How's It Hold Up?

Some pieces of media — be they cartoon shorts, feature length films, or even whole seasons of television — are worth watching a particular moment. That moment could be as short as a single seconds-long scene or as long as an entire episode, but something about it manages to massively exceed the quality level of the media it's a part of. Today, we have a cartoon that fits this bill... but is the scene in question really good enough to warrant watching the rest of the short? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

(Spoiler Section Length - 16min 35sec)

Some movies are known for being massively successful, massively influential, and pillars of their respective genre... and yet also get watched less and less as the years go by, as though knowledge of their reputation is enough and watching the actual film is no longer needed. In many ways, it feels like Akira is one of these movies - frequently mentioned when talking about 'greatest anime movies', but how many fans who started watching anime in the 2000s or 2010s can say they've bothered to go back and watch this film from the late 80s? One might even start wondering if it's worth all the hype. Well, is it? Listen to find out.

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Though Tex Avery tends to be known for his more violent, slapstick and sometimes horny cartoons, the man was also capable of making cartoons that were strangely sweet. This is perhaps the most well-known example, though don't let the 'sweet' description fool you into thinking the short is devoid of laughs. Featuring a jazz-singing owl, disappointed parents, and a talent competition, this short has it all... but is it good? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

(Spoiler Section Length - 12min 34sec)

Like Ranma 1/2 before, this time we're covering another animated film that's tied to a long-running animated series! Unlike that movie, which was fairly standalone, this film is actually a direct continuation of Steven Universe, taking place after that series' finale. Like the show that spawned it, there's lots of fighting, lots of singing, and lots of queerness. But do they all come together well to create a feature film? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Popeye is back, and he's got a baby this time! Trying to be a pal to Olive Oyl, Popeye takes little Swee'Pea to the zoo, but this baby has a habit of running loose and causing problems that it's up to Popeye to fix. This is one of those cartoons that's alright overall but has one particular moment that makes you laugh out loud. Does that moment make the cartoon worth watching? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

(Spoiler Section Length - 3min 24sec)

We've watched several half-hour shorts for Mickey and his friends before, but we've never seen the mouse feature in a full-length film... until today! That's right, Mickey and his pals are Musketeers, on a feature-length adventure of daring-do and classical music. The gang's all here - Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Minnie, Daisy, Pete, Pluto, the Beagle Boys, Clarabelle... okay well Horace didn't make the cut. But we did get a French turtle? Does it ultimately all come together, or is Mickey's first film a dud? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Mickey's pals Donald and Goofy might be swiftly gaining in popularity, but at least in 1936, Mickey himself wasn't down for the count yet! This time we have a Through the Looking Glass inspired romp in store for Disney's favorite mouse, with Mickey dancing, playing and fighting over the course of the short. It's all a dream and Mickey knows it, so he might as well have some fun while it's happening, even if it makes the King of Hearts mad. Is this Mickey Mouse misadventure any good? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Yep, we've still got more Jungle Book! But this particular version came out the same year as the original Disney movie... or at least the first part of it did. That's right, this is actually a series of shorts that can be viewed together for a movie experience, and in some cases is actually edited together that way. This is a wildly different take on the world and characters than what we're used to, but ultimately, is it any good? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

The Happy Harmonies series is an oft-forgotten series of shorts that largely serve as a vehicle for the increasingly racist depictions of former Looney Tunes star Bosko, and also a bunch of cartoons that ape the sensibilities of Disney's Silly Symphonies series. Which is to say, it's oft-forgotten because there is not much there of quality to remember. That said, the series did, through this cartoon, harbor the directorial beginnings of a man who would go on to immeasurably affect the animation industry, and thus, we turn our eyes upon To Spring, and ask: were William Hanna's talents obvious, even from the beginning? Listen to find out!

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

(Spoiler Section Length - 22min 50sec)

Mamoru Hosoda is back, and this time, like his previous Digimon films, he's working on a previously existing series, rather than his own original work. One Piece is a long-running series with many, many movies under its belt, both before and after this, and a legacy stretching over 25 years. Its creator is of course the inimitable Eiichiro Oda, whose sense of whimsy, adventure and iconic art style has won hearts and minds the world over. Hosoda, meanwhile, has also built a reputation upon strong storytelling and an immediately recognizable visual style. When two titans meet, what is the result, and ultimately, is it any good?

The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Kool Kats Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/