On December 21, 1999 Warner Home Video will debut the first feature-length,
fully animated Animaniacs movie, STEVEN SPIELBERG PRESENTS ANIMANIACS:
WAKKO'S WISH. WAKKO'S WISH will be the flagship offering in the first wave
of the Warner Bros. Family Entertainment "Century 2000 Collection," which
will bring audiences 11 Family Movie Favorites. WAKKO'S WISH will feature
10 original songs created specifically for the movie. The film begins in
the little village of Acme Falls -- where the once-cheerful and prosperous

The Hubley Studio has created some of
the most innovative and challenging animation in the history of the art
form. Beginning with the partnership of John and Faith Hubley, and
continuing with Faith and Emily Hubley, they have received countless awards
and international acclaim. Earlier this year, Image Entertainment released
their first Hubley DVD, ART AND JAZZ IN ANIMATION. Now, they offer three
more. HUBLEY COLLECTION #1 includes ENTER LIFE (1981), UPSIDE DOWN (1991),
WHO AM I (1989), BLAKE BALL (1988), TIME OF THE ANGELS (1987), PEOPLE,

AtomFilms, which distributes short films both online and offline, has released two
compilations of short films: DEFINITELY NOT HOLLYWOOD: THE DARK COMEDY
EDITION and DEFINITELY NOT HOLLYWOOD: THE EXTREME COMEDY EDITION. The
former is exclusively live-action, but the latter is a collection of both
live-action and animated shorts. The animated films, which are in the sick
and twisted tradition, are LOUIE THE FLY and DOG FISHING by Joe Byrnes,
LIVING WITH RIDALYN by Ron Noble, THE HANGNAIL by Shane Acker, and several

Last week we announced that the THE IRON GIANT laser disc release will have
a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, whereas the film was released with a 2.35:1. In
addition, when we announced the DVD and VHS releases three weeks ago, we
neglected to mention that the DVD, as well as the widescreen VHS release,
will also be 1.85:1. It's unfortunate that none of these will be 2.35:1
because Brad Bird designed THE IRON GIANT partly in homage to the
CinemaScope films of the 1950s, and he even wanted to include "CinemaScope"

Image Entertainment is releasing Warner Bros.' THE IRON GIANT, the
critically acclaimed film directed by Brad Bird, on laser disc on December
7, 1999. The laser disc will be letterboxed at 1.85:1 (the film was about
2.35:1), and retail for US$29.98. There will not be any extras. Laser discs
sell out quickly these days, and are less likely than ever to be
re-pressed, so you may want to pre-order this one. THE IRON GIANT, based on
a children's book by Ted Hughes, is about a boy who befriends an alien
robot in 1950s America.

Columbia TriStar Home Video is releasing Ray Harryhausen's first color and
independently produced feature, 1958's THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD, on DVD in
the US on November 30, 1999. Extras include a documentary called THE RAY
HARRYHAUSEN CHRONICLES; THIS IS DYNAMATION, a documentary about Ray
Harryhausen's animation techniques; A LOOK BEHIND THE VOYAGE and JASON AND
THE ARGONAUTS, two interviews; and textual supplements on the cast and
crew, including Harryhausen, director Nathan Juran, Kerwin Matthews

On December 7, 1999, Disney is releasing MICKEY'S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS on
DVD. This all-new, full-length video features three tales starring Mickey,
Donald and Goofy, each one about Christmas. In the first story, Mickey and
Minnie recall the year they both gave up what was most important to them
for the sake of the other, making for one unforgettable Christmas. In the
second story, Goofy and Max remember when they experienced a series of
hilarious, but faith-shaking events - and a visit from the real Santa made

Disney will release A BUG'S LIFE - COLLECTOR'S EDITION DVD on November 23, 1999. The Disney/Pixar
film, which crosses the Western THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (a remake of Akira
Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI) with Aesop's THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER, is
about an inventive ant named Flik who hires what he believes are "warrior
bugs" to defend his colony from a horde of freeloading grasshoppers. As
with the TOY STORY laserdisc box set, the supplemental features are
plentiful:


DISC ONE: THE MOVIE

Paramount Home Video will release BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA on DVD in the US on
November 23, 1999. In this animated feature, directed by Mike Judge, and
based on his MTV show, Beavis and Butt-Head tour America. The DVD is
letterboxed at 1.85:1 and includes two trailers. The retail price is
US$29.99. The animated feature SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT,
directed by Matt Stone and based on his and Trey Parker's Comedy Central
series, shows what happens to the South Park gang after they sneak into an

Columbia-Tri Star Home Video is releasing a collector's edition DVD of
HEAVY METAL which was supervised by Gerald Potterton and released in 1981.
Those who bought the laser rot-prone laserdisc that was released three
years ago will want to purchase this new release even if their LD remains
in pristine condition. The movie is digitally remastered and in widescreen,
with anamorphic video. Hopefully, that means it has a new transfer that,
unlike the previous widescreen release, does not cut off the top and bottom

Manga Video is releasing MACROSS PLUS on DVD on October 12, 1999. MACROSS
PLUS, directed by Shoji Kawamori, is a DTV (direct-to-video) which is based
on the original Japanese TV series SUPERDIMENSIONAL FORTRESS MACROSS, which
was used as the basis for the 1980s American TV series ROBOTECH. MACROSS
PLUS is set approximately thirty years after the original MACROSS and just
before the events in the Japanese TV series MACROSS 7. In MACROSS PLUS, the
universe's most popular virtual reality singer, Sharon Apple, comes alive

A.D.V. Films is releasing the following anime titles in the US. On November
9: MARTIAN SUCCESSOR NADESICO VOLUME 1 - INVASION! - An unorthodox crew
fights to save Earth from annihilation by Martians; COMPILER 2 - It's
Compiler versus Compiler in deadly showdown!; and ORIGINAL DIRTY PAIR
VOLUME 4 - Kei and Yuri stumble upon a child who is the sole survivor of a
mass murder committed over twenty years ago. November 23: BUBBLEGUM CRISIS
VOLUME 2 - TRIAL BY FIRE - Sylia's brother Mackey joins the team as the

Some fans, who are still shaking their heads over the poor boxoffice performance of the critically acclaimed THE IRON GIANT, director Brad Bird's adaptation of the children's book by British Poet Laureate Ted Hughes, have suggested that Warner Bros. should re-vamp their publicity campaign for the film by targeting a larger audience than the young kids that were originally targeted, and re-release THE IRON GIANT theatrically. Such a scenario appears unlikely now that Warner Home Video has announced THE IRON GIANT for home video and DVD.

Los Angeles-based WinStar, which has recently released a number of public
domain titles under the CARTOON CRAZYS heading, is releasing a "fully
restored" version of the Fleischer Bros. 1939 feature, GULLIVER'S TRAVELS,
on DVD and VHS on September 28, 1999 in the US. Transferred from a newly
struck print taken from an original negative, this version features
enhanced audio remixed in Dolby Digital and Dolby Surround sound. The
musical score also has been remastered with additional scoring and

Universal Studios Home Video is releasing ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS MEET FRANKENSTEIN. Produced and
directed by Kathi Castillo and animated at Universal Cartoon Studios in
Universal City, California, the direct-to-video shows what happens when the
havoc wrecking chipmunks encounter Dr. Frankenstein and his creation at a
Universal Studios-type amusement park. The chipmunks were created by Ross
Bagadasarian (aka David Seville) in 1958 for the hit novelty record, "The
Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)." Seville's earlier hit, "Witch

Earlier this year Image Entertainment and
Lightyear released ART AND JAZZ IN ANIMATION, a compilation DVD of more
than four hours of features and shorts by John and Faith Hubley. The
compilation includes two features, THE COSMIC EYE and OF STARS AND MEN, as
well as the shorts: OF MEN AND DEMONS, VOYAGE TO NEXT, EGGS, COCKABOODY,
THE HOLE, THE HAT, DIG, HARLEM WEDNESDAY, ADVENTURES OF *, URBANISSIMO, and
THE TENDER GAME. While some of the older films are disappointingly faded
and a bit worn, fans of Hubley or independent animation will not want to

Buena Vista Home Entertainment previously announced that the 60th
Anniversary Edition of Disney's classic PINOCCHIO would be the first Disney
animated feature to be released in the DVD format [Animation Flash
8/24/99]. Now they have announced that a new VHS edition of PINOCCHIO,
fully restored and THX-certified, will be available on the same day as the
DVD version, October 26, 1999 in the US. This version will include a
"Making of Pinocchio" bonus section, which will only be available on the

New York-based Kino on Video is releasing
two Brothers Quay videos. THE BROTHERS QUAY COLLECTION: TEN ASTONISHING
SHORT FILMS 1984-1993 includes THE CABINET OF JAN SVANKMAJER, THE EPIC OF
GILGAMESH OR THIS UNNAMEABLE LITTLE BROOM, STREET OF CROCODILES, REHEARSALS
FOR EXTINCT ANATOMIES, DRAMOLET (STILLE NACHT I), THE COMB (FROM THE
MUSEUMS OF SLEEP), DE ARTIFICALI PERSPECTIVA OR ANAMORPHOSIS, ARE WE STILL
MARRIED? (STILLE NACHT II), TALES FROM THE VIENNA WOODS (STILLE NACHT III),

Although Disney has released a few titles on DVD, including THE NIGHTMARE
BEFORE CHRISTMAS and A BUG'S LIFE, they have not released their classics in
the US on DVD, preferring to back DIVX, a DVD competitor that was sold
through Circuit City retail stores. But now that DIVX is defunct, due to
the lack of consumer support, Disney is embracing DVD. Buena Vista Home
Entertainment will debut nine of Disney's animated features on DVD over the
next four months. Each of the titles will be available for a limited 60-day

Columbia Records will celebrate the 20th anniversary of
the release of PINK FLOYD's album THE WALL with the release of the film on
DVD in October. The film includes animation designed and directed by Gerald Scarfe, who went on
to design Disney's HERCULES. The DVD features a new transfer of the
original widescreen film, as well as unreleased footage, a remastered 5.1
Dolby Digital soundtrack, the 25-minute "making of" documentary THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE WALL, and the new 45-minute documentary RETROSPECTIVE, with