Bill Plympton's The Tune

Bill Plympton's The Tune


Starring:Daniel Nieden, Maureen McElheron, Marty Nelson, Emily Bindiger, Chris Hoffman, Jimmy Ceribello, Ned Reynolds, Jeff Knight, Jennifer Senko
Director: Bill Plympton
Studio: New Video Group
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Only a handful of independent animators have ever attempted a feature-length film, and it's regrettable that Bill Plympton's first effort isn't more successful. His extremely limited style of animation--he uses about one-third fewer drawings than Saturday morning kidvid shows--worked for his short films, but it simply can't sustain an audience's interest for more than an hour. The limits of the visuals might be less noticeable if the story were more interesting. Del, an aspiring songwriter, needs to come up with a hit in a hurry, so he can marry Didi, a secretary at Mega Music. He visits the weird town of Flooby Nooby where he hears people singing various songs--which he takes and passes off as own. At times, Plympton seems to be trying for the upbeat tone of the old Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland musicals, but those films about "amateurs" relied on very talented professional performers and songwriters. The songs in The Tune range from amateurish pastiches to utter doggerel. Watching The Tune is only slightly more entertaining than spending 69 minutes in a sensory deprivation tank. --Charles Solomon
Bill Plympton's The Tune
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Mind Blowing Animation
  • Plympton for ALL Ages
  • Funny Animation, Great Tunes
  • Brilliant and distinctive animated musical
  • Just amazing...the second time 'round...
Bill Plympton's The Tune
Starring: Daniel Neiden , Maureen McElheron , Marty Nelson , Emily Bindiger , and Chris Hoffman
Director: Bill Plympton
Manufacturer: New Video Group
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
GeneralGeneral | Animation | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
Love & RomanceLove & Romance | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video | Crumbling Marriages | Erotic | Infidelity & Betrayal | Love Story | Love Triangle | Marriage | Romance | Romantic Epic | Star-Crossed Lovers | Unrequited Love | Young Love
GeneralGeneral | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video
Feature FilmsFeature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video
DVDs Under $14.99DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
( B )( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
Similar Items:
  1. I Married a Strange Person!
  2. Plymptoons - The Complete Early Works of Bill Plympton
  3. Plymptoons - The Complete Works of Bill Plympton
  4. Bill's Dirty Shorts: A Collection of Bill Plympton's Newest Naughty Shorts
  5. Mutant Aliens

ASIN: B00029NKT2
Release Date: 2004-07-27

Amazon.com

Only a handful of independent animators have ever attempted a feature-length film, and it's regrettable that Bill Plympton's first effort isn't more successful. His extremely limited style of animation--he uses about one-third fewer drawings than Saturday morning kidvid shows--worked for his short films, but it simply can't sustain an audience's interest for more than an hour. The limits of the visuals might be less noticeable if the story were more interesting. Del, an aspiring songwriter, needs to come up with a hit in a hurry, so he can marry Didi, a secretary at Mega Music. He visits the weird town of Flooby Nooby where he hears people singing various songs--which he takes and passes off as own. At times, Plympton seems to be trying for the upbeat tone of the old Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland musicals, but those films about "amateurs" relied on very talented professional performers and songwriters. The songs in The Tune range from amateurish pastiches to utter doggerel. Watching The Tune is only slightly more entertaining than spending 69 minutes in a sensory deprivation tank. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Mind Blowing Animation.......2005-04-11

Bill plymptons first full length movie is finally on dvd and its so good. The animation is the classic style of morphing and it never fails to stop entertaing. If your a fan of mature animation or plymptons this is a must have

4 out of 5 stars Plympton for ALL Ages.......2004-11-27

Bill Plympton's hand-drawn colored pencil cartoons are a joy to look at, and very funny with their multitudes of visual puns. But unfortunately most of his films are really for more mature audiences than can be shown in a classroom setting. This is the one DVD of Plympton's that is entirely appropriate for young audiences. Kids like the silly songs and weird roaming story. It is also an excellent example of economizing animation production with cycles and "moving holds." I wish they would package it with his short film "Your Face" which is also great for kids as an example of how animation can be used to change something normal --a face-- into a million variations of funny and strange.

4 out of 5 stars Funny Animation, Great Tunes.......2002-03-14

This full length film is highly recommended for Bill Plympton fans or fans of edgy animation. A solid effort from one of America's most distinctive animation artists.

For the most part "The Tune seems to be a collection of Bill Plympton's shorter animations strung together with the aid of a thin storyline. The story is a sweet one, of love and what it means to give someone a song. But the main character is a little cloying, and it's hard to care much about what happens to him and his girl. That being said, the peripheral characters, who star in the musical numbers, are much more interesting. The animations are outstanding and easily stand on their own. They seem to have been done at different times, in different styles, and it seems like not all these bits were aware they were gonna become a part of this movie. As a result each has a slightly different look, and color palette, which adds to the interest of the film.

Plympton's signature pencil sketch style is jumpy, wierd, disorienting and hilarious. Heads fold in half, split in two, and turn inside out. Characters morph into representations of the lyrics while they sing. The Wiseman's bald head grows funny hats by the dozens while a twangy countrified guitar does speed-solos. Serious tango partners share dumb jokes.
Each scene (for the most part) is based on a song, and the music is very catchy. I bought the soundtrack and still sing "Isn't It Good Again" and "Dance All Day" to myself frequently.

This is not your standard animated movie. It's intended audience is adults, though it's certainly not "dirty" and kids could enjoy most sections of this. At most, sex is hinted at, as when a hotdog enthusiastically leaps into a hotdog bun. Pretty obvious, and amusing, but at the same time fairly innocuous. Also, we get to see a moment of naked animated bums at the end of "Dance All Day." Nothing your average kid can't handle.
In fullscreen, about an hour long. Regrettably, the sound is slightly muddy, and like most of Plmyptons releases, it's short on special features (there are none) and DVD production values aren't the highest. But this flick is certainly worth seeing on it's own merits.

4 out of 5 stars Brilliant and distinctive animated musical.......2001-12-26

I was astonished to read ...(this website's) in-house review trashing The Tune. It's one of the most innovative animated musical films of all time. I saw in the early 90s and couldn't get it out of my mind. Finally purchased the soundtrack a few years ago, and it's one of my favorites, with tunes rooted in a dozen genres, from surfer music and rural blues to slick Vegas show tunes, Sondheim-type musings, and commercial country--about the only thing The Tune skips is opera! Bill Plympton's jittery animation works perfectly.

5 out of 5 stars Just amazing...the second time 'round..........2001-09-15

If you've only watched this movie once then you haven't experienced it. You need to watch it again because it is then when you'll discover its brilliance. Believe me, the first time I hated it, then I was forced to watch it again, and it now is one of my favorite movies of all times. Great songs, great story, great animation. Plympton and McElheron are geniouses! Please appreciate this movie as much as I do.
The Tune
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Mind Blowing Animation
  • Plympton for ALL Ages
  • Funny Animation, Great Tunes
  • Brilliant and distinctive animated musical
  • Just amazing...the second time 'round...
The Tune
Starring: Daniel Neiden , Maureen McElheron , Marty Nelson , Emily Bindiger , and Chris Hoffman
Director: Bill Plympton
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

GeneralGeneral | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
Love & RomanceLove & Romance | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video | Crumbling Marriages | Erotic | Infidelity & Betrayal | Love Story | Love Triangle | Marriage | Romance | Romantic Epic | Star-Crossed Lovers | Unrequited Love | Young Love
GeneralGeneral | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video
Feature FilmsFeature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video
DVDs Under $9.99DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
( T )( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Used DVDsUsed DVDs | Stores | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
Similar Items:
  1. I Married a Strange Person!
  2. Plymptoons - The Complete Early Works of Bill Plympton
  3. Plymptoons - The Complete Works of Bill Plympton
  4. Bill's Dirty Shorts: A Collection of Bill Plympton's Newest Naughty Shorts
  5. Mutant Aliens

ASIN: 6302872928
Release Date: 1997-11-26

Amazon.com

Only a handful of independent animators have ever attempted a feature-length film, and it's regrettable that Bill Plympton's first effort isn't more successful. His extremely limited style of animation--he uses about one-third fewer drawings than Saturday morning kidvid shows--worked for his short films, but it simply can't sustain an audience's interest for more than an hour. The limits of the visuals might be less noticeable if the story were more interesting. Del, an aspiring songwriter, needs to come up with a hit in a hurry, so he can marry Didi, a secretary at Mega Music. He visits the weird town of Flooby Nooby where he hears people singing various songs--which he takes and passes off as own. At times, Plympton seems to be trying for the upbeat tone of the old Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland musicals, but those films about "amateurs" relied on very talented professional performers and songwriters. The songs in The Tune range from amateurish pastiches to utter doggerel. Watching The Tune is only slightly more entertaining than spending 69 minutes in a sensory deprivation tank. --Charles Solomon

Description

Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton takes you on a magical journey through a musical fantasy land with a cast of his hilariously contorted characters.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Mind Blowing Animation.......2005-04-11

Bill plymptons first full length movie is finally on dvd and its so good. The animation is the classic style of morphing and it never fails to stop entertaing. If your a fan of mature animation or plymptons this is a must have

4 out of 5 stars Plympton for ALL Ages.......2004-11-27

Bill Plympton's hand-drawn colored pencil cartoons are a joy to look at, and very funny with their multitudes of visual puns. But unfortunately most of his films are really for more mature audiences than can be shown in a classroom setting. This is the one DVD of Plympton's that is entirely appropriate for young audiences. Kids like the silly songs and weird roaming story. It is also an excellent example of economizing animation production with cycles and "moving holds." I wish they would package it with his short film "Your Face" which is also great for kids as an example of how animation can be used to change something normal --a face-- into a million variations of funny and strange.

4 out of 5 stars Funny Animation, Great Tunes.......2002-03-14

This full length film is highly recommended for Bill Plympton fans or fans of edgy animation. A solid effort from one of America's most distinctive animation artists.

For the most part "The Tune seems to be a collection of Bill Plympton's shorter animations strung together with the aid of a thin storyline. The story is a sweet one, of love and what it means to give someone a song. But the main character is a little cloying, and it's hard to care much about what happens to him and his girl. That being said, the peripheral characters, who star in the musical numbers, are much more interesting. The animations are outstanding and easily stand on their own. They seem to have been done at different times, in different styles, and it seems like not all these bits were aware they were gonna become a part of this movie. As a result each has a slightly different look, and color palette, which adds to the interest of the film.

Plympton's signature pencil sketch style is jumpy, wierd, disorienting and hilarious. Heads fold in half, split in two, and turn inside out. Characters morph into representations of the lyrics while they sing. The Wiseman's bald head grows funny hats by the dozens while a twangy countrified guitar does speed-solos. Serious tango partners share dumb jokes.
Each scene (for the most part) is based on a song, and the music is very catchy. I bought the soundtrack and still sing "Isn't It Good Again" and "Dance All Day" to myself frequently.

This is not your standard animated movie. It's intended audience is adults, though it's certainly not "dirty" and kids could enjoy most sections of this. At most, sex is hinted at, as when a hotdog enthusiastically leaps into a hotdog bun. Pretty obvious, and amusing, but at the same time fairly innocuous. Also, we get to see a moment of naked animated bums at the end of "Dance All Day." Nothing your average kid can't handle.
In fullscreen, about an hour long. Regrettably, the sound is slightly muddy, and like most of Plmyptons releases, it's short on special features (there are none) and DVD production values aren't the highest. But this flick is certainly worth seeing on it's own merits.

4 out of 5 stars Brilliant and distinctive animated musical.......2001-12-26

I was astonished to read ...(this website's) in-house review trashing The Tune. It's one of the most innovative animated musical films of all time. I saw in the early 90s and couldn't get it out of my mind. Finally purchased the soundtrack a few years ago, and it's one of my favorites, with tunes rooted in a dozen genres, from surfer music and rural blues to slick Vegas show tunes, Sondheim-type musings, and commercial country--about the only thing The Tune skips is opera! Bill Plympton's jittery animation works perfectly.

5 out of 5 stars Just amazing...the second time 'round..........2001-09-15

If you've only watched this movie once then you haven't experienced it. You need to watch it again because it is then when you'll discover its brilliance. Believe me, the first time I hated it, then I was forced to watch it again, and it now is one of my favorite movies of all times. Great songs, great story, great animation. Plympton and McElheron are geniouses! Please appreciate this movie as much as I do.

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