Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters

Our second Halloween is Rankin Bass’ first animated Halloween film, Mad Mad Mad Monsters. Not to be confused with Mad Mad Mad Comedian, ironically this is a little funny.

Dr. Frankenstein creates the Bride for the Frankenstein Monster to be married. His assistance, Igor is jealous that he wants a girlfriend.

The Doctor invites all the monsters he knows to his party for the unveiling of his masterpiece. Wait, didn’t summarized this story before? Yes, this is mostly an exact plot to Mad Monster Party. In fact, this may be a prequel, despite continuity barely exist in the 70s. There is a major difference. The party is set at Transylvania hotel. *sigh* A human Hotel Transylvania, not Adam Sandler’s Dracula’s. Speaking of which, Dracula has a son, and the Invisible Man has a wife and son.

It was tricky to find a whole film online. Youtube only have the first 8 minutes. Thankfully, OVGuide has the full version, despite some scenes are out of order and has Jack O Lantern at the end.

Bob McFadden voiced Dr. Frankenstein sound as close as Boris Karloff. Fitting him also voices Franken Berry, and he would later voice Jingle Bell in Year Without Santa Claus. Of course Karloff wouldn’t reprise the role since he died after Mad Monster Party. Surprisingly, Allen Swift lends his voice for this film too, as he was Dracula, Invisible Man, Igor, Frankenstein, and the Werewolf. Dracula voice this version is at a deep Bela Lugosi, which sounds closer than Mad Monster Party’s Dracula that’s high pitch in comparison.

The human in this film is a Mailman Harvey, and the Bellhop, Norman (voiced by Bradley Bolke, who would later voice Jangle Bell). Harvey is the paranoid guy to deal with the monsters rather if they’re real or not. Norman is a monster fanboy, and it’s enjoyable to see his idols stay in the hotel he works for. Somehow they’re more likable straight men than Felix the George Bailey, because they’re useful in their jobs, one fear the monsters as one adore them, and aren’t doing the obnoxious ritual of curing his allergies.

The Bride of Frankenstein has a simple beautiful design, at least overall for the body. The face is mostly hidden through-out the film. When she does reveal her face at the end, she’s kind of adorable. Beautiful and Adorable is one of a perfect combination for a charming maiden. She might have some Klasky Cstupio kind of design, as long I don’t imagine Angelica from Rugrats.

Now, do I like this more than Mad Monster Party? Well that’s a hare to split between a groundbreaking Monster Stop-motion films vs. what could be an animated prequel than a remake.

Little Tibia and the Fibians singing “It the Mummy” is probably better than the Grim Reaper band in music and animation.

I hate to say this, but Phyllis Diller is better than Nagatha, the Invisible Woman. Phyllis Diller is herself, yet she’s part of the plan to be Dr. Frankenstein’s successor, but is a standout than an Alice clone from the Honeymooners. Even Wilma from the Flintstones is more evolved than her. I’m mostly assuming she’s voiced by Rhoda Mann, since they’re only two main and two human women in the film that she voiced all; The Invisible Woman, the Bride of Frankenstein, Rich fat lady, and teenage Karen(?). There’s a scene where the Creature from the Swamp plays in a pool with a woman, who I swear is a grown up Karen from Frosty the Snowman. They do grow up in the most delightful way. 

If I do have to choose which one, it would have to be Mad Mad Mad Monsters as it’s more entertaining, more likable, and it’s funnier to an extent than Mad Monster Party. If you do get to see both versions, check them. For me, this is graveyard smash from Rankin Bass.

Mad Monster Party?

It’s time to review the first of the Rankin Bass’ Halloween Trilogy, the seventh Rankin Bass film, as well as the very first pure Halloween Stop-Motion Movie, Mad Monster Party!

The Doctor Baron Von Frankenstein (played by Boris Karloff) invites all the monsters he knows to his party/ convention for the unveiling of his masterpiece at the Caribbean island; an atomic chemical that’ll explode on contact, even trenched on a living being such as a raven.

The monsters he invites are Dracula, the Mummy, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Wolfman, the Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the creature of the Swamp, and a human named Abbot and Castello.. I mean Felix Flankon, the Baron’s wimpy and mostly useless nephew, as I’ll call him Felix the George Bailey.

Residence to Baron Von Frankenstein are his creations of Frankenstein Monster, The Monster’s Mate (played vocally and designed after Phyllis Diller), Francesca (played by Gale Garnet), and zombies with one of them being Peter Lorre named Yetch. The rest of the film would have all the monsters to fight each other to reveal whose Dr. Frankenstein’s successor dead or alive.

While this is the first of the theatrical stop-motion pure Halloween feature length film, it’s the last of Rankin Bass theatrical movie, the last time we hear the great Boris Karloff in Rankin Bass films, but we wouldn’t have another Pure Halloween stop-motion film until probably Corpse Bride. Granted, we had other Halloween films with a mix of stop-motion such as Evil Dead 2, Return to Oz, It, etc., which was natural for special effect at the time before relying on CGI and predictable jump scare. Upon realizing, most of the horror family picture are mostly bombs, along with most of the Disney horror films with Watcher in the Wood, Something Wicked This Way Comes, etc.. I don’t have a theory why Halloween Stop-motion films are a rarity. Maybe there’s no story involving monsters for an hour and half without padding, which this film does with the chef’s scenes, Felix’s repetitive scenes, and most of the music. The songs are mostly forgettable, except Little Tibia & the Fibians’ “It’s The Mummy”. Most of the music’s’ purpose was for padding, as it was said in the commentary. Maybe television was safer to do Halloween specials than to be bombed in theaters.    

The designs are each of the monsters are unique and captured the detail of the Universal Monsters close to the T, even King Kong- oh wait, I mean “It” due to copyright that they won’t acquire years later in TV. The design of Dracula with his monocle would later influence another Dracula five years later, Count Von Count from Sesame Street. Unlike most other monsters films would design the monsters to look like pretty models such as Twilight, “I, Frankenstein”, or Tom Cruise in the recent Mummy film. The setting has a haunting Hammer style of film, gray yet detailed sceneries, and it’s a different tone for Rankin Bass with a mallow sorrow. What are really distracting are the strings on the characters. Majority of Rankin Bass film is where you barely see the strings possibly due to the white North Pole background that helps blend it, but since the background in Mas Monster Party is mostly gray than black, you can easily see the lighting or shadow on the strings. Their flying scenes in the climax are underwhelming. It’s strange that Rankin Bass can animate flying reindeers or reinsnake better than Wright Brothers style planes. Even Puppetoons can do better flying scenes in Tulip Shall Raise.

I first watched this film on all of channel on TCM. Yes, not Fox Family, not ABC Family, and never Freeform to fill in their bottomless list of Hocus Pocus that makes people want to shout, “I’ll watch Hocus Pocus every single Halloween!” It’s TCM. It’s very odd, yet it’s not the only one with The Wacky World of Mother Goose, which I missed it and couldn’t find it on DVD. I was aware of Mad Monster Party when I remember spotting them on VHS in Blockbuster. Though my dad was against renting it as I assume he didn’t like and any non-Christmas Rankin Bass films aren’t worth it. Judging with some of non-Christmas Rankin Bass films I’ve review so far, I can see some of his points.

Mad Monster Party is an interesting Cult Classic film. It’s not a Halloween film I would willingly pop as much as the Simpsons Halloween Specials, Daffy’s Quackbuster, or other underrated Halloween films online. Some scenes drag and go nowhere, but there’s some neat stuff Mad Monster Party has to offer. If you want to see a stop-motion film with all the monsters you know together, you’ll watch this film, but you’ll watch Nightmare Before Christmas more than this film; the groundbreaking Holiday connecting film I’ve grown to hate yet it became a little more favorable overtime. If you wanted to see an animated film of with all the monsters you know together, well in general, you might go to the Hotel Transylvania films or Frankenwennie in terms energy it has more of. In terms of animated 2D version of the similar premise, there’s “Scooby Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf”, or our next film to review, Mad Mad Mad Monster.

If you do have interest in Mad Monster Party, give it a watch for this Halloween, or March in their original film release for some reason.

Rankin Bass' Around the World In 80 Days

Let’s get packing for another tale from Jules Verne with Around the World in 80 Days.

Phileas Fogg made a deal with the Reform Club to travel around the world in 80 Days. He and his partner, Patu will travel through-out Europe, Asia, and US to return to England in 80 Days. Our heroes get chased by Detective Thicks to arrest him for “stealing” Twenty Thousand Pounds. Along the travel, they meet a monkey, an elephant, an Indian princess named Aouda, and other obstacles.

Phileas is a great. He’s always prepared on every part of the journey, even at a few hiccups here and there. If he was too perfect, then he would found every way to travel quicker than 75 Days with plenty of deux ex machina. Someone else such as Santa Claus or XJ9 would travel around the world in 80 minutes. I was almost disappointed that they didn’t go to every place in 80 Days, but only the places that have a means of transportation to get there as possible. That’s pretty much the charm of Jules Verne’s story is the different ways to have an adventure. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is the adventure to the sea, Journey To the Center of the Earth is an excavation, From Earth to the Moon is to space exploration, so this makes Around the World in 80 Days is a global adventure. Though they’re more groundbreaking in live-action than animation in life, unless they made a groundbreaking animated film to adapt Jules Verne least popular story.  

The villain, Detective Thicks is of course forgetfully generic. He’s just a conflict to what could have been a too perfect kind of adventure. If he wasn’t in it, the story would be too perfect that it’s boring. If he’s in it, he may drag unless he’s different than what we got.

Would this animated version get me hooked for the original live action version? It’s most likely no. I was partly introduce to the name with Simpsons, while story was introduce to me in either an episode of Pinky and the Brain, and Tweety’s High Flying Adventure. On a side note, “High Flying Adventure” should be a dead term we need to stop using. However, if you want a funny version of the story, go to The Great Race with the funny villain, Professor Fate, played by Jack Lemon.

It’s an OK version of the story of Around the World in 80 Days. Sorry if many of them would only get an OK review, but it’s what the Festival of Family Classics is all they offer so far. It’s not like they would adapt a terrible story or go lazy with character designs. Ha ha, ha!

*the design of Phileas appeared sliding next to Dr. Staywell (Johnny Appleseed) and Professor Hinkle (Frosty the Snowman).*

Exact character design to be lazy is worst!  

Now let’s travel our next film to review to see some Puss in Boots….wait, we’re in October? Crap, I got bored and depressed in a town and business of nothing! OK, we’ll return to our regularly schedule to review the HALLOWEEN TRILOGY!!! Stay afloat to a party, A MAD MONSTER PARTY?!

Rankin Bass' Johnny Appleseed

Johnny Appleseed came across a village to promote the joys of apples after 25 years of planting them in the country side. The villagers have their promotion with medicine from a crooked Doctor Staywell. The village kids and Johnny Appleseed make Apple Cider to prove apple rather they better than the medicine or not.

I partly knew the story of John “Appleseed” Chapman from a live-action version I’ve seen in elementary school, the Simpsons did their short version with Lisa Simpsons as Connie Appleseed as Homer was Buffekill, and the obvious animated version that was part of a package film.

Johnny Appleseed is upset with apples, to the point I question if he ever ate anything else in his life. Surely he has every other apple beside red delicious such as Honey Crisp, Envy, Pink Lady, etc. Any other food would be blasphemy. It’s an interesting angle to see Johnny interact with the people who bare his fruits. Could be worst, he could open the church of Apple.

*NYU professor considers Apple Store as a Church in 2015*

 Wrong Macintosh!

The villain is Doctor Staywell. OK, why do we need a villain in this one? Yes, it’s to show natural medicine is better than paying medicine with the moral of “An apple a day keeps a doctor away”. (Though Lil Lulu took that moral too literal.) Sure he looks like an anorexic Professor Hinkle, but he’s obviously the villain and obviously defeated, but not by Johnny Appleseed himself, but his woodland critters. Sound embarrassing! Granted in the end, Staywell doesn’t get killed or jailed, but Johnny has Staywell plant apple seeds in the west side of the United States. Rather he plants the seeds or sell them is debatable barely worth doing. If he was removed from the story, the episode will last for about 3-5 minutes.

Strange that we have all the other folklore, with most of them being defeated by the realistic competition such as Paul Bunyan with Virgil with his chainsaw that chops more trees and wear high heels, or John Henry with the Inky Poo that can hammer nails on track quicker. If you’ve heard the realistic version of Johnny Appleseed, you wouldn’t see an animated kid’s film, adult film less likely. Johnny planted the seeds for money and ownership of the land he planted. He did made apple cider, but it was made from spitter apples, and it was the safer drink than water at that time, even if it was Hard Cider. Special thanks to Adam Conover of Adam Ruins Everything on TruTV, the only good show I can get out of the channel than Practical Jokers.

Though with that fact, the story would be different, especially when Johnny made the cider with kids, and tell them to drink it, even when two or three of those kids are voiced by Billie Mae Richard. The reasons I haven’t talked about the voice actors in the series so far is mainly majority of them aren’t distinct to tell who’s voicing who, except for Billie Mae Richard with her Rudolph voice. The credits don’t tell who voices who, and neither does IMDB with the exception of Jack O’Lantern.

As for the story as its own, it’s passable at best. Can’t recommend it as much as Simpsons’ version for a good laugh. Now the next episode of Festival of Family Classic is Around the World in 80 Days. OK, this time the original film isn’t a Disney version.

*Disney’s Around the World in 80 Days start to fly in their balloon, but I shot the balloon down with my boomstick.*

Dang it, I was aiming for its head! Oh well. Join me in the next episode!

Rankin Bass' 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

Well we got a two-parters for some reason with the next episode of Festival of Family Classics, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

A bunch of ships near Australia were being destroyed by a “sea monster”, as a crew were set to hunt for the “sea monster” only to have their ship being destroyed with three known survivors. The three survivors are. The sea monster reveals to be the first unofficial submarine named Nautilus, powered by Captain Nemo and his possibly cloned crew. Nemo hated humanity in the surface world, so he lives the rest of his life in the seas with the survivors as guest than slaves.

Thankfully I don’t have nostalgia connection with the Disney version, and known them from Captain Nemo bursting out, “You’re calling it murder?” and Michael Douglas singing “Whale of a Tale” to the point my music teacher sings that in high school. I’ve seen the Nautilus in two version of Mysterious Island (Journey 2 counts, sadly), and part of the squid was seen in The Pagemaster as it came from the book of 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas.

It’s strange that two of the characters, Ned Land and Nemo look very close in design to Kirk Douglas and James Mason in the Disney version. Despite this is the abridged version of story, the performances are not going to be as the obvious popular version. The minor difference is they trade Esmeralda the Seal for Fifi the Blue Dolphin, which is kind of an improvement that Fifi is actually more useful than Esmeralda, somehow. What’s a downgrade is trading Peter Lorre’s character for Professor Aronnax’s son, who I’ll describe him as proto-Spike Witwicky, yet as useful as Sam Witwicky. Pick your own brunette everyman to compare!

This is probably the first dynamic design for Rankin Bass. As much as I like Paul Coker’s round design, it is a different take. The downside of being dynamic here is that it’s so detailed it’ll stiffen the animation, as it won’t be as energetic as their other animation, and would almost be on par with The Red Baron in energy level. It’s not too stiff as those crappy cut-out animations that uses live action mouths instead, or never moving their lips at all. It might be what would be used later in Thundercats. It’s not entirely aims for kids under 12, as there’s a scene where they Nemo throws a harpoon at a hammerhead shark. The shark got stabbed, bleeds, and swam away with the harpoon still intact. You know, for Family, Festival of Family Classics! Now why is this story need to be a 2-parter is beyond me.

This is simple an OK episode. I can’t recommend this animated version to everyone, yet I haven’t seen an animated version that’s on par or better than the Disney, despite it’s impossible to be better than a groundbreaking film. Think of this as shorter lived Sealab. If you’re interested, give it a cannonball….

(A viewer pulled out cannon to aim at the animated film.)

Of A Dive to watch the film! Geez, I’m trying to some variety from diving without going literal. At least aim the cannon at the Dic version. Oh right, what’s the next episode for Festival of Family Classics? Jack O’Lantern, finally, but I’ll save that for October. What’s after that? Johnny Appleseed! Dammit, I’m going to need Ziegler’s Apple Cider for this!

Rankin Bass' Cinderella

This is the third episode of Rankin Bass’ Festival of Family Classic that ran on TV in 1973. Every episode is a different story, and some are two parter if they ran more than the runtime of 22 minutes; the stories are bare bone with a limit. Now we’re approaching to Cinderella. *sigh* I barely like this story that may echo in my life in two ways.

The story is about as you basically know it. Cinderella lives with an evil step-mother with two ugly lazy step-sisters as their servant. (One of them is male. Maybe that’s where Shrek 2 got it from.) Cinderella remains at home while her step family goes to the royal ball, until her fairy godmother comfort her by making her in transportation, a pretty dress, and glass slippers to go to the ball to meet her Prince Charming (Derek from Swan Princess or Prince David from Gulliver’s Travels?).

This is one of the stories I couldn’t like, partly because of the famous Disney version I sadly grew up with. The most annoyance I’ve got from that film was the mice, and they were usefully annoying as much more or less as the gargoyles from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and they got half of the focus. Thankfully Disney didn’t have the mice after Cinderella to sound high pitch as they gave them normal yet less irritating voice, as heard in Ben and Me, Rescuers, Robin Hood, etc. Despite the high pitch voice kind of makes sense given their size. The mice in the Rankin Bass version are tone down, as it focuses on the title character. Obviously people mostly prefer that version with the evil fearing step mother than a useless bitch, the Mary Blair background, most of the music, and less likely the recent remake would capture those  elements.  There have been many versions, before and after. It’s kind of similar to Betty Boop’s version of Cinderella, including with a living jack-o-lantern apparently, and that’s about it for the similarity. Cinderella in this version is just there. She’s pretty, and maybe sneaky with the mousetrap to not set it up, but best to sum her with a funny version of Derek than the less interesting prince they got.

“You’re just so beautiful and nothing else!”

-Derek from Swan Princess, dubbed by Doug Walker/ Nostalgia Critic in his review of Swan Princess.

I think the only character that does stand out is the knight, who is an enjoyable doofus to get the message from the kingdom with snarky comment such as comparing the “beautiful madams” in the scroll to the step sisters, or his routine by trying to stay on his horse.

When people think of the best Cinderella, usually Ever After came to mind, yet I haven’t watched that yet. Otherwise, I’ve haven’t heard the best yet. The Rankin Bass version isn’t awful, but not good either, as it doesn’t stand out than a style. We’ll see Cinderella and Prince later in Rudolph Shiny New Year. Many can agree at least it’s better than Cinderella 2.

OK, let’s see what’s the next episode for the series? I hope it’s not another version from a popular Disney film.

*I looked up the episode guide, and the next one is the 2-parter of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. I end the review with a Peter Lorre impression.*

Oh no, master! 

Red Baron

Now we get to Rankin Bass and Filmation’s Red Baron. 

Sorry it took a long time since April to do these reviews. I was busy with other better work, and my feeling about this film, as you can tell with the criticism.

A radio announced that troubles happening, as the Red Baron prepares for action.

The fighter jets get defeated by the villains in a literal dogfight. The good king of Pretzel is simply furious. So the Red Baron slowly gets his plane ready to fight with the enemies to smoke them out. This makes the lead of the villain simply furious.

One of the general of the villain has a girlfriend, who is a princess, of course. The evil made a princess double to dispose of the Red Baron. The Princess Double trap Red Baron in a Shark Blimp, but she last as long as Vanessa (Austin Powers 2) and broke down. Now he deals with this bulldog lady, who’s in charge of the blimp. Red Baron gets free with the Bulldog lady, and get to the princess with a chase and stuff.

The meh news is I’ve found the video on youtube, the bad news is in Swedish, but that won’t stop me in reviewing it since I’ve reviewed Chinese films earlier, and youtube does have a subtitle setting (at least part 1 does.), but the translation isn’t accurate. So I’ll write it with what I’m visually watching, then I’ll pinpoint the story with an edit.

The good news is this is the only time Rankin Bass team up with Filmation. Filmation is one of the worst animated companies I’ve seen. Filmation’s pro is unique designs, basic coloring, and sometimes the villain with Skeletor, Malice, and the princess in this film is cute dog princess I got to admit. Filmation’s con is their characters themselves, recycle animations, focus away from the titled character(s) to the cartoony useless sidekick (as Red Baron’s cat and the princess sort of prove that point.), and spend too much on dialogue that it’s impossible to be invested to the characters as much as politics, reality TV, and soap operas.

The conversations and music drag on too long, very similar to how Filmation does the direction in the Star Trek Animated Series. I can see how Haim Saban and Shuki Levy would make better music for He-man. For odd reason when we get to the climax, they reuse the music that was playing in Cricket and the Hearth, and most in Festival of Family Classic. Yet that’s the better music than their slow Victorian music. Everything can be said and done simply under few seconds. Not Filmation, most of their films moments take more than minutes to say or do a thing. What Rankin Bass and Filmation do in common with their cons is they don’t animate planes well in animation or stop-motion. This is kind of proven in Mad Monster Party and He-man. We had better plane animation in the past, and yet one better stop-motion plane in Puppetoons. The difference is Rankin Bass can pull Flying Reindeers, Hot Air Balloon, and Reinsnake (?). Now some of you suddenly wonder, “Why review this, but not animated King and I?” King and I has design of a Richard Rich film, as Red Baron has a Rankin Bass design than Filmation's design, as proven that general designer Paul Coker Jr. did this film.

I definitely choose Mushi Company over Filmation, namely their animation is more active, alive, and has better coloring. The only reason in theory why Rankin Bass team up with Filmation is Mushi Company has their limit of films, and they prices with out of country payment. Filmation’s production is mainly American, and is against outsourcing, at least that’s what Cartoon Hero said when he reviewed Robin & The Dreamweavers to quote.

“…Filmation is one of the very last companies to animate Animerican content in America. Nowadays, like everything else in America, animation has been outsourced. I’m not complaining, it looks good, but it’s not hard to think bull****. Especially because there are animators here, who would gladly take the job, but for the most part, they can’t.”

-Eli Stone/ Cartoon Hero, review of Robin & The Dreamweavers. 10/3/2016.

This is probably the dullest of the Rankin Bass so far. It’s pretty bad when Snoopy vs the Red Baron, who speaks less, fly more, and has more of a personality than this film, and that made 7 years earlier with 5 years earlier for the music by The Royal Guardsmen. So it’s best to pass this film.

Now what’s next on my agenda for Rankin Bass Review should I do that isn’t a series.

*Going through the list of Rankin Bass films, and That Girl In Wonderland.*

That’s lazy, they want to avoid copyright of the public domain story, or they don’t like the name Alice.

*Look through the clip and IMDB information*

Oh, it’s That Girl the series. OK, I guess they want to have a replacement for…

*Look up Alice In Wonderland in Rankin Bass’ Festival of Family Classic.*

OK, there are two versions. What are my other options after that?

*Rankin Bass’ Hobbit appeared with the music of Ballad of Bilbo Baggins, and the calendar appeared as August with October, a little November, and a big December.*

Yeeesh! I might as well go through episodes of Festival of Family Classics, as I promise I would in order. So let’s start with Hiawatha or Yankee Doodle…

*No English video existed. Up to episode 3:Cinderella*

OK, join me next time for my review of Festival of Family Classics’ episode of Cinderella. Ooh, cruel fate!