LJG765

Just finishedwatching Ron's Gone Wrong. I thought it was pretty good, though it definitely had a message about kids and social media. It did take quite a bit for me to get sucked into the movie but once I became invested, I enjoyed it.

mrcellophane

I've mostly been watching Thundercats and am definitely going to finish the first DVD box set this month. I'm planning to watch the series and then watch the two failed reboots which I've never seen. Also, I was inspired by Travis to open my Blu-ray set of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? which was my favorite show as a kid. My parents love to remind me that I would get often be scared by the monsters, bolt from the room, and watch the show from around a corner.

Travis McClain

I ended up going through almost all of the Despicable Me/Minions series last week. There was a new short (Minions & Mayhem) I couldn't find anywhere. I saw Minions: The Rise of Gru at the drive-in last month and didn't feel compelled to go to the trouble of renting it. And, of course, I didn't watch the short film that accompanies the theme park attraction at Universal Studios. Otherwise, I processed the three Despicable Me feature films, the Minions prequel film, and far more shorts than can possibly be healthy. I think the franchise is at its best when it's about relationships and characters responding to one another. It's in those scenes that it's clearest why Steve Carell was the right guy to voice Gru. As good as he is at being funny, I think he may be even better at being sincere. (Which, of course, is something of a paradox because he's acting which means those moments are intrinsically insincere. Whatever. I'm not brainstorming a better word.)

My favorite scene in the whole series is this quiet, sweet scene in Despicable Me 2. Gru and Lucy have just taken home Gru's awful blind date, whom Lucy tranquilized. They're sitting outside the tranquilized date's house and have this awkward chat where we see that they realize they're starting to fall for each other. Kristen Wiig's performance is just as important as Carell's here. She gets to play softly, which I've rarely seen her get to do elsewhere.

The Minions have always been polarizing in general. I'm more neutral on them. I suppose I lean more in favor of them than against. They work best for me when their gags are more interstitial pauses between scenes than scenes themselves. Their prequel movie disappointed me. It seemed weird that the thesis is that Minions are subs who have no direction or meaning in their lives without a dom. Did like Sandra Bullock as the villainous Scarlett Overkill, though.

It's a likable series overall. Not a favorite, but likable.

davidh777

Catwoman Hunted and Justice Society WWII on HBO MAX. Both watchable but neither memorable. Maybe I should stop trying to make DC animated movies happen, as I feel like it’s been years since one made an impression on me.

This one surprised me. I watched it blind because it was a major release and free on one of my services, but I also thought it was pretty good.

Travis McClain

I've got quite a few in my digital library thanks to the old UltraViolet ecosystem. God, I miss that. I've been meaning to get to them for ages. HBO Max has most of the ones I don't, and I have, er, access to that. For however long until David Zarvaz deletes them, anyway. I can't quite bring myself to care enough to start, though. I've seen thirteen of the features and seven shorts. That said, I am planning to sit down with The Death of Superman and Reign of the Supermen later this year to commemorate this being the 30th anniversary of when Superman died. Man, it's wild that that anniversary is upcoming.

BobO'Link

Like the majority of the DC superhero movies since ~1990, the animated movies have all pretty much fallen flat for me. I *do* like several of their animated TV series - just not the animated movies. There's a part of me that wants to purchase/watch The Killing Joke (especially this one), The Death of Superman,and Reign of the Supermen but I've been so disappointed in all the others I can't bring myself to give them a try.

I've always liked Barbara Gordon as Batgirl and Oracle and the story in "The Killing Joke" is good. "The Death of Superman" story line is what got me back into comics after 25+ years as a non-reader, although I felt the whole "Reign of the Supermen" part was somewhat overblown and fragmented. In spite of that, it caused me to purchase all Superman and cross-over titles from the "battle" story in December 1992 until ~2010 or so.

LJG765

I feel the same about the Minions movies. They are fun to watch and have their moments (it's so fluffy!) but not a favorite. I'm willing to rewatch them though, which is better than some more current animated series right now!

I have to admit, I'm not a fan of the DC animated movies either. The few I've seen tend to blend together/not make an impact on me.

I so miss that system as well! I think about all the movies we all contributed and it was really nice. One of the few times that a site had a good perk that the users could use/take advantage of.

I just finished A Silent Voice (Koe no katachi), a Japanese film following a group of students. The main male character, Shoya, along with a few other students, bullied the main female character, Shoko, because she was deaf. She changes schools and Shoya gets all the blame for it. He is ostracized afterwards and does change his behavior. The movie is mainly about him reconnecting with Shoko to make up for his prior behavior. It's a very quiet movie, focusing on behaviors, feelings/emotions. There are definitely triggers, so if it's something on your radar, you might want to look at the spoiler to see if it's for you.

Spoilers next:


I actually think it'd be a worthwhile film for teens to watch, just to see how actions affect others, difficulties people have with disabilities. It's definitely a sad movie, but I'm glad I watched it and it does end on a high note.

coyoteblue

I re-watched the A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon (2019), tonight, and I still think it's a lot of fun. I really enjoy picking out all the SF references (I'm sure there's a bunch I'm still missing). It's finally being released on Blu here (Shout!Factory), in October.

LJG765

Is that a sequel to Shaun the Sheep? I remember watching and enjoying the original but haven't seen it since. I may have to keep an eye out for a copy on Black Friday.

Just finished watching The Good Dinosaur.I know this one is not the most popular Pixar film, but I do enjoy it. It's definitely a bit of a darker one and maybe for a bit older audience than the Disney films, but I kind of think that's a common theme for Pixar movies. The water scenes in it are some of my favorites. The water, rocks, trees, debris in general all look so real. Sometimes I wonder if they should pull back on realism a bit to match up with the more fantastical aspects of the movie.

BobO'Link

I love Aardman's stuff and had no idea there was another Shaun the Sheep movie out... guess I live under a rock... I'll be keeping an eye out for that release in spite of not liking Shout! being the distributor (they value their releases far too much and rarely put anything on "sale" with what I'd call a sale price).

UPDATE:
It's actually up for pre-order at Amazon at a "reasonable" price:

shadokitty

Due to the entire forum looking odd on both my iphone and my Pixel, I really haven't done much with the challenge. It's been this way for a few days, and I find it quite painful to even look at.

LJG765

Ooh, hope that gets fixed for you soon!

Just finished watching Only Yesterday, a Studio Ghibli film. It's very different from their usual fair. Pretty much a strict drama, no fantasy elements. The main character is shown in flashbacks to when she is a child and then returns to the present. Not my usual fair, but it is very well done like one expects from a Ghibli film. I'm also glad I left the credits run as I usually just turn them off. In this case, the story continues almost to the very end and is a much more satisfying end than if I had just ended it when they began.

Giles

to see Disney classic movies on the big screen is rare things nowadays, but when I saw the Library of Congress was screening 'Snow White' last Saturday, I decided to make a half day trek down to see it! in Culpeper Virginia There's something so great to see these movies with an audience and kids watching a Disney movie where it's supposed to be seen on a movie screen, NOT in streaming form

coyoteblue

I watched Yellow Submarine (1968) and I noticed something that I don't think had clicked on any other view (I've watched it less than half a dozen times, probably). Around the 17:36 mark, when Ringo and Old Fred are searching for the rest of the lads in their home, they enter a room filled with iconic characters (circa 1967), The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers, Wild Bill Hickok, Marilyn Monroe and finally John Steed and some blonde woman I can't id; she's pulling on his umbrella. It's definitely not Emma Peel or Mrs. Gale. Maybe she's Tara King or Venus Smith. It's possible that she's some other iconic English character that I've never heard of.

LJG765

Up until Covid, I always had to see the new Disney in the theater on the big screen! While I have been reliably told my first film was at a drive-in theater (Elvis marathon, in case you're wondering), the first film I remember seeing in the theater was Snow White. My aunt took myself and a friend of mine and I remember very little other than it was that film and we kept having to go to the bathroom. I have since stopped doing that because there is nothing worse than having to leave in the middle of the film. In case anyone was wondering. lol!

Very cool that you had that opportunity again to see it! I would have done the same. Actually, I kind of did, though for a non-animated movie. A local theater a few years ago played The Wizard of Oz, another classic and since I had never seen it on a big screen, I went! Was so much fun seeing it how it was meant to be played.

davidh777

Only Yesterday is an interesting case because it was unavailable on home video for years. I finally watched it a few years ago and was a little disappointed after the wait but should give it another try.

I watched Flee on Vudu. Nominated for animated feature, international feature, and documentary feature, it tells the story of a family trying to get out of Afghanistan to the west. I thought it was very good and then bought it in a $4.99 Vudu sale.

I also finished Lower Decks season 2 (plus one episode of season 3) and liked it better than the first. Maybe I knew the characters better or was more in tune with the vibe, or maybe it was just better? I have no problem with a comedy Trek, and like how this fits into the Trek universe, especially when they have voice cameos.

LJG765

I can't believe how fast August has flown by! Today's the last day of the challenge. How have things gone? If you did the checklist, any suggestions/comments/complaints?

I have one more movie to watch and I'll have watched something every day, my main goal of the challenge. A few days it was only a short, but it still counts. It was an extremely busy month for me, so sometimes that short was the only thing I had energy for, I will admit!

I think compared to some of their other films, it would be hard to stand out. It's a completely different genre than they usually do. Nothing magical or extreme in it, just following a young woman on her vacation to work on a farm. The colors are muted, there isn't a ton of dramatic, exciting things happening. There is focus on the main character, a woman, and her life and problems. Growing up and hitting puberty. A very domineering father. It's not really a film I would have picked up to watch normally except for that Ghibli label, but I'm glad I did. I totally see why it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea though.

coyoteblue

I'm finished. 241 watches. Maybe tomorrow I'll do the checklist and see how it stacks. Much fun, though I am thankful the Challenge is over. Thanks for hosting LJG765.

caligulathegod

I finished my goal of watching every Disney Animated Classic. I did skip the Renaissance films Little Mermaid through Lion King, as I've seen them too many times. Some I liked a lot, others I didn't as much. Oliver and Company is the absolute nadir. Lady and the Tramp is likely my favorite and Sleeping Beauty was the biggest surprise of the classical period. Emperor's New Groove and Lilo & Stitch are my latter day favorites.

LJG765

Don't forget that the challenge does carry into Sept. 1st, until dawn in your locality. Also, it is crossover time with the Art House Challenge!

Nice! Did you go in chronological order? Were many new to you or all re-watches?

I watched quite a few Disney/Pixar myself, caught up with several new ones from the last year or so and used Disney+ for a lot of shorts. I admittedly haven't watched Oliver & Company in many, many years, but I did enjoy the music. It's down there for me too, but I do think The Black Cauldron or Home on the Range are probably my least favorites.

davidh777

I finished off my Trek animation run with Prodigy. I get that it’s a Nickelodeon show aimed at kids, but it felt like Clone Wars with Janeway thrown in.

orlmac

I finished the checklist and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. I watched most of the shows with my wife which added to the enjoyment factor. I thought the changes to the checklist were good. As usual, you did a great job hosting LJG765! I will enjoy a bit of a break in September and then it's onto the Horror Challenge and watching 100 movies in October!

coyoteblue

I did my checklist. Didn't do too bad, about 75-80% complete.

I do have a few suggestions:

(I know there's a reason we list the actors/directors but it just feels limiting now. Maybe for next year consider just highlighting a few actors/directors to watch as well as an actors/directors watched list (list 8 directors you watched,etc...)

• Instead of picking from list of actors - have people list 12 actors watched instead
• Instead of picking from list of directors - have people list 8 directors watched instead
• Let people pick the Winsor McKay Award Winners from the Annie Awards page, instead of listing a subset of winners (though it kinda feels like it's saying that already, so why are we listing a subset)?
• icheck movies - go from 2 to 1 slots for each

caligulathegod

I did watch chronologically, with the exception of Lady and the Tramp because my wife wanted to watch that with me so I had to delay it. It was the music in Oliver that really repelled me. Not that it was bad, but it was almost like Billy Joel song you might hear on the radio. They didn't even try to make it sound like they were integrated into the story or that the characters themselves were singing. It was like someone turned on the radio every so often and the characters lipsynched.

It's actually hard to tell what was new and what were rewatches. These films are so ingrained in the culture that it feels like I had watched many of them but other than a hand few, most were new experiences. For instance, Bambi. The childhood stuff was very familiar but the grownup stuff wasn't. I could have sworn I had watched Alice in Wonderland but most of it was new. I was surprised how much non-story filler was in it. I suppose that's the way the story is, but it was all new. I'll tell you what is akin to. Imagine having sung the National Anthem your whole life then finding out there's three more verses and some of them are racist. Did you know they don't even show a non-animal black character until Atlantis? They don't even show a black person until Fantasia 2000 (the guy who dreams of being a drummer instead of a construction worker) or a voice until Hercules (the Muse Greek Chorus). Not even background characters. The WWII travelog films were almost like Mondo films in how condescending they were to the South American cultures ("Look how quaint they are."). I don't think they were really being racist so much as just reflecting the culture of the time, so they kind of have to be accepted as time capsules.

LJG765

Fair critique on Oliver. It's for sure not the best Disney film out there. Maybe I'm just a sucker for orange cats.

Disney has been around long enough and become popular enough that they certainly have invaded our culture and others. Mickey Mouse is one of the most recognized characters around the world for a reason. And I think because of that, segments of movies/cartoons become re-shown, parodied, talked about so that you could quote parts without ever seeing the actual film.

I have to admit, I did not know that it took until Atlantis for there to be a main character that was a person of color. (I'm assuming that's what you mean, as there are black animal characters in the films like the crows in Dumbo, just not main characters.) I totally agree that the Disney Corporation had very similar views and stereotypes and are a product of their age and it wasn't right. It is understandable, but is something that very much should be addressed. Their whole attitude towards Song of the South where Disney just ignores its existence is so wrong. Apologize, recognize your privilege and admit that it's a product of its time and should be held up as an example of what not to do. Especially since they still use Br'r Rabbit and Zip pee doo doh song in their parks! They had a perfect platform to do so with their Disney Treasures line with Leonard Maltin and they totally squandered it!

I do think they are getting better at showing diversity. They get slammed by a lot of people who want the same old Disney but I do think they are trying. Encanto, Turning Red, Coco and Soul are really good examples. I appreciate that they are trying. I mean they are turning Splash Mountain, slowly, into a Princess and the Frog themed ride. I love that soundtrack, so I hope they are able to use it well in the ride!

Disney has some great films out there, but is definitely a flawed company. Okay, will get down off my soapbox.

I will put this in my reminders to talk about it next year. I'm open to changes and it would be different filling in the blank, though, maybe have 3 spots, but have to watch 3 shows per person/director? Also, I have been thinking about those icheckmovie slots. Maybe not going down on the number to see, but switching up the options?

Any feedback on this?

Thanks! Congrats on finishing the checklist! That can be difficult to do. It is always nice to have someone to watch with you. I'm definitely taking a break this month too.