Wallace and Gromit:The curse of the Were-Rabbit is coming

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Saw a trailer last night and it looks great. After the disappointment of Chicken Run I'm hoping Nick Park and Aardman are back on track.

Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:03 (twenty years ago)

Disappointment? I lurved that, me.

But yes, this upcoming film looks to be great. :-)

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:05 (twenty years ago)

Conor Smedley to thread!

dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:05 (twenty years ago)

But wererabbits don't howl, surely.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:08 (twenty years ago)

ihttp://www.boscobel.k12.wi.us/~schnrich/bunnicula.jpg

n/a (Nick A.), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:08 (twenty years ago)

Disappointment? I lurved that, me.

I think it was compromised in trying to appeal to a Trans-Atlantic audience. Too much Mel Gibson, too many English stereotypes, pandering to an audiences (and Dreamworks) expectations. This looks rather more idiosyncratic and all the better for it.

Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:18 (twenty years ago)

It does look pretty cool. OTM Billy, I hated Chicken Run.

Kv_nol (Kv_nol), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:21 (twenty years ago)

Too much Mel Gibson

This I will agree with. (As for stereotypes, surely Wallace IS a stereotype himself. Albeit an inventive one.)

Bunnicula roolz OK.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:26 (twenty years ago)

Me and the boy saw the preview for this before Sky High, and I can honestly say I've never seen the kid laugh so hard at a movie trailer. Even moreso than the one for the Spongebob movie with the naked parasailing Patrick clutching a flag in his buttcheeks. I am sooooo looking forward to this.

Wasn't there some kind of W&G collection of short films or something once before?

nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:31 (twenty years ago)

On the other hand, I saw a preview last night for Valiant and it looks dreadful and seems to rip-off the worst parts of Chicken Run.

We should start a Bunnicula thread, but I'm not really sure how much dicussion we could have about him.

jocelyn (Jocelyn), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:33 (twenty years ago)

There's a DVD with the three W&G shorts, while there are other separate Aardman comps with other efforts...

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:34 (twenty years ago)

There already is a Bunnicula thread, surely!

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:34 (twenty years ago)

*checks* Wow, you're right, there is none. Okay Jocelyn, start it up...

Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:35 (twenty years ago)

I'm with N/A here: I'm sure it'll be terrific, but the premise makes it impossible to not-think of Bunnicula.

nabisco (nabisco), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 20:45 (twenty years ago)

On the other hand, I saw a preview last night for Valiant and it looks dreadful and seems to rip-off the worst parts of Chicken Run.

yeah I saw the previews for both of these at the same time and the audience silence during Valiant was notable. the W&G trailer went over great though!

Valiant is Disney's first non-Pixar cgi film, right? does not bode well for them.

kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 21:26 (twenty years ago)

The beauty of Wallace and Grommit was the characters themselves, more than the brilliance of the animation.That's what I missed in Chicken Run.

My daughter's going to be pleased - she's been watching 'Wallace and Grommit: A Grand Day Out' since she was three, and always has a plate of cheese and crackers at her elbow as part of the experience.

moley, Wednesday, 3 August 2005 21:38 (twenty years ago)

'Chicken Run' had its moments but with its profusion of characters, it lacked the quaint bachelor existence of W&G, which is something I find genuinely attractive. The story of a man and his dog, or perhaps, the other way round.

M. White (Miguelito), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 21:45 (twenty years ago)

Valiant showed in the UK months ago, my son wasn't impressed.

I'm psyched for the W&G movie: movie length laff-riots are hard to sustain, tho.

Anti-Pope Consortium (noodle vague), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 21:50 (twenty years ago)

one month passes...
How come Australia and New Zealand have this film already and we don't? Unfairness! Bigotry!

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 19 September 2005 18:15 (twenty years ago)

Oh it was good though. Maybe too many extra characters, but maybe you need that for a feature film. References to other films, also detracted from that self-contained little universe. But overall I really liked it.

isadora (isadora), Monday, 19 September 2005 18:58 (twenty years ago)

Chicken run was great dammit, come one, that pie machine? Bitches. I'm a can't wait for this W & G movie.

-rainbow bum- (-rainbow bum-), Monday, 19 September 2005 20:43 (twenty years ago)

Were-Rabbit feels a bit of the strain of stretching to a feature-length, sagging a bit two-thirds of the way in, but then beats this by having the last half-hour be climax after climax. The whole thing, of course, shits all over Chicken Run.

There's a lot of playing with stereotypes, both of general Northern/rural character and mid-C20th British film archetypes.

No doubt there will be a deluge of merchandise, especially given the multiplicity of a new Park-design for incidental anthropomorphics (though I haven't seen any ads for anything yet actually!), but strangely it feels like the film could be a really good model for a video game rather than a line of cuddly toys.

kit brash (kit brash), Monday, 19 September 2005 23:39 (twenty years ago)

two weeks pass...
fucking awesome

gear (gear), Friday, 7 October 2005 23:07 (twenty years ago)

I'm stocking up on the stilton.

j woo, Friday, 7 October 2005 23:24 (twenty years ago)

can't! wait!!!

400% Nice (nordicskilla), Friday, 7 October 2005 23:42 (twenty years ago)

We stood in line for 3 minutes this afternoon before my indulged-child-tolerance limit was reached. We are trying again late this evening.

Jaq (Jaq), Friday, 7 October 2005 23:44 (twenty years ago)

Heh. I'm going to try for it next week some night rather than a weekend showing.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 7 October 2005 23:45 (twenty years ago)

that douchebag at stylus who gave it a C+ is an idiot, pure and simple

gear (gear), Friday, 7 October 2005 23:48 (twenty years ago)

Yeah Ned, that's the next plan if the late show tonight is kid-packed. Somehow, I thought Friday at 2 would be safe, but forgot about the half-day kindergarten and preschool crowd.

Jaq (Jaq), Friday, 7 October 2005 23:54 (twenty years ago)

There isn't five consecutive seconds of this movie without something clever and funny in them. So good!

Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Saturday, 8 October 2005 15:06 (twenty years ago)

The way to deal with the kid problem is to see it at a 10pm showing (which I did). I heart this movie so much

Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Saturday, 8 October 2005 21:14 (twenty years ago)

I was a little disappointed, but I still recommend it. The "dogfight" was classic Grommit.

when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Saturday, 8 October 2005 21:21 (twenty years ago)

I lurved it! Action packed. How many allusions can you spot? I think there was a South Park reference in the crowd scene towards the end- a little kid who looked suspiciously like Kenny falling flat backwards. It seemed like when Grommit was flying along the manor house there was kind of a Star Wars theme moment in the score. Also, in the book of monsters, the latin name of the Loch Ness monster was something like "touristus trappus".

viborgu, Sunday, 9 October 2005 07:32 (twenty years ago)

Did anyone else get to see the trailer for "Over the Hedge" ? I'm not sure what to make of it .. is it a satire about suburbs and fat Americans who eat everything and throw away half of everything .. or is Pixa® saying "what a country!"

when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Sunday, 9 October 2005 13:50 (twenty years ago)

there's another Pixar movie close to release already? When does Cars come out?

kyle (akmonday), Sunday, 9 October 2005 14:03 (twenty years ago)

or is Pixa® saying "what a country!

This is a dreamworks movie, you can tell by all of the celebrity voices and the shoddy animation.

O'so Krispie (Ex Leon), Sunday, 9 October 2005 14:34 (twenty years ago)

"Over the Hedge" is based on a comic strip that happens to be one of the worst currently stinking up the funny pages. And that's saying something. Also, it's not Pixar, it's Dreamworks.

Austin Still (Austin, Still), Sunday, 9 October 2005 14:47 (twenty years ago)

dreamworks animation has been so fucking terrible so far

kyle (akmonday), Sunday, 9 October 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

Quite so. I'm anticipating seeing "Over the Hedge" (if a sadistic band of marauders breaks every bone in my body, paralyzes me with curare, staples my eyelids open and locks me in a cinema that's showing it.)

Austin Still (Austin, Still), Sunday, 9 October 2005 14:55 (twenty years ago)

How many allusions can you spot?

"Mummie's Sauce"? Grommit graduating from "Dogwarts"?

j.lu (j.lu), Sunday, 9 October 2005 14:58 (twenty years ago)

pixar, dreamworks, who fucking cares...

when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Sunday, 9 October 2005 15:14 (twenty years ago)

Well, one makes good movies, the other makes awful crap. So, I fucking care.

"Orson Welles, Jerry Bruckheimer, who fucking cares..."

Austin Still (Austin, Still), Sunday, 9 October 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

Laughed my head off.

Phillip's look of glee when he finds the 10 p coin in his change purse still has me in stitches.

The vicar's nun porn...

The kong reference...

"Totty"...

Grommit's rolled eyes when Hutch says 'rabbit food'...

M. White (Miguelito), Sunday, 9 October 2005 16:02 (twenty years ago)

BRISTOL, England - A day of celebration has turned to ashes for Aardman Animations, the English studio that created animated clay movie stars Wallace and Gromit.

Aardman said an early morning fire on Monday gutted its warehouse in this western English city, destroying a priceless archive of props, sets and models.

Aardman had just learned that "The Curse of the Were-Rabbit," the first full-length adventure for the eccentric inventor and his indomitable dog, had topped the U.S. box office on its opening weekend.

"Today was supposed to be a day of celebration, with the news that Wallace and Gromit had gone in at number one at the U.S. box office, but instead our whole history has been wiped out," said Aardman spokesman Arthur Sheriff. "It's turned out to be a terrible day."

The Avon Fire and Rescue service said the roof and three interior walls of the Victorian warehouse collapsed in the blaze, which broke out at about 5:30 a.m. (0430 GMT). The cause of the fire was being investigated.

Sheriff said the warehouse contained sets, props and models from all the company's past productions, from the children's cartoon character "Morph" through the Oscar-winning, anthropomorphic "Creature Comforts" series to the Wallace and Gromit films.

Aardman said the sets and props from "Curse of the Were-Rabbit" were not caught in the blaze.

Wallace and Gromit's creator, Nick Park, said the earthquake in South Asia helped put the loss into perspective.

"Even though it is a precious and nostalgic collection and valuable to the company, in light of other tragedies, today isn't a big deal," he said.

Founded in 1972, Aardman is closely associated with animator Park, who joined in 1986, fresh out of film school.

Park used stop-motion clay animation to create cheese-loving inventor Wallace and his mute but resourceful dog Gromit. They starred in three shorts — "A Grand Day Out" (1989), "The Wrong Trousers" (1993) and "A Close Shave" (1995). The latter two won Academy Awards.

Park and Aardman's Peter Lord also directed the 2000 feature "Chicken Run," which spoofed the World War II prison-camp classic "The Great Escape" with a cast of clay poultry.

"Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit" opened in the United States on Friday and took US$16.1 million (€13.3 million) at the box office over the weekend. It opens in Britain Oct. 14.

gear (gear), Monday, 10 October 2005 17:39 (twenty years ago)

Haven't seen the movie but that's a sad story!

Lion-O (nordicskilla), Monday, 10 October 2005 21:35 (twenty years ago)

well, see the fucking movie, adam!

gear (gear), Monday, 10 October 2005 23:23 (twenty years ago)

chop chop, lad!

gear (gear), Monday, 10 October 2005 23:24 (twenty years ago)

i mean it's really good, seriously you should asap

gear (gear), Monday, 10 October 2005 23:25 (twenty years ago)

that fire news fucking sucks. we sponsored the us premiere of the movie in nyc a couple of weeks ago and hung out with some of the aardman folks, all of whom were genuine, humble and enthusiastic dudes.

mark p (Mark P), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 00:42 (twenty years ago)

The movie is adorable.

Jimmy Mod wants you to tighten the strings on your corset (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 00:43 (twenty years ago)

chaki you are crazy

Lion-O (nordicskilla), Saturday, 15 October 2005 22:52 (twenty years ago)

what?

howell huser (chaki), Saturday, 15 October 2005 22:59 (twenty years ago)

Completely crazy. What wasn't to love?

Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 15 October 2005 23:12 (twenty years ago)

It was cute but I think I could have waited for DVD.

walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 16 October 2005 04:32 (twenty years ago)

you're crazy too.

hstencil (hstencil), Sunday, 16 October 2005 05:28 (twenty years ago)

It was kind of cool how you could see fingerprints on the clay on some of the closeups though. That's something that you would lose watching it on DVD.

walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 16 October 2005 15:56 (twenty years ago)

It was kind of cool how you could see fingerprints on the clay on some of the closeups though.

Yeah, I caught that as well -- a fun (and literal) touch.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 16 October 2005 16:03 (twenty years ago)

There was only one scene where I caught that. I wondered if they'd left them there deliberately.

Mädchen (Madchen), Monday, 17 October 2005 09:56 (twenty years ago)

To frame someone?

Alba (Alba), Monday, 17 October 2005 15:29 (twenty years ago)

I left the theater so hungering for a carrot or a cuccumber. Or maybe a hunk of frigging stilton. The boy liked the "dog fight" bit so much, other theater patrons turned towards the back of the theater to attempt to look upon his mirth.

Also, I vow to see this movie again sometime, when the boy isn't around, incredibly giggletits stoned.`

icknayaliciousyay, Tuesday, 18 October 2005 00:58 (twenty years ago)

Hey, where ya been, dude? Life just busy?

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 01:00 (twenty years ago)

We saw this last night. We both had some trepidations b/c of the unfunny opening credit bit & seeing such things listed as "music - hans zimmer" WTF!!!???? However, we larfed just about all the way through it. Best bits = where the rabbit thinks it's died and gone to heaven = just about the funniest thing ever, also, the bit with gromit alone in the car after they've gone through the road tunnel = actually genuinely quite spooky! Plus, "may contain nuts" hahahahahahaahahahahhahahaha (etc)

Pashmina (Pashmina), Thursday, 27 October 2005 07:39 (twenty years ago)

disappointing

RJG (RJG), Thursday, 27 October 2005 11:14 (twenty years ago)

I thought it was a great film. Nick Park has hardly put a foot wrong:

# Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
# "Creature Comforts" (2003) TV Series
# Chicken Run (2000)
... aka C:R-1 (USA: promotional abbreviation)

# Wallace & Gromit: The Aardman Collection 2 (1996)
# Wallace & Gromit: The Best of Aardman Animation (1996)
... aka Wallace & Gromit
... aka Wallace & Gromit: The First Three Adventures (USA)
# Wallace & Gromit in A Close Shave (1995)
... aka A Close Shave (UK: short title)
# Wallace & Gromit: The Aardman Collection (1994)
# Wallace & Gromit in The Wrong Trousers (1993)
... aka The Wrong Trousers (UK: short title)

# A Grand Day Out with Wallace and Gromit (1989)
... aka A Grand Day Out (UK: short title)
# Creature Comforts (1989)

That's a pretty spectacular CV.

This film has also given me an enormous cheese craving. I'd forgotten how nice cheese is.

Come Back Johnny B (Johnney B), Thursday, 27 October 2005 11:24 (twenty years ago)

Cheese excesses on ILCooking, caused in part by W&G.

Jaq (Jaq), Thursday, 27 October 2005 11:38 (twenty years ago)

how can anyone dislike this movie?

kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 16:51 (twenty years ago)

Beats me. Saw it for a second time this past Saturday with a friend who hadn't caught it yet.

Favorite joke I caught this time around -- Lady Tottington introduces Wallace to her secret garden, saying that while a butterfly lands on her outstretched hand. Cut to Wallace saying something in response, cut back to Totty responding with a smile and clapping her hands together. Without missing a beat, she keeps talking while looking down, seeing the smashed butterfly and then wiping it off on her dress. A perfect tour de force of comic acting without a human actor in the frame -- Aardman, I love you!

(I hadn't realized that the old DVD of the three short films has been replaced by a new one that adds the ten mini-shorts done more recently. Hmm...)

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:00 (twenty years ago)

I like it when the man puts his wig on and it's a bunny and then the bunny waves at all the other bunnies.


That's the best bit.

F.R.I.E.N.D. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:03 (twenty years ago)

My favorite was the Wallace-rabbit: "CHEESE!" in the high rabbit voice, the slippers and vest!

n/a (Nick A.), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:11 (twenty years ago)

Also the evil dog's change purse!

n/a (Nick A.), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

I've been exclaiming 'wheeeee!' a lot recently.

M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:18 (twenty years ago)

I like it when the man puts his wig on and it's a bunny and then the bunny waves at all the other bunnies.

I just love the sheer surreal happiness of all the bunnies floating about in the vacuum while Wallace and Lady Tottington and etc. all chat away a bit. They look so content in there!

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:23 (twenty years ago)

I like it when the man puts his wig on and it's a bunny and then the bunny waves at all the other bunnies

that's my wife's favorite scene as well. and I liked the bunny thinking he's dead as he's sucked through the hole toward the light.

kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:28 (twenty years ago)

So basically we're all agreed that this movie is fabulous and those who didn't like it, even Chaki, are alas insane. All is well.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:29 (twenty years ago)

seeing such things listed as "music - hans zimmer" WTF!!!????

I double checked this -- Julian Nott, as with the other films, did the music, but Zimmer is the producer, for what that's worth (probably not a lot).

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:30 (twenty years ago)

the wallace-rabbit was def the funniest thing

RJG (RJG), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:30 (twenty years ago)

Hutch was his name, right?

M. White (Miguelito), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:32 (twenty years ago)

I have three rolls of colour super-8 that have to be processed by the end of the month. Maybe I'll make a claymation movie!

F.R.I.E.N.D. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:38 (twenty years ago)

Hutch was his name, right?

Yup!

I have three rolls of colour super-8 that have to be processed by the end of the month. Maybe I'll make a claymation movie!

You could film The Return of Morph

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:38 (twenty years ago)

Morph was my hero as a kid.

F.R.I.E.N.D. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:39 (twenty years ago)

Him and Henry's Cat.

F.R.I.E.N.D. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:39 (twenty years ago)

The inevitable Henry's Cat thread

F.R.I.E.N.D. (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 17:39 (twenty years ago)

The lightbulb eyeballs were the best part.

walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 1 November 2005 18:07 (twenty years ago)

I loved this. The vicar stole the whole movie. So many great almost-too-quick jokes thrown in -- the Irishman saying "Kiss me arrr..tichoke." The were-rabbit transformation scene had me in stiches - predictable, yet done so hilariously well.

Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 8 November 2005 04:49 (twenty years ago)

"Beware the moon!" god I loved this film.

Matt (Matt), Tuesday, 8 November 2005 08:13 (twenty years ago)

three months pass...
I finally saw this last night, and I'm going to buy the DVD today. It is truly fantatsic. Peter Kay's Policeman being a favourite, but cute rabbits and Sid from the Archers and the the whole damn thing tickling me hugely.

Ed (dali), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 07:24 (twenty years ago)

I must get the DVD too. I was laughing so much when I watched the film at the cinema that I'm sure I missed loads of subtle and amusing references.

C J (C J), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 09:06 (twenty years ago)

I might have mentioned this somewhere upthread but since I didn't see it -- I loved the moment when Gromit is killing time in the van, turns on the radio, hears Art Garfunkel's "Bright Eyes," rolls his eyes and immediately turns it off. (I hope I don't have to mention what movie that song was originally from.)

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 21 February 2006 20:21 (twenty years ago)

Anyway, forget all that Crash and Brokeback nonsense -- Were-rabbit wins best animated film Oscar! (Deservedly so, I think -- I saw all three, and while Howl's is enjoyable it's too much a montage of Miyazaki's other work to truly standout, while Corpse Bride was definitely great but somehow I just wanted Nick Park to get it again, cause he's the man.)

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 6 March 2006 04:31 (nineteen years ago)

Yay!!!1

-rainbow bum- (-rainbow bum-), Monday, 6 March 2006 04:58 (nineteen years ago)

this was pretty poor

HMC was really nice

RJG (RJG), Monday, 6 March 2006 08:28 (nineteen years ago)

RJG, you have no soul.

Ed (dali), Monday, 6 March 2006 08:55 (nineteen years ago)

two weeks pass...
Just watching the DVD - brilliant!

Stand back, there may be a large rabbit dropping!

StanM (StanM), Sunday, 26 March 2006 19:02 (nineteen years ago)

I have to pause it every couple of minutes because of helpless roffles:

that cheese box "may contain nuts" !
the air bag when Gromit hits the wheel!
"the buck stops here!"

aaaaahh... perfect fun.

StanM (StanM), Sunday, 26 March 2006 19:09 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/britain/article/0,,1748747,00.html

ratty, Friday, 7 April 2006 02:24 (nineteen years ago)

this film was adorable, i loved it. and it was the first W&G thing i'd ever seen!

J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 7 April 2006 03:46 (nineteen years ago)

three months pass...
Such an elaborate, yet unnoticable, setup for a pun: "Eat KARAT, bunny boy!!"

This film was hard on our cheese supply.

The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 12:04 (nineteen years ago)

Moderation is key.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 18 July 2006 13:08 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...
But wererabbits don't howl, surely.

-- Ned Raggett (ne...), August 3rd, 2005.

My prediction was deeply wrong, obv. (Finally got this on DVD the other week.)

Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 9 October 2006 17:22 (nineteen years ago)

that douchebag at stylus who gave it a C+ is an idiot, pure and simple

What's weird is that said person's main complaint about the film, apart from a brief nod to the whole "doesn't work as well at feature length" thing, is this:

[T]here are good people in the world, who always look that certain way we have come to recognize as good; not a bad bone in their good bodies. The universe can basically be split right down the middle with the good people over here (with us) – but over there are the bad people, who always look the way we’ve come to expect them to look.

Which is really, really weird, since so much of the plot revolves around hysterical townspeople who are really neither good nor bad -- just essentially a mob.

nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 9 October 2006 17:44 (nineteen years ago)


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