The lamp looks at you. The lamp bounces. The lamp illuminates, the lamp deflates. P - I - X - A - R. What’s Pixar? A stamp of quality? A studio bought by the Mouse? A side project by Steve Jobs after getting fired from Apple and before getting re-hired? I don’t know, man. Ask someone who actually works there. I grew up on this stuff, though. I got high on that supply. I… I think I’ve maybe seen all the Pixar movies? Definitely the majority. Wait, I haven’t seen Lightyear, so not all of them. But for the ones I have seen, I have a fondness for them. Even the quote-unquote bad ones. See - and this a particular thing with adults who prefer animation over live-action (not me) - they kinda refuse to meet movies on their level. When I see a movie, I don’t want to see them trying to do some shit I think they should be doing. I just want to see them doing THEIR shit. I don’t really care what shit it is, as long as it’s done with passion and heart. And yeah, maybe Monsters U isn’t Monsters, Inc., but it’s two different shits, man! Two… different… shits!
Disney’s Disney. Disney is a behemoth. There’s no-body like Mickey. And… I actually do LOVE Disney. Disney has some sort of secret formula, in terms of making cozy movies, and they have it down PAT. I’d even say Disney’s more cozier than arthouse-fav Ghibli (though Ghibli isn’t trying to be as cozy as Disney. Again, two different shits).
NOTE: There are shorts reviewed here. But not all the shorts. I’ve seen more shorts than I’m reviewing here, but the only shorts I’m reviewing are the ones I found myself really fucking with. You don’t need me saying “I found this outdated” ten times in a row.
Dumb title. Great short. In this short, Alice, a live-action girl in a 2D-animated world, strolls into town where dogcatchers are luring dogs into a sausage factory to kill ‘em. But - the dogcatchers are wearing Klan hoods. This whole thing is a metaphor for how minorities are treated in 1920’s US, and relax - I know Walt’s said some stuff, but Alice doesn’t side with the Klan. This whole thing has a disturbing tinge to it. The uncanny-ness of live action of 3 year old Alice, the uncanny-ness of a 3 year old opposing the Klan… this feels like something David Lynch would have a nightmare about. Google about Lynch and Woody Woodpecker.
Fancy frog does fancy dancing in the night time. To Beethoven. It’s weird, but I’m okay with a bit of weird. This is the same Alfred E Neuman moon that Chuck saw at the end of Baseball camp (and I’m okay if you don’t get that reference), just when he was a lil’ ‘ittle baby. They throw EVERYTHING at this. Have you ever seen Don’t Play Us Cheap - the movie MVP made after Sweet Setback (Pause as I proudly take my Guinness World Record for being the first motha’fucka’ to compare Night to Don’t Play Us Cheap). This feels like that type of party, just if the film stayed around with the rat that sang the first number, and the devil never came a-knockin’.
Snow White is a classic. The animation is second to none. I really love that old style of cel-over-painted-background animation. Is the story mind-blowing? No. Doesn’t have to be, and not really trying to be either. Just a showcase for the songs and the animation. You don’t complain about the story of a theme park ride, right? Well, in 1937, THIS is their version of a theme park ride (and for that, it’s got a pretty good story). In 1937, less than 50 years ago, people screamed and ran away from a 50 second short film of a train heading towards them. In 1937, the first film with sound was eight years ago. This is … this is an Avatar film. Do you ever hear anyone talking about the story of the Avatar films?!?
Which makes sense, knowing about Walt Disney. He was less of a Mark Twain and more of an Edison. Google about his original plans for Tomorrowland.
To really hammer this home, Snow White’s Oscar (technically eight Oscars, ‘coz the Academy’s quirky and not like other award bodies) is an honorary one for technical innovation. See? It’s an Avatar movie.
I do like the songs. They’re not Nirvana, but Jesus, if you go into this expecting the songs to be Nirvana, then … like… I don’t know. I like the songs. I’m happy to step outside of my comfort zone. “High Ho” is a classic one, a great thing to sing to parents/bosses/teachers when not afraid of rebuke and doing demeaning work - a little tip for those sarcastic people in the back of the class.