Bathwell In Clerkentime

There's something of the spirit of Felix the Cat and Betty Boop about this flash animation from Alex Budovsky and the others in the trilogy which this film completes - Bathtime in Clerkenwell and Last Time in Clerkenwell. The stories of each chart the ongoing adventures of a empire run by cuckoos, first conquering London before going on to world domination.

In this instalment, the birds seem mostly dogged by everyday concerns - such as marital strife and issues with the bottle - as they bop along to yet another toe-tapping jazzy tune from Steven Coates (lead singer of The Real Tuesday Weld). Russian-born Budovsky matches the strong beat and hook of the tune with the actions of the cuckoos, who are rendered purely in black and white.

The whole animation bounces with the rhythm of the soundtrack - Budovsky's birds live in a world that never stands still. There's plenty of humorous detailing, from a bouncing spider and cockroach in the film's first moments to humans popping out of clock faces as part of cuckoo role reversal. Budovksy again finds strength in symmetry and simplicity, with more than enough going on to invite repeated viewings.