By Marcus Nordvik and Doug Desmond
Independent animation has traditionally
been relegated either to film festivals or
direct-to-video. These days, you can find a
range of animation artists on the Net, from
“Ren & Stimpy” creator John Kricfalusi to
Oscar-winning shorts to up-and-coming stars.
Animation consumes a lot of band
width, so it'll be pretty slow unless you are
Another common format is the series, with
an ongoing plot and character develop
ment. A good starting point for narratives
is HotWired’s animation showcase
(hotwired.lycos.com/animation), which
features several Oscar-winning shorts and
an extensive collection of amateur—but
excellent—3D films.
Icebox (icebox.com) sets a different
tone, going for more cartoon-type serials
Online animation doesn’t have to be as
passive as watching “The Simpsons.”
Interactive cartoons are growing in popu
larity—some of Icebox’s series feature
interactive elements, as do sites like
Joecartoon (joecartoon.com) and Bunny
Grenade (bunnygrenade.com).
If you’re really intrigued, try making
your own. Macromedia Flash is used by
many web developers, and a free 30-day
demo can be downloaded from flash.com.
Macromedia keeps an archive
(flashzone.com/flas/index.html) of tuto
rials, games, tips, animated buttons, demos
and more on their site. And if you want to
You can find a range of animation artists on the Net, from “Ren & Stimpy creator John Kricfalusi to tomorrow's
up-and-coming stars. And you can watch their work any time, for free.
n i —/ L' i
on your college’s network, or at least a DSL
line. You’ll need enough RAM—64MB min
imum. Also, some sites will require extra
plug-ins. If you don’t already have the plug
in installed (many come pre-installed on
recent versions of Netscape and Explorer),
the site will usually point you to a link
where you can download it.
Some films are short, less than a minute
long, and are more like visual one-liners.
that add a new episode every week or so.
Kricfalusi has work here, although the site
is not all big names. Wildbrain
(wildbrain.com) also has a couple of ani
mated series, based more around suspense
than humor. Fans of MTV’s “Aeon Flux”
will feel at home here. Camp Chaos
(campchaos.com) is the original home of
the infamous Metallica/Napster parody,
which everyone should check out.
explore other animation formats,
WebMonkey (webmonkey.com) has a
great tutorial for beginners. •
for the full guide to hilarious animation
around the Net, and where to rind Flash
tutorials, go to
www,s.eaimuMs,itet
and search under keyword “Flash.”
Hotwired
FAMILY MAN
Release Date: 12/15
Nicolas Cage, Tea Leoni
Cage is a capitalist king
with a Ferrari, a model
girlfriend and lots of
money. Then he wakes
up one morning in bed
with his old girlfriend
© Universal Studios
(“the one who got
away," who is now his wife and the mother of his
2 children). He also finds himself making a living
as the best tire salesman in New Jersey. Family
Man explores the possibilities of "what if” life
occurrences in a way that recalls Cywneth
Paltrow’s hit Sliding Doors.
EMPEROR’S NEW
GROOVE
Release Date: 12/15
David Spade,
John Goodman
In a faraway land an
emperor is stripped
© Disney Enterprises Inc.
of his power and kingdom. David Spade—the
emperor of course—is a ruler with attitude
and the constant need to get his groove on.
This tenacious compulsion to keep his flow
gets the emperor into trouble, and he’s turned
into a llama by an evil sorceress. Llama man
now has no friends, no groove, no clue. John
Goodman keeps saving the day as the good
natured peasant with a heart as big as his
stomach. The movie zeroes in on their friend
ship, bringing to light the bond that can occur
between classes. Class conflict, be gone!
WHAT WOMEN WANT
Release Date: 12/15
Mel Gibson, Helen Hunt,
Bette Midler
Ladies, we’re all looking
for a man who can read
© Paramount Pictures
our minds, do what we want and not ask too
many questions. That man may be Mei Gibson.
In this film, Mel gets hit in the head and is sud
denly blessed with the ability to read minds—
female minds. Since he’s Mel, the mind-reading
thing is used not just to score chicks, but as a
route to life as a new man—sensitive, caring and
brimming over with empathy. Luckily for movie
goers, Mel’s road to sensitive guy-dom has plen
ty of pit stops.
13 DAYS
Release Date:
12/20
Kevin Costner
Yes, it’s another
Costner epic.
It’s 1962 and
the U.S. is fac
© New Line Cinema
ing the possibility of nuclear war. Costner works
under J.F.K. as an aide during the Cuban Missile
Crisis, during which the U.S. will have just five
minutes to save 80 million people from dying.
Unlike previous Costner blowouts like The
Postman and Waterworld, 13 Days is full of com
pelling action.
VERTICAL LIMIT
Release Date: 12/08
Chris O’Donnell,
Meg Tunney, Bill Paxton
Chris O'Donnell plays a retired mountain
climber on a rescue mission to save his sister
and the rest of her summit team, stuck on K2,
the second highest peak in the world. Think
CUfjhanger scenery with good acting and a
much better plot. • -YTabi
Co to your local site at steamtunnels.net for
theatre listings and times.