Next week I review yet another hard to find independent film. That is until its recent release on DVD. Now everyone will have the chance o watch and marvel over the combination of claymation and Edgar Allen Poe in a most perfect union. That’s because next week’s film is Ray Harryhausen Presents: The Pit and the Pendulum.

When I was growing up in Wisconsin I would often times kill time at my local video store. I would roam through the aisles, looking at the VHS boxes, searching for something interesting to watch. I was fascinated with genre mash-ups and Ralph Bakshi’s films and quickly immersed myself in them. But Waukesha wasn’t exactly stationed along the cutting edge of pop culture, so I had some rather sizable gaps in both my film knowledge and exposure.

It wasn’t until college that I began meeting people who were giving enough to introduce me to German Expressionism, Italian neorealism, and Turner Classic Movies. From then on I always have had great respect for people who introduce me to new and exciting things, especially when it comes to films.

Which brings me to my girlfriend, Anna. I found my first excuse to talk to her when she was reading Watership Down, which was one of my favorite books (as well as animated films) as a child. Much to my delight she had never read it before so it afforded me the perfect opportunity to lay down some serious knowledge, and from there we soon began introducing each other to all sorts of of new experiences. One interesting thing to note is she was far more open to trying out my recommendations early on then I was with hers. This is quite simply explained. She likes Bjork, Dogville, and Ayn Rand. I like cool crap.

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It is always tough to decide which film to review. I like to try and bounce between genres and styles as much as possible, thus making it ever more difficult for a readership to grow. But this week’s course correction is particularly challenging what with it following up an semi-pornographic documentary that just so happens is illegal to watch. How does one follow up contraband like that?

Why with a children’s movie! But I can’t just make it any children’s movie. I mean I do have some standards here. But what about a British stop-motion film that meshes live action with claymation? Doesn’t that sound tasty? Oh it is, and The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb is next week’s film.