Saturday, April 9, 2011

The Thief and the Cobbler

Today at Xemnu's abode, we begin a 3-part animation odyssey.
If you've never seen the animated classic The Thief and the Cobbler, you are missing out. Unfortunately there is a long history behind this movie and it's convoluted path to the large screen.
The brainchild and masterpiece of animator Richard Williams, the movie took nearly 31 years to complete. Williams began work on the film in 1964 and it languished in and out of production for nearly two decades. Until...
The success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Williams' success as an animation director on the Oscar-winning live-action/animation milestone garnered the attention of Warner Bros. films. Unfortunately for Williams, Disney's Aladdin was seen as a threat. Under tight deadline, Williams was unable to finish production on time. Warner's pulled out, the Completion Bond Company took control and the rest is a mish-mosh of a horribly re-cut animation masterpiece. Until...
The unofficial fan restoration, The Thief and the Cobbler: the Recobbled Cut. Industrious and hard working fans re-cut the film to a close facsimile of the original workprint of the movie.
Now, thanks to YouTube and a group of dedicated fans, Xemnu presents: The Recobbled Cut. Enjoy!