Puppetoons Blu-ray to be released!

[Randall]

Animated Views is proud to have the Internet's most comprehensive review of this very fine Blu-ray set. We say it's a must-buy for classic animation fans!

http://animatedviews.com/2014/the-puppetoon-movie/

[Dacey]

Wow. Genuinely interested in this now, despite literally have no knowledge of the source material prior to reading this review. The price is kinda on the steep side, though, at least for a blind buy.

[Ben]

Depends how much of a classic nut you are Dacey! I was thrilled with the original Image DVD (snapcase!), the later Image boxset (with the doc and Great Rupert, which really should be one of those perennial types of pictures), and am just as pleased to see them again in HD. For the price, you're getting at least three DVD's worth of material on two BDs - plus almost another disc's worth of content again in HD with the newly transferred Puppetoons.

(My only own kinda-gripe would have been for a nice slipcover packaging, and for the doc to be on the second disc: the first has a feature in HD as well as the seven new-to-HD Puppetoons, while the second has Rupert in HD and nothing else that isn't SD, although I'm presuming the first disc is maybe a BD-50 and the second a BD-25, so there shouldn't be any real file size issues.)

In short, if you know or like any of the other Pal titles that Rand mentions in his text, then this is a must-have. I'm a *huge* fan of Pal's, and the doc is worth the cost of the set alone - if this is the right kind of set for you. Basically, this is all very quality stuff...and a true LE as well at only 3000 units. If you can drop some $s for it and it sounds right for you, I'd say you'd love it like we do!*


*Although I must admit there was an admired film spoken about on these boards a long while ago that I finally sought out. It didn't cost me a lot, but I didn't connect to it or warm to it at all, and wasn't even impressed with the transfer or extras, so I do know what it's like to have something unique and perhaps not what one might usually go for being repeatedly and overly offered as being deserving of attention only to find it's a dud in one's own opinion. However in this case, and if you like stop-motion, classic animation and anything of the Pal or Harryhausen kind, then this is a real gem of a collection.

[Randall]

Puppetoon Movie Volume 2 is out!!!

I actually worked with the producer on this title, including writing the press release and helping out in other ways behind the scenes. I'm pretty happy with how this disc turned out.

https://animatedviews.com/2020/the-pupp ... -volume-2/

[Dacey]

Great review! Definitely makes me more curious about checking this out.

[droosan]

I'd pre-ordered this awhile back (2018, I think?!) .. and received it in the mail a couple weeks ago.

But as I'm actually swamped with some freelance work at the moment (thank goodness!) .. I haven't yet had a chance to sit down and watch it.

I'm definitely looking forward to it -- even moreso, after reading your review!

[Daniel]

10/10! Nice review, Rand. Definitely on my wish list. Cool you helped out!

[Del Walker]

Fine review Randall, good to see you and Ben keepin' on keeping on The material on this set so rarely seen elsewhere, and I've bought extra copies for family members with children in an effort to keep classic animation alive. Will keep talking up hopes Volume 3 myself as I'm sure you will. It might be a bit heavier lift, a heck of a lot of time and energy (and money) went into this one.

[Ben]

Hey Del!

Great to hear from you! And so glad you got back in touch. I haven’t got my copy of Puppe2oons (as Rand and I have come to nickname it!) as mine went to Rand to forward on to me, but I can’t wait to see these films restored as well as they have been. I’ve loved these films since I came across Jasper In A Jam many many many years ago on one of those bargain bin public domain VHS tapes and started to play, unadvertised on the box, and blew my mind as much as it did get me wondering where the heck this amazing animation had come from! I’d been aware of George Pal as the producer of When Worlds Collide and The War Of The Worlds, but this opened me up to everything else he had done earlier. So nice to see these in the first volume and, now, this second helping reinvigorated with such care and attention. Another volume would be great, but you’re right in that there’s a lot of more work to do before we might see one...!

[Randall]

Hey, Del! Wow, it's been ages! (Del, like Ben and myself, was a DVDtoons reviewer way back when, and nearly joined us to set up Animated Views.) Great hearing from you. I do see your name from time to time on boards or discs, and it brings back good memories of our past association. I hope you're doing well.

Seeing a disc like this get released certainly brings excitement back to collecting, like the good old days of Warner launching their big sets, and Thunderbean getting started. Folks like Arnie and Steve Stanchfield are doing what they can to keep the flame alive for classic animation fans. Rest assured, plans for Puppetoon Movie Volume 3 are underway, though the focus at the moment is on promoting the current release.

And if you ever feel the urge to contribute an article of any sort, let us know!

[Daniel]

Welcome back, Del! Nice avatar.

[Daniel]

Fascinating interview with Arnold Leibovit.

[Randall]

Arnie told me he was going to talk with Stuart, who is in Japan. At the time, I had just enjoyed Stuart's contribution to the Warning from Space Blu-ray, released by the UK's Arrow Video. Small world, these days.

Incidentally, when I interviewed Arnie in 2019, he was seeing Joe Dante the very next day to record his Trailers From Hell videos. ( The above interview is at the Trailers From Hell site.) Full circle! Sort of.

[Ben]

That was a good read. More restored Pal on Blu-ray! That’s what we like to hear!

[droosan]

I was finally able to sit down and watch The Puppetoon Movie volume 2 a couple weeks ago .. and thoroughly enjoyed it. What a fantastic trove of stop-motion and traditionally-animated cartoons! I think Sky Pirates (even though it was an 'extended advertisement') was my favorite thing on the set.

.. and just this evening, I received notice that crowdfunding has begun for The Puppetoon Movie volume 3. I've already sent them a donation .. which -- given the quality of presentation on both previous BD sets -- I consider money well-spent.

.. and also well-worth the wait -- even if it takes a couple of years, as volume 2 did.