Mr. and Mrs. is the Name

The great Fritz Freleng's proto-Looney Tunes work, like so many early cartoons, is pretty insane by today's standards. The fluid animation where no one ever seems to stand still, the whoops and zaniness and barely-contained sexuality... it's like cartoons were the place adults could examine their wilder, animalistic side in civilized company, while the rest …

Tord och Tord / Simhall (Bathhouse)

It's exciting when you discover a new filmmaker that has a truly fresh take on the world we live in, mostly because it doesn't happen that often- the older you get, the harder it is to be impressed by anything. Which is why Swedish animator Niki Lindroth von Bahr is such a delight- her short …

Kirikou and the Sorceress

Michel Ocelot is a French animator who didn't make his first feature until he was 55 years old- and what a great debut it is. Kirikou and the Sorceress draws deeply from the rich folk tales of West Africa as it spins a series of wild tales focused on Kirikou- a young African boy with …

The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb

Very little is known about this amazing and moody stop-motion feature film that found itself on the shelves of the more esoteric video rental stores during the mid-90's, but The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb is written, directed, shot and edited by someone named Dave Borthwick- and it's unlike anything you'll ever see. A mixture …

Cleopatra

Osamu Tezuka is God- the Godfather of Manga, that is. His ability to come up with the most imaginative, wild ideas and build a compelling narrative that has everything- from deep, spiritual conversations to dopey slapstick and everything in between is unparalleled. As the world-famous creator of Astroboy (by far one of his least interesting …

Le Roi et l’Oiseau (The Curious Adventures of Mr. Wonderbird)

"The King and the Bird" is the literal translation of this animated masterpiece by Paul Grimault, considered the greatest animated French film by some, and the greatest of any country ever by others. It has had many titles: The King and the Mockingbird, The King and Mr. Bird, Mr Bird to the Rescue and Adventures …

Na Kometě (On the Comet)

Looking for a sci-fi epic with insane special effects? Then look no further, friend- step right this way to a little known Czech film from 1970, Na Kometě, which blows anything from the Marvel Cinematic Universe out of the water. It's hard to know where to start with this masterpiece by the great Karel Zeman. …

The Amazing Mr. Bickford

Frank Zappa's music is not everyone's cup of tea, but for those who can appreciate his compositions, the payoff is worth it- he always managed to combine his unique personality with a formalist desire to push musical boundaries and a rock musician's feel for a guttural, energetic delivery. Animator Bruce Bickford is his counterpart in …

Hôtel

Machinima usually refers to a sub-genre of filmmaking composed completely of video game footage chopped up and overdubbed to tell a cinematic story. Like hip-hop, it was a way to solve the problem how do I express myself when I don't have any money? Hip hop built its legacy by repurposing old records; with machinima, …

Allegro Non Troppo

Debussy, Dvorak, Ravel, Sibelius, Stravinsky, and Vivaldi all get to see their masterpieces turned into bawdy, earthy satire in Allegro Non Troppo, Brono Bozzetto's very Italian sendup of Fantasia. That pretty much says it all; the great Maurizio Nichetti plays "the Animator" to a pretentious Conductor, a hack Producer and an orchestra full of Old …