Happy Holidays! 400th post!

I can't believe this is my 400th post! In celebration of this, I decided to pull a post I made on my first blog (before this one) about my love of holiday cartoons. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
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I'm a cartoon-aholic. I have hundreds and hundreds on tapes, DVDs, and in special collections. But I'm not as interested in most new animated films and shorts - I don't like the pacing, the illustration style, or the voice-acting. As soon as they got famous celebrities to voice-act, everything changed... I'm of the classic, old-school variety who savors the fantastical and whimsical hand-drawn cartoons of the 1920s-1950s. My favorite Disney film is Dumbo and I grew up on Popeye, Betty Boop, and Felix the Cat. There were some pretty amazing cartoons in the early days. Like this triumph by Walt Disney long before the full-length films:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAdhGB2m5oo

Lullaby Land = Wonderful

Anyway, this post was supposed to be about my favorite HOLIDAY cartoons. So here goes:

5. The Night Before Christmas (Disney, Silly Symphony)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmwNQi2VYx0&feature=related

4. Christmas Comes But Once A Year (Fleischer, Betty Boop)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeMeBhkYGlg

3. Christmas Night (Fleisher, The Little King)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smGGfJ3KAC0

2. The Snowman (Briggs)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yULYLd53h4 -- part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27lJ0szOM3c&feature=related -- part 2

1. Santa's Workshop (Disney, Silly Symphony)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5M2m8wSg8o

Happy Holidays, all! Enjoy being a kid when you watch these :)

Terry Gilliam Challenge: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (revisited)

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (Terry Gilliam, 2009)

Click here for the basics

Rating: Q=8, P=7 / Obsession

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=3

Fantasy, Adventure, Philosophical, Whimsical

My second viewing of this film revealed that it's my favorite of all Terry Gilliam's work. It is the most "Gilliamesque" with: strange and bizarre scenes, amazing philosophical/spiritual concepts, great acting (Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, and Tom Waits? Plus Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell cameos??), and a lingering effect--it stays with you long after it is over. I really loved figuring out what was going on and then, once I had, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride. I'd definitely be one of those crazy women who leaps into the doctor's mirror.

I must say that the story is such a fantastic concept, it must be viewed. I don't want to spoil anything, so just go watch it!

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here

Terry Gilliam Challenge: Tideland

Tideland (Terry Gilliam, 2005)

Click here for the basics

Rating: Q=6, P=3 / Thanks But No Thanks

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=1

Trauma, Coming of Age, Grief and Coping, Dark, Horror

Terry Gilliam's says in his disclaimer to the film: Some people will hate this movie. Some will love it. Some won't understand what's going on. I think that is very true. It is very disturbing, but a beautiful experiment in storytelling. I've never seen a film that was truly from the point of view of a child--that explores her reactions, her imagination, and thoughts. While the "reality" of the story was horrific, the way young Jeliza-Rose deals with her situation is fascinating and inspiring. I don't think I can watch it again, but I'm glad I did take this one on.

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here

Flavors of Youth: International Version

Flavors of Youth: International Version (Haoling Li, Yoshitaka Takeuch, and Xiaoxing Yi, 2018)

Click here for the basics

Rating: Q=6, P=4 / Average OJ

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=2, Scale 3=2, Scale 4=2

Coming of Age, Reminiscence, Animation

A lovely collection of stories of youth. Beautiful art and dialogue, but the English voice-acting was sub-par, in my opinion. Each story had its moments: homesickness, self doubt, and lost love. Worth watching, for sure. I enjoyed how it made me think about my own adolescent years.

--Don't understand the ratings? Click here