So last weekend, The Stray suggested an outing to the IFC Theater to check out the animations up for an Oscar this year. Very arty, lots pretty, with a helping of Wallace and Gromit. Not only did we get to see who’s in the running, but the bonus of the “highly commended” stuff as well. Here’s a couple of the more psychotic entries:

First, from Spain, “The Lady and the Reaper,” which starts off with a lovely sepia echo as a widow embraces the image of her deceased beloved. It soon descends into her mortal soul being fought over by Death vs. an utter Link Hogthrob of a doctor and his four fawning nurses.

From Ireland, “Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty” is pure Mary Blair on crack, remixing the bright visuals of midcentury storybooks into an ode to cantankerous grandparents everywhere, complete with cute traumatized child.

I feel like I’m teasing you all by posting this one, because the only thing I could find was just the trailer – but “The Kinematograph,” a heavy-handed yet visually stunning entry from Poland, is an antique gadget junkie’s dream. Hopefully the full thing will come up someday soon.