Chris Landreths Oscar-winning animated short, RYAN, has landed on DVD (Rhino, $19.95) in a special edition that puts the spotlight on both director and subject, the once successful but now homeless Canadian animator, Ryan Larkin. RYAN is presented in anamorphic widescreen in both stereo and a 5.1 mix. An hour-long doc supplements the celebrated 14-minute short about Larkins volatile and tragic life and career. ALTER EGOS not only explores these two animators in more depth but also the relationship between filmmaker and subject. Landreth supplies audio commentaries to both RYAN and ALTER EGOS.
In addition, the following shorts from Larkin and Landreth are included (with commentaries from the directors):
SYRINX: an early Larkin short about Satyr Pan and maiden Syrinx done in charcoal on paper.
WALKING: Larkins famous Oscar-nominated short devoted to the beauty of human motion.
STREET MUSIQUE: Another Larkin gem that morphs shapes and people in imaginative and colorful ways.
THE END: An early Landreth CGI effort about dissatisfied animated characters arguing with their creator about his lack of artistic vision.
BINGO: A provocative Landreth short about a man mistaken for Bingo the Clown.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
