Bambi Meets Godzilla: Encyclopedia - Bambi Meets Godzilla

Bambi Meets Godzilla

Bambi Meets Godzilla is the title of a US 1969 cartoon short written, directed, and produced by Marv Newland.

Only two minutes long, this cartoon is considered a classic by animation fans because of its unique title, and the single punchline that ends the cartoon almost immediately after the opening credits have finished.

Newland created the entire cartoon himself on a low budget. This cartoon is considered one of the most memorable of the early efforts at independent animation, that is to say, animated cartoons created completely outside the Hollywood studio system.

This cartoon has been included with every American version of The Return of Godzilla, known as Godzilla 1985 in the US.

The stamping foot of Godzilla is seen by some as a precursor and influence to the famous stamping foot used during the opening credits of Monty Python's Flying Circus. This may or may not be true, as they both debuted in the same year.

This film became a cult classic and was followed by a CGI sequel/tribute in 1999.

Bambi Meets Godzilla - Synopsis

Bambi nibbles some grass, looks up, and then goes back to eating. This pattern continues for a while. Meanwhile, the credits roll, each of them in the style "____ produced by Marv Newland", except for one that says "Marv Newland produced by Mr. and Mrs. Newland". Throughout the sequence, the only sound is the background music, the "Ranz Des Vaches" from Gioacchino Rossini's William Tell. Then Bambi looks up, startled: Godzilla's foot comes down, crushing Bambi as the light music switches to a loud, elongated piano chord like the final note of "A Day in the Life" by The Beatles. Then the scene is motionless, except for Godzilla's toenails raising once, as if "tipping his hat" to the audience.

A sequel called "Bambi's Revenge" circulated on the Internet at one time: Same concept, with the twist that when Godzilla's foot comes down, Bambi steps aside, and a pointed pole comes into view, on which Godzilla impales his foot.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Bambi Meets Godzilla", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki