''The Elm-Chanted Forest'' (''Čudesna šuma'') is a 1986 Yugoslav

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

film; in the U.S., it is also known as ''Fantasy Forest''. It was the first full-length film directed by

Milan Blažeković Milan Blažeković (6 July 1940 – 30 May 2019) was a Croatian animator. Blažeković began his career at the Zagreb Film studio with "mini" short films such as ''The Fish'', ''Ikarus'', ''Vergl'' and ''Gorilla Dance'' (1968), '' The Man Who Had ...

, and also the first animated feature produced in

Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...

Plot

Nature-loving artist Peter Palette takes a nap under an enchanted

elm Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus ''Ulmus'' in the family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical- montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ...

tree, which grants him the ability to communicate with the animals of the

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

and to cast spells with his

paintbrush A paintbrush is a brush used to apply paint or ink. A paintbrush is usually made by clamping bristles to a handle with a ferrule. They are available in various sizes, shapes, and materials. Thicker ones are used for filling in, and thinner ones ...

. As he is granted shelter at the lodge of J. Edgar Beaver, a crow reports his appearance to Emperor Spine the cactus king, whose reign is prophesied by his wind-riding soothsayer Baron Burr to be ended by a human. Spine orders his court magician Thistle to execute J. Edgar and to deliver Peter to his castle so that Spine can personally devour him. On his way to collect Palette, Thistle recruits retired athlete Bud E. Bear to assist in his errand after removing a thorn from his foot. Bud E. in turn treats Thistle to a round at Beaver's Sashay Inn and Saloon and befriends him. After Bud E. is won over by Peter's

collage Collage (, from the , "to glue" or "to stick together") is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assembly of different forms, thus creating a new whole. (Compare with pasti ...

of his glory years, Emperor Spine orders his sentient

battle axe A battle axe (also battle-axe, battle ax, or battle-ax) is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were designed differently to utility axes, with blades more akin to cleavers than to wood axes. Many were suitable for use in one ha ...

s, the Spine-Tinglers, to raid the forest for Peter. To add to this effort, Emperor Spine provokes the flame spirit Fire Bug into setting a

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

. Peter uses his brush to create a

thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...

that extinguishes the fire, and Fire Bug warns Peter of Emperor Spine's role in the accident. As Peter assists in rebuilding, J. Edgar informs him of the prophecy that is the cause of Emperor Spine's antagonism. Meanwhile, the sea king Nepton is angered by the burnt debris that now litters the local

lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

s and

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

s, but is soothed to sleep by his chorus of frogs. When Emperor Spine wakes Nepton from his rest and orders him to create a

flash flood A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice and snow. Flash f ...

, Nepton recognizes Spine as the cause of the pollution and ejects him from his abode with a bottomless water

keg A keg is a small cask used for storing liquids. Wooden kegs made by a cooper were used to transport nails, gunpowder, and a variety of liquids. Nowadays a keg is normally constructed of stainless steel, although aluminium can be used if it is ...

, which creates Spine's desired flood. After Peter experiences difficulty in creating a

heat wave A heat wave or heatwave, sometimes described as extreme heat, is a period of abnormally hot weather generally considered to be at least ''five consecutive days''. A heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the area and ...

that evaporates the excess water, he consults the enchanted elm about his fading powers. Baron Burr appears and tells Peter that the elm's gift is temporary, and that he must fulfill the prophecy by the coming sunrise. Under Burr's instruction, Peter seeks out Thistle, who relays the details of the prophecy. Upon hearing that Spine's "hopes will flower", Peter surmises that Spine's frustration stems from his failure to bloom. As the forest animals create a potion that will encourage flower growth, the crow reports Thistle's treason to Emperor Spine, who orders Thistle's arrest. Peter attempts to rescue Thistle, but falls down a hole. Baron Burr informs J. Edgar of Thistle's imprisonment and Peter's plummet, and J. Edgar goes to Emperor Spine's castle to rescue Thistle. Furthermore, Bud E. mistakes the finished brew for

light beer Light beer (sometimes spelled lite beer) is a pale lager that is reduced in ethanol, alcohol content or calories compared to regular beers. Light beer began to be mass marketed in the United States in the early 1970s, following test marketing and ...

and downs the whole tub, requiring another batch to be mixed. Emperor Spine sentences Thistle to execution and unveils the Spine-Roller, a gargantuan machine capable of razing the entire forest. Peter is captured by a colony of sentient

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or another food source. ''Toadstool'' generally refers to a poisonous mushroom. The standard for the n ...

s led by Mr. Truffle, who plans on transforming Peter into a mushroom. As J. Edgar and the mole Momo rescue Thistle from Emperor Spine's dungeon, Bud E. awakes from his stupor and goes to find Peter. After Peter is treated to a musical number by Mr. Truffle's guard Michael J. Mushroom, Bud E. is led to the mushrooms' cave by a residing snail and he rescues Peter. When the new batch is finished, Peter announces his intent to return to his village after his powers disappear. Peter and the others infiltrate Emperor Spine's castle, and as Bud E. and J. Edgar fend off the Spine-Tinglers, Peter sneaks to the sleeping Spine and pours the potion into his mouth. The potion succeeds in causing Emperor Spine to bloom and transforms into a happy and benevolent ruler, which in turn transforms his domain into a fertile greenland and the Spine-Roller into a

Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a big wheel, giant wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondola ...

. Following a joyous festival, Peter bids a bittersweet farewell to the forest residents and departs for his village.

Cast

* Cactus Czar – Josip Marotti * Painter Pallet – Vili Matula * Beaver – Ljubo Kapor * Mate – Emil Glad * Wand – Ivo Rogulja ;Additional voices * Helena Buljan * Durda Ivezic * Sven Lasta * Vladimir Kovacic * Adam Vedernjak * Nada Rocco – Lili * Vladimir Puhalo * Veronika Durbesic * Mladen Vasary * Drago Krca * Slavica Fila * Richard Simonelli – Guster Gondolar * Lena Politeo ;American voices * Lauren Shanahan * Eric Needham * Edward Eyrich * Carroll Rue * Fred P. Sharkey * Mark Surkin * Simon Hefter * Anna Tornhill * Paul Powers * David Spelvin * David Earls * Charles Forrest * Chris Helmer * Francesca Picchi

Production

''The Elm-Chanted Forest'' is a co-production between the

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

-based

Croatia Film Croatia Film d.o.o. (formerly Croatia Film d.d.) is a state-owned film production and distribution company based in Zagreb, Croatia. It began operations in 1946. The company produced the region's only animated features to date during the 1980s and ...

and the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

–based Fantasy Forest Films, Inc.. The film was directed by Doro Vlado Hreljanovic.

designed the film's characters and directed the animation. The screenplay was written by Fred P. Sharkey based on an original story by Suncana Skrinjaric. The score was composed by Dennis Leogrande and performed by the New Zagreb Symphony Orchestra. The leitmotif of the character Fifi was created by

Arsen Dedić Arsenije "Arsen" Dedić (; 28 July 1938 – 17 August 2015) was a Yugoslav and Croatian singer-songwriter. He wrote and performed chansons, as well as film music. He was also an award-winning poet, and was one of the best-selling poets of former ...

. The animation was produced in-house by Croatia Film, with the animation team consisting of Blažeković, Leo Fabiani, Turido Paus, Vjekoslav Radilovic, Elizabeth Abramovic, Zvonimir Delac and Vladimir Hrs. The English version was recorded at

–based studio August Films under the direction of

Peter Fernandez Peter Fernandez (January 29, 1927 – July 15, 2010) was an American actor, voice director, and writer. Despite a career extending from the 1930s, he is probably best known for his roles in the 1967 anime '' Speed Racer''. Fernandez co-wrote the ...

. The English version's cast consists of David Earls, Edward Eyrich, Charles Forrest, Simon Hefter, Chris Helmer, Eric Needham, Francesca Picchi, Paul Powers, Carroll Rue, Lauren Shanahan, Fred P. Sharkey, David Spelvin, Mark Surkin and Anna Tornhill. The chorus of the closing number "Time and Again" was provided by the

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

–based Pro Arte Chorale.

Release

In the United States, ''The Elm-Chanted Forest'' premiered on

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

on November 11, 1986, and

Celebrity Home Entertainment Celebrity Home Entertainment (also known as simply Celebrity Video), founded by Noel C. Bloom in 1987, was a home video distributor specializing in mostly obscure material from around the world, as well as B-grade action films and softcore adul ...

's Just for Kids label released ''The Elm-Chanted Forest'' on VHS and

Beta Beta (, ; uppercase , lowercase , or cursive ; or ) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 2. In Ancient Greek, beta represented the voiced bilabial plosive . In Modern Greek, it represe ...

on January 4, 1989. There is also a 1990 sequel, '' The Magician's Hat'' (''Čarobnjakov šešir''), which was rejected by American distributors due to its perceived violence, as it stayed at its home country. In 1999,

Image Entertainment RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 34 ...

released only the first film on DVD. To date, this is the only time it surfaced on DVD in the US as these copies are now

out-of-print An out-of-print (OOP) or out-of-commerce item or work is something that is no longer being published. The term applies to all types of printed matter, visual media, sound recordings, and video recordings. An out-of-print book is a book that is ...

, making them extremely scarce.DVD Empire
/ref>

References

External links

*
The entire film
on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

English version
also on

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elm-Chanted Forest 1986 films 1986 animated films 1986 fantasy films Yugoslav animated films Croatian animated films Animated films about bears Animated films about foxes Animated films about talking animals Films about fictional painters Nature films Animated films based on Slavic mythology Films set in Yugoslavia Yugoslav musical films