If you follow this blog closely, you’ll know that I love ESPN’s 30 for 30 films. One aspect of these films I have not gotten into are the shorts, until now.
I saved the most emotionally wrenching of these shorts I saw until last. This is the story of John Tuggle. The last player drafted in 1983, the so-called “Mr. Irrelevant” who fought his way onto the Giants team and ultimately was one of the inspirations behind the Giants first Super Bowl run.
If you follow this blog closely, you’ll know that I love ESPN’s 30 for 30 films. One aspect of these films I have not gotten into are the shorts, until now.
One of the hobbyist phases I went through was collecting sports cards, especially baseball cards. The Honus Wagner card was one I knew of when I was younger. All the details regarding the most well-preserved of these rare cards, as well as the controversy about its condition, were news to me.
You can view the film here.
If you follow this blog closely, you’ll know that I love ESPN’s 30 for 30 films. One aspect of these films I have not gotten into are the shorts, until now.
An interesting quick look at Arnold Scharzenegger’s early life and some of the leaps of faith he took to get his career started.
If you follow this blog closely, you’ll know that I love ESPN’s 30 for 30 films. One aspect of these films I have not gotten into are the shorts, until now.
In view of all the infamy of Alex Rodriguez’s stay in New York, which seems to be trudging for an inglorious ending, it can be easy to forget the ins and outs and the hoopla of his being traded there. This short, featuring interviews with the key figures involved, reconstructs it well.
You can view the film here.
Many thanks to Fritzi over at Movies, Silently for suggesting this film when I wanted a wedding-themed silent. I was unfamiliar with Charley Case before viewing this film, and look forward to seeing more. It’s quite funny. Enjoy!
I only recently discovered the works of Segundo de Chomon. He seems a worthy Spanish counterpart to Georges Méliès. This is a presentational, magic style of silent film implementing many invisible cuts, but it is very enjoyable.
This is a selection that is fitting not only in light of Mickey Rooney‘s recent passing, but it also plays into my Poverty Row April theme.
This is purportedly the last of the series of Mickey McGuire shorts (back when Rooney was credited as such) that he starred in while not signed with a major studio. The story is simple escapist fare and fairly humorous. It’s more noteworthy because I had not yet seen one of these shorts. Enjoy!
View the film here.
Yes, this is an advertisement, and a webtoon at that, however, even in advertising there is room for creativity. Also, as I have discussed before with Disney animated shorts there is room for advancement without neglecting the past. Here to introduce Disney’s then-new online check-in for their cruise lines the animators/storytellers use a 1940s approach from Goofy’s string of how-to videos to introduce the new system humorosly. Enjoy!
Whether one is fully aware of it or not, foreign Disney branches and the foreign Disney parks do contribute to the canon. Here is a short Holiday (Christmas) themed greeting featuring Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit (Walt’s first creation), and his girl Ortensia.
It’s interesting for both those aspects: a foreign contribution, and an animated incarnation of an early character outside the video game world.
If there was something I wanted to shout from the rooftops after having seeing Get a Horse! was “Thank God for Disney (as a company) not completely forgetting Mickey Mouse’s roots but also fighting to keep him relevant and update his image.” Of course, I knew that there were new age shorts that started debuting on the Disney Channel last fall. However, I had not yet seen any of them.
I have to say I am pleased at least upon first impression. Yes, it does take time getting accustomed to a more Ren & Stimpy kind of aesthetic for the visuals, but the humor though goofier (for all not jut Goofy) still keeps in line with the characters. Here Goofy misunderstands and gets in Mickey’s way on his date, Mickey doesn’t want to be overly-assertive until he has to. There was a harder edge to Mickey in the beginning than became the norm/stereotype and this is a good balance. It will take more examples for me to be convinced the new direction will consistently work, but with Disney as a company conglomorating more cultural icons and characters it’s good to see them not ignoring their own.
