Opal

I just got HBO Max and discovered that they have a bunch of Adult Swim programs, which I haven't had the joy of watching for close to a decade. I came across Jack Stauber's Opal, and it is a true gem! The Claymation, music, and overall ambiance makes this one of the creepiest, yet most beautiful shorts I have ever seen! Whenever I watch a film with stop motion animation or any other type of unusual media, I assess its effectiveness according to how well it does at tricking my brain into thinking I am growing delirious from fever (This goes back to the stuff I would watch as a sickly child). Wallace and Gromit, Gumby, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and Fraggle Rock all give me this delirious, yet comforting, feeling. Opal is the first film I have seen in the last decade that has given me such an eerie and nostalgic feeling. It is as if Gumby and his friends ate an entire sheet of acid, and we get to ride along to witness their experience. This film is truly an amazing work of art.

Amazing short film. Very rewatchable. The short may seem confusing, but the ending explains it, leaving you satisfied and heartbroken. 10/10.

OPAL is a story about Opal, a little girl living with her happy family (Some people may say too happy) and how her curiosity could get her in trouble..

This short was like.. the most terrifying, sad, and beautiful acid trip I've ever had, I'm honestly amazed at how much Jack Stauber got to do in this film despite its short 12 minutes runtime.

With amazing visuals, Great and impressive claymation animation, and seriously catchy musical sequences like seriously, the grandpa didn't need to go this hard on the beat, and it's very rewatchble too, and that's really cool because this is one of those shorts that gets better and better everytime you watch it, I can't recommend this enough, Jack Stauber my friend.. You're a genius!

So glad that Jack Stauber gets to air his creative masterpieces on Adult Swim. I remember when I would record King of the Hill every night just to see if any of Stauber's work would flash through . This is no different, very unique and has you focused and gives you a in depth analysis of each character and what their motives are. I feel blessed go have seen such work.

Opal is just as layered as most feature length films, yet runs at a concise twelve minutes or so.

This claymation short follows a wide-eyed little girl named Opal, who lives with her doting family. She slips out of bed one night to explore a creepy, derelict house across the street despite her parents' gentle warnings not to. There, she encounters four things.

An obese, blind older man, glued to a recliner and listening to television all day. He smokes to the point of being unable to speak without wheezing and coughing up blood.

A younger man constantly preening himself in front of a half-dozen mirrors, convinced that one day he'll look perfect, and show "them" how wrong "they" were to turn him down.

A woman laying in bed in a drug and alcohol induced haze, mumbling to herself about how much she sacrifices.

And the horrible, horrible truth that lies up in the attic.

The short explores themes of escapism, abuse and neglect, but in a fairly nuanced way. While the three strangers Opal encounters are undeniably awful people, they are also pitiable to the point of being almost sympathetic.

The short has several short musical numbers as well, which are all excellent. "Easy to Breathe," sung by the old man, is a melancholy yet oddly upbeat song about how the old man feels important and loved by the fake friendliness of television. "Virtuous Cycle," sung by the woman, is a disturbing lullaby about the codependency between a daughter and negligent mother. My personal favorite is "Mirror Man," sung by the younger man, a flamboyant, fast-paced and manic song about the younger man's simultaneous self-loathing and narcissism. All of this is bookended by the pleasant, old fashioned sounding "We See You, Opal," sung by Opal's family.

Do yourself a favor and go watch this short. It's short, sweet and poignant, darkly funny yet achingly sad. Well worth a few minutes of your time.