The Mad Hatter: an insubstantial story in a detailed cartoon universe
Sid Marcus, “The Mad Hatter” (1940) Mocking the faddish nature of women’s fashions, this animated short can be surprisingly critical of the nature of everyday work…
Hollywood Films
All’s Fair at the Fair: a utopian view of materialism, seductive advertising, over-consumption and futuristic trends
Dave Fleischer, “All’s Fair at the Fair” (1938) Best known for their Popeye and Betty Boop cartoons, US animators Max and Dave Fleischer occasionally made animated…
Feline Follies: the folly of falling hard in love with no regard for consequences in a dark suicidal cartoon
Otto Messmer, “Feline Follies” (1919) By no means a great cartoon or even a mildly interesting one, this animated short is notable mainly for the first…
The Little Pest: beaten up, walloped, drowned – what’s a pesky baby brother to do?
Dick Huemer, “The Little Pest” (1931) Chiefly remarkable for its depiction of sibling-on-sibling violence, this short cartoon stars the boy Scrappy, who would go on to…
Balloon Land: a fantasy fairy land where life is fragile, death is close by and a serial killer is on the rampage
Ub Iwerks, “Balloon Land” (1935) For sure this cartoon with the Hansel-and-Gretel morality fairy-tale plot is weird and dark, and its theme of the fragility of…
Blue Cat Blues: a Tom and Jerry cartoon comments on materialism, capitalist society and the class divide
William Hanna, Joseph Barbera, “Blue Cat Blues” (1956) With dark themes of depression, substance abuse and suicide, this Tom and Jerry cartoon demonstrates that these lovable…
Swing You Sinners! – horror morality story goes to extremes in imaginative animation
Dave Fleischer, “Swing You Sinners!” (1930) A bizarre little cartoon short, filled with the most startling surreal imagery and mobile rubber-limbed characters typical of cartoons in…
British Films, North American Films
Rocketman: the rise and fall and rise again of a beloved British rock / pop icon, with no reference to social and music trends
Dexter Fletcher, “Rocketman” (2019) Rather than playing as a straight biopic – a template that felled “Bohemian Rhapsody” – this comedy drama portraying the life and…
The Chaperone: preferring a character stereotype over portraying the life of a real revolutionary cultural icon
Michael Engler, “The Chaperone” (2018) A film of self-discovery and self-transformation leading to personal freedom, “The Chaperone” is a fictional account of real-life silent movie icon…
The Curse of La Llorona: cursed by cheap thrills and Hollywood horror film cliches
Michael Chaves , “The Curse of La Llorona” (2019) As his full-length movie directorial debut, this horror flick perhaps shows all the faults as well as…