Dominic von Riedemann's Blog

Posted by Dominic von Riedemann

Confession time: I actually have a poison pill implanted in my left bicuspid, set to explode should I not mention that Jennifer Shiman has produced another 30-second animated parody of a popular movie, starring bunnies.

Actually, I don't mind too much since they're usually pretty funny. After the Thirty Second Bunnies Theatre re-enactment of Spider-Man 1 and 2 (click on the link to check it out), it was only a matter of time before the bunnies would go after this summer's top blockbuster, Spider-Man 3.

If this spoof is slightly weaker than previous parodies, it's only because Spider-Man 3 had so many bloody sub-plots and villains that 30 seconds wasn't nearly enough to give them their due (and spoof). Nevertheless, Shiman gives it the old college try and does a better job than we have a right to expect. And yes, Marvel Comics founder Stan Lee gets a cameo.

Next up for the Thirty-Second Bunnies Theatre? Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

You can check out the Thirty Seconds Bunnies Theatre re-enactment of Spider-Man 3 by clicking here.

P.S. - Wait 'til the end for a great Simpsons Movie riff.

Posted by Dominic von Riedemann

Love them or hate them, you can't escape the ubiquitous "Get a Mac" campaigns featuring Justin Long ("I'm a Mac") and John Hodgman (". . . and I'm a PC"). The vast number of different spots that they've produced since its 2006 inception, plus the translations into foreign markets like Britain or Japan using different actors, is a testament to the campaign's effectiveness and success.

For one of their most recent spots, Apple went with a Christmas theme, using stop-motion house Laika Entertainment to render Long and Hodgman in cartoon form. Drew Lightfoot directed and animated the spot, with character design from Shane Prigmore. Naturally, Long and Hodgman voiced the roles for the new advertisement.

Standing in a snowy field, Mac and PC flank a rotund Santa Claus that looks suspiciously similar to the character design from Rankin-Bass' 1970 stop-motion classic Santa Claus is Coming to Town. After Santa gives them their note from a pitch-pipe (E-flat, in case you're interested), they begin to sing the classic Christmas song.

However, PC inserts his own lyrics in the turn-around, singing, "So buy a PC and not a Mac this holiday season, or at any other time, for goodness' sake." Santa and Mac roll their eyes at each other, and refuse to sing along when PC tries to go back into the chorus.

It's not as funny as previous "Get a Mac" ads but the guys from Laika did a nice job.

You can check out the Mac vs. PC silliness by clicking over here.

Posted by Dominic von Riedemann

What's big, blue, wears a mohawk, and commits random acts of violence?

That would be Papü: The Inexplicable Force of Nature, the latest hero of Xeth Feinberg's Flash animated shorts. Feinberg, best known for the Mickey Mouse-spoofing Bulbo and the feature-length animated flick Gay Duck, has created a new protagonist, a gigantic, diaper-wearing maniac who throws his twin hammers a lot.

So does Papü shorts do? Well, the big blue guy gets into situations alongside his pals Little Boy and Captain Wacky. Just when there's the possibility of a plot, Papü lets loose his trademark yell, "Papü smash!" and does the wrong thing at the wrong time, to comedic results.

We're not talking War and Peace-style storytelling here, but the shorts are silly fun and that theme song is insanely catchy. The animation has some great energy to it as well.

You can check out the latest short, America's Next Top Papü Idol, where Papü and a certain snippy celebrity producer judge possible imitators. Look for a cameo from one of Feinberg's other shorts, The Old Man and the Skyscraper (methinks Feinberg is spoofing the NFB with that one, but maybe that's just me).

There are three other Papü clips on offer:

Papü in Paradise: Papü and pals go to Heaven, but the big blue guy takes the instruction "Do whatever you want" a little too literally. Gotta love the Mohammed riff.

Papü and the Undersea Space Zombies: Papü recruits a group of random superheroes to take on duck-like, cyclopean monsters. Or, at least they try . . .

Papü Family Values: Papü has Thanksgiving Dinner with his big brother Babü. Violence ensues.

Enjoy the cartoons, and sing along, everybody: "Papü / Papü / He's very big and blue / Papü / Papü / A friend to me and you!"

Posted by Dominic von Riedemann

Ever since Disney's Beauty and the Beast got nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award back in 1992, pundits have wondered if, one day, an animated film might take home the Big Oscar.

When the Academy established the Best Animated Feature Film category in 2002 (first won by Shrek), it indicated that AMPAS, despite rules saying that Best Animated Film nominees were automatically nominated for Best Picture, didn't want cartoons anywhere near the Best Picture category.

Disney chairman Dick Cook had similar concerns. “We all hope this doesn’t take away the opportunity of an animated feature to be recognized as Best Picture,” he told Variety in December of 2000.

However, no animated film since 1992 has received the universal plaudits given to Ratatouille. Should Disney/Pixar try for a Best Picture nomination, or content themselves with an almost certain win in Best Animated Feature Film?

The only real competition for Ratatouille comes from Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, which some pundits liked even more than Bird's flick. However, the short list for Best Picture nominations is pretty weak this year, with no other film getting Ratatouille's critical love.

The downside? The Best Picture field is an R-rated zone, with only two PG-rated films getting nominations in the past 10 years. Neither of those two, 2004's Finding Neverland and 2005's Good Night and Good Luck, were serious contenders. Ratatouille's G rating is a liability here.

Also, if Ratatouille tries for Best Picture, it may hurt its chances in the Best Animated film category, which means that Persepolis could steal the animated prize. That said, Persepolis has a similar issue with its Best Foreign Film nomination.

Should Ratatouille try for Best Picture? Stay tuned and see what I find out.

Posted by Dominic von Riedemann

"I've had it with these mother******* bunnies on this mother******* plane!"

Unlike a lot of people, I really liked last year's disaster flick Snakes on a Plane. It was a movie that delivered exactly what it advertised: snakes, a plane, people on the aforementioned plane getting bitten by the aforementioned snakes, and Samuel L. Jackson doing his patented bad-ass mofo act. In that respect, it was a successful movie.

Not surprisingly, Jennifer Shiman and her 30-Second Bunnies Theatre have taken on the Internet sensation that became the not-so-blockbuster in their latest parody. Much like the original film, Shiman's parody/tribute takes the occasional moment to wink at the audience before kicking in the next round of mayhem. I especially loved the one snake talking to his honey via live-link, telling her, "I love you! Hang on . . ." before biting somebody.

Look for the Bunnies' take on Spider-Man 3 to finish off 2007, and Pirates of the Caribbean 3 to kick off 2008.

You can check out the mother******* bunnies on the mother******* plane by clicking here.