December-January DVD Spotlight: Animation

From now through the end of January, we're spotlighting the best in animated films and television from our DVD collection.  From Disney's classic Pinocchio (1940) and the Pixar smash Monsters, Inc. (2001), to the experimental animated shorts of Norman McLaren, we've got a wide variety of films in our showcase.  If you're looking for a laugh, check out hilarious staples from Cartoon Network's Adult Swim like Robot Chicken and Sealab 2021.  If you're in the mood for something a bit darker, perhaps the ghost story The Book of the Dead (2005), from Japanese puppet animation master Kihachiro Kawamoto, might be more to your liking.

Featured titles include:

Akira (1988)
This influential, mind-bending sci-fi/action film is probably still the high-water mark of Japanese animated cinema.  More than any other film, Akira proves that there are things you can do with hand-drawn animation that can't be achieved with computers or live-action filmmaking.

Bitter Films, Volume 1: 1995-2005
This compilation of early animated shorts from Don Hertzfeldt, whose recent World of Tomorrow (2015) was nominated for an Oscar, offers a funny and surprisingly moving look at the human experience.

Blood Tea and Red String (2006)
This handmade, stop-motion fairy tale for adults tells the story of the struggle between the aristocratic White Mice and the Creatures Who Dwell Under the Oak.

Sita Sings the Blues (2008)
From writer/director Nina Paley, this animated retelling of the Indian epic Ramayana is set to the 1920s jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
The first feature-length film ever produced by Walt Disney Productions, this classic adaptation of the Grimm fairy tale remains as magical as when it first hit the silver screen eight decades ago.

The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
A charming and utterly unique work from French director Sylvain Chomet, about a kidnapped bicyclist whose grandmother tracks him down with the help of an aging musical trio.

Check one out today!