New Wallace and Gromit!!!!

Subject: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Peter T.
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 08:54 AM

The long wait is over. A new series of short Wallace and Gromit films are premiering. When they will hit North America is anyone's guess, but it does put a little spring in the step. yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Bagpuss
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 08:55 AM

What's the hurry?

You could have a nice bit of Wensleydale while you are waiting.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Peter T.
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 08:59 AM

I see from a BBC site that there is a feature film in the works. I could never figure out why they went for "Chicken Run" when they had Wallace and Gromit all the time. And with Feathers McGaw, the perfect villain. yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: JedMarum
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 09:37 AM

I can't wait!! I am a huge fan of Wallace and Gromit - and of the fellow who makes the films. Chicken Run really pissed me off! It was absolute Hollywood drivel! What a shame.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 12:12 PM

Well, it wasn't Wallace and Gromit, but it was pretty good fun. It was a way of ensuring finance for the real film.

But here is the real thing - You can download the BBC premiere of a new Wallace and Gromit short" from this page.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Peter T.
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 12:15 PM

I'm with Jed, "Chicken Run" had none of the really deft, cunning humour of Wallace and Gromit. At least (as McGrath says) it made money. I was worried it might sink the whole franchise. yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: vectis
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 05:53 PM

BRILL!!!!!!

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 06:06 PM

The new one is excellent.

Particularly pleased that Americans won't fully understand it. It's a very English cartoon (in more ways than one)

Well done Mr. Parks

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: InOBU
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 06:26 PM

Bagpus! You beat me to it! I was about to say, but on the kettle and get out the Wensleydale cheeze (vile stuff that it is!) Genie and I eat it while watching W & G, and love it in context... T'newins long overdue! Cheers Larry

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 07:06 PM

Yahoo!!!! I can hardly wait. I thought that Chicken Run was a major, major disappointment. A long time ago, they announced that the next feature-length film is going to be the tortoise and the hare. Hard to get excited about that...

Jerry

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 07:25 PM

Wensleydale is best toasted.

Chicken Run I quite enjoyed, but there was too much action for my taste, and not enough slow humour.

Incidentally, noone ever seems to have commented, that I've read, how the evil farmer's wife looked just like Tony Blair.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: GUEST,Taliesn
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 10:27 PM

Such stuffy provincialists. I've enjoyed Nick parrk's "labor of love" craft and brillianc expressed in Wallace & Grommit , but "Chicken Run" was every bit a work of his art.
Yeah the writing was more formulaic & polished , like Pixar's "Toy Story" or "A Bug's Life", but it brought more deserved attention to Nick Park's artistry which is a job well done and any *purist* grousing seems petty by comparison. His artistry remained intact and got the warm reception it deserved.

Note that not every episode of "Wallace & Grommit" is a masterspiece either. That episode script where they go to the moon to taste the green cheese was a "strained" efort to say the least and came off more as an experimental demo piece.

I've also enjoyed the pre-Wallace & Grommit anthology of his earlier work including the brilliant short interviewing the zoo beasties that won him a well deserved Academy Award.
What's so brilliant is when you catch yourself realizing that it's all this clay talking at you and it just gets funnier with every frame.

Really looking forward for new work by Mr. Nick Park.
a fine artist and mastewr of his craft in the tradition of a Jim Hensen and that ain't faint praise.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: GUEST,Les B.
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 10:51 PM

Granted "Chicken Run" was not "W & G" but I have a soft spot in my heart for it. It was the first film our theater ran after being closed for six months because of financial woes -- it broke a number of our previous attendance records and got us back on the road to solvency! I'm excited to hear there's another one coming out.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Oct 02 - 11:21 PM

Just watched the first of the new "shorts": good fun. Thanks for the link, McGrath!

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Helen
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 01:27 AM

I have a soft spot for Chicken Run too, because my Mum grew up on a poultry farm, and I finally convinced her that, yes, she really did want to see a movie about chickens. It made us all laugh when thinking about the stories she had told us over and over about life on the farm.

It's Park's quirky sense of humour that I love, and his strange take on life, so whether it is W&G or Chicken Run or something else doesn't make much difference to me.

Helen

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 02:05 AM

Whoever thinks Chicken Run doesn't have the humour is not watching it closely enough... I saw it for the first time last week and rolled around hooting! There are so many little observances and throwaway visual gags that I wouldn't know where to end....

The one that had me on the floor was a simple 'chocs away' to the removal of an instantly identifiable triangular chocolate bar from the wheels of the plane.

The other seems to be pay per view so it will be a while yet before I see it.....

LTS

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 03:03 AM

Wallace and Gromit are loved in America! Can't wait til it appears here.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: InOBU
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 07:39 AM

The zoo piece was brilliant. The baby bear who liked lion steaks while his father kept correcting him that he like normal steaks and the Brazilian jaguar well, what can one say. As to going to the moon, (a grand day out?) I don't agree that it was flawed... what better moment in film - rivaling Hitchcocks best cliff hanger, when Gromett is sitting in the rocket, fuse lit, mousies watching, as Wallace is searching for crackers, and Gromitt's fingers drumming on the consol as his only note of worry... Brilliant... I have to say, the Popular Halfwit (our Wiltshire Mudcatter) and I can tell the greenhorns who don't know W & G... when we consider a particularly nice meal, the hand's go out to the sides while the fingers make wee grasping motions.... Can't wait to see the new ones, here or there. Cheers Larry

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 09:14 AM

Liz - the one with the BBC link I gave is free, though the rest will be pay for view (until they get broadcast or someone bootlegs them, which I doubt will be long.)

Sure, there was lots to enjoy in Chicken Run, and lots of funnies. The more measured pace of W & G (accelerating as and when appropriate) worked better for me anyway. I'd give Chicken Run 7/10, with 9/10 ranging to 11/10 for W & G.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Bagpuss
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 09:20 AM

I agree InObu - Creature Comforts was one of the funniest things I have seen. The Jaguar saying "I need fresh meeeeaaaat" was one of my favourite bits.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Hecate
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 10:26 AM

You've made my day! Now, where are my crackers......

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Peter T.
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 11:16 AM

I should say, for those who haven't seen them, that Toy Story 2 (better than Toy Story 1!) and Ice Age are two of the best films I have seen in recent years. Maybe human beings are wearing off at last.

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Mrrzy
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 01:06 PM

I'll try to wear the right trousers to the US premiere!

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: bobby's girl
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 02:42 PM

The thing that really entertained me about Creature Comforts and all the electricity adverts was that the voiceovers were genuine interviews with real people - Nick Park added the brilliant animations but didn't actually write the text!

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: SharonA
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 03:11 PM

A new Wallace ad Gromit film series? Hooray! Can't wait till they cross the pond...

My favorite W&G "bit" is the pun on the name Shawn (Sean?) for the shorn sheep!

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: JedMarum
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 06:31 PM

sorry - my comments re: Chicken Run were based upon my great disdain for Hollywood formula driven scripts and casting ... I went to see the clever film and magnificent cartoon work of the gromit maker - and was disappointed to see the ugly hand of Hollywood formula. Of course the film had some value ... and realy beauty to its cartoon art, but the hand of Hollywood really spoiled it for me.

I'm glad they made a buck and glad there're new films coming, hopefully more like the original Wallace and Gromit works.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: JedMarum
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 08:38 PM

"It's the wrong trousers, Gromit!!!"

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Stephen L. Rich
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 09:31 PM

Oh, Joy!! Oh, Rapture!! More Wallace and Gromit!!! I can hardly wait 'till it gets to the USA!!!

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Benjamin
Date: 16 Oct 02 - 11:42 PM

Yes! I can't wait for the videos to come out! I'm a huge fan of claymation (and not really sure why). As for Chicken Run, that is still my favorte movie (next to the blues brothers). Sure it's not Wallace and Gromit (nor does it feature either) but is quite clever in it's own unique way.

Subject: RE: New Wallace and Gromit!!!!
From: Peter T.
Date: 17 Oct 02 - 09:40 AM

I am waiting for the cheesy soundtrack from The Wrong Trousers (the part where Feathers McGaw takes over Gromit's room). yours, Peter T.