The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland List: Animated Short Films

How often do you sit there thinking about what to watch? You might have an endless watchlist that keeps piling up (I certainly have one myself). Sometimes you are just in the mood for a type of film or a certain filmmaker or actor and want to take yourself into a deep dive. As someone who watches so many movies, I have people asking me for recommendations all the time. One of the best feelings as a cinephile is recommending a film and that person loves it. Take this wealth of cinematic knowledge and experience and enjoy some recommendations on me. Genre. Subgenre. Filmmaker. Actor. Composer. Writer. Genre. Story. Trope. Cliché. Any other cinematic elements or them. Here is The Wasteland List:   

Animated Short Films

Gertie the Dinosaur (1914)

Who is one of the first animated characters to grace the silver screen? Gertie made her debut in a fun short film back in the early decades of cinema. Sassy and fun, Gertie the Dinosaur is a fun example of early hand drawn animation.

Steamboat Willie (1928)

Who is the most iconic animated character of all time? Mickey Mouse made his first big splash with Steamboat Willie with the iconic whistle and all. Plenty of shenanigans on the river made this early Disney short an all-time classic animated short film.

The Skeleton Dance (1929)

What is the animated short film to set the tone for the Halloween season? Walt Disney made such a simple concept last for almost 100 years with The Skeleton Dance. Fun music and silly skeletons doing some fun choreography, this is a simple but a classic little, short to enjoy.

Three Little Pigs (1933)

What became a perfect source for early animated shorts and features? Classic tales like nursery rhymes and other childhood tales became all the rage with the likes of Three Little Pigs leaving quite an impression. The animation was crisp and colorful and captured the spirit of this classic tale.

Duck Amuck (1953)

What is the most iconic of all the animated shorts of such a classic brand like The Looney Tunes? Duck Amuck is a creative, vivid, and colorful short that plops Daffy Duck into quite an abstract tale. Daffy is thrown through a wild ride of locations, clothing, voices, and shape with the frustrated duck freaking out but the audience having a blast.

The Tell-Tale Heart (1953)

What is an underrepresented genre in the realm of animated shorts? The Tell-Tale Heart is quite the eerie and haunting little flick that brings the imagination of Edgar Allen Poe to life. Jasom Mason lends his iconic voice to this unnerving tale with dynamic and creative animation.

Screenplay (1992)

How dynamic is the art of animation? A film like Screenplay shows how far stop motion can go to capture a culture and a sense of youth. Feudal Japan comes to life with dolls and a rotating stage that will surprise you with its culture details and special effects to bring an old man memory to life.  

The Wrong Trousers (1993)

What is the most iconic series in all of Claymation? Wallace & Gromit have been on so many adventures together, but it is The Wrong Trousers that cemented them in the top tier of animation. Pitted against the devious and silent penguin criminal, Feathers McGraw, this is a wild ride with charming animation, gags, shenanigans, and world building.

Geri’s Game (1997)

What are the different types of Pixar animation shorts? One is certainly the “funny gag” stories with something like Geri’s Game really setting tone in the late 90s. This whimsical tale of an old man playing himself in chess leverages editing and state-of-the-art animation to charm the audience.

Lava (2014)

What is the other type of Pixar animation shorts? Lava is the type of story that will hit you deeply with emotion and love. The Hawaiian influenced music accentuates this charming romance between two volcanos out in the ocean.

World of Tomorrow (2015)

Who is the unsung hero of animation? Don Herzfeldt is a genius in the realm of animation with his films that clash simplistic animation with bold and complex visuals. World of Tomorrow is an abstract and compelling expression of humanity with its humanist themes yet bold presentation.

An Almost Christmas Story (2024)

What is another holiday highlighted by the world of animated short-form filmmaking? David Lowrey is a compelling and challenging filmmaker who breathes holiday cheer, tenderness, and warmth into the world with his stop motion short film, An Almost Christmas Story. The beautiful music is brought to life by John C. Reilly and matched with an all-star cast to liven up a beautiful story of a young owl and a lost little girl.