CUFF - Hair High

BILL PLYMPTON
THE TUNE was Bill Plympton's first full-length feature. His short films have been seen widely around the country, highlighting many animation festivals. His oblique, off-center sense of the ridiculous in everyday life has made the "Microtoons" and his other shorts a popular MTV offering. His distinctive style has even invaded the world of advertising. Commercials for both Trivial Pursuit and Sugar Delight make us chuckle and gasp. But it's been a lot of hard work. When Plympton first moved to New York City, a recent college graduate with a B.A. in Graphic Design, he tried selling belts on the street. "It was January, about 25 degrees outside. I couldn’t sell a one!"

All his life Bill Plympton has been fascinated by animation. When he was fourteen he sent Disney some of his cartoons and offered up his services as animator. They wrote back and told him that while his drawings showed promise, he was too young. It wasn't until 1983 that he was approached to animate a film. The Android Sister Valeria Wasilewski asked Plympton to work on a film she was producing of Jules Feiffer's song, "Boomtown." Connie D'Antuono, another of the film's producers "sort of held my hand through the whole process," Plympton says. "It was a great way to learn to make a film."

Immediately following the completion of "Boomtown," he began his own animated film, "Drawing Lesson # 2." Production of the live action scenes was slow, due to inclement weather, so Plympton decided to start on another film. For this one, he contacted an old friend with whom he had performed in a Country Western Band (he played pedal steel guitar). Maureen McElheron, whose band it had been, agreed to score "Your Face." Due to budgetary considerations, she also sang. Her voice, eerily decelerated to sound more masculine combined with a fantastically contorting visage helped garner the film a 1988 Oscar nomination for best animation.

What came to be called THE TUNE, was financed entirely by the animator himself. Sections of the feature were released as short films to help generate funds for production. With this money in pocket, he was then able to complete THE TUNE and realize a childhood dream. The completed TUNE also made the rounds of the film festivals, garnering the prestigious Houston WorldFest Gold Jury Special Award as well as a Spirit Award nomination for Best Film Score.

In 1998, Bill completed another animated feature, titled "I MARRIED A STRANGE PERSON". It's a heartwarming story of a newlywed couple on their wedding night. Once again Bill Plympton has single-handedly drawn and financed an animated feature extravaganza - only this time it's for adults and the unpolitically correct. "MUTANT ALIENS", the story of a stranded astronaut returning to Earth after 20 years in space, was completed in January 2001 and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It won Grand Prix in Annecy 2001 and was released in theatres in 2002.

	Hair High


	Saturday April 15 - 9:30 PM, Canadian Premier
	"Hair High" is a gothic high-school comedy with a "Carrie"-like story. Cherri and Rod are the high-school king and queen and they justifiably rule their domain. Spud, the new kid in town, accidentally offends both Cherri and Rod so is forced to become Cherri's slave. Naturally, they immediately hate each other but of course later they fall in love. Cherri and Spud secretly decide to go to the prom together, and on prom night a rejected Rod forces their car off the road and into the lake. In true 50's ballad style, their car sinks to the bottom of the lake as they share one last kiss. While the bodies of Cherri and Spud lie in a timeless embrace, Rod is successful in thwarting any investigation and is able to get away with murder. On the night of the following year's prom, the car magically comes to life and slowly drives out of the lake with Cherri and Spud, as if nothing had happened, only this time their bodies are in an advanced state of decomposition. Their rusty and water-logged car drives to the prom and just as Rod is about to crown himself new king of the prom, Cherri and Spud enter the ballroom - the spotlight follows them as they cross the dance floor, with all the attendees in shock. As they approach the stage, spiders, bugs, snakes, lizards and fish ooze from their sagging skin and skeletal bodies, and the prom attendees freak as they mount the stairs to the stage. Spud takes the crown from Rod's head and places it on Cherri as the animals attack and devour Rod. This humorous gothic tale will appeal to the same crowd that loved "Scream" and "Scary Movie"

	Produced, Animated and Directed by:Bill Plympton Director of Photography: John Donnelly Associate Producers: John Holderried, Martha Plimpton, Ron Diamond Production Manager: Lori Samsel Voices: Dermot Mulroney (Rod) Zak Orth (Zip) Sarah Silverman (Cherri); Justin Long (Dwayne) Eric Gilliland (Spud) Tom Noonan (Principal) Beverly D’Angelo (Darlene) Craig Bierko (Sarge) Keith Carradine (JoJo) Michael Showalter (Wally) David Carradine (Mr. Snerz) Hayley Dumond (Buttercup) Martha Plimpton (Miss Crumbles) Jay O. Sanders (Announcer) Ed Begley Jr. (Rev. Cheddar) Peter Jason (Coach)	Official Selection: 2004 Philadelphia Film Festival 2004 Slamdance Film Festival 2004 Fantasia International Film Festival Hair High Website Contact Plymptoons

	BILL PLYMPTON THE TUNE was Bill Plympton's first full-length feature. His short films have been seen widely around the country, highlighting many animation festivals. His oblique, off-center sense of the ridiculous in everyday life has made the "Microtoons" and his other shorts a popular MTV offering. His distinctive style has even invaded the world of advertising. Commercials for both Trivial Pursuit and Sugar Delight make us chuckle and gasp. But it's been a lot of hard work. When Plympton first moved to New York City, a recent college graduate with a B.A. in Graphic Design, he tried selling belts on the street. "It was January, about 25 degrees outside. I couldn’t sell a one!" All his life Bill Plympton has been fascinated by animation. When he was fourteen he sent Disney some of his cartoons and offered up his services as animator. They wrote back and told him that while his drawings showed promise, he was too young. It wasn't until 1983 that he was approached to animate a film. The Android Sister Valeria Wasilewski asked Plympton to work on a film she was producing of Jules Feiffer's song, "Boomtown." Connie D'Antuono, another of the film's producers "sort of held my hand through the whole process," Plympton says. "It was a great way to learn to make a film." Immediately following the completion of "Boomtown," he began his own animated film, "Drawing Lesson # 2." Production of the live action scenes was slow, due to inclement weather, so Plympton decided to start on another film. For this one, he contacted an old friend with whom he had performed in a Country Western Band (he played pedal steel guitar). Maureen McElheron, whose band it had been, agreed to score "Your Face." Due to budgetary considerations, she also sang. Her voice, eerily decelerated to sound more masculine combined with a fantastically contorting visage helped garner the film a 1988 Oscar nomination for best animation. What came to be called THE TUNE, was financed entirely by the animator himself. Sections of the feature were released as short films to help generate funds for production. With this money in pocket, he was then able to complete THE TUNE and realize a childhood dream. The completed TUNE also made the rounds of the film festivals, garnering the prestigious Houston WorldFest Gold Jury Special Award as well as a Spirit Award nomination for Best Film Score. In 1998, Bill completed another animated feature, titled "I MARRIED A STRANGE PERSON". It's a heartwarming story of a newlywed couple on their wedding night. Once again Bill Plympton has single-handedly drawn and financed an animated feature extravaganza - only this time it's for adults and the unpolitically correct. "MUTANT ALIENS", the story of a stranded astronaut returning to Earth after 20 years in space, was completed in January 2001 and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It won Grand Prix in Annecy 2001 and was released in theatres in 2002.

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