CineDrunk: Favorite Animated Film Showdown Part 2
/Here at CineMunch we love alcohol, nostalgia, and competition - so we combined all three to pit our favorite animated films against each other and determine our collective all-time favorite!
With so many great films to select from, we split the competition into four categories. In Part One, we debated the merits of our top eight films in the Pixar and Classic Disney groupings to select a winner for each. Now, for the second and final installment, we're diving into the Disney Renaissance* and the Non-Disney Animated Films** categories. Once we had a victor from every branch, we ranked our final four to crown the one true champion.
*The "Disney Renaissance" began with The Little Mermaid in 1989 and technically ended in 1999, but for our purposes we'll include all subsequent Walt Disney Animation Studios films
**This broad category encompasses all forms of animated feature films (other than Pixar or the 54 movies canonized under Walt Disney Animation Studios), including Disney produced films (like The Nightmare Before Christmas) and films theatrically released by Disney (like Spirited Away)
Working from a lengthy list of eligible films, we each ranked our personal top eight in each category and then blindly compiled the results to determine the final contenders you see below. There were some heartbreaking cuts (The Iron Giant and Peter Pan, we hardly knew ye!) and surprise omissions (no Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Frozen?!) before we even began, but no competition is legit without a little drama! So pour yourself an Owl's Brew Classic with Gin (recipe found in Part One) and listen in!
DISNEY RENAISSANCE
Aladdin
Beauty & the Beast
The Emperor's New Groove
Hercules
The Lion King
The Little Mermaid
Mulan
Tangled
NON-DISNEY ANIMATED FILMS
An American Tail
Chicken Run
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Land Before Time
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Shrek
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
Spirited Away
CineDrunk: Favorite Animated Film Showdown Part 1
/Disney/Pixar's latest, Inside Out, got us thinking about our favorite animated films, and what better way to proclaim our love than with another movie showdown! And alcoholic drinks and animated features go together like broken glass in potato soup, so cheers to our 21st episode of CineDrunk!
With so many films to choose from, we split the competition into four groupings: Pixar, Classic Disney (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 through Oliver & Company in 1988), the Disney Renaissance (The Little Mermaid in 1989 to present), and the broad and expansive Non-Disney Animated Films category.
Part One of our podcast showdown features the Pixar and Classic Disney match-ups. Over drinks, naturally.
The Owl's Brew Classic with Gin
2 oz Owls Brew: The Classic
1 oz gin
1 spritzy squeeze of lime
Combine ingredients over ice. Stir and serve.
Credit: Owl's Brew
Working from a master list of all Pixar feature films and all Disney Animated Classics from 1937-1988, we each ranked our personal top eight and then blindly compiled the results to determine a collective top eight in each category. Follow along with an Owl's Brew Classic with Gin, and stay tuned for Part Two to see which film emerged victorious as our Favorite Animated Film EVER!
PIXAR
Finding Nemo
The Incredibles
Monsters, Inc.
Ratatouille
Toy Story
Toy Story 3
Up
WALL-E
CLASSIC DISNEY
The Aristocats
Bambi
Fantasia
The Great Mouse Detective
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Pinocchio
Sleeping Beauty
The Sword in the Stone
CineDrunk: Into the Woods
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Into the Woods. Remember that? We do, and though it may not make our best-of-the-year lists, we welcomed such a smart, entertaining film adaptation of one of Broadway's best. Listen in to our latest podcast, where we debate the merits of this Disney-fication of Sondheim.
Like Into the Woods, we enjoy our sweet fairy tales with a shot of tragedy, so what better drink than the Black Forest Manhattan to accompany our discussion? Recipe below:
Black Forest Manhattan
adapted from Saveur
makes one cocktail
1 tsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. superfine sugar
3 oz whiskey
4 dashes chocolate bitters
1 pitted sour cherry, to garnish
For the cherry syrup:
1 cup sour cherry juice, plus more for rim of glass
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup kirsch (cherry-flavored liqueur)
1. To make the cherry syrup: In a saucepan, bring cherry juice and granulated sugar to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir in kirsch and chill.
2. In a small bowl, mix the cocoa powder and superfine sugar. Pour the mixture onto a plate. Pour some cherry juice into a wide, shallow bowl. Dip the rim of a martini glass into the juice, then dip it into the cocoa mixture to create a thin chocolate ring.
3. In a cocktail shaker 3/4 filled with ice, add whiskey, 3/4 ounces cherry syrup, and bitters. Shake vigorously until well-chilled. Pour into rimmed martini glass. Garnish with cherry.
