One of the more unusual DVD notices that crossed my desk recently was a press release for
1985-1986, the DIY animation by Evan Jacobs. Released by his
Anhedenia Films this week and available at Amazon as both a DVD and digital download the pic is described as "Charles Schulz meets Larry Clark" and is Jacobs' attempt to make some sense out of his childhood years while paying homage to the great youth movies of the era.
From the press release:
"I knew absolutely nothing about animation when I got started, I just wanted to document a portion of my life growing up in Orange County, California." Jacobs states. "I'd written this script when I was on tour in 1997 and I just wanted to see it made. Due to budget constraints animation was the only way."
Utilizing an old eMac, the animation program Toon Boom Studios, and other software applications like GarageBand and Soundtrack, Jacobs made this feature length film for basically the price of the software and a few 300 GB hard drives.
1985-1986 is a coming-of-age story about a 12-year-old boy named Erol who begins attending a new middle school in a rough neighborhood. His new environment is different from the safety of the suburbs he has always known. Erol ends up falling in with a bad crowd and is introduced to a world of smoking, alcohol, drugs and punk rock. Ultimately, Erol realizes that the best person he can be is himself.
"I wanted to pay homage to such films as THE OUTSIDERS, SUBURBIA, RUMBLE FISH, THE BROTHERHOOD OF JUSTICE and all the other '80s films that made an impression on me. I drew in references to many films that influenced this one. From names on the walls, to writing on the shirts the characters are wearing, its my hope that people watch 1985-1986 multiple times and try to find all of them." Jacobs says.
Visit Jacobs' website, linked above, for more info on the film, or search for it this week on
Amazon.Labels: load play
# posted by Scott Macaulay @ 7/16/2007 11:19:00 PM
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