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The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile

“The narrative stakes in these Raggedy Ann and Andy specials are just bizarre. Strange things in which they are impossibly low, but lacking in a certain sparkle of interest that you begin to pay closer attention to the fact that none of it makes sense. And that’s taking into account that you’ve a” read more

The Great Santa Claus Caper

“It’s a bit hard to review this mess as there’s not much there to speak about. The plot makes zero sense, even going by the wide margins of which we accommodate Christmas specials tied to merchandised characters, and the whole thing consists of only a handful of scenes with little in the way of w” read more

Lilting

“Lilting is best in the quiet moments, of which there are many, where we patiently observe character interactions and how they’re processing their grief. It’s delicate and quiet, carefully choosing what needs to be communicated aloud and what shall remain subterranean. At times, this choice makes” read more

Mowgli's Brothers

“For his final dip into Kipling’s work, Jones decided to tackle the biggest character, and the first story, in The Jungle Book, Mowgli. Nothing against Disney’s film version, but Jones’ television specials are the clearly superior versions. There’s no need to describe the story, as you’re a” read more

The White Seal

“A few months after Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, Chuck Jones once again returned to the world of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book with this version of “The White Seal.” Two-thirds of his Kipling trilogy consists of the more obscure tales from that classic tome, and that’s partially why I appreciate the” read more

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

“1975 ended the Cricket series, but it also launched the three Rudyard Kipling adaptations that Chuck Jones made between 1975 and 1976. These three specials are among the best of Jones’ work, capturing both the darkness of the original stories and providing a template for Jones’ artistry to go wi” read more

Yankee Doodle Dandy

“Between 1975 and 1976, much of America’s pop culture ephemera was drunk upon the upcoming bicentennial. Don’t believe me? Well, then look no further than the third and final installment in the Cricket specials, Yankee Doodle Cricket. Purporting to tell the unknown truth about the American Revolu” read more

A Very Merry Cricket

“Picking up right where The Cricket in Times Square ends, A Very Merry Cricket reunites us with Tucker the Mouse and Harry the Cat on a story that’s part road trip and part lukewarm variation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. New York City, introduced through a nightmare hallucination of location ” read more

The Cricket in Times Square

“Between 1973 and 1975, Chuck Jones produced three specials based upon The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden. This first entry plays the story straight, complete with an ending that feels somehow rushed upon given the leisurely pace of the rest of the piece.   There’s a quietness and gent” read more

Bugs Bunny’s Bustin’ Out All Over

“Another year (1980 in this case), another Looney Tunes special centered on a unifying theme, this time it’s springtime. Once more, this special features three new cartoons with a wraparound segment hosted by Bugs Bunny.   All of these specials feature animation that’s a step down from the gl” read more

Bugs Bunny’s Looney Christmas Tales

“Not only do we get Chuck Jones’ involvement in 1979’s Bugs Bunney’s Looney Christmas Tales, but Friz Freleng, another one of Termite Terrace’s genius directors. Usual suspects and big names like Bugs, Daffy, Poky, and Yosemite Sam are here, but the presence of Foghorn Leghorn, Taz, and Speed” read more

Bugs and Daffy’s Carnival of the Animals

“The first special of all-new Looney Tunes material was Bugs and Daffy’s Carnival of the Animals, a live-action/animation combination that premiered in 1976. This plays directly into a long-established tradition, the never-ending rivalry between Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny, with a backdrop of classic” read more

A Connecticut Rabbit in King Arthur’s Court

“Warner Brothers had ceased production on new Looney Tunes material by the mid-60s, but classic characters never die. Through repeated viewings on television, a series of compilation films highlighting their greatest directors, and the occasional lone out to other studios for limited use, the charact” read more

Adventures of the Road Runner

“Beginning life as a failed TV pilot, Adventures of the Road Runner was eventually released as a theatrical short, before finally getting chopped up into three further shorts. Taken individually, everything here is a wonderful piece of animation, filled with smart gags and a frantic go-go-go pacing. ” read more

From Hare to Eternity

“1997 brought about the final Chuck Jones Looney Tunes cartoon, and I couldn’t think of a better star than Bugs Bunny for that honor. Jones created many of Bugs Bunny’s greatest moments, from the reveal that he’s the artist torturing Daffy in “Duck Amuck” to the greatest animated short of a” read more

Superior Duck

“Does anyone remember the 1996 Tom Arnold vehicle Carpool? No, I didn’t think so. Well, another year, another Chuck Jones Looney Tunes short, and at least this one premiered before a family film.   “Superior Duck,” as implied by the title, find Jones returning to Daffy Duck, and his fevered ” read more

Another Froggy Evening

“In the mid-to-late 90s, Jones released four theatrical shorts, each providing an opportunity for him to work his magic on his most beloved characters. The prior year’s “Chariots of Fur” reunited Wil E. Coyote and the Road Runner in a lovably familiar tale, and 1995’s “Another Froggy Evenin” read more

Chariots of Fur

“By 1976, Jones had returned to work under Warner Brothers, and reunited with the cast of characters that made his name. These works were primarily TV compilations or in-between segments for films like The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie. Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner first came back to prominence ” read more

Duck Dodgers and the Return to the 24 ½th Century

“Originally released in 1980 as part of a Thanksgiving special, Daffy Duck’s Thanks-For-Giving, and soon spun off and reedited as its own short, this marks the first original Daffy Duck and Porky Pig film since 1965. A direct sequel to the wonderful original, “Duck Dodgers in the 24 ½th Century�” read more

The Bear That Wasn't

“The second non-Tom and Jerry short film, and the last one they ever made, was this adaptation of Frank Tashlin’s book. Tashlin was a former contemporary of Jones’ in the Termite Terrace, but this short was the subject of contention between them. Despite having no real input on the film, Jones de” read more

The Dot and the Line

“After his tenure with Tom and Jerry, a love-it-or-hate-it period in which Chuck Jones was heavily criticized for trying to transform the cat and mouse into Looney Tunes proxies, Jones directed the only two non-Tom and Jerry shorts for MGM. The first was also his lone competitive Oscar win. Other sho” read more