Product Details

• Actors: Dizzy Gillespie, Linda Atkinson, Sam Hubley, Maureen Stapleton, Jack Warden
• Directors: John Hubley, Faith Hubley
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0)
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: March 30, 1999
• Run Time: 245 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00000I20B
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #135,599 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #4 in	Movies & TV > Animation > By Animator > Hubley Studio
  #27 in	Movies & TV > Music Video & Concerts > Artists > Gillespie, Dizzy

• For more information about "Art and Jazz in Animation: The Cosmic Eye" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Beginning in the mid-'50s, the husband-and-wife team of John and Faith Hubley broke new ground in animation with their explorations of complex ideas, cutting-edge graphics, and jazz soundtracks. When jazz was still largely marginalized as an art form in America, the Hubleys worked with Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, and Lionel Hampton. For visual inspiration, they looked to the paintings of Picasso, Matisse, Miro, Klee, and Modigliani. Their short films are very different from Hollywood cartoons. The translucent, semi-abstract figures who embrace in The Tender Game suggest the emotions of two young lovers, rather than their physical motions. In Adventures of an *, a child and his father shift between stylized humans forms and patterns of lines as they explore their evolving relationship. The Academy Award-winning The Hole, a debate between two construction workers on the folly of the nuclear arms race, features improvised dialogue by Dizzie Gillespie and George Mathews. Faith Hubley's The Cosmic Eye is a feature-length compilation of earlier material, linked with new animation. The Hubley films are adult in the best sense of the word: not sexually explicit or gruesomely violent, but thoughtful, imaginative reflections on serious themes. --Charles Solomon

Product Description
For 40 years, John and Faith Hubley have expanded our appreciation of the universe with animated films of insight and wit using the musical talents of the finest jazz artists of all-time, including Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Dudley Moore and Benny Carter. Featured in this four hour volume: the feature-length "The Cosmic Eye"--three musicians from outer space bring a message of peace to our planet; Academy Award nominees "Voyage to Next"--Mother Earth and Father Time observe the state of life on our planet--and "Of Men and Demons"--the gods of rain, wind and fire team up to ruin a simple farmer's tranquil life; and Oscar-winner "The Hole"--two construction workers debate the fate of the world from under the streets of New York. Also includes: The Tender Game, Eggs, Urbanissimo, Harlem Wednesday, Adventures of an *, The Hat, Dig, Of Stars and Men.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Hubley Anthology!, January 30, 2005

By	BlaskoFilms (Coon Rapids, MN United States) - See all my reviews

A quick primer for those unfamiliar with Faith and John Hubley: In the early 1950s, John Hubley was prospering animator with the upstart UPA studio (a creative group that essentially redefined animation and character design, breaking from the flowing realist look of Disney and allowing for sharper angles and greater stylization). Yet, at the height of his achievements, Hubley was singled out by the House Committee on Un-American Activities as a Communist. Although Hubley himself adamantly denied the charges, he refused to point the finger to someone else, and so was ousted from the studio and blacklisted.

This is actually the beginnings of a wonderful story, and from this point in his career, Hubley began to work with his wife Faith to create independent animations that spoke from, and to, the heart. Several of these films became Academy Award nominees, and Academy Award winners as well.

Which brings us to this DVD, a fairly comprehensive anthology of the Hubley's work, including the feature film "The Cosmic Eye," as well as several influential short films: "The Hole," "The Adventures of *," "Of Men and Demons" and "Voyage to Next," among others. Though the picture and sound quality is not as good as one might hope for, it is an absolute pleasure to see these films in their entirety.

If you haven't encountered the Hubley's work, I think this DVD is a marvelous place to start. You will be thrilled by the Hubley's ability to coax character and life out of recorded voices, jazz beats and simple forms. There is a mode of expression here that you will not find anywhere else, and a depth of purpose that is unparalleled in contemporary animation. These films are works of art, and as such, they deserve to be seen and treasured. What's more, they are not only suitable for children, they are longing to connect with young minds and to encourage growth and thought.

I can't speak highly enough of the work of the Hubleys. Yes, "The Cosmic Eye," is a little expensive, but with 245 minutes of magic included, I think you'll find this purchase to be well worth the price. Enjoy!

4.0 out of 5 stars Patchy Virtuosity, February 19, 2009

By	R. Ward "pobble" (Bristol, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Cosmic Eye [VHS] (VHS Tape)

The music and some of the vocal performances on this piece are what led me to buy the VHS, the former can be found in better quality on the "Journey To Next" CD, but the latter are only available here. As for the animation, it's expressive and free-flowing and intentionally disjointed, some great imagery based on "naive" arts, but not really my cup-of-tea. It's a mash-up of various Faith Hubley animations loosely strung together on the theme of our evolution as a species and as individuals - from a cosmic perpective. Wide, man, real wide.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Collection., January 22, 2008

By	German R. Gomez - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Excellent collection.

This early DVD is chock full of animation, back when they actually tried to fill 'em up with bonuses and such.

You won't see it in one sitting, that's for sure.