Friday Afternoon Movie: 4 Oscar Nominated Shorts
It’s one of those Fridays. Nothing going on; nothing doing. Sitting at your desk, playing FreeCell, only stopping to see how far the hands on the clock have progressed. Then to see if the clock is slower than your computer. Then to check your watch, just to be sure. Maybe they’re all wrong; better check your phone. Damn.
Well, as a personal service to you, please allow the FAM to distract you for a number of minutes. Don’t worry, you can always go back to FreeCell. In the meantime let us present to you three of the animated shorts nominated for Academy Awards this year. Yes, I realize that the Academy Awards have already been handed out, thereby robbing these of a modicum of suspense, but I’m sure you’ll survive.
First up is Fabrice O. Joubert’s French Roast, the story of a less than agreeable gentleman who seems to have left his wallet in his other trousers. And just what is the deal with that nun?
Next is Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty, directed by Nicky Phelan. It is perhaps best to not let a bitter, elderly woman read fairy tales. She may very well color the story with her own, distinct outlook.
Thirdly: Javier Recio Gracia’s The Lady and the Reaper, the story of a young doctor’s battle with Death over the fate of an elderly woman whose only wish is to be reunited with her departed husband. It’s a fate that she alone will decide.
And lastly we have Logorama directed by François Alaux, Herve de Crecy, and Ludovic Houplain. Police drama! In Los Angeles! A Los Angeles comprised of corporate logos! Will the Michelin Men be able to apprehend Ronald McDonald or will an earthquake kill them all!? Watch and see!
And so today’s FAM draws to a close. For those of you wondering, the fifth and final nominee was Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf or Death from Nick Park which is not on YouTube because the BBC have just a few more lawyers than these other guys. The award this year went to Logorama.
Now, what time is it…
March 12th, 2010 at 11:34 am
awesome, i’m off to see these this weekend. can’t wait!
March 13th, 2010 at 2:54 am
wow, those were all pretty damn fantastic. Though Logorama really KILLS me, I believe my favourite is “The Lady and the Reaper”. I loved the overall animation style in that one. =) Yet French Roast had such a cool timing and characters.
…
Aaaagh I don’t know. They all deserve high praise…
March 13th, 2010 at 8:47 am
maggie – Logorama I think deserved the win if only for the fact that it is so different from your typical, short animation nominee. The others, while excellent, lacked some of the originality that it displayed.
March 14th, 2010 at 6:01 am
yeah, I guess you’re right… I don’t know much about animation but what amazes me most about Logorama is that they probably had to digitally rebuild every single logo (in a way that it could be animated) and find a place for it in the story. I can’t even imagine what work lies behind this and how the creators approached the overall project. phew… so… YES it totally deserved the win.
(I was just stating my personal favourite in the above comment anyway ;) )
March 16th, 2010 at 10:53 am
The lady and the reaper…well that was a dark ending