Looney Tunes Spotlight Collection

The majority of the classic cartoons included on the PREMIERE COLLECTION are artistically valuable. The cartoons are uncut, unedited, uncompressed and beautifully restored to their full original Technicolor glory. All the films included, even the weakest, deserve preservation, restoration and DVD availability.

But although the basic material is excellent, the PREMIERE COLLECTION is a poor presentation which I cannot recommend. This is why I have rated it only three stars out of five. (My rating for the GOLDEN COLLECTION, found elsewhere on Amazon.com, is a solid five stars.)

The selection spans two decades (1940-59) and includes the initial films of the Road Runner ("Fast and Furry-ous"), Marvin the Martian, the Tasmanian Devil and the Academy Award-winning debut of "Speedy Gonzales". Key films of such popular characters as Seymour & Tweety, Pepé Le Pew, and Foghorn Leghorn are duly included, along with a few one-shots and curios.

Buyers expecting a cavalcade of favorites need to be aware that the PREMIERE COLLECTION features a mere handful of appearances of the true stars of the Looney Tunes galaxy. You will look here in vain for an adequate selection of classic Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig cartoons. Such masterpieces as "Duck Dodgers in the 24-1/2 Century", "Long-Haired Hare", "Rabbit of Seville", "Rabbit Fire", "Rabbit Seasoning", "The Scarlet Pumpernickel" and "Wabbit Twouble" are to be found only on the GOLDEN COLLECTION.

The so-called PREMIERE COLLECTION is simply a partial reprint of Discs Three and Four of the vastly preferable GOLDEN COLLECTION, with the many extras removed. The first two discs of the GOLDEN COLLECTION are not included with the PREMIERE COLLECTION.

The 4-Disc GOLDEN COLLECTION, with its fifty-six cartoons and hours of supplemental extras, which are both entertaining and educational (hint to parents), is worth more than its cost in dollars and is an infinitely better investment for families than this cheapjack alternate. The PREMIERE COLLECTION is kiddie fodder for the undiscerning bargain-store shopper and ought to please thoughtless families who want to add a touch of class to their video library. Obviously, small children will be unaware that they are being cheated but then they will be unable to appreciate the artistry and sophistocated humor of these films anyway. Otherwise, THE LOONEY TUNES PREMIERE COLLECTION is to be avoided by anyone concerned with popular art and culture. High sales of the superior GOLDEN COLLECTION will determine future releases, so fans and students of classic animation are strongly urged to buy that instead. Parents desiring that the heritage of Bugs Bunny and friends continue to be made available to their children and grandchildren might also keep this in mind when choosing between the lesser and the greater.

And, by the way:

CARTOONS ARE FOR
E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E!

Doctor_Mabuse

That said, there is a serious error on my set, as the Disk Contents on the Packaging are totally different than the Disk Contents on the actual DVDs. That means if you want to watch Daffy Duck Hunt (for instance), you would look at the case and see that it was on Disk 1 and insert that in the DVD player.. never knowing that the episode is actually on Disk 2.

Bizarre, but other than the stupid mistake on the packaging (which may be a random error), the cartoons are fun to watch.