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

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anim ...

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 and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

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 T ...

, and also the first animated feature produced in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

and

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

Plot

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

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

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

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

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 one ...

. As he is granted shelter at the lodge of J. Edgar Beaver, a crow reports his appearance to Emperor Spine, 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 french: coller, "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 assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. ...

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 specialized versions of utility axes. Many were suitable for use in one hand, while others were larger and were deployed two-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, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...

. 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 acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are someti ...

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 an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

s and

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

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 or snow flowing o ...

, 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 barrel. Wooden kegs made by a cooper were used to transport nails, gunpowder, and a variety of liquids. A keg is normally now constructed of stainless steel, although aluminium can be used if it is coated with plastic on th ...

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

heat wave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...

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 is a beer, usually a pale lager, that is reduced in alcohol content or in calories compared to regular beers. The first use of the term in marketing was in the 1940s when the Coors Brewing Company sold Coors Light, for a short period be ...

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 fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...

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, which in turn transforms his domain into a fertile greenland and the Spine-Roller into a

Ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a 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, gondolas, capsules ...

. 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 Vilim "Vili" Matula (born 5 March 1962) is a Croatian actor, director, civil activist and politician. He serves as a representative in the Croatian Parliament for Green left, green-left coalition We can! (Croatia), We Can!. Some of Matula's b ...

*Beaver – Ljubo Kapor *Mate – Emil Glad *Wand – Ivo Rogulja ;Additional Voices *Helena Buljan *Durda Izevic *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, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...

-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, when Croatia was part of the former nation of Yugoslavia. The company produced the re ...

and the

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

-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 ( sr-Cyrl, Арсеније "Арсен" Дедић, ; 28 July 1938 – 17 August 2015) was a Croatian singer-songwriter. He wrote and performed chansons, as well as film music. He was also an award-winning poet, and was o ...

. 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 state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

-based Pro Arte Chorale.

Release

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

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, 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 ba ...

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 adult ...

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

Beta Beta (, ; uppercase , lowercase , or cursive ; grc, βῆτα, bē̂ta or ell, βήτα, víta) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 2. In Modern Greek, it represents the voiced labiod ...

on January 4, 1989. There was also a 1990 sequel, '' The Magician's Hat'' (''Čarobnjakov šešir''), seldom seen outside 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 340 ...

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 __NOTOC__ 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 ...

, making them extremely scarce.DVD Empire
/ref>

References

External links

* * *
The entire film
on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

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 Films about fictional painters Nature films Animated films based on Slavic mythology Films set in Yugoslavia Yugoslav musical films