Cartune Xprez: A Collection of Contemporary Animated Videos from the U.S. and Canada 2006
Distributed by Microcinema International/Microcinema DVD, 1636 Bush St., Suite #2, SF, CA 94109; 415-447-9750
Producer n/a
Various directors
DVD, color, 90 min.
Adult
Animation, Experimental Films, Short Films, Video Art, Media Studies, Film Studies
Date Entered: 08/14/2007
Reviewed by Sebastian Derry, Temple UniversityAs diverse a collection as one could hope for, these 11 short animated videos from 2003-2006 (gathered and curated by Cassandra C. Jones and Peter Burr) represent some truly unique artistic visions, concepts and animation.
These are not your traditional Hollywood animated features nor TV network animated cartoons (or here, “cartunes”) by any means; every single one of these works completely upends and challenges conventional notions as to what can be done with storytelling, with animation, or, even what animation “is”.
Here you’ll find everything from a mind-bending psychedelic trip (Walk For Walk), to a beautifully rendered storybook brought to life (The Little Fox) to a hilarious take on what’s on (some) women’s minds (Where’s My Boyfriend), to a sobering look at today’s headlines through actual cutting and pasting of a print copy of The New York Times (What Ten Planets Tilt For This and The Monkey Writes).
It’s a veritable checkbook of nearly every animation technique out there: computer/digital, hand drawn frame-by-frame, cel, stop-motion, video, collage, and combinations thereof. This unrated DVD program menu consists of the 11 shorts (though the website lists 12 films on the disc) as well as 5 loops—short repetitive animated sequences of near-hypnotic quality:
Shorts: Slow Dance Recyttal (7:39) by Peter Burr, Christopher Doulgaris, and Cassandra C. Jones; The Little Fox (6:20) by Luke Meeken and Andrew Negrey; Moments In Love (3:03) by Francine Spiegel; What Ten Planets Tilt For This (2:40) & The Monkey Writes (2:23) by Drew Pavelchak; Where’s My Boyfriend (2:11) by Gretchen Hogue; Satandeathsnaketraineawesome (:36) & Hooliganship: Adventure (5:58) by Hooliganship; Walk For Walk (10:24) by Amy Lockhart; Taco Monde (2:45) by Philippe Blanchard; Whispering Pines (18:02) by Shana Moulton.
Loops: Tarpit (5:29) by Takeshi Murata; Stupid Tricks 2: Trick No. 10 (6:00) by Philippe Blanchard; Whaterfhallce (3:56) by Christopher Doulgaris; Grid Panic (TV) (5:20) by Michael Bell-Smith; Suprjungl (6:24) by Peter Burr.
There are no bonus features, commentaries, audio options or subtitles, so just sit back and feast your eyes.
Recommended for academic libraries, as well as visual arts programs, media arts programs, film and digital animation programs.