Creature Comforts (1989)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Nick Park

Writers:

(more)

Release Date:

1989 (UK)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Short | Family

Plot:

A humourous and thought provoking view of what animals in zoos might be thinking about their captivity and surroundings.

Plot Keywords:

Zoo | Animal | Polar Bear | Turtle | Stop Motion

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Julie Sedgewick

...

Interviewer (voice)

Directed by
Nick Park

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nick Park		uncredited

Produced by
Alan Gardner	....	assistant producer
Sara Mullock	....	producer

Cinematography by
Andy MacCormack
Fred Reed
Dave Alex Riddett		(as David Alex Riddett)
David Sproxton

Film Editing by
William Ennals

Sound Department
Aad Wirtz	....	dubbing mixer (as Aard Wirtz)

Visual Effects by
Greg Boulton	....	models & sets
John Parsons	....	models & sets
Cliff Thorne	....	models & sets
Michael Wright	....	models & sets

Camera and Electrical Department
Andy MacCormack	....	photographer
Fred Reed	....	photographer
Dave Alex Riddett	....	photographer
David Sproxton	....	photographer

Animation Department
Nick Park	....	animator

Other crew
Debbie Smith	....	animal sculptor

Production Companies

• Aardman Animations
• Channel Four Films

Distributors

• Northern Arts Entertainment (1996) (USA)

Runtime:

5 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/6 | UK:U

Company:

Aardman Animations

Trivia:

The film's soundtrack is a mixture of actual interviews with shut-ins and zoo attendees, and semi-acting. The leopard was a Brazilian friend of director Nick Park's who hated England. Park told him to pretend he was a leopard in the zoo for the interview.

Quotes:

The Brazilian Lion: In Brazil you have the space.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wallace & Gromit in Project Zoo (2003) (VG)

Simple idea very well done

An interviewer goes to a zoo in order to interview the animals there. Her subjects include polar bears, big cats, an ape, a turtle and others. The subjects of conversation include the weather, their living conditions and what they like to eat.

One of the very first projects from Nick Park and it is still very funny now. The animation looks a little dated but the idea is the same so it's not too bad. My understanding is that real people were interviewed for the voices and the animals were matched up to them – i.e. these aren't scripts.

The end result is hilarious – the animals are matched to their accents and their subject matter really well. By themselves the words would be dull for the majority, while the animation would be merely cute. Together the film is very funny. Some of it is wise and slightly touching but really it's just funny to hear animals talk about their conditions as if they were humans!

This was used for adverts in the UK to great effect and it is responsible for starting Nick park's path to Wallace and Gromit and Oscar fame. Overall a simple idea is turned into a wonderfully bright little short that is worth seeing for anyone who has seen Wallace & Gromit.