Disney Countdown

Naturally, today will also feature the follow-up to Fantasia, Fantasia 2000. The Movie: Fantasia 2000 is the 38th movie in the Disney Animated Canon.  The movie first premiered in December 1999 before beginning its IMAX run in January 2000 and its wide-release in June 2000.  Walt Disney had envisioned the original Fantasia as a film that would constantly be changing, with new segments constantly being subbed in for the old.  This movie was intended to honor that vision, featuring seven new segments with one old.  Another follow-up was planned for 2006 but was later scrapped. Like its predecessor, Fantasia 2000 is a series of different segments set to classical music.  Unlike the first, each segment is introduced by different people, including Steve Martin, Itzhak Perlman, Quincy Jones, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller, and Angela Lansbury.  The eight segments are: 1. Symphony No. 5, Mvt. 1 by Ludwig van Beethoven, featuring various ...

With a certain dinosaur movie opening this weekend, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at Disney movies and franchises that feature dinosaurs.  And since we've been on a kick with the early Disney films, let's start off today with the movie Fantasia. The Movie: Fantasia is the 3rd film in the Disney Animated Canon.  It was definitely a project of love for Disney, who was hoping to set a new standard in animation by giving the top artists the chance to showcase their craft.  Fantasia was originally presented in a roadshow format, where it would tour the country for special showings with ticketed seats like an orchestra concert.  The movie was never destined to be a big money-maker, but the less than impressive returns from Pinocchio meant the money wasn't there to prop up this film.  Many people at the time didn't know what to make of Fantasia, as it was unlike anything to come before, and in many ways, anything since.  Over the years, F...