Product of the '90's: A Goofy Movie

It's not a film that gets mentioned often lately, but "A Goofy Movie" is one of the most memorable films for my the people of my generation that were born in the early '90's.

Rotten Tomatoes currently has the movie at a 57 percent approval rating, making it "rotten." That means nothing to my 5-year-old self.

Variety's Todd McCarthy criticized the film's score, calling the six featured songs "unmemorable." Mr. Todd McCarthy, I'd like to disagree with you on that account. Some of the songs are not the most catchy of tunes to come out of a Disney musical in the nineties, but "On the Open Road" is a classic. I still sing along to it today, 15 years later. Looks like time has proven you wrong. Although I do admit, the flagship song of the film, "Stand Up," failed for the most part to stick in my memory.

But as a young kid, the adventure of the film really grasped me. Going across the country like that, running into Bigfoot, those crazy chase scenes and the "perfect cast." You just can't beat that. The relationship between Max and Goofy was heartwarming and frustrating at the same time. Max's pursuit of Roxanne. The shenanigans they got themselves into were always cringe inducing (What fork to choose?!) but they always made it in the end.

Maybe to a lot of people, "A Goofy Movie" was a flop. I'm glad I'm not one of those people, because "A Goofy Movie" will always remain a staple of my childhood, not matter what the critics say, or how many people have forgotten about it 15 years later.

"An Extremely Goofy Movie," its direct to DVD sequel, that one was definitely a stinker. Hands down.

Cars 2 and Pixar's Perfect Record

Prior to every Pixar movie's release, all the critics speculate on if that movie will put an end to Pixar's perfect 11-11 record. What Pixar has done is unprecedented, creating 11 films that have mass approval from both critics and normal folk like you and me, many of them simultaneously winning awards and breaking box office records. It's unparalleled in the film industry, and it's not something that can last.

Cars 2: 12 for 12?

I mean, it could last, I don't doubt Pixar one bit, but the way things are going on the business side, with Disney pushing for franchises like "Cars," "Toy Story" and "Monsters Inc." (which, all coincidentally, have very appealing merchandise), I don't know how much longer Pixar will be able to do the things they want to do.

Look at the second "Cars" film for example. Pixar was on track to release summer of 2012. Then Disney decided that they wanted the film a year earlier, forcing everyone at Pixar to try and speed up an extremely slow, tedious process. Pixar didn't get to do what they wanted to. It's not fact, but I would dare to say that Disney wanted the film a year earlier to build up hype for California Adventure's new Cars Land, set to open sometime in 2012.

Now, I know that Lasseter and Co. over in Emeryville have a strict standard of "If the stories not there, we won't make the movie." I doubted him a little with "Toy Story 3," just because, coming off such great original stories like "Up" and WALL-E," releasing a sequel seemed like Pixar was taking a break. I was dead wrong. But "Toy Story" has always been Pixar's flagship franchise. "Cars," not so much.

Disney has officially released a full length trailer for the new "Cars" film, and I'm not going to be a naysayer and say I didn't like it for the sake of my argument. It looked pretty good. It's got the classic characters of Mater and Lighting McQueen back, and the news ones, one of them an english James Bond style car voiced by Michael Caine.

Yet, as Pixar gets bigger and bigger, and Disney relies on them more heavily to be the one consistently good part of their film department, they will try to exert more control. There's no doubt Pixar's people know what they're doing, and will go one spinning cinematic perfection. It's just a countdown to when Disney's greed usurps Pixar's control and maims their golden goose.

Plans Make Perfection

I recently got a call from my mom about our upcoming trip to Disneyland this Thanksgiving break. She gave me ring because she had just finalized the plans for our upcoming trip, completing all the dining reservations and such.

Almost every time we go to Disneyland, we form some sort of plan. Even though, as a family, we've been there around 20 times, a plan never hurts. We know where everything is, but there's a lot to do on any one day, and it can become overwhelming. Add into the equation that as the day gets longer, people will get tired, and when people get tired, things can go south, and a little direction can be your savior. Yes, even at the Happiest Place on Earth, bickering and arguing can occur.

So what do you do? Formulate a plan. Make reservations at the limited number of restaurants that let you, for other meals, mark out a quick service restaurant on a map that everyone can agree on. Food is a big thing, at least for my family. An empty belly can often lead to rash reactions.

Then there are the attractions. I have heard people refer to Disneyland as "Disney-line." Yes, popular attractions can often be accompanied by long lines. If you have a plan, you can avoid waiting in lines though. Use Disney's Fastpasses to your advantage.

Know the nuances of the Fastpass

A trick I learned a couple of years ago is that Fastapasses don't expire after the hour window of time printed on the tickets. As long as it's after the primary time, you can use your Fastpasses any time after that within the day. And don't feel like the only rides worth your time are the E-Ticket attractions with the lengthy lines. There are many, many other attractions that rarely have long lines and can pass the hour-plus you have to kill waiting for you Fastpass for Space Mountain to become valid. Check out Fantasyland: generally only Peter Pan and Dumbo have long lines for the most parts. There's many hidden gems for you to discover.

This upcoming trip, my family and I have decided that we're going to every attraction listed on the maps. We've got 5 days to do it, so it shouldn't be a problem, but timing is key. We can't just systematically go through each land and wipe out the lot. You've got to do the E-tickets mid morning or before closing, use the Fastpass to your advantage, know when certains rides will have shorter lines, and be cognizant of the parade and fireworks times when lines will be minimal.    

Disneyland and Walt Disney World are some of the most popular destinations in the United States, but that doesn't mean you have to spend the entire day in a confused, flustered state. Go in with a battle plan, and you can make time your pal, not the enemy.

Whimsy returns to Winnie the Pooh

A lot has been floating around the blogosphere about the new "Winnie the Pooh" film. At first, I thought nothing of it. With the last "Pooh" inspired film, 2005's "Pooh's Heffalump Movie," a film I didn't even bother to see, I assumed that this new film would be more of the same: thoughtless material released to sell some merchandise and appease Disney's younger audience. Any Disney film that is worth mentioning appeals to every age group, whether those age groups want to admit it or not.

Then, last night, I watched the first trailer for the new "Winnie the Pooh" film, and I ate my words like a pot of golden honey.

As a child, I was a huge fan of 1977's "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh," watching the series of vignettes repeatedly. Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day would have to be my favorite, but all three combined to be one my favorite childhood Disney films. Since that film, it's been downhill for Pooh, Christopher Robin and the other inhabitant of the 100 Acre wood. Exhibit A and B: The Tigger Movie and Piglet's Big Movie. I'm sure there are reasons to be fond of the films, but they failed to capture the magic of "The Many Adventures."

But the magic has been recaptured with the the new "Winnie the Pooh" film, set to be released in 2011. They've brought back the classic look, with 2D animation and a glow that brings back fond memories of the classic original. Best of all, they brought in the best thing to ever happen to the modern Disney film studios: John Lasseter. He'll be overseeing production, meaning he doesn't have a huge influence, but he's got some, and that counts.

According to Fused Film, the new film will feature voices of Craig Ferguson, Tom Kenny (“SpongeBob SquarePants”) and Bud Luckey. Actress/musician/singer/songwriter Zooey Deschanel will provide the vocals for a special rendition of the beloved “Winnie the Pooh” theme song. I don't know how I feel about that last part: modern renditions of classic Disney songs by currently popular artists generally fall flat and are frustratingly annoying.

The trailer was masterfully done, with the perfect musical choice of Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know," whose lyrics perfectly depict the story of the trailer. It really grasp your emotions, a great marketing tool, because there is now way anyone who loved "The Many Adventures" will not want to see this film.

And now the countdown to July 15, 2011 begins.  

Disney Music: Part of the Masterpiece

Let's start off with me admitting the fact that I'm not a big fan of musicals. I'm a story guy, and I feel that most musicals use their tunes in such a way that it disrupts the flow of the story. Take for instance Fox's "Glee." I used to like that show, and then they realized that the songs were a gold mine, so they sacrificed the witty dialogue in order to be a prime-time tribute band.

Pumba–Not in front of the kids

But there's an exception: Disney musicals. There's just something different about them. The most obvious thing may be that they're aimed towards children, who have shorter attention spans, and can smell funny play when they see/hear it and aren't shy about pointing it out. Adults can suffer through things that are boring if society has labeled them "pieces of art." Children know nothing but honesty. This could also be why everything else that Disney does is so engaging, but that's not the point.

The Disney movies I grew up with during the 90's animation revolution that Eisner and Roy E. Disney spearheaded were just plain fun. The groundbreaking format of broadway-esque animated films could have so easily failed, but thanks to the likes of Alan Menken, who is receiving a star on the Hollywood walk of fame, Tim Rice and the late Howard Ashman, among others, the films were whimsically fun.

Don't get me wrong, the classics of the Sherman Brothers still have a huge affect on me, but I had to dig those up out of the archives when I was a child, and the Menken Musicals were right there in the theaters, easily accessible for me and my generation.

It's the memorable lyrics that help enhance the story, the way they stick in your head, get you dancing in your seat. Other musicals just don't have that. And they've stuck with my generation: a friend put on a Disney musical show for her senior project, when I was in high school, a band I was in seriously considered playing "I Just Can't Wait to be King." They captured us as kids and stuck with us for the rest of our lives.

There's not many childhood things you can say that of.

It's All in the Details: Disneyland's Manhole Covers

I'm obsessed with attention to detail. I've talked about it before, and how that obsession is a factor in my love for the Disney parks.

Walt, and the people who run the parks today (for the most part) share the same obsession. Just walking around the park, you may not notice the little things here and there, but every once in a while, things will pop out at you.

Last time I was in Disneyland, I noticed that all the manhole covers in the park are customized with Disneyland written on them.

Now, most people probably do not notice this, but it's just one of the many little factors that contributes to why Disneyland as a whole is the happiest place on earth.

Most other cities also practice in the customization of man holes, putting the city name or emblem on them. When Disneyland goes ahead and does it, it helps relay the feeling that you're not just in an amusement park, but a different city, a different time, or a different world.

It's those little things that make the big thing the best thing.

It's the Holiday Season at the Disney Parks!

So it's that time of the year again. By that time I mean November.

Often times people complain, or at least mention, that "every year, Christmas seams to start earlier and earlier." At the Disney parks, this is not true. Christmas starts the same time every year: Nov. 1.

"It's A Small World Holiday"

The night after Halloween, at the Magic Kingdom and at Disneyland, experts work throughout the night taking down the remnants of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party and other various Halloween decorations, and begins putting up the yule-tide decorations.

The Orlando Sentinel wrote a great article that goes into the details of how it all happens, from the horticulturists (fancy gardeners) to the cast members' reversal reversal of the parade, it's a huge endeavor that Disney takes on every year.

I remember when we went on our trip to Disney World, we stayed at the Swan and Dolphin. It was mid November, and one day, the lobby was normal, the next, there was a 50 foot tall, fully decorated Christmas tree where there were once chairs and coffee tables. The change was an amazing feat.

As I spoke about earlier in my similar post, holiday overlays change the park completely. But at the parks, Halloween is Bush-league compared to Christmas. That's when Disney gets the big guns out. And by big guns I mean the machines that blow the "snow" onto Main Street every night. That stuff never seams to stick though. Could be because it's glorified foam, but I don't want to ruin the magic.

From an early age, November and December have been the typical time my family took a trip down to Anaheim, and thus I have the most experience out of any holiday at the parks. Often have I seen the thousands pounds of glitter that takeover "It's a Small World," and I have some very fond memories of Santa making an appearance in the Main Street Electrical Parade.

The the great new merchandise, fun parades, and the special fireworks all culminate, making the park give you that Christmas morning feeling not just for a couple of hours or days, but for the entire time you spend at the parks.  

It's something no one else can do. Other companies may implement a tree here and a snowflake there, but Disney does it like not other. It's just another thing that makes the Disney parks more magical than any other destination in the world.

Toy Story 3: Deserving of 2010 Best Picture Oscar

November has begun, which means many things for us Disney devotees. Christmas decorations will start to go up at Disneyland, Thanksgiving pins are up for trading, and a third thing that Disney doesn't usually participate in, Oscar Season, begins.

Now that Disney has shed its more art-influenced studio, Miramax, the Oscars has been something that the studio has little to do with. Anything distributed directly by the Disney studios–generally PG and G films centered around more child-centric themes–don't even register on the Academy's radar.

On the rare occasion, there's a nomination like Johnny Depp as Capt. Jack Sparrow with Best Actor in a Leading Role nomination for "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." Or the 1991 Best Picture nomination for "Beauty and the Beast."

More often, Disney movies win the less glamourous technical awards. Though, during Walt's tenure, the studio won a gaggle of Golden nude men.

Recently, with the Best Picture category expanding to 10 nominees from five, Pixar films have been getting a little more attention from the Academy. Their shorts have won a number of Oscars, and their features have won the Best Animated Feature statues, but the big one has eluded them, despite their near-perfect record with the critics.

"WALL-E," with it's silent filme-esque opening 20 minutes, was by far one of the best pictures of 2008, but the bias The Academy has towards animated "children's films" left it out of the party. Also, many actors, who make up a large part of The Academy feel computer animation threatens their livelihood. Ahh, ignorance.

"Up" was nominated last year, but lost to "The Hurt Locker." Predicable: yes. Fair: nope.

This year though, according to the Financial Times, Disney is launching a huge Oscar campaign for "Toy Story 3." I find it a little ridiculous that you have to campaign for a film to win Best Picture, the best film should win because it's the best, but alas, that is the process.

I'm glad Disney has realized that Pixar is producing some the best films of our time, animated or live action. "WALL-E" and "Up" were both good enough to win Best Picture, and "Toy Story 3," with its dark, dramatic themes and tear-inducing ending, has all the elements of a Best Picture. Some have speculated that it could win the Oscar, not only because it's a great film, but because its two predecessors were also Oscar worthy, a body of work Oscar. If it wins, it will be the one of three sequels to win Best Picture. The others: "The Godfather: Part II", and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," which won, most likely, for the Lord of the Rings body of work.

Maybe a high profile Oscar campaign will give the film the extra boost it needs. Hopefully The Academy will pull its head out of its live action behind and give the Best Picture Oscar to the film that is indeed Best Picture, no politics involved.

Out of "Toy Story 3," "WALL-E" and "UP," which film would you give the Best Picture Oscar to?

Disney Merchandise: It Makes You Happy

With the marketing of Mickey Mouse, many give credit to the birth of mass-merchandising to Disney. As a huge fan of the company, its parks and its products, I would say I have a steady stream of Disney merchandise making its way into my hands monthly.

There's a snake in my boots

Like what? You ask. Well, this summer, I made a small pact with myself that I would try to convert my wardrobe  into Disney themed masterpiece. I'm close (Though all this Giant's World Series Champions gear is going to put up a roadblock in my efforts), I've got about 8 Disney shirts, ranging from Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to Toy Story 3. It's getting there.

But with the shirts, I don't want just any old Mickey Mouse Tee. That's too easy, you can find that kind of stuff anywhere. I like to find more unique shirts, like vintage Mickey, or Disneyland shirts, or the trio of shirts I bought when I went to Pixar. I want to show my devotion, but I also want to show that I have a taste for the original. It can be hard sometimes, seeing as Disney merchandise is not exactly a rarity.

For my senior portraits, those exciting photos you take when you graduate high school, I once again went for the combination of uniqueness and Disney. I have two outfits in the series of pictures: one a blue button down with a Mickey Ears Class of 2009 mortar board, the other, a homemade Woody costume. The latter of which was used for my senior portrait in the yearbook, accompanied by the quote "There's a snake in my boots." It was both a funny gesture and something that I will always cherish. Woody, Buzz and the rest of the gang had a huge influence on my primary education days, and really my life.

What we sent to the relatives

In my room, I have 2 holograms 4 posters and one cleverly cut Disney store bag expressing my love for all things Disney. Well, most things. The majority of the posters are Toy Story, one is for the upcoming "TRON: Legacy and the last is a Walt Disney Family museum poster that has a beautiful design showcasing all the different things Walt did while alive.

I just got a pair of Disney aluminum water bottles, and have Woody and Buzz Pez machines adorning my TV. If I need to store stuff, I have a Buzz and Woody backpack. My point is, I'm awesome. Not really. I guess my point may be that I'm a little obsessed with Toy Story, but that's not it either.

Having all this Disney gear makes me feel good. Not because I'm a typical American consumer who loves to buy things, though that may be a part of it.

It's because when I look at these things, when I wear these things, it puts me in the happy place I inhabit while watching the movies or walking through the parks. I guess that's why anyone wears a jersey or a concert tee. With Disney, it's more of a profound connection. It just makes me feel so happy.

How do you feel when you put on Disney apparel?

Disney: for Every Type of Personality

In my day to day life, people often see me as someone who's not exactly the peppiest person in the group. I'm the first to admit I've got a rough-around-the-edges, say-it-like-it-is personality. Many see this as some type of mean, pessimistic way to be. I know I just have high standards that most can't live up to.

So, after people get to know me, they are always surprised when I admit my love for Disneyland and Walt Disney. "It's such a contradiction!" they say. How could someone like me, who sees what's wrong first, be so devoted to what many see as one of the most positive aspects of pop culture?

Walt inspecting Disneyland

Easy, I say. I've studied Walt Disney, I know every inch of Disneyland and California Adventure. I can quote most of the first "Toy Story" film verbatim. All these things couldn't please someone with my hard-to-please personality more.

My studies of Walt have revealed that he and I were both very hard to please. A compliment from Walt would often sound something like "That'll work." When he was at the Hyperion studios in the beginning, he was known as a kind of uncle or fatherly character to his employees, when they weren't working on projects. He had a look he'd give during presentations that sent shivers down his employees' spines. Approval and praise were not something he was known to give out freely. He'd often come off cold, something that I feel was due to his obsession with perfection.

This obsession can be seen at his one and only park: Disneyland. When the park was being constructed, he was always on site, inspecting things, making sure they were done right. He studied other parks, and came to the conclusion that the paths needed to be 20 feet wide. He spent money on things and causes others often saw as frivolous. No one thought Disneyland would work, but it did, because it was a utopia to everyone, but most of all, to Walt. If something could please such a fastidious person, it could no doubt please the world.

Walt was someone who had a knack and a need for attention to detail–more than anyone else. That's why he created such a successful company, and why since his demise (due to lung cancer brought on by chain smoking, something probably brought on by Walt's obsessive personality), it has never been quite the same.

He didn't care about money, he didn't care about fame, all he cared about was putting out an unparalleled product. That's what made him successful. He wasn't a great artist–his iconic signature is not his own, but commissioned by him to another artist, and when asked to draw Mickey Mouse to accompany autographs, his rendition was hardly recognizable. What he was great at was having a more clear vision than anyone else and using it to inspire others.

My mascot here at ASU, Sparky the Sun Devil, was done by a Disney artist, and is said to be made in Walt's image. I was not surprised to learn that a former employee would relate Walt to the devil. He was tough on those around him, and even harder on himself.

So that is why I, someone who's attitude may not align with how society sees Disney's image, feel such a strong connection to the park and its creator. Disneyland is the happiest place on earth because of a perfectionist vision brought to life, a vision that in order manifest itself, had to go against what was popular. A vision that took a lot of honesty, and probably hurt some feelings along the way. But ultimately, it was a vision that fueled one of the biggest American success stories of all time.

When I'm in Disneyland, I am in my happiest place on earth, because to me, it's the closest thing to perfection on the planet.

Why do you feel such a strong connection to Disney?