I endured one of the better surreal experiences I've had in a long time about a week and half ago.

It all started at the Video Kingdom, a locally owned video rental store, that is a gold mine of rare and obscure vintage VHS. How obscure? I've found over half the movies that Greywizard has unearthed over at The Unknown Movies in it's friendly confines. They've got everything from Deodato's cannibal atrocities, and Chesty Morgan masterpieces, to Larry Buchanan's oddity Beyond the Doors. Half the films you've never heard of on this site I probably found there, too.

Unfortunately, this is a eulogy. The owners sold out to a national video chain and they've already started on a slash and burn on their old VHS stock to make room for more DVDs. *sigh* Chesty's already gone - Beyond the Doors is gone - and countless other B-movie treasures. 

I've launched several raids on their previously viewed stack. You used to get these relatively cheap but some salesman got wise and they've started to jack the prices up because, suddenly, VHS is now some kind of friggin' antique and collector's item.

I had a stack of tapes and was ready to head to the check out counter when my eye was caught by a large clamshell box of old Looney Tunes. I flipped it over and read the back where it listed all the cartoons included in that particular volume. 

After a quick scan I became very excited. Included was an old Chuck Jones cartoon called Caveman Inki. When we did the Chuck Jones Roundtable a while ago, Dr. Freex mentioned the character Inki in his review. The character is a little aboriginal hunter who spent his time chasing a Myna Bird by keeping in step with an odd old classical tune. (And Doc? I've forgotten the name of that tune already!) 

Anyways, it's one of those cartoons that's been banned from the airwaves because it's racially insensitive. Whatever. All I can say is Inki could be black, white, brown or chartreuse and the cartoon would still be hilarious. The color of his skin is incidental. 

There were a couple of other cartoons that I wanted to see as well, including Feline Frame Up, the third installment featuring the characters from Feed the Kitty, so I added it to the pile, lightened my checking account, and headed home. 

I popped it in the VCR and fast-forwarded a ways. Then did a visual swing search until Caveman Inki cued up, watched it, and laughed as the brontosaurus chased the saber toothed tiger cub - who was chasing Inki - who was chasing the Myna Bird. I point out, and this is relevant, that Caveman Inki has no dialogue, just action set to classical music. 

After that cartoon ended, I decided to swing search back to My Little Buckaroo, that's the western where Daffy plays The Masked Avenger and Porky is his faithful sidekick. Together they are hunting down the notorious outlaw, Nasty Canasta, for the reward money. 

The Looney Tunes theme came up, then came the credits, then came Daffy and Porky riding on their respective horses. Porky sings the ballad of the Masked Avenger until they find Canasta's wanted poster and Daffy starts to read it -- IN SPANISH!

The hell? Porky's talking and stuttering in Spanish, too. I grab the clamshell box. It's all in English except for a little blurb at the bottom saying "Una Fiesta de 90 minutos." Loosely translated "it's a ninety minute party." I was a little angry at myself and wondered if I could return it but then I started watching the cartoon as Canasta beat the crap out of Daffy. 

You know what? They're just as funny even with this unexpected bonus feature. I didn't have a clue as to what anyone was saying but it didn't matter. (My grasp of Spanish barely allows me to make an order at Taco Bell.)

You haven't lived until you've seen Yosemite Sam snorting and screaming in Spanish. Sylvester still spits and slurs his words but still can't catch Tweety. Foghorn Leghorn still stammers while he and the old hound continue their feud. Elmer's still a dope, Granny still screeches and Bugs is still a wise ass. The funniest dang thing, though, is during the Road Runner and Coyote cartoons. Those don't have any dialogue but whenever the Coyote opens anything from ACME, or holds up a sign, a very serious voice pipes up and sternly translates it.

So I kept on watching, got to the end, rewound it to the beginning and watched the rest of it. 

I'm telling you, you've got to try this. It's a very surreal and very recommended cultural experience. I think it's wonderful that they've translated these cartoons,  so others can enjoy them, but it's also a testament to these wonderful cartoons because they're still funny -- no matter what language they're in. The language, like skin color, is incidental. Laughter can break down any language barrier.

Fate was working with me and against me that day at the video store. A blundering oversight landed me this wonderfully divine accident. Now if I can only find the creep who switched out a copy of the truly dreaded Monolith and put it in the much coveted Hollywood Vice Squad clamshell case (where Princess Leia plays a rookie vice cop busting up a prostitution ring.) Then I can pound him in the nose for the five bucks I wasted on it and my karma will be back in balance. 

So go out and track down a copy of your favorite cartoons and marvel at the adventures of Bugs Bunny, el Pato de Lucas (Daffy Duck), Piolin y Silvestre (Tweety and Sylvester), el Correcaminos (The Road Runner) and el Coyote. 

Trust me on this one compadres, comprendé?