Description

In four decades, Zagreb Film of Yugoslavia produced 600 animated films, winning more than 400 international awards. The studio quickly became famous for a unique animation style that became known as "the Zagreb school." One of the pioneering distinctions was that its filmmakers wrote, designed, and directed their own films, resulting in boldly entertaining cartoons unified in design, tone and message. "Laugh at Your Own Risk" - The Tower of Babel, Exciting Love Story, The Devil's Work, Of Holes and Corks, Learning to Walk, Home is the Best, Largo, Maxicat in Tennis/Maxicat in Rope/Maxicat in Door. "For Children Only" - Cow on the Moon, Strange Bird, Octave of Fear, Little and Big, Anna Goes to Buy Some Bread, Well Done Job, Krek, Maxicat in Ball of Yarn/Maxicat in Door/Maxicat in Fishing. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A rarely seen treat in the US is now available
I grew up watching "Pinwheel" on Nickelodeon and was thus exposed to wonderful foreign animation such as Zagreb's own "Professor Balthazar." While I don't explicitly remember any of these cartoons appearing on that show--although I think Maxicat's adventures may have--this was still a wise purchase. It is utterly fabulous to see the oft-neglected animation of Zagreb Film's talented stable of artists. I have always been amazed at how much these animators conveyed without dialogue; without language, these cartoons could find a home more easily in a multilingual world. The innovation in technique, storytelling, and themes should be required viewing for all students of animation, especially those who only have seen Hanna-Barbara and anime. A personal favorite of mine is Zlato Grgic's "Krek," a charming tale of the powerful bond between a man and his frog (think Michigan J. Frog without the singing) in the face of military oppression. A quick note to parents: just as standards of moral conduct vary from home to home, so do they from country to country. While I know some parents won't mind the very brief --only about two seconds--animated nudity, I know there are some who would and feel they should be alerted. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The first volume of a three-disc survey of the films of the innovativeHubley Studio offers two of their best known shorts: the Academy Award-winning "Moonbird" (1959) and the Oscar-nominated "Windy Day" (1967). In these shorts, independent animators John and Faith Hubley explored new ways of presenting a child's world through film. They recorded their children's voices as they spun out fantasies to create a giggling, rambling soundtrack. In "Moonbird," two brothers prowl their backyard by night, seeking to capture the shy moonbird. Two sisters spend an summer afternoon at the seashore, playing games and speculating about what the future may hold for them in "Windy Day."

The upbeat "People, People, People" (1975) examines the history of human habitation in North America, from 17,760 B.C. to A.D. 1976. Benny Carter's genially propulsive score helps the filmmakers present even unpleasant aspects of history with imagination and good humor. In "Enter Life" (1981), carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen atoms assemble to form the molecules essential to all life in a series of chemical reactions that suggest a microcosmic dance. "Amazonia" (1989) draws on indigenous myths to present a plea to save the rapidly vanishing Brazilian rain forest. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (1)

amazing gracefull..
All images are animated gracefully. musics are well matched to the movie. primitive images well changed to the movie. I can feel Old India,Inca,China in fashion of 70s. ... Read more

Description

In four decades, Zagreb Film of Yugoslavia produced 600 animated films, winning more than 400 international awards. The studio quickly became famous for a unique animation style that became known as "the Zagreb school." One of the pioneering distinctions was that its filmmakers wrote, designed, and directed their own films, resulting in boldly entertaining cartoons unified in design, tone and message. The seven films included in this volume explore imagery and the human condition with equal parts beauty and outrageousness. Includes: Way to Your Neighbor, Satiemania, Album, Plop, The Match, Dream Doll, Mouseferatu. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

just The Best Animation I've Ever Seen
being VJ/videoartist and looking mostly for really unusual stuff, I was enormously excited by this collection volume. two films are so visually and dramatically intense, you may just get drowned in them. yet another one is _very_ funny story. and all the others will not disappoint you as well (unless of course you prefer simple linear-minded stupid cartoons)

amongst couple of dozens animation collections i have and use, this one is rated The Second (The First is french issue Animation 2000).

A great disappointment
I had high expectations for this collection, but was greatly disappointed. I am a fan of the Simpsons, Courage: The Cowardly Dog, Futurama, King of the Hill, Dexter and Doraemon. If you share my taste in animation, you might be compelled to do what I did... I got bored, had to fast foward the tape - to see if it got to something that I cared for -, couldn't finish it and when I ejected it from the VHS, it went directly to my file 13 (the garbage can). Sorry for the "artists" of Zagreb, but this collection won my "all thumbs down" award.

Excellent animation from Croatia
This video is great, if you like animation. The shorts are funny, serious, and thought provoking. Alot of the animation is superb, but alot of it is also kind of cheesy, but you get used to it. Having grown up with these movies, I am pleased to see that someone has finally released them to DVD and video. If you are really into the animation scene, or of Croatian heritage, you must definately check this out. Others, beware, it may not be your cup of tea.

Cheers. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The second volume in this three-disc set exploration of the work of the Hubley Studio showcases the films of two generations of animators. Based on a book by former Chicago University president Robert Maynard Hutchins (who also serves as the film's narrator), the relatively little known "Zuckerandl!" (1968) satirizes the pomposity of academic presentations. The imaginary philosopher Alexander Zuckerandl propounds the theory that the aim of all life is to get through it without sensation and therefore without pain. Words and images combine to satirize the folly of a life not only unexamined but unlived. "Cockaboody" (1973) offers some charming animation of the stylized figures of two little sisters as they play and argue through their bedroom and bathroom. When the younger sister throws a temper tantrum, it appears as a cloudy, threatening monster. In "Hello" (1984), three semi-abstract extraterrestrial musicians embark on a mission to Earth, sending bubbles containing messages of peace to the planet's inhabitants. "Her Grandmother's Gift" (1995) examines the changing ways in which women present information to their daughters about their bodies and the emotional resonance found in an increased honesty. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Hubley Collection Volume 2
Cockaboody is, in my opinion, one of the greatest pieces of animation ever created. Its use of improvised dialogue from the Hubley's two girls is amazing in its representation of a child's mind and imagination. The other short that John Hubley helped animate, Zuckerkandl!, is funny, if a little tedious. The rest--Faith (and Emily) shorts--range from wonderful and playful to tedious and way too out-there. Buy it for Cockaboody, but for a better representation of Faith AND John's work, Art and Jazz in Animation has four hours worth of what is apparently some of the couple's best short (and long) animation.

charming
The person below who gave this DVD just 1 star obviously has an ax to grind. John Hubley and Faith Hubley worked on the cartoons he enjoys, not just John alone. And I find Faith's solo art charming.

Faith Hubley should be relegated to her own DVDs
John Hubley was a genius and the sole reason the words "Hubley Studio" have resonance today. Unfortunately he passed away long ago, and Faith has continued to work under the "Hubley Studio" banner. Her work, which lards these DVDs, is egregious. She cannot draw, but we are to believe that's really no problem, as she claims to be influenced by "primitive art". Actually, the association is an intolerable slur on primitive art. Her animating strategy, displayed in tedious short after tedious short, seems to be "draw a squiggle and make it wriggle".

And I cannot believe my eyes and ears: occasionally, this tripe is interrupted, with no rhyme or reason, by direct lifts from the classic Hubley toons.

Don't even get me started on their daughter, Emily Hubley.

John's work, of course, is some of the most awe-inspiring and utterly original, and downright funny, stuff you will ever see. The use of improvised, seemingly overheard dialogue tracks is but one of his masterstrokes. It would have been possible to create a half-dozen DVDs of John-supervised shorts. When I ponder why that wasn't done, my heart sinks. ... Read more

Description

In four decades, Zagreb Film of Yugoslavia produced 600 animated films, winning more than 400 international awards. The studio quickly became famous for a unique animation style that became known as "the Zagreb school." One of the pioneering distinctions was that its filmmakers wrote, designed, and directed their own films, resulting in boldly entertaining cartoons unified in design, tone and message. The seven films included in this volume explore imagery and the human condition with equal parts beauty and outrageousness. Includes: Way to Your Neighbor, Satiemania, Album, Plop, The Match, Dream Doll, Mouseferatu. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

just The Best Animation I've Ever Seen
being VJ/videoartist and looking mostly for really unusual stuff, I was enormously excited by this collection volume. two films are so visually and dramatically intense, you may just get drowned in them. yet another one is _very_ funny story. and all the others will not disappoint you as well (unless of course you prefer simple linear-minded stupid cartoons)

amongst couple of dozens animation collections i have and use, this one is rated The Second (The First is french issue Animation 2000).

A great disappointment
I had high expectations for this collection, but was greatly disappointed. I am a fan of the Simpsons, Courage: The Cowardly Dog, Futurama, King of the Hill, Dexter and Doraemon. If you share my taste in animation, you might be compelled to do what I did... I got bored, had to fast foward the tape - to see if it got to something that I cared for -, couldn't finish it and when I ejected it from the VHS, it went directly to my file 13 (the garbage can). Sorry for the "artists" of Zagreb, but this collection won my "all thumbs down" award.

Excellent animation from Croatia
This video is great, if you like animation. The shorts are funny, serious, and thought provoking. Alot of the animation is superb, but alot of it is also kind of cheesy, but you get used to it. Having grown up with these movies, I am pleased to see that someone has finally released them to DVD and video. If you are really into the animation scene, or of Croatian heritage, you must definately check this out. Others, beware, it may not be your cup of tea.

Cheers. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ataru, who regards gluttony and lust as a way of life rather than deadly sins, gets himself into trouble, at home, in Hawaii, and beyond the solar system. Shutaro Mendou, the dashing, theatrical scion of Japan's richest family (worth "a mere 5 trillion Yen") enrolls at Tomobiki High, fulfilling his prediction in episode 10 that he would join the regular cast. All the girls, including Shinobu, immediately fall for him like a bento box of rocks. Lum even considers dumping her "darling" Ataru for Mendou (!), but her computerized horoscope advises otherwise. On Lum's home world, an annual contest between her people, the Oni, and the Shichikukujin or Seven Gods of Luck provides Ataru with the opportunity to appear both cowardly and lecherous as Rumiko Takahashi's zaniest comedy careens on its freewheeling way. Unrated: suitable for ages 12 and up: Risqué humor, brief nudity, alcohol and tobacco use. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Amazon.com

The third volume of "The Hubley Collection" contains three of the innovative studio's most unusual and interesting works. Based on the writingsof psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, "Everybody Rides the Carousel" (1976) examines the stages of human personality development. "A Doonesbury Special" (1977) was the last film on which John and Faith Hubley collaborated, and it was their lastOscar nominee. Created with Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Garry Trudeau, this neglected television special brings to life the situations that appeared in the strip during the '70s: the football huddle, dinner at Walden Commune, the day-care center, etc. The familiar characters--Mike, Mark, Joannie, and Zonker--examine their present lives and how the legacy of the political activism of the '60s has affected each of them. In "My Universe Inside Out" (1996) Faith Hubley reflects on her own life and work, including her distinctly odd childhood, her life with John, their children, and the personal films she's made since his death.

The Hubleys use the medium of animation to explore often challenging ideas and find humor in quirky, personal ways. Their films are completely unlike the slapstick cartoons of the Hollywood studios but remain extremely satisfying in their own way. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Amazon.com

The first volume of a three-disc survey of the films of the innovativeHubley Studio offers two of their best known shorts: the Academy Award-winning "Moonbird" (1959) and the Oscar-nominated "Windy Day" (1967). In these shorts, independent animators John and Faith Hubley explored new ways of presenting a child's world through film. They recorded their children's voices as they spun out fantasies to create a giggling, rambling soundtrack. In "Moonbird," two brothers prowl their backyard by night, seeking to capture the shy moonbird. Two sisters spend an summer afternoon at the seashore, playing games and speculating about what the future may hold for them in "Windy Day."

The upbeat "People, People, People" (1975) examines the history of human habitation in North America, from 17,760 B.C. to A.D. 1976. Benny Carter's genially propulsive score helps the filmmakers present even unpleasant aspects of history with imagination and good humor. In "Enter Life" (1981), carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen atoms assemble to form the molecules essential to all life in a series of chemical reactions that suggest a microcosmic dance. "Amazonia" (1989) draws on indigenous myths to present a plea to save the rapidly vanishing Brazilian rain forest. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (1)

amazing gracefull..
All images are animated gracefully. musics are well matched to the movie. primitive images well changed to the movie. I can feel Old India,Inca,China in fashion of 70s. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The second volume in this three-disc set exploration of the work of the Hubley Studio showcases the films of two generations of animators. Based on a book by former Chicago University president Robert Maynard Hutchins (who also serves as the film's narrator), the relatively little known "Zuckerandl!" (1968) satirizes the pomposity of academic presentations. The imaginary philosopher Alexander Zuckerandl propounds the theory that the aim of all life is to get through it without sensation and therefore without pain. Words and images combine to satirize the folly of a life not only unexamined but unlived. "Cockaboody" (1973) offers some charming animation of the stylized figures of two little sisters as they play and argue through their bedroom and bathroom. When the younger sister throws a temper tantrum, it appears as a cloudy, threatening monster. In "Hello" (1984), three semi-abstract extraterrestrial musicians embark on a mission to Earth, sending bubbles containing messages of peace to the planet's inhabitants. "Her Grandmother's Gift" (1995) examines the changing ways in which women present information to their daughters about their bodies and the emotional resonance found in an increased honesty. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Hubley Collection Volume 2
Cockaboody is, in my opinion, one of the greatest pieces of animation ever created. Its use of improvised dialogue from the Hubley's two girls is amazing in its representation of a child's mind and imagination. The other short that John Hubley helped animate, Zuckerkandl!, is funny, if a little tedious. The rest--Faith (and Emily) shorts--range from wonderful and playful to tedious and way too out-there. Buy it for Cockaboody, but for a better representation of Faith AND John's work, Art and Jazz in Animation has four hours worth of what is apparently some of the couple's best short (and long) animation.

charming
The person below who gave this DVD just 1 star obviously has an ax to grind. John Hubley and Faith Hubley worked on the cartoons he enjoys, not just John alone. And I find Faith's solo art charming.

Faith Hubley should be relegated to her own DVDs
John Hubley was a genius and the sole reason the words "Hubley Studio" have resonance today. Unfortunately he passed away long ago, and Faith has continued to work under the "Hubley Studio" banner. Her work, which lards these DVDs, is egregious. She cannot draw, but we are to believe that's really no problem, as she claims to be influenced by "primitive art". Actually, the association is an intolerable slur on primitive art. Her animating strategy, displayed in tedious short after tedious short, seems to be "draw a squiggle and make it wriggle".

And I cannot believe my eyes and ears: occasionally, this tripe is interrupted, with no rhyme or reason, by direct lifts from the classic Hubley toons.

Don't even get me started on their daughter, Emily Hubley.

John's work, of course, is some of the most awe-inspiring and utterly original, and downright funny, stuff you will ever see. The use of improvised, seemingly overheard dialogue tracks is but one of his masterstrokes. It would have been possible to create a half-dozen DVDs of John-supervised shorts. When I ponder why that wasn't done, my heart sinks. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

"Jin-Roh" + "Alphaville" = surreal "Spectacle"
As a fan of Mamoru Oshii's action-packed, yet intellectually provocative anime films, like "Ghost in the Shell", "Patlabor", and "Jin-Roh", I was expecting something interesting from his live-action films. I started by watching "Avalon," which lived up to my expectations. I then decided to watch "Red Spectacles" next because it takes place within the same alternate world of "Jin-Roh".

While "Red Spectacles" starts off with a full-color live-action shootout that could've been straight out of "Jin-Roh", that's about as far as the similarities between "Red Spectacles" and its animated kin go. What follows the opening credits is a sepia-toned black & white genre-bending tour de force reminiscent of Jean-Luc Godard's "Alphaville".

Veteran anime voice actor Shigeru Chiba plays Koichi, a former member of the elite Kerberos police unit who has returned home after spending several years in hiding only to discover that the world he left behind has totally changed in his absence. "Red Spectacles" is constantly shifting genres, from action to slapstick to thriller to tragedy, and though these mood swings can be jarring at times, the film always maintains a surrealist tone. Oshii uses the language of film to cinematically convey Koichi's confusion and paranoia as he fights to uncover a government conspiracy that still wants him dead.

I won't give away the ending, but I will say that the last 5 minutes were visually breathtaking. The cinematography is especially remarkable at the end and Oshii introduces a metaphor in the final frames of "Red Spectacles" that he explores in detail a decade later in his screenplay for "Jin-Roh".

However, I must warn people who are expecting an action flick; "Red Spectacles" will probably bore and/or confuse you. I personally appreciate avant-garde film, so I loved "Red Spectacles", but my bloodthirsty anime "otaku" friends spent the whole film scratching their heads and begging me to fast-forward.

The next film at the top of my "To-See" list is Oshii's 1991 live-action sequel-of-sorts to "Red Spectacles" called "Stray Dogs: Kerberos Panzer Cops" (aka "Jigoku no banken: kerubersu"). ... Read more