"When people laugh at Mickey Mouse, it's because he's so human; and that is the secret of his popularity."

A week or two ago, summer began officially. At least for me. And it being summer, and me being, regretfully, unemployed, I got it in me to work systematically through all those films I had so regretfully neglected due to more pressing concerns. But, where to begin? I hadn't the faintest clue. Still, it didn't take long at all to decide which direction to press on in first: Disney. With films so short and (from time to time) sweet, it would be no tall task. And I had felt I might be shortchanging Disney, never missing an opportunity to make it perfectly clear just how overrated I think Disney is.

So, I thought, Disney it is, and made up a list of the notables, including not only the old standbys, but more recent and underrated efforts as well. For the sake of fairness, I left no stone unturned and did my best to go into each film with a relatively open mind. While I might not car for Disney, who is to say I wouldn't or couldn't enjoy one of their films? Even DreamWorks manages to get it right now and again.

As it turns out, Disney is not incapable of finding the mark. Like with DreamWorks, most of what you find consists of dirt clods or fossilized excrement, but if you keep on digging, you'll soon be rewarded with that rare gem of the bunch. Of the 34 Disney movies I have seen, I only particularly like about 11 of them, and that is using the term like rather loosely. Only 7 of those 11 films are not marred by a glaring flaw or two and keep me entertained throughout: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, THE LION KING, TARZAN, FANTASIA 2000, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE and MULAN. And those 7, which hit the nail so squarely on the head, only served to make the others ever so much more disappointing.

FANTASIA 2000, for example, further illuminated the flaws of its predecessor by doing away with them for the most part. Many consider it rather by-the-numbers and feel it lacks the warmth and human touch of the original. Just the opposite, I think. I found FANTASIA distancing, an experiment executed in a cold and calculated manner. With the exception of one segment, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," it seems ever aware of its artistic leanings. And, by lending the film its narration, Deems Taylor gives it all a stuffy air. Whereas, in FANTASIA 2000, the cast of narrators is diverse and each has a passion that is readily apparent. And, just as the Devil is in the details, so is Man. The imperfections of a film, such as FANTASIA 2000, do not so much distract from the film as they reveal to everyone the man behind the curtain at the controls, working his magic on us all. And I like to think of that man as being more like The Sorcerer's Apprentice than The Sorcerer himself. Though he is no sorcerer, he has access to a well of magic just the same. With that magic, he can just as easily bugger things as he can produce something genuinely magical, for he has that undeniably human characteristic that The Sorcerer lacks, heart, and so is subject to failings just like each and every one of us.

So, all that said, here are my Disney rankings. I imagine most would not be liable to agree with them, but that does mean my opinion should hold less weight. Quite the contrary. I always find dissenting opinions most interesting to read.

01. Beauty and the Beast (1991; Dir. Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise)

02. The Lion King (1992; Dir. Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff)

03. Tarzan (1999; Dir. Chris Buck, Kevin Lima)

04. Fantasia 2000 (1999; Dir. James Algar, Gaetan Brizzi, Paul Brizzi, Hendel Butoy, Francis Glebas, Eric Goldberg, Don Hahn, Pixote Hunt)

05. The Princess and the Frog (2009; Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker)

06. The Emperor's New Groove (2000; Dir. Mark Dindal)

07. Mulan (1998; Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker)

08. Hercules (1997; Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker)

09. Fantasia (1940; Dir. James Algar, Samuel Armstrong, Ford Beebe, Norman Ferguson, Jim Handley, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Ben Sharpsteen)

10. Dumbo (1941; Dir. Ben Sharpsteen)

11. Lady and the Tramp (1955; Dir. Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske)

12. Enchanted (2007; Dir. Kevin Lima)

13. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001; Dir. Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise)

14. Treasure Planet (2002; Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker)

15. Pocahontas (1995; Dir. Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg)

16. The Little Mermaid (1989; Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker)

17. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996; Dir. Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise)

18. Peter Pan (1953; Dir. P.J. Hoggan)

19. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961; Dir. Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wolfgang Reitherman)

20. The Rescuers (1977; Dir. John Lounsbery, Wolfgang Reitherman, Art Stevens)

21. The Fox and the Hound (1981; Dir. Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens)

22. Aladdin (1992; Dir. Ron Clements, John Musker)

23. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977; Dir. John Lounsberry, Wolfgang Reitherman)

24. Mary Poppins (1964; Dir. Robert Stevenson)

25. Alice in Wonderland (1951; Dir. Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske)

26. The Black Cauldron (1985; Dir. Ted Berman, Richard Rich)

27. Bambi (1942; Dir. David Hand)

28. Cinderella (1950; Dir. Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske)

29. Sleeping Beauty (1959; Dir. Clyde Geronimi)

30. Pinocchio (1940; Dir. Ben Sharpsteen, Hamilton Luske, Norman Ferguson, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts)

31. Bolt (2008; Dir. Byron Howard, Chris Williams)

32. The Jungle Book (1967; Dir. Wolfgang Reitherman)

33. Robin Hood (1973; Dir. Wolfgang Reitherman)

34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937; Dir. David Hand, William Cottrell, Wilfred Jackson, Larry Morey, Perce Pearce, Ben Sharpsteen)

Now, I shall set Disney aside and turn my focus to something else. I'm thinking noirs will be next.

Halloween Horror Movie Marathon, Night Three

On this final night of my marathon, Army of Darkness and Re-Animator were on the slate. Each was a disappointment in its own right, sadly.

Army of Darkness:

I am really quite conflicted about this film. On one hand, the midway part of the film, the meat of it, surpasses anything Raimi did in the first two films. On the other hand, the beginning and ending fall unbelievably short. Why I sat through the final thirty-or-so minutes of the film was out of respect for Raimi and hope that he would turn it around yet. But it never returned to form in those waning minutes.

Even so, I cannot ignore the unadulterated cinematic brilliance contained within this film. Flawed, it is. That I can say without a doubt. Yet, blemishes and all, it stands as my favorite of the trilogy.

Re-Animator:

Deadpan humor this film is, but only to a point. As in one moment in the film. One involving, ironically, a severed head and a pan. A scene I nearly avoided, too. 45 minutes in, I'd had enough and decided I'd be better off skimming the remaining 40 minutes to see if my decision might be premature. Felt those 40 minutes looked promising enough and pushed on. Only for a couple more minutes, though. Couldn't even hold out long enough for the infamous cunnilingus scene.

Oh, and if it came out that the sounds of the re-animated cat were done by one of the filmmaker's little kids, I'd not be surprised in the least.

And I'll leave it there.

Halloween Horror Movie Marathon, Night Two

The Evil Dead:

Having watched Drag Me to Hell prior to this, I had become worried that Raimi's brand of horror was not for me. Such worries proved to be unfounded.

Raimi takes staples of standard horror fare and warps them to great effect, the low budget nature of the film working in his favor.

Dead by Dawn:

More over-the-top than its predecessor, drowning in blood (of all colors), Dead by Dawn manages to build on what made The Evil Dead what it was.

To put it succintly.

Little tops Bruce Campbell with a chainsaw as a hand.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978):

Following the first two entries in the Evil Dead trilogy, the Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Goldblum, Nimoy and Sutherland do not disappoint, yet the film does little to build around their performances. For much of the film, its plot only manages to meander. It is not until the reveal of the Body Snatchers that the film shifts out of park. Even then, it manages only a leisurely pace until the film begins to draw near its conclusion. And its closing scenes, though superbly done, felt like payoff without one iota of the necessary buildup.

Oh, the wasted potential.

On tomorrow's docket are Re-Animator and Army of Darkness.

Halloween Horror Movie Marathon, Night One

With no classes today, Halloween tomorrow, and a half dozen or so horror films begging to be watched, a two night horror movie marathon seemed in keeping with the spirit of the holiday.

Kicking things off was a zombie double header. Dawn of the Dead (Remake) followed by 28 Days Later.

Dawn of the Dead:

Where Snyder lost me was his treatment of the zombies themselves. Them not being of the shambling sort ups the ante to a point. Compared to 28 Days Later's zombies, however, Snyder's seem cartoonish.

And it doesn't feel so much like a Dawn of the Dead remake as it does a Snyder film that just so happened to have that particular film as source material. From his signature montage to his use of slow motion which can often border on abuse, that personal flair is undoubtedly there.

All that said, its humor is its redeeming factor. Without it, I fear it'd be another throwaway zombie flick.

28 Days Later:

Here is a film that transcends the zombie sub-genre. It is a sharply written satire that happens to have a zombie apocalypse backdrop.

Bolstered by a strong cast, 28 Days Later is nothing if not sincere. Never anything less than heartfelt, it runs the gamut of human emotion. Nothing can squelch the human spirit. 28 Days Later is a testament to that.

The Fly:

A film quite applicably named. Goldblum, The Fly, is the film. His performance carries the film to respectability and beyond it. It is not until Goldblum is let loose that the film stops meandering and hits its stride. And it is not until the final transformation that the film lets up.

Everything else, I could have done without, admittedly. Nevertheless, The Fly is a movie that knows what it is and doesn't waste time trying to be something it's not. And a classic of the Monster Film sub-genre is what it is.

I'm late, I'm late for a very important date

Got too caught up in other things to get around to Cinema's Worst. Will have it up by Friday, at the very latest.

And, speaking of being late, I often wonder why people'll be in such a hurry that they'll press the button to close the elevator doors a millisecond faster or not stop to hold the door open for someone behind them, yet they'll mosey along to wherever it is they have to be. Shaving that millisecond off your time allows you to go for a good stroll? Baffles me, really.

Cinema's Best

Without further ado, I present to you my rankings (as of October 17th, 2009).

#1

12th grade had begun and our AP English teacher handed us each a sheet of paper with the standard questions, one being what our favorite film was. Said it'd show us how, by years end, we'd changed. What didn't change, however, was my answer to the aforementioned question: Donnie Darko.

Having only seen the film once, I'd become worried that its hold on the top spot in my rankings on Flickchart could be attributed to mere nostalgia. But those worrisome thoughts were silenced by my second viewing. Because, see, Donnie Darko is a film that does not so much do one thing extremely well, but rather has many things going for it, not the least of which is its cast. And I mean the entire cast when I say that. Few films feel as authentic and sincere as Donnie Darko and its cast plays a major role in that.

#2

How I regret all that time I avoided Pan's Labyrinth, now. It is a film without par. Never has a film so seamlessly blended reality and fantasy.

However, my ignorance was a blessing, you could say. Expectations? I had none. Especially not the unrealistic expectation that it'd be pure fantasy, as trailers lead some to believe. Pan's Labyrinth is a film that cannot be watered down for the purpose of any sort of advertisement.

Even my initial thought as the credits rolled - "Best fairy-tale/fantasy film of all time" - could be misleading to the uninitiated and, at the same time, do not do the film justice.

#3

Misled by the media? Can't be. But it is. How the media glanced over the numerous star-turns of the sober RDJ prior to Iron Man could not be more beyond me. And how Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, in particular, flew relatively under the radar is simply confounding.

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang only disappoints when you discover it to be Shane Black's directorial debut and he seems perfectly content with letting his directorial career also end there.

And here, RDJ shames his own performance in Iron Man, his comedic timing on even better display.

Fans of RDJ and/or film noirs, here is a film for you.

#4

Without an Aussie named Steve, I wouldn't've understood the draw of Joseph Gordon Levitt prior to seeing this film.

That said, (500) Days of Summer shamed every romcom that had the misfortune of coming before it. And that is no senseless hyperbole, nor is it merely the result of an obsession with Zooey Deschanel (and Steve's catching JGL obsession).

What sets (500) Days of Summer apart is that it is not, as is explicitly stated in the trailers, a love story and its quirky, non-linear manner of telling this non-love-story.

Feel as if I've said so little, but that if what I did say hasn't sold you on the film, you're not going to be.

#5

Gave into the hype machine, not even having seen Batman Begins or being all too familiar with Nolan, and was not the least bit disappointed.

Put it this way. If The Dark Knight had nothing outside of The Joker, as so many seem to adamantly argue, it'd rank similarly high on my list. Ledger's Joker not only heads my list of movie villains, but my list of individual performances as well. With the role, Ledger took method acting to such heights that sensationalist stories of it sending him teetering over the brink could be seen as having shreds of credence.

And some of the other issues the detractors bring up, I find to be non-issues. Take the occasional disorienting action sequence, for example. How I see it is that the manner in which these sequences were shot quite reflect how disorienting they'd be, in all reality.

All in all, The Dark Knight stands as the best superhero film of all time and a memorial to one of the best actors of our generation.

#6

Wall-E is only an animated film by classification. Comparisons were not drawn to 2001: A Space Odyssey for shits and giggles.

No other Pixar film can boast the same amount of depth as Wall-E. Pixar's balancing act between children and adults has never been on greater display, as well. Wall-E has the Pixar charm in spades and, as a counterbalance, it stands as a particularly relevant satire with a surprisingly broad focus.

More impressive yet is the fact that Pixar managed all of this with a film relatively absent of dialogue. Wall-E says all of three words in the span of the film: Wall-E, Eve, and directive. Leave it to Pixar to make a, more or less, mute robot into the most lovable of all of its characters.

#7

Above all else, let this sink in: Sharlto Copley is said to have improvised all of his lines. Not that District 9 took this spot based entirely on that. That couldn't be farther from the truth.

Call it too explicit if you want, but District 9 is a dazzling commentary on apartheid told through the unlikeliest of means. Anymore, it's refreshing to see a film in the science fiction genre - overrun by middling, shallow films - tackling such themes.

Neil Blomkamp's directorial debut boasts a strong cast, social commentary, dazzling special effects, and there's even some humor interspersed throughout.

Blomkamp, I eagerly await your next project.

#8

The Shawshank Redemption straddles the line between human emotions like so few movies. It is, all at once, somber, inspiring and humorous, and that is no small feat.

From Tim Robbins to James Whitmore, the cast is without fault. Morgan Freeman provides his quintessential narration. And memorable scenes, The Shawshank Redemption is not lacking in.

#9

The Green Mile is no less of a film for being beaten out by The Shawshank Redemption. Quite the contrary, in fact. No matter what movie just so happened to win this particular match-up, it did so by a margin that is the slimmest of slim.

One area that The Green Mile does have a clear edge in is its cast. Tom Hanks, David Morse, Michael Clark Duncan, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, and Patricia Clarkson, to name a few. Of all the movies I've seen, I've not come across a better ensemble cast.

And the fact that the decision between these two films is so hotly contested says as much about the partnership of Frank Darabont and Stephen King as it does about the quality of the two films.

#10

In terms of pure comedies, Monty Python and the Holy Grail is as without peer as Pan's Labyrinth is in terms of fantasy films.

I'd be hard pressed to name a film that is in the same stratosphere as Monty Python and the Holy Grail in the area of quotable scenes or laughs per minute.

More could be said, but I sincerely doubt this happens to be a film I need to sell to anyone.

#11. Fight Club

#12. 12 Monkeys

#13. Being John Malkovich

#14. Serenity

#15. Shaun of the Dead

#16. Juno

#17. 3:10 to Yuma

#18. Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father

#19. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

#20. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

#21. Amelie

#22. Trick ‘r Treat

#23. The Brothers Bloom

#24. MirrorMask

#25. In the Loop

#26. Toy Story

#27. The Prestige

#28. Iron Man

#29. Toy Story 2

#30. Shrek 2

#31. Stardust

#32. Hot Fuzz

#33. Zombieland

#34. The King of Comedy

#35. A Beautiful Mind

#36. Seven

#37. Children of Men

#38. The Wrestler

#39. Man on Wire

#40. Slumdog Millionaire

#41. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

#42. A Clockwork Orange

#43. The Shining

#44. Watchmen

#45. Robin Hood: Men in Tights

#46. Memento

#47. Batman Begins

#48. A Christmas Story

#49. The Simpsons Movie

#50. Princess Mononoke

#51. Shrek

#52. Sin City

#53. Finding Nemo

#54. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

#55. American History X

#56. 21 Grams

#57. Sweeney Todd

#58. The Departed

#59. Dark City

#60. The Usual Suspects

#61. The Proposition

#62. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

#63. American Beauty

#64. Doubt

#65. Brokeback Mountain

#66. The Priness Bride

#67. Knocked Up

#68. Stranger than Fiction

#69. This Is Spinal Tap

#70. The Hangover

#70. Up

#72. The Machinist

#73. Requiem for a Dream

#74. Monty Python and the Life of Brian

#75. Punch-Drunk Love

#76. The Fountain

#77. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

#78. Office Space

#79. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

#80. Spaceballs

#81. The Truamn Show

#82. Back to the Future Part II

#83. Grizzly Man

#84. In Bruges

#85. Candy

#86. Cashback

#87. Stand By Me

#88. Spirited Away

#89. Men in Black

#90. Ratatouille

#91. Spider-Man

#92. The Pianist

#93. Frost/Nixon

#94. Milk

#95. The Godfather

#96. The Lookout

#97. One Hour Photo

#98. The Hurt Locker

#99. Rachel Getting Married

#100. Adaptation

Cinema's Worst will come tomorrow.

It's been a while...

But, what with school, writing, reading, fall television and movies to devote time to, what time does that leave for more trivial things such as blog posts? Little time, that's for certain.

Coming up next week, likely Wednesday at the earliest, is my labor of love: my Top Movies of All Time rankings. Have Flickchart to thank for getting the ball rolling on my list.

For those unaware of what this Flickchart is, here's the short rundown. Flickchart pulls two films from its ever-growing database. Assuming you've seen both, you choose the victor of the Flickfight. Not seen one or both? Click, "Haven't seen it," and you won't see it again (not until you tell Flickchart you've seen it, that is). Flickchart'll then dredge up another film. And the process repeats itself until rankings begin to form based on your choices. At first, they'll be rough. Let Flickchart become an obsession of yours, however, and your rankings'll find themselves sorted out soon enough.

All I did was go about and accelerate the process, using my Flickchart rankings as a launching point. Took them, threw them into a Word document, and set about cutting and pasting movies around, tidying up the list. Tidied up the Top 50 the first day. Top 100 the next. And this process'll go on till my Top 400+, containing every film I've seen as of the date of its completion, vaguely resembles some form of accurate, personal rankings. The results, I'll post here for you all to view, debate, what have you.

Might simplify by limiting it to the Top 100 and Bottom 100; can imagine the reactions'd be the strongest in that case. Oh, I can imagine the backlash the ranking of some films, namely a couple in my Bottom 100, might cause.