Good morning 🐣

Y’all must know by now how much I love a) stop-motion animation and b) real tactile effects, especially anything using wood (though clay is obviously more than acceptable). One loyal reader (Cinescaper? Cinescapee?) named Trish alerted me to this new five-minute short film called “Hidari” directed by Masashi Kawamura. It’s actually more of a “pilot” for a feature length film they’re trying to crowdsource on Kickstarter.

This “stop-motion samurai film” features legendary Edo-era craftsman Jingoro Hidari seeking revenge after losing both his father and his right arm, which has since been replaced with a mechanical prosthetic arm. The animation is kinda jaw-dropping, especially when his sword slices through his enemies, spraying sawdust everywhere in lieu of blood. They’ve already raised over $60k, so they’re hopefully well on their way to continuing this project. There’s also a behind the scenes video worth checking out and plenty more info on their Kickstarter and Instagram.

Now watch this 👀

Something I’ve really taken to heart this past year is the unifying power of toilets, something “Rye Lane” really gets right from the opening scene. It’s a new romantic comedy set in South London that takes a basic premise and douses it with color, music, and charm.

As the camera pans overhead across a dozen different bathrooms in the city, we find Dom (David Jonsson) locked in a stall in his friend’s art gallery crying about the ending of a recent longterm relationship. Yas (Vivian Oparah) walks in on him in this gender-neutral restroom and they end up spending the rest of the day together wandering around the city getting to know each other, like a faster-paced “Before Sunrise.” It turns out she’s just gone through a bad breakup as well, so the two bond over all the ways that love can go wrong while they get into shenanigans and settle scores.

As they chat and pick apart where things went wrong (Yas gives multiple reasons as to why she broke up with her boyfriend, including that he doesn’t wave at boats), the camera flips over to their more subjective feelings, making real what’s going on in their heads: A theater full of Doms loudly cheering, Yas wandering through a memory in a minimalist interpretation of her ex-boyfriend’s apartment. We see recreated moments and silly interludes and time feels vague between scenes.

Screenwriters Nathan Bryon and Tom Melia along with first-time feature director Raine Allen-Miller have created a witty, fast-paced, colorful explosion of joy. Random characters wander through every scene, acting in their own stories, while there’s a constant soundtrack, almost as if you’re watching a music video. A couple times I wondered if the dialogue was more like a spoken word performance or something. Thankfully it’s a blissful 80-something minutes because otherwise it all might be overwhelming. The whole style of the film, coupled with the background characters, brings the South London / Rye Lane setting to life. You really feel like you’re there with everyone.

It’s also got some great gags, including an uncredited Colin Firth in a fun “Love Actually” reference, as well as a ridiculous scene at the end of the credits. “Rye Lane” is a fun addition to a genre that’s been undead for far too long.

Until next time! 👋