Disnographic of the Month - Cats

Although Disney started with a mouse, believe it or not there are quite a lot of cats throughout the films. Here are some thoughts about my findings:

• I counted Si & Am as one cat, since they are, after all, Siamese twins. Also I didn't want to skew the data.
• Surprisingly, the number of good cats far outweighs the number of bad ones. I suppose cats typically get a bad reputation, which is why the bad ones may be more memorable. Make sure to vote for your 'favorite' bad cat in the poll!
• When categorizing these cats into wild and domestic, I just couldn't figure out the Cheshire Cat. Any opinions?
• I'm pretty stoked about the way I presented this info. In case you needed more proof that I truly am a Disnerd.

And the Disnerdy goes to...

Awards season ended a few weeks ago and I thought now would be an appropriate time to give out some of my own awards. I'm calling them the Disnerdies. What else would they be called?

Most Evil Villain: Lady Tremaine, Cinderella
While many villains are comical or outrageous, her calm, cold demeanor chills me to the bone. Sometimes the quiet ones are the scariest.
- honorable mentions: Cruella de Vil (101 Dalmatians), Medusa (The Rescuers)

Most Loyal Sidekick: Timothy Q. Mouse, Dumbo
I've already said it, but he wins major points for his loyalty and courage! He sticks up for his hero through thick and thin!
- honorable mentions: Baloo, Jac & Gus, Gurgi

Most Courageous Hero/Heroine: Bernard & Bianca, The Rescuers
Surprisingly, many main characters are either passive, naive or both; these two mice are anything but. Facing great obstacles, they show immense courage and admirable determination.
- honorable mentions: Robin Hood, Pongo & Perdy

Achievement in art: Sleeping Beauty.
While quite different from the cute-sie roundness that has become best associated with Disney animation, Sleeping Beauty's departure was a great success.
- honorable mentions: Alice in Wonderland, Bambi, Fantasia

Best Soundtrack: Cinderella
All the songs in Cinderella are the kind you find yourself humming days after watching the movie, the definition of a successful Disney soundtrack, in my opinion.
- honorable mentions: Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty, Jungle Book



And now for some fun categories:

Hottest Prince: Phillip, Sleeping Beauty
HELLO. Haha, I had to make this a category. There aren't too many princes in the first half (only 3) so it was an easy choice. Don't worry, ladies, I will do a full rundown of the prince lineup when we've gotten further along. :)

Lamest villain: Edgar, The Aristocats
I've already said my peace about this dude. I didn't want to have to give him an award for being lame, but, I needed to emphasize how utterly ridiculous he is.
honorable mention: Madam Mim (The Sword in the Stone)

Most annoying sidekick: Tinkerbell, Peter Pan
Did you even have to ask?
honorable mentions: Jiminy Cricket, Cyril Proudbottom

Most faithful Disnerd: Vicki
I've been keeping track of who has been coming to my Sunday movie nights and Vicki has attended the most weeks, 21 out of 26! She wins a... hmm, something. I'll think of a prize later. Congrats, Vicki!
honorable mentions: Kylene & Mimi tied at 17.

That's all for now! Congrats to all the winners of these prestigious awards. :)

Top 10 obscure Disney baby names (GIRLS)

This list comes from one of those ridiculous, yet genius, lunch conversations at work. Two of my coworkers, Matt and Sarah, are having a baby girl later this year. We've all been making guesses and suggestions as to what name this baby should have. I'd like to give my input on some lesser known Disney characters who would make great namesakes for the baby.

1. Cleo, goldfish in Pinocchio
Why it works: It's actually a cute name. Plus with the last name Kirk, it'll be alliterative. 
Suggested nicknames - Clee, O, fishy

2. Katrina von Tassel, love interest in the Ichabod Crane story
Why it works: Well, if you really want her to sound Dutch, this is the name for you. It must have the "von Tassel" in there though... perhaps as a middle name?
Suggested nicknames: Kat, Trina, Tassel, Tassy

3. Adelaide, owner of Duchess & kittens in The Aristocats
Why it works: These southern-sounding old lady names are quite trendy these days.
Suggested nicknames: Addy, Ad, Adsy, Lady

4. Eilonwy, princess in The Black Cauldron
Why it works: Forget Ariel, Tiana or Jasmine. This princess packs a punch. No one will ever be able to pronounce her name. But once they figure it out, they won't forget it!
Suggested nicknames: Ei (pronounced eye), Lon, Lonny, "A Long Way"

5. Hen Wen, magical pig in The Black Cauldron
Why it works: Why wouldn't you want to name your kid after a magical pig? 
Suggested nicknames: Hen, Henny, pig

6. Marahute, giant golden eagle in The Rescuers Down Under
Why it works: It's definitely unique, and quite fun to say aloud. Try it. (pronounced Mara-HOO-tay)
Suggested nicknames: Mara, Mar, Mary, Marie, Hute, Hutie

7. Sarabi, Simba's mother in The Lion King
Why it works: when you're cross with her, you can yell, "SaRAA-BEEEE!" like Scar does in one of the last scenes. Also, it'd be like Sarah the 2nd, Sarah B. Get it?
Suggested nicknames: Sara (pronounced Suh-RAH), Robbie, Bee, Bee-Bee

8. Nakoma, Pocahontas' best (human) friend
Why it works: Hello, multiethnicity!
Suggested nicknames: Kom, Koms, Komie, Koma?

9. Laverne, one of Quasimodo's gargoyle friends, in The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Why it works: SURELY, this is a classic name.
Suggested nicknames: Lav, Lav-Lav, Verne, Vernie.

10. Arista, Attina, Adella, Aquata, Andrina, OR Alana, Ariel's sisters in The Little Mermaid
Why it works: "A" names are on their way back in, I'm sure of it.
Suggested nicknames: you could call any of these A, or, maybe "that other sister." Perhaps this would work better for a 2nd child. Clearly Aquata is the most timeless of these choices. Quats, Quattie?

Any requests for a boy edition? Anyone you know expecting a boy?

#20: The Worst One So Far

(c) Disney

 The Aristocats, 1970
watched January 15, 2012

In case you're like me and never bothered to see The Aristocats, you are not missing much. Needless to say, this was one of the worst Disney animated films I've ever watched. We haven't gotten to Home on the Range though. So I am thinking perhaps we haven't hit rock bottom yet. Yikes.

I'm not quite sure what to say about a film that I really didn't like. I've maintained a fairly optimistic voice on this blog, but it's hard not to be critical of this one. Watching this film reminded me of all the reasons I love the other ones, and how this one fell short on so many levels.

An engaging story
One of the strengths of animated films is that the story is established before any drawing happens. This is why the best animated films are so seamless. All the editing happens in advance, and only the crucial, important moments are captured. Aristocats "rambles" on in ways that made me wonder why certain sequences were kept in. The scenes when Edgar the butler is being chased by the two dogs feel especially random and unimportant. I found myself wanting to get back to the main characters, Duchess and Thomas, instead of wasting time on the gags of Edgar crashing into a windmill and repeatedly losing his umbrella. Who cares about that? 

Characters that you can relate to (or, for you grammar snobs, "to which you can relate")
The main character is a Parisian cat (with a mysteriously Hungarian accent) who lives in a mansion with her extremely wealthy mistress. Duchess is pampered, proper and poised, with no experience in the 'real world'. While this bears striking resemblance to Lady and the Tramp, Duchess does not possess the same qualities of Lady's vulnerability and charm, and I felt little sympathy for her. Her character does not seem to have any emotions; she is neither happy nor sad nor frightened enough for me to feel connected to her story. Additionally, Thomas O'Malley, the street-wise alley cat Duchess meets, seems two-dimensional and predictable. Been there, done that.

A threatening and complex villain
Pretty much the entire plot is ruined when we are introduced to the villain. The butler, named Edgar Balthazar, overhears his mistress Adelaide Bonfamille creating her will, indicating that her entire fortune is to go to Duchess and her kittens. The jealous, greedy butler decides to take action so that he can inherit her wealth. Now, if I were in this situation, I would probably just kill the cats and get it over with. End of story, right? He could have easily poisoned them with something more deadly than sleeping pills. So, when Edgar instead "catnaps" them and drops them off into a river (inside a basket, so they wouldn't drown), I was pretty much ready to throw in the towel on the whole film. Why go any further when the whole threat rests on the stupidest villain move in the history of villains?

Memorable melodies
My favorite Disney animated films contain some of the best songs. Their melodies are not only the kind that can get stuck in your head for days, but they also embody the heart of the film's story, express the characters' innermost thoughts, and captivate the audience. In Aristocats, all we get is a jazzy rendition of "Everybody Wants to be a Cat," performed by a gang of racially stereotyped alley cats. Don't get me started on the "Chinese" Siamese cat who plays the piano with a couple pairs of chopsticks, while singing "ching chong" speak. Ugh.

Beautiful animation
After watching films like Bambi and Sleeping Beauty, the artistry in Aristocats is extremely disappointing. There is something compelling about how most Disney films use color, brush strokes, and shapes in a style that can only work with animation. It creates a sense of wonder and fantasy, further pulling the audience into the story. Aristocats is, in a word, sloppy. The lines were rough, the colors rather garish, and the backgrounds were stiff and boring. The characters are portrayed as if the animators were rushing through the drawings. At the end of the day, the medium did nothing to serve the purpose of telling an already uninteresting story any better.

So, ladies and gentlemen, now you know that yes, even a Disnerd such as myself can actually say something negative about a Disney movie. This makes me even more eager to get to the Renaissance movies! Can't wait for March to come!