The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

"If you were to choose the most fabulous character in English literature, who would it be?"

Who is the best character in English literature?
First is the story of J. Thaddeus Toad (Blore).  Toad lives at the prestigious Toad Hall, but squanders his family's wealth.  He loves an adventure and is always chasing the latest fads.  His latest obsession is a new motorcar and is willing to do anything to get one.  His friends Angus MacBadger (Grant), Rat (Allister), and Mole (Campbell) try to keep him out of trouble, but can they save Rat before things get too dangerous?

The second story is about Ichabod Crane (Crosby).  Crane is the new schoolteacher in the small town of Sleepy Hollow, NY.  He is superstitious and quirky, but manages to win over the women of the town.  Ichabod only has eyes for Katrina van Tassel, the beautiful daughter of the wealthiest man in town.  Katrina's other suitor is Brom Bones, the roughest man in town.  With the big party at the van Tassel's who will get Katrina's love?

This was the sixth package film made by Walt Disney Studios (following Saludos Amigos, Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Fun and Fancy Free, and Melody Time).  Disney originally planned to make both stories as individual films, but due to World War II they decided to save money and combine the stories.

The Story of Mr. Toad is based on the 1908 Kenneth Grahame children's novel "The Wind in the Willows."  The story is a classic and has been reprinted many times.  It has also been adapted on the stage, screen, and radio, and other authors have written sequels to the story.  Actor Basil Rathbone serves as the narrator in this adaptation.  It stays true to the book, while adding some fun animation and slapstick to keep the story moving.  While these characters aren't well-known in the Disney canon, but they appear in other projects: Rat and Mole appear in Mickey's Christmas Carol, the weasels are in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.  Toad also has his own ride at Disneyland, "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride."

The Story of Ichabod Crane is based on Washington Irving's 1820 novel "Sleepy Hollow."  Irving's novel has survived and become a part of popular culture, especially around Halloween.  The story has been adapted numerous times in film (Sleepy Hollow), television, stage and music.  This adaptation is narrated by Bing Crosby, who voices all of the characters and sings 3 songs alongside The Rhythmaires ("Ichabod", "Katrina", and "The Headless Horseman").  It is a dark story and the animation doesn't shy away from that... while also adding some funny moments.

Of the 2 stories, I think Ichabod Crane's is the one people remember... but Toad is also a great character and is performed with glee by Eric Blore.  I don't remember the songs from the Ichabod Crane sequence, but I love Toad and Cyril singing "Merrily On Our Way."  It is infectious and was featured in one of the Disney Sing-Along videos.

Both sequences are well-drawn and fascinating.  It isn't my favorite Disney film, but both are still worth checking out.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) 68 minutes
Director: James Algar, Clyde Geronimi, & Jack Kinney
Starring: Bing Crosby as Narrator for the Story of Ichabod Crane
Basil Rathbone as Narrator for the Story of Mr. Toad
Eric Blore as Mr. Toad
Pat O'Malley as Cyril Proudbottom
John McLeish as Prosecutor
Colin Campbell as Mole
Campbell Grant as Angus MacBadger
Claud Allister as Rat

The Thrill of It All

"To err is human, to forgive is humaner!"

Beverly Boyer (Day) is a suburban stay-at-home mom, taking care of her home and two children Maggie (Karath) and Andy (Nash).  She is happily married to obstetrician Dr. Gerald Boyer (Garner).  After Gerald gives Mrs. Fraleigh advice about her pregnancy, the Boyers are invited to have dinner with Mrs. Fraleigh and her husband Gardiner (Andrews).  At the dinner, Beverly shares a story about her experience with Happy soap, to the delight of Mr. Fraleigh's father Tom (Owen).

Tom Fraleigh is the owner of Happy Soap and is charmed by her candor.  He convinces Mike Palmer (Reid) to hire her as the new spokeswoman for the soap.  That evening, they take her to the TV studio to film her live commercial.  She has a rocky start, but people respect her honesty.  Can she balance the demands of her home and her new career?


This was the first of 2 collaborations between Doris Day and James Garner.  The second, also released in 1963, was Move Over, Darling which was a remake of the Cary Grant film My Favorite Wife.

The story was written by Carl Reiner (who also wrote the screenplay) and Larry Gelbart.  Reiner also has a cameo in the the film as the actor during the TV show... he plays several different characters (with different accents).

The cast is great.  Day is sweet and works well in the role; you want to see her succeed.  She has great chemistry with James Garner (which is again on display in Move Over, Darling).  Garner is also great here.  They both get to ride the line between charming and exasperated.  Their characters are clearly crazy about each other, and their lives.  Kym Karath, who would later be known for The Sound of Music, is adorable and precocious here... and Brian Nash is equally entertaining as her brother.  Character actor Reginald Owen is great as Tom Fraleigh.

It is a funny, but mostly forgettable.

The Thrill of It All (1963) 108 minutes
Director: Norman Jewison
Starring: Doris Day as Beverly Boyer
James Garner as Dr. Gerald Boyer
Arlene Francis as Mrs. Fraleigh
Edward Andrews as Gardiner Fraleigh
Reginald Owen as Tom Fraleigh
ZaSu Pitts as Olivia
Elliott Reid as Mike Palmer
Kym Karath as Maggie Boyer
Brian Nash as Andy Boyer

Man in the Wilderness

"A man ought to know when his time's up."

A group of trappers, led by Captain Henry (Huston), are trying to get home before winter.  While hunting, guide Zachary Bass (Harris) is attacked by a bear.  The other trappers are able to kill the bear, but Bass is severely injured.  They stitch up his wounds, but no one expects him to survive.

Henry and the men continue the journey, leaving Fogarty (Herbert) and Lowrie (Waterman) with him.  They are under orders to wait until he dies, bury him, and return to the group.  They are concerned about the Native American tribes that are active in the area and abandon him.

Zachary is still alive and aware of his surroundings.  He is motivated to survive and get revenge on the men that left him.  Can he stay ahead of the Arikara tribe and find the trappers before they reach the river?


The story is based on the life of Hugh Glass.  Glass was a trapper who survived being mauled by a bear in 1823.  Glass' life was written about in two novels: "Lord Grizzly" by Frederick Manfred and "The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge" by Michael Punke.  This film is based on "Lord Grizzly," but changed the names and events so they could avoid paying fees to Manfred.  "The Revent..." was adapted to film in 2015, The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio (who won an Academy Award for the role).

Actor Richard Harris has the difficult job of portraying Zachary Bass.  He is the protagonist, but has minimal dialog.  The majority of his scenes are quiet and focus on his physical acting.  The film doesn't shy away from the ugly and dirty side of this story.  Bass is dirty throughout and has to do some dirty and ugly things to survive.  And the movie doesn't shy away from the reality of the situation, without making it gratuitous.  The film is good, but moves slowly.

Man in the Wilderness (1971) 104 minutes
Director: Richard C. Sarafian
Starring: Richard Harris as Zachary Bass
John Huston as Captain Henry
Henry Wilcoxon as Indian Chief
Prunella Ransome as Grace
Percy Herbert as Fogarty
Dennis Waterman as Lowrie
Norman Rossington as Ferris

The Big Sick

"Can you imagine a world in which we end up together?"

Kumail (Nanjiani) is a stand-up comedian in Chicago, waiting for his big break.  To help make ends meet he is an Uber driver and shares an apartment with fellow comedian Chris (Braunohler).  One evening he meets psychology student Emily Gardner (Kazan) at a show and they begin dating.

He keeps the relationship a secret from his family.  His parents, Azmat (Kher) and Sharmeen (Shroff), want to find him a nice Pakistani wife and regularly invite women to their home during the family dinners for that purpose.  They also want him to give up on comedy and become a lawyer.  His brother, Naveed (Akhtar) is the only person that knows about Emily.

Everything changes when Emily goes to the hospital with a sudden illness.  She is placed in a medically induced coma, and Kumail is left to contemplate what is really important in his life.


This film is loosely based on the relationship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon.  Nanjiani and Gordon, who have been married since 2007, wrote the screenplay for the film.  They worked on the screenplay for 3 years and kept the overall story of their relationship as the base of the story.  The film was released on their 10th wedding anniversary.

Nanjiani portrays himself in the film.  Gordon was changed to Emily Gardner and is played by actress Zoe Kazan.  Her parents are played by Holly Hunter and Ray Romano, and are completed fictional versions of Gordon's parents.  Nanjiani approached Anupam Kher to portray his father, based on a recommendation from Nanjiani's father.  The other members of Nanjiani's family were portrayed by actors of Indian ancestry.

Nanjiani and Kazan have excellent chemistry.  Kazan watched videos of Nanjiani and Gordon to get an accurate idea of their relationship.  The film, directed by Michael Showalter, is a moving romantic comedy... but doesn't shy away from the darker aspects of their relationship and her sickness.

The story is interesting, especially because it is true.  The performances are compelling and you can't look away from the screen.  I thoroughly enjoyed the film and hope all the media buzz gives it a wider audience (and it is available for streaming on Amazon Prime).

The film is getting significant awards-show buzz.  The American Film Institute named it as one of the Top Ten Films of 2017.  The cast, screenplay, and film have been nominated for several awards.

The Big Sick (2017) 117 minutes
Rating: R for language including some sexual references
Director: Michael Showalter
Starring: Kumail Nanjiani as Kumail
Zoe Kazan as Emily Gardner
Holly Hunter as Beth Gardner
Ray Romano as Terry Gardner
Anupam Kher as Azmat
Zenobia Shroff as Sharmeen
Adeel Akhtar as Naveed
Bo Burham as CJ
Aidy Bryant as Mary
Kurt Braunohler as Chris

Death Comes to Pemberley

In 1803, the Pemberley estate is preparing for an annual Lady Anne Ball.  The ball is the social event of the year, and the staff are focused on final preparations.  Fitzwilliam (Rhys) and Elizabeth (Martin) Darcy do not enjoy the party, but honor the memory of Darcy's late mother.  That evening they are joined by Darcy's sister Georgiana (Tomlinson), Colonel Fitzwilliam (Ward), lawyer Henry Alveston (Norton), and Elizabeth's parents Mr. (James Fleet) and Mrs. (Rebecca Front) Bennet for dinner.  The evening is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of a runaway carriage containing Elizabeth's sister Lydia (Coleman).

Lydia is hysterical and claims that her husband George Wickham (Goode) was shot.  Darcy and the Colonel find Wickham in the woods of Pemberley, drunk, cradling the body of his friend Captain Martin Denny (Canton), and claiming it is all his fault.  Denny is dead, and the next day the magistrates arrive to question Wickham, who says someone else killed his friend.


This film is based on the 2011 P.D. James novel "Death Comes to Pemberley," which is a sequel to Jane Austen's novel "Pride and Prejudice," and takes place 6 years later.  The novel opens with a recap of the end of "Pride and Prejudice" and gives an update on the Bennet sisters.  It then sets up the title: the death/murder at Pemberley estate.  P.D. James is a mystery writer and weaves a fascinating story.

I read the novel on the suggestion from some friends who love Jane Austen novels and enjoyed this story.  Shortly after finishing the novel, I watched this miniseries.  I enjoyed the book and the miniseries... but the book is definitely better.  Writer Juliette Towhidi condensed the story into 3 1 hour segments... the segments work well as a group, although it does take a few minutes to get into the first segment.  The overarching story is the same, but some details were changed.

The casting is ok... but I don't love all of their choices.  Matthew Goode is excellent as Wickham, making him charming and vulnerable.  Matthew Rhys does well as Mr. Darcy.  Jenna Coleman really captures Lydia.  I'm sure Anna Maxwell Martin is a talented actress, but she just feels miscast here.  She fades into the background and isn't the Lizzie I loved in "Pride and Prejudice."  The writing is partially to fault, but she would still be miscast.  Everyone else is fine... not how I pictured them, but functional.

It is ok, but I still prefer Pride and Prejudice.

Death Comes to Pemberley (2013) 180 minutes
Director: Daniel Percival
Starring: Matthew Rhys as Fitzwilliam Darcy
Anna Maxwell Martin as Elizabeth Darcy
Matthew Goode as George Wickham
Trevor Eve as Sir Selwyn Hardcastle
Jenna Coleman as Lydia Wickham
Tom Ward as Colonel Fitzwilliam
Eleanor Tomlinson as Georgiana Darcy
James Norton as Henry Alveston
Joanna Scanlan as Mrs. Reynolds

The Lego Ninjago Movie

"It's okay, Lloyd.  Nobody's parents are perfect."

"I mean, my mom is weird, and collects seashells.  Your dad levels cities and attacks innocent peopel. So, they've all got their quirks, ya know."

The evil Lord Garmadon (Theroux) wants to control the city of Ninjago.  He regularly launches attacks on the city from his volcano lair.  His actions cause the town to hate his son, Lloyd (Franco).  Lloyd lives with his mother Misako (Munn) and wants nothing to do with his evil father.

Ninjago is protected by 6 ninjas.  Each ninja wears a different color, but no one knows their true identity.  The ninjas are teenagers and are taught by Master Wu (Chan).  Master Wu says that they each have power over a different element: Nya (Jacobson) is water, Kai (Pena) is fire, Jay (Nanjiani) is lightning, Cole (Armisen) is earth, Zane (Woods) is ice, and Lloyd is "green."  Can Lloyd and his friends defeat his father?


This is the third film in the LEGO franchise, and the first to feature characters that did not appear in the previous films.  The film follows The LEGO Movie in 2014 and The Lego Batman Movie in 2017.  The story is based on the LEGO Ninjago toy line.  Due to the success of the line, they also created a TV show Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu which ran from 2011-2017.

I was aware of the show, but did not have any other knowledge of the plot / background.  The trailers looked funny, and based on the success of the other Lego films I was interested in watching this film.  It has some funny moments and I enjoyed the opening stunt with Jackie Chang (in the live-action portion).

The film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.  The general consensus is that it has good moments, but isn't as funny as it's predecessors.  Fans of the Ninjago show were disappointed in the film.

It is still worth checking out.

The Lego Ninjago Movie (2017) 101 minutes
Director: Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher, Bob Logan
Starring: Dave Franco as Lloyd Garmadon
Justin Theroux as Lord Garmadon
Fred Armisen as Cole
Abbi Jacobson as Nya
Olivia Munn as Misako "Koko" Lor
Kumail Nanjiani as Jay
Michael Pena as Kai
Zach Woods as Zane
Jackie Chan as Master Wu