‘Chicken Run’ and Aardman’s Claymation Wizardry
Episode 165
“Chicken Run” (2000) turns 20 this week, and to celebrate, Chance and Noah are looking back at the filmography of Nick Park, the chief creative voice of Aardman Animation through its heyday. To understand the origins of Park’s droll but heartfelt world, we rewind to the original, Academy Award-winning “Wallace & Gromit” shorts and discuss all the hallmarks of tactility—exploding fruit, precocious critters and nightmarish “steam folk” machines—that made Aardman movies so singular. After a full-scale celebration of “Chicken Run,” we also review “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” (2005) and “Early Man” (2018).
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To support the causes of justice and equality for Black Americans in these times, please consider donating to:
-The AAR Diversity Internship Initiative– aaronline.org/page-1795315
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Movie Reviews & Reappraisals
Be Reel was a movie reviewing & reappraising podcast hosted by Chance Solem-Pfeifer and Noah Ballard.
We cherished our 8-year run, talking to filmmakers like Gus Van Sant, insulting each other’s taste, and laughing to high heaven.
Chance’s new movie podcast, The Kick, continues to explore curated sub-genres and movie geekery. Noah is a frequent and beloved guest.