... FOR "WALT DISNEY'S ANIMATED FIFTY (PART 25 - 'THE BLACK CAULDRON' EDITION)"

My continuing foray into Disney's fifty official Animated Classics. As always, don't hesitate to share your thoughts/memories/complaints in the comments section below. Links to previous entries have also been included below.

Title: The Black Cauldron (1985; based on the five- part series The Chronicles Of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander)

The Plot: An assistant pig-keeper in medieval times races to find the mystical Black Cauldron, before evil-doers can use its unlimited powers to create an army of the undead.

The Songs: None (!)

... FOR "WALT DISNEY'S ANIMATED FIFTY (PART 24 - 'THE FOX AND THE HOUND' EDITION)"

My continuing foray into Disney's fifty official Animated Classics. As always, don't hesitate to share your thoughts/memories/complaints in the comments section below. Links to previous entries have also been included below.

Title: The Fox And The Hound (1981; based on the novel by Daniel P. Mannix)

The Plot: An adopted fox cub and a coonhound puppy become fast friends, but their upbringing forces them to become natural enemies.

The Songs: "Best Of Friends," "Lack Of Education," "A Huntin' Man," "Appreciate The Lady," "Goodbye May Seem Forever"

... FOR "WALT DISNEY'S ANIMATED FIFTY (PART 23 - 'THE RESCUERS' EDITION)"

My continuing foray into Disney's fifty official Animated Classics. As always, don't hesitate to share your thoughts/memories/complaints in the comments section below. Links to previous entries have also been included below.

Title: The Rescuers (1977; based on the novels The Rescuers and Miss Bianca by Margery Sharp)

The Plot: Two mice, members of the International Rescue Aid Society, embark on a mission to save an orphan girl kidnapped by treasure hunters.

The Songs: "The Journey," "Rescue Aid Society," "Tomorrow is Another Day," "Someone's Waiting For You"

... FOR "FRANCHISE FACE-OFFS (PART 7 - '48HRS.' EDITION)"

When casting any movie, chemistry is key. Nothing sinks a star vehicle more quickly and efficiently than actors who clearly do not get along – see Marilyn Monroe and Sir Laurence Olivier in 1957's The Prince And The Showgirl for the most notorious example of this, or, more recently, Ben Affleck with basically anyone. Good chemistry, on the other hand, can be like catching lightning in a bottle – can turn even the most routine and cliché-ridden screenplay into something electric, transcendent, sparkling and true.

This is especially important for two genres in particular. First and foremost is the Romantic Comedy, in which an audience is expected to buy into the notion that two characters are destined for each other in all matters of life and love, and that external forces either cannot or will not stand in between them. For this idea to actually stick, the viewer must believe that both actors are fully and truly attracted to each other; otherwise, what is there to root for? Successful examples of this throughout history include Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn (acerbic banter at its best), Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (whose passion for each other often caused them to break out into elaborate dance numbers), and Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman (I'm kidding).

... FOR "WALT DISNEY'S ANIMATED FIFTY (PART 22 - 'THE MANY ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH' EDITION)

My continuing foray into Disney's fifty official Animated Classics. As always, don't hesitate to share your thoughts/memories/complaints in the comments section below. Links to previous entries have also been included below.

Title: The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh (1977; based on the books by A.A. Milne)

The Plot: In the Hundred Acre Wood, a honey-loving bear cavorts with friends Piglet, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl, Kanga, Roo, and Tigger too.

The Songs: "Winnie The Pooh," "Up, Down And Touch The Ground," "Rumbly In My Tumbly," "Little Black Rain Cloud," "Mind Over Matter," "A Rather Blustery Day," "The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers," "Heffalumps And Woozles," "When The Rain Rain Rain Came Down," "Hip Hip Pooh-Ray!"

... FOR "WALT DISNEY'S ANIMATED FIFTY (PART 21 - 'ROBIN HOOD' EDITION)"

My continuing foray into Disney's fifty official Animated Classics. As always, don't hesitate to share your thoughts/memories/complaints in the comments section below. Links to previous entries have also been included below.

Title: Robin Hood (1973)

The Plot: In medieval England, a bandit fox steals from the rich and gives to the poor, while battling the sinister machinations of King John (a lion) and the Sheriff of Nottingham (a wolf).

The Songs: "Whistle-Stop," "Oo De Lally," "Love," "The Phony King Of England," "Not In Nottingham"