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Just what I expected

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

This episode has a good mix of Bugs's antics. Bugs Bunny suffers some indignities and a close shave with death but comes out on top and has the closing one-liner.The graphics and copy which flash through the episode are hilarious, but easy to miss, starting with Witch Hazel's certificate guaranteeing her identity as a witch and upstanding membership, and which later accords with her comment that she hasn't seen Bugs Bunny, in disguise, at any of the "union meetings".The reason for the chase and attempted murder of Bugs, all comes down to the witch's Recipe 102, which demands inter alia, swamp water steeped in a skull, a cup of arsenic, diced spider, hornet's heel (3), and a rabbit's clavicle, not foot. Witch Hazel was perfectly willing to co-exist with Bugs, trying to wheedle out his secrets of ugliness, and with attempted reversal of ugliness by a witch's spell, but after all, all's fair in love and witchcraft. It is only that outlandish recipe requirement that leads to the mayhem.Witch Hazel is a fantastically ugly creature — down to her bulbous nose, the tip of which often creases as it weighs down upon her prominent chin — but you have to study her face.Her self-conscious laughter at her own running comments is another fine aspect of this episode. For example, after sharpening the knife with which to kill Bugs, she touches the blade, notes that it is "Sharp enough to split a hare". It is not an original pun, but she thinks that it is and then has another giggling frenzy before darting away, leaving a further trail of hair pins in her wake.Bugs Bunny has frequently had close shaves with death. I'd vote that his tears in this episode were a pre-meditated ruse, even if he were sympathetic and supplied, unknown to him, the 'poisoned' tea to Hazel.

To summarise, this short is creepy and fun, and incidentally my personal favourite of the cartoons starring Witch Hazel. The animation here is stunning, and the story is top notch too. Bugs is still great, but it is Hazel who steals the show, her voice, her laugh, her mannerisms are all enough to make her truly memorable. The script is fine, but the sight gags are better I think, with a wonderful(and hilarious) ending. Also the part when Bugs tears up causing Hazel to cry as well almost made me do so too, Bugs's expression was so cute. Mel Blanc excels as always as Bugs, but June Foray steals the show with a bravura vocal performance as Witch Hazel. Overall, really fun to watch. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Broom-Stick Bunny (1956)*** (out of 4) Witch Hazel is at home on Halloween proud as can be since she's the ugliest woman around. Then there's a knock at the door where another ugly witch is but it turns out to be Bugs Bunny in an outfit. The real witch then decides she needs some rabbit to complete her next meal. This is a pretty good entry with Bugs being at the top of his game and Hazel being a pretty good villain. I'm sure the film could have thrown in more homages to other "scary" type of films but that's just a small issue. Bugs gets a lot of good lines but the real charm of the film belongs to Hazel are her dire need of being ugly. The twist ending is a very nice one and gets the biggest laugh of the film.

One of the great things about the Looney Tunes cartoons was how they put spins on the real world and popular culture. They do that in "Broom-Stick Bunny", as perpetually cackling Witch Hazel gets all vain about being the ugliest witch of all, and finds that another witch (actually Bugs Bunny in his Halloween costume) is uglier. So, she sets - or rather flies - about trying to get him. But Bugs has his own plans, natch. Most likely involving Hazel's mirror (hint: this mirror is supposed to say that Hazel is the ugliest of all).So, this might not be the best Looney Tunes cartoon ever, but it's a real pleasure to watch. Mel Blanc and June Foray are a great voice combo.