It’s kind of hard to write a list like this sometimes, mostly because there are just an endless amount of films we wish to see get the release they deserve. I mean, there are still some movies out there that haven’t had a proper release, whether they didn’t get one or it was released on an awful, awful transfer.
     There’s also, sometimes, the case of certain films being released overseas but not here, usually in terms of an animated feature from its own home country. While you can have a region-free player, it’d be nice to have an easier, cheaper access to some titles. So needless to say, this list is nowhere near being my end-all be-all.

Perfect Blue/Millennium Actress/Tokyo Godfathers

     GKIDS has set a theatrical re-release for Perfect Blue this September with Millennium Actress scheduled for next autumn, so this would be a perfect time to strike. Perfect Blue has received a Blu-ray release that was Region 2 only in 2013. It still surprises me Satoshi Kon’s work haven’t received any special edition release, with him being one of the most exciting, imaginative, and influential directors of his time. Gone way too soon, he was still able to leave a great legacy behind of work that blurs fact and fiction, filled with unforgettable imagery and moments that are still paid homage to now.
     I wrote a list of Criterion Releases We’d Love over a year ago and mentioned how much I wish we could see Kon’s work in the company’s catalogue. It would be a perfect fit, and I know Criterion would treat these films, and their importance, beautifully. I know that this list is primarily for films, which is why I didn’t add it on the above line, but throw in the wonderful Paranoia Agent series onto the group as one I wish to see a Blu-ray release of as well.

Cats Don’t Dance

     A wonderful homage to classic Hollywood and the its reputation as the place where dreams are made reality, Cats Don’t Dance follows Danny the tabby cat who arrives in town looking to make it big as a star. Beautifully animated, choreographed, coloured and, well, everything else, the film was released on a Widescreen version DVD just two years ago, but only through the on-demand site known as Warner Bros. Archive. There’s a lot more I can say about Cats Don’t Dance, but you’ll just have to keep your eyes open on Wednesday for that!

Felidae

     Like the Satoshi Kon entry above, I had already written about my hopes for Felidae receiving a home video release, mind you I hope for a release of any kind, as the film hasn’t yet been released in DVD outside of Region 2.
     Adapted from the Akif Pirincci novel, Felidae is an adult neo-noir, thriller, murder-mystery focusing on a cat who moves into a new neighborhood with his owner, only to soon realize that cats are being murdered in the neighborhood in a variety of brutal ways.
     Unfortunately, I feel as though Felidae has fallen far into obscurity and may be hoping for lots and lots here (even the complete English cast list isn’t entirely know). Still, I will keep holding my breath. Being an animated film, the movie doesn’t have any fat to it, constantly keeping a tight pace and building upon the mystery and suspense every scene. It keeps you hooked, and the brutality of the violence makes the threat incredibly dangerous to anyone you meet in the film. I can go on, but if you’re interested then you can watch the film in its entirety on YouTube. Be warned though, it isn’t quite for the faint of heart, especially since the cats, besides talking, act like very realistic animals.
     It’s a movie I wish more people knew about, and there would be a following that rectifies someone deciding to release it. I didn’t even mention the insane dream sequences concerning Gregor Mendel.

The Adventures of Prince Achmed

     I wrote during the Satoshi Kon entry (referencing that twice in a row... huh) that I would love to see his work in the Criterion Collection for his influence, imagination, and talent. The same goes, exponentially, for Lotte Reiniger. As a matter of fact, you can simply consider this as an entry for any of Reiniger’s beautiful films, as a set of them would be one of the most treasured releases on my shelf.
     Lotte Reiniger is… she’s just amazing. I hate to start in such a way but she is, and I wish that she was more widely known by a wide audience. A German filmmaker and animator who pioneered silhouette, cut-out animation, with the use of her own inventions such as the first incarnation to what would become the multi-plane camera, to say Lotte was talented and brilliant would be an understatement. At a time where a lot of animation focused on emotions through facial expressions, Reiniger’s style had her using motions to relay the emotions of a scene. Her characters are fluid, almost moving in a very beautiful, dreamlike way, with a very stop-motion feel to it.
     The Adventures of Prince Achmed may be her most known work, as well as the oldest surviving animated film. It is exquisite with its detail, colour, and animation, easily worthy of the masterpiece status it has achieved. Having a collection of Lotte’s work would be like having history in your hands; history that is worth reaching a wider audience as her work is bound to connect with so many more that haven’t heard of her.

The Thief and the Cobbler

     A film by animator Richard Williams that was decades in the making, on-off from 1964 until 1993, The Thief and the Cobbler is a beautifully animated film about a cobbler who falls in love with a princess while the city they are in is falling under attack. It’s a lot more complicated than that, of course, but the story of the film has unfortunately become its history. Production troubles, studio mishandling, and many more issues have led to the film never being truly finished or released as was intended, though recently there have been multiple attempts at re-edits and additions to get it to its original form, mostly in the fan-made “Recobbled Cuts”. There has even been a documentary made of the history of the film from inception through its troubles, which is a fantastic piece itself.
     While one can go on and on about the issues and backstory of its production, going so far as to having it be the go-to conversation sometimes in regards to the film, The Thief and the Cobbler deserves to be seen (hopefully in one of the better, fixed version), as it is truly an absolutely breathtaking picture. The animation is exquisite and the sheer scope of its ambition cannot be properly summed up in a handful of words in a paragraph. It would be wonderful to have a set that collects the original Richard Williams workprint, which has been preserved by the Academy, and one of the newer versions of the Recobbled Cut along with the documentary. It’s a film that deserves its place in animation history solely for what could have been, and the talent that went into it that still raised it above the negative that was heaped upon it by studios, the same talent that has deservedly brought it its cult fame over the years.

Scooby Doo on Zombie Island

     I covered Scooby Doo on Zombie Island in its own article last October (which you can visit here), so I’m not going to dwell too much here. This one is based purely on nostalgia, but nostalgia that is warranted, as the film ended up being one of the biggest sleeper surprises of the decade. Putting Scooby and the gang back on the map after waning popularity, the film is a love letter to the series as a whole while pushing it forward into new directions. The atmosphere and animation are excellently executed, the plot is interesting and goes way further than one would expect, the songs are great and the characters are written superbly. As time has gone by, it seems as though the film is stuck in the nostalgic past, in the sense that it doesn’t seem to be brought up as much anymore. It’d be nice to have a release that features even a handful of extras, discussing how the crew worked on bringing it all together in a new and exciting way while keeping the spirit of the original alive.

Les Maîtres du temps (Time Masters)

     While the second feature of René Laloux may not be up to his debut (Fantastic Planet), Les Maîtres du temps is still worth the time for any fan of the filmmaker or animation in general. With designs by Mœbius, the film adapts The Orphan of Perdide by Stefan Wul, revolving around a rescue group attempting to make their way to the planet of Perdide, in hopes of rescuing a boy named Piel before he comes across the local giant hornet inhabitants.
     Released nine years after Fantastic Planet, Les Maîtres du temps had a bit of a troubled production history as it jumped between a few teams to finish it over its period. The designs by Mœbius are, unsurprisingly, fantastic. The film constantly feels like classic science fiction, which may be an obvious statement to make, but it’s one that’s more understandable while watching the film.
     Laloux’s final film, Gandahar, has also never been released in Region 1, and would be nice to see as a complete set, along with his short films, to commemorate a unique animator who I wish we were able to see more from in his already interesting career.

Ghost in the Shell

     The film needs no real introduction after all this time, though this entry is a peculiar one. Ghost in the Shell has had a few releases over time, having seen Blu-ray and DVD versions come and go. The issue has always been that, for a film that is widely considered one of the most influential of its kind, especially out of the 1990’s, all of the releases have been very lackluster. While much has already been said, written, and analyzed about it, it would still be nice to see it get a definitive release after some ho-hum ones.

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

     I have always been a huge fan of Wallace and Gromit, and found the film to be a wonderful feature length adventure of the duo, full of the same imagination, charm, and hilarity that we are used to from the shorts. This entry is, like Scooby Doo on Zombie Island, one that I would like primarily out of love and nostalgia. Though, to be honest, I am very surprised that it hasn’t gotten anything past its DVD releases yet, but hopefully we can see one soon.

Le Roi et l'Oiseau (The King and the Mockingbird)

     Paul Grimault’s project that began in 1948 with screenwriter/poet Jacques Prévert as a Hans Christian Anderson adaptation and came out in 1980 as something completely different, The King and the Mockingbird is usually regarded as a masterpiece in French animation, though it’s a masterpiece in animation period. Lush, vibrant, gorgeous, and endlessly charming, it’s influenced a wide array of animators the world over.
     The easiest way to describe the story is this; a chimney sweep and a shepherdess, in love, attempt to escape the clutches of a tyrannical king. That may sound like a very basic story but trust me, you’re in for a treat. For example, the chimney sweep and shepherdess belong in paintings. And there ends up being a giant… well, that’s a surprise. The King and the Mockingbird is a film made for going into it blind and fresh, like The Adventures of Prince Achmed.
     The film was re-released in theaters a few years back, and was then followed by a brand new DVD and Blu-ray release in France and Germany. I’m hoping that we get a release here as it is one of the best animated films that many haven’t seen and would undoubtedly love if they did.

     Those are only a handful of choices for us this round, but what are some animated features you would like to see get a good Blu-ray release? Or even a DVD one? Tell us in the comments!