Pernalonga, O Superstar

I am 34 years old and I watched this movie for the first time today with my two boys. It has been a long time since I have laughed this hard at a show. The boys thought I was just as funny because I would tell them about my childhood days while we watched. Family entertainment and quality time together...you cannot beat it!

Bugs Bunny Superstar (1975)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Orson Welles narrates this documentary that's hosted by Robert Clampett as he tells the story of Bugs Bunny as well as some of the other famous characters including Daffy, Porky, Sylvester and Tweety. This documentary clocks in at 90 minutes and features several shorts in their entirety. These include MY FAVORITE DUCK, HAIR RAISING HARE, THE OLD GREY HARE, RHAPSODY RABBIT, WALKY TALKY HAWKY, THE WILD HARE, THE CORNY CONCERTO, I TAW A PUTTY TAT and WHAT'S COOKIN' DOC? These shorts are of different quality but there's certainly not a bad one in the bunch.

The real highlight is the actual documentary because Clampett serves as a terrific host and we're given all sorts of promotional materials as well as several behind-the-scenes stories including some video footage of the original crew messing around on the set of Warner. There's some great stories about various Hollywood legends who would show up at the studio wondering how the animation was done. We get a nice bit of education on not only the studio and the characters but also how exactly these shorts were made. Fans of Bugs Bunny will certainly enjoy watching the shorts and hearing the stories.

This superb compilation, appropriately narrated by another American cultural giant, Orson Welles, features the best of the 1940s Looney Tunes output, not just Bugs, but Sylvester, Tweetie, Daffy, Porky and Foghorn: 'What's Cookin' Doc', 'A Wild Hare', 'A Corny Concerto', 'Rhapsody Rabbit', 'I Saw A Putty Tat', 'Walky Talky Hawky', 'My Favorite Duck', 'Hair Raising Hare' and ''Old Grey Hare' (see my individual reviews).

As a piece of cultural history, this semi-documentary is inadequate - there is no attempt to explain the subversiveness of these irreverent, flippant, violent, beautiful cartoons in the context of Disney-dominating ick-animation and gloomy, propaganda-laden World War Two - to which many of these cartoons tacitly refer, revealing complicated truths other 'real' films couldn't dare, such as the barbaric effect fighting barbarians can have on 'our' side; there is no analysis of the glorious pretention-pricking of both Hollywood and high culture, or Bugs' androgynous proteanism, or how the cartoons retained a level of fresh invention while seemingly locked in repetitive formulae; of the powerful psychoanalytic premisses of each short, in which a wild, elusive, lawless animal stands in for our stifled desires, especially as World War Two gives on to the post-war world of Joe McCarthy and chums.

Rather, the in-between nostalgic bits celebrate harmless anecdote and japery, putting animation on its proper, neutered level. The cartoons themselves triumphantly bely such a project.

A great movie documentary telling of the early days of the Warner Brothers toon studios (think of "Termite Terrace" as you watch), along with nine great toon shorts the family will love for a long time to come.

This movie should be watched for on Showtime (or any of its other channels). Too bad it's not on video now--it should be taped!

I must agree, it's a family film that indeed shall be grater than any others that will proclaim so in future.

So long live BUGS...long live the MERRIE MELODIES...and LONG LIVE THE LOONEY TUNES!!

An agreeable 10\10 effort from the United Artists team.

Documentary on the creators of Looney Tunes and how they created the various characters. Intespersed are some great cartoons--6 Bugs Bunny ones, a Tweety Bird one, a Foghorn Leghorn one and a Porky Pig and Daffy one.

The documentary is narrated by Orson Welles (!!!!). It might have seemed like a good idea but his deep, heavy voice and total inability to tell a joke correctly really dampens it. There are some interesting little tidbits about Looney Tunes--how they were originally made just for adults and how there was a big outcry when people realized Tweety Bird was naked (!!!). But the real reason to see this are the cartoons. They're in great shape in strong, bright colors. Also they show ones that don't usually appear at other retrospectives--I only recognized 2 of the Bugs Bunny ones. All of them are great but "Carny Concereto" and "Rhapsody Rabbit" are exceptional.

Ignore the docu stuff and concentrate on the cartoons. Lots of fun!