Animation on Video
Here is a selected list of our best animated features, shorts, and collections. Many of these videotapes will amuse viewers of all ages, while others, like the work of the Brothers Quay and Jan Svankmajer, are intended for adults. You'll find many more animation videos in the Children's Room!
Academy Award Winners: Animated Short Films includes Jimmy Picker's Sundae in New York, Frederic Back's rollicking Crac!, Gene Deitch and Jules Feiffer's Munro, John and Faith Hubley's The Hole and Moonbird, and Will Vinton and Bob Gardiner's claymation Closed Mondays. 1985. 60 min. VH2/ACAD-0002.
The Adventures of Prince Achmed by Lotte Reiniger. This Arabian fantasy is possibly the first animated feature. 1926. 65 min. Silent with musical score. Also, Reiniger's The Secret of the Marquise (1921 - 3 min.) and Katja Raganelli's documentary, Lotte Reiniger: Homage to the Inventor of the Silhouette Film (1999 - 60 min.). VH1/ADVE-0012.
The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. Director Des McAnuff combines live action with animation. Rene Russo, Jason Alexander, Robert De Niro, Randy Quaid and Piper Perabo star. 2000. 92 min. VH1/ADVE-0014.
Akira. Biker Tetsuo is driven mad by a psychic force in Katsuhiro Otomo's animated feature. Dubbed. Letterboxed. 1989. 124 min. VH1/AKIR-0002.
Alchemist of the Surreal: Jan Svankmajer. Works by the Czech animator include Dimensions of Dialogue (1982), The Last Trick (1964), Punch and Judy (1966), Et Cetera (1966), and Jabberwocky (1971). 60 min. VH2/ALCH-0001.
Alice. Jan Svankmajer combines live action and puppets for this creepy, free-form adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. 1988. 84 min. VH1/ALIC-0006.
Allegro Non Troppo. Live action sequences introduce six humorous animated segments set to the music of Debussy, Dvorak, Ravel, Sibelius, Vivaldi, and Stravinsky. A film by Bruno Bozetto. Subtitled. 1976. 85 min. VH1/ALLE-0002.
Allosaurus: A Walking with Dinosaurs Special. Kenneth Branagh narrates Time Haines' computer-animated recreation of the violent life and death of Big Al, the most complete Allosaurus skeleton ever found in Wyoming. 29 min. Also, Kate Bartlett's Allosaurus: Big Al Uncovered, a 29-minute "making of" documentary. 2000. VH5/ALLO-0001.
Animal Farm. Oppressed animals take over a farm in John Halas and Joy Batchelor's film version of George Orwell's political allegory. 1954. 72 min. VH1/ANIM-0002.
Animation: Basic Camera Techniques. Paul Messerle and Keith Opstad demonstrate how to create animated videos. Tom Hubbard directed. 1998. 29 min. VH4/ANIM-0001.
Animation Legend: Winsor McCay includes How a Mosquito Operates, The Sinking of the Lusitania, Bug Vaudeville, The Pet, The Flying House, Gertie the Dinosaur, Little Nemo, Gertie on Tour, The Centaurs, and Flip's Circus. Silent with musical score. 1911-1920. 100 min. VH2/ANIM-0001.
Bar Yohai ; Cycle ; Blue, a Tlingit Odyssey. Robert Ascher tells three myths (Hebrew, Wulamba and Tlingit) with simple, nearly abstract animation drawn directly on film, plus native-language narration. 1986-88. 17 min. VH2/BARY-0004.
Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero. Boyd Kirkland's adventure features the voices of Kevin Conroy as Batman, Michael Ansara as Mr. Freeze, Loren Lester as Robin, and Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. as Alfred. 1997. 67 min. VH1/BATM-0010.
Batman Beyond: Rebirth (a.k.a. Batman Beyond: The Movie). When an elderly Bruce Wayne (voice of Kevin Conroy) retires his alter ego Batman, high schooler Terry McGinnis (Will Friedle) dons the cape and mask. Curt Geda directed this cartoon. 1998. 41 min. VH2/BATM-0002.
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. Eric Radomski and Bruce W. Timm's fantasy features the voices of Kevin Conroy as Batman, Dana Delaney as his love interest Andrea, Stacy Keach, Jr. as the Phantasm, and Mark Hamill as The Joker. 1993. 77 min. VH1/BATM-0009.
The Batman Superman Movie. Toshihiko Masuda's cartoon features the voices of Tim Daly as Superman, Dana Delaney as Lois Lane, Kevin Conroy as Batman, Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor, and Mark Hamill as The Joker. 1997. 61 min. VH1/BATM-0011.
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Ray Harryhausen animates a radioactive dinosaur on the loose. 1953. 80 min. VH1/BEAS-0002.
Beavis and Butt-Head Do America. Animator Mike Judge also provides the voices for these nattering teenaged cretins. 1996. 82 min. VH1/BEAV-0001.
Before Mickey: An Animated Anthology. Donald Crafton's collection of silent shorts includes works by Winsor McCay, Max and Dave Fleischer, Otto Messmer, Ub Iwerks, and Walt Disney. 1982. 120 min. VH2/BEFO-0002.
The Bent Tree. A mother tries to prevent her daughter from flying away like a bird in Sally Heckel's interpretation of Itzik Manger's Yiddish poem. 1979. 4 min. VH2/BENT-0001.
Beowulf. A noble warrior (voice of Joseph Fiennes) battles the shadow monster Grendel in Yuri Kulakov's version of the old English legend. Derek Jacobi narrates. 1998. 26 min. VH2/BEOW-0001.
The Best of The Simpsons. Twelve episodes featuring the voices of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner and Nancy Cartwright. David Silverman, Wes Archer, Rich Moore, and Jim Reardon directed. 1990. 144 min. VH2/BEST-0010 through -0015.
Betty Boop: The Definitive Collection. Amazing cartoons by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer. 1930-39. 13 1/4 hrs. VH2/BETT-0001 through -0008.
Beyond the Blue Meanies: The Animation of Paul Driessen. Works by one of this Yellow Submarine animator include The Lost Blue, Air!, Cat's Cradle, An Old Box, The Same Old Story, and The End of the World in Four Seasons. 1972-1995. 45 min. VH2/BEYO-0001.
The Bizarre World of Raoul Servais. The Belgian animator's films include Chromophobia (a free spirit rises from a concentration camp), Sirene (the death of a mermaid), The False Note (a musician and a carousel horse), Goldframe (an egomaniac filmmaker), To Speak or Not to Speak (the danger of an apathetic society), and Pegasus (a blacksmith faces technology). 1994. 56 min. VH2/BIZA-0001.
The Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl: Betty Boop. Max & Dave Fleischer's heroine stars in Musical Mountaineers, Betty in Blunderland, Stop That Noise, Swat the Fly, Betty Boop and the Little King, Happy You and Merry Me, House Cleaning Blues, The Impractical Joker, and Betty Boop and Little Jimmy. 1934-1937. 55 min. VH2/BOOP-0001.
The Brothers Quay. Two volumes of bizarre shorts by twin animators who activate menacing puppets in surreal settings: Street of Crocodiles, The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer, Epic of Gillgamesh, Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies, and Nocturna Artificiala. 1979-88. 89 min. VH2/BROT-0001 and -0002.
A Bug's Life. Flea circus misfits help an ant colony ward off marauding locusts. Dave Foley, Kevin Spacey, Phyllis Diller, David Hyde Pierce, Denis Leary, Jonathan Harris, Madeline Kahn, Bonnie Hunt and Roddy McDowall lend their voices to John Lasseter's computer-animated feature. 1998. 95 min. Also, Jan Pinkava's Geri's Game (1997 - 5 min.). VH1/BUGS-0002.
The Cameraman's Revenge and Other Fantastic Tales: The Amazing Puppet Animation of Ladislaw Starewicz also includes The Insect's Christmas, the allegorical Frogland, the hand-colored fable Voice of the Nightingale, The Mascot and Winter Carousel. 1912-58. 80 min. VH2/CAME-0001.
The Canterbury Tales. Pilgrims share stories on their way to Canterbury in this animated adaptation of Geoffrey Chaucer's book. Numerous Russian and British animators collaborated on this project, which features the voices of Bob Peck, Sean Bean, John Wood, Billie Whitelaw, Richard Griffiths, and Imelda Staunton. 1997. 54 min. VH2/CANT-0002.
Cartoon Madness: The Fantastic Max Fleischer Cartoons. Leonard Maltin hosts Mark Lamberti's compilation, which includes She Reminds Me of You, Koko's Earth Control, Bimbo's Initiation, Snow-White, Poor Cinderella, Dancing on the Moon, Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy, and Betty Boop's May Party. 1991. 94 min. VH2/CART-0004.
Cartoon Noir. Pedro Serrazino's The Story of the Cat and the Moon, Jiri Barta's Club of the Discarded, Julie Zammarchi's Ape, Piotr Dumala's Gentle Spirit, Paul Vester's Abductees, and Suzan Pitt's Joy Street. [2000]. 83 min. VH2/CART-0001.
Cartoongate. Greg Ford's collection of political animation includes Hell-Bent for Election (1994), Eisenhower Spots (1952/56), No Substitute (1996), A Political Cartoon (1974), Popeye for President (1956), Jimmy Who? (1975), Reaganocchio (1984), and Now Is the Time for All Good Men... (1960). 55 min. VH2/CART-0003.
Cartoons Go to War. Cartoonists and film historians recall how animators at the Disney and Warner Bros. Studios contributed to the war effort during WWII. Sharon K. Baker directed. 1995. 50 min. VH2/CART-0002.
Chicken Run. With the help of an American rooster, a troupe of British hens plots to escape from the chicken farm. Peter Lord and Nick Park's claymation movie features the voices of Mel Gibson and Miranda Richardson. 2000. 84 min. VH1/CHIC-0002.
A Chinese Ghost Story: The Tsui Hark Animation. A young man enters a world of demons, ghosts and eternal love in author/producer Tsui Hark's animated version of his own live-action fantasy. Andrew Chin directed. Dubbed. 1999. 84 min. VH1/CHIN-0007.
Chuck Jones: Extremes & Inbetweens: A Life in Animation. Margaret Selby salutes the Warner Bros. cartoonist. 2000. 85 min. VH2/CHUC-0002.
A Close Shave. While Wallace is swooning over the owner of a wool shop, his dog Gromit stands accused of sheep-napping. Nick Park's claymation short won an Oscar. 1995. 30 min. VH2/CLOS-0001.
The Collected Films of Harry Smith: Volume 1: Early Abstractions: Numbers 1-5, 7 & 10. Short animated films touching on spiritual themes. 1941-1957. 22 min. VH2/COLL-0002.
Computer Animation. Don Wass hosts Blake McHugh's instructional tape. 1999. 35 min. VH4/COMP-0006.
Don Quixote. Believing himself to be a knight, daft old Don Quixote (voiced by Simon Callow) sets off on a series of adventures. Csaba Varga animated Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's tale. 1999. 27 min. VH2/DONQ-0001.
A Doonsbury Special. Faith and John Hubley joined forces with newspaper cartoonist Garry Trudeau to bring his characters to life in this award-winning program. 1978. 30 min. VH2/DOON-0001.
Early Russian Cinema: Volume 3: Starewicz's Fantasies. Selections by Wladyslaw Starewicz include The Dragonfly and the Ant (1913), Christmas Eve (1913) and The Lily of Belgium (1915). 58 min. VH2/EARL-0004.
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers. Fred F. Sears' movie about an attack on Washington, D.C. boasts special effects by Ray Harryhausen. 1956. 83 min. VH1/EART-0002.
Fantastic Planet. Giant androids keep humans as pets in French animator Rene Laloux's poetic fable. 1973. 72 min. VH1/FANT-0001.
Faust. Jan Svankmajer's Czechoslovakian fantasy combines live action and animation. 1994. 97 min. VH1/FAUS-0003.
Felix! Otto Messmer directs Feline Follies, Felix Saves the Day, Felix in Hollywood, Felix Dopes It Out, Felix Woos Whoopee, and Comicalamities. Also, rare footage of animator Messmer himself! 1919-30. 60 min. VH2/FELI-0001.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. A computer-animated sci-fi feature from Hironobu Sakaguchi and Moto Sakakibara, featuring the voices of Ming-Na, Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames, Steve Buscemi, Donald Sutherland and Jean Simmons. 2001. 106 min. VH1/FINA-0003.
First Men in the Moon. Ray Harryhausen animated the space creatures for Nathan Juran's delightful Jules Verne adventure. 1964. 103 min. VH1/FIRS-0002.
Frank and Ollie. Meet animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, lifelong friends and collaborators on Disney classics like Bambi, Pinocchio, Lady and the Tramp, and The Jungle Book. Theodore Thomas directed this charming documentary. 1995. 89 min. VH2/FRAN-0011.
Ghost in the Shell. Mamoru Oshi's sci-fi anime is based on Shirow Masamune's manga comic. 1995. 79 min. Also, 27 minutes of extras. VH1/GHOS-0013.
A Grand Day. Wallace and Gromit fly to the moon in a homemade rocket in search of their favorite snack, cheese. Nick Park directed this claymation short. 1989. 25 min. VH2/GRAN-0001.
Grave of the Fireflies. Two children struggle to survive in the aftermath of Hiroshima in this anime by Isao Takahata. 1988. 88 min. VH1/GRAV-0001.
The Great Animation Studios: Fleischer Studios. Eleven cartoons, including appearances by Betty Boop and Popeye. 2000. 90 min. VH2/GREA-0014.
Greentoons: Environmentally Aware Animation. Mary Beams' Whale Songs, Adrian Raeside's Global Warming, Kristine Albrecht's Do You Care About the Earth?, Karren Kiner's Bob the Frog in "Burp," Gary W. McQuay's How the Loon, Raeside's Ozone, Ken O'Connell's Oregon Country, Cecilia Kendrick's Only the Cat Saw It, Sol Levine's All That Power Goes Up in Smoke and A Safer Job Pays a Lot Longer, Howard Danelowitz' Lady Tree, Jonathan Amitay's Oh Dad II, Raeside's Food Additives, and Albrecht's Water. 1992. 45 min. VH2/GREE-0001.
Gulliver's Travels. This version of Jonathan Swift's fantasy was directed by Dave Fleischer for producer Max Fleischer. 1939. 75 min. VH1/GULL-0002.
Hair Piece: A Film for Nappy-Headed People. Ayoka Chenzira takes a humorous look at black women's troubled self-image. 1985. 10 min. VH2/HAIR-0001.
The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story. Kelsey Grammer narrates Leslie Iwerks' portrait of her grandfather, who was Walt Disney's early partner and the first man to bring Mickey Mouse to life. 1999. 91 min. + 2 Mickey Mouse cartoons. VH2/HAND-0003.
Hand-Crafted Cinema: Animation Workshop with Caroline Leaf. The Canadian animator demonstrates her remarkable technique in a program by Erik Roberts. 1997. 36 min. Also, Leaf and fellow animator Veronika Soul document their creative processes in the animated Interview (1979 - 13 min.). VH2/HAND-0002.
Heaven and Earth Magic: Film Number 12: Collected Films Volume 2, 1957-1962 by Harry Smith. More experimental films touching on spiritualism and psychology. 66 min. VH2/HEAV-0001.
Heavy Metal. Gerald Potterton's sci-fi movie features the voices of Eugene Levy, Joe Flaherty, John Candy and Harold Ramis, and music by Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Cheap Trick, Journey, Nazareth and others. 1981. 90 min. VH1/HEAV-0010.
The Hobbit. Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Saul Bass' version of the J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy features the voices of Orson Bean, Richard Boone, Hans Conried, John Huston, Otto Preminger, and Cyril Ritchard. 1977. 78 min. VH1/HOBB-0001.
Hollywood Salutes Canadian Animation includes these Oscar nominees and winners: Eugene Fedorenko's Every Child (1979), Co Hoedeman's The Sand Castle (1977), Ron Tunis' This Is the House That Jack Built (1967), John Weldon and Eunice Macaulay's Special Delivery (1978), Ryan Larkin's Walking (1968), Caroline Leaf's The Street (1976), and Norman McLaren and Grant Munro's Neighbours (1952). 1990. 58 min. VH2/HOLL-0016.
Hoppity Goes to Town (a.k.a. Mr. Bug Goes to Town). Animator Dave Fleischer visits the insect residents of Bugville (actually a weed patch in the middle of Manhattan). Songs by Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser. 1941. 77 min. VH1/HOPP-0001.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The dastardly Grinch plots to spoil Christmas for the citizens of Whoville. Boris Karloff narrates Chuck Jones' version of the Dr. Seuss tale. 1966. 26 min. VH2/HOWT-0002.
The Hunting of the Snark ; Jabberwocky. Michael Sporn brings two Lewis Carroll poems to life. 1989. 27 min. VH2/HUNT-0001.
Incredible Manitoba Animation includes Brad Castor's Get a Job (1985), Spence's Republic (uncredited), Vonnie von Helmolt and Alan Pakarnyk's Carried Away (1985), Richard Condie's Getting Started (1979), Lady Francis Simpson and Fort Prince of Wales (both uncredited), and Richard Condie's The Big Snit (1988), The Cat Came Back (1988) and The Cat Strikes Back. 50 min. VH2/INCR-0001.
International Tournee of Animation: Volume 4. Terry Thoren's compilation includes Joanna Priestley's All My Relations, Animated Self Portraits by international animators, Craig Bartlett's The Arnold Waltz, Christoph and Wolfgang Lauenstein's Balance, Maarten Kroopman's The Bedroom, James Richardson's Cat and Rad, Alexander Petrov's The Cow, Elsa Cayo and Jan Kounen's Gisele Kerozene, Karen Aqua's Kakania, Nedjelkko Dragic's Pictures from Memory, Bill Plympton's Plymptoons, Richard Quade's Sand Dance, Chris Casady's Shadrach, Michel Gagne's A Touch of Deceit, Paul Driessen's Train Gang, Bill Jarcho and Michael Manning's A Very, Very Long Time Ago, Garri Bardin's Vykrutasy, and Vincent Cafarelli and Candy Kugel's A Warm Reception in L.A. 1991. 90 min. VH2/INTE-0003.
The Iron Giant. In Cold War America, a little boy (voiced by Eli Marienthal) befriends a giant robot from outer space (Vin Diesel). Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick, Jr., Cloris Leachman, John Mahoney and M.Emmet Walsh also contributed to Brad Bird's animated feature. Letterboxed. 1999. 87 min. VH1/IRON-0004.
Jan Svankmajer: The Animator of Prague. James Marsh's profile of the influential Czech animator includes the satirical The Death of Stalinsim in Bohemia: A Work of Agitprop. 1990. 35 min. VH2/JANS-0001.
The Janus Shorts Collection: Part 2 includes six animated films: Keith Learner's Do-It-Yourself Cartoon Kit (1961), Fred Mogubgub's Enter Hamlet (1970), Lotte Reiniger's Papageno (1981), Dusan Vukotic's Ersatz (1961), Aleksandar Marks and Vladimir Jutrisa's The Fly (1966), and Tadeusz Wilkosz' Bags (1967). 111 min. VH2/JANU-0002.
The Janus Shorts Collection: Part 3 includes two works by animator Walerian Borowczyk, Renaissance and Games of Angels, plus 4 live-action tales. 1963-64. 90 min. VH2/JANU-0003.
Jason and the Argonauts. Ray Harryhausen animates a giant statue, winged harpies, a 7-headed dragon and a skeleton army. Don Chaffey directed this fantasy. 1963. 104 min. VH1/JASO-0001.
John Canemaker: Marching to a Different Toon includes Confessions of a Stardreamer, Bridgehampton, Confessions of a Stand-Up, Bottom's Dream, The Wizard's Son, and a collection of short collaborative pieces. 1978-19998. 60 min. VH2/JOHN-0010.
Jurassic Park. Scientists meet genetically engineered (and computer-animated) dinosaurs in Steven Spielberg's movie. 1993. 127 min. VH1/JURA-0002. VH1/JURA-0003 is letterboxed. VH1/JURA-0004 is in Spanish.
King Kong. A giant ape terrorizes New York in this anniversary edition of Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's classic. Willis O'Brien provided the special effects. 1933. 105 min. VH1/KING-0008 or -0021.
Library of Congress Video Collection: Volume 3: Origins of American Animation, 1900-1921 includes 23 examples, including Krazy Kat, Katzenjammer Kids, Winsor McCay, and a pre-Kong short by Willis O'Brien. Silent with music score. 84 min. VH2/LIBR-0003.
The Lord of the Rings. Ralph Bakeshi brings J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy saga to the screen. 1978. 133 min. VH1/LORD-0005.
The Lost World. Explorer Wallace Beery discovers a prehistoric plateau and brings a live dinosaur to London. Harry Hoyt's silent classic features animation by Willis O'Brien. 1925. 77 min. VH1/LOST-0003.
The Man Who Planted Trees. Christopher Plummer narrates Frederic Back's Oscar-winning interpretation of Jean Giorno's tale about a shepherd whose careful planting turns a wind-blown desert into a paradise. 1987. 30 min. VH2/MANW-0001.
Marvin the Martian: Space Tunes includes Chuck Jones' Duck Dodgers in the 24 ½th Century, Jumpin' Jupiter, Rocket-Bye Baby, Hareway to the Stars, Rocket Squad, and The Hasty Hare. 1951-1957. 42 min. VH2/MARV-0001.
Marvin the Martian & K-9: 50 Years on Earth! includes Chuck Jones' Haredevil Hare, Mad as a Mars Hare, Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24 ½th Century, Spaced Out Bunny, and Lumber Jack Bunny, plus Friz Freleng's Hyde and Go Tweet. 1947-1980. 41 min. VH2/MARV-0002.
Masters of Animation. John Halas' series features interviews with animators from around the world and examples of their work. Volume 1 covers the U.S. and Canada; Volume 2 treats Great Britain, Italy and France; Volume 3 looks at the USSR, Yugoslavia, Poland, and Hungary; Volume 4 includes Japan and computer animation. 1986. 6 1/4 hrs. VH2/MAST-0017 through -0020.
Masters of Russian Animation: Volume I includes Fyodor Khitrui's Film, Film, Film (19 min.), Yelena Gavrlko's Girlfriend (10 min.), Eduard Nazarov's Hunt (10 min.), and Lev Atamanov's Ballerina on the Boat (16 min.). 1997. 55 min. VH2/MAST-0005.
Masters of Russian Animation: Volume II includes Fyodor Khitruk's Island (10 min.),Lev Atamanov's Singing Teacher (3 min.), Alexander Gorlenko's Old Stair (10 min.), andVadim Kurchevsky's Liberated Don Juan (19 min.). 1997. 49 min. VH2/MAST-0006.
Masters of Russian Animation: Volume III includes Vladimir Tarasov's Contact (10 min.), Eduard Nazarov's Travels of an Ant (10 min.), Yuri Guriev's Cat & Co. (10 min.), and Yuri Norstein's Tale of Tales (28 min.). 1997. 58 min. VH2/MAST-0007.
Masters of Russian Animation: Volume V includes these works by Yuri Norstein: Tale of Tales, Hedgehog in Fog, Heron and Crane, Fox and Rabbit, Battle of Kerjenets, and 25th - First Day. 1968-1978. 82 min. VH2/MAST-0008.
Masters of Russian Animation: Volume VI includes Fyodor Khitruk's Film Film Film and Lion and Ox and Eduard Nazarov's Hunt, There Once Was a Dog and Travels of an Ant. Subtitled. 1968-1984. 73 min. VH2/MAST-0009.
Masters of Russian Animation: Volume VIII includes Andrei Khrjanovsky's King's Sandwich, Glass Harmonica, There Lived Kozyavin, Armoire, and Butterfly, Lev Atamanov's Ballerina on a Boat, and Yelena Gavrilko's Pencil and Erasor. 1968-1985. 75 min. VH2/MAST-0010.
Max Fleischer's Koko the Clown Cartoons. Koko and his friends hop out of the inkwell for Chemical Koko, Koko the Kid, Koko's Courtship, Koko's Harum Scarum, Koko Hops Off, Koko's Big Sale, Koko's Conquest, Koko's Hot Ink, Koko's Hypnotism, and Koko's Reward. Silent. 1927-29. 70 min. VH2/MAXF-0001.
Metropolis. A ruler's son plans to destroy his father's sympathetic robot in this futuristic anime from animator Rintaro. 2001. 109 min. VH1/METR-0004.
Mighty Joe Young. Willis O'Brien won an Oscar for this tale of a girl and her giant gorilla. Ray Harryhausen performed most of the animation. Ernest B. Schoedsack directed. 1949. 94 min. VH1/MIGH-0001.
The Mighty River. Frederic Back pays tribute to Canada's St. Lawrence River, which has thrilled explorers and fallen prey to industrialists. 1993. 24 min. VH2/MIGH-0001.
Moby-Dick. Natalia Orlova animates Herman Melville's tale about Captain Ahab's (voice of Rod Steiger) pursuit of the white whale Moby Dick. 1999. 26 min. VH2/MOBY-0001.
Monsters, Inc. Two monsters (voiced by John Goodman and Billy Crystal) begin to question their jobs, which involve scaring little children. Peter Docter directed. 2001. 95 min. Also, For the Birds (3 min.) and Mike's New Car (4 min.). VH1/MONS-0016 or -0017.
The Movies Begin: Volume V includes the short, Winsor McCay and His Animated Films. 1994. 85 min. VH2/MOVI-0005.
Mysterious Island. Ray Harryhausen animated giant animals for Cy Enfield's adaptation of the Jules Verne adventure. 1961. 101 min. VH1/MYST-0004.
The National Film Board of Canada: A History: Tape 1: Animation includes Norman McLaren's Neighbors and Begone Dulll Care, Colin Low's The Romance of Transportation in Canada, Low and Roman Kroitor's Universe, McLaren's Pas de Deux, Caroline Leaf's The Street, Ishu Patel's The Bead Game, Co Hoedeman's The Sand Castle, Alison Snowden and David Fine's George and Rosemary, and Wendy Tilby's Strings. 1952-1991. 113 min. VH2/NATI-0005.
The Nightmare Before Christmas. This edition of animator Henry Selick's holiday musical (1997 - 76 min.) also includes a 25-minute making-of documentary plus two early Tim Burton shorts, the animated Vincent (narrated by Vincent Price) (1982 - 6 min.) and the live-action Frankenweenie (1984 - 30 min.). VH1/NIGH-0036.
The Old Man and the Sea. Can fisherman Santiago keep the sharks from devouring the giant marlin he has caught? Alexander Petrov directed this version of Ernest Hemingway's novella. 1999. 21 min. Also, a 4-minute "making of" segment. VH2/OLDM-0001.
Osmosis Jones. Inside the body of a slob (Bill Murray), white blood cell Osmosis Jones (Chris Rock) and his cold-capsule sidekick Drix (David Hyde Pierce) battle a villainous virus named Thrax (Laurence Fishburne). Peter & Bobby Farrelly directed with animators Piet Kroon and Tom Sito. 2001. 95 min. VH1/OSMO-0001.
The Plague Dogs. Two dogs escape from a horrible animal research lab in Martin Rosen's harrowing animated feature for adults. 1982. 86 min. VH1/PLAG-0001.
Plymptoons: The Complete Works of Bill Plympton. Surrealistic shorts include the Oscar nominee Your Face, Love in the Fast Lane, One of Those Days, How to Kiss, 25 Ways to Quit Smoking, 245 Days, Plymptoons, and 14 more. 1988-90. 60 min. VH2/PLYM-0001.
Princess Mononoke. A young warrior becomes entangled in a battle between a clan of humans and the animal gods of the forest. Hayao Miyazaki's anime features the voices of Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Billy Bob Thornton, and Keith David. [1999]. 134 min. VH1/PRIN-0007.
The Puppet Films of Jiri Trnka. Works by the Czech master include Story of the Bass Cello, The Song of the Prairie, The Merry Circus, A Drop Too Much, The Hand, and the feature The Emperor's Nightingale (narrated by Boris Karloff); also, Jiri Trnka: Puppet Animation Master. 1948-1965. 157 min. VH2/PUPP-0002.
The Return of the King: A Story of the Hobbits. Orson Bean, Theodore Bikel, William Conrad, John Huston, Roddy McDowall provide the voices for this Tolkien fable, directed by Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Saul Bass. 1979. 97 min. VH1/RETU-0018.
Richard Condie's Family Album. The animator introduces his humorous shorts: Pig Bird, The Apprentice, The Big Snit, John Law and the Mississippi Bubble, La Salla, Oh Sure, and Getting Started (1978-1996). 61 min. VH2/RICH-0011.
Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles: The Pluto Campaign. Soldiers battle giant insects in this computer-animated action flick from Audu Paden and Christopher Berkeley. 1999. 97 min. VH1/ROUG-0003.
The Sand Castle. Sand creatures build a sand castle in Co Hoedeman's fable. A National Film Board of Canada production. 1977. 13 min. VH2/SAND-0008.
Selected Films: Norman McLaren. Delightful shorts by the master animator include Boogie-Doodle, Le Merle, A Chairy Tale, A Phantasy, Neighbours, Lines-Horizontal, Mosaic, New York Lightboard Record, Begone Dull Care, Pas de Deux, Blinkity Blank, Synchromy, Animated Motion #5 and Narcussus. 1940-83. 114 min. VH2/SELE-0002.
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Ray Harryhausen animates a 2-headed bird, a cyclops, a dragon and a skeleton warrior. Nathan Juran directed the live action. 1958. 94 min. VH1/SEVE-0010.
70 Years of Popeye. Twelve cartoons by Seymour Kneitel, I. Sparber, Dave Fleischer and Dave Tendlar. 2000. 100 min. VH2/SEVE-0002.
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales: Hamlet. The Prince of Denmark (voice of Nicholas Farrell) suspects that his father has been murdered in this condensation of the play, rendered via animated glass painting by Natalia Orlova. 1992. 26 min. VH2/SHAK-0001.
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales: Macbeth. An ambitious lady (voice of Zoe Wanamaker) urges her lord (Brian Cox) to commit murder. Alec McCowen narrates Nikolai Serebryakov's short. 1992. 26 min. VH2/SHAK-0002.
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales: A Midsummer Night's Dream. Gods, nobles, tradesmen and fairies frolic in Robert Saakiants' short. Voices by Daniel Massey, Suzanne Bertish, Anthony Jackson, Bernard Hill, and Peter Postlethwaite. 1992. 26 min. VH2/SHAK-0003.
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales: Romeo and Juliet. Opposing families thwart the two young lovers (voices of Linus Roache & Clare Holman) in Efrem Gamburg's cartoon. Felicity Kendal narrates. 1992. 26 min. VH2/SHAK-0004.
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales: The Tempest. Shipwreck survivors meet sorceror Prospero, his daughter Miranda, the monster Caliban, and the fairy Ariel. Puppet animation by Stanislav Sokolov. 1992. 26 min. VH2/SHAK-0005.
Shakespeare: The Animated Tales: Twelfth Night. The arrival of shipwrecked twins creates romantic havoc in the land of Illyria. Maria Muat's puppet animation short features the voices of Fiona Shaw and Hugh Grant. 1992. 26 min. VH2/SHAK-0006.
A Short Film Festival includes John Weldon's Log Driver's Waltz (1979-4 min.), Zlatko Grgic's Hot Stuff (1971-10 min.), Richard Condie's Getting Started (1979-12 min.), Brad Caslor & Christopher Hinton's Blowhard (1978-10 min.), Yvon Mallette's The Family That Dwelt Apart (1973-8 min.), Janet Perlman's Lady Fishbourne's Complete Guide to Table Manners (1976-6 min.), and Ryan Larkin's Street Musique (1972-9 min.). 1990. 57 min. VH2/SHOR-0001.
Shrek. A computer-animated fantasy from Andrew Adamson and Vicky Johnson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. 2001. 93 min. VH1/SHRE-0001, -0002 or -0003.
The Son of Kong. Robert Armstrong meets King Kong's sweet-natured son (animated by Willis O'Brien) in Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper's sequel. 1933. 70 min. VH1/SONO-0004.
South Park. Six raunchy animated cartoons from Trey Parker and Matt Stone. 1997. 165 min. VH2/SOUT-0003 through -0005.
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. Trey Parker and Matt Stone's extremely rude musical-comedy features vocal cameos from George Clooney, Brent Spiner, Minnie Driver, Dave Foley, Eric Idle, and Mike (Beavis & Butt-head) Judge. The song "Blame Canada" earned an Oscar nomination. 1999. 81 min. VH1/SOUT-0004.
Superman XVII. The Man of Steel battles robots, a deadly ray, a volcano, bird-men, a mummy, an asteroid, a gorilla, etc. in Max Fleischer's cartoons. 1941-43. 146 min. VH2/SUPE-0003.
Superman: The Lost Episodes. Japoteurs, Showdown, Eleventh Hour, Destruction Inc., The Mummy Strikes, Jungle Drums, The Underground World, Secret Agent (1942-44), plus Mighty Mouse in Wolf! Wolf!. Seymour Kneitel, Don Gordon and I. Sperber directed these Fleischer cartoons. 75 min. VH2/SUPE-0005.
Tales from the Dark Side. Five shorts from the National Film Board of Canada: Craig Welch's How Wings Are Attached to the Backs of Angels (1996 - 11 min.), Caroline Leaf's Two Sisters (1991 - 10 min.) and The Metamorphosis of Mr. Samsa (1977 - 10 min.), Michèle Cournoyer's A Feather Tale (1992 - 5 min.), and Paul Bochner's Icarus (1984 - 8 min.). 1998. 44 min. VH2/TALE-0007.
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver. See tiny Kerwin Mathews battle a baby alligator (courtesy Ray Harryhausen) in Jack Sher's fantasy. 1960. 100 min. VH1/THRE-0010.
A Tribute to Winsor McKay salutes the animation pioneer with Flying House, Gertie the Dinosaur, The Pet, Bug Vaudeville, Sinking of the Lusitania, and Little Nemo. Silent with music score. 1909-21. 55 min. VH2/TRIB-0002.
20 Million Miles to Earth. When a rocket from Venus crashes in the Mediterranean, a boy finds a container bearing a monster (animated by special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen). Nathan Juran directs the live action. 1957. 83 min. VH1/TWEN-0008.
Twice Upon a Time. Can two cartoon characters save the universe? John Korty and Charles Swenson directed for producer George Lucas. 1983. 75 min. VH1/TWIC-0002.
The Valley of Gwangi. Cowboys encounter dinosaurs (courtesy Ray Harryhausen) in James O'Connolly's sci-fi western. 1969. 96 min. VH1/VALL-0001.
Vampires in Havana. When Professor Von Dracula invents a potion that enables vampires to survive in sunlight, the vampire mafia tries to steal his formula. Juan Padron directed this horror comedy from Cuba. Subtitled. 1987. 69 min. VH1/VAMP-0005.
Volere Volare. Sexy Angela Finocchiaro transforms cartoon-loving sound technician Maruizio Nichetti into a living cartoon. Nichetti wrote and directed this combination of animation and live action with Guido Manuli. Subtitled. 1991. 92 min. VH1/VOLE-0001.
Waking Life. Are we sleep-walking through our waking state or wake-walking through our dreams? A computer-animated feature from writer/director Richard Linklater, with the voices of Wiley Wiggins, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Adam Goldberg, Nicky Katz, Speed Levitch, Steven Soderbergh and Louis Black. 2001. 100 min. VH1/WAKI-0003.
Watership Down. Director Martin Rosen adapts Richard Adams' book about a family of rabbits seeking a safe place to live. With the voices of John Hurt, Ralph Richardson and Denholm Elliott. 1978. 92 min. VH1/WATE-0004.
When the Wind Blows. Peggy Ashcroft and John Mills provide the voices of an elderly couple who survive nuclear war in Jimmy T. Murakami's animated feature. 1986. 80 min. VH2/WHEN-0001.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Detective Bob Hoskins enters a world of toons in Robert Zemeckis' comedy. 1988. 104 min. VH1/WHOF-0001.
The Wrong Trousers. Wallace and Gromit's new lodger, a mysterious penguin, uses mechanical pants in a dastardly caper. Nick Park won an Oscar for this claymation short. 1993. 30 min. VH2/WRON-0002.
Yellow Submarine. Can The Beatles save Pepperland from the Blue Meanies? This edition of George Dunning's psychedelic cartoon features a never-before-seen sequence, "Hey Bulldog." 1968. 90 min. VH1/YELL-0002.
Animated Films: A Bibliography
Anderson, Yvonne. Make Your Own Animated Movies and Videotapes: Film and Video Techniques from Yellow Ball Workshop (778.524 A and J 779.524 A)
Archer, Steve. Willis O'Brien: Special Effects Genius (791.4302 O'Brien A)
Barrier, Michael. Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age (791.433 B)
Beck, Jerry, and Will Friedwald. Looney Tunes and Merrie Molodies: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Warner Bros. Cartoons (791.433 B)
Bendazzi, Giannalberto. Cartoons: One Hundred Years of Cinema Animation (791.433 B)
Canemaker, John. Before the Animation Begins: The Art and Lives of Disney Inspirational Sketch Artists (OV 791.433 C), Felix: The Twisted Tale of the World's Most Famous Cat (741.58 Messmer C), and Walt Disney's Nine Old Men & the Art of Animation (791.433 C)
Carbaga, Leslie. The Fleischer Story (OV 791.433 C)
Chuvonic, Louis. The Rocky and Bullwinkle Book (OV 791.457 C)
Crafton, Donald. Before Mickey: The Animated Film, 1898-1928 (791.433 C)
Culhane, John. Walt Disney's Fantasia (OV 791.4372 C)
DiFranco, JoAnn. Walt Disney: When Dreams Come True (JB Disney D)
Edera, Bruno, and John Hs. Full Length Animated Feature Films (OV 791.433 E)
Eliot, Marc. Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince (791.433 Disney E)
Erickson, Hal. Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 1993 (R 791.453 E)
Finch, Christopher. The Art of Walt Disney: From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdoms
(R 741.5809 F and JR 791 F)
Friedwald, Will, and Jerry Beck. The Warner Brothers Cartoons (791.433 F)
Frierson, Michael. Clay Animation: American Highlights 1908 to the Present (791.433 F)
Geis, Darlene. Walt Disney's Treasury of Children's Classics (J 791.433 G and JR 791.433 G)
Goldner, Orville, and George E. Turner. The Making of King Kong (OV 791.4372 G)
Grandinetti, Fred M. Popeye: An Illustrated History of E.C. Segar's Character in Print, Radio, Television, and Film Appearances, 1929-1993 (741.5097 G)
Greene, Katherine. The Man Behind the Magic: The Story of Walt Disney (791.433 Disney G)
Hanna, Bill, Tom Ito's A Cast of Friends (B Hanna)
Heraldson, Donald. Creators of Life: A History of Animation (791.433 H)
Jones, Chuck. Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times of an Animated Cartoonist and Chuck Reducks: Drawings from the Fun Side of Life (both 791.433 Jones)
Larson, Norita. Walt Disney: An American Original (JB Disney L)
Larson, Roger, with Lynne Hofer and Jaime Barrios. Young Animators and Their Discoveries: A Report from Young Filmakers Foundation (J 791.433 Y)
Lenburg, Jeff. The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoon Series (R 791.4375 L) and The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (R 791.433 L and JR 791.4375 L)
Maltin,, Leonard. The Disney Films (R791.4375M) and Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons (791.433 M)
Merritt, Russell, and J.B. Kaufman. Walt in Wonderland: The Silent Films of Walt Disney (791.433 Disney M)
Montgomery, Elizabeth Rider. Walt Disney: Master of Make-Believe (JB Disney M)
Peary, Gerald, and Danny Peary's The American Animated Cartoon: A Critical Anthology (791.433 A)
Schneider, Steve. That's All, Folks!: The Best of Warner Bros. Animation (OV 741.58 S)
Solomon, Charles. The Disney That Never Was: The Stories and Art from Five Decades of Unproduced Animation (741.5809 S)
Thomas, Bob. Disney's Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse to Beauty and the Beast (741.5809 T and JR 741.58097 T)
Walker, Greta. Walt Disney (JB Disney W)
Watts, Steven. The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life (791.433 Disney W)
Webb, Graham. The Animated Film Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to American Shorts, Features, and Sequences, 1900-1979 (R791.433 W)
List compiled by Jonathan Guildroy, October 2002