They live streamed the award show on 25 January 2020. Being on the East Coast, the show ended a little after one in the morning. And your's truly watched every golden moment. Given that members of the Academy have openly admitted that the see few of these films, and generally vote for anything that says "Disney", it is apparent that the Annies are the word on excellence in animation.
So, let's begin with a list of the shorts that I have already viewed in the category: Annie Award Nominees & Winners. A * denotes that the film won for Best Animated Short Film.
Films already viewed:
Geri's Game (1998)*
For the Birds (2000)*
Rockfish (2003)
Moongirl (2004)
Your Friend, the Rat (2007)*
A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008)*
Presto (2008)
Adam and Dog (2011)*
La Luna (2011)
Paperman (2012)*
Maggie Simpson in "The Longest Daycare" (2012)
Get a Horse (2013)*
Feast (2014)*
Dissonance (2015)
Piper (2016)*
Blind Vaysha (2016)
Pearl (2016)
Weekends (2018)*
Grandpa Walrus (2018)
Lost & Found (2018)
Acid Rain (2019)
Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days (2019)*
Hard as it may be to believe, some music videos are also denoted as short films. Normally, you can point to such obvious examples as "Michael Jackson's Thriller" and "Michael Jackson's Ghosts". Did you know that Primus' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is also considered a short film? It is also a wonderful homage to George Pal's Puppettoons.
So we start with two such examples. The first is the Squirrel Nut Zipper's song "The Ghost of Stephen Foster" (2000). The story is told in a 1930s black and white animation about a couple trying to check into a haunted hotel.
The second is Bjork's "I Miss You" (1997*). Here John "Ren & Stimpy" Kricfalusi supplies the bizarre and occasionally risque animation, using his character Jimmy the Idiot Boy, with a cameo by George Liquor.
Next, we visit some folks who have produced quality animation in quantity. First, a favorite:
Bill Plympton
The animator who deals in hand drawn actions that are often surreal and hilarious. I have been a fan since I was lucky enough to see "Your Face". Having already won for "The Fan and the Flower" in 2005, he had three other nominations, all of which were viewed. I'll explain one, the other two you can get from the titles.
from "Your Face"
"Hot Dog" (2008), part of his trilogy of "Dog" shorts. This time, our hound tries his hand at being a fireman, with often negative results.
"Santa: The Fascist Years" (2008)
"The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger" (2010)
To say these films are hilarious is an understatement. Plympton never fails to hit the mark.
David Chai (House of Chai)
How did I not know about this guy?
The two films that were nominated are remarkable studies in escalation.
"Fumi and the Bad Luck Foot" (2005), Fumi's foot attracts every injury imaginable...and the House of Chai has some imagination! What is fun is to watch what Fumi does with this "super power."
"Enrique Wrecks the World" (2010), what begins with a slingshot, builds to a cataclysm of global proportions. Also, some of the best cartoon gore that I have ever seen. Not horrific, funny as hell.
from "Enrique Wrecks the World"
The House of Chai has many other shorts that I will be examining at a later date. You betcha!
But life is not all laughs and nuclear explosions. Some animators examine the human condition. Thankfully, the Annies recognize these as well.
"Stubble Trouble" (2000), those who remain unshaven don't get the girl. Even cavemen.
from "Milch"
"Milch" (2005), an odd little film about an odd little town and its odd little inhabitants. Brought to you by Klasky-Csupo, the same folks who brought you "Rugrats." Tommy and Chuckie wouldn't be allowed to watch this one.
"Ryan" (2004), from the National Film Board of Canada, the story of Ryan Larkin, an animator from the 1960s, who was successful and well-known in his time.
"Everything Will Be OK" (2006), a look at a man's descent into madness and the attempts to bring him back. A Don Hertzfeldt production. Hertzfeldt is also know for the short "Billy's Balloon", a study in revenge by a boy's balloon.
from "Paths of Hate"
"Paths of Hate" (2010), two fighter pilots fight to the end, and beyond. Incredible detail in the animation.
from "My Mom is an Airplane"
"My Mom is an Airplane" (2013), a charming children's fantasy from Russia about a boy whose mother really is an airplane!
To finish off, here is one film about Life and two films about Death.
"Duet" (2014), a beautiful dance between a couple from their birth to the point at which they become more than just friends.
"Coda" (2013), Ireland produces such marvelous films. In this, a drunk is run over. Death comes to the man, who has a few requests.
from "Negative Space"
"Negative Space" (2017), a French film about a man, remembering how he and his father bonded over how to pack a suitcase.
Thanks again to YouTube and Vimeo, for their belief in the short film.
So, there you have it. Another week, another theme. Next week, I celebrate the birthday of one of my idols, Mr. George Romero (4 Feb 1940). That can only mean that the week will be filled with Zombies!!!!
Number of Films Viewed During the Week: 17
Total Films Viewed So Far: 89
Can't wait for next week! 👍
ReplyDelete