Disney+ Recommendations for a Chilly Night
None of us wants to think about the matter, but the weather has gotten colder. We’re a few days away from winter, and it may be a bad one.
So, we’ll all want to grab some popcorn and a fuzzy blanket and stream our way through freezing-cold temperatures.
Here are eight Disney+ programs to pass the time until spring arrives.
Big Shot
Nobody loves Disney as much as John Stamos, not even you or me. The actor owns one of the most extensive Disney collections on the planet.
He also spends much of his free time at Disneyland Resort and even proposed to his now-wife there.
Over time, Stamos built such a strong relationship with Disney that he now collaborates frequently.
The most current example is Big Shot, a thinly disguised take on the mercurial nature of Rick Pitino, a Hall of Fame coach who has notoriously imploded multiple times.
However, you don’t need to care about basketball to watch this show. Big Shot tells the story of several teen athletes at an all-girls high school.
Well, I should say formerly all-girls because the conceit in season two is that boys have invaded due to a health issue at their high school.
As far as teen dramedies go, Big Shot is shockingly well-written and mature with its subject matter. It’d be easily the best thing on The CW if it aired there.
Instead, you can catch all 20 episodes on Disney+ right now. So, get started ASAP!
Father of the Bride
I’ve got terrible news for fans of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. We’re between seasons right now and won’t get new episodes for several more months!
That leaves us all with a Steve Martin vacuum in our lives! Thankfully, we can fill it with one of his underrated hit films from the 1990s!
In 1950, Spencer Tracy played an overprotective father whose daughter was getting married. More than 40 years later, Martin took on the same role.
Actress Kimberly Williams plays the daughter in what was her first acting role. Also, the murderous George Newbern from Scandal plays the would-be husband. Read into that what you will.
As a Diane Keaton fan, I must mention that she plays Martin’s wife. However, for Only Murders in the Building fans, the absolute pleasure is that Martin Short also appears.
I’ll save you a google here in case you’re curious. Selena Gomez wouldn’t be born for another seven months after this project.
So, you won’t find her in this film….or Nathan Lane for that matter. Still, two Only Murders in the Building stars are pretty good for a 1990s movie!
PS: If you like this one and want more, HBO Max has a 2022 remake starring Andy Garcia.
Loki
By now, you’ve probably watched the trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. If not, you can check it out here:
Are you familiar with the villain in this tale, the one who doesn’t seem to have much use for Avengers?
If you’re not, his name is Kang the Conqueror. He technically hasn’t appeared in the MCU yet. Technically.
A version from another part of the multiverse has met Loki, though. And that’s reason enough to rewatch this series.
For several episodes, Loki builds to a reveal whose full ramifications we still haven’t learned yet. It sure seems bad, though.
Of course, I haven’t even mentioned the best part of Loki yet. That’s a character named Sylvie. I won’t spoil anything about the character, but she’s incredible.
Onward
No Disney film suffered worse due to the pandemic than Onward. The film’s theatrical release effectively stopped after ten days.
That’s because this Pixar film debuted in theaters on March 6th, 2020, five days before one of the seminal moments in modern society.
Disney quickly pivoted by releasing Onward on its still-new streaming service, Disney+. Unfortunately, fewer than 50 million people subscribed at the time.
As a result, Onward fell into this weird gap and became the first Pixar movie that society largely ignored. Even The Good Dinosaur earned more in theaters.
The frustrating part is that Onward tells a lovely story about overcoming tragedy and loss.
Two brothers cope with the too-early demise of their father in their own ways. Then, an ill-fated magical spell partially brings him back to them.
The fantasy setting of a town full of mythological creatures adds to the sheer number of sight gags, including this hysterical scene:
Friends, Onward’s really good, and it’s a shame that more people don’t know that.
The Sandlot
Okay, I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is that the baseball season is over unless you’re a fan of the Houston Astros or Philadelphia Phillies.
I think more highly of you than to believe you’d be either of those. So, you’re probably missing the national pastime.
Well, Disney has you covered! You can watch this story of some boys, the game they love, and a dog whose mere existence has created a buzz.
If you haven’t watched The Sandlot, you owe it to yourself to do so. If you have, you should watch it again.
After all, no matter how often you hear it, “You’re killing me, Smalls!” is still funny.
Sumo Do, Sumo Don’t
I’ll be totally honest here. I have no idea what this is, but that name…
Seriously, some of the people who listen to my podcast pointed out the impending arrival of this J-drama. It sounds ridiculous in the best possible way.
A college senior gains his dream job, but his life goes wrong anyway. He cannot get the job without a diploma. And he lacks one course to graduate. Also, his girlfriend dumps him.
These stories tie together when his academic advisor forces him to join the sumo team and wrestle in a match to complete his degree.
That…doesn’t sound like a great academic advisor. However, the protagonist winds up thankful because he falls for his sumo trainer.
This ten-episode series runs from now through Christmas Week. So, you have plenty of time to catch up. As a K-drama/J-drama fan, it’s must-watch programming for me.
X-Men: First Class
My wife made me do this one. It’s quite possibly her second-favorite superhero movie ever, trailing only Thor: Ragnarok.
While Disney and Kevin Feige didn’t create X-Men: First Class, this origin story falls in line with the lofty expectations you have for Marvel movies.
This particular film succeeds via casting. Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender, Edi Gathegi, Rose Byrne, Nicholas Hoult, James MacAvoy, Zoe Kravitz, and Kevin Bacon all appear.
The cold war nature of the story works well, and Bacon is absolutely terrific as Sebastian Shaw. This is the best Marvel movie that you may not know.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Depending on where you live/vacation and how old you are, there’s a real chance you’re familiar with Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.
This opening day attraction at Disneyland is arguably the darkest ride that Disney has ever built.
Magic Kingdom once had a version as well, but Disney shut that down in the late 1990s.
The weird part of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride is how few people realize that it’s based on a Disney movie…well, half of one.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad combines two very different stories. One half tells about how the Headless Horseman came to torment Ichabod Crane.
Then, the other half shows the curious life of the vain, impulsive Mr. Toad, whose nature often gets him into trouble.
I have no idea those two disparate ideas got jammed together, but they’re definitely worth a watch.
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