TV/Movies Megathread

[Ideologue]

The Little Mermaid (1989).  (Probably) the best film from Disney's renaissance, notable for its almost flawless animation and entirely flawless soundtrack, also features that movement's most relatable protagonist: Ariel, a young merwoman suffering from loneliness, an inability to relate to her peers, severe body dysmorphia, unconventional sexual desires, and illiteracy.

In one of Western civilization's best metaphors, Ariel gives up her boring frolicks beneath the sea along with her nascent mental illness, trading her voice, the thing that makes her special, to Ursula the Sea Witch in exchange for some fuckable parts and all the risk and opportunity that entails, as finding love is the only way she sees to become a happy adult person, which is in fact still true no matter how many times the stupid, delusional, and sociopathic claim differently.  In the end, the lesson is that without her uniqueness, she's nobody, but just being unique was, of course, not sufficient by a long shot.

And they sure do go out of their way to make it explicit that she's 16, given that the entire movie is about Ariel doing literally anything to get laid.  This is bold storytelling, too, but children of all ages can learn a lot about how just being yourself usually isn't good enough at all.

It does help a lot, however, if you hail from a rich and powerful family, unlike Ursula's other victims, underscoring that in many cases misery remains unavoidable, and even if due to the mysterious workings of the economically powerful you may eventually be freed, most likely it will be only back into the same life of alienation you valued so little you gambled your soul on escape from it--now dogged by the trauma of your long imprisonment and monsterification.

Oh, and I also liked the part where Ursula gets impaled with a ship and explodes like it was Jaws: The Revenge.  That part was cool.

It's better than Aladdin, even though that movie also touches on much the same essential truths from a male point of view, because the songs are better and because Aladdin introduces too many fantastic, unrealistic ideas that break the willing suspension of disbelief, such as pop culture references and class mobility.

A+

As Ide noted in another thread, this is pretty much Dracula with a competent director.

Script's a wee better too, I think; and it's easy to sympathize for Imhoptep in a way it was impossible with Dracula.

I forget if I mentioned it, but I love how the "real" romantic interest is the same actor playing the exact same weenie.

[Ed Anger]

I can't stand the Little Mermaid. ABOMINATION

[Ideologue]

When did your soul die, MB?

[Ed Anger]

When did your soul die, MB?

1998.

[Ideologue]

Well, at least you got to enjoy it for nine years.

[Ed Anger]

Other Disney crap I can't tolerate:

Beauty and the beast
lion king
Pokeherhauntas

[Ideologue]

And I bet you have a full set of Disney's traditionally animated features too.  Even Treasure Planet.

[Ed Anger]

And I bet you have a full set of Disney's traditionally animated features too.  Even Treasure Planet.

I own the Donald Duck sets.

Treasure planet. 

[Ed Anger]

I'd bang Mulan though.

[Ideologue]

Cosigned.

[Caliga]

He changed around a lot of footage during the Death Star battle.  Looks stupid now.

I didn't notice any changes there.

[Caliga]

If it's the scene I think you mean, it's fine. It's the Han didn't shoot first whitewash that is hated.

Who cares who shot first?  The important thing is that the non-handsome, non-Caucasian (and therefore evil) character was the one who died.

[CountDeMoney]

Little Mermaid gets an A+, but the French Connection gets a B from Oliver Wendell Redaction here.

Even she's like, WTF.

[garbon]

Beauty and the beast

Well granted it led to a single for Celine Dion...but how could you hate a movie that features Angela Lansbury singing?

[Neil]

And I bet you have a full set of Disney's traditionally animated features too.  Even Treasure Planet.

I do.