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Julian9ehp
Reviews
Quantum Leap: The Play's the Thing - September 9, 1969 (1992)
Good Off-Broadway Period Piece Made Better
I can imagine this as a good off-Broadway play. You have the themes of lies versus truth, reality versus illusion, and the possibilities of New York City. The Quantum Leap presentation makes it better, both with a larger budget -- extras, more money on scenes -- and with the interplay of Sam and Al. This last blows up the little play and shows its internal workings, including social forces and interior character motivation (as well as the outsider views of the time traveler and the hologram). While the verbal jokes can be crass, the sensitive emotions at the middle are untouched by it. Of course, the jokes also make this episode fit in with the NBC T & A of the period. It is also somewhat stage bound, which is odd in a T.V. show with a mobile camera, and one can even imagine it being broken down into act/scene markings.
Quantum Leap: Justice - May 11, 1965 (1991)
Mixed good and bad
The acting here is good, especially in the lead. The episode is worst at its climax, where a idealistic and windy speech solves everything. It is dubious in its drama, where a white man can make things all right again. (For a better handling of a similar topic, see the first season's "The Color of Truth," where Sam leaps into a black man and the conflict is shown in a single relationship.) But certain details are absolutely correct. The central character's disgust at the culture, and the horror he feels at having to mouth this bigotry, is true to life. And the weird, homey atmosphere of the Klan, where a cross-burning late at night turns into an outdoor breakfast, feels absolutely real. You see this in documentaries about these small-town racist subcultures, where one wife makes a vanilla cake with a marshmallow swastika on top. If the episode had shown Sam using normal life to untwist that perversity (a key is the speech about his own childhood), and less high-flown idealism, it would have been much better.
The Timid Toreador (1940)
What a beautiful soundtrack!
The original cartoon, now restored, has a subtle range of black and white illustration. It is unfortunate that the humans are Mexican stereotypes, stick figures in brown face. But listen to the music! Carl Stalling fully orchestrates a number of commercial numbers. Mel Blanc sings a street-vendor adaptation of "La Cucaracha," with a simple guitar accompanying him. Both Stalling and Clampett keep the jokes coming quickly. If the cartoon is not as drop-dead funny as "Porky in Wackyland," I blame Norman McCabe, who co-directed. Look at it together with Tex Avery's "Picador Porky," so you can see the early Termite Terrace style.
Mad as a Mars Hare (1963)
Chuck Jones Conquers Mars
Chuck Jones wins for Marvin and Bugs, using them freshly in this late cartoon. He wins against the horrible score by Bill Lava, even using it to advantage in the mechanical carrot scene. He wins against a limited set of backgrounds, and the wide-screen madness of movies in the early '60s. (Few pans, few camera movements, thick outlines for the characters.) He even wins against his own tendency for too much talk and too much exposition. He still draws well, he still has good writers, and he still has many good jokes. Even with the ending (no spoilers), which frightened me so when I was a child, I'd recommend this cartoon to almost everyone.
A Dream Walking (1934)
Disney Vs. Fleischer -- Fleischer Wins!
I'd guess that Disney's "Clock Cleaners" was in production at that time, though it didn't come out until later. The Paramount cartoon uses pre-recorded music, black-and-white photography, and a cheaper score, and its characters all move alike. Yet it is funnier than "Clock Cleaners," and uses its assets well. The grainy images show height better than Disney's sunny color: there's a real sense of danger. Popeye, Olive, Bluto, and Whimpy all move to the score. Because of this, the film is tighter. We don't go off for long stretches to see one character's routine for minute after minute. Hero and villain want to catch the love interest, and though we might see individual reactions to the chase, it keeps cutting back to it. So while the Disney movie has wonderful innovations in paint and music, "A Dream Walking" is recalled and imitated year after year.
Suteneko Tora-chan (1947)
A fusion of Western and Japanese themes
I am an American and know no Japanese. I found Suteneko tora-chan on Youtube, and was pleasantly surprised.
A family of kittens finds a new little kitten in the glade. Wise Mama takes this new child in, but one of her children teases him, rejects him, and runs off. The drawing and music is beautiful, the psychology is realistic (look at the arms of the little girl cat as she pushes away from the orphan), and the action is enthralling.
In 1947 Japan was still occupied by the victorious Americans. War orphans were still part of daily life. Some of the animated compositions are unmistakably Japanese: the children with their leaf umbrellas, and the fish's face. This cartoon is not as fast-paced as most contemporary American productions, but it is undeniably charming. Somebody, please post non-American cartoons with subtitles, so gauche English-speakers can understand more!