The Cozy Mystery List Blog

I am so looking forward to seeing “Early Man” – a claymation movie which is being advertised all over. So, with that in mind, forgive me for going (again!) off the Cozy Mystery topic. I enjoy these movies so much that I have decided to tell you all about some of these movies that I definitely recommend for those of you who may enjoy the “inner child” type of movies.

OK, I admit it. I love the Wallace & Gromit movies. Yes, I know they’re made for children… but they’re also made for adults like me. They are all made with “claymation”. I believe this is achieved through modeling the clay figures & then filming, stopping to model figures again, stopping, etc. I don’t insist on knowing how they are made, I just know I like the results!

Nick Park is the man to thank for all of these delightful movies/television shows. Park is both the creator and animator of these projects:

Wallace & Gromit: If you don’t already know them, let me introduce you to them. Wallace is an “ideas man” and a gadgets-inventor as well as a cheese lover of major proportions. He invents wildly complicated contraptions to solve some very uncomplicated and easy tasks. Wallace’s companion is Gromit, his incredibly loyal, devoted, and very smart dog. If Gromit wasn’t around, it is unlikely that Wallace would be either! Gromit is continuously getting Wallace out of trouble.

Wallace & Gromit in Three Amazing Adventures is a series of three half hour episodes. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is a 48 minute movie.

Chicken Run: Hmm… How can I describe this terrific, full-length movie? I guess, just saying “it’s fun” may not be enough… A quick synopsis: Mrs. Tweedy is the mean owner of a chicken farm. The egg-producing chickens decide Mrs. Tweedy is simply too mean – so they stage a prison (or rather a coop!) escape. (A warning for parents of little children – a claymation chicken is killed in the production of this film.)

 Creature Comforts: I love the British version of these shows. It’s a show that gives me a kick. (My husband, however, thinks the show was fun at the beginning, but that it got a little repetitive.) It’s all done in the style of a documentary, with animals giving their opinions. Apparently they interviewed people and then made the cutest claymation animal figures to go along with the sound-track. Even animals you wouldn’t think of as cute are transformed to delightfully colorful interviewees. (These are award-winning shows.) I should add however, that since we own the discs, I am able to watch a little at a time, and not feel like I have to watch all the mini-episodes at one time.

Nick Park also created Shaun, the Sheep, which is yet another very fun romp to watch! My husband and I are (slowly) making our way through this fun series.

For more movie and television show recommendations, visit the page on my site: TV and Movies.