A little stop-action, a bit of computer graphics, a touch of watercolor and some old-fashioned line-drawing: The five animated shorts nominated for the 2013 Oscar are as varied and entertaining as ever.
See Oscar-nominated live-action shorts HERE.
Adam & Dog:
Director: Minkyu Lee, U.S. According to “Adam & Dog,” in the beginning, after there was light, but before Eve, there was a canine named Dog. Names were sparse back then; monikers like Rover and Spot didn’t emerge until the middle of the 18th century.
While all five Oscar-nominated shorts are appropriate for the whole family, the sometimes-ridiculous MPAA probably would have slapped a PG-13 rating on the entire program for the brief, barely noticeable line-drawn nudity in “Adam & Dog.”
Watercolor renderings of Eden are entrancing; Joey Newman’s Afro-tinged score nicely accompanies the film.
Paperman
Director: John Kahrs, U.S. Man sees girl, feels sparks. Just as suddenly, she hops on a New York subway and disappears. Up at his skyscraper office, he sees her across the way, attempts to make contact by throwing paper airplanes her way.
Then boy finds girl, in a most miraculous fashion.
This outstanding Walt Disney Animation Studios production melds hand-drawn black-and-white sketches and CG animation. “Paperman” has good chance of taking home the Oscar.
Fresh Guacamole
Director: PES, U.S. How to make guacamole from visual analogues of avocado, onion, tomato and jalapeño in less than two minutes.
Joyfully whimsical, like rose petals fluttering out of a faucet.
"Guac" is my personal, long-shot favorite, but not likely to overtake Disney’s “Paperman.”
Head Over Heels
Director: Timothy Reckart, U.K. Stop-motion short about Walter and Madge, a long-married couple who no longer see eye to eye – not only about how pictures should hang on the wall, but even the direction of gravity.
Unexpectedly touching ending.
Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare”
Director: David Silverman, U.S. There are two bona fide celebrities in this one: Maggie Simpson, who’s dragged off to the Ayn Rand School for Tots, where their motto is, “Your freedom assured by our probing.” Then there's unibrowed baby Gerald, who has already been doing a stint in the Rand joint, passing time by hammering helpless butterflies to the wall.
Cute, but ends abruptly.
See times and locations for Oscar-nominated short program HERE.
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