Well, ladies and gents... it's been a grand kick off, and I just have one simple word to say before this review...

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAH!!!!!! X3

I am so glad I'm finally doing this. So far, it's an amazing experience. I find myself mercilessly battered with an onslaught of nostalgia, appreciation, amazement, artistry, magic, and of course love. All at the same time, I might add, as I watch these animated films that were such a big part of my childhood. Now, older, not only can I go back and look at these films with a better understanding of why they are classics, but I also get to relive a bit of my youth when these films were pure joy and magic, and I gotta' tell ya' folks... THAT is the best part. ^^

Now then, onto the first review. This takes place within the years of 1937 to 1942. The films in this block are what I consider to be the quintessential Disney animated masterpieces of the entire list. The first five... 'Snow White', ' Pinocchio', 'Fantasia', 'Dumbo', and 'Bambi'.

Come, let me tell you about them...

******************************************************************

1.) 'SNOW WHITE and the SEVEN DWARFS' (12/21/1937)

Well what can I say... this is it. The big one. The one that started it all for the Disney animated features, and let me tell you, if I were my age right now seeing the big event of Walt Disney making an animated feature length motion picture for the first time... I can easily understand how this was a big deal and achievement. Bravo! Not only is it beautiful and at times even a bit crude, the film is stunning for its time. Its got all the heart and charm and all that shit, but it's also shot as a movie, very, very well. I'm impressed the most by the pull in and out landscape shots and their attention to every little detail in making it look as interesting and realistic as possible. No detail is overlooked. Considering the techniques they used in those times to really pull it off (roto-scoping and live action reference and what not) The use of the multi-plane camera would have really made it pop back in the day. It's kind of a big step forward and still yet a test to see what they could do in the late 1930's with animation. It must've been really scary and exciting at the same time.
This was also the first collaboration on a feature with Walt and the famed 'Nine Old Men'. They were the core animators (some of whom later became directors) who created some of Disney's most famous works, from Snow White to The Rescuers. Walt Disney called them the "Nine Old Men," referring to Franklin D. Roosevelt's description of the nine justices of the US Supreme Court. They were: Les Clark, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Wolfgang "Woolie" Reitherman, John Lounsbery, Eric Larson, Ward Kimball, Milt Kahl, and Mark Davis. Good job guys, and thanks.
The sequence I liked the most in this film, I think is a tie up between the Party Silly song scene and the last 20 minutes of the film. It's just stunning stuff when you realize everything you're seeing, all the characters and movement and life, is only drawings and paint to a soundtrack. I WISH I was able to create like that. It's kinda’ like playing God.
Not only does it look good, but the music is very gripping. The songs I find myself whistling sometimes as I droll about and that's kinda’ what makes it stay alive so long. I especially love the sound of the old recording, giving it that vintage quality that makes it kind of real in realizing... everyone that ever had anything to do with this is dead. I know, kinda' morbid, but hey, look what they gave us. It's an awesome generous gift to receive all for the sake of entertainment.
All in all Snow White is by far one of their greatest achievements and when you hit that straight out of the gate... that's a good sign.

TRIVIA FOR THIS FILM INCLUDES:
- Mel Blanc (Bugs Bunny) was considered for the voice of Dopey.
- To keep the animators minds working, Walt Disney instituted his "Five Dollars a Gag" policy. One notable example of this policy is when Ward Kimball suggested that the dwarfs' noses should pop one by one over the foot boards while they were peeking at Snow White
- At a recording session, Lucille La Verne, the voice of the Wicked Queen, was told by the Disney animators that they needed an older, raspier version of the Queen's voice for the Old Witch. Ms. Laverne stepped out of the recording booth, returned a few minutes later, and gave a perfect "Old Hag's voice" that stunned the animators. When asked how she did it, she replied, "Oh, I just took my teeth out."

******************************************************************

2.) ' PINOCCHIO' (02/07/1940)

First thing I got to say on this one is, "HOLY SHIT! PINOCCHIO'S GOT THE JUICE!!!" O_O

After not having seen this one since easily my early childhood, going back to it now, it BLEW ME AWAY! Ok, I can just imagine me at my age now sitting in the theater in 1940 after having seen 'Snow White' a couple years earlier and being excited as hell when the lights went down. After they came up, I can easily see myself feeling like how I felt after seeing 'Jurassic Park' for the first time. It's probably become one of my better favorite animated films in general, it's that good.
What I find so amazing about Pinocchio is that its such a step up from 'Snow White' that its kind of jolting. It's got popping colors, BEAUTIFUL animation, the score and music is gorgeous!, it's got a lot more intensity, action, and an abstract surreal world to it. I can't imagine it bombing! I personally would have been all about this film, running out to tell my friends after being all like, "Hey Butch! Golly! Ya' gotta come see da' new Disney pitchur! It's outrageous!". Now be warned... this happened to me and I don't want you all to catch the same ailment I did, but after watching it, I had 'There Are No Strings On Me' song stuck in my head for DAYS. Just giving you the heads up, it could happen.
Dig this kiddies... It starts with the song... THE SONG... that is probably one of the biggest ever to come out of Disney and is kind of their anthem, 'When You Wish Upon A Star'. Already I'm tearing up at this point. But then! It takes you into the introduction and warm world of Gepettoh and his wish to have a real boy. All of the detail in Gephetto's workshop is STUNNING! There is always something to look at carved in the wood or even just in the way the room catches light. The score in this sequence and animation is incomparable as well. It feels very magical and is just an awe inspiring step from SW, to watch the painstakingly spot on animation in how puppet Pinocchio moves so correctly with gravity and a sense of dead weight. The animation of his distorted image walking up through Cleo's fishbowl also popped out in my head as stunning animation movement. Figaro steals the show in Geepetto's world I noticed, and we have one of the 9 to thank for that: Eric Larson who was possibly the least famous of the Nine but, thanks to his Talent Program at Disney, he taught many future animators, including Tim Burton, John Lasseter, Andreas Deja, Don Bluth, and Glen Keane. Figaro isha Liddle' Buhdie! X3. But then.... WHAMMO! BLUE FAIRY! HOLY SHIT WHAT AN ENTRANCE! The dissolving animation of the Blue Fairy in and out and bringing Pinocchio to life gives me chills every time I see it, its so stimulating to look at. All up into Pinocchio coming to life is in a class of it's own, and then we get the heart of the film in Pinocchio and Jiminy, teaching him to recognize right and wrong (Which is kinda the whole message of the film). It's all happy and good all through the next morning and when Pinocchio goes to school... but then it's a weird ride from there on out. Then we're into 6ft. foxes and cats walking around telling me to check out some Italian dude who's all about exploiting my existence. FFFFFFFFUCK! Where'd Pinocchio go wrong!? It's at this point that I pegged my favorite scene of animation in the movie. I love the animation of Pinocchio in the cage as the wagon's moving and he's calling out for J.Crickit. It moves so well and doesn't slip and has a great sense of weight in it. Check it out sometime you animation buffs. Another shot I was really impressed by was the dramatic shot of Geeepeeeettoh looking for Pinocchio in the streets as it's raining, he calls out as the very wagon he's in passes by, but is drown out by thunder. Good stuff for a kids film. All the way into Pleasure Island and the whole pretty damn intense and insane Donkey Changing sequence is pretty surreal. Pinocchio's not just fucking around. It's kind of a straight forward telling of the tale and not watered down for kids, it goes there. Pinocchio can be scary at times. Especially when we now get to the third act of the movie... UNDERWATER! The colors in this sequence are so interesting to look at. Lot of eye candy here and it's beautifully animated. Now let me say this... over all, one of the things I find myself going back and saying I'm really impressed about, is the look and animation of water in all of these films. It's mind blowing how hard it must've been to animate water correctly and I tell you it's kind of overlooked by most. Bare in mind, they have to draw all this BY HAND! Fuck, that must've been hard... By the way, Monstro is terrifying! But then they hit you again after that with the shocking shot of J.Cricket calling out for Pinocchio and is stopped short is shock as we quick cut to him face down lifeless in the water. GREAT STUFF! The ending of the film still brings a tear to my eye and this time was no exception. I cried like a baby. Any film I watch that can do that to me, is 'A ok' in my book.
All in all.... final word on the film is this. I say that ' Pinocchio' is one of the best Disney ever has, or will have, to offer.

TRIVIA FOR THIS FILM INCLUDES:
- Mel Blanc was going to be the voice for Giddion Kitty. However, it was eventually decided that he should be mute, and all of Blanc's recorded dialogue was cut, save one solitary hiccup.
- "When You Wish Upon A Star" was ranked #7 in the American Film Institute's List of the "Top Movie Songs of All Time".
- There are 43 instances of violence and other unfavorable behavior in this film, including 23 instances of battery, nine acts of property damage, three slang uses of the term "jackass", three acts of violence involving animals, and one instance of implied death.

******************************************************************

3.) 'FANTASIA' (11/13/1940)

Uh-oh, we're getting into some grand shit here... O.O

Released the same year as Pinocchio, this was an even bolder step by Walt and his crew in creating the first concert feature, a concert of classic music set to the feature animation of Disney. If I was my age back then, coming off Pinocchio and stepping into this, I would start to say, 'Hey.. maybe this guy's going somewhere...'
Fantasia has got no story really to speak of, rather it has some beautiful music and artistic sequences in it. It was the first time the animators were allowed to go nuts with color and have no restriction. It's a great film to just throw on in the background to work, read, or even fall asleep to. Sure it was a bomb back in the day, but hell, it's interesting! I would go see this thing every year with a new number in it, as Walt originally intended and have an artistic blast. Fantasia is great in my opinion and has some punch. It's the first time Mickey was introduced with whites in his eyes which is the now modern Mickey look.
The animation in this film is hard to compare so it's kind of unique in it's own right as an amazing display and feature for the medium in general. It can be abstract at times or tell a straight story, like music itself.
My favorite sequence in this film would have to be the creation of earth in the 'Right of Spring' segment. It's an amazing thing to try and interpret in a realistic way and still keep us hooked. It kinda blows my mind and it's an amazing display of just how powerful animation was and can be. The reason why I think Fantasia on it's initial release was a bomb, is because I don't really think audiences were ready for it. It's kind of ahead of it's time in terms of visual style and idea. Way to go Disney always keeping it real and trying new things. It's a shame it was kind of over looked.
Final word on Fantasia.... LEOPOLD! o.o

TRIVIA FOR THIS FILM INCLUDES:
- Bela Lugosi served as a live-action model for Chernabog, the demon in "Night on Bald Mountain."
- The Sorcerer (in "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment) was nicknamed Yen Sid by the artists, which is "Disney" spelled backwards.

******************************************************************

4.) 'DUMBO' (10/23/1941)

This film will always and forever make me think of my mother more so over than 'Bambi' ever could. If it'll break up Robert Stack, it'll knock you out.

Another that I rarely have seen save for in my early childhood, (like Pinocchio), Dumbo struck me on a weird note. I do not remember it being as short as it is! It is only literally an hour long. Tops out at 60 minutes. And I guess, that works for it. It's a simple, straight forward, charming little story that packs a lot of punch. Visually, Dumbo is a treat for the eyes. LOTS of bright flat colors, and lots of circus craziness. It's odd because, since Dumbo is so simple and mind you, he doesn't say a line of dialogue ever, it almost feels awkward and a bit haunting. The music score is another surprise. It's not the best mind you but it still carries the emotion behind the main drive of the emotional impact of the film, Dumbo himself.
The animation in this one is a little lesser quality than that of say Snow White or Pinocchio, and coming off of the bombs of Fantasia and Pinocchio, I can understand the simpler look and story to give it a little more watered down for kids feel. Yet at the same time... ZANG! they throw you something that's got you going, 'Wow, that was great..'. There are three big sequences of animation in this film that I think are the best of what Dumbo has to offer. One... the assembling of the circus in the rain. This scene and song are shot amazingly on many different levels. It's not the best looking sequence, but everything from the time Casey Jr. rolls into town up til the big reveal painting of the completed tent in the morning is just really impressive. The lighting and staging of the number are very creative and a treat to watch. Gives me a sense of something big is coming. Two... the 'Baby Mine' song sequence just tears your heart out. This is the scene that will forever make me think of my Mother. It's both extremely sad, soothing, comforting, and beautiful at the same time. It's probably got one of the most powerful scenes of emotional animation in it as well, and is probably my favorite bit of animation in it. It's that scene where Dumbo's mother reaches out and holds trunks with him... he smiles up at her happily, lovingly, before starting to cry and just nuzzles and hugs into her, so happy to just have her there after all the abuse he's been through. Such a natural over powering turn of emotion in drawings... ooo, it's truly got power behind it. Well done guys! And finally, Three... the big scene... PINK ELEPHANTS! The Pink Elephants sequence is VERY unusual and stunning. At the time, there was nothing like it even attempted in animated films and it really stuck out as one of the most bizarre features Dumbo had to offer, and out of the three, I think this sequence is my favorite. It's all EXTREMELY tripped out, scary, fun, and otherworldly all at the same time. Don't tell me Walt wasn't smoking opium! X3
The crows? I have no problem with the crows at all and I think if people still do and blast it for racism... to those people I say, grow up. It was the times, the style, and we don’t live like that anymore. There's nothing offensive about the crows in this film at all aside from the fact that they are black people doing the voices. No big deal. He gets the magic feather and flys and blow the world's mind, gets his mom back and it ends all under an hour. I was like, "... wait, whut? Wow... that movie cruised!". All I could think of was Robert Stack in Spielberg's film '1941' with an obsession to see Dumbo. Pretty funny stuff. X3 Compared to all the emotional abuse Dumbo takes (I mean Timothy is really his only real friend in the film), this is really a great film for everyone with an outstanding message of believe in yourself and you can fly.
Final Say on Dumbo? Something about it is odd to me, but it's still great!

TRIVIA FOR THIS FILM INCLUDES:
- Time magazine planned to have Dumbo on its cover in 1941 to commemorate its success, but it was dropped due to the attack on Pearl Harbor.
- During production there was a long and bitter animators strike, in which half of the studio's staff walked out. Some of the strikers are caricatured as the clowns who go to "hit the big boss for a raise".
- Animation Cels for Dumbo are the rarest in the industry. The animators, after the scene was safely "in the can", would strew the used cels in the corridors and go sliding on them. In addition the gray paint (used for so many of the elephant skins) would "pop" when the cel was flexed. Many irreplaceable cels were destroyed this way.

******************************************************************

5.) 'BAMBI' (08/13/1942)

Here it is, the last of the 5 greats... Bambi. Ho'shi!! Walt's bringing out the BIG guns now. Oh! and I better get this out of the way... *aheam*... "Bumbi's mom... She... she's... AAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHGN!!!" -Skippy Squirrel.

I've seen Bambi many a time over the years of my life, and its one of those films that I never really seem to tire of. It was advertised as a love story when it first came out, but I really don't see that at all. It's a very beautiful and impact full interpretation on the cycle of life through Bambi's (the viewer's) eyes, and how he deals with all of the discovery and pains that we all will one day experience in life. It's kinda heavy. The more I watch it over the different stages of life I enter, I'm starting to see more and more similarities of trials and tribulations Bambi goes through in my own life all wrapped up in a very stylized yet realistic looking package of woodland creatures and how they go about their own lives. Stay with me now...
What I like and what most people like about Bambi, is how dark at times it really is. It's kind of an epic achievement. It has great moments of tension unlike anything I've seen in an animated film, especially when Man is involved. Man as a villain is terrifying and we never even see him once through out the whole film, and that says something in the way they made animated films in itself back then.
The film has some of the best character animation I've yet seen in these movies up to this point particularly in the animation of Bambi (Frank Thomas) and Thumper (Ollie Johnston). I particularly love the segment of Bambi and Thumper on the ice in winter, all of which Thomas animated himself. Stunning. It's all pretty impressive since Bambi, Pinocchio, and Fantasia were all switched and jumped around, being worked on all at the same time at one point. I think, Bambie took over six years to make and the quality really shows. Another dynamite sequence is in the Rono fight and the forest fire. The colors especially stand out as being abstract, but feel very natural at the same time. Again, another amazingly impressive scene is the little April Shower song and it's all because of the rain animation and essence of the piece. It's so intricate and beautiful.
The character bonding and relationships are very innocently delivered in this film and it carries the charm and curiosity of youth, especially between Bambi and Thumper... especially in Thumper. He steals the movie for a lot of people... and he isn't even in the book! Total creation by Walt Disney, and at first, Thumper's name was going to be Bobo. Weird eh?
All in all, Bambi is the mark, ending the first golden age of epic features before the war and its a mark of pride on the Disney list of animated films.

TRIVIA FOR THIS FILM INCLUDES:
- This is the Disney animated feature with the fewest lines of dialog.
- Bambi was originally supposed to go back to his mother after she was shot and find her in a pool of blood. This idea was scrapped.
- Two asteroids have been named after Bambi and Thumper.

******************************************************************

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH MAN!

What a kick off. All in all these 5 films are the cream of the crop for early Disney animation and show just what they really could do back in the day. There is a reason why Disney is Disney, and a lot of it is in these first films. A lot of credit also goes to the nine old men. These guys were legendary. They were the greatest group of animators in the 20th Century, artists who wrote the book on cinematic animation, and it's widely because of them and their talents that the look of feature animation would eventually become what it is today. It's a real treat to go and immerse myself in the medium that I'm so fond of and seeing just how much went into each one.
Of these first five, if I had to choose which one I got the most out of... I'd have to go with ' Pinocchio'. I'm still blown away by it. Man it's fucking awesome! And we've only just begun... X3

Til the next block!

-Regards
SN