Blu-ray Review: Popeye the Sailor 1940's Vol 1

Today we look at a recent Warner Archive release that took everyone by surprise.  It's Popeye the Sailor for the first time on Blu-ray, and we see just how great it is.

The Blu-ray itself continues where Popeye the Sailor 1941-1943 left off when released 10 years ago.  Now celebrating 90 years of his debut in Thimble Theater, Popeye cartoons began in 1933 under Max Fleischer.  Over the years, there was some trouble between them and their distributor, Paramount.  In the end, because Popeye was so popular that he even beat Disney at #1 cartoon character (until Bugs Bunny came along) that Paramount wanted to control the studio altogether, and due to personal issues between the Fleischer brothers, it became so much easier to oust the Fleischers and continue the studio and the character on their own.  Renamed Famous Studios, they continued to turn out Popeye cartoons until 1957 which was their biggest breadwinner out of all the other more original characters that they created like Casper the Friendly Ghost, Herman and Katnip, Little Audrey, Baby Huey, and Buzzy the Crow among others.  While the last set ended with the start of the Famous Studio era, this set begins with the end of 1943 which the Popeye series is now in full time color.  It ends with 1945 when the studio had already started to feel more less like Fleischer and more trying to be their own.  That feeling ranges from the Disney feel to the MGM/Tex Avery/Warner Bros. feel.

Highlights include We're on Our Way to Rio, which shows Popeye and Bluto traveling to Rio, Brazil as part of the good neighbor policy at that time.  It's full of color and music you're sure to enjoy.  Shape Ahoy is one of many that feature the talent of animator Jim Tyer, who made his style his own every time he animates.  In one case, there is a cartoon that hasn't been officially seen nor screened for around 50 years due to a political correctness issue.  It really isn't that great of a cartoon, but the mere fact it is on here is amazing (unlike a certain Tom and Jerry Blu-ray that never came to be).  The biggest highlight on here is She Sick Sailor.  In this cartoon, Popeye faces off against "Superman" to find out who's best.

I should point out that while Cartoon Network and Boomerang had been rerunning these Popeye cartoons on TV and streaming, these have NEVER BEFORE been put out on home video.  This is because for years, there was an issue between King Features Syndicate and previous owners of the cartoons.  It almost happened in the early 1980's under MGM/UA, but that's when the legal issues started between MGM/UA which in turn Ted Turner bought out the entire MGM pre-1986 library and some United Artists properties including the Popeye cartoons.  Turner would then 10 years later merge with Time Warner, and by 2006, Warner Bros. finally signed an agreement with King Features to allow them to release all the Popeye cartoons they owned as well as the cartoons owned by King Features.  All the black and white cartoons, all the Popeye Color Features, a handful of Hanna-Barbera Popeyes, and some of the TV Popeyes from the 1960's did come out, but as the ecomony and streaming came about, it took a toll on DVD sales not allowing any more classic cartoon restorations.  And if the budget was not good for Warner Home Video, it's even worse for a smaller division like Warner Archive, who tried many things but mostly could only put out low hanging fruit like Hanna-Barbera cartoons of the 70s and 80s, making old theatrical cartoons impossible to release.  As a test, Warner Archive put together Porky Pig 101 and years before that Bugs Bunny Superstar, but the budget only allowed very little restorations on these cartoons.  Many of the cartoons were brand new scans making them look much better than what we saw for years, but it wasn't up to the previous standards of the Golden Collection.  Finally, in and effort to be ready for streaming, WB began doing 4k scans on their film library, and enough of Popeye was done to do another test.  This time, however, the test allowed for brand new restorations thanks to this new 4k effort.

And restored they are indeed!  The difference is very noticeable as these cartoons were mostly shown through the years including today with their Paramount logos chopped off for the AAP logos when they were distributed for TV syndication, and it would be those prints that served as the main viewing copies to air since nobody was allowed to do new transfers for home video, causing them to look faded with some dirt and scratches making it seem they are not that good and very very ancient.  NO MORE!  These 14 cartoons are restored from the original negatives with their original Paramount logos and restored picture and sound.  The colors will pop right out of your screen, and hardly ever a surface stain or scratch on the film (but not TOO clean to get rid of grain and cel dust unlike how a certain Mouse House that does that to their films).  While some films are more colorful than others, they all look much better than previous and current airings on Boomerang.

And you think the picture is great, wait to hear the sound.  While varying cartoon to cartoon (in one case, the original audio in nitrate was missing, so it may not sound so great), get ready to adjust your volume as it sounds crisp and clear.  For example, in We're on our Way to Rio, it's like a 40 piece orchestra is in your living room performing right now.

This classic collection is very well produced and well made. It's just like watching these in a movie theater, and maybe even better than in the movies because of the many changes in technology. If this collection sells and it's looking good right now, not just more Popeye sets will happen, but Warner Archive may go even further in the cartoon library.  Highly recommended.

Top Facts and ED-pinions on Ed Edd n Eddy

Celebrating its 20th anniversary,  Ed Edd n Eddy was one of Cartoon Network's most popular and longest running original series.  In honor of their anniversary, here are some facts about the Eds, and also some of my personal opinions of the series.

FACT:  It is currently the longest lasting Cartoon Network original

Spanning 5 seasons (there was a so called season 6, but it was only one episode), 4 TV specials, and a TV movie, this show lasted longer than the Powerpuff Girls despite them making the bigger bucks, and saw multiple eras of Cartoon Network from the golden era which mixes new series with classic cartoon reruns and Toonami to the dark days when Cartoon Network picked up a ton of live action shows.  It was one of the top rated kids shows in America.

OPINION: But in season 5, they jumped the shark

The season premiere showed many changes.  The first one is the transition from cells to digital ink and paint.  The biggest one can be found in the episode itself.  Eddy tries to convince everyone in the cul-de-sac that summer isn't over yet, when in reality, it was time to go back to school.  From this episode on, it shows them in school instead of outdoors in the cul-de-sac.  This was supposed to be a summertime show.  Now imagine if Phineas and Ferb did this.  Then the point of the show is over.  Unlike the Eds, that never happened and the series ended without jumping the shark.  Thankfully, their last episode, which was the movie, ended on a higher note.

FACT: The majority of the series was animated traditionally by cells

Ed Edd n Eddy was one of the last cartoons to be made by traditional cell animation.  Whereas most shows including Spongebob and the Simpsons were already moving over to digital ink and paint, the Eds were traditionally animated for all episodes except season 5.  If one could view this episode in HD and not what was DVR'd and VCR'd years ago in less than standard def, the feeling of actual artwork comes alive on your screen as if the actual animation cells that you collect and hang on your wall come to life.  The colors pop out right before your eyes, and boy was there color everywhere from blue and green tongues to brightly colored houses.

OPINION: It was a nightmare to parents

Ok ok....this is more of an opinion because it isn't proven anywhere about parents protesting about it like they were with Pokemon or The Simpsons, but this was the issue at my own dojo.  My parents HATED the fact that I watched this show as a kid.  This was due to some crude humor in this series.  There were wedgies, there were immature moments.  Not necessarily like in Ren and Stimpy but somewhat close.  The daily obsession with this show was phenomenal, and it made doing homework time a nightmare at the household.  Fortunately, those days are gone, and I always proved time and time again that I was right, and also that I still loved watching other shows as well.  I miss those old Cartoon Network days, but I'm glad the Internet has opened the flood gates again to this stuff.

FACT:  Look at Ed running a marathon

Matt Hill, the voice of Ed, does more than voiceover acting.  He also is an athlete partaking in many marathons.  In one case, he did a run that spread awareness of our planet in which he ran a marathon EVERYDAY.  It is that kind of energy that gave Ed his powerful vocals in the series.

OPINION:  The Kanker Sisters are TERRIFYING

Usually in a kids show, the villains are usually portrayed as fearful to a degree that you know who's wearing the black hat, but as you got older, you realize they're not scary as they are funny like Mojo Jojo, Plankton, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz.  In this case, no....the Kanker Sisters were and are terrifying.  They torment the Eds due to their amorous nature to the Eds (don't know that word, look it up; it was used in an episode), but they torment the other kids too.  They come from a trailer park, they're a little homely, they're aggressive, wild, and brutal.  And above all, they're bullies.  Especially compared to how timid some characters like Johnny 2x4 and Jimmy are, they're monsters.  They don't appear in all the episodes, but when they do on occasion, it was a thrill ride to say the least.  No doubt they caused nightmares (yep they showed up in my dreams at least once as a kid), made you believe girls are the enemy (true to that), or may have caused....fetishes......due to the fear mongering (cue Homer Simpson hiding in the bushes).  It's no wonder why the theory says that the cul-de-sac is purgatory and that the Kankers are tormenting their souls. Oh yeah, one more thing, I have a hard time looking at characters with "no eyes, hair covers them" because of Lee...that's the first thing that comes to mind.   Now that the therapy session is over, let's move onto the next fact

FACT:  Episode releases were mismanaged A LOT

For the most part, each episode of Ed Edd n Eddy aired when they should have, but sometimes one episode slipped the cracks.  In one case, an episode scheduled to premiere in the fall snuck in during summer reruns.  This was probably due to the show airing multiple times a week along side every other show.  An episode claimed to be the final episode did air as such during an Ed Edd n Eddy marathon, but a year later, one more new episode aired.  Oops!  While unusual yes, it made things interesting as opposed to irritating.  I was a witness to that such leaked episode in the summer of 2003.  I only saw it once never to see it again until its official air date.  I also recall a former friend telling me about the movie first since it was leaked online before officially airing 3 years or so later.

OPINION: No! The cul-de-sac is not purgatory

While there are some evidence that prove this theory including the Kanker Sisters and characters like Rolfe who may have been from a different era, there is not enough evidence.  The Creepypasta claims that the Kankers are the ones terrorizing everyone right?  Ok, every episode is Ed, Edd, n Eddy trying to scam everybody to losing their money just for their pleasure (oversized jawbreakers).  A Kanker "sissyfit" happens every once in a while; an Ed scam happens everyday, every episode, and in some cases every where you turn.  Plus, the story says Eddy died during the Great Depression, but wait....he has a disco ball and lava lamp in his room.  This is just another story to "Ruin your Childhood"

FACT:  So how much should Eddy charge today?

Now for a more fun fact.  20 years ago, nearly every scam that the Eds did cost either a quarter or 50 cents.  We jump ahead 20 years later to see what would happen if Ed Edd n Eddy would have been around today and doing the same scams but adjusted with inflation.  According to the US Inflation Calculator, that same scam today that cost 25 cents is now 38 cents, and 50 cents is now 76 cents.  I hope you don't run into the Eds anytime soon.....

FINAL OPINION

Ed Edd n Eddy is a prime example of what happens when creative freedom is allowed.  So much quality is gained, no major corporate BS managing and mismanaging what you can and can't do, and done with a different artistic view.  While the prime target is towards kids, the mindset and the craziness of creator Danny Antonucci help makes it stand out.  The Eds should not be overlooked, and is something to be discovered or rediscover again.
     

The Best and Worst of 2018

Ah, 2018....it had its ups and its downs.  But overall it comes down to what you thought.  These Cheers and Jeers of 2018 in animation may help you decide how good or how bad this year was.

Best Animated Feature

This award goes out to the best feature of the year based off of reviews, popularity, and box office numbers.  For most of the year, it was kind of bland thanks to sequal after sequal.  However, one surprise last minute hit turned the tide

Yeah yeah I know, another Marvel movie which Disney has been milking too much of, but this animated feature stood out.  It was based off of many comic books with many different versions of Spider Man including Spider HAM, and even an anime like character named Penni Parker (making it seem more mainstream than ever).  Of course the immense popularity of Incredibles 2 and Wreck It Ralph 2 made them hits, but were either too corporate in my book or had some issues with strobe lighting (really, I thought that was all over).

Worst animated Feature

This year's dishonorable mention goes too......

Ugh.....why is Warner Bros. milking out of this cow?  That's all that airs on Cartoon Network is Teen Titans Go (more on that later), and yet I don't know of one person......ONE PERSON.....that watches this show.  Somehow they had the go ahead to make a movie and RIG Rotten Tomatoes by giving it a 100% rating.  It had me thinking, am I getting old?  Are kids really into this now and me not realizing?  Should I admit defeat and claim it popular? NO!  The box office said otherwise.  Plus it had too many sleazy ways to get people to go, but none of it worked.  They tagged Lauren Faust's upcoming DC Super Hero Girls as a short.  They said, "You want the original Teen Titans to come back?  Then go see this movie."  The only great thing about this movie is the new WB Animation logo which gives us hope for Looney Tunes in 2019.

Best Animated TV series

This category is for the best animated series on television.  Let's be honest, there isn't a whole lot good on TV anymore thanks to cable networks constantly rerunning the same shows over and over again.  Nevertheless, this year's winner is......

Beating Ducktales by a hair, this Nicktoon is gaining some momentum (but not by much).  I see it air on Nickelodeon all the time now and is usually seen in places where they can keep kids short attention spans busy and is also gaining a slight cult following.  Heck, I even caught MY PARENTS having it on.....don't know where that came from.  Along side that is growing popularity of Paw Patrol (a nightmare to parents), and Spongebob is still popular.

Worst Animated TV series

And the winner for the second year in a row is.....

What, you again?  You just won worst animated feature, now you win TV series (which is what the feature is based off of)?  Here's how: it eats up Cartoon Network's schedule, it's loud, annoying, gross, and stupid.  The writers and staff just don't care.  As for Cartoon Network, I remind you that Turner has enough content to air WAAAAAAAYY past 24hrs.  Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, the Hanna-Barbera library, the Cartoon Network library, and yet...this is all they play.  This is the best we can do folks.  The good news, for me, we lost Cartoon Network this year on our cable, and I did not shed a tear.  Thank you to their sister channel, Boomerang, for allowing those that can't get that channel to stream your content for a small fee.  Shouldn't it be the opposite where we get Cartoon Network and not Boomerang?  Oh well, your loss Cartoon Network.  Not fighting to get you back again.

Best Animated Streaming Content

What a surprise....Here's another reason why I'm not shedding a tear for Cartoon Network.  Cartoon streaming whether it's on Youtube, Netflix, Hulu, or Boomerang has increased big time.  From reruns to brand new content, it's all here whenever you want.  Boy what a great year for streaming.  Anime content went up on Funnimation and Crunchyroll.  Woody Woodpecker made a good comeback by year's end thanks to international popularity.  And Miraculous Ladybug came back for another season.  But if I had to pick one best one, just one, well......

Equestria Girls

Based off of a certain franchise, Hasbro decided to make new shorts made exclusively for Youtube with the same budget for the TV shows and specials.  Most of these are just quickie shorts, some of them are pick your own endings for kids watching, but the 5 part serials are what made them the winners.  Rollercoaster of Friendship and Forgotten Friendship were the story arcs, but the latter was the best one.  I know I know it's targeted more towards girls, but quality control was there throughout the series just like TV's Friendship is Magic is.  Oh yeah, there were some good songs this season like So Much More to Me.  Doesn't get any cutter than that.

Worst Animated Streaming Content

Popeye's comeback is a disaster.  What do you get when you mix a cheap animation company like Wildbrain, a PC company like King Features Syndicate, and the idea to target it towards younger kids?  This....this is what you get.  A Popeye that doesn't smoke a pipe and doesn't beat the crap out of Bluto nor any love triangle issues whatsoever.  And yes, King Features has become PC.  This might be why no such Popeye movie was made by Sony due to creative and corporate differences.  Creative says this stuff makes Popeye not Popeye.  Well, they were right.  On the other hand, this makes the Hanna Barbera Popeyes ten times better.  They may not be great, but Popeye as a character was left alone.

Best anime series

Anime continues to grow mainstream, and this year no doubt showed such growth.  This year, the best series, which is categorized based on shows made in and primarily for Japan is...

Heading into it's third season with a fourth on its way, this heroic journey of a boy's dream to become a superhero is becoming more and more popular due to the superhero craze.  And for good reasons, it's fun, action packed, and inspirational.  Although, I would question anyone who says Tsu's the best girl.....yuck.

Best anime Film

Perhaps the most anticipated movie of the year would be

Dragon Ball Super: Broly

You know it's a big deal when it causes Goku to be in the Macy's Parade.  We may be getting it in 2019, but it already came out in Japan by this year's end, and with high box office numbers.  Dragon Ball is still a legendary anime, regardless of time and other series that come and gone, and I can't wait to see this film.

Best anime Dub

OK, now for the best English adaptation of anime.  This year it goes to....

Sailor Moon S the Movie

Adapted by Erica Mendez (Sailor Uranus) for Viz Media, this brand new English dub of a movie made 20 years ago was released in select theaters as was an encore of R and Super S.  The movie is good already, and Pioneer/Cloverway made the first dub for Cartoon Network.  This new dub is more faithful to the original.  And that's not all, the adaptation helped gained new respect of the film by me.  So much so, it made me cry, wait no...no....bawl my eyes out.  I'm glad I was able to enjoy the movies on the big screen again.

Worst DVD release

We now move to home video to talk about the worst DVD release.  This and best one comes down to how well organized, produced, and curated as well as quality control.  These categories also include Blu-ray.  The worst one goes to

The Stars of Space Jam series

With the nostalgia craze over 1996's Space Jam and the possibility of a Space Jam 2 with Lebron James, WB felt that they needed to reissue a VHS line of Looney Tunes cartoons to promote the movie.  I think you know where this is going from here folks.  While some cartoons were new to DVD (though still accessible in reruns and streaming), quality control lacks.  No new restorations, some cartoons are not the restored versions, and in some cases, they are time compressed pitched up versions from I guess the 80's or so.  Unacceptable presentations.  And the best part, these were 5 bucks each made perhaps for the 5 dollar bin at places like Wal-Mart......I never saw these at Wal-Mart.....AT ALL....like, I saw repackaged Spotlight Collections and Super Stars collections instead, giving you more cartoons and better cartoons than those on here.  Pass.

Best DVD/Blu-ray release

Overall despite such flawed sets DVD/Blu-ray releases were really really good this year.  But the very best one for this year came as a surprise for many this holiday season, and that is......

What?  Why not Batman the Animated Series on Blu-ray?  Well, yes it was a great release, yes the restorations were beautiful, yes it was so great that fans complained how Amazon handled their shipping of these packages, and yes overall, some of the greatest cartoons ever made, and the best for Batman.  HOWEVER, we've seen these on home video before.  This Popeye set is all of that (minus Amazon since it's Warner Archive), plus these cartoons have NEVER been on any form of home video before.  Also, because of that, we had to see these color cartoons in faded red aap 16mm TV prints, dirt and scratches, sometimes gags cut out for whatever reasons.  Well, no more.  These 13 cartoons are beautifully remastered from the original master negatives making the colors pop even more and have their original Paramount logos restored.  As a matter of fact, WB is now doing a new 4k Restoration program scanning some of their library for high definition.  This explains some of their best releases this year including Batman and The Grinch, which includes all the other Grinch specials restored for the first time ever in HD and the original masters.  We hope to see more of that in 2019.  Some other releases include Gravity Falls from Shout Factory, Celebrating Mickey for Mickey's 90th, and Sailor Moon Super S, which are brand new restorations.