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What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown! (1978)
Darkest Peanuts Special.
Good grief, this is the darkest Peanuts cartoon ever made. I have never seen anything like this before. Charlie Brown wants Snoopy to act like a Sled Dog, but he turns tables on him because Snoopy finds it demeaning. After making his dinner which consists of a lot of pizzas and chocolate milk shakes, he gets into a nightmare where he is a sled dog in a parody, or homage, of Jack London's "Call of the Wild." He gets disliked and treated with hostility by the other sled dogs and the musher. The dogs stop by a bar where Snoopy sneaks in and eats a sandwich and drinks root beer. And like the silent movie comedians before this canine star, like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd, he plays cards and escapes a bar brawl only wind up on a stage where he dances and gets booed upon by an unseen audience. He escapes again and it is back to the sled with the dogs again. Snoopy decided to adapt to it where the dogs respect him because he is one of them. As it turns out thin ice takes him out of the dream and back to reality. Charlie Brown doesn't understand this when he whips another snack. He's going to get another nightmare if he is not careful. The song, "Overly Civilized Dog", is a saving grace that lightens up the dark situation. If "Garfield in the Rough" (1984) is to "Garfield", then "What a Nightmare Charlie Brown" (1978) is to Peanuts. Give it a watch at your own risk. What am I saying. It is not that scary. I have seen worse.
Garfield in the Rough (1984)
The Darkest Garfield Special I have ever seen.
I know this special premiered in 1984, but I saw this sometime in the early 90s. And let me tell you, seeing these cute characters in those dark and scary situations is too contrasting. Sure there are some funny moments like the fantasy sequences the Garfield goes through, as Garfield tries to impress a girl. There is an Italian-themed one, a Mexican-temed one, and a Hawaiian-themed one. They are funny and something of what I call, the saving graces. However, it is time to peel the band-aid off the skin. It has come to my attention that the panther on the loose is the one that makes it all dark and scary. Was I sacred when I first saw it in lower school? Yes, I was. I felt so sorry for the poor characters. It was dark. Dark in 1984, dark in 1991, dark in 2007, dark in 2012, dark today! How could they put this on national television?! The other good part was the ending. Where you know what happened. It is a feel-good one too, so I won't spoil it for you. You have to see it. I bet you were sacred by the panther in this cartoon. Let me tell you that this is suitable for kids seven and up. However, there are some scenes that can frighten not only younger viewers, but sensitive viewers too. This cartoon can teach kids about courage and learn to stand up for themselves.
Give it a watch at your own risk.
No Time to Spy: A Loud House Movie (2024)
Enjoyable fun and it is better than first movie!
I just saw it on Nickelodeon today and let me tell you, it blows the first one, THE LOUD HOUSE MOVIE (2021), out of the water. Because it feels like fan-fiction brought to life with some songs added to it as if it is trying to mimic Disney. Here, this one is a serious to the point roller coaster of thrills, chills, and laughs that is fun for the whole family! And what I mean by that, is that it will not annoy the parents (as well as the grand parents and aunt and uncle), and the older siblings (even the older cousins). The courage, the love, the morale, and a great score, along with awesome voice-acting. Also, the animation is pretty cool too. Speaking of which, there are some celebrity voice talents. Sarah Niles as the voice of X, Dan Folges as the voice of Mr. Dufus, and WWE Pro Wrestler, Paul Wight as the voice of Ham Hands. If THE LOUD HOUSE MOVIE, which you can see on Netflix, let you down, then NO TIME TO SPY: A LOUD HOSE MOVIE will make it up to you. It is like fan-fic by 25 to 5 percent because it looks the writer watched a lot of James Bond movies or parodies like DANGER MOUSE (the 2015 reboot, which you can see on Netflix, so check it out and spread the word) or T. U. F. F. PUPPY (a Butch Hartman cartoon that aired on Nick). The 75 to 95 percent is made up of faithfulness to the original Nickelodeon cartoon in terms of humor and imagination. If you want to see the movie's credit's in all it's entirety, watch it on Paramount Plus because the Nickelodeon airing cut it short. Like the first film and THE CASAGRANDES MOVIE (which is also available on Netflix and feels like fan-fic), expect Chris Savino's involvement to be downplayed because this guy, who was the original creator of the show, got fired for sexual harassment. I first heard about the movie being "announced" via a report on YouTube user Vailskibum94 early last year (January 12th 2023) saying that on a freelance editor's LinkedIn page as THE LOUD HOUSE 2. The editor worked on it from September 2022 to December 2022. Gee, that should have been kept mum or let the big head at Nick announce to the microphones first so hype can be brought up.
Bottom line: If you enjoyed (or didn't enjoy) THE LOUD HOUSE MOVIE, then NO TIME TO SPY: A LOUD HOUSE MOVIE is a lot more fun.
Alien Xmas (2020)
Sweet and quirky Christmas special that is yet to be a classic.
This is worth the watch on Netflix and I enjoyed it. What I liked about it was that it used stop-motion animation. The same technique that was used in those Rankin-Bass specials. I like how the character, Obie, the elf, was a nice tribute to Willis O'Brien, the man who animated the title apes in the original versions of KING KONG and MIGHTY JOE YOUNG. Not to mention inspiring the Chiodo Brothers, the men behind this special, get into film-making and animation in the first place. Audiences young and old will enjoy it. It is not annoying.
Give it a watch. You will like it. I guarantee. Merry X-Mas.
The B.B. Beegle Show (1979)
A feeble attempt to rival THE MUPPET SHOW.
That's right. This pilot is Hanna-Barbera's attempt to rival Jim Henson. Specifically THE MUPPET SHOW. B. B. Beagle is like the show's answer to Kermit the Frog, there is a female dog who is a stuck up starlet who doesn't like this show "It ought to be illegal" as she said in the theme song. There are two burly guys in the bar who love the show and they are their answer to Statler and Waldor.
If THE HANNA-BARBER HAPPY HOUR was round one on aping Henson, then this is round two. If people say that there is no such thing as a MUPPET SHOW knock-off, show them this video on YouTube. You're warned.
The Christmas Raccoons (1980)
The first Christmas special with an Environmental Message.
Before "Frosty Returns" (1992), this Christmas special, "The Christmas Raccoons", was one of the first Christmas specials to have an environmental message. Most Christmas specials have messages about togetherness, family and giving. Sure, this one does, but at least it doesn't cram it down your throat like "Frosty's Returns".
The characters are interesting and likable. Bert Raccoon is a funny and lovable. The villain, Cyril Sneer, is a representation of corporate greed. Nothing says 1980's like corporate greed being abstracted in a cartoon. There are two things I would like to point out: The part where Ralph Raccoon (who akin to Melissa Raccoon, is the straight character/voice of reason), said to Bert, "Let the sleeping dog lie" is a laugh. Because it is reference to the old saying, "Let sleeping dogs lie." Another scene, is where Cedric Sneer, Cyril's son, held up a skinny Christmas tree and talked about Christmas. This is a blatant reference to "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (read my review on this 1965 special). This Canadian cartoon referenced this American cartoon, 15 years later. If you want to spoof/reference/homage a childhood classic, you got to wait until you grow up. All in all, it is worth the watch, it is sweet, funny, and utterly charming. Not rated, but a TV-G will do.
Gojira no gyakushû (1955)
A Decent Sequel to the Original.
This is a pretty good sequel in the most adult fashion. I'll explain later why. Remember in the first GODZILLA film where it has the memorable quote: "If they keep making more H-bomb testings, another Godzilla will appear in another part of the world." Well there was another Godzilla found and he is fighting against Angilas (in his film debut). There was drama and intrigue in this film that dealt with romance and tragedy. The film pays homage not only to the original KING KONG, but to ONE MILLION B.C. (1940). When Godzilla and Angilas fought, it looks rapid and energetic. This is because the camera got accidentally undercranked giving the illusion that it looked like stop-motion animation making it looks almost like stop-motion (reminsent to the original 1925 silent classic THE LOST WORLD). The happy accident was used again in later Godzilla films such as MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA (1964) and GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH (1971).
Remember when I told you how adult this film was for adults? Well, there was a plan for sequel to called BRIDE OF GODZILLA? This idea was so whacked out that it would work better on paper. It is about a scientis who lost his wife and says there was a lost world under the earth where there were a lot of Godzillas, a lot of Angilas, giant chameleons, giant archaeopteryxes, mermaids and mammoths! So a giant robot built under the image of his daughter (made to honor her I guess, also she would look like the robot from METROPOLIS) go to that underground lost world, fights Angilas by breaking his jaw apart and approach Godzilla, the giant lizard falls in love with her. However, it is a trap and her body is a bomb and the King of the Monsters gets blasted to death. If that got made, it would be too whacked out, too adult, and the franchise would be killed off too quickly. The giant archypoteryx would end up as Rodan and perhaps the giant chameleon would end up as Varan the Unbelievable. It is good thing that BRIDE OF GODZILLA? was left unmade, then we would have no franchise!
Going back on topic of GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN, this is a rather interesting movie, though the ending is enough to build up for a sequel that is going to happen and it did.
Give it a watch, especially if you don't like campy Godzilla films. Not rated, but a PG would workd and it is best if kids over the age of seven can watch it.
Frosty the Snowman (1969)
Another timeless classic.
This timeless classic is memorable and highly enjoyable. This is one of the many classics that avidly gets broadcasted on CBS every Christmas. I enjoyed the animations, the design and the voices. Especially Paul Frees' voice talent. It is highly entertaining with sweet songs. When I first heard the song, this cartoon special came to mind. Later, I learned that the song came from a cartoon that was made 19 years before this special. It was a UPA cartoon that featured the song and revolved entirely around it. Anyway, I highly recommend watching this cartoon, despite having two sequels that came out decades later. It is timeless. Amusing in 1969, amusing in 1978, amusing in 1986, amusing in 1995, amusing today. Give it a watch, it is fun for the family and it is the kind of special you let the kiddies watch.
Bottom line: Highly enjoyable, but watch the sequels at your own risk.
Prehistoric Pink (1968)
Pink Panther plus Prehistoric Times equals Entertaining fun.
This was in no doubt inspired by the success of ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. (which premiered in 1966) with Rachel Welch and the popularity of THE FLINTSTONES (which ended in 1966). Here the Pink Panther and the pointy-nosed little caveman try to move a slab of rock (perhaps inspired by the then-new film 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY). Along the way, they discover the creation of the wheel, but find out that it is dangerous and reject it. All in all, it is a really entertaining and funny cartoon. Rated G, so it is worth the watch.
Follow That Bird (1985)
Enjoyable fun for the family.
In 1969, SESAME STREET premiered on PBS and it was the longest running show for 50 years. This educational series for preschoolers had Muppet skits, comedy skits, animated skits and filmed skits (usually shot on 16 millimeter film). However, during the show's run there was a lot of merchandising in the 1970's and 80's. Joan Gantz Cooney thought, if the show made a lot of money from it's merchandising, why not make a movie! And so the film was made. When I was a youngster I saw the film's poster in various toy stores at a lot of malls, and I even saw the video cover in video stores. I stumbled upon this movie on HBO, years before the show even came to that channel. As you know, I was familiar with the show, but seeing them in a movie. I saw the film and let me tell you it is enjoyable from beginning to end. From the animated sequence showing Big Bird blow up the film's company, as a humorous take on the show's "sponsors" which happen to be letters and numbers and those animated bumpers that played before the show starts back in the late sixties to mid-seventies, to Count van Count appearing in the credits and after the credits (what a laugh). This is the first film to have a villain in it and these villains are laughable! My brother and I enjoyed it.
However, when the movie came out, it flopped. Why? Because it got out-shined by Tim Burton's "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure". This caused Joan Gantz Cooney to do something. Since shows like "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" and "You Can't Do That On Television" along with cartoons like "Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures" and "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" were so popular, she decided to make the show as wacky as these shows causing it to lose it's charm. As a kid, I asked some kids younger than me if they have seen this movie and they did as if it was something commonly watched like "The Wizard of Oz" or a Disney film. I believe that younger generations have not seen the movie because they have been seeing another movie that Joan Gantz Cooney made 14 years later which was "Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland," but that is another story.
"Follow that Bird" is funny and enjoyable so give it a watch, it is rated G. I highly recommend it because I think younger generations should see it. By the way, Happy 50th Anniversary Sesame Street.
Follow That Bird (1985)
Enjoyable fun for the family.
In 1969, SESAME STREET premiered on PBS and it was the longest running show for 50 years. This educational series for preschoolers had Muppet skits, comedy skits, animated skits and filmed skits (usually shot on 16 millimeter film). However, during the show's run there was a lot of merchandising in the 1970's and 80's. Joan Gantz Cooney thought, if the show made a lot of money from it's merchandising, why not make a movie! And so the film was made. When I was a youngster I saw the film's poster in various toy stores at a lot of malls, and I even saw the video cover in video stores. I stumbled upon this movie on HBO, years before the show even came to that channel. As you know, I was familiar with the show, but seeing them in a movie. I saw the film and let me tell you it is enjoyable from beginning to end. From the animated sequence showing Big Bird blow up the film's company, as a humorous take on the show's "sponsors" which happen to be letters and numbers and those animated bumpers that played before the show starts back in the late sixties to mid-seventies, to Count van Count appearing in the credits and after the credits (what a laugh). This is the first film to have a villain in it and these villains are laughable! My brother and I enjoyed it.
However, when the movie came out, it flopped. Why? Because it got out-shined by Tim Burton's "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure". This caused Joan Gantz Cooney to do something. Since shows like "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" and "You Can't Do That On Television" along with cartoons like "Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures" and "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" were so popular, she decided to make the show as wacky as these shows causing it to lose it's charm. As a kid, I asked some kids younger than me if they have seen this movie and they did as if it was something commonly watched like "The Wizard of Oz" or a Disney film. I believe that younger generations have not seen the movie because they have been seeing another movie that Joan Gantz Cooney made 14 years later which was "Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland," but that is another story.
"Follow that Bird" is funny and enjoyable so give it a watch, it is rated G. I highly recommend it because I think younger generations should see it. By the way, Happy 50th Anniversary Sesame Street.
Witch's Night Out (1978)
An underrated, obscure, Halloween classic that needs to be seen.
This is a really interesting cartoon that I remember watching on the Disney Channel back in the 80's and 90's. It even appeared on HBO back in the 80's and a clip of it appeared on THE GREAT SPACE COASTER. Speaking of which (no pun intended) when I watched it for the first time, one title came to mind: SESAME STREET. Now why that? Are the characters Small and Tender like Ernie and Bert? (Because one is orange and one is yellow?) Do you think that the characters Rotten and Malicious are like Oscar the Grouch and Grundgetta? (Because of their negative attitudes?) Does Goodly look like Mr. Johnson, the fat blue guy who gets annoyed by Grover, with a makeover? (Because he is blue and has a mustache?) Does Nicely look like a mixture between Big Bird and Prairie Dawn? (Because she is pink and fluffy looking?) Oh shut up already! While that could be a possibility, the reason why SESAME STREET came to my mind was that because John Leach, created that cartoon as well as various animated segments for SESAME STREET. Going back to the review, I would like to point out that Gilda Radner voiced the title witch in the cartoon. Also, I would like to point out that the music is really cool. Dig that Casio synthesizer! That is my guess. All in all, it is not scary, but the design and animation is no SCOOBY-DOO, so it is trippy. Bottom line: Give it a watch the kids will enjoy it and they won't get scared. This is purely family fun. Not rated, but a TV-G would work. Happy Halloween.
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (1975)
Nice little Peanuts special.
Poor Charlie Brown. He didn't get anything for Valentine's Day. Poor Linus. He is in the same mess too! This special is fun for the family and highly enjoyable. It is kind of normal for children who are in love with older people or adults. This is a good way to teach children to accept the fact that adults go with adults and kids go with kids. The good thing about this cartoon is that we see Snoopy's lovable tomfoolery with Lucy, Charlie Brown and Woodstock which gives out a good laugh (especially with his "pawpet show"). Bottom line: Worth the watch. Rated TV-G because it is fun for the whole family, plus parents can tell their kids the importance of love for their right age and how to accept it.
Happy Valentines Day.
Popeye and Son (1987)
From the department of "What Were They Thinking?"
Back by popular demand, it is time for "Matthew Rants!" Popeye the Sailor. He is one of the most celebrated icons of the 20th century. Now we all know that Popeye has to be modern. He sang the song "Man on the Flying Trapeze" in the 1930's. He fought in World War II in the 1940's. He fought aliens in the 1950's. He went into a Beatnik's club in the 1960's. He danced in a disco with Olive Oyle in the 1970's. So what is he going to happen for the 1980's? Make them yuppies. Have them settle down and have families. Let Popeye and Olive get married and have a son. Have Bluto get a wife and have a son who is a bully for Popeye's son. Now the tradition continues. This has to be the dumbest idea ever made since THE ALL NEW POPEYE SHOW added in two stories where Popeye is living the life of a caveman and Olive Oyle is in the army (!) THE ALL-NEW POPEYE SHOW (which was made by Hanna-Barbera), was known for replacing the violence (which the theatrical cartoons were known for) with the deus-ex-machina. Now this new cartoon has the two rival becoming a family and having kids and put in a few characters here and there such as Professor O.G. Whatasnozzle, Eugene the Jeep, Nana Oyle, Poopdeck Pappy, and the goons. What happened to Sweet-Pea and Popeye's nephews? Anyway, this bobera from Hanna-Barbera aired on CBS (the same channel that aired the 1978 reboot). The stories in the episodes are dumb to begin with. On the plus side the only good thing apart from the music, is when Popeye Jr. takes his spinach he gets disgusted first but through time has to accept it. This teaches kids how to accept food like spinach. All in all, this iteration of the beloved cartoon can make the 1980 movie look like an epic. As a kid, I loved it, so did my mother, but with age comes a new pair of eyes. Looking back, this is stupid with a capital S! When I told about it to my mother, she felt disgusted, or as Popeye would say, "disgustipated". She said that the show is stupid. Somethings work well on paper. No wonder the cartoon had a short run. Around that time the show was on the air, there were Quaker Oatmeal commercials with the beloved hero. This show like those commercials are on YouTube, you have been warned! Poor Popeye, he has gone through the mud just like other great heroes like Batman with his campy show during the sixties, Spider-Man with his skits on the original ELECTRIC COMPANY, The Teen Titans with their jokey cartoon on Cartoon Network (which gets too much air time), and speaking of which, The Powerpuff Girls and their jokey reboot where everything we knew and loved about it, is thrown out the window (because they want make money out of it). Bottom line: Avoid it at all costs. Rated TV-Y, but it contains some cartoon violence that happen to be downplayed.
The Valley of Gwangi (1969)
Cowboys vs. Dinosaurs
In 1942, stop-motion animator Willis H. O'Brien, who was known for doing the special effects work on the original versions of THE LOST WORLD (1925) and KING KONG (1933) faced a tough time between 1933 and 1946. He had an idea for a movie about cowboys catching a dinosaur and bringing it back alive (where it escapes and wreaks havoc and gets killed by the heroes). The project was called GWANGI, he pitched it to RKO with a script, storyboard, diorama and a puppet built by Marcel Delgado. Sadly, the project was left unmade due to how expensive it was. Obie ended up working on the original MIGHTY JOE YOUNG four years later.
Enter 1967, after the success of Hammer's ON MILLION YEARS B.C. (1966), Ray decided to rework the project with his producer and friend, Charles Schneer. The result was THE VALLEY OF GWANGI (1969). Taking place in the old west, a group of cowboys, lead by Tuck Kirby, played by James Franciscus (who would later appear in BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES in 1970), track down a big blue Allosaurus-Tyrannosaurus Rex hybrid, to bring it back alive, where it wreaks havoc in the city. James Franciscus does a great performance as the film's protagonist. Gila Golan as the lovely T.J. is added for the film's sex appeal akin to Rachel Welch with ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. Laurence Naismith as the quirky old Englishman, Professor Bromley, is enough to supply some laughs and chuckles. Curtis Arden as Lope is a nice addition for the kids, and horror actress Freda Jackson (you might remember her on 1965's DIE MONSTER DIE with Boris Karloff) as Tia Zorina, The Witch, giving the film a chilling and eerie feel to it. If there is anything that steals the picture and attracts audiences, it is Ray Harryhausen's wonderful special effects and animation! Gwangi the Big Blue Allosaurus is one thing, but the other monsters are another. There is a Styracosaurus that fights and looses to the prehistoric blue meanie. An Ornithiomimus, which as the protagonists best describe it as, "a plucked ostrich." A pterodactyl that take Lope and gets lassoed down. Plus, an Eohippus, the prehistoric ancestor to the modern horse to add cuteness factor to it. There were a lot of changes in this production. Obie's unmade version had a Triceratops, a lion fight in the arena (which got used in MIGHTY JOE YOUNG), and gets knocked off a cliff by a truck (which predated the death of the T-Rex in DINOSAURUS (1960) where the beast gets knocked off a cliff by a crane). In this version, there is a Styracosaurus, an elephant fight in the arena (a throwback to 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH), and Gwangi meets his fate inside a burning cathedral, (taking a page out of FRANKENSTEIN). This monster, like King Kong and the Rhedosaurs in THE BEAST FROM 20'00 FATHOMS (1953), caused people to tear up when dying a horrible death.
While the film did have a lot of good merchandising and promotion like any blockbuster film, this movie flopped in the box-office! Why? First of all, most people are not into this whole escapism films. Most of the films at that time consisted on sex, drugs, and rock n' roll. According to Ray Harrhausen, he said that no one wanted to see a naked dinosaur. Well guess what? This movie gained a cult following. Joseph Laudati, who is a stop-motion animator and Harryhausen fan, made an animated amateur super-8 film in 1976 called THE PRIMEVAL KINGS. Tony Luke's animated amateur films from the 80's featured Titanus, and he is modeled after Gwangi. One time someone asked me if I heard of THE VALLEY OF GWANGI and seen it. I replied that I did, and the person who asked was relived because most people never heard of it. What does it come to show? Two things: It is an underrated classic and a cult classic. Bottom line: Worth the watch so give it one. Rated G, but it contains violence and some gore. Best watched for children over the age of seven.
Pre-Hysterical Hare (1958)
Bugs Bunny vs. Elmer Fudd (Prehistoric Style)
With footage taken from CAVEMAN INKI, it is basically the same old Bugs Bunny versus Elmer Fudd story, only this time it is set in prehistoric times. While Elmer Fudd has hair and a unibrow, Bugs Bunny has a long buck tooth. Here is a fact, there is such thing as a prehistoric rabbit. It is called a Palaeolagus, which looks like a rabbit, but smaller on the years. It is pretty fun to watch and it is directed by Robert McKimson. In one scene there is a narrator that sounds like Hanna-Barbera cartoon character, Captain Caveman. All in all, give it a watch, it is highly enjoyable. Not rated, but a G-rating will work.
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
The one that started it all.
Before GODZILLA and before THEM! there was THE BEAST FROM 20'000 FATHOMS. It was the first atomic-blast-brings-giant-monster-to-attack-civilization movies ever made. Underrated? It sure is because people think that GODZILLA was the one that started it all, but really it was inspired by this movie. This was (loosely) based on a short story by Ray Bradbury under the same name (which later got changed as "The Foghorn") and this movie was Ray Harryhaussen's first spot on the stop-motion animation (since Willis O'Brien turned it town). The music purely defines the decade, tone and feel of this movie. While this movie with amazing special effects is impressive, the film as a whole is underrated, when I bring it up, only a few people heard of it, but when someone brings it up, I tell them that I heard of this movie. It would be great if this movie got remade, just like the way Peter Jackson remade KING KONG. Have the story be set in the 1950's and have the whole atomic-age paranoia be the subject. (Say, wasn't it remade in 1998 as GODZILLA? Well, I guess that the filmmakers got their monsters and story lines all mixed up.) In the 1950's Americans worried about two things: The atomic bomb and the communist threat. The giant monsters are an allegory to the bomb, while the aliens are an allegory to communism. So give it a watch, I highly recommend it. Not rated, but a PG will work due to some violence and gore there.
Pre-Hysterical Man (1948)
Popeye and Olive get lost in a lost world.
This short plays out like something straight out of a science-fiction/fantasy story. Popeye and Olive go into a cave and encounter a dinosaur and a caveman, who happens to be Bluto. It is up to Popeye to save Olive from Bluto's ancestor. The gags are funny. For instance, when Popeye beats up the dinosaur, it flies out of frame and lands in frame as a skeleton with a sign that reads "Dinosaur. Now Extinct." I highly recommend this cartoon as a short subject to play if you are having a screening party with friends and the main feature is a creature-from-lost-world movie such as UNKNOWN ISLAND (1948) or LAND UNKNOWN (1957). Not rated, but a G-rating would be nice, despite the silly cartoon violence that would strike nerves on the politically correct snot-balls who overreact at a drop of hat. On the bright side, the animation is nice, not to mention the music.
Caveman Inki (1950)
Chuck Jones goes walking with dinosaurs again!
In the tradition of Wille E. Coyote and Roadrunner, there is no dialogue and the action speaks louder than words. Inki the hunter was going to hunt a dinosaur, but instead goes after the Mynah Bird leading them in a series of wacky events. It is a great cartoon, the dinosaurs are interesting to look at and the animation is great, not to mention the music. But with every up there is a down. It is politically incorrect. First of all, the character is offensive to look at and is bound to cause an uproar. There are some running gags there. It must be seen to be believed. Give it a watch. Although it is not rated, but a G-rating would be nice.
The Arctic Giant (1942)
Superman versus Godzilla.
From the team responsible for bring characters like Betty Boop and Popeye to life, were the first to bring Superman to the screen. The story is about a report of a giant prehistoric monster that was found frozen in ice, when it got defrosted, the monster is loose and it is up to the Man of Steel to stop him. This film, must of sparked the imagination of various film-makers and writers such as Ray Harryhausen, Ray Bradbury, Inshiro Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, and Gianfranco Parolini (Frank Kramer) (creator of (read my review) YETI: GIANT OF THE 20TH CENTURY). The animation is great, the story is awesome and the visuals are thrillingly wonderful. The dinosaur looks like a precursor to Godzilla. This cartoon is worth the watch and would be a great short to play in a screening party as an appetizer to your main course, which is a Godzilla-type monster movie. Highly recommended, so give it a watch. Not rated so a G-rating will work. By the way, I think this is in the public domain.
The Ugly Dino (1940)
A prehistoric iteration of "The Ugly Duckling."
Yup that's what it is. It is one of their Stone-Age cartoons that came out in 1940 inspired by the success of ONE MILLION B.C. They were created by Max Fleicher's animation team. Their cartoons predate THE FLINTSTONES so expect to see a lot of modern stone-age humor. In a nutshell, this cartoon is a prehistory retelling of The Ugly Duckling, except it had dinosaurs and had saber-toothed tiger as the villain. While the gags are good, it is a great cartoon worth watching. Not rated, but a G will work.
Prehistoric Porky (1940)
Bob Clampett goes wackily walking with dinosaurs.
With the success of the film, ONE MILLION B.C., it is no wonder that Looney Tunes finds this movie fresh meat for it to lampoon. Boy and how! Pop-culture nut Bob Clampett takes on the movie with Porky Pig and his pet brontosaurus named Rover. (Do you think he was inspired by Chuck Jones' DAFFY AND THE DINOSAUR? Or was it a coincidence?) In this cartoon, we see Porky Pig trying to find a fur coat he got from a magazine, but it won't be easy. We see some jokes and gags that are highly dated with a capital D! Reference to Ned Sparks, an Irish vocal quartet, "Esquire" (spoofed as "Expire"), the NBC chimes (back when it was a radio station), and famous boxer Tony Galento. The gags are good, the dinosaurs are fun to look at, and it is in black and white, so all in all it is a good cartoon.
One Million B.C. (1940)
Clunky Caveman Epic.
I read about it on the book "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Screen" by Marc Shapiro. I saw it on Turner Classic Movies and I took a kick out of it. While the acting is great, the music is awesome, the sound effects are imaginative and the cinematography is wonderful, there is one mammoth problem (pun intended), the special effects. While I don't mind the men in dinosaur suits, the lizards, alligators and armadillos, whether they have horns and spikes glued on their bodies or not, and elephants with fur coats on their bodies look super fake. I know, audiences were not sophisticated back then as they are now, but hey, that was the 1940's. Who can not forget the infamous scene where the Dimetrodon and Lystrosaurs (or should I say, dwarf alligator with a fake fin on his back and tegu lizard) fight. In the years that followed, footage and outtakes from this movie was used in other movies (even in foreign films from countries like Turkey and India). That is bound to outrage the ASPCA. If Hal Roach had half a brain, he would let Willis O'Brien do the special effects and have dinosaurs that would look like dinosaurs and not just lizards with horns and spikes glued on their bodies. However, if the special effects were done by Willis O'Brien, it would be a whole lot better and there would be no 1966 remake with Ray Harryhausen's special effects (or would there?) On the plus side, the film did get an Oscar Nomination for Best Special Effects and Best Original Score. It was a big smash at the box-office. If I were you I recommend the remake because it is better than the original, but give the original a watch if you want to.
Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (1939)
Chuck Jones's early work.
Just one year before ONE MILLION B.C., Chuck Jones made this cartoon that was the primitive ancestor of Wille E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoons. Casper Caveman (Wille E. Coyote's ancestor) wants to catch Daffy Duck (Road Runner's ancestor). Daffy comes up with many ways to stop him in order to survive. Fido, the dinosaur, a brontosaurus to be specific, is the goofy old stooge that gets clobbered around. Daffy in this cartoon is the source of all jokes. He was influenced under Tex Avery and Bob Clampett. Later, Jones would make him the butt of all jokes. A punching bag who gets walked on, stepped on and a total underdog looser. This public domain cartoon is a caveman compared to the later works Chuck Jones did in the 1940's and 1950's that happen to be timeless. Chuck Jones would go back to having another funny prehistoric adventure eleven years later in CAVEMAN INKI.
Buddy's Lost World (1935)
Earliest Looney Tunes cartoon (ever to feature dinosaurs).
Before Robert McKimson, Chuck Jones, and Bob Clampett ever got their hands dirty with making cartoons with dinosaurs in it, Jack King did it first. In this film that pays homage to the 1925 silent classic, THE LOST WORLD. I guess this was made when Jack King decided to spoof this movie, not because the film was ten years old back then, but I guess it has something to do with the popularity of the original KING KONG, and since that movie got spoofed in other cartoon studios in Hollywood parodied it (not to mention the Warner Bros. cartoon I LIKE MOUNTAIN MUSIC spoofed KING KONG), he decided to spoof THE LOST WORLD. The cartoon nowadays is politically incorrect, apart from a harmless reference to The Three Stooges, there is are scenes that make fun of gay people. (Why did I write this? It is Jurassic June and this month is LGBTQ month. In fact, why did i choose it? Oh my gosh! I have been writing all those dinosaur movies earlier, did I? I got to end this.) The animation is good and so are the voices. Later, Warner Bros. would make cartoons that would take place in prehistoric times like Chuck Jones' DAFFY DUCK AND THE DINOSAUR (1939), PREHISTORIC PORKY (1940), CAVEMAN INKI (1949), PREHYSTERICAL HARE (1958) and WILD WILD WORD (1960). Give it a watch, I recommend this movie as a short subject to play in a screening party when you are going to show the original 1925 classic THE LOST WORLD. Give it a watch. Not rated, but a G would work.