Disney Top 100 Live Action Films (Part 2)

In this episode, we list the top 50 live action Disney films. 

Thanks for listening! 

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:01

Hello everyone. I just wanted to say before the show starts, we are going to be talking about the top 50 live-action Disney films, according to your host, David Heath. But unfortunately, I made an egregious error. And that error was Old Yeller somehow missed the list. And it was an egregious error on my part. I scoured the list of Disney films over and over again. And somehow I just didn't end up ranking Old Yeller. But let's just say Old Yeller is in my top four, five, or six. And even though I don't mention it, I just want to say, yeah, Old Yeller should have been on that list. And I am ashamed, but I did not want to record a whole I didn't want to record a whole nother episode. And uh was trying to figure out how to edit it, but it was just going to take too much effort. So I just decided, hey, let's just add this at the beginning. And hey, thanks for forgiving me. Hello, and welcome to Cinema Chat with David Heath. And I am the host of this year podcast. And my name is David Heath. And I am happy to come back to you today as uh we will uh continue our Disney countdown. The we're counting down uh Disney live action films, uh ranking them 100 to 1 or 1 to 100, however you want to put it. But we started 100 and went all the way down to 51 last week. I'm Casey Case. Um no, I I do want to remind you that this is the podcast where we talk about movies from every era and just about every genre. And we have had a continuing series about the about Disney. Uh we are going to be wrapping things up uh pretty soon. Uh we are going to on this show uh discuss uh the Disney live action films. Uh we'll rank them from 50 to 1. Uh we started the 100 and went to 51. Now we're down to number 50, and I'm Casey Caseum. Um, we're going to go uh from 50 to 1, and uh I appreciate everybody listening. And before I get started with the countdown, uh here's a long distance dedication. Okay, that's the last Casey Case I'm joke I'm gonna say. But no, seriously, if if you would please uh uh rank the the podcast uh hopefully five stars, and if you could review, uh especially if you want to leave a kind review, uh that would be fantastic. I really appreciate everybody who's done so so far. Uh and uh the show ranks uh uh highly amongst uh the apps that uh all the ones I've seen, uh most of the reviews have been well, all the reviews have been very good. Uh somebody ranked me low, I didn't, but they didn't say why in a review. I don't know why. But in any case, uh uh we're going to do the fit Disney 50 to 1 live action films. And this again, if you didn't listen to the other episode, um, you know, you could you could continue to listen to this. Uh, but it would be more exciting if you went back and listened to the previous episode and then come back here and I'll be uh you'll catch me right where right in the middle. Uh so uh let's see, and then we're going to in a few months we're going to rank the Disney animated features, uh, the theatrical releases. This will be fun. Uh now just to go over the rules, if you don't want to listen to the uh other episode, why not? Uh but uh you know I'm kind of made the rules as I went along with this. Uh uh I'm limited to mostly theatrical releases, um, and uh and I'm for the most part eliminating sequels. Uh I made a couple of exceptions on sequels and a couple of exceptions on remakes, but uh but mostly um I have um I have uh ranked them uh uh you know like if if if this a movie has a sequel, I'm looking at the sequels as you know, assuming that they're equal to the first one, which they are not. Uh you know, as a matter of fact, the first one we're going to talk about, uh the sequels are definitely not equal to the others. Uh but uh so let's get started though with uh number 50, uh movies where this the sequels definitely did not live up to the first one. Um, but it is uh what the love button, or I'm sorry. Ah uh oh. Sorry, I'm on the wrong one. Uh-oh. X that uh this one doesn't have a sequel. Um I was looking at the wrong wrong part of the list. Uh it's Snowball Express. Snowball Express doesn't have a sequel. Uh Snowball Express, though, is a family movie, which of course most of the movies on this list are family movies. Um but it was uh came out in 1972. Um and it is directed by Norman Tokart, which who directed uh many of the films that are on the list, uh, and notably it was produced by Ron Miller, who was getting started uh as uh uh a Disney studio uh big shot. Eventually he would run the studio uh by 1979. Uh but uh it stars Dean Jones, uh Nancy Olson, Harry Morgan, Keenan Wynne, Johnny Whitaker, and uh George Lindsay, uh Kathleen Cody, and uh Mary Wicks. And uh Mary Wicks is somebody that um when you see her, you think she is Margaret Hamilton. I remember when I was a kid, I thought she was Margaret Hamilton, and then one time I saw Sigmund and the Sea Monsters with Johnny Whitaker, um, and um Margaret Hamilton appeared in an in a couple of episodes of that with Mary Wick. So I'm going, wait a minute, I I thought that was who it was. Uh, but uh it's kind of funny. Uh but it also uh has uh podcast uh uh guest Mike Michael McGreeby, uh, who uh was in a couple of the movies that we mentioned earlier, uh for the love of Willadine and Sammy the Way Out Seal. Uh he's got the third one on this list, and there's some more to come uh with Mike Michael McGreebey. I I guarantee you that. Uh but uh uh this is uh kind of a uh silly uh silly comedy where the this family has to move uh to uh to uh a hotel uh because they are going to be running the hotel. Not exactly the shining, I will say that. But it is quite funny. And the next uh movie uh is number 49, uh, which is uh Follow Me Boys, uh starring Fred McMurray. And in the uh movie uh he uh uh plays a scoutmaster who is uh trying to uh uh shape the minds of some young men. Uh and his uh Vera Miles plays his his wife, uh, and uh the wonderful Lillian Gish, although she's not always wonderful in this film, but uh the the but the wonderful Lillian Gish is in this movie, and that alone makes it worth the watch because it's Lillian Gish, right? Um it also has Kurt Russell. Uh he plays uh sort of a boy that's uh got an attitude problem, and a and a grown uh Luanna Patton, who played in some movies as a child actor. Uh this movie came out in 1966. Uh, you know, it is kind of a uh comedy, but it it is more of a drama, really. Uh and it uh it really has uh a lot of heart. Uh it's a little bit, you know, I I I don't like the word maudlin, uh, but I said it on the last episode. Uh but this happens with Disney movies sometimes. It is a little modeling. It is a little long, um, you know, being um uh tipping over two two hours and ten minutes, uh it really kind of breaks up, or or or two hours and eleven minutes actually it kind of breaks the rule of being just a little too long for a family movie. Uh but again, there is some uh there's a lot of value in seeing the actors, um, particularly Lillian Gish and the young Kurt Russell. But uh let's see. Uh number 48 is a movie that uh uh some may say is a little too high, but I don't think so. I think it's a little too low, to be honest. I really wanted to rank it higher. Uh and uh the movie uh is stars a big mule. The mule is the star of the of uh not really, but the mule is the star of a football team, though. And uh the and of course the name of the movie is Gus from 1976. Saw this movie at the movie theater when it came out, uh, but it does star uh Ed Ed Asner as a football coach, Don Knotz as an assistant, and of course he's an income poop in it, but that's great. Uh the movie has also has uh uh Tim Conway uh uh in it, and uh unfortunately Tim Conway and Don Knotts don't have a scene together, which is just seemingly criminal, right? Um but uh uh the film is uh perfectly based. Uh it has a big cast, including John Unitus and Dick Buccus. Uh Tom Bosley appears in it, uh we and we've got uh uh Dick Van Patten, of course, uh Ronnie Shell, and Bob Crane is as Pepper who won't shut his mouth. Uh pretty pretty good scene there. Um I love this movie. I I really do no it's not great. No, it's it's not uh it's not perfection by any stretch. As a matter of fact, the premise of the movie is the mule is a football player and and the mule kicks fuel goals and he's automatic from 90 yards. He's automatic. Well, here's the problem. The team is so terrible that the defense is uh uh allows touchdowns every drive. So what good are the three three points whenever the defense allows touchdowns? The movie doesn't ever go over that point, but that's okay. It's it's fun, and it's a really great little family comedy, and it's enjoyable to see Don Knott. It's enjoyable to see Tim Conway, even though they're separated the entire movie. Um Ed Edward Asner is is hilarious uh in a deadpan way. Um it's pretty great. Um, but I understand a lot of people probably don't care for this movie, but I bum it. That's just me. Uh but our number 47 movie uh is uh something a little more recent. Uh it's uh Christopher Robin. Uh the movie uh stars Ian McGregor as the grown-up title character Christopher Robin, and uh he is uh becoming reacquainted with Pooh Bear uh in the movie. Uh the movie is really a drama. Um it's I think I mean there's there's definitely a uh laced with a lot of comedy, um but it is uh um it's a it's a movie that shows uh you know the difference between a kid and a grown-up and and what what becoming a grown-up can do to a do to a person. Uh Haley Atwell plays his wife in the movie. Um and uh you got Pooh Bear and and uh uh Piglet and Eeyore in the movie. Um it's quite fun at times. Uh this is uh another one that uh uh yeah, it's a it's 104 minutes. Uh the movie did really well at the box office, and um it got good reviews from critics, and uh we are ranking it uh number 47. And uh our number 46 is a little hidden gem that most people have probably not seen or heard of uh from 1961. It's called Gray Friars Grey Friars Bobby, uh, the true story of a dog. It's a kind of about a little dog uh that has uh a uh friendship uh with uh a bigger dog, and it it is really much more uh exciting than I just made it sound. Um, but it's an adorable little movie, and uh I would suggest seeing it. It's uh it's it's less than 90 minutes. It's it's worth a watch. I don't know if it's on Disney Plus or not. I don't don't recall how I watched it. Um I watched all the all I watched all of these these movies uh in I I won't say recent months uh or weeks, but in recent years uh in doing the podcast. Uh I watched them one by one. Uh all of the feature, all the Disney theatrical releases and all the animated features. And uh it took me quite a while to get through a full of them while I was working on other movies uh for the podcast. But Grayfire's Bobby worth a look uh for 1961. Uh the next one, uh the next one is uh kind of a one-off uh directed by Peter uh Tewkesbury, uh who uh directed a movie called Emil and the Detectives in 1964. And sometimes it's easier just to uh read the IMBD uh summary. Uh Emil goes to Berlin to see his grandmother with a large amount of money and is offered suites by a strange man that make make him sleep. He wakes up at his stop with no money, and it is up to him and a group of children to save the day. Um it is kind of like a detective story, uh, but it involves mostly young uh young people. Uh, but it is uh is quite fun, and uh it is our number 45, uh, and it stars a bunch of people that you've never seen the movie before. Um uh the next one is our number 44, and here's where we kind of broke the rule a little bit. Uh is uh we put uh we gave Mary Poppins Returns uh a spot on the list. And uh Mary Poppins Returns, of course, uh Emily Blunt uh plays Mary Poppins in this movie, and Julie Andrews famously it does not appear in the movie. Um but the thing about about uh about Julie Andrews not appearing in it, and I think I mentioned this on the podcast of a few months ago, is that uh she purposely didn't appear in it so so it wouldn't disrupt the set uh or wouldn't rattle uh Emily Blunt. Somehow I don't think Emily Blunt can be rattled, though. She's such a great actress. And and uh she's she's really, really fantastic in in in this role as Mary Poppins. As good as anyone can be, you know, yeah, as far as you can't follow up Julie Andrews, right? Um but she is as good as anyone, anyone can be. Uh she's got everything nailed down. Um but uh I I yeah but it the movie of course is uh a much much different story. Um uh the family's gonna lose their home, and uh Mary Poppins uh of course um is involved with the movie. And um I I have small problems with it. Um I I would say the length, but the original Mary Poppins is pretty long too. But the thing about it is is that it it's it's a little it's slightly lower quality, and I and I think that the practical effects of the original Mary Poppins outdoes the CGI effects. Uh and I think that overall uh I I I don't want to diminish this production because I actually really like Mary Poppins returns. Um but um but it is our number uh for a 44, and it does appear on the upper half. I wanted to give it a mention because I feel like it is separate from the original movie, uh the first movie. Um it's it's not a sequel in the truest sense because it doesn't have the same cast, and um and uh we do have Dick Van Dyke, uh uh, which is great. You know, um that's that part is great too. Uh but uh in any case, uh it is our number 44, and uh our number 43 uh is uh the Muppets. Uh and that is the one uh came out in uh 2011, and uh stars uh Jason Sagal, our our seagull, uh and uh um uh has a bunch of of fun uh cameos, of course. Um uh it does have also have Amy Adams uh and uh Amy Adams is great in everything. Amy Adams great in everything. I love Amy Adams. Um uh this movie is a lot of fun, uh, but uh Jason Siegel wrote this wrote this movie uh and and he wrote it seemingly for himself to beat the star. And and the movie needs less Jason Siegel and more Muppets. Uh but having said that, um, it is a really, really enjoyable movie, but unfortunately there is a one of the characters is a made-up Muppet that I'm really not fond of, and I'm not fond of Jason Siegel in this movie. Um but maybe not everybody feels that same way. Uh, but in any case, I still like uh The Muppets and it ranks uh as our number 43 film. Our number 42, uh, this is one that I almost let the cat out of the bag earlier. Uh it's uh The Love Bug. Now, here is a movie that did have sequels that we are not ranking. Uh Herbie Goes Bananas, by the way, would not be in the top 100. Uh Herbie Goes Banana is one of the worst movies I have ever, ever, ever seen. Um and it's it's mind-bogglingly bad, mind-bogglingly bad. It's just not, I'm not saying that uh to be hyperbolic. It's really bad. I do like Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo. Um, I even like it a lot, um, but it it does stop short of being as good as the love bug. Uh Love Bug stars uh Gene Jones uh and uh Michelle Lee, uh, and the the wonderful David Tomlinson, who just is a great little villain in this movie. And of course has Buddy Hackett, uh, and it's uh directed by Robert Stevenson. Of course, uh you probably know the story. Uh the story is all about this uh uh the fact that Dean Jones has a race car and it is a little Volkswagen bug. And Of course, that didn't make that doesn't make sense. When I was a kid, I didn't understand why why that was such a funny premise. I really enjoyed the movie, but I didn't understand why it was a funny premise. I didn't know what a race car was supposed to be like. Um but um I uh oh and there's of course also Herbie Fully Loaded uh came out with Lindsay Lohan and and uh Michael Keaton, uh which isn't nearly as good as as uh this one. Uh but I would say it's better than than Herbie Goes Bananas. Herbie goes Bananas is awful. It's just it's just unfunny. And is there anything worse than a completely unfunny comedy? Uh, it's hard early good. Uh there's a lot of good talent in Herbie Goes Bananas, too. What a shame. But uh Disney was struggling in 1980. We'll just put it that way. Uh Disney was not struggling right here, though. 1968, Love Bug, really fun movie. Uh and our number 41 movie, uh, this is one everybody's gonna know, uh, The Santa Claus, uh starring Tim Allen. And I don't know how much needs to be said about that, but let's just say, you know, he becomes Santa and it and he didn't know he was gonna be Santa. Number 41. Our number 40 is uh Tuck Everlasting. And uh this is I think a lovely little movie. Uh it uh uh it's uh directed by uh Jay Russell, and uh it stars Alexis uh Bladle and uh and Ben Kingsley, Sissy Spacich, Amy Irving, Victor Garber. A really big list. Oh, William Hurts in it too, I forgot. Uh but it's essentially a time travel movie and uh a love story and nothing quite like a time travel movie where one person belongs in one time and the other person belongs in another time. Um I think it's just it's just it's just lovely. I really like this movie. Um, even though it didn't do particularly well uh at the box office, um, I think it's I think it's really good. Uh but uh that is our number uh uh for uh uh 40. And as I read uh reading down this list, I realize that there's some flaws with my list. Oh my goodness. Uh but our number 39 uh is uh Hocus Pocus. Uh this is kind of a Halloween uh uh tradition for now. It's become a Halloween tradition for the last uh 30 years. Of course, it starts stars Ben Bindler and Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Jimmy, who are uh who play uh Witches, uh, but it is not scary. It's uh directed by Kenny Ortega. Um and I don't need to say much about Hocus Pocus. Um most people like it a lot, and it makes our number 39. Our number 38 is an interesting one, and and this is one I struggled to put on the list, not because I didn't like it, but because um it it's not completely a Disney movie. Um it's uh Popeye from 1980. Uh, this is the Robin Williams uh I say not completely because Disney shared uh the uh cost and everything with another studio, but uh it's Robin Williams' debut as as a film actor, and um the movie has tons of flaws. Um it it is not written very well. There are a couple of awful songs, it's directed by Robert Altman. A couple of just awful songs. Um, but what Robert Altman did really well was cast this mother really good. Oh my gosh, it's cast well. Um it's just uh it's like these people were born to play these rogues. Uh of course we've got Robert Williams as Popeye, uh, and we have um uh Shelley Duval as olive oil, and she's perfect in this. Uh we have uh Paul Smith, uh, which is a name you don't know, but it's a person you recognize most likely as Bluto, and he is perfect in it. Paul Dooley, uh the wonderful Paul Dooley plays Wimpy, uh, and Ray Walson plays Pappy, uh Popeye's dad. And I mean I just think that this movie is so well cast. The list goes on with cast members that are really good. Um there are again, I think the main problem is uh there are a couple of songs that are just truly bad. Just truly bad. And I'm and um you know it was written by Harry Nielsen, who was an excellent songwriter, um but but not all the songs are really great. Um uh Disney, of course, shared uh this with uh Paramount Pictures. Um and um I sometime I might do a full-blown podcast episode on this movie, so I'll stop short of saying too much about it. But Popeye is our number 38. R number 37 is um another movie that's kind of a mess, but you know, it's a little more organized, I guess. Um, but uh it is uh a movie called the Apple Dumpling Gang. Uh of course there was a uh sequel to uh the Apple Dumpling Game, the Apple Dumpling Game rides again. Uh we're lumping them these two together. This one came out in 1975. It's directed by Norman Tokar, which anything directed by Norman Tokar, you know, is going to be uh tame and mild. Um remember he directed almost every Leave it to be episode, the first couple couple of seasons, and he's got a long list of Disney movies that are just very tame, very good director. Everything was uh on target, um, but um but his movies are not are not edgy. Stars Bill Bixby, uh Susan Clark, uh, and uh uh the great Don Knotts and the great Tim Conway, the great Slim Pickens, the great Harry Morgan, uh John McGyver, uh it's just uh it's a fun, uh fun little movie. Uh don't watch this if you're trying to uh see uh the you know this isn't Citizen King that we're you're watching here. Uh it's a wet it's a comedy western. And uh if you if you haven't seen it, um maybe give it a look. It's fun. Um our number 36 uh film uh is uh the barefoot executive. And uh this one starred uh uh Kurt Russell, and uh basically he has a chimpanzee uh that is able to somehow select good programming for a TV station. Uh it's an absolutely ridiculous premise. Um, but I watched this movie when I was a little kid and I loved it. And no, it's not going to be on the bottom half. This is on the upper half. I love the Barefoot Executive. I don't care what the critics say, it's my number 36. And number 35 is another Kurt Russell classic, uh, the computer that wore tennis shoes. This one also has our friend Mike McGreevy in it. Um, by Kurt Russell in this one, uh he uh somehow uh develops a computer mind, uh supernaturally, sort of, anyway. And um uh he ends up in an academic competition, and it's quite fun. Uh the computer of the war tennis shoes is a lot of fun. Uh see our number 34, and I'm trying to get through the list uh quicker than I uh did the first half, but it's gonna be hard, and I don't think I'm gonna be able to do it, to be honest. Um quicker anyway. Swiss Family Robson, 1960. Uh stars uh John Mills, uh Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur, uh Janet Monroe, Tommy Kirk, and Kevin Corcoran. Uh family that uh gets well, it's a story that most people know. Family gets uh stuck and uh on an island and and they gotta make do. Um uh very good movie. Um let's see, our number 33 is the the Chronicles of Narnia. And now this one has sequels. Uh we are just lumping them together, and this of course is uh the uh uh beginning stages of CGI becoming kind of a uh the rule rather than the exception. Uh the Chronicles of Narnia, of course, uh is uh uh taken from the the books written uh by uh C.S. Lewis. I think the first one's better than the the other two, um, but uh it it's it's quite good. The movie came out in 2005, and then there's a lot of CGI in it. And uh the CGI actually threw me off a little bit. I took my kids to see this movie, and um movies just started looking different right around this right around this time. It's uh an adventure film, of course, and um it's written pretty well. Uh the performances are pretty good. Um, and uh and the uh I'm not a big fan of CGI. I will say that practical effects are are better and more fun. Um, but uh this is a pretty good movie. Uh number 32 uh is a movie that did have practical effects, and it did have a remake and then a sequel, uh, is uh Tron, uh starring Jeff Bridges and Cindy Morgan. And I gotta tell you, I tried to get Cindy Morgan on the podcast, and um I um I emailed her, and then a week later I found out about her death. Uh you know, but uh Tron, of course, is a uh is a uh an adaptation of the video game that came out in the 80s, and then of course there was a a re a remake uh what was it, 30 years later? Uh but yeah, uh it's I I I am not really a big fan. I was not a big fan of the Toronto game, to be honest, and I wasn't a huge fan of the movie. However, I recognize the fact that there's some really great effects here, and I also recognize the fact that the the remake uh is really, really good, really well made too. Um but um it uh um it ranks very high, uh higher for me uh than I uh than I really would have put it, to be honest. Uh it'd be on my bottom half. Uh but but because I'm recognizing um the the good things about it, it's not my number 32. Um our number 31 movie uh is uh uh Treasure Island, uh the Disney adaptation. Of course, it's been done multiple times. Uh this one uh is pretty tame, but uh uh but I do enjoy it. Directed by uh Byron Haskin, uh of course it's it's uh adapted from the Robert Lewis Stevenson uh classic book. Uh this movie you know is just barely 90 minutes long, uh so it it's it's my kind of movie when it does that. Um but uh the movie is uh well paced, well written, uh, and well performed. And I I I I think it's just a I think it's just a really good adaptation. Not the best uh uh of of the of the movies. That's that's certainly I think uh uh the um uh the there's other adaptations that are better. But anyway, so that's our number 31. Or number 30 uh is a movie that uh that I wouldn't have put if I had uh done this uh again. This is another one where I probably it's not really my favorite. Uh it's probably ranked quite a bit higher than I would have ranked it, it just just completely being you know subjective. Uh, but I try to be a little objective in it. It's a movie from 1980, uh, and it is one of those movies where Disney was trying to get edgy. Uh it's uh directed by John Huff and and uh also with uh Vincent uh McKee uh uh uh McKee, I should say, and uh the the he directed part of it. Uh the movie stars uh uh Betty Davis, yes, that's right, 1980, and Carol Baker. Um it it uh is a supernatural uh horror film, and essentially there's two girls that are uh that are involved with trying to find uh another girl who's missing in the woods. And uh Betty Davis probably didn't think this is uh the best role she ever had, but she t she tackles it. She's just really great. And uh in this late version of Betty Davis. Uh number 29 uh is In Search of the Castaways.

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Oh no.

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And this is another shipwrecked film. We've got I think three on the list. Um I don't think there's a fourth, but uh it has Marie Marie Chevalier, and I love that about it. Uh it also uh has uh Haley Mills and uh and uh George Sanders is in it. Of course, George Sanders is such such an awesome actor, one of the best voices ever. I mean, he gives Morgan Freeman a run for his money for that title. Um Wilford Hyde Hyde, which you you don't know, you don't know the name, but you recognize him when you see him. It's a lot of fun. Uh it's a really good movie, and um this was uh this was the third of six movies Haley Mills would be in for Disney. Uh our number 28 is Cruella, which is kind of a prequel to 101 Dalmatians. Um not gonna say a whole lot about the movie because it's pretty obvious. Basically, it stars Emma Stone, and she is absolutely brilliant in it. She nails it. Um and I just I just I love Emma Stone. She's so awesome, isn't she? But I love her in this role, and um, I think she just does some excellent job of uh playing a young Cruella de Ville. And uh I I have problems sometimes with um uh movies that are prequels or where where the where the villain from another movie is the sympathetic figure. Uh, you know, I have problems with that sometimes. Um, but uh Carilla De Villa is not nuanced in 101 nomations, but in this one she's a little nuanced. And um and I think she did a fantastic job. Uh hooray for Emma Stone in this movie. Uh our number 27 film uh is another one of those uh edgy films that Disney was trying to go for. Uh this one's on 1983, and it is a uh it is a little bit of a horror film. Uh stars Jason Robards, uh uh Jonathan Price, Diane Ladd, and Pam Greer is also in this movie. The the screenplay was written by uh Ray Bradbury, but uh basically it uh uh you know I'll I it's another one as well. I'll just read the IMBD uh because it sometimes it just does a better job than I do. Um in a small American town, a diabolical circus and its demonic proprietor prey on the townsfolk, Dark's uh pandemonium carnival arrives in Greentown. And um this movie was pretty intense. I I was 12 when it came out. Um I don't think I saw it at the movie theater, but I think I saw it um on the Disney Channel when it came out and and um uh then in 1984. Yeah, for younger people listening to the podcast, the Disney Channel is that been around for uh that long, um although everybody's jumping on Disney Plus, so I I don't know how much longer the Disney Channel is actually going to last. Uh but that uh something wicked this way comes is our number 27, our number 26, and um you know don't come at me, as they say, um online. Uh but uh our number 26 is Midnight Madness. To be honest, this would be my top 10 if I really was being completely subjective. Uh trying to be objective, though, uh for a good part of this list. Uh but Midnight Madness, of course, I did a whole episode on this. You can scroll back and I or I I actually talked to uh the director of of uh Midnight Madness. And uh the movie, of course, if you haven't seen it, it's from 1980. Um and this is a movie that came out that Disney uh wasn't real happy with, and they took the name off, uh, which was one of the things that I said that it has to be a pure Disney movie to be on the list. Uh this is one of those exceptions. It's my list, I'm gonna do what I want with it. Um but the um you know, basically the the movie is about, you know, uh it's kind of a scavenger hunt, essentially, and has all these young actors and some and that it's has Michael J. Fox in his uh movie debut. But uh it's it's basically a scavenger hunt, um, as uh Eddie Deason, who most people uh would recognize from Greece and from war games, uh, but uh uh this is uh just such a fun, fun, fun, fun movie. Um you know, and uh on the podcast, the director told me that we that Joan Blondell was actually supposed to be in this movie, and she caused a stink on day one, and they they fired her. We love Joan Joan Blondell. We love her, don't think make no mistake about it. And we've talked about some several of her films on this podcast, but it was kind of a funny story that she, you know, she um got on the set in 1980 and kind of ticked everybody off. Um uh but uh if you want to listen to more of that story, scroll back and listen to our show on Midnight Madness from a few years back. Um it's a pretty good, pretty good episode, really good episode. Uh our number 25 is a movie that some people may say is a little high, but I don't think so. I mean the movie is very high, it takes place in space. It's the black hole from 1979. Um this is a movie that we might do a whole episode on at some point, um, but uh the it it it stars Maximilian Schell as as the as the um um villain and um uh Robert Forster. Fantastic actor. Joseph Bottoms Yvette Mimeo with short hair. You may not recognize her. And Anthony Perkins and Ernest Borgnight. Really good cast. The best part about this movie is the freaking score by John Barry. That score is fantastic. We also have the voice of Roddy McDowell and Slim Pickens. And it's directed by Gary Nelson. There's all kinds of uh robots and and there's all kinds of uh shenanigans going on. But essentially, this is 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in Space. That's essentially what we're what we got here. Uh it's a science fiction movie movie that takes place in space. Uh it's a movie that that sort of piggybacked off of Star Wars success. Um there were quite a few movies uh right after Star Wars that came out that were space movies, and um uh most of them weren't that great. But um The Black Hole is not a great film, but it's high on my list because uh the score, the performances, especially Maximilian Shell, uh some may say it was over the top. I just think it was perfect. I think Maximilian Shell was awesome in this. And I mean to tell you, this is one of the best scores I've ever heard. Uh not the best, but it's one of the best I've ever heard. Um and I really put Maximilian Shell's performance as a best supporting actor. Um, I I think that highly of his performance. I think Maximilian Shell was absolutely on target in this movie. Perfect. What wasn't perfect was the tone because they couldn't figure out if this movie for kids or is this a movie for grown-ups? Are we being edgy or is this for kids? Because they really kind of tried to double dip. And sometimes when you try to double dip, it doesn't really work out. You know, you you lean into one or lean into the other, um, and it didn't quite work. Um and uh I guess not everything can be Shrek, right? Um, but no, the black hole had a lot of corny humor, um, but it also had um effective uh special effects and um and it had um uh effective acting and um a score that's just uh legendary. It's it's one of the five or six best scores, and I really truly mean that. I think it's just absolutely fabulous. And not the perfect movie by any stretch, but uh but it does make our number 25, and that's probably a lot higher than a lot of people rank it, but I think it is good. Um R number 24 is Tangled, which is of course stars Amy Adams, who is a fairy tale character that ends up in New York City, and um, you know, it's just fish out of water. You know, we've seen this kind of thing before. Um, but it's it's it's lovely. Amy Adams is wonderful in this. I just love Amy Adams in this movie, and uh it is our number uh 24. Our number 23 uh is uh a movie that uh from 2006 uh called Glory Road. Uh Glory Road uh tells the story of uh Don Haskins, uh legendary coach of UTEP, who is played by uh Josh Lucas. And uh it details uh the story of uh Don Haskins recruiting black players uh and uh the troubles uh that ensue because of that. Uh but of course obviously it was a groundbreaking thing to do, and then they ended up uh doing that. And of course, he uh was the coach at UTEP and um uh was the coach here for a very long time. And uh I think it's a really good movie, flawed, but I think it I think it's really good. Our number 22, um, and we're lumping the two together, uh, and we'll say the three together, I guess. It's uh Freaky Friday. Now, which one is number 22? Uh let's just lump them both together, okay? Um, the one with Jody Foster um uh is uh is flawed, but let's just say that the one with Lindsey Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis is too. Um but um they're just fun. They're just fun. Everybody knows what they're about, right? Everybody knows for Good Friday. Okay, it's a body switch movie. Mom says, I wish uh I wish I could be the daughter, and the daughter says, Oh, I wish I could be my mom, you know, and and they end up uh in each of the other's body, each and the other's body, and it's a lot of fun, and obviously it's just uh cute cute uh cute humor. That's all it is. Uh our uh number 21 uh is uh That Darn Cat uh is a night from 1965, uh a kind of a comedy mystery thriller type. Uh, but uh it's uh stars Haley Mills and Dean Jones, and uh uh they are they get involved uh in in a situation that involves bank robbers and a um uh a darn cat, Chinese cat. Uh the movie also has uh uh Roddy McDowell and Elsa Lanchester, uh and of course Ed freaking Wind. It win and um uh uh it also has William Dimrest uh in it of uh but from My Three Sons, Uncle Charlie, My Three Sons. Uh but That Darn Cat uh was uh the last Disney movie that Haley Mills made. And in uh spoiler alert, uh future episode, we are going to probably discuss some films after Haley Mills left Disney and and kind of uh talk about her uh late 60s uh adventures making movies movies, but we'll get into that later. Um there was a remake of this in 1997 with Christina Ritchie, uh that not nearly as good um as the original. The original was directed by Robert Stevenson and uh made $28 million, which is pretty good for 1968 uh or 1965 money. Uh but just a lot of fun, and uh I think uh it's worthy of our number 21 slot. Our number 20 spot is uh taken by Saving Mr. Banks. And of course, uh this movie uh is a little bit of a a little bit of a whitewash of of uh the story of uh Walt Disney uh uh dealing with P. L Travers, uh the author of Mary Poppins, and uh and their struggles with each other, uh shall we say. Um and they they don't see eye to eye on how to make Mary Poppins. Um but uh uh P. L. Travers uh uh gave Disney the uh evidently gave Disney the blessing to uh you know make the movie, um but she I don't think she really liked it um too well. Uh which of course no author likes adaptations of their books, right? Uh has Tom Hanks uh as Walt Disney, Emma Thompson as P. L. Travers, uh with appearances by Paul Giamatti, uh and Colin Farrell, uh, who uh plays uh P. L. uh. Travers' father uh in a flashback scene. Uh but the movie is uh pretty much a drama. It's it's laced with with comedy, uh, but um it's it's pretty well a drama, and it kind of shows what a little bitty that P. L Travers was, and how boy, how reasonable Walt was. I have a feeling they were probably they probably had some more elevated conversations than what are is depicted here. But what is depicted is a pretty good pretty good stuff. I think it's a good movie. And um I um uh anyway, it's a good movie. Uh number 19 um is uh Sky High. Now I may get slaughtered for putting uh Sky High this high on the list. Um but I gotta tell you, there are there are sentimental reasons why I I did this. It was a movie came out in 2005. Um my my children were uh 10 and 8, I think, when they when this came out. So that tells you a little bit where I'm at with Sky High. Uh it's uh it's it's it has uh uh Michael uh Engerano uh and he has parents that are superheroes. Uh and that's those parents are Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston. Uh also has uh Danielle Panabaker in it. Uh but basically the story is about uh the the boy going to uh a high school that specializes in teaching uh students that are superheroes. Some are superheroes and some are sidekicks, you know. Uh but it's this movie is really funny throughout. And I I I think it it doesn't uh uh uh get its just due. It's a really funny movie. I I really enjoy it. And if you can just suspend your disbelief for a little while uh and you enjoy uh comedy, uh you'll enjoy this. And uh and it was interesting timing because it came out you know right before the mad rush of superhero movies. Obviously uh the uh Batman or first Batman movies had made their run, and the obviously the first Superman movies had made their run. Um but it was soon after that where all the the Marvel movies came out and the all the uh the the the um DC movies came out. Um you know, and so uh but it was uh it was um somewhat somewhat of a pioneer in in that when it comes. Maybe that's pushing it, but it is a really fun movie, and I I think it's pretty great. Um our number 18 movie is a movie with Dennis Quaid. It is called The Rookie, and um, and in it he plays a rookie who is too old to be a rookie. Um uh but it's based on a true story uh of uh a man named Jim Morris uh who uh debuted uh with uh the uh Tampa Bay Delrays, uh, as they were called then, uh at uh age 35. And rookies aren't usually 35, especially pitchers. Uh, but he plays a rookie pitcher at 35 years old. He was a high school uh teacher and coach, uh, but he figured out that he still had some spin on his on his fastball and and decided uh to give it a shot. And uh he made it, of course, to the big leagues. Uh but yeah, the rookie, really fine movie, uh a little too long. Uh I say that a lot in this I I know I say that a lot. Um I like movies that are that are 95 minutes, you know. I really love 95 minute movies. Um but uh not that there's not some fantastic movies. Most movies that are great, great, great, are a little longer than that. But um but uh if it's not great, great, great, then I want it to be 95 minutes or so. Um the next movie is uh a movie called The Rocketeer. And uh sometimes it's just easier to read the IMBD than try and describe it uh myself. A young pilot stumbles onto a prototype jetpack that allows him to become a high-flying masked hero. Uh it stars uh Billy Campbell uh and uh Jennifer Connolly. Uh and she's lovely in this movie. Um and she's always lovely, right? Uh Al Alan Arkin is in it. He's not always lovely in movies, but he's always great. Uh and uh it's no exception here. Uh Timothy Dalton is uh appears in it. Uh uh, but um it's just uh Paul Sorvino, you know, is also in it. I I forgot. Um but this movie is uh really, really good uh special effects, 1991. Um and uh I I bristled at it when it came out. Uh or I don't know if I bristled at it, that's not the right way to put it. I just didn't see it. Um it didn't have mass appeal in my heart or in my brain. Um and I'm guilty of not seeing it until uh working on this podcast. And when I watched them, I'm oh, this is a really good movie. I thought it was a fantastic movie, and um, it does make our number uh 17, our number 16 is uh 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. And of course, we mentioned the black hole being this movie in space. Well, this obviously this one is under the sea. Um but uh this is very, very similar. Uh of course it was came first, and of course it's it's taken from uh novel written uh by Jules Verne in 1870. Uh but uh this movie is just an absolutely fabulous adaptation uh with Kirk Douglas, uh James Mason, Paul Lucas, and Peter Laurie. That's a monster cast right there. Uh the uh the movie tips out just a little over two hours, made $28 million in 1954 money. That's pretty, pretty good stuff. And uh this is a movie that did not have a small budget. Uh it uh had a five million dollar budget, which is absolutely humongous for for that time. Uh for Disney particularly, they weren't going to be terribly interested in making uh a lot of high budget movies, not not Walt, uh but uh but the acting in this is just so so fantastic. James Mason is wonderful uh as Captain Nemo. Um just a beautiful film, great technicolor. Um I I think um I I may be selling it a little short by having it all the way down to number 16, um, but it's a really fantastic movie, and I suggest anybody watching it. Um our number 15 movie is another movie that has some beauty to it. Uh it is uh Darby O'Gill and the Little People. Now, the title character is played by uh Albert Sharp, uh, but this is maybe best known for being uh uh sh uh sh uh Sean Connery's uh uh debut uh in film. And the it's hard really to envision if you haven't seen it, but uh it's just a wonderful little movie directed by Robert Stevenson, and um I just love it. I think it's a just a fantastic movie. Um obviously very Irish, very Irish. Uh the the movie was not taken, did not actually get filmed in Ireland, though. It was it was uh filmed uh on the Disney uh lot, uh Disney's stage four. Uh but this movie had a 2.6 million uh what is it, $2.6 million budget, I think. Uh no, uh maybe maybe I'm off on that. Um I'm looking at things on the fly, sorry. Um but this came out in 1959, and um uh it's it's really just good fun. I I love it. Um our number 14 movie uh is another dog movie. Uh Disney has made a lot of movies um the center around dog, particularly when Walt was in charge of the studio. Um but this one is The Shaggy Dog from 1959, and uh it is uh directed by Charles Barton, uh, but it stars Fred McMurray, uh Gene Hagen, Tommy Kirk, Annette Funichello, uh Alexander Scorby. And uh this movie is about uh Fred McMurray being uh a uh mailman that cannot stand dogs, uh, and his son Tommy Kirk unfortunately becomes a dog, a sheepdog. Uh and uh this is outrageous and it's stupid and silly, but it's a lot of fun. Um Annette Funichello uh is really good in this too. Um but um Kevin Corcoran first plays the the the the uh the boy Muchi and uh there's greats there's a couple of great scenes with him. Um just a lot of fun. I I love the Shaggy Dog. I think uh it's highly underappreciated. Um I don't think Fred McMurray really appreciated it, to be honest. Um, but I do. I appreciate him in it. Uh our number 13 movie is a very similar movie in a sense, anyway. Uh movie came out in 1989. Uh let's see, what is missing from the the list? Uh people doing process elimination yet. Um Honey, I shrunk the kids. And uh, of course, we have in this movie Rig Moranis, who is an inventor that is having problems inventing things. And uh he does exactly what the movie title says. He shrinks the kids and has to explain it away, but more importantly, he's got to figure out how to make them regular size. Um lots of fun things happen because of it. A surprise hit from 1989. I don't think they were expecting it to be um uh the ginormous $222 million um success that it that it was. Uh yeah, 1989, $222 million. Remember Kids one, $222 million is a lot of money. It was a 1989. Um, our number 12, another movie that has a remake, and uh that is uh The Parent Trap. Uh The Parent Trap. Course uh stars Hayley Mills and also stars Hailey Mills. Um no, but it also uh she plays uh twin sisters that um are separated and and as as young children, as young as babies are separated, and uh their parents, Ryan Keith and Marine O'Hara uh are responsible for separating them, which of course is a ridiculous premise, you know, but it is what it is. It's a fun, cute movie. Um and I it's just you know, they of course they find each other at summer camp um and uh they they don't care for each other, but then they work with each other um to get their parents back together. Uh but uh Parent Trap is just such a good movie. Of course it was redone, uh uh Lindsay Lohan. Uh, but and that one was a very good version too. Um, and I think it's probably on the nearly the same level. Um some younger people might say it's better. Um they like the Haley Mills version better, but uh but not by a lot, by just by a little. Um I think they're both absolutely really wonderful movies. Uh so that is our number 12. And our number 11 um is a movie that I that I might be ranking a little too high, and this one does have sequels, uh, but I'm ranking it high just because of the glory of the production. And that is Pirates of the Caribbean, uh, which of course uh the first one starred uh Johnny Depp as Captain Sparrow, and he really is kind of the show. Uh he is really the straw that stirs the drink, as you would say. Um but I uh uh the Pirates of the Caribbean it's probably not really my 11th favorite Disney movie, but again, I'm ranking it fairly high or very high because of uh the massive production that it is and how and how good uh the effects are. Um and uh I think that uh um uh that we uh are treated to uh just a really fun production, and a lot of people just dearly love those movies. And uh the particularly the first couple, uh which uh have uh Orlando William and Kira Knightley uh uh in it too. But I I I I really like the uh I really like all of them, but but um I'm gonna go with that that why is it so long? Gore Rubinsky is like he really wants to make these really long movies and that it's not necessary to make movies that long, especially when you're trying to attract children. Yeah. But I don't I I don't think they need to be that long. But having said that, um they're really good. I'm gonna be honest, I'd rather watch two 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea again. But I'm ranking it high because I recognize the fact that these effects are brilliant, they are beautiful movies, and uh they are um lots of fun and people really value them. Uh so that is our number 11, and we're lumping all those movies together, even though the first couple are far better uh than that other one. Um the next one is uh oh before we go to the top ten, I I wanted to say that there are a few films missing from this list. Um is uh you're gonna know maybe that uh there are no Disney animated remakes on this list. To be perfectly blunt, um I probably could say uh I really liked Dumbo. Um and I and I uh I I probably could have put Dumbo on the list. Um you know I I think there's a lot of good things about it. I I think it it got bad reviews, um, but I really liked the performances in it. Uh Danny DeVito, Eva Green, um in particular, those those two performances. Um I I I think I think at times it's a really lovely film. Um But there are no Disney animated remakes on here, or live action remakes, I should say, of the animated films. Um and that's purposeful, you know. Um a lot of people aren't big fans of the fact that they're doing it. Um maybe the productions are pretty good, but I don't think they should have done these movies. You know, at least not all of them the way they've done it. And uh certainly I think Aladdin is the absolute worst of the bunch. Aladdin is absolutely horrible, in my opinion. I just think it uh I love the animated Aladdin and that's gonna score high. Spoiler alert, that's gonna score high on my uh animated rankings, but I do not like the the uh live action uh version of Aladdin at all. Um another one that is missing um that I really in retrospect, uh, it's a lot better than a handful of films that are on there, but it's the Lone Ranger. Um and um and for reasons that you might not uh uh think are the same. Um, but I didn't put the The Lone Ranger on here, um, and it just kind of missed the the countdown. And I'm looking at it, I'm thinking, you know, it's probably better than at least 10 of the movies that are on my list. Probably should have cracked the top 90 anyway, but but um uh it's one that's not on the list. And I and um it's it's not an oversight. Um, but uh, you know, whenever I look at it, I'm like, uh maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe it should be along on the list. Um I don't think it really deserves an honorable mention, so to speak, but maybe it could have been the top 90. Uh, because it's not honorable. It's not an honorable movie. Um, it's bloated and obviously uh many say problematic. Um and uh yeah, there's some issues with it, but um think it's just too long uh to be perfectly blunt. But you know, never I've never said that before, have I? I think I've only said it three times on this particular episode. But um in any case, let's go to our top ten. Uh see, our uh number ten uh is uh holes. Uh of course uh stars Shia LaBeouf, who's had some personal issues, uh uh, but we won't get into that. Um uh but it also has Sigourney Weaver as an absolutely vicious villain. Uh John Void is kind of an assistant. Uh it has Patricia Arcad, um Tim Blake Nelson as one of the henchmen, so to speak. Uh but Sigourney Weaver is just absolutely just wonderful as the villain here. She's just perfect. Uh, of course, what what this involves is uh some young boys that are wayward that had gotten themselves in trouble and uh basically in a prison camp where they're trying to trying to um they're they uh uh they're asked to dig these holes uh so they can find uh some tr buried treasure. Uh so uh it it's uh it's yeah it's almost like a spaghetti western type um uh for a Disney movie. Um it's I I I think it's just I I think it's just a fabulous, fabulous movie. It came out in 2003, and um I I think that this is one of those movies that that you know kind of surprised me when I first saw it. Uh I saw it with my kids, really thought it was uh wonderful, and uh I re-watched it uh uh for this podcast, and uh just I think it's really, really good. Uh R number nine uh is uh maybe that uh came out in 2004 and has a sequel to it, and that is National Treasure. Now the sequel is not nearly as good as the first one, uh, which often happens in movies, but uh of course uh I know the story. Uh Nicholas Cage uh plays a an archaeologist that uh uh figures out uh that that there's some once again treasure, buried treasure. Um he's like a treasure hunter, is really what he I said archaeologist. I don't know why I said that. He's really more of a treasure hunter. Um I have no idea why I said archaeologist. Um but um he of course uh the has a map that is on the back of the Declaration of Independence and uh just a fun movie. Um it's a really I I I think a lot of people probably think is this hey, this is cheesy. How does he have this uh as number nine movie? I think it's a really great movie that children can watch and and understand, but also adults can enjoy. Um no, it's not uh uh it's not edgy or anything like that. Um but I I think it's a lot of fun. There's a lot of chase scenes and um uh some good some good uh drama and John Void is fun as the dad. Uh another clue. Um, you know, and um Harvey Keitel is nice, uh he's really nice as the as the um uh federal agent. And I just think it's I think it's a really good movie. Uh our number eight movie uh is uh uh based on a true story of uh of a high school football coach named Herman Boone. Uh but uh it's uh uh he's uh portrayed by uh Denzel Washington, and uh I gotta be honest, uh a lot of it seems cliche, uh, you know, but I think it's a wonderful movie because I think Denzel Washington makes it that. Um I I I just really I I saw this at the movie theater and uh fell in love with it. Uh I really enjoy uh Denzel Washington and I think I if you remember or if you knew have been listening to the podcast for all these years, um you would know in the toward the beginning I did a top ten um uh top ten uh uh leading men of all time. And there's times where I've I I would like to redo that list, uh, but I think if I did it ten times, I'd have ten different top tens. So I don't know. Um but um Denzel Washington was our number 10. And I that I won't deviate from that. Denzel Washington, multi uh winner of academy awards, deservedly so. Um you know, this he didn't get anything for, but um it's a great performance. Um uh and he of course plays a coach that says, you know, you're you know, the other team's gonna remember the Titans. They're gonna remember playing us. And uh tough, hard-nosed coach that you would think hates everybody. Um, but uh, you know, there's purpose in it. Uh let's see. Our uh number seven. Uh we have uh movie from 1961, uh once again uh directed by Robert Stevenson, and once again starring Fred McMurray. Uh it also has Nancy Olsen as his wife, uh Tommy Kirk as uh the son again, and uh we have uh Keenan Wynne as the villain, and uh we have uh uh Ed Wynn also in it too. Um I love absent-minded professor, I love it so much. Uh and in the movie, Fred McMurray uh plays uh a basically a chemist, and and he he's obviously a professor, and he he figures out this formula uh that can make uh called flubber, and uh it jumps around, and I know you've probably seen it. Um of course we talked about uh the movie Flubber with Robin Williams. This movie's so much better. It's so much better. I love Keenan Wynn here, and I always love Edwin. Edwin and everything. Edwin is the most one of not the most, but Edwin is one of the most storied uh uh people in the entertainment industry ever. Uh and the Edwin will never get as much credit as that he deserves by modern audiences. Um and um uh he uh uh did vaudeville, he did radio and and uh uh TV, and then eventually uh movies. By the time the movies roll around, by the time he started doing movies, uh he was already kind of old. And um, you know, and most of his roles are just kind of he's playing a silly guy. But Edwin, uh it just I love Edwin so much. And Keenan Wynn, of course, is this son. Um, and uh it's just this is just a fun movie. I it's really funny, uh, and I will never get tired of seeing them the basketball game where they're jumping up really high. I will never tire of that. Now there was a sequel to this too, Son of Flubber, which also is way superior to the Flubber movie with Robin Williams. Uh, but the Absent Minder Professor, yeah, top top soul. You know, we'll we'll lump in Son of Flubber with this, but it really doesn't belong in that that spot. It's a really good movie, but not nearly as good as this. Um but that's our number seven, um uh absent minded professor. Our number six um is a movie that some might think is high, but but I think it's just really, really, really good. Uh the Muppet Christmas Carol, starring Michael Cain and Kermit and the rest of the Muppets. Um course it is what it sounds like is the the Muppets uh Christmas Carol. It's uh a take off of one of the many, many, many takes um, you know, off of the Charles Dickens uh uh classic uh Christmas Carol. Uh and uh and my in it the movie uh uh uh we have Michael Cain playing Scrooge, and uh he does it so well. Uh I I the this film is written so well. Um I my favorite part of this movie is uh well actually I have more than I have two favorite parts. But the the one that that translates well on the podcast is when the the two old men come out of the out of the restaurant and they oh that was a fine breakfast. What are we going to do next? Uh oh, let's do lunch. Uh okay, sure. You know, I think it's just hilarious. Um but uh we we have uh Gonzo uh on fire in this movie too. I I think that this movie is so well written. I I just think that it's just I uh it's written very smartly, where grown-ups can enjoy, and obviously children can enjoy. I think I think the movie's short, just not even short or brilliant. I think it is brilliant. I think it's really a fun, entertaining movie, and I highly recommend to anybody who has seen it that likes the Muppets. This is really maybe the best of the Muppet movies. Maybe the first one is probably better a little by a tiny portion, but but uh certainly from the second batch of Muppets Muppet movies. You know, there's the ones uh with Jim Henson, and then there's the ones after he died uh that came much later. And this is, I think, really the best of the bunch of that of the second wave of Muppet movies. That's just that's my opinion. And I I don't think I'm I don't think I'm too too far off. The the movie has a 7.8 score on IMBD, uh, so I'm definitely not alone in thinking that. Um so yeah, came out in 1992, and uh, you know, of course, we have all you know, most of the Muppets uh are in it. Uh you know, and um yeah, Statler and Waldorf. Oh my gosh, just such a such a gas. Uh let's see, our number five movie. Uh uh it's another one of those true stories about a coach, uh, you know, and uh you know, crazy story that doesn't make sense, um, but it really happened. It's uh cool running starring John Candy. And uh this movie is funny, uh, but it also has a lot of heart. And um I think um there's a chance um, you know, ultimately when I look at, and we of course should talk to Tracy Morgan, uh, who uh wrote a book. Our friend Tracy Morgan wrote, wrote a book, uh wrote two books uh about John Candy, and she did lots of really great interviews. Um I if you haven't listened to those episodes with Tracy Morgan, go scroll back and listen to those episodes. Tracy Morgan uh is a true lover of John Candy. She's a true um uh she's truly a good writer. She was uh did a lot of really good uh had did a lot of really good interviews, including with Mel Brooks and and um with Carl Reiner. Um really good stuff. And uh we we we we love Tracy. Um but uh cool runnings. Uh he plays uh a coach of a bunch of the Jamaican bobsled team. Uh now, of course, I said it's a true story. It's not really true. Uh he they did actually they come from Jamaica and they did actually uh you know qualify you know for the Olympics, but they didn't um they didn't go crazy crazy with the with the the Olympics. They didn't win um the gold medal or anything. But um uh but they did qualify. And um uh John Candy, of course, plays the the the formerly disgraced coach, uh, you know, and he gets tasked with being uh the coach of that team. Uh and you know, but by the way, one other movie that's missing from the list is the Mighty Ducks, and that is an oversight. I think that probably belongs in our top 80, but you know, whatever. That's yet another one of those cliche coach of a ragtag team. It all kind of started with the Bad News Bears, which is the best of that, of all that genre. It was the probably the first and definitely the best of all that genre, but it's not a Disney movie, so it's not on our list. Um, but we do have an episode on Bad News Bears. If you scroll back, we've got an episode on everything, right? Um, and our number four, yet another cliche, but this isn't cliche at all. Uh this one is a miracle, uh starring Kurt Russell uh as coach Hurt Herb Brooks. Uh now this is a totally true story. Uh at least at least the basics of it are totally true. Where uh 1980, the of course the U.S. Olympic hockey team uh uh wins the when unlikely wins the gold medal uh against the uh oh we beat the of course we beat the Soviet Union in the semifinals to uh to go on and and uh win the gold medal in the next uh game. But I think that uh Kurt Russell's performance on this is top notch. I think it's tombstone ish. Yeah, I think you know these put these two movies together, those are two is his two best roles. Um obviously Escape from New York is up there too. Um but uh but I think those are his two. Absolutely best rolls. And he's great as Herb Brooks. He looks like him. And you know, and he pretty kind of has the voice down too. You know, but wonderful, warm. So at least sometimes it's warm. Herb Brooks wasn't a warm person. He was actually a really cold person. But but um I love this movie. It's such a great story. It's one of the greatest stories uh in modern American history. Um and uh it's just a lovely, lovely movie. And uh, you know, of course, it has all these uh unknown actors playing uh um the hockey team players. Uh but uh I just think it's I think this is a glorious film. I think it's great. Um our number three movie um is another movie that is absolutely top-notch. And uh I I think to be perfectly blunt, I think there are four movies on this list that are my top four, obviously, uh, that are absolute perfection. Um and uh we're in that part of the list now. Uh our number three is uh Pollyanna, uh starring Haley Mills. Of course, she plays the title character who never has a negative thing to say um about anything. She has uh every right to be upset because she had a terrible childhood, um, and uh the her aunt who is taking care of her doesn't particularly like her and doesn't treat her well, um but that's what she's got, and she just lives with it, and everything is fantastic. The the movie uh if you haven't seen Pollyanna, I'm not going to spoil it because it's not like the parent trap, you know, where oh well everybody's seen it. Um no, Pollyanna's not, I don't think, one of those movies that a lot of the younger crowd has seen. And if you are part of that younger crowd, you need to see Pollyanna. Um is not what you think it is. Um the Pollyanna is a dark movie dressed in uh a light-hearted movie. Um the movie on its surface is light-hearted, but deep inside it's really dark film in there, uh, which is kind of amazing. Walt Disney just uh had his hands all over this movie. Um and uh but it's uh it's it's lovely, but it is dark, and it's but it's not gloomy because Pollyanna won't let you be won't let you feel gloomy. Um but uh it's just it's just a must-see if you haven't seen it. Um it is our number three, our number two, another movie that is a must-see. Um and uh it's called The Straight Story, uh directed by David Lynch. Uh yeah, David Lynch directed a Disney movie rated G. And boy, oh boy, is this a good movie? Uh oh. Oh. It's uh based on a true story uh as of a man named Alvin Strait, uh, who took a journey in 1994. Um and it was he he went uh I think two states away to go to Wisconsin uh on a lawnmower. Yeah, from Iowa to Wisconsin, actually. One state away, but whatever. Um he goes he goes hundreds of miles uh to visit his dying brother. And uh uh I'm sorry, he's the one dying, and he's he wants to visit his brother uh before he dies. Uh his brother's played by Harry Dean Stanton, uh, doesn't have a lot of screen time in this movie, but what he does have is just priceless. Richard Farnsworth, of course, plays uh the main character uh Alvin Strait and Cissy SpaceX plays his uh dubious daughter. Um she doesn't think that he should go out on a lawnmower uh travel from Iowa to Wisconsin. Uh but uh just uh it's a it's a glorious film. It's one of those that sneaks up on you that and in other words, it's a movie that you don't think you're going to uh you know, you're not gonna think at the uh at the beginning, well, this is gonna be one of the best movies I've ever seen. But if you have a heart, oh it will be, it will be. I love the straight story. Um it's written so well. It's written so well. And uh it's shot really well. Uh David Lynch, like, what in the world? How did David Lynch involve get involved with a G-rated Disney movie? Um it's but it it really is good. Kids couldn't could kids can appreciate it or enjoy it to a certain extent, but it's really more of an adult movie, uh a clean adult movie. Um Richard Farnsworth. Um, he just I just I love that guy. And I love him in this role. Uh it's great to see him in a starring role because he you know played like the fifth or sixth character in a movie so often, uh, or tenth or twelfth even. Uh, but he was in so many movies. Uh but Richard Farnsworth is such a glorious actor. Uh he didn't live very long after this movie was made either in in real life. Uh but uh lovely film, and it's a must see. Uh can't can't praise this movie enough. Um another movie that uh that I won't I can't praise enough. And if you have been doing process of elimination, you will know what my number one is. Of course, the movie stars Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyck. You know what it is. Mary Poppins. And um, of course, uh there's so much to say about Mary Poppins, uh, but I've already been talking for an hour and 33 minutes, so I'm not gonna go on too far too much about it. Uh, but let's just say that it's written really well. Um the every single one of the songs and uh the song and dance numbers here hit gold. Every one of them. Uh and uh we have so much going on here of you know, the the movie uh is it about the kids? Is it about Mary Poppins? Who's really the main character in this? Of course, as we stated earlier in the Mr. Banks movie, uh it's uh a movie based on the P. L. Travers uh book, Mary Poppins, and obviously there's a lot of story involved with the movie being made, uh, but uh it also has David Tomlinson as the as the dad, and Glynnis Johns as the mom, and uh Karen DeTries, and Matthew Garber as the children, and we have Elsa Lanchester, Arthur Treacher, Reginald Owen, and the man with the best scene in the entire movie, in my opinion, is Ed Wynn.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:26

Last time it took us three dice to get him down.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:47

Yes, uh Ed Wynne is just such a joy. Um what a what a what a treasure Ed Wynne was. Uh and the funny thing is, is Keenan Wynne, his son, is also a treasure, but never really played a lovable guy. Not really, anyway. Um, but uh uh Mary Poppins hits on every no uh everywhere in this movie. And uh uh I challenge you to what watch it if you if you haven't seen Mary Poppins, are you still you're still listening to this episode? Wow, that's pretty great. Um if you haven't if you have seen Mary Poppins, I challenge you to watch it again and and tell me tell me that that uh George Banks uh is not the main driver of this movie, the main character, the protagonist. You know? I don't know. Could be. Um and even though he doesn't have the most screen time, um uh and uh but anyway, uh Mary Poppins is our number one movie, and I didn't think I was gonna make it through the list, and I I I was almost certain I wasn't gonna make it less than an hour and a half, like like the other episode, and I was not wrong about that part. Um what do you think about the list? Hey, if you're on a platform where you can uh shake your fists and yell at me, uh just be nice. Um this move this list was meant to be somewhat subjective and somewhat objective. Uh I vaulted some movies that I didn't like as much, but I know other people love. And I brought a couple movies down um uh you know uh because I know that other people don't like it as much as I do. Um Midnight Madness would be in my top 10, just saying. Um but uh Mary Poppins, I have absolutely no calls about making it my num the number one Disney film of all time, as far as live action. Of course, there's an animated sequence, but um uh there's so much to to like about Mary Poppins, and I definitely think it's the number one. Uh so in a few months we'll do our ranking of the animated uh features. Um I'm gonna take a breather, though.

SPEAKER_01 1:39:29

I'm having such a breather.

SPEAKER_02 1:39:31

I wish that you could all stay up here all the time.

SPEAKER_01 1:39:34

Well, Johnny, we'll have to. There's no way to get down.

SPEAKER_02 1:39:38

Oh, there is a way. Frankly, I I don't like to mention it. Because you have to think of something sad. Then do get on with it, please. A big thing. I've got the very thing. Yesterday, when the lady next door answered the bell, there was a man. And the man said to the lady, I'm terribly sorry. I just ran over your cat. And then the man said, I'd like to replace your cat. And the lady said that's all right with me, but how are you attaching money?