I recently discovered a youtube channel which features obscure animated films, most of them from other countries. Some are classics, some I've never heard of, but I've watched about half of them and so far most are excellent!
Links below are to the first part of each film. I can't embed them here, unfortunately.
First I'll link to "Fimfarum Jana Wericha," a Czech collection of short stories which a few of us started watching the other night. It features what may be the best stop-motion animation I've ever seen - if you missed it the other night, here it is.
"The Time Masters," is a weird sci-fi film with Euro-comics legend Moebius as the lead designer. It's exactly like reading one of his comics - fantastic psychedelic imagery and a spaced-out plot which jumps around a little too much for comfort. Still, worth a watch.
"La Roi et L'oiseau," or "The King and The Mockingbird," is a french film originally released in unfinished form back in the 50's, then finally completed in 1980. At the start, it feels like it's going to be typical mock-Disney fare, but eventually reveals an abundance of strange mechanical designs (a throne which turns into a bumper car, the obligatory giant robot). According to a few sources the unfinished release was what inspired Hayao Miyazaki to pursue a career in animation.
"Kirikou and the Sorceress" is an old favorite, though I can't remember where I first saw it. It's certainly a kid's movie, but an awesome one, which retells a folk story from west Africa (where the director, frenchman Michel Ocelot, spent most of his childhood). While popular internationally, it was barely released stateside due to fear of nudity - because god forbid any child should have to see an ANIMATED BREAST.
"Feherlofia" I have yet to watch, but judging from the five minutes I've seen is probably about the most psychedelic thing I can imagine.
"Carodejuv Ucen" I haven't watched either, but has an awesome animation technique using what appear to be paper cutouts.
"The Pied Piper of Hamelin" is yet another I have yet to watch, and yet another Czech stop motion one. Pretty amazing from the look of it.
There are a few on the channel that aren't quite as appealing, ironically including the ones from Japan. "Night On The Galactic Railroad" is atmospheric but ridiculously drawn-out and dull, and the ironically titled short "Comedy" is such a generic piece of goth anime silliness that, aside from some cool blood splatters, you'd never guess that Studio 4°C ("Mind Game," "Tekkonkinkreet") were responsible. You also get the cold war Soviet knockoff of "Snow White," as a bonus. But no complaints really - that channel has already exposed me to a ton of great new films, and from the looks of it they're continuing to add new content.
First I'll link to "Fimfarum Jana Wericha," a Czech collection of short stories which a few of us started watching the other night. It features what may be the best stop-motion animation I've ever seen - if you missed it the other night, here it is.
"The Time Masters," is a weird sci-fi film with Euro-comics legend Moebius as the lead designer. It's exactly like reading one of his comics - fantastic psychedelic imagery and a spaced-out plot which jumps around a little too much for comfort. Still, worth a watch.
"La Roi et L'oiseau," or "The King and The Mockingbird," is a french film originally released in unfinished form back in the 50's, then finally completed in 1980. At the start, it feels like it's going to be typical mock-Disney fare, but eventually reveals an abundance of strange mechanical designs (a throne which turns into a bumper car, the obligatory giant robot). According to a few sources the unfinished release was what inspired Hayao Miyazaki to pursue a career in animation.
"Kirikou and the Sorceress" is an old favorite, though I can't remember where I first saw it. It's certainly a kid's movie, but an awesome one, which retells a folk story from west Africa (where the director, frenchman Michel Ocelot, spent most of his childhood). While popular internationally, it was barely released stateside due to fear of nudity - because god forbid any child should have to see an ANIMATED BREAST.
"Feherlofia" I have yet to watch, but judging from the five minutes I've seen is probably about the most psychedelic thing I can imagine.
"Carodejuv Ucen" I haven't watched either, but has an awesome animation technique using what appear to be paper cutouts.
"The Pied Piper of Hamelin" is yet another I have yet to watch, and yet another Czech stop motion one. Pretty amazing from the look of it.
There are a few on the channel that aren't quite as appealing, ironically including the ones from Japan. "Night On The Galactic Railroad" is atmospheric but ridiculously drawn-out and dull, and the ironically titled short "Comedy" is such a generic piece of goth anime silliness that, aside from some cool blood splatters, you'd never guess that Studio 4°C ("Mind Game," "Tekkonkinkreet") were responsible. You also get the cold war Soviet knockoff of "Snow White," as a bonus. But no complaints really - that channel has already exposed me to a ton of great new films, and from the looks of it they're continuing to add new content.
