Friday, August 22, 2008

Cartoons That’ll Scare the Kids

The Tell-Tale Heart

This classic 1953 animated short features James Mason as the narrator (film buffs will remember him as the lecherous protagonist of Kubrick’s Lolita, among countless other roles) and an understated, subtly creepy style that seems way ahead of its time. A classic rendition of a classic American story.


Vincent


Tim Burton’s breakout short film (well, besides Frankenweenie) was clearly inspired by Gorey, a stop-motion animation that seems to both hearken back to the old days of animation and foretell the coming of films like Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas (which he produced).


David Lynch’s “The Alphabet”


OK, this isn’t exactly inspired by Edward Gorey, but it’s another macabre master’s breakout short animated film, and I just had to share it. So experimental — so creepy!

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