Daws Butler

The third ring offers a whimsical glimpse into the future - or at least a future from the POV of the mid-20th century - with a plethora of zany postwar inventions. While none of the cartoons "of tomorrow" foresaw smartphones or DVD players, these far-fetched contraptions, gadgets, houses and farms, televisions, and various modes of transportation could only come from the madcap mind of Avery and his M-G-M crew. Uncut, restored and remastered in High Definition for the first time, Tex Avery Screwball Classics Collection Volume 3 is another must-own collection from the master of hand-drawn mayhem.

Selections include Kelley's Plasticon Pictures, the earliest extant 3-D demonstration film from 1922 with incredible footage of Washington and New York City; New Dimensions, the first domestic full color 3-D film originally shown at the World’s Fair in 1940; Thrills for You, a promotional film for the Pennsylvania Railroad; Stardust in Your Eyes, a hilarious standup routine by Slick Slavin; trailer for The Maze, with fantastic production design by William Cameron Menzies; Doom Town, a controversial anti-atomic testing film mysteriously pulled from release; puppet cartoon The Adventures of Sam Space, presented in widescreen; I’ll Sell My Shirt, a burlesque comedy unseen in 3-D for over 60 years; Boo Moon, an excellent example of color stereoscopic animation…and more!

Tom and Jerry are at it again, but there's a new ingredient in their classic chase recipe - just add Spike! It's hound heaven as everyone's favourite bulldog, spike (and on, Tyke), gets in on the fun in this pup-packed collection. These 22 doggie-delightful shorts are guaranteed to have fans howling! Join Spike and Tyke in their many dealings with the fast and furious duo. Whether Spike's on guard duty, or simply trying to catch a nap, you can bet Tom and Jerry's fur-fueled antics are guaranteed to rattle his cage. And an angry Spike usually spells hard times for Tom - with a little coaxing from jerry, of course! Leash-up for some K9-filled fun for the entire family!

Frederick "Tex" Avery directed some of the funniest cartoons ever made, but he relied primarily on situations and moving graphics, rather than on the personalities of familiar characters. Droopy, the phlegmatic basset hound, was one of the few characters Avery used regularly: His low-key presence was the perfect counter to the extreme takes, fast cuts, frenetic action, and general mayhem going on around him. Avery is also noted for "self-reflexive gags:" the characters know they're in a cartoon and often comment on the fact. In "Dumb-Hounded,"a sprinting wolf cuts a corner too sharply, skids past the sprocket holes at the edge of the film, and onto the blank screen. Droopy frequently turns to the camera and comments, "You now what? I'm happy."

Hugh Harman's brilliant 1939 Oscar-Nominated parable Peace On Earth, highlights MGM/UA Home Video's animated shorts Christmas Package. Also included is Hugh Harman-Rudolph Ising's Alias St. Nick, a comedic tale about a young cynical mouse who believes there "ain't no Santa Claus." The Pups' Christmas follows two adorable puppies as they tangle with cornucopia of gifts, some of which turn out to be quite menacing! The Peachy Cobbler is a heartwarming retelling of the sweet Shoemaker and the Elves, directed by Tex Avery. A sickly old shoemaker feeds his last piece of bread to some birds who then decide to do him a favor and fix all the shoes in his shop!

It's the gold rush era in the Wild West. A mysterious stranger (Huckleberry Hound) arrives in a small desert town carrying a huge golden nugget. The notorious Dalton brothers steal it. The town asks "the stranger" to go after them.

There's intergalactic trouble when the lyrics Judy Jetson wrote for teen heartthrob Sky Rocker are swapped with a secret message from a music-hating witch. Now it's up to Judy, her family, and friends to save rock-and-roll.

Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo discover aliens who plan to conquer Earth.

Elroy Jetson invents a time machine that takes him back to prehistoric times, where he meets the Flintstone family.

Yogi and the gang mistakenly board the famous Howard Hughes' plane The Spruce Goose. They accidentally start the plane, so they decide to take it for a spin, helping animals and people along the way.