Review: "World of Tomorrow - Episode 2" is an Even Greater, Weirder Masterpiece from Don Hertzfeldt

In a time where cutting edge special effects can take us to worlds beyond our understanding, director Don Hertzfeldt has found a way to capture a deeper emotion with a more rudimentary approach. World of Tomorrow - Episode 2: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts is his latest journey into the world of Emily Prime (Winona Mae) as she is visited by her future self (Julia Pott). The world that she is taken to is a fascinating blend of stick figures and other forms of abstract art meant to compliment the story's dour text. It's the tragedy of growing old, and Hertzfeldt has managed to capture its deepest and most personal resonance without ever taking us to a world that is familiar, even visually. It's a short that not only manages to top the original, but may be his best work yet. It's a story for outsiders speculating their existence in the world, and it's sure to make you laugh and think in equal measures. 

My Official Oscar Predictions for 2015

Scene from Spotlight

This is it, everybody. Tomorrow is the big day when The Academy Awards reveal who is going to come away champion. It has been an exciting, unpredictable season that will hopefully produce some out of the box results. From some bizarre Oscar nominees (Mad Max: Fury Road specifically) to a tough three way battle for Best Picture, this is a year that will be hard to call, especially with the results changing every other week. While you have seen my extensive coverage of this year's season, the following is my personal picks for winners. I'm confident that unlike the past few years, I will not be doing nearly as well (I really don't want The Revenant to win big). So take my picks with a grain of salt, and feel free to place your bets in the comments section. Come back on Monday for full post-ceremony coverage.

Review: "World of Tomorrow" is an Existentially Powerful Short from a Minimalist Maestro

Scene from World of Tomorrow

*NOTE: Originally published on Optigrab.

There is a chance that last September provided one memorable moment on The Simpsons. It wasn't the unmemorable death or the dreaded Family Guy crossover episode. It was actually the first thing that started the series' 26th season and served almost as an aggrandizing cry of the show's quality. There was a sci-fi couch gag in which the world stared in confusion as TV's favorite yellow family turned into shapes and spouted nonsense. To a larger population, this is likely the introduction to renegade artist Don Hertzfeldt, whose mixture of bleak humor and existential theories makes his minimalist style one of the most unique things on the market. To an extent, The Simpsons was what was needed to promote something by someone so... odd. With his latest 16-minute short, World of Tomorrow, he continues to push boundaries and prove that there's magic outside of CG animation. 

Check This Out: Watch Oscar-Nominated "World of Tomorrow" on Netflix Right Now

Scene from World of Tomorrow

With the news of this year's Academy Awards nominations fueling a lot of conversation on the internet, it's easy to lose sight of the categories outside of acting, directing, and writing. For many, the Best Animated Short category is a treasure trove of content that will never be seen by mainstream audiences (unless you're in front of a Pixar film). However, there's one surprise nominee that is definitely worth your time, and will hopefully be on more people's radars as they work through the list. I am talking about director Don Hertzfeldt's World of Tomorrow, which may look unassuming and juvenile, but was one of the greatest philosophical stories of 2015. The best part is that you can watch it right now online for free. That is, if you have a Netflix account and 16 minutes.