Favourite Non-US/Japanese Animation

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-22 10:18am

Watership Down the film is on right now on BBC2 (just seen what I can recall as the only U rated film with a foreign seagull saying "Piss off!" in

) and was wondering what everyones best loved animations from elsewhere are.

Three off the top of my head are the afformentioned film (never saw the series), The Animals Of Farthing Wood which was classic and quite violent in some parts and of course Inspector Gadget, the original series not the crappy American spin-offs or Disney films.

XaLEv · Post by **XaLEv** » 2003-10-22 10:44am

Does Wallace and Gromit count?

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-10-22 10:47am

Cosgrove Hall rock!
Terry Pratchett's Discworld
Dangermouse
Duckula
The BFG

As do Aardman:
Creature Comforts
Wallace and Gromit
Chicken Run

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2003-10-22 10:54am

Aside from comedy series like South Park/Family Guy/Futurama, I would have to say Samurai Jack. Killer animation and plenty of atmosphere.

As you can also see be looking at my avatar, I am also partial to Flight of Dragons...

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2003-10-22 10:55am

InnerBrat wrote: The BFG

There's an animated Big Friendly Giant movie? When was this made? I loved the book, was it anything like it?

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-10-22 10:56am

The Kernel wrote:Aside from comedy series like South Park/Family Guy/Futurama, I would have to say Samurai Jack. Killer animation and plenty of atmosphere.

^aren't they all American?

As you can also see be looking at my avatar, I am also partial to Flight of Dragons...

Ah, so that's what is is. I wondered.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-10-22 10:57am

The Kernel wrote:
InnerBrat wrote: The BFG
There's an animated Big Friendly Giant movie? When was this made? I loved the book, was it anything like it?

Yep. 80s, I think.
I do know it was the only adaptation of his books that Roald Dahl actually liked...

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2003-10-22 10:57am

DangerMouse

Still trying to get all the episodes.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2003-10-22 11:00am

InnerBrat wrote:
The Kernel wrote:
InnerBrat wrote: The BFG
There's an animated Big Friendly Giant movie? When was this made? I loved the book, was it anything like it?
Yep. 80s, I think.
I do know it was the only adaptation of his books that Roald Dahl actually liked...

Shit, I know what you mean. That stupid Mathilda movie? Yuck.

Now if only someone could make an R-rated, animated version of The Twits...

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-10-22 11:02am

The Kernel wrote:Shit, I know what you mean. That stupid Mathilda movie? Yuck.

But he was dead when that was made.
I was thinking of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (oh, sorry, Willy Wonka). yucky yuck.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-22 11:03am

Anything by Cosgrove Hall is good, Count Duckula, Avenger Penguins, Danger Mouse, The BFG film, Trapdoor.

There are plenty of series and films that I have likely forgotten due to age, but rest assured, I didn't just watch American comic book cartoons and Japanese mecha ones.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2003-10-22 11:04am

InnerBrat wrote:
The Kernel wrote:Shit, I know what you mean. That stupid Mathilda movie? Yuck.
But he was dead when that was made.
I was thinking of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (oh, sorry, Willy Wonka). yucky yuck.

Say what you want, Gene Wilder is a fucking genius. People have been trying to copy him ever since (and all failed).

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-10-22 11:05am

The Kernel wrote:Say what you want, Gene Wilder is a fucking genius. People have been trying to copy him ever since (and all failed).

But it was still far too sickly sweet for a Roald Dahl adaptation. *shudder*

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-22 11:06am

The Kernel wrote:
InnerBrat wrote:
The Kernel wrote:Shit, I know what you mean. That stupid Mathilda movie? Yuck.
But he was dead when that was made.
I was thinking of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (oh, sorry, Willy Wonka). yucky yuck.
Say what you want, Gene Wilder is a fucking genius. People have been trying to copy him ever since (and all failed).

Yes, yes, that film rocked, but it's not exactly animation last I checked.

How could I forget the Discworld stuff too? Gah!

Then there's The Mr. Hell Show and Stressed Eric.

IB: Dahl never liked ANY of his books being adapted, they were nothing like he wanted them to be and only a child could really make them as he wanted.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2003-10-22 11:07am

InnerBrat wrote:
The Kernel wrote:Say what you want, Gene Wilder is a fucking genius. People have been trying to copy him ever since (and all failed).
But it was still far too sickly sweet for a Roald Dahl adaptation. *shudder*

True, for some reason directors feel the need to lighten up his material even though I always loved the darker edge they had to them. Remember how the kid from The Witches had to remain a mouse in the book but they made him human in the movie? Fuck, it ruined the whole think...damn Hollywood.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-22 11:10am

Anyone remember Dreamstone? I used to love the bad guys in that, the two soldiers and the scientist making these dodgy contraptions to steel the stone.

InnerBrat · Post by **InnerBrat** » 2003-10-22 11:10am

Admiral Valdemar wrote:IB: Dahl never liked ANY of his books being adapted, they were nothing like he wanted them to be and only a child could really make them as he wanted.

OK, but he didn't hate the BFG. And I think he would have approved of James and the Giant Peach as well. I agree with Kernel on the ending to The Witches though.

Oh, on the subject of adult cartoons you like Watership Down - Animal Farm (the animated adaptation of Orwell) was a great film as well.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-22 11:17am

InnerBrat wrote:
Admiral Valdemar wrote:IB: Dahl never liked ANY of his books being adapted, they were nothing like he wanted them to be and only a child could really make them as he wanted.
OK, but he didn't hate the BFG. And I think he would have approved of James and the Giant Peach as well. I agree with Kernel on the ending to The Witches though.

Oh, on the subject of adult cartoons you like Watership Down - Animal Farm (the animated adaptation of Orwell) was a great film as well.

Yeah, the ending to The Witches sucked far too much. James and the Giant Peach was good too, seemed like a real Tim Burton take on it.

I think as I mentioned this was any animation, then kids shows like Button Moon deserve a mention. Hah!

EDIT: Victor & Hugo was another Cosgrove Hall classic, even have some of the eps on tape still I reckon.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-10-22 12:04pm

While it was an American production, The Flight of Dragons is a totally bitchin' movie. Sadly, we only have it as a TV broadcast version recorded on a ~17 year-old VHS.

And it's not availible on DVD...

Anyone ever hear of a 1981 Swedish animated film called Peter-No-Tail (Pelle Svanslös)? It's one of the films that our family has recorded on a multitude of tapes over the years. There was a fairly decent (going by memory, haven't seen it since before high school) English dub of it made, but considering that the IMDB lists only a German VHS release, I'm going to assume that it might be somewhat rare outside of Sweden, Finland, or Germany...

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-22 12:14pm

European animation is harder to come by, especially when we're talking '80s and '90s era stuff.

Half of the shows and films I saw as a kid during my school years are gone and only a memory with a few fansites maybes. It depresses me that everything is all either American same-old, same-old superhero stuff or Japanese card game shows with dodgy monsters thrown in. I know that's a generalisation, but the stuff shown on the TV here is just that now and the kids are not getting what I used to.

I feel all nostalgic now, I hope to god I haven't chucked any of the stuff I had out such as tapes and annuals and so on.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2003-10-22 12:26pm

InnerBrat wrote:
The Kernel wrote:Aside from comedy series like South Park/Family Guy/Futurama, I would have to say Samurai Jack. Killer animation and plenty of atmosphere.
^aren't they all American?

Matt and Trey Parker are canadian, IIRC...and I believe Gendy Tartakovsky is as well..I could be wrong, and I'm at work, so I can't check sources. Maybe some other highly motivated individual will gut-check my claims.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-22 12:38pm

Has anyone heard of When The Wind Blows? Just some guy mentioned it on the MT.com forums, it's a storybook style animated film released in the mid-eighties about an old English couple who survive a nuclear attack by the Soviets.

It's supposed to be the UK equivalent of Grave Of The Fireflies or An American Tail (couldn't think of another depressing US animation).

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-10-22 12:45pm

An American Tail is depressing?

I've heard of it. It's based on a British graphic novel, I believe. I read a review over at The Unknown Movies.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2003-10-22 12:48pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:An American Tail is depressing?

I've heard of it. It's based on a British graphic novel, I believe. I read a review over at The Unknown Movies.

Yeah, like I said, couldn't really think of a truly depressing film, so Fievel's story is all I could get.

This film sounds like something I should really see, it'd be good if they rereleased such classics as a stark contrast to the likes of Finding Nemo and other Disney films doing their rounds now.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2003-10-22 12:53pm

Here's the Unknown Movies' review if you're interested, Vald:
http://www.badmovieplanet.com/unknownmo ... ev342.html