Day 1180: King Kong

The latest phase at our house is the intent to watch some of the films on the American Film Institute list of greatest films of all time. I'm totally ok with this, mostly because I already started some of these films, intent on watching as many of the films featured in The Great Movie Ride as possible, and because I have a very real love of classic films. 

Our first choice: King Kong, which I'd never seen before, and will honestly probably never watch again. It was alright, not the worst movie I've ever watched, and I can see why it's on the list of greatest films of all time, but it's old horror to the point where, in today's society, it's almost comical. Some of the standards in the film are so outdated that it just makes everything ironic, and the stop motion of King Kong himself, as well as the totally predictable plot line, keep you laughing more than anything else. 

Still, if you haven't seen this classic movie and are into things like that, definitely give it a watch, and bring some popcorn and friends along for the ride because it's way more fun that way! 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1168: Dignity, Always Dignity

I definitely have Disney to thank for my love of Singin' in the Rain. After all, if it weren't for The Great Movie Ride, I probably wouldn't have decided to watch the film at all, even if the songs are pretty catch and much more well known than I originally realized. Really though, I could watch this movie every day for the rest of my life and still never tire of it. It makes me want to sing, it makes me want to dance, and it definitely makes me want to go back to the 1920s. However, while watching the film the other day, I realized that there were more than a few lessons between the notes of this film that we all need to keep in mind throughout life. 

"Dignity, always dignity" is quickly represented as an important line of the film, and it may just be one of the most important. It, along with the background music of "Fit as a Fiddle" reminds us that we can't all be the greatest musician, actor, or person straight off. We're going to fall into deep pits of despair and failure at some point, but as Don reminds us, as long as we keep our dignity, things are going to be alright. The hard work you put in now will pay off in the long run. 

"Make 'em laugh" is sort of a universal truth, because laughter really is the best medicine. It's one of the best ways to cheer a person up, and it never fails to make something more entertaining. If we embrace a little more humor in our lives, maybe we'd all be happier and more willing to make others laugh. I don't think we all need to roll around on the floor with a doll, but sitting on a piano is a good way to start. 

Cosmo and Don hold a special place in my heart too, because around I constantly hear the joke about "don't forget the little people when you're off becoming rich and famous." The truth is, I have no anticipation of becoming rich or famous, although I suppose a little extra money wouldn't hurt. However, even if, by some fluke of fate, I do find myself in front of the cameras, you'd better believe that my friends and family will be right next to me. 

Don't forget to dance and sing in the rain. I said a moment ago that Dignity might be the most important lesson here, but really nothing can surpass the simple fact that we all need to remember to have fun. Life is a lot of work, whether it be blogging, going to class, sitting at a desk job, or working at a Disney park. But it won't seem like work all the time if we remember to make it fun and do a little singing and dancing along the way. 

There are tons of other lessons in Singin' in the Rain, but for now, I'm going to go hope that this snow turns into rain so I have something to dance in. Dancing in snow just isn't as fun because it's cold and you usually end up falling on your face...but then again...dignity. Always dignity. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 520: A Real Masterpiece

Now, I mentioned that while I'm watching all the Disney animated movies in order, the chances of me blogging about every single one are pretty bad. And that's very true. As much as I love all the Disney films, blogging about every last one seems like a ton of work, especially since when I watched I'm generally also working on something else at the same time, whether that be writing on another project I'm working on or tagging pictures or editing video. Whatever it may be, I sort of half watch the movie and half work on whatever it is I'm doing. Of course, I still am paying attention, and this is all really beside the point other than the fact that I'm saying I'm generally not blogging while actually watching the movie. If I did that, honestly the whole blog post would just end up being really jumbled and such anyway.

However, when I come across a film that gives me a fair topic for a blog post, I can't help but share with you. Tonight's film, the first one in several days because I've been so busy, was Fantasia. To be honest, most of my friends don't really like the movie, and after a little while it can be a bit of a bore to watch. It's not quite like the action movies we see today where everything is one thing onto the next. It runs at a much slower pace, and you have to sit and stop to appreciate the beauty that is in it. Which is kind of what I half did. For a while in the middle I wasn't paying the closest attention, but towards the very end I really got thinking about the film.

You, first of all, have to remember that Fantasia was made in the year 1940. That was a LONG time ago. Second, look at the length of the film, just over two hours. Compare that to Snow White or Dumbo, both clocking in at around an hour, and compare that to other films of the time as well. A full film with synchronized sound that was over two hours wasn't the most popular thing at the time, and when you compare that to the animated movies of today, many of those don't even beat that length, falling at least several minutes short of that two hour time span. So, while not everything in the film is actually animated, one could still point out the fact that for an animated movie, it's actually quite long. In addition, we must remember that everything is in color, also a newer basis at the time. Granted, films had been in color for several years, but each frame of that movie had to be hand painted at the time, while many of the animated films we see today are created with a computer. Now, I'm not saying that these computer animated films are any worse or took less time, because I very well know that computer animated movies can take years to create. Just look at Cars, which took four years alone! But hand painting is a daunting task. If you make a mistake on a computer you can just erase it. But a mistake in real life on a real board? That's not quite as easy to reverse.

Add all of this to the spectacular soundtrack that backs it, and maybe that's just the music major in me, and you have a true masterpiece. Maybe it is partly because of when it was made, but even today an undertaking like that would be crazy, and I honestly can't wait to watch Fantasia 2000 to see how it compares. I don't think I've ever watched them both within a close amount of time, so it shall be interesting to say the least.

But for now, I'll continue all my work, whether that be blogging or writing or video editing or just sitting down to enjoy one of these classic Disney films.

Have a magical day!

(This blog post was published on July 23, 2014).