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Stage Fright

Play trailer Stage Fright Released Apr 3, 1998 11m Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
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A vaudevillian who juggles dogs faces his archnemesis in a crumbling music hall.

Audience Reviews

View All (3) audience reviews
Benyamin M I'm so glad I watched this. I didn't even know it existed. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/04/24 Full Review Jacob B I'll be honest. This is a rather straightforward short that isn't as amazing as its BAFTA win might suggest. It isn't as hilarious or inventive as Wallace & Gromit nor does it have the great, wholesome storytelling of that Robin Robin short from 24 years later but Stage Fright is still good in its own right. The stop-motion animation is, as is to be expected from Aardman, great and it becomes easier to appreciate once you realise just how much of a pain in the ass those dogs were to animate, given how the puppets were mere inches high. The tedium these people have to endure for our entertainment! The short also tells a good job communicating how the rise of cinema led to the decline in popularity of vaudeville and helps make you feel sorry for one of our main protagonists as he has to deal with the fact that nobody wants to see his act anymore. The characters all have memorable designs and manage to leave an impact in the short 11-minute runtime. The short also does a pretty good job, from the way the aptly-named Tiny and our antagonist treat them, at communicating a message about treating animals well and not exploit them for profit, without being heavy-handed. The ending, that seems to be the reason people remember this short for something other than being a special feature on the Curse of the Were-Rabbit DVD, is definitely a signature scene for just how dark it is. Mind you, the short already had a very morbid atmosphere but if I saw this scene when I was younger, I'd probably be creeped out. Is Stage Fright one of Aardman's best from their Golden Age? I don't quite see it that way. But I still think it's worth watching at least once. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/26/24 Full Review nipple c Very good and good plot Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Stage Fright

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A vaudevillian who juggles dogs faces his archnemesis in a crumbling music hall.
Director
Steve Box
Producer
Steve Box, Helen Nabarro, Michael Rose
Screenwriter
Steve Box, Tess Daulton
Distributor
Atom Films
Genre
Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 3, 1998, Original
Runtime
11m