Disney Movies A-Z June Exercise Challenge

[sophy1996]

Congratulations to scdak and to me, sophy1996, for turning Amazing Azure!

"D" brings to mind the inspirations for Magic Kingdom and Disneyland attractions Dumbo (1941) and Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955). Also, in 1959, Disney released a film that Walt himself had announced more than ten years earlier: Darby O'Gill and the Little People. Based on stories by Herminie Templeton Kavanagh, the film about an Irish caretaker matching wits with the king of the leprechauns starred Albert Sharpe, Janet Munro, and Sean Connery. Darby O'Gill brought Connery to the attention of Albert R. Broccoli, who of course later cast him as 007 in Dr. No. Interestingly, Darby O'Gill has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer!

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

155 minutes since last check in - combo of gardening, barn chores, strength training, and walking

225/1200

I'm adding Darby O'Gill to my need-to-see list.

 

[snels]

220/1000
I got my minutes walking.

 

[Tasha228]

160/1700

 

[sophy1996]

Congratulations to Twilight Sparkle and the team as a whole for turning Amazing Azure! Other team members are within minutes of a color change!

On to E. Ignoring the Ernest movies, I'd rather focus on Ed Wood (1994) and Enchanted (2007).

Ed Wood was directed and produced by Tim Burton and stars Johnny Depp as real-life (reel-life?) cult filmmaker Edward D. Wood, Jr., who, among other endeavors, made low-budget horror and sci-fi films like Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 From Outer Space. Martin Landau won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing Bela Lugosi, which was the first time that a performer won an Oscar for portraying an actual movie star.

Enchanted is an atypical princess story that blends animation with live-action. An evil queen (Susan Sarandon) sends sunny Giselle (Amy Adams) from her animated native land, Andalasia, to live-action Manhattan, where she encounters a lawyer (Patrick Dempsey). The film abounds with references to other Disney works, especially in the opening minutes. Also look for cameos by Jodi Benson (Ariel), Paige O'Hara (Belle), and Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas). Apparently a sequel that picks up the story ten years later, Disenchanted, is being planned for 2018.

One of the things I liked about Enchanted was how it poked fun at Disney princess movies, as in "The Happy Working Song"-- instead of cute little mice and birds as in Cinderella, Giselle summons New York rats, pigeons, and insects to help her clean.

 

[sophy1996]

25-minute walk

170/1200

 

[Shrfleen]

I am at 60 minutes, total 60/450

I also signed up for the runDisney Virtual Shorts 5ks, that gives me the motivation to complete my goal!

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

70 minutes from yesterday and this morning

295/1200

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

Love the Enchanted Happy Working Song video! Cracked me up.

 

[galaxygirl76]

Oops, forgot to check in. I'm going for 1000 this month, trying to get back on my regular schedule after the always awful mid-May/first week of June work month

6/4 55 minutes of cardio
6/5 55 minutes of lower body strength
6/6 30 minute walk and 60 minutes of upper body strength

200/1000

 

[snels]

310/1000
I mowed lawn for 90 minutes.

 

[Tasha228]

255/1700

 

[sophy1996]

Yay, more color changes!

Welcome snels as the first Exciting Orange member, and Shrfleen, galaxygirl76, and Tasha228 all turned Amazing Azure. (And Twilight Sparkle, you're *this* close to a color change!)

Lots of well-known "F" movies, including Fantasia (1940), Finding Nemo (2003), and Freaky Friday (1976 and 2003). One of my all-time favorites, though, is Follow Me, Boys! (1966), starring Fred MacMurray and Vera Miles. In an effort to impress Vida Downey (Miles), Lem Siddons (MacMurray) volunteers to lead a Boy Scout troop. Over the years, that impulsive decision changes not only their lives, but the lives of dozens of boys in their small town.

Follow Me, Boys! was 15-year-old Kurt Russell's first role with Disney (and the first of ten Disney roles in ten years). On the other end of the career spectrum, the film also features two actors whose careers dated back to the days of silent films: Lillian Gish, whose first film was D.W. Griffith's An Unseen Enemy in 1912, and Charlie Ruggles, whose first screen role was in Peter Gynt in 1915.

Follow Me, Boys! was released on December 1, 1966, just two weeks before Walt Disney's death. At the end of October 1966, he made an introduction for the movie, which was the last footage of him. (He mainly took the opportunity to promote the upcoming move The Happiest Millionaire, but toward the end he does get back to Follow Me, Boys!)

 

[sophy1996]

20-minute walk

190/1200

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

50 minutes walking and upper body

345/1200

 

[PollyannaMom]

Have been lazy about posting, but am keeping up better with minutes this month (mostly walking):

Sat (6/3) - 30 minutes
Sun (6/4) - 10
yesterday (6/6) - 15
today (6/7) - 20

total new minutes: 75
running total: 105/450

I love Follow Me Boys, and can't believe I've never seen Enchanted! I've started a list on my minutes spreadsheet.

 

[Shrfleen]

60 minutes today 120/450

 

[sophy1996]

60 minutes of walking

250/1200

 

[sophy1996]

And even more . Congratulations to Twilight Sparkle and Shrfleen for achieving Exciting Orange, and to PollyannaMom for reaching Amazing Azure!

For some reason I haven't seen too many Disney-related movies that start with "G" (as distinguished from ones rated "G"). It looks like there are a few sports stories: Glory Road (2006), based on the true story of the 1966 men's basketball team from Texas Western College, the first college basketball team with an all-black starting lineup; Goal! The Dream Begins (2005), about a young man of Hispanic background from LA who gets the chance to play for one of England's top football (soccer) clubs; and Gus (1976), a family comedy about a losing football team that might just win the Super Bowl with the help of their new kicker -- a mule. In addition to Gus, for animal lovers, there is Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog (1961), based on the story of a mid-18th century dog in Edinburgh, Scotland, who refused to leave his master's grave. And finally, a film I'd never even heard of is Gnomeo and Juliet (2011), a computer-animated feature loosely based on Romeo and Juliet -- but with garden gnomes.

 

[Twilight Sparkle]

I had no idea Gnomeo and Juliet was a Disney film. We have it and LOVE it! We're big Shakespeare fans around here. The score is mostly classic Elton John songs which we also love. I'll have to add it to our all-night-Disney-movie-marathon line up for ADR eve.