"Director: René LALOUX"

• La Planete Sauvage | Blu Ray | (13/02/2012) from £31.23   |  Saving you £-9.98 (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Ren Laloux's mesmerising psychedelic sci-fi animated feature won the Grand Prix at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival and is a landmark of European animation. Based on Stefan Wul's novel Oms en srie [Oms by the dozen], Laloux's breathtaking vision was released in France as La Plante sauvage [The Savage Planet]; in the USA as Fantastic Planet; and immediately drew comparisons to Swift's Gulliver's Travels and Planet of the Apes (both the 1968 film and Boule's 1963 novel). Today, the film can be seen to prefigure much of the work of Hayao Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli (Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away) due to its palpable political and social concerns, cultivated imagination, and memorable animation techniques. La Plante sauvage tells the story of Oms, human-like creatures, kept as domesticated pets by an alien race of blue giants called Draags. The story takes place on the Draags' planet Ygam, where we follow our narrator, an Om called Terr, from infancy to adulthood. He manages to escape enslavement from a Draag learning device used to educate the savage Oms — and begins to organise an Om revolt. The imagination invested in the surreal creatures, music and sound design, and eerie landscapes, is immense and unforgettable. Widely regarded as an allegorical statement on the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia, Fantastic Planet was five years in the making at Prague's Jiri Trnka Studios. The direction of Ren Laloux, the incredible art of Roland Topor, and Alain Goraguer's brilliant complementary score (much sampled by the hip-hop community) all combine to make La Plante sauvage a mind-searing experience. Special Features: New high-definition master with optional English subtitles Laloux’s five short films Les Dents du singe (1960), Les Temps morts (1964), Les Escargots (1965), Comment Wang-Fo fut sauv (1987), and La Prisonnire (1988) Laloux sauvage (2003) a 27-minute documentary about Laloux The alternate USA dub track for La Plante sauvage The complete soundtrack for La Plante sauvage 56-page colour booklet featuring rare production sketches, an interview with Laloux, and a new essay by Craig Keller

• Les Maîtres du temps | DVD | (22/10/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Ren Laloux the director of Fantastic Planet [La Plante sauvage] created Les Matres du temps his penultimate animated feature film in 1982. A huge hit in France at the time of its release it combines Laloux's famous imagination with that of animation designer Jean Giraud (aka Moebius). On planet Perdide an attack of giant hornets leaves Piel - a young boy - alone in a wrecked car with his dying father. A mayday message reaches their friend Jaffar an adventurer travelling through space. On board Jaffar's shuttle are the renegade Prince Matton his fiance and Silbad who knows the planet Perdide well. Thus begins an incredible race across space to save Piel Les Matres du temps is a finely animated metaphysical rescue mission previously seen in English-speaking countries as a dubbed version entitled Time Masters. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the original French version of Laloux's distinctive vision.

• Gandahar | DVD | (22/10/2007) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  Ren Laloux director of Fantastic Planet [La Plante sauvage] created Gandahar his final animated feature film in 1988. Based on an original story by Jean-Pierre Andrevon and a huge hit in France at the time of its release it combines Laloux's famous imagination with that of animation designer Philippe Caza. Gandahar is a fascinating adult animation which examines genetic mutation the importance of organic farming and urges a respect for nature that resonates today more than ever. Life in the idyllic paradise of Gandahar seems peaceful and in joyous order until the Mirror Birds (the eyes of Queen Ambisextra) report that inhabitants of whole villages have been turned to stone. A council of women chooses Sylvain Lanvre to uncover Gandahar's mysterious metallic attackers. In doing so he finds an underground race of deformed Gandaharians and an oversized motherbrain both the result of botched genetic experiments. Previously seen in English-speaking countries as the dubbed hack-job alternatively titled Light Years (presided over by Harvey Weinstein who credited himself as ""Director"" over Laloux) The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present the original French version of Laloux's distinctive vision.

• Fantastic Planet | DVD | (26/08/2006) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Fantastic Planet tells the story of ""Oms"" human-like creatures kept as domesticated pets by an alien race of blue giants called ""Traags"". The story takes place on the Traags' planet Ygam where we follow our narrator an Om called Terr from infancy to adulthood. He manages to escapes enslavement from a Traag learning device used to educate the savage Oms - and begins to organise an Om revolt. The imagination invested in the surreal creatures music and sound design and eerie

• Fantastic Planet | Blu Ray | (02/08/2010) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £22.99

  La Plan''te Sauvage tells the story of Oms human-like creatures kept as domesticated pets by an alien race of blue giants called Draags. The story takes place on the Draags' planet Ygam where we follow our narrator an Om called Terr from infancy to adulthood. He manages to escape enslavement from a Draag learning device used to educate the savage Oms - and begins to organise an Om revolt. The imagination invested in the surreal creatures music and sound design and eerie landscapes is immense and unforgettable. Widely regarded as an allegorical statement on the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia Fantastic Planet was five years in the making at Prague's Jiri Trnka Studios. The direction of Ren'' Laloux the incredible art of Roland Topor and Alain Goraguer's brilliant complementary score (much sampled by the hip-hop community) all combine to make La Plan''te Sauvage a mind-searing experience.