Looney Tunes Censored 11 comes to Warner Archive in 2011! - Page 2

Andy (and everyone else): don't get me wrong, I wasn't trying to call anyone out over the matter.  I was merely acknowledging that some people do indeed disagree on whether or not it is a fit subject for our site.

Still, Gord and I have long ago decided it's an appropriate topic, since people DO relate the cartoons to television very much these days. So it falls within the scope of our site's mission, and we seem to do a good enough job of it.  Therefore we'll continue to cover DVD releases of the Looney Tunes/Merry Melodies shorts.

Enough off-topic-ness.  Let's talk Looney!!

Thank you for reporting this news, David. You guys have always done a great job keeping folks in the know about the LTs, which are certainly tied close enough to classic television to warrant a mention on your site.

Coincidentally, was there a particular reason you didn't report on Sony's Three Stooges collections? I'm sure many consider them to be of a similar identity as the LTs...

Well, we're back to being off-topic, but since this question comes up ALL the time, here's the explanation:

Matt, the Looney Tunes shorts had the benefit of having a "home" on television, a program that we could list the DVD releases under at our site. These and other shorts (like Little Rascals, Popeye and others) all ended up being shown on television in regular, nationally broadcast or nationally syndicated TV programs that could be found on a given channel on a regularly scheduled basis; therefore we cover the DVD releases of material seen in those programs.  Actually, there are a TON of shows we could have listed the Looney Tunes shorts under...go to our site and search on "Bugs" in the show search field sometime, and you'll see what I mean.  We "picked" The Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes Comedy Hour as our show of choice to list the DVD releases with, but we conceivably could have picked any of the regular TV shows the shorts aired under.

However, The Three Stooges have NEVER had the benefit of a regular, nationally broadcast or nationally syndicated TV program that could be found on a given channel on a regularly scheduled basis.  All TV appearances, ever, of those shorts have been on an ad hoc basis, with a station deciding to run the shorts to fill in a blank time period (often on a one-off basis), or even just to fill in the gap after a "late late show" movie that didn't end precisely on the hour. Or maybe to have a "marathon" of their shorts run in place of the early show on a weekend day, or whatever.  The only "television series" with the Stooges was their animated cartoons, a heading which the live-action film shorts obviously do not fall under.  So we literally have no "home" for those Three Stooges shorts at TVShowsOnDVD.com!

Seems plans for this set is "Not Firm"

From the Bits

I think I'm interpreting this as they put word out and are waiting to see what the reaction is before deciding whethere to issue these or not.

I find that "racism" is a bit mypoic. Certain people can get away with it and some can't. Some things aviod the radar, some land smack on it. Woody Woodpecker probably skirted by because, it hasn't really been popular in decades (I don't even think I have seen a WW cartoon on tv in like 20 years). Looney Tunes, I think, are much better remembered. Song of the South hasn't been seen in years, but the fact that it's Disney puts it right on the radar as well.

To paraphrase Mayor Vaughn:

"It's all psychological....You yell racist Woody Woodpecker, Everyone says Huh, What? You yell racist Looney Tunes....We've got a panic on our hands"

At least they're considering it instead of saying "Absolutely not, and how dare you ask, you racist Nazi!"

I wonder whether kids who love these cartoons are very particular about them as adult fans are. Do they care about things like whether a cartoon is pre-1948 or post-1948, the early B&W years, or the other things animation fans and historians debate until the cows come home? I doubt they would even be interested in the Censored 11. But whatever they do with them, they should not put recognizable characters on the box or any characters from Coal Black.

Song of the South is on the radar largely because of its absence from circulation, and because it is probably the most popular film to ever be withdrawn from circulation in this country. Strangely, Europe (which started the slave trade) and Asia had no problem with the film. Guess I'll have to save up for a used copy of the Hong Kong laserdisc, or better yet, a film print.

Originally Posted by WillG 

 

To paraphrase Mayor Vaughn:

 

"It's all psychological....You yell racist Woody Woodpecker, Everyone says Huh, What? You yell racist Looney Tunes....We've got a panic on our hands"

 

 

  

LOL! Now that's funny!

 

This kind of pisses me off.  I've been supporting Warner Brothers Looney Tunes collections from the get go, owning all the gold sets, and buying the goofy spotlight collections that Warners decided to cheap out on and release.  So to have some of the most eagerly awaited cartoons debut in the Archives line, it's a bit of a kick in the nuts to those of us who've been long time supporters.  Being in Canada, I'm not even sure if I have the option (they never used to ship to Canada) to order these without going through bizarre hoops of having a US friend buy it and send it to me.

While I appreciate Warners attempt to get as many movies out as possible, the Archives has been a deal breaker for me.  I went from loving and blind buying Warner Boxsets based on the value, to now giving Criterion most of my hobby dollars since the Archives have been both unavailable to me since I'm in Canada, and frankly, many titles are over priced. I think the 4-5 Jolson discs were about $20-$25 a piece in the archives.  I'm pretty sure that if it was a legit boxset, it would of sold for $45-$60 on the store shelves. It's a shame.

Originally Posted by WillG 
 

To paraphrase Mayor Vaughn:

"It's all psychological....You yell racist Woody Woodpecker, Everyone says Huh, What? You yell racist Looney Tunes....We've got a panic on our hands"

Quote:

Originally Posted by jquirk 

 

LOL! Now that's funny!

 

and why is it that most people don’t know Woody, 15 years or so of cartoon Network/Boomerang mostly programming titles they already had, lots of loony tunes, HB Saturday morning;  Disney Channel, does the same, so most fall along the way side, hell I am still waiting on Universal to give us a third Woody Woodpecker and Friends set   

I hate to put fuel on the Phantom Menace fire, but anyone wishing to see how George Lucas portrays black characters in the movie just needs to look at Mace Windu and Captain Panaka.

Jar Jar is not only an alien, he doesn't even represent typical Gungan behavior.

Peter

An immediate BUY.  May it come to pass.

Wuh?  I never thought I’d see this come to pass.  The dry DVD market must have finally reached that limit of desperation.  That or some more up-to-date market research has shown that there really won’t be that much of a negative backlash towards this, if handled properly

.

Hopefully the two “missing” Tom & Jerry Cartoons are slipped into this along with possibly the only chance “Bugs Bunny Nips the Nips” will be released on DVD.  I do hope they throw in some rare MGM cartoons that would also not likely get a DVD release due to “controversial” material.  It’s probably a good it’s mixed up with other rare/controversial cartoons so it doesn’t seem that it just focuses black caricatures.

I'll believe it when I see it and when I see it I'll buy it.

If the Censored 11 can make it to DVD, then Song of the South should be released as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Chenoweth 

If the Censored 11 can make it to DVD, then Song of the South should be released as well.

SECONDED!
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisALM 

I'll believe it when I see it and when I see it I'll buy it.

My thoughts exactly.

SONG OF THE SOUTH is nothing compared to what one sees in these Censored 11, and in many "Little Rascals" shorts.

But Disney has a bat in their belfry over SONG OF THE SOUTH, and they're operating from fear rather than rationality.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Lugoff 

SONG OF THE SOUTH is nothing compared to what one sees in these Censored 11, and in many "Little Rascals" shorts.

 

But Disney has a bat in their belfry over SONG OF THE SOUTH, and they're operating from fear rather than rationality.

There is actually some more clear racial material in some of the black and white Mickey Mouse cartoons that were released in the Walt Disney Treasures line than anything in Song of the South.  It may be that I am missing something, but I do not see how anyone can be any more agrieved by Song of the South than by Gone with the Wind, and Gone with the Wind is available everywhere without incident.  Moreover, as the Uncle Remus stories are all derived from black American folklore, surpressing them surpresses a major literary achievement of a people living in slavery.  I always thought Song of the South should have been released as part of the Walt Disney Treasures series and then, if anyone complained, Disney could say the release was intended for the adult collector and not children.
 

Holy !@#$^@#%&@$%&@%!!!!!

This is HUGE news.....as is the mention about a future complete T&J set!!!  Now where is Tex Avery????

Why isn't Bugs bunny Nips the Nips being included and this being called the censored 12?

Shouldn't it be?

Who says it isn't going to be included? It's pretty tame if you ask me, I would hope they'd include it. Especially when keeping a mindset that is was created during the first half of the 40s when we were at war with Japan and they were doing things like the Batann deathmarch and other atrocities, it's not offensive.

I would think a brief disclaiming when starting it up reminding people of circumstances of when it was made would satisfy any reasonable person.

Don't get your hopes up on seeing the Censored 11 on DVD.

About that TVShowsonDVD bulletin that says, among other things, that the Censored 11 are "most DEFINITELY" planned for DVD, this is what the author of the definitive Bugs Bunny Video Guide has to say,

I've always felt the problem is partly due to the titles.  "Gone With the Wind"'s very title says those days are over.  "Song of the South"'s title seems to glorify things; it's like waving a Confederate flag.

Still, there's no earthly reason not to release the movie, designed for adult collectors, as a part of movie history.  It isn't even that good of a movie to be making such a big deal over.

(As I was typing this, I have on Turner Classic Movies.  The movie is "Babes in Arms," and right now is the "minstrel scene," with everyone in blackface, talking and singing in the most awful "negro" dialect.  It's about 50 million times more racist than "Song of the South.")

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Lugoff 

I've always felt the problem is partly due to the titles.  "Gone With the Wind"'s very title says those days are over.  "Song of the South"'s title seems to glorify things; it's like waving a Confederate flag.

I think the difference between Gone With The Wind and Song Of The South is that GWTW has always been able to be seen by people and Song Of The South has been buried for about 25 years. People can see GWTW and they're easily able to place it in its time, etc but since people can't see SOTS, it's created this 'legend' that it's some evil thing that must remain hidden or it will inspire lynchings or race riots.

What gets me is that Disney is downright AFRAID to release Song of the South for fear of a backlash by certain groups, yet both the California and Florida Parks have an Attraction (Splash Mountain) that uses this Movie for the ride's theme. (I Love the Frogs playing "Bass") They also openly play the "Zippa deee dooda" Song throughout the Park, and to the best of my knowledge NOBODY has ever complained to them about that!

That's because they made sure there would be no Uncle Remus in the attraction at either place.

Disney rides in their classic sense have never been overly about familiarity with their filmic source material.    Case in point is how almost no one who loved the sadly defunct at WDW "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" probably ever saw the cartoon it was based on.