Stories from My Childhood, Vol. 2

Starring:Kirsten Dunst, Kathleen Turner, Laura San Giacomo, Daphne Zuniga, Cathy Moriarty, JoBeth Williams, James Coburn, James Belushi, Harvey Fierstein, Sarah Jessica Parker, Joseph Mazzello, Allan Rice, Jessica Lange, Gregory Hines, Martin Sheen, Danielle Brisebois, Mickey Rooney, Timothy Dalton, Jacob Davis, Shirley MacLaine
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

The featurettes in the Stories from My Childhood series were created at Soyuzmultfilm, the largest and most prominent studio in the old Soviet Union. California-based Films by Jove spent more than $1.5 million restoring the prints, adding new music and redubbing the films with major American actors. Based on fairy tales (some of them unfamiliar to American audiences), these mini-features are often charming examples of straightforward storytelling and colorful designs. "Ivan and His Magic Pony" (1947), usually called "The Little Hunch-Backed Horse," recounts the adventures of a young peasant boy who must capture a firebird, kidnap the lovely Seamaiden, and retrieve a ring from the bottom of the ocean. Its vision of swan-necked enchanted horses and flamboyant Byzantine palaces will delight children. Director Ivan Ivanov-Vano preserves the three-part structure of traditional fairy tales: Ivan is the youngest of three brothers, he must overcome three obstacles, etc. "Pinocchio and the Golden Key" (1959), or "The Adventures of Buratino," is based on Alexi Tolstoy's retelling of Carlo Collodi's famous tale of a living puppet. This more somber account of the little wooden boy is closer to the spirit of the original story, but pales in comparison to the opulently beautiful Disney feature. --Charles Solomon

Description

Volume Two includes "Ivan and His Magic Pony" featuring the voices of Rob Lowe and Daphne Zuniga (French track: Alessandra Martinez; Spanish track: Rodrigo Vidal & Andrea Legarreta); and "Pinocchio and the Golden Key" with Bill Murray, Mel Ferrer and Joseph Mazzello (French: Luc Llamet & Teddy Billis; Spanish: Marcos Valdez).

Customer Reviews:

No Russian???.......2005-08-04

those ARE the stories from my childhood - but why was the russian soundtrack removed???
put it back and i'll buy a copy for everyone i love.

Not as good as original version.......2004-12-08

I was so excited to finally get a copy of Ivan and His Magic Pony on DVD, but ended up disappointed. I own the original on VHS and the DVD does not do it justice. Yes, the animation is the same but the dialog has changed. The songs alone are very different. I wish someone would just make a DVD version that is not different from the original. A childhood dream ruined.

wonderfull stories in old Disney tradition.......2000-03-31

All 4 stores are excellent example of combination of great animation, wonderfull songs and good stories done by very talented people. It will be a great addition to anyone's collection. My child watches over and over again.

wonderfull stories in old Disney tradition.......2000-03-31

All of 4 stores are excellent example of combination of good animation, great songs and good stories done by very talented people. It will be a great addition to anyone's collection.

Why, why, why there is no Russian track?.......1999-12-16

I am Russian (OK, Belarussian, to be precise), and grew up watching these wonderful cartoons. They are fantastic! Without mindless violence (Japanimation!), fairly slow-paced, no pretentious grandeur (Disney of the 90's!) - they are done in the tradition of Dumbo, Bambi, Snowwhite. The only thing which absolutely devastated me - where is the original dialog in Russian? Why delete it from the original (at an additional expense, I guess)? That's the only reason why I gave it 4 stars.

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