Zoetrope A Little Thin On Plot

SUGAR LAND, TX—Sighing in disappointment at the threadbare narrative techniques on display, local man Leeland Cheney, 43, told reporters Wednesday that he found a zoetrope a little thin on plot. “Of course, it’s technically impressive, but the high-octane thrills of a horse galloping up and down can only keep a person captivated for so long,” said Cheney, adding that eventually most savvy viewers of the cylindrical wheel-based animation would see right through the visual effect wizardry and want some deeper reason to invest themselves in the sight of a man in a bowler hat riding on the horse’s back. “What’s the horse’s name, for example? Where is the horse going? Who is the mysterious figure on his back? Or perhaps it’s a female horse. Either way, it’s all middle. No beginning or end. Now, I’m all for artistic ambiguity, but this is clearly just lazy storytelling.” Cheney went on to say that he planned to give the zoetrope 30 more minutes to come to a satisfying resolution before he gave up out of frustration.