7.8/10
2,127
24 user 7 critic

Street of Crocodiles (1986)

Not Rated | | Animation, Short | July 1986 (UK)
Street of Crocodiles Poster
Inside a box full of curio, a puppet who is recently freed from his strings explores a dusty and forlorn commercial area. The explorer becomes ensnared into miniature tailor shop by baby-faced dolls.

Directors:

Stephen Quay, Timothy Quay

Writers:

Stephen Quay, Timothy Quay | 1 more credit »

Star:

Feliks Stawinski
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4 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Feliks Stawinski Feliks Stawinski ... Caretaker
See full cast »
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Storyline

A man closes up a lecture hall; he reaches into a box and snips the string holding a gaunt puppet. Released, the puppet warily explores the darkened rooms about him. Screws twist out of objects and move about. A boy doll catches light with a mirror, shining it around: he spotlights the gaunt explorer. An adult female doll stands with breasts exposed. Mechanical spools and wheels turn. The gaunt man investigates. Four doll men surround him, dress him in colorful clothes, invite him to look inside displays that include drawings of penile skeletons. Female dolls awkwardly rotate their arms from broken shoulders. The gaunt man watches. Bruno Schultz is quoted. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

stop motion animation | surrealism | no dialogue | meat | machinery | See All (13) »

Genres:

Animation | Short

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
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Details

Official Sites:

DVD

Country:

UK

Language:

Polish | English

Release Date:

July 1986 (UK) See more »

Also Known As:

A krokodilusok utcája See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atelier Koninck,British Film Institute (BFI),Channel Four Television See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Point Five (2003) See more »

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User Reviews

 
10/10
11 November 2004 | by desperateliving – See all my reviews

We feel as if we're in a completely different world watching this -- and not necessarily just because of the animation, which is spectacular. It has more to do with the architecture of the images, and the way the camera investigates the space -- you feel as if you're in a shoebox, tinted with brown-gold sepia tones of rot. The way the camera moves is really very striking. For the comparisons to Kafka, I think it's specifically in the dislocation of the image that the Quays bring out his influence. This film is as if Jack Skellington went down the wrong tree. (The eyeless dolls must have influenced "Toy Story"'s horror sequence.) We're in this strange, unfamiliar place, and the camera slides around in very smooth yet jittery movements as if our eyes. We see objects like screws move around on their own, and objects drop calmly as if the sky is falling; our vision is distorted as images of our hero are stretched. I haven't read the Bruno Schulz, so I'm pretty much limited strictly to experiencing this visually. 10/10
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