The Million Dollar Duck (1971)

Craig: You never know what to expect when you watch a Disney 70s screwball comedy, without the benefit of having some nostalgia for it. Unlike most of the films from that time, I had never seen this one. I was pleasantly surprised. Dean Jones always delivers, and the supporting cast was great. Wikipedia says Gene Siskel walked out of the movie theater during its original showing. Really? That seems a bit extreme. Good story, great cast, predictable (yet heartwarming) ending.


Craig's review: 3.5 out of 5 stars


Michael: Another one that I remember seeing in the theater! I think this film has one of the zaniest chase scenes around!! I love it! Dean Jones and Sandy Duncan are great! Great story. Great family film.


I give The Million Dollar Duck 4 out of 5 stars.

Escape To Witch Mountain (1975)

Michael: Another of the classic 1970's films that I can remember seeing at the theater. And it's another one that I really enjoy, aside from the creepy scene with the puppets, which in my opinion, goes on just a little too long. They just don't make movies like this one anymore and that is just sad.

I give Escape To Witch Mountain 3.5 out of 5 stars.


Craig: I also remember seeing this at the movie theater, and being blown away by the flying RV at the end. The special effects aren't what we see today, but they are still pretty impressive. The two kids are perfect in their roles, and the story is first rate.


Craig's rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Song Of The South (1946)

Michael: A real Disney classic. Love this movie. The animated sections are great. The cast, James Baskett, Hattie McDaniel, Luana Patten, Ruth Warrick, Glenn Leddy, are all excellent!! And of course, if you know me at all, you know of my love for all things Bobby Driscoll. The songs are fun, the story is great. Just really love this film. It's another one that I can remember seeing at the theater when I was a kid.

I give Song Of The South 4.5 out of 5 stars.


Craig: This was an interesting movie for me. I know I had seen it as a kid, but I remembered practically nothing about it. Over the years, I really only knew the characters, the songs, and the controversy. So this was really a new movie for me. James Baskett was pretty amazing in his Uncle Remus role. The live action segments tended to drag a bit, but the animated portions are great. It was great to see how faithfully Splash Mountain has reproduced scenes from the film. The classic music and classic characters make this a must-see.


Craig's review: 4 out of 5 stars.

Candleshoe (1978)

Michael: I LOVE this movie. I can remember going to see it at the theater as a kid, and I remember loving it then. I think it might have been the first time I ever saw Jodie Foster in a movie and I thought she was great. Love the story, love the cast, love the scenery, love it all.

I give Candleshoe 4 out of 5 stars.


Craig: This was always one of my favorite Disney films, and I'm delighted to say that it's still as wonderful as I remember on this most recent viewing. It screams 1970s in the clothes, music, settings. But that's all a good thing, because the story is timeless. The actors are great, particularly David Niven, Helen Hayes and a young Jodie Foster, perfectly cast in all their roles. Disney madcap zaniness ensues in the final portions, but a sweet, not-too-sticky, ending makes it a great moviegoing experience.


Craig's review: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Watcher In The Woods (1981)

Michael: Well, what can you say about this movie....it's not very good. The acting is really bad and the story is sort of lame. It does however feature Bette Davis, so it's not all bad. It is odd to watch this and realize that the young girl grows up to be one of the Beverly Hills Housewives. I can remember seeing this movie in the theater, and it was just as bad as I remembered.

I give The Watcher In The Woods 1 out of 5 stars.

Craig: I have very vague recollections of some creepy moments when I saw this film as a kid. Unfortunately, the scare factor does not hold up after all these years. The acting is super over-the-top and the special effects are pretty bad, even compared to early 80s standards. I thought the story was pretty solid and Bette Davis lent some sort of respectability and creepiness to it. But none of that can save it. Simply put, Disney should not have been in the business of making scary movies in the 1980s. Too bad.


Craig's review: 2 out of 5 stars.

Herbie Goes Bananas (1980)

Craig: I have very fond memories of the Herbie movies as a kid, but only vaguely remember this entry. I was delighted by how much I enjoyed it. The soundtrack is classic Disney 70s and Joaquin Garay III, who plays Paco, was great. The cruise scenes are hysterical. Apparently, the IMDB reviews disagree with me, but I liked it!


Craig's review: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Michael: I love this movie. I think the scenes with Harvey Korman are all laugh out loud funny. Cloris Leachman, the kid who plays Paco and even "Ocho" himself are all excellent. I love the story, the music, the scenery, the cast...all of it. One of my favorites.

I give Herbie Goes Bananas 4 out of 5 stars.

Snowball Express (1972)

Craig: Don't get me wrong...I love the crazy Disney comedies of the 1970s. But this one was just so-so. I loved Dean Jones (as usual), but the screwball comedy could have been a little more screwbally. It was still fun times and had an ending that, surprisingly, I didn't predict.

Craig's review: 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Michael: I don't think I had ever seen this one before. It was okay. I also love the Disney comedies of the 1970s, but this one just didn't win me over. It did have a fun cast though. Harry Morgan gave me a couple of laugh out loud moments and honestly, who doesn't love Dean Jones?

I give Snowball Express 2 out of 5 stars.

Saludos Amigos (1943)

Craig: One of the South American package films, I loved the look and feel of this movie, and the music is super-catchy. I'm a big fan of almost anything Goofy (he stars here in the "El Gaucho Goofy" segment), but imagine my surprise that Donald Duck's segment, "Aquarela do Brasil," was my favorite. The music and animation style are superb and, really, who doesn't like José Carioca?

Craig's review: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Michael: Well, you can't go wrong with a film that has a tagline of "Walt Disney Goes South American In His Gayest Musical Technicolor Feature," right? It's a fun, short film with lots of quotable lines. I'm going to try and work "titicaca" into as many conversations as possible from now on.

I give Saludos Amigos 3 out of 5 stars.