Robert Louis Streamin', Son
March 19, 2020 11:11 PM Subscribe
Treasure Island. The reason we think of pirates the way we do. It has, of course, had many adaptations, but these five animated ones are among the most unique:
Treasure Island (anime series later edited into a movie, Japan, 1978-79/1987).
The Treasure Planet (Bizarre sci-fi version, Bulgaria, 1982).
Treasure Island - has two different fan-translations via YouTube subtitles - Option A and Option B parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (gorgeous animation interspersed with live-action singing pirates, USSR, 1988).
The Adventures of Ronald McDonald: Treasure Island (USA, 1990).
Legends of Treasure Island (epic funny-animal animated series, UK, 1993-1995 - link is to the entire series on Dailymotion - they're also on YouTube here but the uploader announced her intention to remove them from there in response to the YouTube COPPA ruling, although she has long missed her claimed deadline).
Treasure Island (anime series later edited into a movie, Japan, 1978-79/1987).
The Treasure Planet (Bizarre sci-fi version, Bulgaria, 1982).
Treasure Island - has two different fan-translations via YouTube subtitles - Option A and Option B parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (gorgeous animation interspersed with live-action singing pirates, USSR, 1988).
The Adventures of Ronald McDonald: Treasure Island (USA, 1990).
Legends of Treasure Island (epic funny-animal animated series, UK, 1993-1995 - link is to the entire series on Dailymotion - they're also on YouTube here but the uploader announced her intention to remove them from there in response to the YouTube COPPA ruling, although she has long missed her claimed deadline).
Nothing better than Muppet Treasure Island.
posted by rednikki at 1:04 AM on March 20, 2020 [9 favorites]
posted by rednikki at 1:04 AM on March 20, 2020 [9 favorites]
For more pirates - Swiss Family Robinson on Disney+
posted by Red Desk at 1:43 AM on March 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by Red Desk at 1:43 AM on March 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
It's not a pirate movie if it doesn't have Robert Newton in it.
posted by unreason at 3:00 AM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by unreason at 3:00 AM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
Oh I love Treasure Island. My favourite version is the audiobook narrated by David Buck. I've pretty much memorised whole sections using his cadence and phrasing. this one
"Doctors is all swabs," he said; "and that doctor there, why, what do he know about seafaring men? I been in places hot as pitch, and mates dropping round with Yellow Jack, and the blessed land a-heaving like the sea with earthquakes—what to the doctor know of lands like that?—and I lived on rum, I tell you. It's been meat and drink, and man and wife, to me; and if I'm not to have my rum now I'm a poor old hulk on a lee shore, my blood'll be on you, Jim, and that doctor swab";
posted by Zumbador at 4:09 AM on March 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
"Doctors is all swabs," he said; "and that doctor there, why, what do he know about seafaring men? I been in places hot as pitch, and mates dropping round with Yellow Jack, and the blessed land a-heaving like the sea with earthquakes—what to the doctor know of lands like that?—and I lived on rum, I tell you. It's been meat and drink, and man and wife, to me; and if I'm not to have my rum now I'm a poor old hulk on a lee shore, my blood'll be on you, Jim, and that doctor swab";
posted by Zumbador at 4:09 AM on March 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
Ok so the Russian one is 90% Mad Magazine and 10% Hype Williams video? I was prepared for a lot of things, but my things list did not include fish-eye lens.
posted by selfnoise at 5:21 AM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by selfnoise at 5:21 AM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
I think my favorite is still the 2012 TV movie version with Eddie Izzard as Silver. Because Eddie Izzard.
posted by xedrik at 6:25 AM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by xedrik at 6:25 AM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
I’m partial to the Turner 1990 version. It’s kinda hard to find, but the cast! Christian Bale as Jim! Christopher Lee as Blind Pew! Oliver Reed! Pete Postlethwaite! Julian Glover! Clive Wood! Steven Mackintosh!
Yeah, Charlton Heston chews the scenery as Silver (this was directed by his son) but man, is it faithful to the book.
oh, and the movie stars the boat built to be the HMS Bounty as the Hispaniola before it was sank during Hurricane Sandy is 2012!
posted by valkane at 6:53 AM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yeah, Charlton Heston chews the scenery as Silver (this was directed by his son) but man, is it faithful to the book.
oh, and the movie stars the boat built to be the HMS Bounty as the Hispaniola before it was sank during Hurricane Sandy is 2012!
posted by valkane at 6:53 AM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
I’ll put in a plug for the Disney Treasure Planet, which exceeded my expectations in every way. I wonder if they licensed the title from the Bulgarians?
posted by mwhybark at 7:45 AM on March 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by mwhybark at 7:45 AM on March 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
Yikes, Muppet Treasure Island is where I get all my pirate stuff from. Haven't seen these other wannabes.
posted by GoblinHoney at 8:13 AM on March 20, 2020
posted by GoblinHoney at 8:13 AM on March 20, 2020
Yeah, Charlton Heston chews the scenery as Silver (this was directed by his son) but man, is it faithful to the book.
Chuck Heston chews the scenery. Though I don't think it's bad acting so much as mis-casting. Silver's just too complex a character for an aging A-lister -- the kind of role that should go to an actor you're not that familiar with, so you can't really anticipate his twists and turns.
Because the original book is an amazing thing. I'm not an expert on 19th literature at all, but in my experience, it feels like the first truly modern novel -- the way it sheds so many writerly adornments and just gets down to the bones of character, plot ... THE STORY. Because it's a great story, the mystery of the map, the voyage to the middle of nowhere, the island itself -- and narrowing it all down to something that is reported via the first person voice of a young boy.
Which I suppose is my long way of saying that I find most of the adaptations and their thematic and narrative extrapolations annoying at best. Just tell the f***ing story. Get out of its way.
posted by philip-random at 8:47 AM on March 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
Chuck Heston chews the scenery. Though I don't think it's bad acting so much as mis-casting. Silver's just too complex a character for an aging A-lister -- the kind of role that should go to an actor you're not that familiar with, so you can't really anticipate his twists and turns.
Because the original book is an amazing thing. I'm not an expert on 19th literature at all, but in my experience, it feels like the first truly modern novel -- the way it sheds so many writerly adornments and just gets down to the bones of character, plot ... THE STORY. Because it's a great story, the mystery of the map, the voyage to the middle of nowhere, the island itself -- and narrowing it all down to something that is reported via the first person voice of a young boy.
Which I suppose is my long way of saying that I find most of the adaptations and their thematic and narrative extrapolations annoying at best. Just tell the f***ing story. Get out of its way.
posted by philip-random at 8:47 AM on March 20, 2020 [3 favorites]
I remember my dad taking me to see the 1972 version with Orson Welles thinking it was going to be the fun Disney version and not the weird grim version we got.
posted by octothorpe at 8:50 AM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by octothorpe at 8:50 AM on March 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
Egads... that Heston clip. Which came first, the bog standard cliche pirate, or Heston’s performance? He’s like Talk like a Pirate day made flesh. Yuk.
posted by njohnson23 at 9:17 AM on March 20, 2020
posted by njohnson23 at 9:17 AM on March 20, 2020
That's a fantastic subject line. Kudos.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:11 AM on March 20, 2020
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:11 AM on March 20, 2020
I'm having a very anxious day in a very anxious week and I just laughed till I cried at your title. Good work.
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:50 PM on March 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by fiercecupcake at 12:50 PM on March 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
I remember my dad taking me to see the 1972 version with Orson Welles thinking it was going to be the fun Disney version and not the weird grim version we got.
I remember my little brother going to see it and being blown away! He would've been around ten at the time. I've kind of had my eye out for it ever since. I notice Youtube has a couple of dubbed versions up, but only a scene or two in English.
posted by philip-random at 1:15 PM on March 20, 2020
I remember my little brother going to see it and being blown away! He would've been around ten at the time. I've kind of had my eye out for it ever since. I notice Youtube has a couple of dubbed versions up, but only a scene or two in English.
posted by philip-random at 1:15 PM on March 20, 2020
Treasure Plant had so much potential, but they ruined it by overwriting the heart of the story - Jim's dangerous attraction to Silver; the allure of looking for father figures in the wrong places; the ambiguity of the relationship.
Instead they made Silver into a lovable rascal with a heart of gold. Inexcusable.
posted by smoke at 6:24 PM on March 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
Instead they made Silver into a lovable rascal with a heart of gold. Inexcusable.
posted by smoke at 6:24 PM on March 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
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