The Animation Show

Whenever I sit down and watch something with my brother, he never fails to show me something that I have never seen before. This weekend, he introduced me to The Animation Show--something that every serious film connoisseur should see. Whether you watch movies for their literary merit and intellegence, or you just love to kick back with some popcorn, yogurt covered raisins and a good flick--The Animation Show is an excellent pick.

The animations that really made me laugh out loud (as well as the people sitting next to me) were created by Don Hertzfeldt. He provided the opening, intermission, and ending for the animation show. He also had another animation called Billy's Balloon that was disturbingly hilarious. Billy, a small child, has a balloon with a personality of its own--and its sheer simplicity is only part of what makes it so enjoyable.

My favorite animations were much more serious in subject. Adam Elliot did three animations titled Cousin, Uncle, and Brother. They are clay-mations and they are brilliant. Each one of them is depressing, yet fascinating. The narrator tells the story of these three characters, and there seems to be no plot at all until the animation has finished. For an example of his work, Harvie Krumpet--though a much longer film, it is still excellent.

The Animation show is on sale, and I highly recommend watching it--for culture or for entertainment--and both. You'll laugh, and cry--and you will never want to give a child a balloon ever again.