With 2019 upon us. However, the amount of viewers haven't went up since I started my second year. My only viewers that actually commented is Chiissu and Pokey. I wasn't expecting much from my first year since it simply started from a Chinese Cinema class in college. Those who want to attend Chinese Cinema class; it's best you make or buy a big mug of coffee and have an extra pencil pointing at yourself on standby.
If I was going to do a theme for my 4th year, what would it be? Popular MGM films, all the Transformers series, all the films advertised by FHE, a specific genre used the least in history beside animated western?! What else can I say different than my superior did better?
Before I end this written review career, I'm posting my Top 5 mistakes.
5. The original Cinderella story was more graphic:
I was told the original story of Cinderella with moments what happened to the step sisters to fit into the glass slippers. I honestly couldn't care since I couldn't care for the Cinderella in general after overexposure to the Disney version, despite partly living in a Cinderella story, with some boxing. Oops, that's Cinderella Man. It's the story generally used in film. There's no way it can go graphic, unless Eli Roth or that jerk who did Where the Dead Go To Die did his version and be instantly hated. While on the subject on adaptation, I should bring up Saban dubbed anime Pinocchio had a Christmas episode, and scene from the anime was seen on a book in VR Trooper. While Puss In Boots had a groundbreaking film for Toei, so iconic, it's literally Toei's logo.
4. Red Skeleton and Red Button are two different people:
In my Rudolph Shiny New Year, I pointed how they couldn't get Mick Rooney because he was in Pete's Dragon, yet question how they got Red Skeleton. However, Rudolph got the right Red, and my nose pointed to Red Button in Pete's Dragon. My memory has mixed up as I've seen Red Skeleton in Ziegfeld Follies, as Red Button looked similar to Skeleton. Though there is vocal difference. With Skeleton's age, he would sound old and lower, even as a caveman and baby bear. Button's voice is high, as I now recognized his voice in an earlier film at a tuxedo cat in Abe Lebitov and Chuck Jones' Gay Purr-ee. I was almost going to mix up Red Button's voice with Don Messick's voice since both can go high and was in Christmas In July, as Don proved the point as Scrappy Doo, Hamton, and the Bear from Gumby. Don has two range as he proved in The first Easter Bunny. Look on the bright side, at least I didn't mix up with Red Skeleton with Red Skull. Tex Avery already did.
3. My Red Baron review:
Let's move from one red mistake to another. When I reviewed it in its original dutch version, I thought it was the worst Rankin Bass ever with Filmation partly the cause of it. However, the English version recently surface while I was reviewing the Rankin Bass Christmas films. I watched the English version, and it's better, but not much. The humor and acting is better. Different version in language does make a difference such as the difference between English Transformers, Japanese Transformers, and Malaya dubbed Japanese Transformers; one has good voice acting, all have good animation, and two has less soul with one of them doing worst. Where does Filmation get involved is a mystery since the credits doesn't mention them. Now I will update my worst Rankin Bass list and kick it off the list. Thus Mad Mad Comedian is the worst Rankin Bass film of all time. A film about people doing something funny, but only Groucho Marx is funny. Who to put in #10 in the worst list is Cricket on the Hearth. The animation may be a step up from their Oz series, but it wasn't as good and stable as Mushi Studio.
2. Skipping Wacky World of Mother Goose:
There's no full film of it online, and is rarely in stores. The only way to possibly get them is to order from Rankin Bass historian, Rick Goldcschmidt. I did get a chance to watch it on TCM, but lost it when I was constantly called to help for dinner. If I told "I need to watch this cartoon movie about Mother Goose on TV to review, it will sound ridiculous.
1. Not reviewing any serialized Rankin Bass series.
I have no time to review any of the Rankin Bass TV series. Most of the episodes of the series are missing. I can't binge watch the entire series in my residence, as I have to get out of the house or do something or work. The series is what's preventing me from starting is The New Adventure of Pinocchio and Tales of the Wizard of Oz. Most of the few episodes exist, but not much for the middle and last episode. I could of had time to any of them, but I have to move out of my original house in NJ, my apartment in NC, have to write the conclusion of the Power Rangers Mammoth Mutt Force, had an long vacation that went longer, and suffered from 2 funerals. It didn't help the reviews are rarely read. This is the point where there's no point to continue the series, but that's life.
What am I doing for now? I'll be doing more drawings and work on my animation. Maybe I can do some clay sculpture, if I can figure who sculpture first.
Good bye for now! May it return back from the dead from popular demands.
RIP Retahensid Film Review (September 2016- January 2019)
Retahensid film review
Monday, January 14, 2019
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
The Twelve Days of Christmas
Let’s finish this year with The Twelve Days of
Christmas; The Bear version, not the human version that came out 2 years later.
No, this is not something from Gummi Bears. Yes I know this was released after
Christmas, but my time is limited.
Carol Boomer (voiced by Larry “myinfamousmomentatretrocon”
Kenney) has sent his squire Holly Berry (voiced by Phil Hartman) to find out
what the melancholy, yet sassy and hostile Princess Silverbell loves for
Christmas. Holly got the princess’ list, but little did he know it was the king’s
list for a big crossword puzzle. (Hmmm, 7 words across of a synonym for stupid).
The king’s list is the different nouns we know from the songs 12 Days of
Christmas. On the first 4 Days of Christmas, it reveals the princess is
allergic to feathers, but she likes the other gifts as she grows interest, but
for who?
Look on the bright side, Holly. At least no one
wished for Christmas every day, or used Mr. Burns’ 40 Days of Christmas, or
Peter Griffin’s version with all 8 days are Maids of Milking.
Phil Hartman was one of the finest actors we lost.
He does his high range voice he would use later in Kiki’s Delivery Service and
his last vocal appearance in Silent Night. This film was the very last thing
Romeo Muller wrote before he died. Some may point an error in what he wrote on
certain days.
I love the princess’ design and “expression”. Story
arc could have been unique, if it didn’t came out 1 year after Aladdin's
Jasmine; a princess who don’t want to be marry. Silverbell is probably more
defensive at the time before Jasmine throws a punch at the thief. Her timing reminds
me of the King of Swamp Castle from Monty Python and the Holy Grail whenever she interrupts the entire 12 Days of
Christmas lyrics by various dated singers that wouldn’t fit in the timeline,
yet never said when it took place at.
Elvis Pawsley: “Six Geese are Laying, Five Golden Rings…”
Princess Silverbell: Oh shut up!
King of Swamp Castlle: And no singing! Oh go get
yourself some water.
I say expression loosely since the copy of Twelve Days
of Christmas has yet to be remastered as it’s very bright to see the line work.
Just like Noel, it first aired on NBC, but unlike Noel, it was reaired years
later. I watched Twelve Days of Christmas on Fox Family in the same line-up with
the Warner Bros’ Rankin Bass’ films. Yes, I now have to call the later Rankin
Bass films that since recently AMC got them all from Freeform, all except for
The Stingiest Man In Town, since no one got that.
Twelve Days of Christmas is the better latest Muller
film than Noel. If Noel was to be realistic and depressing, then this film was
unrealistic and uplifting. It’s a charming film I would return to in the next
12 months.
That’s it for this year for I, Retahensid to review.
It’s interesting to know what other people did before and after Rankin Bass,
but some of the films and westerns were a chore to go through. Now I would like
to have an attention from the viewers. I’m putting up a task to you all. Should
I continue reviewing here? You have until January 15 2019 to decide, and need more
than two people of comments to judge. The reviewing show is in your hand.
Saturday, December 22, 2018
Noel
Love birds is Noel, the angel.... wait, this is a review blog, not a music blog. Anyway, Noel.
Noel is an ornament built by a glass maker with a
secret ingredient to everyone and even himself; a tear of happiness
unintentionally by the glass maker. He was packaged with other ornaments
including an Ice maiden, as they were bought along with a tree, lights, and
tinsel by a family. Well that was a simple story at 10 and half minutes. Wait,
there’s more?
As time moved on while all the Christmas decoration
are forgotten in the attic, it reached to December to used once more on a new
tree. Rinse and repeat throughout the years until Noel noticed the children are
as big as the adults were.
More years went on, all the kids grown lives on
their own, as the parents gave up on Christmas. The ornaments were left
abandoned as part of the house. Things can do up for the film, but not for me.
This was written by Romeo Muller, the writer for
most of the Rankin Bass. Though I swear the train is Chugs from The Easter
Bunny Coming To Town. Both this film and the next film to review first
aired on NBC. Seriously, NBC, why do you keep discarding mostly silver shorts
and shows? Your current shows are worthless. Only It’s A Wonderful Life and How
the Grinch Stole Christmas is the only films you have of worth. OK, Noel wouldn’t
be one to reaired than the other film, but still. The animation was done by
Pacific Animation Corporation, Rankin Bass’ go to for Thundercats and
Silverhawk. The designs are overall neat. This was part of the Muller-Stratford
Production trilogy, though it started with Peppermint Rose.
The first half gives a good feeling of Christmas.
The rest of the film is very depressing and “realistic”, which I don’t need at
need at this time or any time. I thought I was going to hate Noel the ornament,
but in comparing to the entire nuisance I dealt with daily, he’s not that bad,
much. I like more of the Ice Maiden ornament more, but it was more on the voice
and design, which is all she can be. Charleston “I want that bear!” Heston is a
nice narrator. I don’t want to bet he was warming to narrate to the big screen
about a demigod. While Noel is a decent
and unique film, I can’t recommend this to anyone who has depression. Now if
you’re wondering “Shouldn’t a film that gives emotion reaction always be worth
it to be good?” Normally, yes, but on Christmas, the tear jerking moments
usually happen at the 3rd act such as The Snowman, How The Grinch
Stole Christmas, or Christmas Carols. Now there’s rare exception when an
opening warms up the emotion, but that’s very rare. How strange, a film that can do right at the right time of day, but feels wrong at the wrong time. This is one of the
Christmas films I don’t intend to revisit much. Best watch Noel when you’re as
happy as Noel, or you’re better off watching the next film to review.
Sunday, December 16, 2018
Nutcracker Fantasy
Let’s watch a Christmas traditional story where the
music is better, and this is one of them; The Nutcracker Fantasy.
This was film
that leads me to do the theme of the review of the year. The story is told by a
grown up Clara (voiced by Cousin Mel from Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer)
Lil Clare has a visit from her Uncle Drosselmeyer
(voiced by Christopher Lee). Clare got the Nutcracker from her Uncle, which was
rejected by others. On the same night, her Nutcracker was stolen by mice, led
by the Two Headed Mouse Queen, Morphia (voiced by Jo Anne Worley, who later
voiced the Wardrobe in Beauty and Beast. The good one, not the soul eating one)
She goes through the Father Clock Hole to The Kingdom of Dolls. The kingdom was
awakening by the present of Clara, including the Chamberlain (voiced by G1
Hound, Ken Sansom) and the King (voiced by Dick Van Patten, who would later
voice another King.)
King Roland: Yes, my dear. Would I lie…too you?
Clara is finding a way to bring the princess back
from a deep sleep. (You sure we didn’t stumble into the other Tchaikovsky film).
The meeting fails with all the nationalities’
wisemen….
Yogurt: Wisemen. Wise Guys more like it!
Clara got the advice from the live action puppet of
the Queen of Time (voiced by Ava Gabor). The advice is to use the Pearl Sword
of Light to destroy the Giant Shell of Darkness to free the Princess’ curse.
(Pearl from Steven Universe was nowhere to be found) Clare tells this to Fritz..I
mean Franz about the Shell of Darkness as they go onward to war with the Mice
Kingdom. (Not Disneyland, the other one. Franz is voiced by Roddy McDowall.)
This was the last stop-motion to be done by
Rudolph’s animator, Tadahito Mochinga. This film kinda goes full circle in both
good and bad. The good is leading him to full circle with his stop motion
career from Rudolph to Daydreamer to Mad Monster Party, especially working with
other stop motion artists that precede him such as Ichiro Komuro, and Frosty’s
Animator, Sadao Miyamoto. It has definitely more life than the other Nutcracker
stop-motion film from Bura and Hardwick. The shots of traveling through the
clock are amazing. The bad is the pacing. It’s shown from Tadahito’s earliest
work of Sea Eagle with scenes to go on too long to go nowhere and there’s
plenty in this film, but that’s often the price for some Stop Motion movies at
the time. It does create a haunting atmosphere during the quiet moment since
the beginning by the pointless character, the Ragman. Granted, Tadahito wasn’t
the director of either film. Nutcracker Fantasy was directed by Santa Claus Is
Comin’ To Town’s animator, Takeo Nakamura. Maybe it’s the writers as this film
has 3 others with E.T.A Hoffman’s Nutcracker story. Though there’s no point as
it can be purely coincidence.
Most of the characters are decent. Christopher Lee
is an enjoyable Uncle, and his songs are nice to listen. Shame we’ll never have
the metal version of his song. Roddy McDowall is a good actor, but he doesn’t
have much to work with, but he may got stuck in the same tone as he was voicing
the robot in Black Hole on the same year. It doesn’t help the voice and design
of Franz/ Fritz looks way too old for Clara, where Clara looks like she 8, as
he looks 18-24. I really love the design and voice of the Mouse Queen; creepy
and menacing.
I’ve seen many other Nutcracker films. The majority
loves is the Nutcracker-less version, aka the Nutcracker Suite from Disney’s Fantasia. In terms of 2D
animated Nutcracker film, the best got is the 1973 Russian silent version with
an extent of Nutcracker Prince and Saban’s Funky Fable of the Nutcracker with
Ninjor as the Nutcracker (A film I remember watching in Elementary School). In
term of live-action, that’s tricky than to find the live play version. Nutcracker
and the Four Realm (or as I would call, Clara in Undernaria. Featuring Godfather
Morgan Freeman, Snow Miser, Micetron and the stupid surprise villain that suffer any
Disney film) will never be one good live action films, but it’ll be a step up
to Legend of Nutcracker. In terms of stop-motion, the Nutcracker Fantasy is the
closest best we got. If you want the best version with the equal focus and
music and the best in terms of CGI, then look no further than Barbie’s
Nutcracker, featuring Tim Curry as the Mouse King.
Some may find it boring, but unless you suffered
from watching Legend of Nutcracker and the Nuttiest Nutcracker, you’ll find the
quiet moments endearing. As for me, it’s a neat version of the Nutcracker. I
just wish we can have a better version with the Nutcracker.
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Tukiki and his search for a Merry Christmas
How often do you see a Christmas film starring an Eskimo?
Not much from the top of the head. So we got Tukiki and His Search For a Merry
Christmas.
Tukiki is a little
Eskimo who lives in the tundra with the talking animals of a greedy walrus, a
lonely polar bear, a depressed generic reindeer, and gossiping yaks. Suddenly,
Tukiki got the plot in the form of a card that said "Merry
Christmas". No one knows what Christmas is in assuming the North Pole or
the empty part of Alaska. Tukiki met a magical elder named the North Wind,
voiced by Sterling Holloway. (Yes. That Sterling Holloway! The same guy who
voiced Cheshire Cat and Winnie Pooh. Man, I’m keep getting reviews involving
Disney Voice Actors.)
The North Wind shows
Tukiki what Christmas is all around the world. They start with assuming
Germany, where they see toys come to life, and yet Tukiki is human.
“Eerie, human must never see toys come to life.
Those are the rules.”
- -Toy Elephant from Cricket on the Hearth,
voiced by Paul Frees.
Afterwards, Tukiki and the North Wind went to Africa
to see how they celebrate Christmas from a living flute. They went to assuming
Sweden to meet the Nordics elves as Tomtars. Last, they went to Mexico to meet
a Chameleon.
Will Tukiki learn the meaning of Christmas?
The minor choices and words they said or show wouldn’t
work well in this PC world. Reason I said “assuming Germany” because the Dutch
Girl doll thought Tukiki when he was covered in soot was Black Peter aka Zwarte
Piet. *tugging collar* I don’t want to touch any further detail with a 39 ½ pole.
Not even the timing or the next scene I put in the summary helps make it easier
for most of us. Upon realizing, one of the toys when they went to Germany is a
teddy bear…
“Come dream with me tonight..”
- -Teddy Ruxpin as he said creepily in
your nightmares.
Fitting the company who did this film later did the
animated series of Teddy Ruxpin.
There's a wonderful moment where Tukiki and the
North Wind are flying through the landscapes of winter Christmas. At first I
thought this was ripping off the flying scene from The Snowman, but it turns
out both this film and The Snowman animation on this scene was done by Robin
White, and surprisingly Tukiki did it first. Nice trivia, but more people grew
up with The Snowman than Tukiki. If you can something beautiful, but people
haven’t seen it, do it again with "We're Walking In The Air."
This is the last voice recording by Bernard Cowan. Though
with research, he did the voice directing for the Tomtars. The rest was done by
two other voice directors. Sterling is mostly good as the North Wind. I prefer
him over the North Leno Wind in Miser Bros. Christmas and the Southwest Wind in
Peter Cottontail: The Movie. While on the subject of Sterling, this is fitting
callback to his earlier film, Three Caballeros and the second time I have to regretfully
mention them in my review. In Three Caballeros, Panchito tells story of the Los
Pasada. Despite that film wasn’t a Christmas film; it was edited down to be on
for TV as Donald’s Present and the ending was used in the Sing Along Song. The piƱata
in Tukiki does look similar in design to the other film. Who knows if it was
intentional or not?
There's one question about the film. "Where's
Tukiki's parent? Are they not around, are they dead, is the polar bear his
guardian, or is Tukiki the last Eskimo on Earth as he's close to a myth.
"Lisa, Vampires aren't real. They're like
elves, gremlins, and Eskimo."
- -Homer Simpsons from Simpsons Treehouse
of Horror 4.
Overall, this is a cute Christmas film and education
to little kids who wants to learn what Christmas is as much as Tukiki without
explaining harshly. Just be aware it’s dated with some minor uncomfortable
scenes as much as films in the 30s and 40s. Now that I use a scene from Cricket
on the Hearth, and brought up someone from Rudolph, it’s time to review the
next film to go nuts over.
Saturday, December 1, 2018
The Little Christmas Burro
Once again, it’s December, and it’s time to review
Christmas Films. However, unlike last year, I’m running out of Rankin Bass
Christmas films, and with limited time and lack of interest outside of a theme,
I decided to review Christmas done partly by the same people who did some of
the Rankin Bass. Let’s start this month’s review with *sigh* another Christmas
Donkey film called The Little Christmas Burro.
Why was a Christmas Donkey so
common at the late 70’s? This was released after Nestor the Long Eared Donkey,
but was released the same month and year as Don Bluth’s Small One. No confirm
on the day when it was released assuming on TV, but let’s get on topic.
A donkey named freelance Burro, who feels worthless. (I was
assuming she, but summary said it was he. The eyelash and voice threw me off.) He can’t help the people for more than a
day. One day, Burro found a caravan where he meets the rat named Omar (voiced
by Paul Soles. Yes, Hermy the Elf from Rudolph, as he plays another short
friend) Burro has finally got a job to be with a different caravan, but was
traded to a crooked man. The crooked man took Burro to the market to be sold.
You can guess what happens afterward.
The voice recording was done by the same guy who
recorded Rudolph, Bernard Cowan. While on the Rudolph subject, Carl Banas who
voiced the Spotted Elephant and the Head Elf voiced some of the background
characters in this film. The voice acting overall is decent. The animation for
the time period is really good, as most of the Omar’s animation is really
energized.
It’s weird how similar Burro is to Nestor. The
difference is Nestor was born and raised in a farm and was on his own with a
little angel to guide. Burro has been wondering in the desert for what could be
days or a month. The rat wasn’t much a guide, but a friend that often split out
of their control. Though the story went on does stick close to the original
tale.
It’s distracting to see modern things in Biblical
Times such as Ants have scuba suits before submarines were made, or Omar
singing ragtime. I’ll take those details over twerking and sassy Dove in Sony’s
The Star any day.
BTW, did George Lucas get inspiration of tied up
camels for Empire Strike Back from this film?
It may not have a heartbreaking moments such as
Small One, or a heart such as Nestor, but The Little Christmas Burro has charm
as much as the previous two mentioned and more thought than The Star and Donkey
Ollie’s Christmas In Heaven. If you’re interested, it’s a cute film as it won’t
cost more than silver coin prop.
I guess I’ll review the next Christmas film which is
also directed by Vic Atkinson, and it’s not Rankin Bass’ Return To Oz.
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Yakari
Just in time for Thanksgiving, so let’s review the
last western film for the year, Yakari as part of DEMO OF SERIES’ COLLECTION! It’s
Pronounced as Ya-care-ee, not Ya-car-ree. This is when I review in this case of
the arc of the series. There was an original series of Yakari in the 80’s, but
I couldn’t find it in English.
The first episode, Yakari & The Great Eagle, Yakari has a dream to be to a
man and capture a horse named Little Thunder. After he got saved by the Great Eagle,
the Eagle gave Yakari his feather as he gained the ability to talk to selective
animals for the episode. So Yakari has Wild Thornberry or Dr. Dolittle powers.
“If I can walk with the animals, talk with the
animals, run, and sleep, flock with the animals...”
-
Chief Wiggum disguise as Dr. Dolittle.
The second episode, Yakari & Little Thunder, Yakari finally getting to Little
Thunder after saving a cougar kitten. The third episode, The First Gallop, Yakari is connecting
to Little Thunder, but lost him due to his ego. Yakari has more connection to
nature than Pocahontas, but not as much in terms of elements with Moanna.
It’s rare to see a TV show starring a Native
American. Anytime there are Native Americans in TV shows, they’re usually the
supporting cast, as far as I recall aside from Hiawatha. Please name any
animated TV show starring a Native America in the comment. The cast mostly consist of those who voiced in
Arthur. I’ll assume Yakari is voiced by the same actress who voiced Arthur
Reed’s Mom. Please don’t point out the race thing, unless they have the Johnny
Depp excuse of revealing or process of being 1/ 16th. Some would say
the series would go deep with the history with them. Where in history of
America do you need to go to Fantasia with Atryu?
“Gesundheit!”
-
Falkor dubbed by Chester A. Bum
Yakari is a likable kid, but kinda too happy with
little to no range, though this is judging the 1st 3 episodes.
Hopefully there’s more conflict that could make him as human as Steven Universe
and less robotic as a Stepford Wives or any stoic actor. The others characters
are forgettable at most. I really like Little Thunder. Maybe it’s the G4 Brony
in me, or maybe he’s more human than Yakari. Little Thunder has survived as a
wild horse, and his experience is interesting. If you want a series to see the
rider and horse close to equally human, then go watch Dreamwork’s She-Ra with
the extent of Gumby and Pokey. Not counting Lucky Luke with his horse since one
was mostly lazy and the other one only nag.
What I can’t like about the series is the Comic
Paneling. Yes, this is based on a comic, but much like Ang Lee’s Hulk and Revision
Power Rangers; the paneling mostly happened on non-engaging scene as it’s
pointless. Yakari is less of an action comic and more of an atmospheric
adventure. Think of it as the Bone comic, or something rare like that.
Yakari is an interesting series. For a 15 minute
show, it runs in the right pace. Though I think episode 2 and 3 would be better
together if you cut out the cougars and waiting scenes. Yes, patience and test
of kindness are a virtue, but fillers/ padding are often feels like a sin. If
you have the time, check out Yakari mostly on youtube. It’s a little spiritual
quest to take. Speaking of quest, I’m getting ready to talk about some
Christmas films.
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