HAPPY FEET
© N/A
Get Happy!
By: Brian ThomasDate: Monday, March 26, 2007
During the 1960s, it was common for movies to feature an animated opening credits sequence, especially for comedies, but occasionally for adventure pictures. This phenomenon likely got started by the epic Around the World in 80 Days (1956), which kept audiences from getting fidgety by illustrating their lengthy opening credits with cartoon representations of events to come by Shamus Culhane. The trend was further popularized by several creative sequences designed by Saul Bass and Maurice Binder’s work on the 007 series, but the classics in this genre are of course the DePatie & Freleng sequences created for the Pink Panther films.
I was reminded of how widespread this practice once was while watching Broken Sword, one of Crash’s recent restored vintage kung fu features. This otherwise undistinguished 1972 Taiwanese swordplay comedy starring overweight character actor Ko Hsio-poa, which is degraded further by Crash’s decision to not enhance the washed out original subtitles on their print, contains one of the few examples I’ve seen of animated titles on a live-action Asian feature, and they drew me right into the picture. We don’t see many animated opening credits these days, largely because we don’t see as many opening credits of any kind. Audiences are thought to be too impatient to sit through a lot of titles, and filmmakers try to get right into the action as fast as possible. However, some of the more creative films still give us animated closing credits to keep some people in their seats long enough to shine a spotlight on crew members. Witness the outstanding sequences that close out 300 and the Harry Potter series. My extensive research (a couple of quick Googles) has yet to turn up a website devoted to animated title sequences, so if you’re looking for aworthy subject for your next fansite, here’s a good idea.
SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK
Had enough of animated penguins? Apparently not, as this release will undoubtably be a best seller:
(O) HAPPY FEET (Warner Bros.) 2005 Oscar winner about a misfit penguin who can’t sing. Widescreen and “fullscreen” editions include two new sequences, featurettes, music videos and “I Love To Singa”, a classic 1936 Tex Avery spoof of The Jazz Singer.
NEW DVD RELEASES
Here’s a rundown of the constant stream of anime comin’ at ya on DVD from around the world: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HE-MAN Volume 2 ©
(O) BASILISK Volume 6: Fate’s Finest Hour (Funimation) Episodes 21-24. Political ambition works to shape the end game, and Oboro issues a public challenge, seeking to draw Gennosuke out. As they stand reunited, Oboro begs for death, unable in her love to stand against him. But dying breath sets the final confrontation in motion, and fate comes full circle. As seen on IFC. Final volume includes 90 minutes of Japanese behind-the-scenes featiurettes, cards and booklet.
(O) BLEACH Volume 3: The Substitute (Viz) Episodes 9-12. Ichigo and Rukia continue their work as Soul Reapers, protecting the spirits and the living. But they are not the only ones with the power to defeat the evil Hollows.
(O) BOB THE BUILDER: Bob’s Top Team (Fox)
(O) BURST ANGEL Complete Series (Funimation) All 24 episodes on seven discs.
(O) COYOTE RAGTIME SHOW Volume 2: Cliffhanger (ADV) Planet Graceland without being detected or being chased down by Lady Marciano and the 12 Sisters. But the crew is running out of time as Graceland is about to be become space debris. Also available in collector tin.
(O) FANTASTIC FOUR: World’s Greatest Heroes Volume 1 (Fox) The first four episodes of the 2006 series produced by Marvel with the French studio Moonscoop.
(O) GAOGAIGAR: King of the Braves Volume 4: Hammer of Heroes (Media Blasters)
(O) GENSHIKEN Complete Collection (Media Blasters) All 12 episodes.
(O) HIKARU NO GO Volume 7: The Young Lions Tournament (Viz) Hikaru is determined to play his rival Akira Toya again. And he might have a chance when Ogata 9 Dan invites Hikaru to the Young Lions Tournament.
(O) MOEYO KEN TV Volume 2: Shanghai A Go-Go (ADV)
(O) NARUTO Volume 10: Surviving the Cut (Viz) Now that the competition in the Forest of Death is over, the winners move on to the next round of the Chunin Exam, where teamwork takes a backseat to one-on-one battles.
(O) NOISY NORA AND MORE STORIES ABOUT MISCHIEF (Scholastic)
OGENKI CLINIC Volume 1 (Central Park) Sex anime about nurses.
(O) THE PEBBLE AND THE PENGUIN (MGM) “Family Fun Edition” of the 1995 penguin cartoon includes featurette, games and music video.
(O) PETER & THE MAGIC EGG / DOROTHY IN THE LAND OF OZ (Genius) TV special double feature.
(O) RODNEY RACCOON: Elementary Hip-Hop (Tapeworm) A rhyming procyonidae teaches counting and ABC’s.
(O) RUMBLING HEARTS Volume 3 (Funimation) aruka has collapsed back into a coma and Mitsuki has left Takayuki, this time for good. When Haruka wakes up for the second time, she realizes that three years have passed and things change. Final four episodes
(O) SAMURAI 7 Complete Series (Funimation) All 26 episodes on seven discs.
(O) SONIC THE HEDGEHOG Complete Series (Shout Factory) The zippy video game erinaceomorph stars in 16 adventures on four discs, plus interviews, deleted scenes, scripts and storyboards.
(O) TACTICS Volume 4 (Mania/Anchor Bay)
(O) TO HEART Volume 1: New Feelings (Right Stuf) 1999 family comedy series.
(O) TOKKO Volume 1 (Mania/Anchor Bay) Secret police battle supernatural menaces in this gruesome new horror/action series.
(O) THE VELVETEEN RABBIT / THE NIGHTINGALE (Genius) TV special double feature.
(O) ZIPANG Volume 4: Attack on G Island (Geneon) The days of Mirai as a neutral rescue ship are over: Battleship Mirai has emerged! Forced into battle with its own countrymen, the peacekeeping effort appears doomed. Escalating tension even more, Commander Kadomatsu is blindsided, as the loyal but suspicious Lt. Kusaka finally reveals his true motives. When the rescue crew deployed at G Island comes face-to-face with the bloodiness of war, the aftermath of battle permanently stains their memories.
HD-DVD CORNER
(O) HAPPY FEET (Warner Bros.) DVD combo includes two new sequences, featurettes, music videos and “I Love To Singa”, a classic 1936 Tex Avery spoof of The Jazz Singer.
BLU-RAY DISC CORNER
(O) HAPPY FEET (Warner Bros.) Includes two new sequences, featurettes, music videos and “I Love To Singa”, a classic 1936 Tex Avery spoof of The Jazz Singer
NOT ON DVD CORNER
We welcome the input of Maniacs who want to share input on this section, where we highlight a different genre feature that has yet to come to digital disc format – just send your suggestions to DVD Shopping List in an email identified with “NOT ON DVD” in the subject line.
(O) PINCHCLIFFE GRAND PRIX (Anchor Bay?) This 1975 Norse stop-motion feature (AKA Flaklypa Grand Prix) ranks as the 13th most popular animated film worldwide, according to IMdB, yet is almost unknown in the USA.. It’s about a small town bicycle repairman whose plans for a new car are stolen by a former friend, and he sets out to build a new car toget revenge in a big race. It was issued on VHS by Anchor Bay in 1989, but is thus far NOT ON DVD.
And be sure to check back next week—and every week—for Mania’s Anime Avalanche! And check in every Tuesday for the latest DVD Shopping List!
Anime Avalanche (© 2007 Brian Thomas) is our weekly anime column. Brian Thomas is the author of the massive book VideoHound’s Dragon: Asian Action & Cult Flicks, available now!
Questions? Comments? Let us know what you think at Anime Avalanche.
Private Eyes, with Don Knotts and Tim Conway.
Mannequin - guilty pleasure, I know.
Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events - that was a cool set of closing credits!
Lots of 80's comedies did this. Too many to mention.
I will say I thought the ending credits of 300 were far more entertaining than most of the films I saw in 2006.