Category: Animated

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Bernice Bobs Her Hair (1976)/Tulips Shall Grow (1942)

Adapted from a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Shelley Duvall’s Bernice visits her more sophisticated relatives and is shunned for not being as socially adept as her beautiful cousin Veronica Cartwright. Duvall is delightful as Bernice going from an awkward city mouse to surpassing the lessons given by her snobby cousin. Reading a synopsis of the actual story, the script ignores Bernice’s mixed-race heritage which would give more poignancy to the ending, but the whole production is so entertaining that I’m wanting to check out more of these American Short Story collection films.

Equally delightful are the Puppetoons featured in Tulips Shall Grow. Obviously referencing the Nazis’ aggressive occupation campaign, a Dutch boy and girl fall in love in their idyllic tulip-filled countryside only to have their happiness destroyed by an invasion by the mechanical Screwballs. The aesthetics of George Pal’s Puppetoons are so my bag that I could watch this film repeatedly for days despite its depressing subject matter. It’s impressive that it’s able to distill the horrors of war in such a cute six and a half minutes.   War

Oscar Nomination: Best Short Subject, Cartoons (Tulips Shall Grow)

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The Bad Guys (2022)

The Bad Guys, a gang of animals that historically have had bad reputations, is finally captured while trying to pull off one of their infamous heists, but crew leader Mr. Wolf convinces Governor Foxington that they deserve a chance to try to reform instead of being sent to prison. Set in a confusing world where humans and anthropomorphic animals live alongside animals that don’t talk or act like people, the animation is a softer, muted form of the typical computer animation put out by all the studios. The film could almost seamlessly blend with Zootopia. I enjoy a good heist film and this one delivers in that regard while adding cute animals to the mix. Watching the film and its accompanying short, Maraschino Ruby, really made me crave push ups.   Crime

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Paprika (2006)

When the prototype of a device that can see people’s dreams is stolen, Dr. Atsuko Chiba, with the help of her co-workers and her dream world alter-ego Paprika, must find the thief before everyone’s dreams merge with reality and take over. Using animation to tell a story that couldn’t be told conventionally, it’s a candy-colored festival for the eyes. I’m not sure I would have understood half of what was going on without reading along to a synopsis. Even if the dreams in the film weren’t like anything I’ve personally experienced, watching it gave the feeling that it was pulling imagery from deep inside my own brain to throw on screen. The DVD interestingly allowed the film to be simultaneously watched with subtitles and English dubbing which offered an interesting comparison making me wonder which parts were closer to the original Japanese.  SciFi  Mystery

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The Boxtrolls (2014)

In the hilltop town of Cheesebridge, the human denizens fear the Boxtrolls, humanoid creatures who wear discarded boxes for clothing, who are rumored to have kidnapped a baby. Instead it’s the underground-living, peace-loving Boxtrolls, and the orphaned boy whom they have raised from infancy, who must fear the human Snatchers who are swiping trolls for nefarious purposes. An ugly bit of stop-motion animation distracts from a fairly charming albeit predictable story. Narratively, it reminds me a lot of Aardman productions, especially in its somewhat silly comedy parts.

Oscar Nomination: Best Animated Feature Film of the Year

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Louise by the Shore (2016)

On the last day of summer at a seaside resort, the elderly Louise misses her train to return home. Making the best of a bad situation, she builds a shack on the beach and lives there with her new-found dog companion until the next summer’s guests begin to arrive. I’m not sure how this got on my radar nor whether in the end if it was worth my time. It’s a gentle, attractively rendered piece of animation that offers plenty of reflection on a life lived and where our choices lead us, but it also has includes too many necessary suspensions of belief to ignore.

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Whitewash (1994)/ The Box (1967)

Based on an actual incident, Whitewash tells the story of a young school girl who was attacked by a gang of thugs who painted her face white. This has been on my watchlist for so long that I don’t know where I originally encountered it. A somewhat rough looking piece of animation, it goes far to illustrate the terrorizing aspect of mindless racism and the benefits of supportive allies.

In The Box, a short bearded man goes into a bar and places a small box on the counter. What follows is a string of patrons who are all nosily curious as to what is in the box. The premise is not much, but the animation is cute with a pleasant simplicity and some interesting changes in perspective.

Oscar Win: Best Short Subject, Cartoons (The Box)

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Stairway to Light (1945)/Quiet Please! (1945)

Part of John Nesbit’s Passing Parade series, Stairway to Light brings to the forefront the work of Dr. Philippe Pinel, a French pioneer in treating mental illness. His work led to more humane ways of caring for patients and also classifying their illnesses. The short is a bit simplistic and hokey, but useful in teaching the work of a lesser known influencer.

Quiet Please! has Spike threatening Tom not to wake him up from his nap, a situation Jerry of course takes advantage of. It’s a pretty standard Tom & Jerry short with a plot that’s so typical for the duo that this particular short does not stand out on its own, though I do generally enjoy when the duo becomes a trio with the addition of Spike and how that changes the dynamic.   Animals

Oscar Win: Best Short Subject, One-reel (Stairway to Light); Best Short Subject, Cartoons (Quiet Please!)

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The Absent-Minded Waiter (1977)/The Big Story (1994)/The Fly (1980)

Buck Henry takes his date Teri Garr to a high class restaurant with the express intent of sitting at a table attended by The Absent-Minded Professor, played by Steve Martin. An enjoyable short with a surprising punchline pay-off, it is also well acted by all three of the actors playing especially on Martin’s strengths.

The Big Story is gratefully a very short bit that has three animated characters each representing Kirk Douglas at different parts of his career. The characters are really well done, but the short doesn’t add anything beyond that concept.

The Fly finds himself stuck inside a house to disastrous consequences. It’s a very simple, monochromatic animation that really conveys the frenetic energy and apparent bewilderedness of a fly’s existence.

Oscar Win: Best Short Film, Animated (The Fly)

Oscar Nomination: Best Short Film, Live Action (The Absent-Minded Waiter); Best Short Film, Animated (The Big Story)

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Turning Red (2022)

Along with the normal tribulations of puberty, Canadian thirteen year old Mei must also grapple with an inherited condition which turns her into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited. Foregoing the traditional Pixar story arc of beginning with a heart-rendering opening, instead this film has a number of exceptionally cringe-worthy episodes as Mei finds herself through pulling from her mother’s influence and into the support of her friend group. Though I don’t imagine I’ll find need to rewatch it again in the near future, it is incredibly relatable to anyone who has survived their teenage years.

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Mr Hublot (2013)/The Magic Pear Tree (1968)

In a steampunk designed world, Mr Hublot’s orderly existence is disrupted by the sudden appearance of a homeless dog into his life. The animation style is similar to other Oscar nominated ones from this era, computer animation in muted tones. Luckily the turns in the short story and the characters have a real sweetness to them, especially, I imagine, for animal lovers, which make it stand out.  Animals

Similar to the peculiar 1971 animated short winner The Crunch Bird, the entire premise for The Magic Pear Tree is just a set-up for a singular not very funny joke. A handsome guest travels to his friend’s castle and goes through an elaborate ruse in order to get with his friend’s wife. Late 1960s-early 1970s film is already one of my least favorite eras of films and these shorts don’t go far to improve that impression.

Oscar Winner: Best Short Film, Animated (Mr Hublot)

Oscar Nomination: Best Short Subject, Cartoons (The Magic Pear Tree)

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