: by Peter T. Chattaway It’s not the sort of thing an animation n _ aficianado wants to admit, but if you p arrived’about 70 minutes late for the Ridge 7 Theawe, , Friday _ latest offering from the Spike & Mike he franchise, you wouldn't have missed _ awhole lot. This is the first Festival to _ be compiled without any input from _ Mike, who died of pancreatic cancer Beatn _ before last year’s tour could get underway, and at times one can’t help _ but think that he took most of the Her - talent-scouting smarts with him. There _ is good news, though: even if you. _ missed the first 70 minutes, the be _ Temaining show would still be worth — sc the price of admission. It’s not that the films on display this year are bad, per se. But with few exceptions, they feel like lacklustre experiments in technique, with no soul — dare I say animus? — to make them _ truly come alive, At times I was reminded of those late-19th century _ filmstrips in which naked people walked back and forth, up and down stairs, and every now and then flung a javelin at somebody, Interesting studies in motion, to be sure, but after a while you want something more: a story, say, or a hint of personality. "Some of the lazier offenders in this regard are the “pet” cartoons. _ Watching Three After Thoughts, Sophie, and Fluffy (whose Tinker-Toy anatomy is anything but) is like - watching someone else’s home seven minutes, which is fine if you like his stuff (and I do), but those who reli haven't acquired a taste for his i minimalistic approach will likely be bored. Some of the choicest eision: a no more than one or two minutes. Kebabaluba is a maddeningly brief introduction toa Turkish donair vendor; no sooner have we warmed up to him than the tale ends. Passages builds on the shifting-scenery gimmick by ripping its paper background into drifting Arctic floes that the hand-drawn characters must navigate. And then there’s Pacifier. Sharp stuff. And, along with the delightful Gagarin (in which a i Plympton riffs on his Nose Hair for 5 June 1996 if, and sone Rube Gol d berg devices (check out the porridge : cannon and their bungee-jumping window- washing service). And just to make things even more interesting, Wallace may have found the love of his life in Wendolene Ramsbottom. But the towering, villainous bulldog is just a tad obvious, and emblematic of this Festival’s misguided emphasis on mechanics over soul. Park got caterpillar tries to fly before its time), a eyed bl welcome sien | that a animators in the A yingl mita yingl hot epes a tam The Celluloid Closet of Yiddish film by B.C. Allen Recently I was the victim of one of those Artsy Fartsy “Let’s dissect a film, see how it makes us feel and then go for Latte Mochas and decaf Americanos.” Thanks Rachel! To be honest, I don’t know the first thing about Yiddish film, especially any gay and lesbian subtext in it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, maybe some hidden meaning in that which we see everyday. Let’s face it, almost everyone has seen a film or two and how many see it for what it is really worth? There is always something hiding, like the erection in Disney’s Aladdin. And who could miss the lusty puppet love between Bert and Ernie? The focus for the evening was on various Yiddish films, such as Yidl Mit Fidl, Amerikaner Shadkhn and Der Vilner Shtot- Khazn. Both Yidl Mit Fidl and Der Vilner Shtot-Khazn were filmed entirely in Yiddish in Eastern Europe, so were a bit more difficult to follow. Amerikaner Shadkhn(American Matchmaker) was filmed in New York and is well known for its music. Being unfamiliar with the Yiddish culture, I can only trust what Eve Sicular (researcher and historian) presented about the films. Unfortunately Eve Sicular has left Vancouver as has her presentation. However, if you hear of any events of this sort, I encourage you to give it a chance—you might learn something. Discovered on the Web “TRASH THE TR CONSPIRAC) ( or knock ed-off? © a _ graphic from the comedy central website 4