A Videotape Swapshop Christmas #1: We Wish You a Turtle Christmas (1994)

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Dir. Larry Osborne

Christmas is nearly upon us, and all the cheer and magic of the season is reaching its highest peak. Unfortunately this is also the holiday which has the most and succinct abuses of its message, and when delving into Christmas and motion image entertainment, you can't really ignore it. Its better, out of two reviews I did for this year's season for Videotape Swapshop, to get the terrible one out of the way first. Its a spoiler for my opinions of the straight-to-video short, but when you read the review you realise why I've said that. Let the review be a warning of how Christmas is not used properly.

Review Link - http://www.videotapeswapshop.co.uk/18358/we-wish-you-a-turtles-christmas-1994-director-larry-osborne/

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R Is For... Rabbit (2005)

From http://www.animateonline.org/stillsfull/rabbit01.jpg

Dir: Run Wrake

Another short. I remember learning about this one from a television program which showed clips from various British made short films, mostly all animated in some form to my memory. If there one good thing about the British film culture, short films, while not getting enough attention they deserve, do still get some. They are/were shown on non-cable TV, are available online, and in some cases are shown before films at certain cinemas. What they need now is some sense that they can be just as significant and powerful as feature length films, and this already existing structure would help bring a potential renaissance in short form animation and live action works. The quality of the shorts themselves  depend on each short individually, but the following from the late director is a great example of what they can be like.

Review Link - http://www.videotapeswapshop.co.uk/15835/r-is-for-rabbit-2005-director-run-wrake/

From http://pivot.glenbow.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Rabbit-3_2005-Run-Wrake6.jpg

M Is For...Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)

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Dirs. Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid

A short review for a short film. Short films deserve to be included in this series as well, especially one as important as this.

Review Link - http://www.videotapeswapshop.co.uk/15844/m-is-for-meshes-of-the-afternoon-1943-director-maya-deren/

From http://old.dokument-festival.cz/files/zk_pictures_232_1422_e0c685d9.jpg

E Is For... Eveready Harton in Buried Treasure (1929)

From http://www.videotapeswapshop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/600full-eveready-harton-in-buried-treasure-screenshot.jpg.png

Dir. E. Hardon

It will surprise some to say I really have not viewed a great deal of pornography. Limited access, even in the world of the internet, is the cause and also for the fact that looking for anything of more interest is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It scares me off most cases from looking for it. This short was new to me when I first read of it in the late Amos Vogel's Film As A Subversive Art, and far from such taboo work in this day and age suppressed, its quite easy to find it online in its entirety. The reason I put a warning at the front of the blog before you first enter it is for covering films like this or the censored version of Alien From The Darkness (1996), although this one actually has a naughty picture below to justify it. Compared to that one, censored or not, Eveready Harton... is a significant step above it, and to imagine the talent who may have secretly created it is more surprising. If you are instantly put off by anything that vaguely feels "porny", even if its a cartoon from the era of Betty Boop, don't follow the link. Just bare in mind that, if I ever find any erotic or pornographic works of interest, I'll be covering them on here. Those who aren't offended, its not safe for work, but most people would be used to that warning if they use the internet.

Review Link - http://www.videotapeswapshop.co.uk/14594/e-is-for-eveready-harton-in-buried-treasure-1929/

From http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/pecker-island--3/w448/pecker-island--3.jpg?1322393125