Slashdot Mirror


New Wallace and Gromit Shorts

disco_stu00 writes "Aardman Animations has produced 10 new one-minute Wallace and Gromit shorts entitled Cracking Contraptions in preparation and training for the upcoming feature length film. BBC News has the first short available for download."

146 comments

  1. Wallace eyes the export market... by MosesJones · · Score: 5, Funny


    Clearly with the Soccermatic Wallace is looking to expand into the US Soccer Mom market, the domestic version will of course continue to be called the "Footymatic" :-)

    More Cheese Gromit ?

    --
    An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
    1. Re:Wallace eyes the export market... by Chillas · · Score: 3, Interesting


      Odd, since the word "soccer" is a British invention.

      --
      --- Math illiteracy affects 8 out of every 5 people.
    2. Re:Wallace eyes the export market... by Quaryon · · Score: 5, Informative

      It may be a Brit invention, but the term "soccer" is not really in general use over here. We just call it "football", since it involves regular contact between the foot and the ball...

      I believe it was originally coined as a shortened form of "association football" to differentiate the game from "rugby football" ("rugger"). This we now just generally call "rugby", since it involves less contact between the foot and the ball.

      Q.

    3. Re:Wallace eyes the export market... by Anne_Nonymous · · Score: 2

      About 1/4 of the way into the film, Wallace says something like "howdya like my knobby styles?".

      1. What the heck is he actually saying?

      2. What does that mean in Yank English?

      TIA -Anne

    4. Re:Wallace eyes the export market... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, I can see you obviously didn't bother to read the links from the post you commented on.

    5. Re:Wallace eyes the export market... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I believe it was originally coined as a shortened form of "association football" to differentiate the game from "rugby football"

      Great detective work Sherlock, were it not for the fact that Rugby Football is called Rugby Football because it is, in fact, derived from Football. Football was called Football before Rugby was invented.

      Now try reading the links in the post that you're refering too.

    6. Re:Wallace eyes the export market... by ThaReetLad · · Score: 2, Informative

      Maybe the word is british, frankly I don't care.

      The oldset football club in the world is Sheffield FC (nb FC is for Football Club not SC for soccer club) and was founded in 1857. We've been calling it football ever since then. Look at the names of the official orgs. The FA (football association), UEFA, (Union of European Football Associations), FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) etc. None of whom have "Soccer" in their names. I thank you.

      --
      You can't win Darth. If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine
    7. Re:Wallace eyes the export market... by Squid_Law · · Score: 1

      He means Nobby Styles.

      Any readers of Viz out there will recognize this as rhyming slang for piles ... I doubt he meant that tho !

    8. Re:Wallace eyes the export market... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      (Score:5, Informative)

      Thank you!

  2. I'm looking forward to the movie... by mong · · Score: 5, Funny

    I had a look at this at lunch, and I'm relieved to say that it's clear that we're in for a treat with the new movie - if this clip is anything to go by. People have suggested that W&G is old and stale now (as Chicken Run wasn't *amazing*). But this made me giggle, and I can't wait! Nice Work!!

    --

    *...Slacker, Artist, Techie - Geek *
    Remember: Nothing is Cool.
    1. Re:I'm looking forward to the movie... by Pike65 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      That's the thing, isn't it?

      Wallace and Gromit should have been stale when it first came out (regional English accents and dogs that are smarter than their owners?), but the sheer quality of the animation and clever direction made all three some of the most loved short films ever.

      --
      "If being a geek means being passionate about something, then I pity those who aren't geeks." - Pike65
    2. Re:I'm looking forward to the movie... by mong · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hrm, but us Brits don't complain about southern drawl, or Seattle slur in Hollywood movies! I was quite amused that a US reviewer of "Reign of Fire" (avoid, it sucks) complained about the non-rp accents of the Brits.

      Hrm, off topic I guess.

      What needs to be noted is that a soft yorkshire accent like that of Wallace is entirely appropriate. It makes perfect sense.

      But I accept your points anyway... sorry.. I'm rambling!

      --

      *...Slacker, Artist, Techie - Geek *
      Remember: Nothing is Cool.
    3. Re:I'm looking forward to the movie... by simong_oz · · Score: 3, Interesting

      ...a soft yorkshire accent like that of Wallace is entirely appropriate. It makes perfect sense.

      Heh, as a foreigner (Australian, no less) living in Yorkshire, I reckon that's because a proper yorkshire accent would need subtitles!

      --
      "Because it's there." - George Mallory, when asked why he wanted to climb Mt Everest, March 18, 1923 (New York Times)
    4. Re:I'm looking forward to the movie... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What the fuck is a "Seattle slur"??? Is this a thing that really exists or did you make it up because you couldn't think of another kind of accent in the US? I have visited Seattle, and idolized bands from Seattle, but I never noticed any kind of noticeable "slur". Can someone fill me in here??

    5. Re:I'm looking forward to the movie... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Hrm, but us Brits don't complain about southern drawl
      Really?? Because Americans find it stupid too.

      You Brits are always too damn courteous. Don't leave it all bottled up inside you.
    6. Re:I'm looking forward to the movie... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, as a native of Seattle (yes, a real native, not part of the 99% of people who moved here and calls themselves native...grrr....), we don't really have any accent. In fact, as I understand it, news reporters get sent here from all over the country to lose their accents so that when they go on television they will have a nice generic sound.

    7. Re:I'm looking forward to the movie... by testadicazzo · · Score: 1
      Unlike a lot of my friends, i wasn't dissapointed in Chicken Run. I think the reason was I went in under the presumption that this animation style didn't really lend itself to a feature film

      What I mean is the pacing... The wallace and Gromit shorts were side splittingly funny but you couldn't keep up that level of humor for an hour and half. It's just not possible. The audience isn't strong enough. So then at points the story can start to drag, and even the cute and charming quality of animaton won't carry it.

      But anway, W&G have a little more character than the chickens. Maybe they'll be able to carry a full length movie better. Maybe not. I'm sure I'll enjoy it either way, even it it's not the fantastic experience of the original W&G shorts

    8. Re:I'm looking forward to the movie... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      That's funny. I've lived in Minnesota and California, and people in both states believe that they have no accent, and that news reporters all are trained there or come from there so they're understandable everywhere.

      I've discovered that the "not having an accent" concept is ridiculous. EVERYONE has an accent... and nobody thinks they have one. Your background determines what sounds normal and what doesn't. National newscasters are trained to be generic, but you'll still notice certain words that sound wierd to you if you listen closely enough, because of YOUR accent.

    9. Re:I'm looking forward to the movie... by cornflux · · Score: 1

      Can you explain "Seattle slur?" I'm sitting here at work in Seattle and I'm quite curious -- we (maybe just the royal "we") have a tendency to think our "American English" sounds rather indistinguishable.

      I've lived other places within the U.S., and I've travelled some (London was nice, btw), so my frame of reference isn't too narrow.

      Actually, when I moved here, I didn't notice anything aurally outstanding. It was quite nice.

    10. Re:I'm looking forward to the movie... by david+duncan+scott · · Score: 3, Funny
      Seattle slur? Sure:
      "Everybody in Seattle is funny-looking. And they smell bad, too!"

      There, that's two right there.
      --

      This next song is very sad. Please clap along. -- Robin Zander

  3. ITYM by the+grace+of+R'hllor · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't you mean 'trousers', instead of 'shorts'?

    Yeah yeah, 'boo', 'hiss' and all that.

  4. Not Linux compatible by fruey · · Score: 1, Offtopic
    So many content providers using custom consoles that don't work in Linux. It's a shame. Just like those that only stream in Windows Media.

    But what gets me here is that it is Real Player content, and Real One is available for Linux, but they add a console and bang! it won't work in Linux :(

    I made the switch to Linux a long time ago as my main desktop OS, and I can say that the main thing I go back to Windows for is for streamed content. Not because Linux doesn't support it, but because there is too much obfuscation on the part of streaming providers, they virtually want you to be running Windows XP with the latest media player in order to let you see their content. I can handle Office files, I can handle any email you throw at me, I can do VPN and SSL and all that, I can even get reasonable HTML rendering with Opera or Mozilla, but why no sensible Real Player content available? Why oh why is there always loads of javascript bullshit?

    --
    Conversion Rate Optimisation French / English consultant
    1. Re:Not Linux compatible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The problem is that web designers do not understand the importance of web standards. They would rather throw MBs of Flash and PDF at their users than learn to make a nice-looking site in standard HTML.

      I think it's a shame when these sorts of sites get linked to *uncommented as incompatible* on Slashdot.

    2. Re:Not Linux compatible by clemens · · Score: 1, Offtopic

      Are you sure it's Real movie? I clicked on the link, and it launches a console of Quicktime on my WinXP box (Only XP box in my office, dude). Maybe someone could clarify on this?

      --
      This is the funniest signature I could ever think of.
    3. Re:Not Linux compatible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The problem is that web designers do not understand the importance of web standards.

      I must have missed something. What's the web standard violation here?

    4. Re:Not Linux compatible by edrugtrader · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      DRM by Obscurity???

      --
      MARIJUANA, SHROOMS, X: ONLINE?! - E
    5. Re:Not Linux compatible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      It's quicktime actually, and here are the direct links
      Broadband Version
      56K Version

    6. Re:Not Linux compatible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That would be the one that reads "Don't exclude people from content just because you can't be bothered to take the simple bleedin step of converting Quicktime to the multimedia standard used on the rest of your crappy fixed-width site".

      Actually, I was not replying to the top-level story, but to the more general complaint in the "Not Linux compatible" post, but one is always happy to draw up common-sense standards for the over-creative but under-thoughtful to live by...

    7. Re:Not Linux compatible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You could run the link through the W3C validator and rank it according to the results. However if Slashdot started to do that, Slashdot itself would gain such an abismal ranking that it would be embarresing, so they probably won't be doing that any time soon.

    8. Re:Not Linux compatible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When I clicked on the link, it gave me an SMIL file. Inside this SMIL file were tags that gave url's of .SWF files.

      Anyone want to explain that one? I didn't see *anything* that would have led me to the referenced Quicktime .MOV's...

    9. Re:Not Linux compatible by cjpez · · Score: 2

      While this wasn't available when the story was posted, it seems that they now offer downloadable ASF files, instead of just the Quicktime. So it'll work even for people without Crossover, now! See my other post here . . .

  5. URL please ? by BESTouff · · Score: 0, Redundant

    URL for direct downloading please ?

  6. Here's a by oever · · Score: 5, Informative
    --
    DNA is the ultimate spaghetti code.
  7. Dammit, Grommit... by pokeyburro · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...I was hoping for actual clothes.

    --
    Lately democracy seems to be based on the skybox, the Happy Meal box, the X-box, and the idiot box.
    1. Re:Dammit, Grommit... by GoogolPlexPlex · · Score: 2, Funny

      It seems that you were thinking of The Wrong Shorts.

    2. Re:Dammit, Grommit... by The+J+Kid · · Score: 1

      But we still might be able to sell them to thinkgeek...hmm...

      --
      Moderation: +4. Modded 70% Funny and 30% Overrated. 100% Saturated.
  8. Worship at the church of Shaun the Sheep by Dynamoo · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Shaun the Sheep (from A Close Shave is a huge cultural icon in the UK, even more so that Gromit. In five hundred years time when archaeologists dig through the remains of our era, they'll clearly come to the conclusion that the plethora of Shaunie socks, toys, character bags, ornaments, mouse mats etc are part of some religious thing.

    Umm maybe that's just my confession that all of these items currently exist in my household. Plus a single solitary Gromit.

    One.. two.. three.. baaaah!

    --
    Never email donotemail@WeAreSpammers.com
    1. Re:Worship at the church of Shaun the Sheep by wichtolosaurus · · Score: 2, Informative

      baaaah!
      I wonder if they'll be able to create another character that mass-appealing. Especially for the ladies.
      Sometimes I feel like I'm the only male person with a Wallace and Gromit Shaving Set.

      By the way, they're already working on a video game. Creepy.

    2. Re:Worship at the church of Shaun the Sheep by simong_oz · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well you'll be glad to hear that Shaun makes an appearance in one of the shorts as reported by the BBC.

      --
      "Because it's there." - George Mallory, when asked why he wanted to climb Mt Everest, March 18, 1923 (New York Times)
    3. Re:Worship at the church of Shaun the Sheep by yelligsc · · Score: 1

      So...

      Where did you get the shaving set?

    4. Re:Worship at the church of Shaun the Sheep by pyrrho · · Score: 1

      and here I thought his name was "Shorn".

      --

      -pyrrho

    5. Re:Worship at the church of Shaun the Sheep by wichtolosaurus · · Score: 1

      I got it as a birthday present about five years ago. Maybe the one who gave it to me planned to give it to a lady :D

  9. NO CGI! by scrod98 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So glad they are producing the feature in the same medium and not moving to the computerized version of W & G. Stop motion animation has such a great feel to it.

    --
    LETS DECOMPOSE & ENJOY ASSEMBLING
    1. Re:NO CGI! by doi · · Score: 5, Insightful
      So glad they are producing the feature in the same medium and not moving to the computerized version of W & G. Stop motion animation has such a great feel to it.

      I totally agree! I think George Lucas needs to sit down with Nick Park and learn from Nick how to infuse an animated character with personality and performance in a way that engages the audience. Simply using CGI to show off the latest whiz-bang Flame/Maya/Photoshop plugin that renders Yoda's hair with the appropriate translucency is not a substitute for character...especially considering that Frank Oz made the "old technology" Yoda puppet far more convincing than the CGI version was.

      --
      A man's reach must exceed his grasp, or what's an erection for?
    2. Re:NO CGI! by JordanH · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Heh. At first I was wondering what the Common Gateway Interface had to do with this.

      Then I remembered.

    3. Re:NO CGI! by gaudior · · Score: 5, Insightful

      CGI, in and of itself, is not the problem. The problem is George Lucas, and his lack of artistic taste. There are good examples of CG characters that do engage an audience, and display life and personality. Pixar and Big Idea come to mind. CG is just a tool.

  10. The players and club by MosesJones · · Score: 5, Informative

    Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney and Nobby Stiles and of course the club in question Preston North End

    --
    An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
    1. Re:The players and club by tjensor · · Score: 2

      Looks more like he should be a QPR or Reading supporter with that shirt!

      --
      <fnord>OBEY</fnord>
    2. Re:The players and club by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      grommet's shirt has a badge with a sheep's head on it so mebbie he's a baaarnsley supporter

      - or -

      because he's a northerner ... what was the name of the team in ripping yarns ?

  11. Re:Not Linux compatible [CORRECTION] by fruey · · Score: 1
    The link to the content talks about downloading Real Player, but indeed as some of you have pointed out it's Quicktime.

    Is there a choice, or is QuickTime just the *default* transport?

    --
    Conversion Rate Optimisation French / English consultant
  12. Quicktime not Real... by Quaryon · · Score: 1

    It's QuickTime not Real - it's the discussion forum which appears to require Real for some reason..

    I'm probably exposing my ignorance here: is there anything which plays Quicktime movies on Linux?

    Q.

    1. Re:Quicktime not Real... by Mr.+No+Skills · · Score: 1

      Select your operating system: Mac OS X v10.1.3-10.1.5* Mac OS 8.6/9 Win 98/NT/Me/2000/XP The official line from Apple. Although I thought QT6 was based on MPEG-4, so maybe there is a way. I guess the WINE route might work as well.

      --
      Sleep is for the Weak
    2. Re:Quicktime not Real... by pldms · · Score: 4, Informative

      It's the infernal Sorenson 3 (IIRC xine can play the other sorenson codecs, yes?). So here is the:

      Obligatory link to the crossover plugin. Very good etc

      But QT6 does support mpeg 4 (as was said). We just need some way to make people use it.

      --
      Slashdot looked deep within my soul and assigned
      me a number based on the order in which I joined
  13. Re:Not Linux compatible (Split: Design Moan) by mong · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I'm a designer/developer. I make sure that everything works fine in IE5, and is acceptable over 56k. THEN I start trying to ensure it works at least "okay" in other browsers.

    Don't tar us all with the same brush! I avoid PDF as much as possible, and all of my Flash is compact and efficent.

    So there :-P

    (I do get angry with "Designers who design sites to impress other designers with fast machines and phat pipes")

    --

    *...Slacker, Artist, Techie - Geek *
    Remember: Nothing is Cool.
  14. Ooooh, Aaaaahhh!!! by ackthpt · · Score: 4, Funny
    You can have your Anime, I'm just plain crackers for W & G!

    Best line: "Cracking toast, Grommit!"

    Best Scene: Grommit releasing the parking brake on the rocket.

    Best Book: Electronics for Dogs

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    1. Re:Ooooh, Aaaaahhh!!! by Skater · · Score: 1

      I loved the parking brake scene. My g/f at the time and I were literally ROTFL.

      Thanks. I needed a pick-me-up. It's been a rough day.

    2. Re:Ooooh, Aaaaahhh!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I too like the parking brake scene.

      I'd like to nominate a runners-up for best book:

      'Crime and Punishment' by Fido Dogstoyevski
      'The Republic' By Pluto

    3. Re:Ooooh, Aaaaahhh!!! by JimPooley · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think "Crime and Punishment by Fido Dogstoyevsky" is a good runner up in the best book category...
      (It's the book Grommit is reading in prison in "A Close Shave")

      --

      "Information wants to be paid"
    4. Re:Ooooh, Aaaaahhh!!! by ackthpt · · Score: 3, Informative

      Look at the wall of Gromit's cell for "Feathers Was 'Ere", in reference to the evil penguin (Feathers McGraw) from The Wrong Trousers.

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
    5. Re:Ooooh, Aaaaahhh!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The best Gromit reading material is clearly the Bristol Evening Post, which is an actual news paper, and whos building I can see out of the corner of my eye right now.

      Of course I'm biased.

    6. Re:Ooooh, Aaaaahhh!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Best delivery of best line: my 2-yr-old daughter, for: "Cwacking toes (giggle) (giggle)", said at the breakfast table one Saturday.

    7. Re:Ooooh, Aaaaahhh!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Probably because the Aardman studios are near Cannon's Wharf in Bristol.

    8. Re:Ooooh, Aaaaahhh!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, well they did used to be in Gas Ferry Road, but they've moved to Aztec West (I believe).

      Like I said, I'm biased :)

    9. Re:Ooooh, Aaaaahhh!!! by spacy · · Score: 1

      My favorite is in one of the scenes where Gromit is reading the paper, one of the headlines is "Dog reads paper!". I don't remember which short its in, though.

    10. Re:Ooooh, Aaaaahhh!!! by Cal+Surfer · · Score: 1

      Gosh, if you like the W&G, be sure to track down the early Park short called "Creature Comforts". A real hoot!

    11. Re:Ooooh, Aaaaahhh!!! by ackthpt · · Score: 1
      I have it on tape, somewhere. Nick used to run it frequently about 8 years ago, when I used to tape several shows, including Ren and Stimpy and it was caught somewhere in an overrun.

      Great bits, with the casual voices of adults and children set to clay-mation of zoo animals. I think it's on one of the DVD's

      --

      A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  15. Ditto... by Gruneun · · Score: 3, Insightful

    People in real jobs often have to perform cost analysis, which usually includes a study of potential client demographics, etc.

    Exactly. I worked for a VoIP dot-com a couple years ago. Netscape was getting to be such a hassle that when we saw less than 6% of our users were on it (the absolutely horrid Netscape 6 had less than 1%) we just said, "forget it" and moved on.

    Don't get me wrong. Linux was the OS of choice for most of our developers, but when it came to making money, we had to go where the money was. It isn't in Linux.

    1. Re:Ditto... by Gruneun · · Score: 3, Informative

      This did happen, in a way. Our original plugin was Java. When MS dropped the Java plugin from Explorer, we felt screwed (there went our ideal

      Our ideal situation, using Java, would have included everyone. It isn't our fault that MS controls the greater market share. In fact, even after Java support was dropped, we can recognize that by running with MS instead of against them, it makes significantly less work for us. So, yes, I would most certainly bet on their market share. It's not the popular view around here, but it has its distinct advantages.

    2. Re:Ditto... by Gruneun · · Score: 2

      Part of the first paragraph got chopped. It went on to say that Netscape 6 dropped default Java support, too. The combination of both companies ditching Java resulted in us re-writing for ActiveX.

  16. Link for more of our heros by ewanrg · · Score: 3, Informative

    The "official" website for the series.

  17. awesomely detailed sets by simong_oz · · Score: 5, Informative

    The National Museum of Photography, Film and Television , in Bradford actually has a couple of the sets from the Wallace and Gromit films. They are only about 2m x 2m in size, but the attention to detail is absolutely amazing. It really brought home just how special the work these guys do is.

    The short is great ... can't wait for the new film!

    --
    "Because it's there." - George Mallory, when asked why he wanted to climb Mt Everest, March 18, 1923 (New York Times)
  18. Wallace & Gromit: The Game by Alioth · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Additionally, Frontier Developments are making a Wallace and Gromit game. How well it'll translate to a game, I don't know, but FD do seem to have some good animation stuff.

  19. Cracking Contraptions by surprise_audit · · Score: 4, Funny
    OK, it's probably just that I'm tired and just read the RIAA/Webcasting story, but...

    Did anyone else read "Cracking Contraptions" and immediately think of the DMCA and illegal circumvention devices??

    1. Re:Cracking Contraptions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, I keep reading it as "Cracking Contraceptives" and that just ain't right.

    2. Re:Cracking Contraptions by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sadly, yes.

  20. What about Wallace and Ladmo? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Anyone from Arizona?? That was a great show.

    1. Re:What about Wallace and Ladmo? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Anyone from Arizona?? That was a great show.

      Give that man a Ladmo Bag!

  21. Video/DVD unavailable in the US by cjpez · · Score: 3, Informative
    Drat. I was poking around on the Aardman site, and they've got a section where you can preorder the VHS or DVD version of the shorts, which includes Creature Comforts (which is phenomenal, btw) and a bunch of other things, but it's not available in the US or Japan. Curses! Will they ship to Canada, I wonder?

    I suppose that means that there's no NTSC version of the tape. I guess I'll have to settle for having 'em online, then. Ah, well.

    1. Re:Video/DVD unavailable in the US by Nexus+Seven · · Score: 1
      Your VCR will probably play back PAL tapes just fine.

      VCRs bought in Europe play back NTSC material as standard (pretty much), so I'm sure the reverse situation holds too.

    2. Re:Video/DVD unavailable in the US by glesga_kiss · · Score: 1
      I'd check that out first. Most US TVs can't display PAL colour but maybe more modern TVs will handle it. If they didn't support full PAL, you'd get a black and white picture.

      On the other hand, I've a Wallace and Gromit DVD at home that has all 3 films and the Creature Comforts on it. I'm pretty sure it's a Canadian/US DVD, but it's at home and I'm not.

    3. Re:Video/DVD unavailable in the US by Eu4ria · · Score: 2, Informative

      I managed to pick up a copy of the DVD a few months back at cdplus. Do a search for wallace at www.cdplus.com and it shows the 2 DVD's they have. Bargain at under $25 CDN.

    4. Re:Video/DVD unavailable in the US by cjpez · · Score: 2

      I don't think we're talking about the same DVD here, though. The one I'm talking about is described here, and won't be shipped until late November, or so the site says. I know that the previous Wallace and Gromitses have been available, I own them in fact. :)

    5. Re:Video/DVD unavailable in the US by Steve+Cowan · · Score: 2
      Last I checked, you could order a vid compilation entitled "Creature Comforts", which includes the short Nick Park film "Creature Comforts" as well as a bunch of other oddities from Aardman Animations, from hmv.ca.

      (Sorry I can't check it from my crippled internet access here at work, but I think it is still available)

    6. Re:Video/DVD unavailable in the US by Eu4ria · · Score: 1

      Your right I was talking about the collection of the first 3 films - my bad

  22. Same old, same old! by Savage-Rabbit · · Score: 2

    Deos fortioribus adesse!
    -- Cornelius Tacitius, Histories bk. 4, ch. 17.

    --
    Only to idiots, are orders laws.
    -- Henning von Tresckow
  23. New shorts... by danger42 · · Score: 5, Funny

    New shorts. Wrong trousers.

    --
    -nd
  24. Nobby Stiles... by MosesJones · · Score: 5, Informative

    See the link above, he was a World Cup (a competition involving the majority of the world's countries) winner in 1966 for England.

    If it had been a real Nobby Stiles he would have run at Gromit, jumped on him two footed then punched him. Nobby wasn't the most elegant player in the world :-)

    --
    An Eye for an Eye will make the whole world blind - Gandhi
  25. Amusing but... by Alsee · · Score: 2

    They will be viewable on the internet on a pay-per-view site from Wednesday

    there's no way I'm going to pay-per-view them, even if it's a penny. It's just not worth pulling out a credit card and registering.

    -

    --
    - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
  26. Shorts? by Wireless+Joe · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Shouldn't that be New Wallace and Grommet Pants ?

  27. But arggh, the site design by panurge · · Score: 2
    I've got to say it, the site design sucks somewhat...navigation isn't brilliant, there doesn't seem to be a proper search, the W&G DVD ad is hard to see down in a corner, and the thing isn't shipping till the end of November...the press release on BBC-online just reads like a godawful press release (what writes these things and does it have a 6502 processor?) which detracts from the alternative and gently satirical brand image.

    Great product, sack the marketing department. The PR people might be able to get a job with a well known OS company if they promise to switch their CPUs in public.

    --
    Panurge has posted for the last time. Thanks for the positive moderations.
    1. Re:But arggh, the site design by meowsqueak · · Score: 1

      ha ha, nice one :)

    2. Re:But arggh, the site design by Silent_E · · Score: 1

      The site design does suck--I spent a lot of time there a couple of years ago downloading the Angry Kid shorts (very funny in a sick sort of way). But, while annoying, it was nice to see that whatever money coming in wasn't going to publicity. It would be nice to get to the products faster, but I like to think that they haven't bothered because so many people think W&G, etc. is worth looking for. Why bother to market what's great?

  28. Download the clips here: by Antity · · Score: 5, Informative

    Since BBC only seems to support "in-browser" playback (and needs popup windows to be enabled - buah)... Here are the download links, extracted and reassembled:

    Have fun.

    --
    42. Easy. What is 32 + 8 + 2?
  29. Why use Quick Time by kemperch · · Score: 1

    It's a pitty the only format proposed is QuickTime.

    1. Re:Why use Quick Time by Cyno01 · · Score: 2

      so quit bitching and take a few moments to convert it, Bink and Smacker's Rad Vidoe Tools does *.mov to DivX'd *.avi in minutes

      --
      "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  30. Just two letters away by jjbrunne · · Score: 2, Funny

    from "Cracking Contraception"... Not the kind of subject you would expect in a claymation about a man and his dog.

    --
    - These pretzels are making me thirsty. -
  31. no accent by fantomas · · Score: 2
    hehehehehe don't you love it when somebody says "I have no accent"? I am sure Wallace would have something to say about that... :-)

    Ok, I know you were being ironic... or at least I hope so (like, you'll blend into most UK pubs with your accent, for sure) :-)

  32. Re:How to keep your job: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How is the child post to this comment that agrees entirely with "ekrout" marked "3, Insightful", but "ekrout"'s comment is at "-1, Troll"?

    Clearly a case of moderation abuse at its best.......

  33. Nobby Stiles vs Norman "bite yer legs" Hunter by fantomas · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Surely as a good Yorkshireman Wallace would have gone with Norman "bite yer legs" Hunter, as a Leeds United and England hardman rather than our Nobby who was a Manchester United player even though in the 66 Final team.. :-))


  34. Linux Locked Out of New Formats by edward.virtually@pob · · Score: 1

    Unfortunately, you are mistaken about RealOne. With the release of RealOne, Real has dropped support for Linux. The same is true for the latest version of Flash, and QuickTime 4+ and Windows Streaming Media never did work with Linux (big surprise). So if you're using Linux, get used to being excluded from streaming content. This is another case of the Linux crowd failing to pay attention to critical issues until it's too late. Linux's viability on the typical end-user desktop is doomed unless this lockout is corrected.

    1. Re:Linux Locked Out of New Formats by fruey · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Unfortunately, you are mistaken about RealOne. With the release of RealOne, Real has dropped support for Linux.

      Real never supported their player, but RealOne is available. I have it running here. The support is not there, but at least there is a binary that kinda works for most RealOne content.

      The same is true for the latest version of Flash

      I can live without the latest Flash improvements. It's the streaming I want. I'm sure Microsoft is paying these people to support Media Player above all. Arrrgh!

      --
      Conversion Rate Optimisation French / English consultant
    2. Re:Linux Locked Out of New Formats by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What exactly would you have the Linux community do to fix the problem?

  35. Wait just a minute there by markt4 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Actually, if they follow the same general methods as they did in Chicken Run, there will be some CGI, just not for the characters. In Chicken Run they used CGI for shots such as the explosion of the factory. It is very difficult (if not impossible) to do good stop motion plasticine models of exploding liquids.

  36. Rhyming Slang by angst_ridden_hipster · · Score: 3, Informative

    Of course, "Wallace & Gromit" is rhyming slang for "vomit."

    But how many people knew that it was originally the name of a wassail?

    (How many care?)

    --
    Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachtani?
    www.fogbound.net
  37. "Native" Seattlean? by hyacinthus · · Score: 3, Funny

    So, you're Duwamish Indian then?

    "Native" of Seattle = someone who moved to Seattle eighteen months before all of his friends did.

    hyacinthus (not a "native" of anywhere.)

  38. Re:Here's a [more convenient link] by orn · · Score: 1


    In general, how do you find the .mov link that is buried inside the damn pop-up/java window/crappola?

    Should mozilla have a mod to show all these links... or is there one already?

    --
    1. 2.
  39. Re:Here's a [more convenient link] by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    right click, view source

  40. converting QuickTime (Sv3) to MPEG1 by neurojab · · Score: 1

    Does anyone know how to convert a file like this (Sorensen v3 Quicktime) to MPEG1? I'd love to do it in Linux, but I know that transcode and mencoder don't support Sorensen v3. Are there any WIN32 tools that can do this?

    Ultimately I'd like a VCD of all of these shorts.

    1. Re:converting QuickTime (Sv3) to MPEG1 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Step 1: Convince Apple to release QT client for Linux.
      Step 2..(infinity): Irrelevant, since step #1 will never happen, thanks to Apple's fear of competition.

    2. Re:converting QuickTime (Sv3) to MPEG1 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or just buy the DVD... Whatever happened to supporting people who make great things?

    3. Re:converting QuickTime (Sv3) to MPEG1 by neurojab · · Score: 1

      Of course I'll buy it... but I want it NOW. :)

  41. Try Amazon? by Cyno01 · · Score: 3, Informative

    i know amazon is the trendy mall of the internet and all, but they have a damn good selection, i'm not sure if this is what you wanted but here are ntsc dvds of Creature Comforts(four shorts; Creature Comforts, Wat's Pig, Not Without My Handbag and Adam) and The Incredible Adventures of Wallace and Gromit (the original three shorts)

    --
    "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  42. A Dissent from Sunnydale, CA by LittleGuy · · Score: 2

    "Stp tlkng bt Grmt!" - Dawn Summers, paralyzed but posable

    --
    Mod Karma -1: I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
  43. Doesn't work by HuguesT · · Score: 1

    I tried your link and on this particular .mov the rad tools can't convert the sound (uninformative error message).

    The output video-only output with divx5 is twice as big too.

    Did anyone get better luck?

    1. Re:Doesn't work by Cyno01 · · Score: 1

      that happens sometimes with the sound, i don't use it that much, only to convert the ocasional music video for my winamp3 playlist, but when the audio works, which is most of the time, it converts them *fast*, and even though its twice the size, a meg a minute for decent quality video isn't bad, much better than mpeg2 10 megs a minute or so

      --
      "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
  44. Yoda and Oz by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For Oz Frank to die too bad it was, however Attack of Clones for Yoda Lightsaber duel no puppet can do.

    Try YOU to backflips perform while huge hairy hand of someone up your ass is. Difficult I tell you, even for Taco person named.

    -- Yada

  45. ASF versions available now by cjpez · · Score: 2
    They weren't available when the story was released, but atomfilms is now distributing the Soccamatic short (and the trailer) in ASF format, so in case anyone's not gotten aroud to buying Crossover yet, you can still easily watch them. In better resolutions, too. The download page is here, and if you want some direct links, here you go: Note that the files are zipped . . . Also it looks like if you buy all of them (for $10) online, you get the downloadable versions as well, so you're not stuck with streaming. Happiness!
  46. Re:ASF versions available now -- without sound by ArmorFiend · · Score: 1

    Eh, downloaded, unzipped, shucked into xine.
    Video is great.
    Sound is non-existant.
    ???

  47. Re:ASF versions available now -- without sound by cjpez · · Score: 1

    There's a problem w/ your computer, then, 'cause the sound plays fine over in my neck o' the woods. :) Of course, I was using mplayer, not xine, so I suppose maybe they're in some strange format that xine can't cope with...

  48. Re:ASF versions available now -- without sound by ArmorFiend · · Score: 1

    Hm, well xine plays other sound fine.
    Still, I'll give mplayer a whirl.

  49. divxa32.acm with mplayer by ArmorFiend · · Score: 1

    Loading codec DLL: 'divxa32.acm'
    Win32 LoadLibrary failed to load: divxa32.acm, /usr/lib/win32/divxa32.acm, /usr/local/lib/win32/divxa32.acm
    Can't open library divxa32.acm
    ACM_Decoder: Unappropriate audio format
    Could not load/initialize Win32/ACM AUDIO codec (missing DLL file?)
    ADecoder preinit failed :(
    Couldn't initialize audio codec! -> no sound

    1. Re:divxa32.acm with mplayer by cjpez · · Score: 1

      Well, then there you have it. Xine's probably looking for the same (invalid) dll. I just tried on my machine and Xine plays 'em just fine, Xine and all. Peronally, I'd go and reinstall the Win32 codecs you're using, but I'll defer to xine or mplayer lists for that. Good luck!

    2. Re:divxa32.acm with mplayer by cjpez · · Score: 1
      Xine plays 'em just fine, Xine and all.
      This is why you preview first, kids! *doh!*
    3. Re:divxa32.acm with mplayer by ArmorFiend · · Score: 1

      Of course I have no DLLs, I'm on LINUX. Why would I have DLLs?

    4. Re:divxa32.acm with mplayer by cjpez · · Score: 1

      Try again. Check the contents of /usr/lib/win32. Xine and Mplayer, etc, use Windows DLLs for many of the Codecs they can understand. They're not directly equivalent to the DLLs actually found on your windows machine (you can't copy them over to your Windows box and have it understand that video format), but they are DLLs. Yours are evidentally out of date. (Or, I suppose, Xine and MPlayer might be out of date, too...)

  50. Last Post! by alpg · · Score: 1

    Unix Express:
    All passenger bring a piece of the aeroplane and a box of tools with them to
    the airport. They gather on the tarmac, arguing constantly about what kind
    of plane they want to build and how to put it together. Eventually, the
    passengers split into groups and build several different aircraft, but give
    them all the same name. Some passengers actually reach their destinations.
    All passengers believe they got there.

    - this post brought to you by the Automated Last Post Generator...