In 1934 man called Walt Disney had a dream of doing full-length animated film. Most people thought he was crazy, as supposedly audience wouldn't have patience to watch animated film that would take more than 10 minutes to end. After three years of hard work, financial struggling, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was ready for premiering. The movie was smash hit, and rest was history.
Disney started to produce animated movies on nearly yearly basis, and although the company was more than once on verge of bankcrupt, it marched on. Pinocchio, Dumbo, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Black Cauldron, Aladdin, Lion King. All great classics that are appreciated and loved both critics and children. Although quality of Disney's output has gone down in recent years, there is hope that that someday Disney may regain quality which it was known for. In this thread we celebrate Disney's work, and tell about our fondest (and worst) memories about the company's Classics range.
The movies
So far Disney has done 48 movies that the company calls classics (although how classic some later movies are is debatable). 49th movie, The Princess and the Frog will be released late 2009, and it is first traditional animation feature since 2004's (lackluster) Home on the Range.
Hypnotically inclined.
Posts
Anyway, I think Treasure Planet is kind of underrated. The visuals in it were awesome.
Yeah, it was pretty ambitious and different kind of project. It was banned in the Finland, but I did manage to see it before the banning happened. The movie itself was a box office failure all around the world, first to use CGI and one of two Disney movies that have used Super Technirama 70 widescreen 70 mm film process. DVD-release, unfortunately, is fucked up, and lots of stuff haven't been never restored (like Cauldron Born decacipating his opponent).
I didn't like it. I think The problem was that the movie wasn't sure about its identity.
No, but wasn't this the project on which Salvador Dali originally made concept art?
Also: ruining yet another children's tale: http://nonadventures.com/2009/03/14/under-cheshire/
Yes, he and Walt never finished it. They basically made a storyboard to one song called Destino. Then somebody found the work in a vault and finished it, complete with the song. Very short, but cool.
I guess they lifted the ban because I managed to watch it in Finland...It's pretty awesome, though. Scary, but awesome.
And I've probably watched all those movies except the oldest...I have most of them as VHS's as well.
It's hard to name a favorite one. Probably Hercules or Aladdin if I must pick.
The basic plot of Hamlet, Jeremy Irons and an Elton John / Tim Rice soundtrack. What more does a movie need?
And then various parents trying to explain that Mufasa was not coming back.
For me, my top picks are Lion King and Aladdin, although I really like every movie in Disney's comeback era (which goes from Little Mermaid to Tarzan).
They're all incredible. I didn't enjoy much of their new work, but Lilo & Stitch was great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0AiN8vrn9Y
Emperor's New Groove. Yeah it's not conventional. But it's got Patrick Warburton, John Goodman and David Spade. Outstanding.
And yeah I like Lion King, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast. That was a really good run for Disney.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRO-M4XyAbM
Snappy, short and terrific. And imagine that Disney originally planned it to be "video only" release.
It's weird that the Rescuer's Down Under is sandwhiched between them, it's a forgotten movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRO-M4XyAbM
Edit: Damn you!
My father quotes that movie lot. It was one that my lil bro and sis watched a lot, and during best days, I could even paraphase whole finnish script from memory. I have excellent memory, but it is still very scary.
The end of this as she throws down the arrow sends a shiver down my spine every time I see it. It's just so epic, somehow.
EDIT: Damn you, Jackie Chan. I've put the scene from the movie in the quote.
holy shit... I agree with you on something! Sniff... I was waiting for this day.
For me, New Groove, Aladdin, Lion King, and Black Cauldron are the best.
Even with Gurgi.
Medieval fantasy, a love story that I could understand even as a kid, epic and heroic battles, great music, and Maleficent.
Seriously. Maleficent was the most terrifying villain in all of Disney. Not the wacky kind like Jafar or Captain Hook. Maleficent would fuck you up if you messed with her. She could control green flame, cast spells that wreathed an entire castle in thorns, transform into a goddamn terrifying giant black dragon, and had an army of ugly-as-shit goblins.
And her appearance/demeanor. Pale green skin, demonic yellow eyes, and a silky evil voice that was courteous and full of poison. Christ, she still terrifies me a bit as an adult.
He has pretty much transcended limitations of normal IP, and is basically part of western culture. He is goddamn popular, although Donal Duck is probably more popular in Europe.
Not a ton of people read or watch Superman, but he's so iconic it doesn't matter. Mickey is the same way.
I do feel this needs to be posted.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/1521/saturday-night-live-disney-vault-vt
I just popped in to mention that I'm shocked no one has yet professed their love for Robin Hood and/or The Sword in the Stone. I would watch those movies over and over as a kid. But I am pleased with the Aladdin love.
That movie almost killed the entire company I hope you know.
It was such a colossal failure back in the day that if it wasn't for the Disneyland park they would have died right then and there.
I guess he's really more of a mascot/symbol than anything.
You can still get it... kind of. If you have access to a VCR. It's an interesting look at what was acceptable at the time. Can't really deny the fact that it is pretty racist by todays standards.
Otherwise though, I kinda liked it. And Splash Mountain at Disneyland is fantastic.
I really loved Robin Hood. For some very strange reason, local television channel had got rights for show it on the primetime. It was pretty much unheard during the eighties.
You can't pretend it didn't happen but, you know... who can blame you for trying to
Praise the Lord and pass the tax rebate. Somehow it seems fitting that a local station would get the rights for Robin Hood.
That's just it - he's a mascot that doesn't promote anything. The last time I saw Mickey Mouse in action was during the last bits of Kingdom Hearts. And I think Disney tried to bring him back in House of Mouse ... which probably had more Donald and Goofy cartoons anyways because people like them better. :P
The last thing I can recall where Mickey Mouse wasn't playing second fiddle was the Prince and the Pauper short that played before one of the other Disney films.
I never knew roosters could whistle until I saw that movie.
But then again, Walt Disney was a racist. There was no single jew or black on the payroll until his death (but Roy did hire black almost immediately). Disney didn't like jews mainly because many jewish bankers didn't want to fund his projects, and he believed that there was some kind of conspiracy against him. I guess that it can be excepted when you work every fucking day for your dream, and no single banker gets why he should finance your project. His dislike for blacks was typical for the era.
Regardless of how it almost killed Disney, it was fantastic.
But seriously.
Maleficent!
Yes... I know. Did you not click on my link at the top of the page? Although, I would challenge the notion that dislike of blacks was "typical" at that point in history. It may have been more accepted, but I don't think it was like, the majority of people in America.