Re: SWAT Kats LOUD

From: chance <chance_at_unix.infoserve.net>
Date: Sun, 31 Mar 1996 14:01:45 -0800


> Kats at its best was, what about $400,000 for twenty minutes of
>animation? (22 minus the opening and ending.)

Buzz Potamkin posted to rec.arts.animation that "the budget on a recent
episode went north of $700,000.00, but we don't want to start any ugly
rumours, do we?" I'm pretty sure he was referring to the Kats, as though he
was Executive Producer of both the Kitties and World Premiere Toons,
by *no* stretch of the imagination can I picture "Yucky Duck" and ilk costing
any more than about 30K, tops. I don't even want to mention 'Captain Planet'.
I'm too far away from my airsick bag.

> Funny how Turner had no problem pumping 35 million into both The
>Pagemaster and Swan Princess (Which both bombed in theaters.)

At the moment they've got "Cats Don't Dance" on the launchpad, which may
end up being halfway decent. "Pagemaster" was a shambles from the word "go",
and "Swan Princess" was critically acclaimed in many quarters but almost
universally shunned by the viewers (though that's beginning to change in
the Blockbuster environment). Turner Home Video was "disappointed" at
orders for the 'SwatKats Home Videos', but as most of you have found
out from your retailer during your search for them, everyone replies to
your question with "Whatsa Swatkat?". No promotion. No sales. 3 mil
for a 'Kats' movie would be well spent, and if accompanied by a *competent*
promotion, would certainly cause quite a stir. Many are clamouring now for
anime-level movies in wide release, and you couldn't do better than a Kats
flick - provided that the compulsion to "dumb it down" for the 6-11
"Princess and Pony" set is fought at every turn.

>>("Too expensive"? We could've had three of 'em for the money that went up
>> the spout for the discarded "Jonny Quest" revisions. Looks like Turner is
>>one giant interminable April Fools Gag.)
>
> Hey, tell us something we *don't* know.

Okay. Someone at Warners wrote up a neat little short about the innermost
workings of the Turner org called "Two Stupid Producers" which evidently
made the rounds of those over there that work for a living. It's a bit cruel,
in considerably bad taste, and makes great fun of the misfortunes of Tedco.

In other words, "hilarious".
_____________________________________________________
"Dedicated to the indomitable spirit of the sled dogs that relayed
 antitoxin six hundred miles over rough ice, across treacherous waters,
 through Arctic blizzards from Nenana to the relief of stricken Nome in
 the winter of 1925. Endurance, Fidelity, Intelligence." -- "Balto"
_____________________________________________________

Received on Sun Mar 31 1996 - 17:50:30 PST

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