As a fan of both Scooby-Doo! and DC Comics, this direct to video movie is a pure delight and just as fun as I hoped it would be.
When the Justice League disappears, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olson go into the Hall of Justice to investigate. When they go in, they are scared out by a phantom. To take care of this creepy mystery they call the Mystery Inc. gang to investigate. When the Mystery Inc. Gang arrives in Metropolis; they find with the Justice League gone the city is overrun with Supervillains. The gang teams up with Kyrpto the super dog to save the day.
This movie is simply a lot of fun. The whole movie moves at a very fast pace with gags and action galore. Because of this the film is non-stop fun from start to finish. Most of the gags are quite good. I especially love some of the incidental gags, such as Scooby putting on a red lantern ring, Scooby and Shaggy running away from Solomon Grundy on Flash's Cosmic Treadmill or Shaggy shooting a variety of crazy and increasingly silly arrows from Green Arrow's arsenal. These are just little cartoon jokes that could have easily been left out but add so much to the fun. These little moments also perfectly capture the spirit of this film. They have fun with the sillier parts of DC's history but never makes fun of them. As someone who loves the sillier parts of DC comics, this movie serves as a perfect tribute to just what I love about DC comics. For DC fans there are so many fun Easter eggs to try and catch here. And for Hanna-Barbera fans some of these Easter eggs even reference the Super Friends cartoons. The action scenes are a lot of fun as well and a delight to watch. The climatic action scene is wonderful.
This movie also does a wonderful job of combining DC comics fun with a typical Scooby mystery. The mystery element is especially strong here. This mystery has quite a few plot twists and each one works great. Just when you think you know where this mystery is going, it has another twist on top of it. This is definitely one of the better Scooby mysteries in recent years. Yet as much as this mystery works as a Scooby mystery, it works just as well as a superhero story, perfectly using the vast world of DC heroes and villains to its advantage.
Director Cecilia Aranovich has worked with both the DC and the Scooby-Doo! characters before this. She had directed a few of the direct to video Scooby-Doo! movies before this (Scooby-Doo! and the Curse of the 13th Ghost (2019), Scooby-Doo: Return to Zombie Island (2019), Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog (2021)). On the DC side she has directed various episodes of TV's DC Superhero Girls and some of the direct to video movies based off the show, as well as some episodes of Harley Quinn. This film marks the first Scooby-Doo movie written by T.K. O'Brian and I hope not his last.
This is a pure delight for both fans of Scooby-Doo and DC.
In this cartoon, Scooby has a crush on a girl poodle. However the girl poodle has a jealous bulldog boyfriend, who thinks Scooby is trying to move in on his girl.
Like many of the Scooby and Scrappy shorts, besides the characters this bears little resemblance to what one expects from Scooby-Doo. There are no monsters or ghosts and there is no mystery to solve. Rather these are silly little comedy shorts that bear more resemblance to a Looney Tunes cartoon or the early Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear shorts than the typical Scooby mystery. In fact, the bulldog and poodle feel like they just stepped out of Hanna-Barbera's 1975 The Tom and Jerry Show.
Yet if you take this cartoon for what it is, it's a lot of fun. Even if he is not solving mysteries or dealing with anything creepy, Scooby still feels like his normal self. He is very charming and likable here, especially with his clumsy way of acting around the cute poodle (Sadly, I can't say it is that different than how I behave when I have a crush). Though these moments are not laugh out loud funny, they are charming and make Scooby especially likable and relatable here. The slapstick gags in the middle are decent enough, though they make you smile more than actually laugh. However, the ending to this short is absolutely hilarious. It honestly took me by surprise and made me laugh at loud.
Still, I feel as if this short could have made better use of both Shaggy and Scrappy, who are not given much to do here. Also, like most of these shorts, it is fun to watch but isn't as memorable as the typical Scooby mysteries.
While this may not be anyone's favorite Scooby cartoon, it is still quite fun for what it is.
Though the direct sequel to Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), is considered one of the greatest Universal monster movies, the direct sequel to Dracula (1931) remains little talked about and relativity unknown. This is a shame for it is actually quite a good movie.
As this film opens Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan (the only returning cast member)) is arrested for the murder of Count Dracula and Reinfeld. Naturally when he tells of what happened nobody believes him. Meanwhile Countess Marya Zaleska (Gloria Holden), Dracula's daughter steals the body of her father to perform a ritual she hopes will cure her of her vampirism (which unlike her father is something she tries to repress). Van Helsing brings a psychiatrist friend (Otto Kruger) of his to help defend him. This psychiatrist friend meets the countess and falls for her, unable to see her for who she is. When two victims appear the stakes get higher, but she hopes the psychiatrist can help cure her since the ritual failed.
This is a worthy sequel to the vampire classic, while also standing very well on its own. Like all the best Universal monster movies, there is a delightful sense of atmosphere throughout. The use of lighting and shadows is fantastic, and the use of black and white cinematography may be even better here than in its predecessor. Though no scenes are really scary by today's standards, there is an eerie and foreboding feel to some scenes that still holds up incredibly well today. The ritual our "heroine" performs on her father is a pure horror filmmaking at its best with great dialogue, performances, very memorable imagery and great uses of shadows and fog. The scenes involving the woman she brings into her studio are some of the creepiest and most suspenseful scenes in any of the Universal monster movies. Our main character is simply wonderful. The idea of a reluctant vampire, who simply wants to be a normal woman is not one used in horror films before this. This helps give the movie a unique feel that makes this feel still modern today. Gloria Holden's performance as the title character is fantastic and perfectly captures the tragedy and sadness of this character. The way she keeps her eyes looking lifeless is quite haunting. The scenes between her and the psychiatrist involve some wonderfully smart dialogue that may even leave you with food for thought. Whenever this film is written about much is made of its lesbian undertones. These scenes are surprisingly frank about that as she talks about having to control her urges (presented in a way that seems sexual) and fit into society. She feels she must in a way sexually repress herself and make herself into something she is not. While the analogy may not be perfect (after all lesbianism doesn't hurt anyone), it adds a whole new level of intelligence to the dialogue here making the story seem all the more human and real. This lesbian subtext is most clear with the aforementioned scene where she brings a female victim into her studio. This scene features just as much sexual tension as horror, which makes the scene all the more powerful. It is hard to overstate how bold this was for a movie in 1936 and once again it makes this film feel completely modern all these years later. Underneath its darker moments and deeper themes, this movie balances them out with some comedy. This comedy is surprisingly funny, and it took me by surprise that this film actually made me laugh. Yet this comedy never gets in the way of the story, characters or horror.
Plans for a sequel to Dracula began in 1933, however at MGM rather than Universal. The reason for this is that while Universal owned the film rights to Bram Stokers' original novel and the stage play adaptions, no one had the film rights to Stokers' short story Dracula's Guest. Producer David O. Selznick had interest in adapting that story and bought the rights for $500. John L. Balderston (who had worked on the Universal monster movies, Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Mummy (1932)) was put in charge of script duties for the film. About his original screenplay Balderston stated "Why should Cecil de Mille have a monopoly of the great box office value of torture and cruelty in pictures of ancient Rome. I want... to establish the fact that Dracula's Daughter enjoys torturing her male victims... and that these men under her spell rather like it." Possibly due to the failure with audiences and critics of the MGM horror movies, The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) and Freaks (1932), it became considered unlikely that such a film would be a wise undertaking for the studio. Another reason that might have changed MGM and Selznick's mind is the Stokers' estate barred the studio from using any of his characters who are not present in Dracula's Guest and because of this there was no way for them to use the script that Balderston wrote. Selznick would bring the movie rights to Universal. Some historians theorize that this may have been Selznick's reason for buying the rights in the first place, knowing he could sell it to Universal. There is no definitive proof of what the main reason actually was though. There Universal studio head Carl Laemmle, Jr., hired R. C. Sherriff (who had been a writer on The Invisible Man (1933)) to write a screenplay.
The director of this film was Lambert Hillyer. Lambert Hillyer directed many films over a career which spanned from the 1910's through the 1940's He worked heavily in westerns, even having co-directed some of William S. Hart's films with the screen cowboy himself. Other western stars he directed included Jonny Mack Brown, Wild Bill Elliott, Tex Ritter, Charles Starrett, Tom Mix, and Buck Jones. The year he directed Dracula's Daughter, he directed the sci-fi horror film, The Invisible Ray (1936). However today many know him best for directing the 1943 Batman movie serial. However, it was originally planned for James Whale, the director of the Universal monster movies, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man (1933) and Bride of Frankenstein, to direct this movie. However, he had no interest in the project preferring to work on the musical Showboat (1936). The next director assigned to the job would be A. Edward Sutherland. Sutherland is best remembered today for his comedy work. He directed Laurel and Hardy in The Flying Deuces (1939), Abbott and Costello in One Night in the Tropics (1940) and W.C. Fields in The Old Army (1926), Tillie's Punctured Romance (1928), International House (1933) and Poppy (1936). This wasn't his only horror film though. He directed Murders in the Zoo (1933), which is considered to be one of the most gruesome and shocking horror movies of its time. OriginallyJane Wyatt and actor Cesar Romero were cast to play the romantic leads. However just as shooting was about to start in February 1936, they were replaced by Marguerite Churchill and Otto Kruger. This caused delays in shooting, which frustrated Sutherland, who would abandon the film. It was then that Lambert Hillyer was brought in.
Below is a short article from Universal Weekly dated March 21, 1936. If you have any trouble reading it click on the pages below and use your touch screen to zoom in.
This is one of the better episodes of this series.
In this episode Shaggy and Scooby are nominated for the Mystery Solvers of the Millennium award. However, they later learn that this was a trap for them and the other detectives.
This is one of the few episodes of this series that actually centers around solving a mystery. It also features a nice twist on the typical Scooby-Doo mystery. This episode (like most episodes of this series) features only Shaggy and Scooby without the rest of the Mystery Inc. Gang. They feel outclassed by being around all these great detectives, especially since they feel that the other Mystery Inc. members did most of the actual mystery solving. Feeling embarrassed, they view this as an opportunity to prove themselves to their fellow mystery solvers. This puts us squarely on their side because of how we have all felt like them at times. That Shaggy and Scooby are their usual very likable selves helps a lot in this situation. The episode also benefits from some memorable monsters. These monsters have great designs that are both creepy and a lot of fun.
Unfortunately like many episodes of this series, the humor often falls completely flat. Also, the mystery is very easy to solve for anyone who has watched enough of this series.
In this film Daphne and Fred try out for a talent show that is to be held in an old opera house. However, when a mysterious phantom haunts the opera house, the gang has another mystery on their hands.
This is a pure delight of a movie. It benefits from a very strong villain. The Phantom has a wonderfully creepy design and laugh. He is a very memorable villain, who reminds me of the classic Scooby-Doo Where Are You villains in the best way. He also adds a sense of suspense to this film because he makes us feel our heroes are really in danger. The storyline is also very clever, providing a smart and memorable twist on Victor Hugo's Phantom of the Opera. The mystery itself is very strong and keeps one guessing who is behind the mask. This film provides many suspects all with completely believable motives. I also love how this mystery provides a twist on top of a twist. The humor is also quite good here. There are some truly funny moments throughout, especially with the other talent show acts. I actually laughed out loud a few times watching this. There is even a little joke for animation buffs with a character, whose name is a play on the great cartoon writer Paul Dini. That character is also a magician, playing off of how in real life Dini is married to a magician, and he loves writing for the magic based DC Comics character Zatanna.
The biggest flaw is the romance between Daphne and Fred. When romance is incorporated into the Scooby Doo franchise, it most often falls flat. Even the otherwise incredible Scooby-Doo Mystery Incorporated series struggled with this. In Stage Fright, the romance is never that interesting and adds little to the rest of the film. I also stand by that I feel Daphne and Fred work better as friends than as a couple.
This film was directed by Victor Cook. While this is the only feature length Scooby movie he directed, this was not his only time he directed Scooby. He served as a supervising director on the beloved TV show, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated as well as some half hour specials including Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays (2012) and Scooby-Doo! Ghastly Goals (2014). Cook would heavily work with Disney on many animated projects including episodes of Lio and Stich: The Series, 101 Dalmatians: The Series, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. This film was written by the husband and wife writing team of Doug Langdale and Candie Langdale, who also wrote the direct to video movie Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown (2017). Doug wrote the direct to video movies, Big Top Scooby-Doo! (2012), Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur (2011) and Disney's The Return of Jafar (1994). He also created such animated Disney TV shows as The Weekenders and Dave the Barberian.
This movie is a pure delight for my fellow Scooby fans.
Hello my friends and welcome back to another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Near the Cross. This hymn was written by Fanny Crosby, who had written many beloved hymns including Blessed Assurance and Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour. This song first appeared in an 1869 collection of hymns entitled Bright Jewels. One of those who put together this collection was William Doane, who would write the music for this hymn. Fanny had been blind since she was six weeks old. Evangelist Dwight L. Moody once asked Fanny, “If you could have just one wish granted, what would it be?” Fanny's answer shocked him. She said, “If I could have one wish, I’d wish that I might continue blind the rest of my life.” She explained this answer by saying “Because, after being blind for all these years, the first face I want to see now is the face of Jesus.”
This is followed by Mac Wiseman with his 1965 recording of Little Moses.
Afterwards is Jimmie Widener and The Voices of the West with their 1955 recording of Rollin' Tide.
Then comes The Carlisle Brothers with their 1942 recording of She Waits For Me There.
Then is Johnny Cash with Softly and Tenderly. The song was written by an Ohio businessman named Will Thompson in 1880. As well as writing gospel songs Thompson also wrote quite a few secular songs and parotic songs. When the songs he wrote were rejected by publishers he created his own company, Will L. Thompson & Company. This company would not only publish music by sell musical instruments. Softly and Tenderly first appeared in 1880's Sparkling Gems, Nos. 1 and 2, a collection of songs from the company. When evangelist Dwight L. Moody was on his death bed he told the songwriter, "Will, I would rather have written ‘Softly and Tenderly Jesus Is Calling’ than anything I have been able to do in my whole life." This was appropriate as Will decided to make songwriting his career while at a meeting held by Moody.
Next up is The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Lead Me Gently Home Father. Jesus in his earthly life spent much time talking to his father and before going to the cross he stated, "not my will but yours be done." This should be the way we approach God the father. We should talk to him before we make any major decision in life, for our life is not our own, but it belongs to God. Therefore we should follow him wherever he leads us knowing that he alone knows what is best for us.
Today's musical selection ends with Cowboy Copas with Almost Home. This recording comes from his 1961 gospel album, Inspirational Songs.
Now for a message from S.M. Lockridge.
Now for an episode of The Lone Ranger radio show.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:5
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? Romans 8:24
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
As a Hanna-Barbera fan, I admit that there is always something warm and cozy about seeing Hanna-Barbera characters from different series appearing together. Because of this Laff-A-Lympics holds a special place in my heart. This series featured three teams of Hanna-Barbera characters competing against each other in Olympic type events. These three teams were the Yogi Yahooeys, the Scooby Doobies and the Really Rottens. The Yogi Yahooeys consisted of many of the studio's earlier funny talking animal characters. The Scooby Doobies consisted of characters from the studio's mystery solving and crime fighting cartoons. The Really Rottens were the villains of the show and the only team where many of the members were created for this show. Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf served as our hosts and the judges.
In this episode the teams compete in a "touch the tip of the pyramid" race and a camel race in Egypt as well as an armored foot race and a race to save the princess.
There is a lot to enjoy about this episode. The highlight is the two events in the Sherwood Forest. The Really Rottens having to be courteous and gentlemanly (both of which are taken into account for the events) is a wonderfully clever idea. Not only this but good use is made out of it. The contest to rescue the princess includes some of the greatest slapstick of the episode. Doggy Daddy's plan to reach the princess is downright hilarious. Having Daisy Mayhem be the fair delicate princess is a great gag in and of itself. Both of the environments that the teams compete in allow for some especially wonderful background art.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons. Today in honor of Halloween here is a selection of spooky themed cartoons.
Today's musical selection begins with Scaredy Cat (1948). This is the first of a trilogy of cartoons directed by Chuck Jones to star Porky and Sylvester. In these films, Sylvester is a scaredy cat, while Porky is oblivious to the danger around him. These cartoons also feature Sylvester as a completely pantomime character. This cartoon holds an important distinction in cartoon history. It is the first film in which the name Sylvester is used for the cartoon feline.
Now for a short perfect for this time of year, Betty Boop's Halloween Party (1933). This short has all the surreal and manic energy, you would expect from a pre-code Betty film, especially one taking place around Halloween. The following are two exhibitors' reviews from the Motion Picture Herald. "BETTY BOOP'S HALLOWEEN PARTY: Betty Boop Cartoons—Good cartoon and sound. It's just a toss-up which is the best cartoon, "Mickey Mouse," "Betty Boop" or "Popeye the Sailor," with "Popeye" slightly in the lead.—S. H. Rich, Rich Theatre, Montpelier, Idaho, Town and Rural Patronage." "BETTY BOOP'S HALLOWEEN PARTY: Talkar- toons—Better than the average Betty Boop. Good short for any program. - H. E. Newberry, Y.M.C.A. Theatre, Ware Shores, S.C. Small Town Patronage."
Now we join Little Roquefort in The Haunted Cat (1951).
Now for a spooky Van Bueren short, Magic Mummy (1933). This short film stars a pair of human characters named Tom and Jerry, which predate the cat and mouse duo by nearly a decade.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
You can't have spooky cartoons without Scooby-Doo!
Now for something completely different here is a completely serious cartoon short of the 1950's, The Tell-Tale Heart (1953). This film is not surprisingly from the UPA studio. The UPA studio at this time sought to move away from the violent slapstick of Warner Brothers or MGM cartoons, or the more realistic "illusion of life" featured in many Disney cartoons. They often experimented with what could be done with the color and design in animated films. These films often experimented with flat backgrounds, purposely limited animation and abstract color schemes that reflect the emotion of a scene rather than what something would really look like. As is true of all cartoon studios that do a lot of experimenting, sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. Tell-Tale Heart is one of the most successful and one of the most extreme experiments. Most American audiences at this time had never seen an animated short quite like this and many would never see something like this again. When a 1954 article in Home Movies talking about the Cannes Film Festival got to Disney's Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom (1953) winning a prize, the writer had this to say, "It is unpardonable however that Disney should so openly and fully steal the style of the cartoon developed by the most excellent groups of artists, Steven Bosustow's UPA. It was no secret this was the case among those as the festival as UPA is well known and well respected in France. It is a shame that UPA recent and excellent 3D cartoon, The Tell-Tale Heart could not be shown at the festival, for it most certainly won the prize awarded to Disney." This cartoon is placed at 24 in Jerry Beck's book, The 50 Greatest Cartoons.
Now for another Edgar Allan Poe cartoon adaption, this one starring The Simpsons. So, enjoy The Raven (1990) from the first Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes. This still remains as one of my favorite Treehouse of Horror segments. True it may not be the funniest or the scariest, but it is a surpassingly well-made adaption of Edgar Allan Poe's short story and the vocal performances from James Earl Jones and Dan Castellaneta are fantastic.
Next comes a classic silent Alice Comedy, Alice's Spooky Adventure (1924). This is an early Alice Comedy meaning that it plays more as a live action comedy with an animated insert than a full cartoon like later entries. The pure live action scenes resembled Hal Roach's Our Gang comedy shorts (known by many now as The Little Rascals). This is rather interesting considering how new Our Gang was at the time of these shorts, having just started in 1922. Still the resemblance is hard to ignore with Alice's live action friends often physically resembling the Our Gang kids. Featured in Alice's Spooky Adventure are Spec McDonald, who looked a lot like Our Gang's freckled faced Mickey Daniels and Leon Holmes, this series' answer to chubby Joe Cobb from the Our Gang films. Distributor Margert Winkler was very happy with the film upon receiving it and wrote to Walt, "I will be frank with you and say that I have been waiting for just such a picture as 'Alice's Spooky Adventure' before using it in all territories throughout the world." She did have reservations though about some of the scenes combining live action and animation and asked that they would be retaken. Winkler must have been happy with the introduction of a cartoon cat in this film (later named Julius for future Alice Comedies). In the next Alice Comedy, Alice's Wild West Show (1924) a dog would be used as Alice's sidekick and Winkler would write Walt saying, "I might suggest that in your cartoon stuff you use a cat whenever possible and don't be afraid to let him do ridiculous things." Not surprisingly the cat would again appear in the following Alice Comedy, Alice's Fishy Story (1924).
Now to close here is Garfield's Halloween Adventure (1985).
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Walt in Wonderland: The Silent Films of Walt Disney by J. B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt.
As a Hanna-Barbera fan, I admit that there is always something warm and cozy about seeing Hanna-Barbera characters from different series appearing together. Because of this Laff-A-Lympics holds a special place in my heart. This series featured three teams of Hanna-Barbera characters competing against each other in Olympic type events. These three teams were the Yogi Yahooeys, the Scooby Doobies and the Really Rottens. The Yogi Yahooeys consisted of many of the studio's earlier funny talking animal characters. The Scooby Doobies consisted of characters from the studio's mystery solving and crime fighting cartoons. The Really Rottens were the villains of the show and the only team where many of the members were created for this show. Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf served as our hosts and the judges.
In this episode the teams compete in a motor scooter race and a canal boat race in Italy as well as hang gliding, skydiving, and a hot air balloon race in Kitty Hawk.
This episode is simply a lot of fun. There is some great slapstick and clever gags here. I love how Mr. Jinx uses meece power to power his scooter. There is also some delightfully corny dialogue that I love. I especially love Doggy Daddy's line about all roads leading to Rome. The Kitty Hawk events though feature the best bits of slapstick here. Mildew Wolf being along for Daisy Mayhem's glide as well as Yogi's problems with the hang glider are wonderful slapstick gags. Sometimes the lead up to the slapstick gags are just as much fun. Once again, the teaming of the tiny Yakky Doodle and the giant Grape Ape is funny before anything even happens. Even with this the punchline to the gag is even funnier. There is even some good (though limited) character animation here and the facial expressions on Yakky cracked me up. Scooby-Dum always makes me smile and I loved his little bit in the parachuting scene, which makes a decent gag delightful. This episode also has a delightful closing gag.
An enjoyable but far from memorable comic book movie.
Like the previous Venom films, the highlight of this movie is the interplay between Eddie Brock and Venom. Tom Hardy's dual performance is once again quite over the top but in a way that provides silly fun. This makes even the jokes that don't land work, because we simply enjoy seeing these two characters play off each other. Yet underneath the silliness of these two characters there is an off-beat sort of warmth to this friendship. As the movie reaches its final act, this even leads to some surprisingly emotional moments. While the humor in this movie may not always work, it hits more than it misses and there are moments that made me laugh. I also enjoyed how this movie was not afraid to go over the top with its humor and didn't feel the need to take itself too seriously. There are also some good action scenes, especially the climatic one.
This movie does have its flaws though. There is a real lack of suspense here. With so much time spent on this being a buddy movie between Eddie and Venom, there is little time spent building up the villain and the stakes (outside of a few lines of dialogue). This unfortunately makes the film lack the stakes and the excitement a finale of a trilogy should have. Also, all the new characters are honestly quite boring and feel very underdeveloped. There was obviously supposedly to be an emotional arc surrounding a scientist character, but it is so underdeveloped that it leaves no impact at all. All the clichés in the story make it hard for this film to stand out.
While this movie is enjoyable, it is hardly going to go down as a classic of the superhero genre.
As a Hanna-Barbera fan, I admit that there is always something warm and cozy about seeing Hanna-Barbera characters from different series appearing together. Because of this Laff-A-Lympics holds a special place in my heart. This series featured three teams of Hanna-Barbera characters competing against each other in Olympic type events. These three teams were the Yogi Yahooeys, the Scooby Doobies and the Really Rottens. The Yogi Yahooeys consisted of many of the studio's earlier funny talking animal characters. The Scooby Doobies consisted of characters from the studio's mystery solving and crime fighting cartoons. The Really Rottens were the villains of the show and the only team where many of the members were created for this show. Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf served as our hosts and the judges.
In Athens the teams compete in a pole-vaulting contest and a discus throw. In the Ozarks they compete in a rail cart race and a keel-boat race.
This is simply a lot of cartoon fun. The slapstick throughout here is delightful. The great slapstick humor begins with the very first event. Yogi Bear's pole vault going out of control and the way Mumbly misses the bar are both hilarious. Another great gag in this episode comes before the slapstick even starts. Tiny little Yakky Doodle competing in the discus throw, when the discus is larger than him is funny in and of itself. The punchline itself is delightfully clever. This episode also is delightful because of great settings. Both the Ozarks and Athens prove to be prefect settings for Laff-A-Lympics events. They both have a good sense of atmosphere, and the background art is wonderful here. The background art is always a treat in Hanna-Barbera cartoons of this time but the artwork in the Ozarks scenes is especially lovely looking.
This is a wonderful bit of cartoon silliness that is a pure delight to watch.
In this episode, Scooby and Shaggy try to stop the evil Dr. Phibes from releasing a dangerous and evil computer virus into the nation's weapons defense systems. However, they end up accidently releasing the virus in their uncle Albert's mansion, where they are staying. There it takes over all the technology in the mansion.
Scooby and Shaggy Get a Clue was a Scooby series that tried to do something completely different. Not only does this series only feature Scooby and Shaggy and features a different art style but the storylines have nothing to do with solving mysteries. While I appreciate the idea behind this series, it is not very successful. At least not in this episode. This episode is filled with slapstick humor from start to finish. However little of the humor is that funny. I didn't laugh once or even smile at any of the gags. The supporting characters are quite bland and boring. This includes the villain, who neither feels threatening or fun. The only thing this episode really has going for it is that Scooby and Shaggy are still their likable selves, and it is always a joy to spend time with them.
This episode was written by Ray DeLaurentis, who is best known for his work on the Butch Hartman shows, Fairly OddParents and T.U.F.F. Puppy. He served as the story editor on Scooby and Shaggy Get a Clue but only receives a writing credit on two episodes (the other being the first episode, Shags to Riches (2006)). This episode was directed by Jeff Allen, who also directed episodes of Xiaolin Showdown and Ultimate Spider-Man. For Scooby and Shaggy Get a Clue he directed quite a few episodes. This series is the only time either of them worked with Scooby-Doo!
Australian stop-motion animation filmmaker Adam Elliott is sadly a rarity today. He is a filmmaker working in animation that has his own recognizable style. You can't mistake an Adam Elliott film for a movie by anyone else. Not only do his films have a unique look to them, but their loving and complex portals of eccentric characters, off-beat sense of humor, love of the mundane, lack of fear for delving into dark and heavy subject matter and his brilliant mixing of heartbreak and joy make his films stand out. Yet the great filmmaker never feels like he is repeating himself and each of his movies perfectly stands on their own. His newest movie, Memoir of a Snail, may be his finest film yet and a highpoint for stop motion animation.
This movie starts with Gracie recounting her life to her pet snail. Though her life has had moments of joy, it has been one heavily filled with heartbreak. What makes this movie so incredible is that even as it breaks your heart and makes you cry; it never becomes a depressing dirge. Even in the darkest moments this film still has a sense of hope behind the heartbreak. Adam Elliott cares deeply for these characters and never allows their lives to fall in complete despair. Memoir of a Snail will not have you leave the theater depressed but hopeful that maybe there can be joy found in what may seem like our darkest moments. This may not make the pain go away but it will make it bearable. This is a movie of full emotional honesty that feels more truthful than your average feel-good movie or tearjerker. Anyone who feels that animation is just something to occupy time for your kids (by the way this is an R rated film and in no way for kids) may be shocked by the sheer honesty and maturity that this film approaches many heavy subjects with. As well as balancing the emotional weight of the story with more hopeful moments, this film also balances its darkest scenes with a good sense of humor. This is a laugh out loud funny movie, and the laughter can often feel like a much-needed release from the darker and sadder moments. The comedy also often works so well because it is often completely unexpected. There are no truly comic scenes here but rather very funny moments that appear in dramatic scenes. The fact that we don't see these comic moments coming makes them all the funnier. It also helps this movie combine its comedy and drama effortlessly.
The heart of this film rests with our main character Gracie. I loved and cared about this character so much. So many times, I just wanted to walk into the screen and give her a big hug to let her know that someone truly cared for her and wanted to be her friend. What we feel for this character is never pity. Instead, we emphasize and care for her deeply as if she was our friend or family member. We experience every heartache with her and want nothing more than for her to feel happy and loved. Anyone who has ever felt lonely or like they don't belong can relate to her completely. Yet for much of the film she does not pity herself but tries to remain hopeful for the future and look at the world as if the glass is half full. The makes us not only empathize with her but also admire her. She is a wonderful and sweet person. We forget that she is an animated character because she feels so much like a real person to us.
This film is full of Adam Elliott's great visual style. Though the movie is mostly in muted colors, it is hard to take our eyes off it. There is so much imagination throughout the visuals of this movie that it is as enchanting as any of the more colorful and bright animated films from Disney or Dreamworks.
This may be one of the best stop motion animation movies ever made and it is a must see for any movie and/or animation lover.
This is the first segment of the ninth episode of The All-New Super Friends Hour, unlike most other Super Friends formats, this one had hour long episodes that were made up of various shorter cartoons. The first segment would be an adventure staring two members (or three in some cases as Batman and Robin would often team with another Super Friend) of the Super Friends. The second would be a morality play staring the Wonder Twins. The third would be a typical half hour Super Friends adventure. The fourth and last segment would feature one of the main Super Friends teaming up with a special DC Comics guest star.
In this cartoon, Superman and Aquaman team up to stop a giant squid, when an ambitious scientist tries to create giant fish to stop food shortages.
This is a very fun episode. There is something that is so simply and charming about putting superheroes up against giant animals and this simple charm is all over this cartoon. The giant squid has a wonderful design and the action scenes with him are a lot of fun. Him grabbing the boat is a very well executed suspense scene. The artwork on that scene is wonderful as it looks like it could have come out of a 50's sci-fi film (in the best way of course) The scientist is a fun villain that works because he shows how someone can start with good intentions but carry them too far. The underwater setting also allows for some great background art that is lovely to look at.
As a Hanna-Barbera fan, I admit that there is always something warm and cozy about seeing Hanna-Barbera characters from different series appearing together. Because of this Laff-A-Lympics holds a special place in my heart. This series featured three teams of Hanna-Barbera characters competing against each other in Olympic type events. These three teams were the Yogi Yahooeys, the Scooby Doobies and the Really Rottens. The Yogi Yahooeys consisted of many of the studio's earlier funny talking animal characters. The Scooby Doobies consisted of characters from the studio's mystery solving and crime fighting cartoons. The Really Rottens were the villains of the show and the only team where many of the members were created for this show. Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf served as our hosts and the judges.
In Florida the team competes in boat racing, water skiing and in China they compete in a rickshaw race, a ping pong tournament and gymnastics.
Once again, this episode provides all the corny fun that you expect from this series. There is plenty of good slapstick throughout. Probably the highlight is the rickshaw race which is full of delightful slapstick gags. I especially love how the Scooby snacks are used to entice Scooby to go faster and the great slapstick gags involving Yogi and Boo-Boo. The gymnastics event is another delightfully clever slapstick moment. The gag with the Grape Ape is especially fun, as is the Really Rottens' various attempts at cheating. This episode also features a lot of delightfully corny dialogue. I really like the interview with Wally Gator as well as many of the silly corny puns.
Few films have had the impact on the movie industry that Dracula did. Though there had been films that clearly fit into the horror genre before this, this was the movie that truly popularized the genre. It also gave birth to the Universal monster movies, which are some of the very few black and white movies that remain incredibly popular and well known today. However, its historical importance is not the only reason to watch it. It remains a great movie to this day.
The storyline is still very familiar to movie goers today. Renfield (Dwight Frye) travels to Transylvania to make a business transaction with Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi). On his way there, he hears legends that vampires live in Dracula's castle, but he brushes them off as silly superstition. However, as he spends the night there, he is attacked by Dracula and finds himself completely under his power. They travel to London to a house that Dracula had bought there. There Renfield is made to help Dracula get complete power over a beautiful woman (Mina Seward). However, a Dr. Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan), a man who has studied vampires is on to Dracula's plan and tries to protect that young woman.
Though this is not the first film adaption of Bram Stoker's classic novel (many of you are probably familiar with the classic silent film, Nosferatu (1922)), this movie has in many formed what people think of when they hear "Dracula." Most of the later film and TV versions of this character (whether played straight or for comedy) are so heavily influenced by this movie, that even those who have never seen it get their image of the classic literary character from this movie. The main reason for this is the performance by Bela Lugosi as the titular character. Though this film made Lugosi a star, it was far from his start in movies. He had appeared in many movies before this, but he hardly got any attention for his film work. Though he would only return to play the count one time (in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)), his role here would be the basis of most of his film roles that followed. Though he was in some good movies, his film career was never able to escape the shadow of the vampire. As impossible as it might seem today, Bela Lugosi was far from the first choice to play the count in this film. Silent film star Lon Chaney was originally considered for the role, but he passed away before the movie went into production. Universal went through many choices before deciding on Lugosi. Lugosi had though been playing the character on stage in a play adaption of the novel. There he had made the role his own and was one of the main reasons that the play became a success. He fought hard and often pleaded with the studio to give him a role in the film version. Luckily for us he finally won out.
This movie was controversial at Universal. Carl Laemmle Sr., the founder of the studio was dead against it, feeling that audiences wouldn't care for such grim fare. It was a passion project for Carl Laemmle Jr., who had taken over the studio as his 21st birthday present. He had a faith that audiences would react greatly to such films. In most be remembered that before this the studio really hadn't made supernatural horror films. They had made scary movies like Phantom of the Opera (1925) and The Cat and the Canary (1927). However, both of those film had non-supernatural explanations for everything that happened and at the end of the day (like in an episode of Scooby-Doo) there were no real monsters or ghosts. Outside of Universal, there had been movies that could be considered supernatural horror. However, they were in the minority and most spooky films would have some sort of non-supernatural explanation. After Dracula that would all change. Despite any reservations that may have been had about such a movie, the film became a massive hit with audiences. Critics also liked the film and it received quite good reviews on its release.
Tod Browning was a prefect director for a film like this. His best movies have a very grim and gothic feel to them. While few of his earlier films could be classified as horror, the gothic feel to them makes them favorites among fans of old horror movies. His best-known work before Dracula were a series of silent feature films starring Lon Chaney. These include The Unholy Three (1925), The Blackbird (1926), The Road to Mandalay (1926), the infamous lost film London After Midnight (1927), The Unknown (1927) (one of the best films for both actor and director), The Big City (1928), West of Zanzibar (1928) and Where East Is East (1929). After Dracula, Browning would make what many consider his masterpiece, Freaks (1932). Freaks was a movie that was well ahead of its time and proved to be a box office and critical failure on its release and this would sadly greatly hurt the career of this great director. Despite having such a legendary director, actor David Manners remembered little of Browning while working on this film. Manners has been quoted as saying when asked about working with Browning, "It's funny you should ask. Someone asked me the other day who directed [Dracula] and I had to say, I hadn't the faintest idea! ... The only directing I saw was done by Karl Freund, the cinematographer." He described the whole production as "extremely disorganized."
It is a common criticism that the first 20 minutes are fantastic, and the rest of the film fails to live up to this. While I don't fully agree with this assessment, I do understand it. The first 20 minutes of this movie are incredibly cinematic. Browing's directing, Charles D. Hall's art direction and the work of legendary cinematographer Karl Freund (who would later go on to direct the Universal monster movie, The Mummy (1932)) make the early scenes in Transylvania incredibly atmospheric and memorable. The visual images from these early scenes will stay in your mind long after the film is over. This visual style also gives these scenes a haunting feel that emphasizes brilliantly, how much danger Reinfeld is in. These early scenes show the silent film roots of the director. If you took out all the dialogue, these scenes would still remain incredibly haunting and powerful.
The common criticism of when the film moves to London is that it becomes like a filmed stage play (it was just as much an adaption of the 1927 stage play as Bram Stoker's novel). This I can't argue with at all. However, the performances from Dwight Frye, Edward Van Sloan and of course Bela Lugosi, clever dialogue ("For one who has not lived even a single lifetime, you're a wise man, Van Helsing.") and a real sense of suspense and dread make up for the lack of cinematic flair in these later scenes. Though it is doubtful that this will give nightmares to those used to modern horror films, it has a real haunting and eerie feel that makes this possibly the creepiest of the classic Universal monster movies.
The legacy that this film left behind cannot be overstated. This reason alone, would be enough of a reason for any movie fan to watch it. However, beyond this the movie is also still a delight to watch today.
This film is a slice of life story about a man who has always had more time for work than for his family, trying to truly connect with his three kids (including one adult kid) for the first time. While this story is hardly anything new, it is told very well. This movie has a warm heart and real sweetness to it. None of this ever feels calculated or forced, but rather completely natural. This is especially true because the relationships between the characters do seem real. Even after we watch our main character do the wrong thing again and again, we can see that underneath all his flaws, he truly does love his family. The scenes between him and his adult daughter are especially moving. You can see that their relationship has been damaged by him not being there for her. Yet you can also see that there is no one in the world they love more than each other. It is this attention to the complexities of human relationships that makes this stand out above other similar fare. Michael Keaton and Mila Kunis as the father and the adult daughter have incredible chemistry with each other. This truly makes the relationship between the characters all the more real and moving to us.
As I said before, the storyline is very familiar, and this does make the movie very predictable. The humor made me smile, but I wish that there had been a few laugh out loud moments as well.
This film is only the second movie directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer (her first being the romantic comedy Home Again (2017)), who is the daughter of filmmakers Charles Shyer and Nancy Meyers. She even appeared in some of her parents' movies as a kid.
As a Hanna-Barbera fan, I admit that there is always something warm and cozy about seeing Hanna-Barbera characters from different series appearing together. Because of this Laff-A-Lympics holds a special place in my heart. This series featured three teams of Hanna-Barbera characters competing against each other in Olympic type events. These three teams were the Yogi Yahooeys, the Scooby Doobies and the Really Rottens. The Yogi Yahooeys consisted of many of the studio's earlier funny talking animal characters. The Scooby Doobies consisted of characters from the studio's mystery solving and crime fighting cartoons. The Really Rottens were the villains of the show and the only team where many of the members were created for this show. Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf served as our hosts and the judges.
In this episode the constants compete in a bicycle race and "capture the flag at the top of the Eiffel Tower" in France, as well as a boomerang throw and a kangaroo race in Australia.
This episode is tons of fun. The slapstick gags here are simply wonderful. Quick Draw McGraw's bicycle ride and Grape Ape's way of capturing the flag at the top of the tower are great highlights here. The way the Blue Falcon wins the boomerang throw is very clever as well. There is also some delightful character animation with the dancing kangaroo that Scooby-Dum is riding. The settings in this episode (especially during the kangaroo race in Australia) allow for some of the wonderful background art that populates Hanna-Barbera cartoons of this time period. This episode also does a good job keeping a sense of excitement with keeping the scores very close all the way through.
A romantic comedy where a young woman falls in love with the monster in her closet is already a delightfully offbeat premise for a film. However, what makes this movie work so well is that it doesn't play everything for laughs. Even in its darkest moments (and this film definitely gets pretty dark), it has a really big heart. The relationship between the young woman and the monster is surprisingly sweet and it provides the film with some very heartwarming moments. I love how these two outsiders are able to see each other for who they really are, something no one else can do. Our young heroine finds everyone who supposedly cares about her is only looking out for themselves. Only the character who is outwardly a monster, actually cares what happens to her. Though she is at first terrified of him, having someone who truly cares about her makes her see that this monster is just a lonely guy who may need a friend, despite his outward appearance and his tough talk. Both characters themselves are very likable and easy to care about. We can all relate to our heroine's ambition and her desire to simply get what she was promised. We feel very much for her and want to see her have success in a world that seems to be against her. This all leads to an incredibly dark but satisfying ending that I won't dare give away here. Maybe some people will think that this ending goes too far or ends too abruptly, but I think it is perfect and well earned. This movie also benefits from a fantastic cast (lead by great performances from Melissa Barrera and Tommy Dewey), a great design for the monster, very atmospheric uses of lighting and a very catchy and clever original song.
For such an offbeat movie, I do feel the humor should have been funnier. The humor is fine here and there are many times when it made me chuckle or smile. However, it did not make me laugh out loud as often as I felt it should. There were a few laugh out loud moments her but not as many as there should be in a film like this.
I also felt that the supporting characters are kinda bland here and none of them feel as real as our two leads do. There was an attempt to flesh out one of these supporting characters. While it kind of worked, I do feel it comes a bit too late.
This movie marks the first feature film directed by Caroline Lindy. It is actually based off of her 2020 short film of the same name.
While this is not for everyone and the humor could have been stronger, this is a pure offbeat and dark delight.
As a Hanna-Barbera fan, I admit that there is always something warm and cozy about seeing Hanna-Barbera characters from different series appearing together. Because of this Laff-A-Lympics holds a special place in my heart. This series featured three teams of Hanna-Barbera characters competing against each other in Olympic type events. These three teams were the Yogi Yahooeys, the Scooby Doobies and the Really Rottens. The Yogi Yahooeys consisted of many of the studio's earlier funny talking animal characters. The Scooby Doobies consisted of characters from the studio's mystery solving and crime fighting cartoons. The Really Rottens were the villains of the show and the only team where many of the members were created for this show. Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf served as our hosts and the judges.
In the Sahara Desert the teams compete in a drag race and try to fill up an empty oasis. In Scotland the teams compete to capture a picture of the Loc Ness Monster and in a three-legged kilt race.
This episode is full of just the type of corny fun that we have come to expect from this series. There is plenty of delightfully silly slapstick and corny puns throughout. The highlight is the teams looking for the Lockness monster. This bit is filled with all the Hanna-Barbera slapstick one could hope for. This is especially true as because when you involve monsters, you get to see Scooby and Shaggy doing what they do best. Wally Gator and Snooper being underwater also adds to the slapstick fun of the event. The ending of that event is perfect slapstick. The three-legged kilt race is also a highlight. The idea of having the giant Grape Ape and the tiny Yakky Doodle being tied together is a delightful clever idea. The magic that Babu uses to get him and Scooby-Dum to help them in the races also leads to some good slapstick. I also like that this episode does a great job of keeping you guessing who is going to win and actually has some surprises in that department.
As a Hanna-Barbera fan, I admit that there is always something warm and cozy about seeing Hanna-Barbera characters from different series appearing together. Because of this Laff-A-Lympics holds a special place in my heart. This series featured three teams of Hanna-Barbera characters competing against each other in Olympic type events. These three teams were the Yogi Yahooeys, the Scooby Doobies and the Really Rottens. The Yogi Yahooeys consisted of many of the studio's earlier funny talking animal characters. The Scooby Doobies consisted of characters from the studio's mystery solving and crime fighting cartoons. The Really Rottens were the villains of the show and the only team where many of the members were created for this show. Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf served as our hosts and the judges.
In Acapulco, the teams compete in a diving contest, an underwater relay race and a speedboat race. In England the teams climb Big Ben, hunt a fox and have a polo contest.
Again this episode is full of the silly corny fun that I love about these 70's Hanna-Barbera cartoons. There are delightfully silly slapstick gags. This is especially true in the fix hunt scene which is a classic cartoon chase at its best. The speedboat race also has some great slapstick with Pixie, Dixie and Mr. Jinx as well as in the Big Ben scene with Shaggy using the anchor to reach the top and finding himself sein a Harold Lloyd type of situation. The episode is also full of delightfully corny puns. These puns might not be laugh out loud funny, but their sheer corniness makes me smile. Also delightful is Jabberjaw's cameo. I also really like that the scores between the three teams stay pretty close to each other making the games more exciting. This episode also benefits from some great background art during the Acapulco scenes.
Hello my friends and happy Saturday morning. Once again it is time for some classic cartoons.
Today's cartoon selection begins with a classic Tom and Jerry short, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse (1947). Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Mouse was nominated for the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Its competition included, Chip an' Dale (1947, Disney), Pluto's Blue Note (1947, Disney), Tubby the Tuba (1947, George Pal Puppetoon) and Tweetie Pie (1947, Warner Brothers). The Oscar would go to Tweetie Pie, which would mark the first Oscar for a Warner Brothers cartoon. Tweetie Pie also has historical significance because it is the first film to pair Sylvester and Tweety. In that cartoon Slyvester is actually called Thomas. The following is a review from The Film Daily, "Frightening Satire To prevent Jerry from drinking milk from the refrigerator, Tom brews a deadly potion. Instead of polishing off the rapid rodent as intended, it imbues him with super-mousean powers and for a while the familiar cat-after-mouse chase is reversed. When the brew wears off the familiar routine begins once again, with amusing, if frightening results. Some pretty strong stuff for kids but amusing overall." I don't know about you, but I was able to handle this cartoon just fine as a kid. Tom and Jerry would return to the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story in an episode of Hanna-Barbera's TV cartoon series, The Tom and Jerry Show entitled See Dr. Jackal and Hide (1975). In that episode Tom and Jerry work as assistants in Dr. Jackal's lab and are terrified when Dr. Jackal turns into a monster.
Next is Mickey Mouse cartoon, The Chain Gang (1930). This movie is said to be the introduction of Pluto, but this Pluto bears little resemblance (outside of how he visually looks) to the character we know today. He is not Mickey's dog or even his friend here. In this movie two identical looking bloodhounds are chasing Mickey. Neither of the bloodhounds are differentiated in anyway, so it is hard to say which one would go on to a long film career and which one would fade into obscurity. It is worth noting that a scene involving them would be animated by Norm Ferguson, whose later animation of Pluto is often credited with helping give the dog his personality. Animation from this scene would later be reused in four cartoons featuring Pluto. Ferguson would also animate the opening scene of the picture. The first appearance of these dogs was animated by future Woody Woodpecker and Barney Bear director, Dick Lundy (he also animated their little dance). Les Clark, who would later go on to be considered one of Mickey's best animators, doesn't animate the mouse much here. Instead, he animates the guard yelling, the dogs howling to the musical number, the guards with the machine guns and the pig getting shot. Future supervising director of Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941), Ben Sharpsteen animated the prisoners with the picks and the scene with the horses and the wagon. Future Donald Duck director Jack King animated the pig trying to smash the rock, the cat playing the cow's tail like a musical instrument and the guard yelling for help. Tom Palmer animates Mickey trying to break the rock, Mickey being pulled back by the ball and chain when he tries to run and the final shot of the picture. Johnny Cannon animates the guard sleeping, the cat dancing, the whistles blowing and Mickey running downhill. Future supervising director for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942) animates the cow playing the pick like a piccolo, Mickey playing a rock like a musical instrument and Mickey falling through the roof of the prison.
Now for the Terry Toons cartoon, Phoney News Flashes (1955).
It is now time for an early Silly Symphonies, The Merry Dwarfs (1929). For Disney buffs one of the most appealing things about the Disney films of the 1920's is that many of them were directed by Walt Disney himself. While these cartoons may not be a polished or sophisticated as the Disney films of the mid to late 1930's and 40's, they give us a peek into the creative mind of one of the most important names in film history. Though there are no animation credits on this cartoon J.B. Kaufman and Russell Merritt's indispensable book about the Silly Symphonies states that Ub Iwerks, Les Clark, Johnny Cannon and Wilfred Jackson worked on this film. The background art is by Carlos Manriquez, who worked on many of the Silly Symphonies of the late 1920's and early 1930's. This film opened in New York, December 11-17, 1929, with the feature film, The Sky Hawk (1929) at the Gaiety theatre. It played at Hollywood's Grauman's Chinese Theatre running from January 17- April 11, 1930, with the feature film The Rouge Song (1930), which features one of the earliest feature film appearances of Laurel and Hardy. The short made its TV debut on an episode of The Mickey Mouse Club that aired on February 3, 1956.
Now it is time for a commercial break.
Next comes an excellent Daffy Duck cartoon, A Coy Decoy (1941). This film was part of a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies in the 1930's and 1940's that featured books coming to life at night. The first of these was I Like Mountain Music (1933) and the last was Book Revue (1946, also starring Daffy Duck). This cartoon features the early Daffy Duck meaning he is not yet the greedy and attention seeking duck he would be later. He is just simply crazy which works perfectly with this crazy short. As much as I love the later Daffy, I have a special fondness for this early crazy duck. A review in The Motion Picture Daily states, "The net result is moderate amusement." The following is an exhibitor's review from The Motion Picture Herald, "COY DECOY, A: Looney Tunes Cartoons—A dandy black and white cartoon.—C. L. Niles, Niles Theatre, Anamosa, Iowa, General Patronage."
Now for a classic silent Felix the Cat short, Daze and Knights (1927).
Now for Donkey Kong in Banana Bikers (1983). This cartoon comes from a TV Show called Saturday Supercade. Each episode of this show was made up of multiple cartoons based on popular video game characters. Other video game characters featured in this show included Frogger, Donkey Kong Jr., Q*bert, Space Ace, Kangaroo and Pitfall Harry. In this cartoon, Donkey Kong is voiced by Soupy Sales, a comedian best known for his TV work in the 1950's and 60's. Mario is voiced by Peter Cullen, best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in Transformers.
Happy spooky season, everybody.
Thanks for joining me. Come back next week for more animated treasures. Until then may all your tunes be looney and your melodies merry.
Resources Used
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse: The Ultimate History by David Gerstein and J.B. Kaufman.
Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons by Leonard Maltin
As a Hanna-Barbera fan, I admit that there is always something warm and cozy about seeing Hanna-Barbera characters from different series appearing together. Because of this Laff-A-Lympics holds a special place in my heart. This series featured three teams of Hanna-Barbera characters competing against each other in Olympic type events. These three teams were the Yogi Yahooeys, the Scooby Doobies and the Really Rottens. The Yogi Yahooeys consisted of many of the studio's earlier funny talking animal characters. The Scooby Doobies consisted of characters from the studio's mystery solving and crime fighting cartoons. The Really Rottens were the villains of the show and the only team where many of the members were created for this show. Snagglepuss and Mildew Wolf served as our hosts and the judges.
In this first episode, the team competes in the Swiss Alps in such events as Downhill Skiing Contest, Free Style Figure Ice Skating, and 4-man Bobsleigh Race, as well as in Tokyo in Sumo Wrestling, Tennis and Baseball.
This is a truly delightful episode. Watching all these characters interact with each other is always a lot of fun. With this series' focus on cartoony slapstick, there are a lot of gags throughout and most of them are a lot of fun. The wrestling match with the giant Grape Ape playing for the Yogis is tons of fun. Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels' sled coming apart and Dynomutt's use of his robotic legs during a tennis match add to fun. I also love Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble with their delightful cameo as they help coach Scooby-Dum in baseball. This episode is also full of delightfully corny puns. While I wouldn't say these puns made me laugh out loud, they made me smile because of how they embraced the corniness. Yet my favorite comedic moment comes from the appearance of Mumbley's mom.
