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Seven animated flicks that make real life look boring

Pixar Short Films Volume 1 - Blu-ray
Yes, Ratatouille and pretty much everything sculpted from the geniuses at Pixar are must-own (Cars is debatable), but we thought we’d single out the short films you might otherwise overlook. You might’ve seen these 13 shorts appear before the feature-length films in theatres, like Geri’s Game or For the Birds while most of the rest were featured on other DVDs. This may be strictly for collectors, but it’s awesome to chart the visual progress from one of the most profitable and talented film companies around today. While the video quality obviously differs from short to short, almost all the audio comes in 5.1 surround sound. Basically, if you’re a fan, there’s no way you can be disappointed.

A Scanner Darkly - HD-DVD, Blu-ray
We kinda fudge the definition of computer graphics here, since Darkly was digitally shot in live-action, before being rotoscoped (animators digitally coloring over every frame). The result is a trippy work that aids Philip K. Dick’s drug-themed novel about identity crisis and paranoia in the near future with Keanu Reeves at his most slack-jawed and Robert Downey Jr. at his most eccentric. Admittedly, the visuals are a bit distracting at times (hey, the room keeps twitching!), but the scanner suits - think raincoats that consistently shift identities like a chameleon - are impressive and visually stunning. Since, animation looks pretty much the same in standard-def as it does in HD, there’s not a whole lot to go on about. There’s a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound track, not lossless, but it won’t matter since the movie’s dialogue heavy.

March 4, 2008