This review shall go over four episodes from "The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh." One small thing to note about this VHS is that it opens with my favorite opening for the Walt Disney VHS'. This of course gives it some extra Awesome points. ;)
First up is 'Eeyi, Eeyi, Eeyore' in which our donkey friend is given a seed by Rabbit who claims it's worthless and won't grow. Pooh and Tigger decide to lend a hand by disguising poor Piglet as a flower to be helpful which leads to Rabbit handing over his garden to Eeyore thinking that he is a better gardener.
Following this episode is 'My Hero' where Piglet saves Tigger from a puddle and the bouncy tiger decides to become Piglet's servant to repay him. However our tiny hero finds that Tigger is just a bit -too- helpful and tries to turn the tables so that they can be even.
"Honey For A Bunny" is perhaps my favorite of the episodes. One day Rabbit decides to be rid of his bookend bunny who is missing it's mate. After a series of trading and gifting the bookend, Rabbit finds it at Pooh's house and mistakes it for the missing mate. He strikes a deal to trade the bunny for five jars of hunny though finds he's one jar short. This leads to Tigger helping out as the duo tries to get that last jar of hunny, only to find out in the end he did all that work for his original bookend.
Our last episode/segment is 'Owl Feathers' where the Hundred Acre Woods seems to have a lot of feathers floating about. Rabbit, Tigger, Pooh and a magician in-training Piglet decide to investigate and seem to feel that the feathers belong to Owl, (though Tigger claims it's horse feathers), and Rabbit claims that Owl is going bald. This causes poor Owl to become a bit depressed and finds he can't fly anymore even though it's all in his head and prompts Piglet to jump in to help with a little bit of 'magic.'
All four episodes are rather fun, especially for those who love the show and/or the characters themselves. Not all the gang appears though, Roo only pops up for one episode and sets off the chain of tradsies in 'Hunny For A Bunny' and Kanga is missing completely. Also not around is Christopher Robin for the large part of these and only shows up at the end of 'Owl Feathers.'
The animation is rather standard for the time it was released, and even though it is a bit outdated I find that I actually prefer it compared to some of the animated shows on t.v today even if they are being made with more updated technology. Our opening song is bouncy, enjoyable and just as memorable as the Ducktales or Darkwing Duck themes. :)
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Blackie the Sheep - No Mutton For Nuttin'
Blackie the Sheep returns once more as he works to outsmart the Wolf who is intent on eating him for supper. These Blackie shorts are actually rather similar to the Warner Brothers of the time, though these shorts don't have the same charm and iconic characters.
There is not a whole lot to say about tonight's short just due to the fact we've seen this all before, and done better. From the predator character trying to eat the hero, to the slapstick humor it's just not as good as other content out there.
There is not a whole lot to say about tonight's short just due to the fact we've seen this all before, and done better. From the predator character trying to eat the hero, to the slapstick humor it's just not as good as other content out there.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Blackie the Lamb - Sheep Shape
This...is such an odd cartoon to me. An Wolf with no name decides that in order to get into a club to see 30 girls that he's going to need some money. Leaving the club, he comes across a newspaper article that mentions how Blackie the Lamb has just come into ten thousand dollars and decides to steal the money.
The short is easily divided into three parts, the first introduces us to the Wolf and his intention. Following this is a series of gags involving the Wolf as he tries to steal the money from Blackie the Lamb until he succeeds. The final part is watching the Wolf in the club as he tries to steal a kiss from a girl, though the girl is more interested in the money. At the end we find out the girl was Blackie all along and he waltzes away with his money and leaves the Wolf laying in the street.
The animation is alright and sort of lacks an iconic character to help carry the short in the same was as Betty Boop or Popeye. Though of course, I did not grow up during the time this was released so it is also possible that Blackie the Lamb was popular back then but just did not have the same lasting power as other cartoon short characters. Worth a watch for those curious or who are cartoon short fanatics.
The short is easily divided into three parts, the first introduces us to the Wolf and his intention. Following this is a series of gags involving the Wolf as he tries to steal the money from Blackie the Lamb until he succeeds. The final part is watching the Wolf in the club as he tries to steal a kiss from a girl, though the girl is more interested in the money. At the end we find out the girl was Blackie all along and he waltzes away with his money and leaves the Wolf laying in the street.
The animation is alright and sort of lacks an iconic character to help carry the short in the same was as Betty Boop or Popeye. Though of course, I did not grow up during the time this was released so it is also possible that Blackie the Lamb was popular back then but just did not have the same lasting power as other cartoon short characters. Worth a watch for those curious or who are cartoon short fanatics.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Next of Kin
Next of King follows police officer Truman, played by Patrick Swayze, as he investigates the death of his brother and is pulled between his loyalties to the law, his wife (played by Helen Hunt) and his brother (played by Liam Neeson).
After his brother is killed, Truman tries to follow the law and stick to the proper procedures, however this is made difficult when his country family decide that it's an eye-for-an-eye and they want justice now. Also included in this film are Adam Baldwin as the over enterprising gangster, Ben Stiller as the heir apparent and Andreas Katsulas as the head gangster.
The film itself is....rather average, especially compared to other films released during 1989. I wouldn't call it a must see, but it's not a bad film either just....middling which makes it a little bit hard to review this since there really isn't a whole lot to say. I think the only real complaint I have is how the cemetery scene at the end pits Swayze against a group of gangsters wielding machine guns while he takes them on armed only with a knife and a bow and arrows.
After his brother is killed, Truman tries to follow the law and stick to the proper procedures, however this is made difficult when his country family decide that it's an eye-for-an-eye and they want justice now. Also included in this film are Adam Baldwin as the over enterprising gangster, Ben Stiller as the heir apparent and Andreas Katsulas as the head gangster.
The film itself is....rather average, especially compared to other films released during 1989. I wouldn't call it a must see, but it's not a bad film either just....middling which makes it a little bit hard to review this since there really isn't a whole lot to say. I think the only real complaint I have is how the cemetery scene at the end pits Swayze against a group of gangsters wielding machine guns while he takes them on armed only with a knife and a bow and arrows.
Monday, March 7, 2011
A Ride For Cinderella
Something I found funny about this short is that is largely comes off as a slightly long commercial for Chevrolet since it is presented by them, and given how Cinderella drives a car around much to the Prince's approval.
The short itself has rather decent animation for the time that it was made, though it honestly isn't as good as Disney or Warner Brother shorts released around the same time. Instead of following the story of Cinderella we find that she is already at the ball and...for some reason the stepsisters know it's her. Unhappy that the Prince is choosing her over them, they go to a Witch and enlist her help in trying to make things miserable for Cinderella by using various spells that all wrap up with her saying how evil she is and that she hates herself.
Thankfully though, there is a Chief Gnome and his Horse Hopper present to save the day as they work to undo what the Witch does and helps Cinderella get home safely. The following morning the Prince arrives and they agree to be wed.
There isn't a whole lot of good to say really about the short....it was alright, there are far worse out there. However there are also a lot of shorts that are out there which are better, aside from the two previously named companies I would suggest going and watching Popeye, Betty Boop or Felix the Cat sooner than this.
The short itself has rather decent animation for the time that it was made, though it honestly isn't as good as Disney or Warner Brother shorts released around the same time. Instead of following the story of Cinderella we find that she is already at the ball and...for some reason the stepsisters know it's her. Unhappy that the Prince is choosing her over them, they go to a Witch and enlist her help in trying to make things miserable for Cinderella by using various spells that all wrap up with her saying how evil she is and that she hates herself.
Thankfully though, there is a Chief Gnome and his Horse Hopper present to save the day as they work to undo what the Witch does and helps Cinderella get home safely. The following morning the Prince arrives and they agree to be wed.
There isn't a whole lot of good to say really about the short....it was alright, there are far worse out there. However there are also a lot of shorts that are out there which are better, aside from the two previously named companies I would suggest going and watching Popeye, Betty Boop or Felix the Cat sooner than this.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Plane Crazy
Plane Crazy, perhaps one of Disney's biggest achievements considering it was animated by Ub Iwerks almost entirely. This was largely due to the fact that Walt and his remaining crew worked in secrecy on the debut of their brand new character: Mickey Mouse.
The short itself is relatively simple, Mickey Mouse is fascinated by Charles Lindbergh and sets out to fly in a plane of his own. He enlists the aid of the barnyard animals to help him build a plane, though this one fails. His second however, made out of a car and turkey feathers works much better and he even manages to get Minnie Mouse to come flying with him. Things however go wrong when the plane begins to go out of control and crashes.
Despite such a simple plot, this short is still rather amazing because of the fact that Ub Iwerks was singled out as the animator for it in the title credits, something which Disney would not do later on. But wait! There's more! The short itself is a step up from the previous Oswald shorts in a couple ways at the least, not only are the backgrounds more detailed but also in how the point of view is always changing. This is most evident when Minnie is alone in the plane when things change from side to side, also later on when the plane begins to spiral down the POV shifts to look straight at the ground and spins about during that sequence.
One last thing to really make a note of here is that Mickey is still far from the mascot that we know today, or even knew twenty years ago. His appearance is more oval shaped and he has spindle limbs, as well his personality far more mischievous as he forces a kiss from Minnie. Quite the change would be made to him, and Minnie over the coming decades.
The short itself is relatively simple, Mickey Mouse is fascinated by Charles Lindbergh and sets out to fly in a plane of his own. He enlists the aid of the barnyard animals to help him build a plane, though this one fails. His second however, made out of a car and turkey feathers works much better and he even manages to get Minnie Mouse to come flying with him. Things however go wrong when the plane begins to go out of control and crashes.
Despite such a simple plot, this short is still rather amazing because of the fact that Ub Iwerks was singled out as the animator for it in the title credits, something which Disney would not do later on. But wait! There's more! The short itself is a step up from the previous Oswald shorts in a couple ways at the least, not only are the backgrounds more detailed but also in how the point of view is always changing. This is most evident when Minnie is alone in the plane when things change from side to side, also later on when the plane begins to spiral down the POV shifts to look straight at the ground and spins about during that sequence.
One last thing to really make a note of here is that Mickey is still far from the mascot that we know today, or even knew twenty years ago. His appearance is more oval shaped and he has spindle limbs, as well his personality far more mischievous as he forces a kiss from Minnie. Quite the change would be made to him, and Minnie over the coming decades.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Remake Review Rumble.
Oof what a title. This time around I thought I might try something different. I gathered together the remakes of three of the most iconic horror figures and sat through all three in a row to see which of them stands out. All three movies will receive a small review and a rating based off several factors which include:
- Characters
- Plot
- Scares
- How much has changed from the original
- The Slasher
With that said, let's get started with the first film.
Halloween
Now, I've already reviewed this one in the past so I will make this rather brief. Nothing has changed. The characters are still horrible and impossibly hard to root for, mostly due to the plot and dialogue being rehashed from Rob Zombies other films. Everything is taken to the extreme through the entire film to the point of it just being plain stupid. Michael Myers loses a fair bit of points since he has changed a fair bit thanks largely to how we spend so much time with him while he's young. Scares are minimal, limited to only two, which is pretty bad considering the films length. One small thing to nitpick is that in the beginning the report is giving us exposition in great length on what we just saw two seconds prior even though there is no way he should know all of that information so early on - especially when the bodies are still being wheeled out of the house covered up.
2/5 stars.
Nightmare on Elm Street
Again, another film that I have already reviewed. So, not a whole lot has changed exactly with this film either. The movie actually isn't all that bad, certainly a step up from Halloween. One thing that this film definitely lacks compared to the other two is a body count, which is kept rather minimal in Elm Street. Part of me is sort of torn on the topic, while I do enjoy seeing all the silly teenagers meet their ends due to being struck with Stupidity (or at least most of the time) I also don't mind a minimal body count if it suits the story. I don't honestly think it would have hurt to have a couple more deaths here or there seen or referenced, but as it is things are still alright. My main issue in this film is that Freddy just isn't Freddy anymore. While he still has the same hand and basic look, his face is far too clean looking compared to Robert Englund's look which I found much scarier. While on the topic of scares, this one is also rather lacking for me, but more than makes up for it in other areas. The only other small annoyances are the "Did he or didn't he?" plot and how Nancy is rather....distant as a character. I much prefer the original heroine over this remakes Nancy.
3/5 Stars
Friday the 13th
Finally a film I haven't seen prior to this! It's also, possibly the most entertaining of them despite being so vastly changed from the original film. Friday the 13th opens it's credits by showing us the ending of the original first film in which Pamela Voorhees stalks her last victim and meets a grisly end instead. We then open up to our victims. Sort of. It turns out this first batch of victims only set up things for the rest of the film and we proceed to spend a good deal of time watching them interact before being easily dispatched by our killer. One small note for this group is that I cheered when the extremely annoying guy was picked off, sadly he would be replaced not long after by someone worse.
A few weeks pass in the film and we meet our actual victims for the rest of the film which include a stoner, a token black guy, our main girl, the annoying guy and three other fodder characters who don't' have a whole lot to them. We also meet our hero played by Jared Padalecki who is in search of his sister who is currently a captive of Jason underneath one of the old cabins. This sort of ties in the second films elements in which Jason finds the heroine to resemble his mother, making it easy for her to fight back against him and uses it to her advantage.
The film generally plays out as one would expect it to, though the characters, save for one, can be rather fun to watch. I of course say this in comparison to Halloween's crew. One main reason this film is rather changed from the original is that it actually ties in elements from the first three films including Jason wearing a sack over his head at first, to finding his mask. The only minor annoyance is how smart Jason appears to be in keeping electricity running in his underground hideout and how he has searchlights set up above ground around the cabin. This felt a bit off from the stalker in the woods vibe that he's better known for.
3/5
So there we have it. Three remakes in one day, phew. All in all I found the Friday the 13th remake to be just a bit more enjoyable than Nightmare On Elm Street, and Halloween brings up the rear. There is a small chance though that it would have ranked higher if I were to have added The Fog remake in as well...but that's a different story for another time!
- Characters
- Plot
- Scares
- How much has changed from the original
- The Slasher
With that said, let's get started with the first film.
Halloween
Now, I've already reviewed this one in the past so I will make this rather brief. Nothing has changed. The characters are still horrible and impossibly hard to root for, mostly due to the plot and dialogue being rehashed from Rob Zombies other films. Everything is taken to the extreme through the entire film to the point of it just being plain stupid. Michael Myers loses a fair bit of points since he has changed a fair bit thanks largely to how we spend so much time with him while he's young. Scares are minimal, limited to only two, which is pretty bad considering the films length. One small thing to nitpick is that in the beginning the report is giving us exposition in great length on what we just saw two seconds prior even though there is no way he should know all of that information so early on - especially when the bodies are still being wheeled out of the house covered up.
2/5 stars.
Nightmare on Elm Street
Again, another film that I have already reviewed. So, not a whole lot has changed exactly with this film either. The movie actually isn't all that bad, certainly a step up from Halloween. One thing that this film definitely lacks compared to the other two is a body count, which is kept rather minimal in Elm Street. Part of me is sort of torn on the topic, while I do enjoy seeing all the silly teenagers meet their ends due to being struck with Stupidity (or at least most of the time) I also don't mind a minimal body count if it suits the story. I don't honestly think it would have hurt to have a couple more deaths here or there seen or referenced, but as it is things are still alright. My main issue in this film is that Freddy just isn't Freddy anymore. While he still has the same hand and basic look, his face is far too clean looking compared to Robert Englund's look which I found much scarier. While on the topic of scares, this one is also rather lacking for me, but more than makes up for it in other areas. The only other small annoyances are the "Did he or didn't he?" plot and how Nancy is rather....distant as a character. I much prefer the original heroine over this remakes Nancy.
3/5 Stars
Friday the 13th
Finally a film I haven't seen prior to this! It's also, possibly the most entertaining of them despite being so vastly changed from the original film. Friday the 13th opens it's credits by showing us the ending of the original first film in which Pamela Voorhees stalks her last victim and meets a grisly end instead. We then open up to our victims. Sort of. It turns out this first batch of victims only set up things for the rest of the film and we proceed to spend a good deal of time watching them interact before being easily dispatched by our killer. One small note for this group is that I cheered when the extremely annoying guy was picked off, sadly he would be replaced not long after by someone worse.
A few weeks pass in the film and we meet our actual victims for the rest of the film which include a stoner, a token black guy, our main girl, the annoying guy and three other fodder characters who don't' have a whole lot to them. We also meet our hero played by Jared Padalecki who is in search of his sister who is currently a captive of Jason underneath one of the old cabins. This sort of ties in the second films elements in which Jason finds the heroine to resemble his mother, making it easy for her to fight back against him and uses it to her advantage.
The film generally plays out as one would expect it to, though the characters, save for one, can be rather fun to watch. I of course say this in comparison to Halloween's crew. One main reason this film is rather changed from the original is that it actually ties in elements from the first three films including Jason wearing a sack over his head at first, to finding his mask. The only minor annoyance is how smart Jason appears to be in keeping electricity running in his underground hideout and how he has searchlights set up above ground around the cabin. This felt a bit off from the stalker in the woods vibe that he's better known for.
3/5
So there we have it. Three remakes in one day, phew. All in all I found the Friday the 13th remake to be just a bit more enjoyable than Nightmare On Elm Street, and Halloween brings up the rear. There is a small chance though that it would have ranked higher if I were to have added The Fog remake in as well...but that's a different story for another time!
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