A Cantinflan-esquire hero named 'Pepito' woos a Latina beauty, but learns that one must be careful what they ask for, since they just might receive it! I saw a rough print (sadly, all that survives) thanks to historian Jerry Beck's Cartoon Brew. I'm stunned at the quality of this delightful stop motion short (made using replacement figures; IE: a separate figure or limb for each frame of movement) which gives the animation a rubbery quality that's absent from techniques which use jointed figures. Scored by Disney composer Paul Smith, miniature sets designed by Bernyce Polifk (whose minimalist designs grace many later WB cartoons) figure work was carried out by veterans of Disney and George Pal's Puppetoons, I can't recommend this film highly enough.
Reviews
14 Reviews
Spacy
(1981)
Tearing away the fabric of time and space
8 January 2007
Outstanding experimental animated short. First a few words explaining this film's technique. Ito took a series of still photographs in a gymnasium setting up his camera incrementally in a circle. He then took photos of those photos mounted on stands in the same gymnasium (again in a circle) He then photographed these onto film in stop motion. The striking (and somewhat unnerving) effect is that you are flying into an infinite array of photos within photos. When I saw this as part of a program of avant garde Japanese film, one viewer brought their toddler, who immediately began to wail uncontrollably at the vertiginous display. If you ever get a chance to view this, please do, but don't sit too close to the screen or you may get motion sickness!
The Snow Queen
(1957)
enchanting, even in the botched US presentations
19 January 2004
I was entranced by this film when I saw it a kiddie matinee in the 60s, and upon repeat viewings it is truly wonderful. I just don't understand why this film has not been given a proper treatment in the west. I've seen three english versions; the original US release with Art Linkletter was what I saw in the theater. A few years ago I chanced upon a strange version with the original elf narration restored, but with portions of the score dropped out to make way for horrible contemporary pop songs. Thirdly there was a version shown on PBS sans Linkletter, but with an entirely new soundtrack, which fared better than the pop version I mentioned (though not much better) Still the imagery is fabulous regardless of which botched presentation it is, and I would go out of my way to see an unadulterated version even without the benefit of translation.
Confidence
(1933)
Interesting political cartoon
9 December 2003
When Oswald's farm animals are suffering from depression, Oswald goes to see good ol' FDR who prescribes a good dose of "Confidence" to make the farm once again productive. As I recall Fred Avery was given a screen credit during the opening titles.
Bully for Bugs
(1953)
Toonic Perfection
1 November 2003
I could watch this one a hundred times over and still laugh myself to tears. It is incredibly funny, perfectly timed and just when you expect it to become formulaic, the Jones crew start to throw in some comical curveballs (which I refuse to spoil here) My personal favorite Bugs Bunny short and one of the jewels of the WB catalog.
Bicycle Thieves
(1948)
Simply one of the greatest
19 August 2002
I don't know what I can add to what others have said about this film. I can watch it repeatedly and never tire of its simple elegance. From the sparce yet beautiful cinematography, to its endearing performances this film is among the greatest ever made in the history of world cinema. It is truly among the few films which fully deserves to be called poetry on celluloid.
The Great Ensemble Bond Film
24 March 2002
When I was an adolescent, I was always very curious about this particular Bond film. I'd seen the soundtrack album around record stores, but had never seen the film in the theaters or on tv (and none of my friends had either) When it came around in the mid 70s on a double bill (with 'Diamonds Are Forever') I finally had the chance to gratify my curiosity about this 'lost' 007 adventure. I was totally floored by this film!! It had a great plot, great villain, the BEST Bond girl, and absolutely THE best stunt and action photography in any Bond film before or since!! Add a poignant ending that made me cry out loud in the theater (and still does when I watch it on tv) and you have one of my fondest moviegoing memories. Still, I'd talk about this film with friends and they all shrugged it off saying Lazenby was lousy and the film was too long. Gradually they talked me into believing them, that it hadn't been as good a film as I remembered. Then in the early 80s I caught it on television (possibly the network TV premiere) and I kept saying to myself I'd been right before! This WAS one of the best Bond films!! Nothing has shaken this conviction from me since, and each time I see it I find new things about OHMSS that I love. With each repeated viewing Diana Rigg becomes more beautiful, the stunts become more incredible, the cinematography more breathtaking and Telly Savalas is a great Blofeld (much more believable than the other actors who played him) Even Lazenby's performance as Bond holds up well, though he doesn't have the screen presence of Connery. In some ways, though, Lazenby's uncertainty in the part adds a degree of vulnerability to his performance and more heart to the story. Geez, the more I think about it the more I wonder what's not to like about this one? But then again, I guess It's more fun coming to the defense of an overlooked gem then resounding the praise of a universally acclaimed classic.
Astro Boy
(1963–1965)
The Grandaddy of anime
6 February 2002
Astroboy (based on the Japanese cartoon character Mighty Atom) was the creation of Dr Osamu Tezuka, an influential figure in the early development of manga (Japanese comics). Atom was the first animated series produced by Tezuka's TV and film production company, Mushi Studios. The initial episode was shown as a TV special on New Year's Eve (one of the most widely viewed evenings on Japanese television) and an instant success. NBC networking executives visiting Japan saw the popularity of the series and purchased the US broadcast rights. Shortly thereafter, the English version, renamed Astroboy, was in syndication throughout America. The story line follows the adventures of a robot created in the likeness of a scientist's dead son. The scientist goes mad and sells the boy robot to a circus. In the climax of the first episode, the robots, though horribly mistreated by the circus owner, rescue circus patrons from certain death when a massive fire destroys the main tent. In reward for their heroism, the robots are granted their freedom. The remaining episodes deal with a wide range of issues, from the longing of robots for human emotions and families, to the destruction of the environment. Pretty hefty stuff compared to the funny animal hi-jinx of Saturday morning! In retrospect, the series is pretty remarkable. Though the translation was greatly softened and sometimes edited for juvenile audiences, the often dark and profound subject matter still is quite apparent. Some episodes, particularly toward the end of the English dubbed series, also exhibit increasingly dreamlike and surreal imagery. Simultaneously there was an increasing amount of violence in these programs and American parents were concerned on the effect of such shows on impressionable young minds. Sadly the American series was canceled after 104 episodes, but the Japanese productions continued for another 89 episodes. In the final episode produced in Japan, Atom sacrifices himself to save the world by manually guiding a missile toward a runaway asteroid.
Innocent Blood
(1992)
Not a classic, but some good moments
21 January 2002
Some people would crucify me for this, but I honestly liked this films more than American Werewolf in London (which just left me cold) Caught this one on cable, and I was pleasantly surprised (though not blown away) Sometimes the blend of humor & horror works, sometimes it doesn't, but I think this is one of the better examples of the more recent horror comedies.
Trouble in Paradise
(1932)
A film which drips with elegance
21 January 2002
What can I say about this film that hasn't been said? Some folks may complain about its datedness, but this is one of the most striking things about it. This film more than just about any other makes me sigh with sadness that they don't (and can't) make movies like this anymore. The characters, sets and costumes are filled with an art-deco elegance taylor-made to lift depression era audiences from the reality of their time. Though not on video or dvd, happily I watched its return to television tonight for the first time since AMC aired it in the late 1980s. Thank goodness for TCM.
The Party
(1968)
Peter Sellers is so funny it hurts!!
20 January 2002
Finally, after months of searching, I find a copy of the DVD and I realize how truly worthwhile this search was! This film is hysterical! I've read that The Great Race is supposed to be Blake Edwards' tribute to Laurel & Hardy, but Hrundi V. Bakshi is Stan Laurel's hindustani soul mate. Probably Peter Sellers' single funniest performance ever! He's always well meaning and gracious, but just naive enough to cause chaos everywhere he goes. Much of the business about the wait staff is also straight out of the L&H book of comic situations. Though the ending involving a baby elephant looks to me as if they simply ran out of ideas, the rest of this movie more than makes up for it. Have another "Birdy Num Num".
Ruslan i Lyudmila
(1972)
More Russian Fairy Tale Madness
5 October 2001
Wow. What a film. The more I see of Ptushko's work, the more I admire his wild imagination. There are beautiful visuals throughout such as the wizard's crystal garden or the upside down ceiling mounted fountains spewing multicolored water. There are also bizarre scenes such the gigantic head that advises Ruslan or the climactic duel where Ruslan hangs from the 30 foot long beard of a flying midget. A must-see for any fan of The Day the Earth Froze (Sampo) or Magic Voyage of Sinbad (Sadko) This came highly recommended to me by a friend who'd seen it at a film festival, and I was not disappointed.
The Day the Earth Froze
(1959)
Films that make you go "What th'..."
6 June 2001
Directed by Russian fantasy film maker Alexander Ptushko, so you can count on striking visuals and lots of in-camera effects (lots of dissolves, split screens etc.) Despite cheesy dubbing this film still holds much of its fantastical charm. It has a look similar to German expressionist works like Fritz Lang's 'Siegfried' or Murnau's 'Faust'. It also strikes me as possibly inspirational to Guy Madden's films such as 'Tales of the Gimli Hospital' or 'Careful'. (Its antiquated appearance is only enhanced by the poor faded color present in the prints I've seen. Definitely worthy of a Ruscico DVD restoration/release) After watching my non MST3K'O'd copy, I just can't get that crazy harp theme from the film's climax out of my head. One of the most persistent tunes since "In Heaven" from Eraserhead. "SAMPO...SAMPO...SAMPO!"
The Sword and the Dragon
(1956)
Those wacky Russians do it again!!
28 May 2001
I really love the quirky nature of these Russian fairy tale films. Nutzoid english dubbing only enhances the warp factor (The US version entitled 'The Sword and the Dragon' even has Mike Wallace as a narrator) The characters are often quite bizarre (The makeup job on the wind demon is just too much, and I'm in love with the sword slinging dancing girl near the end of the film) Top it off with nifty puppetry (the dragon seems to clearly have been the inspiration for Japan's Ghidrah) makes this a true gem of kidvid madness!! I can't wait for the letterboxed Russian restoration which is scheduled to appear on DVD the end of 2001!!!
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