Product Details

• Actors: Richard Condie, Leonard Maltin, Alexander Alexeieff, Norman McLaren, Anna McGarrigle
• Directors: Norman McLaren, Caroline Leaf, Cordell Barker, Evelyn Lambart, Jacques Drouin
• Format: Animated, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: April 10, 2001
• Run Time: 95 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005AFSB
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,241 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Leonard Maltin's Animation Favorites From the National Film Board of Canada" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Since its establishment in 1939, the National Film Board of Canada has provided a place for artists to explore innovative styles, content, and media, especially in animation. Leonard Maltin serves as the genial host of this overview of the board's work, explaining some of the more recherché techniques developed there. Jacques Drouin manipulated the shadows of thousands of tiny steel pins to produce the gray, pointillist images in his striking "Mindscape." Norman McLaren drew, painted, and scratched images onto the surface of 35mm film stock as he sought to marry animation, the least spontaneous of art forms, to the bright, improvisational music of the young Oscar Peterson. These elegant experiments contrast sharply with the humor of John Weldon's "The Log Driver's Waltz" and Sheldon Cohen's "The Sweater." "Log Driver's Waltz" is a nutty, loose-limbed adaptation of a folk song in which a woman reflects that any dancing partner seems flat-footed compared to a man who can skip over spinning logs in a river. "The Sweater" presents a warmly nostalgic memoir of boyhood hero-worship--with a slyly funny ending. As Maltin notes, the NFB has served as a "kind of academy" that has enabled talented artists to pursue individual visions of what an animated film can be--an academy that U.S. citizens can only envy. Complete contents: 1. "Begone Dull Care," 2. "Mindscape," 3. "The Log Driver's Waltz," 4. "The Cat Came Back," 5. "Getting Started," 6. "The Sweater," 7. "The Street," 8. "Pas de Deux," 9. "Anniversary." These films are unrated and suitable for ages 10 and older for some adult themes and unusual imagery. -- Charles Solomon

Product Description
Leonard Maltin, animation aficionado of "Entertainment Tonight" fame, selects some of his favorite animation from the National Film Board of Canada's vast library. For more than 50 years, the Film Board has produced original, thoughtful and entertaining animation for all ages. So get ready for some of the most exciting, challenging and funny animation ever made! Films (and directors): Begone Dull Care (Norman McLaren), Mindscape (Jacques Drouin), The Log Driver's Waltz (John Weldon), The Cat Came Back (Cordell Barker), Getting Started (Richard Condie), The Sweater (Sheldon Cohen), The Street (Caroline Leaf), Pas De Deux (Norman McLaren), Anniversary (Marc Aubry and Michel Hebert).

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best animation selections available, December 11, 2002

By	Alberto G. M (Miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This disc features a mix of assorted animation by members of the NFB that is sure to please the most discriminating animation collector. From the wild, thoughtful and free experimentations of Norman McLaren to more lighthearted contributions that don't compromise the overall quality of the whole presentation at all - if you are a fan of experimental / independent animation, this is a must for your DVD collection. You won't be dissapointed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NFB Cartoon Shorts, March 13, 2006

By	J. Bromberg (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Having spent time in Canada as a kid, I remember (fondly) a number of the short cartoons that are on this DVD. The features were largely from independent film makers who were funded by the National Film Board of Canada, and always covered interesting subjects about growing up and/or outdoor life in Canada.

Given their age (and relative commercial unimportance) I had given up hope that I would ever see them again...but here they are, in a beautifully-restored collection. What Leonard Maltin has to do with this, I don't know, but if you (like me) long to see these features once again, this is the DVD for you!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Toons, August 19, 2005

By	Beverly A. Bass "bevsbird2" (MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this to get "The Cat Came Back". I remember seeing this cartoon many times about 10 years ago, but hadn't seen it since that time. I loved it and thought the grandkids would too. I thought these were great cartoons for the price.