Reminds me of ‘Lady and the Tramp’ on Christmas

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The dogs are a howling, and that can only mean one thing, movie #15 in the Filmspotting Disney Animated Marathon!

Story By: Don DaGradi, Ward Greene, Erdman Penner, Joe Rinaldi & Ralph Wright
Directed By: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson & Hamilton Luske

I am a dog lover, I will not hide that fact. I have had a dog in my life at every stage of my existence and I couldn’t imagine my life without a dog by my side. I will not deny my open bias and sentimentality towards movies that strongly feature dogs. If you think I am looking past glaring flaws as you read this review, then keep that in mind, you may be right and I don’t care because dogs in film make me happy, it’s that simple.

The first fifteen or so minutes of Lady And The Tramp are stunningly realistic and touching at the same time. No doubt a lot of the credit goes to the wonderful animation in those opening minutes. There’s something about watching Lady display all the wonderful characteristics that puppies are so well known for. The baying for attention, being afraid of the closing door, and most of all the repeated attempts to worm her way up to her master’s bedroom. Whenever I procure a new dog I can’t remain anywhere near as resolute as Jock does, all my puppy need do is look at me and I know it won’t be sleeping in a secluded part of the house that night or at any point in the future. Lady And The Tramp captures the little things that dogs do that do make the time spent with them an absolute joy. The loyalty, the undying devotion, the playfulness, the mess, every little thing they do that we as owners end up loving about them is captured in Lady And The Tramp, and especially in the first fifteen minutes.

The love for a dog isn’t the only realistic touch in Lady And The Tramp, because without a second’s thought I can proclaim Aunt Sarah as the number one villain in this marathon so far. What cemented it for me was when she takes Lady to get a muzzle, my exact reaction was, “Listen bitch, that’s not your dog, who the fuck are you to buy her a muzzle?” Aunt Sarah never does anything that is really all that bad, yet by simply rebuking Lady she instantly incurred my wrath and I never forgave her. You don’t mess with another person’s dog, you just don’t do that, and for doing that Aunt Sarah, you are a major league villain.

I told you I was going to be biased, but even with that being the case I wasn’t a big fan of the middle portion of the film. I’m pretty sure that the love story in the middle is the favorite section of every living breathing human who has seen Lady And The Tramp. I don’t want to rock the boat, but that section left me with a decidedly “meh” feeling. I wanted to go back to seeing the interactions between dog and human through the eyes of a dog. I came around on the love story in its final moments, but that middle section still doesn’t do much for me.

I came, I saw, I was biased and I loved Lady And The Tramp. Despite its flaws I was engaged by Lady And The Tramp and its wonderful presentation of an animal I happen to be very fond of. There are some dark moments, the animation is well done, the presentation of seeing the world through the eyes of dogs works, and while sentimental it is the type of sentiment I can get behind. I don’t know if it is required that you be a dog lover to love this film, but I do know that Lady And The Tramp is a film I greatly enjoyed, but try to buy a muzzle for my dog and I’ll sock you in the face. Do you know what I am saying? (God, I love Butters!)

Rating:

***1/2

Cheers,
Bill

Today I babysat some cool kids, which was the perfect excuse to play hopscotch and catch up on movies I haven’t seen since I became a different person (an adult).

Therefore, here are some movie reviews:

Lady and the Tramp

So it turns out this movie isn’t really about dogs. Or, it “is,” but it is actually a contemporary romantic drama disguised as a children’s film from the 1950s.

Here is the plot, since there is no way you could know it since everyone thinks it is about dogs eating spaghetti, which is misleading:

Lady is a society girl who has things pretty good. In fact, life couldn’t be better. She’s got a cozy set up, and anticipates a life full of quiet bliss. Tramp is a free-spirited rogue who survives the streets by charming, schmoozing, and improvising his way through tough times. However, in embracing his down-and-out lifestyle he is able to “have fun” and “live life,” which are things we learn Lady is afraid to do.

One forced plot point leads to another, and Lady finds herself out on the streets due to some bitchy cats and a huge misunderstanding. Although Lady initially doesn’t like Tramp, he charms her consistently so that she eventually ends up falling for him. (This is why this movie is about people; this could easily describe most of the dating circumstances I myself have been in.)

They eat spaghetti, and one thing leads to another and the two end up waking up side by side the next morning after a musical number about a “bella notte” (they had sex). Lady is swept up in the charisma and easy-going attitude of Tramp and ends up hesitantly agreeing to go do some risky things with him, like chase chickens (this also applies to real human dating situations, except instead of chickens the events involve guns).

Unfortunately, this is the end of Act 2, so something goes terribly wrong. Oops! Lady is in the pound. She doesn’t belong. What happened to the good ol’ society days? How could the Tramp mislead her so? The pound dogs admit she doesn’t belong there, and so sing about the Tramp, who, like his name suggests, sleeps around a lot. A Mexican Chihuahua with an offensive accent, typical mustache, and sombrero sings to Lady that Tramp slept with his sister, Rosita Chiquita Juanita, amongst others.

Lady is completely off put and offended by this info, but not because the sister’s name was highly stereotyped. When she gets out of the pound and Tramp tries to tell her “it’s not my fault!” she turns a deaf ear. This, too, seems scarily reminiscent of human male/female interactions. Blah blah blah; a rat almost eats a baby; Tramp helps Lady save the day; she realizes he’s a good guy after all and that he really does love her; they have small puppies together.

It was a fun movie to watch, but, again, unsettling that this movie about people was drawn to look like a movie about dogs. I don’t want to watch a movie where some of the guys I’ve dated look like a grey terrier mix.

Also, I could say a lot more about the blatant racism disguised, again, by cartoon dogs, but for a Disney movie this point seems too obvious.

Never Been Kissed

I watched this one after the kids fell asleep. I liked it when I was 13, and I still like it now that I’m old. However, the movie has pretty cliched and boring writing. Did you know Jessica Alba and John C. Riley are in it? Bet you didn’t.

This movie’s saving grace is Drew Barrymore. If Drew Barrymore weren’t absolutely adorable and lovely then her awkwardness really would be too painful to embrace. Luckily, this isn’t the case.

Also, I just realized that the teacher is hot. Normally, it might be “creepy” that a teacher is sort of hitting on his student and encouraging her to go to Dartmouth. However, I always really enjoy plot lines of this sort, and plus, the teacher is hot. So it was rewarding at the end when they finally kissed.

I don’t know. There really isn’t a whole lot to say about it, except that Drew Barrymore is amazing and that I was Josie Grossie in high school.

In fact, maybe this movie hit too close to home for me, because I briefly considered the possibility that going back to high school on an undercover newspaper report might not be such a bad idea. Especially if at the end of it you got to make out with a hot teacher. Doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance?

Last, Drew Barrymore says something smart, and I seriously don’t think you understand how much I love her, “All of you people, there is a big world out there… bigger than prom, bigger than high school and it won’t matter if you were the prom queen, the quarterback of the football team, or the biggest nerd in school. Find out who you are and try not to be afraid of it.”

YEAH.

]]> http://totallylookslike.com/2009/09/24/goldie-hawn-totally-looks-like-that-dog-from-lady-and-the-tramp/ Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:00:05 +0000 Cheezburger Network http://totallylookslike.com/2009/09/24/goldie-hawn-totally-looks-like-that-dog-from-lady-and-the-tramp/

Goldie Hawn Totally Looks Like that dog from Lady and the Tramp

» Think you can do better? Make your own!

Pictures by: dunno source, dunno source Look-Alike by: steph8608 via Totally Looks Like Builder

I’m not really sure how I’m going to write a coherent review of this movie, because all of my notes are just, “I love this song!” and “This scene is so cute!” and “I love Peg!” This is the first full-length Disney movie about animals that I really, really love. There’s no random cloud dancing, no drunken elephant hallucinations, just a good old-fashioned story about a rich girl and a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. It’s a story that’s been told enough times, but this time, there are puppies!

I love the character designs in this movie. Disney is great at taking animals or plants or enchanted teacups and giving them a personality just from their design. Here, they take physical qualities from different dog breeds and translate them into a more human way of thinking. Lady’s a Cocker Spaniel, the perfect breed for her, because her ears look like long, flowing hair. Tramp has that scruffy mutt look, which makes him the quintessential bad-boy rogue type. And of course, Jock has that fabulous Scottish brogue.

Like I said, this is a simple story. It’s also the first Disney movie with a romance that I can believe in. Our romantic leads don’t just meet and fall in love instantly while expressing themselves in song. They’re opposites, and it takes a while to see them start to work together as a couple. One of my favorite little moments is when the couple is at the zoo, trying to get Lady’s muzzle off. Tramp sells the muzzle to the beaver as a log puller, and when the beaver asks how much, Lady chimes in with, “It’s a free sample,” playing along. The impressed look on the Tramp’s face is just about the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.

And then there’s the spaghetti scene, of course. It doesn’t get old. It’s always so cute and so sweet and he rolls the meatball over to her with his nose! And then Lady’s demure look when they accidentally kiss. This movie turns me into a sappy romantic.

Awesomely, though, Tramp has the biggest change, rather than Lady. He sticks around to help fight off the GIGANTIC rat that has bypassed the kitchen in favor of…eating the baby, I guess, and he gets caught, just like the dogs in the pound predicted would happen. But then he’s rescued, of course, and he ends up living with Lady and her family, collar and all.

Have I mentioned my issues with the movie Grease? I am one of the, like, four people in the universe who doesn’t like that movie. I always hated that Sandy had to change who she was completely in order to be with her boyfriend. She was a nice girl, but she had to start dressing like a tart to get those chills multiplyin’, and that’s not cool with me. My point is that Lady doesn’t have to sacrifice a thing to be with the Tramp, and I LOVE THAT. She’s not okay going off to explore the world, because she has responsibilities (“But who’d watch over the baby?”), and the Tramp RESPECTS that (“You win”) and he settles down to be with her. Not to say that a dude should give up everything to be with his lady, but it always seems to go the other way around in these kinds of movies (wait till I rant about The Little Mermaid!), so it’s kind of satisfying to see Tramp have to change and become more responsible, because yeah, if he wants to be with his ladylove, he needs to respect her priorities.

Another awesome moment for the girls is Peg. I recently complained about the lack of female camaraderie in Disney, and now it seems that they already are making it up to me. When Lady’s getting picked on by the dogs in the pound for being so fancy, Peg jumps to her defense. They both have an interest the same dog, but the movie doesn’t exploit that by making Peg and Lady fight. We’ve got one female character looking out for another female character, and that always makes me happy.

I kind of can’t stop gushing about this movie. I mean, it begins and ends with Christmas and puppies, which are two of the best things in the world, so is it any wonder Lady and the Tramp is so perfect?

Favorite scene: He’s a Tramp

Because it’s such a great song! I mean, come on–Peggy Lee and the jazziness, and Peg’s overall awesomeness. And also, because the spaghetti scene would be too obvious.

Next time: Sleeping Beauty!

–YoSaffBridge

Now, here’s a breed that needs no introduction! As everyone knows, the Dalmatian was popularised in the 1955 animated Disney movie, Lady and the Tramp, and will forever be associated with the actress Glenn Close after she played the wicked Cruella de Vil in the remake. Do you remember her coat? Yes, it was covered in black spots and made from the skins of poor little Dalmatian puppies! She was such an evil character – probably the most evil character in the history of the cinema. Fortunately, in real life, the Dalmation is a much-loved breed that has been around for a lot longer than fifty years or so: indeed, it is one of the oldest breeds of dog on Earth.

Like Marco Polo and Goran Ivanišević, the Dalmatian is said to have originally hailed from Croatia. Although the breed is usually characterised by its heavily-spotted black and white coat, a special (and less common) liver-coloured version is also available. Pups are born in litters of six to eight, but without markings (these are added later). Whilst the breed generally enjoys very good health, a genetic predisposition to deafness has been identified. This is actually a good thing, as in the past many Dalmatians were drowned or discarded for being stupid or refusing to follow commands when in fact they simply couldn’t hear anything! (This is a bit like some teenagers, today, when they wear their headphones all day).

The Dalmatian is very good at sports such as hunting and running and is, on the whole, a kind dog. Dalmatians excel at catching vermin and helping firemen (so much so that the dog is now the official mascot of the American National Fire Protection Association). They are also associated with Budweiser, though they do not drink it themselves as they prefer Ožujsko, a native beverage. Dalmatians can live for as long as eighteen years, which is like a human being living to 216 years old! For this reason, they are not recommended for elderly owners. Like the Great Dane, they are also not suitable for people who live in small apartments.

I’ve read a lot of bios from different artists and most of them say they have been influenced to paint a certain style or subject because of studying other artists work.

I can attest to being one of them. Back in my childhood days I use to draw Disney characters all the time. I can’t tell you how many times I scribbled out a pencil drawing of Disney’s Scamp from “Lady and the Tramp” or Mickey Mouse. I was particularly drawn to Scamp as I felt a closeness to him as I thought of myself as a bit of a rebel even back at 10 years of age.

As the years passed I still remember times I would entertain anyone who asked me to make a drawing for them and if I couldn’t think of something quickly I always resorted to scribbling out the Hero Scamp which most everyone thoroughly enjoyed and were marveled by my ability to capture his likeness. At one time I actually had aspirations of working for Disney as an animator but as I grew older dismissed the idea and moved on to marketing and graphic design.

What influenced me as a child changed to many different forms and styles of art when I reached adulthood. By the time I was in college I was a complete fan of top designers such as Herb Lubalin and Saul Bass. I was interested in their ability to transcend the everyday designs used for advertising and marketing and bring something special to the table. More importantly, their work was recognized worldwide as being the best of the best in their field.

To me, they had a unique talent that communicated whatever the given subject was in a fresh and thought provoking manner. Movie titles created by Saul Bass became instantly recognized by their extreme graphic style both in typography as well as motion graphics used for opening titles.

Herb Lubalin, on the other hand, was more of a designer’s designer, known and highly regarding by the design community. He created art with typography and was responsible for developing typefaces and using type forms as designs used in logos and movie titles.

For a while I followed in their footsteps as I became a type setter in New York City and set headlines for such accounts as Pam Am and other large clients of the large ad agencies of the day.

By the time I came to California I had a full grasp of how to use Typography and before long I landed a job where my talent to create Motion Picture Title Treatments blossomed. I remember one incident where another designer said “How can I make this headline look good, the lower case “g” bumps into the lowercase “p” and looks weird?” I just said, “Let them connect and don’t worry about it, it’s just type and use it as artwork.” That became my viewpoint of typography and it the same to this day. It’s an artform.

I developed many logos over time but one of my favorites was “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”. The reason it is a somewhat unique experience is because I decided to design and produce the letter forms and arwork of the padlock with a magic marker and make it very rough looking. There was a meeting scheduled at the design firm I was working at to present the logo to the film’s producer and director, Michael Douglas and Saul Zaentz.

I brought in the logo and left it on the table for them to discuss with my boss and shortly afterwards he came running out of the meeting and exclaimed,”They love it, don’t change a thing, don’t tighten it up or anything! They love it just the way it is!!!” I laughed and said, “OK. That was the finished logo. I intended it to be that way.”

Here’s the logo taken off the finished poster.

I think there can be any number of things or people that can influence an artist. It’s even better when the artist recognizes it.

Here’s another painting I produced years ago but for the life of me I can’t tell you what influenced me to make it. I think it was another attempt to develop a style. It’s oil on canvas.

Rory and Lorelai are talking about Rory’s forthcoming date that evening for her and Dean’s three-month anniversary.

Lorelai: It’ll be like Lady and the Tramp.

Lorelai describes the spaghetti scene and Rory agrees to bring her back a meatball as a souvenir.

Lady and the Tramp (Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske, 1955)

It’s yet another special themed week here at Little Junkies…you might even say I have a few treats in store. Okay, so now you might actually be saying “what the hell is wrong with Junkie1?!” Allow me to clarify: In honor of the sure-to-be-great Julie & Julia release this Friday, I have dubbed this week: Food Week! I am taking over, and plan to regale you with my collection of the most delish bits of entertainment over the years. I’ll probably need someone to stop by to periodically wipe the drool from my face.

I’m not all linen cloth and 5 stars either. Sure, there are the schmany classics like Babette’s Feast, Tampopo, Eat Drink Man Woman, and Like Water for Chocolate. All iconic and scrumptious in their own right, but I am more interested in random, yet visceral, reactions to food in the movies. Some of the week will focus on food-related movies, but today I thought I’d start off with some drinks and appetizers or the food in movies that always makes me hungry–the things like those delightful little “Eat Me/Drink Me” bits in Alice in Wonderland and how almost every episode of Ducktales makes me want hot dogs, bubble gum, and hot chocolate! I’ve never really had White Castle, but I desperately want some after watching Harold and Kumar pine for it for 88 minutes. It’s like a delectable sneak attack!

Let Yum-fest ‘09 begin (note if you haven’t seen some of these, you should):

The Big Lebowski
Cravings: In & Out Burger, bar nuts, lingonberry pancakes, Pigs in a Blanket, and White Russians

The Imposters
Cravings: fresh bread, tea, cream puffs, a “cornucopia of delicacies,” giant martinis, and entire trays of hours d’overs

The Blues Brothers
Cravings: Shrimp cocktail, 3 whole chickens, dry white toast, and orange whips

Pineapple Express
Cravings: Suckers, Fruit Roll-Ups, birthday cake, and red slushies

The Breakfast Club
Cravings: Sushi, bag of chips, bag of mini-donuts, 3 turkey sandwiches, a pint of milk, oh and a banana…and an apple, pixie sticks, Cap’n Crunch, and PB&J with the crusts cut off

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Cravings: Eggs and sausage (via trolley), toot sweets, lollipops

The Mirror Has Two Faces
Cravings: Burger and a side salad…with extra dressing, Snow Balls, and crudites.

Moonstruck
Cravings: Bread!!!!!!

The Goonies
Cravings: Pizza, ice cream, and Baby Ruth

Repeat Offenders: I don’t know what it is about Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan, but I always want what they’re having!

Julia Roberts:
Mystic Pizza makes me want…Mystic pizza and sea food; I Love Trouble makes me want a BLT on whole wheat; hold the bacon, hold the mayo; America’s Sweethearts brings on the scrambled eggs and Julia’s massive shame breakfast towards the end of the movie is to die for (butter!); and speaking of breakfast and Julia, Pretty Woman always makes me want mini sliced bits of bar fruits, croissants, and sorbet.

Meg Ryan:
The majority of her quirk in When Harry Met Sally comes from the way she meticulously orders her food, and by the time she’s done describing it (and the litany of alternatives if her desires cannot be met) you want it too. Also, I don’t care how gross it is to watch young Harry spat grape seeds on Sally’s window, I gots to have me some grapes after I see that. (what were you expecting a sandwich orgasm reference? If you think I didn’t provide, then you missed it). In French Kiss you get the particular food stylings of Ms. Ryan + French cuisine. C’est magnifique! I want to try all four hundred and fifty-two ways of classifying what is basically a bacterial process (aka cheese) despite the…LACTOSE INTOLERANCE. I would like a bit of “a bold wine with a hint of sophistication and lacking in pretension,” too. And who doesn’t want to eat some fresh pretzel, an NYC hot dog, or some damn garnish after watching You’ve Got Mail or some strawberries on toast (served by Hugh Jackman of course) after watching Kate & Leopold? Hell, I could even go for some fresh, creamery buttah.

What are your favorites?

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WALL·E | Andrew Stanton, 2008

In this day and age where theatrical releases are commonly referred to as ‘international events’, it baffles me that the staggered release is still so widely implemented. Pixar, just like their parent company Disney have always made their money in the hot summer months. A time when kids are experiencing a waning need to be entertained, and their parents are looking for the perfect way to fulfil this. It makes little sense then that it has taken almost half a year since the American release of Pixar’s latest – WALL·E – for the film to make its way to Italy and one of Europe’s bigger capital cities. Still, as a dedicated fan of the studio I faithfully took to my local multiplex on a cold mid-week evening in mid-October, happy enough that there were few others around to distract me. To begin this review with bitterness would be an injustice however, because Pixar’s new hero is powered by entirely the opposite. WALL·E is a rusty waste-collecting robot deployed on earth to help with the “great cleanup” almost 700 years previous, employed by a large corporation as Earth was evacuated amid fears that its mounting level of garbage had become too much. Our little robotic friend has faithfully stuck to his task, building towers of trash to rival the empty landscape’s derelict skyscrapers. His day consists of a routine built around function and inspired by curiosity, a routine that is brought to a crashing halt by the appearance of another robot named EVE. WALL·E quickly becomes fascinated by this new introduction to his lonely World, and it is this fascination that opens the door for an incredible interstellar adventure.

While with Disney’s films the idea of ‘love’ was never far away, Pixar have always had trouble grasping and implementing this concept. Indeed, the closest they have come was in 2003 with their aquatic adventure Finding Nemo, a film that showcases a Father’s love for his son and remains my favourite of theirs. Neither Finding Nemo, WALL·E, nor any of the other Pixar films have tackled and portrayed romance in the way Lady and the Tramp or Robin Hood did, but this latest effort has a certain warmth to it that surely evokes the Disney classics of old. It is a warmth that inspires a certain degree of surprise considering exactly how it has been created. This is a film, we must remember, thats main protagonist is a non-speaking robot, a film that uses very little dialogue. Despite the innocence of its quirky protagonist, Pixar do go out of their way to present a number of not-so-subtle political and social messages throughout the film, least not the big, brash corporation to which WALL·E was born. When we finally do encounter humans they are obese, boneless and disabled. Moulded by centuries of consumer living. While I find it admirable that Pixar feel the need to bring such important issues as obesity to the attention of America’s collective conscience, here it just distracts from what the film is really about. WALL·E is about wonder, about innocence – about a little fellow whose inconceivable journey opens the eyes of an entire race and allows them to experience innocence once again. Not only is this Pixar’s most accomplished film to date, it is also undoubtedly their most ambitious.

Our Rating:

The gals and I saw The Proposal last night. You know, the Sandra Bullock/Ryan Reynolds rom-com out in theaters at the moment. Afterwards, over dinner and drinks, we tried to figure out what was the most romantic movie of all time. This was not an easy task. Classics such as Casablanca, Love Story, An Affair to Remember, It’s a Wonderful Life,  and Lady and the Tramp were put forth for debate. Gone with the Wind made it pretty far up the list and didn’t go down without a fight (though, being a group of southern ladies, this isn’t surprising). Love, Actually, While You Were Sleeping, When Harry Met Sally, Say Anything…, Titanic, Sleepless in Seatle, Annie Hall, The Princess Bride, Ghost, and Dirty Dancing were all tossed into the ring. More recent releases such as The Notebook, Wall-E, Atonement, and Slumdog Millionaire were brought up as well. And, by no means are these lists exhaustive. Of course, we all had our own favorites that were fought for tooth and nail until the bitter end: My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Sweet Home Alabama, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Groundhog Day, High Fidelity, and Amelie. This brings us to my choice…

The moment the question was posed, I immediately thought of Hannah and Her Sisters. Ok, maybe not the entire movie, but one scene in particular more than makes up for the rest of it on the romantic scale. The scene I refer to? The record store scene. It comes toward the end of the movie. Mickey (Woody Allen) is walking past a record store when he spots Holly (Dianne Wiest). He decides to go in and talk to her. They had been on a date several years ago that did not go well, to say the least. (“I had a great evening; it was like the Nuremberg Trials.”) Well, they really start to hit it off.  The energy between Mickey and Holly is palpable. I guess it’s more what the scene represents rather than the actual scene itself.  Hope. New love. Second chances. It’s all there.

We finally did decide on the ‘most romantic movie of all time’, though I think we just chose one to end the lengthy (and several bottles of wine later) debate. Romeo and Juliet. Not the Leonardo DiCaprio/Claire Danes version, but the old school 1968 Franco Zeffirelli one. It is a classic and how much more romantic than Shakespeare can you get?

I would love to know what everyone else’s picks are. Comment and let me know…

Cindarella (1950)

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Peter Pan (1953)

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

One Hundred and One Dalmations (1961)

The Sword in the Stone (1963)

Jungle Book (1967)

Aristocats (1970)

Robin Hood (1973)

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

The Rescuers (1977)

Restaurant: Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
Location: Magic Kingdom Park, Main Street USA (Park Admission is required)
DDP: Yes 1 Credit
Tables in Wonderland: Yes
Meal Eaten: Lunch
ADRs: Recommended
Lunch Menu
Dinner Menu
Dessert Menu

 Through the years I have actually avoided Tony’s solely based on mixed reviews I have read on the web.  Back in 2007 Kim and I tried Tony’s to decide for ourselves, and to give you an idea about my opinion of  Tony’s, this review was my third trip back.

Waiting for our table

We arrived at Tony’s 15 minutes before our ADR (advanced dining reservation) time of 11:30.  We were let into the waiting area and Kim and I sat in the comfy chairs along the far wall. We waited only a few minutes before the world famous Dapper Dans came into the waiting area and sang us a few songs before announcing Tony’s was open for lunch.   We were the third party called and we were quickly seated along the entrance wall located to the right as you enter the main dining room.

Let me take a moment to describe the restaurant.  For me the highlight of  Tony’s is something no one ever talks about and that is the decor.  Right from the start the waiting area offers you your first glance at the beautiful paintings  from the 1955 Disney classic Lady and the Tramp.  Scenes from the movie are all over the waiting area and in the main dinning room.  (A Keen eye will notice the same red pinstriped table clothes used in the Bella Nolte scene as matching the one on their dining table.)  Each painting was done by Senior Charector Artist Don “Ducky” Williams.  I had the pleasure of meeting Ducky in 2005 aboard the Disney Magic during a 7 day cruise along the Mexican Riviera.   

The restaurant has two dining rooms.  The main room is much nicer than the restaurant featured in the film. The room has a brightly polished black and white tiled floor.  The ceiling is high and ornate with rich wood moldings.  The seating surfaces are green vinyl and the seat backs of the benches are upholstered with a needle point rose pattern.  The benches are created by large cross shaped islands that break up the large dining room.  They each have planter boxes and polished bass lights with large white globes similar to the lamp posts out front on Main Street USA.  The centerpiece of the room is a beautiful fountain topped with  a bronze statue of Lady and the Tramp.  The fountain is lit up by dark blue lights that shine on the statue and the water.  The other dining room is located on the front porch.  Large windows overlook Main Street USA.  This room is often closed during the slower parts of the day.  It is a contrast to the dark warm tones to the main dining room as the large windows allow so much light in.  Ceiling fans slowly spin overhead and there is a large stained glass window in the ceiling.  Hanging plants give this room a feeling of dining in a conservatory.

Now seated, our server came over and took our drink order and left us menus.  She was very friendly and polite.  Kim and I looked over the menu and I had a hard time deciding.  I went with the Chicken Parmigiana which is described as “Lightly breaded Chicken Breast with Marinara Sauce, melted Mozzarella over Spaghetti”. ($16.99) Kim had the Eggplant Catasta (Stack) discribed as, ”Layers of Eggplant, Fresh Mozzarella, and Parmesan with Marinara Sauce” It is served with penne pasta. ($12.99) It looked to me to be Eggplant Parmesan but because it was layered it wasn’t officially Parmesan. Our server returned with our drinks.  She missed bringing Kim a lemon slice with her Diet Coke as Kim requested when she ordered.  I had ordered iced tea so I gave up my lemon and gave it to Kim.  Who said chivalry was dead.  Our food arrived surprisingly quick.  Mine was a single thick boneless breast of chicken that was lightly breaded.  The chicken was perfect, it had a bit of a crust on it but not so hard it was difficult to cut.  The chicken was very tender and moist.  I also found the spaghetti to be firm and not mushy as is often the case when ordering it in a restaurant.  Now I get a little nervous when Kim orders eggplant in a restaurant.  For those of you that haven’t cooked it or ever ordered it in a restaurant, egg plant is one of those foods that can be easily destroyed.  Kim has ordered eggplant i other restaurants before and has not

Chicken Parmesan

been happy with it.  It has to be cooked just right, too long and it will start to get soft, too quick and it is too spongy, let it sit too long before serving and it will have a mushy texture.  Fortunately the eggplant was done perfectly, Kim was very pleased with the texture, temperature and taste of her dish.   The food was brought out to us directly from the kitchen, our server did not see them bring it out as she was taking the order of another table.  My problem with this way of serving is we waited a long time before we could get her attention so we could get some grated cheese.  Not a big deal but the person from the kitchen should have the cheese with them and not rely on the server.  We finished our meal and Kim ordered her favorite dessert, simple known to us as “The Bomb”.  On the menu it is the Ice Cream Bomb described as chocolate and vanilla ice cream covered in rich chocolate coating ($5.99).  The description leaves out that the ice cream sits on a thin yellow cake like doughnut. The whole thing is encased in a hard chocolate candy shell with a chocolate sauce drizzle, it truly is “the bomb”.  We finished dessert and waited a while for the check.  I would have to say that although our server wasn’t bad, she wasn’t that good.  Like I had mentioned before, this was our third trip back to Tony’s and this server was not of the same level as the last two times we visited.  In fact we noticed our server from our last meal Mark serving and wished we had asked for him. If you want an excellent server ask for Mark from New Haven Connecticut, he is really good.

Over all Tony’s offers a menu that is beyond the typical burger, chicken nuggets and wraps that so dominate the Magic Kingdom’s menu boards.  Our food was delicious and served hot and fresh. The decor is warm and inviting, especially on the day we visited as it was a very dark and gloomy afternoon with heavy rain.  If you find yourself needing a place to eat in the Magic Kingdom make reservations for Tony’s Town Square Restaurant.  Be sure to make note of the artwork on all of the walls, it is part of what makes this location one of my favorites. 

Kim with, "The Bomb"

Center Fountain

Main Dining Room

The Dapper Dans performed in the waiting area before we were seated

“Back in the mid 90’s the agency that I was employed by got me quite a bit of Disney work. I had a lot of fun penciling and inking such properties as The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Lady and the Tramp, and Winnie the Pooh. I also worked on such classic characters as Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, amongst many.” — Ryan Brown

☻ ☺

–>> ** I have uploaded many pieces of Ryan’s Disney work for Western Publishing, Golden Books & Classic Media in a special set on my FlickR site .. CLICK HERE !! **

..umm , Ryan ..

.. wrong ears , dude !!

~ t

[Editor's Note: I found this Ex Situ via the indispensable The Disney Blog.]

Mr. Michial Farmer at Ladder on Wheels has written an excellent two-parter about themes of darkness and anxiety in Disney and Pixar movies (including Up). It’s practically a survey of disturbing things in Disney and Pixar movies. The first part is all about how dark the early Disney features were, and how they lost some of that darkness after (roughly) World War II:

…All of the early Disney features—for our purposes, let’s define “early” as prewar, which would allow us to work with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo, and Bambi—are shiny and beautifully drawn, but all of their prettiness only serves to hide the deep, existential dread at their cores.

While Mr. Farmer has a good point, I do think he neglects some of the darker imagery of The Rescuers, The Black Cauldron, The Lion King, or even Lilo & Stitch. Though the darkness in these films isn’t quite as fundamental or thematic as most of the pre-WWII examples he gives.

His second part is all about how Pixar’s stories are successful partly because they have embraced those  mature themes which have been largely absent from the post-war Disney films. Here’s part of his discussion of Finding Nemo:

Finding Nemo, on the other hand, begins with a reference to and amplification of the central terror in Bambi. Here Marlin’s wife dies a terrible death just as they’re planning their life together, and the Barrucuda who eats her also goes ahead and takes out all but one of her eggs. Marlin—understandably, although the film doesn’t seem to acknowledge that!—becomes a picture of anxiety, protecting his disabled son (a nod to Dumbo, though Nemo doesn’t get the brutal mocking that his elephantine counterpart does) from the world that took his wife with little to no warning.

It’s very true that Pixar does not shy away from including  more sophisticated and mature themes. It’s certainly part of the reason why Pixar movies  resonate strongly with both kids and adults. Pixar also does not make the mistake (common among the filmgoing public) of mistaking “dark/edgy” for “dark/mature.” A lot of cartoon and comic fans seem to think it validates their love of the artform if disturbing stuff is haphazardly included, whether or not it actually adds anything symbolically or thematically. Pixar probably learned its lesson after that first disastrous “edgy” draft of Toy Story.

Deep in the Big Black Heart of the Sunshine State
Part 1 >Catena Ex Situ
Part 2 >Catena Ex Situ

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10 Great movies with dogs.

1. 101 Dalmatians (1996)

Great all-star cast: Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels and the screenwriter was John Hughes.

The acting is amazing and there were some very clever scenes.

2 Lassie (2005)

This is a classic from your (the parent’s) childhood. Hence, it has to be mentioned.

3. Beethoven (1992)

Comedy about Saint Bernard

Laugh out loud comedy with Saint Bernard and set in the suburbs. It stars Charles Gordon, Bonnie Hunt, Stanley Tucci, Oliver Platt, and the screenplay was written by John Hughes

4. Dr Dolittle (1998)

A vet who can communicate with animals and stars Eddie Murphy.

5 Lady and the Tramp (1955)

A classic romance story, but it involves two dogs.

6 The Mask (1994)

One of Jim Carrey’s earlier works. Stanley Ipkiss’s best friend is a dog. (Also Cameron Diaz has a role.)

7 Scooby Do (2002)

A live animation with a dog who can talk. It star Freddie Prinze Jr., Matthew Lillard, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Rowan Atkinson, and Isla Fisher.

Amazing acting by Matt Lillard who is Norville ‘Shaggy’ Rogers.

8 Toy story (1995)

One of Pixar’s earlier works. The dog is a toy, but still the special effects are great. Voices by Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, etc.

9 The adventures of Milo and Otis (1989)

A pug tries to find his best friend, a pug named Otis.

10 Cats & Dogs (2001)

A war between cats and dogs. Very clever.

Stars Jeff Goldblum and Elizabeth Perkins. Voices from Tobey Maguire, Alec Baldwin, Susan Sarandon, and Jon Lovitz.

Disney and Pixar are at it again, trying to keep up their long running tradition of bringing credibility back to animated movies. Their newest weapon in their arsenal is “Up” a movie about an old man who sets his house airborne with balloons (which apparently really could happen) to go on one heck of an adventure.

The movie opens with a backstory about the old man, Carl Fredricksen, which includes some very adult topics I was surprised to see. Without wanting to spoil anything about the motive, let me just say young kids will probably not understand but you will appreciate the topics they cover to make you familiar with this man.

Overall the movie ends up being deeper and more immersive than I expected. The trailers depicted a grouchy old man who is trying to just be left alone in one final flight of fancy. In reality though there is a lot of emotion in this surprisingly dynamic character as he tries to fulfill a long standing promise to the woman he loves but gets stuck with this cub scout overachiever, Russell.

The movie progresses as expected for a Disney children’s movie. Things start out fine, then they run into some obstacles here and there, there is a villain with some henchmen who need to be defeated somehow, loveable sidekicks, happy ending. Despite this cookie-cutter storyboard, the execution is spot on. The writing is superb and there are enough jokes both with and without mature connotations to keep you laughing. It is still for kids though so expect some slap-stick type of humor, but tastefully done. And then there is Dug.

Dug is a golden retriever written to be just like a golden retriever. He is lovable but stupid, loyal but clumsy, and doles out affection like an overzealous lunchlady with a really big ice cream scooper. And he can talk! One of the best parts about the movie is that yes it’s a talking dog but not a talking dog like in say Lady and the Tramp where the dogs were basically humans with paws and fur.

Instead the dogs (Dug may be the best one, but there are more than just him) talk like you would expect dogs to talk. The collars are supposed to turn their thoughts into words so the mention and sight of a ball for example sends Dug into an excited frenzy.  His words are exactly what you would expect a dog out in the wilderness to say too, especially a golden retriever meeting new people. If for no other reason, go see this movie for Dug. Here’s a little preview of one of his “golden” lines: “Hey, that is a bird! I have never seen one up close, but this is a bird. May I take your bird back to camp as my prisoner?”, now tell me you couldn’t see a dog saying that.

Also there is an old man versus old man fencing scene which is quite funny and basically just spits in the eye of the Hollywood old people “taboo”.

Finally I wanted to make a short statement about the Disney Digital 3D experience: “Holy Shit!”

This was the first time I saw a “3D” movie since seeing some crummy Muppet show at Universal Studios in Florida when I was six. There part of the 3D was to put bubbles out into the audience, here though it was incredibly well done. Say goodbye to those gimmicky “I’m reaching out of the screen to get you” visuals and hello to background and foreground separation. It was much more as if you were watching theatre. After a while you kind of forget that you’re watching something in “3D” and just appreciate that it looks really really good and realistic despite being animated. If you have the option watch this movie in 3D, I’m sure it will still be great without it, but it has to be powers of ten better with it.

Final verdict:
9.5 out of 10 peanuts due to the pre-movie Pixar short that just did not live up to previous animations (though it did have an admittedly cute and touching ending)

~Walnut

El parque temático de Magic Kingdom, uno de los 4 parques tematicos en Walt Disney World Resort, captura el encanto de los cuentos de hadas con divertido entretenimiento, clasicas atracciones, tours tras bastidores y los queridos Persoanjes de Disney.

Diseñada como una rueda con con el centro frente al Castillo de Cenicienta (Cinderella Castle), los caminos se extienden atravesando los 107 acres de terreno que el parque temático de Magic Kingdom posee, llevando al visitante a 7 maravillosas tierras:

1.   Main Street, U.S.A.®

            Main Street, U.S.A. es la primera “tierra temática” al pasar por la puerta de entreda a muchos parque de Magic Kingdom en el mundo. Cada Main Street, U.S.A. (con excepción de Tokyo Disneyland) tiene una estación de tren sobre la entrada.  Main Street esta repleta de tiendas de ropa y comida. Esta decorada al estilo de los pequeños pueblos de principios del siglo 20 e inspirada por la niñez de Walt Disney y la película de La Dama y El Vagabundo(Lady and the Tramp).

2.  Adventureland®

     El tema de Adventureland es de semejar las selvas remotas de Africa, Asia, el Medio Oriente, islas desiertas, Sur America y Pacífico del Sur. “Queremos  crear una tierra que haria este sueño realidad”, dijo Walt Disney, “nos imaginamos aislados de la civilización, en las remotas junglas de Asia y Africa.” Atracciones más destacadas están Pirates of the Caribbean y Swiss Family Treehouse.

3.  Frontierland®

     El tema de Frontierland es de semejar al Oeste Americano en los 1800’s  y es hogar de vaqueros y pioneros, salones, y fiebre de oro. Cada momento de  Frontierland tiene un Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, y un trecho de río en el frente. Otras atracciones que se encuentran en esta Tierra incluyen Splash Mountain, el Country Bear Jamboree, Tom Sawyer Island, y paseo por río en barco de vapor.

4.  Liberty Square(La Plaza de la Libertad)

     Esta Tierra es exclusiva de Magic Kingdom. Usando el tema de las Colonias de los Estados Unidos en los años 1800 , se pueden ver replicas de La Campana de la Libertad(Liberty Bell) y Árbol de la Libertad(Liberty Tree).Una de las más populares atracciones en Magic Kingdom, la Mansión Enbrujada(Haunted Mansion), esta ubicada en esta tierra. Presidiendo en el centro de la plaza esta el Hall of Presidents(Salón de Los Presidentes), un show de historia Americana el cual exhibe una figura de cada Presidente de los Estados Unidos. Liberty Square tiene una gran trecho frente a Rivers of America y el barco de vapor Liberty Belle sale de un pequeño muelle alli.  La tierra goza de excelentes vistas del río y de la Isla de Tom Sawyer contiguo en Frontierland.

   mapa

5.  Fantasyland®

     Fantasyland en Magic Kingdom tiene 10 atracciones. Tambien hay 2 areas para conocer y saludar personajes de Disney; La Gruta de Ariel(Ariel’s Grotto), que presenta a La Sirenita(The Little Mermaid),y el Jardín de los Cuentos de Hadas(Fairytale Garden), en la que Bella(Belle) de la Bella y La Bestia(Beauty and the Beast) lee un cuento clásico de Disney. El Castillo de Cenicienta(Cinderella Castle) contiene un mosaico mostrando cuento de la Cenicienta y dispone el restaurante Cinderella’s Royal Table.

6.  Mickey’s Toontown® Fair

      El tema de esta Tierra es de un pequeño pueblo que sirve de anfitrión de la feria del condado.Las atracciones principales de Toontown Fair son The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm: una montaña rusa para niños convertida en el avión de fumigación de Goofy. Y La Casa de Campo de Mickey(Mickey’s Country House): Una atracción que consiste en caminar por la casa de Mickey Mouse. La más reciente de las atracciones es Pixie Hollow: Un área para saludar a Campanita(Tinker Bell) y otros personajes de Disney Fairies.

7.  Tomorrowland®

        Las atracciones de Tomorrowland estan diseñadas para darte la oportunidad de participar en aventuras que son el plano viviente del futuro. Algunas de las atracciones clasicas de Disney World todavía siguen funcionando en Tomorrowland: el PeopleMover esta aqui bajo el nombre de Tomorrowland Transit Authority, y el Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress fue traido aqui desde California. Otras de las clasicas atracciones son Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin y Tomorrowland Indy Speedway.

 Viaje por estas Tierras y vea como la fantasia se hace realidad cuando aprenda a ser un pirata, compare su inteligencia con la de comicos animales, y conquiste montañas. Quedese impactado de ver increibles desfiles y shows de fuegos artificiales en el parque temático de Magic Kingdom, donde los sueños se hacen realidad para niños de todas las edades.

 Si busca espaciosas villas a precios accesibles y cerca de sus parques tematicos favoritos durante su vacación en Orlando, le recomiendo visitar  http://espanol.orlando-florida.net/ para mayor información de las propiedades de Westgate Resorts, incluyendo Westgate Blue Tree Resort, Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa, Westgate Leisure Resort, Westgate Palace, Westgate Towers, Westgate Town Center y Westgate Vacation Villas.

 Orlando, Florida Guide, la guía más completa en línea de Orlando, le ofrece información  de tiquetes a Disney World, tiquetes a Universal Orlando, y tiquetes a Sea World Orlando.