Oscar Nominated Shorts (2002)

For the second year in a row, Apollo Cinema is presenting the Oscar Nominated Shorts Program. If you ever wondered why the Academy bothers with the Best Animated Short and Best Live Action Short Awards, these films are shining examples of why these categories deserves to be recognized. Some of the best movies you'll ever get to see are under 30 minutes and this may be the only chance to watch them (which is a shame). Don't miss the opportunity to check these out.

Movie Chick Cherryl and Honorary Movie Chick Virlinda had a chance to catch these films at the Magnolia in Dallas. We were both blown away by the overall quality of the films. Picking the ones we liked best was not an easy task, but if we were forced to pass out Oscars, we know which we would choose.

Overall rating - 4.5

Best Animated Short Nominees:

Das Rad (Rocks)
(Country: Germany, Nominated: Chris Stenner & Heidi Wittlinger, 8 min)

Two rocks, Hew and Kew, stand on a mountain looking into the valley below - time goes by for them at a completely different pace than "people time". They watch as man evolves and transforms the valley into a city. Our circle of life makes for an interesting topic of conversation for the rocks.

MCC - "This is such a clever and amusing short. It's beautifully animated and my personal favorite in this category."

The Cathedral
(Country: Poland, Nominated: Tomek Baginski, 6 min)

A man enters a magnificent open-air cathedral that seems to be literally growing out of the surrounding landscape. The pillars are statues that come alive as the man walks by, but the magic of the cathedral is not at all what it seems to be.

MCC - "The music is magnificent and the animation is dazzling."

Mt. Head (Atama Yama)
(Country: Japan, Nominated: Koji Yamamura, 10 min)

A stingy man has no qualms about picking cherries off the ground, and then because he doesn't like to waste anything he even eats the seeds. He's less than thrilled when a cherry tree begins to grow from the top of his head.

MCC - "This is such a bizarre story, but it's funny and has a unique charm."

The Chubbchubbs!
(Country: USA, Nominated: Eric Armstrong, 6 min)

Meeper works at Ale-E Inn, a local bar in the middle of the galaxy (with a lot of familiar patrons). He may be a janitor, but dreams of singing on stage and has eyes for the performing Diva. When Meeper hears that the Chubbchubbs are coming, he repeatedly (and unsuccessfully) tries to warn everybody in the bar. Wait till you see who the Chubbchubbs are.

MCC - "They pack a lot of laughs into 6 minutes. Any fan of sci-fi films will love the patrons that walk into this bar."

Mike's New Car
(Country: USA, Nominated: Pete Docter & Roger Gould, 4 min)

Your favorite characters from Monsters, Inc. are back. Mike's got a brand new car and Sulley wants to go for a ride. The only problem is this model has all the bells and whistles you can imagine (and some you can't), and Mike apparently has not bothered with the owner's manual.

MCC - "Anybody who's ever driven a fully loaded car can appreciate Mike's dilemma - even if you haven't, you can appreciate the humor. This is Honorary Movie Chick Virlinda's pick for best animated film."

Best Live-Action Short Nominees:

This Charming Man (Der Er En Yndig Mand)
(Country: Denmark, Nominated: Martin Strange & Mie Andreasen, 29 min)

Lars Hansen has been out of work for 2 years, but has found a place that will hire him. First, he must clear the paperwork at the employment center, which won't be easy. His identity gets confused with a Pakistan immigrant El Hassan, and he's told he can't start work until he takes Danish classes (which are taught by an acquaintance from school, Ida). Caught in the web of bureaucratic red tape, Lars can complain, or he can embrace his situation and it might lead to something more than a job.

MCC - "This is another situation that's easy to relate to - you may not be trying to find employment in Denmark, but if you've ever tried to correct an error and gotten the telephone runaround, you know Lars' frustration. Besides, it's been our experience that Danish films are filled with a warm sense of humor and loads of charm."

Inja (Dog)
(Country: Australia, Nominated: Steven Pasvolsky & Joe Weatherstone, 17 min)

On a South African plantation, a young worker plays with the owner's dog. The jealous owner uses a brutal technique to teach the dog to hate people of color. Years later, the owner discovers that the dog has learned the lesson - too well.

MCC - "Uncomfortable to watch (even when you know it's 'movie violence'), but powerful. The morale of this story is: When you teach hate, you reap what you sew."

Fait d'Hiver (Gridlock)
(Country: Belgium, Nominated: Dirk Beliën & Anja Daelemans, 7 min)

A man stuck in traffic decides to use his new cell phone to call home - with disastrous results (giving any more away would be a crime).

MCC - "This is dark humor at its finest. The movie keeps going in unexpected directions and doesn't stop until the hilarious song playing over the end credits. One Movie Chick and one Honorary Movie Chick concur - this is our favorite in the live-action short category."

I'll Wait For The Next One (J'Attendrai Le Suivant)
(Country: France, Nominated: Philippe Orreindy & Thomas Gaudin, 4 min)

A lonely woman gets on the subway and thinks she's found the man of her dreams when a young man boards and starts making a plea - he's looking for a single woman to share his life and his conventional attempts have failed.

MCC - "Fate can be so cruel and this short has a nasty twist. But you have to give them credit because they create characters that you can connect with in a surprisingly short period of time - you can feel a lot of different emotions in 4 minutes."