Animated Films You Probably Never Saw (DW, Dis. seqs, obsc.)

[Themightytom]

Uh, yeah... I know it was based off a book; in my original post, I mentioned that I'd read it. (I actually read the entire series, unless more have come out since then.)

I have to admit, though, I detest The Last Unicorn (the book). The movie is weird, but due to nostalgia, is one of my favorites. The book, however, I simply... dislike. :Have a taco" indeed.

I meant it Starts as in, thats the one that lays the ground work. I much preferred the next two books, but stopped following the series after the Dragon at Lyonesse. It had gotten a bit formulaic

[The Spartan]

The only one of those I've seen was Flight of the Dragons. We used to have a VHS tape of it that I seem to recall my parents had recorded off the TV for us to watch. I liked it quite a bit but it's been a long, long time since I've seen it so my recollection might be getting tinted by the rose colored glasses of childhood nostalgia.

[Bluewolf]

Bluewolf, others: I clearly need to check out this Farthing Wood thing. I usually don't bother with most animated series, since I simply don't have the time and the animation is generally lesser and harder to characterize, but hey! If it's anything like David the Gnome, I'm all on board. (And there's a fox in it, so it is at least something like DtG!)

I never saw Daid the Gnome so I cannot compare it but I have seen Watership Down and its pretty much on a similer level as that is. The show is not afraid to be harsh which in a sense is quite refreshing, even if a bit depressing at times. A fair amount of AoFW episodes are scattered online and there is the intro:

[Pick]

Ooh, looks interesting.... I wonder why I'd never heard of it before?

[Ford Prefect]

God damn I love that tune. I have to agree that calling it Watership Down: The Series isn't completely inaccurate. I think it had the 'parental guidance is recommended' disclaimer before it (like degrassi lol).

[Bounty]

I remember back when they were promoting the hell out of Farthing Wood. It was an EBU project to make a big-budget series none of the member countries could afford on their own, and it got dubs in pretty much every Union language. They did it again with Noah's Island, but that didn't look half as good from the trailers.

Farthing wood, though... I don't know what gave me more nightmares, the road crossing in that series, the Egyptian episode of Ovide, or David The Gnome. What were animators back then thinking?

[Dooey Jo]

They show that on the mornings every summer, or at least they did back when I was a kid. Being an animal is dangerous as hell

[Ford Prefect]

the road crossing

Oh Jesus Christ.

[Bounty]

Your pillow will taste of tears tonight, son.

[Ford Prefect]

So that Pick isn't spoiled because she better goddamn watch this show, I will make use of the spoiler tags.
Spoiler

Man, how sad was Badger's decline as the series went on. The guy went completely senile and it was just so painfult o watch at times. 'Mole!? Mole!?'

[Crossroads Inc.]

can we get this moved to off topic? Id hate to have these lists of great ld movies lost to testing

[Bluewolf]

Ooh, looks interesting.... I wonder why I'd never heard of it before?

Well I am not sure but the only people who I know who know of this show are usually British people so I am willing to guess its was pretty much a Britain only series.

[Bounty]

Ooh, looks interesting.... I wonder why I'd never heard of it before?

Well I am not sure but the only people who I know who know of this show are usually British people so I am willing to guess its was pretty much a Britain only series.

No, it was an EBU co-production between 20 EU countries. I thought they would've tried to sell it outside Europe too but evidently that didn't work out all that well.

[Darkdrium]

Man I remember watching that show when I was a kid, the french version that is. I think it was one of the first cartoons I watched that regularly killed recurring characters.

Damn, now I remembered about one of Fox's cubs who fled to the city and eventually died there of hunger or disease. I can't remember which though, maybe both.

[El Moose Monstero]

Interestingly enough, in the books...
Spoiler

Badger doesn't die, and in fact survives through the hurricane that hits the park. To my recollection, mole dies, but his son lives on and Badger takes him on, thinking he is still mole, whilst the mole junior hasn't the heart to tell him. In the meantime, Badger becomes a sugar daddy to some young badgerette whose sett he invades after the storm passes. The sly old devil.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

What, no mention of Animalympics?

[Mr Bean]

Off to Off-Topic this goes because enough people asked me to move it.

[loomer]

They actually showed the Animals of Farthing Wood here in Australia on the ABC, for the kids to watch after school. It was good stuff, since the show, despite being depressing at times, is damn good and actually pretty inspiring at that age.

I don't think they ever showed more than the first season, though, or at least not when I was watching (hell, I didn't even know it had more than one!), probably due to licensing or budget problems.

[Ford Prefect]

I don't think they ever showed more than the first season, though, or at least not when I was watching (hell, I didn't even know it had more than one!), probably due to licensing or budget problems.

They aired all three seasons in Australia. I actually watched all of it on ABC myself.

[born in shadow]

Freddie as F.R.O.7 (in the USA, "Freddie the Frog") (UK 1992)

Holy crap! I saw this film when I was a kid! I swear I saw it at a little dollar theater near my house too! I've been wracking my brain for years as to "that movie with the frog secret-agent and some glowing red thing"

The others are...disturbing for the most part

[white_rabbit]

I'd forgotten how fucking brutal the Farthing Wood stuff was.

Its amazing this sort of stuff was marketed at kids back then. Or was it ? I can't honestly say I've paid enough attention to modern animation, but I can't see Farthing wood making it as a new production, even though it wasn't all cute animals getting killed. mind you, the book death of sinous was worse, she got eaten alive, mainly as a revenge attack for the slaughter of Rat females and babies by the two Adders!


Flight of Dragons is still one of my favourite movies ever. Even rigorous application of anti-nostalgia cream doesn't change that, when I watch that film, I instantly regress to a kid. Plus, Ommadon and Bryaugh were fucking awesome bad guys. I still get the shivers thinking about some of the scenes. I particularly love Bryaugh, that malevolent laugh and dialogue by James Gregory. James Earl Jones as Ommadon was fantastic as well.

" Puny scum of Carolinus, Prepare to Die! " (must be bellowed whilst diving out of the sky)

[Bounty]

Its amazing this sort of stuff was marketed at kids back then.

I'm getting the impression kids were given a lot more credit in terms of understanding "grown up" themes fifteen years ago than they are given today. For instance:

Episode 22 through 25 are essentially an allegory of the rise and fall of Nazism, with Dolf himself, though wearing a Napoleonic uniform, as a clear caricature of Adolf Hitler. It begins with Dolf returning from abroad, in a train with Austrian markings, and meeting up with his friends. He then discusses the current political climate in Great Waterland, and expresses disgust of it. Dolf then decides to found a political party, the later National Crows Party, for which he goes to Alfred to lend money. he explains his ideas, but Alfred refuses and Dolf barges out of Alfred's house in a fit of rage. Alfred and Henk express their fear of Dolf, but Henk reassures Alfred that Dolf will never gather enough money to fund his intended party. Not much later however, Dolf inherits a huge fortune. He found his party, which trough promising employment and change, quickly becomes a major and powerful political movement. Dolf eventually stages a coup d'etat and takes over the country. Political opponents, including Alfred, are imprisoned on the charge of high treason. Alfred and his friends barely escape and flee abroad to the neighboring country of Great reedland. Not much later the King of Great Waterland himself flees as well, and Dolf proclaims himself Emperor Dolf I. Alfred and the other political dissidents however devised a plan to dispose of Dolf and steal Dolfs inheritances from the vaults of his palace. Without his money, Dolf's power quickly dwindles and he is imprisoned.

Dolf is eventually released from prison, and makes as an appearance illegal arms dealer and general criminal in further episodes. In the 43rd and 44th episodes, the King has decided to abdicate and for the first time democratic elections are held. Dolf once again attempts to rule Great Waterland as one of the three official candidates. He cunningly withdraws his entry as one of the other candidates is much more popular than he is. He then pays Lispel the Jellyfish to causes a huge flood in Great Waterland. Dolf then publicly gives away all his money to help the victims; sky rocketing his popularity and prompting his reentry in the presidential race. He then, in an attempt to get rid of any compromising evidence, tries to kill Lispel, who escapes and, though heavily wounded, tells Alfred the truth on the flood.

Dolf is once again imprisoned, yet after his release again continues his life of crime. In the final two episodes, Dolf becomes the henchman of an oil magnate who is attempting to get his hands on the blueprints of an environmentally friendly fuel, invented by Professor Buffon. After a fight, in which Dolf attempts to kill Alfred by pushing his car of the road, Dolf is again captured and is sentenced to be imprisoned for 26 years. This time however, he escapes, aided by a former member of his Crows Party, and takes Winnie, Alfreds girlfriend, hostage. In the series finale, and after a manic hunt, Alfred finds and defeats Dolf.

This is the synopsis of a cartoon starring a talking duck who lives in a shoe.

[hongi]

I guess All Dogs Go to Heaven isn't obscure enough to warrant a mention here?

[Tsyroc]

The only one of those I've seen was Flight of the Dragons. We used to have a VHS tape of it that I seem to recall my parents had recorded off the TV for us to watch. I liked it quite a bit but it's been a long, long time since I've seen it so my recollection might be getting tinted by the rose colored glasses of childhood nostalgia.

I used to have The Flight of Dragons on VHS from when I recorded it off of the TV.

I believe it was mentioned that it was based on the book The Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson but there was also another book actually titled The Flight of Dragons by Peter Dickinson that explained the dragons biology as it worked in the film. Essentially the dragons produce hydrogen and fly by being kind of blimp like and also breath fire by igniting the hydrogen they expel from their mouths. This was something used in the film that was different from the book The Dragon and the George. In the book tDatG the dragons just fly and don't breath fire at all. I remember checking The Flight of Dragons book out from my local library several times as a kid.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_of_Dragons

[Ford Prefect]

mind you, the book death of sinous was worse, she got eaten alive, mainly as a revenge attack for the slaughter of Rat females and babies by the two Adders!

Sinuous was Adder's boyfriend (seriously, the guy has a moustache). That said, I'm bizarrely impressed. I thought Sinuous getting the life choked out of him was awful enough. That said it's not always mouse babies impaled on thorns; the show wasn't an unrelenting torrent of brutality. Usually it was just pretty good fun and then sometimes it would diverge into some pretty dark territory. DON'T PANIC! DON'T PANIC! DON'T PANIC!