what i'm watching: wallace and gromit

A coyote was caught in Central Park two days ago, but only after leading New York City police, parks department workers and the media on a wild chase.

I remember the last time a coyote appeared in New York City, in 1999. Coyotes are extremely intelligent and among the most adaptable of mammals - and their habitat is always being developed by humans - so you never know where they'll turn up. Even so, how an animal like this ends up in Central Park makes me shake my head in wonder. This one's bound for a wildlife rehabilitation farm in upstate New York.

Last night we saw another adorable canine: Gromit. We watched "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit". It's very enjoyable, and if you don't know Wallace and Gromit, this is a good place to start.

We've been fans of Nick Park and his insanely detailed plasticine animation since seeing "Creature Comforts" and "A Grand Day Out" ages ago at New York City's Film Forum. The screening included a making-of documentary, about Park's painstaking animation techniques, and his incredible commitment to his vision.

After toiling on "Creature Comforts" for more than five years, Park had finished about ten minutes of his movie. Once the film-school studio discovered his work and offered their resources, it took another two years to make the rest. Which means it took seven years to make a 30-minute film.

Now, with a whole studio at his disposal, the work is just as finely detailed, but richer, more fleshed out. Although I didn't like "Chicken Run," the first Nick Park/Aardman/Dreamworks feature, I love all the Wallace & Gromit films: "A Grand Day Out," "The Wrong Trousers" (penguin!) and "A Close Shave" (sheep!). They're so much fun.

The "Were-Rabbit" DVD has lots of extras, and in this case the "making of" featurette is really worth seeing. There's also a summary of Park's career, in which you can see snippets of the other films.

As much as I admire Park's work and his dedication to his vision, I just adore Gromit. It's his face! Those facial expressions just drive me crazy. Check out this film, you'll enjoy it.

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