Of all film styles, animation seems to be the most under-appreciated, at least in this country. When most Americans think of animated films, what generally comes to mind is some long-forgotten piece of schmaltz from Disney, or even worse, the dull conformity of most Japanese anime.
Fortunately, this situation is being remedied. Shows like “The Simpsons” and “King of the Hill” have brought animation into the television forefront, and touring shows like “Spike & Mike’s Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation” have given independent shorts an outlet. So it should come as no surprise that the latest offering from the animation vanguard, “The Animation Show,” is from “King of the Hill” creator Mike Judge and frequent “Spike & Mike” contributor Don Hertzfeldt.
The show, which has been touring the country since mid-September, is a compilation of animated shorts from around the world. Many of the selections have been nominated for Academy Awards, among other honors; most have been in circulation for a few years. Anyone who follows animation closely probably won’t be seeing anything new, but what the show does offer is a collection of some of the best, most beautiful work of the past few years.
Some highlights include the Japanese film “Mt. Head,” which owes its style more to traditional Japanese artwork than popular anime forms. It tells the comical tale of a man who finds a cherry tree growing out of his head. The German film “Das Rad” tells the story of human civilization as seen from the perspective of rocks, and the claymation work “Ident” deals in themes concerning human interaction and self perception — not standard fare for those who grew up on “Bambi,” or even “Pokemon.”
One of the most interesting selections is “Mars and Beyond,” part of a series of color shorts done for Disney in 1957 by Ward Kimball. The film is a nature documentary theorizing what life on Mars would be like and borders on the surreal in both its vision and brilliance. Computer generated animation also makes a good showing, with the beautifully rendered shorts “The Cathedral” and “50 Percent Grey.” Both are past Oscar nominees and deservedly so.
As with any piecemeal production like this, it can’t be expected that every film will be good. The three claymation “Ricardo” shorts are as brief as they are pointless, and a collection of Judge’s early pencil drawings seem to have been added to appease fans of his work (though the inclusion of his short “Huh?” is a blessing). But most of the problems come from what is missing rather than what is included, and since Judge and Hertzfeldt seem intent on make this an annual effort, there really isn’t much room for complaint.
Which brings us to the work of Hertzfeldt. A man who can make stick-figure drawings of such perverse brilliance must have something wrong with him. I often wonder what such a man’s childhood was like and usually come to the conclusion that I don’t want to know. Regardless, two of his classic works are on display here, as are three new shorts made for the opening, middle and conclusion of “The Animation Show.” His work is certainly twisted but also undoubtedly enjoyable, as are many of the other shorts here. Let’s hope this animation show is here to stay.
“The Animation Show” opens on Friday at the Bijou Art Cinemas, which is located at 492 E. 13th Ave.