Show A Wacky Wac Day Out Wallace and By Scott C. C Morgan Staff Writer Though many may not know it numerous have a love affair with the British One need only look at the popularity of British comedies presented late at night on Channel 7 And one need only to look at what appears to be a loyal following following following fol fol- fol- fol lowing to an animated bald inventor named Wallace and his loyal dog Wallace and were first introduced to Utah audiences through an animation festival in the short film A Grand Day Out Then at another animation festival Wallace and appeared in the animated short The Wrong Trousers Both films were nominated for Academy Awards with The Wrong Trousers winning the award for or Best Animated Short in 1993 Created by British animator Nick Park the adventures of the cre clay duo Wallace and have recently become somewhat of a sensation sensation sensation sen sen- sen- sen in Utah and across the US U.S. Their latest and possibly greatest adventure A Close Shave can currently current current- ly be seen at the Tower Theatre with the animation compilation Wallace and The Best of Animation Although much of what is presented presented presented pre pre- pre pre- in Wallace and has previously appeared in other animation animation animation anima anima- tion festivals its it's still fun to view the British animated gems of Animation Studio All of the clay- clay animated short films are well executed ed with several standouts Nick Parks Park's 1990 Academy Award winning short Creature Comforts is shown once again along with several commercials done in the same Creature Comfort fashion In these shorts Park drew upon interviews interviews interviews inter inter- views with typical British citizens and placed their voices into various zoo animals Creature Comforts takes a humorous and serious approach to the issue of confining animals in zoos while the commercials commercials commercials commer commer- for electric power are just plain funny in their way of pushing a ser ser- ser ser- vice and is a deliciously vicious parody on wholesome kiddie shows like the overly-happy overly Barney In this short the cutesy antics between the two characters and elevate to all out war on each other There are two oddball shorts from the Rex the Runt series which are both extremely clever and witty One short shows how a particular dinosaur dies while the other is a tripping trip into Rex's dreams Early Bird depicts a typical day for a morning radio deejay as he amazingly gets ready for work while hosting the morning show at the same time And jazz fans the music not the basketball team will no doubt take great pleasure from the cool cats in My Baby Just Cares for Me But the real reason for paying the price of admission is A Close Shave which rounds out the series of short films Audience members will see seewhy seewhy seewhy why Nick Park won another Academy Award for his jis latest Wallace and short In A Close Shave Wallace and take up a window cleaning service to help make ends meet Yet at the same time they unwilling become involved with a dastardly sheep smuggling scheme Wallace fords finds a love interest with Wendolin the owner of a wool shop while gets a new friend mend with a sheep named Shorn pronounced like Shawn Although audiences may not rec rec- rec- rec it A Close Shave is a delightful delight delight- ful parody of American budget big-budget action films The animation is spectacular spectacular spectacular spec spec- with great attention paid to minor details It is rumored that A Close Shave will be the last Wallace and film mm This would be unfortunate for Wallace and fans but it seems nearly impossible for Park to top himself after such a spectacular short as A Close Shave Wallace and The Best of Animation currently plays at the Tower Theatre located at East and South Call for ticket prices and I. I n I 5 Nr Nr M Mr r k r r n w III FG r TT I Ix x au II it I y i 1 n a. a Ih J y I Ii i |