The sandman

November 25th, 2007

Directed by Paul Berry.

Description (jhailey at hotmail dot com): On a dark night, as the clock strikes eight, a mother sends her child upstairs to bed with only a candle for light. The child is wary, then frightened. The child hears something climbing the stairs. We see a birdlike man, his head like a crescent moon, stealthily then noisily approach the child’s room. Mother appears to kiss the child good night. Has the sandman been a figment of the child’s imagination? Then, he appears in the child’s room and, as the child sleeps, leans over and takes something, leaps to the window, throws open the sash, and flies to a nest where two hungry fledglings cry. What has the sandman brought them?

IMDB link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0105311/

Posted in children, dark, stop-motion, macabre, fairytale | 1 Comment »

La faim

October 24th, 2007

Directed by Peter Foldes.

Description (Robert Reynolds): This short, produced by the National Film Board of Canada, was nominated for an Academy Award. Once you’ve seen it, you’ll see why. Not easily forgotten, although you may wish to. The choice of animation styles was made, I suspect, deliberately, in order to keep viewers off-balance. It’s a perfect choice. A thought-provoking, extremely unsettling look at hunger in many forms. If you are easily disturbed or offended, this probably isn’t for you. Otherwise, highly recommended.

IMDB link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0071636/

[ Mature content warning ]

Posted in macabre, conceptual, weird, classic animation | 1 Comment »

Vincent

September 28th, 2007

Written and directed by Tim Burton.

Description: Vincent is the story of a young man that fancies himself to become like Vincent Price, constantly dabbling in macabre daydreams that tend to annoy his mother. Although dark and sort of expressionist in aspect, the animation becomes quite funny through the contrast between the boy’s fantasy and his real life.

IMDB link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0084868/

[ Mature content warning ]

Posted in macabre, classic animation, funny | No Comments »