Growing up in the 70’s I was all about Rock and “Hocus Pocus” by the band Focus was always on my playlist. When I saw this remix of Wallace and Gromit “Curse of the Were-Rabbit” I thought I would die! What a brilliant idea. It totally fits with the off the wall antics of BFFs Wallace and Gromit.
Check it Out!!
Hocus Pocus by Focus – Wallace and Gromit
Focus
is a Dutch progressive rock band formed in 1969 by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer. The band is most famous for the instrumental pieces – “Hocus Pocus” and “Sylvia.” The group broke up in 1978 but got back together in 2002 and have been recording and touring ever since. “Hocus Pocus” received new fame as it was used for the theme of the 2010 World Cup Nike ad.
Top of Pops 1974
Wallace and Gromit are the British stop-motion franchise characters and brain child of creator Nick Park of Aardman Animations. Wallace is an absent-minded, cheese loving, inventor. Best friend Gromit is a silently intelligent dog.
“Curse of the Were-Rabbit” (2005) finds the duo working to apprehend the rabbit population who are eating up all the vegetable gardens of the residents of Wigan right before the annual Giant Vegetable Competition. Events go horribly wrong when Wallace invents a Mind Manipulation-O-Matic contraption to brainwash the rabbits not to eat the vegetables. The result is Wallace being transformed into a giant, veggie loving Were-Rabbit.
Helena Bohnam Carter (Ms Tottington) and Ralph Fiennes (Lord Victor Quartermaine) lend their voices to the non-stop hilarity.
This is the original trailer:
Wallace & Gromit “Curse of the Were-Rabbit” won Academy Awards for:
Best Animated Feature Film | Nick Park Steve Box |
Best Animated Effects | Jason Wen | |
Best Animated Feature | ||
Best Character Animation | Claire Billet | |
Best Character Design in an Animated Feature Production | Nick Park | |
Best Directing in an Animated Feature Production | Nick Park Steve Box |
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Best Music in an Animated Feature Production | Julian Nott | |
Best Production Design in an Animated Feature Production | Phil Lewis |
Nick Park should add “Hocus Pocus” by Focus “Were-Rabbit” remix to his long list of award accolades!