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The 1941 Walt Disney Animators Strike

The Walt Disney Corporation has such a good family-friendly image.  It really styles itself as an ideal place to work.  We can only imagine that things were even better in Disney’s golden era, when the man himself was still running things.  But that wasn’t always the case; in fact, in 1941 hundreds of Disney animators went on strike. The Business Insider has some fantastic photographs of and other images from the strike, and of the materials the strikers were circulating.  But it’s a bit lacking on the specific details of why animators would go on strike, especially so soon after … Continue reading →

Kids and Movies: How Young is Too Young?

My 4-year-old daughter has been eagerly counting down the days until the release of “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.” We have the original on DVD, and frankly I’m surprised the movie’s images haven’t been permanently seared on our TV screen given the amount of times she’s watched it. The DreamWorks movie about Central Park Zoo animals that end up in Madagascar (and in the sequel—Africa) is age appropriate for children ages 3 and up (at least in my opinion), which is why I didn’t think twice about shelling out $15 to take my lion/hippo/zebra/giraffe/monkey/penguin/lemur-loving child to an actual movie theater to … Continue reading →

Movies Week in Review July 14th – 19th

It’s sure been a busy summer, and a hot one, too! Are you looking for a great flick to enjoy while sitting with your family in front of a fan, taking time just to be together in the midst of all the rush? Maybe we can help you out. We started the week with a review of “Courage Mountain,” a film which is supposedly the continuation of the story of “Heidi.” Heidi is now fifteen and decides to attend boarding school, but as World War I ignites, she and her classmates are stranded in Italy . . . until Peter … Continue reading →

The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)

Zzzzz……… Zzzzzz………… Oh, I’m sorry. How embarrassing! I must have fallen asleep. But then, that’s what this movie will do to you. “The Secret of Roan Inish” is the PG-rated story of a ten-year-old girl named Fiona whose mother has recently died. Her father isn’t able to take proper care of her and her older brothers are all working long hours to keep the rest of the family afloat, so Fiona is sent to the small fishing village of Donegal, Ireland, to live with her grandparents. Upon her arrival, she starts hearing tales of her ancestors, all true Irishmen and … Continue reading →

5 Terrible Disney Movies

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I’ve talked about the great animated Disney films and the great non-animated Disney films. That list wouldn’t complete if I didn’t discuss some of the great stinkers presented by Disney over the years. While there are several out there, I’ve narrowed this list down to the 5 worst offenders. If you haven’t seen them, count yourself lucky. The Haunted Mansion The success of Pirates of the Caribbean notwithstanding, making a movie that is simply based on the premise of an attraction in the parks is not a safe bet. The movie was a success commercially, but the plot was flimsy, … Continue reading →

Anchors Aweigh (1945)

“Anchors Aweigh” is a charming film. When Clarence Doolittle (Frank Sinatra) and Joseph Brady (Gene Kelly), members of the gun crew on a Navy submarine, take heroic action in the face of danger, they are awarded the Silver Cross and given three days of leave on shore in California. They immediately head to Hollywood, where Lola, one of Joe’s many girlfriends, is waiting for him. However, he’s not fated to meet up with Lola—he keeps getting sidetracked. First, there’s Clarence, who has never had a girlfriend and badly wants Joe to teach him how to get one. Clarence is a … Continue reading →

Disney’s 10 Best Non-Animated Features

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We’ve talked about the best animated features, but Disney makes non-animated features as well. Some are great, some are classics and some are just films that could have been so much more. We’ll talk about the bad movies later, but for now, let’s look at my top ten picks for best non-animated features. 10. Rocketeer (1991). In this utterly charming, live action pulp comic, Bill Campbell plays a young Cliff Secord, a pilot who stumbles over a rocket pack and uses it to stop the Nazis. Sure, it’s pure cheese, but it’s sharp cheese. 9. Sky High (2005). Heroes are … Continue reading →

Disney ‘s 10 Best Animated Films

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Disney films has been producing and creating family classics for over 70 years. Nearly three-quarters of a century family films have been associated with the Disney label and animated films were definitely their forte from the pen and ink originals to the more modern adoption of CGI. So what are the top 10 Disney animated films? The following are my subjective choices for best animated films. 10. Sleeping Beauty (1959). This beautiful story of the Princess rescued from a death curse by three good fairies who try to protect her further by spiriting her away to raise her in the … Continue reading →

Movies Review – May 6th-May 17th

Combining the last two weeks, here’s what we’ve been up to in Movie Reviews! First off, we took a closer look at the classic movie, “How Green was My Valley.” Roddy McDowall had his first large role in this film about a boy who grew up in a Welsh mining town and experienced both hardship and joy. “The Ultimate Gift” is the story of a spoiled young man who goes on a journey of self-discovery to earn his inheritance, only to find that the lessons he learned were more valuable than any amount of money could have been. “Enchanted” is … Continue reading →

Strike Up the Band (1940)

I would be a neglectful movie reviewer indeed if I thought I could discuss classic movies without giving a nod to the team of Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. Arguably the most famous teenaged duo of Hollywood history, these two teamed up for several films that were loved by the younger set and the older set as well. “Strike Up the Band” stars Rooney as Jimmy Connors, a young man who plays the drums in his high school band. He wants to have his own orchestra someday and play for dances at clubs, but his mother has her heart set … Continue reading →