Campus buzz
Saturday
"A Queer Writing Experience" (writing
workshop), noon, EMU Alsea Room,
free, lunch provided, 346-1134.
Sunday
"Annual Concerto Competition" (Uni
versity Symphony, directed by Wayne
Bennett), 3 p.m., Beall Hall, $5 general,
$3 students and senior citizens,
346-5678.
Monday
Art exhibition (metals), 10 a.m.-5 p.m.,
LaVerne Krause Gallery, Lawrence Hall,
free, 346-2057 or 346-3610.
University Percussion Ensemble (con
cert, directed by GTF Tracy Freeze), 8
p.m., Beall Hall, $5 general, $3 students
and senior citizens, 346-5678.
Oregon Ballroom Dance Club meeting,
6 p.m.-7 p.m., EMU Century Room A.
Short animations
offend, entertain
at film festival
Film preview
Ryan Nyburg
Freelance Reporter
There might come a day when
“Spike & Mike’s Sick & Twisted Fes
tival of Animation” is regarded as an
intelligent forum for social satire
and experimental animation. That
dream is probably far from fruition,
so until then, we can all just sit back
and enjoy the wholesale slaughter of
cute and furry animals.
This year’s collection of short
films, which will play nightly at
the Bijou through March 6, is one
of the most diverse in the festival’s
history. The entries range from
classic cell animation to CGI
(computer generated images), cut
outs and even puppets. The sub
ject matter is not for the weak of
heart or stomach, and to protect
the naive sensibilities of youth, no
one under 18 will be admitted.
For those who do make it in, be
prepared for a joyful level of moral
bankruptcy. Topics such as spousal
abuse, oral sex, drug use, inbreeding
and violence are all targeted to of
fend just about anyone with any
sense of decency or good taste. So,
of course, I laughed like hell. The
truth is many of the shorts are well
written, beautifully animated and
funny, as well as being brutally vio
lent and degrading.
Highlights include the “Ren and
Stimpy”-style of animation of “The
Inbreds,” a delirious hillbilly romp
complete with guns, moonshine
and “Dueling Banjos.” And the fes
tival’s CGI short, “Cubism,” is eas
ily the best-looking, most beauti
fully rendered fart joke in the
history of animation.
The stick figure animation and
dead-on timing of Don Hertzfeldt’s
festival staple “Ah L’Amour” is also
a crowd favorite, along with the
Australian short “Shh.” And for
those who think there is only a lim
ited number of jokes that can be
made about someone with no neck,
there is Craig McCracken’s classic
series “No Neck Joe.”
The best short by far was the
Bermuda Shorts production
“1300cc.” The gorgeous artwork
and driving music score highlight
the story of a biker and an old lady
whose paths cross in a bizarre way.
Told with pitch-perfect timing and
creativity, it manages to be funny,
intelligent and even touching. At
nine and a half minutes, it’s also the
festival’s longest film.
Not all the shorts were as endear
ing, though. “The Happy Tree Fami
ly” series is funny the first four
times, but once the theme of deci
mating fuzzy critters is established,
there is only so far you can go with
it. Compared with many of the oth
er shorts, “Coco the Junkie Pimp”
feels sloppy and underwritten, like
something a group of especially ju
venile high school boys would come
up with over a weekend.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a
“Spike & Mike” festival without at
least one short that offends almost
the entire audience. This year, it’s
“Father and Son Chat,” a stop-mo
tion piece which looks as trashy as
its subject matter.
But criticizing a festival of twisted
animation for being disgusting is
like criticizing “Celebrity Boxing”
for being intellectually bankrupt.
You get what you expect. And for
those who want cartoons that stick
to your brain like tar and have more
substance than standard commer
cial Disney fare, “Spike & Mike”
give you what you’ve got coming.
Ryan Nyburg is a freelance writer
for the Emerald.
Libra:
What are you doing this weekend? Check your I3T T T
015947
MEETING
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2003 • 3-5 PM • REC CENTER
OF THE UNIVERSITY ASSEMBLY
The University Assembly meets today, with full legislative authority,
FOR IK PURPOSE Of CONSIDERING A RESOLUTION
AGAINST THE INVASION OF IRAQ
Text of the resolution is on the web at http://ctarkwing.uoregon.edu/~assemhly/UA0203-1.htmi
Members of the University Assembly include: faculty who are officers
of instruction, librarians, officers of administration, or emeritus
faculty; the 18 members of the Student Senate, 25 members of the
ASUO Executive, and 5 members of the ASUO Constitution Court.
Only members of the assembly are eligible to vote in the assembly meeting.
THE MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUDLIC.
BETTER
ifm I taught a b#y named Sean
HP to explore the world on the
|p Internet „. to think big.
W People say you can't change
the world. But I made a
difference. Just ask Sean."
*. i
> Jason McLaurin, AmeriCorps Member
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