Bill
Plympton's Dog Days + Guns On the Clackamas (Microcinema
DVDs)
Picture: B- Sound: C+ Extras: B Shorts/Main Program: C
Bill Plympton famed animator known for his original string of animated
short film, brings a comedy like no one else with a collection of short films
from 2004-2008, "Dog Days."
A cute animated series a
little dog with big eyes trying to do right, but just having no luck is a
highlight and typical of the irony of his existential characters and their
situations. The films featured include
various music commercials, music videos, sometimes with a darker tone but
touching, an amusing original animation with imagination. In the separately sold, live action "Guns On the Clackamas"
features a comedy of filming of a Hollywood western with non-existence budget,
and as their actors have died they must somehow finish the film!
Plympton brings originality with comical twist in both his animations and
live-action films. Sometimes with a
morbid sense of comedy various 'characters' would die off, either by accident
or by purpose it delivers a comical line or gives you something to think about
film. Either way the films are enjoyable
for a laugh and a smile. Being the
nature of something you see in a film festival one can appreciate its
creativity, that a film doesn't have to be complex but as long as you feel for
a moment what the artist is trying to convey, the film is successful.
Watching these short films remind me of more artistic days of if someone was in
a film club, to enjoy how the
film was presented and not as much the plot or story. In the films you can definitely see and feel
the style of artist each one of the film, and you could recognize them if you
saw them again in another film. Most of
the films had feel almost if they were trying to include the viewers as part of
film as if they trying to talk you, sort of like Mystery Science Theater or a comedian getting the audience to laugh
with the film.
The
picture and sound quality are up to par with the Plymptoons set we previously
covered, which means all shorts and the like play back well and you can read
more about that at this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4088/Plymptoons+%E2%80%93+The+Compl
- Ricky Chiang
