What about cartoons on the Rainy Sunday List?

If there is any genre of film that belongs on a list of movies to watch on lazy days it’s animation.

I love cartoons.  I grew up surrounded by Disney classics, Bugs Bunny and Saturday morning staples.  Those in my generation fondly remember Thundercats, Ninja Turtles, X-Men, Smurfs, Transformers and many, many more. (It’s another post entirely)

When it comes to films, one of my favorites has always been All Dogs Go To Heaven.

I chose ‘All Dogs’ because for some reason, it seemed to fly under the radar for many.  I suppose I understand though, it’s an extremely tough movie to explain but it’s an immensely entertaining movie.  I absolutely adore this movie.

When I was growing up, there were so many unbelievable animated films from the big studios.  Yet many people think of Disney immediately when they think of classic cartoons.  I tried an experiment and asked a few people what their favorite “Non-Disney” animated film were.  I was surprised at how many people had to think about the question.

What’s your favorite “Non-Disney” animated film?

I Googled that very thing and came up with a bunch of sites dedicated to non-Disney films.

I’ll be the first to admit that if I were to name my all time favorite animated films at least 70% would be from Disney. They’ve made some incredible films.  You could make an awesome list without even mentioning the machine that is Pixar.

However, when it comes to classics of my generation, I think All Dogs Go To Heaven is a worthy addition to any list.

That’s why it was an easy decision to include it on Rainy Sundays.

Welcome to the new look Rainy Sundays feature!

When I was growing up, Disney’s spectacular Peter Pan was IT. 

“You can fly, you can fly, you can fly, you can fly…”

If you matched those lyrics with the tune you understand exactly how much I loved that movie.

Along came a VHS copy of Hook for Christmas.  Knowing the legendary story of Peter Pan as I did, I was beyond excited to see what Captain Hook and Peter Pan were up to in REAL life. 

So many movies come out today that claim to be re-imaginings.  Most of the time, I always question why they make certain decisions with the material.  It’s frustrating when someone takes a story you love and changes things.  This is one example of filmmakers taking giant leaps with the story and getting it right. 

“Peter, don’t you know who you are?”

Returning To Neverland

Steven Spielberg’s film is unique because it retells the origin story in a fascinating way.  Peter has forgotten who he once was and how to fly and must face his old nemesis Captain Hook in order to save his children.  How can you not be fascinated to see how it all plays out?  Being reintroduced to Neverland was an experience then and it still is today. 

There are moments when you stare at a collection of DVD’s and simply can’t decide what to watch.  It has to be the perfect fit for your mood.  I firmly believe that choosing Hook once in a while is NEVER a bad idea and always fits your mood.  It’s a movie to get excited about and that’s why I love movies.

The Boo Box!

Hook was funny, original, touching and an all around entertaining movie.  However, I wasn’t expecting it to scare the crap out of me.

I’ve included a clip…

It’s the amazing scene where Hook is revealed and we finally get a look at him.  It’s a great introduction to (in my opinion) one of the greatest villains of all time.

Once you get to the 3 minute mark of the clip, imagine a boy who is totally engaged in the film and completely wrapped up in the story.  I pretty much believed that Neverland existed at this point. 

Having said that, the very concept of The Boo Box was terrifying!  Check out the scene.  Those scorpions have haunted me ever since.  I remember distinctly thinking how sad it was that everyone was cheering while this poor dude is being dragged to the box.  The magic of film.

Afraid of The Boo Box?  Read How To Survive The Boo Box HERE

Amazing Adventures

I have a section of my DVD collection that includes classics like Goonies, Labyrinth, The Wizard Of Oz, The NeverEnding Story, Willow, Dark Crystal and more.  (I’d like to take this opportunity to praise The Water Horse as well for nailing it.  I liked that movie a lot.)  Hook is with them in spirit because I still haven’t upgraded my VHS copy yet.  Be honest, who in their right mind would mix VHS and DVD’s on the same shelf!

The inspiration for this week’s post came while thinking about the new Alice In Wonderland’senormous potential.  The concepts are very similar as both Alice and Peter Pan’s adventures continued years after they left their fantasy world’s behind.  I’m really excited to return to Wonderland much like I was when I returned to Neverland years ago.  It’s the same with all films that belong on shelves like mine.

The rabbit holes, glass slippers and giant dragon-dogs remain with all of us because they got a firm grip on our imaginations and haven’t let go.  The memories of these films are treasured by millions.  Today, I think it’s time to revisit one of the classics.  You remember where it is right?

Second star to the right and straight on till morning.

I love adventure films. Hook is a spectacular addition to the Rainy Sundays list.

PS: Anyone think happy thoughts while reading this?  Did you fly?  Neither did I.  IT NEVER WORKS!

PS #2: I’m never going to stop trying.  I’ll keep you posted on any and all progress I make.

PS #3: In regards to the new Rainy Sundays logo…  I love it.  Normally, I tell people that my photoshop skills can be described as ‘Not Sucking”.  I’ve now upgraded myself to ‘Decent’  (I’ll have more on this subject in a later post.)

I know what you’re thinking…

“Didn’t you just write a post about how much E.T scared you?”

I’m 26 years old now.  E.T doesn’t scare me that much anymore.  I still think he’s a creepy, squashy little alien but it’s still an incredible movie.  I honestly think E.T is the best pick I’ve made out of all the Rainy Sunday movies I’ve selected so far.  Why?

It truly embodies the very definition of a movie to watch on a lazy day. Since my post earlier in the week, I’ve been dying to find a few hours to hit my couch and watch E.T again.

Who doesn’t love movies like E.T?

I think we need more movies like this today.  The ‘could you imagine if this was real’ type of movie.

Recently, James Cameron’s Avatar took us to a world we’ve never seen before and it was absolutely fascinating.  E.T took us to another world without having to leave our planet.  E.T brought his world to us.  A classic example of remarkable storytelling.

One of my favorite aspects of the movie is the interaction between Elliot and E.T.  I love watching the two of them learn from each other.  I realize this blog is starting to sound like a film school essay but it’s true. It’s a touching story and it should be studied by everyone interested in film. (Or at the very least viewed on the odd lazy day.)

So while it’s true that I used to be terrified of E.T, I believe Steven Spielberg’s unbelievable tale is one of the greatest movies ever made. Having said that, I’m willing to accept the nightmares of my past to allow this movie to remain in my life.

My goal with my weekly picks is to inspire at least one person to dig up their copy of the movie and relive a classic.  If you haven’t listened to me yet, now is a great time to start.

This week’s pick was inspired by the amount of beer I drank last night while celebrating a friends birthday.

What better way to enjoy a lazy sunday while you’re hung over than enjoying a good movie.  Why not Dazed and Confused?  It’s the perfect companion to your afternoon pizza or whatever hangover food you turn to.  I have to admit, I didn’t watch it today because I had Toronto Raptors tickets but I couldn’t think of a  more fitting movie that represents this particular Sunday.

There’s a movie for a every occasion.

PS: This ended up being a pretty short post…  Shocked?

PS #2: Good night.

Happy New Year!

I sat in front of my DVD collection this morning to find an inspired pick for the first Rainy Sunday post of 2010.  Nothing was jumping out at me.  So I turned and wheeled my chair over to a dresser on the opposite side of my office.  This dresser is extremely important as it houses my old VHS collection.

Sometimes, you have to look to another source for inspiration.

I ‘eenee meenee mynee moed’ the four drawers and slowly, I opened the winner.  Almost immediately, I saw the cover for the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie and the decision was made.

2010′s first Rainy Sunday post is TMNT!

This isn’t my first post on TMNT.  Those of you who follow my blog probably remember my dark confession about how Ninja Turtles made me cry.  There is a strong reason for that and I hope kids today have the same connection to their toys.  Unless it’s just me…  In which case, I still don’t feel bad because I love (present tense) Ninja Turtles.

I used to spread out all of my action figures and create a giant story that would last for hours pitting Raf, Mikey, Donny and Leo against impossible odds.  From a storytelling point of view, you learn at a young age that stories aren’t as interesting without obstacles.  We all did it growing up. Your heroes would finally reach their goal only to find themselves face to face with an enemy they thought was dead all along.  Or one of the Turtles would turn on his brothers to unite with his real father… Bebop…

I have a confession to make…  I would never make a Turtle turn on his brothers.  No way would the Bebop story line fly.

Still we all made up stories that would span days and many of us would return to the same tales to fine tune and adjust.

Back in those days, our imaginations ruled.  It’s a kid’s version of writing a first draft and then rewriting it to perfection. I’d like to say that I miss those days but I still let my imagination run wild every day.  (Note: The previous sentence refers to writing and not playing with action figures.  Although, I do have a box of Ninja Turtles in storage… )

Now imagine having that much history playing with the toys and then getting to see a live action movie based on your beloved action figures.  It could have been the worst movie of all time and I still would have adored it.  Some may disagree but I still enjoy watching the entire trilogy of Ninja Turtle films on Rainy Sundays here and there.  Every single time, I’m taken back to a time when sitting on the floor surrounded by toys was beyond fun.

Yesterday’s version of a productive day.

If you haven’t gone back yet, I highly recommend revisiting the sewers of New York City.  While you’re watching it, dig out some old toys.  It’s pretty much outstanding.

PS: Is that how you spell ‘eenee meenee mynee mo’?