This Land! is a musical spoof that gained popularity in the Spring
of 2004 during the American Presidential Election. Borrowing a Woodie
Guthrie's song, the Spiridellis brothers used cutouts of President Bush
and presidential candidate John Kerry to sing modified lyrics in a
continuous sparring session. This Land! has received wide acclaim and
been featured on television often.
The story is simple. Each presidential candidate tells the
other and viewers why this land, the United States of America is his
land and why he will win the election. Then, he mocks the other one. As
each candidate argues why he's the best for the job, he acts out the
scene with or without his opponent. The story ends with each candidate
agreeing that this land is for all Americans.
The Spiridellis brothers used a cutout animation technique and
photos of the public figures. All of their characters' heads are bigger
than their bodies. They used stock parts, for all black suited
characters. The backgrounds are also cutouts. Remarkably, the animation
is smooth and dynamic, although, the resolution of the photos is often
poor and ill suited for television.
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