Thursday, March 5, 1998
Risky, risque animation seeks to expose normally taboo
topics
FILM: Works offer array of styles ranging from ridiculous to
disturbing
By Teron Hide
Daily Bruin Contributor
When the public thinks of animation, images of blue genies,
Greek gods, a hunchback and a frightening beast usually come to
mind. Manga Entertainment enters the arena with an alternative.
Mind-boggling, eye-popping and jaw-dropping characterize reactions
to "General Chaos: Uncensored Animation."
Beginning Friday, the Nuart Theater will screen this collection
of the most eccentric and wild animated shorts to ever hit the big
screen. As a result, the compilation offers 90 minutes of
entertainment that is a far cry from anything that other major
studios would distribute.
The 20 individual titles date from the mid-’80s until now, and
were created by a variety of animators from several different
countries. Naturally, each clip has its own unique visual style.
The wide-mix of techniques range from computer-generated art to
puppetry and clay animation. The subjects consistently revolve
around two themes: sex and violence. There are also multiple
mutilation and death scenes.
While most of the short pieces are meant to be comedic in form,
"General Chaos" offers violence in its most graphic, sex at its
most vivid explicit and profanity in is most raw form. The final
result is a product advised not to be viewed by individuals under
the age of 17 (or with a weak stomach).
"The entire film (compilation) will offer more animated sexual
organs per foot than anything else," says Walter Santucci, the
animator of "Attack of the Hungry, Hungry Nipples."
"Being uncensored allows the animators to show hundreds of
things that fear wipes out of any other studio creation."
Since most of the short films run under five minutes, there is
not a lot of time to present solid story lines and themes. But the
incentive to animators was being able to exercise complete control
over their work.
"The only thing that a big company can offer is to pay my bills
a little bit better," Santucci says. "I might as well be delivering
pizzas to households, because the big mainstream companies would
never allow me to have absolute creative control."
On the simpler side, there is Jeff Sturgis’ "American
Flatulators," which spoofs farting contests, and Keith Alcorn’s ode
to masturbation in "Beat the Meatles."
Although some of the pieces lack concrete plots, "General Chaos:
Uncensored Animation," makes up for it through a few notable works
that are actually quite spiritual and thought-provoking.
A more cerebral entry is Tyron Montgomery’s "Quest," which won
the 1996 Oscar for best animated short subject. And there is Mike
Booth’s look at the surreal workings of heaven in "The Saint
Inspector," and David Donar’s fatal outlook for the dwellers of a
trendy coffee house in "Espresso Depresso."
Probably the most dark and disturbing short, though, is Tony
Nittoli’s "Junky." This story is centered around the sexual abuse
of a foul-mouthed parrot, by his master, in attaining his fix for
crackers.
Interestingly, Nittoli does not feel that the public should be
stunned at the sight of a sexually-abused parrot being addicted to
crackers, in the same way that a junky craves drugs.
"I was not going for any real shock value," Nittoli says, an
actor formerly seen on the "Wonder Years" and "NYPD Blue."
"I want people to enjoy and laugh at my work, but I really made
it for me. If they see no humor in the situation, then that is
their choice."
Unlike Nittoli, who started out with a Super 8 camera and began
showing his pictures at underground festivals, Santucci did not
initially want to become an animator. He was not interested in
drawing and did not even enjoy reading comic books. Santucci felt
that comics were just too confusing and left him feeling
unsatisfied. His interests and passions were guided by music,
especially modern hip-hop. This is exemplified in a couple of
Santucci’s previous works, where such renown rappers as Ice-T and
Ice Cube can be found as the voices for some of his characters.
"Presenting the little of the world that I can affect with
different cultures and backgrounds is one of my personal goals,"
Santucci says. "That’s where art and entertainment can actually
make a difference in the world by depicting positive images without
preaching."
The short films in "General Chaos: Uncensored Animation" deal
with human subjects that are often considered taboo or unacceptable
by the general public. It is here, though, that the individual is
truly expressed.
FILM: "General Chaos: Uncensored Animation" opens at the Nuart
Theater on Friday and runs through March 12.