The Big Story (1994) User Reviews

Way too short...

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 15 February 2008]

This is a very frustrating film. While it this film has been nominated for some big awards for animated films, I couldn't get so excited about it or give it a higher score because it was so short. At just a little under two minutes, it not only seemed too short for the nominations but also made me want so much more. What I saw, I really liked...but the film sure would have been better if hashed out more.

The film begins with an animated Kirk Douglas as a newspaper reporter--complaining that he never gets to cover the big stories. Then, another Kirk Douglas enters and they start arguing. Then, as the film ends, a third Kirk enters the scene.

Frank Gorshin's impersonation of Douglas was about as good as you can find--maybe even better than Kirk himself! Plus, combined with the animation, it was amazing.

By the way, the title THE BIG STORY and the setting are highly reminiscent of a Douglas film where he plays a reporter wanting a big scoop in THE BIG CARNIVAL (also called ACE IN THE HOLE).

Short saturation

[Polaris_DiB · 7/10 · 14 November 2006]

It's kind of difficult to write a review of a movie that is only two minutes long, so much that I wonder if it's really worth my time, but as I keep finding myself intrigued and entertained by movies of this length as much as movies of any other length, I just can't help sharing by recommending it to others.

I didn't know initially that the caricature I was seeing was of Kirk Douglas, but the stop-motion figures are so well designed they were almost immediately recognizable! The whole two-minute story is just one big saturation of Douglas-ness which anybody who's familiar with his work ought to appreciate.

It's a funny and well-produced little short. I especially like how each of the "different" characters were introduced and how well the whole thing flowed. Timing is sometimes really difficult in works like this, especially a work of animation, but this one pulled it off pretty precisely.

Oh, and the sight gag with the chins is one that will keep you laughing for a long time.

--PolarisDiB

Good Kirk Douglases

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 22 October 2021]

Not much to comment on other than a really nicely done collection of faces based on Douglas and his idiosyncrasies. The voicings are good. Little plot other than some loud complaining. I needed to see more.

The Small Story

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 4 June 2016]

"The Big Story" is a black-and-white short film from 1994 by David Stoten and Tim Watts. The fact that it got an Oscar nomination is pretty surprising in the face of the truth that this is only 1.5 minutes long (or short, I'd better say). But they really must have liked the spoof aspect here and really loved Kirk Douglas at this point to give it the recognition, even if it lost to "Bob's Birthday". I personally did not really enjoy the watch. The characters were not too interesting and the comedy wasn't working very well either. Apart from that, I am not a fan of Kirk Douglas, who is still alive over 20 years later, because of his dubious private life matters. All in all, I am glad it was that short, because it just wasn't a memorable watch and because it was quickly over. the Academy got it wrong. Not recommended.

Very good (and very short) little animated short well worth seeing.

[llltdesq · 8/10 · 5 May 2003]

This short won the BAFTA for Animated Short and was nominated for the Academy Award as well (losing out to Bob's Birthday, if I'm not mistaken) and was well deserving of both nominations, though I think two of the other BAFTA nominees were probably better than this and Monk and the Fish should have won. This is very brief (about two minutes long or so), but it's awfully funny and Frank Gorshin still does an excellent Kirk Douglas impression. Well worth seeing and if I write much more, reading my comment will take longer than watching the short will. Recommended.

The Big Story on SHORT...

[morpheus_90027 · 9/10 · 7 March 2000]

The Big Story is an animated piece, using claymation. It's a parody on Kirk Douglas, placing him in a newspaper office. It was nominated for an Academy Award. Need I say more? You can find it on a phenomenal disc entitled SHORT 1: Invention. I've become an avid fan of the entire series. Check it out... You can find it at Amazon.com or any on-line retailer.