Category: Academy Award Winners

These cartoons cemented their place in history. Even if some of them, kinda, didn’t deserve the award.

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Knighty Knight Bugs

“So DIS is da singing sword! Big deal.”

Directed by Friz Freleng.

Well, it is now 2015. So let’s ring in the year with this: Bugs’ only Oscar. Heck, he was only nominated for the award three times. (The first two were in the 40’s.) What did he win against anyway? (*quick google search*) Well, it did beat Disney and their very well told, “Paul Bunyan.” So I guess it counts as a hard earned victory. But this isn’t even Bug’s best short. Does that mean I hate it? No! If you thought that, please go hurt yourself. As for the rest of us, lets get on with it.

King Arthur wants the singing sword which was stolen by the Black Knight. All of his knights refuse to go on such a quest, as the Black Knight has a dragon. Bugs dances in, as he is the jester. He remarks that only a fool would retrieve it. Arthur agrees and sends Bugs off. (Should’ve used better word choice.) The Black Knight it turns out, is Sam. And he does indeed have a dragon, but the beast (Gerry) let his fire go down. Which means he now has a cold. (Brilliant.) They are both asleep and Bugs manages to take the sword very easily.

Wondering why it has its title, the answer is given as it begins emitting music in his hands. This wakes both the knight and the dragon who give chase. Bugs escapes with them hot on his tail. (Gerry looks a bit horshish to me. Almost as if he was originally going to BE a horse, and they just drew scales around him.) Ducking into a hole, Bugs doubles back to the castle, and raises the drawbridge. (Dropping it on Sam when he demands he lower it.) Sam tries a catapult, (with results similar to “Sahara Hare”) and throwing a rope and climbing it. (Bugs uses a hammer to smack him back down.)

Later, seeing that the coast appears clear, Bugs sneaks out. Sam and Gerry were hiding but their position is given away when the creature sneezes. They chase again, and Bugs ends up locking them in a room full of explosives. Sam tells the dragon that if he sneezes, they’ll end up on the moon. As Bugs walks away, the entire tower blasts off. Waving goodbye, he marches off, a job well done. The sword playing “Aloha” to see us off.

Personal Rating: 3. I’m glad Bugs was finally recognized for his Oscar-worthy talents. It’s just a shame it couldn’t have been with a cartoon really showcasing them.

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Birds Anonymous

“If you really want to beat this, look us up. We can help you.”

Directed by Friz Freleng

It’s another Oscar Winner! It’s the third time Sylvester’s been in one of those! This was Blanc’s favorite short he did voices for! (And if my research is correct, it was originally supposed to be called “Tweety-Totaler”. A more clever title, but a bit harder to take seriously.)

Inside a house, Sylvester carefully closes all the window blinds so there are no witnesses for what’s about to happen. He grabs Tweety quite easily. (Granny’s not in this short. Neither are any guard dogs.) He doesn’t eat him, as another cat (who would later be named Clarence) warns of the perils. Apparently, Birds are a cats alcohol and they have a group that can help break the habit. Sylvester attends a meeting and vows to do the same.

He returns home and cheerfully greets Tweety with a friendly pat on the head. (“Deaw Diawy, I know you won’t bewieve this but…”) Sylvester turns on the television. Surprise! It’s a cooking show describing how to make delicious poultry. (It never specifies WHAT bird it is. It could be a hoatzin.) Sylvester fights his urges and tries the radio. Of course, it’s only playing alliterative avian albums. (“Bye Bye Blackbird”, “Red Red Robin”, No, Hungry Hungry Heorn, unfortunately.)

He handcuffs himself to a radiator, (why were those cuffs in the kitchen?) but manages to break free after Tweety asks if he likes him anymore. Clarence arrives to shoot a plunger in his face. (“I was afraid you might be weakening.”) At night, Sylvester can’t sleep and runs to Tweety, planning to quit after just one more. Clarence pours alum into his mouth, thus making it impossible for him to shove Tweety in.. He breaks down, and Clarence tells him that it’s really easy to get along with your prey. He kisses Tweety and manages to get a taste of him as well. Clarence is now trying to eat the canary while Sylvester tries to stop him.

Personal Rating: 5 (For Mel’s godly voice acting.)

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Who Framed Roger Rabbit part 2

This time I am discussing my opinion on the movie. To be fair, it is my favorite Disney film. It has great humor, a wonderful story, and wonderful characters. (Even though many of them were pre-existing.) Valiant is a great hero. I like how he seems like a typical tough guy, but underneath that he is very sweet and funny.

Jessica’s character is also fantastic. Unlike every other male on the planet, I don’t find her hot. (Never been one for the large lidded lounge lizard look. Plus, she’s married.) I like how she looks like your typical slut/goldigger, but instead truly loves her husband. I also think that it is creative for her and Roger to be married despite how different they are. It’s a good message of love prevailing.

Judge Doom was awesome. It is pretty obvious from the get go, that he is the villain, (No protagonist could murder such an adorable shoe.) but I’m sure nobody saw that twist about him at the end. That was awesome too awesome for me to spoil here.

But the absolute best thing about the movie though, has to be the fact that all cartoons are fair game. W.B. Disney. M.G.M. Paramount. So many greats all appear and that is the greatest thing for a cartoon lover ever. We love to see all our favorites together. Will they ever make a sequel? I’m doubtful, but I hope so. Even if it sucks, I’m sure I’ll see it as many times as possible. It would just be a shame almost none of the original cast would be there.

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Tweetie Pie

“Kiss the ittle birdie!”

This is it! this is THE cartoon. What is THE cartoon? This is the first Looney Tune that won an Oscar. (Ironicly “Tom and Jerry” had been winning tons of Oscars. Why? Are Tom and Jerry better than Looney Tunes? Fun fact: not always) Actually, in this cartoon Sylvester is called Thomas. Oh, and this is the canary and putty tat’s first time together, too.

It’s winter and Tweety is out warming himself by a cigar butt. Thomas (Sylvester) grabs him and almost immediately gets caught by his owner. She takes Tweety in and puts him in a cage, warning the cat to leave him alone. When she’s gone, Sylvester builds a stack of furniture that Tweety chops down. (The owner hits Sylvester with a broom) He builds one out of metal furniture and Tweety uses a blowtorch to destroy it. (Sylvester gets hit with the broom again)

At one point Sylvester has Tweety under a glass so Tweety can’t call for help. So the bird pokes Sylvester with a pin and the owner throws him out. After failing to get in through the fireplace, and a Rube Golberg device doesn’t work, he saws the area around the cage which brings the whole ceiling down. Sylvester throws the broom in the fire only to get hit by a shovel. Wielded by Tweety.

Personal Rating: 3

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Speedy Gonzales

“There is only one mouse who can get that cheese, and that is Speedy Gonzales!”

No, really. That is the name of the cartoon. It was not the only one of its kind. There were other shorts that were not the characters first appearance but named after them anyway. (“Tweetie Pie”, “Hippity Hopper”, “The Daffy Duck”, “The Foghorn Leghorn”…)

Anyways, some mice stare at a cheese factory. Why don’t they go in? Oh, its just the fact that Sylvester is guarding the place and has killed everyone who tried to get past him. The mice decide that if someone was fast enough, they could eat. They ask Speedy and he agrees. He races to the factory, and Sylvester learns that this is one fast mouse. He tries mousetraps, but Speedy runs so fast they just fly onto the cat.

He dresses like a catcher but only catches a baseball. (After he throws it away it is shown Speedy was in there.) He even plants a mine field, but the mouse (who technically is the bad guy in this episode, Sylvester is just doing his job and Speedy is stealing) tricks him into running into it. In the end Sylvester tries to blow up the cheese…only causing it to rain down on the mice.

Personal Rating: 3

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So Much for So Little

“It’s up to you.”

Sorry for the lack of updates. I was on vacation and visiting relatives and seeing my baby second cousin made me think of my good picture of which to talk about. I decided on this Oscar winning short. That isn’t actually a Looney Tune or a Merrie Melody.

In it, we learn how to keep ones self healthy. (Made a while ago, as they mention smallpox as a viable threat.) We also learn that plenty of babies will die and it’s mostly our fault. However, if we remember that only 3 cents a week will save them, we can make a difference.

Personal Rating: 2 (Not bad, but plenty outdated as stories based on science tend to be.)

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For Scent-imental Reasons

“Touching, is it not?”

This may not be the first Pepe cartoon but it is Penelope’s, and it won an Oscar. (the only Looney Tune that won an Oscar and was not directed by Friz Freleng) We see a man going to open his perfume shop for the day. Only to find Le Pew in there already. The shop owner is a coward and won’t even try to get him out. So he has to go whine to some guard like character, but even he wants nothing to do with it. So the shop owner throws in a cat that is purring by his legs. (What a dick.)

Upon being launched in, a bottle of white dye gets poured on her back, and cartoon history is born. The skunk mistakes her for one of his species and a chase ensures. One gag is that she is locked in a glass room and they both pantomime talking. (The only time I recall her ever communicating) In the end, they both fall out a window and land in different substances. Pepe in paint that apparently masks his scent, because now Penelope is chasing him! We iris out on Pepe wondering if he is too attractive.

Personal Rating: 4