Toon Talk: Top 10 of 2001
Page 1 of 3
The Toon Talk Top 10 - 2001
The Year's Best Disney Movies, Television and Video
Now is the time of year for packing up Christmas decorations, making New Year's resolutions ... and coming up with top ten lists for the year.
This year, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Walt Disney, saw many great tributes to the man who has inspired and entertained generations. Notably, these make up over half of my list. But all of the films, television programs and video presentations listed below, whether brand new or brilliantly repackaged, are testaments to the genius of this past century's greatest entertainer.
(c) Disney
#1 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Platinum Edition DVD
There was no question as to what would be the
best in Disney entertainment for the year. This lavishly appointed two-disc
set, a diamond mine-full of long lost treasures and rare gems, included never before seen
test footage and an extensive virtual gallery, just to name but a few. And of course, the
gorgeously restored original film sat as the centerpiece of these many delights. Just as Snow
White and the Seven Dwarfs was the "one that started it all" for animated
features, so does this set set the standard for all deluxe Disney DVDs to come.
Click for full Toon Talk review
(c) Disney
#2 - Walt Disney: The Man Behind the
Myth
ABC's The Wonderful World of Disney
Even at two hours, this documentary seemingly just scratches the surface of the life of Walt, but is still the definitive biography of the man behind the mouse. Using rare home movies and family photographs, along with celebrity interviews of those who knew him, the film lovingly paints the picture, warts and all, of the real Walter Elias Disney. There was not a dry eye in any Disney household when daughter Diane Disney Miller recalls her Uncle Roy's final good-bye to his little brother.
#3 - Davy Crockett
Walt Disney Treasures DVD
The least anticipated of the four Phase One Walt
Disney Treasures DVDs turned out to be the most refreshing and enjoyable. A more
limited scope (Davy starred in only five television episodes) helped, but it's hard to
resist the nostalgic trips through the mountains of Tennessee, into the halls of Congress,
down the mighty Mississippi, and finally to the that fateful day at the Alamo. Truly
special bonus features and an uncluttered packaging add to the viewing pleasures.
Click for full Toon Talk review
(c) Disney
Image courtesy of The Encyclopedia of Disney Animated Shorts
#4 - Silly Symphonies
Walt Disney Treasures DVD
Sure, it was great to see the adventures of
the Tortoise and the Hare, the Three Little Pigs and the Flowers and Tress again. But the
real treat was discovering such undiscovered mini-masterpieces such as Wynken, Blynken
and Nod, a surrealistic dreamscape that packs more imagination and artistry into it's
brief running time then most full-length features of today. Other highlights include the
Oscar-winners The Old Mill, Country Cousin and Ugly Duckling , black and
white classics such as The Skeleton Dance and The China Plate, plus the
debut of one Donald Duck in The Wise Little Hen.
Click for full Toon Talk review