For this edition of Saturday Anime Night, it’s an extra-long slate, because ‘tis the season. First up is Nutcracker Fantasy (1979), Sanrio’s Christmas-themed stop-motion fairy tale based on Tchaikovsky’s ballet, from many of the same Japanese animators that made those Rankin-Bass specials (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer [1964], etc.) This may be their most technically-sophisticated work. Looks pretty neat. Let’s check it out. Then, we’ll watch episodes 10 through 13 (of 13) from one of the all-time classic anime OVAs, Record of Lodoss War (1990), finishing off the series. We will once again watch a band of medieval adventurers as they trek through dungeons, kill monsters, and collect treasure. Imagine a video game, but as an anime. That is pretty much this series’ tone. It is nevertheless one of the most iconic OVA series out there. After that is Hundreds of Beavers (2023), a live-action/animation/stop-motion/puppet hybrid about a fur trapper tasked with killing an army of crafty beavers in the snowy North American wilderness. It’s pretty much live-action Looney Tunes, stretching its low budget to ludicrous cartoonish lengths in depicting one man’s war against beaverdom. I’m considering it honorary anime for the purposes of a Christmas anime night. Reviews are excellent for this one, and it is currently making its rounds on the midnight-movie circuit. See it before it becomes popular!

We’ll start early tonight, at 7:30PM EST, on Hextube, right here: https://live.hexbear.net/c/movies

Be there, comrades!

Letterboxd:

• Nutcracker Fantasy: https://letterboxd.com/film/nutcracker-fantasy/
• Record of Lodoss War: https://letterboxd.com/film/record-of-lodoss-war/
• Hundreds of Beavers: https://letterboxd.com/film/hundreds-of-beavers/

Doesthedogdie.com links:

• Nutcracker Fantasy: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079648/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg
• Record of Lodoss War: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100044/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg
• Hundreds of Beavers: Sorry, nothing on DTDD or IMDB.

CWs for Nutcracker Fantasy:

• Kissing.
• A boy is transformed into a mouse.
• Child endangerment.
• Deaths of toy soldiers.
• Decapitation.
• Deaths of mice.
• Stabbing.
• Blood.
• Animal cruelty.

CWs for Record of Lodoss War:

• Nudity.
• Objectification of female characters.
• Blood and gore.
• Fantasy violence.
• Cutting of flesh.

CWs for Hundreds of Beavers:

• Cartoon violence.
• Animal abuse.
• Dead animals.
• Kidnapping.
• Explosions.
• Sanity slippage.
• Large rodents.

Links to movies:

• Forthcoming. I have the files, but the most convenient way to upload them is to replace one of the earlier videos while a later video is playing.