movies/tv Back in my day, animation was...depressing!

[Dzastur 1,719]

So, basically - and to date myself, I suppose - this is what I grew up with, and I saw them all on television (unless noted). They served as my first exposure to animation. And people wonder why I like the happy stuff...

 

NOTE: Despite my "depressing" jab, I have respect for all of the films below; many of them are quality. I'm just poking a little fun at the genre. In fact, I'd recommend seeing them all, if you haven't. Just, not all once...while you're 5-10 years old. If you haven't seen these, I guess what's below could count as SPOILERS, so beware.

 

Charlotte's Web - There's fun moments, to be sure. And it ends well. And it's a very good movie. But all he has to do to keep from getting slaughtered is win a contest (nice), and then the one who made him believe in himself dies, leaving behind her children. All in suitably dreary animation. Not an upper.

 

Animal Farm (1955) - Pigs actually die in this one. The most likeable pig dies right away. The most likeable character - Boxer, a horse - dies soon thereafter. A little clean for the kids compared to the novel but, otherwise, they really didn't pull many punches...

 

The Hobbit - Entertaining. And inspirational: ask Peter Jackson. But Glenn Yarbrough is the most depressing "upbeat" singer in history, plus the muted colors, and so forth. Smaug was great, though.

 

Watership Down - Jesus. Feel like seeing some rabbits go through turf warfare, get bloodied, and slaughtered? This is your movie. Oh, and Glenn Yarbrough? I take it back - Art Garfunkel wins for depressing in this film. This used to air on, I believe, ABC, like once a year. Which meant that, once a year, you got to see a bunny strangled by barb wire. Good times. And, for better times, see...

 

The Plague Dogs - The most depressing thing ever animated? Possibly. You'll never let your dog swim in the ocean again after watching this. By the way, if you ever wondered how Patrick Stewart got into doing voicework for animation, this is where he began.

 

Allegro non troppo - Hey, now we're getting into something funny. It's the parody of Fantasia, and superior in a number of ways, in my humble opinion. Often a laugh riot. Great music. And then...the cat. In the bombed-out house. And, once again, a nine-year-old child (me) feels like hiding.

 

The Last Unicorn - I love this picture. Haven't seen it in years; still remember it. It's got depressing parts, for sure, but you can't really call yourself a unicorn fan until you've seen it.

 

The Secret of NIMH - Don Bluth, you softie...is what I would've said if he'd only made An American Tail. In this one, which came before that film, mice get stuck with needles and almost drown in mud. All she wants is a safe place for her children; man, does this mouse carry a burden. (Good movie.)

 

And finally, my introduction to Disney as a child:

 

The Black Cauldron - Um...wow. When Gurgi's body got returned to Taran, a child in the audience started wailing the most pitiful cry I've ever heard (and still have ever heard to this day). His mom grabbed him and ran out of the theatre like a lightning bolt. At the end of the film, adults were scratching their heads, and everyone was dead silent. "Funeral procession" is the best way to describe how everyone left their seats. Had you told my mother at the time that, years later, she'd be laughing her butt off during Aladdin, she wouldn't have believed you. She thought Disney was done with animation, and she wasn't the only one.

[Discovery Dream 592]

I'm sorry your first Disney movie was The Black Cauldron. You poor kid D:

 

Also, I hate The Secret of NIMH. Had the misfortune of reading the book first. The Last Unicorn is one of my favorite films though I like depressing.

[Acoustic Cloud 2,202]

I've seen... all of these... even the last unicorn xD Me and a buddy bought that for a friend as a gag long before we were Bronies.  Yes, it would seem older films that were feature animations were depressing.

[Fhaolan 4,484]

I remember those films from when they were in the theatre.

 

Yeah, that was a grim time for animation. excellent art for the time, but grim.

[Rainblow H. Ash 5,091]

Wow, that's quite the list...

 

And thank you for reminding me of that movie The Last Unicorn, I know my parents own it but I've never gone and actually watched it.

[Dzastur 1,719]

I'm sorry your first Disney movie was The Black Cauldron. You poor kid D:

 

Also, I hate The Secret of NIMH. Had the misfortune of reading the book first. The Last Unicorn is one of my favorite films though I like depressing.

 

It was so dreary. Now that I think of it, I believe I saw one or two Disney films on VHS beforehand, and expected something upbeat. I know I gave my mom a "What the hell?" look afterwards, and she responded with something akin to, "Beats me."

I've seen... all of these... even the last unicorn xD Me and a buddy bought that for a friend as a gag long before we were Bronies.  Yes, it would seem older films that were feature animations were depressing.

 

I hink there was that period of time when animators were trying to stretch the genre, and it took them to dark places. The result was sometimes very good...and arguably set the stage for some awesome dramatic animation turns later on. But yeah, it was a dark period.

I remember those films from when they were in the theatre.

 

Yeah, that was a grim time for animation. excellent art for the time, but grim.

 

Right. Like rotoscoping; some excellent work done with that. (I think Bakshi did a lot of it.)

Wow, that's quite the list...

 

And thank you for reminding me of that movie The Last Unicorn, I know my parents own it but I've never gone and actually watched it.

It's stuck in my brain now; I'm gonna have to check it out again.