This funny adaptation of the Johnny Appleseed story, boasting a collaboration between several This Is Spinal Tap and Saturday Night Live alumni, is a highly entertaining, mid-'80s installment from Shelley Duvall's cable-aired Tall Tales and Legends series. Directed by Christopher Guest, who would go on to helm the popular features Best in Show and A Mighty Wind, the hour-shy Johnny Appleseed stars Martin Short as the famous seed-slinger, with Rob Reiner as a small-town tyrant trying to wipe out poor Johnny, Michael McKean as a dirt-poor farmer who finds success growing apple orchards, and Molly Ringwald as Johnny's love interest. Guest's tone is sardonic but sweet, and while he encourages a certain amount of loose and loopy acting from his talented cast (Johnny does a celebratory dance not unlike that of Short's notorious SNL Ed Grimley character), the show has definite kid appeal and never loses its thread of innocence. Recommended. [Note: also newly available from the Tall Tales and Legends series are John Henry and Darlin' Clementine.] Aud: P. (T. Keogh)
Johnny Appleseed
(1985) 52 min. VHS: $12.98, DVD: $14.98. Koch Vision (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. ISBN: 1-4172-2769-9 (vhs), 1-4172-2768-0 (dvd). Volume 20, Issue 2
Johnny Appleseed
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