Animalympics

Infobox Film
name = Animalympics


caption = Original VHS cover for UAV edition
director = Steven Lisberger
producer = Donald Kushner
Steven Lisberger
writer = Steven Lisberger
Roger Allers
John Norton
starring = Billy Crystal
Michael Fremer
Gilda Radner
Harry Shearer
music = Graham Gouldman
cinematography= Ted Bemiller
Paul Nevitt
(animation camera)
distributor = Theatrical:
flagicon|UK Barber-Rose International Films Ltd.cite web|url=http://www.the10ccfanclub.com/presskits/Scannen0003.jpg|title=List of territorial distributors for "Animalympics"|year=1980|publisher=Lisberger Studios|accessdate=2008-08-18]
Cable TV:
flagicon|USA
Warner Bros./Lorimar-Telepictures
Disney Channel (broadcaster)
VHS:
flagicon|USA
Warner Bros.
UAV Corporation
Family Home Entertainment
released = 1980
runtime = 78 min.
country = USA
language = English
imdb_id = 0078780 "Animalympics" is a 1980 animated film produced by Lisberger Studios. Originally commissioned by the NBC network as two separate specials, it spoofs the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, and features the voices of Billy Crystal, Gilda Radner, Harry Shearer and Michael Fremer.

Plot summary

The movie is a series of vignettes presented as the broadcast of the first animal Olympic Games through the fictional ZOO television network. Because of the combination of the two short cartoons, the Games combine both summer and winter Olympic events. Many of the characters presented, both ZOO crewmembers and Olympic participants, are celebrity caricatures.

Unlike the real Olympics, continents are represented rather than countries. The continents featured are North America, South America, Eurasia, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Eurasia represented Eastern Europe (in particular, Russia then the Soviet Union), reflecting the Summer Olympics scheduled to be held in Moscow, whereas Europe represented Western and Central Europe. South America is only briefly represented in soccer. The only reference to Australia is the use of a kangaroo as a North American boxer and a koala as a commentator.

The only mention of areas other than continents are the New York Rats soccer team, Dean Wilson being from California, a Central American marathon runner named Pepe Repanosa, marathon runner Terry Hornsby being from Boulder, Colorado, Renee Fromage being from France, and Kurt Wüfner appearing at the downhill event right before a Scandinavian is given a gold medal.

Although many of the segments could easily stand alone, there are a number of recurring events and important characters. The largest such story is the coverage of the marathon, where competitors René Fromage (a French goat) and Kit Mambo (an African lioness) are the favorites to win. Both determined to win — Fromage having devoted his entire life to the marathon, Mambo determined to make a name for herself — they find themselves surprised when their minds wander to thoughts of mutual admiration and then to love, culminating in the pair holding hands for the rest of the race and crossing the finish line together. Another important story is that of Kurt Wüffner, German dachshund skier, and his disappearance to Dogra-la (a spoof of Shangri-la) during a mountain climbing expedition shortly after the slalom event.

In various parts of the film, references to past medalists and athletics are indicated. Because it is clearly stated that it is the first Animalympics, the highlights of other events must be from other events such as world championships. In fact, figure skater Dorrie Turnell is indicated as having won the Junior World Championship.

History

Originally commissioned by the NBC Television Network in 1978, it was produced as two separate shows intended to air along with the network's 1980 winter and summer Olympics coverage. [ [http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=286851 Animalympics - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - New York Times ] ] [ [http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=2475 Animalympics: Summer Olympics - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - New York Times ] ] However, only the half-hour winter show made it to the small screen, as the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan caused President Jimmy Carter to boycott the Moscow Summer Olympics. As America stayed away, NBC canceled its Olympic coverage, and Lisberger's hour-long companion special along with it. [ [http://www.zeek.net/film_03062.shtml Zeek: Simulacra, Simulation and Science Fiction ] ] However, from its conception, producer Donald Kushner and director Steven Lisberger intended the project as a feature-length theatrical release. The resulting version, recorded and mixed in Dolby surround sound via magnetically-striped 35mm film, had its debut at the 1980 Miami Film Festival, where it was well-received. It was released in various countries overseas during the summer season that same year.

Though it never found a theatrical distributor in the U.S., "Animalympics" was soon acquired by Warner Bros. for home video and pay-TV release. The movie aired in summer 1984 on HBO and Showtime nationwide, and also on Philadelphia's PRISM. [cite web|url=http://news.google.com/archivesearch?q=Animalympics&sa=N&sugg=d&as_user_ldate=1984|title=Search results for "Animalympics" news items (1984)|publisher=Google News Archive Search|accessdate=2008-08-18] Considering that the film was produced in 1979, several music-video-like sequences accompany its soundtrack by 10cc's bassist Graham Gouldman, uncommon at the time. [ [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/bio/index.jsp?JSESSIONID=cdDZGHVpCk5fzC2pWQpX2n6RqFyfQh7KCRQwqhfFBmhR9nGGtxmj!-221563471&&pid=15223 Billboard.com - Biography - Graham Gouldman ] ]

Among those who worked on "Animalympics" were art director/animator Roger Allers, animation director Bill Kroyer, and animator Brad Bird. Allers, who animated Kit Mambo, the lion star of "Animalympics," appropriately went on to direct "The Lion King." [ [http://www.reelzchannel.com/persondetail.aspx?personid=97623 Roger Allers - Movies, Movie Clips and Trailers ] ] Kroyer later wrote and directed the animated feature "." Brad Bird went on to work as story editor of "The Simpsons," and later achieved even greater success writing and directing "The Iron Giant", "The Incredibles" [ [http://www.darkhorizons.com/news04/bird.php Interview - Brad Bird for "The Incredibles" ] ] and "Ratatouille".

Director Lisberger went on to conceive, co-write and direct the science fiction classic "Tron", which some of the "Animalympics" crew were involved in. While "Tron" is best known for bringing computer animation to the big screen, its only two Academy Award nominations in 1982 were in the sound category. Its soundtrack supervisor was Michael Fremer, who was involved in "Animalympics" as a co-writer, voice artist, dialogue/music track editor and sound mix supervisor. [ [http://www.keyframeonline.com/Animation/Animalympics/434/ Animalympics ] at Keyframe - the Animation Resource]

Cast

ZOO Network Staff
*Henry Hummel
*Barbara Warblers
*Rugs Turkell
*Keen Hacksaw
*Brenda Springer

Commentators
*Art Antica
*Bjorn Freeborg
*Jackie Fuelit
*Mark Spritz
*Cora Lee Perrier
*Bernard Drulinger
*Mele

Coaches
*Mamo Ululu
*Toulouse LaTrac
*Bruno Ursakov

Competitors
*Marathon
**René Fromage
**Kit Mambo
*Gymnastics
**Tatyana Tushenko
**Bruce Kwakimoto
**Ludmilla Steponyatova
*Figure Skating
**Olga Cluckinsky
**Nikita Crawlinoff
**Dorrie Turnell
*Track and Field
**Boris Amphibiensky
**Bolt Jenkins
**Kip Ngogo
*Skiing
**Marcel Pourceau
**Kurt Wuffner
**Jimmy Ribbit
*Bobsled
**Commander Lance Quiller
**Calamari Brothers
*Swimming/Diving
**Dean Wilson
**Ono Nono
**Primo Cabeza
*Boxing
**Joey Gongolong
**Janos Brushteckel
*Weightlifting
**Ivan Disventsky
**Wilhelm Cvet
*Fencing
**Count Maurice Boar Deaux
**Duke Charolas
**The Contessa

oundtrack

A&M Records released an "Animalympics" soundtrack album, which has long been out of print. However, a fan of the movie has started the "Animalympics Album Project" (see link below), an attempt to remaster and re-release it on compact disc.

Availability

Various companies released "Animalympics" on VHS in the U.S. and Europe during the 1980s and 1990s. The German distributor Alive released a Region 2 DVD on October 5, 2007, containing the original English version and a local dub. [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.de/dp/B000VOEF2Y|title=Product information for "Die Dschungel-Olympiade"|language=German|publisher=Amazon.de|accessdate=2008-08-18] However, there have been no plans for a U.S. or British edition.

The movie has recently been uploaded in its entirety on YouTube. While its combined summer/winter format has been retained, it has been divided into nine parts of approximately seven to nine minutes in length.

Altenate versions

*Throughout the 1990s, "Animalympics" was shown occasionally on the Disney Channel, albeit with several edits, both to make the movie more family friendly and to edit jokes that are considered "offensive." Some scenes were merely shortened while others were lengthened.

*Fans of the original specials have also re-edited the combined film into a close approximation of the original Winter/Summer games as separate films, and have been showing them at science fiction conventions since the 1980s.

See also

* Olympic Games
* List of animated feature-length films

References

External links

*
* [http://www.moviemistakes.com/film5329 MovieMistakes: "Animalympics"]
* [http://www.kkwow.com/album/index.shtml Animalympics Album Project]
* [http://www.the10ccfanclub.com/presskits/anim002.htm Press Kit]