What is your favorite bit of animation?

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I've been meaning to ask you all this question for awhile now. What is your favorite bit of animation? Why? What is it like... is it avant-garde, is it nostalgic, is it whimsical, does it make you laugh, does it move you, is it Disney, or Warner, or someone independent-minded? And what does it say about you?

I was happy to see that mine is now on YouTube: Eric and Susan Goldberg's tribute to Gershwin, Hirschfeld, and New York. Part one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWH2OdC9WI8), part two (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddxuynM6q0k&feature=related).

I think I love it because it combines stylish line and beautifully well-developed story. It has characters that you not only feel for, but feel like. And it pays tribute to three people and things I adore.

[Capt Jack]

Im sure few would agree with me on this but

the original "Heavy Metal (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082509/)" movie is the first to come to mind

no, the animation isnt fantastic. no, not for the nekkid women aspects. yes, the stories were pretty mundane by current standards, but still. it was (as I recall) all hand drawn and animated, was pretty 'cutting edge' for the time and is more than a little into the realm of 'cult classic' than anything else.

since I saw it wayy back during its original screening, its just always been one of my faves. worked long and hard to snag a bootleg of that a few (ok, more than a few) years ago.

<shrug>

edit: oh yeah, and I still have the soundtrack I listen to quite a bit...:blush:

[Ghoulish Delight]

God, what an impossible question for me to answer.

Any animation that both has a good story to tell and uses the medium is good, no matter the particular style. Equally impressive to me are the technical mastery of Pixar and the crude simplicity of Don Herzfeldt. And anything in between that combines those two elements.

[Crazybirdman]

if by bit you mean short . . I really like Billy's Baloon (http://www.veoh.com/videos/v310887djATTJBR) and The Cat Came Back (http://www.metacafe.com/watch/27652/the_cat_came_back/). They always make me smile, if not fall off the chair laughing.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I didn't necessarily mean shorts exclusively, but I did mean something specific that stood out to you. Thanks for the links, I'm off to check them out!

[wendybeth]

I'd have to say Snow White, even though it's a full length feature. (My favorite 'bits' were probably the Bugs Bunny ones from the Sixties). It's such a departure from any of the previous animation of that era, and still looks great. Besides cementing Walt's reputation (and financing his future endeavors), it legitimized animation in the film industry and had a huge influence on the quality of animation industry-wide. I loved the display they have in the Animators Workshop in DCA this year- it was cool to see all the early designs and cells from the movie. Strangely enough, it's not my favorite animated feature by far- the animals were too crudely drawn and the singing kind of gets on my nerves, but I respect it for what it represents and the standard it set for the studio with regards to later features.

[Chernabog]

I still like the artistry of Sleeping Beauty, can't wait for the BD to come out this year. The two sequences that always thrill me to pieces are when Aurora gets hypnotized by the glowing ball (mostly for the music though and the tension of the scene), and the dragon sequence. From the time Maleficent wakes up and starts cursing ("A forest of thorns shall be his tomb, borne through the skies in a fog of doom, now go with a curse and serve me well, round Stephen's castle cast my spell!"... I get chills) to when the fairies imbue the sword with power ("Sword of truth fly swift and sure, that evil die and good endure!"... I get all misty-eyed)... yeah I know it's silly, but that's my favorite!

But I also like scenes like Triplets of Belleville (the sequence on the boat is amazing), Princess Mononoke (when the forest spirit gets whacked), Sailor Moon season 1 (a (spoiler free moment) in the final episode had me literally bawling it was so emotionally powerful), Metropolis (the anime version, obviously, when the city gets exploded), and the opening sequence of Beauty and the Beast gives me chills.

[BDBopper]

As an enthusiast that is one impossible question to answer. Being legally blind also increases my difficulty. I'll have to think about this carefully. I'll be back with something that actualy resembles an intelligent answer later.

[CoasterMatt]

My favorite bit of animation would be the Auctioneer at Pirates of the Caribbean, followed closely by the Wicked Witch at Great Movie Ride.

[Snowflake]

I've been thinking and thinking and thinking on LSPE's question.

One of the first bits of animation I really, honestly and truly appreciated would have to have been some of the early Fleischer's, the Betty Boops and some fo the early Popeye cartoons. Although I'm not a Popeye fan, some of their b/w animation was lovely and the whole moving background process Fleischer invented is still a visual image I look back on with fondness. Pre-multiplane, it gave a depth that I still remember as remarkable for its time.

I think one of the most influential pieces for me creatively is a film by Saul Bass, Why Man Creates. It had everything in it, simple line drawing and great ping pong animation! Educational film it may have been, but I still loved it.

For sheer beauty of animation, I am drawn back to Disney 1940 for Fantasia. Not only did this film introduce me to classical music, it remains one of my favorite Disney features. The animation was superb and it allowed much wondeful creativity by the animators who worked on it, stylistically different in each episode. Harbinger of Steophonic Sound, this film was a ground breaker, too. If I had to pick only one section, jeez that would be tough, but I think the Nutcracker Suite is just fabulous in the use of multiplane and music and character (out of objects which had no character in real life). I can watch this over and over and it is ever fresh to me.

[Ponine]

For me its a tie...
All Dogs go to Heaven will always make me smile, and cry. (the original)

The scene where Anne-Marie is admonsihed and ****s in the corner huging her knees, and where Charlie reads to her in bed.

Both for the obvious reason, her name, and the fact that she does indeed look like myself as a younger person,
and for the loss of a wonderful talent that was never allowed to bloom, Miss Barsi.

My other would be a scene from The Mouse and his Child
The moment with the mirror upon mirror reflections.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

Well I don't know if this is really my favorite, but when I read your question, Rock-A-Bye Bear (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJGhaq8Vh7U) is the first thing that popped into my head. I think it's hilarious on its own merits, but it also has additional humor value as well as sentimentality because it was (is?) usually shown and acted out before RHPS at the Nuart Theatre.

[innerSpaceman]

The Nutcracker Suite from Fantasia.

everything from Pleasure Island to the end of Pinocchio.


everything from Prince Phillips escape to the end of Sleeping Beauty.




Oh, and the Sea of Holes from Yellow Submarine.



Um, as I'm thinking of this, it becomes more and more impossible. There's so much more Disney, so much Ghibli, so much Pixar before I even get around to my more esoteric choices. Impossible. Time Conuming of time I do not have.


Sorry.

My four choices listed above will have to suffice as representative samples of the type of stuff I love.

[Snowflake]

Oh, and the Sea of Holes from Yellow Submarine.


Oh yes.....Yellow Submarine

[Ghoulish Delight]

Pink Elephants on Parade.

[wendybeth]

Oh yes.....Yellow Submarine

Lol- my nephew's b-day was on Saturday. His mom had ordered a dark chocolate cake, and after he ate his piece he had a perfect chocolate ring around his mouth. He looked just like the Blue Max from that movie.:D

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Dumbo. I like the scene with the crows done by Ward Kimball.

[Morrigoon]

I've thought about it, and I simply can't pick.

I can name ELEMENTS of animated works that stand out - obviously for me the Eyvind Earle backgrounds for Sleeping Beauty would be a standout there.

There are scenes I could name, but they are so iconic that they're almost not worth mentioning (Fairy godmother scene from Cinderella, for a starter), but more of a standout to me were some of the elements of that film. Cinderella's plucky, rebellious nature comes across much better in the film than the vapid modern-day representations of princesses Disney offers these days, so much so that I think many of us forget about it until we give the film a re-watch. Also love some of the design elements in Cinderella - the railings on the bridge they cross during "So This Is Love". The play of silver on midnight blue in many of those ball scenes (long shot of the castle, walking around outside with the prince etc.)

I'm also a huge fan of the Rankin-Bass stop-motion animation. Their drawn stuff, not so much, but definitely the stop motion. I'm rather fond of Leprechaun's Christmas Gold as an overall piece.

[Gn2Dlnd]

I read the title of this thread as, "What is your favorite bit of animal?" And I thought, "Bacon, of course."

Or wings. The bacon of chicken.

[innerSpaceman]

In mind-reviewing many of my fave moments in animated film (which this thread has nicely inspired), I can't separate the animation art or character-come-to-life from the drama of the scene, or the musical score, or the tone in relation to the entire piece, or one of the many other visual elements besides the animation. It's all of a thing, so my favorites don't necessarily represent my votes for high-water marks of the animated filmmakers' art.



'nuther good one, as passover approaches ...

Moses Meets God - from The Prince of Egypt. Moses and Burning Bush Jehovah both played by Val Kilmer.

[mousepod]

This thread had me thinking for a long while. I was away (at work) all day and I was all ready to be the first to post Yellow Submarine... guess not. But still... a great flick. So many moments...

[flippyshark]

Here's a shout out to some of my favorite moments in animation:

- "Dance of the Hours" from Fantasia - some of the best physical comedy ever committed to film. Inspired.
- "Pink Elephants On Parade" - Beautifully surreal sequence from Dumbo, one that fascinated me so much as a child, I insisted on staying at the theater for a second viewing.
- "Eleanor Rigby" from Yellow Submarine - The melancholy song and the xeroxed photo animation combined to make me get all weepy, but in a really nice way. There was so much more to this wonderful film, but that sequence stuck with me the most.
- "Bear Necessities" from The Jungle Book - I was three years old, and this is the moment I fell in love, with animation, with movies, with music, basically with life. I remember it to this day.
- "Goodbye Blue Sky" from Pink Floyd The Wall - The Gerald Scarfe animation for this film was scary, poetic and perfectly suited to the somber, narcissistic narrative of this concept album on film. I was expecting to see more of this sort of serious visual treatment of music in films, but it never really happened.
- "This Is Halloween" - I knew that The Nightmare Before Christmas had me in its spell from moment one. This number still excites me.

These are obviously all tied to musical moments, and I'm not even considering full features (or even shorts) here. I could go on for days.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

The scene that first comes to mind is the Little April Shower sequence in Bambi.

[innerSpaceman]

Three I like from Ghibli:

Dormant Laputa Robot reawakens and seemingly runs amok - havoc ensues -- in Castle in the Sky.

The Forest Spirit heals Ashiitaka's* gun-shot wound in Princess Mononoke

and

Shakira* falls through the proverbial looking glass as dusk falls on the Bathhouse town and everything she has ever known is magically and devastatingly transformed - in Spirited Away





* I have no idea how to spell these characters' names.

[lashbear]

The first Wow moment for me as a child was "The Aristocats" were the Tiffany lampshade casts multi-coloured hues all over the cats while they're playing music. I haven't seen it since, so i',m a little hazy. Is this during "Everybody wants to be a cat"?

[CoasterMatt]

One of my favorite pieces is Porky In Wackyland (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arNNWKYkc3I), an awesome Bob Clampett cartoon, that I loved so much I got a souvenir plate featuring the Wackyland sign - "It Can Happen Here"

[Chernabog]

Shakira* falls through the proverbial looking glass ...


Oh you know, Shakira, Chihiro..... they're all the same to me ;)

funny images... happytime!

[innerSpaceman]

Thanks, Cherny. Heheh, terrible, but I always think of her as Sen. TeeHee.

[Kevy Baby]

Oh you know, Shakira, Chihiro..... they're all the same to me ;)But do Chihiro's hips lie?












For NA: Shakira (Pop Music artist) did a song called Hips Don't Lie

[Gemini Cricket]

-Belle's reflection in the cracked mirror in Beauty and the Beast.

-Belle close up when she is by the horse after Beast is taken down by the wolves.

-The big reveal at the end of Castle of Cagliostro.

-Rhapsody in Blue section of Fantasia 2000.

-Ursula in Mermaid.

-The end sequence of the short Rejected.

-Dash chase scene in The Incredibles.

-Why Don't You Do Right song in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

[Not Afraid]

This list was really difficult to make. There are some piece I like for art alone and others I like for the way the art illustrated the story. In other situations, the art GIVES the story it's overall feeling. So, in no apparent order - some specifics and some generalities.

Fantasia - Alligators, Hippos, Ostriches - Oh My!

Sleeping Beauty Castle a la Eyvind Earl as well as the Prince fighting the Dragon scene

Toot, Whistle, Plunk Boom

Spirited Away - the entire film.

Pink Elephants on Parade segment of Dumbo

Fantasia - Chernabog

The Incredibles - I love the whole stylized look and feel of the film. The art from the film is among my favorite.

Iron Giant - the colors really give the film it's feel.

Triplets of Bellville - style and color lend a lot to this story.

The Old Mill - simply beautiful to see.

My Neighbor Totoro - I love it all.

Alice in Wonderland & Three Caballeros are two of my favorites that Mary Blair worked on.

[innerSpaceman]

Moses dreams of Hyroglyphics coming to life and re-enacting the Egyptians slaying of the Hebrews' First-Born - in The Prince of Egypt.









so sue me, I've got Passover on the brain this week. :D

[Ghoulish Delight]

We Share Our Mother's Health (http://youtube.com/watch?v=617ANIA5Rqs) - The Knife

And, in a similar vein, I second Flippy's mention of "Goodbye Blue Sky" from The Wall. Oh yes.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Hey, while we're on the subject, I've been eying a subscription to Stash (http://www.stashmedia.tv/). Anyone want to split it and share the DVDs?

[SacTown Chronic]

I love the scene from Drawn Together's first episode where they show Foxxy Love's feet. Awesome.

[Sub la Goon]

Does puppet porn count?

"Team America" had a great sequence...

And I love "My Youth in Arcadia" for the awesome character look and overall feel.