Classic Nick Wed. – Bambi
Meets Godzilla
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
First created in 1969 Marv Newland Bambi Meets Godzilla was listed as #38
in the book The 50 Greatest Cartoons in 1994.
Originally scheduled as a
live-action film Newland abandoned the idea when he lost an essential magic
hour shot and settled for an animation version instead.
When we first meet Bambi he
is peacefully grazing in a small patch of
grass as “Call to the Dairy Cows” from Rossini's opera William Tell (1829)
plays in the background. As the credits scroll by he hasn’t a care in the world
until he looks up to see Godzilla's foot coming down, crushing him with The
Beatles' "A Day in the Life" played at half-speed. After a moment,
the closing credits scroll over the image of Godzilla's foot. At the very end,
Godzilla's claws twitch once.
Screenings & Distribution
This cartoon prefaced
Godzilla 1985 on some VHS releases. Two sequels were later made without
Newland's involvement: Son of Bambi Meets Godzilla and Bambi's Revenge, giving
Godzilla a hot foot.
Directed by
– Marv Newland
Produced by
– Marv Newland Written by – Marv Newland
Cinematography – Marv Newland
Originally scheduled as a live-action film Newland abandoned the idea when he lost an essential magic hour shot and settled for an animation version instead.
ReplyDeleteIt's important to note he did this film while being an art student enrolled at the Art Center College of Design in California. I get the impression he was wanting to do a time-lapse of a sunrise and screwed it up (the opening music heard in Bambi Meets Godzilla sounds like a leftover remnant of that approach). I wouldn't blame him, I tried one myself using a Bolex and it's stop-motion feature and didn't get the shot I needed as it looked like a quick fade-in.
Of course Newland would go on to form his own studio in Vancouver responsible for some of Nickelodeon's animated bumpers in the 80's called "International Rocketship Ltd.", here's one of 'em!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYifYR4Tb0o
Several other short films he either directed or produced had also been seen on the channel as break fillers around the late 80's/early 90's, here's a notable one that I recall seeing a lot during "Special Delivery"...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ6dsQ9zAYU