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[Anthony]

Walt Disney Animation Studios is in the process of restarting its animated short films (following the recent success of Pixar I guess), starting with Goofy in "How To Hook Up Your Home Theater" due very soon.

Cartoonbrew has a great preview:

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How To Hook Up Your Home Theater - They nailed it.

Unlike other recent tries at reviving Disney classic characters via new shorts (think The Prince and the Pauper or Runaway Brain), the goal of this new film was not to reivent Goofy but to recapture the spirit of the Disney shorts of the late 40s, particularly the Jack Kinney classics like Hockey Homicide or a Goofy Gymnastics. They did it. It all felt right to me.

Though the film boasts the cream of the crop of current Disney animators (Deja, Henn, Baer, Goldberg, etc.), this isn't an animators film - it's a director's picture. Just as Tex Avery's cartoons are masterfully skewed through his twisted vision, here directors Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton (the first woman to direct a Disney cartoon!) take control, weaving numerous contempory gag situations into a refreshingly old school cartoon structure.

The red burlap opening titles are back. Michael Giacchino provides a perfect Oliver Wallace-styled musical score, and Corey Burton narrates with intonations falling somewhere between John McLeish and Frank Graham. Certain layouts are direct lifts from Motor Mania (Goofy's home) and How To Play Football (the football field). And there are literally dozens of gags - truly funny ones and several visual in-jokes for those looking extra hard - packed into the six and a half minute running time.

The bottom line: How To Hook Up Your Home Theater feels exactly like a contemporary 1949 Goofy cartoon - and I can't pay it any higher compliment than that. It's the perfect film to start the new shorts program with. A nod to the past as the studio looks to the future. I just hope the studio will promote it properly when it decides to release it later this fall.

Spotted here.

Still no word what film it'll be coupled with. It's gotta be Enchanted though, right?

I -literally- can't wait.

[Anthony]

It's definitely due to appear in front of Enchanted.  

There are three other shorts in WDAS's pipeline:

    * "Prep and Landing," which reveals how Santa's helpers get each of our houses ready for its annual visit from the Fat Man
    * "The Ballad of Nessie," which is this very stylized tribute to Loch Ness's most famous resident
    * "Golgo's Guest," which details what happens when a member of Russia's border police has a close encounter of the third kind

Great news! This is a long overdue return to shorts.

[peep]

Oh wow, this can only be good news for the animation studios. I hope they do it in the style of the classics instead of like the new 3D Mickey's playhouse (which I find amusing to watch but it looks terrible).

restarting its animated short films (following the recent success of Pixar I guess)

When I saw Peter Pan: Return to Neverland a few years back they showed a short before that, yes it was an old one but maybe it was a sign that they were bringing them back?

[The Butlin Boy]

I can't wait to see this This really is a Disney fan's dream come true, classic style cartoon shorts brought into the twenty-first century, what more could we want

[Disneyana]

Oh that's great. I always loved to watch a cartoon before the official movie. Hope they will go on with it. And it's another great reason to watch Enchanted in cinema.  :wink:

[Soap]

I can't wait to see this This really is a Disney fan's dream come true, classic style cartoon shorts brought into the twenty-first century, what more could we want

I totally agree! This is a great thing and a honor to the old days!

[ailsa]

I can't wait! I love Goofy he's so cool!!!

[Anthony]

Now due to appear before National Treasure: Book of Secrets.

I don't really want to go and see that. :?  :lol:

[Soap]

Now due to appear before National Treasure: Book of Secrets.

I don't really want to go and see that. :?  :lol:

Uhh why not Baloo? Or am i missing something   ?

[dagobert]

Yesterday I have seen National Treasure and the Goofy cartoon. It is a lot of fun and I loved it. Watch carefully there are some nice things to discover.

[Anthony]

Uhh why not Baloo? Or am i missing something   ?

I dunno, it just doesn't appeal to me that much. I saw the first one on DVD and it seemed kinda good if a bit unbelievable. I just have trouble caring that much about all the American history stuff.

And in the sequel they seem to break into "BuckIng-Haam" Palace, which will really bug me.

This Goofy short, however, might tempt me... I wonder if they'll stick it on the NT2 DVD, or not? Doesn't seem a natural fit.

[The Butlin Boy]

I wonder if they'll stick it on the NT2 DVD, or not? Doesn't seem a natural fit.

I think they usually do put the short films that follow a Disney film at the cinema on to the DVD, but I wouldn't bet on it because as you've said, it doesn't really fit :?

[Kristof]

They did not played it here in Belgium before National Treasure.  :x

[Soap]

They did not played it here in Belgium before National Treasure.  :x

Oh no   .
Guess they won't play it in Holland then either..........

[The Butlin Boy]

I saw National Treasure today, but I didn't see Goofy. I was really looking forward to it too