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579,636 | 583,640 | 53,064 | 10 | The best of the Speedy Gonzales shorts | This cartoon , nominated for an Oscar , is the best of the Spedy Gonzales cartoon shorts that were made in the Golden Age of Warner Brothers . I saw this cartoon again recently and found it was much better than I originally thought it was years ago . The highlight of the cartoon for me has to be the appearance of " Slowpoke " Rodriguez , one of Speedy's cousins . Hilarious ! Cartoon Network may or may not air this one . A bit difficult to find but well worth the effort . Recommended . |
578,895 | 583,640 | 342,965 | 10 | Killer ending that " explains " things geologic ( Here There Be mini-Spoiler ) | This short is absolutely delightful and follows Scrat through a personal catastrophe to a rather dramatic ( if improbable ) conclusion with far-reaching consequences for life on our little mote in the eye of the universe . I wonder what my various geology teachers would have thought of this particular " explanation " for the cause of the Continental Drift Theory . I personally would love for it to be true ! Or at least something equally slapstick in nature . Great little cartoon with excellent visual detail . Well worth watching . Recommended . |
579,766 | 583,640 | 35,733 | 10 | Atypical Disney short , in more ways than one . | There will be spoilers to one degree or another in here . During World War II , Disney produced a number of cartoons for general release that were propaganda aimed at fueling the war effort . While most of these were still humorous in tone as well as serious in message , two were notably different : Education For Death , the most grimly serious short produced by a Hollywood studio I've ever seen and this one , Chicken Little , in which the humor is sharply limited and the ending is most un-Disney in nature . Disney has been taken to task ( often with justification ) for taking fables , fairy tales and other old source material and making it far more sweet than it originally was . This was not done here-oh , boy , was that not done ! Though there is no overt attempt to make this directly about Germany , the Nazis or Hitler , the context of the times makes it clear who the target is . The use of Hitler's concept of the " Big Lie " is a dead giveaway . Interestingly , the lack of obvious ties to the current enemy make this short less dated and it can readily be viewed as targeting any totalitarian state . There's nothing cute here and only a few laughs . The ending is a punch in the solar plexus . Look at what the fox does with the wishbones . This is available on the Disney Treasures On The Front Lines . The set as a whole is remarkable and is worth having for any number of items it contains . It is telling that , as good as this short is , there are easily a half-dozen other things on the set that are even better . Most highly recommended . Get it while you can . |
579,118 | 583,640 | 35,743 | 10 | Excellent short all too rarely seen these days | This short is funny , witty , creative and has some of the best music ever for a short cartoon . It would also ( understandably ) offend a great number of people . So , in the United States , instead of discussing it out in the open , it's buried and many would rather pretend it never existed at all . Which is a shame , when you consider that ignoring something because it may be unpleasant seldom works in your best interest . Enjoyable , if quite dated , short . Worth the trouble to find . Recommended . |
579,424 | 583,640 | 83,182 | 10 | Sweet , gentle version of Cinderella courtesy of the NFB | This short , nominated for an Academy Award , is a sweet , gentle and affectionate spin on the Cinderella fairy tale , as done with penguins ! A production of the National Film Board of Canada , the short displays a true fondness for the source material while still having its own take on things . Most wholeheartedly recommended . |
579,457 | 583,640 | 47,285 | 10 | The second of two run-ins with the same construction worker and good prevails again . | This is the second time this rather arrogant and somewhat dense construction worker tries to best Bugs Bunny . Will they never learn that it's a fools ' errand to try ? Still , if they never tried , there wouldn't be these hilarious shorts to enjoy , if you can see them before the editors get to them in the mistaken belief that children aren't smart enough to distinguish cartoon from reality . Excellent in all respects and well worth seeking out . Most recommended . |
578,829 | 583,640 | 98,634 | 10 | Words cannot do this justice-it must be seen ! | This is a short , sharp , delightful cartoon that cannot be adequately described by mere words . It must be seen to be fully appreciated . The director must truly have a fondness for the western , to have so fully captured the atmosphere , right up to the end , when I sat dumb-struck and then almost rolled out of my chair because I laughed so hard my sides hurt ! Gloriously funny and well worth the effort to hunt it up . Most joyously recommended . |
579,348 | 583,640 | 116,105 | 10 | Enjoyable as well as thought-provoking | This is absolutely one of the most fascinating cartoons I've seen and a great one to show to children as it creatively demonstrates the benefits of cooperation as well as the potential for disaster in struggle for no good purpose . The action on the edges is as fascinating as the principle action and the detail is wonderful in every sense of the word . Most recommended , particularly for children . |
578,882 | 583,640 | 45,095 | 10 | One of several cartoons using the need for quiet as a springboard for typical Avery bedlam | More than once , Tex Avery used the idea that it was in someone's best interests to maintain quiet and someone else wanted the opposite . Here we have a bear with an almost pathological hatred of noise ( except his own ) . Efforts to maintain quiet result in sight gags galore of the usual variety in an Avery cartoon and are very funny . The bear steals the cartoon . Most recommended . |
579,950 | 583,640 | 51,115 | 10 | Fascinating look into the stories behind some of the Mother Goose nursery rhymes | Most stories , rhymes and fables have some story behind them as to their origin and this short , an Oscar nominee , goes into several of the Mother Goose rhymes and tells what event or action caused its creation . It's really quite fascinating to discover the basis of many of these rhymes we grew up with and to discover how many were actually political in nature . This shows on The Ink and Paint Club on the Disney Channel as well as a free-standing filler itself every once in awhile . Most recommended . |
578,837 | 583,640 | 35,832 | 10 | Early Droopy , with a slightly different appearance . | This short is an early look at Droopy . He's drawn a bit differently , but is recognizable all the same . In many ways this is the archetypical Tex Avery short-the visual gags are among his most outrageous ever , all the trademarks are here-signs , asides to the audience , the lot . Avery would re-visit this theme again , more than once . An incredible cartoon . Glad to see it's in print . A must-see for anyone interested in animation . Most highly recommended . |
578,843 | 583,640 | 35,836 | 10 | Stark , grim and the most deathly serious animated short I've ever seen from a U . S . studio | Forget anything you may have come to expect from Disney if and when you see this short . There is nothing cute here . The animation is excellent , is very grim and stark and very chilling . It is the most deathly serious animated short I have seen produced by a studio based in the United States . The only one I've ever seen that may match it is Balance , a German short made almost fifty years later . Education For Death is a short you won't easily forget once you've seen it and it's a shame that The Mouse hasn't seen fit to release it on a DVD along with things like Victory Through Air Power , Der Fuehrer's Face , Reason and Emotion , New Spirit and other works Disney made as a part of the war effort during World War II . An excellent production that deserves to be in print and seen . Most highly recommended . |
579,553 | 583,640 | 51,101 | 10 | My absolute favorite Pepe LePew | This is without a doubt my favorite cartoon by a somewhat overshadowed character . A takeoff on Charles Boyer , Pepe has some great lines in this one and the opening of the cartoon is just a riot ! Although I do have some sympathy for the dog . The reason I love this cartoon is that I agree with one of Pepe's observations about fish in the sea , but don't call it a weakness ! sigh |
579,932 | 583,640 | 41,266 | 10 | I actually felt some sympathy for Donald in this one . | Donald is not one of my personal favorites as far as characters go . He's too obnoxious and abrasive for my tastes . But here , I actually find him a sympathetic character . He's treated badly throughout and scores one victory , only to have it destroyed through the ignorance of righteous indignation that is misplaced and mis-aimed . Donald gave Chip an ' Dale treatment more along the lines of what they deserved than Daisy does and a smart duck would bid her a firm adieu and never bother with her again . But this is Donald , so that definitely won't happen here , of course ! Very funny short and well worth tracking down . Recommended . |
579,719 | 583,640 | 96,238 | 10 | Tex Avery would have been pleased with this one . | This short was nominated for the Academy Award . All too frequently , one hears that something was done " in the tradition of . . . " or " In the style of . . . " and it usually is not a flattering comparison . This short is an exception . I had seen comments comparing this favorably to the work of Tex Avery and was not sure what to expect . Lo and behold , it is in , fact , a short that is chiefly sight gag after sight gag , fired rapidly at the audience without pause . Plotting is basic and second to the gags and the ending is vintage Avery . The first time I watched this , I was too busy laughing to make comparisons , but this is a short that could easily fit into the Avery shorts with nary a raised eyebrow and hold it's own with the best that remarkable talent produced . It's a fantastic piece and a good thing that it's in print . It can also be found on The World's Greatest Animation and is more than worth the effort to get . A great cartoon ! Most highly recommended ! |
579,580 | 583,640 | 32,071 | 10 | Disney adaptation of Andersen fairy tale that remains true to the original and quite warm and touching . | Disney's track record for adaptations of works of literature is decidedly mixed . This version of Hans Christian Andersen's , " The Ugly Duckling " is one of the most successful ones and quite deservedly won another Oscar for Uncle Walt . It's a beautiful short on all counts-animation , backgrounds , artwork , scoring , eveything-Disney at it's best . When Disney was at their best , no one could touch them . This short does justice to one of the most well-known fairy tales of all time and almost makes up for what they did to Felix Salten's " Bambi " . Almost . This one should be in-print and runs on The Ink and Paint Club . An absolute masterpiece and anyone who loves animation has got to see this one ! Recommended . |
579,540 | 583,640 | 35,794 | 10 | This is a remarkable piece of work ! | This short won an Academy Award and should have ! An exceptionally tough cartoon to see , as it's most difficult to find . Disney , with some understandable reluctance , has not made this available . While understandable , I don't agree with the choice they've made here . This cartoon should be seen , it should be widely available and is a big part of the Golden Age of Disney . Qute probably the best theatrical short Disney ever made ( certainly the best that I've seen ) and it's unfortunate that DIsney has clearly consigned it to the vaults . I fervently hope they change their minds . My highest recommendation here . Worth the trouble to locate and should be in print ! ! ! |
579,056 | 583,640 | 132,667 | 10 | I find myself most inclined to be like the parrot here | This cartoon is one of the most devastatingly on target deliniation of The Golden Rule of reality : He that hath the gold makes the rules . Typically , most societies run on this model , the only distinction being the currency . The two most popular are money and power , though they are far from the only ones out there . This short nails this most savagely and is far from subtle in doing so . My favorite character here is the parrot , as the little man in my head that often gets me into trouble for being stubborn in place of a wise pragmatism is very much like that bird and I would probably behave much the same way as the parrot , but ultimately wind up at the business end of a truncheon eventually anyway . A scary , revealing look at power , absolute power and corruption . This is a must see . Most highly recommended . |
579,374 | 583,640 | 35,796 | 10 | Believe me ! You Do not want to miss this one ! | This has to be one of the greatest documentaries of all time ! The combat footage is all real ! At the beginning , there is a notation that , in the fighting depicted , four of the cameramen were killed and thirteen others were either wounded or captured by the enemy . There is also footage taken by the Germans that was captured in the British advance . Watching this , think about one thing : everything you are seeing , a camerman was close enough to shoot with a camera and was , while filming , unarmed and a target . Hemingway defined courage as " grace under pressure " . This marvelous masterpiece is a testament to incredible courage . Words fail to do these brave souls credit . But Desert Victory does . I salute them and the others whose courage is immortalized here on celluloid . |
579,220 | 583,640 | 51,078 | 10 | Excellent Riff on the story of the Three Little Pigs | This is a jazzy little cartoon , taking the Three Little Pigs and making them a Jazz combo , consisting of a guitar , drums and piano . The Big Bad Wolf wants to join in on a jam session . He's really bad and a square , so the Pigs tell him to scram . The cartoon focuses on his attempts to join in . The music is great , the narration is sung ( by Stan Freberg ) and the ending is excellent . The crowd goes wild and the land saw much rejoicing ! They just don't make ' em like this anymore ! Great cartoon and more than worth your time . Highly Recommended . |
578,982 | 583,640 | 54,854 | 10 | Great short , even if I found the ending quite obvious and predictable . | Ersatz , an exceptional piece of work from Zagreb Films , was the first non-American work to win the Academy Award for Animated Short ( though it was not the first for an independent studio-depending on definition , that honor would go to UPA or John Hubley's Storyboard , Inc ) and deserved to win . It's lively , amusing , well-animated and stretches the envelope . Clearly influenced by UPA , as were most of the Eastern Europeans , I loved this the first time I saw this some 25 years ago , although I found it predictable in spots , including the ending . I saw it again recently and it still holds up . It's available on a tape produced by Rembrandt Films , called The Best of Zagreb Films : The Classic Collection , which may well be in print . Copies are certainly still floating around . Well worth tracking down . Most highly recommended |
579,959 | 583,640 | 27,779 | 10 | If Tex Avery had done nothing else , this would have been good enough | I am an unreserved , unabashed fan of Mr . Avery and do not even try to hide it in the least . While I have other favorites , this is one of the top three or four he did , objectively speaking , and in my opinion , the best , for all that it's not one of my top five favorites . It is a true parody , full of warmth and fondness for its subject , Al Jolson . Splendidly done from the first frame on . Five encores and twenty-seven curtan calls . Most highly Recommended ! ! ! |
579,589 | 583,640 | 33,698 | 10 | The cartoon that ended Avery's career at Warner Brothers | This short led directly to the exit of Tex Avery from Warner Brothers . Some sources say he was fired , others that he quit , but Leon Schlesinger's mistake was Avery's , animation's and MGM's gain . Avery did some fantastic work at MGM , animation gained from his influence on another studio and MGM gained by having the competition between Avery and Hanna and Barbera , which improved both teams . Avery's influence can be seen on the Tom and Jerry series in the mid to late 1940s and it's open to question whether Droopy or Screwball Squirrel would have developed at a crowded Warner Brothers . Who knows what would have developed ( or not developed ) at Warner Brothers had Avery NOT gone to MGM . Excellent short . Most highly recommended . |
579,875 | 583,640 | 27,788 | 10 | Great visuals and Jack Mercer-the two strong points of the Fleischer Popeye cartoons ! | The story to this one is okay-standard Popeye beats up Bluto , this time on skis . What makes this a very special cartoon ( and it is a very special cartoon ) is the visuals and the work of Jack Mercer as the voice of Popeye . The visuals-words cannot adequately describe them , they must be seen-are still great almost 70 years later . The backgrounds , animation , detail , everything is exceptional . The Fleischers seldom made a visually unimpressive cartoon . Jack Mercer's name is well-known to fans , but the average person probably knows very little about him . But much of what makes Popeye the Popeye most people think of stems from Jack Mercer's work as his " voice " . The unde the breath mutterings that are often the funniest parts of the cartoon were largely written or ad-libbed by Mercer . He is as much responsible as anyone for Popeye's personality . Thank you , Jack Mercer . Well worth watching . Most highly recommended . |
579,073 | 583,640 | 27,785 | 10 | An exceptionally cute and very well done cartoon from the master | This is an early cartoon done by Tex Avery when he was still being screen-credited as Fred . I haven't seen it in years but recall it vividly . Little son scarecrow wants to follow in dad's footsteps ( or should that be strawsteps ? ) but dad suggests he wait a bit until he's older . Son decides to give it a go anyway , with predictable results . The expressiveness of the various characters is quite remarkable and I've seen film footage of Avery and another resident ( or maybe inmate is more accurate ) acting out one scene , which is probably why the movements seem so realistic . It's an entertaining and effective piece of animation . A good time was had by all . Most recommended |
579,181 | 583,640 | 70,071 | 10 | Simply incredible piece of film ! | This short , which most deservedly won the Academy Award and I believe has been included in the Library of Congress's Film Preservation listings as well , defies description with mere words . It must be seen to be appreciated . At first I found the two separate soundtracks jarring , because the same person recorded them both . But gradually , I began to flow with the two distinct , yet equally interesting , narratives . The visual images correspond to one or the other narrative at different points . Compelling to watch . This clearly was a labor intensive project , as any form of stop-motion animation has to be . Think about how long it took to shoot just 60 seconds worth of film and realize this is nine minutes long ! Well worth tracking down , I saw this on Sundance Channel last night . Most highly recommended , but if your idea of animation begins and ends with Bugs Bunny or Speed Racer , you may not care for this at all . |
579,988 | 583,640 | 933,357 | 10 | Engaging , sweet and thoroughly charming short . | I've seen three of the five shorts nominated for the Oscar and this short is the best of the three I've seen . I'm not at all surprised that it was the winner . Since it would be difficult to discuss this short without going into at least a few details , let this serve as a spoiler warning : The basic idea behind this short regards the importance of random chance in all our lives . Narrated ( very effectively ) by Liv Ullman , with no other vocal work save hers , the story unfolds gradually and softly , with little touches of humor here and there . There are quite a few playful nudges at Danes and Norwegians throughout . The story centers on a Danish poet and his hit-and-miss relationship with a Norwegian farmer's daughter . The relationship has a good many twists and turns , with a logic chain made up of all sorts of random events which change the course of various lives . Barking dogs , inattentive mail carriers , slippery boards , a funeral and hairstyles all take their turn at changing things , all leading to the marvelous conclusion . This short is available ( on DVD ) from the National Film Board of Canada and is well worth watching . Highly recommended . |
579,044 | 583,640 | 239,528 | 10 | I laughed , I cried , I saw myself | I first saw this documentary short ( which won an Academy Award last year ) about ten days ago . I admit upfront a bias , as , like the artist who is the focus of the piece , I have Cerebral Palsy . Although I walk with crutches and my speech is clearer than his , much of what he says and much of his experience in lfe is similar to my own and , I suspect , for many of those who are disabled as well . Although much is made of his disability , much is also made of his art as well and they didn't try to treat him as though he were a dancing bear . It's a powerful affecting film and it haunts me still and will for the rest of my days . It is difficult to be disabled and I'm not talking about physical barriers , but rather the preconceptions people in general have about the disabled . The title King Gimp is apparently a name he was called when he was younger that he adopted for his own use . Althougher he will probably never see these words , I salute him and thank him for telling so much about his life ( figuratively bleeding on camera at times that my heart clenches even now , thinking about his words ) . I am purposely leaving his name out because his story is the story of so many that it does what every artist tries to do at one time or another-create an Everyman . Bravo to everyone involved in this project . |
579,857 | 583,640 | 150,193 | 10 | One of the best that Lantz studios did ! | This is one of the better shorts featuring Woody that was done in the 1950s . Excellent story , script , use of music-everything works . But one of the strong points is perhaps less obvious than others and that's Grace Stafford as the voice of Woody . Ben Hardaway did quite well , but there's a manic quality to Stafford's Woody that isn't quite present otherwise . She seemed to understand him better than others did . The same seems to be true of Walt Disney's voice work for Mickey . Some voices just work for certain characters better than others . Marvelous short . Worth the time and trouble to track down . Most recommended . |
579,676 | 583,640 | 71,962 | 10 | Excellent animation and story go hand in hand here | Caroline Leaf has done some exceptional work and this is one of her best . An adaptation of a fable , this is an example of what animation can do . Enjoyable for children and adults alike . This is available through the National Film Board of Canada and is well worth the effort to track down . Most recommended . |
579,874 | 583,640 | 29,953 | 10 | Popeye the animal lover in a bullfight ? | Let me state at the outset that when it comes to bullfighting , my sympathies are entirely with the bull and anyone foolish enough to to get in the ring with one for " sport " deserves whatever happens to him . End of sermon . Here we have a very reluctant Popeye essentially drafted by default into the position of matador by being in the wrong place at the wrong time by virtue of his flirtation with Olive . This is a bullfight , Popeye style . A great cartoon , with snappy dialogue , typically fine animation and the inimitable Jack Mercer and a fine time is had by all . One of the more inventive ways for Popeye to get ahold of his spinach fix , so as to emerge once again covered in victory , is seen here . One of my favorite Popeye shorts . Originally done in black and white , there is also a colorized version . While the color version is okay , the black and white is better . Well worth seeking out . Most recommended . |
579,151 | 583,640 | 64,752 | 10 | Another fascinating short by John and Faith Hubley | John and Faith Hubley probably don't get as much recognition as they should , but then , animation doesn't get the recognition it merits as an artform . This is an excellent example of animation as art tha is also entertaining as well . It was nominated for an Academy Award and is fascinating to watch . The style the Hubleys use can be a bit jarring at times and if you think animation is for kids , you may not enjoy this one much . John Hubley's contributions to animation were significant and so were and ae his wife Faith's and daughter Emily's . Most recommended for anyone interested in animation or trying something a bit different . |
579,872 | 583,640 | 25,665 | 10 | Excellent short featuring Betty Boop in living color ! | This is an absolutely beautiful cartoon ! Most Fleischer shorts were quite visually striking , to be sure , but Betty Boop only had one color cartoon-this one . While in many ways it's good that black and white was used for most of her cartoons , the sweep of this cartoon cried out for color . The Fleischers were likely also hoping that Betty's popularity would boost interest in the Color Classics series that they were starting . Betty as Cinderella was certainly fitting-after all , Cinderella did ultimately become a princess when she married the prince and Betty Boop is cartoon royalty . Wonderful effort from the brothers Max and Dave . In print and available . Most highly recommended . |
579,774 | 583,640 | 32,243 | 10 | Ah , that laugh of Tex Avery's ! | This short , in addition to being an early , if somewhat restrained , Tex Avery re-casting of a familiar fairy tale , features Tex Avery doing voice work as Papa Bear . You can recognize he vocals talents of Mr . Avery almost instantly just by the distinctive timbre he had , but I suspect the reason he did so much voice work was that marvelous belly laugh he had ! It was absolutely wonderful and was used to great effect even in cartoons he didn't direct . Pay close attention to the opening , especially the cast credits . A delightful little short , well worth the effort to see . Most highly recommended . |
579,112 | 583,640 | 41,349 | 10 | This is the first of the Wile E / Road Runner shorts | This short marks the first appearance by either Wile E . Coyote or The Road Runner on-screen . Wile E . is really the star here and a more interesting character , to be sure , but their relationship is really a symbiotic one . Without each other , neither would have had success in films . This short more or less sets the tone for the series : lots of sight gags and a probable increase in Wile E . insurance premiums , while his insurance agent lives on antacids and his agent checks on his remaining hit points with each accident . Most certainly a gem and worth watching . Recommended . |
579,854 | 583,640 | 56,965 | 10 | Why this is not in print is a mystery . | This short won the Academy Award for Animated Short and it deserved the prize ! This is marvelously funny and its unavailablity , given the stature of Mel Brooks and the success of his projects with Carl Reiner , is unfortunate and somewhat puzzling . Ernest Pintoff's animation is largely unavailable and that's a shame , because he did some great stuff . Well worth watching . Most highly recommended to all of you wonderful people in the audience . It's better than Saran Wrap ! |
578,944 | 583,640 | 118,147 | 10 | Absolutely riveting study of two champions and I don't even LIKE boxing ! ! | I watched this because a good friend insisted I do so , though I see nothing terribly fascinating or interesting in boxing . What I saw was a case study in two very different men who made a living beating each other up , as well as anyone else unwise to step into the ring with either of them . I still don't think much of boxing , but I respect Ali and Foreman more now and think that at least some boxers are athletes and not bashers . Recommended . |
579,795 | 583,640 | 25,705 | 10 | Great pre-Code Betty Boop short | This cartoon is a perfect example of the creativity and inventiveness that was possible prior to the advent of the Hays Office and The Code that tamed Betty Boop and made many of the subsequent shorts so much more dull and lifeless . The irony is that Will Hays was a politician who was involved in the Harding administration , which found no rival for corruption until the Nixon administration . Mr . Hays was the last person to lecture anyone on behavior ! The details of this cartoon would never have found acceptance under Hays or The Code , so I'm glad it was made and released before all the nonsense went into effect . Wonderful short . In print and available . Well worth watching . Most highly recommended . |
579,695 | 583,640 | 414,469 | 10 | This short is like an iceberg-90 % of what's there is beneath the surface | I just saw this short for the first time today and it's a stunner , both visually and emotionally . It most definitely deserved the Academy Award it won in February . Even though the concept of an animated documentary dates back to at least the 1940s ( Disney did quite a few during World War II , most notably Victory Through Air Power ) and possibly even earlier , it is sufficiently rare in occurrence that it still has a novel quality here . Mild spoilers follow . The visuals are nothing short of astounding and you can watch it for those alone and enjoy this immensely . But this is more than eye candy . While Ryan Larkin is the stated focus , it stuck me that the heart of the short is fear-the fear behind a phrase such as , " There , but for the grace of God , go I . " Chris Landreth is , I have no doubt , a compassionate fellow and I'm sure an interest in Larkin was part of his motivation for making the film . But I think the greater motivation is an inner fear that he could be in Larkin's shoes someday . He basically says this more than once in the short . The number of figures you see on the edges who are disabled , disfigured or without hope reinforce this emotional turmoil . The question Landreth asks Larkin about his alcoholism is another indicator that this isn't just concern for Larkin's welfare . This is a very disquieting short , worth repeated viewing . This is almost as disturbing as Balance . It is on DVD through the National Film Board of Canada and is well worth seeing . I cannot recommend this more highly . |
579,635 | 583,640 | 43,322 | 10 | This is one of the funniest cartoons I have seen in my life ! | This cartoon is absolutely delightful ! While not the best series of cartoons Warner Brothers did , it was quite often effective . I rarely have much sympathy for Pa Bear , but here my heart goes out to him . This has got to be the most nightmarish Father's Day on record ! The number of memorable scenes is quite high , but my favorite has to be whe Junyer fills Pa's pipe for him ! Second has to be when Junyer shaves Pa ! This is just wonderful . Cartoon Network runs this one fairly often . Most recommended . From the top of the key , he shoots and nothing but net at the buzzer ! |
578,778 | 583,640 | 39,535 | 10 | The quintessential Tex Avery cartoon . | While I do not personally think this is Avery's best cartoon ( that honor goes to The Legend of Rockabye Point ) and this one is also not among my personal favorites , this is the ultimate in Tex Avery cartoons . Everything Avery strived to do is here-he loved taking a quasi-normal situation , tossing in a random , improbable element or three and then piling sight gag after sight gag , each one more outlandish than the ones before . The jokes are all sight gags . What dialogue there is is generally there as necessary for set-up and only one or two lines are even mildly funny . Just sight gags , as far as the eye can see , fast enough to register , but so fast that you almost don't have time to breathe because you're laughing so hard . This one makes you want to do things like hang spoons from your nose ! Wildly silly and unforgettable , truly a masterpiece . This is a great cartoon ! It worked 55 years ago and it works today . You have to see this one . Most highly recommended . |
579,455 | 583,640 | 33,324 | 10 | Tex Avery at his best , but this one you'll need to look for to find | This is one of Avery's last with Warner Brothers and he was in fine form , truly magnificent here . But because the hunter is black ( to be fair , there are stereotypes as well ) , the only way you'll find this is on a public domain tape . Despite the fact that Bugs does many of the same tricks on Elmer as he pulls here , this one is frowned on . Public domain tapes vary widely in quality , so buyer beware . there are one or two good quality tapes that I know of , so be prepared to look for this one . It's worth the trouble . Most highly recommended . |
579,153 | 583,640 | 71,853 | 10 | The person who wrote this review will be sacked ! ( No sub-titles-I promise ! ) | There probably isn't much I can say that others haven't said already and at some length , I suspect , so I'll say this : what Rocky Horror Picture Show is to a great many people , this film is to me . I know most of the dialogue , the songs the minstrels sing , the timing and so on . I have probably seen this film more than any other and it never gets old for me . Sheer antic lunacy on a par with The Marx Brothers and glorious fn all round ( I feel happy , I feel happy ! < Whap ! > Most stupendously , wonderfully , delightfully recommended . ( When you're King , you have to know these things . ) |
579,394 | 583,640 | 31,790 | 10 | More than sixty years old , but still packs a punch | This cartoon is one of the finest produced by MGM and hasn't really lost it's impact even after sixty years . Given that the shadows of WWII lurked during its preparation , the thoughts of those involved in its preparation are fairly obvious . Although I understand why The Ugly Duckling won the Oscar ( it's a beautifully crafted short and deserved recognition ) , I wish that this one had won or at least tied . MGM did a reprise on this one in the 1950s called , " Good Will To Men " that was good and well worth seeing , but this one is better . The Cartoon Network runs this one and it's also in print . Well worth your time . Early use of roto-scoping ( live footage fimed and then animated ) is excellent . Profoundly recommended . Anyone who argues animation isn't an art-form should see this ! |
579,249 | 583,640 | 47,600 | 10 | The best of the Tom and Jerry " Mouseketeers " cartoons | This short was one at least three or four done with a theme of Jerry and Nibbles as " Mouseketeers " and Tom as their principal opponent . They were all good , but this one is the best of them , in my opinion anyway . It plays best with the basic themes of the swashbuckling type of films being parodied with affection here . Nominated for an Oscar , it's an absolute delight . Highly recommended . |
578,905 | 583,640 | 25,997 | 10 | Reminds me favorably of the old story , " The Little Red Hen " . | This is an excellent example of early Disney and the first appearance of Donald Duck . There was also a Peter Pig , who did not fare as well as Donald in his movie career . Donald is , if anything , more obnoxious and disagreeable here than he was later . The animation here is splendid and the short is well worth seeking out . Attempts to locate Peter Pig have been unsuccessful , although there are rumors that he lives in semi-retirement in Encino , having wisely bought stock in Disney and , later , in IBM . Recommended . |
579,432 | 583,640 | 148,352 | 10 | A marvelous blend of stop-motion animation and jazz ! | This short , incorporated into The Puppetoon Movie , features a regular character George Pal used for many shorts , Jasper . There is a wonderful incorporation of stop-motion animation and jazz music and Pal blends them beautifully in this cartoon . The Jasper shorts have almost vanished , probably because people are afraid to run the risk that they might offend someone . There is absolutely nothing in this cartoon in which anyone could reasonably take offense . Marvelously done and well worth the effort to find . Highly recommended . |
579,548 | 583,640 | 35,476 | 10 | A tribute to the human spirit and its resiliency | This short , nominated for an Academy Award , was made by George Pal and concerns an invasion by mechanized war machines in a place obviously modeled on Holland , which was under occupation by the Nazis at the time . It is a tribute to the ability of humanity to persevere against the worst imaginable events and no only survive , but thrive . It is incorporated into The Puppetoon Movie and is a wonderful piece of work . The ending is glorious ! Most highly recommended . |
579,903 | 583,640 | 24,187 | 10 | The Hays Office would have had a coronary with this one ! | There are scenes in this short , although incredibly tame today , that probably shocked the various moral watchdogs of 1933 and clearly the soon to be created Hays Office would NOT have been happy with this short . I think it's simply wonderful . Bimbo and Koko are both in this one and this is a prime example of what can be done with animation when the animators realize that the intended audience was composed not only of children , but adults as well and that not all adults are blue-haired little old ladies or Bible salesmen from Topeka , Kansas . The Fleischers did some marvelous work and this is an excellent sample of that work . In print and available . Well worth watching . Most highly recommended . |
579,299 | 583,640 | 58,528 | 10 | One of my favorite Speedy Gonzales shorts ! | This is the best Speedy that doesn't have Slowpoke Rodriguez . I love this cartoon ! Sylvester is a great foil for Speedy , Malcolm the Falcon is hilarious and the ending to the cartoon is perfect . Just an all-around great short . Well worth trying to see . Most highly recommended ! |
579,611 | 583,640 | 31,749 | 10 | This civics lesson brought to you by Warner Brothes and Porky Pig | With the amount of attention being currently given to the Pledge of Allegiance and when ( or even whether ) it should be said , this cartoon sets forth a very direct and basic value to those words that still holds over 60 years later . Allegiance should ( actually I feel that it MUST ) be given freely and by choice or its valueless . This cartoon , through effective use of rotoscoping ( at least it looks like rotoscoping ) , is an enlightening look into the value of patriotism and makes some compelling arguments in its favor . Recommended . |
579,439 | 583,640 | 27,977 | 10 | Chaplin's masterpiece | This is absolutely the finest film Charlie Chaplin ever made-which , considering the overall quality of his work , says a great deal for the quality of the film . Genius is a much over-used word , but in Chaplin's case , it's use is apt . This is one of the classics of cinema and one of the greatest films ever made ! The scenes in the factory are hilarious . You have got to see this film ! Most joyously , totally and highly RECOMMENDED ! ! ! ! ! |
578,836 | 583,640 | 40,960 | 10 | One of the most atypical " buddy films " you'll ever see ! | This short is a " buddy movie " , but these are not your standard buddies . Then again , it's a Tex Avery cartoon , so atypical is probably the norm here anyway . Sight gags all over the place and , as with any Avery , things move quickly . Beware of the edited print shown on Cartoon Network . Fortunately , this is in print . Well worth watching . Recommended . |
579,585 | 583,640 | 29,943 | 10 | Mickey's second-finest hour ! | This short , nominated for an Oscar for 1938 , is the best color Mickey Mouse short , certainly and maybe the best short ever starring this most illustrious of rodents . Because of a misapprehension of a simple declarative sentence , our stalwart sets out on a course to become a somewhat reluctant hero . Well-executed and with Disney's usual attention to detail , this is an excellent cartoon , but it had the great misfortune to come out in the same year as an equally marvelous cartoon ( also made by Disney ) and so did not bring home the statuette for Walt . Most recommended . |
579,431 | 583,640 | 43,148 | 10 | Produced to highlight the need for safety in the workplace , this short is hilarious and eye-opening | This short , another Pete Smith Specialty , was nominated for an Oscar and probably should have won . Dave O'Brien , who also wrote and directed , stars as Butch , the poster boy for carelessness . Butch is lucky to survive as he blunders his way from one accident to another . Pete Smith's narration is perfect for this short . Turner Classic Movies runs this periodically as filler between films and it invariably runs in March for the " 31 Days of Oscar " they run each year . Recommended . |
579,563 | 583,640 | 427,617 | 10 | A funny , intelligent and engaging short which packs more in its short length than entirely too many features I've watched in my life | This short is simply marvelous and was nominated for an Academy Award for Live-Action Short . THat it did not win is more a tribute to the incredible Six Shooter , which took the Oscar , than it is a negative assessment of this short . Since I want to discuss the short in specific detail , this is a spoiler warning : Kevin Pollak , who is recognizable as a character actor , is perfect in the central role . He's the hub in a wheel , with the other characters circling him . For the short to be effective , you have to see dramatic change in his character ( a psychiatrist ) and Pollak makes his character essentially go through that marked and drastic alteration of behavior . The short starts out with a brief opening sequence of shots which establish the character's personality quickly and perfectly . There is then a series of rapid introductions of his patients and you can see Pollak's character react to each of his patients as they recite a litany of problems he's heard over and over , with little variation . His way of interacting with everyone places his character in sharp focus in minutes . Then comes the bombshell which changes everything . In a short film , every second matters and time can be your greatest ally or an implacable foe . The director and editor make time their friend . Just as the early part of the short quickly and effectively establishes the mood , so too does the middle part also establish the change and just as economically . Essentially , we see the same scenes , but with a change in the behavior of the principal figure in turn leading to an entirely different outcome to the sequences . Quick visual cues make very clear the changes wrought by a single phone call . The whole thing is handled beautifully by all concerned . The ending is beautiful and the absolutely perfect way for things to wind up . This short is available on a compilation DVD which includes all five of the Live-Action Short nominees for 2005 , three of the five Animated Short nominees and two bonus animated shorts which were not nominees for the Oscar . This short and the whole compilation DVD are highly recommended . |
578,985 | 583,640 | 65,901 | 10 | It breaks my heart that this is not in print and I wish I had a copy ! | For some time now , it has been a self-imposed policy not to comment on things I don't have a copy of , but I'm breaking that here because I don't want this one to go unregarded any longer . I've seen this twice , the first time almost thirty years ago and it burned its way into my brain then and has stayed there . A blend of still photography and very limited animation , it looks and feels like the old UPA cartoons from the 1950s , which is understandable , because the producer of this , Nick Bosustow , is the son of Steve Bosustow , who produced the UPA shorts . In order for limited animation to work , there has to be something that hooks the audience . That something is the narration , and boy , does it work ! The voice of Orson Welles is perfect for this , as are the script and the visuals . Everything blends together perfectly to create a memorable and totally riveting experience . That this is not in circulation through syndication or by being in print and generally available disappoints me more than I can say . When you look through history , you find that a great deal of damage has been done by people who are thoroughly and totally convinced that they are RIGHT and everyone else is WRONG , mostly about things theological . This cartoon questions that unshakeable belief people have about ( fill in the blank ) and does so beautifully . I cannot recommend this more highly . If you ever get to see this , by all means , do so ! |
578,861 | 583,640 | 26,111 | 10 | My favorite Popeye of all time ! | I love this cartoon ! ! The song , Barnacle Bill the Sailor " is a favorite of mine and this is one of the few cartoons in the series where Olive Oyl gets her comeuppance . Although occasionally , Olive and Popeye treat each other as though they are truly in love , Olive all too often treats Popeye rather shabbily , in my view , and I've frequently wondered why he doesn't just quit seeing her . She can't seem to make up her mind between Bluto and Popeye , anyway . While I believe that a gentleman treats a lady like a lady even if she periodically doesn't behave like one ( a man who does not act like a gentleman unless expressly requested to behave otherwise should be ignored ) , I also believe that constantly having the same woman throw one over in favor of the same clown indicates a permanent change of interests is of mutual benefit to all parties . It's a delightful short and the ending is a hoot ! The army won't even know what hit them ! |
579,835 | 583,640 | 39,919 | 10 | Wonderful animation that shows that it can be a good thing to just be yourself and march to your own tune ! | This Puppetoon was nominated for an Oscar in 1947 and is absolutely delightful to watch . It shows that , no matter who you are , being true to yourself is not just a good thing for you , but , in the long run , for others as well . Amazing in the detail work and simply and grandly wonderful . I cannot recommend this strongly enough . A marvelous effort ! |
579,731 | 583,640 | 39,923 | 10 | First teaming of Sylvester and Tweety takes an Oscar . | Move over , Gallagher and Sheen , Laurel and Hardy , Abbott ans Costello , Lunt and Fontaine : it's Sylvester and Tweety ! In a pairing so obvious as to be almost automatic , Tweety and Sylvester meet up for the first time and take the prize-Oscar , of course . One of the better ones , this pairing is perfect . Highly Recommended . |
578,793 | 583,640 | 26,086 | 10 | One of the best shorts " done by a Smith named Pete " | Pete Smith was a master of the short films once known as " one-reel " and " two-reel " subjects . Although the bulk of his wrk was humorous in subject and / or tone , he did do more serious work . His best work was very funny , although some of the humor is dated . This is one of the best shorts he did . These were referred to as " A Pete Smith Specialty " and on the title card , it said that this " was done by a Smith named Pete " . The visuals are still quite effective 65 + years later . Turner Classic Movies runs this and a great many other " Pete Smith Specialty " shorts in between movies . This one is highly recommended . |
579,318 | 583,640 | 104,908 | 10 | Absolutely amazing and a bit overwhelming at times . | This is an incredible piece of work and just had me groping for words after I saw it the other day . I'm not terribly visually oriented ( my skills are more in the verbal realm ) , so when an almost completely visual short burns itself onto my brain the way this has , that's quite a feat ! It begins and ends with Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and has her morph into another piece ( I think it's a Picasso , but don't bet the farm on that-I'm not an Art History expert ) which morphs into a third and so on . There were more than 30 , of which I recognized about ten and could name five or six . Someone more versed in paintings than this humble scribe would probably do much better than I could . But this is an exceptionally fine piece of animation that deservedly won the Academy Award for Animated Short . It moves quite fast ( it's only about seven minutes long ) and can be a bit overwhelming with its transitions , but well worth watching and most highly recommended . |
579,933 | 583,640 | 26,094 | 10 | The first Mickey Mouse done in color | This short is the first one that Disney made starring Mickey in color and what a glorious way to bring the Mouse into color ! This is one of the best animated shorts of all time . Often imitated , but never duplicated . Disney was at the top of the mountain as far as animation was concerned and this one is justifiably considered a classic . Well worth looking for . Most highly recommended . |
579,814 | 583,640 | 52,751 | 10 | One of Disney's-and Donald's-best . | This animated documentary was an excellent combination of entertainment and education and is a real feather in Disney's cap . Most people have varying degrees of either disinterest or dislike of mathematics . This renders math comprehensible as well as making it fun and interesting-a combination most of my math instuctors were either unwilling or unable to accomplish . After 41 years plus , this doesn't feel the least bit dated . I'm glad to see it's available . Three cheers for the mouse ( and the duck too , though I must confess that , for the most part , Donald leaves me cold . Not here , though . ) . Most recommended . |
579,861 | 583,640 | 43,102 | 10 | Vintage Tex Avery and therefore hilarious ! | Tex Avery was a genius at the art of the animated short . He did for the animated short what Walt Disney did for the feature . Avery seemed to have something of a fondness for black cats , as he did a number of cartoons featuring black cats . Ventriloquist Cat was one of them . Mostly sight-gags fired at the viewer at a very frenetic pace and designed to keep you rolling around on the floor laughing . More often than not , it works . This and most of Avery's shorts are marvelously ( sometimes wickedly ) funny . Most highly recommended . |
579,893 | 583,640 | 97,937 | 10 | A remarkable film and performances by Day-Lewis and Fricker | Let me state at the outset that I have Cerebral Palsy and I went into this film expecting to have to make allowances for the lead performance . I left the theater half-convinced that they'd cast an actor who had Cerebral Palsy in the role , even though I knew that was not the case . The performances were generally excellent , with a special nod to Brenda Fricker and to Hugh O'Conner ( I believe that's his name ) as the young Christy Brown . Christy is talented , brash , arrogant , at times vulgar and petulant-in other words , human . This film , along with Gaby : A True Story and the documentary King Gimp , are excellent portrayals of life with CP . By no means a complete portrait , but fine examples of the disabled as human beings . Most highly recommended . |
578,798 | 583,640 | 142,643 | 10 | Another incredible animation sheperded into existence by the National Film Board of Canada | This excellent animated short is another in a large catalogue produced by the National Film Board of Canada . I have yet to see a bad short or documentary having any connection at all , however tangentially . to the NFBC . In this , a man is stealing people's dreams for resale in his shop . From a fascinating concept springs good artwork and somewhat minimal animation and an excellent script to become a moving and effective work . Most highly recommended . |
579,662 | 583,640 | 47,477 | 10 | Hello , Sam . . . Hello , Ralph . | Chuck Jones , after Tex Avery , was the second-greatest director of animated shorts , perhaps of all time and certainly of their theatrical heyday . Jones was absolutely the best at character development and Sam and Ralph are two of his lesser-known gems . They appeared in all of seven shorts as a team and the shorts work exceptionally well . I think the reason they work so well is the basic premise : that what these two do is a job ! The shorts are absolutely beautiful and the ending to this one is a scream ! Well worth seeing . Recommended . |
579,953 | 583,640 | 28,057 | 10 | This should have won the Oscar in 1936 ! | This is te cartoon that should have won instead of Country Cousin . Visually well-done and much more entertaining and memorable . Worth watching just for the music alone ! Although there are elements that undoubtably will bruise the sensibilities of some these days , the cartoon has to be given a bit of perspective . It's over sixty years old and it is , after all , just a cartoon . I'm disabled and if I were as hyper-sensitive as the folks who look at things like this cartoon and take umbrage , I would have long since curled up in a fetal position and faded away . Sometimes you need to lighten up , put your head back and float ! Caricatures of celebrities in cartoons were common in the 1930s and 1940s and were almost never terribly flattering . Bing Crosby reportedly hated it when he was used on more than one occasion . SIGH |
579,946 | 583,640 | 280,353 | 10 | Well-made look at an all-too common situation-grandparents raising their grandchildren | This documentary short , which quite deservedly won the Oscar , is about an increasingly common circumstance-a grandmother , elderly and ailing , left to raise her grandson , with little or no help from anywhere . As the grandson becomes more and more of a problem , more rebellious and destructive , it becomes quite obvious that she can no longer manage to care for him . While much is made of the authorities handling of the situation , I find it telling ( and more than a bit disheartening ) that the fact that no one else in the boy's family was either willing or able to take the young man in and he winds up just another statistic was touched on almost glancingly . I fear that the only person who cared enough about Walter was his grandmother and she sadly was too weak physically to stand the rigors of raising him . A sad ( and somewhat frightening ) look at life in our times . |
579,357 | 583,640 | 45,545 | 10 | Excellent short by Disney | This documentary short won an Oscar for Two-reel short and was well-deserving of the honor . Everything about this is excellent-cinematography , locations , even the narration , which can be a problem with Disney live-action efforts , is excellent ! It's ashame that The Mouse doesn't have this available to the public . I used to run occasionally on Vault Disney , but hasn't shown in quite a while , which is a shame . Worth the effort to locate . Most recommended . |
579,898 | 583,640 | 95,801 | 10 | Starts very slowly and finished very strongly , so give it a chance . | I watched this because it had been recommended by a friend . After 15-20 minutes I almost quit , but I decided to stick it out another ten minutes , which was an excellent idea . The two leads turn in marvelous performances and Jack Palance does an even better turn here than he did in City Slickers . The last thirty minutes ( of the US version ) is wonderful . So stick with it , even though it's slow going to start with . You will be amply rewarded for your patience . Quirky little film . Most recommended . |
579,822 | 583,640 | 22,127 | 10 | Betty holds her own in this early short in the series | This one consists principally of sight gags that arise out of Bimbo's mooning after Betty and both Betty and Bimbo dealing with the interest shown in Betty by a rather persistent and quite obvious suitor . Bimbo making cow eyes and chasing after Betty is fairly standard . The older fellow is what makes this one fascinating , for me at least . It's nice occasionally to have someone other than Bimbo or KoKo trying to catch Betty . The Betty Boop personality is formed by this point , for the most part . The music is good , the comic timing is pretty good and the animation is excellent . Part of the Definitive Betty Boop box set and well worth having . Recommended . |
579,200 | 583,640 | 43,128 | 10 | One of Robert McKimson's best efforts | Robert McKimson is one of the " other " Warner Brothers directors , after the Big Four-Tex Avery , Chuck Jones , Friz Freleng and Bob Clampett . While nowhere near as innovative , with work that varied sometimes wildly in quality , he was probably the most solid of the other directors and this was one of his best efforts and an excellent addition to the Bugs Bunny efforts . The scene in the park is marvelously done ! Wonderful short that deserves to be seen . Most highly recommended . |
579,471 | 583,640 | 351,382 | 10 | Beautifully done fable about the " pitfalls " of excessive greed . | This short , done with rough hand-drawn animation and with sung and spoken narration ( a musical form of entertainment , the Japanese equivalent of the Western minstrel / bard ) , tells the story of an old man so parsimonious that he couldn't bear throwing away the pits from some old , discarded cherries , which he ate rather than discard . What follows is true , quite poetic , justice . As the old saying goes , true justice is something most of us would actually be happier without . An Academy Award nominee for Animated Short in a very good year . It bears repeated viewing and is an excellent piece of work . Hopefully , it will see print sometime soon , as it deserves a wider audience . It is part of Shorts Program 115 on the Sundance Channel as well as part of the program for the first year of The Animation Show , still showing in some locations . Give it a look-well worth seeing . Most highly recommended . |
579,895 | 583,640 | 115,817 | 10 | An incredible short ! | This short , nominated for an Academy Award , is an all-around excellent production . The animation , production values , score-all are extremely well-done . One of the best shorts produced in the last ten years , without a doubt ! The detail in many scenes is absolutely amazing . This is shown periodically on the Encore Channel or one of its ' subsidiaries and is well worth seeking out . We can only hope someone decides to do another compilation along the lines of The World's Greatest Animation . I have no idea how Spike and Mike missed this one ! Maybe they didn't , but I haven't seen it listed on any of their stuff . Highly recommended . |
579,210 | 583,640 | 43,037 | 10 | Great short , with music playing an important part in the action | This is one of the better Tom and Jerry cartoons to prominently feature music . For some reason , whenever music was a focus , the short was usually excellent ( examples include , Solid Serenade , Johann Mouse , Pecos Pest and , obviously , The Cat Concerto ) . Here , there's a hilarious song at the outset , over the opening credits and a bit later , Tom does his best impersonation of a cross between Tex Ritter and Milli Vanilli . Jerry , for a good many reasons , does his best to destroy Tom's romantic intentions ( hey , what are " friends " for ? ) and largely succeeds . At cartoon's end , we leave amid the strains of another musical interlude and a twisted variation on an old cliche of the western genre and a good time is had by all , except Tom , of course . Well worth tracking down and most highly recommended . |
578,902 | 583,640 | 29,795 | 10 | When Disney was in flower ! | This short is an example of The Mouse at their best ! There was a time when Disney was , without a doubt , the best there was . 1937 was a good year for Uncle Walt and his studio . With Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and shorts like this one , it was a banner year . This is a quintessential example of Silly Symphonies-a near seamless blend of music to animation . Good to see it in-print . Well worth getting . Most highly recommended . |
579,653 | 583,640 | 28,119 | 10 | Even after 65 years , this is an exceptional piece of work | This cartoon is visually astounding even after 65 years . Longer than the typical Popeye being done at the time ( by quite a bit ) , it justifiably received a great deal of fanfare and notice on its release and is considered one of the finest animated shorts ever made by a great many people ( including me ) . This runs on Cartoon Network occasionally and is well worth getting a look at . I believe it has at least once or twice been available on VHS . Most highly recommended . |
579,426 | 583,640 | 20,414 | 10 | Ub Iwerks did an incredible job here ! | This is the first of the Silly Symphonies series of cartoons that Dsney did and it is absolutely marvelous ! Ub Iwerks directed and it is one of the best Disney shorts they ever made . After more than 70 years it still holds up well and has the most remarkable use of shadows I've ever seen in my life . Great cartoon and very highly recommended . |
579,623 | 583,640 | 91,978 | 10 | Beware the Law of Unintended Consequences | This is a very cute and cuddly little thing , this short is . Nice pastoral music , cute little bird , cute little dragon-looks like a real Barney kind of moment . But looks can be deceiving . Marv Newland is smiling somewhere . As Newton once said , " For every action , there is an equal yet opposite reaction . " To which I would add the Law of Unintended Consequences : for every action , there are unforseen results which carry unforseen and unplanned consequences . I love this cartoon ! Well worth the effort to locate , by all means ! Most highly recommended . |
579,528 | 583,640 | 58,472 | 10 | The first Pink Panther short and probably the best | This Academy Award-winning short was the first Pink Panther theatrical release ( at least as a short subject ) and is a winner on all counts . Hilarious , well animated , marvelous story and use of music-everything is wonderful . There wee other very good shorts in the series , but none of them even came close to equaling this first one . I've always felt sorry for the poor little guy in this cartoon ! Most highly recommended . |
579,879 | 583,640 | 25,963 | 10 | The Little Yellow ( Mustard , of course ) Book of Quotations From Chairman Wimpy has its major quote front and center here . | Make no mistake-although officially Popeye's cartoon , one J . Wellington Wimpy is the star here . Wimpy is ( or should be ) the icon for the American approach to consumerism - " I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today . " Wimpy never worries about that far off Tuesday , when his hamburgers will come home to roost ( no doubt with indigestion not far behind ) , he just wants his hamburger today and hang Tuesday . Wimpy reminds me a lot of W . C . Fields ' persona-he too was always concerned with current results , regardless of future consequences . Both also have just a touch of larceny in their heart . Wimpy is my favorite character in the series and his appearances were always too brief and too rare for my taste . Much better sidekick than the rather annoying Shorty ever was or could be . Here's to you , Wimpy , wherever you are . May all your days be Wednesdays . Well worth seeking out . Most Recommended . |
579,280 | 583,640 | 57,272 | 10 | Marvin has some hilarious and terribly pithy lines in this very talky short . | Most of the gags in this are verbal in nature , rather than sight gags ( though it has a fair number of those as well ) and Marvin may have more of the best lines than Bugs , particularly in the beginning . As is often the case , the title is a play on words-in this case , " mad as a March hare " , which I believe was derived from Alice in Wonderland . Marvin's comments on " the flora and fauna of Earth likely would have delighted H . L . Mencken and Ambrose Bierce ! The ending scene is beautiful , particularly the closing line . Great fun is had by all ( well , not by Marvin , not at the end , anyway ) . Well worth watching . Most highly recommended . |
579,749 | 583,640 | 212,560 | 10 | While entertaining , it will also make you think about many philosophical points | This marvelous short from the National Film Board of Canada is sometimes funny , very creative and entertaining , but ultimately leaves you pondering some very serious subjects and it stayed with me for quite a while after I saw it the first time . It shows on O Canada on the Cartoon Network from time to time . Most Recommended . |
579,734 | 583,640 | 243,664 | 10 | Moving , very realistic look at fighting cancer | Having known far too many people who've gone through this , I can say without hesitation that they got the details nailed down when it comes to the effects of chemotherapy . Emma Thompson does her usual marvelous job and Christopher Lloyd does a surprisingly understated turn as her doctor . But the actress playing the nurse ( Audra McDonald , I believe is her name ) almost steals the film . I won't be the same for quite some time . Highly recommended . |
579,070 | 583,640 | 41,146 | 10 | The prototypical Tex Avery cartoon | This Tex Avery effort is virtually a crash course-pun intended-on how to make a Tex Avery cartoon . Take a wholly unsympathetic villain ( in this case , a bully ) , add a victim ( a cute little kitten ) , show the bully in action and then set up a means for the bad guy to get what they deserve and then some , making certain that there's room for roughly 5 , 306 sight gags along the way . Tex Avery created or helped develop Bugs Bunny , Droopy , Screwy Squirrel and Chilly Willy , to name a few . Many of his cartoons centered around that basic outline , with some variation . Sight gags , sight gags and more sight gags . Most recommended . |
579,682 | 583,640 | 87,040 | 10 | Excellent short with the oddest game of Charades I've ever seen | This short won the Academy Award for Animated Short in 1984 . While this is an excellent short , it would not have been my choice that year , as good as it is . But this is a wonderfully humorous and maddening short . One of the Charades players is particularly obtuse ! The animation and dialogue are superb and it is certainly good that it is available on World's Greatest Animation ( an excellent VHS / DVD compiation that I recommend highly ) and is most highly recommended . |
579,052 | 583,640 | 115,753 | 10 | The equal of King Gimp , this is an incredible piece of work ! | This is probably the second most difficult comment I have written on anything at the IMDb , but I saw this yesterday and , if I didn't comment on this , I likely would regret not doing so , so here goes : Mark O'Brien was born roughly ten years before I was and contracted polio at age six , in 1955 . Thus he was in an iron lung before I was even born . I have Cerebral Palsy , but even in that , I am comparatively fortunate . Mr . O'Brien struggled just to stay alive , to draw breath . Placed in context to that , my difficulties are a minor inconvenience . But , be that as it may , the reason that this struck me so profoundly is that , despite the major differences in our particular circumstances , at times in this documentary , his remarks were all too familiar to me . The disabled are viewed quite differently by a large segment of the " presently able-bodied " ( that's as logical and meaningful a label as " differently abled " , a phrase that is such a null that I hardly know where to begin in discussing it , so I won't ) and most disabled individuals put up with things on a daily basis that would send the average person to the top of a building with a rifle and a scope inside of a week . On bad days , I think most people would probably breathe a sigh of relief if we , reminders of humanity's fragility , would just vanish . O'Brien not only thought that , he said and wrote it out loud . One segment , toward the end , made me start crying , it hit so close to home . I won't discuss it here , but O'Brien talked about something in front of a camera that I doubt I could have even tap danced around . To anyone who has seen this , what O'Brien talked about here , it's not just an isolated instance , not just one voice in the wilderness . I'd wager that there are a lot of people out and about who'd say the same if pressed . Disabled people are just that-PEOPLE who happen to be disabled . Treat us as such-people , more or less like you , just a bit different . This should be in print and available . Well worth tracking down . Most highly recommended . |
578,950 | 583,640 | 102,392 | 10 | Excellent example of animation | This short won the Academy Award and faced some stiff competition from two shorts produced by the National Film Board of Canada . Any of the three could have won , but it's easy to see why Manipulation did . It's a simply drawn short , but the animation is incredible ! The interaction here is great and is also very funny and fun to watch . This was on Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation Volume 2 and is well worth hunting for . Most Highly Recommended . |
578,909 | 583,640 | 31,559 | 10 | Popeye and the Law of Unintended Consequences | While most everyone knows Murphy's Law , not everyone is aware of the Law of Unintended Consequences-that is , every event or action spins off consequences , some you recognize beforehand and ( perhaps ) are prepared for and others that are totally unexpected and uncontemplated . These range from beneficial through benign to potentially devastating and / or disasterous . Popeye comes full-face with this Law and doesn't enjoy the results . He does what he considers a good deed and a kindness , but remember what good intentions pave-a particularly uncomfortable road . Interestingly enough , this is a particularly atypical Popeye short , in that there is no brawling and there is no indication that Olive and Popeye are significantly involved-actually , she's basically an extra here . A parrot in the shop has a more pivotal role and may actually have more lines ( I think he does , but I didn't count them ) . The parrot sings the title song , by the way . An excellent Popeye short , with a valuable lesson attached : things rarely go as you think they will . Well worth tracking down . Most recommended . |
579,980 | 583,640 | 302,267 | 10 | A wonderful adaptation in the vein of Madeline | This short is an adaptation of the Eve Titus Anatole stories . Rembrandt Films does this as well as UPA did with another character from children's literature , one Madeline by name . Anatole is a very debonair and dapper mouse , French by nationality , and his adventures in a cheese factory . Although the Deitch Tom and Jerry cartoons didn't come off too well , this works like a charm . It can be found on Rembrandt Films Greatest Hits , available most places and worth getting . Most recommended . |
579,354 | 583,640 | 283,128 | 10 | Utterly bizarre and delightful ! Tex Avery meets The Far Side ! | This short is simply wonderful ! Now , the true story of the last moments of the Titanic have been revealed ! That poor iceberg has been maligned all these years ! This short , just over five minutes , is like a collaboration between Tex Avery and Gary Larson ( the mind reels at the thought ! ) with dash of Tobe Hooper for seasoning ! I was laughing for at least ten minutes after it ended . I sincirely hope that it had a release sufficient to qualify it for consideration for an Academy Award ( I believe it has to run at a theater in Los Angeles or New York for at least one week during the year to qualify ) becaue it should at least be nominated , if not win ! Whatever happens , it is still fantastic ( and much better than Titanic was , in my view ) and I think it's great ! |
578,772 | 583,640 | 36,295 | 10 | The master at the top of his form ! | Actually , my comment for this should truly be a simple verbal genuflection , but that wouldn't be of acceptable minimum length here , so I'll actually say something . This is Tex Avery's masterpiece in terms of the relation of his work to animation in general and the short form in specific . There are better cartoons ( some even by Avery himself ) and there are cartoons that I personally like better , but in terms of what Avery was attempting to do with the form , in terms of what animation was at the time and had been in the past and what its potential was for the future and the impact that Avery had and would have on his artform , this is the first truly successful Avery cartoon on all terms , both Avery's and animation . Avery blew out the valves , cranked up the engine and blew the doors off on this one for the first ( but not last ) time here . He turned everything up a few notches here , gang , and it works ! It worked then , it works now and will work tomorrow , precisely because Avery had that most overworked and little understood word-genius . Remarkable cartoon and if you like animation and haven't seen this one , what are you reading me for ? Go watch this . This is a great piece of work . Need I add , most highly recommended ? |
579,642 | 583,640 | 36,294 | 10 | Excellent short if seen uncut-the edited version is almost worse than nothing at all ! | This is one of Disney's best . But as with a handful of other shorts , this one is heavily edited by a Disney Co . skittish about negative images relating to World War II . It should be seen in it's entirety . The editing doesn't do a marvelous short justice . Well worth the trouble to find . Most highly recommended . |
579,736 | 583,640 | 38,011 | 10 | A well-earned Oscar for the cat and mouse ! | This cartoon won the Oscar and was an excellent choice ! Poor Tom ! The lullabye he sings to Spike is just hilarious ! This is one of the better Tom and Jerry shorts and one of seven that won Oscars . The only chase cartoons that are their equal are the Coyote and Roadrunner . Not the best Tom and Jerry , but right up there . Recommended . |
579,780 | 583,640 | 36,334 | 10 | Daffy protects his scrap pile , with a bit of encouragement | This cartoon , appropriately and effectively in black and white , is a World War II patriotic short , with Daffy needing to protect his scrap pile ( for the war effort ) from a very hungry Nazi goat . The pep rally conducted by Daffy's ancestors is a highlight of the short and the ending is marvelous . Well worth the time and effort to find . Most highly recommended . |
579,799 | 583,640 | 22,786 | 10 | A very aptly titled short and one of the best the studio made | This cartoon is the definition of surreal and a example of why the Fleischers were the primary rivals Disney had in the early 1930s , before Warner Brothers and MGM stepped up their quality , while Fleischer started to do a slow fade in the late 1930s . A combination of the Hays Office and friction between the brothers and with the Paramount STudio were partly responsible , as was burnout , I suspect . But this is the glory that was Fleischer's and glorious to behold . Highly recommended . |
579,039 | 583,640 | 44,958 | 10 | Very well done and more than a touch ironic | This short , which combines live-action with stop-motion animation , was nominated for two Oscars and won for Best Documentary Short . The events depicted become more ironic as they unfold and to describe any of the details to any great degree would be unfair to the short and to future viewers . Totally recommended . |
579,916 | 583,640 | 36,340 | 10 | A rare serious short from the Pete Smith Specialty series | Pete Smith did a series of shorts that were primarily comic in nature and rarely were they ever too serious in nature . This excellent short , nominated for an Academy Award , is a rare exception . The subject is Ben Helwig , a man blinded by accident as a child who learned to work with lathes and other equipment by touch and was ultimately hired for work in a defense plant in WWII . This short was made to encourage the hiring of the disabled as an answer to wartime labor shortages . You see Helwig actually at work with machinery of various types . Quite fascinating . Turner Classic Movies runs this between films and generally runs it during March as part of its " 31 Days of Oscar " event . Most highly recommended . |
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