This past summer, the folks from the Warner Archive brought some clips from their newly restored DVD release of John Korty’s Twice Upon A Time to Comic Con.
George Lucas executive produces the animated delight Twice Upon a Time from directors John Korty and Charles Swenson. In its once-upon-a-time world, our heroes are Ralph, the all-purpose animal, and his constant companion, Mumford, who only talks in sound effects. Their mission is nothing short of saving the cosmos from the dastardly plot of Synonamess Botch, who wants to unleash a barrage of nightmare bombs to ensure nonstop bad dreams. They cross paths with a colorful army of characters, including their FGM (a fairy godmother from the Bronx), the musclebound – and pea-brained – Rod Rescueman and Scuzzbopper, Botch’s scheming court jester and screamwriter. The off-the-wall characters and story are portrayed with an innovative animation technique, lumage, which gives depth, texture and translucent color to every scene. Music from Michael McDonald and Bruce Hornsby accompanies the action. Full of unexpected delights, Twice upon a Time is a one-of-a-kind fantasy, hailed by critic Leonard Maltin as “a real treat.”
The DVD is now available, and they’ve just uploaded a short clip from the film, with the audio commentary track.