I’m proud to present you with The Dope’s first guest article, written by the newest member of the website, my roommate and long time friend, Lamont. Stay tuned for more unabridged awesomeness from us both as well as another new addition to the crew soon.
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The future of animated films is firmly based in animated shorts (see “9”, Up). As an “adult” with the attention span of a child, but little desire for show tunes and happy endings, I think this is great news. Shorts offer their creators the freedom to pursue any storyline, any topic, any means of expression, basically anything they want. As a result you get edgy darkness mixed with eloquent soliloquy via The Cat Piano and cute cuddly characters in a shit-your-pants-scary story like Alma. Here are four of the latest additions to the animated community that got the attention of The Dope.
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Alarm
The hardest part of anything is starting, and if you didn’t know Alarm is here to prove that point. Often hilarious and beautifully animated, the rich details that flow throughout this short are what set it apart. Jang Moo-hyun and the Mesai team treat Pixar like a safety school as they treat the world to this expose on our least favorite part of the morning.

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Alma
‘Tis the season… for super creepy children shorts that will turn your curiosity against you. Incredibly beautiful animation, a very light-hearted soundtrack, and the cutest of main characters will almost make you forget how you peed all over yourself watching this short.

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The Cat Piano
You may have noticed that none of the other shorts have voiceovers or narration. With that in mind here’s the new rule: if you want to put a monologue in your animated short it must be at least as fly as in The Cat Piano. This short is beatnik meets Dr. Seuss meets super evil villain all rolled into one huge animated blunt for your smoking pleasure. From the color contrast to the beautiful poetry that is the narration to the anime styling, I was blown away by this short and the mystery of The Cat Piano.

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Sonata
I love Sonata because the concept is so brilliant and simple. It gives you the silent treatment while speaking volumes about how difficult choices can be, particularly when they involve love. Simply put, if you’ve ever questioned “Is she/he right for me?” then Sonata is for you.

Related posts:

1. Sick Movie Trailers: September 2009
2. Sick Movie Trailers: January 2010