October 10, 2005

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Slideshow, courtesy of the New York Times, on "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," with voice-over from creator Nick Park.
posted by dt118 19 years ago
  • Peter Sallis is great.
  • Slideshow? Bah! I sneer at your primitive, still picture technology! A few months ago, I visited the Wallace & Gromit set and directed two full-motion behind-the-scenes short films for Moviefone. The first one is on the history of Ardman Animation and Wallace & Gromit in general, and the second is a behind-the-scenes look at The Curse of the Were-Wolf in particular. I am a huge Nick Park fanboy but managed to keep my fanboyism in check, since saying "I think you're one of the greatest living directors. Do you agree?" might be an off-putting way to begin the interview. Incidentally, I am pleased to report that Park and his co-director seemed like genuinely nice people.
  • > Extraordinarily Sucky News man that wererabbit packs a powerful curse.
  • Man, this is a wonderful movie.
  • I met Nick Park 15 years ago at an animation festival we were both attending (he won the grand prix, I didn't win anything). I went out and bought some plasticine and handed it to him, asking if he could make me a 'clayograph'™. He was genuinely surprised, he apparently never got this request before, and then made, a l'improviste, a Wallace figurine for me. He complained he had no materials for the teeth and eyes, so he use the back of a bic pen to make the eyes, and signed it. I still have it, sitting in a longdrink glass. If I put it up on eBay it will probably make me some money. But I won't, because it's too dear to me.
  • Seeing it this evening... *giggles*
  • Saw it yesterday and thought it was quite good. Thought the Madagascar penguins short in the beginning was not very good. Being British in background, I've seen other W&G shorts and I was really looking forward to this - it didn't disappoint.
  • great story mare.
  • WHhoo boy was that Madagascar penguins short a turd. Dragged on way too long, and not funny at all. W&G I thought was fine, though a bit long in the beginning. I think the "short" format works much better for them... IMO.
  • I thought the penguins were a nice intermediate step between Wallace and Gromit and the coming attractions. 'Chicken Little' and whatever the other POS was with Shatner and Bruce Willis doing the voices. At the risk of overstating the obvious, so far the evidence suggests that nobody but Pixar should be allowed to make cg features.
  • Oh god.. there wasn't a hopeful preview in the bunch. Can't get enough of Steve Martin and 12 zany kids? Don't worry, we've got Cheaper by the Dozen 2 coming soon! Can't fill up on your over-stuffed ensemble star-studded cast of CG talking animals struggling against the evil "humans" invading their space? Well then prepare for "Over the Hedge" ladies and gentlemen! And on and on...