Cartoon Noir
The outstanding film in this collection is Pedro Serrazino's elegant "The Story of the Cat and the Moon," the tale of a frustrated lover of an elusive feline. The artist skillfully juxtaposes areas of black and white, and plays with reflections and reversed images to create a graceful, pleasing visual essay. The rest of the collection consists of "B" and "C" level films from the festival circuit that offer an occasional interesting moment or striking image, but fail as sustained narratives. Jiri Barta uses live-action footage and stop-motion animation of crumbling department store mannequins to present a grim commentary on the regimented life of contemporary urban society in the overly long "Club of the Discarded." Paul Vester cuts between grainy live action and various animated styles to illustrate "interviews, hypnotic regression tapes, and original drawings" by supposed alien abduction victims. The array of animated visuals remains less than the sum of its parts, and the viewer is left with the feeling that Vester has exploited his unimpressive subjects. Julie Zammarchi uses a similar palette of visuals styles in "Ape," but the results amount to little more than a shaggy-dog--or -monkey--story. Unrated; suitable for ages 16 and up for sexual situations, nudity, and grotesque imagery.--Charles Solomon