Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death

Bonnie and I have been Wallace and Gromit fans for fourteen years. If I remember correctly, A Grand Day Out, The Wrong Trousers, and A Close Shave were all available when we discovered the comic clay animation man-and-dog duo. We quickly found that we could hardly look at cheese without laughing about Wallace and Gromit's trip to the moon. The only trouble with Wallace and Gromit is that there are not enough films.

I was understandably thrilled when Bonnie brought home A Matter of Loaf and Death. As in all the short films, the inventor Wallace has concocted some wild devices to make his life efficient and profitable. His dog Gromit is, however, the brains of the operation, making the assembly lines work and saving Wallace from his own foolishness. He is particularly challenged in A Matter of Loaf and Death because a serial killer is loose in the village.

In this new film, Wallace has a new baking business that requires his being woken at 5 a.m. every morning. Of course, Gromit is already up, packing loaves of bread into the van and preparing Wallace's coffee and breakfast. As they leave their home/bakery, we see that Wallace has attached a Dutch windmill to power the factory. As they speed along the streets, Wallace sees the girl of his dreams. Romance, suspense, science fiction, and slapstick comedy are all packed into A Matter of Loaf and Death.

The DVD also features How They Donut, a short documentary on the making of the film and an episode of the BBC's animated series Shaun the Sheep. We want to find more episodes with Shaun.

A Matter of Loaf and Death. Hit Entertainment, 2009. ISBN 0884487104211