Day 11: 101 Dalmatians

Kanine Krunchies, They're so fun! Our 11th movie!

1. What movie did you watch?
101 Dalmatians.  The film is based of off the book The Hundred and One Dalmatians by
Dodie Smith. It was adapted and written by Bill Peet, and it was the first time that the story for a Disney movie was created by a single story man.  In fact, Walt Disney liked Peet's work so much that he actually had little involvement in the film at all.  A fun fact about the movie: In total, 101 Dalmatians features 6,469,952 spots, with Pongo having 72 spots, Perdita 68, and each puppy having 32.

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie: I watched it about a year ago. I don't watch it as much as I should, but I always enjoy it when I do.
Alexis: Oh God, it's been so long!  I can't even remember the last time I've watched it fully. 

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: It actually made me think of my dog and how much I missed him. This movie is enjoyable for many reasons, but largely because I'm a dog lover. The puppies are my favorite, especially Rolly (the fat one).

 

Alexis: I used to watch this one a lot as a kid.  Also, it brought back memories of the 101 Dalmatians computer game that my sister and I had, which we LOVED.  It was one of those play-through-the-movie games. Throwback.

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: I loved it! It's such a fun movie! And SO MANY PUPPIES!!!!
Alexis: Adorable, it's such a classic!  

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: I really enjoyed the art direction of the whole movie, the best example of this being the title sequence:

Alexis: My favorite moment is when the dogs escape by covering themselves in soot.  It's both smart and adorable.  I also like the beginning when Pongo is looking out the window and all the owners look like their dogs and vice versa.  I used to think that was so funny. 

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: Cruella De Vil is one of my favorite Disney songs from the Sherman Brothers:

Alexis: Sergeant Tibbs is my favorite character. Obviously I would choose the one cat in a movie full of dogs.

Day 10: Sleeping Beauty

  In which we learn the lesson, only talk to strangers when they're hot! Our 10th movie!!

Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron in a Disney Dream Portrait

David Beckham in a Disney Dream Portrait

1. What movie did you watch?
Sleeping Beauty.  The film is based on "La Belle au bois dormant" by Charles Perrault.  It took almost an entire decade to produce, and it was the last Disney animated film to use hand-inked cells. It looks a bit different from the other fairy tale movies, Snow White and Cinderella, because Walt Disney wanted it to stand out, and was inspired by medieval art.  Fun Fact: this was the last fairy tale produced by Walt Disney before his death. Because of its original disappointment at the box office, Disney did not return to fairy tales until 1989 when it made the Little Mermaid. 

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie:  This is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time (it's also my mother's favorite). So I've seen it countless times:

I would say the most recent time was over the summer. So, a couple months ago. But I listen to the soundtrack all the time.

Alexis: I watched it many times as a kid, but the last time I've seen it completely was four or five years ago.

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: It recalled a lot of memories! Mainly of watching the movie with my mom! It was (is) her favorite thing to watch with me. A more recent memory is that of my high school graduation. I need to preface this with the fact that I have a love of Disney animation so much that I see the artwork as something that I will be collecting for the rest of my life. So, my parents started my collection for me by getting me two sketches from this movie. One of Aurora and one of Maleficent. They are some of my most prized possessions.

Alexis: I have many good memories that I associate with this movie!  So the last time I watched this, it was on a car ride with my family friends from Ohio to Chicago.  My dad was driving and my friends' dad was in the front with him, while my sister, myself, and our friends were in the back watching Disney movies.  We got to Sleeping Beauty and when Once Upon A Dream came on, my dad insisted on singing to it which led to a beautiful yet hilarious duet between him and my friend. I'm pretty sure it turned into a full on sing along.  We still laugh about it. 

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: In case you couldn't tell, I LOVED it. Eyvind Earl's art (the man who did the background and concept art, he was trained by Mary Blair) is absolutely stunning, which is a large reason I love watching this movie over and over. I constantly catch new subtleties in it that always astound me.

 
Alexis: When it comes to Disney princess movies, this one comes in second only to Beauty and the Beast in my opinion.  I love the story, and the characters are great.  The fairies are awesome because they serve a comedic purpose with all of their mishaps and sassy comments, however they're also pretty badass when helping Phillip escape.  I like Phillip, he's my favorite Disney Prince.

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: When I was little I LOVED the fairies, and thought it was hilarious when they would bicker and change the color of Aurora's dress. so, my favorite moment has always been the very end when they were changing it as she was dancing with Phillip:

I also just love how sassy and inept the fairies are! Flora is the sassy leader and it's great!

Alexis: My favorite part is the Once Upon A Dream scene in the woods.  The way they dance is lovely.  The part where he joins in and replaces the animals is one of my favorite moments because of the look on her face, and the fact that he heard her singing and thinks she's beautiful, and just wants to dance with her.. it just makes me so happy!

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: Did you know that they used the same animation form Aurora and Phillip's first dance together and used the same piece of dancing for Beauty and the beast at the end after the Beast has changed and he and Belle are dancing? Disney does this often! They also reused dancing animation from Snow White!

Alexis: Malificent is fantastic.  I once told my sister that she is my best friend.  She is my favorite Disney villain, and I will argue that she is the most badass of them all.  She can turn into a freakin dragon.  Enough said.  

Day 9: Lady and the Tramp

He's a Tramp, he's a movie watcher... Our Ninth Movie!

1. What movie did you watch?
 Lady and the Tramp.  The origins of the movie come from a Disney story writer named Joe Grant, who was inspired by his own English Springer Spaniel named Lady.  Like in the movie, Grant's dog was seemingly pushed aside by the arrival of his first child. He brought the idea to Walt, who was pleased with Grant's sketches of his dog, and he commissioned the movie.  It took many years for the storyline to be developed. Fun fact: the opening scene where Jim Dear gives Darling the box with little Lady inside is based off of the true event in which Walt Disney gave his own wife a Chow puppy in a hatbox.  

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie: I had seen it before, but not since I was little, it was never one of my favorites.

Alexis: It's been a while since I've seen the full film all the way through, but I've definitely seen parts of it on TV within the past few years. 

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: The two Italian guys who work at Tony's in the movie reminded me a lot of the movie Moonstruck:

VS.

That is all.
 
Alexis: As a kid, I know that I watched it a lot but I don't have any real specific memories from it.  I ate at the Lady and the Tramp restaurant at Disneyworld, if that counts.  I had spaghetti. 

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: Meh. It was kinda boring and really upsetting at points. Plus I HATE those Siamese cats. They are horrible in every way. No wonder I'm not a cat person. Also, all the moments with the pound are really upsetting. And I just don't get why a rat would want to get to a baby. Weird. Redeeming moment, baby Lady is really adorable:

Alexis: It's definitely not one of my favorites.  I kept getting distracted while watching it because it's just so boring at points.  The characters are all really cute, but the plot just lags.  

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: This is very obvious, but the kiss and La Bella Note will always be my favorite moment:

Alexis: I am going to have to agree with Maddie, it's the best part by far. 

6. Any other comments:
Alexis: I'm pretty sure they made a straight to home video/dvd sequel featuring their puppy, Scamp.  In this case, Scamp is the one from the nice house and he meets a female companion who lives on the streets.  It's sort of like Grease 2, you know?

Day 8: Peter Pan

We're following the Peter, the Peter! Out Eighth Movie!

Gisele Bundchen, Tina Fey, and Mikhail Baryshnikov in a Disney Dream Portrait.

1. What movie did you watch?
Peter Pan.  The film is based off of Peter Pan, Or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J.M. Barrie.  The story of Peter Pan was another of Walt Disney's favorites, and he intended to make the movie much earlier than it actually happened (due to issues gaining the rights).  Originally there were more scenes including the Mermaids and the Pirates, including a scene where Captain Hook is actually killed by the crocodile, however these scenes were removed in order to make the movie less dark.  A fun fact about the film is that it features several of the same voice actors as Alice in Wonderland.

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie:  It's probably been a year since I last saw it, which is way too long. I have an affinity for all things Peter Pan, so that long a time is not common in between viewings.

Alexis: I actually watched it last June.  That's very specific, I know, but I clearly remember watching it at my friend's beach house in Cape Cod on our last day.

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: It brought back a lot of memories of Disneyland. Peter Pan's Flight was my favorite ride there when I was little.

In addition, it brought back memories of when I went to see Cathy Rigby in her final year (last year) in the role of Peter Pan in the musical. I've been watching the musical just as long as I've been watching the Disney version, so that was a big treat for me, and a really special memory.

Alexis: I saw the musical with Maddie, and it was an awesome experience, so yes it brought back memories of that.  Also, my sister and I used to love this movie, we had it on VHS and we would watch it all the way through the movie to the ending bonus section with Walt Disney talking about the making of the movie.  It must have been really boring to a kid, but we watched it regardless!  Lastly, I also occasionally took a hanger from my closet and went up to my sister claiming to be captain hook.

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: In case you couldn't tell already, I LOVED it! It was great to get a refresher of the movie and really get to enjoy it. While, again, there were some extremely racist parts relating to Native Americans:

It was still really great. Also, the animation is absolutely beautiful!

Alexis: Yes we can all agree that early Disney was very (I believe, unintentionally) racist.  Overall I loved it.  The different landscapes are so cool, and all the different characters are awesome in their own way.  Except Wendy.  I don't like Wendy.  Tiger Lily is better.

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: It's hard to pick just one, but I would have to go with this one:

With a close second being when Smee shaves a bird's butt instead of Hook's chin. That was comedy genius to me as a child, and will always be engrained in my head.

Alexis: Following the Leader is my favorite part/song!  The scene is adorable, and it's fun to sing!

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: I just love this movie! But, a weird thing I discovered when looking for Gifs for this post is that there is a weird group of people on tumblr who ship (want a relationship between) Alice (of Alice in Wonderland) and Peter. Here's some evidence:

All I have to say is: WHAT?!? I can't get over how odd this is to me. Besides that, this was an amazing trip down memory lane.

Alexis: There is a question I must address.  Why must Once Upon A Time make all of their characters so attractive?  This is the third time that I've brought this up but really, just look at him.  How could I not?

Ugh he's my favorite, I can't even.  

And until next time,

MOVIE SPECIAL EDITION! HALLOWEENTOWN!!!!

A Trip Back to Childhood with a special movie: Halloweentown!

1. What movie did you watch?
Halloweentown
 

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie: I watch this series of movie pretty much every Halloween (but not the fourth one because they replace the original Marnie with Sara Paxton.)
Alexis: I'd seen it a few times as a kid, but not recently.  Also, I think I've seen the sequels more often than this.

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: It reminded me of when they were brand new, and I would watch them when they premiered on Halloween and then go trick-or-treating! Great times!
Alexis:  Memories of Halloween?  Haha obviously, but they also brought back memories of all kinds of Disney Channel original movies that I used to watch as a kid.

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: I really enjoyed it! It was a fun throwback!
Alexis: It was great, such a fun movie, even if it is a little cheesy!

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: This is just so clever:

Alexis: My favorite moment is when they first arrive in Halloweentown, and they show the town and all the characters/monsters. 

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: Happy belated Halloween!!