Behind the Tunes: Once Upon A Looney Tune

The Real Beauty and the Beast

June 2013 •English

It's a condition known as "hypertrichosis" or "Ambras Syndrome," but in the 1500s it would transform one man into a national sensation and iconic fairy-tale character. His name: Petrus Gonsalvus, more commonly known today as the hairy hero of Beauty and the Beast.

It's Hard Being Loved by Jerks

September 2008 •French

The murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh by an Islamic extremist in 2004, followed by the publishing of twelve satirical cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed that was commissioned for the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, provides the incendiary framework for Daniel Leconte's provocative documentary, It's Hard Being Loved by Jerks.

Beware Haderer

January 1992 •German

A staged TV portrait of the Austrian cartoonist Gerhard Haderer; and first collaboration with Maria Hofstätter.

The Simpsons: America's First Family

July 2000 •English

The Simpsons: America's First Family is a 50 minute program which features the production of The Simpsons, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the series.

Alaska: Spirit of the Wild

September 1998 •English

Alaska... Here, in this vast and spectacularly beautiful land teeming with abundant wildlife, discover the "Spirit of the Wild." Experience it in the explosive calving of glaciers, the celestial fires of the Aurora Borealis. Witness it in the thundering stampede of caribou, the beauty of the polar bear and the stealthful, deadly hunt of the wolf pack.

Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story

January 2020 •English

Exploring the rise and fall of the groundbreaking animated series ​Ren & Stimpy​ and its controversial creator, John Kricfalusi, through archival footage, show artwork and interviews with the artists, actors and executives behind the show.

Cartoons Go To War

April 1996 •English

This remarkable documentary dedicates itself to an extraordinary chapter of the second World War – the psychological warfare of the USA. America’s trusted cartoon darlings from the studios of Warner Bros., Paramount, and the “big animals” of the Disney family were supposed to give courage to the people at the homefront, to educate them, but also to simultaneously entertain them. Out of this mixture grew a genre of its own kind – political cartoons. Insightful Interviews with the animators and producers from back then elucidate in an amusing and astonishing way under which bizarre circumstances these films partially came into existence.

Seul au milieu des ours

January 2010 •French

A Tale of Two Critters

June 1977 •English

A bear cub and a raccoon become fast friends when they're swept away down a river, away from their families.

In the Kingdom of the Lapland Bear

December 1940 •Swedish

Documentary about bears where the animals were filmed completely undisturbed.

Animated Hero Classics: Louis Pasteur

June 1995 •English

The great French scientist, struggling with his own limitations from a stroke, is not deterred by scientific criticism nor failed experiments. Pasteur had the courage to look into the unseen world and his perfected vaccines are his gifts to mankind.

Bugs Bunny/Looney Tunes All-Star 50th Anniversary

January 1986 •English

Celebrities are interviewed about the social and working lives of Bugs, Daffy, Porky and the rest of the Looney Tunes.

Blow: The True Story of Cocaine, a Bear, and a Crooked Kentucky Cop

March 2023 •English

Andrew Thornton’s drug operation was one of the largest Kentucky and Tennessee had ever seen. Thornton would perish while attempting to parachute carrying African gold coins, weapons, thousands in cash and 75 pounds of cocaine. From the CIA to secret parties, Thornton is described as the James Bond of Kentucky by those who knew him. The documentary uncovers the true story behind the drug-sniffing bear and its rise to stardom. The film dissects the myths surrounding the ultimate party animal. Did Country Music legend Waylon Jennings buy the taxidermied bear? How much cocaine did it eat? And is the actual drug-eating bear now on display in a Kentucky store?

Grizzly!

October 1967 •English

The grizzly has roamed North America for nearly a million years. And now, in the last century and a half, he has come dangerously close to extinction. Frank and John Craighead have tracked this extraordinary creature.

Giant Bears of Kodiak Island

January 1992 •English

Even in a spot as remote and wild as Alaska's Kodiak Island, the struggle between man and nature continues. Wildlife filmmaker Wolfgang Bayer presents this tug-of-war from both the human and bear perspective. Taking viewers inside a Kodiak bear's den and providing an inside glimpse of the great carnivore's daily life, Bayer reveals the bears' fight for survival in the face of a shrinking habitat and often tragic encounters with humans.

The Animators

February 1982 •English

A PBS documentary from around 1982 about San Francisco bay area animators. It features Marcy Page, Jeff Hale, Sally Cruikshank, Bud Luckey, Rudy Zamora, John Korty, Vince Collins, Drew Takahashi

Lenny

January 2018 •English

Docu-series featuring short documentaries from six directors.

Growing Up Wild - Fuzzy Wuzzy Bears

July 1992 •English

With a delightful mix of rare wildlife footage, music and rhyme, GROWING UP WILD gives kids a fun new way to learn about the animal kingdom. You'll get all this!

Russia - In the Realm of Tigers, Bears and Volcanoes

January 2011 •German

A window into Russia, unknown to Western man, and even to many Russians. "Russia - the largest country in the world. In many of its parts, it remains unknown world full of wonders. Let the world and will continue for the generations that come after us".

Rozprávkár

January 1985 •Slovak