Animation Revelation's Animation Blog

This Friday, the first hand-drawn animated Disney movie in years, The Princess and the Frog, comes out. With some of the more recent Disney movies lacking in the certain magic that Disney used to reign supreme in supplying back in the day, this is an event the staff at Animation Revelation can not wait for. Especially not myself, a huge fan of Disney’s movies. Only about a year ago did I decide to rewatch a majority of the studio’s animated films, along with some of their live-action movies. With only days until Princess and the Frog‘s release, I felt the need to spread the good word of Disney out. I’ll try to get the second half of this out tomorrow, where I go over the 5 movies of John Musker and Ron Clements, who wrote and directed Princess, and look over 5 killer movies that most have forgotten or just never gave a second look. But I’m starting this off by listing 5 all-time classics that are great to watch whenever and the ten songs from Disney soundtracks that would make the best soundtrack ever.

5 Movies You Need to Watch Again:

Fantasia (1940):

As you can tell, animation is a major interest of not just this writer, but everyone on the staff. Since we were younger, the idea that people could tell stories by making drawings move on screen has enticed me and everyone else here for as long as we can remember. Music is another passion of mine. Time and time again music has been able to prove itself as a way to define an emotion or thought going on in your mind like nothing else can. Disney’s movies have a tendency to both illuminate people of all ages with moving drawings and reward us with breathtaking music, which is why Fantasia stands out among the other movies as a great example of both music and animation appreciation.

In a series of amazingly animated shorts set to classical music done by a live symphony, Fantasia so wonderfully blends art, human emotion, and creative wonder into 2 hours of animated perfection. Many remember the classic Mickey Mouse short “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”, in which Mickey brings over a swarm of living brooms to life to do his dirty work, but don’t forget other masterpieces such as “The Rite of Spring”, playing the music to a massive portrayal of the earth’s creation, the wondrous “Dance of the Hours”, which allowed alligators and hippos dance together to opera, and the grandiose “Night on Bald Mountain”, introducing the world to the majestic Chernabog, a chilling combination of evil, epic, and power that will never be forgotten.

Walt’s plan was to make a series out of Fantasia, and while he never got to continue in the style while still being alive and part of the studio, a second installment, Fantasia 2000, was released in 1999 to respective results, and some shards of a third collection of musical compilations still exist to this day. No matter what though, the movie’s impact and legacy will help it stand out as one of Walt’s finest.

Bambi (1942):

Recently my best friend in the universe got to watch Bambi for the first time, partly through his girlfriend’s prodding, partly through my prodding, and partly because he wanted to. Needless to say, he was impressed. I’ve yet to see a complete downer on the little dear’s coming-of-age tale, which considering how much of a downer the film is itself is surprising.

Even as a child I knew this movie was special, even compared to the Disney library. It’s similar to the previous movie in the canon, Dumbo, in a way; both are brisk, about an hour long, and both feature a young creature going through his earliest experiences. What separates the two is that while Dumbo was a relatively cheaper last-minute effort made to make sure the studio could make money after Pinocchio and Fantasia did less than expected, and had little of Walt’s personal involvement attached to it, Bambi was planned to become a feature film for as long as Snow White was, and it took the studio years to get every little detail, to the point where Walt would invite actual, tamed woodland creatures into the studio for his animators to match for realism. Dumbo turned into an exceptional movie, as well, but it’s pretty apparent which movie turned into the bigger effort.

What most people remember about the story of the Prince of the Forest’s tale of discovery and growing up is the death scene, a moment which traumatizes audiences to this very day. Still a very poignant scene that shows the cruelty of man and tragedy of losing a parent, the rest of the movie is full of unforgettable scenes such as this. Remember when Bambi was named? Or how about when he met the lovable skunk, Flower, for the first time? Thumper the rabbit explaining how he got his name? Or the touching ending, which spoiling to those who haven’t seen it in years, or until recently, like my best friend, miraculously haven’t seen it at all, would be a major disservice?

Still on top as the King of the Forest, even without a musical number in sight.

Alice in Wonderland (1951):

All in the golden afternoon. The story of Lewis Carroll and his most famous work of all is an interesting one worth reading at some point in your life, but for the sake of time and tact let’s just focus on the Disney-made animated movie we got out of it.

Set dab in Victorian-age England, little Alice finds a white rabbit hopping along while sitting with her sister under a tree and goes through a mystic adventure few can forget. While following the little guy she enters a rabbit hole that lets her into the world of Wonderland, where a plethora of different events occur. Mainly focusing on the original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and drawing some ideas from the revered sequel Through the Looking Glass, Alice has become something of a cult hit after being a “heartless” disappoint during it’s intentional release, partly due to Jefferson Airplane’s intoxicating “White Rabbit” and the trippy sequences that fit in with the psychedelic era, and rightfully so.

The absurdities, the parallels, the physical impossibilities, the cleverness of the script and songwriting, the fluid, pre-computerized multi-character animation, and the overall sense of whimsy… there’s just so much to give this cute little movie credit for, and being one of the classics from the 50’s ensures that it will continue to be discussed about for years to come.

Beauty and the Beast (1991):

Here is the first, and unless Up makes it through a stroke of luck, only animated movie to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Even if it lost to an admittingly better movie, there’s little denying that Beauty and the Beast is a high-quality movie. Taking the Disney studio’s timeless Princess formula to creative and emotional heights previously unthought-of, Beauty helped cement the mentality that The Little Mermaid suggested in which cartoons, Disney’s, at least, are able to be enjoyed by more than just children again.

The tale is as old as time: when the village oddball Maurice heads off to a science fair and gets lost on his way in the woods. He is taken to the castle of a prince who has been transformed into a beast after refusing an old beggar woman’s request to buy a rose off of her. Already a cruel man even before the transformation, the idea that if he doesn’t find true love before a magic rose he is left behind withers away, the prince will remain a beast forever, and his loyal staff will remain moving pieces of furniture, turns the Beast into an even more cynical, biting character and locks Maurice in as his prisoner. When his brilliant daughter Belle comes looking for him and enters the castle, she trades her freedom for his, making the beast her prisoner.

During this time the Beast realizes that Belle is the perfect woman, an intelligent, freegoing, lovely little lady full of spunk, while Belle acknowledges the love and honesty in the Beast. Along with an incredible soundtrack, uncompromising villain in the local hunk Gaston, and scenes of true love apparent on screen, Beauty and the Beast became an instant masterpiece. One sequence that particularly stands out is Belle and the Beast’s computer-animated ballroom dance, an instant callback to the love story this really is. Angela Lansbury’s Mrs. Potts sings a melody that captures exactly what we the audience and the two are feeling: that theirs is a love so real we can nearly feel it ourselves.

The Lion King (1994):

Ladies and gentlemen, my personal favorite. Everyone has one, and this is mine. The first movie I distinctly remember seeing in theaters(hell, my first memory period is seeing this movie in theaters, I presume for my second of three times). The tape I played the most out of as a kid. The movie I had to have everything out of as a child. And even today, it’s still a favorite. If we’re not counting other sections of the studio(sorry, Simba, The Nightmare Before Christmas has become a new-found favorite in recent years) or Disney-made live-action(Pollyanna has become a shocking favorite as of late) into the equation, I can say that this is still my favorite Disney movie.

Sorry, we all have our moments of elitism, and we all have things that defined an era we grew up in. As a young child from the 90’s, if nothing else, The Lion King was far and away our defining movie. But don’t fool yourself into thinking that it’s only kids fare. People of all ages, including those in my own family, went to see The Lion King when it came out, and stuck with it for a plethora of reasons.

The story, drawing major influences from the Shakespeare play Hamlet, is one. Born as the son of the King of the Jungle Mufasa, Simba is born into greatness and is accepted by most of the animal kingdom, barring his bitter uncle Scar. Cowardly and deceitful, Scar has plans for his stronger brother and his little nephew, and partway through the movie changes the course of things. He lets Mufasa fall to his death and is able to convince Simba that it’s his fault. The little cub runs away for years and takes refuge in the kindness of the carefree meerkat and warthog duo of Timon and Pumbaa, and shortly after is told by his oldest friend Nala that Pride Rock, the land which he was planned to rule over, is still alive and well.

The rest, as they say, is legend. On top of the powerful story involving the importance of family and believing in one’s self, and balances off human-like drama and charming comic relief well. The sidekicks Timon and Pumbaa never overstay their welcome and unlike a few notable exceptions contribute to the story.

And lest we forget the music. Tim Rice, hot off of Aladdin, wrote the catchy lyrics that are still stuck in the heads of the millions who saw the movie when it first came out, which are complimented perfectly with popular music royalty Elton John’s music. Mixing African beats with Broadway-ready compositions, Lion King’s soundtrack already was expected to have a rich feeling to it. Who could expect the brilliance in songs like “Circle of Life”, “Hakuna Matata”, and “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”, all of which were nominated for the Best Song Oscar. Of course the latter, a love song with lyrics that don’t hinge at cheesy at any point, won, but that’s not to say that the other two songs or the rest of the tracks are weaker at all. My personal favorite is “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King”, in which Simba and Nala play around with loyal guard bird Zazu until he relents as Simba reveals how badly he wants power.

There’s a lot I find about the movie that still attracts me to this day. I love seeing Scar’s rapid descent into madness, how the opportunity and risks of power makes him crack until the destructive finale. I love Simba’s character arc, as he grows from playful cub to king of the jungle, and see him try to repress the trauma he went through at a young age. And I obviously love the music, and the Shakespearean references. Like my mother who introduced me to the unstructured brilliance of Pulp Fiction and my uncle who showed me the merry world of Marvel Comics, I hope to greet my children and younger relatives poor Simba’s epic adventure, and hope that they can find as much to like about when they get older it as I can today.

Disney’s 10 Greatest Songs:

10: “I‘ll Make a Man Out of You” (Mulan)

Let’s get down to business: Donny Osmond makes himself sound like a badass as Li Shang orders his troop to prep up for the Huns. Typical inspirational training-themed music plays during a typical training sequence. Besides Donny, what saves it from becoming a forgotten “Eye of the Tiger” wannabe is the sheer epicness of the track. Who doesn’t want to shout out “Be a man” while doing work, which this song has the chorus do. On top of good lyrics and tight animation, we get a memorable scene from a strong Disney movie.

9: “I Wonder“/“Once Upon a Dream” (Sleeping Beauty)

“Once Upon a Dream” is the obvious meat of the package, but “I Wonder” is a nice enough introduction that allows itself an honorable mention. A short, notable chance for Mary Costa to prove her vocal chops as Briar Rose ponders if anyone is there for her, but of course, “Once Upon a Dream” is the more remembered track of the two. Aurora takes the chance to free herself and sing a little diddy about a love she knows she feels for someone she doesn’t know. And let’s not forget when the Prince Phillip chimes in and adds his virtuoso vocal abilities in. The best part of the song and sequence by far though must be when the chorus sings for the two, while they dance along the lake. Artistic majestry at it’s finest is the only way to describe Sleeping Beauty, and this sequence nails it, as well as a love so true.

8: “Someday My Prince Will Come” (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

The original Disneyfied love song from the original Disney movie. This relatively short operatic number is where songs of hope such as Beauty and the Beast‘s “Something There”, The Lion King’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”, and yes, “Once Upon a Dream” come from. Snow White was the first of quite a few beloved Disney Princesses, who all follow similar traits of her character, especially her incredible voice.

7: “Baby Mine” (Dumbo)

If ever a song can earn credit for breaking hearts, Mrs. Jumbo’s lullaby to her sweet Dumbo takes it. Earlier in the movie Jumbo is taken away from her big-eared son after defending him from taunts by visiting children in a rather violent way. When Dumbo comes to visit her behind bars, she gets the chance to carry her baby by the nose while a loving lullaby plays across shots of other circus animals enjoying the company of their young. On top of the sweetness of the lyrics, the love in the female chorus, and the emotional imagery, Disney gives us another tear jerking sequence for generations to share.

6: “Circle of Life” (The Lion King)

A sequence so poignant that the studio made no hesitations toward using the whole thing as a trailer. What made sure that this made the list besides the iconic score that instantly draws you in is the powerful opening that has already proven to be as, if not even more, memorable as a majority of earlier Disney classics. Kicking off the sunrise, the African beats draw over millions of creatures in the animal kingdom, including humans, over to see the birth of the new prince. With or without the opening the music would be incredible, but together they lead an incredible opening to an exceptional animated feature.

The Lion King is a movie where I could have chosen three or four other songs and would have been satisfied, but ultimately deciding on the opening track being the best example of the movie’s and company’s quality of soundtrack, a decision I was glad to make.

5: “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” (Peter Pan)

Who didn’t want to fly as a kid? Peter Pan, in any given form, may have been a key factor in the eternal dream, and Disney’s 1953 interpretation of the classic storybook-turned-play-turned-childhood favorite added a jingle that will forever keep the notion in the heads of both children and the kids in us. There isn’t much to the repeating lyrics, but try saying “Think of a wonderful thought, any merry little thought” to a random person, and see how much you can remember of the song and of a group of kids flying throughout London.

4: “Under the Sea” (The Little Mermaid)

Added partly for the writer’s memories of an ex-girlfriend who loved the number and the movie it came from, and partly from his own love-affair with the track as a child, “Under the Sea“ was the first Oscar-winning Disney song in a long time, another key factor signaling in the new era of animation excellence. Jamaican beats are played with Sebastian the crab’s defending for sea life, which comes a chorus that will never leave your head. Dancing and accompanying virtuoso sea creatures, lively animation, and a rare appearance of a playful crabby guardian added visual memories to what’s already a top-notch pop song.

3: “A Whole New World” (Aladdin)

As you can tell, the studio was undergoing a renaissance of sorts during the early 90’s, and the duet that Aladdin and Jasmine shared on their iconic magic carpet ride is the shining example of the magic the new blood could present to you with animation. This being the first song Alan Menken had to write music for in a Disney movie with Tim Rice’s lyrics, the track already held significance to it before Aladdin came out. Fortunately Rice hit it perfect on the first try, making Aladdin and Jasmine’s ride seem romantic while not overdoing sap, and Menken‘s accompanying score adds to the magic evening the two share together. Aladdin’s vocal performance by Brad Kane adds to the character’s honesty- one listen and it’s apparent that he wants to show the princess everything- while Lea Salonga sounds equally as honest and enchanting as Jasmine.

And of course, the ride’s animation only adds to the mood. To call this one sequence in a film shockingly full of inconsistencies one of the most remarkably animated scenes in history would be a mighty bold claim(especially when it has to compare with #9), but the crew really put their all into the number.

2: “When You Wish Upon a Star” (Pinocchio)

Disney’s first Best Song Academy Award winner, and still a song that rings true to many today, enough to have it‘s melody used as the studio‘s opening music for all of it‘s recent films. A simple song with sweet lyrics that still stand in the mind to all who here the opening bits of music time and time again. I shouldn’t have to write about this track, it should be that much of a part of your psyche.

1: “Heaven’s Light”/”Hellfire” (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Plain and simple, everything excellent about Disney’s music combined into a powerful duel track, “Hellfire” has become a bit of a rediscovered classic among Disney fans as of late, but people also forget the brilliance of “Heaven’s Light”. Quasimodo’s brief interlude towards the big picture is a sincere apology to his creator for his deformities, while also doubling as a love letter to the gypsy Esmeralda who showed him warmth and kindness earlier on in the movie. While the movie doesn’t end as we’d expect, this is still an honest, loving number that isn’t forgettable.

“Hellfire”, on the other hand, truly defines the word epic in it’s sequence. Lead by the chants of the priest walking among the cathedral at night, the archdeacon Frollo reveals to the world his struggles towards keeping both his Catholic virtues and the lust for the gypsy Esmeralda together in his sick head. After a dance of fire comes out from the oven is when the song truly begins to shine. Keeping the relevant chants (Frollo: “It’s not my fault” Priests: “Mea culpa(Through my fault)” Frollo: “I’m not to blame“ Priests: “Mea culpa”), Frollo keeps a debate going on between falling for a girl so “evil” is right, jumping to a conclusion that would not only shape Esmeralda’s fate but set the course for the rest of the movie’s events. The plotting is perfectly complimented by the theatrical score accompanying it, down to Tony Jay’s powerful final verse in the track.

Both songs heavily contrast for each other- “Heaven’s Light” is a hopeful tune of acceptance towards those who are different, while “Hellfire” is an operatic tune setting the notion that, at the end of the day, the different are freaks- but focus on similar subjects; particularly towards an unnatural lust for the character of Esmeralda and, more importantly, have the two characters ask for forgiveness from a higher power, a touchy subject you wouldn’t expect to see in a movie from a typically child-friendly studio such as Disney. The only thing more amazing than the fact that despite the themes in “Hellfire”, Hunchback still got an acceptable G rating is that while the other songs on the list have become undeniable parts of our culture, “Heaven’s Light” and “Hellfire” are fairly unknown to most people. Nothing, besides perhaps a truly killer song from Princess and the Frog, can change that these are among the highlights of the Disney song library, though, which is why this reviewer ranks both “Heaven‘s Light“ and “Hellfire“ as the Greatest Disney Song of All Time.

Honorable Mention: “Trashin’ the Camp” (Tarzan)

Mentioned just to share this video with the world.

Look out for part 2, as I continue to dish out the memories.

Originally posted on Tuesday, December 8, 2009.

My childhood is over. It took 19 years for it to happen, but it’s time to let my carefree years of youth go past me and prepare for the “joys” of adulthood. I just watched the last adventure of Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy, the cartoon which I invested more time in than any as a child and still kept up with through it’s decade-long run on Cartoon Network.

It’s funny and kind of sad to think about it, really. I never got to spend too much time with my mother as a kid, never liked my sister, and while I’ve had my fair share of friends, they seemed to of came and went throughout my life, with a few notable exceptions. It was the continuing adventures of the Ed boys, three best friends who shared the same name and passion for jawbreakers, and a good deal of other animated series that would keep me company when I couldn’t be or just didn’t want to deal with people. While a lot of the series I loved either ended too soon, like Sheep in the Big City or Invader ZIM, turned to crap in the long run, like Dexter’s Laboratory or The Powerpuff Girls, or would just come and go due to having already finished runs, like Rocky & Bullwinkle and Yu Yu Hakusho, I still had Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy to rely on to keep me entertained from age 8 to 19, with even the series I kept up with as I got older taking a step down towards it. I still enjoy all of these shows, but in the long run the only three animated series I’ve found to impress me as much as the Ed’s have would be Batman: The Animated Series, Gargoyles, and King of the Hill, which also just recently ended a massive run of it‘s own.

Still I was rewarded for my patience as a kid. The moment I saw the debut promo for it in 1998 around the time The Powerpuff Girls was set to air on CN, and saw who I’d soon to grow to love as Ed, Eddy, and Double D, run around the screen for a minute with their multi-colored tongues sticking out in the air, I could tell already that I’d love this show, and couldn’t wait for January 1999 to come. The vibrant colors used in not just their tongues but in the character’s themselves, and how detailed their movements are as they race each other were like an orgasm for my 7 or 8-year-old eyes. Granted I had no idea what an orgasm was at that age but I knew I needed more of it.

I also remember the night it aired, on a Monday, before Cartoon Network had the absolutely brilliant idea to air all of their original series together on Fridays to broadcast new episodes. I got giddy waiting for CN to air the first episode of this new show. Powerpuff didn’t disappoint two months earlier and with Cow & Chicken and Johnny Bravo still airing new episodes, I had a feeling that CN could do no wrong. The whistled-and-jazz tinged intro which has now become as integral a part of my subconscious as my mother’s voice or the soft coating of my dog’s fur, arrived on the television screen, and I was instantly introduced to three characters I’d recognize for the rest of my life as kids of my own; Ed, the lovable oaf who’s with his pals every step of way, just waving and smiling to the television screen; Edd, or Double D, or Edward, the intelligent perfectionist whose verbal and grammatical corrections and OCD tendencies ring true to me this day, fixing the intro screen to a T; and Eddy, the man with the plan, the “brains” of the operation, if you will, standing in front of the intro, gazing at his bad self.

Only a simple open, but in thirty seconds we get to learn just about enough of the characters that we needed to

As for the rest of the episode, I remember the first of two shorts involving the Ed boys interrogating the neighborhood kids after a small percentage of the kid‘s materials were stolen, and the second introduced the Ed‘s to the Kanker sisters, a trio of horny girls whose goal was simple throughout the show‘s run: to make the Ed‘s their boyfriends if it kills any of them in the process. I later learned that these were far from the best the show would have to offer, but were still great introductions, as they introduced the basic themes of the show, and got a grasp of why I wanted to stick around for so long. The Ed’s want money for jawbreakers and will go to great heights to earn a few quarters, but what they really want is to fit in with the rest of the kids in the cul-de-sac.

Most people remember the show as a group of kids with the same name making a bunch of scams to get cash for jawbreakers, but watching some of the earlier episodes again, it looks as if the Ed’s just want to be accepted by the “cool” kids, which doesn’t seem to happen. They get mocked constantly, aren’t invited to parties, and get pushed over for insignificant events. The only people who seem to accept them are the Kankers, whom not even the Ed’s don’t want to deal with, and occasionally Johnny 2×4 and Rolf, the other oddballs of the gang, but even they have given the boys their fair share of beatings. It seems that as the show goes along the Ed’s wanting to be accepted by people who treat them like crap is less of an issue and they’re more willing to go with the flow, but that the alienation still hurts them. Eddy especially takes the blow the hardest, as we can see how boldly he’ll fib to impress the guys and that he‘d basically lick Kevin‘s feet to be invited to his house.

The Ed boys have continued to entertain and develop throughout the course of the show. Ed is a naïve lummox; while his grasp of reality is virtually non-existent, he’s such a sweet and lovable character that his lack of common sense doesn’t subtract from his enjoyment as a character. If anything, the fact that he can barely speak a logical sentence only seems to add to his enjoyability as a character. He spews out illogical nonsense which he finds to be of great importance, and sometimes is able to save the day by saying nothing.

His love of science fiction is another notable feature. Some of the most memorably episodes of the series are “The Day the Ed Stood Still”, when Ed gets to enact his favorite monsters and scares the neighborhood kids into thinking he’s become the real thing, and even traps them all in his room, “It Came From Outer Ed“, in which Ed makes up what he finds to be the ideal scam, but only turns out to be an arbitrary calling for a curse, and “Knock, Knock, Who‘s Ed”, when the boys just try to find an adequate TV to watch Ed’s monster movie marathon. The big guy steals the show from his friends by just being Ed and stating how his lasagna hurts, that he forgot to wear underwear today, or just whatever comes through his mind.

Possibly his greatest episode though is “Little Ed Blue”, when the big guy trades his sunny disposition with a grunter, rougher attitude. Considering how big he is, that he isn’t in a good mood is a very bad thing, as it could very well mean the end for everyone around. The episode works so well because of Ed’s strong, random delivery. He sounds angry when he says “BIG TROUBLE”, but his voice actor and director is obviously having fun messing with his character’s status quo, and let him add his own twists to an angry big guy. Never mind the ending that would only come from a show as well-timed as Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy, the entire episode is comedy gold.

Double D is the typical brain of the group, but he’s proven to be more than just that. He’s a perfectionist through and through, fixing minor errors to seem as tight as possible in his ideal world. He’s also a major clean freak, polishing anything with moderate dust or stains on it, and prevents germs from entering the area he‘s in. And don’t even speak out of line, or he’ll throw a dictionary or thesaurus at you. His little quirks bring out the best and worst in him, which is why he finds good friends in Ed and Eddy but the rest of the kids don’t seem to get him.

His shining moments tend to have his pretentious little butt kicked, like how he tries to teach the cul-de-sac than acorns grow to trees in “Dim Lit Ed”, attempts to teach Ed and Eddy proper behavior in the appropriately titled “My Fair Ed”, and deals with becoming the local bully in the classic “final” episode “A Fistful of Ed”, where a series of misconceptions have the others fear him Double D’s sincerity in friendship and equality make the pain he endures in these episodes all the more unbearable to deal with, but at the same time rewarding as his inspired intellect gives him the notion to try to set everything straight. On rare occasions he’ll snap due to the pressures Ed and Eddy put on him but he’s always back to help his friends when they need it, which is why the writers come back to him.

And we have Eddy. Probably the most controversial character on the show, some people seem to not be able to deal with him because of how heartless he seems to be with his friends, but to me it seems that while he’ll ditch Ed and Double D when he can gain in particular, he acknowledges that they are the best friends he’ll ever have and losing them would be the worst thing he could ever do. He’s saved or at least repaid his friends back nearly enough time to justify the stuff he’s pulled on them.

Eddy’s lack of respect also seems to be a key factor in his erratic attitude. While we never get to meet his parents in the show it seems apparent that they never seemed to keep a close enough eye on him and cared more for his older brother, who treated him as the baby and nothing more. The after effect that would of taken place would have been enough for Eddy to not know how to at in front of people which would explain his tendencies to freak out in big crowds and push others aside for his wants.

Together the Ed’s make an unlikely and necessary trio, and one of the strongest groups of friends to be put together in entertainment in a long time. Without Ed, the two lose their brawn and heart, and without Double D and Eddy, Ed loses the closest things to guidance that he has in this world. Without Edd, the two lose their brain and resources, but without Ed and Eddy Double D would have no companions but his demanding parents. Without Eddy, the two lose their free time plans, but Eddy would never admit this to them, because he cares about Ed and Double D too much to reveal it to them. And together, you have three halves of a whole person working together to cure the never-ending epidemics of boredom, isolation, hunger, and poverty, and continue to entertain many.

And I can’t even begin to sing the praises of the show without mentioning the excellent supporting characters. You have Kevin, the no-nonsense “cool” guy who Eddy looks up to for some reason. He’s tough but also has proven to be as lame as the Ed’s are perceived to be, particularly with how much he cares for his bike. Then there’s Rolf, the weird foreign kid who no one can make any sense out of. He involves his farm animals in everything he does, and will spew out illogical stories of what it was like back in the old village. Or Nazz, the cute girl who everyone gravitates toward to without even knowing why. We do know that she loves it, though, which is where part of the humor in the boy’s flirtation comes from.

We also have Ed’s baby sister, Sarah, who wears the pants in the family tree. She keeps Ed in charge and to make things even more challenging and entertaining, has a major crush on Double D and will retreat back to little girl tendencies in front of him. And then there’s her best friend Jimmy, the fruity little boy who loves Sarah and gets jealous whenever anyone steals her attention from him. He’s proven on enough occasions that he doesn’t just take things sitting down, so trying to guess what’s going on in his head is only part of the show’s fun.

Then we have Johnny and Plank, the all-time great duo. Johnny confides in his little block of wood everything and expects the world to accept the advise Plank gives back as seriously as he does. This subtle bit of humor once again is a great example of the many ways Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy dares to make you laugh.

The characters are all allegorical to common feelings and belongings we go throw during adolescence or just growing up in general, which is why the show has stuck to me for so long. I see the OCD in Double D reflecting my own issues, Eddy’s social issues being somewhat similar to mine, feeling jealous like Jimmy every now and then, and have felt like Rolf a handful of times as I go through new and exciting experiences like a new neighborhood or school. In hindsight, I’d say it would be hard for someone to not relate to at least one characteristic of any of the kids in this show.

In addition to the great characters the animation is a major turn on in the show. Danny Antonucci, the show’s creator, has obviously been influenced by the cartoons of Warner, MGM, and Fleischer, and the varied forms of movement and settings make it apparent. Nearly every cell of animation has some sort of attention to detail in it that is missing in most cartoons today. The coloring is another major turn-on, and the jump from hand-painted to computer colored in the last season only adds to the beauty of Antonucci’s creations. The characters themselves look not ugly in their pseudo-squiggle vision designs, but rather lovably obtuse, as they look as questionable as any kid would look at their peers, as is Antonucci’s vision.

If I had to pick an all-time favorite episode, I’d go crazy trying to do so. “The Good Ole Ed” and “Every Which Way But Ed” are hilarious send-offs to corny clip show episodes, calling off events that may of very well never happened, each in different and creative ways that make both episodes stand out on their own. “Once Upon an Ed” is a perennial favorite, the Rashomon story told in only a way the Ed’s could, with each one defying the laws of proper storytelling. I’d also have to give my props to “Mirror Mirror on the Ed” in which the Ed’s switch characters to go through each other’s shoes, and only mess each other’s worlds up in the process.

Or I could just go with the movie which I was supposed to review, but instead wrote up a list of why I love the show. To spare the amount of text you’d have to read I’ll say purely that basically everything I wrote about the show before hand is present in this movie.. The ending will make fans feel triumphant and that the two-year + wait for this movie didn’t feel wasted.

What I’m coming up to is that I’ve watched Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy since the beginning, when the show was a simple show about how a group of kids spent their summer time to an excellent film that let’s the Ed’s have their day. I’ve seen the animation develop from something out of Dr. Katz to quality even Disney would be jealous of. Seeing Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy’s final days makes me feel nostalgic for the days that it was on for me to feel like I wasn’t alone. It may only be a cartoon but this cartoon has been a part of my life for a good part of it and seeing it go will always leave an impression on me that I doubt any other series end would have.

Earlier I mentioned that Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy is on par for Batman: The Animated Series, which at it’s absolute best proved to be better written than any adult-aimed drama on the air and set the standard for how the modern action cartoon should look and be treated as, Gargoyles, which gave action cartoons an added depth by connecting everything into a cohesive and genius story together, and King of the Hill, which similarly gave us a great cast of characters and set them off to have their own revelations and misgivings for a record run. How the Ed’s will compete with these three will remain to be seen but I can tell that even twenty, thirty years on I can remember these four animated series as shows that I can enjoy at any time and find only more reasons to love as I get older.

Let’s get cracking on the complete series set already, CN. Then maybe I can take out the Legos and revel at the joys of buttered toast and gravy again.

Avaitor out

Originally posted on Tuesday, November 10, 2009.

I’ve never really gotten that into the harem subgenre of anime, since honestly, I’ve never been that interested in it. If anything, I thought it to be one of the least original genre out there. I mean, you’ve got you’re one male lead and he’s continually surrounded by no one else but females for no apparent reason. I mean at least with an action series or a thriller, there’s some kind of logic behind everything. For a harem series, just what could you possibly get other than what’s at face value?

Enter Bakemonogatari: Ghostory

Based off a light novel series of the same name (they tend to be doing a lot of these “light novel to anime” releases, nowadays, huh?) Bakemonogatari centers on completely normal “emo” high-schooler Araragi. Er, that is, “normal” until you find out he’s just recovering from a vampire attack a while back.
Now, I’m sorry, but I’ve got to stop right there. Let me first apologize for using the term “emo.” Yeah, I know it originated underground with music and it’s now been appropriated and bastardized into the term all wannabe-misunderstood twelve-year-olds use today, but I just can’t seem to find any other word appropriate enough to describe my first impressions of this guy. I mean, not only do we see little to no lively interaction between him and the other characters, but

… just lookit him! It’s looks like that that just scream for the term to be used, no matter how much I hate using it. Furthermore, it looks like we’re delving into the vampire sub-genre. Now, not to hate on the originals like Dracula (and I guess Count Chocula and Sesame Street’s Count, too) but whenever I go to the bookstore and look through the manga titles available, whenever I see anything related to vampires, it always ends up being some kind of bland-looking teen drama about some hyperactive female lead and some dark, “misunderstood” male lead. So, watching the first episode of this series only to come across these two things, I was surprised I didn’t stop watching right there.

Part of the reason why I actually continued through the series would have to be because for one, it’s the first episode. Also, (because “furthermore” just seemed a little predictable, I guess) Araragi mentions this random vampire attack like it was nothing more than a footnote in the corner of the screen. Sure, there are some references to him being bit later on, but they are never major enough to draw that much attention and don’t even relate to the plot (at least at the time being). From what I can tell, the only up-side to Araragi’s attack is the quick healing factor that came along with it, making things like injuries easy to deal with, serving as less than speed bumps (whatever that would be… a yield sign?) to the particular episode’s plot. Which reminds me…

Episodes are not exactly contained in a single 25 minute period, nor are they told over the course of the entire series. Rather, each story is contained in an arc, lasting around three or so episodes. Now what would these arcs be about, you asked to the rambling blogger? Well, that’s when the whole harem genre rears its ugly (okay, maybe somewhat attractive) head.

Each arc basically has Araragi encounter some attractive girl who happens to have some kind of “condition” in that they’re cursed or haunted—you know, supernatural kind of stuff that makes up the “ghost” portion of “Ghostory.” Again, I’ll admit this seems like the most superficial of things, but each girl does end up serving some kind of purpose other than well… looking good. And just how would our protagonist end up helping these fine-on-the-eye girls? Enter the second reason why I continue to keep up with the series.

To try and help each girl with their problem, Araragi doesn’t summon some kind of crazy-deus-ex-machina vampire powers to punch the demon out of them or smooth talk his way to their hearts only to kill them when they’re most vulnerable; What Araragi does to help each girl is to simply talk to them, which is something that is very much underappreciated in well made shows in general these days. Most episodes are made up of conversations about nothing in particular. Perhaps one second, the topic is story structure and the next is stuttering. This may not seem like all that big of a deal, but when it comes down to it, an anime can come up with some of the most bizarre things out there, but in the end it won’t matter at all unless the show makes me care to continue on and accept all this bull to begin with. That’s where Bakemonogatari shines.

What first comes off as one of the shallowest anime to date redeems itself with some of the most interesting lines of dialogue I’ve ever heard (er, I guess read via subtitles). Combine this with the ability to seamlessly incorporate character backstories as well as your occasional jab at similar (but really, not) anime out there and you’ve got quite the smart show on your hands.

But dialogue, as witty as it can get, can only go so far in the realm of television, where actions speak louder than words. The third reason why I continue with this series: imagery overload. For the sake of everyone’s sanity, Bakemonogatari doesn’t take on the “talking heads” approach when it comes to conversations. Rather, artsy little slideshows are had, depicting the conversation as it’s held. Now, doing this every time a character speaks would just be overkill (not to mention obnoxious), so the episodes take a 50/50 sort of approach, animating around half the episode normally and the other half like it was done by someone on deviantart. It makes for a nice change of pace, I guess.

As of this blog posting, Bakemonogatari is currently six episodes in, and while the story can be hard to get into from the first episode alone, I really recommend this series. It’s like watching pop art… but animated and with good writing, t’boot.

Originally posted on Saturday, August 15, 2009.

“East meeting West” isn’t exactly the newest of concepts out there. For as long as I can remember, there has always been some kind of attempt at combining the two incredibly different cultures, whether it is a “fish out of water” type of story, or just in the sense that a story is told or displayed in a fashion similar to the other’s.

In some cases, this has been successful.

For others, well…

… and now, after what seems like much longer than it should have been, the hotshot comic guys at Marvel have finally followed suit as well, buddying up with the guys at Madhouse Animation to (as the press release states) “create four all new anime versions of classic Marvel Super Heroes.” First up are Iron Man and Wolverine.

Based on what I know about each series, I would have to say that the “Iron Man” series looks much more promising. The series already has an overall plot that translates incredibly well to the realm of anime. I mean, you have a primarily adult cast going through the trials and tribulations of their somewhat corrupt lives mixed in with the whole theme of sporting a robot suit to fight crime… sounds like an anime to me.

As for the “Wolverine” trailer, I’d have to agree with the YouTube ratings and say that I’m a bit iffy on this one. While, again, Wolverine’s story is dark enough to translate well into an anime, the blatant changes made to his character design are less than satisfactory for those who keep up with the X-Men series and all its incarnations. I’m not in any way a hardcore Marvel fan (I only recently got into the Ultimate line a year ago) but even I’m aware of how Wolverine should look. And, just as the case was with Dragon Ball making the jump to live action, if you can’t get a character design down solid to please the majority of fans, then you’re gonna have a hard time hyping up that particular incarnation of the series. Without getting further into my rant mode, I’ll just say that while I’m aware that Logan did have some kind of other life in Japan (at least that’s what “Wolverine and the X-Men tells me) based on the trailer, it looks like they’re tweaking with his character, aiming for more of a “refined badass” over a straight-up feral one—that’s what his sudden change in height and build gives off to me, anyway. And the mullet… that’s just giving me mixed signals there.

But regardless of what the trailers’ first impressions give off, I’ve gotta say that I’m pretty psyched about this move, and the thought that there’ll be two more Marvel series to be done like this just made things that much better. My initial guesses were Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, but further checking things, it looks like next up will be X-Men and Blade. Uh… whodathunkit?

Originally posted on Friday, July 31, 2009.

… okay, maybe it wasn’t exactly the best time to give such early praise to Haruhi Suzumiya’s second season. As of late, we have been given a total of five new episodes, though I am currently wishing I only saw three of them. The season starts of strongly enough, with Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody, which does of a good job of re-introducing the cast after a three year hiatus, but after that, things get a bit… meh.

Enter the Endless Eight.

So far, the corresponding chapter in the Haruhi Suzumiya novel (yeah, note the lack of a “graphic” preceding that) under the same title has been spanning for four episodes. It starts off innocently enough, with the first episode covering an oddly tame two weeks in the life of the SOS Brigade. However, when I noticed the following episode repeating the same events in the first half, I knew something was up; Haruhi is not the type of anime to stretch things out for the sake of not getting ahead of their source material. Or at least that’s what I thought.

The third episode, sharing the Endless Eight title rolls along, and I’m under the impression that this little arc is about to come to a close. Little do I realize just how literally the “endless” in “endless eight” will be taken. So far, we have been presented with three out of four Endless Eight episodes that are near exact duplicates of each other. The second Endless Eight is able to pull off a rather creepy reveal as well as a good amount of fan service, while the third and fourth ones serve as nothing more but to show just how “endless” the brigade’s summer has been.

So here we are with five new episodes, two repeat-offender episodes, a total of 15,513 summer reincarnations, and one irate blogger with absolutely zero else to do. But wait, contrary to popular belief, there must be some sort of reason behind all this madness, right?

Upon seeing that the third Endless Eight had merely copied the previous episode almost verbatim, I concluded that the guys at ol’ Kyoto Animation must be taking a page out of some artsy indie animators and risking losing their fanbase just for the sake of making a point. Just look at pop artist Andy Warhol: as well-known as he is, half the things he’s known for come off as rather… eccentric. I mean, filming a group of people standing still for hours on end? Painting everyday objects and passing them off as legit works of art? That’s something. You either have to seriously be on something, or trying to make a point in order to be ballsy enough to even think of pulling off things like that. Surely Kyoto Animation must be at least one of those, right?

While I’m on the topic, I’d like to take this moment to take a slight delve into the realm of what I like to call “artsy” animation. You know the type. One of those animated films that you’d sit through only to reach the end of it thinking “Wow, that was probably the crappiest things I’ve spent my money on, but I’m sure artsy posers are gonna call it a work of art, so I’m just gonna roll with that for the time being.” Case in point: Don Hertzfeldt’s Everything Will Be OK. Hertzfeldt is already known on something of an “indie” level, having been established with his previous depressing works (he doesn’t call his studio “Bitter Films” for nothing, I guess), so one could assume that he has reached the point in his career that he can release anything and receive an award for it. Though, on another level, I could completely disagree with everything I just said. Hertzfeldt’s works have a gritty charm with an overall veil of commentary about depression in life in each of his works, no matter how ridiculous or pompous they may come off as. Heck, I’ll even go as far as direct you to his main page and suggest picking up his DVD collecting a good number of his works (with exception to his latest short).

Attempting to bring things closer to topic, could Kyoto Animation, the guys with one successful Haruhi season already under their belt, be daring enough to take such an artsy route? Well, these are the same guys who originally released the first season out of order intentionally as well as chose to animate random chapters from later Haruhi novels for the first season, so… sure? Like a handful of other fans, I remain confident with this animation crew and hope that this seemingly “endless” summer will finally come to a close by next week’s episode. Either way, I got impatient and hunted down a translated version of the corresponding light novel chapter, so all is well in that sense.

Originally posted on Sunday, July 12, 2009.

When I was younger, I used to be obsessed with the Power Rangers, a show which until recently I was completely unaware was based on the Japanese Super Sentai series. As I grew older, and as American companies adjusted their tastes to even more Japanese shows, I ended up picking up on shows like Pokemon and Sailor Moon, both which played back to back on the WB at the time. As anime began to take over the minds of the kiddies everywhere, Toonami decided to get into the mix of things as well. And while I missed out on the Freeza and Cell Sagas the first time through, I tuned in just in time to catch a majority of the Boo Saga (you know, the parts actually pertaining to the plot). It is now 2009 and anime has become just as integral a part of our US pop culture as any other genre of TV. I am a hardcore Dragon Ball fan and admit to keeping up with the Naruto and Bleach manga. But all the while, as I transitioned from mind-numbing epic battle to mind-numbing epic battle, was I missing out on something else entirely?

The week of finals, me and a couple of the neighbors were being introduced to some anime my roomie had. His collection consisted of the occasional Miyazaki film, as well as some mainstream anime series and some that I could barely pronounce, less watch without flinching. It eventually reached the point where I would just sit at my desk typing away on the laptop at something or other while the rest of the gang would watch in whatever new drivel the roomie had to offer (shark punching was involved..?). Anyway, the roomie decides to introduce us to yet another series, as per the request of our neighbor, who was something of a fan of it. The title was quite the mouthful, whether you went by the English translation or original Japanese version and the title is far from an accurate representation of what I was about to watch.

Title: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya

Before even popping the disc in, the roomie and neighbor went through a short dispute as to which order they should be playing the episodes. Woah, an anime series that has no particular order? That was news to me. We started off with “episode 00” in which I was fooled for a good ten or so minutes before picking up that the episode was being told through the crappy filming skills of one of the characters. Assuming that this would only be done for the first episode, I thought it was quite the interesting move. And no JJ Abrams in sight, to boot!

Eager for more (or at least I was) we ended up watching the following two episodes. The plot seemed basic enough: High-schooler Kyon begins his freshman year (or whatever equivalent that is in Japan) wanting nothing but an ordinary life. Unlike his classmates that want to use the new year to start fresh, Kyon just wants… well, that’s just the thing—he doesn’t want anything. Enter Haruhi Suzumiya, the class eccentric/cutie whose introduction to the class is more of an announcement telling everyone that if they are an alien, time-traveler, or ESPer, that they should contact her ASAP. Regardless of their conflicting personalities, the two gravitate to each other eventually, playing off each other in an Odd Couple sort of way. Or maybe it’s more of a Dharma and Greg sort of way… or So Little Time sort of way. Heck, considering the amount of narration, I could even go as far as comparing it to The Wonder Years. See, with Kyon playing the straight man and Haruhi the loose cannon cop chic that doesn’t play by the rules, viewers are bound to do a little shipping, anticipating the two getting together at least by the final episode. I can neither confirm nor deny this, for the uninitiated.

After finals and moving out, I was bored one day and hunted down the rest of the episodes, marathoning through the remaining 11 episodes in one day. Woah, was the series that good? Yes, yes it was.

Although the series is clearly an anime, it does not make a clear distinction as to whether it is aimed primarily at guys (shounen) or girls (shoujo). It’s not exactly an action series with there being only two (maybe three, if you really want) episodes where a full-on action sequence defined the episode. But on the other hand, the romance factor was at a minimum if even that much. Even the more fantasy elements of the series can’t truly define the series as a whole. Just what kind of series is Haruhi.

Wanting to learn more and figuring it’s about time I had a new obsession, I did a quick Wikipedia search on the series. Skimming through the guides, it looks like it had quite the respectable release, even in the states. Not only have the episodes been released dubbed with an accurate translation as well as subbed, but the DVDs have been released multiple times. Half that time, there were these “special edition” type releases packed to the brim with nice promo art as well as a CD from the series.

Geez.

Furthermore, it looks like the states have been treating the property itself rather well, keeping up with the Japanese releases and releasing most of the CDs here. I know I remember seeing the series before.

Combine that with the crapton of Euro mixes and dance tributes out there in the vast YouTube-verse and you can pretty much base your fandom on the series’ music alone.

Finding out the anime has existed for three plus years already, I was rather surprised that I didn’t pick up the series sooner. Then again, three years ago, I’m pretty sure I was engulfed during the peak of the Naruto and Bleach storylines. Figures.

And to further distance myself from my shounen comfort space, it turns out the anime was based on a manga, which was in turn (get this) based on a novel. Wanting to learn absolutely everything I could about the series, I hunted down the light novels, finding that the anime episodes directly correspond with a novel chapter under the exact same name. Furthermore, reading through some of the chapters, it looks like the anime stays very faithful in terms of the plot. Sure, you get anal people saying Haruhi’s hair is supposed to be black, but whatever. In a world where seasons of filler exist, I think I can safely say that this is one of the better adaptations out there.

Alright, so I’ve got a 14 episode anime series along with a crapton of CDs not to mention some secondary sources in the form of the anime. Even considering that the series has ended, that should keep me busy during a bulk of my summer, right?

Well in complete Haruhi fashion, it turns out that I’m getting even more than I bargained for. As of late, the series has finally been picked up for a second season. The first season episodes are being re-aired in Japan in their intended chronological order, meshing the season 2 episodes in there accordingly. So far, there have been three new episodes and I am continuing to love every single bit of it!

Now, I think the question at hand now is whether I should spoil future anime episodes by hunting down the light novel translations. One can only wait so long!

Originally posted on Wednesday, July 1, 2009.

Wh-whaaa? The ARevelation crew actually keeping up to date with their reviews? You’re darn right we are!

For stupid legal reasons, I gotta say that this review was originally from my movietome.com review under the username petewrigley. Great, another place to stalk me…

While Pixar movies in general depict quite the environment filled with colors, hues and images you would only expect to see in a doctor’s office waiting room poster, “Up” really sets the standard. All Pixar movies preceding “Up” always dealt with the amazing or fantastic, either giving life to everyday things such as toys, bugs and cars or adding a certain twist to an already explored world, such as that of superheroes. While “Up” can be argued to fall into either category, at its core it is about nothing more than a man and a woman. Though it is completely understandable that things like the house being lifted by thousands of balloons was to distract you from such.

Without spoiling too much, “Up” takes a route definitely explored by children’s movies in the past (death) and taking it from a different perspective. We’ve seen how emotionally scarring it is to have a parent die, but what if that perspective was shifted from child to adult? Although I came into the movie knowing the exact details of its setup, main character Carl’s montage from his childhood to elderly years still brought a tear to my eye. Having such a powerful setup from the get-go of the movie definitely helps get you to relate to Carl pre-grumpy-old-man as well as helps viewers eliminate skepticism once we finally see the house lift off for the first time.

As we begin to wander into the realm of adventure, we are introduced to scout Russell and dog Dug. While Russell and Carl form for quite the duo, Dug just seems to be there for comic relief more than anything else. As the movie progresses, Russell and Carl’s personal storylines begin to intertwine, while Dug continues to just be there with a separate storyline with a loose connection to the other two only near the movie’s conclusion. Most of the dog-centric scenes seemed aimed especially at the younger viewers, but they helped move the plot along as well as gave more insight into the lurking villain, so I guess they’re not all that bad.

Just the idea of a house floating in the sky via balloons is so Pixar. By this film, you would expect them to begin running out of outlandish visuals to roll with, but thankfully that has yet to be the case. As expected, Pixar has again succeeded in taking such a ridiculous concept and creating a beautifully written story from it.

~~~

Well with all that said, here’s a couple additional stuff I thought of uh… post-review-writing (would “addendum” fit?):

Being the obsessive fanboy I am, I just had to look up a few “Up” related things and give ’em an appropriate plug:

As always, the music is also such a major part of the series. Though upon finding that the composer for the movie was Michael Giacchino (of LOST fame as well as the latest Star Trek movie) I shouldn’t be that surprised. The movie does the sort of thing where there’s an overall “theme song” for the movie that changes in tone whenever the mood changes. In that sense, it reminds me of Pixar’s short films that they’d always play before their feature movie.

Looking the soundtrack up, it seems like Disney’s made the decision to go all digital with their music purchases. And while it’s somewhat of a downer that we can’t get any sort of tangible something, at least the songs are available. Go sample the soundtrack on amazon.

Another thing that really enthralled me was the art style. Sure, some may argue that Pixar’s design process in terms of things like character designs and scenery has been a bit more “cookie cutter” as of late, I really think that at least it’s not the case with this movie. Like I said before, I was constantly reminded of those cool posters at doctor’s waiting rooms as I was watching the movie. Pixar just seems to go above and beyond when it comes to visuals that I think checking out the movie’s accompanying art book is worth the $26 plus shipping on amazon.

So there you have it. This is usually when I come up with some kind of fancy ending sentence, but I’ve got class in 20 minutes and I’ve yet to have me some breakfast, so laters!

Originally posted on Monday, June 1, 2009.

“Classic Review?” “Rewind Review?” Well, whatever title we decide on, just know that every now and then, we’ll be dusting off the ol’ delorean to go back in time and review some of the animated works from back in the day that stood out to us. So without further ado…

Instead of having bedtime stories told to me when I was younger, I was raised watching videos before going to bed. My video collection, while not as gigantic as my current DVD collection, was large enough to make up for at least a month’s worth of one hour viewing before bedtime. Looking back, the tapes were your basic lineup of what you would expect from your normal prepubescent kid, mainly being composed of Disney movies from as old school as the original “Fantasia” to the first “Toy Story.” Out of all those movies, though, only one of them stands out to me today:

Yep, that’s right. “Fievel Goes West.” I remember nights just staring at the TV thinking how awesome it would be to be Fievel with his pop pistols and his reversible hat and having to escape from clothed felines and a creepy as all heck spider with a gold tooth and cigar. The reversible hat, especially. Seriously, how awesome would it be to be able to switch from a normal hat to a cowboy hat just like that?

To this day, I’ve yet to see the first “American Tail” movie or any of the straight to home video releases following the sequel and I don’t really feel the need to. Unlike other movies and their sequels, I never saw “Fievel Goes West” as part of a series of movies and always thought it stood well as a stand-alone.

Having been made during the “Tiny Toons” era of his career, it makes complete sense for producer Steven Spielberg to have made this sequel when he did. “Fievel Goes West” was incredibly similar to “Tiny Toons” in that while the overall plot may not be something to write home about, every musical piece in the movie was memorable.

The plot’s basic enough… er, at least as basic as a children’s movie made in the early nineties could be. Fievel Mousekewitz and the rest of his family are immigrant mice who have moved to New York in an attempt to escape the persecution of their “people” from the cats in the area. Realizing that life in the states is just as difficult as life back home, the family decides to move with the rest of the mice to the West where stories tell of mice and cats living together in peace. Or at least that’s the story given by the red top-hatted and monocled Cat R. Waul. Being separated from his parents and the rest of the mice on the trek West and finding out Waul’s evil plan of initially befriending the mice only to eat them later, Fievel must go West by himself and warn his fellow mice before it’s too late.

Wow, typing that up really put in perspective what I was talking about.

Okay, so the plot may not be Emmy winning gold, but that was never what defined the movie for me. What I really enjoyed about the movie, both then and now, was the music. In a time when Disney movies were absolutely pwning their competition, Fievel’s music is able to hold its own. Okay, sure, it was completely destroyed by “Beauty and the Beast” which was released in theaters the same day, in the box office, but that doesn’t mean its music doesn’t hold up just as well. Really.

Having recently watched the movie again after so many years was like listening to a song you haven’t heard in a while. Or I guess in this case, a couple songs you haven’t heard in a while. From “Dreams to Dream” to “The Girl You Left Behind” to everything in between, Fievel really delivers when it comes to being a musical. I mean, just listen to this:

That is pure nineties music awesome, right there. And when you get down to the roots of it, that’s really how I’d describe the movie as a whole.

So while it may not have the most ingenious of plots, “An American Tale: Fievel Goes West” really stands out in being one of the few animated movies at the time to even dare stand up to the Leviathan that was Disney movies during their golden age and succeed… even if it took a couple years to do so to build up the nostalgia factor.

~~~

… And on a completely random side note, what’s the deal with the movie’s aspect ratio? Checking both amazon and amazon.ca, the only version of the movie I’ve been able to find on DVD is only out in fullscreen. But based on the above video as well as some screencaps on the movie’s Wiki page, it looks like the movie was done in widescreen. Just to make sure, I double checked the Wiki screencaps with some I took from my copy of the movie:

So what’s the difference and why should you care? Well in short, the film was originally animated to fit the widescreen format and in some cases makes full use of that space. Having the image cut to fullscreen size means cutting off bits of the sides and maybe even contorting the image itself a bit, like what I figured had to be done with the first comparison image above. In short, watching fullscreen footage from something that was originally made in widescreen means messing with the original footage to some degree.

I’d rant on, but I’m straying further from the point. Just check out Wiki’s page on aspect ratio if you understood and are interested in anything I brought up just now. And (in an attempt to bring everything together) make an attempt to pick up “Fievel Goes West” in its widescreen version if you can, though that may be easier said than done considering I’ve yet to even find a listing for it in that format.

Weird.

Originally posted on Thursday, March 26, 2009.

When initially planning this review, I was planning on dedicating my opening to the original Jonny Quest, to discuss it’s impact in the world of televised animation and why it’s remembered so fondly to this date. Due to issues of length and the sake of the article’s pacing, however, I may likely save what I had planned to say about the series at a later time and focus on the show for only two sentences. When Hanna-Barbera’s adventure-based series Jonny Quest debuted on ABC on September 18, 1964, it was an animated series unlike anything before it. Containing well-plotted science fiction and adventurous stories, solid designs by comic book artist Doug Wildey, and an overly dark and creepy atmosphere on par with fellow adventure films at the time, Quest set the standard on how the action cartoon should be made, and for many years remained the definite Western action-adventure animated experience.

That changed in 1992, however, when Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, and Eric Rodomski’s Batman: The Animated Series premiered on Fox, continuing in a series of new, top-of-the-line animated programs from Warner Bros. Taking similar advancements Quest made on the genre into mind and multiplying them, replacing Hanna-Barbera’s trademark limited animation with professional Japanese animation studios, making way for the innovative Dark Deco animation technique, and taking time to flesh out character, as well as keeping a brilliant score thanks to Shirley Walker’s musical direction, Batman proved that it is possible to make a children’s program that is on par, if not above, the quality of more mature entertainment and still be able to appeal to children. Add this to the success of The Simpsons on prime time(such advancement wouldn’t of been able to happen without Hanna-Barbera’s contributions to prime time, most notably The Flintstones and Quest itself), Disney’s resurgence with audiences of all ages in both it’s films and television, Nickelodeon deciding to make creator-driven cartoons, and a little cartoon based on the 80’s blockbuster Ghostbusters with the talent of then-newcomer J. Michael Straczynski as story editor, now sparked a new era of cartoons, one where it was possible to entertain more than just the children and explore upon animation’s advances.

Also occurring in 1992 was another milestone to fans of animation all over: The debut of Cartoon Network. At the time of it’s premier, Turner allowed it’s excessively large library of Hanna-Barbera, MGM, and classic Warner Bros. cartoons to fill a 24-hour-slot. Acknowledging that only repeats cannot fill a successful cable network, however, the newly renovated Hanna-Barbera Studios got hard on working on new cartoons to spark an interest in all audiences. While the plan was mainly to create new characters to stand along the likes of their classics, the studio wasn’t above giving some of their original classics new spins around the block, giving us the brilliant Space Ghost: Coast to Coast, as well as new Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, and Jonny Quest features. The Quest one, Jonny Quest vs. the Cyber Insects, was heavily advertised as the last classic Quest adventure, and with a good reason so.

Around the time of Cyber Insects and a small collection of classic Quest adventures video releases, Hanna-Barbera Studios was hard at work on a new Quest series meant to bring the iconic characters to a new age of technology and advancements. Spending nearly a year advertising it with one of the most promising pitches in recent memory, Hanna-Barbera and Cartoon Network seemed very interested in making sure the then-titled New Adventures of Jonny Quest would be a success. Enough so that fellow Turner networks TNT and TBS planned to air it as well, a plan CN has laid to rest ever since until recently when TNT added Star Wars: The Clone Wars to it’s schedule.

Around Fall 1996, The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest debuted on the three networks to short-lived success. After two seasons and a modestly successful toy line, CN added Real Adventures to it’s action block, Toonami, where it stayed long enough to make a lasting impression as one of the block’s first classic series. In the height of a new live-action movie based on the show’s classic adventures, and mid-90’s nostalgia becoming more popular as the days go by, Warner found it appropriate to release half of the first season of Real Adventures on DVD. Being a long-time fan of the Jonny Quest, Hanna-Barbera, and Toonami franchises, I decided to pick this up. Does it hold up?

Honestly, not really.

Now once you pop in an episode, you’ll be sure to notice quite a few differences from the original, starting with it’s opening. Collecting clips from various episodes of the series in pretty neon colors, the music rings a tune similar to that of the original’s iconic opening. While this new tune doesn’t come quite close to matching the original or even Batman‘s in familiarity, it’s still a good track to listen to, and sets you up for some awesome stories.

Then we get to the actual show itself. Despite the appealing designs that ring close to Wildey’s classic drawings, you’d be surprised at how poorly animated the show it. Batman did admittingly have it’s fair share of episodes with poor framing, hideously off-model shots, and shoddy attention to movement, but from what we’ve received here in Real Adventures, it seems as if it’s staff never looked twice at their rough sketchs and sent everything to layout fine and dandy. In one episode, a fire is let loose, with people actually burning in it. The impact this scene could of had is lost as the fire is mostly lifeless. Just standing there, hardly any motion at all, while innocent people burn to their deaths. This is only one example of how poorly the show’s animation consistently proves to be.

But let’s delve more into the deigns themselves. Ringing close to the original’s, what in turn separates both series is that the kids, Jonny and Hadji, look older and more developed than they did when we last saw them in Cyber Insects. No longer meant to be 11-year-olds, the boys look like they logically would if we were to catch up on them a few years later, which is what the staff seems to be aiming for. Dr. Benton Quest, Race Bannon, and good old Bandit also look impressive with their slight redesigns.

Probably the most shocking and remembered new addition to the show was Jessie, Race’s daughter. Although not entirely new to the Quest cannon(she was around in Cyber Insects and in an episode of the short-lived 1980’s revival of the classics, the Quest clan save a young girl with a design similar to her’s from the diabolical Dr. Zin), Jessie was mainly added to Real Adventures to add a feminine touch to the generally boys-only Quest clan. While not quite as bold as Jonny, Jessie shares his love of adventure and often accompanies Jonny and whoever else on his adventures, but unlike Jonny, who often puts himself and his loved ones at risk, Jessie mostly falls under Mary Sue territory.

The rest of the characters work more or less the same as they always have. Jonny still, for the most part, acts as carelessly as he did at age 11. but now let his extra years of experience add to the excitement, allowing him to control veichles and machinery that your typical 15-year-old wouldn’t be able to pilot. Hadji, on the other hand, seems to of matured a bit more as the years went by. While he’ll always be there to help Jonny in and out of a jam, he appears to be a bit wiser than before, now also giving advice when necessary. Race Bannon still shows that he cares for these boys dearly while also having his own little girl join the team. A little older now, Race proves less frequently to be the action hero he was in the original and appears less, but still shows to be a highlight. And Dr. Quest is still the ever-busy professor who cares for his son, but is hardly ever there when he needs him most. One aspect about the show I really liked was seeing Quest prove to be lonely and flirt with a fellow adventurer on the show, but the lack of development in their relationship saddened me. If there’s more to be done with the two in later episodes, my interest is peaked.

The stories themselves vary. Combining science-fiction-like plots like you’d see in the original with a modern twist, Batman: TAS-inspired villain-based stories, and real-world issues that fortunately never reach Captain Planet‘s level of moronic preachyness, Real Adventures takes some interesting concepts that more often than not doesn’t deliver on them. There are some standout episodes where these stories prove to be very entertaining but a lot of the time the writing runs on weak twists or cheap additions to make up for underdeveloped stories.

Speaking of cheap additions, let’s get down to Questworld, the most talked-about aspect of Real Adventures. Apparently created by the kids, Questworld is a virtual reality system in which the kids often enter when they’re called to it, sort of like Code Lyoko, but actually watchable. Rendered in supposedly groundbreaking computer graphics animation, this aspect of the show looks incredibly dated by today’s standards. Comparing it to Pixar is a bit unfair, but even looking at Mainframe’s shows at the time, it’s hard to believe what sold.

In Questworld, the kids(mainly Jonny, but Jessie and Hadji do often appear) battle our villain of the episode, usually with lasers and often on awesome-looking motorcycles meant to sell awesome-looking toys. More often a nuisance than a logical aspect of the show, the Questworld segments typically weren’t much to write home about, and when we don’t log into QW in the day’s adventure, we’d often get a brief lesson about the mythology behind this world near the end of an episode, most of which admittingly appear to be rather interesting.

Questworld certainly seemed to be a hit or miss aspect of the show to more than just me. While the network wanted Questworld to be a bigger aspect of the show, the creators wanted to tone it’s usage down. Despite the show’s success, this signaled the series end, while it still remained a part of CN’s schedule for some time.

On this set, we get one bonus feature, a 13-minute retrospective feature on the show, meant to explain the thought process behind it’s creation. Brought together by animation historian Jerry Beck and the series’ creators, the feature opens up as a love letter to the original Quest while explaining some of the key aspects of the show. While this is certainly interesting to see, at the end of the day, pretty much everything you’d discover from the feature you just read here, so if this was a draw for you to buy the set, I’d say it’d be best to skip it for said purchase.

Since this is only 1/4th of the series, I can’t help but feel as if I’m being a bit too harsh on the show. It does have it’s merits as well as it’s good episodes, and it does feel like the next logical step in the Quest clan’s lives. While it may not be fair to compare Real Adventures to the original, one would expect a continuation to improve upon it’s source material, which I feel that Real Adventures doesn’t. The original Jonny Quest, despite it’s not-so-solid animation, still holds up for me to watch today; Real Adventures doesn’t.

Is it a bad show? No. Is it a great show? Again, no. Do I intend to buy it’s next release? Honestly, I don’t think so. I made my contribution for the series to continue it’s DVD releases, but that’s likely all from me. I recommend this to diehard fans of the original curious to see a different take on the classics, as well as those who grew up on it to see if it still holds up. It’s about time I picked up the original’s set, however.

Avaitor out.

Originally posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009.

Closing into Christmas in the middle of the busiest shopping week of the year, I think it’s time for AR to reflect on the best releases of the year, and give you recommendations on what to check out for your loved ones, as well as yourselves, in easy to navigate catagories for each type of person you’re shopping for.

Action Lovers:

Black Lagoon Season 1 box set + Season 2 Individual Volumes

Bam

If you find this scene kickass and want more, disregard anything else and buy everything Black Lagoon you can get your hands on. If you think it looks cool, but want to hear more about it before making your mind, read Foggle’s review here. Hell yes, am I right?

Order Season 1’s Box Set here

Order The Second Barrage’s Singles from these links

DC Universe Ultimate Collection
Are you missing the DCAU? Need a Timm fix? That’s what you should be able to get with Warner’s latest animated films based off their classic DC super heroes. With fist-pumping action(prevalent in Superman: Doomsday), adult-themed story telling(your best stop being Justice League: The New Frontier), or just need a change of pace(Batman: Gotham Knight sure is something else), these are your go-to places. And now that the first three special editions are available together in one set, you can play catch-up or watch the movies again as many times as you want to prepare yourself for the upcoming Wonder Woman and Green Lantern films, as well as the possibly-finally-coming Teen Titans: The Judas Contract release. Even then, these movies are worth watching, and this set makes collecting them even easier.

Order it here at Best Buy.com.

Cowboy Bebop Remix
Do I even need to explain why this one is a must buy for the Holidays? Cowboy Bebop, as I’m sure just about anyone who would call themselves an anime fan, as well as many who aren’t even fans of anime, know, is a combination of just about all of the stuff that makes an anime awesome in the first place. No, scratch that, its basically what makes quality entertainment. Its episodic nature definitely sets it apart from a good deal of the norm, but it also has its fair share of meat episodes which progress the main character’s (Spike) story line. In addition to that, its hard to not like any of the other memorable individuals who join the Bebop Crew (and yes, that includes Ein, the dog). -by ensatsu-ken

Order it here

Comedic Masterminds:

Ouran High School Host Club Volume 1
Girls love it since it’s an adorable show in every sense of the word, from Honey-sempai’s charm to the pairings set up for the audience to hope for to make it through. Guys won’t admit that they love it because Ouran actually breaks down the typical Shojo wall, spoofing it’s various normalcy’s, and some how comes to trump anything else in the way. But the best of the fanbase, however, love it for both these reasons, and for even more. For what, though, is up to you to see.

Order it here.

Home Movies The Complete Series
One of television’s greatest inventions, Home Movies is possibly one of the few times in history when a series was saved from cancellation and it’s post-humus episodes greatly surpass it’s original order. What started out as a show about an aspiring young movie director who’s films reflect his real-life situations has grown a life of it’s own, with a hardcore fanbase, a never-ending supply of repeats on [adult swim], and hours upon hours of classic material for everyone who enjoys good humor to find entertaining. For around $100, you can get the entire brilliant 52-episode-run in one collectible box set with a bonus canvas bag and clapboard. If you haven’t seen this cult classic by now, or have yet to get it’s previously-released season sets, take this chance now, so you can preserve it for the future to behold.

Order it here

Metalocalypse Season 2
If you love gore, metal, and dark comedy in general, this is for you. Brendon Small’s other series may not top Home Movies, but he sure was able to make a memorable second season of his quasi-mockumentary series in the style of Spinal Tap, combining real-world events with a strong cast of characters that interact well with each other. If the top items don’t interest you, well, just go back to riding horses or practice french kissing or whatever you sit-downs do, since this right here is guys night in entertainment at it’s most awesome form.

Order it here.

Tiny Toon Adventures Season 1, Volume 1/Freakazoid! Season 1
Two totally awesome cartoons back when Tom Ruegger and Warner Bros had a good relationship with each other, both great for similar but different reasons. Daemon wrote a piece on Tiny Toon‘s set, and while I had to cancel my Freakazoid! review, I can certainly tell you that my money was well-spent. Imagine The Flash with Daffy’s antics and Animaniacs‘ sharp tongue and keen sense of the past, with sauce of randomness spread all over it.

Order Tiny Toons here, and Freakazoid! here.

American Dad! Volume 3
When American Dad! debuted all the way back in 2005, most first-time viewers proclaimed it to just repeat the Family Guy formula and not worth their time. If only they can look now. After the initial first few episodes, Dad! has been able to develop itself into not only a whole other show than Seth’s original, but an overall better one. Cutaways are none-existent, pop culture spoofs actually make sense, and characters actually develop. Season 3’s run is next-to-flawless, the set’s only major blight being missing the brilliant Holiday ep “The Most Adequate Christmas Ever”, which aired in this order. Otherwise, for those who missed out on all that the show had to offer after the average pilot, it’s not too late to change that. Just don’t let Stan find out that you don’t find him funny.

Order it here

Family Favs:

The Flintstones The Complete Series
Back in the day, all you needed was a good Brontosarus burger and a break from peddling around town to be entertained, and what better way to do so than watching The Flintstones, America’s greatest stone-age family. Breaking records and entertaining millions worldwide even to this day, The Flinstones still remains arguably Hanna-Barbera’s most successful show and one of the most successful animated series in general. Without it, it’s very possible that Fox would of never let Matt Groening get a chance to bring his “Our Favorite Family” shorts into an animated sitcom, and there would be less animated series aimed for adults on the air. Even though Flinstones is fairly tame by today’s standards, it’s sly adult references and jazzy atmosphere still shine today, and still continue to impress kids and adults alike.

Now all six seasons and 166 episodes of the fabled classic are available in one box set, alongside an extra disc of bonus content. If you love humor, or need to find a last-minute-gift for your favorite family, there’s no better way to surprise them than through the courtesy of Fred’s two feet.

Order it here

Sleeping Beauty
I told myself I’d only count 1 Disney classic for this list. While it really was a pain to choose any of the films that Disney finally put out on DVD this year, I have to go with Sleeping Beauty for my highest recommendation. Initially breaking the bank for Disney at the time of it’s release(mainly due to it’s high-production cost), it’s now considered a classic to the masses, and rightfully so. Experimenting with the new Technirama 70mm projection process, the film moved majestically in wide screen, and any thing that inspired the great Guillermo Del Toro like Beauty‘s colors have is surely worthy of importance. Alongside the way the film looks, of course, the story is classic Disney, with a lively cast of characters. Aurora may admittingly be flat by today’s “empowered princesses” standards, but her fairy guardian’s chemistry with each other and Maleficent’s dark presence occuring as the ultimate scene-stealer, thansk to Eleanor Audley’s brilliant performance. Her transformation sequence is still what nightmares are made of.

I’m going with the Blu-Ray release in favor of the DVD for two reasons. One, even if you don’t have a Blu-Ray player yet but intend to convert, this is the perfect starter disc for you, since it comes with a DVD of the movie for now, so even if you don’t intend to get a player for a little while, you can still enjoy the film at it’s fullest without having to get the BR disc later. Two, even if you planned just to stick it with DVD, look above, at a shot of the BR disc. Only a tiny little sample, at that, of what the future can hand you.

Order it here

Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 6
Already went into decent length on this release here, but even then, do you need to be told to buy this? It’s Looney Tunes, these are classic cartoons, you get some great bonus features, yadda yadda yadda.

Order it here

WALL*E
Okay, I’ll be the first to admit it; I’m not a big Pixar fan. Their movies offer good ideas, but they typically come out as flat, generic, and the general animation fanbase overrates their movies to no end. That said, even I had to admit that WALL*E is a great movie, and worthy of being in your collection. Just about everything here screams movie magic, from the dialogue-less first half hour, to WALL*E and Eve’s growing relationship with each other, to the disgusting portrayal of our eventual future, there’s just so much to talk and think about of this movie, as well as it’s special features, that help highlight it’s movie magic.

Not only that, but it’d make a great first Blu-Ray. Just imagine how stunning it’d look in hi-def.

Order it’s Special Edition DVD here or it’s Blu-Ray here

Holiday Cheer:

Peanuts Holiday Collection
In this set of Warner’s brilliant rereleases of Charlie Brown & co’s classic specials, you get not only his animation debut in his Christmas episode, but you’ll also the equally-classic Halloween and Thanksgiving shorts, with new bonus features and even some bonus specials, as well as iTunes codes to download songs from their soundtracks. I shouldn’t have to explain why you need to get these specials to own, just that your collection would likely be incomplete without them.

Order it here

The Nightmare Before Christmas
The perfect Halloween movie? Yes. The perfect Christmas movie? Yes. The perfect movie? This reviewer thinks so, but that’s up to you, really.

Blending beautiful stop-motion animation with typical Tim Burton-dark visuals and a brilliant soundtrack from Danny Elfman, Henry Selick lovingly crafted Burton’s original holiday poem, which he also produced and did the character designs of the film, into the hoilday sensation and Hot Topic darling that it is today. Alongside one great movie and a great restoration, the bonus features are what sell the deal, which celebrate both the movie and Burton’s work. You even get some art work on his Frankenweenie remake, which you get to see before watching the short film.

If this movie has touched you in anyway possible, this new release or it’s first Blu-Ray release are a true must-buy, as well as a must-watch every Halloween AND Christmas.

Order it’s DVD here, it’s Blu-Ray here, or, if you’re really hardcore, it’s ultimate edition here

Just Buy It, Damnit:

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry) Volumes 1-6
As much as I’d love to say my piece on how much I love this show, Foggle will always do it best. Once you start one episode, you gotta finish the rest of the disc.

Order each single currently available here

Batman: TAS The Complete Series
I already own volumes 1-3 of this show, but I hate myself for doing so now. If I were to of seen this release was to of came out when I started collecting it last year, I would of waited. For less than 2 of the originally available sets, you have all 85 episodes of the original Batman: The Animated Series, considered by many, this reviewer included, to be the pinnacle of action-adventure animation, as well as it’s 24-episode criminally underrated continuation The New Batman Adventures, as well as a new bonus disc, all together in one brilliant packaging. Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Eric Radomski’s baby, B:TAS was epic storytelling in the making from start-to-finish, giving villains depth and adding to the Bat-mytho(if it wasn’t for this show, Mr.Freeze would of been just another stock villain and Harley Quinn would of never existed), the world owes a lot of graduate to TAS, as do I, being one of my most rewatched TV series of all. Nothing I could possibly say could give the show enough credit, so I end this now telling you to buy this set.

Order it here

The Real Ghostbusters: The Complete Series
It’s a freaking miracle, I tell you. Finally, one of the best animated series of the 80’s get’s it’s dues on DVD. Thanks to the help of J.Michael Straczynski’s razor-sharp writing and Lorenzo Music’s lazy Peter Venkman, The Real Ghostbusters ended up a better Ghostbusters experience than the classic movie it was based off of, and a gem in the less-than-beautiful mid-80’s animation scene. Straczynski was able to write rather dark pieces along with clever retorts and pop-culture spoofs, and as more-or-less able to keep it up for seven seasons. Now alognside a beautiful recreation of the Ghostbuster’s firehouse and layers upon layers of bonus features highlighting the show’s adult fanbase, now you can own the full Ghostbusters experience the way you should.

Order it from Time Life here

Yu Yu Hakusho Seasons 1-3
Let me just say that this is ensatsu-ken’s favorite anything ever. Daemon’s, too. And Foggle likes it quite a bit, too. I can certainly see why, as well, as in my eyes, Yu Yu Hakusho is the pinnacle of Shonen anime, and one of the greatest television series to of been made, period, as well. I love it so much, I had to drop out of my season 3 review because I was afraid I couldn’t give the Chapter Black arc enough justice. EK was able to write a brilliant Dark Tournament review, on the other hand, and that’s only the beginning of what can possibly be said. For $25-$35 a piece for each of the first three seasons, and season 4 coming in January, though, you need to pick up at least two copies of each season; one for the action lovers you need to buy for, and another just for youself.

Order each set here, and pre-order season 4 here

Persepolis
After being royally snubbed at the Oscars earlier this year, now is your chance to see how wrong the Academy was for giving Ratatouille the award. Based on Marjane Satrapi’s incredible graphic novels about her life as an Iranian during the Islamic revolution, Satrapi gives us a lovable lead in herself, as we follow her as a young girl through adulthood, as we see the difficulties of growing up in her country at this time, as noly she can. Only over a year old, this is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I hope you will take the time to see why.

Order it on DVD or Blu-Ray

Originally posted on Monday, December 22, 2008.