An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It 2/10 The story of a telemarketer who is informed by a talking ostrich that he lives in an orchestrated, stop motion universe, this weak short film looks good but completely rips off the plot from “The Matrix”. The framing also annoyed me as the short film is shot so you can see the world being constructed, which makes sense but was incredibly distracting. At 11 minutes long, there is no time for development but at least the pacing made it fly by.
#AnOstrichInTheMatrix
The Flying Sailor 3/10 The incredible true story of the largest accidental explosion in history which was caused by two colliding ships in 1917, “The Flying Sailor” is all style over substance. Almost the entirety of the seven minute running time is spent with a naked sailor as he flies through the air. It looks interesting (although the sailor is certainly out of weight regulations) and incredible how this sailor in real life was thrown over 1.2 miles and survived but the repetition, lack of dialogue and no real substance make this another letdown that shouldn’t have been nominated.
#AhoyStory
Ice Merchants 4.5/10 The synopsis reads, “Every day, a father and his son jump with a parachute from their vertiginous cold house, attached to a cliff, to go to the village on the ground, far away where they sell the ice they produce daily.” While the story is interesting and the 14 minute running time doesn’t overstay its welcome, the lack of dialogue, nonsensical elements and underwhelming score make this way more forgettable than it should have been. By no means bad but there is no heart/emotion behind it, resulting in a mediocre short film.
#WouldntItBeIce
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse 6.5/10 The best of the bunch and Oscar winning short film, “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” has the most star power behind it with Idris Elba, Gabriel Byrne, Tom Hollander and more taking on voice roles. Apple+ being behind it also gives it the funding and solid animation need to look and sound good. While well made and faithful to the children’s book upon which it is based, the short film goes on a little bit too long at 34 minutes and the well meaning dialogue was way too on the nose throughout, resulting in an overall forgettable short film that while well intentioned, won’t stay with you.
#Beast2
My Year of Dicks 2/10 Just like the title suggests, this true story follows a 15 year old girl determined to lose her virginity and the possible candidates she encounters across the five chapters of the short film. The only real strength this short film has going for it is how it changes animation styles for each of the five chapters, which looked good and felt original. That being said, I can’t think of more of a story NOT worth telling than this. While most of these short, animated films have a moral of the story, this one embraces degenerate debauchery and acts like it is a good thing. While perfectly summing up Hollywood’s morals into one short film, this is one that should be avoided and is tied for the worst of the bunch.
#WrittenAndDirectedByAndyDick
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