Yesterday the Academy announced the longlist of 17 films contending for best animated feature nominations, and among the big predictable fare like Brave, Lorax, ParaNorman, Frankenweenie, Hotel Transylvania, Ice Age, Madagascar, Pirates!, Rise of the Guardians, and Wreck-It Ralph, is the gay oddity, A Liar's Autobiography, based on Graham Chapman's memoir. Although the hard-partying Monty Python star died 23 years ago, the film is narrated with audio clips of his voice spliced with newer recordings from everyone else. The piecemeal ethos extends to the visuals, which were farmed out to 14 different animation houses, each using a different style for their unrelated episodes. Happily, the movie has not been degayed. The Washington Post reports, "a cartoon figure named Graham Chapman works through such issues as his alcoholism, promiscuity and confusion over his sexuality (he eventually decides he’s 70 percent gay, based on a survey he did with himself)." Bloomberg adds, the film "also addresses his homosexuality (if he was going to be a “raging poof,” he said, he would be “a butch one, with a pipe”)." Watch the trailer here.
The film is available now on Epix and is playing in Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco. It opens in New York next Friday, November 9.
“Brave”
“Delhi Safari”
“Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax”
“Frankenweenie”
“From Up on Poppy Hill”
“Hey Krishna”
“Hotel Transylvania”
“Ice Age Continental Drift”
“A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman”
“Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted”
“The Mystical Laws”
“The Painting”
“ParaNorman”
“The Pirates! Band of Misfits”
“The Rabbi’s Cat”
“Rise of the Guardians”
“Secret of the Wings”
“Walter & Tandoori’s Christmas”
“Wreck-It Ralph”
“Zarafa”
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