Jack and the Beanstalk

There's a lot of cult love for this 1974 Japanese animated production of the classic fairytale, which starts off pretty straightforward, but then goes all freaky-deaky, and more than a little psychedelic. See, it's not just the mean old giant living up in that castle that Jack finds at the top of the magic vine: there's also a wicked witch, Mother Hecuba, all pointy, pale, and clad in black; her dim-bulb ogre of a son, Prince Tulip (yes, I said Tulip); and Margaret, a proto-anime princess who literally floats around on clouds and sings of her magically induced love for the hideous Tulip. Did I mention this is a musical? The lyrics are fairly insipid, but some of the tunes are kinda groovy (I kept expecting Barry White to start crooning out of nowhere!). The castle in the sky turns out to be enchanted in a way that won't surprise (or much impress) kids raised on Disney's Beauty and the Beast, so this one may be strictly for grownup nostalgia buffs. The image and sound are rather flat--hardly surprising, considering the film's age--and there are no bonuses beyond the original theatrical trailer (though the disc does contain dual-language versions of the film, with optional English subtitles). Optional. (M. Johanson)