Eve Schwast

Animator Bill Plympton first received widespread public attention when his outré "Your Face" (1987) was nominated for an Academy Award for Animated Short. This collection of short films—some as brief as 15 seconds—made between 1985 and 1991, showcase his unique talent much more effectively than his ponderous feature films. But in off-the-wall shorts like "Your Face", "25 Ways to Quit Smoking", and the 15-second shorts made for MTV, he emerges as an entertaining and highly original filmmaker.

A man preoccupied with reading his Wall Street Journal goes into an antique store looking for a one-year-anniversary present for his wife. The old lady behind the counter gives him a bottle of perfume and warns him that it is "powerful," but he doesn't listen...