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Most Disney villains are afflicted by some kind of comeuppance at the end of the story, yet a rare few mysteriously escape all punishment. I grew up watching a lot of Disney movies, and the standard formula is that the universe will conspire to strike down a villain if the heroes are too pure to kill them. In softer circumstances, they will go to prison for their crimes. The best Disney villains are remembered for their dramatic, unapologetic villainy, which would make it almost satisfying to see them go free.

However, these fan-favorite Disney villains also tend to be the ones killed in a dramatic final battle, while more understated characters get away with it. The most evil Disney villain plans are essential parts of their stories, but the implication is that people will be punished for truly evil acts. The best endings of Disney and Pixar movies understand what...

Bambi (1942) Blu-ray Review, a Walt Disney Animation Studios movie directed by Bill Roberts, David Hand, Graham Held, James Algar, Paul Satterfield, Norman Wright, Samuel Armstrong and starring Donnie Dunagan as Young Bambi, Peter Behn as Young Thumper, Stan Alexander as Young Flower, Paula Winslow as Bambi’s Mother and Will Wright as Friend Owl. Release Date: June 6, 2017 Plot In Disney’s spectacularly animated [...]

Continue reading: Blu-ray Review: Bambi (1942): The Signature Collection Has Officially Got It Right...

A slew of classic Disney movies are hitting for the first time on Blu-Ray, including one double-pack release, and you’re going to want to make sure to pick these up. You haven’t paid attention to some of these titles for a while, and it’s about time you got the chance to catch them on Blu-Ray. The best part is that there’s a great mix of releases hitting. Bedknobs and Broomsticks is all but lost in the cultural consciousness, and it deserves a return. The Academy Award-winning movie from the year I was born is filled with a lot of fun and adventure, and like most Disney films, holds up well for a whole new generation.

The rest of the group covers a great spectrum, including two animated “big” titles, and a 10th Anniversary release. There’s a lot to expose your family to here, so check out all the info below,...

As we continue on, I need to once again clarify that if this list was “Joshua Gaul’s 50 Favorite Movie Musicals,” it’d be a quite a different list. But, if my tastes determined what is definitive, I’d be asking you all to consider Aladdin as a brilliant piece of filmmaking and wax nostalgic about my love for Batteries Not Included and Flight of the Navigator (not for the musicals list, of course). Much to my dismay, my tastes are not universal. I’d like to think my research methods are.

courtesy of themoviescene.co.uk

30. Annie (1982)

Directed by John Huston

Signature Song: “Tomorrow” (http://youtu.be/Yop62wQH498)

Originally a 1924 comic strip, the beloved stage musical about a red-haired orphan girl was brought to the big screen in 1982 and directed by John Huston (yes, that John Huston – director of The Maltese Falcon and The African Queen, not to...

Fantasia

Directed by Samuel Armstrong; James Algar; Bill Roberts and Paul Satterfield; Ben Sharpsteen and David Hand; Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, and Ford Beebe; T. Hee and Norm Ferguson; & Wilfred Jackson

Starring Deems Taylor

A few weeks ago, I read a great article by Drew McWeeny of HitFix wherein, while describing how his two children responded to one of the first and most important Disney live-action films, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, he posed this question: are Disney movies automatically “for kids”? This is, unfortunately, a very common criticism levied by people who either should know better or don’t educate themselves on the history of film, let alone Disney films. You know what criticism I mean: “Oh, that’s just for kids.” “It’s a kids’ movie. Who cares?” Sometimes, when I nitpick some aspect of a Disney film, whether it’s live-action or animated, I hear that complaint. Why...

Another bumper edition- I hereby pledge never to write several 2000 word reviews a week while neglecting this beautiful little column- with three weeks worth of viewing listed below.

An added element to the Film Diary this time around is the sub-challenge A Disney A Day, instigated at the behest of my girlfriend, who discovered that between us we now own every Disney home release- except the somewhat controversial Song of the South (which, despite featuring one of Disney’s most released soundtrack songs, is yet to see a DVD release)- and has decided that it would be a missed opportunity not to watch all of them as quickly as possible. Seems my spirit may have rubbed off there a little…

The count so far: 101 Films

Anyway, into three figures now, and catching up to the 1 film a day rate (though that’s slow for me). Read on, lovely Diary...

Blu-ray Review

Bambi

Directed by: James Algar, Sam Armstrong, David Hand, Graham Heid, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Norman Wright

Cast: Hardie Alright, Stan Alexander, Bobette Audry

Running Time: 1 hr 10 mins

Rating: G

Due Out: March 1, 2011

Plot: Bambi follows a young deer and several of his forest friends. Together his friends, Thumper and Flower, as well as his mother teach him about life in the forest.

Who’S It For? Children. Hopefully with their short attention span, the fact that Bambi has no actual plot will be lost on them. Hardcore Disney fans will be glad to see this beautiful transfer, but may be disappointed in the film since its childlike wonder has worn off.

Movie:

Bambi is one of those movies that, unfortunately, time has not been kind to. I remember watching it when I was a kid and being fascinated by the deer and his friends, but years later?...

Blu-ray Review

Fantasia/Fantasia 2000 (Four-Disc Blu-ray/DVD combo)

Fantasia

Directed by: James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe, Norm Ferguson, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen

Cast: Leopold Stokowski

Running Time: 2 hr 5 min

Rating: G

Due Out: November 30, 2010

Plot: Seven classical pieces of music are animated in a film that’s meant to be the visual representation of what you hear when listening to these pieces.

Who’S It For? Unlike most animated films, this requires a more mature audience. Though there’s nothing objectionable in the material, it might be dull for kids.

Movie:

The most experimental of any of Disney’s animated feature films, Fantasia tells seven stories, all set to music. The most famous is The Sorcerer’s Apprentice starring Mickey Mouse wearing a red robe and blue hat covered in stars. Even people who haven’t seen the...