Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Oscar nominated animated shorts

The Oscars managed to sneak up on me. No real surprise since the only category I care about is the animated shorts. And I only care about them because they're being shown in some local theater.

"A Morning Stroll" was one of our favorites. It's an identical scene in three different time periods about a chicken walking down the sidewalk and going into a house. Yeah, I know how it sounds. That should tell you how lame the rest of the nominees were.
Trailer below.


"Dimanche (Sunday)" is a cartoon about some kid who likes to put pennies on railroad tracks. It follows him as he goes about his typical Sunday. Then there's some attempt at symbolism that nobody I've heard of has managed to figure out.
One of the best arguments for closing the Canadian Film Board that I've ever seen.
Trailer - link

"La Luna" is Pixar's annual entry. It's about a third generation being introduced to sweeping up all the stars that accumulate on the moon.
Trailer below.


"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" was the surprising winner. Surprising because it was pretty good. The Acadamy HATES good movies of any form. But it was a good cartoon that also had a good message.
The cartoon is about some writer who is led to a house where lots of flying books live. There he lives out his life caring for the books and helping them find good homes.
Full movie.


"Wild Life" is a cartoon about a Brit who settles in Canada and eventually dies in the cold.
Trailer - link

Then we get into the good cartoons. The honorable mentions.

"Nullarbor" is a really long, straight, treeless stretch of road through the Australian desert. The cartoon is about a guy really hard up for a cigarette while driving that road and the battle he ends up doing with some old man for one of his cigarettes.
Trailer below.


"Amazonia" I can't even find a trailer for.

"Skylight" is a hilarious mock film about the hole in the ozone layer roasting penguins. Totally should have won.
Clip - link

"Hybrid Union" is a tortoise and the hair sort of story about the battle between solar and steam powered vehicles.
Trailer - link

I am very disappointed that I can't find more full length versions. It's a downside to the fact that you can buy all of them legally through the Apple Store or somewhere like that.

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