Daffy Duck's Quackbusters (1988)
Literally cursed to run a public business and do good deeds or else losing his recently acquired fortune, Daffy Duck opens up a investigation agency that specializes in the paranormal. DAFFY DUCK'S QUACKBUSTERS holds a very special place in my heart, as my parents taped it off of HBO when I was really young and I would rewatch it over and over again. The film itself was one of several theatrical releases where Warner Bros. would take a bunch of their classic Merry Melodies and then animated an original story for the wrap-arounds. Notable shorts featured here include "The Prize Pest" (where Daffy's monstrous "split personality" terrorizes Porky), "Transylvania 6-5000" (where Bugs magic battles with a vampire), and "The Abominable Snow Rabbit" (where Bugs and Daffy contend with a Lenny-like creature). It also contains two new Daffy-themed shorts: "The Night of the Living Duck", where he sings like Mel Tormé to a crowd of famous monsters, and "The Duxorcist", where he woos and battles a possessed duck dame. The biggest issue with the feature isn't the dated references (Joe Miller Joke Book and Billy Beer, anyone?) or the severe downplaying of the shorts featuring the giant red monster Gossamer but the voice acting of Mel Blanc. This was the last time he gave life to his animated animals before his death in 1989 and he's sounds very old. Whenever his contemporary voice for Daffy or Bugs is coupled with his older voices in the shorts, it is way too jarring to fully accept; even when I was a wee lad I could easily tell the difference. You could just pick and choose the individual horror-themed Looney Tunes shorts on YouTube but if you want to avoid the trouble, this is an easy alternative.
FINAL REVIEW: 3 / 5
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