Oscar-Nominated Short Films 2014: Animation

Five works of superior, ambitious animation.

"...they are made up of 10 or 12 shorter films (averaging six or seven minutes each), they can be..."

Feb. 7, 2014 Movie Review by Louis Black

Everything Went Black: Live Fast Drive Faster

"Hello Kowalski..?

"...positively throbs a sultry sort of menace, the "Brilliant Black Crystal Pearl with flat black R/T side stripes" exterior..."

Oct. 11, 2012 Screens Post by Marc Savlov

Future Imperfect: Our Favorite Dystopian Films

VOTE: Deadly roller derby, sad clones, and a Road Warrior duke it out

"...Dystopian films wax and wane in popularity, but they’ve been with..."

Sept. 28, 2017 Screens Post by Kimberley Jones

Top 10 Festival Films of 2017 You Haven't Seen Yet

From zombie musicals to political scandals, a bumper year

"...see it: No word on distribution yet, which is flat out absurd for this bittersweet gem...."

Jan. 1, 2018 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

Everything Went Black: Hello, I Must Be Going ...

Black sabbatical!

"...Thank you to AusChron editor Louis Black, and publisher Nick Barbaro, for taking a chance on..."

Nov. 7, 2012 Screens Post by Marc Savlov

The Five Obstructions

This sublime documentary, which recounts a bizarre battle of creative wits between Danish film director Jørgen Leth and the notorious Lars von Trier, also features a segment animated by Waking Life's technical wizard Bob Sabiston.

"...times. Leth accepts a challenge to remake his 12-minute, black-and-white experimental film five more times, with von Trier –..."

Sept. 24, 2004 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

The Animation Show 2005

This second incarnation of the Mike Judge- and Don Hertzfeldt-produced animation anthology is, if anything, even better than the first.

"...viewers not only of the myriad forms that animated films can take but also of the sheer otherworldliness inherent..."

April 15, 2005 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Call It a Draw

Last year's eye-catching Earthlink commercials imitated local animator Bob Sabiston's -- and his software's -- style. A little too much, in his opinion.

"...the feeling he means it. Sabiston and his company Flat Black Films are the creative force behind the highly..."

Aug. 31, 2001 Screens Feature by Marc Savlov

Inching to the Finish

Bob Sabiston's winding road to Inchworm Animation

"...The software, which is the property of Sabiston's company, Flat Black Films, debuted to a rapturous reception in 2001's..."

May 27, 2011 Screens Feature by James Renovitch

Dream Job

Inside the production of Richard Linklater's 'A Scanner Darkly'

"...you get a look at what the Detour and Flat Black Films conscriptees are working on: It's Linklater's faithful..."

Jan. 21, 2005 Screens Feature by Marc Savlov

Short Cuts

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, then sandwich chain Schlotzsky's is practically kissing Bob Sabiston's feet.

"...Sez: Step Off, Beeyatch! Dept.: A recent e-mail from Flat Black Films' Bob Sabiston notes that the local animation..."

July 26, 2002 Screens Column by Marc Savlov

Short Cuts

A Slacker reunion and a Waking Life sale top Linklater's agenda; entry deadlines announced for Texas Filmmakers' Production Fund grants, Austin Film Festival and Heart of Film Screenwriters Conference submissions, and new Cinemaker Co-op fest; and Jon Favreau comes to Austin.

"...widely praised film -- shot here in Austin with Flat Black Films co-producer Tommy Pallotta and Flat Black animation..."

April 27, 2001 Screens Column by Marc Savlov

Short Cuts

To the eyes of Austin animator Bob Sabiston, those ubiquitous Earthlink.com commercials by Klasky Csupo Inc. (the creators of Rugrats) look an awful lot like the work created by his proprietary software, which is being used in the new Richard Linklater feature Waking Life.

"...shorts "Roadhead" and "Snack and Drink" (co-produced with his Flat Black Films partner Tommy Pallotta), but a disgruntled Sabiston..."

Dec. 22, 2000 Screens Column by Marc Savlov

Small Screen, Big Ideas

The Territory Begins A New Season

"...With a humorous nod to film noir, this cunning black-and-white parody charts a course of duplicity and double-dealing that..."

Oct. 8, 1999 Screens Feature by Sarah Hepola

Short Cuts

"...visiting town and employs the groundbreaking animation software that Flat Black Films' Bob Sabiston developed for Richard Linklater's Waking..."

Aug. 1, 2003 Screens Column by Marc Savlov

Short Cuts

South Austin hip video store Pedazo Chunk celebrates its third anniversary with a new store, and it's time to get soused again with the Drunk Film Festival version 3.0

"...Live" – President Blames al Qaeda, Cites Japanese Horror Films, Alejandro Jodorowsky as Major New Fronts in 'War on..."

June 25, 2004 Screens Column by Marc Savlov

Short Cuts

Upcoming events and workshops of interest to the Austin film community.

"...develop and submit different genres of programming" -- short films or videos in categories such as action, animation, comedy,..."

April 7, 2000 Screens Column by Marc Savlov

Local Games for Your Mobile Devices

Lowlander II and Flipping Legend keep your phones busy

"...Lowlander II: Lowerlander Flat Black Films Available on iOS and Android $2.99 www.flatblackfilms.com..."

June 26, 2017 Screens Post by Tucker Whatley

Celebrity Call Sheet

"...(Martin and Orloff, Upright Citizen's Brigade); Lloyd Kaufman (Troma Films); Jeffrey Tambor (The Larry Sanders Show); L.M. Kit Carson..."

March 8, 2002 Screens Feature by Marc Savlov

Short Cuts

News from the Austin film world.

"...their novel technique of merging documentary and animation. Their Flat Black Films company has just been funded by ITVS..."

Sept. 3, 1999 Screens Column by Marjorie Baumgarten

Small Screen, Big News

Mark Gatiss, Lewis Black, and beyond

"...• Comedian Lewis Black let loose on Texas during a clip on the..."

July 19, 2013 Screens Post by Monica Riese

'The Territory' Schedule

Keeping one eye on television and the other on pop culture.

"...recent addition to a series of documentary shorts from Flat Black Films in Austin. It features Ryan Power, a..."

Feb. 1, 2002 Screens Column

Fantasia Review: Stare

J-horror finds unexpected new tension in the "long hair ghost" genre

"...who hides a terrible secret behind a waterfall of flat, black tresses. And at this point, it feels like..."

Aug. 5, 2019 Screens Post by Richard Whittaker

Short Cuts

Sundance, Slamdance, and South by Southwest: The 411 on upcoming fests is right here.

"...Robot Monster Number Two." Across the street at Sundance, Flat Black Films and Waking Life honcho Bob Sabiston has..."

Dec. 19, 2003 Screens Column by Marc Savlov

Piñero

This film is a sympathetic biopic about the troubled life of Nuyorican writer Miguel Piñero (author of Short Eyes).

"...lot of jive-shit. Shot shakily on digital video and flat-looking 16mm, in color and in black & white, Piñero..."

May 17, 2002 Movie Review by Kimberley Jones

Filth

Based on a book by Trainspotting's Irvine Welsh, this film keeps close company with a nihilistic character, but unwisely pulls its punches.

"...yes, Filth more than resembles Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting. Both films are based on novels by Scottish author Irvine Welsh,..."

June 6, 2014 Movie Review by Josh Kupecki

Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation 2008

Another compilation of old and new animated spectacles guaranteed to rot your eyeballs.

"...are, actually, a couple of gems here: Plug Ugly Films' "We Live on Your Street" is just flat-out cool,..."

Feb. 8, 2008 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Control

Control, Anton Corbijn's narrative portrait of Joy Division's suicidal singer, Ian Curtis, is easily one of the finest films ever made about the collision of music, madness, and the human heart.

"...himself from the wash-line in the kitchen of the flat he shared with his estranged wife, Deborah (Morton). He..."

Nov. 9, 2007 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Undercover Brother

"...itself already? Lee (cousin to Spike) tackles the blaxploitation films of the Seventies with enough good-humored gusto to pull..."

June 7, 2002 Movie Review by Marc Savlov

Tropic Thunder

Instead of entering the jungle to find the heart of darkness, Ben Stiller goes in to take aim at the Achilles' heel of Hollywood: its utter pomposity and self-importance.

"...Ben Stiller. Starring: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Jay Baruchel, Brandon T. Jackson, Danny McBride, Steve Coogan,..."

Aug. 15, 2008 Movie Review by Marjorie Baumgarten

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