Tag: toddler

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Children Drew Movies Sentiment

Disney Project 2014: 101 Dalmatians

Movie: 101 Dalmatians

Release year: 1961

My reaction: I have stuck this movie into my own personal Disney mind vault, among the Sword in the Stones and the Dumbos – a movie of which I know entire chunks of dialogue, and have certain favorite pieces of animation – but not one that I ever feel nostalgic for. I’m not going to pull this off the shelf and watch it on a rainy day. (That’s what makes this project so awesome…) Just the opening credits were a total delight. I love this animation. I love that Pongo is the narrator. I love that Anita and Roger, a newly married couple, are delighted by the prospect of 15 additional puppies (but it’s probably time to get those dogs fixed. All of them. Not so lucky now, are you, Lucky?). The music is great, the villains are great. This might be the first instance of Disney putting characters from an earlier movie into the film – Lady and the Tramp and a bunch of their cohorts are seen throughout 101 Dalmatians.

Others’ reactions: I was recently followed by an actual blogger (as opposed to the bots) – just a dad with disney questions. I read a bunch of his posts because yes! some of these are really good questions. In particular, I found myself thinking of his post about 101 Dalmatians while watching the movie. Dalmatian Defamation, indeed! Good luck, Roger and Anita!

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Categories
Being a girl Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: Sleeping Beauty

Movie: Sleeping Beauty

Release year: 1959

My reaction: Ahh, Sleeping Beauty. One of my all-time faves. I love the music (and the way it underscores so much of the movie), I love that they return multiple times to the “book” framing device, I love that Maleficent’s evil plan is to keep Prince Philip hostage until he’s old (too old for love?), and then to just let him go. I mean, that is devious. And this is all because she didn’t get invited to the party? I love all the repeat of voices we’ve heard before – Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Luddy, Bill Thompson, etc.

Fun Sleeping Beauty facts: The character of Aurora has a total of 18 minutes of screen time. The only Disney main character with fewer lines than Aurora is Dumbo, who doesn’t speak at all. Aurora’s mother doesn’t have a name (just “Stefan’s Queen”) although apparently some of the promo materials called her “Queen Leah.” What the what? Also, according to one site I looked at, there is apparently no record of who was her voice, although Wikipedia lists Verna Felton (who also plays Flora). The joke about “Pink or blue” was actually originally the filmmakers’ argument over whether her dress should be pink or blue.

 

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Categories
Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: Lady and the Tramp

Movie: Lady and the Tramp

Release year: 1955

My reaction: This is one of my all-time favorite Disney movies. Obviously a lot of my top 5 are princess movies, because I am a girl who was born in the 1980s. But I have a deep and abiding love for Lady and the Tramp. Like every second of it. I’m not even a dog person. As usual this weekend, we spent some time chasing B around, some time playing with him, and some a little time sitting quietly as a family and watching the movie.

Fun film fact: You know the song Bella Notte, when Lady stays out all night with Tramp? There’s this theory that they sleep together, which in the 1950s was sort of a no-no. (Plus, the movie takes place during the 1890s.) That’s why she’s so upset afterward, because she gave up her honor. And that’s why Jock and Trusty offer to “marry” her – because she’s pregnant and they are trying to help her. I just really like that that’s another layer to the story that I never would have gotten as a kid.

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Categories
Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: Peter Pan

Movie: Peter Pan

Release year: 1953

My reaction: This is one of Drew’s favorite Disney movies, so I like it too. It’s a good one. I feel that I’ve seen a lot of Peter Pan stuff lately. I must be thinking of Hook (always on TV), Peter and the Starcatcher (saw it at the end of last year), and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. I guess. But I like Peter Pan. And I want to go on the record as saying, I don’t care how many Buzzfeed articles I read about racism in the early Disney movies. I love them anyway.

And I think B is starting to actually watch parts of the movies. Which is fun for all of us.

And the next couple weeks are going to be two of my favorites! Stay tuned!

Fun Peter Pan fact: Did you know JM Barrie (the creator of Peter Pan) was friends with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle? And that Barrie invented the name Wendy? I just think that’s cool.

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Categories
Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: Alice in Wonderland

Movie: Alice in Wonderland

Release year: 1951

My reaction: So this has honestly never been one of my favorites. It feels like it drags, or something. Like, I remember all the different parts of it, but never really how they fit together. I don’t know if this stems from there being so many versions of Alice, and I’ve seen many of them several times? But this isn’t one I would ever pick to sit down and watch for old times’ sake.

Which is kind of funny, because Drew really likes it. But I just can’t get over how frustrating it is – she can’t get people to communicate effectively with her, she can’t figure out where she’s going, she keeps getting bigger or smaller…you know how it is.

That being said, I enjoyed this viewing and I think that B actually watched parts of it too. I mean, it’s very colorful and wacky and…animated. So it makes sense that it would draw his attention.

Favorite moment (which would never be in a movie made now): The Walrus and the Carpenter. HE EATS ALL THE BABY OYSTERS. (Oops, spoiler, sorry.) It’s worth a watch if you haven’t seen it lately.

And with that…we’re caught up again! (For now.)

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Categories
Children Drew Movies Sentiment

Disney Project 2014: Cinderella

Movie: Cinderella

Release year: 1950

My reaction: This is one of those good, solid movies that we have both seen a million times, so we can spend the whole time showing each other our childhood favorite parts and laughing over the inadvertently funny parts.

Fave moment: Do you remember the end where Lucifer (the cat) is keeping the mice from giving Cinderella the key to her door? And Bruno runs up the stairs and chases Lucifer out the window of the tower? And Lucifer falls like 10 stories to his almost certain death? Just saying. That’s pretty gruesome. (If you don’t remember, watch it here.)

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Categories
Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: Melody Time

Movie: Melody Time

Release year: 1948

My reaction: I think I’m ready to be done with these movies composed of short pieces. Although, I realized I must have had the first short, “Once Upon a Wintertime,” in some other kind of collection, because I’ve seen it before. I just did some wiki research, and discovered that this movie, and the four before it, were deliberately supposed to be light, simple films to bring in profits, so that Disney could return to full-length animations. And thank God for that.

B’s reaction: I think he is also ready to move out of the 40s. (Almost there!)

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Categories
Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: Make Mine Music

Movie: Make Mine Music

Release year: 1946

My reaction: We’re getting into this tradition of pointing out the familiar names in the credits (which, of course, play before the movie). It’s fun. It’s also fun that it’s been like 7 weeks and we’re still doing this. I don’t know if either of us thought it would last very long.

I actually really liked Make Mine Music, which I’ve never seen before, especially after the last two weeks. This is like Fantasia-light. Like a few little musical stories: “Peter and the Wolf,” “Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet,” “Casey at the Bat.” It was really fun, and not too long.

I liked that the music that wasn’t chosen wasn’t all classical. It was a good mix of musics and animations. I would watch it again.

B’s reaction: Same same. I’d say he enjoyed it.

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Categories
Baby Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: Saludos Amigos

Movie: Saludos Amigos

Release year: 1942

My reaction: This is the first in a line of more obscure Disney movies which I have never seen. The next month or so is going to be interesting. Saludos Amigos is only about 45 minutes long. It’s a mix of live action and animation, but no matter the medium, the vague racism is sprinkled throughout. I’m not sure that I was captivated by this one the way I have been by the other, more conventional, Disney films.

B’s reaction: He did watch a little bit, or at least, he sat where he could see the TV and practiced stacking blocks. Good enough for me!

photo (12)You know what this means, right? We’re caught up!

Categories
Awesome Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: Bambi

Movie: Bambi

Release year: 1942

My reaction: First of all, when was the last time you watched Bambi? I had forgotten how much I like it. It’s such a pretty movie. The animation is really beautiful. All the animals are just so freaking cute. And it’s fully orchestrated – all the rain drops and steps and falls and leaves blowing – all set to music.

Possibly when Bambi’s mother named him, and then called him “My little Bambi,” and licked his head as he fell asleep…possibly I teared up a little bit.

There were a lot of parenting jokes to be made. Like when all the animals come to see Bambi, and then the owl says “Looks like someone’s getting sleepy,” I was imagining that perhaps Bambi’s mom finds that annoying. Or when they’re out for a walk, and the quail mother says, “And where’s the young prince this morning?” Maybe Bambi’s mom wishes she could say, “He’s right behind me, and you know what? If I did need some time alone, that’s fine too. Why don’t you just parent your own brood of quailings?” Just…you know, haha.

Also, I think our DVD was restored or something, because the disappearing raccoon that I remember from the island (after the fire) was no longer disappearing…

B’s reaction: Oh, I think he really enjoyed it.

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It’s getting harder and harder to get a nice calm picture where the DVD, the child, and the parent are all in focus.

Inversely, I have more and more belly pics on my phone.