... 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"

... FOR "EDDIE MURPHY-ITIS" (OR, "ANOTHER SAD CASE OF A FALLEN HOLLYWOOD ICON") - UPDATED!

I apologize for interrupting myself, but I was just in the middle of a future Franchise Face-Off starring the once-great Eddie Murphy, when suddenly the thought occurred to me: "Gee, whatever happened to that guy?"

It's a common question these days, unfortunately. Like Tom Cruise, Murphy used to be a pretty big deal. Exploding out of Saturday Night Live, a product of the stand-up comedy circuit of the early 80s, Eddie's hair-trigger comic timing and foul-mouthed, larger-than-life persona had him pegged for everlasting superstardom, and for a while, he rode that train rather well.

... FOR "WALT DISNEY'S ANIMATED FIFTY (PART 20 - 'THE ARISTOCATS' 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 AristoCats (1970; based on a story by Tom McGowan and Tom Rowe)

The Plot: A butler kidnaps his mistress's prized family of cats and abandons them in the Parisian countryside, after he hears she intends to leave her vast fortune to them.

The Songs: "The AristoCats," "Scales And Arpeggios," "Thomas O'Malley Cat," "Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat," "She Never Felt Alone"