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Fantasia

Director: Ben Sharpsteen and others
Year: 1940
Run-time: 2 hr 6 min

- It's hard to know what to say about Fantasia, which has been a staple for me and my wife since early childhood, except to say that it holds up. On my most recent viewing, I found the tempos and arrangements a bit slow and dull, respectively, but the animation astounding. Sorcerer's Apprentice is overrated, the last three pieces are all astoundingly weird and awesome (including Night on Bald Mountain, which has already had an animated accompaniment on this list that's much more avant-garde). It made me realize how much I miss plot-less and sensory experiences in animated film. I love Studio Ghibli and Pixar and have been watching many of their films since they appeared on HBO Max, but those films usually have strong plots to keep kids engaged (kids have different attention-based needs I suppose).
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