I noticed an error in your article about overseas animation. In one paragraph, you state:

“Though previous Oscar-qualified anime features — such as “Paprika,” “Three Godfathers” and “Metropolis” — have been passed over, “Tekkonkinkreet” tells a more realistic, personal story.”

First of all, there is no anime film called “Three Godfathers”. I assume you meant to refer to Tokyo Godfathers, but that movie I’d say is more realistic than Tekkonkinkreet. Tekkonkinkreet has some pretty surreal sci-fi elements, whereas Tokyo Godfathers is set in present day Japan and could have actually been done in live-action had the Japanese government not have put such strict prohibitions on filming in the slums of Tokyo.

Wow, the animation oscar has some messed up rules behind it. A Scanner Darkly didn’t count with all its rotoscoping yet Beowulf can count when it could be considered as the CGI equivalent of rotoscoping? Confusing.

A Scanner Darkly did count. That was a mistake somebody made.

I’m kinda disappointed in Bill Plympton. He had an opportunity there to really stand up for independent animation in a big way, and all he did was practically beg for a job at Pixar or Dreamworks :\

Not like Alvin would’ve deserved a nomination.

RR - I gotta disagree with you there. I don’t think he did anything of the sort.

Sony’s admittedly not particularly good at campaigning for Oscar nominations for the few anime features they manage to release in U.S. theatres, but out of the three Jerry refers to–’Tokyo Godfathers’, ‘Metropolis’ and ‘Paprika’–the most lamentable oversight is definitely ‘Paprika,’ though perhaps ‘Tokyo Godfathers’ is the most obvious Oscar-bait in terms of content.

Just finished reading the complete ‘Persepolis’ and can’t wait to see the movie, but sadly it doesn’t open here in Toronto until mid-January.