THE SECOND

AUNT LISA LIST.

Nearly two years ago I posted The Aunt Lisa List. It was a collection of ‘nice’ movie recommendations dedicated to my aunt (who is a nurse practitioner) in an uncertain, stressful and frightening time. I never imagined that these many, many months later times would be just as nerve-racking and scary. And I certainly never imagined that I’d post a second edition of this list. But, sadly, it seems needed. Not just for my frontline-working aunt, but for everyone. So here are another batch of ‘nice’ movies to help you unwind and, hopefully, put a smile on your face and/or hope in your heart.

With special appreciation for all the frontline workers out there, especially Aunt Lisa.

This movie is nothing without Garbo and her arc. There’s some dumb plot about a necklace and plenty of political commentary in it, but both are useless. However, watching the character of Ninotchka, and Greta herself, literally learn to laugh is one of the greatest pleasures the screen has ever known. I defy you not to match her joy as she slowly but surely comes to enjoy and embrace life and all its little pleasures… such as foolish hats.

Guys… this movie is called “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen”… and it’s about salmon fishing in the Yemen. I don’t know why that tickles me so, but it does. Ewan is charming. So is Blunt. It’s all too cute with a sweet message about the virtues of swimming against the current - pun intended. I’ll have you know that this movie was nominated for three, count ‘em three, Golden Globes. Including Best Picture. Damn straight. Oh, and it’s directed by Lasse Hallström. Who doesn’t love that guy?

If you know anything about Tig’s life, you’ll smile watching her cut carrots. Which makes her job as a comedian both easier and harder. Because she doesn’t have to work that hard to make you laugh - you’re already half way there. But this also means that if the belly laughs don’t occur… you're left thinking she’s not as funny as you thought she’d be. Or as she used to be. Not to worry, Tig. You always bring the seriously funny and we leave satisfied. She’s past the tragedy that defined her act for so long in this special and well into living the too-good-to-be-true life, so watching it is especially uplifting.

Cheesy? Yes. Corny? Yes. Catchy? Hell yes. Look, I understand - to a lot of people this movie is a nightmare. It represents everything they hate about big Hollywood fluff. A simple still photo from it is like visual nails on a chalkboard. Even people who normally like musicals will run away from this one. I get it! I was once in that headspace, too. But I’ve since rid myself of such cynicism and given into this sort of thing, and very specifically this movie. Because it’s fun. Simple as that. Fun fun fun. And fun is fun to have. I could use a little of it in my life. So could you (probably). So wrap that feather boa around your neck and dance like a queen. The sequel is also lots of fun, but be warned - it’s also a tearjerker.

So many Hayley Mills movies could be on this list, but what better one than this? Pollyanna has become such a ‘thing’ that it’s easy to forget that she’s an actual character and a damn well written one. She’s all cheer and sunshine, love and faith, lollipops and kittens… until the dark side of life hits her directly. Then all her admirable attributes go out the window (at least for a time) and she’s not so adorable anymore. It’s the ultimate example of learning how to take your own advice and how generously privilege provides optimism, almost to the extent of ignorance. Anyway, this movie tastes like a peach. Mills won a juvenile Oscar (‘member those?) for it, her debut role.

I saw this movie. Once. I thought it was fine. I guess. But every time I see a list online touting feel-good, guilty pleasure or uplifting movies, this is without fail on it. Everywhere I look I’m constantly reminded of how beloved it has become. And just because it’s not necessarily my thing doesn’t mean I fail to understand why it’s everyone else’s. So here it is. Actually, now that we’re here and all - I’m realizing I would happily rewatch this. Dammit Reese! You’ve done it again.

This documentary tells the charming, inspiring story of Young@Heart, a chorus of senior citizens who cover rock songs new and old. Everything from the Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” to Coldplay’s “Fix You”. They tour around with one goal: spread joy. At one point in the movie they even perform at a prison, much to the delight of the inmates who welcome them with open arms. Now, any touching movie about seniors this old is bound to include a death or two, so be braced for that. Still, I couldn’t help but include it.

There are three things going right here that make this movie just good enough…

1. There’s a thin line between cute and cutesy, which is to say between tolerable and insufferable. This movie lands comfortably in the tolerably ‘cute’ category.

2. Jennifer Garner.

3. A lot of movies have tried this formula, “Big” obviously being most successful. So on the surface this may merely appear to be next off the assembly line, trying to recapture that “Big” magic. But the closer you inspect this thing the more you’ll find that it’s greater than the sum of its parts. It comes off as fresh rather than a rip-off.

Rarely do you find a remake that is on par with its original. These movies line up against the light pretty perfectly, both in hitting narrative beats, warm tone and overall quality. Sure, there are definite differences. Spencer is more of an old curmudgeon whereas Martin plays his usual in-over-his-head nice-guy role. But both are well oiled Hollywood flicks; heartfelt and humorous.

This movie features a lot of verbal abuse, so you might wonder why it’s on this list. I’ll tell you why - because the main character, brilliantly brought to life by Sally Hawkins, has enough positive zest for the bright side of life to counteract any negativity around here. We should all take a page out of Poppy’s book. Her approach to life is simple: don’t take anything too seriously and have fun. Google defines ‘happy-go-lucky’ as “cheerfully unconcerned about the future”. What a lovely thing to be, especially right now.

Long before Gilligan and the gang took their three hour tour, there was this tale of Carole Lombard and her prissy pals getting stranded on an island along with a singing sailor. Once settled, they come across a nutty husband-and-wife research team who live on the not-so-deserted isle. Ethel Merman is one of the pals, Bing Crosby is the sailor and Gracie Allan and George Burns are the scientist pair. C’mon - why aren’t we watching this right now? Did I mention Bing sings while brushing a bear? Or that just prior said bear jets around a yacht’s deck on roller-skates? All kidding aside, Gracie wears a really pretty dress in this. And she delivers the funniest punchline of her career while playing an accordion.

Indispensable “Family Ties” writer Marc Lawrence is probably best known for co-writing “Miss Congeniality”, which is great pandemic viewing in its own right. But he made his feature directorial debut with this - one of my all-time favourites of the genre. It’s a classic rom-com set-up. But, as we know, that’s only half the battle. Not only does this line ‘em up exactly how you want, it knocks ‘em down in similar fashion. You get what you came for; total Hollywood satiation. And there’s an actual arc to Grant and Bullock’s relationship, starting as strangers, then boss & assistant, then bickering like siblings and finally falling in love. Its progression feels natural, which is rare in these cookie-cut pictures. It’s endearing and romantic. Which I believe can (mostly) be attributed to two things: in their own right, these stars are at the peak of their guilty-pleasure powers. And together? They showcase irresistible chemistry.

It’s like “Some Like It Hot”, except the duo on the run are women so they disguise themselves as men… disguised as women. Well, drag queens. So they’re pretending to be men pretending to be women, but they’re actually just women to begin with. Get it? Ha! Anyway - this was written and stars Nia Vardolas, and whatever came after “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” was destined to be deemed a failure, as this was. But unfairly so. It’s an appropriate hoot, and Debbie Reynolds makes an appearance playing… (wait for it)… Debbie Reynolds!

Lucy and Desi go on their honeymoon in a huge trailer… and everything you’d expect to happen happens. You don’t have to be a fan of the show to enjoy this movie. It was directed by Vincente Minnelli (like, at the height of being Vincente Minnelli) and is my favourite of the few movies this infamous couple made together. Their usual relatable patter is on full display, as are Ball’s comedic abilities. There’s a moment when she goes flying out the trailer door and into a ditch of soupy mud that still kills me (although her wonderful stunt double Alice Broderick probably deserves a lot of credit for this gag’s great execution). Arnaz plays a character named Nicholas aka Nicky in this. Listen closely - I swear Lucille calls him ‘Ricky’ a time or two. And Madge Blake is in it! Playing someone’s aunt, no less! Well, now you have to watch it.

EDUCATOR ENTERS.

BASH-AH BOO-LAT.

a playlist

(originally made for my mother)

THIS TOUGH GUY.

OH, YES...

JUST A LITTLE.

by Hunter Jon

Animation comes in many different forms. It also comes in a variety of lengths. A lot of the best filmmaking I’ve ever seen has been in short form animation.

One could argue that animation in general is the purest (and hardest) form of visual storytelling, as you not only have to create every frame, but everything that exists within that frame. No cartoon lamp post was just there to begin with for you to point your camera at - it had to be consciously created.

Others could argue that ‘short films’ of any kind have a purity to their plots that you can’t find in feature length fare. You’re not writing to qualify as anything so-called traditional. In other words, no page count has to be met in order for it to ‘count’. So, ideally, you end up with stories that are exactly as long as they need to be.

Combine the two arguments and you’re really making a case for animated shorts being the only form of filmmaking that truly knows no bounds. And therefore having the ability to be the best kinds of movies out there. Which is why it’s such a shame that so many of them go unwatched and/or under-appreciated. Perhaps this is because most people don’t know what they’re missing or simply where to start.

So, in an effort to spread the word, here’s a random assortment of animated bits and pieces that I personally adore.

ALPHABUDDIES: CAT (2015)

This quick gem was made by the late Blair Kitchen. It’s a true testament to his talent as an animator and a storyteller. I really wish he’d gotten to make many more. To enjoy more of his work, head on over to possumpress.com.

THE PERFECT HUMAN: CARTOON (2003)

It’s my favourite of the five obstructions… or variants… or whatever you call them. Made even more admirable when you know how much the director hates animation and struggled to churn this one out.

AN OPTICAL POEM (1938)

One of the definitive “experimental animated shorts” out there, and it earns that title in every way. The only thing more impressive than the short itself is that it was financed and distributed by the zeitgeist that was MGM. Good on them.

GERI’S GAME (1997)

A concept as simple as it is clever, which is to say extremely. You quickly forget that there is no actual actor on display, just brilliant animation. It was nice to see Geri again in “Toy Story 2”.

THE WRONG TROUSERS (1993)

As I kid, it was the perfect piece of entertainment. Looking at it now, it’s nearly impossible to conceive of how they pulled off the technical aspects of this. But they did. And they managed to do so without ever distracting from their characters’ charm.

the FOUR ROOMS (1995) title sequence

Obviously a shameless homage to the “Pink Panther” openings. But, given what a macabre, outside-the-box flick this is, this sequence comes as such a strange surprise. And one that ends up doing the audience a big favour in establishing Ted; Roth’s performance doesn’t seem nearly as over-the-top if you think of him as having just stepped out of a cartoon.

the HEARTLESS (2009) music video

Kanye West rarely does what people expect of him, for better or worse. This one was for the better, by far. And rotoscoping was the right way to go about it. I don’t believe any animator, no matter how skilled, could have captured the essence of West’s body language on their own. 

THE DANISH POET (2006)

Sometimes you admire/enjoy something so much that you have very little to say about it beyond: I love it. Everything about it. So much. I long for love like this.

BRING ME THE HEAD OF CHARLIE BROWN (1986)

Apparently, you don’t need to resemble the polished, colourful look of what you’re parodying to deliver the goods. As long as the spirit of the source is there. This manages to be even funnier than its title… and it’s a pretty funny title.

ONE SMALL STEP (2018)

Any story of hard work paying off is inspiring. But a story of hard work being interrupted by grief and guilt, then being reinvigorated by love, acceptance and forgiveness, is something else entirely.

HIGH NOTE (1960)

Proof that Chuck Jones doesn’t even need a character to have a face, let alone a familiar one, to do his thing.

FEAST (2014)

Put all the rich, fluid animation aside and you get schooled in how to effectively tell, and commit entirely to telling, a story from a left-of-centre perspective. In this case, a plot taking place entirely in the background, unbeknownst to the main character until the third act. This story of a dog and his food has nothing to do with a dog and his food.

WINNIE THE POOH AND THE BLUSTY DAY (1968)

Natural disasters reveal true character real quick, so what better way to get to know, and forever establish, the inhabitance of the Hundred Acre Wood. The meta fact that they end up interacting with the pages and lettering of the book they’re in is some extra Kaufman/Fellini shit thrown on top for great measure.

the opening of

WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (1988)

It had to establish a world. They needed to sell us Roger. We had to buy that this was the most beloved character/franchise we’d never heard of. Zemeckis and co. are (well, were) such overachievers.

BLINKITY BLANK (1955)

This fireworks display of doodles-on-acid is either about a bird trying to get back in its cage or signifies absolutely nothing - not even a pretentious metaphor. Either way, it’s McLaren’s most fuck-you abstract, well timed to music, and, if you ask me, his most entertaining.

OPUS II (1921)

A cat and mouse game between the yin & yang of light and dark as they try to stamp each other out. It begs the question: whose side are we on when good and evil transform from obviously opposing black and white to a more neutral blue and red? That’s a good question.

PRESTO (2008)

You can hate the fast paced, non-stop style of modern mainstream animation and blame it for a generation’s struggles with their attention spans/deficit disorders all you want. I can’t stop you. But the amount of backstory they were able to cram into five minutes, the rapid fire timing of gag after gag once it gets going and the pitch perfect composition and framing of it all is nothing but damn good comedy and moviemaking. It was also the best looking CG animation I’d seen at the time.

HOW TO KISS (1988)

Bill Plympton’s stuff can be as repetitive as it is surreal. How prolific the guy is isn’t exactly helping. I find it’s best to appreciate him in small doses… which is a kind way of saying the less you watch, the more impressed you’ll be. That sounds awful, actually. That’s no way to compliment such a talented fellow. Oh, boy. This has gone South so fast. I should just stop typing.

THE STREET (1976)

If I were you, I’d skip the “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” & “Barney’s Version” movie adaptations and simply watch this instead. It’s a much better representation of Richler - both as a writer and a man.

PUSSY (2016)

Plot: a young woman settles in for a nice night of masturbation. Then something unexpected happens. Thoughts: you know you’re in good hands when the opening shot depicts pulling a tea bag out of a cup of tea, placing it on a spoon and wrapping the string around it all to squeeze out any remaining tea. This is something so many of us do routinely yet is rarely acknowledged in any art form… kind of like masturbating. And how wonderfully unique is it that the backgrounds seem to have been drawn by a marker? Like, I’m talking a Crayola Washable Marker.

ME AND MY MOULTON (2014)

My tummy ached throughout my whole childhood. I’ve only ever seen this depicted in a movie once - right here. This is one of all time favourite coming-of-age movies. It packs more touching imagery, character, insight, humour and narrative into its fourteen minutes than most movies spread out over ninety. And its leading lady is one of the most relatable and likeable characters I’ve ever seen. She’s so perfectly quiet and kind. I want to poke my head through the screen and tell her that there’s nothing wrong with being as shy and sensitive as she is.

MICE FOLLIES (1954)

I’m a life long T&J fanatic, and this particular outing captured my imagination so much as a kid that I remade it… kinda. I drew out my own versions of its most memorable moments and, with Mum wielding the trusty family camcorder, narrated the short’s story as I displayed each page to the camera.

CREATURE COMFORTS (1989)

An idea so good and simple that you’re probably jealous you didn’t think of it yourself. Having animated animals act this mundane and droll (and no, it’s not just the dialogue track - I’m talking about the complimentary body language, too) was way ahead of its time, as was applying the faux documentary style to the medium.

THE DOT AND THE LINE:

A ROMANCE IN LOWER MATHEMATICS (1965)

Delightful evidence that the quest for love is absolutely universal, even in a world of mere shape and colour.

WEEKENDS (2017)

Perfectly captures those melancholy memories of spending weekends at Dad’s, all while exhibiting a refreshing (and appropriately etherial) visual style.

SEASON’S GREETINGS (1996)

Short and sweet. I like its style and Sam is a such great character. As much as I enjoyed seeing a live-action version, I’d love to see much more of him in his original animated form.

A GIFT OF GOLD (1994), a segment

from the 55th episode of ANIMANIACS (1993-98)

Great talents are at work when you can make me tear up with the story of a scrap of wrapping paper. A wonderful example of using the medium to your narrative advantage, as this truly heartwarming story (apparently thought up by Spielberg himself) would be nearly impossible to capture practically in live-action. You’d likely rely on CGI… which is just another form of animation, really.

THE CAT CAME BACK (1988)

This could so easily be as relentlessly annoying as its titular feline. Instead, it’s a classic - one you want to watch over and over and over (which is kinda ironic, actually). This is probably due to its impeccable pace, comic timing and fun designs.

MY GRANDMOTHER

IRONED THE KING’S SHIRTS (1999)

Great title. Great story. Great animation. Great writing. Great direction. Great cut-away to Tonya Harding’s laces being too tight.

LOG DRIVER’S WALTZ (1979)

If you grew up attending a Canadian public school and are anything like me, having your teacher trot out the school-owned boob tube and play this baby via VHS once a year was the highlight of your elementary academia.

THE BIG SNIT (1985)

This is one of my favourite movies of any length. At its core it may just be about a Scrabble argument (and the end of the world), but it actually says everything about everything. And it’s brought to us via some serious originality (and oddity), making it one of the all time greats. That first time she rattles her eyes? Fucking hell - I love it.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR (2018)

You can roll your eyes at the initial premise all you want, but the plain fact is that once it gets going this short is really, really funny. And kinda poignant.

PAPAGENO (1935)

I’m a big fan of “The Magic Flute”, particularly the character of Papageno. I’m also a big fan of Lotte Reiniger, the Queen of silhouette animation. So the latter telling the story of the former is almost too good to be true.

the music video for Amanda Palmer’s cover of

NO SURPRISES (2011)

Amanda Palmer released an album called “Amanda Palmer Performs the Popular Hits of Radiohead On Her Magical Ukulele”. That title is the best thing about the whole project. This video is a close second. Special thanks to my friend Leah for introducing me to this one.

CONFESSIONS OF A STAR DREAMER (1978)

I’d never heard of Diane Gardner before seeing this, but instantly fell for her once I had. Her stream of consciousness is the soundtrack here, as she extemporaneously muses on her life, career and fame in general. Legendary & incomparable animator John Canemaker provides kinetic-yet-messy visuals that match and/or dissect her words, both literally and metaphorically.

20/22 VISION.