Mad Monster Party

-- Video Business, 7/16/2002

One of the best-known and delightful animated monster projects in the history of animation, Mad Monster Party finally goes digital, joining such other Rankin/Bass "Animagic" (R/B's name for its stop-motion animation process) classics as Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. According to a spokesman from Anchor Bay, the supplier had every intention of adding a featurette to the DVD, but had to scrub the plans when it was understood that talent releases hadn't been signed and artists involved in the production hadn't been paid. In its place is an impressive, picture-filled 24-page color booklet by Rankin/Bass historian Rick Goldschmidt. It covers all aspects of the production, which involved such talents as Boris Karloff and Phyllis Diller (the voices of Baron Von Frankenstein and the Monster's Mate, respectively), not to mention such noted '60s artists as Jack Davis, Frank Frazetta and Harvey Kurtzman. Transferred from the original 35mm negative, which has been digitally restored, the image looks absolutely pristine--which is to say that all the monsters look deliciously terrible. Also included is an extensive stills and artwork gallery. --Cyril Pearl