‘Benny’s Bathtub’ Blu-Ray Review – Danish Animated Oddity Is A Psychedelic Delight

How can you not love a psychedelic animated kids’ film in which a young boy, bored with the dreary and gray Adult World, follows an enchanted tadpole through the drain in his bathtub – where he discovers a surreal and musical undersea world?? Populated by singing (and barely dressed) Mermaids, a funky hepcat Octopus and whiskey-drinking Skeleton Pirates, the underwater kingdom is the grooviest scene this side of YELLOW SUBMARINE, with helpings of Dr. Seuss, Sid & Marty Krofft and Harry Nilsson’s THE POINT thrown in. (Kids’ entertainment in the early 1970s was truly outtasite!) In addition to the candy-colored, kaleidoscopic visuals, the film is famed for its incredibly addictive soundtrack featuring Jazz heavyweights of Copenhagen circa 1970, with vocals sung by the cream of Danish 60s Pop and Rock including Peter Belli, Otto Brandenburg, Poul Dissing and Trille on tracks like “Octopussong/ Blækspruttesangen” and “seahorsesong/ Søhestesangen”. Considered something of a national treasure in Denmark (where it was selected for the country’s Cultural Canon alongside works by Carl Th. Dreyer, Isak Dinesen and Hans Christian Andersen), BENNY’S BATHTUB has been beautifully restored from the original camera negative and sound elements by Fiasco Film for its first-ever U.S. release by Deaf Crocodile. In Danish with English subtitles. [Parental Note: BENNY’S BATHTUB features scenes of animated semi-nude mermaids.]

For thoughts on Benny’s Bathtub, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/XVdHVOn5xZ0?si=ye_U1FNSBn9REBQq&t=333]

Video Quality

Benny’s Bathtub debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio with a 1080p master derived from a restoration of the Original Camera Negative by Fiasco Film. Even a few years ago it would have seemed unlikely this animated oddity would have received such a terrific presentation, but the wonders of physical media never cease. One of the areas where the film mesmerizes is the showcase of the unique character designs, and every distinct line and mark of the animation is preserved on this newest release. 

The textures of both the real world and underwater environments look naturally filmic and give the odyssey the appropriate amount of depth. The magical colors present in this transfer are resplendent with these bright hues swirling amidst one another while maintaining crisp delineation. Black levels are robust with no serious issue of banding or compression issues. This Blu-Ray is an unforgettable experience that gives a richer life than probably was ever expected for this narrative. Deaf Crocodile continues to solidify themselves as one of our favorite boutique labels due to releases like this. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with the original DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track in the original Danish (with optional English SDH subtitles) which sounds lovely. The dialogue comes through clearly without sound effects or the music overshadowing vital information. The music is one of the most prominent elements of this experience, and every song is brought to life famously here. Every line within each song holds up with top-tier fidelity. The journey employs key sound effects in the form of splashing water and ambient vocal inflections that are given the appropriate presence within the mix. The track handles atmospheric effects well all around. The audio track handles the soundscape every bit as well as the video side of things. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentaries: Two film historians separately deliver entertaining and informative commentary tracks in which they discuss the background of the project, the style of the animation, the political inclination of Jannik Hastrup, the deeper thematic content of the narrative, and much more. Both are great additions that fans of the film should definitely check out. 

• • Audio Commentary #1: Millie De Chirico (“I Saw What You Did” podcast, TCM UNDERGROUND: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema) 

• • Audio Commentary #2: Film journalist and podcast host Mike White (Cashiers du Cinemart, “The Projection Booth” podcast)

• Circleen TV Episodes: A trio of newly restored episodes animated and produced by Jannik Hastrup is provided based on characters created by his wife Hanne Hastrup. These three episodes are very entertaining, especially the banned episode Escape From America. 

• • Sammy Goes Flying – Season 2 Ep. 3 1968 (12:21)

• • The Snow Mouse – Season 2 Ep. 4 1968 (10:31)

• • Escape From America – 1970 (14:07) (Optional commentary from Millie De Chirico)

• Interview with Director Jannik Hastrup: An hour-long interview with director Jannik Hastrup conducted by Deaf Crocodile’s Dennis Bartok is provided in which Hastrup discusses his recent love of pottery, his life and career from his earliest days, why he thinks it would be ridiculous for a mermaid to wear a bra, the state of animation in Denmark, the creation of Benny’s Bathtub, the controversial Circleen episode, the musicians on the soundtrack, the casting of the film, and much more. 

• Booklet: A multi-page booklet is included in this release which features the essay “Benny’s Bathtub” by film historian and documentary producer Steve Ryfle which gives a great amount of context to the state of international animation of the time along with details about Jannik Hastrup, the creation of this project, and subsequent work from the filmmaker.   

Final Thoughts

Benny’s Bathtub is the type of animated oddity that you feel honored to have stumbled across. The piece harkens back to a time when animation felt less bound by the expectations of an audience and more open to the creativity of the animator. There are certainly some eyebrow-raising elements in this one, but that is what makes it such a fun time. The gorgeous animation is coupled with some catchy songs and hilarious exchanges that keep this one quite memorable. It may not be a feature film, but it is worthy of discovery all the same. Deaf Crocodile has released a Blu-Ray which sports a gorgeous A/V presentation and a mighty assortment of special features. If you like your animation more on the surreal, slightly unhinged side of the spectrum, don’t pass this one up. Recommended 

Benny’s Bathtub is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Deaf Crocodile and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.