Slog News & Arts

Line Out

Music & Nightlife

« The Tech Primary | I'm Usually Pro-Graffiti »

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Will Vinton’s Coming!!!!!

posted by on January 29 at 11:07 AM

Will Vinton is the most amazing stop-motion animator to ever live.

Perhaps you remember these commercials?

But look at this:

Wallace and Gromit ain’t got shit.

Will Vinton is coming to the Northwest Film Forum this Saturday Feb 2 at 3 pm. He will speak and then they’re gonna show a bunch of his really early work. It is the Children’s Film Festival, so if you like to watch your movies with no accompanying gurgles, yelps, or “Mommy!”s, this show isn’t for you.

Also—I went to see The Robber Hotzenplotz at the CFF last weekend. I’m sure no one else in SlogLand saw it, but it was pretty amazing, until they started using computer animation for a crocodile-hybrid dog thing that looked terrible and was completely unnecessary to the story. Why did they feel the need to make a children’s film longer? Cut it off twenty minutes earlier and cut out the CGI and it’s a masterpiece.

RSS icon Comments

1

If you think that's amazing, you should check out Bruce Bickford. He will blow your mind.

Posted by Paulus | January 29, 2008 11:19 AM
2

That was fantastic.

Posted by superyeadon | January 29, 2008 11:22 AM
3

Uh, did you just dis Wallace and Gromit? I'm comin' over there, Spool...

Posted by Stephanie P. | January 29, 2008 11:32 AM
4

#1: Bruce Bickford is more psychedelic, but I think his actual physical animation is rougher. Vinton is amazing because his clay barely looks like clay.

Posted by Ari Spool | January 29, 2008 11:40 AM
5

Dammit! I'll be attending the Science Fiction Short Film Festival at Cinerama on the 2nd. Too... much... nerdery!

Will's the shit and The Adventures of Mark Twain is a great movie, but smack yourself repeatedly for dissing W&G.

Posted by JC | January 29, 2008 11:40 AM
6

please don't forget ray harryhausen: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9kmjW73-v4

Posted by Maria | January 29, 2008 11:44 AM
7

holy crap! I knew I recognized that face:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FnN9ltkHSw

Posted by sam e. | January 29, 2008 11:49 AM
8

Thank you @6. Vinton is good, but he's not quite in Harryhausen's league.

Posted by COMTE | January 29, 2008 12:24 PM
9

#6 & #8: The main difference between Harryhausen and Will Vinton is that Will Vinton can make believable people. Pioneers in animation always start with things and creatures--it is way easier to blow someone's mind with a creature. Ray Harryhausen didn't even really try to make people.

Posted by Ari Spool | January 29, 2008 12:32 PM
10

I will never forget watching Will Vinton's Christmas Special as a kid. Amazing stuff!

Posted by Captain Grace | January 29, 2008 12:35 PM
11

I will never forget watching Will Vinton's Christmas Special as a kid. Amazing stuff!

Posted by Captain Grace | January 29, 2008 12:35 PM
12

Claymation Christmas is awesome!

Posted by angel | January 29, 2008 12:37 PM
13

Sorry. I remember the California Raisins Christmas Special. Baaarf.

Posted by K | January 29, 2008 12:59 PM
14

why would he try to make people when you can use real people and then concentrate on making medusa come to life? sorry, but i think medusa kicks ass over stop motion old man anyday. besides, he kind of pioneered stop motion after willis o'brien.

Posted by Maria | January 29, 2008 3:58 PM

Comments Closed

In order to combat spam, we are no longer accepting comments on this post (or any post more than 14 days old).