Review
THE ANIMATION SHOW 2005
Featuring films by Don Hertzfelt, Bill Plympton and Peter Cornwell
Opens Friday, May 6
Uptown Screen
When Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-head) and Don Hertzfeldt (Rejected) released the original The Animation Show back in 2003, animation fans rejoiced. Theatrically released animation festivals were becoming depressingly rare (heck, they still are), and here was a really good one, put together with care by people who really knew what they were doing. It’s been a long wait for this second instalment, The Animation Show 2005, but if you enjoy this sort of thing, it’s time to gather all your cartoon-loving friends and head to the Uptown.
This year, there are fewer films in the lineup (12), and they tend to be longer and aiming for more maturity than the Spike & Mike festivals. That’s really for the best – if all you want is to see short, violent toons made by stoner college students, you can go on the Internet. The stuff shown here, for the most part, is quite remarkable – half are outstanding, the other half are interesting attempts.
I was unexpectedly disappointed by Don Hertzfeldt’s contribution, The Meaning of Life (2005), which serves as the show’s finale. It’s a technically ambitious film that jettisons Hertzfeldt’s wonderfully dark sense of humour in favour of trying something new. The only other real drag on the program is The Man With No Shadow (2004), a long, tedious dirge akin to staring at a painting that’s rotating on a Lazy Susan. Oh well, any such compilation must have its duds.
As for the show’s triumphs, well, take your pick. Things get off to a marvelous start with Bill Plympton’s Oscar-nominated Guard Dog (2003), a cheerfully twisted ode to the hyper paranoia of a sweet, slobbery dog.
Ward 13 (2003) is worth the price of admission all by itself. A fantastic stop-motion nightmare about escaping from a monstrous hospital, this is the longest short at 15 minutes, but is so suspenseful and exciting that it’s over way too soon.
Hello (2003) gives the audience a chance to settle down and catch their breath, while enjoying a sweet little love story about a shy cassette player. The simple, traditional cel animation is just right for the tone of the story, and makes the photo-realistic computer-generated animation of the next piece, Rockfish (2002), that much more impressive. This latter film is good adrenaline-pumping fun, with an added jolt of coolness as we gradually figure out just what that interstellar good ol’ boy is up to.
Fallen Art (2004) left me speechless. The only other computer-generated film in the show, it’s technically perfect, audacious and grotesque. A wickedly funny and intelligent satire, it will blow your mind.
When the previous Animation Show went to DVD, they cut out four of the best shorts and replaced them with new ones. Check out this version of The Animation Show 2005 while you still can. It might be your last chance. |
Copyright ©2005 FFWD. All rights reserved.