esrosedotblog

GENIE-US

Today's movie was ALADDIN (1992); the Disney version. It was pretty good. Robin Williams gets just enough over the top before they reign him in and Aladdin is an undeniable hunk.

We saw it the first time and it did not droop on a second viewing. Laughter at the right places, tears, a little bit of scary stuff. How do they do that? It is an involuntary act of letting go all the thoughts and being taken in entirely. The mind does not even get to say that 'this is formula' or to notice that it is drawings!

It is all nice and it got to be one of the NewYorkTimes 1176 Best Films. I am going to give it a 4 out of Netflix5 just so the 'recommendation' paradigm doesn't overwhelm me with Disneyana.

I have not always been fond of Disney output. As a mere child, my mother took me to the big screen original Snow White and I spent some considerable time behind the seat in front of me. I freaked at the witch on the mountain thing.

My mother was always taking me to movies I should not have been seeing. When you look around in an R rated movie and see little kids, and go tsk tsk, just remember that was me. I think I was excused from Dumbo and the fire scene and all and..........keerist! I can't even think of it NOW!. Bambi is a wet hankie film.

When my own kids got old enough to go to them I was ambiguous about it all. I don't remember what I did. But the films always made me uncomfortable.

Somewhere along the way, they changed the formula of tragedy overcome. I don't know where the turning point was. Maybe when they realized that they could entertain the parents at the same time as the kids.

I don't know if there are any other Disneys coming in the queue for Best Films. But I do not dread it as I would have in the past.