Fifty Percent Grey

This film was a nominee for the Oscar for Best Animated Short for 2002. The film that won that year was FOR THE BIRDS--a film I enjoyed much more than FIFTY PERCENT GREY. While FIFTY was a nice film to look at graphically, the story didn't catch my attention. Plus, it was awfully depressing and unsatisfying. Now I am NOT saying that films or short films must be funny and sweet like FOR THE BIRDS (heck, I like a dark film as much as the next person), but here it just didn't catch my attention and the film didn't seem particularly noteworthy. Perhaps it was a slow year for the Oscars or perhaps I just don't see it the way others do (and this is very, very possible). It's just that the final punchline didn't seem all that funny or interesting. Sorry.

Though this film is more clever than impressive, its blending of styles and the texture of the movie in general should have beat out the God awful "For the Birds" for the Oscar. The animation is first rate and the gorestick is classy as hell. The movie would be like a cross between Chuck Jones and Sam Rami if only the soldier looked like Bruce Campbell.

A soldier awakens, probably from battle, and faces a television screen. It says he is to be congratulated and that he is dead and welcome to hell. What follows is bloody and violent as he tries to off himself. He is a striking figure who is damned for eternity.

Heaven -> Purgatory -> Hell.

An interesting concept. Feels rather Matrix and video game inspired. Why is there no Horror Genre attached to this title, as I definitely think it fits the category?

A good little slice of existential despair, but overall it feels like a curiosity rather than a must-see short.

There were few or no technical flaws in this short, which in 3 minutes follows a lone soldier in eternity (a completely white horizon with TVs and VCRs that tell him where he is). He tries multiple rounds of suicide, but he wakes up at every instance, and he's in a different part of the same place (according to the TV).

Who is this guy? How did he get there? I think if this film were more developed it has potential of being something very groundbreaking. However, you can't fault the sound, which is extremely tight.