User Reviews

This is yet another cute little animated film from Bill Plympton. Fortunately for parents out there, this is one you can let your kids watch--though you do get to see an animated butt--many of Plympton's animated shorts are too crude or sexual to show to kids. And, like all his other films, there is a colored pencil look to them that is unique but also quite charming.

In PARKING, an over-zealous parking lot attendant is preparing to open up his lot. However, just before allowing folks in with their cars, he discovers a plant growing up through the pavement and he cannot allow this and embarks on a totally insane and violent attempt to stop the plant at any price. As a result, there is lots of silly violence and mayhem which are sure to make you laugh.

Welcome to the strange world of cartoons and the strange imagination of Bill Plympton. The man certainly has his own style not only in story content (which in a word is "weird,") but color-penciled drawings in which, after you've seen a half dozen animated shorts of his, you'll recognize immediately when you see them again in some new cartoon.

This story almost is a like some crazy Grade B science-fiction movie from the 1950s. Call it "The Attack Of The Blade Of Grass," or some such nonsense but that's what it is: a battle between an obsessed parking owner-attendant and a blade of grass, which won't be denied!

The lot attendant just finishes painting his last stripe on the lot, goes to his little booth and gets ready to pull the level to open the gates and let the first cars into his new lot. However, suddenly he spots a blade of grass that just sprouted up from his precious concrete or asphalt surface. He immediately stops what he's doing and runs over to pluck it out. He wants everything perfect.

Well, that sets up the running gag in which the attendant - no matter what he does - cannot get rid of that blade of grass and it drives him insane. All the things he does to attempt to get rid of it are pretty amazing.....and funny. He even draws a crowd of customers waiting to get in which is impatient at first but later is thoroughly entertained watching the man and his outrageous "battle."

It's typical Plympton: totally off the wall, but absurdly entertaining, which includes his artwork. Highly recommended for those who like unique animated material.

Bill Plympton's parking follows a parking attendant ready to open his parking lot for customer use. Unfortunately for this perfectionist, a little blade of grass manages to mess everything up. This humorous short has a great animation style and a superb sense of humor. Its filled with laughs and isn't too long or too short, just the right length. The plot-line is very similar to the Road Runner / Coyote Loony Toons cartoons; but the difference is seen in Plympton's unique style of animation. As far as Animated Shorts go, this one is defiantly worth seeing.

Parking (2003)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A mild-mannered parking lot attendant slowly loses his mind as he tries to prevent single blades of grass from coming up on his new lot. At first he simply tries picking the grass but as more pieces start to come up the man begins to go mad. I really wouldn't call this movie hilarious but there are enough good scenes to make it worth viewing. One could argue that the entire set up in rather stupid, which it is, but one should never take a film like this too serious. The movie does a nice job at really showing how something simple could drive someone crazy and on that level I enjoyed the film. I thought the build up to the grass coming up was fairly good and the movie also worked well by having all the action take place between the man and grass. The animation is also very good and has the same color-pencil look that we've come to expect from his work. This certainly isn't his greatest film but it's mildly entertaining and one that kids might be able to watch.