John Canemaker: marching to a different toon [DVD]

John Canemaker is a well-regarded American animator who works in a variety of styles and has always succeeded in plumbing an array of emotions and situations in a humorous and engaging manner. Canemaker is also an esteemed animation historian and biographer. His fluid style, hand drawn and quite low-tech, is unpredictable and highly entertaining, cleverly evolving from one moment to the next. “Confessions of a star dreamer”: An actress and vamp discusses her feelings toward procreating, her craft and the industry. “Bridgehampton”: With music by Fred Hersch, this piece elegantly portrays a suburban changing of the seasons. “Confessions of a stand-up”: Wonderful piece satirising the pitfalls and pratfalls of being a comedian, as told by Dennis Blair. “Bottom’s dream”: Canemaker reworks the notions underpinning Shakespearean comical character, Bottom. “The Wizard’s son”: The young son of a wizard imagines the possibilities and adventures that await him, wreaking havoc in the meantime. “Behind the scenes”: An absurd piece on the interaction between line, form and shape. Bonus material includes excerpts from: “The Creative spirit” with a commentary about creative thought and processes; “Laughter is good medicine”; “Break the silence: kids against child abuse”; “What do children think when they think of the bomb”; “Science experiences”; and three thirty second advertisements for AIDS benefits.