"Great Moments in Disney feature animation" (1 Viewer)

[Bill Moore]

In the thread for the review of the DVD of "Home on the Range", Ernest Rister wrote this (as part of his comments):


As a Disney animation fan, I was intrigued by this idea of the "montage of great moments" that Ernest put together. I was wondering:

(1) Ernest - could you list these (or some of these) great moments that you saw? And what you thought made them great?

(2) Do others have similar examples of noteworthy or groundbreaking animation in the Disney classics?

Please, this is not a "slam-Disney" thread. Also, I'm thinking of the films released in theaters, not direct-to-video (though for all I know there may be some good ideas there too).

B

PS -> What "Robin Hood" lacks in inspiration and creativity, it makes up for in pure re-watch-ability... at least around our house, where it get significantly more playtime than most of the others...

 

[Rob Gardiner]

In SNOW WHITE, the "pan" from Snow White to the Queen on her balcony always struck me as a great shot. Also, the forest sequence blows me away every time I see it. The Queen's transformation into the Witch is great as well.

In PINOCCHIO, Gepetto's collection of clocks going off, and the appearance of Monstro the Whale always impress me.

FANTASIA: The entire film!


I agree with that sentiment. A great collection of Sherman Bros songs goes a long way towards making a Disney film fun to watch.

EDIT: I'm also going to mention a bit in OLIVER AND COMPANY. At the beginning of the film, there is a shot, nearly a minute long, without any real dialogue, where the kitty reacts to the world around him. We hear the sounds of the street and the passers-by but we don't see anything other than their feet. This was an impressive moment in an otherwise weak film.

 

[John Kilduff]

My vote has to go to the songs "Part Of Your World" and "Under The Sea" from "The Little Mermaid". Together, they established the musical tone for the Silver Age of Disney animation. "World" is one of the most emotional songs ever performed in a Disney movie (and a personal anthem for me). "Sea" showed off a dazzling sense of wordplay and rhythm.

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

A tremendous "Little Mermaid" fan.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

One of my favorites is during the number "Be Our Guest" from "Beauty and the Beast." Specifically, the part where Mrs. Potts is singing and the napkins are dancing/twirling around her. I always thought of that as a very quintessential Disney moment.

 

[Adam_S]

My favorite Robin Hood moments are the "not in nottingham" song and the soft background chorus following the escape from the fair, "Marion, do you love me?" The fight of friar tuck is so awfully wonderful and just before that the magnificent acting of the mice at "the last farthing" are all great moments in my opinion. Toss in so many brilliant comic moments, from going all bugs bunny on the prince at the beginning to the turtle (and other kids), to the buzzards and 'betsy' and the whole delightful breaking into jail sequence. It's one of my favorite disney films and definitely one of the most rewatchable.

Other favorite moments of recent disney include include every musical number in beauty and the beast. But most especially the ballroom title number which has been my favorite ever since I was eight and saw it at a sneak preview. Aladdin's first number, never had a friend, and whole New World are absolutely wonderful. Lion King I've never been as crazy for, though just can't wait to be king was always a highlight. Never impressed by pochahantas, love Little mremaid especially kiss the girl and under the sea, great moments, and also 'it's a DINGLEBOPPER!' Everything with the albatross in both rescuers, and the jail escape in rescuers down under.

I'd have to think a little harder for the classic disney since many I didn't get to see as often as the ones we'd taped off TV and before they were released on video.

 

[ZackR]

I love "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" from Song of the South
The diamond mine scene in Snow White
Pleasure Island in Pinocchio, and I also echo the clocks going off.
Count me in as another huge fan of Little Mermaid. "Part Of Your World" is pure magic.
"Baby Mine" from Dumbo is, to me, one of the most effective scenes/songs in any film - ever.

Disney has sure given me some amazing memories over the years. I hope that one day they find their way back to creating that magic again...

 

[Kevin M]

The Rite of Spring from Fantasia and The Firebird Suite from Fantasia 2000...perhaps I just like lava but these sequences raise the hairs on the back of my neck and sometimes puts a lump in my throat, at least it does with the Firebird sequence...it's just so damn beautiful at the end.

 

[Simon Massey]

I love the opening sequence of The Lion King especially Rafiki's entrance through the other animals with the sun behind him and the pan around Simba as he is held up by Rafiki.

 

[Steve Christou]

Night on Bald Mountain - Fantasia

 

[Ernest Rister]

I thought this thread title looked familiar.

The montage I referred to was part of the intro to Part Three of the assembly, and the montage was cut to an extended re-mix of U2's "Mysterious Ways". It compressed the entire history of Disney Feature Animation into seven minutes.

The entire thesis was nine hours long. The first three hours were dedicated to the use of music in Disney Animation. The next three focused on character animation and f/x animation and general animation concepts. The last part was the final assembly, the "Great Moments in Disney Animation". Interspersed throughout all nine hours were little "mini-sections", like a montage of all the times Disney has plagiarized there own work, i.e. traced animation from one film to use in another. Another showed the many times George Bruns used the same exact "sad music" cue in five different movies. The funniest one was a rapid-fire splice of all the Disney villains get defeated by falling off of something.

Anyway, I'm pressed for time, but the final selection was a "countdown" of 25 scenes. Since Mulan came out in 1998, and we're now six years down the road, I'd probably have to re-work the whole thing to take into account what's gone down since 1998 (I have great respect for the animation in Tarzan, the clean-up animation in Treasure Planet, the visual f/x in Atlantis, etc.).

Anyway, I'm out the door -- but I'll list my original choices 1998 when I get back in and maybe make a revised list considering the more recent films.

Hasta.

 

[Brook K]

I thought the surfing scenes from Lilo & Stitch were some of the best animation I'd seen in a Disney film in some time, though my favorite sequence from the film is the opening credits with Lilo swimming and then rushing to dance rehearsal intercut with the group dancing while that cool "Hawaiian" song plays, but that is more a function of cutting and music than particularly outstanding animation.

 

[Bill Moore]

Thanks Ernest for the reply - I hadn't realized your original project was so substantial! We'll look forward to your thoughts.

Rob, Oliver & Co. is one of the few animated features from Disney that I really have trouble sitting through. And when I started this thread, I expected that one to be left off the list by everyone - it has always seemed like such a sub-standard work to me. But I had forgotten the opening sequence you mention, and agree with you there is some good work there, especially in the facial expressions.

I'll echo your thoughts, Kevin, on the "Firebird" section of Fantasia 2000. The emotion shown in the animation of the sprite, and even in the fairly static expression of the deer (elk?), works for me every time. My main problem with that sequence is that it's over too soon!

I'm not enough of an artist to know if it is techically "great", but I've always had a "wow" response to the sequence in Rescuers Down Under where the boy is knocked off the cliff, the eagle comes after him to catch him, and they "fly" together for a time. I remember almost standing to my feet when I saw that bit in the theater for the first time.

 

[Ernest Rister]

/
In the top ten.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

Fantasia
* The Frost Fairies at the end of the Nutcracker suite
* All of Sorcerer's Apprentice, but I especially love Mickey's shamefaced look when Yen Sid finds him.
* The Rite of Spring - hate the music, but I couldn't believe how incredible the animation was.
* The ballet dancing elephants in Dance of the Hours.
* All of Night on Bald Mountain - this is a Disney film? Stunning animation.

Fantasia 2000
* The previously mentioned Firebird Suite.
* Rhapsody in Blue: This was what I wanted from the film, animation that was different to anything I had ever seen before, yet absolutely right for the piece. This was one of the few moments in the film where felt they gave that to me.

 

[Kevin M]

Different opinions make the world go round I guess because I love Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring with or without the animation. Powerful music.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Without Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, what would John Williams have to rip off pay homage to?

 

[Tarkin The Ewok]

Ernest-

Would it be possible to learn more about that 9-hour thesis that you did? As Disney puts more of their classics on DVD, I am more and more interested in the studio and its history.

If you could tell me more about that piece of work or point me to a place where it has already been discussed, that would be awesome and very much appreciated.

Peace,

Brandon

 

[Ernest Rister]

My Choices in 1998 for the 25 Greatest Moments in Disney Feature Animation

25. The Magic Carpet Meets Aladdin and Abu (Aladdin - Character Animation)
24. Little April Shower (Bambi - F/X Animation)
23. Alice in Wonderland - Art Direction Montage
22. Hook vs. Peter at Skull Rock (Peter Pan - Animation Direction)
21. Heaven's Light/Hellfire (The Hunchback of Notre Dame - Art Direction/Animation Direction)
20. Ichabod Crane vs. the Headless Horseman (Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad - Animation Direction)
19. Bear Fight (Fox and the Hound - Character Animation / Animation Direction)
18. Pocahontas Stalks John Smith (Pocahontas - Character Animation)
17. The Jungle Book - Character Animation Montage
16. Ballroom Dance (Beauty and the Beast - Animation Direction & Character Animation)
15. Reviving Lucky / Roger Rebuffs Cruella (101 Dalmatians - Animation Direction / Character Animation)
14. Dinner at Tony's (Lady and the Tramp - Direction / Character Animation)
13. Penny and Medusa / Penny's Prayer (The Rescuers - Character Animation / Animation Direction)
12. The Rite of Spring: T-Rex vs. Stegosaur (Fantasia - Direction/Character Animation)
11. The Last Eight Minutes of "Three Caballeros" (Vanguard)
10. Morning in Pinocchio's Village (Pinocchio - Layout/Art Direction)
9. Pink Elephants on Parade (Dumbo - Vanguard)
8. Cody Rescues Marahute/Marahute Rescues Cody (The Rescuers Down Under - Animation Direction)
7. Sleeping Beauty Art Direction Montage
6. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Animation Direction Montage
5. Fantasia - F/X Animation Montage
4. Mrs. Jumbo Washes Her Son (Dumbo - Character Animation)
3. Bambi Discovers Snow/Bambi On Ice (Bambi - Character Animation)
2. The Defeat of Chernobog ("Night on Bald Mountain", Fantasia - Art Direction/Animation Direction/Character Animation)
1. Pinocchio Montage

 

[Ernest Rister]

"Ernest-

Would it be possible to learn more about that 9-hour thesis that you did? As Disney puts more of their classics on DVD, I am more and more interested in the studio and its history.

If you could tell me more about that piece of work or point me to a place where it has already been discussed, that would be awesome and very much appreciated.

Peace,

Brandon"

It's a video thesis, and it sort of sums up my attitude towards Disney animation and what it was and what it is and what it should be. I've held it pretty close and have only shown it to a few colleagues and my close friends. I'd put some of it up on the net if I wasn't a-feared of Disney lawyers suing the pants off of me.

 

[Chris Lockwood]

> Rhapsody in Blue: This was what I wanted from the film, animation that was different to anything I had ever seen before, yet absolutely right for the piece. This was one of the few moments in the film where felt they gave that to me.

I agree- great matchup of animation and music.