So it's that time of year again. As March roars in, Cinema 21 has once again cleared it's schedule for the annual Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation.

Per usual, the lineup treds on both sides of the potty-humor spectrum. Unfortunately, the lame shorts this year are really, really lame. Here's a rundown.

THE BANAL

Death of the Teletubbies: This one drew huge belly laughs from a lady that was a walking/talking case for and against methamphetamines. During the intermission, the organizer's provided the audience with beach balls ala a sporting event. After popping one, she swooned over another through most of the second half.

But enough about her. This one was a parody of Platoon staring the Teletubies. At the conclusion, the shooter is revealed to be...Barney. *Yawn*

No Neck Joe: I guess it's an inside joke that I just don't get. Each and every one of these festivals begins with no less than two Joe shorts. Each offers a brief gag worthy of Nick Jr. Double *yawn*.

Snowman: This one was full of lush CGI but it didn't belong here. Plus, the joke was stolen from an old Calvin and Hobbes strip. Triple *yawn*.

Mama, I'm A Thug: Low and lame, even by internet standards. This dull parody of Eminem wannabes follows a suburban playa' as he gets into a fight at fast food franchise. When he winds up in a holding tank, he drops his persona and reverts back to a timid teenager. "Yeah, boy. We're going show you some gangbangin'." Quadruple *yawn*.

THE BRILLIANT:

How to Cope With Death: An elderly woman is spending her final days plopped in front of a TV. Suddenly, a howling angel of death rolls into the room. The woman bursts out of her chair and two engage in combat. After defeating him with a spin kick, the woman returns to her chair.

Big Abandoned Refrigerator Adventure: By far this is nastiest this year's festival has to offer. Two adorable dolls spend a rainy afternoon snorting oven cleaner and engaging in all sorts of deviant behavior before suffocating in a fridge. Nobody laughed, mostly because the short was about dead as deadpan can get.

Peepshow: A stop-motion short involving marshmallow Peep bunnies. Two bunnies roll on screen and begin "boinking." Suddenly, more bunnies appear. They too boink. Their numbers quickly rise, eventually causing the planet to fall out of orbit.

Ninjews: A Claymation adventure staring two Jewish ninjas. When a young boy is threatened by a pork-slinging Nazi, they spring into action.

Happy Tree Friends: I don't know much about the Friends but apparently they're an internet sensation. In one of the festivals' three shorts, "Eye Candy," a skipping squirrel romps through a forest with a sucker. He trips and punctures an eyeball. Then a hungry bird arrives on the scene. Wackiness? It does indeed ensue.

Here Comes Dr. Tran: This year's centerpiece. A young kid is happily eating breakfast when an announcer's voice pops out of nowhere. The announcer is convinced he's the star of a series of action films and begins a movie trailer monologue. The 3D glasses gag was really quite good.

Given the amount of Flash animation on the internet just waiting to be reeped, it's a shame the producers resorted to so much filler. Still, 'ze good shorts more than made up for 'ze bad.