In this 1999 documentary, Leslie Iwerks offers viewers a look at the work of her grandfather, one of the unsung giants of animation and film technology. Ub Iwerks (1901-1971) was a teenager in Kansas City when he and his friend Walt Disney taught themselves animation. In 1928, Iwerks designed Mickey Mouse's physical appearance and animated the first three Mickey shorts almost single-handed…
As long as there is a need for adolescent male sexual fantasy, there will be an audience for Heavy Metal. Released in 1981 and based on stories from the graphic magazine of the same name (possibly the greatest publication to simultaneously provoke imagination and masturbation), the film has since become the most popular single title in Columbia/TriStar's entire film library. That's an amazing …
In Hollywood Cartoons, Michael Barrier takes us on a glorious guided tour of American animation in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, to meet the legendary artists and entrepreneurs who created Bugs Bunny, Betty Boop, Mickey Mouse, Wile E. Coyote, Donald Duck, Tom and Jerry, and many other cartoon favorites. Beginning with black-and-white silent cartoons, Barrier offers an insightful account, tak…
Disney ~ Home On The Range
This all-time classic now has Horton Hears a Who! on the same video for a great double bill. How the Grinch Stole Christmas To heck with the kids--this is one of the best holiday presents you can give yourself. Adapted from the children's book by Dr. Seuss, this charming story is one to watch every holiday season. It is just edgy enough to help you forget the more cloying aspects of Christ…
The third volume of "The Hubley Collection" contains three of the innovative studio's most unusual and interesting works. Based on the writings of psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, "Everybody Rides the Carousel" (1976) examines the stages of human personality development. "A Doonesbury Special" (1977) was the last film on which John and Faith Hubley collaborated, and it was their last Oscar nominee…
The first volume of a three-disc survey of the films of the innovative Hubley Studio offers two of their best known shorts: the Academy Award-winning "Moonbird" (1959) and the Oscar-nominated "Windy Day" (1967). In these shorts, independent animators John and Faith Hubley explored new ways of presenting a child's world through film. They recorded their children's voices as they spun out fantas…
The second volume in this three-disc set exploration of the work of the Hubley Studio showcases the films of two generations of animators. Based on a book by former Chicago University president Robert Maynard Hutchins (who also serves as the film's narrator), the relatively little known "Zuckerandl!" (1968) satirizes the pomposity of academic presentations. The imaginary philosopher Alexander Z…