Playhouse Disney- Review of My Childhood (part 1)

Hi, I'm the Whatsoever Critic. I review just about anything.

Lately I've been feeling nostalgic about the shows that I used to watch as a kid. I remember watching Playhouse Disney way before it became Disney Junior. Most of my childhood consisted of innocent learning and growing my imagination. I can't wait to share my feelings on Playhouse Disney. I don't care if this review is split into parts...

-Well, seeing that most movies are becoming two-parters nowadays...

I decided to make this one Part 1 of my review. So let's get started!

Having its start on May 8, 1997 until it was closed down on February 13, 2011, Playhouse Disney was one of my favorite channels growing up (besides PBS). It's fitting that I start by showing you the shows that started in the year 1997, and then go from year to year from there- all the way to the final number of shows that were crammed before they carried over to Disney Junior. So for Part 1, these are the shows that I saw on Playhouse Disney growing up:

Bear in the Big Blue House

I used to love this bear when I was a kid. The show itself wasn't too bad either for a Jim Henson-Muppet feel.

This show about a large bear with a good sense of smell, as well as a sense of curiosity, who has many friends that would visit him at his house, and they would have many adventures together.

Bear was voiced by Paul Andrejco, who also designed most of the characters that were on the show. The character of this beloved creature seemed okay, but now that I'm old enough to understand a lot of things, I sometimes wonder if he was being too friendly with the kid audience.

For example, every time Bear greets us by the door (which occurs in each episode), he sniffs around until he sniffs at the audience, and then he asks us about the smell that he's smelling...

-Okay, I'll admit: sometimes he gets the scent wrong, and sometimes he gets it right. There was this one time,  I remember as a kid, I had finished taking a bath. My mom turns on this show. The show just started, and I was sitting there in the living room, still drying my hair. Then I hear Bear ask the audience, "What's that smell?" He would sniff around, until he exclaims, "It's you!" And then he asked something along the lines of: "Did you just take a bath?" I remember my jaw dropping. I was like: "How did he know that?"

But who cares? I still love this Bear, and I hope Disney Junior would find it in its heart to put this show back on the air.

Also in 1997 came show that seems forgettable nowadays. I'm not sureif it was because of the show's budget or not, but it had no redeeming value. I'm talking about Spot the Dog.

Granted, I was okay with this show as a kid. I just find it so forgettable, because nobody really talks about it like it was something worthy of a Twitter following.

Anyway, it's about a little dog that goes on many adventures (either with friends or by himself).

The first thing that you'll notice with these characters is that their lips don't move whenever they speak. It's like another Thomas the Tank Engine-like show where the budget was too low (or something) to not think having the lips move. 

As for the stories, they were okay. I still remember the characters going to an amusement park; I still remember the picnic that got rained on; and I still remember Spot sniffing around in search of a smell until he finds a cake waiting for him at home (Spoiler Alert if you haven't seen the show).

Now that I'm looking deeper into this show, I remember something about this being based on the children's book series by Eric Hill.

Well, if you like the books, then you can check out the show if you haven't seen it, or if you don't remember it.

And for the last two shows that I'm going to show you for today, the word is that they were "acquired programming," meaning that they also aired in other channels (I think). So, first, let's dive right into The Little Mermaid series.

Since Disney felt that the original movie was such a big hit, they decided to continue Ariel's adventures, where they're basically saying: "See what happened before Ariel met her prince Eric."

-Well, the third movie would contradict that...

If you haven't guessed the premise yet: Ariel is her teen self, going on adventures with Flounder and Sebastian, and doing one of two things:

1. causing trouble (in a naive way, mainly)

2. making the situation worse (in a naive way)

-Kinda like King Julien's character in Penguins of Madagascar.

This show had to have been the start of Disney movies getting their spin-off shows like Aladdin and Timon and Pumbaa. But unlike Aladdin, The Little Mermaid was never restricted by the environment that the original movie had already given it. I remember Ariel naiively unleashing a bunch of dinosaur that one episode. I remember Ariel rescuing Spot the whale from some kind of harbor that one time.

I remember Ariel going to a Las Vegas-like underwater city with a group of mermaid once...

-Do any of those episodes ring a bell?

Plus, I also remember so many characters (besides the obvious ones that were from the movie).

I remember Urchin,
the lobster duo,

Spot,

the Evil Manta, and...

the sign-language girl... 

-Okay, I don't know most of the character. I just know what they look like.

Anyway, this show was decent to an extent. Plus, it still had Jodi Benson as Ariel, which was awesome.

However, I have to acknowledge the show that grabbed my attention the most: The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

For the premise, most of the adventures that the characters have take place in the Hundred Acre Wood. However, they sometimes go to Christopher Robin's house. And, there was this one episode where they went to the movies as a group.

-Remember all of that?

Anyway, the show had the same characters as the original Winnie the Pooh stories.

There was Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo...

-(me giggling on that last part)

...Gopher, Owl, and Christopher Robin.

As for the side characters, there were a few episodes where you got to see Christopher Robin's mom and babysitter, but they didn't show their faces. In fact, most of the adults on this show didn't have a face.

-It's like in most of the Tom and Jerry cartoons...

Well, it doesn't matter. You can learn timeless lessons from most of the episodes,

like being honest,

being yourself,

have a little imagination, and... don't get in trouble with the law(?)

Yeah, I'm not sure if anyone else remembers this one or not, but there was one episode where Christopher Robin and the characters had flooded a house. The next thing you know, the police are called in, the characters are interrogated, and the episode ends with Christopher Robin's mugshot.

-Unless this was only in their imagination(?)

Well, it was still a great show, and something else that Disney Junior should consider adding to their time slot.

So this was Part 1 of reviewing Playhouse Disney. Be sure to stay tuned for Part 2!

Whatsoever Critic

Sources:

Wikipedia

Bear in the Big Blue House

Spot the Dog

The Little Mermaid (series)

The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Courtesy: The Jim Henson Company, Buena Vista Home Video, and Walt Disney Television Animation.

Whatsoever Critic's Top 8 Worst Villains

Hi, I'm the Whatsoever Critic. I review just about anything.

Yes, there are good and bad villains. By "good," I mean legit villains that have agenda and aren't so crappy in personality. By "bad," I mean so forced to contrive that you would end up saying at the end of the movie/show, "Why didn't they pick another villain? This one was weird."
Some movies would have great set-ups and storyline, but it takes one "bad" villain to fuck everything up, either because of their awkward personality, their one-dimensional character, or both. So today, I'm bringing you my Top 8 Worst Villains. So, bad guys, prepare to be on my Wall of Shame.

8. Mr. Nezzer from some of the Veggietales videos

In my book, this guy is often considered the a-hole (besides Cedric the rap scallion) of all the Veggietales characters, because in most of the Veggietales videos, he has the antagonist role.
Well, I'll give this guy credit for not being an "official" bad guy, because in other Veggietales videos, he shows that he has a heart and is willing to change from his old ways.
But still, I can't get over the "Bunny Song," as well as his "definition of Christmas" from The Toy That Saved Christmas. Other than those things, Mr. Nezzer isn't so bad, good or evil, which is why I scored him low on the countdown.

7. Gaston from Beauty and the Beast and Drake from The Pebble and the Penguin
Yeah, I had to put these two muscle-bound baddies together in the #7 spot.
Let's first talk about the similarities: they're both muscle-bound (obviously); they both chase a girl to where they'll try and force her to marry them; they both have many "kiss-ups" who believe it when they say that they're the best of the best when it comes to manliness; they both bully the hero/good guy; and of course... they both die in terrible ways in the end.

Now about Gaston: at first, he's seen as the town hero and the guy that everyone (except Belle) wants to hang out with. However, as the movie progresses, Gaston gets jealous of Belle loving the Beast and wants to kill the Beast, so that he can marry her.

This, however, backfires when he falls off the rooftops of Beast's castle to his death.
-Hey, who says that jealousy doesn't pay? (They're liars.)

Now on Drake: People can tell that this is the Don Bluth equivalent to Gaston. Well, the reason why I say that he's obviously similar to Gaston is because one, Beauty and the Beast came out before The Pebble and the Penguin; and two, he basically has the same ambition and goals as Gaston. Apparently, Don Bluth got some inspiration from the Disney film, that he decided to come up with his own love story to cater to the romance fans.

Now what sets Drake apart from Gaston is that he's much more intimidating- I mean, Tim Curry, the guy that played Drake, did the voice acting really well; you can feel the sincerity in his voice, and... Who knows? That might make you piss your pants when you hear that voice.
-Well, not that I've ever pissed my pants... Get real.
Plus, what sets Drake apart from Gaston is how he meets his end. Sure, he falls off something like Gaston, but unlike Gaston, he surprises everyone by coming back and trying to kill everyone, but in the process, gets crushed by a friggin' boulder.
-Wow? A muscle-bound villain getting killed by something bigger than him.

6. Forte from Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas

Another bad guy voiced by Tim Curry? SOLD!
Well, actually, for this bad guy, he seemed very legit. He had ambition; he had this thing where he tricks people into believing that he is good, when in reality, he was bad...
-Which is what makes a great villain...
However, I placed Forte on this list, because first of all, he's a pipe organ (which is a bore); and two, he doesn't go anywhere, but has other people do it for him...
But doesn't he have super powers? In the movie, he plays music and has these green visuals in the form of sheet music...
-(pause) Why doesn't he use his super powers to move around to get his evil deeds done?

5. Plankton from SpongeBob Squarepants

This guy is already a bore. Why? Because the show that he's in has been around since the mid-90s. He keeps trying to reach the goal of stealing the Krabby Patty formula to make his own restaurant a success.
-It's like another Bowser-kidnapping-Princess-Peach-over-and-over scenario.
And even if the scenario seemed different in each episode, there was still that same shit about wanting the Krabby Patty formula!
-Dude! Why not try something else?

4. Parker from Penguins of Madagascar

Not much to say about this guy, but only that he stole Dr. Blowhole's thunder when it comes to villainy.

(refer to my review on The Penguin Who Loved Me)

3. The Alchemist from LarryBoy: Leggo My Ego

(sigh) How can one describe the Alchemist?
Well, how about this? He has no redeeming value whatsoever.

First of all, he's a Momma's boy. Why? Because his mother does most of the work when it comes to doing evil deeds.
Second, he spends most of the movie not doing much of anything except say lame things, do ridiculous villain poses to make himself look threatening...

...hide behind his mother (sometimes literally), and the constant... the constant... snorting.
-Grow up!
Anyway, he's nothing compared to the next villains on the list.

2. Awful Alvin from LarryBoy and the Angry Eyebrows and Ozzy from Land Before Time 2: The Great Valley Adventure
Just like I did earlier in the countdown, I decided to let these two guys share this spot.
They are both sick, twisted fiends. They both have some kind of obsession; they both seem questionable as villains (either obsessing over somebody and/or wanting to do away with somebody in a way that would make parents cringe); and... yeah! They're both crazy.
On Awful Alvin: No matter how bad he is, he seems to out-mug Ozzie, because Alvin would talk directly to the audience at times, and make you feel on the spot. Plus, he has a floor lamp for a henchmen.

-Why not get real minions?
On Ozzie: Unlike Awful Alvin, Ozzie is an addict. And as I said many times before in my blog, he needs help; he needs to go to rehab for his egg addiction.

-Why the hell would any parent want their kids to see this loony? And why was he in a kids' video to begin with? It's like having a porn addict on Barney the dinosaur's show. It just doesn't seem right.
Anyway, these guys are nothing compared to the villain that's number one on this list!

1. Cedric from Sofia the First

Here's a fun question: What would you call a villain that usually stays in secluded places, has no friends, wants to seize power in any shape or form... and obsesses over a girl that happens to be a princess with a magical amulet?

Well, in my book, that would be a pervert. Yeah, all this guy wants is to get Sofia's amulet and then rule the kingdom. Going after a little girl should be questionable.
And to make matters worse, this guy's voice can make anyone uncomfortable. Every time he speaks, it sounds as if he's having an organism to every word he's saying.
-It's that uncomfortable!
Sure, this guy may have some kind of morality in his skull (to keep the show G-Rated, that is), and he may show regret every once in a while, but he's still weird... God-awfully weird!

In fact, many of these villains seem uncomfortable. However, Cedric is number one of this list, because I feel that this was one of Disney's foul-ups that usually slip under the radar of what's tolerable on children's TV.

Whatsoever Critic
Sources:
Veggietales
Beauty and the Beast
The Pebble and the Penguin
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
Spongebob Squarepants
Penguins of Madagascar
LarryBoy: The Cartoon Adventures
Land Before Time 2: The Great Valley Adventure
Sofia the First

Courtesy: Big Idea Entertainment, Disney, Don Bluth/MGM Studios, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks Animation, and MCA Universal Home Video.

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"Closed For The Season" Book Review

Hi, I'm the Whatsoever Critic. I review just about anything.

Remember in my Asylum book review about how I was a fan of fiction that dealt with the paranormal and fantasy and stuff? Well, here I have another book like that. It's called Closed For The Season.

Written by award-winning author Mary Downing Hahn, Closed For The Season was a page-turner, as well as a legit mystery story, because it never once lost its edge in the storytelling. This book even won the Edgar Award for "Best Juvenile Mystery."

The premise is easy to understand: a boy named Logan moves into an old house next door to a kid named Arthur, who befriends him almost immediately. As time flies by, Arthur tells Logan about an old amusement park called Magic Forest that closed down years back, and they decide to check it out. At first, Logan isn't sure about going into the creepy place, but with Arthur on his side, they manage to unearth many clues as to how Myrtle Donaldson, a former resident, was murdered. They learn that she was once head bookkeeper of the amusement park, and that she had left money somewhere before her death. The boys will investigate this mystery, even if people either aid or despise their being friends. And sooner or later, they would unmask the killer. 

NOTE: Since this is a mystery-horror type of book, I will not spill out any more details.

So, what do I think about this book?

Well, I'll admit that this story wasn't as horror-filled and thrilling as Asylum; however, it was still decent enough to have me still sitting down and reading it. As far as the mystery goes, it kept me guessing-which is what a real mystery is supposed to do- without emphasizing too many cliches that would always be in a mystery. 

What I liked most about this book was the friendship between Logan and Arthur. They were a good match. The two characters had really good personalities: you had Logan as the partially-reserved yet wanting-to-know-things protagonists, and you had Arthur as the streetwise kid that possesses a good heart. These characters, in my opinion, seemed credible enough to be real that it would be so exciting to meet them in real life.

Most of the side characters though, were a little dull, either because they're against our main heroes, or they don't seem to be interested in getting involved with the situation. In other ways, if they pretended that nothing was wrong, then their "happy world" wouldn't crash and burn. 

-Was Hahn trying to tell us that being a puposely-naiive-to-any-situation perfectionist isn't always okay?

Well, that's okay, because Hahn has both Logan and Arthur's personalities and friendship to make up for all of that.
If you're looking for blood in a book, then you'll be a little disappointed with this one, because the characters would mention murder and who did what- no actual killings or murdering off people during the actual story (excluding the backstories). However, if you're looking for something easy and toned-down mystery material for the sake of the faint-at-heart, then go ahead and enjoy it.

Overall, this book was decent as a thriller, but excellent as a page-turner.

Whatsoever Critic

Source: Closed For The Season

Courtesy: Mary Downing Hahn- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company