McElheron Maureen Movies

As the prom draws near and the popular head cheerleader of Echo Lake High dumps her star quarterback boyfriend in favor of attending the dance with the biggest loser in school, the raging footballer plots murderous revenge in cult animation icon Bill Plympton's darkly satirical take on the teen tragedy radio hits and high-school melodramas of the 1950s and '60s. High-school sweethearts Cherri (Sarah Silverman) and Rod (Dermot Mulroney) are a match made in popularity heaven. When nerdy new student Spud (Eric Gilliland) makes the fateful mistake of offending both Cherri and Rod on his first day at Echo Lake High, his punishment is to serve as Cherri's "slave" until both she and her brutish boyfriend decree that he has made up for his unintentional transgression. Though the mere sight of Spud at first makes Cherri's skin crawl, the unlikely pair soon grow exceptionally close until, one day, love blossoms between them. Upon learning that his onetime sweetheart will now be attending the prom on the arm of the socially awkward Spud, Rod angrily forces their car off of the road on and into the icy waters of Echo Lake as the couple makes their way to the big dance. Though cunningly successful in thwarting attempts made by local authorities to locate the missing teens, Rod soon discovers that sometimes the dead have a curious way of exposing the crimes of their killers. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The inventive and prolific Bill Plymton (The Tune, Mondo Plympton) scripted, directed, and animated this 73-minute Italtoons animated feature. Newlyweds Grant and Kelly encounter an ongoing parade of surreal situations after energy eruptions from a TV satellite dish raises a lobe on the back of Grant's neck. The lobe makes any fantasy come true, heightening the couple's sexual experiences, but media mogul Larson Giles wants the lobe in order to control TV viewers. Heading Giles' army is Colonel Ferguson, who also desires the lobe for himself. Grant turns Ferguson into a lizard and renders the soldiers helpless so they begin shooting sandwiches instead of missiles. Kelly and Grant flee as the violence escalates. Shown at 1997 film festivals (Toronto, Palm Springs, Sundance). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

This animated musical comedy features the creative artistry of Bill Plympton and the excellent songs of Maureen McElheron. The story centers on Del, an aspiring songwriter working for Mr. Mega at Mega Music. One day, his boss storms in and gives him 47 minutes to come up with a major hit. If he doesn't, he is unemployed. He will also lose his love, the boss's secretary. In desperate need of an idea and wanting to write something meaningful, Del drives to the peaceful burg of Flooby Nooby and after many fantastical experiences finally finds true inspiration. This film really is unique with its ink and watercolor drawings, almost single-handedly done by Plympton, and has received wide-spread critical acclaim. It is definitely a must for lovers of fine animation. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide