Such a frustrating disappointment

Just perfect...

It is a performances centric movie

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

. . . falling asleep in a public library with this Looney Tune from the Mid-1940s, BOOK REVUE. Characters from various stories blend together and interact with each other amid a constant cacophony of loud noise. I have found my local library branches to be among America's noisiest places, as about half the people there are near-deaf (constantly shouting for help from the Reference Librarians, since these hopeless geezers were born in the 1900s, before computers were invented), while the other half of library "patrons" tend to be odoriferous foreigners yelling into their cell phones because 1)they were NOT reared in American Polite Society, and 2)they think that intercontinental communication requires them to raise such a ruckus. When MY ancestors arrived in the U.S., they were content to confine themselves to log cabins and sod huts, working hard to get ahead. With BOOK REVUE, Warner is telling us that by the 1940s a public library or "Booke Shoppe" was the WORST place to seek peace and quiet (and, of course, things have gotten worse ever since).

I love both Have You Got Any Castles? and Book Revue, both are very colourful and clever literary takes, but if I had a preference I have to go with Book Revue. The animation here is wonderful, very colourful and vibrant, and the music is superb, especially liked the use of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata at the beginning. The singing is top notch, and the references are recognisable and a delight to watch. And the main reason why I prefer Book Revue is because of Daffy Duck, he is absolutely hilarious, whether this is his best cartoon overall is up for debate as there are so many exceptional ones, but this is for me one of his funnier performances. Out of the supporting characters, the rapacious Big Bad Wolf is my favourite. The cartoon moves really quickly, the humour is spot on and Sara Berner and Mel Blanc's voice work is outstanding. Overall, superb cartoon and although I loved Have You Got Any Castles, I prefer this one but only marginally, probably the fact that Daffy's in it is to do with it. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Of all the cartoons where books, magazines etc. come to life, Bob Clampett's 'Book Revue' is by far the finest. The problem with many of these kind of cartoons is that they rely on cultural references that have been long forgotten, inescapably dating the picture. Although there are many references to popular books of the day in 'Book Revue', it manages to sidestep the detrimental dating effect thanks to Clampett's typically engaging speedy pacing and the inclusion of Daffy Duck as a character. Daffy emerges from the cover of a Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies comic and proceeds to completely steal the cartoon away from all the witty book parodies. Ever the showman, Daffy opens with a Danny Kaye impersonation followed by the highlight of the cartoon, a phenomenal scat version of the Little Red Riding Hood Story. Mel Blanc must be given enormous credit for pulling this off so brilliantly but Clampett makes it all the better by matching this brilliant vocal performance with stunning visual, including the infamous moment in which Daffy turns into a giant eyeball. This is the sort of joke no other director would even attempt and Clampett pulls it off with grotesque glee, 'Book Revue' is so much better than all other cartoons of its kind because it doesn't get hung up on visual pun after visual pun. Instead, Clampett uses these books as the backdrop against which to stage a high speed chase. Unlike some of these reference heavy shorts, 'Book Revue' can be enjoyed whether you get the reference points or not. It's a classic cartoon bursting with energy and ideas.

OK, it's not necessarily the all-time *best* Daffy Duck cartoon (that would be "Duck Amuck" or "Robin Hood Daffy", or maybe "Great Piggy Bank Robbery") but it's my personal favorite - I just love it to bits. Clampett at his high-octane best, taking on the old workhorse "book covers come to life" formula and *demolishing* it (no one at WB ever made another!) with a show-stopping and hysterically funny performance by Daffy. From a spot-on-perfect impression of Danny Kaye playing a homesick Russian gypsy ("*sigh* How different was my little willage...the happy peoples, sitting on their balalaikas, strumming their samovars...") to a mad scat song warning Red Riding Hood to beware the wolf and an all-out battle, the duck just rocks. The concentrated energy of this cartoon blasts off the screen! A slow start, but once Daffy appears onscreen, brother, clear the decks. A definite 10.