This is a visually impressive cartoon, which should be expected from an Iwerks cartoon. As plots go, this was actually a pretty intricate one for the Iwerks studio, with a great villain voiced by a Disney regular, Billy Bletcher, who did Pegleg Pete, among others. The funniest bit for me was the town's "alarm" system. The Pincushion Man is really the most interesting character in the short, but it does offer some entertaining moments and is genuinely tense and frightening in spots. Iwerks deserves more notice and credit for what he had a responsibility for at Disney. His stint running his own studio wasn't as successful as he would have hoped, but he did produce (with an incredibly talented team, as a glance at the names of his employees will attest) some very good shorts. Balloon Land is one of the best that the Iwerks Studio created. Well worth watching. Recommended.
16 Reviews
Deceptively Good Material
ccthemovieman-128 May 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This was a nice kids' cartoon but one in which adults should find enough entertainment to watch along with the toddlers. It's old, and it looks it, but it's original. As one who has seen hundreds of cartoon, I appreciated the originality of the story.
All the creatures here are balloons, and we see some of them "birthed," which is fun. One of them is a young boy and his sister and the kid is brash. He's already heard about the "Pin Cushion Man" of the forest who goes around the pops everyone, meaning kills the balloon people. He's not afraid....until he comes face-to-face with this sadistic guy.
Later, when the Mr. Pin Cushion, who is an interesting-looking creature, sneaks into Balloon City, the alarm is sounded and the latter's army goes into full force. The alarm, the battle and other scenes are all pretty clever and should keep everyone's attention whether one is three or 83. It's a deceptively good cartoon by UB Iwerks.
All the creatures here are balloons, and we see some of them "birthed," which is fun. One of them is a young boy and his sister and the kid is brash. He's already heard about the "Pin Cushion Man" of the forest who goes around the pops everyone, meaning kills the balloon people. He's not afraid....until he comes face-to-face with this sadistic guy.
Later, when the Mr. Pin Cushion, who is an interesting-looking creature, sneaks into Balloon City, the alarm is sounded and the latter's army goes into full force. The alarm, the battle and other scenes are all pretty clever and should keep everyone's attention whether one is three or 83. It's a deceptively good cartoon by UB Iwerks.
Funny, frightening, beautiful to look at and philosophically daring.
the red duchess18 October 2000
The glorious early cartoons of Ub Iwerks (he's the man who made Mickey Mouse move) make up for their lack of Disneyesque fluidity with a determined, and often startling, inventiveness. The story is quite conventional, and can be found in different guises in the medieval folk and fairy tales from which the film takes its visual cue. A young boy disregards his elders' advice about the safety of society, and goes into the woods with his girlfriend, clearly a metaphor for sexual pleasure. However, nature proves a rapacious shelter, and the couple are chased by a murderer who manages to invade their village and go on a killing rampage.
What makes this cartoon strange and different is that the characters and settings are made entirely, as the title suggests, of balloons. Iwerks' introduction of this fantasy world is masterly and brightly coloured, replete with balloon Laurel and Hardy, and Chaplin. It's not quite fantasy, however. The hero and his girl are created and given breath by an inventor and his machine; he warns them that they are mere air, and easily destroyed. On the one hand, this is a conservative message about the dangers of transgressing family and society, a danger which is chillingly realised.
On the other, the story is a fantastic dramatisation of what used to be called the human condition - we are just as vulnerable as balloons to the vagaries of chance and inhospitable nature; we too have been breathed into life by a creator who has left us so vulnerable, and whom we cannot satisfy whether we obey or disobey him. The Pin-killer is all destructive demon, though, gleefully revelling in his homicidal spirits, free, but sadly vulnerable too.
In a film of such wit and visual imagination, it would be difficult to select an enduring image, but there is one scene where the hero sounds the alarm, a cot of four babies whose bottles he swipes - the resulting din would wake the dead, and, as if following this idea, Iwerks zooms into one of the infants' bawling mouth, a terrifying glimpse of the abyss in a new-born child, a perfect encapsulation of the film's theme.
What makes this cartoon strange and different is that the characters and settings are made entirely, as the title suggests, of balloons. Iwerks' introduction of this fantasy world is masterly and brightly coloured, replete with balloon Laurel and Hardy, and Chaplin. It's not quite fantasy, however. The hero and his girl are created and given breath by an inventor and his machine; he warns them that they are mere air, and easily destroyed. On the one hand, this is a conservative message about the dangers of transgressing family and society, a danger which is chillingly realised.
On the other, the story is a fantastic dramatisation of what used to be called the human condition - we are just as vulnerable as balloons to the vagaries of chance and inhospitable nature; we too have been breathed into life by a creator who has left us so vulnerable, and whom we cannot satisfy whether we obey or disobey him. The Pin-killer is all destructive demon, though, gleefully revelling in his homicidal spirits, free, but sadly vulnerable too.
In a film of such wit and visual imagination, it would be difficult to select an enduring image, but there is one scene where the hero sounds the alarm, a cot of four babies whose bottles he swipes - the resulting din would wake the dead, and, as if following this idea, Iwerks zooms into one of the infants' bawling mouth, a terrifying glimpse of the abyss in a new-born child, a perfect encapsulation of the film's theme.
Beware of the Pin Cushion Man!
JoeytheBrit26 July 2009
Ub Iwerks, the man who helped create Mickey Mouse, was not a success as owner of his own studio, although his output was of a consistently high quality. This is one of his better cartoons from that period which provides a fine example of his lively imagination. The film opens with a deceptively light-hearted sequence in which we are treated to balloon versions of comic icons Laurel & Hardy and Chaplin and also see balloon children being born in Balloon Land. Things turn much darker, however, when two of the kids venture out into the forest, disregarding their elder's advise to stay away from the pin cushion man, a truly frightening creation.
The juxtaposition of gaily coloured, cheerfully drawn balloon characters being popped to death at the hands of the devilish pin cushion man is certainly incongruous, but adds an edge to a cartoon that could so easily have gone the way of Walt Disney's far more soppy Silly Symphonies. It's a shame Iwerks didn't succeed as an independent - you can't help feeling that his imagination was never really given free rein once he returned to the Disney Studios following the collapse of his own studio.
The juxtaposition of gaily coloured, cheerfully drawn balloon characters being popped to death at the hands of the devilish pin cushion man is certainly incongruous, but adds an edge to a cartoon that could so easily have gone the way of Walt Disney's far more soppy Silly Symphonies. It's a shame Iwerks didn't succeed as an independent - you can't help feeling that his imagination was never really given free rein once he returned to the Disney Studios following the collapse of his own studio.
Compared to other cartoons of the time, it's pretty good...and really weird.
planktonrules9 July 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This film was included in the three DVD set "Saved From the Flames"--a collection of mostly ephemeral movies that have managed to avoid turning to powder, catching fire or melting--something that usually happened with the nitrate film stock used up through the 1950s.
The first thing I noticed was how incredibly vibrant the Cinecolor was with this restored film. Audiences might think it strange to see a color film where two main colors predominate--bluish-green and orange-red. With Cinecolor and Two-Color Technicolor, three strips of film overlapped--black & white, red and green (though the Cinecolor films I have seen look a bit bluer). It's all rather primitive by today's standards, but it's nice to see a film like this with all it's vibrant color.
This is set in Balloon Land--a place where all the creatures are made of balloons. Suddenly, the Pincushion Man (Billy Bletcher) appears with his pins and starts acting like a big jerk--threatening to pop everyone. Naturally, the folks are scared and run and hide. Soon the alarm is sounded and the weird little creatures of Balloon Land go on the attack--though what they can do with the Pincushion Man seems pretty dubious. Yet despite an obvious disadvantage, the balloon folks work together for a common good and save the day. I think there's supposed to be an object lesson here, but it escapes me.
While compared to cartoons of the 1940s and 50s this one seems VERY old fashioned and dull, for the 1930s it's actually pretty exciting and fun. It's no where up to the standards of the stuff being produced over at Disney (where the series director, U.B. Iwerks had once worked), it's pretty good.
The first thing I noticed was how incredibly vibrant the Cinecolor was with this restored film. Audiences might think it strange to see a color film where two main colors predominate--bluish-green and orange-red. With Cinecolor and Two-Color Technicolor, three strips of film overlapped--black & white, red and green (though the Cinecolor films I have seen look a bit bluer). It's all rather primitive by today's standards, but it's nice to see a film like this with all it's vibrant color.
This is set in Balloon Land--a place where all the creatures are made of balloons. Suddenly, the Pincushion Man (Billy Bletcher) appears with his pins and starts acting like a big jerk--threatening to pop everyone. Naturally, the folks are scared and run and hide. Soon the alarm is sounded and the weird little creatures of Balloon Land go on the attack--though what they can do with the Pincushion Man seems pretty dubious. Yet despite an obvious disadvantage, the balloon folks work together for a common good and save the day. I think there's supposed to be an object lesson here, but it escapes me.
While compared to cartoons of the 1940s and 50s this one seems VERY old fashioned and dull, for the 1930s it's actually pretty exciting and fun. It's no where up to the standards of the stuff being produced over at Disney (where the series director, U.B. Iwerks had once worked), it's pretty good.
Generally credited with instigating the Anti-Vaxxer Movement . . .
pixrox122 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
. . . BALLOON LAND features the ultimate Boogie Man of every Ditsy Blonde "Influencer:" Pin-Cushion Man! This scintillating villain seems to harbor an infinite supply of ultra-sharp hypodermic needles, which he doles out indiscriminately as he harpoons the Youth of BALLOON LAND like a Mad Pediatrician. Worse yet, when each pointed jab finds its mark it inflicts instant death upon the recipient. No Right-Thinking Mom could view BALLOON LAND, and then seriously consider inoculating her kiddies against smallpox, rabies, The Plague or Elephantiasis in order to gain their entrance into a Public School. As Chuck Heston always said, "Better dead than red with needle marks!" Fortunately, BALLOON LAND's irrational Needle Haters live upon a Flat Earth, allowing these benighted Luddites to live happily ever after, as they simply force Pin-Cushion Man off the edge of their Medieval World. This outcome provides at least some short-term solace to the Stone Age Bunch, until the song "Pop Goes the Weasel" catches on!
A deliciously violent little flick.
muchroom23 November 2005
"Tickles me the way they rate me!"-- The Pincushion Man.
And how WOULD you rate the Pincushion Man? He's a man made of pins, and he lurks in the woods outside of Balloon Land. Now, he does not like the Balloon People. In fact, from birth the Balloon People are warned against this evil dweller. Of course, once in Balloon Land, the deep-voiced villain goes on an alarmingly cheerful rampage.
Dark, horrific, but very intriguing. This is well worth watching, but it may traumatize you! Just take heart, and realize that the Pincushion Man is not real and you are not a balloon. The voice work is very well done, as is the animation. The Pincushion Man is easily up there on a list of top cartoon villains.
And how WOULD you rate the Pincushion Man? He's a man made of pins, and he lurks in the woods outside of Balloon Land. Now, he does not like the Balloon People. In fact, from birth the Balloon People are warned against this evil dweller. Of course, once in Balloon Land, the deep-voiced villain goes on an alarmingly cheerful rampage.
Dark, horrific, but very intriguing. This is well worth watching, but it may traumatize you! Just take heart, and realize that the Pincushion Man is not real and you are not a balloon. The voice work is very well done, as is the animation. The Pincushion Man is easily up there on a list of top cartoon villains.
An Imaginative Nightmare about Balloon People
elicopperman3 February 2022
Ub Iwerks is a highly under appreciated legend in animation, for he was the real artist behind Mickey Mouse and most of Disney's biggest technical innovations. For a brief period of time however, he owned his own studio after falling out with Walt over the famed mouse's ownership, creating obscure forgotten characters like Flip the Frog and Wille Whopper. While his studio's filmography tended to come out hit or miss, perhaps one of his better triumphs would be the 1935 Technicolor surreal-scape, Balloon Land. In addition to a surreal concept utilized through a straightforward plot, it's a remarkably frightening short.
Set in a world where everything is formed from balloons, the village of Balloon Land lives in peace & harmony until the nasty pincushion man wreaks havoc among the town. As a short fairy tale, it works well enough to its advantage, though that could only be because the plot doesn't waste much time getting to the point. While the lead characters have no real development and are mainly excuses just to trigger the pincushion man to attack their land, they're not that different from the remaining cast that range from victims of the needles or defenders against the antagonist. Fortunately enough, the pincushion man himself does save the short from being ultimately forgettable thanks to Billy Bletcher's terrifying demeanor and the overall design of said character. Being an anthropomorphized pincushion with a collection of needles just waiting to strike the next victim, his presence alone makes him frightening just from whoever he'll attack without warning. Even his downfall is quite shocking as far as villains deaths go, giving the short a dreamlike aesthetic beyond anyone's mere perception.
In addition to all that, the music score by Carl Stalling helps establish the upbeat environments all around Balloon Land in contrast to the more intense tempo once the pincushion man arrives. Although more known for his famous work at Warner Bros, Stalling always knew how to raise the stakes in dramatized fairy tales whenever needed. The art direction of Balloon Land is perhaps the true visual highlight of all, next to the comical character animation and pristine Cinecolor palettes. Since the village is entirely composed of balloons, not only do the characters move around as if they were lifelike inflatable objects, but the backgrounds present the world with a lot of homemade imagination to the point of feeling like heaven. It also helps that a good chunk of the set pieces such as trees and buildings are composed in a flatter almost paper cutout manner to make the characters pop out in the foreground. Outside of a lot of conservative staging, there are several heightened shots aided with close ups and perspective tricks, not unlike many other Iwerks studio shorts.
So despite its storyline and characters feeling fairly routine, Balloon Land still remains a fascinating nightmare experiment thanks to an intimidating villain, imaginative production design, memorable music and many surreal outcomes. For its creative imagination alone, the short is worth viewing at least once both to get into Ub Iwerks' filmography and to see what originated in the minds of cartoonists from long ago. Perhaps some day, this short could potentially be revitalized into a children's book or TV series, because as an unintentional pilot, there could be more to Balloon Land than meets the eye.
Set in a world where everything is formed from balloons, the village of Balloon Land lives in peace & harmony until the nasty pincushion man wreaks havoc among the town. As a short fairy tale, it works well enough to its advantage, though that could only be because the plot doesn't waste much time getting to the point. While the lead characters have no real development and are mainly excuses just to trigger the pincushion man to attack their land, they're not that different from the remaining cast that range from victims of the needles or defenders against the antagonist. Fortunately enough, the pincushion man himself does save the short from being ultimately forgettable thanks to Billy Bletcher's terrifying demeanor and the overall design of said character. Being an anthropomorphized pincushion with a collection of needles just waiting to strike the next victim, his presence alone makes him frightening just from whoever he'll attack without warning. Even his downfall is quite shocking as far as villains deaths go, giving the short a dreamlike aesthetic beyond anyone's mere perception.
In addition to all that, the music score by Carl Stalling helps establish the upbeat environments all around Balloon Land in contrast to the more intense tempo once the pincushion man arrives. Although more known for his famous work at Warner Bros, Stalling always knew how to raise the stakes in dramatized fairy tales whenever needed. The art direction of Balloon Land is perhaps the true visual highlight of all, next to the comical character animation and pristine Cinecolor palettes. Since the village is entirely composed of balloons, not only do the characters move around as if they were lifelike inflatable objects, but the backgrounds present the world with a lot of homemade imagination to the point of feeling like heaven. It also helps that a good chunk of the set pieces such as trees and buildings are composed in a flatter almost paper cutout manner to make the characters pop out in the foreground. Outside of a lot of conservative staging, there are several heightened shots aided with close ups and perspective tricks, not unlike many other Iwerks studio shorts.
So despite its storyline and characters feeling fairly routine, Balloon Land still remains a fascinating nightmare experiment thanks to an intimidating villain, imaginative production design, memorable music and many surreal outcomes. For its creative imagination alone, the short is worth viewing at least once both to get into Ub Iwerks' filmography and to see what originated in the minds of cartoonists from long ago. Perhaps some day, this short could potentially be revitalized into a children's book or TV series, because as an unintentional pilot, there could be more to Balloon Land than meets the eye.
A great cartoon from my childhood
ja_kitty_7131 May 2008
This is a great cartoon from my childhood, because I remember having it on VHS when I was a kid. But it was lost over the years, and I haven't been able to find it since, but it was my favorite Ub Iwerks cartoon: Mickey Mouse's father (my favorite Disney character). At first, I didn't know that Ub created Mickey-until now, that is. I also would like to point out the excellent voice characterization of Billy Bletcher as The Pin Cushion Man, who was also The Big Bad Wolf and Peg-Leg Pete from Disney.
I kind of love the concept of using babies as an alarm. You know, take their bottles away, and then... WAHHHHH!!!
I kind of love the concept of using babies as an alarm. You know, take their bottles away, and then... WAHHHHH!!!
Balloon Land was quite an entertaining Up Iwerks cartoon that I found on the "Saved from the Flames" DVD
tavm31 July 2009
Just watched this restored Ub Iwerks ComiColor cartoon on the DVD collection "Saved from the Flames". It is inhabited by creatures entirely made of balloons which includes three looking like Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, and Charlie Chaplin. Well, actually, there is a villain called the Pincushion Man who's what his name is and he likes popping anyone that comes near him so watch out! As with many of these '30s cartoons, there's plenty of music and the main characters are a boy and girl in love who persevere against all odds. The sound and colors are excellent and this was quite an entertaining cartoon from this period but I urge discretion if you want to expose your kids to this. So on that note, Balloon Land comes highly recommended.
Ballooney toon
Horst_In_Translation31 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"Balloon Land" is a cartoon from 1935, which means this one had its 80th anniversary last year. And that's why I think for its time, it was a rock-solid work and you could see in this one too that the Golden Age of Animation was approaching quickly. I do believe however that this one here (despite having color and sound) was just too generic for my taste. They created an interesting world (town) of unique creatures, but they failed to elaborate on it convincingly. It is all by the books. This one runs for 7 minutes as they usually do. Early on, we see the town where the action takes place, see some of the characters too and we are introduced to a balloon boy and girl who turn out the main characters. Then we meet the villain, a guy who has lots of needles and who looks a bid like a bad wolf (fittingly the door scene) and who is very dangerous to the balloon population. We also see him kill several balloon trees and also balloon soldiers during the film, which makes it pretty brutal if you think about it. Then the bad guy meets our two heroes and in the end, an army of balloon soldiers fights him and defeats him. I must say there is little in this film that has memorable value beyond the creatures being made of balloons. Iwerks and Bletcher, who made this one, are known to cartoon lovers of course, but this little film may not have been a contender for their best work. I give it a thumbs-down. Not recommended.
Balloons versus the Pincushion Man
TheLittleSongbird16 June 2018
While not one of my favourites, Ub Iwerks was responsible for a lot of interesting work. Especially when working with Walt Disney, his oldest friend and one of his best, and co-creating one of animation's most famous characters in Mickey Mouse. His career since opening his own studio had interest value but the quality was variable, often being successful in the animation and music but wanting in the story and variable in gags, lead characters and tone.
1933 to 1936 saw twenty five cartoons, mostly based on famous fairytales and familiar stories, as part of Iwerks's "ComiColor" series. The "ComiColor" series is very much worth watching and interesting, as is the case with many series some cartoons are better than others but there are no real animation nadirs. 1935's 'Balloon Land' is one of the very best cartoons of the series, only put 'Jack Frost' above it.
'Balloon Land' doesn't actually have much wrong with it. There is much more of a story than some of the other cartoons in the series and other Iwerks works, and feels much more than just a series of gags and events. It doesn't feel saccharine and has some substance. It is slight though and maybe a bit too simple.
However 'Balloon Land' has enough freshness to stop it from being stale. It avoids the over sentimental factor and is never dull. There are a lot of imaginative visuals and the transitions are smooth.
There are a few amusing moments that aren't too corny and never repetitive, it's very charming, is touching at times and there is a genuine likeability and cuteness without being over-sentimental. Plus the conflict is entertaining and frightening. The characters are nice enough in 'Balloon Land', the best being the deliciously wicked Pincushion Man who by default steals the cartoon. Billy Bletcher sinister vocal characterisation is a big part of why.
Furthermore, the animation is great. Meticulously detailed, fluid in drawing, vibrant in colour and often rich in imagination and visual wit. The music is cleverly and lushly orchestrated, is infectiously catchy and adds a lot to the cartoon.
Concluding, very well done. 9/10 Bethany Cox
1933 to 1936 saw twenty five cartoons, mostly based on famous fairytales and familiar stories, as part of Iwerks's "ComiColor" series. The "ComiColor" series is very much worth watching and interesting, as is the case with many series some cartoons are better than others but there are no real animation nadirs. 1935's 'Balloon Land' is one of the very best cartoons of the series, only put 'Jack Frost' above it.
'Balloon Land' doesn't actually have much wrong with it. There is much more of a story than some of the other cartoons in the series and other Iwerks works, and feels much more than just a series of gags and events. It doesn't feel saccharine and has some substance. It is slight though and maybe a bit too simple.
However 'Balloon Land' has enough freshness to stop it from being stale. It avoids the over sentimental factor and is never dull. There are a lot of imaginative visuals and the transitions are smooth.
There are a few amusing moments that aren't too corny and never repetitive, it's very charming, is touching at times and there is a genuine likeability and cuteness without being over-sentimental. Plus the conflict is entertaining and frightening. The characters are nice enough in 'Balloon Land', the best being the deliciously wicked Pincushion Man who by default steals the cartoon. Billy Bletcher sinister vocal characterisation is a big part of why.
Furthermore, the animation is great. Meticulously detailed, fluid in drawing, vibrant in colour and often rich in imagination and visual wit. The music is cleverly and lushly orchestrated, is infectiously catchy and adds a lot to the cartoon.
Concluding, very well done. 9/10 Bethany Cox
Pins Are A Balloon's Worst Enemies.
Dawalk-119 September 2016
This truly is one of the greatest cartoons of not only the golden age, but also of all time. All is well in a place where everything is a live balloon. That is, until the denizens' abode is invaded by the Pincushion Man. While the other characters are good, it's the aforementioned villain who really steals the show. Both he and the pins are balloons' natural enemies, and lethal enough to destroy the delicate, rubbery material of which they're made. Musically, Carl Stalling's work is fine as usual, it's an extra special treat with the addition of the uncredited novelty ragtime artist Zez Confrey's contribution to it. As one of the few Ub Iwerks cartoons not based on a fable or fairy tale, it's nice to see this attempt at something more original and it's one of the most imaginative ever conceived, and created. I can see why it's so beloved and was a contender/nominee for the 50 Greatest Cartoons Of All Time book. I'd like to think that after defeating and getting rid of the Pincushion Man, pins would hopefully be banished and outlawed for good. Recommended.
Clever Premise
Hitchcoc30 September 2021
When people are balloons, those who control the pins will rule. Balloon land isn't just characters; it's structures and clouds and trees. But, of course, there is a villain: Pin Cushion Man. He has no motivation but to make life miserable for the balloon people. This is very colorful and quite well done in 1935.
I suddenly feel so guilty about popping balloons!
Foreverisacastironmess12317 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I just love the good cartoons of this classic era that feature characters and settings that are totally unique to them, and they surely don't come much more different than this one! It sort of has the weird streak of a Fleischer short, but was also extremely delightful, I loved the bizarre globular proportions of all the rubbery buildings in the hazy backgrounds of Balloon Land, as well as its residents. What an uncanny, cool idea-an entire little floating kingdom of rubber! All the bright cheerful colours were just beautiful, and set a fun carnival tone and atmosphere-I want a balloon duck! The most fun that I got out of this was simply appreciating all those wonderful colours and designs. ::: The peculiar-looking cackling pointy villain, and the whole idea behind him was so interesting and sinister! Now what could a world of cuddly-wuddly balloon people ever have to fear, if not to be popped? The simplicity and effectiveness of that little plot-device was such a little stroke of genius because it's so obvious you'd probably never think of it! He sounded a lot like the wolf from "The Three Little Pigs" Silly Symphony. With all the pins I assume being outlawed, it was the one outlaw who eventually ended up with all the pins...ha! I love the funny villainous song he sings in which he proudly boasts of how much all the balloon folks fear and despise him so! He never once actually pokes anyone with his pins, he throws them all like darts to pop his victims. It's funny, if those were 'people', instead of squishy-squashy balloon people, then this would basically be a little slasher horror cartoon wouldn't it? I don't get why some see this as being all dark and scary. Yeah it does have a certain antiquated edginess to it, the spindly walking pincushion is an impressive menace, but I wouldn't exactly call him nightmarish unless you're a little kid. And yes he does 'kill' a few balloon citizens-I don't really think the goofball they had guarding the door counts, as he was kinda too dumb to live! I also thought the inventive sequence where he's overwhelmed by the soldiers was surprisingly violent as he was first trapped in the ball of tree sap and then sent rolling over a cliff to his doom, screaming all the way! But I still found the overall show a little on the tame side... A short that I would definitely describe as daring is the 1932 Silly Symphony "King Neptune". ::: So many of these really old cartoons are so much better than all the soulless crud they churn out today. They don't rely on 'hip', crude humour to win over their audience, and I just plain like the older animation style better because you can occasionally see how much more care and time has gone into it to make it so special and memorable. Now it's all become so much loathsome unworthy computer-generated garbage-who'd have ever thought that the hand-drawn animation would have one day become effectively rendered extinct!? Bah!!! ::: Let your lighter side out and enjoy this little curio! If you enjoy the slightly unusual or bizarre it's guaranteed to not turn out to be a great big letdown! See ya.
Great Looking Short
Michael_Elliott31 May 2015
Balloon Land (1935)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
The title refers to a land where everything from the houses to the people are made out of balloons. The people are trained to fear the Pincushion Man because he can obviously kill them. Two newly formed kids decide to test that theory by going into the woods where the Pincushion Man follows them home and starts to terrorize the community. This two-strip Technicolor short from U.B. Iwerks is actually an incredibly dark little picture considering that the entire subject deals with the possible death of these people and there's a sequence where the Pincushion Man goes on a murdering rampage through the city. This was certainly a highly entertaining film thanks in large part to the characters who were either lovable (the balloon people) or downright hated (Pincushion Man). Another very big positive was the wonderful colors used for everyone. I watched this with my son and he said they looked like ICEE colors and he was pretty much correct.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
The title refers to a land where everything from the houses to the people are made out of balloons. The people are trained to fear the Pincushion Man because he can obviously kill them. Two newly formed kids decide to test that theory by going into the woods where the Pincushion Man follows them home and starts to terrorize the community. This two-strip Technicolor short from U.B. Iwerks is actually an incredibly dark little picture considering that the entire subject deals with the possible death of these people and there's a sequence where the Pincushion Man goes on a murdering rampage through the city. This was certainly a highly entertaining film thanks in large part to the characters who were either lovable (the balloon people) or downright hated (Pincushion Man). Another very big positive was the wonderful colors used for everyone. I watched this with my son and he said they looked like ICEE colors and he was pretty much correct.
See also
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