TV Series

Netflix is a mixed blessing. I find myself wasting tons of time watching old television shows, movies I never got around to watching, and new series. This week I've picked up two new series to watch and boy are they the opposite ends of the spectrum.

I'm a huge fan of Wallace and Gromit so I've been looking to find other Aardman Films to watch on Netflix. That lead me to a little animated series called Shaun the Sheep. The series is based around Shaun, a sheep character from Wallace and Gromit's "A Close Shave". After the film, the character was quite literally put out to pasture. He lives in an English countryside home surrounded by many other sheep, a nonchalant sheepdog, and a blind and almost incompetent farmer. The sheepdog practically runs the place (with the help of Shaun) and the barnyard gets into plenty of trouble. From alien encounters to sheep ordering (and picking up) take out pizza, each 7 to 8 minute episode is jam packed with laughs and silliness. There is no real dialogue and the characters speak only in mumbles and grunts. But we don't need words to follow along. Sometimes the slapstick says more than witty dialogue ever could. Silly and cute.

The other series I've become fascinated with is the exact opposite of silly and cute. Jeff started watching season one of Dexter and has slowly drawn me in to the creepy series about a serial killer who works for the Miami Police Department. This series is filled with witty dialogue, a great narration, and enough creepiness to keep me on the edge of my seat. Dexter, played brilliantly by Michael C. Hall, is a serial killer who focuses his powers for "good", killing people who literally get away with murder. He kills people who have been brought to trial but get off on some type of technicality. But even with his "altruistic" streak, he's being hunted. By his own coworkers. His coworkers don't know he's a killer, they just know that he's really good at figuring out blood splatter marks. Dexter keeps up a narration through the whole series so we get a chance to hear what he says and what he's actually thinking. That provides a lot of the humor which is dark and dry, my favorite. It's a creepy show and it's not for the squeamish. But if you can stomach the blood, the writing makes it well worth it.

Like I said, these are about as polar opposite as you can get. So when I'm not watching people get sliced and diced by one of the most oddly sympathetic serial killers you'll ever meet, I'm watching a fluffy sheep save the day with the help of his sheep buddies and one poor sheepdog. I might need therapy after these two series.

Animation Evening

It's not often that I have to work a ton of overtime at my job but last night was one of those days. I had an incredibly stressful project that needed to be finished that night for the governor's office so I ended up staying at the office much later than usual. Mentally I was drained by the time I got into the car so I called Jeff and told him I was picking up Taco John's (my nearly obsessive guilty pleasure) and did he want anything. A bagful of cheesy, fried, and greasy food later, I settled into the couch to enjoy one of my other favorite activity, watching animated films.

The last time Jeff and I were in Target I noticed a copy of Wallace and Gromit's The Wrong Trousers for a decent price. I love Wallace and Gromit so I did a little persuading (okay I begged) to be able to buy it. Last night I sat down and popped it into my computer. Jeff was working on his last paper for the semester and I didn't want to bother him. The Wrong Trousers was the second Wallace and Gromit film done and I still think it is their best. If you haven't seen it yet, I would recommend finding a copy. It has the duo playing foil to a very crafty penguin. I won't tell you more because I don't want to spoil it. Thirty minutes of pure enjoyment.

After the film itself was done, I watched the Making Of special with Nick Park and Aardman Studios. I got to watch how Nick moved the characters, what a typical shot was like, and a bit about his history as an animator. It was fun but in the back of my mind all I could think about was the fire that Aardman Studios had in 2005 destroying over 30 years of props. It was really tough to think of all of those sets, all of those clay figures, all that art simply gone.

After Wallace and Gromit, I headed over to one of my favorite places to spend time, Animation Blog. This blog, which posts regularly, provides commentary and links on animated films from all over the internet. It focuses more on short films than on the full length features that hit the theaters. And almost all of the films that it offers are wonderful. Some are sweet and sad, others are comical, and still others simply make you think. Most of the great animation being produced right now is simply beautiful. Often the mix of digital and hand-drawn can have some amazing effects. I watched a couple different films off of Animation Blog but then ended up getting sucked onto the YouTube for Gobelins and that's where I stayed.

Gobelins is an art school in France that seems to have one of the best animation programs in the world. The films that these kids are putting out are well above anything that the major studios can put out. So many of them are thoughtful, funny, and sweet, sometimes all at once. I know that when I start a Gobelins film that I'll see something unique and beautiful. Of all the animation that I've watched, these tend to be the films that draw me. I watched probably 15 to 20 of those films last night. The school has just released their film introductions for the upcoming animation festival, Annecy International Film Festival. With only a minute or two these film intros made me practically beg to see the rest. Beautiful, powerful, and exhilarating. This is animation at its finest.

Image from last year's Annecy offering Mostera Deliciosa. In fact this link will lead you to a youtube video for all four of Gobelins film introductions for 2009. You need to click on it. Seriously.