Nyócker!

this one took me by total surprise! i'll be damned if i can recount (or follow) the plot, but i know that it involves oil, rival gangsters, public surveillance, time travel, terrorism, rebel teenagers, possibly evil horses, and an area in Budapest known as "the district." sharply written and wittily drawn, it also features cameos by a host of international luminaries, from Osama bin Laden to the pope -- George W. too! (spouting lines like: "Our agents were mislead while they were busy misleading.")

decidedly un-PC and deliberately "primitive" (particularly in its animation style, recalling everything from The Adventures of Prince Achmed to South Park), this will easily appeal to gamers, hip-hoppers, and fans of Adult Swim, but should also be given a chance by any other regular film-goer/lover.

watching this, i was reminded of something Ralph Bakshi said: "The art of cartooning is vulgarity. The only reason for cartooning to exist is to be on the edge. If you only take apart what they allow you to take apart, you're Disney. Cartooning is a low-class, for-the-public art, just like graffiti art and rap music. Vulgar but believable, that's the line I kept walking."

my guess is, Bakshi would be plenty impressed by The District.