Parade of the Award Nominees: A Weirdly Charming Cartoon Relic

Is it worth your time?

If you are a fan of animation history, sure. If you just want a normal movie, stay far away.

This isn't really a film in the way we talk about Manslaughter or anything with a real plot. It is essentially a seven-minute flex for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Mickey Mouse is the star, obviously. He looks a bit different than the sleek version we see on lunchboxes today. He is a little chunkier. A little more sketchy.

The whole thing is just a parade. Characters march by. Some of them look kind of like the actors they are supposed to represent, and others look like absolute nightmares.

Oddly Specific Observations

• The level of detail put into the caricatures is honestly kind of creepy.
• I spent most of the runtime wondering who approved these specific designs.
• The pacing is just 'march, march, wave, repeat.'

It is fascinating to see how the industry viewed itself back then. They were so desperate to seem important. It feels very different from the tone you might find in The Wheel or even the lighter stuff like A Perfect 36.

There is no real arc here. No conflict. Just a procession of drawings that seem to be shouting, "Look at us, we are famous!"

Sometimes the animation stutters. I think my screen actually flickered at one point. It gave the whole thing a weird, hypnotic vibe that I didn't hate.

If you are watching this, you probably already know why. It is a curiosity. It is a footnote. Don't go in expecting a cinematic masterpiece, because it is basically just a 1930s corporate sizzle reel that learned how to draw.

I found myself zoning out halfway through, then suddenly snapping back when a caricature looked too much like a real person. It is unsettling! 🐭