Movie #417 - The Lion King

The Lion King
1994 - Rated G - 1 hr 29 min
Directors: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Starring: Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Jeremy Irons, Robert Guillaume, Rowan Atkinson, Moira Kelly, Cheech Marin, Whoopi Goldberg, Jonathan Taylor Thomas

Who doesn't love this movie? And who hasn't -- at some point -- quoted those iconic lines? "Everything the light touches..." "The king has returned..." "Hakuna Matata..."

Really, this one's so ingrained in my generation's childhood, it's hard to escape.  And now that it's a Broadway musical, everyone else loves it too.  It's easy to see why, with such a gripping story of deceipt that even adults can love, the kind of jokes that get mom, dad, and the kids all laughing, and some of the best songs Disney ever churned out of their powerhouse years.  This puts the cap on Disney's golden age for me.  I'll watch it over and over and over again.  Anytime Ellie asks.

Movie #377 - FernGully: The Last Rainforest

FernGully: The Last Rainforest
1992 - Rated G - 1 hr 16 min
Director: Bill Kroyer
Starring: Samantha Mathis, Christian Slater, Robin Williams, Tim Curry, Grace Zabriskie, Geoffrey Blake, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Tone Loc

Now that we've got kids, we're starting to collect some of the animated films of our youth.  This one was always a favorite in my house growing up, so I had some fond memories going in for a revisit.  It's a little bit more.... how do I say this?... lame, then I remember. But it still has an all-star cast, so it must've been good for its day.

The environmentalist message is still very relevant, even 19 years (I know!) later. Not much else to report here. This is a fun kids movie that I'm sure my daughter will one day enjoy with lots of songs, a great cast, and a nice, positive message to share.

Is it the inspiration for Avatar? Why don't you be the judge....

Movie #282 - From Dusk Til Dawn

From Dusk Til Dawn
1996 - Rated R - 1 hr 58 min
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo

So two bad brothers are making big bad deals and just happen to pick the one vampire hangout in town. Could happen. In fact, it's that randomness about this movie that makes it so much fun to watch.  It's completely implausible, and a little bit of ridiculous, but Robert Rodriguez says, "Hey, let's kill some vampires in the middle of this movie. Why not?"  And you say, "Yes sir!"

You gotta love it.  Plus, any time Quentin Tarantino gets to be a sick bastard on screen is pretty awesome. And surprisingly, George Clooney can indeed kick ass.

Movie #158 - Desperado

Desperado
1995 - Rated R - 1 hr 44 min
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, Steve Buscemi, Danny Trejo

Want to watch Antonio Banderas play some killer guitar? Check!

Want to watch him kill men with guitars? Check!

Want to watch him and Salma Hayek make sweet love then play guitar? Check!

So this movie is what it is: a story of revenge, a story of a bad-ass musician who doubles as an expert gun-slinger.  And also a story of drug busting, kinda.  There's lots of sweat and dirt, many bullets, and a fantastic body count...also some fantastic bodies. Just sayin'.

It's fun, easy to follow, and has lots of action.  It's a guy movie, which is not surprising since Robert Rodriguez directed it.  And oh hey, Quentin Tarrantino's in it too!