The principle connective tissue between “Skinamarink” and “Twilight Zone: The Film” is the 1931 cartoon “Bimbo’s Initiation.” Each movies function scenes with the cartoon enjoying on tv, intermittently in “Skinamarink” and at a sure second in Joe Dante’s section of “Twilight Zone,” a remake of the episode entitled “It is a Good Life” from season 3 of the unique collection.
“Bimbo’s Initiation” is a exceptional piece each in and of itself in addition to throughout the realm of the uncanny. A “Talkartoon” made by Fleischer Studios, the quick (directed by Dave Fleischer) entails the studio’s “Bimbo” character, a principally harmless, bumbling anthropomorphized canine who served as the primary love curiosity to Betty Boop throughout her early years. Strolling blissfully on the road, Bimbo by chance falls into an open manhole (which is then locked shut by a personality who appears to be like suspiciously like Mickey Mouse) and finds himself within the lair of a secret society that regularly asks if Bimbo want to be a member. Every “no” from Bimbo sends him to a brand new room and a brand new demise lure, which Bimbo narrowly avoids.
“Bimbo’s Initiation” sends all legal guidelines of physics and any semblance of actuality packing, with even the lair Bimbo finds himself trapped in altering form at will, the house limitless and claustrophobic unexpectedly. Like many cartoons of the period, “Bimbo’s Initiation” is chock stuffed with sadism. The character is tortured by unknown forces for no good motive since he isn’t, as an illustration, an conceited buffoon like Daffy Duck.
The key society seems to be tons of of clones of Betty Boop, an early model of the character who sports activities dog-like options, which is a weird sight by itself for many who solely know her extra human look from later in her historical past.