Thursday, January 12, 2012

Academy Short List



Last Saturday was a very exciting day for me – it's the screening of the ten animated short films that were short listed for the Oscars this year.

You probably all know the list by now: Matthew O'Callaghan's “I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat”, sound by the late Mel Blanc and June Foray. “Sunday”, a Canadian film by Patrick Doyon, “La Luna”, Enrico Casarosa (Pixar), “The Magic Piano”, by Martin Clapp, “A Morning Stroll”, Grant Orchard, “Paths of Hate” by Damian Nenow, “Specky Four-Eyes”, Jean Claude Rozec, "Wild Life," by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg, and "Luminaris," directed by Juan Pablo Zaramella.

They're all very good films, selected out of about 50 eligible shorts. I have 3 favorites of the group: “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore”, an epic gem of digital animation.

“Paths of Hate”, a brilliant CG recreation of a World War II dogfight. But women hate this film.

And “Luminaris”, a wonderfully zany stop-motion fantasy comedy from Argentina, which I think is the odds on favorite to win the statue this year – but don't listen to me.

Tune in on February 26th to find out who wins!

4 comments:

  1. I guess I don't fit the gender mold since I hate "Paths of Hate" as well. Lots of detailed animated violence followed by THE END. What's the point?
    "Luminaris" is someone rediscovering pixillation when it was already done much better in the 50s. This film also has nothing to say except that someone who can't draw is animating.

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  2. I LOVED Paths of Hate when I saw it at SXSW and when we took our 5 yr old twins to the Animation Show of Shows, they loved it too! (we told them there were zombies in it, so they wouldn't get freaked out, because they LOOOOVE zombies). The presenter was so taken aback when they told him in the lobby it was their favorite. It's pretty awesome!

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  3. I haven't seen them all, but of the ones I have seen my favorite is : "Wild Life," by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby (NFB) , followed by "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg (Moonbot Studios) .

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  4. "I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat!" strikes my fancy (and may strike Academy voters' too) particularly because of its soundtrack, with two of the top all-time American voice actors: a never-before-animated recording of Mel Blanc, along with June Foray reprising her longtime role as Granny. I also should point out that Sylvester and Tweety were lead characters in two out of Warner Animation's five Oscar-winning shorts (Bugs Bunny was in only one), so there seems to be something especially appealing about these characters.

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