Looney Tunes Golden/Platinum Collections

[Daniel]

Yeah, if only Volume 5 was that price, grr!

Oh, and I just saw this: WB Preps DVDs of Oscar-Winning Cartoons: Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, More! sounds and looks nice, but I don't think I'll be getting either of them. Love the toons' being released, but most of them would be double dips. I can see people buying this just for Superman, though.

[Daniel]

No-one cares? Well, here's a look at the final package art for both. Mighty tempting, espicially with that tag. (But this is WB, be warned!)

[GeorgeC]

Ohhh...

Those WB DVDs are definitely worth getting!

Bunch of fine shorts on them. A smorgasborg of fine Golden Age animation. Easily one of the best compilation of shorts I've seen!

The unfortunate part is that probably most of them have already appeared on DVD and that we won't be seeing a lot of unreleased shorts in those collections.

That said, I'd still buy them. It's such an obvious packaging job and makes you wonder why it's taken WB so long to do this.


P.S. -- There was a Barnes & Noble Exclusive DVD of Oscar-nominated animated shorts put out several years ago. I mentioned this in a post way back then. Sad to say that this is one of the many DVDs that I do own that I still haven't looked at yet.

[Ben]

Interesting!

I'm surprised too, that it's taken them this long to plunder the catalog of (hopefully) restored toons and start mixing them up.

Nice that the shorts are in chronological order, and well worth any double dipping, as I don't have any of the Tom & Jerry cartoons on DVD, and this is the first release for The Dot And The Line, me thinks.

Looks like they're beating Disney to the same idea with these Oscar collections, and a nice way to do it, though the one to go for is obviously the combo collection. Although it's not stated, I'm pretty sure disc 1 of the 3 disc "winners and noms" set is essentially the $20 collection, with the remaining two discs holding the nominated toons and extras - nice.

My only gripe...I MUCH prefer the single disc artwork! Way too much Foghorn space on that 3-disc, no podium, and most look off model.

[Daniel]

Yeah, I agree about the artwork. The blue one is much more appealing.

Here's the full list of extras and a look at the rear packagings.

[Ben]

Phew...well, I prefer the back of the 3-disc anyhoo!

Looking very nice...it's a nice idea and looks to be well implemented.

[Daniel]

Just read your review for Volume, 5 Ben, it was not very good...




I kid, I kid! It was, like always, a great review. I didn't know Bugs Bunny's Looney Christmas Tales was on this, that's great news! In short, its a favorite of mine. And you just had to mention that Chuck doc, huh? Eh, don't worry, I know where your coming from. Still, seeing as I've never seen it, I'm content with its inclusion in the set.

[Ben]

Thanks Dan.

Yep, Looney Crimbo (;)) Tales is a keeper and the highlight of the extras here. I'm good with the Chuck doc being there...it makes sense, but I'd have preferred it to match a dedicated Chuck disc. It also places too much emphasis on Chuck Jones...the way WB promote him nowadays you'd think he did <I>every</I>thing himself. No sour grapes here...I loved what the guy did...but there needs to be more balance and the great Tex Avery doc would have made a better fit, considering the early toons in this set.

But the Chuck doc IS a great inclusion for people without the original disc...and that makes Volume 5 a better consideration for those on the fence.

[EricJ]

Yep, Looney Crimbo (;)) Tales is a keeper and the highlight of the extras here. I'm good with the Chuck doc being there...it makes sense, but I'd have preferred it to match a dedicated Chuck disc. It also places too much emphasis on Chuck Jones...the way WB promote him nowadays you'd think he did <I>every</I>thing himself. No sour grapes here...I loved what the guy did...but there needs to be more balance and the great Tex Avery doc would have made a better fit, considering the early toons in this set.

As much as I like Bob Clampett, okay, ENOUGH with the Clampett and Tashlin "director tributes" already, how about that overdue Tex tribute?
Where's "Detouring America"? "Hamateur Night"? "A Feud There Was"? "Cinderella Meets a Fella"?

But the Chuck doc IS a great inclusion for people without the original disc...and that makes Volume 5 a better consideration for those on the fence.

Back in the early days, Warner tried releasing both the PBS "Extremes" and the Vol. 4(?) "Chuck Amuck" docs as single disks, and...no one noticed.
Cartoon fans buy cartoons, not documentaries (or those talky post-retirement New toons/specials, either), so it's a better feel of "Waste not, want not" to pile it all in one easy-to-find place.

[Ben]

"Chuck Amuch" only made it to VHS. A DVD was never issued.

And, as a cartoon nut, of <I>course</I> I buy cartoon documentaries. I've watched Extremes And Inbetweens five/six times in the same amount of years I've owned that single disc.

I agree (as I keep writing) that a proper Tex tribute is way overdue.

[Steve]

Does there exist a master index of all the cartoons (with dates) on the five Looney Tunes Golden Collection DVD sets? If not, this is a huge lack.

[Ben]

I'm sure there is something out there. I agree that the lack of dates - which used to be a given on the LaserDisc sets, is a major oversight on these boxes.

I try and include year dates where I can in my reviews, but even researching those can bring up opposing results and I have to check the title cards.

Anyone visit anywhere that would have this info easy to hand?


Welcome to our boards Steve...here's hoping you stick around even if we can't solve your Looney Tune blues right away!

[Daniel]

Hello and welcome, Steve!

Your best bet is to ask GAC Forums. They know a LOT about classic cartoons, espicially Looney Tunes. I'm sure someone there will be able to help and or point you in the right direction.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but I hope your able to solve your question!

[Steve]

Well, thank you, you're very kind. I'll try over there. If I find something I will be sure to let you know. I have not gotten LT GC 5 yet but plan to. With the five it is difficult to 1) locate any specific item and 2) try to understand the progression, if any. I have a couple of books about LT, I will check to look for a chronological filmography there also, if only to collate against a list of titles I might cobble together.

[Ben]

I agree that chronologically would have been the ideal way to go but this presents two problems:

1) Commercially, the initial one or two sets might not have sold enough to warrant actually continuing the series, being made up mostly of black and white collectors' material. Without the well-known color Bugs et al cartoons, these sets wouldn't have shifted enough.

2) If anything, the cartoons became less "progressive" due to changing art styles and cuts in budgets. The earlier Merry Melodies are much more elaborate than the later, often limited animation Looney Tunes, and I'm not even counting the post-1962 output. As I said in my review of V5, we're going to see more of those cartoons creep into these selections, since again WB would be looking at poor sales of the final couple of sets if they saved them all until last. They're simply not that good.

Ironically, they might have done well to do a "reverse chronology"! Starting with the poorer Daffy shorts (at least there would have been recognisable characters!) and hitting the best remembered 1950s stuff first, winding up with the quality animated 1940s and collectors material from the 30s!

Now that's looney!