Month in Review: May 2011

It began with the pun “ani-May-tion.” Yes, it did.

Mr. Renders does so love his puns.

I love them too. Like I love Fresca.

As with so many things, I tend to let Mr. Renders set the agenda. He’s the ideas guy.  I bring the snacks.

Unfortunately, the snacks come with a price. The price is snark. In my Gothic way, I mutter darkly about said agenda, pout blackly, subtly act out and generally weird up the place — in the way Ally Sheedy weirded up detention in The Breakfast Club. (But without the dandruff).

This month I chose a whackload of cartoons featuring arterial spray, full frontal nudity and other unwholesome elements. I mean, I even watched and reviewed Snow White – its frank depiction of the seamy underbelly of unpaid housework was chilling. Chilling.

Here is my list of favourites, surprises, disappointments, and least-liked, as well as the movie I’d probably sort of like to watch based on Mr. Render’s relentless, rigourous logic.

Favourite Film:
Waking Life (2001) on 2011/05/23

“I’ve spent the last few days in a daze trying to figure out a way to describe this film. The best I’ve come up with so far is Waking Life is an 8x concentrated can of highly caffeinated, dangerously carbonated pop philosophy that’s been shaken violently for 12 hours.

Open at your own risk. (April Foo….Ka-booom!).”

Greatest Surprise:
Hellboy: Blood and Iron (2007) on 2011/05/25

“I chose this instalment of the Hellboy animated series, Hellboy: Blood and Iron, because it has a vampire in it. Frankly,” I choose a lot of things because they have a vampire in them. More often if there are *vampires.* I’m predictable that way. In this case, this animated feature centres around a vampire legend I am somewhat interested in: Báthory Erzsébet, Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed – The Blood Countess.” 

Most Disappointing:
Hoodwinked! Too (2011) on 2011/05/04

 “3D can be fun. That’s what I thought. That is until 3D murdered the Hoodwinked! series. I professed my deep affection for the first of the series on this site. Hoodwinked! was a noired-up version of the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood. I said this first film was criminally underappreciated. Hoodwinked! Too is merely criminal.”

Least-Liked:
Snow White (1937) on 2011/05/15

“Watching it again on a rainy, dreary Saturday afternoon, I realize that Snow White embedded some important life lessons and behaviours deep into my brain. This rewatch of Snow White as a grizzled adult succeeded in making feel bored and bad about myself. Again.”

Show Me:
Akira (1988) on 2011/05/30

“It’s a kaleidoscopic affair in more ways than one. The art is uneven from scene to scene, although parts could be intricate, beautiful. Others are much less so, more primitive. Still, everything shares a common luminescence. It looks as if the cells were painted on a frosted glass box and then lit, flickering, from within. It’s an odd but pleasing style, imbuing the telling with incongruous warmth.”