7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Animation | 100% |
Comedy | 58% |
Short | 52% |
War | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono (192 kbps)
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
I grew up with an incredible father who had made the rank of Major General in the Army by the time I was probably 4 or 5, and so I was raised in a family where the military was a part of everyday life and where it was unabashedly and unapologetically honored. One day when I was a bit beyond the toddler stage but still very young, I accompanied my Dad to the fort where he was in charge, where I found the odd inscription “FTA” carved inside the wooden stall of a men’s room I visited. Not knowing any better, I innocently asked my Dad what that acronym meant, and he was obviously not pleased about it, refusing to tell me (if you're not familiar with the acronym, it's probably not appropriate for a young kid to know). The same “f” is part of Snafu, another military acronym that in its “original” state does include the f-bomb, but which in the somewhat bowdlerized world of Private Snafu, becomes “fouled”, so that the phrase referenced is situation normal, all fouled up. While that f-bomb may have been slightly modified, what’s interesting about Private Snafu is how much provocative material actually was offered in this series of “not for the general public” cartoons that typically played to servicemen who were already often either deployed or about to be.
Private Snafu Golden Classics is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Thunderbean Animation with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in 1.37:1. This is another sterling effort by the "homegrown" Thunderbean aficionados headed by Steve Stanchfield which proves that even when original (or maybe even best available) elements aren't around to be utilized as sources, that doesn't necessarily mean a botched release. In the somewhat discursive insert booklet, it's mentioned that "most" of these were sourced from 35mm materials housed at the United States National Archives. While these transfers show typical age related wear and tear, including a bit of print-through, and mottling and clouding which rolls through the frame, the overall look of these is extremely commendable and orgainc, with stabilized contrast and decent black levels and a natural looking grain field. Contrast is also very good (if sometimes not at optimal levels) and line detail and general sharpness is generally excellent throughout.
The Dolby Digital 2.0 mono soundtracks offered on this collection are often pretty boxy and marred by little moments of distortion or minor pops and cracks. That said, nothing is overly problematic, and both narration and dialogue within the shorts, as well as those incredibly evocative sound effects that were part of the Warner animation library, come through with decent if never overwhelming force and fidelity.
- Fighting Tools by John Kricfalusi
- The Home Front by Mike Kazaleh
- Rumors by Eric Goldberg
- Rumors by Mike Kazaleh
- Booby Traps by John Kricfalusi
- Snafuperman by Eric Goldberg
- Malaria Mike by Eric Goldberg
- Gas by Eric Goldberg
- Going Home by Eric Goldberg
- Censored by Jerry Beck
- Target Snafu by Jerry Beck
- Hot Spot by Eric Goldberg
- No Buddy Atoll by Mark Mayerson
The Private Snafu shorts are obviously a product of their time, but when one considers how intimately the United States government must have been involved in their production, they're really quite anarchic and enjoyable, and they include material that would have never shown up in a mass market cartoon of the day. The Thunderbean team has once again provided some pretty impressive restorations, and despite the lossy audio, Private Snafu Golden Classics comes Recommended.
Paramount Technicolor cartoons
1942-1957
Warner Archive Collection
1942-1957
1941-1972
The DePatie-Freleng Collection
1976
Disney100
1935-1952
1932-1937
1925
1925
1926
1926
1928
1928
1930
1939-1951
La course aux potirons
1907
2009
The DePatie-Freleng Collection
1969-1971
1976-1978
1933-1942
The DePatie-Freleng Collection
1968-1971