"LOONEY TUNES: SPOTLIGHT COLLECTION VOL. 6"
"LOONEY TUNES: GOLDEN COLLECTION VOL. 6"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: Warner Bros. Own it on DVD October 21 Learn more about Looney Tunes here. Back to DVD Review Home |  |
There is an internet survey that has been sent around the world via email. It’s a very friendly survey from friend to friend, with about fifty questions designed to show what kind of person you are. One of the questions is simply this: “Disney or Warner Bros.?”
Cartoon fans the world over understand this question perfectly. It’s not asking you to choose between studio moguls or explain who your favorite production company for memorabilia. It is simply asking which classic cartoons you prefer. (Of course, I wish there had been a choice for MGM, which includes the classic Tom and Jerry shorts and Tex Avery’s best work, but I didn’t write the survey.)
While I have the utmost respect for Disney as an animation studio, and I love their feature work, I chose Warner Bros. on that list without hesitation.
Although the Warner Bros. cartoons – especially in their heyday of the 1950s – were less refined than the Disney collection, there was a charm that went with them. It was their snarky attitude and ability to be politically incorrect. Today, studio bosses will say that the older films were not meant for children per se, but that doesn’t stop my kids from eating them up.
I may collect the Disney animated features, but it’s the Warner Bros. shorts that really capture my interest. Daffy Duck is my favorite with Bugs Bunny a short second. I love them all, even the secondary characters like Foghorn Leghorn and Charlie the Dog.
Over the years, Warner Bros. has collected these famous cartoons into massive DVD box sets. They are up to the sixth volume now, and while they include some excellent and memorable classics, they also include the shorts in an historic context.
For the casual cartoon watcher, and probably for someone who is buying a DVD for their kids, you’ll have the best luck with “Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection: Vol. 6.” This two-disc set includes 30 cartoon classics over three and a half hours.
Some of the classic tunes included are “Baby Buggy Bunny” with the infamous Baby Finster, the Halloween-inspired “Broom-stick Bunny,” the alien-baby-switch “Rocket-Bye Baby” and even a chance for Elmer Fudd to mess with Bugs in a clever take on the classic “Duck Amock.”
Toons from later years get a bit lofty and overly clever for the kids. Episodes like “Norman Normal” and “Now Hear This” are steeped in the 60s sensibilities, offering an out-of-the-box take on a cartoon. They are historically interesting but not great for the kids.
Each disc comes with four bonus shorts and commentaries on selected cartoons.
If you’re a cinemaphile with a taste for the history of the Warner Bros. cartoon, you’ll want to check out “Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Vol. 6.” With most of the better known Warner Bros. classics dropped into the previous five volumes, there’s a chance for a theme on this one. The theme is World War II, and most of the cartoons presented in this four-disc set show how the studio helped the war effort in the 30s and 40s.
Disc one features fifteen Looney Tunes selections, similar to earlier volumes. Disc two kicks into patriotic mode by featuring the Warner Bros. cartoons that helped support the war effort. You’ll see an occasional appearance by Daffy Duck or Porky Pig, but much of these are one-shot deals that rail Hitler and the other Axis powers and often suggest that the viewer buy war bonds. While they don’t make sense to your average six-year-old, they are a brilliant look into the past and how the cartoon studios gave their patriotic support.
Disc three features the Merrie Melodies from the past. You may not immediately recognize the politically-incorrect Bosko or the less offensive Buddy, but you’ll get a glimpse into the studio of yesteryear. There was a definite Steamboat Willie look to these old cartoons before the Merrie Melodies fully blossomed into the Looney Tunes.
Disc four offers a selection of often-requested short films and cartoons. One particularly interesting short is “Horton Hatches the Egg,” based on the Dr. Seuss book.
The Golden Collection comes with an excellent array of special features on each disc. There are several documentaries about the Warner Bros. productions, including profile on Mel Blanc and Leon Schlesinger. There are commentaries by various animators and historians for select cartoons and music-only tracks for some shorts.
Each disc contains a slate of bonus cartoons from the Warner Bros. library, and there are two full-length Friz Freleng television specials on disc one.
A good number of cartoons from the Spotlight Collection appear in the Golden Collection, so they may be mutually exclusive picks. For the kids and casual viewer, the Spotlight Collection is the one to pick. For the historian, go for the Golden Collection.
