timothyhodge Reviews

Susie the Little Blue Coupe (1952)

Available for viewing!!

[10/10 · 19 August 2005]

If you would like to see this gem of a film, it appears as a bonus on the DVD of Disney's "Ichabod and Mr. Toad", but you have to work for it. On the menu, go to "games" and take the trivia test. If you answer all the questions correct, you will be treated with a viewing of "Suzie, the Little Blue Coupe"! If you are a fan of the children's books by Bill Peet, you will love this story. Before Peet was a published author, he was one of the top story men at Disney. Not only did he work on classic features like "Dumbo", "Sleeping Beauty", "Peter Pan" and "Lady and the Tramp", he also wrote a number of short films like "Suzie". These include: "Goliath II" (the story of a 6 inch tall elephant) and "Lambert the Sheepish Lion". His storytelling sensibilities are unmistakable in these films and bear his mark like a signature. Peet left Disney around 1965 to write children's books. He died in 2002.

Off His Rockers (1992)

Great short - wish I could see it again

[10/10 · 18 August 2005]

This is a great little short started in the animators' off hours at the Animation studio at the Disney/MGM Studios theme park in Florida. It's a great blend of traditional and CG animation that tells the story of the struggle of a rocking horse to regain the affection of a young boy who has turned his attention to his video games. The irony id that the "old" toy (the horse) is animated in the modern animation style, while the video game playing kid is good, old- fashioned hand drawn cel animation. This short was Barry Cook's directorial debut. He went on to helm the Roger Rabbit short "Trail Mix-Up" and co-direct "Mulan" with Tony Bancroft.

It appears on the laser-disc version of "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid!" (I believe), but nowhere since. I only wish Disney would see fit to release it as a special feature or an Easter egg on a current DVD.

Curiosity Shop (1971– )

I loved this show!

[10 May 2005]

I have very fond memories of this show. In fact, I think it had a large influence on my career choice in animation. "The Curiosity Shop" would regularly show animated shorts that had no other venue in the US. There was a talking TV character that would show them on her screen. (She was a grandmother character with a shawl over her console and instead of legs, she sat on rockers like a rocking chair. I don't remember who provided the voice. Many of the animated films presented were from the National Film Board of Canada, Zagreb Yugoslavia and often Oscar nominees and/or winners. I distinctly remember some of the short films by Ryan Larkin, especially his Oscar winning "Walking". Interestingly enough, Larkin was the subject of the Oscar winning animated short film for 2003, "Ryan". I must confess that another reason I had to watch the show was my mild crush on child actress Pamelyn Ferdin. My hat is off to the late Chuck Jones for helping to create such a wonderful and influential show.