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</ref> This was the first Aardman film to be made using the software [[Stop Motion Pro]]. Five models were created for Gromit alone, with scenes being shot simultaneously on thirteen sets.<ref name="farn">{{cite news|author=Nigel Farndale|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3831833/Wallace-and-Gromit-one-man-and-his-dog.html|title=Wallace and Gromit: one man and his dog|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=2008-12-18|accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref> Commenting on the fact that the short will be made directly for a British audience, Nick Park said: "I don't feel like I'm making a film for a kid in some suburb of America — and being told they're not going to understand a joke, or a northern saying."<ref name="BBC" /> Regardless, Park changed the title from ''Trouble at' Mill'' as he thought it was too obscure a [[Northern English|Northern England colloquialism]]. As well as a final title that references ''[[A Matter of Life and Death (film)|A Matter of Life and Death]]'', the film also references ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'', ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'', ''[[Batman (1966 film)|Batman]]'', and ''[[Ghost (film)|Ghost]]''.<ref name="oscar" />
</ref> This was the first Aardman film to be made using the software [[Stop Motion Pro]]. Five models were created for Gromit alone, with scenes being shot simultaneously on thirteen sets.<ref name="farn">{{cite news|author=Nigel Farndale|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3831833/Wallace-and-Gromit-one-man-and-his-dog.html|title=Wallace and Gromit: one man and his dog|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=2008-12-18|accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref> Commenting on the fact that the short will be made directly for a British audience, Nick Park said: "I don't feel like I'm making a film for a kid in some suburb of America — and being told they're not going to understand a joke, or a northern saying."<ref name="BBC" /> Regardless, Park changed the title from ''Trouble at' Mill'' as he thought it was too obscure a [[Northern English|Northern England colloquialism]]. As well as a final title that references ''[[A Matter of Life and Death (film)|A Matter of Life and Death]]'', the film also references ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'', ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'', ''[[Batman (1966 film)|Batman]]'', and ''[[Ghost (film)|Ghost]]''.<ref name="oscar" />


Nick Park said in an interview with the ''[[Radio Times]]'', "The BBC hardly gave a single note or instruction on the whole thing", and Park goes on to remark how it was better than his previous work with Dreamworks, ''Curse of the Were-Rabbit'', where they kept on receiving calls to change critical things.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}
Nick Park said in an interview with the ''[[Radio Times]]'', "The BBC hardly gave a single note or instruction on the whole thing", and Park goes on to remark how it was better than his previous work with Dreamworks, ''Curse of the Were-Rabbit'', where they kept on receiving calls to change critical things.<ref>{{cite news|author=Nigel Farndale|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/3831833/Wallace-and-Gromit-one-man-and-his-dog.html|title=Wallace and Gromit: one man and his dog|work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=2008-12-18|accessdate=2008-12-18}}</ref>


Park cast Sally Lindsay after hearing her on the ''[[Radcliffe and Maconie]]'' show on [[BBC Radio 2]] whilst driving from [[Preston]].<ref name="Maconie">{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.next.uk.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?cp-documentid=12189681&rrtype=Article/article-569766-detail/article.html|title=Nick Park says no to Skywalker|publisher=MSN next|accessdate=2008-12-26}}</ref> Although unfamiliar with her role as Shelly Unwin in ''[[Coronation Street]]'', Park said "Sally has a lot of fun in her voice, flamboyant almost, and I was also looking for someone who could be quite charming too, but with a slightly posh northern accent. Piella needed to at times sound well-to-do, and then at others sound quite gritty".<ref name="Maconie"/>
Park cast Sally Lindsay after hearing her on the ''[[Radcliffe and Maconie]]'' show on [[BBC Radio 2]] whilst driving from [[Preston]].<ref name="Maconie">{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.next.uk.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?cp-documentid=12189681&rrtype=Article/article-569766-detail/article.html|title=Nick Park says no to Skywalker|publisher=MSN next|accessdate=2008-12-26}}</ref> Although unfamiliar with her role as Shelly Unwin in ''[[Coronation Street]]'', Park said "Sally has a lot of fun in her voice, flamboyant almost, and I was also looking for someone who could be quite charming too, but with a slightly posh northern accent. Piella needed to at times sound well-to-do, and then at others sound quite gritty".<ref name="Maconie"/>

Revision as of 06:33, 15 February 2010

A Matter of Loaf and Death
File:A Matter of Loaf and Death.jpg
Title screen of A Matter of Loaf and Death.
Directed byNick Park
Written byNick Park
Bob Baker
Produced bySteve Pegram
Peter Lord (Executive Producer)
David Sproxton (Executive Producer)
Nick Park (Executive Producer)
StarringPeter Sallis (Wallace)
Sally Lindsay (Piella)
Music byJulian Nott
Distributed byBBC
Aardman Animations
HIT Entertainment
Release dates
AU3 December 2008[1]
UK25 December 2008[2]
US22 September 2009
Running time
29 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£100,000

A Matter of Loaf and Death is an animated television short created by Nick Park, and the fourth of his shorts to star his characters Wallace and Gromit.[3] It is the first Wallace and Gromit project since the feature film Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit in 2005, and the first short since A Close Shave in 1995.[4]

A Matter of Loaf and Death is a mock murder mystery, with Wallace and Gromit starting a new bakery business. Gromit learns that bakers have been mysteriously disappearing, and tries to solve the case before Wallace ends up a victim himself.[5] This short introduces a new love interest for Wallace, Piella Bakewell, a bread enthusiast voiced by Sally Lindsay[6] as well as, for the first time, one for Gromit: Piella's dog Fluffles.

Plot

Baker Bob is battered to death with his own rolling pin by an unseen assailant, the latest of twelve bakers to be killed. Meanwhile, Wallace (Peter Sallis) and Gromit are running a "Dough to Door" delivery service from their bakery "Top Bun". On one such delivery, the duo save Piella Bakewell[7] (Sally Lindsay), a former pin-up girl for the "Bake-O-Lite" bread company, and her dog Fluffles, when the brakes on her bike appear to fail. After narrowly avoiding being eaten by a crocodile after they careen into the local zoo, Gromit becomes suspicious on learning that the bike brakes were working fine, whereas Wallace becomes smitten with Piella. After a whirlwind romance, Piella gives Wallace's house the "woman's touch". However, when she leaves her purse at the house, Wallace insists that Gromit return it. Thus, Gromit uncovers Piella's identity as the "Cereal Killer" and her plans to make Wallace her thirteenth victim, thus completing a "baker's dozen".

Despite Wallace being oblivious, Gromit attempts to thwart Piella by installing an airport-style metal detector in their home. After tricking Wallace into thinking that Gromit bit her, Piella almost succeeds at pushing Wallace to his death whilst a chained up Gromit can only watch but Piella is hit by a bag of flour. After an angry outburst against bakers, she leaves but returns a short time later to apologise with a large cake. Wallace says that it will do nicely for four o'clock tea. When Piella is leaving to attend to the absent Fluffles (who is "not well"), she tells him he will be getting a surprise. A worried Gromit follows her home only to be caught and imprisoned with Fluffles in a storeroom. Escaping in Piella's old Bake-O-Lite hot air balloon, they arrive at Wallace's house as he is lighting the candle. After a struggle, the cake falls to the floor and the bomb inside is revealed. While attempting to dispose of the bomb, Gromit is attacked by Piella, who rails against bakers, and their baked products for ruining her figure and her career as the Bake-O-Lite girl. While attempting to finish off Wallace, a battle ensues between Piella and Fluffles in a yellow forklift truck covered by giant oven mitts, a homage to the classic final battle scene from the film Aliens.

In the chaos, the bomb ends up in the back of Wallace's trousers. Gromit and Fluffles neutralise the explosion using a large amount of dough while Piella uses the distraction to leap onto her balloon and escape. However, owing to her weight, the balloon crashes into the crocodile pit at the zoo where she is eaten. Piella's ghost (her former thin self) waves goodbye to Wallace. In sorrow at the death of her owner, Fluffles leaves, with both Wallace and Gromit depressed over their losses (even though Wallace accepted his loss easily, Gromit was quite upset of Fluffles leaving). Deciding to take their minds off things, they head out to deliver bread and find Fluffles in the driveway. She joins them in the van and the three drive off into the sunset.

Production and release

Filming for A Matter of Loaf and Death began in January 2008, and had the fastest production period for a Wallace and Gromit short.[4][8] This was the first Aardman film to be made using the software Stop Motion Pro. Five models were created for Gromit alone, with scenes being shot simultaneously on thirteen sets.[9] Commenting on the fact that the short will be made directly for a British audience, Nick Park said: "I don't feel like I'm making a film for a kid in some suburb of America — and being told they're not going to understand a joke, or a northern saying."[4] Regardless, Park changed the title from Trouble at' Mill as he thought it was too obscure a Northern England colloquialism. As well as a final title that references A Matter of Life and Death, the film also references Aliens, Psycho, Batman, and Ghost.[10]

Nick Park said in an interview with the Radio Times, "The BBC hardly gave a single note or instruction on the whole thing", and Park goes on to remark how it was better than his previous work with Dreamworks, Curse of the Were-Rabbit, where they kept on receiving calls to change critical things.[11]

Park cast Sally Lindsay after hearing her on the Radcliffe and Maconie show on BBC Radio 2 whilst driving from Preston.[12] Although unfamiliar with her role as Shelly Unwin in Coronation Street, Park said "Sally has a lot of fun in her voice, flamboyant almost, and I was also looking for someone who could be quite charming too, but with a slightly posh northern accent. Piella needed to at times sound well-to-do, and then at others sound quite gritty".[12]

The short had its world première in Australia on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's ABC1 on 3 December 2008 and was repeated again the following day on ABC2.[1] In the UK it aired on Christmas Day at 20:30 on BBC One, although it had been readily available on The Pirate Bay since 3 December 2008.[10][13] In late December 2008, Aardman Animations revealed they had "no idea" of how clips were leaked onto YouTube ahead of its screening in the United Kingdom.[14] In France, A Matter of Loaf and Death was shown - dubbed into French - on Christmas Eve 2008 on M6. A German version entitled Auf Leben und Brot was broadcast on the SuperRTL network.

In a similar style to A Close Shave, Wallace and Gromit became the theme for BBC One's Christmas presentation for 2008 to promote the showing of A Matter of Loaf and Death.

The late completion of the film, after 1 October 2008, put it out of the running for an Academy Award for Animated Short Film nomination until 2010,[10] but it was nominated for an Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject in 2009, which it won.[15]

Reception

The programme was watched by the most viewers of any programme on Christmas Day, 2008 in the UK and secured the largest Christmas Day audience in five years. It was also the most-watched UK programme in 2008,[16] with a peak average audience of 14.4 million.[17] The programme had a share of 53.3 percent, peaking with 58.1 percent and 15.88 million at the end of the programme.[18] The repeat showing on New Year's Day even managed 7.2 million, beating ITV's Emmerdale in the ratings. The short was shown on British Television for the third time on Good Friday pulling in 3.4 million viewers. In BARB's official ratings published on 8 January 2009 it showed that A Matter of Loaf and Death had 16.15 million, making it the highest rated programme of 2008 and the highest rated non-sporting event in the UK since 2004 when an episode of Coronation Street garnered 16.3 million.

Critically, the movie's reception was more lukewarm than the earlier Wallace and Gromit shorts, with reviewers complaining that it was "nowhere near as inventive" with "few fresh ideas." [19] Still, A Matter of Loaf and Death won the BAFTA Award for best short animation,[20] and won the Annie Award for "Best Animated Short Subject".[15] It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short in the 82nd Academy Awards. A win would bring Nick Park his fifth Academy Award.

References

As of this edit, this article uses content from "Wallace Gromit Season 1 4: A Matter of Loaf and Death", which is licensed in a way that permits reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License, but not under the GFDL. All relevant terms must be followed.

  1. ^ a b http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/netw/200812/programs/ZY9756A001D3122008T203000.htm
  2. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_7700000/newsid_7707000/7707062.stm
  3. ^ "Wallace & Gromit Say Cheese!". E! Online. 2008-08-25.
  4. ^ a b c "Wallace and Gromit return to TV". BBC News. 2007-10-02. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  5. ^ "Aardman Rights Takes Wallace & Gromit, Timmy On International Adventure". Animation World Network. 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
  6. ^ "Wallace The Voice of Piella is Announced!". BBC News. 2008-03-18. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  7. ^ Wallace and Gromit: Characters
  8. ^ "The latest Wallace And Gromit outing comes to BBC One this Christmas" (Press release).
  9. ^ Nigel Farndale (2008-12-18). "Wallace and Gromit: one man and his dog". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
  10. ^ a b c "Latest Gromit misses out on Oscar". BBC News. 2008-11-17. Retrieved 2008-11-17.
  11. ^ Nigel Farndale (2008-12-18). "Wallace and Gromit: one man and his dog". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-12-18.
  12. ^ a b "Nick Park says no to Skywalker". MSN next. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  13. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/wk52/bbc_one.shtml#bbcone_wallace
  14. ^ "Wallace & Gromit pirated on YouTube". International Business Times. 2008-12-19. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  15. ^ a b Debruge, Peter (2009-01-30). ""Kung Fu Panda! rules Annie Awards". Variety. Retrieved 2009-01-31. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ "Wallace and Gromit lead BBC to Christmas ratings victory". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  17. ^ "Wallace and Gromit top TV ratings". BBC Newsdate=2008-12-26. 2008-12-26. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  18. ^ Wilkes, Neil (2008-12-26). "'Wallace & Gromit' leads Xmas Day ratings". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  19. ^ "Wallace and Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death'". Flixster. Retrieved 2009-10-31. {{cite news}}: Text "Various" ignored (help)
  20. ^ "Film Winners in 2009". BAFTA. Retrieved 2009-02-08.
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