movie tag – The Creative Life of Liz

About six months ago, I happened to go onto my blog and reread the little tag line. The first thing I mention is that I am a Disney fan. And honestly, I think I’ve mentioned Disney like once since I started really blogging on here. Oops. I realized I had to correct that, thus I went looking for a tag to do. And then I let it sit for six months, because lazy me is lazy.

So, I’m going to do the Disney Tag to try to make up for it! To make things a bit more interesting, I’m limiting myself to only Disney and Pixar films. No Marvel, no Star Wars, no Studio Ghibli. Oh, and no live action remakes of animated films, unless asked for (because no one wants my rant about most of them). I’m also going to try to only use a film once. It’s been a while, so this will be fun to go back down memory lane.

1. Favorite animated movie from the decade you were born?

So, I was born in 1990, which is considered the Disney Renaissance. There were so many good movies released during this time, it isn’t even funny. In fact, three of my all time favorite animated films came out during this decade. But, to be fair, I’ll only pick one. Mulan. This is the film that really kickstarted my love for strong female characters that can fight back and also be smart. (Jasmine from Aladdin is a very close second. VERY close). There’s something about Mulan that I just love. Especially since I deny that Disney even made a live action… Denial, denial, denial.

2. Favorite live-action from the decade you were born?

I’ll be totally honest, I had to google to see what live action films came out in the 90s. There were so many, and I honestly forgot so many of them. Too bad I’m not including Disney Channel Original Movies, because Halloweentown and Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century are both top contenders. But I’m going to have to go with Muppet Treasure Island, which blew my mind. I still sing a lot of the songs from that film. A close second would be Parent Trap, because I love that this film has aged so well.

3. Which movie do you think is overrated?

Frozen. Look, it’s a fine movie. Once, maybe twice. But it’s not the best film ever, and it really needs to go away. (A second film for this would be Cars, because it just didn’t hook me.)

4. Which movie do you think is underrated?

There are only two answers for this question, and I will always lean towards Treasure Planet. This film blew my mind out of the water so many times. There’s something about it that just intrigues me. It’s criminal that it never got the love it deserved. (The other film, by the way, is Atlantis: The Lost Empire, but I wasn’t a fan of the animation.)

5. Who is your favorite sidekick?

Look, he may be a monkey, and he may get into stupid trouble all the time, but Abu stole my heart alongside the Genie when I watched Aladdin. I will fight anyone for him.

6. Which pet would you choose to be your own?

So, I’ll totally admit that I always forget “pet” characters. I just sat here for five minutes looking at the screen going “Abu? No, he’s bigger than a pet…” Then I remembered A Nightmare Before Christmas and Zero the ghost dog. Though I wasn’t a major fan of the film (it didn’t click with me, though it was fine, hush), Zero made me laugh. So he gets the spot.

7. Favorite villain?

Alright, so he wasn’t the best villain. But he actually managed to scare me as a child, which only one other villain has ever done before ( Chernabog from Fantasia). Jafar from Aladdin made me actually fear for Aladdin, and almost killed Jasmine via suffocation! Seriously evil. (Of course, the live action didn’t quite do it, but that’s not Marwan Kenzari’s fault. They just took Jafar in another direction. He did fine, just not nightmare-inducing.

8. Who do you think is the “baddest baddie”?

My first though was to go the Kingdom Hearts route, and point at Maleficent. But then I remembered Scar from Lion King, and how he somehow managed to cause a drought and kill so much of the life in and around Pride Rock… yeah. He’s the one I’ll choose here.

9. Lamest villain?

There. Are. So Many. To Choose. From. No, seriously, I was thinking about this the other day. Disney can write strong characters, but villains sometimes (more often then not, actually) lack that “scare” quality. But since I want to actually answer this question, it’s a tie between Syndrome from The Incredibles and King Candy/Turbo from Wreck It Ralph. In the case of the latter, I completely forgot who the villain of the story was. As for Syndrome, I was never impressed with him. His whole “how I became a villain” story just… didn’t work.

10. Best villain song?

There are few villain songs I really actually like, but my favorite two hail from the same franchise. “Be Prepared”, Scar’s villain song from The Lion King, and “My Lullaby”, Zira’s villain song from The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride. “Be Prepared” is just amazing, and sets a tone for all of Scar’s later moves. As for “My Lullaby”, I’ve never been more scared of a Disney mother, because that song is creepy.

11. Which character would you want to be your best friend?

The obvious choice would be Belle, as she’s a reader who speaks her mind. But, I’m not so sure. I’d probably be better off with a more modern character, though none of them are currently popping into my mind right at this moment.

12. Which voice actor/movie actor/actress would you most like to meet?

There are too many of them to list! It’s so much fun to meet voice actors. I’ve met several at the various anime conventions I’ve been to. As for live action actors… I think I’d like to meet the cast of Beauty and the Beast. Emma Watson is such an inspiration, and Dan Stevens has always impressed me as an actor, even before when he was on Downton Abbey. But my number one pick right now would have to the enigmatic Stanley Tucci. Give me an hour with him. I’d love to talk acting and movies and just how he’s managed to play so many different characters in such an amazing and evolving career.

13. Favorite film soundtrack?

So, I’m really picky about my music. I don’t actually listen to full soundtracks all that often (The Old Guard and The Avengers being two exceptions to this). Instead, I make a playlist with a few songs from one movie, a few from another. I will say that I love a good amount of the live action Aladdin‘s take on the songs from the animated feature, and “Speechless” is still on my playlist, even now.

14. Funniest Disney movie?

There are several that really fall into the “funniest” category. Once upon a time, this answer would have been a quick and easy one, however, it’s not anymore. I actually can’t really watch Toy Story anymore, mostly due to one of the actors and how different he has become. Most of the films I love from Disney have comedic moments, but I wouldn’t consider them comedies. And I don’t really watch comedies as it is. Not the most satisficing answer, but the truth.

15. Which scene always makes you cry?

The entire opening sequence to Up. Yes, I’m aware that this is a bit of a copout, because everyone who has an emotion range above a teaspoon at least felt the extreme sadness that this sequence brought forth. But I don’t care. I have to skip it completely every time I rewatch Up. Heck, when Walt Disney World put on “The Music of Pixar Live! A Symphony of Characters” back in 2017, I sobbed when they highlighted it. It could be used for torture. (It’s such a beautiful sequence, fight me.)

And that’s all 15 questions! Like I’ve said, this one has been sitting for awhile, so much so that by the time I sat down now to finish it, I had to go back and adjust some of my answers. But that’s alright and fun and cool. More Disney stuff will be coming soon, because I forgot just how much I miss it.

Until next time!

Hello all! I’m taking an easy, mental health day today. Because of that, I decided to do another challenge post, though this one isn’t a book challenge. No, this one is about the movies. It’s called, and I’m not joking, “The Movie Tag!”

Be prepared to laugh at my opinions, because they usually change at the tip of a hat. So this is as of today.

Favorite movie of all time? This one changes on an almost daily basis. Right now it is, obviously, The Old Guard. I also would consider The Avengers to be one of the greatest films of my generation. Oh, and Iron Man for opening the door for everyone to like comic book movies again. And for making them actually serious, not just humor-filled. (For context, I did enjoy the Fox X-Men series as well as Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy, and Nolan’s Batman trilogy. But Iron Man really blasted open the door that needed to be hit.)
Favorite scene from that movie? The first appearance of Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It’s one of those scenes that sticks with you forever. Even now, with my JKR/HP issues, it’s one of my all-time favorites.
Favorite actors/actresses? Matthias Schoenarts, Luca Marinelli, and Marwan Kenzari, KiKi Layne, and Charlize Theron. Hush your faces. I can hear the judgement from here.
Most annoying actor/actress? I don’t really have any actors that I outright dislike. I’ll watch most anyone. I will say that strictly comedic actors don’t really click with me, so I just avoid those types of movies. Just don’t get my mom started on Woody Harrelson. She cannot stand him.
Best director? Spielberg. Well, and most others. I’m not a director snob. I’ll watch whatever. There is no director that I don’t say “I’ll never watch a film from them.” (Through I currently have issues watching Joss Whedon’s films, minus the obvious.)
Favorite guilty pleasure film? Besides the obvious, I actually watch Nerve a lot. It a pretty good YA adaptation, that fixes a lot of the issues I have with the book. I also was known to put The Italian Job on while studying during college, but I’ve outgrown that by now.
Favorite tear-jerker? I sobbed in Endgame. Lost it during the first ten minutes, got it back only to cry during Hawkeye’s reintroduction, broke down for Nat, and was GONE at the end.
Character from a movie that scared you the most? There was this 1980’s flick that was about a possessed house that terrorized this family. I can’t remember the name, but my parents watched it one night when I was supposed to be in bed when I was like six, and I snuck out and watched over the couch. I didn’t sleep for a week. I now have an irrational fear of those old black cat clocks with the ticking tails… you know the one I mean.
Movie you love that everyone hates? I unironically love Push, which was a sci-fi X-Men style film with Chris Evans before he was Captain America. It also features Dakota Fanning, and she actually swears. Bite me, it’s fun. It’s also a terrible film with a flimsy plot and CGI techniques that just don’t hold up ten years later, but I love it.
Movie you hate that everyone loves? Look, everyone can go on for years about how great the Lord of the Rings films are. I see them as nap time. I just can’t deal with them. And yes, I read the books as well. They make decent pillows.
Favorite movie duo? Joe/Nicky (goes straight to hell). Serious answer? Tony and Peter, father and son.
Favorite animated movie? I would die for Treasure Planet. It’s criminal that it didn’t do as well as it deserved. I’ve always regretted that I never owned it on VHS, and I just realized that I still don’t have it on Blu Ray. I think I need to update my Christmas list one last time…
Actor/Actress crush? Currently? Matthias does things for me.
Favorite movie villain? Voldemort, the modern day Hitler. The Um-bitch can be pushed off a cliff now. No, seriously. Voldemort is a great villain. Because he’s terrible. And by that I mean he’s not that scary at all. Honestly, Snape makes a better villain, and he’s a damn hero. The Um-bitch on the other hand is flat out terrifying.
What movie surprised you the most? I went into Far From the Madding Crowd just so that I could watch Matthias Schoenaerts do a period piece. I came out a changed woman. I fell in love with the time period. In fact, I’ve seen it four time since.
If you could only keep one movie what would it be? I hate this type of question. It all depends on mood. Obviously I would want a favorite. But if I said, say Endgame, I would be leaving so many other films behind. It’s a tragedy.
Movie recommendation and for whom? Look, if you like superhero stories, watch The Old Guard. If you like reluctant heroes, watch The Old Guard. If you like found family stories, watch The Old Guard. If you want to see a movie that has a strong and well established gay couple that doesn’t suffer from the “bury your gays” trope, watch The Old Guard. My point has been made.
One remake you wish had never been made? Like 90% of the Disney live action adaptations. Look, I get it. They want to keep the rights and they know there is a built in fanbase for the films. But it’s high time to come up with something more original. Hell, at this point, anything.
About to die but could watch one more movie, what would it be? I don’t feel safe answering this question. I may get judged into oblivion. (For the non-serious answer, 2 Old 2 Guard, because we deserve it, damn it.
Favorite movie genre/favorite movie from that genre? I still love the superhero genre, even though it has become oversaturated in the past ten years. And look above for my favorite flick.
What’s the first movie you remember watching in theaters? I think it was Pokémon the First Movie. At least, that’s the one that I have the clearest memory of. But I’d been going to the movies from the time I was five, so I kinda remember seeing at least one Disney movie in theaters. I’m just not sure. So, I’ll take the easy answer and say Pokémon.

Okay, look. I’m gonna be honest. I’m gonna namedrop The Old Guard until we get the third series of the comics, the prequel comics that Rucka talked about the other week, and the damn sequel, because it’s actually insane that it hasn’t been greenlight yet. The movie is one of Netflix’s most successful films of 2020, and it hasn’t got the contracts signed. Other films have been given sequel orders within a week of premier, which makes no sense. It’s maddening.

Anyway, that’s this fun little movie tag. It’s kinda fun to do a tag that doesn’t have anything to do with books for once. Time to scour the internet for more of them. I’m starting to feel the mood for them.

Until next time!