The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

While this was a modest hit back in the day, it did not receive the attention it deserved. And that's rather sad, because this is in fact Indiana Jones 4.

Now, you might argue that there was already another film called Indiana Jones 4, but if so, you would be mistaken. That Kingdom of the Crystal Skull shit was NOT an Indy film! The list of things wrong with that trash is too long to mention, but suffice to say that it featured none of the spirit of the other Indy films, and came off more as a mockbuster.

However, everything that was wrong with Crystal Skull, is RIGHT with Tintin. This film is funny and exciting and action-filled, with great characters, snappy dialogue and marvelous locations, making it pretty much the perfect adventure flick.

The similarities to Indy are also there in abundance, so much so, that changing the main character's name, would actually be the only thing required to make it an official Indy film. So if you just pretend Indy used to be called Tintin in his 20s, you'll be delighted to relive the excitement of Raiders of the Lost Ark once again.

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Feral (2012)

So the Oscars came and went, ans as always the most interesting films, were the ones given the least attention. I'm talking of course about the short movies, which not only packs a tighter entertainment punch than their feature brethren, but also gives a very interesting peak into the future, as the most promising up-and-coming filmmakers are spring-boarded into a Hollywood career. No filmmaker starts doing features, and 99.9% of all the directors and actors and DOPs and editors you idolize today, started out doings short movies.

Now even though this year's collection of shorts was very weak compared to previous Oscars, there was one exception. I'm not talking about the terrible Helium which was crowned best live action short, nor the cute Mr. Hublot which won the animated short category

My favorite of all the shorts in the 2014 Oscars, was without a doubt Feral. You can see the whole thing on vimeo, and even though it costs a dollar, I promise it's worth it.

The style is quite similar, and could almost be a deleted scene from what I consider to be one of the best animated features in the last 30 years, namely Fear(s) of the Dark.

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WATCH ONLINE (costs 1 dollar)

Angel's Egg (1985)

After decades of obsessive hunting for ever more obscure masterworks, it is very rare that I stumble upon something that is truly amazing, which I have never even heard mentioned before. But Angel's Egg is the jackpot! It is strange and original and wonderful, so much so that I find it strange that nobody's ever told me about it.

It is dark and mysterious and ominous and pretty much everything that Disney ain't. There's only two characters, none of which are animals that talk, and I'm pretty sure it doesn't have a happy ending.

Don' worry though, I didn't spoil it. Because though I could try to give you an interpretation as to what it is actually about, that wouldn't be interesting at all. The fact that it moves extremely slow (stressed out individuals can move right along) is purposely done and serves the images right, as you will need time to let your eyes wander across the wondrous paintings of a past future. Spending time trying to look for a deeper meaning, will be like looking for logic in a dream.

The only thing I can compare it to is Fantastic Planet, and truth be told, I'd have a difficult time saying which of the two should be placed above the other.

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Hambuster (2011)

We've all seen movies about killer condoms, killer snowmen, killer clowns, killer tires, killer elevators, killer symbols, killer videocassettes and other murderous appliances of various kinds.

So what's left?

Killer hamburgers of course.

Not only is it a great premise for a film, but the outlandish execution makes for one of the goriest and most entertaining animated epics you will ever see.

The film was made as a graduation project for a bunch of animation students, and the fun they had making this makes every frame shine.

If only the bigger studios would dare take off their gloves and try to make something as cool as this once in a while...

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Heavy Traffic (1973)

If you saw Fritz the Cat, then you're probably searching for more of the same. Don't bother with the sequel though, check out Heavy Traffic instead.

It's not the same characters, and in no way connected to the life of Fritz, but it is by the same director and thus in the same style.

Pimps and hoes, limbless hobos and day drifting street people float around in gritty city, chasing highs and playing pinball.

The film is very raw and real, and director Ralph Bakshi's exploration of mixing cartoons and live action film, is much better than his later attempt with Cool World, and the adult approach to the medium gives a film that might even rival Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

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The Five Obstructions (2003)

The Five Obstructions is a two-man circle-jerk.

Lars von Trier challenges his teacher and greatest idol Jørgen Leth, to remake what Lars considers to be the greatest movie of all time, The Perfect Human (also by Jørgen Leth.)

As with everything from von Trier (even down to the "von" added to his name) The Five Obstructions is a very pretentious ordeal.

Two pioneering film makers sit around discussing how awesome they are, and challenge each other to run laps around the block, making the same short film 5 times.

With each lap, a new obstruction is put forth, forcing creativity to emerge.

The Five Obstructions is not so much a feature film, as a series of experiments with the film format, and the outcome is something only true film connoisseurs will enjoy.

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The Sandman (1991)

Behold, the Sandman cometh.

I have long ment that claymation is the the absolute apotheosis of animation.

Compared to, for example, cartoons, where a drawn interpretation of something real is made to move through changing the interpretations 25 times a second, the clay is not an interpretation of anything. The clay figures are really there, and the camera just a voyeur to their movements.

Yet it is given life through the wonder of stop-motion animation, and the result is nothing short of magic.

A perfect example of how wonderful claymation can be, is this little film.

Clocking in at a meager 9 minutes, even hinting about what the film is about would spoil the whole story. But notice how the eery mood which broods in the dark corners of the world, is seduced to come out and play with clay, in a way which mere 2D simplification will never be able to achieve.

Be sure to watch it all the way to the end, to get an extra treat after the end credits.

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Waltz with Bashir (2008)

Waltz with Bashir has an important story to tell. Something about the horrors of war, becoming an adult and dealing with repressed memories.

I really can't remember it all, because the story is not the highlight of the film.

The highlight is the animation.

The groundbreaking techniques used in drawing up the film gives such beautiful results, you forget to pay attention to the story. The visuals are truly mesmerizing and fresh.

Instead of letting themselves drown in state of the art 3d-rendering and plastic looking attempts of realism, the makers of Bashir dared be artistic and achieved far more impressive images than any new Pixar film.

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Katedra (2002) & Fallen Art (2004)

The great thing about short movies is that they don't need to muck about. They can focus on a single issue and make their point brilliantly, without wasting any time. Like the most perfect poetry where every word, and every syllable is well though out and has a deeper meaning, short films are cinematic minimalism at the extreme. If even as much as a second of the film does not serve the purpose of the main issue, it does not belong in the film.

The great thing about animation is, of course, the possibilities it gives the film-makers. Nothing is too far fetched, too extreme, or too difficult to materialize. If the film-makers can think it, they can put it on the screen.

Sadly, it's still rather rare to see short, animated films that take advantage of all this great potential.

But then, along comes Tomek Baginski, a Polish visionary, with talent to boot!

His two short films Katedra and Fallen art, while vastly different in imagery, genre and imagination, both share a level of excellence that is nothing short of astounding.

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IMDB FALLEN ART

Akira (1988)

I have no idea what this movie is about.

But very few people do.

Still, it is hailed as the greatest animated feature in cinematic history, by millions of people all over the world.

The animation alone is enough to tan your eyeballs and the wonderful cityscape is brought to life with such attention to detail and atmosphere, it almost rivals Blade Runner.

Best of all is that its not a movie for children. The Japanese have a whole other level of respect for animation, and treat it not as simple colors to entertain kids who are not yet able to understand anything else, but as high-grade art.

Go to bed Disney.

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Fear(s) of the Dark (2007)

Ooooh, too rarely does a movie like this one come along.

It's an animation movie, where six different directors are given the opportunity to express their darkest nightmares, with the only constraint being they can only use two colors: black and white.

What it lacks in dialog, it makes up in visual contrast. There's so much delightful darkness, and what you can't see... well, you build your own fear(s).

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Kite (1998)

I've never quite understood the point of Hentai. Are you supposed to get horny from watching animation? It does nothing for me.

Kite, on the other hand, does.

Maybe its because even though it is filled with hardcore sex, and close up penetration shots, it's really not a hentai film. Think of it more as an art-house-film with real live sex scenes.

The story is pretty decent and the idea of a young girl trained to be a ruthless assassin really strikes a cord. The animation speaks of a generous budget, and the whole thing doesn't feel like the cheap-o exploitation-animation of your average hentai film.

In short: the film's got class!

Still, if you're the type who gets offended by seeing a bare nipple, you might as well skip Kite.

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NOTE: Make sure to get the ultimate uncut, director's cut edition.

Waking Life (2001)

Waking Life might be a film, but it might also be a dream. Or maybe a dream about a film, or, if you want to be blunt: a film about a dream.

Mostly, Waking Life is an experience that will change your life. Wake up your dreams, so to speak.

Some people I've shown this too are still bringing it up in conversation, years later. Others couldn't focus, and left before it was even half way through. It's basically a piece of art: Either you think it's the most amazing thing you've ever seen, or you can't understand why anyone would voluntarily watch it.

If all this sounds like a bunch of new age mumbo-jumbo, it is just because you haven't seen the film yet. Really, it does something to you.

There's too many good things to say about director Richard Linklater to even start naming them. But going through his filmography one by one will not have you bored. Waking Life is not a bad place to start.

After you've seen it, you will definitely want to check out this web-page. Trust me. =)

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The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

Now this is animation! Not only is it animation, it is animation novelty.

Director Sylvain Chomet has managed to make something new and invigorating with this film. The whole universe, from dogs, to people, to vehicles and even buildings is overly caricatured, yet it is done so well, and hits right on the button, so that it somehow looks more real than reality.

This is all emphasized by the lack of dialogue. There are a few sentences spoken, but whether you understand French or not, it really doesn't matter. Best of all is the supporting role of the dog. It is the most truthful animation of a dog I have seen. Thankfully it doesn't talk (hear that Disney?) This film is all pantomime.

And the music... oh, what music. Whether you're hosting a party or driving your car to work, the soundtrack for this film is never wrong to put on.

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Fritz the Cat (1972)

Go to bed Disney. You SUCK!

With cartoons you can do anything! Imagine the possibilities. There's no limitations what so ever. Yet those boring douche-bags at Disney keeps making the same old sap over and over: The bad are always ugly, the good always beautiful, there's never any blood or sex, always a trio of singing sidekicks, nobody even says a bad word and there's always a disgustingly happy ending. Blurgh!

Fritz the Cat is the real deal. It's a cartoon about the coolest dope-smoking, cop-hating, nazi-killing, sex-crazed cat in the world.

It sounds ridiculous, but this film actually got an X-rating when it came out. Only hardcore porn got that. Laughable, but true.

Visionary director Raplh Bakshi eventually retired after getting nothing but resistance for his work, all through his career. But with Fritz the Cat obtaining extreme cult status through fan bases online, he has promised to come back to film making. We are eagerly awaiting to see what kind of wonderful weirdness he will come up with next.

In the meantime, I also recommend you to check out the somewhat similar Heavy Traffic, also by Raplh Bakshi.

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Bunny and the Bull (2009)

All you hoping and waiting for a fourth season of The Mighty Boosh, will be thrilled to know that a bunch of the same guys behind the show got together and made a movie!

Now before you go totally bananas in ecstatic celebration, know that Bunny and the Bull is not related to the characters from The Boosh. Still, it has the same actors, much of the same magic surrealism, and some of the humor that made the Boosh great.

The story is average, and the acting is nothing special. But it makes up for it all in abundance with the visual fantasy that tickles your eyes and crazy characters that will have you grinning from ear to ear.

But I keep coming back to the visuals, and that is really what this soon to be cult film is all about. Some scenes are breathtakingly beautiful, and just like the Boosh, this is a film that will have you wonder if somebody slipped something in your drink.

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Mary and Max (2009)

This is fresh!

It's an animated film alright, but don't let that fool you into thinking this is a movie for kids. Mary and Max is about alcoholism, obesity, taxidermy, homosexuality, mutilated pets, manslaughter, insanity, depression, suicide, and chocolate.

It's also one of the cutest and most genuinely heartwarming films I've seen in quite a while. And even though it's all made out of miniatures and clay, it still feels incredibly authentic. Probably because it's all based on a true story, and is the result of Australian director Adam Elliot having an American pen-pal with asperger syndrome, for more than 20 years.  You just can't make up something this strange!

Also interesting is how the bleak and sepia-toned colors used throughout the film subtly understated the mood-changes with different characters, and the constant voice over narration gives it all a fairytale feel, to great contrast of the insanity that is shown on the screen.


If you saw the equally brilliant cult film Harvey Krumpet, by the same director, you will have an inkling of understanding what wonderful weirdness you're in for. It's been great fun watching this director progress and mature with each project, and with Mary and Max, Adam Elliot proves once again that he is someone to pay attention to also in the future.

All in all, this is an ingenious and original piece of work, that like Waltz with Bashir, dares explore the boundaries of animation and shows that the genre is definitely not only something children can enjoy.

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More (1998)

More is everything. It is simply life, all summed up in six minutes. It might also be the most perfect animated film ever made.

The music is hypnotic, the imagery is so thick with symbolism, you almost stumble those "aaaaaah" moments, and the story is heartwarming and sad at the same time.

I must have seen this film a hundred times. You should too.

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Fantastic Planet (1973)

Animation can be a powerful tool in that it gives an artist the means to let himself go, without worrying about restrictions like a low budget, comprehensible logic or even elementary laws of physics.

And yet, just about every animated film there is, simply tries to mimic everyday life: People look like people, animals like animals, and the whole world is still just good old planet earth.

But then there is the Fantastic Planet, a psychedelic trip of a film that truly lives up to its title.

It tells the story of a strange race of giants on a wonderfully weird world, who keep another strange race of miniature men as pets. Although both creeds have their own bizarre peculiarities, after a while you somehow get the idea that they might not be so different from humans after all. The film is a kind of social satire, where one of the races might be a parody of us. The only question is which one.

Really great animated films for adults is a rare thing, so be sure to catch this gem and get ready for a totally different experience.

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Claymation Ballooza!

I remember the glory days, when monster and sci-fi movies were full of fantastic creatures. They took the viewer on incredible journeys through wonderful worlds, and seemed to be made of magic. Yet Jason and the Argonauts, Flash Gordon or Forbidden Planet didn't have the fortune of industrial light and CGI. Instead they used old men in rubber suits, miniature models and claymation. Even the mining-cart-race-scenes in Inidiana Jones and the Temple of Doom were created with the use of miniatures. And it looked GREAT!

Then came the dark ages of computer animation. It started slowly, with a tiny effect here and there, but quickly grew until the monster of a movie called Jurassic Park entered the scene, and changed everything.

It wasn’t long before you couldn’t see a scary movie, without an artificial cartoon creep crawling across the screen. The animation has improved steadily with the years, but even now, 16 years after that jurasstic movie, there’s still a major problem with this form of film-making. Because it simply doesn’t look real!

The reasons for this are many, the prime one being that it simply isn’t real. It’s fake, created out of thin air, make-believe, hokey-pokey cartoonery. And no matter how good the animators get at it, it will never look as good as something that is material. For everything that’s real, is also “flawed”. Whether it be pores in the skin, the uneven movements of a human or the just minimally jagged edge of a seemingly flat surface. Everything in reality has tiny peculiarities in them, which make them imperfect, and thus a mimic of everything else in life.

CGI on the other hand, is always smooth. Picture perfect and splendidly spotless. And even though some amazing cartoons have been created by the help of it, it is still just that: amusing cartoons.

Take a kung-fu movie, for example. The whole point of any kung-fu film, is to get the viewer amazed at seeing what the human body is capable of. If the actors are replaced by animated fakery, like the embarrassing fight scenes in Blade 2, it becomes not only boring, but also embarrassing.

Meanwhile, claymation and general stop motion, has also evolved with the years, to a point where the effect is so mesmerizing, as in Coraline, Corpse Bride or even Wallace and Gromit, you can’t believe it is actually just lifeless toys, clay and dolls. Yet that’s exactly what animation is: the art of giving life to something that is dead.

And so, these stop motion features look much more amazing than any of the latest summer block-buster computer-cartoon frenzy. Because these miniatures are really THERE, and not just created out of thin silicone, so to speak.

Never was this more beautifully illustrated than when comparing the amazing original Star Wars movies from the 80’s, with the three trashy prequels which came later. If you don’t think about the terrible scripts, tacky gimmickry and family-friendly ruination of the three newest films, and just look at the visual effects, these 32-26 year old films still has the 10-5 year old films by the throat. And that’s with a budget 1/10^th of the new films!

Movies like The Thing and An American Werewolf in London, proved perfectly in the 80s, that it is possible to create far greater monsters with the help of rubber and glue, than what the latest CGI atrocities can cook up.

And so, the old Godzilla movies will always look better than Cloverfield, any old Jackie Chan film will beat the crap out of The Matrix, and Lawrence of Arabia makes 300 appear wimpy.

That is not to say it’s all bad. CGI has been used to great effect, when it was to improve simple glitches. Like removing the indoor rain in the unfilmed scenes of The Crow, or when it was to achieve a special look like in the minimalist neon world of Tron, or any of the amusing fully animated films which has leapt out of film studios world wide the last 14 years, beginning with the first Toy Story film in 1995.

The magnificent tv-series Carnivale is the perfect measurement of how CGI can be a great tool. When it is used in the corner of the eye, to change scenery or add tiny effects, and not meant to be noticed, it is the perfect topping to a fantastic cake. Yet when it goes overboard, it gives off a foul stench, and creates a dish which no one will swallow. When CGI is put in the middle of the screen, at the very center of attention to create a whole new universe, it looks fake, wholly fake, and nothing but fake. It can be argued however, that the scenes in Carnivale which were devoured by CGI, can be defended by the fact that they are all meant to be dreams or visions, and thus not real in the first place.

Even the monsters in the Lord of the Rings movies really don't hold up, when scrutinized for longer than a casual glance. Even though they spent thousand of hours, and endless amounts of money on creating these massive monster mammoths, it still doesn’t come off as believable. If not for the quality of animation, then simply because what we see is governed by what we think, and the eye refuses to see a mammoth, when the mind knows with certainty that it’s really not there.

So why not let cartoons be cartoons, and bring the new generation of stop-motion animation back into big budget cinema? With the level of realism they are able to achieve today, it would certainly kick any fake CGI troll’s butt. Monsters used to be all sorts of awesomely cool, and can be again, if only filmmakers dare give it a second chance, and go back to playing with clay.