Oscar Nominated Shorts 2010 - Animated

The five nominated films are:

Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage - a wonderful and lovingly eclectic travelogue of Madagascar. No deep meanings here -- just an astounding array of visual techniques, from photo-realistic faces to charmingly cinematic landscapes. Probably my pick for Oscar winner. In French with subtitles. You can find it here.

Let’s Pollute - In the spirit of 1950s educational films, this is a totally sarcastic and spottily humorous guide on how to be a good mega-connsumer. I like its message, but I wish it didn't hammer you over the head with it.

The Gruffalo - Based on a children's book, it's quite long (almost 30 minutes!) and voiced by enough famous British actors to fill a "Harry Potter" movie. Cute, but nothing special.

Day & Night - The Disney/Pixar short shown before "Toy Story 3" last summer. With no dialog, it features the two title characters, at odds with each other. I liked this better the second time. A couple pics and some background are at Pixar's website.

The Lost Thing - An Australian film about a teen finding something rather unusual at the beach, filmed against what the New York Times calls "an intriguing steam-punk aesthetic wrapped around a melancholy allegory of consumerism and urban anomie". See its website here.

Along with the five nominated films above, there were two other "Highly Recommended" films:

URS - A wordless German film featuring a theme of aging. CGI humans against a desolately beautiful matte background. Its webite is here.

The Cow Who Wanted to be a Hamburger - A Plimpton studios film. Has the classic Plimpton cartoon look, with wildly vivid colors and a funny yet cautionary tale about where hamburgers come from, and the ultimate test of a mother's love. See the first 60 seconds here.

Another 10 Top NC Eats

Based on reader responses to the original Top 25 list of NC-based food items, the News & Observer published this list of another 10 great North Carolina food moments.

[1]

Tony's Ice Cream, Gastonia

If you're looking for a classic place for a hot dog and an ice cream cone, Tony's Ice Cream of Gastonia is a great choice. The ice cream plant is right across the street, and the red-vinyl booths have been a family hangout since 1947. But if you can't decide from the 30 or so flavors posted daily, readers can help: Go with the grape. It's like an ice-cold lick of a Concord.

Tony's Ice Cream, 604 E. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, 704-867-7085.

[2]

Texas Pete, Winston-Salem

No, Texas Pete is not from Texas. But it's found on tables all over the South. The classic bottle with the red cowboy is made by family-owned Garner Food Co. in Winston-Salem, which came up with the formula in 1929. With a flavor of vinegar, salt and peppers, it has a subtle heat that isn't as overwhelming as Tabasco.


www.texaspete.com.

[3]

Parker's Barbecue, Wilson

Speaking of barbecue institutions, readers reminded us that a meal at Parker's Barbecue in Wilson isn't complete without those corn sticks, sweet cob-shaped cornbread. To some, it is as blasphemous as eating Eastern North Carolina barbecue without sweet tea.


Parker's Barbecue 2514 U.S. 301 South, Wilson, 252-237-0972, 9 a.m.- 9p.m. daily, Cash or checks only.

[4]

Shelby Livermush Expo

Livermush, North Carolina's version of pâté, made from grits and pig parts, is available in grocery stores and restaurants all over the state. Mark your calendars, livermush fans: Shelby hosts a Livermush Expo on Oct. 23. A highlight - Mack's Livermush sells livermush sandwiches.



Shelby Livermush Expo, 10 a.m.- 5p.m. Oct. 23, Historic Court Square, Washington Street, www.TourClevelandCounty.com.

[5]

Fresh House near Albemarle

Fresh House near Albemarle is a combination bakery/candy store/toy store/cafe, started by the late Dave Hinson. But readers told us to go on the third weekend of the month for some of the best chicken and dumplings we've eaten anywhere: Rich broth, plenty of chicken and tender strips of dumplings. Hinson's 79-year-old mother, Tunnie Hinson, comes in to roll them herself.



Fresh House, 805 W. Main St., Locust, 704-888-1460; closed Mondays. Chicken and dumplings served on the third weekend of the month.

[6]

Sunny Side Oyster Bar, Williamston

We touched on steamed oysters before, but we neglected to mention the Sunny Side Oyster Bar, which has been operating in Williamston since 1935. It hasn't changed much since then. Sit down at the U-shaped bar and have your oysters shucked by men with names like "Jesse" and "Griff." This Eastern North Carolina institution opens for the season Friday.



Sunny Side Oyster Bar, 1102 Washington St., Williamston, 252-792-3416. 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 5:30 p.m.-close Friday-Saturday; 5:30-8 p.m. Sunday.

[7]

Kyle Fletcher's, Gastonia

Here's another barbecue restaurant to add to your list: At Kyle Fletcher's in Gastonia, smoke pours out of a half-dozen cookers out back all day, turning out tender, chopped pork that is smokier than most Carolinas 'cue, with plenty of outside brown mixed in.


Kyle Fletcher's BBQ & Catering, 4507 Wilkinson Blvd., Gastonia, 704-824-1956. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday. Cash or checks only.

Peanuts

[8, 9]

How could we forget N.C. peanuts? Try the blister-fried beauties sold at Mackey's Ferry Peanuts in Jamesville. Or the Carolina Crisp Peanut Bar, a solid bar of double-roasted peanuts from the Golden Grove Candy Co., based in Warsaw, N.C. The peanuts come from company president Lee Swinson's farm.


Mackey's Ferry Peanuts, 30871 U.S. 64, Jamesville, 888-637-6887. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday; closed Friday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, shop.mfpnuts.com.


Golden Grove Candy Co., Warsaw. Carolina Crisp bars available at www.goldengrove.com; and Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly, IGA, Kerr Drugs, Handy Mart, Handy Hugo, Short Stop, Mallard and the State Farmers Market in Raleigh.

Hot dogs, various

Yes, the chili dog is a Carolinas classic. We noted several great places. Readers wanted more: the classic hot dog stand Dick's in Wilson, the footlong dogs with multiple toppings at Jay Bee's in Statesville, and the unusual white chili on the dogs from Bill's in Washington.

[10, 11, 12]

Dick's Hotdog Stand, 1500 W. Nash St., Wilson, 252-243-6313, closed Monday; Jay Bee's, 320 Mocksville Highway, Statesville, 704-872-8033, closed Sunday; Bill's Hot Dog Stand, 109 Gladden St., Washington, 252-946-3343, closed Sunday.

[13]

Calabash-style seafood, Calabash

Fried fresh off the boat, abundant and reasonably priced. Its name comes from Calabash, a small town inland from Sunset Beach and close to the South Carolina line. So it seems appropriate to recommend the Calabash Seafood Hut, where the shrimp and flounder are popular. Specials before 4 p.m. cost only $7. Even at dinner, you won't pay more than $15 and you'll get a plate full of food.


Calabash Seafood Hut, 1125 River Road, Calabash, 910-579-6723, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; closed Monday.

NC Top 25 Eats

This list of 25 North Carolina-inspired things/places to eat appeared in the Raleigh News & Observer and Charlotte Observer this past summer.

[1]

Banana pudding has a place of honor all over the state, from barbecue restaurants to church picnics. But the banana pudding at Savor Cafe in Charlotte rises above the rest, with house-made vanilla wafers and custard topped with an artfully browned circle of marshmallow creme.

404 W. Morehead St., Charlotte, 704-334-0098, www.savoronmorehead.com.

[2]

Picking apples at Skytop Orchard in Flat Rock in early fall always feels as if you're standing at the top of the world. How do you top that? Follow the picking with the essence of apple: a cold cider slushy and a hot cider doughnut.

Pinnacle Mountain Road, Flat Rock; 828-692-7930; www.skytoporchard.com.

[3]

The famed Magnolia Grill in Durham puts an ingenious contemporary spin on a classic Southern menu item with its grits souffle. The dish is familiar and sophisticated, airy and creamy. The new South, indeed.

1002 9th St. Durham, 919-286-3609, www.magnoliagrill.net.

[4]

We're not crazy enough to pick just one N.C. barbecue. Instead, we'll suggest that both Eastern North Carolina and Lexington styles are perfect, and every place you love is the very best. If we had to pick, though, we'd go with the classics: Wilber's in Goldsboro or the Skylight Inn in Ayden for Eastern style (whole pig, sauced with vinegar and red pepper), Bridges Barbecue Lodge in Shelby or Lexington Barbecue in Lexington for Lexington style (pork shoulder, sauced with vinegar, red pepper and tomato).

Wilber's Barbecue, 4172 U.S. 70, Goldsboro; Skylight Inn, 4617 Lee St., Ayden; Lexington Barbecue, 10 U.S. 29-70, Lexington; Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge, U.S. 74, Shelby.

[5]

The menu changes daily at Catch in Wilmington, where chef Keith Rhodes cooks up what's fresh off the fishing boats and from the farms. Popular right now: grilled mahi-mahi, which is locally caught. It is served with a coconut black bean sticky rice cake and pineapple-lychee salsa with jalapeño oil. Whatever is being served there, you can't eat better seafood on the coast than what Rhodes cooks in his kitchen.

6623 Market St., Wilmington. (Original location at 215 Princess St. is aiming to reopen Tuesday after renovations.) 910-799-3847, www.catchwilmingtonnc.com.

[6]

Ever since the state raised the alcohol limit on beer, Barley's Taproom in Asheville has earned a reputation as the best taproom in the South. Take a seat and take your pick from 55 taps, including more than 30 made in North Carolina. Here's one to try: Vortex 1, from Pisgah Brewing Co. in Black Mountain, a fine blend of a hoppy pale ale and sweet, amber brew.

42 Biltmore Ave., Asheville, 828-255-0504; www.barleystaproom.com.

[7]

The main star of the Snappy Lunch's pork chop sandwich is the battered pork loin chop as big as a pie plate and fried until golden crispiness. That's why there's a line out the door at this Mount Airy lunch spot made famous by "The Andy Griffith Show." All those tourists line up for their Mayberry dining experience, but the sandwich is enough of a draw for us.

125 N. Main St., Mount Airy, 336-786-4931, www.thesnappylunch.com.

[8]

From textile mills to tobacco fields, North Carolina has a history of inventing high-caffeine sodas, including Sun Drop. From there it was a simple step to the Cherry Lemon Sun Drop. It originated at R.O.'s Barbecue in Gastonia (Sun Drop, Cheerwine and a slice of lemon), then branched out to What-A-Burger in Mooresville (Sun Drop, Fanta cherry soda and a lemon slice). Either way, it's sweet, tart and refreshing on a hot afternoon.

What-A-Burger, 210 S. Main St., Mooresville, 704-664-5455

[9]

Speaking of R.O.'s Barbecue in Gastonia, you can't have a list of N.C. foods without R.O.'s slaw/sauce/dip. It's not shredded cabbage, it's not a salad. It's a mix of mayonnaise, ketchup, spices, relish and a few shreds of cabbage - so soupy, it's served in a cup with a spoon. People use it for everything from hot dog sauce to chip dip.

1318 Gaston Ave., Gastonia, 704-853-8788, www.rosbbq.com/whole.htm.

[10]

Whoever said Charlotte's banking towers have no soul never stopped on College Street for Mert's Heart and Soul. The little loaves of warm corn bread with honey butter warm more than our soul.

214 N. College St., Charlotte, 704-342-4222.

[11]

When spring brings the first whiff of honeysuckle, wise people head to Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill for the annual monthlong appearance of chef Bill Smith's honeysuckle sorbet. That first bite will leave you stunned that the fleeting honeysuckle essence could be translated to a taste.

610 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill, 919-929-7643, www.crookscorner.com.

[12]

Don't let the rough look of Keaton's Barbecue outside Statesville fool you. It's a friendly place, and the chicken - fried, dipped in barbecue sauce and grilled - is a true original, spicy-hot and a little chewy from being soaked in sauce before it goes on the grill. It comes in a mild version, but we never bother. Get at least a half chicken - a quarter is never enough.

17365 Cool Springs Road, Cleveland, 704-278-1619, www.keatons originalbbq.com .

[13]

Fried-herring shacks used to dot the length of the Roanoke River, but the Cypress Grill is one of the remaining few. This Jamesville institution is only open during the herring run from early January to the end of April. Folks order herring either "sunny-side up," with white meat still seen; "cremated," the meat turns dark in the oil; or "hard-as-a-brickbat," for extra crispy. Herring, similar to sardines, can be an acquired taste, but the other fried fish on the menu, homemade pies and a dining experience only feet from the river make it worth the trip.

1520 Stewart St., Jamesville, 252-792-4175.

[14]

Since the beginning of the republic, politics and barbecue have gone together like pork and hickory smoke. The Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church barbecue in Charlotte is a church event, held every year on the fourth Thursday in October. But just as many people come to see the politicians who line up to press the flesh. We turn out for a plate of chopped pork and applesauce and their quirky version of Brunswick stew made with ground beef, chicken and pork.

600 W. Mallard Creek Church Road, Charlotte, 704-547-0038, mallardcreekpresbyterian.org.

[15]

You can't consider your Outer Banks visit complete without buying a piece of Gaynelle Tillett's fig cake from the Ocracoke Seafood Company. Tillett, like many of the island natives, has mastered this moist spice cake made from figs off trees that dot the island. If you're lucky enough to score a jar of her fig preserves, you can re-create it at home.

N.C. 12, Ocracoke, 252-928-5601, www.ocracokeseafood.com.

[16]

Juicy tomatoes. Salty bacon. Rich mayonnaise. That classic summer taste comes together on a single, double or triple (if you dare) BLT served at the Merritt's Store & Grill in Chapel Hill. It's a no-frills convenience store with a grill in the back. Remember to grab extra napkins on your way outside to sit on a bench and eat.

1009 S. Columbia St., Chapel Hill, 919-942-4897, www.merrittsstoreandgrill.com.

[17]

Price's Chicken Coop in Charlotte is a simple place where everybody stands in line and gets food to go. But it has made the list of the best fried chicken places in the country, for its authenticity and the crackling, deep-fried crust. (We still think the world should give the gizzards a chance.)

1614 Camden Road, Charlotte, 704-333-9866, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

[18]

Robeson County has its own baking tradition: The 12-layer cake, with thin layers of yellow cake separated by a rich chocolate frosting. Before we dig in to the country buffet at Fuller's Old Fashion Bar-B-Q in Lumberton, we always check the dessert table - just to make sure we need to save room.

3201 N. Roberts Ave., Lumberton, 910-738-8694.

[19]

You know those fake country stores designed to pull in tourists? Bradford Store isn't one of them. It's the real thing, right down to the woodstove. Even more real: owner Kim Bradford's dedication to local products. Pull up a rocker, open a Mooresville-made Uncle Scott's Root Beer from the cooler and sit a spell to think about that.

15915 Davidson-Concord Road, Davidson, 704-439-4303; unclescottsrootbeer.com.

[20]

No visit to the N.C. State Fair would be complete without a scoop of ice cream made by N.C. State food science students . No joke: It's made from milk from cows raised at the university's dairy. With 14 percent milkfat, it is lip-smacking goodness on those hot Indian summer days. Classic flavors include strawberry, cherry vanilla and butter almond.

Oct. 14-24, next to the Hobbies and Crafts building, State Fairgrounds, 1025 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, 919-513-2388, www.ncsu.edu/howlingcow.

[21]

The state is dotted with little lunch counters that have perfected the chili dog: Steamed bun, juicy dog, soft chili. Look for them all over, including classic spots like the Roast Grill in Raleigh, Ward's in Whiteville and Pulliam's in Winston-Salem.

Roast Grill, 7 S. West St., Raleigh; Ward's Grill, 706 S. Madison St., Whiteville; J.S. Pulliam Barbeque, 4400 Old Walkertown Road, Winston-Salem.

[22]

Pecan pie at Chapel Hill'sMama Dip's . It has the perfect ratio of crunchy pecans to the sweet, satisfying filling and, oh yes, it's served warm. You should know the pie's lore: Mildred Council, aka Mama Dip, refused to travel to Manhattan to be filmed making that pie for "Good Morning America" on Thanksgiving morning. So the crew came to Chapel Hill to film her.

408 W. Rosemary St., Chapel Hill, www.mamadips.com.

[23]

Here's a taste that hasn't changed for a couple of hundred years: warm Moravian sugar cake, fresh out of the brick oven at Winkler Bakery in the Old Salem Historic Site in Winston-Salem, all soft, warm and bubbling with molten sugar. They'll usually give free samples, and you can buy a whole cake for about $5.50.

Old Salem Historic Site, Winston-Salem; www.oldsalem.org.

[24]

October should not pass without making the trip to Brunswick County to shuck oysters elbow-to-elbow at the annual Varnamtown Oyster Roast. The congregation of the Dixon Chapel United Methodist Church has hosted the event for more than 50 years. The line of people waiting to eat their fill of roasted oysters, hushpuppies and sweet pickles is a testament to the eating experience. To look like a pro, bring your own homemade sauce and roll of paper towels.

190 Varnamtown Road, Varnamtown, 910-842-5530, The church has a Facebook page.

[25]

Down-home fried-fish restaurants called fish camps used to dot river towns throughout the South. Get a taste of the tradition at Twin Tops Fish Camp in Belmont. Skip the seafood and go with a plateful of salt-and-pepper catfish. The crunchy crust is dusky with black pepper and covers sweet, white flesh underneath. Save some change to blow in the incredible candy store.

4574 S. New Hope Road, Belmont, 704-825-2490.

Haw River Wineries - North Loop

The Haw River Valley is one of three official "viticultural areas" in North Carolina, and the closest to Raleigh. More info about NC wineries is at Visit NC Wine website.

I-40 splits the area in half. The wineries to the north of I-40 are approximately a 90-minute drive from Raleigh.

The map below suggests a loop of these Haw River Valley wineries that are north of I-40. Check their websites for hours and special events:

Grove Winery - Gibsonville, NC (point B on map below)

GlenMarie Vineyards - Burlington, NC (C on map)

Winery at Iron Gate Farm - Mebane, NC (D on map)

Rock of Ages Winery - Hurdle Mills, NC

Options:

Pack a picnic lunch, or buy one on your way, and have lunch at one of the wineries.

Visit Company Shops Market at 268 E. Front St. in Hillsborough on the way out or back for some local produce and hot- and salad-bar. Open 8am-8pm.

Have dinner at Hillsborough BBQ at 236 S. Nash Street, Hillsborough.


View Larger Map

Haw River Wineries - South Loop

So, it's autumn, and you'd like to visit some wineries. But you're in Raleigh, NC. What to do?

If you don't have the time to drive to the NC foothill wineries of the Yadkin Valley, you could still spend an afternoon visiting a few of the Haw River Valley wineries, which are about an hour's drive from Raleigh. I-40 runs right through the middle of the Haw River Valley, so access is easy.

The map below suggests a loop of these wineries south of I-40. Check their websites for hours and special events:

SilkHope Winery - Pittsboro, NC (point B on map below)

Wolfe Wines - Snow Camp, NC (C on map)

Benjamin Vineyards - Saxapahaw, NC (D on map)

Options:

Pack a picnic lunch, or buy one in Pittsboro -- perhaps at the Chatham MarketPlace -- and have lunch at one of the wineries.

The route goes through Saxapahaw, a picturesque village on the Haw River. Visit the River Mill Village complex or enjoy the farm-fresh flavors at Saxapahaw General Store.

On the way back to Raleigh, stop at Maple View Farm Country Store for ice cream (E on map), or perhaps after a dinner in Carrboro, visit their downtown Carrboro store.


View Larger Map

MST in the Triangle - Section 9 + 10

At just 0.5 miles long, Section 9 of the Falls Lake Trail/MST (Twin Creek section) is so short that I'm including it with section 10 (Quail Roost section - 2.5 miles). These sections start at New Light Road, and head mostly west to NC-50.

For a while, this section follows a branch of Falls Lake, but for most of the trail you are quite a distance from water, so if you're looking for great water views, this isn't the section for you. However, there is a lot of variation in geography and elevation here, so it's an interesting hike nevertheless. The first half is very hilly, and the second half is very flat.

You can park along the grassy shoulder on New Light Road, near where Section 8 ended. Walk a short distance north, and the trail enters the forest on the west side of the road. It's called the Twin Creek section because, you guessed it, there are two creeks to cross, both of which look alike.

The trail initially goes uphill, then back downhill to a bridge crossing of the first creek at 0.1 mile. Head back uphill to a bluff with a water view on your right, and a big house (with chicken coop!) on your left. The trail goes back downhill to a bridge over the second creek at 0.3 mile. Then, a sharp right as you walk along Ghoston Road, and back uphill to a crossing of that road at 0.5 mile.

There's really no place to park at the Ghoston Road crossing, and hey, you've only gone 1/2 mile, so just keep going straight onto Section 10 of the MST.

The trail is flat for a while, and then starts heading downhill. At 1.0 mile, you cross the outlet flow from a small pond, and soon after that you have a steep uphill to a bluff as you walk along a small arm of Falls Lake. At 1.3 miles, you cross a plank bridge, then uphill again for more lake views.

Soon, you turn left, away from the lake and follow a flat route along a creek. At 1.6 miles, you turn right to cross the creek on a bridge, and head uphill again. Soon, you start to follow an old road-bed, and the path widens out as you go steadily uphill. I saw some mountain bike tracks here, although I think this trail is off-limits to them.

At 2.0 miles, the trail gets wider as you pass and merge with several wide old road beds. Just keep going straight, until at 2.1 miles you get to a gate across the road. Turn right across a small bridge, and the trail goes around an old farmsite. You pass the remains of a tin shed. At 2.2 miles, you cross an old dirt roadbed and enter a thick pine forest. At 2.3 miles, you cross a creek.

At 2.4 miles, you come out of the forest to a cleared area, and you see the old dirt roadbed again. This time, you take a left, and follow the road. Someone has conveniently placed a bunch of rocks in the middle of the road so it looks like a left-pointing arrow. This road is used by horses, since I saw horseshoe prints here. The cleared-out area to your right must have been an old farm or homesite, since you can still see the remains of a 2-story stone fireplace in the distance.

At 2.5 miles, you turn left back into the woods, and enter a state park. At 2.6 miles, cross a gravel service road. Then, at 2.9 miles, cross a paved service road. At 3.0 miles, you cross another paved road (Falls Lake Info Center/NC State Parks Mgmt Center is down this road).

You go downhill, then turn left and go back uphill to NC-50 at 3.2 miles, where there's a gravel parking area. The next section, Section 11, starts across the street and just to the north.

Oscar Nominated Shorts 2009 - Animated

I saw the Oscar Nominated Short Animated features that played this past weekend at the Carolina Theater in Durham, NC. The show will also play at the Galaxy Theater in Cary, NC for one week starting Friday, March 5, 2010.

This year's features were interesting, as usual, with the highlights being a 30-minute (that's "short"?) Wallace & Gromit feature, and an astonishing feature called "Logorama" from a French studio.

You can watch a snippet of each of the five nominated films here at the official Oscar shorts website -- http://www.shortshd.com/theoscarshorts

Here's a list of the nominations:

"French Roast" -- This one's a CGI from The Pumpkin Factory, a French animation studio. Nice but slow story about a wealthy man who enters a cafe, and -- well, I don't want to give anything away, but the ending is perfect. The film is basically a silent movie, with just a few lines in French, with no subtitles, but it's easy to figure out what's going on. The film's website is here and I found the entire film on YouTube here.

"The Lady and the Reaper" -- After the relative calm of "French Roast", this one is a wild CGI romp, in the manic style of Warner Bros. old Merrie Melodies cartoons. Yes, there is a lady, and yes, there is the reaper, but there's also a heroic, if self-absorbed, surgeon trying to help the lady. I thought it was way too frantic to be funny. This film is from Spain, and is co-produced by, of all people, Antonio Banderas! The film's website is here. And they have graciously put the entire film in wide-screen glory online here.

"A Matter of Loaf and Death" -- What, more death? Well, humorous deaths. This is the central attraction of the animiated films -- a new 30-minute Wallace & Gromit feature! This time Wallace & Gromit are bakers, and there's a mad fiend out there killing bakers. Why? Who cares? Its dazzling wit is so wildly entertaining, if a bit silly. Because of its length, you're probably not going to find this one online, but the Wallace & Gromit website is here.

"Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty" -- This Irish film was very clever and funny - a retelling of the Grimm fairy tale. Granny reads this bedtime story to her grand-child, and in doing so probably scars the child for life. I liked how the story-within-a-story had a different animation technique -- with whimsical hand-drawings -- while the main story was in pseudo-realistic CGI. The website of the film is rather amusing, since it includes Granny's reaction to being nominated for an Oscar. It's here. Oh, and the entire film is there too! Yay! Just follow "The Film" link there.

Yes, there are 5 nominated films, but after the 4th one, above, the film series took a break, and showed some of the 5 "highly recommended" films. There were films that made the Top Ten in the nomination process, but didn't make it to the Final Five.

"Partly Cloudy" -- You may have seen this Pixar release, since it played before the feature film "Up" last summer. Not my favorite Pixar short. Sure, it's big and colorful, but nothing much happens. Pixar's website for the film is here. But I doubt Disney/Pixar will allow a YouTube copy of this online.

"Runaway" -- This rather bizarre Canadian line-drawing cartoon is about a train that seems to be -- a runaway! There's some nice social satire here, as rich people are seen as obnoxious and uncaring, but ultimately get what's coming to them. The film isn't very successful, though, as there's no one to root for here. Everyone is twisted and ugly and distasteful, except for the cow. But the music (by Ben Charest, the composer of "The Triplets of Belleville" score) is certainly jaunty! The film's website, which has a short trailer is here.

"The Kinematograph" -- This Polish film is so stunningly beautiful, I wanted to like it more than I did. The story is of an inventor and his wife. The story is meant to have an emotional punch, but it's told in too clinical a way to be truly moving. Still, the graphics are wonderful. The website here has a trailer.

So, that's only 3 of the "Bottom 5". For some reason, perhaps time -- since the Wallace & Gromit film is so long -- or perhaps quality reasons, these two were left out:

"The Cat Piano" -- This hand-drawn Australian film is in mono-chromatic midnight blue. The beatnik-poem-style narration is interesting for a while, but if you own or like cats, you might not want to know how a Cat Piano works. You can see the full film here.

"Variété" -- I haven't seen this one. It's from the Netherlands, and is about a boy who spins plates -- and family members -- on top of long vertical sticks. I can see why it wasn't included. A film clip is here.

Finally, there was the last of the nominated films -- but it was preceded by a warning that the film you were about to watch was full of violence and profanity. Some folks in the audience cheered, for it was:

"Logorama" -- Directed by the H5 collective in France, this satiric send-up of Hollywood, rampant consumerism, "Pulp Fiction" style movies, and video games was the most astonishing film of all. Everything, and I mean everything, is represented by a corporate logo, in a city resembling Los Angeles. The police are Michelin men, and Ronald McDonald is a psychotic clown. So, is it an indictment against corporate world dominion, or does it revel in corporate culture? Who knows? That's the brilliance of it. It should win the Academy Award, but I think if it did, there might be legal battles over the inappropriate use of corporate logos. The film's website has the first 30 seconds or so (before all the swearing and mayhem starts) here. Warning: the preview automatically starts running.