Reception
 | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2017) |
| Claymation Comedy of Horrors | |
|---|---|
| Written by |
|
| Directed by | Barry Bruce |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Jon Newton |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers |
|
| Cinematography | Bruce McKean |
| Animators |
|
| Editor | Scott Sundholm |
| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Production company | Will Vinton Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | May 29, 1991 |
Claymation Comedy of Horrors (also known as Will Vinton's Claymation Comedy of Horrors) is a 1991 Halloween stop-motion short film by Will Vinton. [1] Animator Teresa Drilling won an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement for her work on this short. [2] [3] It was produced in 1990, and broadcast on CBS on May 29, 1991. [4]
In the middle of a forest on Halloween, an anthropomorphic pig named Wilshire and his two employees, a snail named Sheldon and another pig named Vince, field-test a new rocket-themed carnival ride, with Vince strapped in as the test subject. The ride consists of a rocket connected to an arm that arcs into their air and violently crashes into an anvil, dislodging any loose change from the pockets of an unsuspecting rider. Ecstatic over the results, Wilshire cranks the machine up full-blast, ignoring Sheldon's protests. However, the ride is unable to take the stress and overloads, causing the rocket module to detach from the arm and fly off into the air with Vince still in it.
Sheldon falls into the blast crater the rocket made and finds a glowing medallion attached to a journal. Upon picking up the journal, he and Wilshire learn about Victor Frankenswine and his backstory: one Halloween night many years ago, he created an all-powerful monster that could "rival the gods", but his castle was raided by an angry mob of peasants. Frankenswine managed to launch his journal through a window, but was struck by lightning and killed while fleeing the mob. Now that Wilshire and Sheldon have found the lost journal, if they follow the map imprinted on Sheldon's tongue, they can win an instant camera, a scooter, a tote bag, or Frankenswine's all-powerful monster.
Seeing this as a ticket to money and power, Wilshire successfully brings a reluctant Sheldon along by convincing him that all he wants is the tote bag and not the monster. When the two protagonists arrive at the castle, they are cordially invited in by a green monster who mistakes Wilshire for Dr. Jekyll and Sheldon for Mr. Hyde. The protagonists find that a Halloween Monster Convention is being held inside the castle and that no non-monster mortals, especially themselves, are allowed. After a series of mishaps, such as unsuccessfully demonstrating at a science demo, the protagonists come across Wilshire's dead grandmother, who finds out that they are still alive and sounds an alarm to inform the other monsters.
With their cover blown, Wilshire and Sheldon make a run for it. While running away from the monsters, they find a pay phone, and Wilshire hits it to check for any loose change, until finding a medallion not unlike the one Sheldon found earlier. The protagonists then fall through a trapdoor and find themselves in the lab of Frankenswine. Wilshire and Sheldon find the monster, about the size of Wilshire's thumb, lying dormant. A drop of a magical blue elixir falls on the monster's head, bringing it to life. Another drop of elixir makes the monster grow larger and more vicious, but before they can add any more, the other monsters start to break in, causing the protagonists to accidentally knock the diminutive monster into a floor drain.
Confronted by the other monsters, Wilshire pours more elixir down the drain, allowing the monster to grow large enough to destroy the castle within, scaring off the other monsters and forcing them to escape, leaving Wilshire positioned on top of the monster's head. After using up the last of the elixir, Wilshire sings "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and has the now-gigantic monster take its first steps, ignoring Sheldon's protests. Before the song reaches the climax, Wilshire finds Vince flying on the rocket, buzzing around the monster's head until it punctures its nose, causing it to deflate to its original size, much to Wilshire's dismay. With Vince trying to re-inflate the monster with a bicycle pump, Sheldon announces that he has found the tote bag, which Wilshire pushes off in rejection, unaware that inside of it was another bottle of elixir. During the credits sequence, the elixir can be seen spilling into the ground.
| | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2017) |
Ubbe Ert Iwerks, known as Ub Iwerks, was an American animator, cartoonist, character designer, inventor, and special effects technician, known for his work with Walt Disney Animation Studios in general, and for having worked on the development of the design of the character of Mickey Mouse, among others. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Iwerks grew up with a contentious relationship with his father, who abandoned him as a child. Iwerks met fellow artist Walt Disney while working at a Kansas City art studio in 1919.
William Gale Vinton was an American animator and filmmaker. Vinton was best known for his Claymation work, alongside creating iconic characters such as The California Raisins. He won an Oscar for his work alongside several Emmy Awards and Clio Awards for his studio's work.
Claymation, sometimes called clay animation or plasticine animation, is one of many forms of stop-motion animation. Each animated piece, either character or background, is "deformable"—made of a malleable substance, usually plasticine clay.
Groovie Goolies is an American animated television show that had its original run Saturday mornings on CBS between 1970 and 1972. It was rebroadcast the following season on Sunday mornings. Set at a decrepit castle, the show focused on its monstrous but good-natured and mostly friendly inhabitants. Created by Filmation, Groovie Goolies was an original creation of the studio; its characters would cross over with Filmation's Archie Comics adaptations including Sabrina the Teenage Witch and The Archie Show, as well as with the Looney Tunes cast.
Gold Diggers of '49 is a 1935 Warner Bros. theatrical animated cartoon short in the Looney Tunes series.
The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, and the sixth incarnation of the Scooby-Doo franchise. It premiered on September 10, 1983, featuring the return of Daphne, and ran for one season on ABC as a half-hour program made up of two eleven-minute short cartoons. For season two, Fred and Velma briefly return to the show after a four-year absence. The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries ran for another season on ABC.
Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein is a 1999 American animated dark comedy horror film produced by Bagdasarian Productions, LLC. and Universal Cartoon Studios and distributed by Universal Studios Home Video. It is directed by Kathi Castillo, written by John Loy and based on characters from Alvin and the Chipmunks and Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. This is the first of two Alvin and the Chipmunks direct-to-video films, and the first of three Universal Cartoon Studios productions to be animated overseas by Tama Production in Tokyo, Japan. This is the only animated Alvin and the Chipmunks film where the Chipettes do not appear.
Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School is a 1988 animated comedy horror made-for-television film produced by Hanna-Barbera for syndication as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series.
The Halloween Tree is a 1993 animated fantasy-drama television film produced by Hanna-Barbera and based on Ray Bradbury's 1972 fantasy novel of the same name. The film tells the story of a group of trick-or-treating children who learn about the origins and influences of Halloween when one of their friends is spirited away by mysterious forces. Bradbury serves as the narrator of the film, which also stars Leonard Nimoy as the children's guide, Mr. Moundshroud. Bradbury also wrote the film's Emmy Award winning screenplay. The animation of the film was produced overseas for Hanna-Barbera by Fil-Cartoons in the Philippines. The film premiered on ABC on October 2, 1993.
Bugs Bunny's Howl-oween Special is a Looney Tunes animated Halloween television special directed by David Detiege, which first aired on CBS on October 26, 1977.
Claws for Alarm is a 1954 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by Chuck Jones. The short was released on May 22, 1954 and stars Porky Pig and Sylvester.
The Princess and the Goblin is a 1991 animated fantasy film directed by József Gémes and written by Robin Lyons, an adaptation of George MacDonald's 1872 novel of the same name.
A Coy Decoy is a 1941 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Bob Clampett. The cartoon was released on June 7, 1941, and stars Porky Pig and Daffy Duck.
The Marzipan Pig is a children's book by Russell Hoban. The plot involves a marzipan pig that has somehow fallen behind a couch.
Bewitched Bunny is a 1954 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon directed by Chuck Jones and written by Michael Maltese. The short was released on July 24, 1954, and stars Bugs Bunny. Jones created the character Witch Hazel who debuted in this cartoon.
Rescue at Midnight Castle, also known as My Little Pony, Escape from Midnight Castle, or Rescue from Midnight Castle, and released later as Firefly's Adventure, My Little Pony in Dreamland and My Little Pony: Rescue at Midnight Castle is a 1984 animated television special based on the Hasbro toy line, My Little Pony. It was released as a pilot of the proposed television series, and featured the voices of Sandy Duncan and Tony Randall. A second special was produced in 1985, Escape from Catrina.
Wonderland is a 1931 short animated film by Walter Lantz Productions and part of a long-running short film series featuring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Contrary to its title, the film is not an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland but that of Jack and the Beanstalk.
Hotel Transylvania is an American media franchise created by Todd Durham and owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. It consists of four animated feature films, three short films, an animated television series, and several video games.
Claymation Easter is a 1992 stop-motion animated short film by Will Vinton. The Easter-themed special won an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program. The special aired on CBS on April 19, 1992.