My Ten Favorite Animated Disney Movies

This list has only animated movies made by Walt Disney Studios.  No Pixar.  Why?  Because this post is part of the 100 Years of Disney Blogathon hosted this weekend by Silver Scenes, so I wanted to focus solely on Disney's animation studio.  

Titles linked to my reviews, where applicable (but I haven't reviewed that many animated movies, it turns out...).  Are any of these favorites for you too?

1. Robin Hood (1973)  Ye olde story of Robin Hood robbing the rich to feed the poor and battling Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham... except, they're all animated, talking animals. Hilarious and heartwarming and swashbuckling and wonderful. I have loved this movie so long I can't remember the first time I saw it.

2. 101 Dalmatians (1961)  Two dogs and their owners stop the evil Cruella de Ville from turning 101 sweet puppies into a coat. Much less grisly than it sounds but, at the same time, so dark it terrified me when I was very young.  But now, I love it!

3. Tangled (2010)  Rapunzel paints, sings, wields a mean frying pan, and dances her way into the heart of an errant knave and the audience.  I love the way this movie exudes -- and celebrates -- joy and enthusiasm.

4. Aladdin (1992)  A humble thief finds a genie, gets turned into a prince, and tries to steal a princess's heart. I was very nutty about this movie when I was in my early teens.  

5. The Many Adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh (1977)  Actually, three adventures of a lovable, bumbling teddy bear whose brain may be stuffed with fluff, but whose heart is made of very sturdy stuff indeed.  When my brother was very young, this was his favorite movie.  When my son was very young, this was one of only two movies he ever wanted to watch.  So I have seen it many, many times, but I'm not tired of it!

6. Cinderella (1950)  Classic fairy tale princess story about a sweet, kind, hardworking young girl whose fairy godmother gives her a chance to go to the royal ball.  The rest is princess history.  When I was a kid, I really didn't care much for this movie, but watching it repeatedly with my daughters when they were younger gave me a real appreciation for it.

7. Frozen (2013)  Do I even need to tell you what this is about? Princess Elsa accidentally unleashes an eternal winter and nearly kills her sister, but it turns out all you need is love, just like the Beatles said. Visually stunning AND heart-warming (pun totally intended).

8. Lady and the Tramp (1955)  A prim and proper Cocker Spaniel tames a hound dog with her innocence and loyalty to her humans. Sweet and sentimental, yes, but sassy and funny too.

9. The Jungle Book (1967)  Mowgli just wants to live in the jungle forever, but his bear and panther guardians know he is in terrible danger there.  They are sure it would be much better for him to live in the man village... but I am never quite convinced they're right.  I do much prefer Kipling's Mowgli stories, especially for how they end, but the movie is a lot of fun too.

10. The Aristocats (1970)  A pampered cat and her mischievous kittens are cat-napped and must find their way back home to London with the help of an alley cat, some geese, and their own good sense.  I first saw this in college, and it quickly became a favorite.

Like I said, this is a contribution to the 100 Years of Disney Blogathon.  Come back later this weekend for my top ten list of favorite live-action Disney films!

The Many Flavors of Robin Hood

One of the things I like best about Robin Hood is how many flavors he comes in. Sweet Robin Hood. Dark Robin Hood. Zesty Robin Hood. Whatever you’re craving, there’s a Robin Hood for you! 

Say you want your Robin Hood sweet and light, but not too sugary. Go for the 1973 Disney animated version. Robin Hood’s quite the foxy fellow here (literally), always one merry step ahead of Prince John and his cohorts. He’s playful, he’s always donning some disguise or other, and nothing ever goes seriously wrong for him, even when he’s being threatened by a wolf brandishing a burning torch. The milk chocolate of Robin Hoods, the 1973 Robin Hood is perfect for satisfying your Robin Hood craving without leaving you feeling too full. 

But what if you want something a little more filling? Cake, instead of just a chocolate bar, for instance. Check out the 1952 Disney live-action version, The Story of Robin Hood and his Merrie Men. Starring Richard Todd as our lovable rogue, this also has a confectionery feel to it, but with more substance than a cartoon can hold. Very nice for a dessert. 

Right, but say you’re in the mood for a Robin Hood that’s light, but nourishing. Sample 1938’s The Adventures of Robin Hood. Beneath Errol Flynn’s happy-go-lucky grin lurks a conscience troubled by the way he must turn outlaw to thwart lawbreakers and protect innocent people. This one’s a nice ham and cheese sandwich—good for a quick lunch, but not too heavy. 

If ham and cheese isn’t your thing, you could always go for peanut-butter-and-jelly instead. That’d be Princess of Thieves, a 2001 TV movie that features a teen Keira Knightley as Robin Hood’s headstrong daughter. This one’s got everything you want in a comfort food—adventure, a little sprinkling of romance, and lots of bravery. Like a PB&J, it’s something kids are gonna go nuts over. 

And then, there’s the dark Robin Hood. Like a 90% cacao bar of chocolate—you can only eat a bite or too, and you’re not entirely sure if you’re enjoying it, but you want some more. Yes, I’m talking about the 2010 movie starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. It’s grim and violent, and spends more time on Robin Hood’s back story than on his merry adventures. At the same time, it’s got some really enjoyable aspects too, so it’s good for a gloomy day when you don’t want something chipper anyway. 

I also promised you zesty Robin Hood. For that, look no farther than the BBC’s adaptation that ran from 2006 to 2009. Filled with zingy dialog, handsome men, pretty ladies, and a healthy helping of derring-do, it will keep you thoroughly entertained, but it’s not something you’d share with a little kid. Think a spicy salsa or those pickled peppers I’ve yet to work up the courage to try. 

Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves wants to be zesty, but it comes off a little too earnest, so it’s more ketchup than salsa. It mixes Kevin Costner with Christian Slater into something a little sweet and a little salty, but it’s not specifically suited to any one meal. Also, like ketchup, some people want it all the time, and some people think a little bit goes a long way. 

As for Robin Hood: Men in Tights, honestly, this is the pickle relish of Robin Hood movies. They took something tasty, chopped it up, and turned it into something I really don’t want too much of. It’s funny for a few minutes, but then I’ve had more than enough of it. 

Of course, there are many other Robin Hood flavors. There’s the ’50s TV show starring Richard Greene, the silent Douglas Fairbanks version, Robin and the Seven Hoods (in case you’re craving some Rat Pack gangsters), and the 1976 Robin and Marion (with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn playing the aging couple). I won’t even delve into all the Ivanhoe adaptations, which also involve dear Robin. And these are just the versions I’ve personally seen! There are dozens more. Like I said, there’s a Robin Hood for every taste—no matter what your mood or preference, you’re sure to find one to satisfy your craving.

(This post originally appeared in the July/August 2015 issue of Femnista magazine.)

Movie Music: Erich Wolfgang Korngold's "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938)

Time to share a film score that is a classic in every possible way a soundtrack could be. From long ago, still enjoyable today, and something others might try to imitate but can never duplicate. And it even comes with an adventure story of its own, separate from the one in the movie it accompanies! 

Composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold and his family escaped Vienna just before the Nazis invaded in 1938 thanks to this film score. According to the liner notes of my copy, Korngold was offered the job of composing the score for The Adventures of Robin Hood in Hollywood, and that gave him a legitimage reason to leave Austria in what was becoming an increasingly dangerous time.  He was able to bring his wife and younger son along, but had to leave his older son with family in Austria. They arrived safely in California, where Korngold promptly turned down the job because there was too much action in the film! He wrote operas and scored romantic movies, not action films, and he didn't think he could match the studio's needs and expectations. But they prevailed on him to try, so he stayed, and wrote the entire score in six weeks. During that time, Hitler invaded Austria, and the Korngolds were relieved to learn that their other son had escaped with his grandparents to Switzerland just before the Nazis arrived.

This score went on to with Korngold his second Oscar, which is amazing when you think that he didn't want to write it at all at first. It's a very sweeping, lyrical score, one I enjoy listening to on a glum morning to help boost the mood for me and my kids. They're actually the reason I bought this album in the first place -- they love the movie and kept asking why I didn't have the soundtrack. Well, I didn't have it because the original recording isn't available -- all you can get are re-recordings. I did some research and consulted with a knowledgeable friend, and learned that the 1988 recording available from the Varese-Sarabande label is the best available, so that's the one I got. It was produced by George Korngold, the composer's young son who accompanied him to Hollywood on the trip to compose the score. 

When we listened to this when they were younger, my kids would tell me exactly what's happening in the movie during different parts of the music, and sometimes act it out :-) Very fun, though sometimes a bit disruptive of breakfast. 

The first cue, "Prologue (Main Title)," begins with a lot of rollicky, boisterous prancing that lets you know this is the sort of movie that will make you bounce up and down in your seat and cheer. Then the mood shifts and a softer theme weaves its way in, alerting the audience to the fact that yes, there will be a love story here too. But that doesn't last long -- the piece ends with a some bold and vaguely regal flourishes.

This score has some of the most cheerful action music you'll ever hear. "Escape from the Castle" is a joyous romp from start to finish, lots of flourishes and musical galloping. 

My favorite track is "The Archery Tournament." It's brash and playful and ready to have a good time. Rather like Robin Hood (Errol Flynn) in this version, come to think of it.

This is a really fun movie. If you haven't seen it, I strongly encourage you to! You can read my review of it right here if you want to know more about it.  And you can listen to the soundtrack album here on YouTube.

(This review originally appeared here at J and J Productions on February 15, 2016.)

A Liebster Award

Eva did not tag me with the Liebster Award on her blog, Caffeinated Fangirl.  She didn't tag anyone, she just invited people to participate if they wanted to.  I haven't done one of these for a long time, and I really like her questions, so... thank you for the non-tag, Eva!  And, here we go!

Rules

• Thank the blogger who gave you the award. 
• List eleven random facts about yourself. 
• Answer the eleven questions given to you. 
• Tag eleven other bloggers. 
• Ask them eleven questions.
• Notify your nominees once you have uploaded your post.

Eleven Random Facts About Me:

1. I've ridden an elephant and a camel.
   
   
2. I own 182 candles.
   
   
3. My favorite fruit is pears.  Or apricots.  Unless I can get a fresh-off-the-tree peach.
   
   
4. I was in 4-H for 7 years.
   
   
5. I love peppermint mochas and will drink them any time of year.
   
   
6. I write a monthly column on Old West history for the newspaper the Prairie Times.
   
   
7. Orange is my least-favorite color.
   
   
8. I prefer Coca-cola to alcohol of any sort.
   
   
9. I've broken my right forearm twice, thirty years apart, both times while roller skating.
   
   
10. Brownies are my favorite dessert, over any pie or cake or other confection.
    
    
11. I like to reread The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery every New Year's Day.

Eva's Questions:

Describe your favorite notebook. 

I just bought a new notebook at Walmart the other day that has Saguaro cacti, a peachy-gold-pink sunset, and the words "Give yourself space to dream" in shiny gold letters.  It's my new favorite :-)

Last five star read? 

Song of the Valley by Britt Howard.  Modern day cowboys, you say?  Yes, please!  You can read my review here.

Last one star read? 

Summer by Edith Wharton.  I almost never give one-star ratings because if I'm disliking a book that much, I tend to just not finish it.  And I almost never review books I DNF (Did Not Finish).  But man, that one, I just kept hoping it was going to have a really good twist right at the end and have things work out in a good way... but nope, didn't happen, and I was really disappointed.

Instrumental or vocal movie soundtracks? 

Both!  I love both.  And I love movie soundtracks so much, I review them :-)  Here's the list of the ones I've got posted here so far.

Movie musicals or Broadway musicals? 

Well, the only thing I've ever seen on Broadway was Hamlet, and it wasn't a musical, but I've seen lots and lots of movie musicals, so I'll go with movie musicals.

Favorite animated movie? 

Robin Hood (1973).  Everything about it is absolutely perfect.  I was super disappointed that the only Robin Hood merch we found at Disney World back in March wasn't even at Disney World, it was at the big souvenir shop in Disney Springs.  And it was just one small enamel pin.  I was vexed.  And saddened.  Because a movie that wonderful deserves ALL the merch!  I did pick up a cute mug from the BoxLunch store at our mall this weekend, though.

Top three favorite fictional characters of all time? 

1. Sergeant Saunders from Combat! (1962-67)
2. Sherlock Holmes from the canon by A. Conan Doyle
3. Wolverine from the X-Men comics and movies

What’s your go-to snack? 

A spoonful of peanut butter with a handful of chocolate chips.

What’s your favorite thing about where you live? (House, state, country…) 

Well, Tir Asleen is the first house we've ever owned, and I love it because it is all ours.  And it is beautiful.  It has a wood-burning fireplace, a library, plenty of space for guests, and almost a third of an acre (which is a huge lot around here) with nearly 20 trees.  I love it.

Top three favorite scents? 

Amber, cinnamon, and lavender.  Maybe not all in one candle, though -- that would be weird.

Do you own any LEGOs?

Personally?  Yes, maybe ten sets.  Most are from my childhood, but some are sets I've bought in the last few years.  Our family, though... owns hundreds of thousands of Legos.  And I am not exaggerating.

The library is also known as the Lego Room...

I am going to be rebellious and not tag anyone, since I wasn't tagged for this myself.  If you want to answer Eva's questions, go right ahead!  Just be sure to credit her post, not this one.

The Fandom Tag

Eva tagged me with this on Coffee, Classics, and Craziness this week.  Thanks, Eva!  I was rather wishing for a good tag to do, as a matter of fact.

RULES:

1.  Include the graphic somewhere in your post!
2.  Answer the questions!
3.  Tag two fellow fandom fanatics!

Okay, that's all fun times, so let's go.

(Source)

What’s the first fandom you remember becoming a part of? 

Does Robin Hood count?  Because I've loved him since I was like three or four.  If he doesn't, then the Lone Ranger, as I've loved him since I was seven or eight.

My first really major fandom, though, was Star Trek.  I got into Star Trek: The Original Series in my very early teens, and it was the first fandom I was into that I could buy merch for, which was such a thrill.  I had Star Trek action figures, t-shirts, model kits to put together, books... and a few favorite episodes on VHS.  It was a lovely way to spend my teen years.

Cut from 1993 to 2016 when I got to attend the 50th anniversary Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas with my bff, which was a dream come true :-)

(I'm on the right here.)

Yes, we had costumes.  Yes, we had a lot of fun doing action shots!  Oh, and our tricorders were actually purses!

(I'm on the left here.)

What’s the newest fandom you’ve come to enjoy? 

The Mandalorian, I think.  Which is technically part of the Star Wars fandom.  Newest one that's entirely new to me?  Hmm.  Haven't picked up any brand-new fandoms lately.  I guess before Mando, it would have been the '90s TV version of The Magnificent Seven, but even there, it's based on a movie I've loved since my teens.

So the newest-to-me fandom that is TOTALLY new to me that I've gotten into recently (by which I mean like 4 years ago) would be Leverage (2008-2012), which is a supremely fun show about a group of criminals who work together to help people who've been hurt by other criminals.  It definitely has a Robin Hood aspect to it, but also that "found family" thing going on that I pretty much always fall for.  And it's got all kinds of con artist stuff going on, which always fascinates me.  Plus, yeah, Christian Kane and Timothy Hutton definitely were what first drew me to the show.

What’s a fandom guaranteed to give you feels? 

Um, if it doesn't give me all the feels, I'm not into it.  For real.  I demand many feels.  No feels?  No fandom for me.

Okay, fine, so one that gives me instant feels, no matter what, and all you have to do is say the show's name for me to be reduced to a puddle of sappy and lovesick nonsense is... Lost.  Which is all his fault:

My darling Sawyer, about whom I have waxed eloquent many times.  So today, instead of talking about how much I love James "Sawyer" Ford (Josh Holloway), I'll tell you a little story that will show how well my brother's wife knows me.  We went to visit them once, years and years ago when we both lived somewhere other than where we are now.  And they were big fans of Lost, so they wanted to show us the first few eps to see if we'd like it too.  My s-i-l suggested it to my brother because she thought I'd like the characters a lot.  My brother said, "Yeah, but I just can't see Rachel liking Jack."  My s-i-l said, "No, no, not Jack.  Sawyer."  

Um, yeah, she called it.  The first couple of eps, I was like, "Why is he so horrible?" and then when I got to ep 8, "Confidence Man," I just gave up and fell for him.  Very hard, very fast, very deeply.  I've got a weird fondness for con artists anyway, and if you combine that with an authentic Southern accent and a redemption arc, there's no way I won't swoon.

What’s a guilty pleasure fandom of yours?

Ummmmmm... ummmmmmmmmm... I don't have one?  I don't feel guilty about loving any of my fandoms!  If they made me feel guilty, I would not be their fan.

 

What’s the weirdest fandom you’ve heard of/are a part of? 

Yeah, see, but you say 'weird' and I say 'whatever.'  I never know what people will consider weird.  Is it weird that my favorite TV show ever is a 1960s drama about WWII soldiers?  Is it weird that I've written fanfic that crossed that show with one about vampires?  I suppose the Buffy/Angel fandom is my weirdest, or maybe it's Lost instead?  They're both kind of unusual, maybe?

I do deeply love Angel: The Series.  It's my second-favorite TV show ever, and since it's about a vampire who basically becomes a detective and then a crime-fighter and assembles a crew with otherworldly skills to help the hopeless... I guess it counts as weird?

Favorite popular/widely-known fandom? 

Either the MCU or Star Wars -- I don't know which one is bigger, or which one I love most.  Okay, I probably love Star Wars a little more, simply because I've loved Han Solo for a looooooooong time.  And so deeply.  Yes, I think I do love him more than Thor.  Sorry, Thor.  I do love you, honest.  Just... I love Han more.  Can't help it.

Favorite bookish fandom? 

Sherlock Holmes.  No question.  Sherlock Holmes is my "book boyfriend" and I am not sorry.

(Mine from my Instagram account.)

What do you consider your ‘homebase,’ a fandom you can always come back to? 

Combat! (1962-67) always feels like home.  No matter how long it's been since I watched an ep.  I just watched several last month and it was so wonderful to be back with my best WWII buddies.  I've spent so much of my life in that world, writing reams of fanfic and even co-running a fansite for the show called Fruit Salad with my best friend.

No matter how long I've been away, Saunders and the guys will always welcome me back.  I love that.

What’s a fandom you know all about…but aren’t actually into it? 

Why would I know all about it if I wasn't in the fandom?  I don't bother learning all about things if I'm not into them.  Who has that kind of time?

I do know a lot more about The Hunger Games than I want to, so I guess that counts?  It was so unavoidable for so long, but I'm just not into it.  At all.

Which fandom has the best characters?

Probably The Lord of the Rings.  Just no end of fantastically nuanced, deep, rich characters.

 

Name your all-time favorite ship. 

Valancy Stirling and Barney Snaith from The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery.  I have read it over and over, and their story never fails to absolutely delight me.

(Also from my Instagram)

What’s a fandom you’re curious about joining?

Hmm.  Does Errol Flynn count?  Because I'm a little bit flirting with the idea of having a spring fling with him, as evidenced by me buying like four or five of his westerns recently.  But at the same time, I've already seen half a dozen of his movies, so he's not truly new to me either.  I'm considering reading Caraval by Stephanie Garber -- does that count?

That was super fun, and it took me days and days to answer these to my satisfaction :-)  Now I'm supposed to tag two people, so I'm tagging Movie Critic at Movies Meet Their Match and Katherine + Grace at Maidens of Green Gables.  But if you want to do this tag too, go right ahead!  Here are the questions, for your easy copying:

What’s the first fandom you remember becoming a part of? 

What’s the newest fandom you’ve come to enjoy? 

What’s a fandom guaranteed to give you feels? 

What’s a guilty pleasure fandom of yours? 

What’s the weirdest fandom you’ve heard of/are a part of? 

Favorite popular/widely-known fandom? 

Favorite bookish fandom? 

What do you consider your ‘homebase,’ a fandom you can always come back to? 

What’s a fandom you know all about…but aren’t actually into it? 

Which fandom has the best characters? 

Name your all-time favorite ship. 

What’s a fandom you’re curious about joining?

The Thirty Songs Tag -- Part Two

As I said in part one, McKayla tagged me with this a little while ago, and I'm answering all the questions with movie scores.  Because I can.  

Once again, I am providing a link to each song on YouTube.  At the end, I will link to a YouTube playlist I made with all thirty songs, if you'd rather listen that way.  Now, on to the second half of this tag!

16. A Song That Describes You?

I've always identified strongly with the song "Cockeyed Optimist" from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's South Pacific (1958).  Listen here.

17. An Underrated Song More People Should Love? 

Everyone should listen to Erich Wolfgang Korngold's score for The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).  It is such jolly music, but also very sophisticatedly orchestral.  Listen to my favorite first track here, or the whole thing here.

18. A Song That You Hear Often on the Radio?

I don't listen to the radio much anymore.  And the radio doesn't play a lot of music from movies.  The last one I can remember hearing on it is Adele's theme song for Skyfall (2012), which I had the great luck to hear on the radio while in the car on the way to the theater to see that very film!  Listen here.

19. A Song You Wish You Heard on the Radio?

If there were radio stations that played movie soundtracks, I would listen to them.  I guess there are, on Pandora and such.  I do remember, when I was very little, that they would play the title theme from the score for Chariots of Fire (1981) by Vangelis on the radio.  I called it "Running in the Water" for fairly obvious reasons, and would get all excited when I heard it.  It would be pretty thrilling if it cropped up on a radio station again.  Listen here.

20. A Song You Listen to When You're Happy?

The Conspiracy Theory (1997) soundtrack by Carter Burwell, specifically the last track, "Riding," specifically starting at 1:25.  When the trumpet and percussion kick in at 2:03, there are 27 seconds of absolute bliss that I never tire of.  Listen here.

21. A Song You Listen to When You're Sad?

Rachel Portman's score for Chocolat (2000) cheers me up beautifully.  The "Minor Swing" is such a mood-brightener.  Listen here.

22. A Song You Listen To When You're Angry? 

Elmer Bernstein's theme for The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) is so brassy and sassy and bold and insistent that it really speaks to me when I'm all riled up.  Listen here.

23. A Song You Want to Play at Your Wedding?

Pretty sure I had "All I Ask of You" from Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera as background music for my reception.  I didn't have any solos sung during my wedding, and the music during the service itself was all classical and hymns.  But my mom recorded a ton of my favorite songs on piano to play during the reception, and I'm pretty sure that was one of them.  Not technically a song specifically from the movie, but it did get sung in the 2004 movie version by Patrick Wilson and Emmy Rossum.  Listen here.

24. A Song You Want to Play at Your Funeral?

You could play Randy Edelman's whole Gettysburg (1993) soundtrack at my funeral if you wanted.  I really love "Fife and Gun," which you can listen to here, but I recommend the whole soundtrack, which you can listen to here.

25. A Song That Makes You Laugh?

Jerry Herman's songs for Hello, Dolly! (1969) are overall awesome, and I love them all, but one of them is super funny, and that's "So Long, Dearie."  Barbra Streisand belts it out of the park, especially when you can see her sing it in the movie, but even listening to it makes me laugh.  I sing parts of it to my kids when they're being super dramatic, or when I'm running an errand and leaving them home with Cowboy.  Listen here.

26. A Song That You Can Play? 

I can play "Windmills of Your Mind" by Michel Legrand from The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) pretty well on the piano.  Listen here to the version by Ferrante & Teicher that I grew up listening to.  (I can't play it as well as they do, obviously.)

27. A Song You Wish You Could Play? 

I started learning to play the trumpet when I was a teen, with the ambition of one day being able to play Ennio Morricone's glorious theme from the end of A Fistful of Dollars (1964).  I still can't play it, though partly that's because I rarely pull my trumpet out of the case anymore.  Maybe some day.  Meanwhile, listen here and revel in its magnificence. 

28. A Song From Your Childhood? 

The whole soundtrack for Disney's animated Robin Hood (1973) was in my head throughout childhood, especially "Oo-de-lolly."  I was so excited when they released George Bruns' score to CD a couple years ago!  Listen here to "Oo-de-lolly" or here to the whole soundtrack.

29. Your Favorite Duet? 

Possibly "Rewrite the Stars" from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul's score for The Greatest Showman (2017), sung by Zendaya and Zac Efron.  Listen here.

30. Your Favorite Song at this Time Last Year?

Hmm.  I went to Midway (2019) several times in November of last year, and I got the soundtrack by Thomas Wander and Harald Kloser as soon as I could.  So I listened to it on pretty heavy repeat, and the track "Best Returns" is a big favorite of mine.  It gives me goosebumps.  Listen here.

As promised, I made a YouTube playlist with all thirty of these songs on it, and you can find that here, if you'd rather listen to all of them in a row instead of clicking thirty links.

Now, the thing with tags is that you're supposed to tag people with them, but I just don't feel like doing that today, so if you had fun with this and want to do it yourself, have at it!!!  Here are the questions all together, for your copying convenience:

1. Your Favorite Song?

2. Your Least-Favorite Song?

3. A Song That Makes You Happy? 

4. A Song That Makes You Sad? 

5. A Song That Makes You Feel Guilty?

6. A Song That You Often Get Stuck in Your Head? 

7. A Song That Reminds You of Someone? 

8. A Song That Reminds You of Someplace? 

9. A Song That Reminds You of a Certain Event? 

10. A Song You Know All the Words to? 

11. A Song You Could Dance to? 

12. A Song That Makes You Fall Asleep? 

13. A Song From Your Favorite Band? 

14. A Song From A Band You Hate? 

15. A Song Nobody Would Expect You to Love? 

16. A Song That Describes You? 

17. An Underrated Song More People Should Love? 

18. A Song That You Hear Often on the Radio?

19. A Song You Wish You Heard on the Radio?

20. A Song You Listen to When You're Happy?

21. A Song You Listen to When You're Sad?

22. A Song You Listen To When You're Angry? 

23. A Song You Want to Play at Your Wedding?

24. A Song You Want to Play at Your Funeral?

25. A Song That Makes You Laugh?

26. A Song That You Can Play? 

27. A Song You Wish You Could Play? 

28. A Song From Your Childhood? 

29. Your Favorite Duet? 

30. Your Favorite Song at this Time Last Year?

The Marvel Heroes Movie Tag

While filling out the Disney Princess Book Tag for my other blog recently, I thought to myself, "You know what would be even more fun than this?  A tag that compared stories to the Avengers."

And the more I thought about that, the more fun it sounded, so... I created one!  With a little help from my best friend on some of the categories. Like that princess tag, this isn't a tag devoted to superheroes, but rather one that uses attributes of the various characters to create categories that you then fill in with other movies.  Make sense?

Also, I got kind of carried away with adding characters, and so now there are like twenty categories.  What can I say?  I'm enthusiastic.  (Probably because I'm still riding the wave of giddy joy that is Thor: Ragnarok.)

Captain America: Name a movie with a "fish out of water" theme.  I love those!  Ball of Fire (1941) is a wonderful one.

Thor: Name a movie about learning to use power for the good of others.  I think King Arthur (2017) fits that theme nicely.

Iron Man: Name a movie about an inventor.  I get such a big kick out of The Absent-Minded Professor (1961).

Incredible Hulk: Name a movie with a main character who has two sides to them.  How about Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), where nerdy Dr. Jones is also a devil-may-care adventurer?

Hawkeye: Name a movie that involves archery.  Doesn't get much better than The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) when it comes to archery in a movie!

Black Widow: Name a movie about spies.  The Man from UNCLE (2015) is always going to be my choice for this one.

Black Panther: Name a movie about royalty.  I really like Roman Holiday (1953) and its look at the pressures and responsibilities of being royal.

Vision: Name a movie involving androids or robots.  How about I, Robot (2004)?

Spider-man: Name a movie about teens.  Not a huge fan of teen movies, but I will always love Ten Things I Hate About You (1999).

Ant Man: Name a movie about thieves.  Doesn't get much better than the original Ocean's 11 (1960).

Scarlet Witch: Name a movie with powerful female character.  Giant (1956) has two powerful women in it: Luz (Mercedes McCambridge) and Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor).

Dr. Strange: Name a movie where a character learns to be a better person.  I'll go with Gentleman's Agreement (1947).

Falcon: Name a movie with a great sidekick.  Raise your hand if you adore the sidekicks in A Knight's Tale (2001)!  Mark Addy and Alan Tudyk just kill in their roles.

Loki: Name a movie with an antagonist/villain who steals the show.  You already know I'm going to answer 3:10 to Yuma (1957) for this.  I watch it primarily for Glenn Ford's Ben Wade, who is the antagonist and so fantastic I can hardly stand it.

Agent Coulson: Name a movie where an ordinary character faces an extraordinary situation.  I love how Sarah (Mary Louise Parker) in RED (2010) handles having the nice guy she's crushing on turn out to be a retired (extremely dangerous) spy.

Peter Quill: Name a movie with a character who is more than they appear to be.  I'll go with Cars (2006).  At first you think Doc Hudson (voiced by Paul Newman) is just a cranky old coot, but he's so much more.

Gamora: Name a movie with a character who changes allegiances.  John Reid (Armie Hammer) does that memorably in The Lone Ranger (2013), going from a law-spouting lawyer to a law-flouting vigilante.

Drax: Name a movie with a physically powerful character.  How's about Hercules (2014)?  I mean, I could basically go with any movie Dwayne Johnson is in, but that seems like the most logical choice.  And it's probably my fave of his movies.

Groot: Name a movie with a character who doesn't talk much.  In The Magnificent Seven (1960), Britt (James Coburn) only has 7 or 8 lines.  It's pretty fascinating to see how much he conveys with body language and facial expressions only.

Rocket: Name a movie with a talking animal.  It's a Dog's Life (1955) is all about a dog named Wildfire, voiced by Vic Morrow, and his travails as he goes from living on the streets to fighting other dogs to finally finding a home.

I hereby tag the following bloggers:

Coffee, Classics, and Craziness
Sidewalk Crossings
Through Two Blue Eyes
And Anybody Else Who Wants To Do This Tag!!!