Change Your Image
sglacker
Reviews
The Path to 9/11 (2006)
Fictionalized, yes. But essentially correct so far
I don't see what all the hoopla is about. The dialog is, of course, fictionalized, but the key events are all presented as they have been documented numerous other places. The missed opportunities, the insistence on treating terrorism as a "legal" problem, the overriding concern about political fallout- its all been available for anyone willing to read for years now.
It is somewhat appalling to me that anyone (now its the liberal side's turn to look silly) would be so blinded by the theology of their particular political bent that they cannot admit that a series of mistakes WAS made dating back to at least 1990. And would protest a docu-drama for exploring that fact.
No Barking (1954)
A classic!
"No Barking" is a standout short for a number of reasons. For animation geeks, the fact that Ken Harris was the sole animator for the entire short is certainly notable. The only appearance of Tweety in a Jones-directed cartoon is notable. Its a Milt Franklyn score instead of Carl Stalling. But only dog owners will be able to fully appreciate its most endearing quality- the fact that it accurately captures so many goofy dog behaviors that are absolutely hilarious. Sudden barking fits. Becoming convinced that an inanimate object has attacked. Mirror terrors. Bone-burying frenzies. And its not just the gag itself, its the expressions, the raised hairs, bared teeth, and subtle behaviors that are so spot-on (bad pun intended). Someone had a dog (or dogs) that deserved a lot of the "writing" credits on this one.
A Texas Funeral (1999)
A pleasant surprise
Given how long this film took to get from filming to any sort of release (and I'm still not sure how widely it was ever released in theaters) I had feared that it would be a stinker. I followed it because one of my vintage cars was used in filming, and I'd just about given up on ever actually seeing the finished product. My car never made it on screen, having been barely out of frame in a scene set at a hospital, but the movie turned out to be quite, quite good. I wonder how well it might play outside of Texas, and seriously doubt it would have much international attraction, but for me it was a breath of fresh air. Characters full of enough eccentricities to be actual Texans like me, but not the typical overblown 'Hollywierd' caricatures of Texans that make me sick. Somewhere in the production crew, there was obviously someone with at least a fair understanding of Texas folklore and culture. Not quite the skill and depth of Tim McCanlies' Texas-based movies ('Seconhand Lions' and 'Dancer Texas' which for me set the standard by which all Texas-based films should be judged) but still with a similar feel.
Boobs in the Woods (1950)
One of the best of the Daffy/Porky pairings
McKimson perfected the art of paring the oldest of the major Looney Tunes characters- Porky and Daffy- in his short features, such as this one and and "Daffy Duck Hunt." Both build on the characters in the same vein as Frank Tashlin's "Porky Pig's Feat," with Daffy having evolved from a completely insane character to a deviously nutty character. The beauty of this Daffy is that the writers could throw intellectual wisecracks left and right in Daffy's stream-of-consciousness ramblings, and then go straight into slapstick gags without compromising the character. In some ways this was the peak of the Daffy character because you get the best of both worlds- the lunacy of the early Tex Avery and Bob Clampett Daffy as well as elements of the sarcastic, bombastic, insecure wit of the Chuck Jones Daffy as seen in "Duck Dodgers," "Robin Hood Daffy" and of course the 'hunting trilogy.' The Avery/Clampett Daffy could never lament about "pronoun trouble," and Chuck Jones' Daffy wouldn't dare bounce around shrieking "whoo hooo! whoo hoo!" (because it would let a certain rabbit look more dignified and professional) but McKimson's Daffy could do both.
Hillbilly Hare (1950)
McKimson is underrated
One of Bob McKimson's best, and further proof that he's perpetually under-rated compared to the "Big 4" WB directors (Avery, Clampett, Jones, Freleng).
Personally, I find his short features more watchable than either Avery's or Clampett's, although part of that has to do with the fact that both the art form and the characters were further evolved by the time McKimson was directing with his own production unit. But don't discount McKimson's animation as being a BIG part of Clampett's successes either.
I would rate this, along with "Boobs in the Woods" as two of McKimson's best. Both hold their own in comparison to the best of Freleng and Jones' cartoons.