The ChubbChubbs!
| The ChubbChubbs! | |
|---|---|
 The ChubbChubbs! film poster | |
| Directed by | Eric Armstrong |
| Produced by | Jacquie Barnbook |
| Written by | Jeff Wolverton |
| Starring |
Bradford Simonsen Jeff Wolverton Eric Armstrong Mortonette Jenkins Peter Lurie Rick Zieff |
| Music by | Chance Thomas |
| Editing by | Robert Gordon |
| Studio | Sony Pictures Imageworks |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release dates |
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| Running time | 5 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The ChubbChubbs! is a 2002 American computer-animated comedy short film by Sony Pictures Imageworks. It was directed by Eric Armstrong,[1] produced by Jacquie Barnbrook, and written by Jeff Wolverton.[2]
The ChubbChubbs! won an Oscar for Best Animated Short in 2002.
The short "was originally conceived as a pipeline test to help determine the studio’s strengths and weaknesses in producing all-CG animation within the Imageworks production environment."[3]
Plot
Meeper, the janitor of an alien pub called the Ale-E-Inn, has higher aspirations—a karaoke performer. After he accidentally electrocutes a singer, he is ejected from the pub. Outside, he is told by an incautious Gungan that "The ChubbChubbs are coming!" Meeper sees aircraft land in the distance, and huge, weapon-bearing monsters exit the craft. He assumes these are the ChubbChubbs.
Meeper rushes to warn the pub, and some chicks he finds pecking at the ground outside, but each of his attempts further injures the singer. The patrons are finally warned by a different visitor. The pub is emptied, and everyone takes off into the night, leaving Meeper behind. The monsters are almost at the pub. Meeper hides the chicks under his bucket in an attempt to save them, and then launches into a rendition of Why Can't We Be Friends? until, caught up in the song, he trips over the bucket, revealing the chicks. The monsters flee, screaming, "It's the ChubbChubbs!" The chicks reveal their razor sharp teeth and devour the monsters, who are actually known as Zyzaks. They gather around Meeper, who says, "So... You guys into Karaoke?"
As the credits roll, Meeper and the ChubbChubbs sing a rewrite of Aretha Frankin's Respect in the pub. When the song is finished, there is dead silence. The ChubbChubbs glare and reveal their teeth, and the crowd hastily bursts into applause.
Cast
- Meeper - Brad Simonsen
- ChubbChubbs - Jeff Wolverton
- Singing Diva - Mortonette Jenkins
- Zyzaks - Peter Lurie
- Bouncer - Rick Zieff
- Glorfs - Dustin Adair, Eric Armstrong, Yakov Baytler, Mary Biondo, Sumit Das, Layne Friedman, Robert Gordon, Sully Jacome-Wilkes, Franco Pietrantonio, Rick Richards, Chance Thomas, Julie Zackary
- Various Aliens - Evan Wu
Release
The ChubbChubbs! was theatrically released on July 3, 2002, along with Men in Black II. Due to its success, it was re-released on July 19, 2002, with Stuart Little 2.
The short got a DVD release on November 26, 2002, as a bonus attached to Men in Black II.[4] On April 11, 2003, the short was released on its own DVD, and with a running time of 5 minutes, 37 seconds is considered likely the briefest DVD ever released.[5] The ChubbChubbs! and its sequel The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas were released on October 9, 2007, for the first time on Blu-ray, attached as a bonus to Surf's Up.
Feature film
In 2002, on the first anniversary of Sony Pictures Animation, SPA announced a slate of projects in development, one of which was a feature length version of The ChubbChubbs! "We are thrilled with the response and interest that The ChubbChubbs has received," said Sandra Rabins, then the executive vice president of SPA. "The characters and property are perfect for a full-length film version and we are looking forward to further develop the project."[6] Since then, there has been no further news about the film.
Sequel
The sequel, The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas, was released on August 8, 2007 along with Daddy Day Camp.[7]
References
- ↑ Eric Armstrong homepage
- ↑ Jeff Wolverton homepage
- ↑ Raugust, Karen (2006-05-30). "The Value of Shorts". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
- ↑ Siechen, Todd (2002-11-26). "Men in Black II". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
- ↑ Kleinmann, Geoffrey (2003-04-15). "The Chubbchubbs!". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2010-11-07.
- ↑ Sony Pictures Digital (May 9, 2002). "Sony Pictures Animation Announces Projects for Directors Jill Culton, Anthony Stacchi, Roger Allers, Brenda Chapman and the Brizzi Brothers". PR Newswire. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ↑ PIMPJOE_ESB (2007-08-08). "Catch the ChubbChubbs Saving Xmas With "Daddy Day Camp"". CountingDown.com. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
External links
- The ChubbChubbs! page at Sony Pictures' website
- The ChubbChubbs! at the Internet Movie Database
- The ChubbChubbs! at the Big Cartoon DataBase
- The ChubbChubbs Save Xmas page at Sony Pictures Imageworks' website
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