ironymaiden | two for the price of one

scarlettina and i saw two films yesterday, broken by a delightful dinner at Cedars with C and

mimerki. it was reminiscent of a day at SIFF without the long lines (and the angst), at less than half the cost (bargain matinee + the Crest=rawr).

Seattle is one of only six cities that has the nominated shorts this weekend. totally worth running to see.
the Varsity is showing this collection in rotation with the live action shorts. my only complaint is that with one exception these appeared to be shown on a digital projector, so the image quality was flawed.

in order of viewing (i think):
One Man Band
the Pixar entry, appeared to be the only one on film. as with every Pixar short i've seen, beautifully executed, funny, and charming. co-produced by the excellent Brad Bird.

The Fan and the Flower
a bonus (not a nominee) by northwesterner Bill Plympton. this was the story of the doomed romance of a ceiling fan and a potted plant, told in black and white with the occasional splash of watercolor splendor. lovely.

The Mysterious Geographical Explorations of Jasper Morello
from Australia. stunning - probably the best short i've ever seen (although 26 minutes isn't exactly short). it's a gothic horror mystery, set in a steampunk world of clockwork airships and floating islands. the animation is done in intricate sepia silhouette, where the only splashes of color are blood and pustules. the storytelling is excellent, and the animation is jaw-dropping. if it doesn't win, it's a crime.

Badgered
charming hand-animated story of a badger who would like to get some sleep. clever and cute, but no grand achievement in story or animation.

The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation
an autobiographical piece by american animator John Canemaker. another long one, at 28 minutes, this explores his father's life story and their relationship. the medium is a collage of drawing, photographs, home movies, and newspaper clippings. young John's memories appear in the style of his drawings at that age, so much of the animation is in crayon, marker, or tempura paint. it's a great story of history and how our parents shape us. i'd say this is the one that could beat Jasper Morello, but while it was an excellent film, i don't consider it an "achievement in animation." it will be shown on HBO.

9
postapocalyptic ragdoll versus postapocalyptic automaton that eats souls. a computer-animated visual stunner with a poignant story, it's my dark-horse favorite. it's been optioned for a full length film.

dinner at Cedars was delicious as usual, complete with giant naan, but the wait for a table was eternal. we did most of our socializing outside, and the food service was swift.

scarlettina and i ended up at the Crest with time to spare.

i was very pleased with Pride & Prejudice. it's an excellent adaptation (i liked it better than the book) that preserves the language and makes "the country" look like heaven.

scarlettina has said most of the other things i would say about it here.