Reviews (11)

Great Holiday Classic
For as long as I can remember, this movie came on TV every Thanksgiving. A few years ago, they stopped playing it. Unaware of that, I looked for it on TV every Thanksgiving. I was very upset when I was unable to find it. Finding it here was a blessing. It has been a few years since I have seen it, but the feelings it invokes in me are the same as they were when I was a child. There aren't very many Thanksgiving movies out there, and this has become a classic in my household. My sisters love it, I love it, and my 15 month old son loves it. I can't imagine a Thanksgiving without it!!

Thanksgiving Holiday fun
This 1 hour, on TV, Thanksgiving tale begins with the ship Mayflower being caught up in a big storm. A churchmouse named William tells the story from a mouses viewpoint. The tale is narrated by Tennessee Ernie Ford, and Captain Standish is the voice of Eddie Albert. More famous voices include Paul Frees. A disaster at sea threatens to sink the ship, but William has an idea to save the day. William also scuttles a plan to blame the Indians for an attack on the pilgrims. There are at least 3 songs. Kids love this film, and it has a wonderful ending.

This 1968 film was another televison animated hit from the holiday entertainers, of Rankin/Bass. Yes, these are the folks that brought us such beautiful holiday classics such as Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Year without a Santa Claus, Nestor the Long Eared Donkey, Mad Monster Party, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is coming to Town, Mouse on the Mayflower, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, Cricket on the Hearth, the Stingiest Man in Town, Jack Frost, 'Twas the night before Christams, Pinnochio's Christmas, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, the First Easter Bunny. They also made non-holiday films such as the Hobbit; Flight of Dragons; & the Last Unicorn. It is incredible that one company is responsible for all those TV specials, which are 95% of the ones broadcast every year. Their studio's work includes standard animation, stop-motion animagic, and live action.

I hope this comes out on a restored DVD soon, I have bought all the other Rankin/Bass that has been released on DVD.

BEST THANKSGIVING special out there!
This is the BEST THANKSGIVING special around...and I am not just saying that because I am the RANKIN/BASS Historian. The sound on this VHS is magnificent and it should be on DVD! I have the original GAS LP Soundtrack on CD. MAURY LAWS and JULES BASS did a wonderful job with the score. ELBOW ROOM, sung by TENN. ERNIE FORD was part of the RANKIN/BASS off-Broadway play A MONTH OF SUNDAYS, before it was put to GREAT use in this special! A GREAT Special! E-mail me with any questions: Rickgoldsc@aol.com

A holiday gem eliminated by the pc police
This is a lovely way for children to become acquainted with the
Thanksgiving story. It really conveys the peril that the pioneers faced in traveling to the new world and attempting to establish a new colony. There is a comical subplot that will appeal to the younger crowd. Any supposed racist content must only be in the mind of a certain type of viewer. As for "some love affair" between two of the pilgrims; well, the famous story of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins used to be a part of every grade schooler's education (ever heard of Longfellow?).

Don't Hide the Past
Simply put, this is a fun kids movie about Thanksgiving. The songs are (I feel) catchy, and act mostly to develop the characters, rather than to convey historical information.

The Indian characters are presented in no more buffoonish a manner than their European counterparts. In fact, great trouble is made to demonstrate that there are scoundrels on BOTH sides of the pond, and to show the nobility and desire for friendship in the native peoples of the area. It is no use hiding children from racism; it is far more constructive to allow them to confront it and recognize it for what it is--the discarded relic of those who lived 400 years ago. ... Read more

Reviews (53)

The Original "Monsters Inc."
If you grew up on "The Munsters", "The Addams Family", old MAD magazines, and "Monster Mash", don't miss "Mad Monster Party", a great and goofy animated monster spoof from the late '60s. I never heard of it until recently, but this is good stuff and quite sophisticated for its day. Rankin/Bass, known for their many holiday-season shows ("Rudolph", "Frosty The Snowman"), pulled out the stops here with their animatronic horror-movie characters. MAD regulars Jack Davis (artist) and Harvey Kurtzman (writer) were involved. So were Boris Karloff as Dr. Frankenstein, and Phyllis Diller as- well- Phyllis Diller in a Bride-of-Frankenstein cape! Trust me, it works. This is "Monsters Inc." three decades early, complete with cool Henry Mancini-ish monster-movie jazz and classic movie-monster caricatures. The unsung hero is Allen Swift, one of the best voice-over guys of the '60s and a fantastic Hollywood-legends impressionist. Allen does all the male voices except Karloff: Jimmy Stewart (for Felix, "Uncle Boris"' nephew), Bela Lugosi (for Dracula), Alec Guinness (for Dr. Jekyll), and an absolutely fantastic Peter Lorre (as "Yetch", Frankenstein's leering butler). All this and King Kong too! I think this might have gone right over the heads of kiddie-show audiences in the '60s, making it a cult item now. But I read that this was Tim Burton's favorite movie before he did "Batman" and other neo-monster hits.
Me? I'm not sure whether I want to follow up with the original
"Bride of Frankenstein", "Young Frankenstein", or go find "The Maltese Falcon" to see the real Peter Lorre! Anyway, if an animated movie from the '60s wakes up all kinds of memories for a big kid of 47, it's worth a look. "Mad Monster Party": it's the real "Monster Mash"!

A MONSTER MASH
This is a much sought after title by horror fans who grew up with the UNIVERSAL CLASSICS in the 60s & 70s. No FREDDY, JASON or MICHAEL here just good clean fun. TNT used to show this until there copy was stolen from there video archives & the film hasn't been seen on TV in several years. The movie is a RANKIN/BASS production (famous for their CHRISTMAS movies) from 1968, with monster designs by top "MAD MAGAZINE" artist JACK HARRIS. Originally BORIS KARLOFF was not to play himself but after he saw clips from the film he joined the team of creative talent behind the first true HALLOWEEN (""Animagic") cartoon. It's a classic tale of suspense, love & skullduggery with a lot of cornieness thrown in to boot. Hey it was made in the 60s! The plot involves DR. FRANKENSTEIN (who it just so happens has recently created the most deadly chemical compound to date) planning his retirement party. He along with his beautiful assistant FRANCHESSCA invite all the old gang (the old gang just so happens to be all the CLASSIC UNIVERSAL MONSTERS) to his island retreat in the middle of nowhere & also his normal human(?) nephew FELIX gets an invitation. FELIX of course has no clue what his UNCLE does nor who he keeps company with. The quirks of his shipmates goes completly unnoticed by him as he bumps into them one by one on the journey to DR. FRANKENSTEIN's castle. All goes well until DR. FRANKENSTEIN reveals who he's going to entrust his duties to upon his retirement. What ensues is a murder attempt on the unsuspecting heir by those that feel they should recieve DR. FRANKENSTEIN's duties. PHYLLIS DILLER gives a top notch-over the top performance as THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN as only she is capable of. DRACULA, THE WOLFMAN, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, FRANKENSTEIN, THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE MUMMY, A ROCKIN' SKELETON BAND, KING KONG (oddly enough refered to as IT...maybe to keep him a surprise or possibly avoid copyright infringment), ZOMBIES, DR.JECKYLL & MR. HYDE & even a nod to PETER LORRE as portrayed by the love struck-head loosing butler YETCH this movie has it all! It even has a TWILIGHT ZONE ending & big explosions. The trip to the island, the party scene & the sleeping arrangements are classic scenes not to be missed.

LOST CHILDHOOD
I have mixed feelings about this movie. Like everyone else I remember seeing this as a kid, but I only saw the last 15 minutes. I was mezmerized by it and for some years always searched for it on TV. It was my white whale. I never did see it until I purchased this DVD.

The quality is terrific. The colors are vivid and the image is crystal clear. There are great extras, a thick booklet and some monster cards. This is a bargain. An absolute steal.

Having said all this I was sorta disappointed in the movie. The story is just O.K., but nothing special. After all these years I guess I just expected to be blown away or have it rekindle memories. I still give it 5 stars, but I did not find my childhood in it.

My advice is that if this movie was special to you when you were a kid either don't purchase or buy it knowing it will not be as good as you remember.

A Rollercoaster of Monster Proportions
I had never seen a model/puppet movie before in my life because at first I thought they were rubbish but when my parents came home one day they had bought me Mad Monster Party on video , when I saw the box I was quite intrigued and put it on straight away and DAMN THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME its got everything a monster buff wants its got EERIE MUSIC , COOL SCENERY , (...), WELL MADE PUPPETS AND SOME ABSOLUTELY HYSTERICAL MOMENTS LIKE FOR INSTANCE WHEN THE MONSTERS MATE TOLD 'FANG' WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO WHEN CAPTURED BY IT AND HE BURST INTO TEARS this movie may be too scary for young children so I recomend an older person watch it with them first time through You have got too see it too believe it

Those Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters!
Doctor Baron Von Frankenstein has discovered the secret to total destruction, and, after previously discovering the secret of life, he now feels it is time to retire as head of the Worldwide Organization of Monsters. But who will be his successor? The Baron keeps it a secret that he intends to bestow that honor on his nephew, pharmacist/soda jerk Felix Flankin. He soon invites all his Monster friends to his secluded island home for a Monster Convention, where he will reveal their new leader. Dracula, the Wolfman, the Invisible Man, the Creature, the Mummy, and plenty of others show up for the wild event, including the level-headed, young Mr. Flankin. All seems to be going well for the Baron, but little does he know that his trusted assistant, the lovely Miss Francesca, is conspiring against his wishes. She wants to be the one who inherits the Doctor's position, and all his secrets!

Mad Monster Party was one of Rankin/Bass's rare, theatrically released Animagic feature films. While it doesn't quite have the charm or timelessness of their better known productions, such as the sacred Rudolph and Frosty classic specials, Mad Monster Party is still an entertaining treat, especially for R&B fanatics and classic monster lovers. The film is often mistakenly regarded now as a Rankin/Bass Halloween Special that somehow got lost, along with all those other classic Halloween Specials, until recently. But while the film was not made as an annual TV treat, and has no mention of Halloween, it certainly could be enjoyed as such. The DVD is excellent, especially for the price, including some nice extras on and off the disc. As for the cast, Boris Karlof is outstanding as always, and so is everyone else. But, while I sometimes do enjoy Phyllis Diller, I have to admit that I found her performance as the Monster's Mate a wee bit annoying, especially when she bursts into song early on. Some of the songs are as good as the beloved Rankin/Bass Christmas fare, but a couple didn't sit quite well with me, and Diller's was one of them. Aside from that, it's all great Monster fun and I highly recommend it to those feeling nostalgic for R&B or some classic monster comedy! And if this one isn't enough for you, look for Rankin/Bass's Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters! Made a while later, and sort of a Mad Monster Party prequel, it tells the story of the Monster's wedding to his newly created Mate in traditional R&B animation. Currently it can be found only on VHS. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not as good as I remembered, but ...
Saw this when it was first broadcast on television nearly 30+ years ago, as a "No School Today" presentation. I often would bring this movie up with friends of my generation and nobody could remember it. It had a catchy opening theme song, which I never forgot. So, imagine my delight of its release on DVD.The print is excellent, and the opening theme song is great as I remember it. But this movie soon went downhill after Mother Goose left for the Moon. Some of the storylines were just too much on the level for a five year old, and soon my wife and I couldn't take much more. But we managed to get through it somehow.Get "Mad Monster Party" instead.

Mother Goose and Travelin Tyke
i dont think this video is very good. With all the other great videos for your children out there, this one just didn't stand the test of time. Just my opinion. ...

Classic Rankin/Bass animated tale.
A great mix (and rearrangement) of several classic nursery rhymes, melded into one fine animated film that should keep any child interested today, just as it did in the late 60's when it was released. My 1 1/2 year old son loves this film and stays glued to it nearly all the way through. As a Rankin/Bass fan who loves the animagic more than the animation, this is one of their best animation stories and I have no trouble watching this one again and again with my son. Can't wait til all the Rankin/Bass stuff makes it's way onto DVD. How about Kid Power or The New Adventures of Pinocchio next!!!

Quite a family film!
Just received my copy of the DVD and my kids love it! Must have played it 10 times already!!! MOTHER GOOSE fairy tales with BRILLIANT animation by our favorite animators ARTHUR RANKIN JR. and JULES BASS! A hit with the entire family!

ANCHOR BAY provides an EXCELLENT print!
In the past, this film has been released from a very poor 16 mm transfer....finally, the 35mm becomes available. It will be like seeing the film for the first time. In a cel animated feature especially, you need to see it in vivid color and the 16mm print wasn't cutting it. There is some GREAT music in this 1966 RANKIN/BASS film too! AND surprisingly, it wasn't provided by MAURY LAWS (Who was busy with another project)...it was provided by GEORGE WILKINS. Once again, JULES BASS wrote the lyrics and Directed the film. Another RARELY seen film that involves RANKIN/BASS artist PAUL COKER, JR. for the first time! Glad to see this one restored for all to enjoy! ... Read more

Description

A wonderous animated version of J.R.R. Tolkein's classic about the magical world of Middle Earth and the adventures of lovable Bilbo Baggins. Featuring the voices of Orson Bean and John Huston.Year: 1977Director: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr.Starring:Orson Bean, John Huston ... Read more

Reviews (177)

The Hobbit
"The Hobbit" is a great animated movie for the entire family. It is filled with adventure, fantasy, and fun. There are a lot of fantasy characters brought to life from the author J.R.R. Tolkiens book "The Hobbit Or There And Back Again" which I have read. And those fantasy characters are: trolls, goblins, a terrible creature named Gollum, a dragon, a hobbit, a wizard, and dwarves. Some reviewers on this site are complaining about sound problems with the DVD version of "The Hobbit" and I totally beleive them because I own "The Hobbit" animated movie on both VHS and DVD. Well guess what? I happen to own the 1996 VHS version of "The Hobbit", and I have noticed that even the new 2001 VHS version also has sound problems too because I have watched the new 2001 VHS version with my friend, who owns it, at his house. Oh well, I guess that is just the way things are in the world. But the sound problems with the DVD and new 2001 versions of "The Hobbit" animated movie are not all that bad. All it is is that some sound effects from the older versions of "The Hobbit" have been cut out. It doesn't bother me much. All in all "The Hobbit" animated movie is a great classic for the entire family. I highly recommend you buy this movie for VHS or DVD if you are a "Lord Of The Rings" book or movie fan because "The Hobbit", as you probably know is a prequal to "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy.

The Hobbit
"The Hobbit" is a great, classic, animated movie for you and the entire family! It is filled with adventure, fantasy, and fun. There, are, a lot of fantasy characters brought to life from the author J.R.R. Tolkiens book "The Hobbit or There And Back Again" which I have read. And those fantasy characters are: trolls; goblins; a terrible creature named Gollum; huge spiders; a dragon; a hobbit; a wizard; and dwarves. Some reviewers on this site are complaining about sound problems with the DVD version of "The Hobbit" and I totally believe them because I own "The Hobbit" animated movie on both VHS and DVD. Well guess what? I happen to own the 1996 VHS version of "The Hobbit", and I have noticed that even the new 2001 VHS version also has sound problems too because I have watched the new 2001 VHS version with one of my best friends, who owns it, at his house. Oh well, I guess that is just the way things are in the world. But the sound problems with the DVD and new 2001 versions of "The Hobbit" animated movie are not all that bad. All it is; is that some sound effects from the older versions of "The Hobbit" have been cut out. It doesn't bother me much. All in all "The Hobbit" animated movie is a great classic for the entire family. I highly recommend you buy this movie for VHS or DVD if you are a "Lord of the Rings" book or movie fan because "The Hobbit", as you probably know is a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

Excellent movie; terrible audio
If it weren't for some issues I had with the audio on this DVD (which I'll get to), I'd be giving "The Hobbit" at least 4.5 stars, which would round up to 5 in any event. This is a fabulous adaptation of the book. Though a few plot elements were necessarily left out, what remains is faithful to the story. The voice actors are top notch. Sometimes while reading the books, I still can't help but imagine John Huston as Gandalf, Orson Bean as Bilbo, and Brother Theodore as Gollum. I'm a big fan of the music of this movie. Some people have a problem with Glen Yarbrough. Admittedly his ballad "The Greatest Adventure" is probably the weakest song here, and it permeates the film, but every other song is taken directly from verses in the book. The gallows humor of the goblins' songs is particularly fun.

Anyway, on to the audio problems. Having watched this movie since I was a kid, I'm still able to remember it in great detail. I first noticed something was wrong at about the time Bilbo was battling the spiders in Mirkwood. Certain elements of the audio track are completely missing from this DVD version! Most of the missing audio consists of sound effects and background noises, but sometimes even dialogue falls victim. It's possible that someone unfamiliar to the movie won't even spot any problems, but to those who have seen it even a few times, the omissions are glaring. The worst instance of audio flaws comes during Bilbo's meeting with Smaug. The sense that Smaug is a huge, threatening presence is lost without all the various boomings and rumblings that normally attend him. And imagine my annoyance when the arrows of the Lakemen bounced off Smaug with narry a ping!

You'd do best to purchase "The Hobbit" on VHS. The audio track is completely intact, and you won't be missing out on any special DVD features.

"THE GREATEST ADVENTURE..."
"The Hobbit" is one of the finest animated films ever produced. It features some beautiful music, as well as some fine talent in the voicing of the characters (including John Huston as Gandalf and Orson Bean as Bilbo). Where Ralph Bakshi's "The Lord of the Rings" fails due to some lackluster animation, the scenery and characters in "The Hobbit" are beautifully rendered! Any Tolkien fan will not want to miss this!
Grade: A+

Good Introduction For Kids But Not Great
In all honesty this is a very good movie. The problem is that the book is rather dark for children. So it would be rather difficult to do a cartoon movie adaptation. However, having said that. The movie isn't so bad. I think it is a good classic for kids and a nice way to introduce the author to kids. ... Read more

Reviews (113)

Return for Deposit
This unfulfilling animated feature takes up in the middle of nowhere as the last entity in 3 movies that make up the HOBBIT/ LORD OF THE RINGS movie series. With the exception of the HOBBIT, the story structures do not take well to cinema as the structure would have to be discarded to have a Hollywood story. Otherwise, you just get a mishmash of ideas. And that is result. All three films were questionable in areas, THE HOBBIT in its crude movement animation and elementary level songs; LORD OF THE RINGS with its boring character design and overuse of 'live action' tracing and now THE RETURN OF THE KING with its weak story structure and a boring sense of adventure. this is the worst of them all even though it bares a strong resemblance to the original HOBBIT movie. Lets hope that the live action films deliver better.

A bad movie!
This movie cracked me up. Songs like "Wheres there a whip, theres a way!" and funny lines from Bilbo Baggins like "bless my soul!" This movie is a crackup! However, despite its stupidity it really does not have the drama and climax that the Hobbitt did (this was the previous movie made by this studio).

Don't overlook this one
I have to confess that I have a great deal of affection for this animated version of ROTK. In some ways it conveys the spirit of the book much better than the Peter Jackson film, particularly in the parts with Frodo and Sam. The character of Sam comes across as more complex and convincing than Sean Astin's portrayal in the film, although I don't want to criticise the actor as I suspect this was mostly the fault of the screenwriters. And Frodo's sense of resignation is also well captured here, again much more true to the book than his terrified portrayal by Elijah Wood in the film. Much more of Tolkien's original dialogue is preserved here, which helps a lot. For instance, more of Denethor's best lines are preserved in this 90 minute cartoon than was the case with the 3+ hour movie. I also think that the music overall helps to convey the heroic and lyrical tone of the book, compared to the unrelenting horror-movie feel of the Mordor scenes in the live action film, even though much of it is admittedly silly, although even the much ballyhooed "Where There's a Whip There's a Way" has some basis in the text. I think the voice actors were excellent overall, even though I didn't particularly care for Casey Kasem as Pippin, and the Nazgul Lord did sound a little too, well, cartoonish. Still, John Huston's Gandalf will forever be the voice I hear when I read the books; a classic performance. Even though you can poke holes in this version if you want to, I suppose my only real complaint is that it failed to establish any connection between Aragorn and Frodo. Since the entirety of "Fellowship" and "Two Towers" was summed up with something to the effect that Frodo and Sam had "come far and through many brave adventures," I don't think it would have been unreasonable to provide some similarly cursory treatment to establishing that the the march on the Black Gate was for the purpose of helping Frodo and Sam. One final word: I don't mean to come across as overly critical of Peter Jackson's films. In fact I enjoyed them tremendously. However, I think this version also has a lot to recommend it. Also, please forgive me for coming across as a "Tolkien geek" but I couldn't help myself.

There seems to be a bit of confusion
The review here dated May 24, 2004 from an anonymous viewer in NJ (my home state) has CONFUSED this animated movie with the recently released Peter Jackson- Return of the King DVD.

THESE ARE TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FILMS MADE MORE THAN 20 YEARS APART.

The animated Return of the King was a TV special released in 1980. For its time, it was an entertaining look at the last segment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Keep in mind that this was targeted at a younger audience, especially those who watched the animated Hobbit film. I recall watching this in middle school, my first taste of the fantasy genre.

And I will admit, I did compare one scene from the animated Return of the King (1980) with the live-action Return of the King (2003). It was the scene with Eowyn facing off against the Lord of the Nazguls. The animated movie hewed closer to the book in that more of the actual dialogue was used.

Eowyn's speech is a bit wordy and seems more at place in a stage play than in a fast moving battle. But I did enjoy how it paused the momentum of the Battle of Pelenor Fields and you get this beauty standing on the battlefield with her long blonde hair flowing in the wind like a banner of courage. I was hoping for equal treatment from Peter Jackson, but he kept this scene short. It is a critical moment in Eowyn's character development.

PETER JACKSON DROPPED THE BALL!!!!
WHAT HAPPENED?!?!? So I see this in the video store and think 'Wow, ROtK came out already? Where's the hype, the hoopla? Oh, well, lucky me" and buy the DVD on the spot. BIG MISTAKE!

Apparently the genius who made Fellowship of the Ring & The Two Towers has gone the George Lucas route and SOLD OUT to the kiddies!!!

1 He decided to finish his masterpiece trilogy as an ANIMATED film!! WHY?!?!? And the animation SUCKS! He could at least have done it Anime or CGI!
2 He fired the original cast and replaced them with NO NAME tv voice actors! WHA-?!?!?!
3 He DUMBED it down for kids and added MUSICAL numbers. HUH??!? Since WHEN was LOtRs a friggin' MUSICAL?!?!?

I guess he decided to cash in on the rerelase of the awful 80s cartoon movie. WHY OH WHY?!?!

Peter Jackson - you dropped the ball!!! ... Read more