Genre

'Genre (1996)' was produced while Don Hertzfeldt was still in college, and it certainly looks like an amateur film, particularly the stop-motion sequences featuring the animator himself. However – as was the case with 'Billy's Balloon (1998)' and 'Rejected (2000)' – Hertzfeldt proves that even simple animation can be very entertaining. 'Genre' draws plenty of inspiration from Chuck Jones' self-reflexive 'Duck Amuck (1953),' in which Daffy Duck is consistently pestered by the animator who is drawing him. In 'Genre,' an unfortunate rabbit finds himself in a succession of compromising (and often bloody) situations, as his creator experiments with different movie genres. As the frustrated animator begins to run out of ideas, he starts splicing genres together, leaving the poor rabbit to fend for himself in a "porno disaster film," for example. The most enjoyable element of Hertzfeldt's film is the self-awareness of the animated rabbit, who knows that the animator (his "God") is purposefully screwing him around, and is forced to simply wear it.

This is the funniest short animation I've seen since "Bambi Meets Godzilla." The depictions of familiar genres ("romantic comedy," "the buddy film") are funny, but the combinations that follow are outstanding.

"Genre" has the markings of a student film, but that's only because it feels experimental; and that's mostly in the stop-motion opening. Regardless, it's a creative mix of animation and real life (more Monty Python than "Mary Poppins") but the real trick is in how Don Hertzfeldt brings his creation to life. The main bunny protagonist (I think it's a bunny) develops a real personality in such a short time, and his anguish at the hands of his animator is hysterical.

Maybe it's just that I get his sense of humor (thus far, at least) or that I admire the invention involved in such an early effort, but the man deserves my respect.

7/10

What a marvelous film. The artist draws an animated bunny and then subjects him to one tortuous moment after another. In doing so, he runs through just about every movie genre that exists, and some that don't. It is in an incredibly simple style that works so well. My favorite was when the rabbit finally eats a carrot and then makes an amazing discovery.

Hertzfeldt is widely known because he is active in organizations and because he did some really sick and funny stuff that was rejected by the Family Channel. This has found an audience through file sharing (and festivals) and has built quite an audience.

Unfortunately, most of the other stuff he did was no good or unoriginal. Except this.

He just seems to have trouble finding a creative writer to match his vision and twisted views.

This IS a student film, and avowedly so. This IS almost certainly a response to a specific assignment. And it is crudely drawn in places. But it is clever and worth watching. If he never did anything else, this alone would place him above the "Shrek" crew in my book.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.