Our list continues with the early parts of the top 25, movies that got a decent amount of support but not enough to vault up the rankings. Tomorrow: #21.
22) Fantasia (2 votes, 88 points)
Shaun: Rather than bash Fantasia, I will be the first to admit that I might just not “get it.” It honestly kinda bored me. Then again, I don’t really get ballet or opera either, so maybe I’m just uncultured. What I will say is I’m impressed at how iconic Fantasia is. Many of the images and vignettes have persisted to this day. Everyone knows apprentice Mickey, and most people have at least seen the horrific demon thingie (you know what I mean). Fantasia has managed to stay relevant, and that’s more than I can say for The Three Caballeros.
Chris: Chernabog, a creature so evil that Walt Disney called it the devil — and it’s funny you should mention it, Shaun. I never saw Fantasia as a kid, so my first experience with anything related to the movie (and this is somewhat sad) was…Kingdom Hearts. Yes, just when you think you’re minding your own business near the end of the game, Night on Bald Mountain starts playing ominously in the background, and then that giant bastard shows up.
Fantasia is interesting for a few reasons. One, it has to be near the top of the leaderboards for Sequels Released Waaaaay After the Original. Fifty-nine years is a big gap. It was also released just before World War II, when Mickey Mouse was *gasp* getting less popular. And while I enjoy several of the selections Cary mentions below, my favorite is probably Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.
Cary: Nothing could have prepared me for the first time I saw Fantasia as a kid. But growing up in a household that favored classical music meant that much of the movie at least sounded familiar. It took me several viewings over several years to appreciate what was going on, and for many years, my favorite sequence was “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” simply because it contained Mickey Mouse (and maybe because I wanted a walking broom to help with chores). These days I favor The Nutcracker Suite sequences, particularly “The Arabian Dance,” as it’s a downright beautiful piece of music. And, of course, not much can beat A Night on Bald Mountain in terms of downright creepy and sinister animation.
David: Whenever I see that sorcerer’s hat, I instantly start singing the song. For years as a kid, I only thought Fantasia was that one scene. When I grew up and realized what classical music really means, and how it tells a story, I watched Fantasia in an entirely different way. From a pure wonder and “Man! This is a fun movie!” standpoint this doesn’t belong anywhere near the top 25. But for what it meant to animation at the time it was released gives it the nod.
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“From a pure wonder and ‘Man! This is a fun movie!’ standpoint this doesn’t belong anywhere near the top 25.”
Ahem, David (If that’s your *real* name.) I beg to differ. I need only say dancing hippos and topless nymphs. BOOM.