Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation

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Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation
Three young animals—a green duck, a pink rabbit and a blue rabbit—burst out of a multi-colored bulls-eye. The duck is carrying his suitcase, the pink rabbit is cheering, and the blue rabbit is holding a water gun.
Cover of the Laserdisc release, featuring (from left to right) Plucky Duck, Babs Bunny and Buster Bunny
Directed by Rich Arons
Produced by Tom Ruegger
Written by Paul Dini
Nicholas Hollander
Tom Ruegger
Sherri Stoner
Starring Joe Alaskey
Charlie Adler
Tress MacNeille
Don Messick
Rob Paulsen
Cree Summer
Jonathan Winters
Edie McClurg
Gail Matthius
Kath Soucie
Frank Welker
Sorrell Booke
Music by Bruce Broughton
Steven Bramson
Don Davis
Albert Lloyd Olson
Richard Stone
Stephen James Taylor
Mark Watters
Studio Amblin Entertainment
Warner Bros. Animation
Distributed by Warner Home Video
Release date(s) March 11, 1992
Running time 73 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget Over $350,000

Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation, also referred to as Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation or How I Spent My Vacation, is a 1992 American direct-to-video animated film from Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Entertainment. The film was produced in 1991 and released in March 1992. Featuring the regular characters from the animated program Tiny Toon Adventures, the film follows them during their summer vacation from school, mainly focused on Babs and Buster going downriver, Plucky and Hampton going to a world famous amusement park, and Fifi in search of her favorite movie star.

Steven Spielberg was the executive producer of the film, written by Paul Dini, Nicholas Hollander, Tom Ruegger, and Sherri Stoner. Tokyo Movie Shinsha, a Japanese studio, animated the film. How I Spent My Vacation runs about 73 minutes, and was released on VHS and Laserdisc formats. It was the first animated film to be released direct-to-video in the United States. The film was later aired on television as four separate Tiny Toon Adventures episodes.

The film was one of the highest selling videos in the United States, listing on Billboard Magazine's 40 "Top Video Sales" for 16 weeks as of July 1992. Points of praise by critics included the film's jokes and celebrity caricatures, while points of criticism included the segmented plot. Themes of the film included parodies of pop culture and summer vacations.

Contents

[edit] Plot

The Tiny Toon Adventures characters leave for their summer vacations after their term at Acme Looniversity ends. Babs and Buster Bunny have a water pistol fight, which eventually escalates into them flooding Acme Acres. The bunnies, along with Byron Basset, float from Acme Acres down to a river and end up in the southern United States, where they continuously avoid getting eaten by the river's residents. Fifi Le Fume is obsessed with film actor Johnny Pew and manages to track him down at the hotel at which he is staying. Once Fifi finally sees him in person she takes the opportunity to ask for his autograph, to which he claims to have no pen. When Fifi becomes depressed, he then offers for her to spend time with him by carrying his luggage. Plucky Duck tags along with Hamton J. Pig and his family as they drive to the amusement park HappyWorldLand. The trip turns out to be very long and painful for Plucky, who becomes annoyed with the family's habits and is almost killed by an escaped convict who the Pigs mistake for a hitchhiker. Plucky endures to ride only HappyWorldLand's Monorail and then go home, severely disappointing him.

Meanwhile, Elmyra Duff visits a nature park and tortures the animals there with her adoration. The animals escape by stealing her family's station wagon and leaving the park. Fowlmouth drags Shirley the Loon to see Skunknophobia, a film he has already seen 100 times. Fifi and Johnny attend the same film. Fifi and the audience execpt Johnny are scared because of the THUD logo. Fowlmouth continuously talking through the film and is literally forced out of the theater by the enraged characters in the film after a man who was seating in front of him and throws him into the film. Fifi gets annoyed when Johnny steals her photograph of him and signs it for another girl, having had a pen all along. Fifi kicks Johnny out of the theater, causing him to end up with Elmyra and becoming her pet.

After realizing they are the main course at a dinner theater on a showboat, Babs and Buster escape with the help of Byron. They are chased down by the hungry animals they met throughout their journey, but are rescued by a banjo-playing possum Buster had befriended. The escaped convict returns and tries to kill them as well, and Buster, Babs, Byron and the possum try to escape in a mine cart. The four end up falling down a "plot hole" which leads them through Wackyland and back to Acme Acres just in time for school to start again. The film ends with the characters' return to the Looniversity for the fall semester of school and Babs gets the last laugh as she finally manages to soak Buster by dumping water on him from the ceiling.

[edit] Voice cast

Name Character
Charlie Adler Buster Bunny, and the Movie Theater Ticket Taker
Tress MacNeille Babs Bunny, Babs' Mother, Drive-thru Waitress and Big Boo
Gail Matthius Shirley the Loon and Sissy Boo
Kath Soucie Fifi Le Fume, Li'l Sneezer, Little Boo and Bimbette Skunk
Don Messick Hamton J. Pig and the Radio Announcer
Joe Alaskey Plucky Duck and Tupelo Toad
Maurice LaMarche Dizzy Devil
Frank Welker Gogo Dodo, Furrball, Calamity Coyote, Little Beeper, Byron Basset, Uncle Stinky and Road Runner
Rob Paulsen Fowlmouth, Johnny Pew, Mr. Hitcher, Horatio and Banjo Possum
Cree Summer Elmyra Duff and Mary Melody
Candi Milo Sweetie Pie
Jonathan Winters Wade Pig
Edie McClurg Winnie Pig
Sorrell Booke Big Daddy Boo

[edit] Production

In 1990, Bugs Bunny Magazine reported that Warner Bros. was planning the release of How I Spent My Vacation, then referred to as a "Tiny Toon Adventures home video". Plans for the film began before Tiny Toon Adventures premiered on television.[1] Warner Bros. discussed with executive producer Steven Spielberg whether the film should be released in theaters, but Spielberg insisted on a direct-to-video release.[2] Spielberg said that he wanted to make the film a direct-to-video release because "animated features are ideally suited for the repeat viewing," a factor he found important to the genre's appeal to those watching animated films at home.[3] In an interview for the Los Angeles Times, executive in charge of production Jean MacCurdy did not specify the budget of the film, but stated that it was far more costly than episodes of Tiny Toon Adventures.[4] According to Hal Erickson's Television Cartoon Shows: an Illustrated Encyclopedia, the budget of the average Tiny Toon Adventures episode was approximately $350,000.[5]

How I Spent My Vacation was written by Tiny Toon Adventures writers Paul Dini, Nicholas Hollander, Tom Ruegger and Sherri Stoner. Ruegger also produced the film, and Steven Spielberg was the executive producer.[6] The film was animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, a Japanese studio.[7] The film had seven directors: Rich Aarons, Ken Boyer, Kent Butterworth, Barry Caldwell, Alfred Gimeno, Arthur Leonardi and Byron Vaughns.[8] The film is about 73 minutes long.[8][9]

[edit] Themes

One of the hallmarks of How I Spent My Vacation was the parody of film, popular culture and celebrities. Videos for Kids noted that the film makes fun of "California culture and youth" with the use of celebrity caricatures, such as those of Roseanne Barr, Johnny Carson, Arsenio Hall, David Letterman,[10] Jay Leno, Oprah Winfrey, and Sylvester Stallone.[11] The film makes fun of other cartoon characters, such as those of Superman and The Little Mermaid.[12] Babs' and Buster's travels down the river are a parody of the film Deliverance.[13]

Jean MacCurdy said that How I Spent My Vacation makes fun of summer vacations by mocking "the boredom of summer and some of those horrible car trips".[4] In the film, Plucky Duck's car trip with the Hamton family is very taxing; the members of the Hamton family are cheap, dull and clueless, as Plucky is nearly killed by an escaped lunatic that the family mistakes for a hitchhiker.[10] The film's fictional theme park, "HappyWorldLand", is a spoof of Walt Disney World. The THX logo is also parodied in the film as THUD.[4]

[edit] Release

How I Spent My Vacation was released direct to video on March 11, 1992.[14][a] The film was released on VHS and Laserdisc formats.[15] Jean MacCurdy said that the film was released at that time to take advantage of the Easter market.[4] Because retailers had high demand for the film,[15] Warner Bros. shipped to them nearly one million copies, which the Los Angeles Times noted as "a record for direct-to-video programs".[4]

How I Spent My Vacation was the first direct-to-video, feature-length animated film ever released in the United States.[3][13][b] At the time, the concept of a direct-to-video animated feature was so strange to consumers that some mistakenly thought How I Spent My Vacation was a collection of Tiny Toon Adventures episodes.[4]

The film later aired on Fox Kids on September 5, 1993,[16] as four Tiny Toon Adventures episodes, episodes 97 through 100.[14] While Warner Bros. began to release the Tiny Toon Adventures series on DVD, in volumes, on July 29, 2008,[17] a recent discussion at the Home Theater Forum with Warner Home Video representatives revealed that Warner has "no plans" for more Tiny Toon Adventures releases on DVD.[18]

[edit] Reception

Reviews ranged from positive to mixed. Giving three out of four bones, the VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever highlighted the parodies of the film, and noted that "Parents will be [as] equally entertained [as children] by the level of humor and fast-paced action".[13][c] Film critic Leonard Maltin gave the film two and a half stars out of four, saying the film was "[e]pisodic," but praised the voice cast, songs and "funny business".[19] TV Guide called the film a "firecracker", citing the film's many jokes.[12] The book Videos for Kids: The Essential, Indispensable Parent's Guide to Children's Movies on Video praised the "tongue-in-cheek humor" and celebrity caricatures but issued warning to parents, stating that the film may not be appropriate for "children too young to identify satire" because the characters in the film "are rude and combative and may not provide the best behavioral role models". Videos for Kids still concluded that the film "should provide an enjoyable viewing experience for the whole family".[10] Dennis Hunt of the Los Angeles Times said that the format of a direct-video film was "unusual", but that some parts of the film were "hilarious", especially the scenes which make fun of Walt Disney World.[4] Since its release, How I Spent My Vacation has been rated as one of the "Top 20 (U.S.-Produced) Direct-to-Video Animated Films" by the "Animated Movie Guide".[9]

Rating the film a "C+" overall, Steve Daly of Entertainment Weekly noted that while the film was "superior to most TV fare", he called the film a "pandering kidvid make-over" of the Looney Tunes cartoons on which Tiny Toons was based, saying the characters were immature and the content was "fast without being funny".[20] A 1992 issue of the Video Watchdog was particularly critical, calling the film "a mixed bag" that "sacrificed (...) a cohesive plot for an outline that allows various teams of characters to come up with four stories." The magazine also questioned the point of using characters heavily based on the classic Looney Tunes characters instead of using the classic characters themselves.[21]

The VHS release of How I Spent My Vacation was one of the highest selling videos in the United states; on the Billboard charts, the video ranked 12th in sales in April 1992.[22] In May 1992, How I Spent My Vacation rose to 9th in video sales.[23] On July 18, 1992, How I Spent My Vacation had been on Billboard Magazine's 40 "Top Video Sales" for 16 weeks.[24] On June 27, 1992, the film was ranked the 5th highest on Billboard's "Top Kid Video".[25] On February 6, 1993, How I Spent My Vacation had been on the "Top Kid Video" list for 41 weeks.[26] While it did not state the revenue of the film, the Toronto Star stated that the film sold so well that Warner Bros. decided to release videos of Tiny Toon Adventures episodes.[27]

[edit] Notes

a. ^ Billboard Magazine and some reviews state that the film was released in 1991.[10][13][19][21] The Miami Herald,[3] Bowker's Complete Video Directory: 1997,[8] The Animated Movie Guide,[9] TV Guide,[12] Toonzone's Tiny Toon Adventures episode guide,[14] and the New York Times,[28] state that the film was or will be released in 1992.

b. ^ The Miami Herald refers to the film as "the first full-length made-for-video animated adventure".[3]

c. ^ VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever rating system uses ratings out of four bones, similar to ratings out of four stars, to indicate the quality of a film. A film rated with three of four bones has a "good story [and] fine acting [that provide] decent entertainment return on video investment. Would recommend to family members, even distant cousins."[29]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lazar, Jerry (1990), "Meet the Tiny Toons", Bugs Bunny Magazine 
  2. ^ Hettrick, Scott (Jan 17, 1992). "Puppies and bunnies and toons on the loose 'Dalmations,' [sic] 'Fievel Goes West,' 'Tiny Toon Adventures' are coming". Kansas City Star: p. G23. 
  3. ^ a b c d "It's About Doggone Time!". The Miami Herald: p. 41G. Apr 10, 1992. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Hunt, Dennis (April, 1992). "This 'Tiny Toon' Venture Isn't From TV". Los Angeles Times. 
  5. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005), "Tiny Toon Adventures", Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003, 1 (2 ed.), McFarland & Company, p. 853, ISBN 0786420995 
  6. ^ Opening credits for Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation
  7. ^ Closing credits for Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation
  8. ^ a b c Bowker's Complete Video Directory: 1997, New Providence: R.R. Bowker, January, 1997, p. 1218 
  9. ^ a b c Beck, Jerry (2005), The Animated Movie Guide, Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Review Press, p. 327, ISBN 1-55652-591-5 
  10. ^ a b c d Doug, Atkinson; Fiona Zippan (1995), Videos for Kids: The Essential, Indispensable Parent's Guide to Children's Movies on Video, Rocklin: Prima Lifestyles, p. 157, ISBN 978-1559586351 
  11. ^ Mink, Eric (March 18, 1992), "A Looney Vacation With 'Tiny Toons'", St. Louis Post-Dispatch 
  12. ^ a b c TV Guide 40, 1992 
  13. ^ a b c d Connors, Martin; Jim Craddock (2000), "Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation", VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 2000, Farmington Hills: Thomson Gale, p. 923, ISBN 978-1578590421, http://www.movieretriever.com/movies/1083557/Tiny-Toon-Adventures:-How-I-Spent-My-Vacation, retrieved May 7, 2010 
  14. ^ a b c "Tiny Toon Adventures Episodes". Toon Zone. http://www.toonzone.net/shows/episodes/tinytoons.html. Retrieved April 26, 2010. 
  15. ^ a b Clark, Mike (March 13, 1992), "New in Stores", USA Today 
  16. ^ Lenburg, Jeff (2008), "Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation", The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons, 1 (3 ed.), Checkmark Books, p. 399, ISBN 978-0816066001 
  17. ^ Lambert, David (June 21, 2008), Tiny Toon Adventures - Official Press Release for 1st DVD Releases of Tiny Toon Adventures, Freakazoid!, TVShowsonDVD.com, http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Tiny-Toon-Adventures-Press-Release/9891, retrieved April 29, 2010 
  18. ^ Lambert, David (April 6, 2010), Site News - A Round-Up of News from Last Night's Live Warner Home Video Chat at the HTF, TVShowsonDVD.com, http://tvshowsondvd.com/news/Site-News-2010-HTF-WHV-Chat/13565, retrieved April 29, 2010 
  19. ^ a b Maltin, Leonard; Cathleen Anderson, Pete Hammond (2000), Leonard Maltin's 2001 Movie & Video Guide, Signet, p. 1442, ISBN 978-0451201072 
  20. ^ Steve, Daly (March 20, 1992), "Video Review: Tiny Toon Adventures (1992)", Entertainment Weekly, http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,309899,00.html, retrieved April 26, 2010 
  21. ^ a b Video Watchdog (9): 18, 1992 
  22. ^ Associated Press (April 14-15, 1992), "Video Rentals, Sales", Desert News: 2 
  23. ^ Associated Press (May 7, 1992), "Top Video Rentals, Sales", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: C7 
  24. ^ "Top Video Sales", Billboard 104 (29): 51, July 18, 1992 
  25. ^ "Top Kid Video", Billboard 104 (29): 48, June 27, 1992 
  26. ^ "Top Kid Video", Billboard 105 (6): 48, February 6, 1993 
  27. ^ Wilner, Norman (July 18, 1992), "Turn On Toon In", Toronto Star: SW8 
  28. ^ Nichols, Peter (March 19, 1992), "'Fievel Goes West'", The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/19/arts/home-video-866392.html 
  29. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions: What do the Bone Ratings mean?". VideoHound's MovieRetriever.com. http://www.movieretriever.com/faq#7. Retrieved May 7, 2010. 

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