Desert Island Series....A Little of Dis 'n Dat.

compiled by Frankie Kowalski

 

Ron Mann is a filmmaker and CD-ROM author (Comic Book Confidential); he lives in Toronto and eats alot of pizza; Sue Shakespeare is President of Creative Capers Entertainment. The next two guys really need a desert island retreat after their long haul--Tony Cervone and Bruce Smith, Co-Directors of Animation for Space Jam., who were kind enough to get their picks in right as we went to press! Thanks guys!

Ron Mann, Filmmaker and CD-ROM Author

Ron Mann's Top 10 picks . . .

1. The Beat Experience by Red Hot Organization

2. Dazzeloids by Rodney Alan Greenblat

3. A Hard Days Night by Richard Lester

4. Our Secret Century by Rick Prelinger

5. Sound Toy by Todd Robbins

6. Theatre of the Imagination by Orson Welles

7. Who Built America? by American Social History Project

8. This is Spinal Tap by Rob Reiner/Spinal Tap

9. People Magazine by Peter Girardi

10. I Photograph to Remember by Pedro Meyer

Sue Shakespeare's . . .

"What's going on today in the interactive animation arena reminds me of the infancy of animation in the 20s, before color and sound. What you see being done today are the tottering baby steps of the interactive animation universe. I have watched it change so much over the last couple of years and come so far in such a short period of time. And yet--this is just the beginning! It's fun to imagine just how far it's all going. It's so exciting to have new ways to tell stories . . . to create new characters on the whole new 'ever changing' stage for everyone to enjoy. For me its exciting to be in on something in the beginning...to be on the cusp of a whole new animation adventure."

1. Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock

2. Star Wars by George Lucas

3. Sleeping Beauty by Walt Disney

4. Sunset Boulevard by Billie Wilder

5. Fantasia by Walt Disney

6. Gone With The Wind by Victor Fleming

7. Citizen Kane by Orson Welles

8. Vertigo by Alfred Hitchcock

9. Auntie Mame by Morton DaCosta

10. My Fair Lady by George Cukor

Tony Cervone's . . .

"I tried to come up with a list of ten Bugs Bunny cartoons that I would bring to a desert island, excluding, of course What's Opera Doc, Bully for Bugs and Rabbit of Seville, because any decent list would include those and decency is the last thing I could be accused of."

1. Wild Hare (1940) by Tex Avery--One can talk a lot about the evolution of Bugs' character, but he seems pretty evolved in his first cartoon to me.

2. Old Grey Hare (1944) by Bob Clampett--The image of Bugs burying Elmer alive from Elmer's POV is one of filmdom's most disturbing. Enjoy it!

3. Super Rabbit (1943) by Chuck Jones--Bugs Bunny plays a super rabbit of tomorrow who battles . . . a cowboy in the Old West. Go figure, Chuck's a kook.

4. Falling Hare (1942) by Bob Clampett--Every drawing and every line in this cartoon is memorable. "What's all the hub, bub . . . Bub?"

5. Little Red Riding Rabbit (1944) by Friz Freleng--This cartoon puts a nice Warner Bros. spin on a venerable old fairy tale. Watch it for Bugs in all his wise-ass glory.

6. Corny Concerto (1943) by Bob Clampett--NASA scientists have concluded that this short has some of the funniest drawings in a cartoon, ever.

7. Racketeer Rabbit (1946) by Friz Freleng--When Bugs terrorizes Edward G. Robinson, hilarity ensues.

8. Baseball Bugs (1946) by Friz Freleng--An early outing in Bugs' sporting career. We at Space Jam modestly tip our caps.

9. High Diving Hare (1949) by Friz Freleng--Can an audience ever tire of watching a mean little cowboy fall off a high dive platform." I say thee nay!

10. Hillbilly Hare (1948) by Robert McKimmson--This cartoon proves the old comedy adage: Hillbillies are funny.

Bruce Smith's . . .

"Being a director on a film of this magnitude meant being confident and spontaneous, calm yet outrageous, firm and determined, yet loose and humorous. It was all about making a good film, having a good time and never letting 'em see you sweat!"

1. Uncle Tom's Cabana by Tex Avery--The very earliest piece of the blaxploitation era with the "get whitey" theme can be traced to this Avery romp.

2. Dolemite by Rudy Ray Moore--I love this movie! Killer pimps, nasty women, stupid dialogue, karate, bad continuity and more. Bring on dat desert island!

3. Magical Maestro by Tex Avery--Tex at his funniest! Great animation with great timing and sight gags. This movie is retarded.

4. Which Way Is Up by Richard Pryor--Pryor's funniest nonconcert film, raw and tacky. A must have.

5. Rock A Bye Bear by Tex Avery--Several other shorts were done with this theme, but this one's probably funniest.

6. The Best of Dr. Buzzards Original Savannah Band produced by Stony Browder/August Darnell--This music is the theme for anyone stranded on a desert island. Rich and full orchestrations, great lyrics and hooks. Think Cab Calloway meets Goerge Clinton.

7. King Size Canary by Tex Avery--Funny, silly and stupid. My only requirements for a great short.

8. The Great Race by Blake Edwards--Still my all-time favorite. Great characters, funny story. Fast cars (well . . . kinda fast).

9. Dumbhounded by Tex Avery--Revolutionary in its style of animation for this time period. Droopy's debut. A classic

10. Shaft's Big Score by Gordon Parks Jr.--Corny dialogue and music, but it's Shaft. Can ya dig it??

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