Customer Reviews

Looney Tunes: Golden Collection, Vol. 5

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

True to the schedule and quantity of cartoons, Warner Bros. is releasing the Fifth Volume of Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies Golden Collection right on time. These have been such a joy to look forward to each year around Halloween. I do hope the minimal of 10 volumes contines to be carried out. I recently heard there's a prospect of 17 if Warner Bros. decides to release all 489 Looney Tunes and all 518 Merrie Melodies cartoons.

This box set with continue with 60 restored and uncut cartoon shorts on 4 discs with more than 5 hours of bonus features to go along with it. The first disc is dedciated to Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. The second disc is a new collaboration of "Fairy Tale" stories with the Warner Twist. Disc three is to categorize the talents of Bob Clampett in some of his best animation. And Porky is going to close out the set in Disc 4 along with other Warner classics.

With over five hours of extras, this will sure be a delightfull collection to serve well with the previous four. One of the bonus features expected in this release include a documentary entitled: "Chuck Jones: Extremes and Inbetweens, A Life in Animation" (which was produced and aired on PBS in 2000).

Disc One: Bugs and Daffy

1. 14-Carrot Rabbit
2. Ali Baba Bunny (with Commentary Track by Filmmaker Greg Ford & Music Only Track)
3. Buccaneer Bunny
4. Bugs' Bonnets
5. A Star is Bored
6. A Pest in the House (with Commentary Track by Writer Paul Dini)
7. Transylvania 6-5000 (with Commentary Track by Historian Jerry Beck)
8. Oily Hare
9. Stupor Duck (with Music Only Track)
10. The Stupor Salesman
11. The Abominable Snow Rabbit (with Music and Effects Track)
12. The Super Snooper (with Music and Effects Track)
13. The Upstanding Sitter
14. Hollywood Daffy
15. You Were Never Duckier (with Commentary Track by Director Eric Goldberg)

Special Features Include:
1. Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens, a Life in Animation Part 1 (Estamated time: 45 minutes)
2. Featurettes: The Bugs Bunny Show
a. Bad Time Story Bridging Sequences (Estimated time: 8:26)
b. What's Up Dog? Audio Recording Sessions (Estimated time: 3:00)

Disc Two: Fairy Tales

1. Bewitched Bunny (with Commentary Track by Director Eric Goldberg & Music and Effects Track)
2. Paying the Piper
3. The Bear's Tale
4. Foney Fables
5. Goldimouse and the Three Cats (with Music Only Track)
6. Holiday for Shoestrings (with Commentary Track by Historian Daniel Goldmark)
7. Little Red Rodent Hood
8. Little Red Walking Hood (with Commentary Track by Animator Mark Kausler)
9. Red Riding Hoodwinked (with Commentary Track by Filmmaker Greg Ford & Music Only Track)
10. The Trial of Mr. Wolf
11. The Turn-Table Wolf (with Music and Effects Track)
12. Tom Thumb in Trouble (with Commentary Track by Historian Jerry Beck)
13. Tweety and the Beanstalk (with Music Only Track)
14. A Gander and a Mother Goose
15. Senorella and the Glass Huarache

Special Features Include:
1. Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens, A Life in Animation, Part Two (Estimated Time: 45:00)
2. Behind the Tunes
a. Once Upon a Tune (Estimated Time: 8:27)
b. Drawn to Life: The Art of Robert McKimson (Estimated Time: 15:00)
3. A Chuck Jones Tutorial: Tricks of the Cartoon (Estimated Time: 13:21)
4. Bonus Cartoons
SNAFU
a. Coming!! [1943] (Estimated Time: 3:00)
b. Gripes [1943] (Estimated Time: 3:00)
c. Gas [1944] (Estimated Time: 4:00)
Hook
a. Take Heed Mr. Tojo [1943] (Estimated Time: 3:00)
b. The Good Egg [1945] (Estimated Time: 3:00)
c. The Return of Mr. Hook [1945] (Estimated Time: 2:00)
d. Tokyo Woes [1945] (Estimated Time: 4:00)

Disc Three: The Best of Bob Clampett

1. Bacall to Arms (with Commentary Track by Historian Jerry Beck)
2. Buckaroo Bugs (with Commentary Track by Historian Michael Barrier and Commentary Track by Director John Kricfalusi, Director Eddie Fitzgerald and Cartoonist Kali Fonecchino)
3. Crazy Cruise
4. Farm Frolics (with Commentary Track by Actor Keith Scott)
5. Hare Ribbin'
6. Patient Porky
7. Prehistoric Porky
8. The Bashful Buzzard (with Commentary Track by Writer Paul Dini)
9. The Old Grey Hare (with Commentary Track by Filmmaker Greg Ford)
10. The Wacky Wabbit (with Commentary Track by Director Eric Goldberg)
11. The Wise Quacking Duck
12. Wagon Heels
13. The Daffy Doc (with Commentary Track by Animator Mark Kausler)
14. A Tale of Two Kitties (with Commentary Track by Historian Michael Barrier)
15. Porky's Pooch

Special Features Include:
1. Behind the Tunes
a. Wacky Warner One-Shots (Estimated Time: 8:40)
b. Real American Zero: The Adventures of Private SNAFU (Estimated Time: 8:45)
2. From the Vaults
a. Hare Ribbin' Director's Cut (Estimated Time: 8:00)
b. The Bashful Buzzard Storyboard Reel (with Bashful Buzzard Orignial Opening Music Cue) (Estimated Time: 8:00)
3. Alternate Milt Franklin Opening Themes (with Introduction by Greg Ford)(Estimated Time: 5:00)

Disc Four: "The Early Daze"

1. Alpin Antics
2. Eatin' on the Cuff or the Moth Who Came to Dinner (with Commentary Trac by Historian Jerry Beck)
3. Milk and Money
4. I've Got to Sing a Torch Song
5. Porky at the Crocadero (with Commentary Track by Historian Daniel Goldmark)
6. Polar Pals
7. Scrap Happy Daffy
8. Porky's Double Trouble
9. Golddigers of '49
10. Pilgrim Porky
11. Wise Quacks
12. Porky's Review (with Commentary Track by Fimmaker Greg Ford)
13. Porky's Poppa
14. Wholly Smoke (with Commentary Track by Historian Daniel Goldmark)
15. What Price Porky

Special Features Include:
1. Unsung Maestros: A Directors Tribute (Estimated Time: 15:00)
2. The Looney Tunes Television Specials
a. Bugs and Daff's Carnival of the Animals [1976 TV Special] (Estimated Time: 24:23)
b. Bugs Bunney's Looney Christmas Tales (1979 TV Special] (Estimated Time: 24:13)
c. Bugs Bunny's Bustin' Out All Over [1980 TV Special (Estimated Time: 23:46)

With this collection, there seems to be more instored for the Looney Tunes fan with more TV specials and documentaries than any other previous collection has held so far. I'm pleased to see a whole disc being dedicated to Bob Clampett as well. There were some previous concerns that not enough of his stuff was shown in the second and third collections, but it seems Warner Bros. is making up for that here. Can't wait for October!!!

Looney Tunes Golden Collection 5 is another great collection. Lots of fan favorites and lesser-known but memorable classic WB cartoons are here. These are my top ten choices for LTGC VOL.5.

A Tale of Two Kitties : This is one of Robert Clampett's best cartoons. This and A GRUESOME TWOSOME are Clampett's Tweety-themed cartoons at its finest.

Porky's Review : Tex Avery's classic porky cartoon. Avery's genius really shines in this one. Cartoon within a cartoon drawn by porky himself is a inventive, unique cartoon storytelling and pure Avery.

The Bear's Tale : Another Avery classic. Not well-known but certainly first rate Avery cartoon for sure. I hope LTGC vol.6 will have Tex Avery disc next year. Next year is Tex Avery's 100th year birth anniversary. I don't understand why one of animation histories greatest directors still don't have his own disc after five volumes of LTGC sets.

The Daffy Doc : top-rated Clampett daffy classic. Surrealistic, incredibly funny. Clampett demonstrates his true talents here.

Ali Baba Bunny : Well-known Chuck Jones cartoon. This cartoon partly shown from BUGS BUNNY'S THIRD MOVIE:1001 RABBIT TALES but this time we'll see its uncut,restored version.

Scrap Happy Daffy : One of Frank Tashlin's best cartoons. Pure anarchic, perfectly drawn masterpiece.

Hare Ribbin' : Yes, we can see uncut director's version of Hare Ribbin' finally. What a great news for every classic cartoon fans, I can't wait.

Porky's Pooch : Another black and white Porky classic. WB really did great job bringing old black and white porky classics into life. Now, I'm very happy if Tex Avery's porky masterpiece PORKY THE WRESTLER will be releasing next year for LTGC VOL.6.

Trial of Mr. Wolf : Very underrated Fritz Freleng classic. Unique concept brilliantly realised by Freleng's craftsmanship. One of a kind.

A Pest in the House : One of Chuck Jones finest masterpieces finally releasing dvd. Incredibly funny, fast paced classic, Maybe DUCK AMUCK, WHAT'S OPERA, DOC had more vote from classic cartoon fans, but A PEST IN THE HOUSE is my choice for Chuck Jones funniest cartoon. Hysterical from start to finish, don't miss it.

These are my top ten favorites from upcoming LTGC vol.5. Thanks for reading.

It is very surprisingthough that when it comes to animated cartoons these days, nobody under the age of 10 thinks of the Looney Tunes gang. They are more interested in Spongebob Squarepants, The Fairly Odd Parents, and Hannah Montana and High School Musical from Disney. But, the classic eera of animation still remains a jewel that is fun and worth watching all over again. the previous volumes of the Looney Tunes: Golden Collection had a few flaws, but they overall didn't dissapoint. Now, that magical time is there again to say hello to the classic Warner Brothers gang, but does this volume shine like the previous editions, or does it fall from grace as the way the budget-priced spotlight collections do?

The Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 5 is a 4 disc DVD collection that reflects the best of Warner Brothers greatest cast of characters from the golden era of animation. The collection contains 60 great cartoons that try as the cream of the crop. But, there are a few surprises that are shown here, as the first disc completely displays. The first disc, which was basically all about Bugs Bunny from the previous four volumes, but this time he has to share the spotlight with one of his friendly foes, Daffy Duck. The first disc does slim down the number of Bugs cartoons here, but they do show Bugs & Daffy duking it out like the old Bing Crosby & Bob Hope days, as was the case which director Chuck Jones brightly displayed on cartoons like Ali Baba Bunny and The Abominable Snow-Rabbit from 1961. There are also a lot of great here from the two seperate here including The Stupor Salesman, where Daffy is a door-to-door salesman who tries to sell anything to a wanted criminal who thinks Daffy is with the police, and wants him dead, as well as Bugs' Bonnets, where Elmer Fudd goes after Bugs as usual, but the aid of falling hats Bugs & Elmer act out what hats they were in a unrealistic way of what they wear from a game warden, to Elmer wearing a brides' vale. It is one of my favories.

Disc 2 is all about looney fairy tales, and the way Warner Brothers tailor made the Looney Tunes gang, through classic fairly tales like Senorella & The Glass Hurache, a mexican version of the classic Cinderella story, and Bewitched Bunny where Bugs walks into a Hansel & Gretel story where the debut of Witch Hazel and her craving for children, turns to a craving for rabbit stew. There are also a few other great delights here including Goldimouse & The Three Cats with Sylvester Jr. demanding something different than pourage, and Sylvester does whatever it takes to get his son a mouse to eat. There are a few lesser-known gems here as well including Holiday For Showstrings, and The Trial Of Mr. Wolf, where the wolf speaks his side of the story in a weird twist on the Red Riding Hood story.

Disc 3 pays respect one of the most influential animation directors of all time, the great Bob Clampett, who helped innovate the looney, into looney tunes. This one brought out the first peak of the classic cartoons from the 1930's and 1940's when Clampett worked with Warners. The collection on this disc shines noblely well with great classics like The Old Greay Hare where Elmer Fudd goes ahead in time into the year 2000 and tries to go after an older aged, Bugs but falls victim to his looney ways, and Patient Porky, where Porky visits a hospital after overeating a birthday cake, but falls prey to a phoney doctor who tries to do more than surgery on Porky. There also is The Bashful Buzzard, which was one of the few cartoons with the unforgettable Beaky Buzzard who tries to find something to bring home for dinner for his family to cook, but is just dopey enough to bring anything from a bumble bee, to even a dragon.

The final disc, mainly focuses in on Warner Brothers beginnings from the 1930's, with Porky Pig as the main attraction here in classic cartoons like Porky's Poppa, and Wholly Smoke. There isn't much here, but there are a lot of extras that work well on the final disc including specials like Bugs Bunny's Bustin' Out All Over which include gems like Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Bunny, where a pint-sized Bugs & Elmer go out each others wits, and the actual one time where Wile E. Coyote is up to his old tricks, but finally catches his prey, the Road Runner.

All in all, The Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 5 isn't a bad buy for die hard Looney Tunes fans, but surprisingly could've had a bit more from the first disc with Bugs & daffy, which I was hoping for much better. I was hoping classic cartoons like The Million Hare and People Are Bunny would've been used with two of them going at each other instead of the ones they are just seperate and funny. It isn't as much of a must buy for newcomers, as was the case with the previous golden collections, but it does show most of its merit, and that is all folks. Hopefully, the next volume can bring in more of the zany action.

Remastering: B+

Price: B-

Extras: B+

Shorts: B 1/2-

Packaging and cover: B+

Overall: B 1/2-

This fifth volume in the LOONEY TUNES GOLDEN COLLECTION series is indeed a dream come true for the obsessive fan *AND* the casual viewer who remembers the golden days of having Warner Brothers cartoons not only on prime time TV but shown in all incarnations on local TV on weekday evenings.

Disk one, BUGS BUNNY & DAFFY DUCK is like reliving the days when "THE BUGS BUNNY SHOW" was part of prime time viewing on our TV airwaves, with cartoons that need so badly to be seen in this kind of quality, neatly blending the truly classic and the offbeat to give a well-rounded impression of how these characters developed over the years. "BUGS BONNETS", a cartoon that lends new meaning to the term "clothes make the man" (or even bend the gender), is one of those offbeat, subtle titles that I so often recall seeing on TV, but only on "THE BUGS BUNNY SHOW", and we get to see Daffy Duck in transition, his "fun period" as the commentary tracks stress, with cartoons like "PEST IN THE HOUSE" (perhaps his finest performance), "STUPOR-DUCK" (with its great intro by Daws Butler mimmicking all the "SUPERMAN" adventures in much the same way that "SUPER RABBIT" had done) and "YOU WERE NEVER DUCKIER" (a cartoon that pairs Daffy, oddly enough, with feisty Hennery Hawk, a kind of link to the little guy's "foist" cartoon, "THE SQUAWKING HAWK" in which Hennery goes out on his very first hunt for chickens after refusing to eat his "woims", and we realize that he still doesn't know what a chicken really is. Even nicer is the fact that, if you missed your chance, like me, to have the entire "STUPOR-DUCK" music track in any format, as it once appeared on the cassette only of an audio collection called THE CARL STALLING PROJECT, here's your ultimate chance to have the audio and the video in one place!!

Disk Two gives us some terrific FAIRY TALE fractures, long before Jay Ward had done it with Bill Scott, and the restorations here are eye and ear-popping!! Yes, it truly pops the ears to hear the restorations on toons like "THE BEAR'S TALE" and "LITTLE RED WALKING HOOD", not to mention (but you know I'll mention it anyway) "HOLIDAY FOR SHOESTRINGS" because of its splendid music track and, now, fully restored title card and overall visual and audio. On the first two disks, we get parts one and two of "EXTREMES AND IN-BETWEENS", a special on the career of Chuck Jones originally run on PBS. I missed this one, but am now glad it is neatly housed in this set as "BUGS BUNNY, SUPERSTAR" was in the fourth volume, giving Robert Clampett his own platform to tell of his days at Termite Terrace. Chuck Jones does indeed do himself justice in this long overdue documentary and we also learn of what it really takes to make a clever animated cartoon. Upon seeing this special we long for a shot at "THE DOT AND THE LINE" on some collection in the near future and, perhaps, this is a hint of what's to come.

Disk Three gives us a well-rounded glance at yet more Robert Clampett cartoons, oddly beginning with a title that was finished by Arthur Davis but still has Clampett's "stamp" and howl and overall twisted sense of humor about it, "BACALL TO ARMS", also including true classics like "THE WISE-QUACKING DUCK", "WAGON HEELS", both versions of "HARE RIBBIN'" and that hilarious impression of Bugs and Elmer Fudd as aged adversaries looking back at their "careers", with the hapless hunter still chasing Bugs with his "wightning quick wabbit-kiwwer".

It is the special feature section on this disk that shines, though. Aside from the alternate "director's cut" of "HARE RIBBIN'" mentioned above, you get two PRIVATE S.N.A.F.U." shorts and three "HOOK" cartoons pushing war bonds and what to do after the term of duty, with great voice work here by Arthur Lake; makes you wonder why he didn't do more voice work for the studio in the homefront cartoons.

But it is the fourth disk here that is the fan favorite for this reviewer! This is an entire disk labeled "THE EARLY YEARS" and we truly learn just how some of the earliest characters and traits in LOONEY TUNES stars blossomed. The disk opens with "ALPINE ANTICS", a fun cartoon which shows what the studio's finest unsung animators could do with Disney-like characters, taking them in their own direction, "I'VE GOT TO SING A TORCH SONG" which takes the BUSBY BERKELEY number and does a fantastic job of starting up the list of caricature-laiden cartoons as time capsule of the various entertainers and celebrities of the day (and this cartoon actually features restored footage that did not appear as part of the BUSBY BERKELEY collection's special feature) and "MILK AND MONEY", one of those early PORKY PIG cartoons, giving the viewer a chance to see Porky before Mel took over as his voice, when Joe Dougherty, a real stutterer, gave Porky his vulnerable and naive charm. Other highlights here include "EATIN' ON THE CUFF" (a Robert Clampett clasic about a little moth that falls for a honey bee and even integrates live action in to the cartoon) and "WISE QUACKS" (a cartoon in which Daffy Duck, an expectant father, nervously ingests a little too much of the bubbly and, somehow, the poor kid gets left behind, strange and dark and truly a lost LOONEY TUNES treasure), "SCRAP-HAPPY DAFFY" (showing Daffy Duck's over-the-top patriotism with a great reference to that one-eyed sailor in hopes that a can of spinach could save Daffy and the day) and "WHOLLY SMOKE" (a parable on the perils of smoking as only those at Termite Terrace could deliver it)!! There are others as well, like "PORKY AT THE CROCCADERO" a tour de force for Porky Pig who wants to become an entertainer in the worst way and, eventually, does, mimmicking entertainers of the age like Cab Calloway in much the same way as the first LOONEY TUNES star, Bosko, had done with Maurice Chevallier in a cartoon called "BOSKO IN PERSON", only Porky had a jazzier score, thanks to Carl Stalling. It is a top-notch disk from beginning to end and a fantastic finale to one of the best sets I've bought this year!!

We classic Looney Tunes fans will, naturally, forever debate which cartoons WB should include on each set. But what impresses me about Vol. 5 is that there is a little more variety spread out over the discs. I mean, there's no point arguing the merits of a classic Bugs Bunny cartoon. . .but I've seen them all many times before. I'm more interested in seeing the early stuff (Disc 4) or some of the lesser-known but brilliant work like the Fairy Tale 'toons (Disc 2).

Warner Bros. has set the gold standard (pardon the pun) for extras, and Vol. 5 is no exception. As a lifelong Chuck Jones fan, I've had "Inbetween & Extremes" for years, but the single-disc documentary by itself costs about half the price of one of these Golden Collections. . .so it's a good thing to have. I expect the casual viewer doesn't care all that much about having more Private Snafu cartoons, but I think they've VERY important parts of both animation history and American history, for that matter.

Looney Tunes fans, though fickle as ever when picking their favorites, at least seem to be a fiercely loyal bunch in supporing each new Golden Collection DVD release. As I said in my review for Looney Tunes - Golden Collection, Volume Four, we've still got a long way to go. So keep it up, Doc!

When one gets to the 5th collection, one might assume that all of the strongest cartoons were in one of the first four. While the selection has thinned a bit in the last 3 collections, this one still has a few cartoons that are among the very best Warners ever made.

While Chuck Jones was the most talented Warners director in the late 1940s and the 1950s, Bob Clampett was the best on the lot in the war years, doing much stronger work than Jones in that period. Earlier collections included much of Clampett's funniest work, but this 5th collection includes the brilliant "A Tale of Two Kitties," which may have been too violent to make the cut for earlier discs. That Warners would have chosen to feature Frank Tashlin (on an earlier collection) before Clampett is bizarre, given that Clampett made at least a dozen shorts better than any cartoons that Tashlin made.

Not the best Warners collection yet, but great nonetheless.

Classic Looney Tunes that look great after being restored.

Can't find them on TV any more.

I have the whole set and enjoy it very much.

Great info in the extra features.

Warner Bros. continues to open their vault to us with the latest "Golden" collection. There's a lot to like here, but a few things I'm not so crazy about. Let's get them out of the way first.

The theme of each disk (you can see the "table of contents" elsewhere) has promise and the cartoon selections keep that promise. I didn't find many of my great favorites on any of the disks and, as is inevitable, a few `toons on each just didn't grab me at all. The fourth disk, "Early Daze," contains B&W `toons from the 30s and early 40s - although their historical interest can not be denied, the style is an acquired taste that I haven't wholly acquired. Some of the stereotypes, too, grate on modern sensibilities, especially the blackface humor that still circulated back when these `toons were made. Earlier disks in the series had a disclaimer spoken by Whoopi Goldberg, and this doesn't. I hope that's because WB found viewers to be sophisticated enough to know that historical facts don't always suit contemporary mores, but let the viewer be warned anyway.

The good in this collection is very good. There are lots of `toons that I don't recall seeing before, and that's always fun. Quite a few of the early toons lampooned the famous faces of the day. Modern viewers will fail to recognize many of them - so much for fame! I was more interested to see the whole star-chasing fade away as the cartoon character took on personalities and lives of their own. The real gems of these collections show up in the extras. Those include WWII training films, with Pvt. Snafu, and TV specials. Since these `toons addressed grown men, a few points clearly addressed that somewhat rougher audience. It's pretty tame by today's standards, but the pinups must have been racy stuff back in the 1940s. The TV specials are in fact special (including one with music conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas and doggerel by Ogden Nash), and I'm still working my way through them. Despite some weak spots, the good in this collection makes it entirely worthwhile.

-- wiredweird

The entire Looney Tunes Golden Collections may be praised on a number of levels.

The careful restoration of these films has allowed the viewer to see them in a manner unmatched since probably when they premiered in the movie theaters. Thus, not only are we treated to what fans of Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies already knew, that these cartoon shorts contain comedic timing and characterizations worthy to stand alongside the comedy masters of American cinema, we can now see much more clearly how wonderful and impressive is the art work and animation.

While many of the cartoons are familiar from repeated television viewings, a number of interesting and entertaining shorts contained in these sets have been a revelation. And while not every one of the 1000 or so cartoons released by Warner Brothers is a gem, the films as a whole provide an educational glimpse of a provocative era in American history, ca. 1930 - 1960.

We have in these collections not just classic cartoons, but truly fine art and great cinema.

How could I resist? I grew up with these shows, after all. Now my students are wearing street clothes with Bugs and Daffy and Tweety and Taz, and they are 16 years old! How cool is that? Forget kindergarten: you can learn all you need to know watching Bugs and friends. Classical music, for example, sometimes subtle, sometimes the focus, but it stays with you. Selfishness doesn't pay, Daffy. Think before you act, Elmer. And little "birds" can have great power. I hope there are still more to come. These shows were a rite of passage to my generation, and I'm glad the torch continues to be passed.