Hypnotic Eyes: A short, weird trip into old-school animation

Is this worth your time?

Honestly, only if you are obsessed with the history of animation or have exactly three minutes to kill before your coffee gets cold. It’s a relic, really. If you prefer your stories to actually have a point or characters that aren't just lines on a page, stay far away.

Harry is a creep. There is no way around it. He just stands there doing this weird eye-twirl thing, and Fanny… well, she just goes along with it. It’s deeply uncomfortable to watch in 2024, even for a cartoon that’s practically a fossil.

The animation style

It’s got that jittery, handmade look that makes your eyes twitch. Sometimes the lines don't even meet up right. It feels like the whole thing was drawn on the back of a napkin during a long lunch break. I found myself staring at the background—which is mostly just empty white space—wondering if they ran out of ink or just didn't care.

The pacing is… well, there isn't any. It just happens. One minute Harry is doing his thing, the next, Fanny is in his lair. It skips all the boring stuff like walking or building tension. Which, I guess, is kind of a relief?

It reminded me a little bit of the strange, disjointed energy you find in The Strange Case of Mary Page, though with significantly fewer people and way more staring. Why do they stare so much? It’s not even a dramatic stare. It’s like they forgot their lines.

• The eye animation is genuinely kind of funny.
• Fanny’s reactions are basically non-existent.
• The 'lair' is just a box. A literal box.

I don't know what Paul Terry was thinking with this one. Maybe he was having a bad day? Or maybe he just really wanted to see if he could make an audience feel weird for ninety seconds straight. Mission accomplished, I suppose. 🌀

It’s not as polished as Lola, but then again, it’s not really trying to be. It feels like a sketch that got stuck in the toaster. I’m glad I watched it, but I’m also glad I never have to watch it again.