the Zog invasion of Earth, with the Earth invasion of Zog left as a teaser for part III.
'Intolerance II' sees drunkard Dwight Hokum becoming the only man on Earth to realise that the planet has been infiltrated by Zogs who have bred excessively over the years and are now everywhere. Deemed a madman by humans and Zogs alike, Dwight responds by setting up his own church, 'The Church of the Solitary Believer'. Fans of Mulloy's work will definitely enjoy this second part of his excellent trilogy. It is filled with the sort of satirical bite one has come to expect from this director, with swipes at intolerance of all kinds as well as the absurdity of religious hypocrisy. Peppered with dirty jokes, most of which serve a satirical purpose and are not just the throwaway smut that Mulloy's detractors suggest, 'Intolerance II' is another fine additions to the canon of an underrated animator.
4
6.3
6.6
Atraksion (2001)
DIR: Raoul Servais
SUMMARY: A group of prisoners who wander a barren landscape begin to wonder if a distant light holds the key to their salvation.
WHY IT'S HERE: With 'Atraksion' Raoul Servais used digital animation for the first time to create a startling Icarean tale of a group of convicts who drag large balls and chains around an indistinct landscape. Hoping to escape this purgatory, one of the convicts is drawn towards a distant light. What he ultimately discovers is both surprising and cleverly suggestive of a wider point about the prisons we build for ourselves. Servais makes the point abundantly clear with a great final image. Combining live action actors with elements of digital animation, 'Atraksion' creates a beautifully desolate world not dissimilar in atmosphere to that seen in Wolfgang and Christoph Lauenstein's 'Balance'. As with many of his previous films, Servais manages to combine weighty themes and a feeling of foreboding with a dark sense of fun. There are moments in 'Atraksion' that feel like classic clowning, such as an attempt to light a cigarette that results in a squashed foot, and the unexpected reveal two thirds of the way through the short seems so odd at first that it can't help but elicit laughter.
SUMMARY: A group of prisoners who wander a barren landscape begin to wonder if a distant light holds the key to their salvation.
WHY IT'S HERE: With 'Atraksion' Raoul Servais used digital animation for the first time to create a startling Icarean tale of a group of convicts who drag large balls and chains around an indistinct landscape. Hoping to escape this purgatory, one of the convicts is drawn towards a distant light. What he ultimately discovers is both surprising and cleverly suggestive of a wider point about the prisons we build for ourselves. Servais makes the point abundantly clear with a great final image. Combining live action actors with elements of digital animation, 'Atraksion' creates a beautifully desolate world not dissimilar in atmosphere to that seen in Wolfgang and Christoph Lauenstein's 'Balance'. As with many of his previous films, Servais manages to combine weighty themes and a feeling of foreboding with a dark sense of fun. There are moments in 'Atraksion' that feel like classic clowning, such as an attempt to light a cigarette that results in a squashed foot, and the unexpected reveal two thirds of the way through the short seems so odd at first that it can't help but elicit laughter.
0
0
6
Rockin' Rollin' (2001)
DIR: Richard Jack, Daniel Greaves
SUMMARY: A locker room beneath a pool table becomes progressively more crowded as 'players' retire from the game.
WHY IT'S HERE: Richard Jack and Daniel Greaves' 'Rockin' & Rollin'' is a fun little short with the unusual premise of giving the viewer a glimpse of what happens to pool balls after they've been potted. A miniature version of a sports changing room awaits each ball as it is sunk, and each new arrival suggests its feelings at its exit from the game with amusing little movements and nudges. The muffled sound of the game progressing above makes for a very immersive experience as the viewer genuinely feels they are crammed inside the small space within a pool table. Wisely, the simple but effective premise is kept to the short runtime of four minutes, just long enough to charm the viewer with its originality but not so long that that joke gets old.
SUMMARY: A locker room beneath a pool table becomes progressively more crowded as 'players' retire from the game.
WHY IT'S HERE: Richard Jack and Daniel Greaves' 'Rockin' & Rollin'' is a fun little short with the unusual premise of giving the viewer a glimpse of what happens to pool balls after they've been potted. A miniature version of a sports changing room awaits each ball as it is sunk, and each new arrival suggests its feelings at its exit from the game with amusing little movements and nudges. The muffled sound of the game progressing above makes for a very immersive experience as the viewer genuinely feels they are crammed inside the small space within a pool table. Wisely, the simple but effective premise is kept to the short runtime of four minutes, just long enough to charm the viewer with its originality but not so long that that joke gets old.
0
0
0
Riding with Harv (2002)
DIR: Tom Schroeder
SUMMARY: Elderly couple Harv and Olga drive their neighbours' grandson Davey around their small town, attempting to entertain him with stories of their past and advice about his future.
WHY IT'S HERE: Tom Schroeder's 'Riding with Harv' is a lovely, leisurely-paced little film which takes some of the anecdotal style of Schroeder's previous 'Bike Ride' but supplements it with a range of animation styles. A character piece about elderly couple Harv and Olga and the quiet college student Davey, who spends most of the time lost in thoughts about girls, 'Riding with Harv' is constantly switching focus to reflect the rambling disagreements of a long-term couple. Schroeder brilliantly represents this haphazard style by changing animation styles alongside it. The main characters are represented by crude floating heads, idyllic flashbacks are more attractively rendered in colourful drawings while a horrific story about a tragic fire is represented by simple line-drawings. Throughout the film, main character Harv's thought-processes are shown by a sort of TV screen that perpetually displays images behind his eyes. While it is intentionally light on story, Schroeder's film is alive with visual invention and recognisable characters and manages to tap into the same subtle emotional resonance as the brilliant 'Bike Ride'.
SUMMARY: Elderly couple Harv and Olga drive their neighbours' grandson Davey around their small town, attempting to entertain him with stories of their past and advice about his future.
WHY IT'S HERE: Tom Schroeder's 'Riding with Harv' is a lovely, leisurely-paced little film which takes some of the anecdotal style of Schroeder's previous 'Bike Ride' but supplements it with a range of animation styles. A character piece about elderly couple Harv and Olga and the quiet college student Davey, who spends most of the time lost in thoughts about girls, 'Riding with Harv' is constantly switching focus to reflect the rambling disagreements of a long-term couple. Schroeder brilliantly represents this haphazard style by changing animation styles alongside it. The main characters are represented by crude floating heads, idyllic flashbacks are more attractively rendered in colourful drawings while a horrific story about a tragic fire is represented by simple line-drawings. Throughout the film, main character Harv's thought-processes are shown by a sort of TV screen that perpetually displays images behind his eyes. While it is intentionally light on story, Schroeder's film is alive with visual invention and recognisable characters and manages to tap into the same subtle emotional resonance as the brilliant 'Bike Ride'.
55
7.2
7.2
DIR: Rene Castillo
SUMMARY: A man undergoes a reluctant transition from life to death as he descends into the afterlife.
WHY IT'S HERE: Rene Castillo's gorgeous stop-motion animation 'Down to the Bone' explores one man's reluctant transition from the world of the living to the land of the dead. Beginning with the man's burial, we then see him plunge from his coffin into the afterlife, which resembles a Mexican Day of the Dead celebration. Plagued by a persistent parasite and disturbed by the skeletal inhabitants of the barroom, the man initially fights against but slowly comes to accept his new state, as a beautiful skeleton woman, Death herself, serenades him from the stage. Exquisitely animated and blending comedy with tragedy, 'Down to the Bone' is a philosophically upbeat look at death which will immediately remind latter-day audiences of Tim Burton's 'Corpse Bride', which was released three years later. While it will likely appeal to fans of that great film, Castillo's work is distinct in tone and style, providing a fascinating glimpse of how two different artists approach similar material.
SUMMARY: A man undergoes a reluctant transition from life to death as he descends into the afterlife.
WHY IT'S HERE: Rene Castillo's gorgeous stop-motion animation 'Down to the Bone' explores one man's reluctant transition from the world of the living to the land of the dead. Beginning with the man's burial, we then see him plunge from his coffin into the afterlife, which resembles a Mexican Day of the Dead celebration. Plagued by a persistent parasite and disturbed by the skeletal inhabitants of the barroom, the man initially fights against but slowly comes to accept his new state, as a beautiful skeleton woman, Death herself, serenades him from the stage. Exquisitely animated and blending comedy with tragedy, 'Down to the Bone' is a philosophically upbeat look at death which will immediately remind latter-day audiences of Tim Burton's 'Corpse Bride', which was released three years later. While it will likely appeal to fans of that great film, Castillo's work is distinct in tone and style, providing a fascinating glimpse of how two different artists approach similar material.
5
4.3
5
DIR: Christopher Hinton
SUMMARY: The nature of existence itself is encapsulated in the frenetic depiction of one family's lifetime.
WHY IT'S HERE: When Chris Hinton released 'Flux' it had been eight years since the release of his last animated short. In this space, Hinton made a bold stylistic leap and his comeback film 'Flux' is ample evidence of this. Unlike the attractive, colourful cartoon drawings of 'Blackfly', Hinton's 'Flux' features an extraordinarily rudimentary visual style to tell an ambitious story of life and death with exceptional wit, humour and emotional resonance. Hinton's characters and their surroundings are rendered as childlike sketches with no consistent proportions. The shape and size of the people and their house change with disorientating regularity and if a character wants to enter the house they will often extend their arm and drag it over rather than make the walk to the door. In adopting this childlike logic, Hinton has brilliantly boiled down existence to its bare-bones. And yet, as we watch these frenetic sketches of human beings wobble around the screen, there is a genuine connection. One moment in particular in which the happy family of husband, wife and daughter all come together is genuinely touching. 'Flux' is an amazingly bold gambit and it worked so well that Hinton would pursue this style to great effect in further animated shorts.
SUMMARY: The nature of existence itself is encapsulated in the frenetic depiction of one family's lifetime.
WHY IT'S HERE: When Chris Hinton released 'Flux' it had been eight years since the release of his last animated short. In this space, Hinton made a bold stylistic leap and his comeback film 'Flux' is ample evidence of this. Unlike the attractive, colourful cartoon drawings of 'Blackfly', Hinton's 'Flux' features an extraordinarily rudimentary visual style to tell an ambitious story of life and death with exceptional wit, humour and emotional resonance. Hinton's characters and their surroundings are rendered as childlike sketches with no consistent proportions. The shape and size of the people and their house change with disorientating regularity and if a character wants to enter the house they will often extend their arm and drag it over rather than make the walk to the door. In adopting this childlike logic, Hinton has brilliantly boiled down existence to its bare-bones. And yet, as we watch these frenetic sketches of human beings wobble around the screen, there is a genuine connection. One moment in particular in which the happy family of husband, wife and daughter all come together is genuinely touching. 'Flux' is an amazingly bold gambit and it worked so well that Hinton would pursue this style to great effect in further animated shorts.
2
7
6.6
A Hunting Lesson (2001)
DIR: Jacques Drouin
SUMMARY: When a man rumoured to be a former big-game hunter moves in near an impressionable young boy's family, the boy can't wait to meet him and learn to hunt. But he learns a different kind of lesson instead.
WHY IT'S HERE: Jacques Drouin's pinscreen animation 'A Hunting Lesson', based on the story by Canadian author Jacques Godbout, is a lovely and humane little film about a boy who idolises a former big-game hunter who has lost his taste for blood. Divided into five short acts across thirteen minutes, 'A Hunting Lesson' shows how the young boy is fascinated by the hunter and his profession but becomes upset and angry when faced with the details of how to deal with an animal's corpse. Finally, the hunter reveals how an experience in Africa changed him and how his hunting paraphernalia is only a reminder of a lesson he learned himself and is now passing on. The sepia imagery perfectly fits the gentle storytelling style but also works well with the more startling images. Drouin's use of the pinscreen is superb and 'A Hunting Lesson' glows with a reverence for all life that is so often missing in our current society.
SUMMARY: When a man rumoured to be a former big-game hunter moves in near an impressionable young boy's family, the boy can't wait to meet him and learn to hunt. But he learns a different kind of lesson instead.
WHY IT'S HERE: Jacques Drouin's pinscreen animation 'A Hunting Lesson', based on the story by Canadian author Jacques Godbout, is a lovely and humane little film about a boy who idolises a former big-game hunter who has lost his taste for blood. Divided into five short acts across thirteen minutes, 'A Hunting Lesson' shows how the young boy is fascinated by the hunter and his profession but becomes upset and angry when faced with the details of how to deal with an animal's corpse. Finally, the hunter reveals how an experience in Africa changed him and how his hunting paraphernalia is only a reminder of a lesson he learned himself and is now passing on. The sepia imagery perfectly fits the gentle storytelling style but also works well with the more startling images. Drouin's use of the pinscreen is superb and 'A Hunting Lesson' glows with a reverence for all life that is so often missing in our current society.
7
7.1
6.6
Strange Invaders (2001)
DIR: Cordell Barker
SUMMARY: When a small, flaming baby crashes through the window into their living room, Roger and Doris are initially delighted. But their happiness turns to worry and exhaustion as their alien baby becomes more destructive.
WHY IT'S HERE: Having made one of the most iconic short animations of the 80s with 'The Cat Came Back', Cordell Barker seemed to disappear for a long time but he resurfaced in 2002 with the bizarrely brilliant 'Strange Invaders', a film based on the experience of having a new baby. Barker likens a new child in the house to an invader from another planet that you suddenly have responsibility for and in 8 short minutes he offers an approximation of the shifting emotions this transitional phase causes. As with 'The Cat Came Back', 'Strange Invaders' has a very strange sense of humour, oddball but appealing character designs and lots of great background jokes, such as the fact that the instant the baby arrives the beloved family dog suddenly becomes an outside pet!
SUMMARY: When a small, flaming baby crashes through the window into their living room, Roger and Doris are initially delighted. But their happiness turns to worry and exhaustion as their alien baby becomes more destructive.
WHY IT'S HERE: Having made one of the most iconic short animations of the 80s with 'The Cat Came Back', Cordell Barker seemed to disappear for a long time but he resurfaced in 2002 with the bizarrely brilliant 'Strange Invaders', a film based on the experience of having a new baby. Barker likens a new child in the house to an invader from another planet that you suddenly have responsibility for and in 8 short minutes he offers an approximation of the shifting emotions this transitional phase causes. As with 'The Cat Came Back', 'Strange Invaders' has a very strange sense of humour, oddball but appealing character designs and lots of great background jokes, such as the fact that the instant the baby arrives the beloved family dog suddenly becomes an outside pet!
71
6.9
7.3
DIR: Eric Armstrong
SUMMARY: Meeper, the janitor at the Ale-E-Inn, dreams of becoming a karaoke superstar but when he is fired from his job, he is left alone to face the oncoming might of the Chubbchubbs.
WHY IT'S HERE: Eric Armstrong's 'The Chubbchubbs!' is a fun little short that has become the subject of one of the most hotly contested debates over the Animated Short Oscar ever. The main sticking point for most people seems to be that 'The Chubbchubbs!' beat Tomek Baginski's 'Katedra' to the award. While I agree that 'The Chubbchubbs!' didn't deserve its win (I would have given the award to 'Das Rad'instead), 'Katedra' is a short that I find to be highly overrated and have not deemed worthy of inclusion on this list. 'The Chubbchubbs!', meanwhile, secures its place thanks to its easy charm and several genuinely big laughs. Unfairly labelled as the epitome of soulless corporate animation by those bitter at 'Katedra's defeat, 'The Chubbchubbs!' is filled with funny sci-fi in-jokes, with characters such as E.T., Yoda and Jar-Jar Binks all making cameos. With its occasionally corny gags and dance-off ending, 'The Chubbchubbs!' seems to set a miniature template for many subsequent feature animations and is an interesting puzzle piece in the oft-underrated non-Pixar CG animation story.
SUMMARY: Meeper, the janitor at the Ale-E-Inn, dreams of becoming a karaoke superstar but when he is fired from his job, he is left alone to face the oncoming might of the Chubbchubbs.
WHY IT'S HERE: Eric Armstrong's 'The Chubbchubbs!' is a fun little short that has become the subject of one of the most hotly contested debates over the Animated Short Oscar ever. The main sticking point for most people seems to be that 'The Chubbchubbs!' beat Tomek Baginski's 'Katedra' to the award. While I agree that 'The Chubbchubbs!' didn't deserve its win (I would have given the award to 'Das Rad'instead), 'Katedra' is a short that I find to be highly overrated and have not deemed worthy of inclusion on this list. 'The Chubbchubbs!', meanwhile, secures its place thanks to its easy charm and several genuinely big laughs. Unfairly labelled as the epitome of soulless corporate animation by those bitter at 'Katedra's defeat, 'The Chubbchubbs!' is filled with funny sci-fi in-jokes, with characters such as E.T., Yoda and Jar-Jar Binks all making cameos. With its occasionally corny gags and dance-off ending, 'The Chubbchubbs!' seems to set a miniature template for many subsequent feature animations and is an interesting puzzle piece in the oft-underrated non-Pixar CG animation story.
41
6
7
Mt. Head (2002)
DIR: Koji Yamamura
SUMMARY: A stingy man who refuses to throw anything away decides to eat the stones from some cherries. As a result, a tree grows out of his head and becomes a popular spot for picnickers and blossom-watchers.
WHY IT'S HERE: Japanese animator Koji Yamamura's 'Mt. Head' is an utterly strange and magically compelling short film about a man who is too stingy to even throw away cherries stones and, as a result, grows a tree out of his head. As the tree blossoms, his head becomes a popular spot for tourists and picnickers, so the man tears the tree out by its roots, leaving a gaping hole on top of his head. After a rain storm, this becomes a popular lake. Driven to distraction by his head's new designation as a natural beauty spot, the man drowns himself in the lake in his own head. This surreal story is packed with brilliant ideas and talking points regarding mankind, nature and our own relationship to our psychological states and Yamamura's animation is superbly comic and unsettlingly off-kilter. The grating narration, which is half-sung in a strangulated voice, just serves to make things seem even stranger but it is worth it for the hysterical deadpan switch to flat, cold narration for the blunt final line. 'Mt. Head' was nominated for an Oscar in the year of the great 'Chubbchubbs!' controversy and was another short which would have been a preferable choice to that lively, enjoyable but predictable animation.
SUMMARY: A stingy man who refuses to throw anything away decides to eat the stones from some cherries. As a result, a tree grows out of his head and becomes a popular spot for picnickers and blossom-watchers.
WHY IT'S HERE: Japanese animator Koji Yamamura's 'Mt. Head' is an utterly strange and magically compelling short film about a man who is too stingy to even throw away cherries stones and, as a result, grows a tree out of his head. As the tree blossoms, his head becomes a popular spot for tourists and picnickers, so the man tears the tree out by its roots, leaving a gaping hole on top of his head. After a rain storm, this becomes a popular lake. Driven to distraction by his head's new designation as a natural beauty spot, the man drowns himself in the lake in his own head. This surreal story is packed with brilliant ideas and talking points regarding mankind, nature and our own relationship to our psychological states and Yamamura's animation is superbly comic and unsettlingly off-kilter. The grating narration, which is half-sung in a strangulated voice, just serves to make things seem even stranger but it is worth it for the hysterical deadpan switch to flat, cold narration for the blunt final line. 'Mt. Head' was nominated for an Oscar in the year of the great 'Chubbchubbs!' controversy and was another short which would have been a preferable choice to that lively, enjoyable but predictable animation.
18
6.4
6.4
Roof Sex (2002)
DIR: PES
SUMMARY: A pair of old armchairs have sex on the roof of an apartment building.
WHY IT'S HERE: American animator Adam Pesapane, known by the pseudonym PES, would go on to make some of the most inventive and charming stop-motion films using everyday objects that audiences had ever seen. His clever manipulation of everyday items would eventually see him nominated for an Oscar, as well as provide a lucrative career in advertising, but PES's first film is quite a shock to revisit for anyone who has smiled along with his later work. 'Roof Sex' is an explicit (if that is possible) depiction of two chairs having rough sex on the roof of an apartment building. Although the film itself is not really that inventive, the incongruity makes it worthy of note and links it to Phil Mulloy's less graphic 'Sex Life of a Chair'. It also shows that PES was adept at bringing inanimate objects to life convincingly from day one. There are moments when the viewer may genuinely feel the need to avert their gaze!
SUMMARY: A pair of old armchairs have sex on the roof of an apartment building.
WHY IT'S HERE: American animator Adam Pesapane, known by the pseudonym PES, would go on to make some of the most inventive and charming stop-motion films using everyday objects that audiences had ever seen. His clever manipulation of everyday items would eventually see him nominated for an Oscar, as well as provide a lucrative career in advertising, but PES's first film is quite a shock to revisit for anyone who has smiled along with his later work. 'Roof Sex' is an explicit (if that is possible) depiction of two chairs having rough sex on the roof of an apartment building. Although the film itself is not really that inventive, the incongruity makes it worthy of note and links it to Phil Mulloy's less graphic 'Sex Life of a Chair'. It also shows that PES was adept at bringing inanimate objects to life convincingly from day one. There are moments when the viewer may genuinely feel the need to avert their gaze!
1
6
7.1
Home Road Movies (2002)
DIR: Robert Bradbrook
SUMMARY: A reminiscence about family holidays in a new car becomes a darker realisation of the ravages of age on certain elements of life.
WHY IT'S HERE: Robert Bradbrook's BAFTA-nominated 'Home Road Movies' mixes live-action and CG animation to tell a largely autobiographical tale of the director's family holidays with his father. Beginning as a sprightly and gently comic tale filled with warm nostalgia, the film changes midway through to something far more bittersweet as the children grow up and begin to realise that the car which is their father's pride and joy is not all it's cracked up to be and that maybe this is a reflection of their father himself. Attempting to keep the happy memories of family holidays alive, the father continues to work on the car throughout his life, even when it is clearly unusable and his family have moved on. Although the appeal of 'Home Road Movies' is largely in its story, the use of basic CG animation which looks dated even for its day neatly ties in with many of the themes while also sidestepping budgetary concerns such as European locations. Any misgivings one might have about the rudimentary look of the film (which I personally found charming) should be overcome by the deft storytelling and the strong central presence of legendary Scottish actor Bill Paterson as the father.
SUMMARY: A reminiscence about family holidays in a new car becomes a darker realisation of the ravages of age on certain elements of life.
WHY IT'S HERE: Robert Bradbrook's BAFTA-nominated 'Home Road Movies' mixes live-action and CG animation to tell a largely autobiographical tale of the director's family holidays with his father. Beginning as a sprightly and gently comic tale filled with warm nostalgia, the film changes midway through to something far more bittersweet as the children grow up and begin to realise that the car which is their father's pride and joy is not all it's cracked up to be and that maybe this is a reflection of their father himself. Attempting to keep the happy memories of family holidays alive, the father continues to work on the car throughout his life, even when it is clearly unusable and his family have moved on. Although the appeal of 'Home Road Movies' is largely in its story, the use of basic CG animation which looks dated even for its day neatly ties in with many of the themes while also sidestepping budgetary concerns such as European locations. Any misgivings one might have about the rudimentary look of the film (which I personally found charming) should be overcome by the deft storytelling and the strong central presence of legendary Scottish actor Bill Paterson as the father.
0
0
8.2
Sap (2002)
DIR: Hyun-Joo Kim
SUMMARY: An old monk meets a young novice monk and the two develop a relationship.
WHY IT'S HERE: Korean animator Hyun-Joo Kim was BAFTA nominated for her beautiful film 'Sap', a short which captures a moment in time and relates it symbolically to the natural world. The story of two monks whose paths cross, allowing the older monk to pass on his love and wisdom to the young novice, 'Sap' has very little plot but its expressive characters and lush depiction of the natural world and its symbolic relationship to human beings makes it immediately affecting and noteworthy. Hyun-Joo used the technique of oils on glass to create her stunning imagery and the style perfectly fits the visual ambience of the film.
SUMMARY: An old monk meets a young novice monk and the two develop a relationship.
WHY IT'S HERE: Korean animator Hyun-Joo Kim was BAFTA nominated for her beautiful film 'Sap', a short which captures a moment in time and relates it symbolically to the natural world. The story of two monks whose paths cross, allowing the older monk to pass on his love and wisdom to the young novice, 'Sap' has very little plot but its expressive characters and lush depiction of the natural world and its symbolic relationship to human beings makes it immediately affecting and noteworthy. Hyun-Joo used the technique of oils on glass to create her stunning imagery and the style perfectly fits the visual ambience of the film.
0
0
6.3
Wedding Espresso (2002)
DIR: Sandra Ensby
SUMMARY: While waiting for her always-late boyfriend in a café, Sue's mind drifts to weddings as she eavesdrops on the bride-to-be and her mother at the next table.
WHY IT'S HERE: Sandra Ensby's BAFTA nominated 'Wedding Espresso' is a charming little short which presents a view of the thoughts that go through a woman's head as she awaits the arrival of her boyfriend. For non-British audiences, the film is an informative glimpse of the clichés associated with British weddings and the national attitude towards this wearisome routine but most of all 'Wedding Espresso' is a lovely encapsulation of the way the mind works when you're left waiting on your own for a few minutes with nothing to occupy you. Ensby's delightful sketches mirror the fluidity of the thought process with an instantly accessible cartoon style that suggests the doodles that might accompany the lists Sue makes in her notepad. Made for Channel 4, 'Wedding Espresso' is the sort of light, frothy animated treat that the channel produced more frequently in the previous century and which was, by this stage, sadly dying out. If you, like Sue, find yourself with a few spare minutes on your hands, 'Wedding Espresso' is an uplifting way to spend them.
SUMMARY: While waiting for her always-late boyfriend in a café, Sue's mind drifts to weddings as she eavesdrops on the bride-to-be and her mother at the next table.
WHY IT'S HERE: Sandra Ensby's BAFTA nominated 'Wedding Espresso' is a charming little short which presents a view of the thoughts that go through a woman's head as she awaits the arrival of her boyfriend. For non-British audiences, the film is an informative glimpse of the clichés associated with British weddings and the national attitude towards this wearisome routine but most of all 'Wedding Espresso' is a lovely encapsulation of the way the mind works when you're left waiting on your own for a few minutes with nothing to occupy you. Ensby's delightful sketches mirror the fluidity of the thought process with an instantly accessible cartoon style that suggests the doodles that might accompany the lists Sue makes in her notepad. Made for Channel 4, 'Wedding Espresso' is the sort of light, frothy animated treat that the channel produced more frequently in the previous century and which was, by this stage, sadly dying out. If you, like Sue, find yourself with a few spare minutes on your hands, 'Wedding Espresso' is an uplifting way to spend them.
DIR: Siri Melchior
SUMMARY: A dog who is a cat inside finds that the conflict between his outer and inner self is difficult to resolve.
WHY IT'S HERE: Siri Melchior's 'The Dog Who Was a Cat Inside' is a sweet little film which can be interpreted in numerous ways. My initial interpretation was that this was an allegory for transexuality but if taken on that level, the film doesn't work as the moral would surely be that the inner 'cat' had to be let out, something which doesn't occur. Instead, I suspect the film's message is more about the conflict between our inner and outer selves, our emotional complexity and our desire to find someone who understands and empathises with this. However you choose to take it, 'The Dog Who Was a Cat Inside' is a beautiful film to look at, with its brightly coloured Parisian-style scenery and its angular characters (the dog is depicted as a sort of set of boxes which literally contain a cat) and the ending, while a little pat, provides a neat resolution for the younger audience who will surely love this and plenty of food for thought for the adults to discuss with them afterwards.
SUMMARY: A dog who is a cat inside finds that the conflict between his outer and inner self is difficult to resolve.
WHY IT'S HERE: Siri Melchior's 'The Dog Who Was a Cat Inside' is a sweet little film which can be interpreted in numerous ways. My initial interpretation was that this was an allegory for transexuality but if taken on that level, the film doesn't work as the moral would surely be that the inner 'cat' had to be let out, something which doesn't occur. Instead, I suspect the film's message is more about the conflict between our inner and outer selves, our emotional complexity and our desire to find someone who understands and empathises with this. However you choose to take it, 'The Dog Who Was a Cat Inside' is a beautiful film to look at, with its brightly coloured Parisian-style scenery and its angular characters (the dog is depicted as a sort of set of boxes which literally contain a cat) and the ending, while a little pat, provides a neat resolution for the younger audience who will surely love this and plenty of food for thought for the adults to discuss with them afterwards.
0
0
5.9
Camouflage (2002)
DIR: Jonathan Hodgson
SUMMARY: A partially-animated documentary about parents with schizophrenia.
WHY IT'S HERE: Jonathan Hodgson's BAFTA nominated 'Camouflage' is a partially-animated documentary in which we hear the stories of people who grew up with schizophrenic parents. Recalling Tim Webb's 'A is for Autism', another great animated documentary on a serious subject, Hodgson uses a range of visual styles to illustrate the stories, as well as interspersing the animations with a powerful live-action enactment of a young girl's relationship with her schizophrenic mother. Hodgson's film not only highlights the complexity of a condition too often confused with multiple-personality , he also does a great service to animation, showing what a powerful tool it can be for illustrating difficult subjects. It is interesting to hear the adults talk about how they perceived their schizophrenic parents from a child's point of view and Hodgson's images often reflect the sketches of young children trying to make sense of their world.
SUMMARY: A partially-animated documentary about parents with schizophrenia.
WHY IT'S HERE: Jonathan Hodgson's BAFTA nominated 'Camouflage' is a partially-animated documentary in which we hear the stories of people who grew up with schizophrenic parents. Recalling Tim Webb's 'A is for Autism', another great animated documentary on a serious subject, Hodgson uses a range of visual styles to illustrate the stories, as well as interspersing the animations with a powerful live-action enactment of a young girl's relationship with her schizophrenic mother. Hodgson's film not only highlights the complexity of a condition too often confused with multiple-personality , he also does a great service to animation, showing what a powerful tool it can be for illustrating difficult subjects. It is interesting to hear the adults talk about how they perceived their schizophrenic parents from a child's point of view and Hodgson's images often reflect the sketches of young children trying to make sense of their world.
21
7
7.2
Dog (2001) (2002)
DIR: Suzie Templeton
SUMMARY: A boy in mourning for his dead mother looks to his father for reassurance. In the meantime, the family dog also seems to be unwell.
WHY IT'S HERE: Like her earlier short 'Stanley', Suzie Templeton's BAFTA-winning 'Dog' combines a bleak reality with the structure of an off-colour joke. Unlike 'Stanley' however, 'Dog' does not feature a blackly comic side, just a grim march towards a horrendously inevitable moment which seems to mark the potentially lifelong scarring of an already troubled boy. Templeton's puppets are as expressive as ever, which is especially crucial for this story which manages to capture the claustrophobia of loss and mourning. The gut-punch of the ending leaves the viewer mentally trapped in the clutches of this melancholia for long after the credits roll. Not a cheery experience then but 'Dog' is continued proof of an exceptional animation talent at work.
SUMMARY: A boy in mourning for his dead mother looks to his father for reassurance. In the meantime, the family dog also seems to be unwell.
WHY IT'S HERE: Like her earlier short 'Stanley', Suzie Templeton's BAFTA-winning 'Dog' combines a bleak reality with the structure of an off-colour joke. Unlike 'Stanley' however, 'Dog' does not feature a blackly comic side, just a grim march towards a horrendously inevitable moment which seems to mark the potentially lifelong scarring of an already troubled boy. Templeton's puppets are as expressive as ever, which is especially crucial for this story which manages to capture the claustrophobia of loss and mourning. The gut-punch of the ending leaves the viewer mentally trapped in the clutches of this melancholia for long after the credits roll. Not a cheery experience then but 'Dog' is continued proof of an exceptional animation talent at work.
2
10
7.6
Small Insects (2002)
DIR: Mikhail Aldashin
SUMMARY: A group of insects who are tired of being mistreated by humans are visited by insects from another planet.
WHY IT'S HERE: Russian animator Mikhail Aldashin's funny if somewhat bizarre short 'Small Insects' follows the adventures of a group of creepy-crawlies in their quest for equality. The plot is all over the place, beginning with a depiction of the disharmony between humans and insects then suddenly changing to a sci-fi spoof in which insects from another world arrive and inspire the protagonists to try and leave the planet. Aldashin had made cartoons about creepy-crawlies before but in the post 'A Bug's Life' and 'Antz' environment, 'Small Insects' needs something more to set it apart. In its opening sequence 'Small Insects' achieves this by actually throwing an effective spotlight on the mistreatment of insects, a topic often ignored even by animal lovers simply because, as the title states, they are small and therefore regarded as irrelevant. While the direction the film takes from hereon in is largely zany, those early images of flies shrieking on fly paper and butterflies squirming in pain beneath pinned stomachs cast the film in a darker context and will hopefully help make a few people think twice the next time they're poised to step on a bug.
SUMMARY: A group of insects who are tired of being mistreated by humans are visited by insects from another planet.
WHY IT'S HERE: Russian animator Mikhail Aldashin's funny if somewhat bizarre short 'Small Insects' follows the adventures of a group of creepy-crawlies in their quest for equality. The plot is all over the place, beginning with a depiction of the disharmony between humans and insects then suddenly changing to a sci-fi spoof in which insects from another world arrive and inspire the protagonists to try and leave the planet. Aldashin had made cartoons about creepy-crawlies before but in the post 'A Bug's Life' and 'Antz' environment, 'Small Insects' needs something more to set it apart. In its opening sequence 'Small Insects' achieves this by actually throwing an effective spotlight on the mistreatment of insects, a topic often ignored even by animal lovers simply because, as the title states, they are small and therefore regarded as irrelevant. While the direction the film takes from hereon in is largely zany, those early images of flies shrieking on fly paper and butterflies squirming in pain beneath pinned stomachs cast the film in a darker context and will hopefully help make a few people think twice the next time they're poised to step on a bug.
4
5
5.9
Nibbles (2003)
DIR: Christopher Hinton
SUMMARY: An animated depiction of the family fishing trips the director used to go on.
WHY IT'S HERE: Chris Hinton's wildly entertaining 'Nibbles' retains the deliberately crude, anarchic animated style of his superb 'Flux' but while that film attempted to depict a microcosm of existence, 'Nibbles' offers a smaller story. Introduced as an animated documentary, 'Nibbles' is based on the family fishing trips Hinton remembers but we actually see very little fishing in the film. Although the term 'nibbles' refers to fish taking the bait, here it also refers to the humungous amounts of food and drink consumed by the family at every stop along the way, as well as the nibbling of the swarms of insects that, in turn, feast on the family. The insects in the film recall the flies from Hinton's masterpiece 'Blackfly', although their appetite is even larger judging by the chunk of flesh one of the takes out of the protagonist's shoulder! In its simple depiction of a day out crammed into four minutes, 'Nibbles' derives its appeal from the 100mph delivery which would only work with Hinton's distinctive squiggly sketches. The film, despite being divisive, was nominated for an Oscar.
SUMMARY: An animated depiction of the family fishing trips the director used to go on.
WHY IT'S HERE: Chris Hinton's wildly entertaining 'Nibbles' retains the deliberately crude, anarchic animated style of his superb 'Flux' but while that film attempted to depict a microcosm of existence, 'Nibbles' offers a smaller story. Introduced as an animated documentary, 'Nibbles' is based on the family fishing trips Hinton remembers but we actually see very little fishing in the film. Although the term 'nibbles' refers to fish taking the bait, here it also refers to the humungous amounts of food and drink consumed by the family at every stop along the way, as well as the nibbling of the swarms of insects that, in turn, feast on the family. The insects in the film recall the flies from Hinton's masterpiece 'Blackfly', although their appetite is even larger judging by the chunk of flesh one of the takes out of the protagonist's shoulder! In its simple depiction of a day out crammed into four minutes, 'Nibbles' derives its appeal from the 100mph delivery which would only work with Hinton's distinctive squiggly sketches. The film, despite being divisive, was nominated for an Oscar.
8
8
7.7
Ward 13 (2007)
DIR: Peter Cornwell
SUMMARY: After an accident, a man wakes up in a hospital where he quickly realises the staff are carrying out genetic experiments on the patients.
WHY IT'S HERE: Australian director Peter Cornwell's blackly comic horror spoof 'Ward 13' is a superb stop-motion animation about a man trying to escape from a hospital where villainous experiments are being carried out. Using great puppets and sets, Cornwell gives the audience a fast-paced horror thriller, complete with genetic mutants, evil doctors and a wheelchair chase to rival any car chase you've ever seen. An absolute blast, 'Ward 13' is peppered with daft jokes and slapstick but is also very effective in maintaining a genuine sense of excitement. The viewer is rooting for the protagonist to escape the clutches of his captors throughout the film's entire 13 minutes and the thrills and spills involved will keep you on the edge of your seat. A rollicking stop-motion film that should be better known than it is.
SUMMARY: After an accident, a man wakes up in a hospital where he quickly realises the staff are carrying out genetic experiments on the patients.
WHY IT'S HERE: Australian director Peter Cornwell's blackly comic horror spoof 'Ward 13' is a superb stop-motion animation about a man trying to escape from a hospital where villainous experiments are being carried out. Using great puppets and sets, Cornwell gives the audience a fast-paced horror thriller, complete with genetic mutants, evil doctors and a wheelchair chase to rival any car chase you've ever seen. An absolute blast, 'Ward 13' is peppered with daft jokes and slapstick but is also very effective in maintaining a genuine sense of excitement. The viewer is rooting for the protagonist to escape the clutches of his captors throughout the film's entire 13 minutes and the thrills and spills involved will keep you on the edge of your seat. A rollicking stop-motion film that should be better known than it is.
2
8
7.6
Le portefeuille (2003)
DIR: Vincent Bierrewaerts
SUMMARY: The various possibilities of a man's life are played out simultaneously in relation to a missing wallet.
WHY IT'S HERE: Vincent Bierrewaerts's 'The Wallet' is a fantastic short which takes an old concept and gives it new life. The idea of alternative dimensions spawned by every choice we make in life has been explored in numerous films, using techniques like cutaways and split-screen but Bierrewaerts manages to explore all the possibilities of a certain situation simultaneously by overlaying images of the same characters but rendered in different colours on a black and white background. Whenever a significant decision is made, it spawns a new version of the character in a different colour whose alternative reality plays out alongside the others. What also makes 'The Wallet' so notable is its decision to eschew an easy moral code. The various stories play out very differently, sometimes with fatal consequences, and yet their outcome bears no relation to the morality displayed. Just like in real life, doing good in this universe will not necessarily lead to a reward and may end up costing you dearly.
SUMMARY: The various possibilities of a man's life are played out simultaneously in relation to a missing wallet.
WHY IT'S HERE: Vincent Bierrewaerts's 'The Wallet' is a fantastic short which takes an old concept and gives it new life. The idea of alternative dimensions spawned by every choice we make in life has been explored in numerous films, using techniques like cutaways and split-screen but Bierrewaerts manages to explore all the possibilities of a certain situation simultaneously by overlaying images of the same characters but rendered in different colours on a black and white background. Whenever a significant decision is made, it spawns a new version of the character in a different colour whose alternative reality plays out alongside the others. What also makes 'The Wallet' so notable is its decision to eschew an easy moral code. The various stories play out very differently, sometimes with fatal consequences, and yet their outcome bears no relation to the morality displayed. Just like in real life, doing good in this universe will not necessarily lead to a reward and may end up costing you dearly.
2
2
7
The Toll Collector (2003)
DIR: Rachel Johnson
SUMMARY: A woman with unusually long legs wishes she could be a ballerina but, writing this off as impossible, she begins to submit to a life of isolated loneliness.
WHY IT'S HERE: Rachel Johnson's lovely stop-motion short 'The Toll Collector', made at the legendary Trnky Studios, is a good-hearted but eerie tale of loneliness with a glimmer of hope at the end. The tale of a toll collector who hides in her booth until it is dark so the world will not see her unusually long legs, the film follows her as she gives up on her dreams of ballet and takes to knitting instead, all the while allowing her isolation to consume her to the extent that she begins to see creepy hallucinations. Touched by symbolic surrealism but generally grounded in realistic philosophy, Johnson has created a unique little film which is done a disservice by the lazy comparisons to Tim Burton which besieged it (probably as a result of the main character's spindly legs, which are reminiscent of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'). This is very much Johnson's film; written, directed, designed, animated and narrated by her. Her soft but detached narration is perfect for the wonderfully written material, which features superb turns of phrase like "this was the only way for her and she called her life happy".
SUMMARY: A woman with unusually long legs wishes she could be a ballerina but, writing this off as impossible, she begins to submit to a life of isolated loneliness.
WHY IT'S HERE: Rachel Johnson's lovely stop-motion short 'The Toll Collector', made at the legendary Trnky Studios, is a good-hearted but eerie tale of loneliness with a glimmer of hope at the end. The tale of a toll collector who hides in her booth until it is dark so the world will not see her unusually long legs, the film follows her as she gives up on her dreams of ballet and takes to knitting instead, all the while allowing her isolation to consume her to the extent that she begins to see creepy hallucinations. Touched by symbolic surrealism but generally grounded in realistic philosophy, Johnson has created a unique little film which is done a disservice by the lazy comparisons to Tim Burton which besieged it (probably as a result of the main character's spindly legs, which are reminiscent of 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'). This is very much Johnson's film; written, directed, designed, animated and narrated by her. Her soft but detached narration is perfect for the wonderfully written material, which features superb turns of phrase like "this was the only way for her and she called her life happy".
27
7
7.6
Rocks (2003)
DIR: Chris Stenner, Arvid Uibel, Heidi Wittlinger
SUMMARY: A hillside and the lives of the rocks upon it is depicted in both geologic and real time.
WHY IT'S HERE: A wonderful German stop-motion puppet piece by Chris Stenner, Arvid Uibel and Heidi Wittlinger, 'Das Rad' amazingly portrays rocks as alive but moving at a fraction of the rate we are. The short ingeniously switches between the two time frames, with scenery changing rapidly in the background as seconds of the rocks' conversations equate to centuries in human time. There are great little comedy moments, such as when one of the rocks throws an acorn at the other and a tree pops up immediately. Ultimately, human development at first seems to threaten the rocks' existences and then predictably begins to degenerate into a rather bleak but inevitable outcome for the human race. 'Das Rad' really needs to be seen to be believed and the film is so richly detailed that the eye catches different things each time. It was nominated for an Oscar but lost to the less inventive though still enjoyable 'The ChubbChubbs!'
SUMMARY: A hillside and the lives of the rocks upon it is depicted in both geologic and real time.
WHY IT'S HERE: A wonderful German stop-motion puppet piece by Chris Stenner, Arvid Uibel and Heidi Wittlinger, 'Das Rad' amazingly portrays rocks as alive but moving at a fraction of the rate we are. The short ingeniously switches between the two time frames, with scenery changing rapidly in the background as seconds of the rocks' conversations equate to centuries in human time. There are great little comedy moments, such as when one of the rocks throws an acorn at the other and a tree pops up immediately. Ultimately, human development at first seems to threaten the rocks' existences and then predictably begins to degenerate into a rather bleak but inevitable outcome for the human race. 'Das Rad' really needs to be seen to be believed and the film is so richly detailed that the eye catches different things each time. It was nominated for an Oscar but lost to the less inventive though still enjoyable 'The ChubbChubbs!'
17
7.6
7.4
DIR: Virgil Widrich
SUMMARY: The classic Hollywood formula of hero-villain-damsel is played out using hundreds of clips from old films.
WHY IT'S HERE: Austrian director Virgil Widrich, who was Oscar nominated for his fantastic live-action short 'Copy Shop', followed it up with another superb, visually-innovative short combining archival film footage with animation to create the ultimate encapsulation of the Hollywood formula plot. A storyline featuring heroes, villains and damsels-in-distress is played out using hundreds of little snippets of classic cinema edited onto an animated train chase. This is a film buffs delight and allows the viewer to play a guessing game based around where the clips are taken from, although 'Fast Film' lives up to its name and moves as such a lick that multiple viewings are essential. Although it has an element of satirical comment on the repetitive nature of cinematic plots, 'Fast Film' plays more like a celebration of film and relies on the viewer sharing this love of the medium. It's an incredible labour of love that is funny, exciting and unique, even moving for true film lovers like myself.
SUMMARY: The classic Hollywood formula of hero-villain-damsel is played out using hundreds of clips from old films.
WHY IT'S HERE: Austrian director Virgil Widrich, who was Oscar nominated for his fantastic live-action short 'Copy Shop', followed it up with another superb, visually-innovative short combining archival film footage with animation to create the ultimate encapsulation of the Hollywood formula plot. A storyline featuring heroes, villains and damsels-in-distress is played out using hundreds of little snippets of classic cinema edited onto an animated train chase. This is a film buffs delight and allows the viewer to play a guessing game based around where the clips are taken from, although 'Fast Film' lives up to its name and moves as such a lick that multiple viewings are essential. Although it has an element of satirical comment on the repetitive nature of cinematic plots, 'Fast Film' plays more like a celebration of film and relies on the viewer sharing this love of the medium. It's an incredible labour of love that is funny, exciting and unique, even moving for true film lovers like myself.
2
0
6.3
2D or Not 2D (2003)
DIR: Paul Driessen
SUMMARY: While trying to reach his dream woman, a man is prevented from moving forward by a thin line, which turns out to be a passage into a world where everything and everyone is distinctly flat.
WHY IT'S HERE: Many animators have played with perspective in their films but Paul Driessen's '2D or Not 2D' take a more comedic approach, as a large, well-rounded man enters a world where everyone is flat. While trying to find a way out of this world and into the arms of his would-be lover, the man helps the flat people with several of their problems, not least their inability to adjust for wind, which can blow their paper-thin bodies away in an instant. Driessen's skilful juxtaposition of the 3D man and the 2D people he encounters makes bold use of simple line drawings, with the storyline broken up by comic interludes back in the 3D world. Animation fans should also look out for some early nods to the films of Michael Dudok de Wit, Cordell Baker and Konstantin Bronzit.
SUMMARY: While trying to reach his dream woman, a man is prevented from moving forward by a thin line, which turns out to be a passage into a world where everything and everyone is distinctly flat.
WHY IT'S HERE: Many animators have played with perspective in their films but Paul Driessen's '2D or Not 2D' take a more comedic approach, as a large, well-rounded man enters a world where everyone is flat. While trying to find a way out of this world and into the arms of his would-be lover, the man helps the flat people with several of their problems, not least their inability to adjust for wind, which can blow their paper-thin bodies away in an instant. Driessen's skilful juxtaposition of the 3D man and the 2D people he encounters makes bold use of simple line drawings, with the storyline broken up by comic interludes back in the 3D world. Animation fans should also look out for some early nods to the films of Michael Dudok de Wit, Cordell Baker and Konstantin Bronzit.
222
7.8
8
Harvie Krumpet (2003)
DIR: Adam Elliot
SUMMARY: The life story of Harvie Krumpet, a terminally unlucky Polish migrant with Tourette's Syndrome and a penchant for nudism.
WHY IT'S HERE: Adam Elliot's mini-masterpiece 'Harvie Krumpet' crams an amazing life story into 22 minutes. Using the wonderful clay animation that he had used so brilliantly in his early trilogy of films ('Uncle', 'Cousin' and 'Brother'), Elliot relates the tale of Harvie Krumpet, a terminally unlucky Polish migrant. I won't spoil any more of the many, many details that make this one of my favourite animated films of all time, except to say that Geoffrey Rush was the perfect choice to narrate. He manages to give a warm but appropriately detached performance which lets us work out when we should be laughing and when we should be sad, a crucial distinction in this blackly comic but often tragic short. Eliot went on to direct the exceptional animated feature 'Mary and Max', which dealt in the same distinctive vein of black humour and featured an equally brilliant narrator in Barry Humphries. Both of these films inject the downbeat humanism of Elliot's earlier work with an optimistic attitude towards a life that can sometimes be extremely cruel.
SUMMARY: The life story of Harvie Krumpet, a terminally unlucky Polish migrant with Tourette's Syndrome and a penchant for nudism.
WHY IT'S HERE: Adam Elliot's mini-masterpiece 'Harvie Krumpet' crams an amazing life story into 22 minutes. Using the wonderful clay animation that he had used so brilliantly in his early trilogy of films ('Uncle', 'Cousin' and 'Brother'), Elliot relates the tale of Harvie Krumpet, a terminally unlucky Polish migrant. I won't spoil any more of the many, many details that make this one of my favourite animated films of all time, except to say that Geoffrey Rush was the perfect choice to narrate. He manages to give a warm but appropriately detached performance which lets us work out when we should be laughing and when we should be sad, a crucial distinction in this blackly comic but often tragic short. Eliot went on to direct the exceptional animated feature 'Mary and Max', which dealt in the same distinctive vein of black humour and featured an equally brilliant narrator in Barry Humphries. Both of these films inject the downbeat humanism of Elliot's earlier work with an optimistic attitude towards a life that can sometimes be extremely cruel.
129
7.9
7.7
Destino (2003)
DIR: Dominique Monfery
SUMMARY: An ill-fated love story is played out against a backdrop of images inspired by the work of Salvador Dali.
WHY IT'S HERE: It may seem unlikely that the man behind the sliced eyeballs of 'Un Chien Andalou' and the man behind 'Funny Little Bunnies' would ever collaborate, but Walt Disney always had more edge than people seem to credit him with and in his on-going quest to push the boundaries of animation, Disney green-lit this collaboration with surrealist artist Salvador Dali. Although it was started in 1945, 'Destino' wasn't finished for 58 years, due to the financially difficult wartime years at Disney which brought production on this ambitious work grinding to a halt. When Dali and Disney artist John Hench's storyboards were unearthed by Walt's nephew, Dominique Monfréy was given directorial duty and 'Destino' was finally completed. 'Fantasia' is probably the first thing that will come to mind for most people when watching this surreal exploration of Dali's mindset filtered through Disney's sensibilities, but this is a far more modernist and atypical piece of work. Swooningly beautiful, it has a comparative lack of charm in favour of highbrow aspirations, but those aspirations are so well met that this glacial oddity more than earns its place on this list.
SUMMARY: An ill-fated love story is played out against a backdrop of images inspired by the work of Salvador Dali.
WHY IT'S HERE: It may seem unlikely that the man behind the sliced eyeballs of 'Un Chien Andalou' and the man behind 'Funny Little Bunnies' would ever collaborate, but Walt Disney always had more edge than people seem to credit him with and in his on-going quest to push the boundaries of animation, Disney green-lit this collaboration with surrealist artist Salvador Dali. Although it was started in 1945, 'Destino' wasn't finished for 58 years, due to the financially difficult wartime years at Disney which brought production on this ambitious work grinding to a halt. When Dali and Disney artist John Hench's storyboards were unearthed by Walt's nephew, Dominique Monfréy was given directorial duty and 'Destino' was finally completed. 'Fantasia' is probably the first thing that will come to mind for most people when watching this surreal exploration of Dali's mindset filtered through Disney's sensibilities, but this is a far more modernist and atypical piece of work. Swooningly beautiful, it has a comparative lack of charm in favour of highbrow aspirations, but those aspirations are so well met that this glacial oddity more than earns its place on this list.
20
5.9
0
DIR: Marc Craste
SUMMARY: In a dark, depressing world populated by strange creatures, the cruel Madame Pica runs a nightly freak show attraction, of which the winged Jojo is the star.
WHY IT'S HERE: British animator Marc Craste's BAFTA-winning 'Jojo in the Stars' is an astonishingly beautiful, poetic short tale of love and sacrifice. Rendered in stark black and white, 'Jojo in the Stars' tells the tale of a nameless hero who visits the freak show every night to see the beautiful Jojo, a winged female creature who flies for the entertainment of the crowd. The hero attempts to free Jojo from the cruel Madame Pica, but things work out somewhat differently. Craste began his film with the great idea of making a straight interpretation of Nick Cave's song 'The Carny' but, despite Cave's encouragement, he could not secure the funding to make the film he envisaged. After having several one minute shorts starring the character of Madame Pica, Craste obtained funding for a longer film about the character. Using elements of the original 'The Carny' idea, Craste combined it with influences from David Lynch's 'Eraserhead' and Wim Wenders' 'Wings of Desire' to create 'Jojo in the Stars'. With such impeccable influences, the film had to be a success and the result is breathtaking. While the story is simple, it mesmerises in the telling and Craste manages to take all the best parts of his influences and combine them with his own poetic approach.
SUMMARY: In a dark, depressing world populated by strange creatures, the cruel Madame Pica runs a nightly freak show attraction, of which the winged Jojo is the star.
WHY IT'S HERE: British animator Marc Craste's BAFTA-winning 'Jojo in the Stars' is an astonishingly beautiful, poetic short tale of love and sacrifice. Rendered in stark black and white, 'Jojo in the Stars' tells the tale of a nameless hero who visits the freak show every night to see the beautiful Jojo, a winged female creature who flies for the entertainment of the crowd. The hero attempts to free Jojo from the cruel Madame Pica, but things work out somewhat differently. Craste began his film with the great idea of making a straight interpretation of Nick Cave's song 'The Carny' but, despite Cave's encouragement, he could not secure the funding to make the film he envisaged. After having several one minute shorts starring the character of Madame Pica, Craste obtained funding for a longer film about the character. Using elements of the original 'The Carny' idea, Craste combined it with influences from David Lynch's 'Eraserhead' and Wim Wenders' 'Wings of Desire' to create 'Jojo in the Stars'. With such impeccable influences, the film had to be a success and the result is breathtaking. While the story is simple, it mesmerises in the telling and Craste manages to take all the best parts of his influences and combine them with his own poetic approach.
10
7.7
7.5
The Separation (2003)
DIR: Robert Morgan
SUMMARY: A pair of conjoined twins are separated as children but in later life they realise that they long to be together again.
WHY IT'S HERE: Robert Morgan's 'The Separation' is a haunting but beautiful film about the bond between two separated conjoined brothers who long to be attached once more. While it does feature grisly moments, I feel it is wrong to characterise 'The Separation' as a horror film, since every physical action in this wordless short is tied to a moving, if misguided, impulse for love and understanding. When the brothers decide they want to reinstate their attachment, we know it is not going to end well and yet the final image is one of deeply touching sadness rather than revulsion, something that characterises 'The Separation throughout and ties it to the obvious influence of David Cronenberg. The stop-motion puppets, with their extraordinarily expressive eyes, are akin to those used so effectively by Suzie Templeton in her very different but similarly emotionally ambiguous shorts.
SUMMARY: A pair of conjoined twins are separated as children but in later life they realise that they long to be together again.
WHY IT'S HERE: Robert Morgan's 'The Separation' is a haunting but beautiful film about the bond between two separated conjoined brothers who long to be attached once more. While it does feature grisly moments, I feel it is wrong to characterise 'The Separation' as a horror film, since every physical action in this wordless short is tied to a moving, if misguided, impulse for love and understanding. When the brothers decide they want to reinstate their attachment, we know it is not going to end well and yet the final image is one of deeply touching sadness rather than revulsion, something that characterises 'The Separation throughout and ties it to the obvious influence of David Cronenberg. The stop-motion puppets, with their extraordinarily expressive eyes, are akin to those used so effectively by Suzie Templeton in her very different but similarly emotionally ambiguous shorts.
6
7.3
0
DIR: Bill Plympton
SUMMARY: A parking attendant wages war on a persistent piece of grass sprouting through his concrete car park.
WHY IT'S HERE: Bill Plympton's 'Parking' is another great short from the master, which pits a proud parking attendant against a blade of grass. The ensuing battle to maintain an entirely concrete surface escalates into a violent war, watched by a group of frustrated car owners who are not allowed into the car park until the grass is eradicated. Although it plays very well as a simple comedy short, there is a lot going on in 'Parking', from the subversion of the usual viewpoint of natural beauty being destroyed by man-made structures (a viewpoint which the final punchline suggests Plympton probably shares) to the examination of human perfectionism, even if one person's idea of perfection might be another's idea of ugliness or mundanity.
SUMMARY: A parking attendant wages war on a persistent piece of grass sprouting through his concrete car park.
WHY IT'S HERE: Bill Plympton's 'Parking' is another great short from the master, which pits a proud parking attendant against a blade of grass. The ensuing battle to maintain an entirely concrete surface escalates into a violent war, watched by a group of frustrated car owners who are not allowed into the car park until the grass is eradicated. Although it plays very well as a simple comedy short, there is a lot going on in 'Parking', from the subversion of the usual viewpoint of natural beauty being destroyed by man-made structures (a viewpoint which the final punchline suggests Plympton probably shares) to the examination of human perfectionism, even if one person's idea of perfection might be another's idea of ugliness or mundanity.
0
0
7.4
Hello (2003)
DIR: Jonathan Nix
SUMMARY: A shy cassette-player attempts to talk to the attractive CD player next door.
WHY IT'S HERE: Australian animator Jonathan Nix's 'Hello' is a very sweet short in which the characters are all audio devices - a tape player, a CD player and a gramophone - and must use their different abilities to communicate across the technological divides between them. Hand-drawn by Nix, 'Hello' is concerned with more than just differences in audio-technology, showing that traditional animation can still be just as effective and moving in a time dominated by computer animation. There's a thematic similarity with Bill Kroyer's 1988 film 'Technological Threat' but that short depicted old and new techniques as a battle for survival. 'Hello' shows the peaceful coexistence of technologies from all eras in a harmonious world without obsolescence.
SUMMARY: A shy cassette-player attempts to talk to the attractive CD player next door.
WHY IT'S HERE: Australian animator Jonathan Nix's 'Hello' is a very sweet short in which the characters are all audio devices - a tape player, a CD player and a gramophone - and must use their different abilities to communicate across the technological divides between them. Hand-drawn by Nix, 'Hello' is concerned with more than just differences in audio-technology, showing that traditional animation can still be just as effective and moving in a time dominated by computer animation. There's a thematic similarity with Bill Kroyer's 1988 film 'Technological Threat' but that short depicted old and new techniques as a battle for survival. 'Hello' shows the peaceful coexistence of technologies from all eras in a harmonious world without obsolescence.
0
0
7.7
Plumber (2003)
DIR: Richard Rosenman, Andrew Knight
SUMMARY: A man's attempts to fix his plumbing result in escalating levels of destruction.
WHY IT'S HERE: Richard Rosenman and Andrew Knight's 'Plumber' is a great little film that draws on the escalating destruction of silent comedy routines for its storyline. A man's struggle to fix a leak causes more and more problems until plumbing seems to be the least of his worries. The computer animation is good and the story consistently funny, but it is the hilarious punchline that really makes 'Plumber' a great short. There is also a sense of empathy for anyone who has tried to fix a household problem themselves. The laughter comes from a place of shared frustration and understanding of that moment when you wish you'd never started but feel its too late to go back now.
SUMMARY: A man's attempts to fix his plumbing result in escalating levels of destruction.
WHY IT'S HERE: Richard Rosenman and Andrew Knight's 'Plumber' is a great little film that draws on the escalating destruction of silent comedy routines for its storyline. A man's struggle to fix a leak causes more and more problems until plumbing seems to be the least of his worries. The computer animation is good and the story consistently funny, but it is the hilarious punchline that really makes 'Plumber' a great short. There is also a sense of empathy for anyone who has tried to fix a household problem themselves. The laughter comes from a place of shared frustration and understanding of that moment when you wish you'd never started but feel its too late to go back now.
0
0
6
Dear, Sweet Emma (2003)
DIR: John Cernak
SUMMARY: An elderly woman beloved by her community has an uncontrollable dark side which she releases periodically.
WHY IT'S HERE: John Cernak's 'Dear, Sweet Emma' is a very funny, if also very disturbing, animated short in which an apparently frail, sweet old lady reveals herself to be a slave to murderous impulses. Gleefully sick, 'Dear, Sweet Emma' seeks not to make light of murder, animal cruelty or mental illness, but rather to derive laughs from abrupt incongruity and defied expectations, while exposing the underbelly of a supposedly righteous, harmonious community. It does all these things neatly and satisfyingly in just five minutes, leaving the viewer caught somewhere between laughter and horror.
SUMMARY: An elderly woman beloved by her community has an uncontrollable dark side which she releases periodically.
WHY IT'S HERE: John Cernak's 'Dear, Sweet Emma' is a very funny, if also very disturbing, animated short in which an apparently frail, sweet old lady reveals herself to be a slave to murderous impulses. Gleefully sick, 'Dear, Sweet Emma' seeks not to make light of murder, animal cruelty or mental illness, but rather to derive laughs from abrupt incongruity and defied expectations, while exposing the underbelly of a supposedly righteous, harmonious community. It does all these things neatly and satisfyingly in just five minutes, leaving the viewer caught somewhere between laughter and horror.
0
0
5.6
The World of Interiors (2003)
DIR: Bunny Schendler
SUMMARY: A man repeatedly fails to leave the house as he becomes more and more deeply entangled in a domestic web of his own making.
WHY IT'S HERE: British animator Bunny Schendler's 'The World of Interiors' is a great encapsulation of a neurosis that many will recognise in themselves. In its examination of procrastination, 'The World of Interiors' initially recalls Richard Condie's 'Getting Started', but while that short brilliantly depicted the frustration of putting off something that needs doing, Schendler's film hints at something much darker. While the protagonists procrastination is comic in its escalation, his inability to leave his home suggests a growing problem which the final moments suggest could be the start of something more problematic. Most audiences will recognise elements of themselves or someone they know in 'The World of Interiors', which is just one reason why this effective little animation strikes a chord with so many people.
SUMMARY: A man repeatedly fails to leave the house as he becomes more and more deeply entangled in a domestic web of his own making.
WHY IT'S HERE: British animator Bunny Schendler's 'The World of Interiors' is a great encapsulation of a neurosis that many will recognise in themselves. In its examination of procrastination, 'The World of Interiors' initially recalls Richard Condie's 'Getting Started', but while that short brilliantly depicted the frustration of putting off something that needs doing, Schendler's film hints at something much darker. While the protagonists procrastination is comic in its escalation, his inability to leave his home suggests a growing problem which the final moments suggest could be the start of something more problematic. Most audiences will recognise elements of themselves or someone they know in 'The World of Interiors', which is just one reason why this effective little animation strikes a chord with so many people.
0
0
6.3
The Hungry Squid (2002)
DIR: John Weldon
SUMMARY: A young girl named Dorothy gets in trouble at school when a series of different animals begin eating her homework and no-one will believe her.
WHY IT'S HERE: The great thing about animator John Weldon is you never know exactly what his unusual mind will come up with next. Using his own technique of 'digital recyclomation', incorporating low-budget CG, stop-motion puppets and photos, Weldon's 'The Hungry Squid' is a masterpiece of quirky, cynical storytelling which puts a subversive spin on the art of the children's story. The tale, in which young Dorothy finds she cannot transport her homework to school without it being eaten by animals, is peppered with hilarious details, such as her classmates' implausible excuses which are readily accepted by the teacher or Dorothy's encounters with the ineffectual school counsellor. The unusual animation style is both wilfully crude and mesmerizingly great, with Weldon's quirky puppets perfectly complimenting his off-kilter storyline. More accessible and family-friendly than Weldon's previous works 'The Lump' and 'Frank the Wrabbit', 'The Hungry Squid' is an overlooked masterpiece of short animation.
SUMMARY: A young girl named Dorothy gets in trouble at school when a series of different animals begin eating her homework and no-one will believe her.
WHY IT'S HERE: The great thing about animator John Weldon is you never know exactly what his unusual mind will come up with next. Using his own technique of 'digital recyclomation', incorporating low-budget CG, stop-motion puppets and photos, Weldon's 'The Hungry Squid' is a masterpiece of quirky, cynical storytelling which puts a subversive spin on the art of the children's story. The tale, in which young Dorothy finds she cannot transport her homework to school without it being eaten by animals, is peppered with hilarious details, such as her classmates' implausible excuses which are readily accepted by the teacher or Dorothy's encounters with the ineffectual school counsellor. The unusual animation style is both wilfully crude and mesmerizingly great, with Weldon's quirky puppets perfectly complimenting his off-kilter storyline. More accessible and family-friendly than Weldon's previous works 'The Lump' and 'Frank the Wrabbit', 'The Hungry Squid' is an overlooked masterpiece of short animation.
0
0
6.7
I Want a Dog (2003)
DIR: Sheldon Cohen
SUMMARY: A young girl named May wants a dog more than anything else in the world but her parents tell her she has to wait until she is older. So May devises an ingenious scheme to show them she is ready for the responsibility.
WHY IT'S HERE: Sheldon Cohen's 'I Want a Dog' is the director's second animated short based on the children's books of Dayal Kaur Kahlsa, following the extremely affecting 'Snow Cat'. Unlike 'Snow Cat's chilly death parable, 'I Want a Dog' is a warm, summery joy of a film filled with bright colours, lively story-telling and a great upbeat bubblegum pop soundtrack. Cohen's visual style and brilliant knack with a narrative recall his classic short 'The Sweater', but 'I Want a Dog' has none of that short's melancholia. Instead, 'I Want a Dog' presents an addictively lovely tale of persistence and one little girl's love of animals which wins out in the end. Although it is characterised as a children's film, 'I Want a Dog' is guaranteed to light up the day of all but the hardest-hearted of viewers.
SUMMARY: A young girl named May wants a dog more than anything else in the world but her parents tell her she has to wait until she is older. So May devises an ingenious scheme to show them she is ready for the responsibility.
WHY IT'S HERE: Sheldon Cohen's 'I Want a Dog' is the director's second animated short based on the children's books of Dayal Kaur Kahlsa, following the extremely affecting 'Snow Cat'. Unlike 'Snow Cat's chilly death parable, 'I Want a Dog' is a warm, summery joy of a film filled with bright colours, lively story-telling and a great upbeat bubblegum pop soundtrack. Cohen's visual style and brilliant knack with a narrative recall his classic short 'The Sweater', but 'I Want a Dog' has none of that short's melancholia. Instead, 'I Want a Dog' presents an addictively lovely tale of persistence and one little girl's love of animals which wins out in the end. Although it is characterised as a children's film, 'I Want a Dog' is guaranteed to light up the day of all but the hardest-hearted of viewers.
6
6.8
7.6
Flatlife (2004)
DIR: Jonas Geirnaert
SUMMARY: The lives of four inhabitants of a block of flats are examined simultaneously through split-screen.
WHY IT'S HERE: Belgian animator Jonas Geirnaert's wonderful 'Flatlife' is a brilliantly busy little animation which uses split-screen to simultaneously show the goings-on in four flats. The inhabitants' actions all have consequences on those living in the other flats, at first with an amusing logic and eventually with a growing surrealism. For instance, a painter in the top left hand flat nails a picture to the wall, causing so much noise that the man in the flat below bangs on the ceiling with his broom. This causes the picture to fall off the painter's wall, so the painter pops downstairs to visit the man and borrow his broom. Using this to sweep up the remnants of the picture, the painter then puts up another picture in its place. Hearing the banging, the man downstairs goes up to see the painter and get his broom back, which he then uses to bang on the ceiling and the cycle begins again. These comic logical progressions are gradually displaced by left-field jokes about pandas and trampolines, until the short reaches a brilliantly futile conclusion. Recalling the split-screen animations of Paul Driessen or a scaled-down version of Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' set, 'Flatlife' is beautifully hand-drawn, an intricate job which took Geirnaert two years. The soundtrack, which had to be added quickly in order to meet a deadline for exhibition at Cannes, also works great, reflecting the visuals with a repetitive rhythmic beat.
SUMMARY: The lives of four inhabitants of a block of flats are examined simultaneously through split-screen.
WHY IT'S HERE: Belgian animator Jonas Geirnaert's wonderful 'Flatlife' is a brilliantly busy little animation which uses split-screen to simultaneously show the goings-on in four flats. The inhabitants' actions all have consequences on those living in the other flats, at first with an amusing logic and eventually with a growing surrealism. For instance, a painter in the top left hand flat nails a picture to the wall, causing so much noise that the man in the flat below bangs on the ceiling with his broom. This causes the picture to fall off the painter's wall, so the painter pops downstairs to visit the man and borrow his broom. Using this to sweep up the remnants of the picture, the painter then puts up another picture in its place. Hearing the banging, the man downstairs goes up to see the painter and get his broom back, which he then uses to bang on the ceiling and the cycle begins again. These comic logical progressions are gradually displaced by left-field jokes about pandas and trampolines, until the short reaches a brilliantly futile conclusion. Recalling the split-screen animations of Paul Driessen or a scaled-down version of Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' set, 'Flatlife' is beautifully hand-drawn, an intricate job which took Geirnaert two years. The soundtrack, which had to be added quickly in order to meet a deadline for exhibition at Cannes, also works great, reflecting the visuals with a repetitive rhythmic beat.
65
7.2
7.5
DIR: Chris Landreth
SUMMARY: An animated documentary about animator Ryan Larkin, creator of the classic short films 'Walking' and 'Street Musique'.
WHY IT'S HERE: A tragic tale of a talent gone awry due to drink and drugs, Chris Landreth's animated documentary 'Ryan' tells the fascinating story of animator Ryan Larkin through use of an actual interview Landreth conducted with the destitute director. Landreth's depiction of people (including himself) as outwardly showing their inner torment in the form of unusual scars, mutilations or missing parts, is amazing. The CGI is beautiful and really captures a sense of its subject. Larkin's superb work is shown in archive footage, allowing fans and newcomers to enjoy snippets of masterpieces 'Walking' and 'Street Musique', but Larkin himself has not aged as well as his creations. He is emaciated, alcoholic and temperamental. We last see him panhandling in the street. Inspired by a chance meeting with Larkin, Landreth spent years developing 'Ryan' and the result has rightly been celebrated as one of the masterpieces of 21st century animation and the best example of Landreth's super CG work. As well as bringing Landreth much attention, the film also temporarily rejuvenated Larkin's career, although he sadly died three years later.
SUMMARY: An animated documentary about animator Ryan Larkin, creator of the classic short films 'Walking' and 'Street Musique'.
WHY IT'S HERE: A tragic tale of a talent gone awry due to drink and drugs, Chris Landreth's animated documentary 'Ryan' tells the fascinating story of animator Ryan Larkin through use of an actual interview Landreth conducted with the destitute director. Landreth's depiction of people (including himself) as outwardly showing their inner torment in the form of unusual scars, mutilations or missing parts, is amazing. The CGI is beautiful and really captures a sense of its subject. Larkin's superb work is shown in archive footage, allowing fans and newcomers to enjoy snippets of masterpieces 'Walking' and 'Street Musique', but Larkin himself has not aged as well as his creations. He is emaciated, alcoholic and temperamental. We last see him panhandling in the street. Inspired by a chance meeting with Larkin, Landreth spent years developing 'Ryan' and the result has rightly been celebrated as one of the masterpieces of 21st century animation and the best example of Landreth's super CG work. As well as bringing Landreth much attention, the film also temporarily rejuvenated Larkin's career, although he sadly died three years later.
51
7.1
7.3
Guard Dog (2004) (2004)
DIR: Bill Plympton
SUMMARY: An over-zealous dog sees danger to his master at every turn, no matter how innocuous the encounter.
WHY IT'S HERE: Bill Plympton's popular, Oscar nominated 'Guard Dog' marked a further shift away from the sex and violence dominated films of his 90s output. That said, 'Guard Dog' is still characteristically a Plympton short, with a killer punchline that is blackly funny and a little sad. The tale of an overprotective dog who sees threats to his master at every turn, 'Guard Dog' became the first of four short films starring the well-meaning but hapless dog character who just craves the love he so richly deserves. There are moments of comic violence throughout but they come from a character-driven place of genuine emotional impact rather than the nihilistic gag-driven nature of films like 'Sex and Violence' and 'Surprise Cinema'.
SUMMARY: An over-zealous dog sees danger to his master at every turn, no matter how innocuous the encounter.
WHY IT'S HERE: Bill Plympton's popular, Oscar nominated 'Guard Dog' marked a further shift away from the sex and violence dominated films of his 90s output. That said, 'Guard Dog' is still characteristically a Plympton short, with a killer punchline that is blackly funny and a little sad. The tale of an overprotective dog who sees threats to his master at every turn, 'Guard Dog' became the first of four short films starring the well-meaning but hapless dog character who just craves the love he so richly deserves. There are moments of comic violence throughout but they come from a character-driven place of genuine emotional impact rather than the nihilistic gag-driven nature of films like 'Sex and Violence' and 'Surprise Cinema'.
17
6.7
6.5
DIR: Sejong Park
SUMMARY: Manuk, a young boy playing alone in war-torn Korea, receives what he thinks is a birthday present.
WHY IT'S HERE: Sejong Park's 'Birthday Boy' was a major Oscar contender in its year that has sadly been largely forgotten since then. A tender, very sad story of little Manuk who spends his birthday playing alone in war-torn Korean streets, 'Birthday Boy' has a devastating gut-punch ending which is so subtly dropped in that it's easy to miss the significance first time round. It's massively atmospheric, the computer animation handled extraordinarily well. Manuk is a terrifically expressive character and his lonely playtime activities carry the film. The significance of what occurs is devastating and yet we never see a moment of realisation, just the implications of the calm before the storm, which makes 'Birthday Boy' all the more horrifyingly effective and haunting.
SUMMARY: Manuk, a young boy playing alone in war-torn Korea, receives what he thinks is a birthday present.
WHY IT'S HERE: Sejong Park's 'Birthday Boy' was a major Oscar contender in its year that has sadly been largely forgotten since then. A tender, very sad story of little Manuk who spends his birthday playing alone in war-torn Korean streets, 'Birthday Boy' has a devastating gut-punch ending which is so subtly dropped in that it's easy to miss the significance first time round. It's massively atmospheric, the computer animation handled extraordinarily well. Manuk is a terrifically expressive character and his lonely playtime activities carry the film. The significance of what occurs is devastating and yet we never see a moment of realisation, just the implications of the calm before the storm, which makes 'Birthday Boy' all the more horrifyingly effective and haunting.
19
6.3
6.7
DIR: Jeff Fowler
SUMMARY: A gopher digs holes in the road in order to shake produce loose from passing farm trucks. But he is not the only one interested in the produce.
WHY IT'S HERE: 'Gopher Broke' was a early short film by animation and visual effects company Blur Studios, which they used to establish themselves in the industry and later obtain high profile jobs on James Cameron's 'Avatar' and David Fincher's 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'. A simple four minute toon played entirely for laughs, 'Gopher Broke' is a charming little short which showed the high quality CG work Blur Studios had to offer while also functioning as a fun, Looney Tunes inspired film. The first time I saw 'Gopher Broke' I thought its punchline was audaciously hilarious, until a post-credits moment unnecessarily softened the gag. Perhaps it would otherwise have been seen as too crude to obtain its Oscar nomination.
SUMMARY: A gopher digs holes in the road in order to shake produce loose from passing farm trucks. But he is not the only one interested in the produce.
WHY IT'S HERE: 'Gopher Broke' was a early short film by animation and visual effects company Blur Studios, which they used to establish themselves in the industry and later obtain high profile jobs on James Cameron's 'Avatar' and David Fincher's 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'. A simple four minute toon played entirely for laughs, 'Gopher Broke' is a charming little short which showed the high quality CG work Blur Studios had to offer while also functioning as a fun, Looney Tunes inspired film. The first time I saw 'Gopher Broke' I thought its punchline was audaciously hilarious, until a post-credits moment unnecessarily softened the gag. Perhaps it would otherwise have been seen as too crude to obtain its Oscar nomination.
21
7.2
7.1
DIR: Georges Schwizgebel
SUMMARY: A man sells his shadow to the devil for untold riches, only to discover that a man without a shadow is shunned by society.
WHY IT'S HERE: Based on Adelbert von Chamisso’s novella 'Peter Schlemihl', Georges Schwizgebel's 'The Man Without a Shadow' is yet another masterpiece from the Swiss director. Using the paint on glass technique, Schwizgebel opens the film with an astonishing scene-setting sequence in which the sights of a city shapeshift with the amazing fluidity that was already a trademark for the director from previous films such as '78 Tours' and 'La Course a l'abime'. Eventually we pick out a man whose dull, office-bound lifestyle is reflected in the monotones of his attire and surroundings. We follow him from work to a party where the screen suddenly comes alive with colour and we discover that he is here to do a deal with the devil; to sell his shadow for riches and a glamorous lifestyle. The moment when the devil takes his shadow from him is ingenious and the subsequent scenes make it abundantly clear that the shadow is synonymous with the soul, leaving the protagonist nothing more than a shadow of his former self. When offered the shadow back in exchange for his soul however, the protagonist instead uses a pair of seven league boots which allow him to traverse the globe in a few bounds. Rejecting the materialistic society that has made a fool and pariah of him, the man settles in a place where his affliction can be used to his benefit in an ingenious final moment that I won't spoil here. Schwizgebel had already done enough to establish himself as one of the greatest names in animation but 'The Man Without a Shadow' continued to make that point emphatically and is truly a modern day classic.
SUMMARY: A man sells his shadow to the devil for untold riches, only to discover that a man without a shadow is shunned by society.
WHY IT'S HERE: Based on Adelbert von Chamisso’s novella 'Peter Schlemihl', Georges Schwizgebel's 'The Man Without a Shadow' is yet another masterpiece from the Swiss director. Using the paint on glass technique, Schwizgebel opens the film with an astonishing scene-setting sequence in which the sights of a city shapeshift with the amazing fluidity that was already a trademark for the director from previous films such as '78 Tours' and 'La Course a l'abime'. Eventually we pick out a man whose dull, office-bound lifestyle is reflected in the monotones of his attire and surroundings. We follow him from work to a party where the screen suddenly comes alive with colour and we discover that he is here to do a deal with the devil; to sell his shadow for riches and a glamorous lifestyle. The moment when the devil takes his shadow from him is ingenious and the subsequent scenes make it abundantly clear that the shadow is synonymous with the soul, leaving the protagonist nothing more than a shadow of his former self. When offered the shadow back in exchange for his soul however, the protagonist instead uses a pair of seven league boots which allow him to traverse the globe in a few bounds. Rejecting the materialistic society that has made a fool and pariah of him, the man settles in a place where his affliction can be used to his benefit in an ingenious final moment that I won't spoil here. Schwizgebel had already done enough to establish himself as one of the greatest names in animation but 'The Man Without a Shadow' continued to make that point emphatically and is truly a modern day classic.
16
6.4
6.2
KaBoom! (2004)
DIR: Pes
SUMMARY: Images of war are created using toys, ribbons, bauble and other household objects.
WHY IT'S HERE: An early film from PES, 'KaBoom!' is another extremely short and inventive scene in which household objects stand in for other things. What makes 'KaBoom!' particularly memorable is its theme of war, in which explosions are represented by ribbons and baubles, the incongruous mix of candy-coloured celebratory articles and massive destruction making for an uncomfortably memorable image. PES's use of toy clown heads here is particularly unexpected and the brevity of the piece makes its impact even more resonant, capturing the sudden, unnerving feeling of unexpected destruction and the confusion inspired by panic.
SUMMARY: Images of war are created using toys, ribbons, bauble and other household objects.
WHY IT'S HERE: An early film from PES, 'KaBoom!' is another extremely short and inventive scene in which household objects stand in for other things. What makes 'KaBoom!' particularly memorable is its theme of war, in which explosions are represented by ribbons and baubles, the incongruous mix of candy-coloured celebratory articles and massive destruction making for an uncomfortably memorable image. PES's use of toy clown heads here is particularly unexpected and the brevity of the piece makes its impact even more resonant, capturing the sudden, unnerving feeling of unexpected destruction and the confusion inspired by panic.
11
5.8
7
The Phantom Inventory (2004)
DIR: Franck Dion
SUMMARY: A bailiff visits an old collector to create an inventory of items to be seized. But he gets more than he bargained for in the collector's creepy attic.
WHY IT'S HERE: French director Franck Dion's 'The Phantom Inventory' is a brilliant combination of comedy and horror which uses the twin techniques of stop-motion and digital animation to wonderful effect. The story involves a strict, stuffy bailiff visiting a mysterious collector whose collection consists of 'memories than nobody wants anymore'. As he makes his way round the collector's large, haunted attic space, the bailiff realises just how literal this description is. I won't give away exactly what the bailiff finds in the attic but it is a superbly chilling moment which is captured masterfully by Dion's exquisite use of animation. 'The Phantom Inventory' is a ghostly little tale told with great humour and open to many interpretations. Its relative obscurity is as mysterious as its plot.
SUMMARY: A bailiff visits an old collector to create an inventory of items to be seized. But he gets more than he bargained for in the collector's creepy attic.
WHY IT'S HERE: French director Franck Dion's 'The Phantom Inventory' is a brilliant combination of comedy and horror which uses the twin techniques of stop-motion and digital animation to wonderful effect. The story involves a strict, stuffy bailiff visiting a mysterious collector whose collection consists of 'memories than nobody wants anymore'. As he makes his way round the collector's large, haunted attic space, the bailiff realises just how literal this description is. I won't give away exactly what the bailiff finds in the attic but it is a superbly chilling moment which is captured masterfully by Dion's exquisite use of animation. 'The Phantom Inventory' is a ghostly little tale told with great humour and open to many interpretations. Its relative obscurity is as mysterious as its plot.
As an animation fan, particularly of the animated short, I have found a disappointing dearth of literature on the medium. Having loved the '1001' series of books, I always hoped that maybe this rich source of filmmaking might be tapped into to produce a book collecting some of the essential animated shorts out there. Finally I thought 'Well, no-one else is going to do it' and decided to put together my own list. Although the complete list is already compiled (but subject to change should new notable animated shorts come out in the meantime), I have decided to publish it in chunks of 50, giving me time to write comments for each title, and so that anyone who wants to attempt watching all the films has time to do so. This is not meant to be a definitive list but a list of 1001 animated shorts that, whether for historical significance, innovation, artistic excellence or just sheer entertainment value, demand to be seen by all fans of this underrated and exceptional medium.
Part 16 covers the years 2001 - 2004 including: the triumphant return of Christopher Hinton with a significantly different style of animation from his 90s work in the brilliant 'Flux' and 'Nibbles'; the return to directing of Cordell Barker with 'Strange Invaders' nearly 15 years after his legendary short 'The Cat Came Back'; the early, extremely short films of PES whose inventive use of household items would make his work an internet hit; Adam Elliot makes his first masterpiece, 'Harvie Krumpet', and wins an Oscar; Chris Landreth makes his celebrated documentary 'Ryan', briefly rejuvenating the career of animation legend Ryan Larkin.
Part 16 covers the years 2001 - 2004 including: the triumphant return of Christopher Hinton with a significantly different style of animation from his 90s work in the brilliant 'Flux' and 'Nibbles'; the return to directing of Cordell Barker with 'Strange Invaders' nearly 15 years after his legendary short 'The Cat Came Back'; the early, extremely short films of PES whose inventive use of household items would make his work an internet hit; Adam Elliot makes his first masterpiece, 'Harvie Krumpet', and wins an Oscar; Chris Landreth makes his celebrated documentary 'Ryan', briefly rejuvenating the career of animation legend Ryan Larkin.
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