Grant Simmons

The third ring offers a whimsical glimpse into the future - or at least a future from the POV of the mid-20th century - with a plethora of zany postwar inventions. While none of the cartoons "of tomorrow" foresaw smartphones or DVD players, these far-fetched contraptions, gadgets, houses and farms, televisions, and various modes of transportation could only come from the madcap mind of Avery and his M-G-M crew. Uncut, restored and remastered in High Definition for the first time, Tex Avery Screwball Classics Collection Volume 3 is another must-own collection from the master of hand-drawn mayhem.

The third ring offers a whimsical glimpse into the future - or at least a future from the POV of the mid-20th century - with a plethora of zany postwar inventions. While none of the cartoons "of tomorrow" foresaw smartphones or DVD players, these far-fetched contraptions, gadgets, houses and farms, televisions, and various modes of transportation could only come from the madcap mind of Avery and his M-G-M crew. Uncut, restored and remastered in High Definition for the first time, Tex Avery Screwball Classics Collection Volume 2 is another must-own collection from the master of hand-drawn mayhem.

At long last a beautifully restored and mastered selection of a number of cartoon king Tex Avery’s brilliant, innovative and (most of all) hilarious MGM shorts comes to Blu-ray via the Warner Archive, with the implied promise of more volumes to come. Some of his greatest cartoons are included, and many of these shorts have likely not looked and sounded so good since their original theatrical release. This is a virtual godsend for the director’s legion of fans, and a worthwhile introduction for those yet unfamiliar with Avery’s uniquely zany oeuvre.

A survivor of the Rwandan Genocide struggles to forgive the man who killed her children. A victim’s daughter strikes up an unusual friendship with the ex-IRA bomber who killed her father. And two men—one Israeli, one Palestinian—form a bond after tragedies claim their daughters.

Rattfink finds out his rich, 100 year-old uncle "Rotten Rattfink" is still alive, and Rattfink visits him to make sure his name is on his will.

Pancho and El Toro meet a friendly, singing Japanese beetle...the only one in Japan with a black belt in Karate. Toro tries to catch him for his supper, but is only given repeat lessons in the martial art.

Mewsette is a starry-eyed cat who grows weary of life on a French farm and heads for the excitement of 1890s Paris. Her tomcat suitor, Jaune-Tom, and his furry cohort, Robespierre, chase after Mewsette, but she's already fallen under the spell of a feline modeling-school racket run by Madame Rubens-Chatte and her slimy assistant, Meowrice.

The first Texas bad man come running into town a million years B.C.

The story of John, a show biz dog, and his partner/fiancee Mary. We see him about to jump off a bridge when he stops and explains why he is doing it.

The story of Percy P. Pettipoint who purchases a much-desired great dane named Cuddles. He instructs Cuddles to bury his scraps in the back yard. Cuddles is a fast learner and obeys but, unfortunately, he carries it a little too far and eventually starts burying everything in the back yard including the refrigerator, the TV set, the bathtub (with him in it), and the mailman! Finally, when Cuddles buries Pettipoint's house, the man decides to get rid of the mutt...easier said than done.

The story of Percy P. Pettipoint who purchases a much-desired great dane named Cuddles. He instructs Cuddles to bury his scraps in the back yard. Cuddles is a fast learner and obeys but, unfortunately, he carries it a little too far and eventually starts burying everything in the back yard including the refrigerator, the TV set, the bathtub (with him in it), and the mailman! Finally, when Cuddles buries Pettipoint's house, the man decides to get rid of the mutt...easier said than done.

A veteran B-29 propeller plane, struggling to find work after the war, is upset after his wife gives birth to a little jet. When he tries to compete with modern planes in an around-the-world race, Junior comes to his aid. This short is virtually identical in plot terms and other items to One Cab's Family (1952), but this time around, it concerns a family of aeroplanes, and the problems Mom and Pop have with Junior, whose obsession with speed leads him to acquire a jet engine.

At the gates of Heaven, the admitting officials have a hard time understanding a newcomer's life story with all his contemporary slang.

A cat learns the art of ventriloquism in order to play a series of practical jokes on a slow-witted bulldog...

A kitten who is being tormented by a bulldog finds a savior in a black cat (from the "Black Cat Bad Luck Company") who merely has to cross the dog's path for something very unlucky to happen to the bully.

The Fox, once again, is plagued with a toothache, and once again is in search for a dentist to relieve his agony, and he, once again, finds Mr. Crow, pretending to be a dentist. This leads to no end of painful consequences for Mr. Fox.

Professor Small and Mr. Tall are on a Mississippi riverboat, where they attempt to race Captain Nobody- a ghost- on his boat. They win the race when Mr. Tall finds his lost lucky rabbit's foot.

A Dave Fleischer produced animated short.

The cat of the house lets the canary of the house out of its cage, with intent of eating said bird. The dog of the house shows up, with intent of not allowing the cat to eat the canary, and the cat is soon in need of medical attention, including a blood transfusion. The blood-donor is the canary, and the cat is soon chirping like a canary.

Pluto is playing with a ball on the beach. The ball goes into the water and starts moving in strange ways, because a sea lion is playing with it. Pluto does not want to share the ball, and eventually tries to bury it, but the sea lion is too clever. Pluto goes after the sea lion, but has to tangle with a persistent octopus. The sea lion saves Pluto, and resuscitates him, so Pluto agrees to play.

Pluto is towing Donald and his little motorboat. He gets distracted by a frog, and the boat runs away from him. While Pluto is struggling with the frog, and then a bedspring, Donald struggles with the outboard motor, which either won't start, or when it does start, has a tendency to destroy the boat.

Donald and Goofy are putting up advertising posters in a farm. Goofy prepares to post on a windmill, but his tools keep disappearing and reappearing on the windmill blades. Donald puts up his posters, a picture of a soup can, and a goat eats them immediately. Goofy gets stuck to his poster after it comes around on the windmill. Donald, being his calm, even-tempered self, gets into a battle with the goat.

Mickey is performing routine maintenance on his tugboat (with interference from a pelican) when a call comes on the radio that there's a sinking ship needing assistance. Sadly, Mickey's crew consists of Donald and Goofy, so getting underway to help is not easy. Goofy has to fight a boiler's door to get it stoked with coal (and when he succeeds, he overfills it) and Donald gets tangled up in the machinery. Not to mention that nobody casts off, so they drag half the dock along with them. The overworked boiler soon explodes.

With a rubber bone as a lure, Donald Duck tries to entice Pluto to try his mechanical dog washer. When the bone gives Pluto trouble, Donald tries a toy cat as a lure only to unexpectedly fall into the washer himself, get scrubbed and then hung out on the line to dry.

Officer Donald Duck (Officer #13) is assigned to apprehend a criminal named Tiny Tom. Donald assumes by the name that he'll be a pushover but when he reaches Tom's hideout, he discovers "Tiny" Tom is actually a hulking Pete who immediately disposes of Donald. Donald decides to use strategy and is able to reenter Pete's house disguised as a baby who Pete surprisingly warms to. When Pete discovers Donald, he chases him down the street but is finally apprehended by Donald's marching police colleagues who make the arrest.