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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
Cartoon Classics-Volume 12

Cartoon Classics-Volume 12

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Released

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Details At A Glance

General Extras
Category Animation None
Rating Rated PG
Year Of Production ?
Running Time 72:47
RSDL / Flipper No/No Cast & Crew
Start Up Menu
Region Coding 1,2,3,4,5,6 Directed By Friz Freleng
Fred Avery
Charles M. Jones
Robert Clampett
Studio
Distributor

Flashback Home Entertainment
Starring Daffy Duck
Porky Pig
Wacky Worm
Case C-Button-Version 2
RPI $9.95 Music Carl Stalling


Video Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame None English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio None
16x9 Enhancement No
Video Format 576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio 1.33:1 Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures No
Subtitles None Smoking Yes
Annoying Product Placement No
Action In or After Credits No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    This disc contains ten public domain Merrie Melodies cartoons from Warner Bros., four featuring Daffy Duck, two with Wacky Worm and a couple with Porky Pig. The cartoons date from the late 1930s to the early 1940s and are average compared to the best this studio produced. Most are obviously geared towards a wartime audience, with catchphrases like Buy Bonds and Is this trip really necessary?.

    Given that Warners are reportedly planning to release all of their cartoons on DVD eventually, it might be better to wait until the 'official' release to pick up these cartoons.

Pigs is Pigs (1937) (7:18)

    A very hungry Piggy has a bad dream involving being force-fed.

Ding Dog Daddy (1942) (8:18)

    A love-sick dog falls for a metallic dog, guarded closely by a vicious bulldog.

The Wacky Worm (1941) (7:13)

    This one features the eponymous worm being stalked by a crow. The worm character looks like he is inspired by comedian Jerry Colonna.

Greetings, Bait (1943) (7:00)

    The Wacky Worm gets hooked in this underwater animation.

Egghead Rides Again (1937) (7:25)

    Egghead mails himself to a ranch and wants to prove that he is a real cowboy.

Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur (1939) (7:48)

    A rudimentary Daffy matches wits with Fido, the dinosaur.

Along Came Daffy (1947) (6:47)

    Daffy tries selling cookbooks to a starving Yosemite Sam and lookalike.

Ain't That Ducky (1945) (7:00)

    A hunter stalks Daffy and another, smaller duck. The hunter is voiced by comedian Victor Moore.

Slightly Daffy (1944) (6:13)

    Daffy and Porky hold the fort against marauding Indians.

Wagon Heels (1945) (7:09)

    Porky tries to save a wagon train from Injun Joe, Super Chief.

Don't wish to see plot synopses in the future? Change your configuration.

Transfer Quality

Video

    The cartoons are presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, close to the original 1.37:1. All appear to be cropped, with titles and text sometimes cut off on the sides of the image. Most of the opening credits are shown considerably window-boxed, but even then the image is sometimes badly cropped.

    The video is blurry and lacking in sharpness. The programme has the look of being transferred from poor quality video. Colour is washed out and faded. There are no solid blacks, and whites are excessively bright, to the point of being painful to watch at times. In some cases, detail is completely lost in the lighter shaded areas of the image. Shadow detail is not an issue.

    I did not notice any film to video artefacts. Film artefacts are present in abundance, mostly dust, white flecks and spots of dirt which appear continuously.

    No subtitles are provided on this single-layered disc.

Video Ratings Summary
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The sole audio track is English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono.

    In contrast to the video, the audio quality is reasonable. Some hiss is noticeable, and the transfer has pops, crackle and distortion, but dialogue is clear and distinct.

    The music score on these cartoons is by Carl W. Stalling, and is up to his inventive best.

Audio Ratings Summary
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

    No extras are provided.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

    There does not appear to be an equivalent release in any other region.

Summary

    Ten below average cartoons from Warners. You would be better off waiting for the official release.

    The video quality is poor.

    The audio quality is slightly below average.

    There are no extras.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

© Philip Sawyer (Bio available.)
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Review Equipment
DVDPioneer DV-S733A, using Component output
DisplaySony 86CM Trinitron Wega KVHR36M31. Calibrated with Ultimate DVD Platinum. This display device is 16x9 capable.
Audio DecoderBuilt in to DVD player, Dolby Digital, dts and DVD-Audio. Calibrated with Ultimate DVD Platinum.
AmplificationSony TA-DA9000ES
SpeakersMain: Tannoy Revolution R3; Centre: Tannoy Sensys DCC; Rear: Richter Harlequin; Subwoofer: JBL SUB175

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