You Are What You Were. Celebrate Retro Pop Culture At Retroland.
If there was ever a film that didn't lack in star power, it was Space Jam. Released in 1996, this live-action/animation hybrid teamed up two of the most popular pop culture icons of the day, Bugs Bunny and sports legend Michael Jordan to fight the forces of evil within the confines of a basketball court. The result delighted audiences of all ages and scored a big hit at the box office for Warner Brothers.
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Years before Toy Story would bring countless toys to life on the big screen, another endearing film managed to animate a few playthings of its own, much to the bewilderment and delight of their young owner, in the 1995 fantasy, The Indian and the Cupboard.
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It is almost impossible to make a list of “feel good” movies and not have The Karate Kid somewhere at the top. This endearing film about an ill-tempered teen and his calm and wise mentor quickly became one of the biggest box-office successes of 1980 – thanks to audiences whose chose to not only see it once at the theaters, but often multiple times. It would spawn a trio of sequels, as well as a Saturday morning cartoon, earn an Acadamy Award nomination for actor Pat Morita (of Happy Days and Mr. T. and Tina fame) and prompt millions of moviegoers to imitate the traditional training method of “Wax on – Wax off.”
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If there were any lingering questions about Disney's animated comeback in the 90s, The Lion King answered them all. Released in 1994, after a string of hits that included The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, the story of a young cub and his ascent to become ruler of Pride Rock surpassed them all. Bolstered by an all-star voice cast (James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg and too many others to mention) and by a multi-platinum album's worth of hit songs by Elton John and Tim Rice, Simba and company went on to become one of the highest-grossing films of all time.
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When he wrote A Christmas Carol in 1843, author Charles Dickens had no way of knowing that his book would be turned into literally dozens of different stage and screen adaptations. And, even if had possessed such remarkable foresight, it is certain that he never would have envisioned his character, Bob Cratchit, portrayed by a lovable green frog with ping-pong ball eyes.
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The residents in the town of Halloween take delight in fright. Each creepy and ugly, they aren’t malicious; scaring is just part of their job - in the delightful 1993 holiday offering by director (and former Disney animator) Tim Burton - The Nightmare Before Christmas. In this merging of two beloved holidays, Burton brought his delightfully macabre story to life with the utilization of stop-motion animation and a wonderful musical score by composer Danny Elfman. The result was a film that quickly became a must-see during every holiday season.
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For any kid that ever played a game of neighborhood baseball, this is a film sure to tug at a few of those nostalgic heartstrings. Released in 1993, The Sandlot travels back to the summer of 1962, to tell the tale of a group of young friends who shared more than a passing fondness for the great American pastime.
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