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Musings Of A Shoe Salesman
Gotta put myself through college somehow.
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5Mar 13
What's goin on, people.
Right now I'm typing this because I just need to do something to keep myself from losing the few shreds of sanity I have left from typing and sending multiple resumes to different places in the hopes of landing a new job. The company I work for had a contract to work with the goverment for a set amount of time. Right now, time is about up for me; I received an estimated time of departure for me which will be before the month is out. I've known that I was leaving, but I haven't had a exact deadline until today. I've been posting resumes in the meantime, but it's less than encouraging when places take their time to call you back--or don't even call you at all.
It's frustrating when anyone loses their job in this day and age, but it stings more when you lose it through no fault of your own. It'd be one thing to be canned because you fvcked up at your job--at least you have a rational reason to blame yourself and feel like a failure. But somehow, I still feel like I failed, and it's my fault. It's irrational, nonsesical and just plain stupid. And I can't help it at all.
For the past month or so I've been waking up every day wondering how are you're gonna make ends meet, and it's starting to take its toll on me physically. Lack of appetite and lack of sleep is a sonuvab!tch, believe me. I'm grateful to have some money stashed away, and the infinite love, understanding, and support of my wife. Without her I be in a huge world of misery.
I wish I had a point with this blog post, but I don't. All I can say is that if you got someone to love waiting for you when you go home tonight--be it a significant other, a friend, a pet, anything--consider yourselves among the lucky...it's more than what some people have.
Back to work for me...at least for a little while longer, anyway. Talk to you soon.
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18Jan 13
'Sup?
I've been slow in making posts, but in an effort to keep contact to the three people who might still have an interest in what I post, I've decided to have anyone ask any question about anything they want at all. Why? Why not! I'm in a semi-good mood and willing to open up!
Have at it, Folks!
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16Nov 12
After about two delays, a destroyed hard drive, an entire rewrite from memory, it's finally ready to be posted. Feel free to check out my take on Vol.1 for those who missed it. Heres my review of Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two, courtesy of Warner Home Video.
The Feature:
For almost 80 years, Looney Tunes have been entertaining audiences the world over with their hilarious antics and memorable characters. As part of the second volume in their ongoing Platinum Collection series, Warner Bros. has released 50 additional cartoon shorts, 10 of which have never before released for home video--uncut, uncensored, and digitally re-mastered specifically for Blu-Ray.
Disc 1 is a Best of collection, featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky, Pig and others:
- A Wild Hare (1st official Bugs Bunny cartoon, Elmer Fudd, 1940)
- Buckaroo Bugs (Bugs Bunny, 1944)
- Long-Haired Hare (Bugs, 1949)
- Ali Baba Bunny (Bugs and Daffy, 1957)
- Show Biz Bugs (Bugs and Daffy, 1957)
- The Wise Quacking Duck (Daffy, 1943)
- What Makes Daffy Duck? (Daffy and Elmer, 1948)*
- Book Revue (Daffy, 1946)
- Deduce, You Say (Daffy and Porky Pig, 1956)
- Porky in Wackyland (Porky, 1938)
- You Ought to Be in Pictures (Porky and Daffy, 1940)
- Porky inEgypt (Porky, 1938)
- Back Alley Oproar (Sylvester and Elmer (1948)
- Little Red Rodent Hood (Sylvester, 1952)
- Canned Feud (Sylvester, 1951)
- Gift Wrapped (Tweety, Granny and Sylvester, 1952)
- Birdy and the Beast (Tweety, 1944)*
- Home, Tweet Home (Tweety and Sylvester, 1950)*
- Going! Going! Gosh! (Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote, (1952)
- Zipping Along (Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, 1953)
- Scent-Imental Romeo (Pepe LePew, 1949)
- The Foghorn Leghorn (Foghorn, Henry Hawk, Barnyard Dawg, 1951)
- The High and the Flighty (Foghorn, Barnyard Dawg, Daffy, 1956)*
- Tabasco Road(Speedy Gonzales, 1957)
- Mexicali Schmoes (Speedy, 1959)
Disc 2 contains shorts featuring memorable supporting characters, such as Beaky Buzzard, Nasty Canasta, Cecil Turtle, and A. Flea, as well as The Rabbit Season Trilogy featuring Bugs, Daffy and Elmer. Theres also a collection featuring classic Hollywood actors, and one-shot characters:
- 1.Wabbit Trouble (Bugs and Elmer, 1941)
- Rabbit Fire (Bugs, Daffy, Elmer, 1951)
- Rabbit Seasoning (Bugs, Daffy, Elmer, 1952)
- Duck, Rabbit, Duck! (Bugs, Daffy, Elmer, 1953)
- Drip-Along Daffy (Daffy, Porky, Nasty Canasta, 1951)
- My Little Buckaroo (Daffy, Porky, Nasty Canasta, 1954)
- Barbary CoastBunny (Bugs, Nasty Canasta, 1956)
- Tortoise Beats Hare (Bugs, Cecil Turtle, 1941)
- Tortoise Wins By a Hare (Bugs, Cecil Turtle, 1943)
- Rabbit Transit (Bugs, Cecil Turtle, 1947)
- Porky's Hare Hunt (Porky, 1938)*
- Hare-Um Scare-Um (1939)*
- Prest-O Change-O (1939)*
- Elmer's Candid Camera (Elmer, 1940)
- Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid (Bugs, Beaky Buzzard, 1942)
- The Bashful Buzzard (Beaky, 1945)
- The Lion's Busy (Beaky, 1950)*
- Strife with Father (Beaky, 1950)*
- An Itch in Time (A. Flea, Elmer, 1943)
- A Horsefly Fleas (A. Flea, 1947)*
- HollywoodSteps Out (1941)
- Page Miss Glory (1936)
- Rocket-Bye Baby (1956)
- Russian Rhapsody (1944)
- Dough Ray Me-Ow (1948)
* Notes cartoons that have never been released on DVD.
I dont think I need to sell readers on the old school Looney Tunes cartoons. These are characters and shorts that are practically etched into the fabric of American animation and pop culture. In fact, its difficult to find someone who isnt familiar with them in one form or another. Rather, most people want to know, Is this set worth my hard earned money? Allow me to answer that for you.
First off, I have to let you know that like last year's set, most of the shorts featured have been released in earlier box sets as part of Warner's discontinued Spotlight Collection, and I know some people may not want to pay again for something they might already own. However, the picture quality in these cleaned up sets are amazing, especially considering they were re-mastered in the older sets as well. Colors are bright and dark hues are inky, like they should be. Theres dust spots on some cartoons, but thats a result from the source material and not from the re-mastering process; it help retains its natural look.
Some of these shorts--particulary some of the black and white ones--almost look like they might have been made recently. In You Ought To Be in Pictures, theres a mix of animation and live action that still holds up very well to this day. Its hard to believe it was made over 70 years ago.
Another reason this may warrant a purchase is because the selections are great and varied, offering something for everyone for fans of all of the characters. My particular favorites are the ones featuring Bugs and Cecil Turtle, being that they're one of the few shorts that has Bugs getting the short end of the stick. Theres something about him seeing him being made the fool that just makes it that much funnier. Even if youre not a fan of a particular character, theres such variety in the set that youre bound to find at least ONE cartoon you might enjoy.
Sounds
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection vol. 2 is presented in 2 dolby digital 1.0 mono tracks, one of English, the other Spanish. They sound perfectly fine to untrained ears like mine, but audiophiles may be disappointed. There are also English and French subtitles.
Visuals
All of the shorts are presented in a full frame aspect. Ive touched on them earlier in the review, but once again they look even better than the previous DVD versions. Even if you own the older sets, they may well be worth the upgrade.
Extras
This is once again where the collection shines and makes it worth the money.
37 of the sets 50 cartoons contain commentary tracks by various animation directors, and historians, some of which contain audio interviews with the original creators. There are also some isolated musical and sound effects tracks on certain cartoons as well. Disc 1 contains three extra featurettes, while disc two contains five.
Disc 3 is where the bulk of the extras are. Theres a featurette that focuses on Looney Tunes producer Leon Schlesinger, one on director Friz Freling, as well as an episode ToonHeads, the Cartoon Network series that focuses on rarely seen cartoons.
Theres also two documentaries that focus on the life and career of animation director Tex Avery. Even better, theres also 11 cartoons he's directed from where he went to rival studio MGM. Featuring Droopy, Screwball Squirell, the Wolf and Red Hot Riding Hood, all of these cartoons are shown completely uncensored. However, they haven't been remastered, but theyre still watchable.
Still not enough? There are also at least 16 more rarely seen cartoons that are included as well. The amount of extras are staggering, and itll take some time to get through them all.
Please note there are two things that must be known about this set:
I just want to reiterate that a lot of these shorts were released in previous sets in Warner's now discontinued Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD series. The visuals in this set are vastly superior and improved, but I rather have people not get upset for buying a set full of cartoons they may have owned previously.
The other thing is that this set is also available on standard DVD as a two disc set, however the third disc full of bonuses IS A BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE, meaning youll miss out on a lot if you purchase the standard version. I'd go with the Blu-Ray version if you can. Its not that expensive, the set retails for about $40, but you can get it for about $30 in Wal-mart and other stores, as well as on Amazon.
Final Word
This is a great set for both casual and die-hard fans alike. The amount of cartoons, bonus material and a reasonable price point makes it worth picking up. For those who may have the older sets, I would still recommend this as a purchase being that the improved picture quality and decent price are very hard to pass up. I cant wait to see what theyll do for volume 3.
Final Score: 8.5 out of 10
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14Nov 12
Nothing too important here, just that my delayedreview(being that my hard drive died and I had to rewrite the whole thing from my slowly fading memory) will be posted tomorrow morning with no personal screengrabs. I might get pics from other sites, but I'm not too certain about it, it feels like cheating or plagarism if I do so.
At any rate, it'll definitely be up tomorrow--maybe tonight, depending on how soon I get home from work today.
Later...
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1Nov 12
I'm seething at this point.
I had my review all set, and good to post yesterday--wouldv'e done it Monday as scheduled, but I wound up working late. I went to upload it from an old hand-me-down external hard drive I got from a friend. I went to open the file, and suddenly the light on the drive flickered, dimmed and died out. Went to re-click on it...no response. My drive is now a paperweight.
Well, actually...it's now a subject of conversation on my desk, with the discussion usually beginning with how I managed to embed the sharp end of a claw hammer directly into it in a fit of rage, center mass. It's just as well, it was on its last legs anyway, and it was for the best that I put it out of my misery. Sucks that I now have to re-write it from memory, which I'm currently in the process of doing now. Look for it this weekend.
Damn technology.
*sigh*
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25Oct 12
I've had a lot of difficulty in finding the time--and motivation--to actually write anything for the blog lately, but between work, Borderlands 2, real life and everything else in between, I've actually hit the halfway point in writing my latest Blu-Ray review. After I complete the writing portion, I'll do some screengrabs and if things go well, I'm on track to have it up by Monday, if not this weekend.
Nothing much else to add...God, I lead a boring life, huh?
Talk again soon!
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16Oct 12
Because I'm too lazy to readjust the picture at the moment, it's Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume Two.
I just picked it up today, and I'm currently watching this as I type. It looks to be a stacked set with 8 hrs. of bonus stuff alone, so it'll be coming within the next week or so. And for those who missed my take on Volume 1, here's something to tide you over in the meantime.
Th-th-th-that's all for now, folks! Talk to you soon!
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10Oct 12
This hazy scene before you is what the sunset from my balcony looked like this past Monday due to Vog. For those who don't know, it's a form of air pollution that's common due to the sulfur dioxide that's emitted from the Kilauea Volcano from the Big Island. It comes and goes every now and again but the trade winds usually keep it at bay. However, the winds haven't been blowing lately, and it's been like this since last Friday--making a lot of people miserable, myself included. It's been uncomfortably humid, and it's been playing havoc on those with respiratory problems. Even those who don't have them have been finding it a bit harder to breathe.
Hopefully, it SHOULD clear up by the end of the week. I hope so...I'm tired of feeling grimey every time I go outside.
I know...not the best blog post I've made but they all can't be gems, you know.
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19Sep 12
Yesterday, Lionsgate has released the surprisingly great horror movie The Cabin in the Woods on DVD and Blu-Ray (It'll probably get lost on the racks due to the Indiana Jones Blu-Ray box set was just released as well). It's an excellent movie, and I'll go through the bonus features soon. However, my gripe with this is toward the studio's marketing department. The case itself features the original movie poster design show below (Which has a nice design,) which in itself doesn't spoil anything.
The cardboard slipcase that holds it however, is a different story.
It's one of those that has a lenticular picture attached. You know, those plastic things that feature another picture when you tilt it at a certain angle. What it features is a pic that reveals a major plot element of the movie. Even worse, the description on the back of the box give away even more of the story.
Marketing a movie for home release with spoilers on the cover seems a bit counterproductive, but that's just me. Not a big deal for me being I seen this in theaters, but for those who haven't seen this movie yet, it robs them of the joy of seeing this without a clue of what lays ahead--which is the way you need to see it. This is what it SHOULD say:
A group of friends decide to spend a fun weekend in an old cabin.
They'll soon wish they didn't.
You THINK you know what's gonna happen. Think again.
That's all you need to know without going into spoiler territory. Well, that and in a genre that's full of tired sequels, unnecessary remakes and no originality, this is a welcome breath of fresh air. Check it out if you can. And toss the slipcover out! -
17Sep 12
About a month ago I upgraded my old Droid X to a Samsung Galaxy S3 phone and I'm happy with my purchase. I want to take some pics to email home back to the family on the mainland; however my photography skills are--for lack of a better term--crappy. I know it's only a phone with a camera built in and what I'm going to take isn't gonna wind up on the cover of Life magazine anytime soon, but is there any tips, tricks, etc to get the most out of them? The last I wanna do is just point-and-shoot and hope for the best.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
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16Jul 12
What's goin' on, folks.
I came across this video earlier today featuring Thomas Jane (Hung, The Mist) reprising the role of Frank Castle he performed in 2004's The Punisher. This was something he produced himself for Comic-Con, as a way of showing appreciation to both fans and the character:
"I wanted to make a fan film for a character I've always loved and believed in - a love letter to Frank Castle & his fans. It was an incredible experience with everyone on the project throwing in their time just for the fun of it. It's been a blast to be a part of from start to finish -- we hope the friends of Frank enjoy watching it as much as we did making it." -- Thomas Jane
Being that Marvel Studios now has reaquired the film rights to the Punisher back from Lionsgate, they NEED to get together with Jane and make either a proper film, or a TV series on cable, preferably HBO; The proposed pilot deal that the Fox Network had purchased--in which he was a cop by day, vigilante by night--thankfully fell apart and will never get made. This 10 minute short has done more cinematic justice to the character than any of the movies ever did. (The only good thing about the 2004 version was Jane's performance.)
Here it is, titled #DIRTYLAUNDRY
Slightly NSFW; Violence & Language.
Thoughts on this?
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1Jun 12
What's goin' on, people?
This is the first time in about a few months that I made an attempt to actually post something on my blog, and I think that there's a valid reason for it--I'm just not that interesting. Well, that and the fact that I sometimes have to struggle just to put anything I think some people might want to read. I used to do DVD reviews on a somewhat frequent basis, but I can't even find the willpower to even bither sometimes. I don't know if it's because I'm just getting lazy, or if it's because I don't think anyone will bother to read it anyway.
Oh well....what can I do.
Just thought I'd make an effort to put this down, regardless if anyone reads this or not. Who knows? Maybe this might jump-start me into updating my blog more often. At any rate, I'll be popping in and out of the boards this weekend, between going to see Piranha 3DD with the wife and playing Max Payne 3, both the single player and multiplayer. Take care, and I'll talk to you soon.
Later...
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4Mar 12
What's goin on.
I promised a Blu-Ray review, a few weeks back, but unfortunately, without the ability to be able to pull proper screen grabs for them, I'm going to have to delay them until I can figure out another option. I might just have to post it without screen pics, but I'm still not sure, and grabbing them from another source feels like cheating to me. But for those still remotely interested in buying Beavis and Butt-head volume 4, I'll say this--despite being off the air for almost 14 years, it hasn't missed a beat. The video commentary has returned, close to MST3k quality, and with the inclusion of MTV's reality show lineup, it makes it that much funnier. The collection's a bit lean on extras, but with all 12 episodes from the show's 8th season, and a price tag of under $20, it's worth the purchase.
Once I figure out my options, I'll post the full review soon.
Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some stuff I gotta prepare for work tomorrow. Talk you you all soon.
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16Feb 12
Nothing major with this entry, but I will be picking up my copy of Beavis & Butt-Head on Blu-ray tomorrow, so if things pan out like they should, I could have it up this weekend, if not before the end of next week. And a special thanks for the suggestions from my last entry to those who helped out.
That's it for now, I still got an hour left at work, and it might be time to actually earn that paycheck again. See you on OT!
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8Feb 12
I'd like to do some Blu-Ray reviews soon, but I have a situation I could use some help with. My fiancee's laptop is Blu-Ray enabled, and I'm trying to grab some screenshots to go with them. However, the player won't let me do the ol' print screen trick. Is there another way in doing so, or if not, does anyone know of a free, legal player that can will allow me to do a screengrab? Worse case senario, I can always find pics of whatever I'm reviewing online, but it feels like I'm cheating if I do so. That would be an absolute last resort if I have to, but I'd rather not. Any help would be appreciated.
For those who help, thanks!
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27Jan 12
What's goin on, people.
I've really want to try to do more reviews, but some factors have prevented me from posting as many as I used to a few years ago--mainly, I no longer get them for free, and I have to be a bit more discerning when I'm paying for them myself. However, I have a hunch that what I'll be reviewing within the next month or so might be worth the money.
The first one will be a Blu-ray review of Mike Judge's Beavis & Butt-Head: Volume 4, due to be released on Valentine's Day, Febuary 14.
The second will be a review of Transformers Prime: The Complete First Season, due out on March 3.
They won't be EXACTLY on the release dates, but more than like within a week or two after.
That's all I got for now. Have a good weekend, and in the words of George Carlin, "May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house."
Later!
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12Dec 11
Good lord, I'm 34. I'm supposed to be a "responsble" adult, but I'm still playing video games and watching Looney Tunes cartoons...and I refuse to grow up, dammit! Good thing I don't have any kids yet--I'm not sharing my toys--let me rephrase that--"collectible figures"--with anyone.
My wife has picked up Skyrim for my b-day, and after only playing for a few hours, I can't wait to get home and continue playing. I'm very surprised, because I wasn't as hooked on Oblivion as as I am with this one. Plus, she's making me a cake as well. She's my real birthday present. Without her, I'd be a mess of a human being. Well...maybe more that what I already am.
Stay tuned, because I may have another DVD review to post before the year is out. Talk you soon, folks!
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29Nov 11
Being that this is my very first Blu-Ray review and that my laptop doesn't play them, I had to use my wife's. Unfortunately, I couldn't pull any screen grabs from it properly, and the old print screen trick doesn't work.If anyone knows how to pull Blu-Ray screenshots from a Windows 7 laptop, please send me a PM to let me know. I got some more movies I'd like to review in the future.
Here's my review of Looney Tunes Platinum collection: Volume One, courtesy of Warner Home Video.
NOTE: I had to use screenshots from previous Looney Tunes box sets for the purpose of this review; the picture quality of the shots does NOT reflect the superior visuals of this set.
In 1933, Warner Bros. Pictures began production on a new ongoing series of animated shorts to go along with their existing series, Merrie Melodies. The new series, called Looney Tunes, became known for its outrageous, over-the-top humor, unforgettable music, and most importantly, its massive cast of cartoon characters such Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig and many others. After over 1,000 shorts and over 75 years later, they are still as popular today and are watched by fans young and old all over the world. Warner Bros. has selected 50 of their fan favorites, and had them restored--uncut and uncensored--for their debut on Blu-Ray.
Before I go any further with this review, I feel I should let you know that a majority of the shorts in this collection have been previously released on DVD in various volumes in Warner's Looney Tunes Golden Collection series. The last thing I'd want for anyone is to have them unknowingly buy a box set of cartoons they may already own in a previous format and/or collection, and feel ripped off because of it. I'll explain more in detail later on.
The horrors of mixing tequilla, roofies, cough syrup, and Taco Bell has finally come back to bite Daffy on the ass.
With that out of the way, back to the review. Here's the complete list of the cartoons in this set.Disc 1 features a mix of cartoons starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, Sylvester, Porky Pig and more.
1 Hare Tonic (Bugs & Elmer Fudd; 1945)
2 Baseball Bugs (Bugs Bunny, 1946)
3 Buccaneer Bunny (Bugs & Yosemite Sam; 1948)
4 The Old Grey Hare (Bugs & Elmer; 1944)
5 Rabbit Hood (Bugs; 1949)
6 8 Ball Bunny (Bugs & Playboy Penguin; 1950)
7 Rabbit of Seville (Bugs & Elmer; 1950)
8 What's Opera, Doc? (Bugs & Elmer; 1957)
9 The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (Daffy Duck; 1946)
10 A Pest in the House (Daffy, 1947)
11 The Scarlet Pumpernickel (Daffy; 1950)
12 Duck Amuck (Daffy; 1953)
13 Robin Hood Daffy (Daffy & Porky Pig; 1958)
14 Baby Bottleneck (Daffy & Porky; 1946)
15 Kitty Kornered (Porky & Sylvester; 1946)
16 Scaredy Cat (Porky & Sylvester; 1948)
17 Porky Chops (Porky; 1949)
18 Old Glory (Porky; 1939)
19 A Tale of Two Kitties (Tweety, 1942)
20 Tweetie Pie (Tweety & Sylvester, 1947)
21 Fast and Furry-ous (Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote; 1949)
22 Beep, Beep (Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote; 1952)
23 Lovelorn Leghorn (Foghorn Leghorn & Barnyard Dawg; 1951)
24 For Scent-imental Reasons (Pepe Le Pew)
25 Speedy Gonzales (Speedy & Sylvester; 1955)
Disc 2 contains the second half of this collection, with musical inspired one-shots and the complete collections of some famous supporting characters, including Marvin the Martian, The Tasmanian Devil, Marc Anthony & P ussyfoot and Ralph Phillips.
1 One Froggy Evening (1955)
2 Three Little Bops (1957)
3 I Love to Singa (1936)
4 Katnip Kollege (1938)
5 The Dover Boys (1942)
6 Chow Hound(1951)
7 Haredevil Hare (Bugs & Marvin; 1948)
8 The Hasty Hare (Bugs & Marvin; 1952)
9 Duck Dodgers in the 24˝th Century (Daffy, Porky & Marvin; 1953)
10 Hare-Way to the Stars (Bugs & Marvin; 1958)
11 Mad as a Mars Hare (Bugs & Marvin; 1963)
12 Devil May Hare (Bugs & Taz; 1954)
13 Bedevilled Rabbit (Bugs & Taz; 1957)
14 Ducking the Devil (Daffy & Taz; 1957)
15 Bill of Hare (Bugs & Taz; 1962)
16 Dr. Devil and Mr. Hare (Bugs & Taz; 1964)
17 Bewitched Bunny (Bugs & Witch Hazel; 1954)
18 Broom-Stick Bunny (Bugs & Witch Hazel; 1956)
19 A Witch's Tangled Hare (Bugs & Witch Hazel; 1959)
20 A-Haunting We Will Go (Speedy, Daffy & Witch Hazel; 1966)
21 Feed the Kitty (Marc Anthony & P ussyfoot 1952)
22 Kiss Me Cat (Marc Anthony & P ussyfoot 1953)
23 Feline Frame-Up (Marc Anthony & P ussyfoot 1954)
24 From A to Z-Z-Z-Z (Ralph Phillips; 1954)
25 Boyhood Daze (Ralph Phillips; 1957)
Porky always gets nervous when Sylvester does him impression of Christopher Walken from The Deer Hunter.
Do I REALLY have to go on and explain the appeal of these characters to people? What more can I add that hasn't been said already? These are characters and cartoons that have stood the test of time and are still immensely popular today. So much in fact, that they continue to be produced today for television in spin-offs and all new shows, such as the TV series Duck Dodgers in 2003, and more recently The Looney Tunes Show, which premiered earlier this year on Cartoon Network.
Of course nothing compares to the originals, and what's included in this set are definitely some of the more memorable shorts out there. Of course, you have your all-time greats featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Road Runner & Wile E. Coyote, and more. But what's nice is also you get to see the shorts of other characters whose popularity didn't hit their strides until decades after their initial introductions; more specifically, The Tasmanian Devin and Marvin the Martian. Heck, Marvin didn't even have a proper name until years later, when the studio gave him one because he proved popularas well as marketable. These cartoons speak for themselves and don't really need me to gush over them.
A rare still of Wile E. from his short lived spin-off series, Explodey the Radical Fundamentalist Coyote.
That's not to say that this is a perfect set. Like I stated earlier, a majority of these shorts were released previously in older volumes of the now discontinued Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD sets, and could be a possible turn-off to those who may already own them. I understand the need to promote the debut of an established franchise on a new format, but adding some cartoons that have never-been-released on DVD would go a long way for those longtime fans who own the older sets, and are hesitant of a possible (but VERY well put together) double-dip. I know that the only way the studio will continue to produce more sets is if this sells well, and I'm willing to give this a free pass this time, but I hope this doesn't become a habit by the time volume two is released.
This doesn't really need a smart-ass caption. I mean...look, it an old Bugs choking the sh!t outta an old Elmer Fudd! That's just funny all by itself! But just in case:
"Is Bugs Bunny gonna have to choke a b!tch?"
Visuals
All of the shorts have been remastered with a high definition 1080p transfer, and are vastly superior to the previous sets. There are some noticeable grains and specks in a handful of the older shorts, but this seems to be more from a result of the wear-and-tear from the initial source material than the transfer process itself. (Some of these cartoons ARE over 70 years old, you know.) They're clean, crisp, colorful and brightin other words, they look excellent on Blu-Ray.
Hair care tip #6: Never cut Rogaine with Miracle-Gro.
Sounds
Audiophiles may be disappointed with just a Dolby Digital 1.0 track, but to regular Joes like me, it's a non-issue. The voices, sound effects and music sound just as good as ever. There's German and Spanish audio tracks as well. There's also a butt-load of commentaries and music only tracks, but I'll get to those in a sec.
A clip from Wile E. Coyote's audition tape to become the new host of Dateline's To Catch a Predator.
Bonus Features
Warner Bros. has pulled out all the stops for this. For animation buffs, it's a dream come true. In addition to 37 commentary tracks by animators, directors, voice over artists and moremost of which are very informative--there are alternate music tracks, music & sound effects only, and voice tracks on some shorts. There are also six "Behind the Tunes" featurettes each on the first two discs of the set, ranging in topics from the origins of Taz and Marvin the Martian, to the use of music used in the cartoons. They're interesting, and aren't too long, running from about 7 to 15 minutes, depending.
Disc three is where the bulk of the extra are, and there's plenty. It's mostly a tribute to animation director Chuck Jones, just one of the many filmmakers who were the driving force behind Looney Tunes. There are three feature length documentaries:
Chuck Amuck: The Movie Featuring Jones himself, it chronicles the career of the animation director and discusses the creative process in which he makes his cartoons.
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens A Life in Animation Leonard Maltin discusses the origins of Looney Tunes and how it came to be loved by its fans.
Chuck Jones: Memories of Childhood Filmed shortly before his passing in 2002, Jones reflects on his childhood years, as simple storyboard animation drawn in his unique sty!e help bring his anecdotes to life.
If that wasn't enough, there's an additional 18 cartoons that are thrown in for those who still can't get their cartoon fix. All of this is cased in a nice digibook with exclusive images and a guide by cartoon historian Jerry Beck.
And for those who wanna cough up the extra couple of bucks, you can get the Ultimate Collector's Edition. What does that include, you ask? Allow my lovely spokesmodel to show you! You'll get:
A framed litho cell with a certificate of authenticity!
A souvenir tin sign magnet featuring Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck!
A collectable shot glass with Bugs Bunny on it! Take a shot every time a character falls off a cliff, gets hurt, or blown upyou'll be hammered before you get halfway through disc one. Makes for a fun drinking game!
Finally, it all comes in a sturdy, numbered cardboard case to hold all your swag.
The estimated price for this set is $80 bucks retail, or cheaper onlineI paid $50 on Amazon for it. There's also the regular edition, which has everything this version has, sans physical loot. It'll run you about $50 bucks retail, and of course, cheaper online.
The Final Word
As far as recommending whether to purchase this set, it comes down to two factors: price and whether or not you own the previous DVD releases. You might want to hold off until Volume Two is released if you own most of the other sets. If not, then this is a must own collection for both casual and hardcore Looney Tunes fans. Warner Home Video has done a solid job overall, but here's hoping we can see some new-to-DVD shorts for the next installment.
"Behold, Cthulwhu! I bestow on you an offerwing to make Wabbit Stew!"
FINAL SCORE: 8 out of 10
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28Nov 11
After procratinating, dealing with work, school, life and everything else in between, I actually managed to just about complete a proper DVD review today!
Woo-hoo!!! This is what I'll be reviewing:
I'm in the final process of revising everything, and all that's left is to pull some screenshots to post with it tonight when I get home. The actuall review WILL BE POSTED tomorrow.
Thanks for the patience in the meantime. Talk to you then!
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14Aug 11
I guess the old saying is true--"If you don't use it, you'll lose it." That applies to my writing ability when it comes to my old DVD reviews. I'm about halfway through, but I still have to finish writing, then pull some screengrabs for it as well. Hopefully, I'll have it soon, maybe by the end of the week.
Also I want to thank everyone who put in suggestions for my next blog topic. Once I have the review posted, that will next on the itinerary.
Gotta go. Later!
