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Children and adults can enjoy these short films from the National Film Board of Canada together. A send-up of the classic bedtime story, "The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin" features such off-the-wall touches as a webbed glass slipper and a penguin version of the famed "Licorn" tapestry. It's easy to imagine kids learning the folk songs in Cordell Barker's uproarious "The Cat Came Back" and Christopher Hinton's delightfully macabre "Blackfly"--and singing them until their parents go crazy. Caroline Leaf's striking "The Owl Whom Married a Goose," a retelling of a darkly comic Inuit tale about a mismatched romance, may be too somber for young children. And kids accustomed to the breakneck pace of modern TV may chafe at the leisurely storytelling in Co Hoedemon's Oscar-winning "Sand Castle" and Bernard Longpré's "Monsieur Pointu." "Every Child" is about children, rather than for children, although the hilariously put-upon black dog will amuse viewers of all ages. These films represent strong individual visions, and the unconventional media--sand on glass, stop-motion, pixilation, cut-outs--offer artistic stimuli for creative children. Parents seeking an imaginative alternative to network TV will want this disc for the family library. Not rated; suitable for ages 8 and up. Full contents: "Every Child," "The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin," "Blackfly," "The Cat Came Back," "Sand Castle," "The Owl Whom Married a Goose," "Evolution," "Christmas Cracker," "Monsieur Pointu."
--Charles Solomon
Product Description
Features include:
•MPAA Rating: NR
•Format: DVD
•Runtime: 82 minutes
