| The Essential Bugs Bunny | |
| Distributor: | Warner Home Video |
| Runtime: | 235 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
The Essential Bugs Bunny is a DVD set featuring cartoons focusing on Bugs Bunny. It was released on October 12, 2010.[1] [2]
The contents are split over two discs. The first disc features 12 Bugs Bunny theatrical shorts which have all previously been released on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection sets, except for the restored version of A Wild Hare (which instead was previously released on the Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection). Previous Golden Collections have had it unrestored as part of specials/documentaries in the bonus features. The second disc features TV specials, more recent shorts, a movie excerpt and a featurette.[3]
| Title | Co-Stars | Release Date | Director | Series | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elmer's Candid Camera | Elmer | Chuck Jones | MM | ||
| 2 | A Wild Hare | Elmer | Tex Avery | MM | ||
| 3 | The Old Grey Hare | Elmer | Bob Clampett | MM | ||
| 4 | Baseball Bugs | Friz Freleng | LT | |||
| 5 | Hair-Raising Hare | Gossamer | Chuck Jones | MM | ||
| 6 | Haredevil Hare | Marvin, K-9 | Chuck Jones | LT | ||
| 7 | 8 Ball Bunny | Playboy Penguin | Chuck Jones | LT | ||
| 8 | Rabbit of Seville | Elmer | Chuck Jones | LT | ||
| 9 | Rabbit Fire | Daffy, Elmer | Chuck Jones | LT | ||
| 10 | Show Biz Bugs | Daffy | Friz Freleng | LT | ||
| 11 | Knighty Knight Bugs | Sam | Friz Freleng | LT | ||
| 12 | What's Opera, Doc? | Elmer | Chuck Jones | MM |
| Title | Release Date | Director | Type | Previous DVD release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| My Dream Is Yours | Friz Freleng | excerpt from the movie | Golden Collection Volume 1 | |
| How Bugs Bunny Won the West | November 15, 1978 | James Davis/Hal Geer | TV special | N/A |
| Bugs Bunny's Wild World of Sports | February 15, 1989 | Greg Ford/Terry Lennon | TV special | N/A |
| Carrotblanca | Douglas McCarthy | short | Casablanca Two-Disc Special Edition | |
| Hare and Loathing in Las Vegas | 2004 | Peter Shin/Bill Kopp | short | Australian edition of |
| Ain't He a Stinker? | 2010 | documentary featurette | N/A | |
| Bugs and Daffy's Carnival of the Animals | Chuck Jones | TV special | Golden Collection Volume 5 | |
| Invasion of the Bunny Snatchers (unedited) | Greg Ford/Terry Lennon | short | Space Jam Two-Disc Special Edition (was edited, is uncut here) | |
| Bugs Bunny's Bustin' Out All Over | Chuck Jones/Phil Monroe | TV special | Golden Collection Volume 5 | |
In reviewing the set for The New York Times, Dan Barry praised the selection of shorts included on the first disc, though was more critical of the second disc, calling it a "wasted opportunity" as the inclusions were described as "later, lesser work" and wondering why those were chosen over classic shorts, such as Bugs and Thugs, and concluding that the Looney Tunes Golden Collection volumes provide a more complete repertoire for Bugs Bunny.[2]