If you are into that sort of thing, this year's Oscar nominated short films are now available for download through iTunes. The live action category tends to get a bit bland, but there are a number of strong entries this year that run the gamut from Holocaust drama (Toyland) to dry geriatric Danish wit (The Pig). Manon on the Asphalt's fantastical take on death is well worth a peek. Among the animated entries, Japan's House of Small Cubes is a brilliant depiction of memory and loss, a bit more substantial in tone than Oktopodi or Presto. The Onion AV Club posted a little commentary on the entries recently. Otherwise, the Short Film Central website is an easy way to kill half your day.
Why did I expect these to be free? Still, I suppose $1.99 isn't a bad price. They are all winners.
For House of Small Cubes iTunes says "The item you've requested is not currently available in the US store."
Does that mean I have to move to Canada? Please say yes.
I love Oktopodi -- very cartoony. And I think Presto is Pixar's best cartoon ever -- they really captured the spirit of Chuck Jones with that one, more than anything else they've done.
Unfortunately that is still the bane of the short format world: access is limited. The internet is making more and more short films available, but many festival winners still tend to get locked up behind fees or get caught in so much licensing red tape that they can only be seen in Madagascar and Peru from 9pm to 11:21 pm every other Tuesday.
So for the price of an average movie ticket you get four of these. Slowly but surely...