The Gang of Five
Beyond the Mysterious Beyond => The Arts => Silver Screen => Topic started by: Allicloud on July 17, 2011, 03:30:10 PM
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Anyone else remember this underrated classic?
Turns out it has quite a bit of history to it:
John Lasseter was originally working on the film, and did the storyboards. It could potentialy have become the first feature animated film to incorporate CGI backgrounds. But the execs (Namely Disney), told him that there was no point, unless it would make production faster or cheaper, and thus Lasseter was let go. Of course, it was this that began Lasseter on his journey that resulted in the formation of probably the most successful film studio of all time, PIXAR, which at the time was a division of Lucasfilm.
But its story did not end here. After it was finally finished (By Hyperion and Wang Film Production; Disney actually had very little say in production, only distributing the film), it debuted at Sundance film festival, to critical acclaim and was due to go into a theatrical run. But then Disney bought the film for their new Disney Channel (and this was during Disney's low-point in the 80s), thus ruining any chance for the film to qualify for any serious film awards, which it otherwise almost certainly would have recieved. It staggered its way through the festival circuit, trying anf failing to find a distributor, until it finally reached a mainstream audience on VHS. Since then, it's become a cult classic.
However its troubles still haven't ended. It still suffers from a comtemptible cover, which hide any indication of the darkness and creepiness of the real thing (For instance, no mention of the horror-film-themed repair shop, the silent-killer-car-crusher, or *shudders* the clown.)
But still, it's an animation classic, and is remarkably well done for a relatively low budget film. It's a strange idea given a brilliant twist, worthy of being a Don Bluth film. It's sure dark and weird enough!
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I recall the film and liked it a lot. Of the 2 sequels I liked the 3rd more then the 2nd. The film does have dark spots and elements in it. I think the 3rd has some also, if I Remember correctly, though maybe not as much as the 1st one.
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I recall the film and liked it a lot. Of the 2 sequels I liked the 3rd more then the 2nd. The film does have dark spots and elements in it. I think the 3rd has some also, if I Remember correctly, though maybe not as much as the 1st one.
Oh, not nearly as dark as the original. The funny thing is, in the first one, the film seems lighthearted and cheery enough, until that strange little scene when Toaster encounters that flower. Then the film suddenly gets really dark really quick.
But one thing I do find kinda amusing and impressive about the film is the final song, "Worthless". The lyics itself are just a little cryptic and to this day, people are reading really deeply into the lyrics, interpreting them as all sorts of allegories. I think the best one I've seen is how someone interpreted it that each of the cars being crushed represents a subculture or ethnic group regarded by society as "worthless". You know you got a good song when people are reading into it over 30 years after it was made. And it was in a limited-release cartoon film!
But you gotta give kudos to the direct-to-video sequels. neither of them were particulary awful, they were both decent, and made by the makers of the original.
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I remember watching it as often as it came on, but unfortunately I can't even remember one thing about it. Not one scene, character, or even a color. I must have been pretty young back then, because I remember every other show I used to watch. Even Sesame Street.
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I remember watching it as often as it came on, but unfortunately I can't even remember one thing about it. Not one scene, character, or even a color. I must have been pretty young back then, because I remember every other show I used to watch. Even Sesame Street.
No worries. Youtube has it uploaded in 10 minute pieces. Go check it out before the copyrighters realise.
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As I recall I liked the first one best, and the 3rd one second best.
True, it does seem a cheery sort of film at the start, except for what happens to the ac unit. That may be a hint as to the darker turn the movie will take later on.
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As I recall I liked the first one best, and the 3rd one second best.
True, it does seem a cheery sort of film at the start, except for what happens to the ac unit. That may be a hint as to the darker turn the movie will take later on.
True. In fact, TVTropes.com actually cites the film as one of the biggest sources of nightmare fuel in a single kid's film.
Think about it, you got the AC unit, the dark forest, the nightmare sequence, the clown, the storm, the clown, the repair shop, the dump, the clown, the car-crusher, that damn clown...
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I've been watching this movie (12 minutes in so far), and I don't see how it could be scare litte kids, even back when it came out.
True. In fact, TVTropes.com actually cites the film as one of the biggest sources of nightmare fuel in a single kid's film.
The people there must not have seen The Plague Dogs - PG-13 for violent images and thematic elements and some language-, Watership Down - PG for strong animal violence, bloody images, and some language -, and Felidae - R for strong sexual content and intense violence and gore throughout and some strong language. Plague Dogs and WSD were both released before Brave Little Toaster too. Felidae makes The Plague Dogs and Watership Down seem rated G (not kidding, guts and gore throughout like it says in the rating).
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I've been watching this movie (12 minutes in so far), and I don't see how it could be scare litte kids, even back when it came out.
True. In fact, TVTropes.com actually cites the film as one of the biggest sources of nightmare fuel in a single kid's film.
The people there must not have seen The Plague Dogs - PG-13 for violent images and thematic elements and some language-, Watership Down - PG for strong animal violence, bloody images, and some language -, and Felidae - R for strong sexual content and intense violence and gore throughout and some strong language. Plague Dogs and WSD were both released before Brave Little Toaster too. Felidae makes The Plague Dogs and Watership Down seem rated G (not kidding, guts and gore throughout like it says in the rating).
The amazing thing is, in the UK, both Watership Down AND Plague Dogs are both listed as U (Uk equivalent of G)
Also, TvTropes specifically said "kid's cartoon film". And anyone who's seen Felidae can safely agree that it is NOT a kid's film.
And they do acknowledge that Plague Dogs and Watership Down are chock full of nightmare fuel. But they gave Brave Little Toaster its own page of Nightmare Fuel (the only other subpages of nightmare fuel belonged to Disney, Don Bluth, etc), simply because there was so much of it in one film.
Also, no. 12 minutes in, you'll see none of the nightmare fuel. Just wait till they get into the dark forest. Then the fun begins.
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I've finished the movie, and still didn't see anything that would bother kids except where you think Lampy and Toaster die, and the scene in the junk yard where everything turns blood-red. Other than that, I can't name anything that is dark. But then again what I call dark is Watership Down season 3 or darker.