Reviews & Ratings for
Begone Dull Care More at IMDbPro »

13 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Absolutely Stunning!!!, 25 November 2002

Author: Squrpleboy from Ontario, Canada

A masterpiece of hand-drawn & experimental cinema! McLaren & Lambert pulled out all the stops for the wonderful viewing experience that would become BEGONE DULL CARE, a film made directly by hand through painting, etching, drawing, and pattern- rolling onto clear 35 mm film stock. The phantasmagoria of colours, patterns, images and surreal optical trickery of perceived depth of field are blended together PERFECTLY with the rollicking Jazz soundtrack provided by Canadian Jazz-pianist extraordinaire, Oscar Peterson, and his band. Although this style of animation has been attempted many times, by countless others, both before and since, NONE have come close to Norman McLaren & Evelyn Lambert's stunning accomplishment: BEGONE DULL CARE!

10/10. A resounding visual triumph.........and just so much fun to watch!

8 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Abstract Artists Would Love This, 12 July 2007

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from United States

Well, this certainly was different. I doubt most people would like this, but being a fan of abstract art as well as someone who has dabbled in the genre, I thought this was pretty interesting.

It's almost three animated shorts in one, each played to a short piano piece by jazz great Oscar Peterson. The first and third numbers are upbeat and so are the graphics: one colorful image after after nothing bombarded at you as if you were looking through a kaleidoscope.

The middle segment gives us a breather with more just black-and-white and lines moving to the music. It gives the whole animated piece a welcome respite for a couple of minutes.

This is just pure abstract images drawn directly onto the film. This was done long before computers and I can't imagine the number of hours it took Norman McLaren and Evelyn Lambert to produce this.

This short was part of the DVD "Leonard Maltin's Animation Favorites From The National Film Board Of Canada.

Synesthesia, 6 March 2008

Author: stalker vogler from Xanadu

I always found the rollicking jazz music of the likes of Oscar Peterson (or Dizzie Gilespie) something hard to understand even if enjoyable. Music is not something that can be represented in a clear way through the use of images, music can at best create a state of enjoyment. From the early days of animation (I am thinking at Fischinger for instance) the association of abstract images on a soundtrack was one of the favorite things to do among animators. McLaren and Lanbart did a great job with their paintings on celluloid, their hard work has only to be applauded. Seeing those blots and lines and dots dance on the music was an unique experience because this perfectly describes the images that come to my mind when I listen to jazz, it's always fun and meaningless, a bewildering child play.

1 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Begone Dull Care showcases Oscar Peterson jazz over images by Norman McLaren and Evelyn Lambart, 29 December 2007

Author: tavm from Baton Rouge, La.

With the recent death of jazz great Oscar Peterson, Amid at Cartoon Brew showed his tribute by linking from YouTube two animated shorts scored by him. One was directed by John Hubley. This one, Begone Dull Care, was done by Norman McLaren and Evelyn Lambart with the abstract paint done directly on film. Peterson provides three jazz pieces with the second one just played to white lines on black background and the other two mixed with that and various other colors, mostly red. Wonderful Jackson Pollock-like images that might have inspired many a trip during the '60s! What a great tribute to a recently departed music genius from Canada.

2 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
I can respect all the time they put into this, though it sure isn't fun to watch, 17 July 2008

Author: planktonrules from Bradenton, Florida

This is a very important Canadian animated short in that many love it for its artistic style as well as all the tedious work that went into making it. Classical music is set to movement of scratches on film. None of the animation is anthropomorphic--instead all shapes and colors and scratches. Because of this, the film looks like something that you'd see in a modern art museum. However, it should also be pointed out that this is a very, very, very difficult film to watch nor is it particularly fun. Watching minute after minute of this is just a chore.

Overall verdict: An interesting experiment that has little, if any, commercial appeal. Not particularly pleasant but I sure can respect the time that went into making it.

3 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
One of the better works of abstract animation., 15 January 1999

Author: Michael from Chicago, IL

This film is one of the better works of abstract animation. McLaren succeeds at precisely timing his drawn-on-film animation to Peterson's music. Also, McLaren's mastery of depth in his painting is wonderful.

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