moriarty@tc.fluke.com (Jeff Meyer) (05/02/89)
FESTIVAL OF ANIMATION, '89
A film review by Jeff Meyer
Copyright 1989 Jeff Meyer
The Festival of Animation people were in town last week, and I decided to
stop in and see what they had to show. In comparison to the Tournee of
Animation (which appears at the local repertory movie house every year), I've
always found the Festival organizers seem to concentrate on general crowd
appeal over the Tournee. There are fewer entries that demonstrate different
animation techniques (thought the Festival always has a strong selection of
computer animation), or attempt non-humorous messages, but you're less likely
to get one of those interminable Tournee entries that take themselves too
seriously and run 15 minutes to boot.
Over the last couple of years, I've thought the average quality of the
Festival entries has gone down a bit; it was a bit higher this year, and (as
usual) they saved the best stuff for the end. A lot of the good stuff came
from either Cal Arts or Canada (either the Film Board of Canada or
International Rocketship in Vancouver (and yes, there were the requisite number
of Marv Newland in-jokes again this year)).
A few spot reviews:
----
THE BULLETEERS: One of the other things I like about the Festival is that the
organizers will occasionally grab something out of the vaults and show it in
the light of day. I've seen this beautiful Fleischer Studio Superman cartoon
at least three times, but never on a large screen. It was an excellent opener
and a definite crowd pleaser. If you've never seen the Fleischer Superman
cartoons, you're missing out; for my money, the Fleischer boys gave Disney a
run for his money with a lot of their productions, and the Superman cartoons
were some of the best.
THE DOOR: A Russian clay animation film that is very surrealistic without ever
being unpleasant. Some strange goings-on in a Soviet tenement where the
tenants can't get the front door open. No whole-hearted raves, but it had a
few moments.
LES ASSASINS: With it's Gahan Wilson-like visual humor and the punch-line
ending, a) you'd think it was from Cal Arts and b) it fit into the Festival's
style rather nicely. Nothing special, just a good chuckle.
NITEMARE: An early cartoon by John Lasseter, who did "Tin Toy," the winner of
the '89 Academy Award for best animation (reviewed later). Sketchy artwork,
but a nice concept. You can see that he had an excellent eye for humor about
kids from day one.
THE CAT CAME BACK: Another Cordell Barker cartoon, probably his funniest, set
to an old Canadian folk song. Enjoyable, but not gut-wrenching funny.
THE THING WHAT LURKED IN THE TUB: Gut-wrenching funny, and pretty short. What
can destroy the side-effects of science gone mad? Why, stupidity, of course!
Listen for the M.N. joke...
TOWER OF BABABEL: One of the very few films that were both funny and subtle
at the same time. A Yugoslavian film with one of the best analogies for
life that I've ever seen. Certainly the film that left the most residue in
the old grey cells.
DOG BRAIN: You know, I love Newland's "International Rocketship" opening
sequence -- I just wish he'd start backing films where said sequence wasn't
the most interesting part. "Dog Brain" is a one-joke film; problem is, a) it
runs for the entire length and b) it ain't that funny.
EARTH TO DORIS: A new animated film by Christopher Simon, set to the music
of What Not Was. Left me cold.
PRIMITI TOO TAA: About three minutes worth of animated typewriter letters
spelling out nonsense words, being pronounced by the narrator. Yeah, me too.
LEA PRESS ON LIMBS: This would be considered a decent Saturday Night Live
joke-commercial. Artificial limbs by Ronco...
WINTER: From Cal Arts, a film that gets gently funnier and funnier, and leaves
you with one big guffaw at the end. A child's expedition into the first
snowfall.
HOW TO KISS: I don't know if Bill Plympton is still doing his strip for the
various alternative newspapers, but he's certainly getting into animation in a
big way. If this isn't his funniest film, it's damn close: an instructional
film on how to kiss. Plympton's takes a semi-realistic drawing style, and then
twists his figures in hilariously bizarre ways. People were laughing their
asses off during this one.
TIN TOY: I hear that they're planning to release a new Roger Rabbit cartoon
before one of the major summer release films this year. (Maybe INDIANA JONES?)
May I humbly suggest that another film be preceded by "Tin Toy"? Sure, it's a
technical gem of computer animation, but it's as good a cartoon as you'll find
anywhere. I knew Pixar had top technical talent; apparently they keep a few
good writers on hand, too.
P.S. Craig, that is one *ugly* baby. And this certainly points to the crying
need for more realistically-rendered drool in computer animation.
-----
In fact, most of these films would be excellent lead-ins to major films. So
(though it was probably obvious in the first place), there's nothing to stop
animated cartoons from returning to their place as a respected part of an
evening at the movies, except reluctance by the theater owners. I know of
only one theater in Seattle that still shows cartoons, and in a town that
has such strong support for small theaters, that's a crying shame.
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
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