The Plague Dogs

Silverclaw · Post by **Silverclaw** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 12:01 pm

Depressing animated movie. But really good too

I'll be posting up the unedited UK version of the movie. I have the edited US versions on dvd and tape...wish they would release this one here

MattSullivan · Post by **MattSullivan** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:00 pm

Yeah. i don't know what it is with European animated movies taking such a dark and depressing tone. It just tells me I don't want to ever live there, because I'm assuming the same attitude is all over the place. Not that you should always have a happy ending, but this movie made me want to throw myself off a bridge.

Silverclaw · Post by **Silverclaw** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:53 pm

but this movie made me want to trow myself off a bridge

Then its job here is done

KittyRose · Post by **KittyRose** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 7:26 pm

True, it is depressing with some dark images and themes but I liked it. It conveyed its theme about experimentation on animals and the sense of freedom really well and the animation was good too. I've gotta read the book, which is written by one of my fav authors, Richard Adams.

Templar · Post by **Templar** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:26 am

I have ta go play fetch with my dog right now....

Spongy · Post by **Spongy** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 12:43 am

MattSullivan wrote:Yeah. i don't know what it is with European animated movies taking such a dark and depressing tone. It just tells me I don't want to ever live there, because I'm assuming the same attitude is all over the place. Not that you should always have a happy ending, but this movie made me want to trow myself off a bridge.

Sorry Matt, you're wrong there. Sweden is in Europe, and it's one of the best places in the world in my opinion. People there are really friendly, and its not "dark and depressing" in any way.

Wulfur · Post by **Wulfur** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:18 am

Wow sadest cartoon I have ever seen.

MattSullivan · Post by **MattSullivan** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 9:47 am

I'm just saying there's a kind of malaise to European animation. Japanese animation is fun, and has an inherent goofieness to it, no matter how serious it tries to be, and American animation tends to be more on the "happy ending" side of things. It's just a cultural thing. I don't tend to watch European animation because it tends on the "disturbingly eclectic" Nothing is ever very funny, except for Aardman's stuff ( which I consider BRITISH, not European ) French animation is really taking off, in fact I like it quite a bit, and there are students coming out of France with amazing talent.

In fact, you couldn't talk about great European animation without mentioning ALLEGRO NON TROPPO :}
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Hiy1EZfVGYU
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1Ox2AyNUJiw& ... ed&search=

But European animation...for the most part...too dark, too abysmal, with a general feeling of "we are doo-med!" Sorry, it's just the way I perceive it. Especially the old EASTERN EUROPE animation, from old Soviet Bloc countries. As much as I tried to like it ( all my artist friends seem to think that kind of stuff is cool ) it doesn't speak to me. And that's probably why I don't like anything by KLASKY-CSUPO, the American company ( headed by people from Eastern Europe ) that made RUGRATS and REAL MONSTERS, because the style is so repulsive and blatantly European ( not to say all European styles are repulsive, but Klasky's wierd wobble lines and distorted facial features make me cringe. The same goes for ED, EDD, and EDDY. )

Dreamer · Post by **Dreamer** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 5:20 pm

MattSullivan wrote:French animation is really taking off, in fact I like it quite a bit, and there are students coming out of France with amazing talent.

Well, Code Lyoko (which is French)is pretty awesome. And by the way, Ed, Edd, 'N Eddy are Canadian, not European.

vrikasatma · Post by **vrikasatma** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 1:57 am

Well, it was depressing because they dropped the ending from the book. The book has a pretty happy ending, a classic Adamsian deus-ex-machina, but the film stopped short of it.

Don't know why. Maybe the production company wanted to make a (hell of a dark) statement.

Anyway, get the book. Then a cold, dark movie turns out to be a hero's journey, like most of Adams' work.

Morkulv · Post by **Morkulv** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 11:21 am

MattSullivan wrote:Yeah. i don't know what it is with European animated movies taking such a dark and depressing tone. It just tells me I don't want to ever live there, because I'm assuming the same attitude is all over the place. Not that you should always have a happy ending, but this movie made me want to throw myself off a bridge.

Europeans tend to create they'r art as a reflection of the real physical world, wich obviously isn't anywhere Disneyish or brightly colored.

Anyway, could you please stop being so pessimistic about Europe? Some people are still forgetting that this is a public board with people from all over the world, and I'm European and proud of it. The traditional anti-European attitude from Americans is getting very offending.

MattSullivan · Post by **MattSullivan** » Fri Sep 28, 2007 1:59 pm

Morkuluv, I wasn't being pessimistic. I was making a personal observation about a STYLE of filmmaking, and at no point in my writing ( which was 3 or 4 weeks ago on this thread ) did I ever say that all European cinema was like that.

Morkulv · Post by **Morkulv** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 11:31 am

My name is "M-o-r-k-u-l-v". Anyway, I thought it wasn't nearly as dark and depressive as Watership Down (wich is by the way, done by the same creators) but it was cool. I've seen a lot worse animated pictures. By the way, alot of your 'statements' are really flawed, even for somebody who is 'in this business'.

MattSullivan · Post by **MattSullivan** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 8:48 pm

That's your opinion.

Morkulv · Post by **Morkulv** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 9:41 pm

It wasn't a opinion it was a fact. And no matter how many times you edit your posts, you DID say litteraly that you assumed that the same 'attitude' was all over Europe. You can deny whatever you want, or just accept and agree that you indeed were at least slightly insulting, hence my obvious responce.

And with 'flawed' I meant that your post are becoming really arrogant, wich annoys me a lot lately. Usually I hate thinking out loud like this, but since you are a selfproclaimed director I assume you can handle it. You are throwing around (flawed) statements and opinions while you haven't finished a single movie/ep/commercial. And while I don't wanna insult you too much, I do always found it irritating when first-graders act like they know everything already.

nekocj · Post by **nekocj** » Sat Sep 29, 2007 10:32 pm

Whoa calm down guys lets all take a breather and chill. And remember this movie was made in 1982. It's another environmentalist film from the times about animal experiments and what not, it doesn't necessarily say anything about the common European film, it's just they wanted to drive home the point of the gritty reality of animal cruelty. Companies made all kinds of films like this in the 80's. Watership Down was pretty good too, I actually like both films they are quite touching.

Wow Matt complimented Japanese animation?? Never thought I'd see the day

By the way Morkulv, Matt is entitled to his opinion on European entertainment just as you are entitled to your opinions so please just let it go and try not to get so upset. You know Matt didn't mean anything insulting by it and he wasn't trying to attack you personally so please don't attack him, and calling him a first grader just because he is voicing his opinion on European films is also kind of childish and immature don't you think?

-Neko

John Wolf · Post by **John Wolf** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:17 am

Robin Hood is the correct image of European film animation.

Morkulv · Post by **Morkulv** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 8:18 am

I wasn't calling him anything. I'm just a little fed up with all the negativity towards Europe I guess.

nekocj · Post by **nekocj** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 6:28 pm

Robin Hood is the best thing ever! :p I've had a thing for Maid Marion since I was 5

Don't worry Morkulv, America isn't perfect either, just try not to think about it

we're all friends here no matter where we're from right?

-Neko

Dreamer · Post by **Dreamer** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 6:37 pm

John Wolf wrote:Robin Hood is the correct image of European film animation.

You mean Chock-full of furries?

ravaged_warrior · Post by **ravaged_warrior** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 6:55 pm

Screwed up the message thingy.

ravaged_warrior · Post by **ravaged_warrior** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 6:57 pm

nekocj wrote:Robin Hood is the best thing ever! :p I've had a thing for Maid Marion since I was 5

...?!

MattSullivan · Post by **MattSullivan** » Sun Sep 30, 2007 11:36 pm

Yes, all furries got "started", so to speak, with Robin Hood. Who can blame them? Shes a sexy character.

Midnight · Post by **Midnight** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:07 am

My opinion is:

Furries date back at least to the time of Aristophanes;

Europe does not have a monopoly on gloomy and depressing creative works. I suffered through studying two dreadful books in high school English. Both of them were dreary, hopeless, depressing... and American.

John Wolf · Post by **John Wolf** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:54 pm

Dreamer wrote:
John Wolf wrote:Robin Hood is the correct image of European film animation.
You mean Chock-full of furries?

The point I am trying to make, is that it's less depressing than the plague dogs.