Strange Invaders

It's no "The Cat Came Back," but Strange Invaders is another quirky animated treat from Cordell Barker of the NFB. Compared to the other entries in this year's Short Animated Film category for the Oscars (with the notable exception of Ireland's "Give Up Yer Aul Sins"), Strange Invaders comes across as a refreshing dose of absurdity, conveyed through dazzling hand-made animation (as opposed to the CGI trend that seems to be slowly taking over). It's creepy, funny and distinct. Check this one out. Be be forewarned: you may never look at babies the same way again ("Peanut!").

A very strangely drawn couple have been spying on others who are having children. While they are intimate, something crashes through from outer space. It is a hideous child who wreaks havoc on their lives. As it turns out, this is pretty much what a birth would do. The animation and the threatening being of the ersatz infant is quite remarkable.

There's something a little of the "Tom Thumb" story here as "Doris" and "Roger" watch, somewhat sarcastically, their neighbours successfully have children whilst they remain a childless couple. That's not for the want of trying, but it takes some divine intervention and a crashing sound for them to find a new arrival wedged into their living room carpet. The dog's ejected from the house and the pair now embark on some heavily photographed parenting of a child who'd sooner eat the crockery than his peas (no bad thing?) and who likes to swim in the toilet bowl. It's clear that this kid is in the wrong place, and his ensuing antics make his "parents" wish they'd never met him in the first place. Luckily, he's working on his own repatriation plans... I liked the increasingly chaotic and colourfully vibrant animation and the whole "be careful what you wish for" theme that results in a denouement that terrifies poor old "Roger". It's good fun, this, and well worth eight minutes.

Quite a bizarre little animated short and definitely not to all tastes, this one makes The Cat Came Back seem normal by comparison! Though a bit overlong (a judicious trimming by 30-45 seconds would probably helped this out considerably), it's a very good cartoon, deservedly receiving a nomination for the Oscar for Animated Short and also a nod for the Genie, if I remember rightly. I'm not really sure who I'd consider the strange invaders, though-the parents are perhaps a bit stranger than the baby! Well worth watching. Recommended with the above caveats.

With its odd mix of surrealism and pure whimsy, this animated short by Cordell Barker of the NFB is an utter joy! Filled with memorable score and wonderful imagery, this is true animation at its most clever and beautiful form! Watching it several times it not nearly enough!

Once you have seen this film, the rival winner of last years "Best Animated Short" at the Oscars, "For The Birds", will seem a mindless exercise and waste of computer memory! But up here in Canada, we know what really should have won the Academy Award.

The National Film Board adds another masterpiece to their list of fine works.