2003 Christmas wasn’t exactly the happiest time in my life.
As noted from a prior entry, I had underwent ingrown toenail surgery, and was laid up.
However, that doesn’t mean I cashed in big on Christmas day when it came to optical media.
In addition to the much-ballyhooed Survivor Series 2002 disc I treasure from my siblings, there was another disc I got from the parents that is a treasure in a different meaning.
Entitled Weird Al Yankovic - The Ultimate Video Collection, this featured all the music videos the musician did up to this point. Even the ‘Bob’ one, which off the ‘Poodle Hat’ album, was hastily made after Eminem denied the making of a ‘Couch Potato’ piece.
There are some 24 music videos in the offing. With videos like “Fat” who parody the original work, to ‘UHF’ which lampoons many a style/musician, to even ‘Spy Hard’ which is just an edited version of the opening credits. There’s hardly a slouch in the bunch, and are all complimented by on-screen lyrics that can be selected from the main menu.
Speaking of extras, there are more of them. For example, there are clips from the short-lived “Weird Al Show” from 1997-1998. Although the show would have a DVD release, it’s a prime example of when an artist tries to work his material into a different medium, and sadly fails. There’s also a photo gallery, and then the real gem of the extra-circulars, a 1981 appearance on ‘The Tomorrow Show’ with Tom Snyder. Al performs “Another One Rides the Bus,” and it’s his first real national exposure. A huge moment, one complimented by the ad-libbing and improvisation that make the low-budget Al so famous. It’s one of those discs that I play as much as any DVD I own, and therefore it’s a one I wholeheartedly I recommend.
Now we go into where sometimes family can go REALLY over the top for one another.
During Thanksgiving, the adults ask the kids what they want for Christmas.
Keep in mind at this point I’m 14, so my mind is much more centered on exactness at this point. It’s what happens when you’re not old enough for employment.
Anywhos, I ask for two DVD’s, and in stunning fashion, got them both!
First up is the Vista Series release of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”.
Coming in a digipak/fold-out case with slipcover, it looks pretty fancy.
Uncovering the digipak, it’s obvious this packaging isn’t ordinary. Especially since it feels like you’re Detective Eddie Valiant looking up a case himself!
Inside, there’s a notebook with notes on the special features, and a chapter insert. Be careful, because the “notebook” is not designed in a normal fashion. You have to “flip” the pages, so it’s not a traditional book-like style. In addition, there are two “autographed” pictures, one of Roger Rabbit and his wife Jessica Rabbit. Kind of like pictures you’d have slipped to you in undercover investigation work. Really nice touch.
Both discs have artwork resembling film cases. Again, another nice touch, as it seems that Touchstone/Disney did a really good job trying to replicate a 1940s’ feel. If you’re looking somewhat closely, I have an easter egg sheet in there too. There’s a few of them.
All this and I haven’t even begun to describe the visual content!
The movie, as expected, looks wonderful. Gritty yet rich, this dark-mooded period piece strikes a fine balance between Technicolor-noir and permeable animation. Seriously, this film at times feels like it should have had Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart chewing up scenery with inane banter. It’s also the only time in cinema history (or so I think) where Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny, the two singular greatest animation icons of all time, share screen time!
By itself, the flick is much more than, “Gee, let’s mix animated characters in a live-action setting”. It’s a special product made in a special time that as Daffy Duck said at the end of “Show Biz Bugs”, “I can only do it once!” Every major cartoon character from that spangled-era, from the 1920s-1940s, made at least a cameo appearance. Even more, it seems like the producers and the directors made sure to be careful walking a fine line in balancing this movie. All of the major bullet points worked, all of the animation worked, and yet even without it, it’s one of the best movies I’ve ever seen.
Bob Hoskins deserves a bow, as whether he likes it or not, has a career-defining performance as Eddie Valiant, the detective who hate toons in Toon-Town, yet is about to go undercover and WORK WITH THEM! It’s one thing to note that a actor has to prepare for a role, but for Bob, he had to literally act out scenes talking to imaginary beings before having the animation drawn in post-production. It’s an immersive project that was loved for and cared for, and thankfully, didn’t have a sequel.
Time for the extras!
In this collection, there are two “themed” discs.
Disc one is a “Family Friendly” disc. The picture is presented in 1:33 full-frame (vomits), and the only true special features revolve around the three Roger Rabbit shorts and Benny the Cab. Even on its own, that’s still better than most drek released to kids these days. I will note that content-wise there’s almost no difference between the actual movies on the first and second discs, so be advised that the content does get a bit darker for younger members of the family.
Okay, done looking at disc one? Good, go to the good stuff, disc two!
Entitled “Enthusiast”, this is where the meat and potatoes of the content comes from. The picture on this disc is a proper 1:85 OAR (or to new people of the blog, original aspect ratio), enhanced for 16X9 screens. The THX-certified audio from the first disc gets an upgrade for disc two, as well as a DTS track in addition to the 5.1 channel track.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Inside the special features are multiple sources of drool-inducing hysteria. First, a very-involved commentary track with such names as Robert Zemeckis, Frank Marshall, Jeffrey Price, Peter Seaman, Steve Starkey, and Ken Ralston, giving their respective views on how the motion picture was made. This track is like watching a sports moment from different points of view: great analysis and tremendous insights behinds the minds of madness!
Next is personally my favorite feature, “Toon-Town Confidential”. It’s a in-picture facts/trivia track that quite frankly is amongst the most-detail oriented features ever. Perfect for the person with useless knowledge to a zenith, it explains how certain scenes were made, when cartoon characters were introduced, etc.
Almost as a visual companion piece, there’s a documentary named “Behind the Ears: The True Story of Roger Rabbit,” where it explains how the book became the awesome movie.
There’s also more sequences like the infamous “Pig Head” scene, a before-and-after side-by-side, a stand-in (as in extras being the toons) featurette, a on-set ditty with Benny the Cab, and even a gallery with Eddie’s “file”. It’s all part of a huge world this disc creates with a madcap rush from Benny to start the menu.
Although I am blessed to have MANY quality discs in my collection, this is truly one of those discs that if you don’t own it, then stop reading this and tell a retailer, “TAKE MY MONEY!” The movie is fantastic, the packaging is extraordinary, and the special features make this a fully-loaded release that quite frankly, makes this release go as over-the-top as the scenery in ‘Rabbit’ itself. A collector’s title for sure, and a must for every library.
Speaking of which, there’s another cartoon-based title that should be noted for wrapping up this chapter.
“Looney Tunes Golden Collection” is the start of what would be not only a 6-volume series, but a whole new spectrum of restoration in animation. More on that in a second.
Looking at the packaging, it’s a nice piece. There’s a hard cover with a fold-out digipak case tucked inside. The digipak has four discs, and the content listing is listed on each individual flap, inside of a chapter booklet, which in this case, is very well-executed. Only flaw is that the hubs that hold the discs make it a tiny bit tricky to get the media out, but it’s not as bad as other discs I own, like the aforementioned Snow White 2002 DVD.
The flaps contain some huge information. Each disc has 14 cartoons connected to a character/theme, like for example, disc one has Bugs Bunny, disc two Daffy Duck, etc.
As a matter of fact, I’ll even list the cartoons below (courtesy of Amazon). Please note, a lot of these cartoons are ***** classics, if not very close to that:
Volume One: Disc One
1.Baseball Bugs (Friz Freleng)
2.Rabbit Seasoning (Chuck Jones)
3.Long-Haired Hare (Chuck Jones)
4.High Diving Hare (Friz Freleng)
5.Bully for Bugs (Chuck Jones)
6.What's Up Doc? (Robert McKimson)
7.Rabbit's Kin (Robert McKimson)
8.Water, Water Every Hare (Chuck Jones)
9.Big House Bunny (Friz Freleng)
10.Big Top Bunny (Robert McKimson)
11.My Bunny Lies Over the Sea (Chuck Jones)
12.Wabbit Twouble (Bob Clampett)
13.Ballot Box Bunny (Friz Freleng)
14.Rabbit of Seville (Chuck Jones)
Volume One: Disc Two
1.Duck Amuck (Chuck Jones)
2.Dough for the Do-Do (Bob Clampett)
3.Drip Along Daffy (Chuck Jones)
4.Scaredy Cat (Chuck Jones)
5.The Ducksters (Chuck Jones)
6.The Scarlet Pumpernickel (Chuck Jones)
7.Yankee Doodle Daffy (Friz Freleng)
8.Porky Chops (Arthur Davis)
9.Wearing of the Grin (Chuck Jones)
10.Deduce, You Say (Chuck Jones)
11.Boobs in the Woods (Robert McKimson)
12.Golden Yeggs (Friz Freleng)
13.Rabbit Fire (Chuck Jones)
14.Duck Dodgers in the 24 ½ Century (Chuck Jones)
Volume One: Disc Three
1.Elmer's Candid Camera (Chuck Jones)
1.Bugs Bunny and the Three Bears (Chuck Jones)
2.Fast and Furry-ous (Chuck Jones)
3.Hair Raising Hare (Chuck Jones)
4.The Awful Orphan (Chuck Jones)
5.Haredevil Hare (Chuck Jones)
6.For Scent-imental Reasons (Chuck Jones)
7.Frigid Hare (Chuck Jones)
8.The Hypo-Chondri-Cat (Chuck Jones)
9.Baton Bunny (Chuck Jones)
10.Feed the Kitty (Chuck Jones)
11.Don't Give up the Sheep (Chuck Jones)
12.Bugs Bunny gets the Boid (Bob Clampett)
13.Tortoise Wins by a Hare (Bob Clampett)
Volume One: Disc Four
1.Canary Row (Friz Freleng)
2.Bunker Hill Bunny (Friz Freleng)
3.Kit for Cat (Friz Freleng)
4.Putty Tat Trouble (Friz Freleng)
5.Bugs and Thugs (Friz Freleng)
6.Canned Feud (Friz Freleng)
7.Lumber Jerks (Friz Freleng)
8.Speedy Gonzales (Friz Freleng)
9.Tweety's S.O.S. (Friz Freleng)
10.The Foghorn Leghorn (Robert McKimson)
11.Daffy Duck Hunt (Robert McKimson)
12.Early to Bet (Robert McKimson)
13.Broken Leghorn (Robert McKimson)
14.Devil May Hare (Robert McKimson)
In addition, there is wealth of extras that can only be described as exhaustive.
While all discs have many featurettes entitled “Behind the Tunes”, they’re all connected to a certain theme. For example, disc one has Bugs Bunny themed pieces, like “A Wabbit for All Seasons,” and “Short-Fuse Blowout” that features on nemesis Marvin the Martian. Between discs one and two, there’s also the “Camera Three: The Boys From Termite Terrace” show from the 1970’s hosted by John Canemaker. It features on the historic building, and the men behind the zaniness.
Another great addition is the Cartoon Network produced “Toonheads: The Lost Cartoons” located on disc three. Originally aired either in 2001 or 2002, the show revolves around rarely-seen 1930s shorts, and even the Roadrunner show that should have aired in the 1960s, but didn’t.
Also, there’s another documentary on disc four entitled, “Irrelevant Imagination,” which goes about the Golden Age of cartoons. Another great piece, this is another case of “SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!”
To wrap this up, there’s a certain little phenomenon that took place in this time frame revolving around the cartoons called “restoration”. Going frame-by-frame, loving technicians go into the film and take out distracting dirt/debris from the print, thus in its wake results a finished project resembling something out of the theater first-run. While Ted Turner and his “henchmen” so to speak started this trend in the mid-1990s with the “Dubbed Versions”, it was WB who evolved the technology for this instance, and made the print of 50-70 years gone by look like fresh paintings of imagination. If you need some side-by-sides of before and after, check out this site authored by Jerry Beck.
If you need any more inspiration for a future purchase, then don’t even follow the link above. Instead, follow this one. It’s ALL SIX Golden Collection being re-released, and in simple clear-outlined cases with booklets and all discs. The cost of this set is equivalent to the MSRP of 1.5 GC’s first released, so it’s a STEAL!
Back to what brought me to this article anyway, the two animation-inspired DVD’s were purchased by an aunt who went to great lengths to secure these to me. While I’ve never identified family members by name in my blogs, I will say that the aunt known as “Po” in my family really did me a substantial solid, and that it’s probably one of the best and most thoughtful combo gifts I’ve ever received.
IN CONCLUSION: Looking back at Christmases through the years, I’ve been truly blessed. There are years of course you may not get everything on your list, but there are other years where people went up and beyond expectations. 2003 as you can see was one of those years, and all of these discs featured have shown the scars/wear of my continual play of them. While I would get some more fantastic offerings in the years to come, 2003 was a year that will never be forgotten.
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