Animaniacs Vol. 2 (DVD)
Animaniacs Vols. 1 & 2 (DVD)
Pinky and the Brain Vol. 2 (DVD)
Pinky and the Brain Vols. 1 & 2 (DVD)
Starting with Tiny Toon Adventures, Steven Spielberg was desperate to produce an animated ensemble that would mirror the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies of his youth; it's with Animaniacs, a sort of spin-off from a Tiny Toons episode, that he finally got his wish, if only partly. Owing to the realities of 1990s television production, Animaniacs was rarely as sharp as its spiritual forefathers, but its wit was usually dead on, and its musical set pieces could at times be deliriously inspired. Pinky and the Brain, the genetically altered lab mice who repeatedly attempted world domination, were the only Animaniacs characters to get their own show—a wise decision, which would later end badly when they decided to add Tiny Toons' Elmyra. Fortunately, those episodes are nowhere near these DVD collections. —Emru Townsend

Complete Uncensored Private Snafu (DVD)
Take the gang from Termite Terrace, stir in some Ted Geisel (the future Dr. Seuss), and then let them make cartoons for the boys overseas during World War II—oh, and remove any restrictions on raciness because they aren't for the general public. Educational? Certainly. A riot? Absolutely. Patriotic duty should always be this much fun. —Emru Townsend

Dungeons & Dragons: The Complete Series (DVD)
Dungeons & Dragons: The Complete Series Limited Collector's Edition (DVD)
A minor miracle: A tie-in animated TV series from the 1980s that didn't completely suck. Six kids get whisked away to a fantasy world where they have to use their talents and magic accouterments to kick evil-overlord ass and try to find a way home. I still wince just thinking about the cutesy Frank Welker-voiced unicorn, but with scribes like Paul Dini, Buzz Dixon and Mark Evanier on the case, you know it was some of the best material you could get for the time. Besides, Diana was hot. —Emru Townsend

Romeo and Juliet (DVD)
It's new, and it's notable—notably awful. Much like watching a train collision in slow motion, one can't help but be mesmerized at this mangling of the Bard's work. And much like that hypothetical train wreck, you spend a lot of time looking on in horror and thinking of all the ways it could have been avoided. Basic premise: Most of the cast, rather than being hot-blooded Italians, are seals. And things go downhill from there. A travesty to any student of Shakespeare (the line "Wherefore art thou, Romeo?" is used three times, incorrectly, and never where it's actually supposed to be), it's still structured just enough that very young children would happily watch it. But it wouldn't be doing them any favours. —Emru Townsend

Labels: releases, upcoming releases

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