Randall Cyrenne Author Archive
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‘Twas The Night Before Christmas: Remastered Deluxe Edition

No big reason to upgrade on this minor Christmas classic, but it does look a tiny bit better on Blu.

UPA cartoons coming to DVD!!!

This is probably the DVD release news of the year for cartoon buffs… Jerry Beck spilled the beans at his Cartoon Brew website, and the news is very good indeed. The long-wished for UPA cartoons will be getting two box set releases in the coming months— a UPA Jolly Frolics set from TCM, and a […]

Happiness Is… Peanuts – Snow Days

This DVD may not do much to promote oodles of happiness, but it does manage to evoke a smile or two at least.

Batman: Year One

This proves the theory that great comics can make great movies, as the seminal comic book story gets a faithful adaptation. The short run time still packs a punch, with good bonus features nicely rounding the disc out.

Aesop’s Fables: Volumes 1 & 2

This was one of the most prolific of all the old-time animation series, even if the studio and its cartoons are barely remembered today. Two neat volumes from Thunderbean shed light on some vintage gems from the 1930s.

Captain America (1990)

Contrary to popular belief, this is not the worst live action movie ever made featuring Captain America. It is, however, not very good either. Still, it makes for a fun movie night for superhero fans in search of laughs.

Private Snafu Golden Classics

The classic World War II cartoons, done primarily by the Looney Tunes crew for the military, appear in restored form from Thunderbean. This is certainly the best way we’ve had yet to watch these funny and historically relevant shorts.

M.A.S.K.: Volume One

Another 1980s toy tie-in, this show strives to combine Transformers and G.I. Joe, but fails to live up to its premise.

Batman – The Brave And The Bold: Season Two, Part One

No less fun in its second season, new guest stars like the Justice Society, Detective Chimp, and The Metal Men join old favorties like Aquaman and Green Arrow to make this a great show for comic fans especially.

Rockin’ With Judy Jetson

From the cover, you might think that this is for little girls only, but it’s really a fun and zany chase caper… with songs.

The Herculoids: The Complete Series

It’s simplistic and repetitive, but those Alex Toth designs make watching this Saturday morning classic so worthwhile— a triumph of style over substance.

2012 DCU animation slate announced

News from Comic-Con! Comics Continuum reports that Warner Home Video has announced its slate of DC Universe animated movies for 2012. The first, Justice League: Doom, has been mentioned before. It will be based on the Tower Of Babel comic book story from a few years ago, originally written by Mark Waid. Next up will […]

The Jetsons Meet The Flintstones

It’s the team-up that had to happen! It practically writes itself, but predictability isn’t always a bad thing in a project like this. More classic cartoon fun from Warner Archive.

Happiness Is… Peanuts – Snoopy’s Adventures

Snoopy stars in this budget release. There has been no remastering, but the price is right for a good episode from the TV series, and an even better TV special.

Challenge Of The Gobots: The Original Miniseries

This mid-80s toyfest is fondly remembered by some; and is seen as a weak competitor to Transformers by others. It’s not the strongest show, but no denying there’s some charm in the concept of giant shape-changing robots.

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights

These tales of the Green Lantern Corps should serve as a great primer for anyone looking forward to the theatrical film. The origins of the Corps are revealed, and we find out what it truly takes to be a Green Lantern.

Frankenstein Jr. And The Impossibles: The Complete Series

1966 was a big year for Hanna-Barbera, partially due to this intriguing pair of features that formed a half-hour of superhero thrills and humor. As usual, design and voice acting make this classy and fun.

Abbott And Costello Meet Captain Kidd

Nearing the end of their successful 15-year film career, Abbott and Costello produced this independent color picture co-starring the wonderful Charles Laughton. The boys tussle with pirates in a fight for treasure and love on the high seas.

The Space Kidettes/Young Samson: The Complete Series

Warner Archive dug deep in the vaults for this combined show of kiddie space adventure, and a teen hero battling mad scientists and monsters. Stories are slight, but it’s old-school Saturday morning fun.

Valley Of The Dinosaurs: The Complete Series

This Hanna-Barbera series lost out to a similarly themed show in its time slot in 1974, but stands the test of time as one of the better Saturday morning shows of the era.

Peanuts Double Feature: A Boy Named Charlie Brown & Snoopy, Come Home

The first two Peanuts features come to DVD again, the exact same as before… which isn’t really a good thing. The Schulz charm is there, but keep the remote handy.

Batman – The Brave And The Bold: Season One, Part Two

Another 13 episodes from one of the greatest comic book cartoons ever.

Tales From Earthsea

Hayao Miyazaki’s son took the reins for this critically drubbed film. Is it as bad as you heard, or a gem in the rough?

Jabberjaw: The Complete Series

Warner Archive presents more classic 1970s Hanna-Barbera . The premise of a shark in a teen band touring underwater in the future is enough of a hook to seperate the show from other Scooby knock-offs of the era.

Nausicaa Of The Valley Of The Wind

Miyazaki’s early masterpiece comes to Blu-ray. The upgrade may not be worth it to some, but anyone who doesn’t already own it needs to consider a purchase.

All*Star Superman

The award-winning comics masterpiece comes to animation. Though some chapters are dropped, the film captures the comic’s spirit, providing a captivating portrait of the Man Of Steel as he deals with the success of Luthor’s brilliant final plan against him.

Stop-Motion Marvels!

Thunderbean gives us one of their oddest, most fascinating collections yet. Marvel at the wonder of Kinex films, plus more delights you never knew you wanted to see. This one is full of surprises!

Stronger Than Spinach

Olive Oyl sexy? Bluto a better man than Popeye? This book dares to be contrary, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into a good read.

The Looney Tunes Treasury

The design of the book is beautiful, but once you get past that the vault seems surprisingly empty.

More on the career of Bill Justice

Paula Sigman-Lowery and Jeff Kurtti offer another detailed and respectful rembrance of the recently departed Disney legend for The Walt Disney Family Museum website, in their article With Thanks And Appreciation For A Swell Job: Remembering Bill Justice. They detail his contributions to many Disney films and the parks, and provide numerous quotes from Justice. […]