Customer Reviews

Animaniacs - Spooky Stuff [VHS]

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The cartoons on this "Animaniacs" compilation all come from the first and best year on Fox, when the gang at Warner Bros. TV Animation were at their peak in terms of writing and visual invention. These particular cartoons were all written by John P. McCann, a specialist in finding the fun in "spooky" subject matter (and like most of the best Animaniacs writers, a gifted sketch comic). Within the general theme, this collection has a lot of variety, including two welcome contributions from the cat-dog team of Rita and Runt. Here's a cartoon-by-cartoon evaluation: "Draculee Draculaa" - one of the first Animaniacs cartoons to be recorded and animated, this cartoon shows just how quickly the show hit its stride; the TMS animation isn't as slick as it would later become, but the Warner sibs' trademark combination of innocence and knowingness is here, as are plenty of good one-liners and visual flourishes. Dan Castellanetta guest-stars as Dracula. "Phranken-Runt" - perhaps the best Rita and Runt cartoon; it's very funny, beautifully animated by TMS, and the Rocky Horror-esque songs contribute to the story rather than slowing it down. Mr. Squeak, the large but uncoordinated mouse, is the scene-stealer here. The late Richard Stone comes through with one of his finest background scores. "Meatballs Or Consequences" - One of McCann's best and most quotable scripts, replete with satirical knocks at Ingmar Bergman movies, bureaucratic red tape, and (ahem) Steven Spielberg. "Scare Happy Slappy" - a good, standard Slappy Squirrel cartoon, with plenty of pointless violence and meta-humor. The sadly defunct StarToons provides excellent animation, particularly on the hapless Walter Wolf. "Witch One" - a short Rita and Runt, nothing spectacular but with some funny "Beauty and the Beast" song parodies. "Hot, Bothered and Bedeviled" - The Warners meet Satan. Animaniacs at its best and least kid-friendly, with many unforgettable moments -- inlcuding Satan's idea of an agony that is worse than all others. No bonus material here, and some of the closing credits are inaccurate, but for 50+ minutes of pure "Animaniacs" entertainment, this tape is a sound investment.

Those pesky little critters and friends take you on a ride through some of the most hilarious machs on infamous ghosts and ghouls including Dracula, Frankenstein, The Grim Reaper (Who it turns out is actually Swedish), The Salem Witch Trials, and even the Devil himself. Yakko and Dot are especially funny as is Slappy the Squirrell in the fourth skit. If you are in any way a fan of the show or a general laugh a holic, I suggest you purchase this video.

In many way, Steven Spielberg's Animaniacs was ahead of its time of being retro. Make Sense? Well the Animaniacs were really a throw back to the golden age animation of the 1940's. This tape includes all Halloween/horror themed episodes in the usual chaotic style of the Animaniacs.

The shorts on this tape include:

"Draculee Draculaa" - The Warner Siblings think that they have gone to Pennsylvania to find their parents (pencils) but instead wind up in Transylvania. They decide to stay the night in Dracula's castle. Dracula tries to bite Dot's neck, so they pull his teeth out for Dot to wear in her hair to make her look like Sheena Easton.

"Phranken Runt" - Dr. Phrankenstein creates a monster dog, named Scout, to destroy a village, but Scout is struck by lightening which shorts out his brain. She does not have any spare dog brains to replace it. When Runt shows up, she plans to use his brain, but Rita sets Runt and Scout free.

"Meatballs or Consequences" - Wakko eats one too many meatballs at a meatball eating contest in Sweden, and is declared living impaired (kaput) by Death (who has a Swedish accent). Yakko and Dot beg to be taken to the nether realm along with their brother, and then play checkers with Death to be allowed to stay with their brother.

"Hot, Bothered, and Bedeviled" - The Warner siblings are trying to get to Six Flags Over Flushing, but end up in Hades instead. Satan wants to torture them but proves to be no match for the Warners. Satan kicks them out when Yakko freezes Hades.

There's also a Slappy Squirrel and Walter Wolf short that are of lesser quality than the ones I mentioned above. But I've always preferred the Animanicas themselves to some of the other characters.

Quite manic and hysterical and good Halloween fun.

Phranken-Runt's music is more Little Shop of Horrors than RHPS.