Fantasia: How often do you watch it and how you do it?

[DC Fan]

So, yes, I believe that to many Fantasia is a very particular movie to watch.

To be honest, as much as I love animation in all its forms and I´m a Disney fan, the only reason why I own Fantasia (and 2000) it´s because I´m a Disney fan and a completist.

There are Disney Classics that takes quite an effort for me to watch but Fantasia is THE one that takes for me that extra mile. In fact, I think that it better suits me to watch it at night, rainy day and/or rainy night. I was watching it on a sunny afternoon today and it´s a chore.

To me Fantasia is a movie that I may watch once per year if that. And I feel bad for it because, on it´s core, it´s a masterpiece of animation.

So, my questions: 1. How often do you watch it? and How do you do it?

...that last one means if you watch it all or just skip to the animated segments.

For me, the parts that drag the most are orchestra parts. However, if I´d watch just the animated sequences I wouldn´t feel as if I´d truly watched the movie. And, when I´m done I´m glad I invested that time on it. So no regrets at all...Yet, what a chore it is for me to decide and watch it.

[rodis]

Today I acknowledge it as the masterpiece it is but it took me some time. I remember in 1991 when the first VHS was out, I was in a video store with my mom and I wanted her to buy me this random Grimm's Fairy Tale classics VHS and she tried to persuade me to choose Fantasia instead cause its superior etc, but I wouldn't listen (silly me!)
Anyway years later I owned it on blu ray and I've been hooked ever since.

So, to your questions, I watch it some 3 or 4 times a year, usually it's a Friday night (the equivalent to a Saturday night in the US) and I'd watch the whole thing from start to finish. Sometimes I'd skip the break in the middle with the introduction of the soundtrack.

I absolutely adore this movie and would often find myself revel at the animation and special effects throughout lol

[Disney's Divinity]

I don't watch it often. I mean, it's a beautiful film, but it almost always puts me to sleep. It would probably be better to watch the film in pieces. Watch one segment one day, another the next day.

[Farerb]

I don't watch it often because I really need to be in a mood, though I do like and admire it. It is currently the only film by Walt that I don't have a digital copy since when the Blu-ray was released, it didn't come with one. I'm hoping that it would be released this year with one and then I'll probably watch it more often.

[Marce82]

Interesting topic.

I consider Fantasia to be an incredible work of art... but given that it is a non-narrative film, it can be hard to sit through all at once, even more so for kids.

I have incredible respect for it, but in all honesty, I only truly like about 40% of it... so about once a year I watch the segments I actually like: Sorcerer's apprentice, Bald Mountain, Nutcracker Suite, Pastoral Symphony, Dance of the Hours.

I have never liked Rite of Spring... I know, bring on the torches and pitch forks!

[UmbrellaFish]

I adore Fantasia. I probably watch the Blu-ray three or four times a year in one sitting, which is incredibly atypical of my movie viewing habits in general— most movies are viewed once and split into chunks. Generally I become easily distracted watching movies and television but I like that you have to pay attention to Fantasia. If you’re on your phone, you’ll miss the whole movie, and what a movie it is!

I’ve never been able to listen to classical music and paint a picture or scene in my head, so Fantasia does the work for me to magnificent effect. I love all the stories and subjects that are told— the Greek pastoral sequence is incredibly beautiful, the dinosaurs and exploding volcanoes are cool, the comical alligators and hippos are fun to watch and the entire Night on Bald Mountain sequence is simply incredible. I never saw Fantasia as a child, so who knows if it would have held my attention back then, but today it holds me spellbound.

Also part of its charm is some of its oddness: some stuff is baked in, like the 1940s dinosaur depictions or the narration which describes “The Nutcracker” as a forgotten ballet as it then was. But even some of the later edits make for strange viewing— Deems Taylor’s voice is so clearly that of later Disney vet Corey Burton, and the sometimes noticeable, sometimes undetectable ways Sunflower is removed are also fun to spot.

As for the live action segments, I like those, too. Maybe not as much the animated bits but I already mentioned that I appreciate the oddness of the dubbed Deems Taylor. The shots in general are also just so much better shot and composed than so many other Disney forays into live-action— they are simply interesting screen pictures.

[Kyle]

Once when it hit blu ray, that was it.

I've skmmed through it of course but not compelled to see it all again.
Id be down for a 3rd one though absolutely.

[JeanGreyForever]

I can appreciate the artistic integrity of the film and the historical value but it's not really a repeatable film for me. I find it difficult to watch it one setting and it's more palatable in installments. In fact, it's the one major Disney classic that I don't own on any format although I do plan on getting the Anthology DVD set and the Blu-Ray. Just been waiting for the Signature Edition, whenever that comes out.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I prefer watching Fantasia 2000. That might be nostalgia talking though because that's the first film I remember watching in a theater, although my first Disney film in a theater was actually Tarzan and my first film in a theater period was Titanic.

[blackcauldron85]

Most of the time when I watch movies, it's in bed, in chunks (over a few nights) before I fall asleep, so Fantasia is no different. A few months ago I was in the mood to watch the dinosaurs, so I watched the film over a few nights. I agree that I am in owe of the artistry, but it's not my favorite Disney film...I'm not the biggest classical music fan, and I like lyrics to songs and dialogue in my movies! But besides the live-action and abstract parts, I do like the shorts on their own.

[DisneyFan09]

Well, to give my answer on the subject: I've watched Fantasia just three times in my life. The first time was when my family rented it when I was a pre-school kid, but I completely dreaded it and thought it was too scary and off-putting. Afterwards I saw it again at the age of 10, when I was a bigger Disney fan than ever. And I happened to appreciate it more. Otherwise, I watched it again in 2012 and though I did like parts of it, it also was boring at times. Still, Fantasia is a marvelous movie and a creative concept that truly lends itself to animation (as hackneyed as it sounds). It's a pity that we won't see anything like it again

[Rumpelstiltskin]

At Christmas they usually show the nutcracker suit in TV. I rarely watch the whole thing at once when I do. But even the live action stuff can be worth watching for nostalgia reasons. Just wish there was more of a "making of" extra material on it. Even if not everything was filmed, it could still be explained.

The first time I saw it was after we had moved to the city, and I was finally able to rent in on video. Must admit that I was disappointed after hearing so much great about it, and didn't exactly know what to expect. It didn't help that our father was sitting in the couch en repeatedly asking why we would rent such crap.
Also remember where it was rented. Back then we could rent movies in the building next to our house. It was so close that you could open the entrance door and literally throw a rock at the windows that were covered by video shelves on the inside.

[Disney Duster]

I asked my mom to buy me Fantasia's first ever VHS release, and it was around the time Pinocchio came out on VHS, too, and I got that one I think before Fantasia, I did always like Pinocchio. Anyway, I actually rather liked Fantasia when I saw it when I was three or four or whenever I first watched it, can't quite remember. I would watch it occasionally. Probably more like in between rarely and occasionally. And I always watched the whole thing.

Now that I am older, I will just watch it once in a while over the years I have left on this Earth. I will only watch it if I really feel like watching it, and I will watch the whole thing. It is of course a masterpiece, but it's not a big favorite of mine. It's a favorite, just not a big favorite.

JeanGreyForever, I can't believe a PG-13 movie like Titanic was your first ever movie in theaters!!!

[DC Fan]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I prefer watching Fantasia 2000.

.

No. This happens to me as well. And I think I know why that is.

It´s basically the same Fantasia but short, to the point and more fast paced.

It´s not the same to watch this kind of movie on 1 hour than 2, that takes forever to get to the animated sequences and then have a slow, monotone, boring person talking between each.

I believe the Fantasia movies should be watched by young children (in order to appreciate classical music) and then the target audience for these would be adults that love classical music and fans of animation. I don´t even think that´s worth it for Disney fans...as here we are saying (most) how hard it is for us to watch it.

...and for us Disney fans the best way to watch it would be on a night, rainy day/night. The atmosphere sets the mood for it.

...as said, watched it on a sunny afternoon and didn´t fit at all.

PS

Was thinking...how difficult is for us to sit through Fantasia yet we didn´t have that issue while watching the Tom and Jerry and Road Runner and Coyote cartoons that didn´t have dialogue and just music on the background. Weren´t these basically the same thing?

[JeanGreyForever]

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I prefer watching Fantasia 2000.

.

No. This happens to me as well. And I think I know why that is.

It´s basically the same Fantasia but short, to the point and more fast paced.

It´s not the same to watch this kind of movie on 1 hour than 2, that takes forever to get to the animated sequences and then have a slow, monotone, boring person talking between each.

I believe the Fantasia movies should be watched by young children (in order to appreciate classical music) and then the target audience for these would be adults that love classical music and fans of animation. I don´t even think that´s worth it for Disney fans...as here we are saying (most) how hard it is for us to watch it.

...and for us Disney fans the best way to watch it would be on a night, rainy day/night. The atmosphere sets the mood for it.

...as said, watched it on a sunny afternoon and didn´t fit at all.

PS

Was thinking...how difficult is for us to sit through Fantasia yet we didn´t have that issue while watching the Tom and Jerry and Road Runner and Coyote cartoons that didn´t have dialogue and just music on the background. Weren´t these basically the same thing?

Agreed, it's much shorter and much more fast-paced and none of the segments are as long and drawn out as the Rite of Spring from the original which is my least favorite Fantasia segment from both films.

I suppose those cartoons you listed have a very frenetic energy and something is always happening on screen every few seconds. Not to mention, they're geared towards laughs unlike most of the Fantasia segments.

[Rumpelstiltskin]

Agreed, it's much shorter and much more fast-paced and none of the segments are as long and drawn out as the Rite of Spring from the original which is my least favorite Fantasia segment from both films.

I suppose those cartoons you listed have a very frenetic energy and something is always happening on screen every few seconds. Not to mention, they're geared towards laughs unlike most of the Fantasia segments.

If you didn't like Rite of Spring, you would definitely not like Allegro Non Troppo. Rite of Spring may seem a little dated today, but it did have some impact back then (I think a studio was supposed to make a movie about a similar concept, but had to put it away after Disney used the idea before them).
Should they make another Fantasia today, I would like to see a segment about how photosynthetic organisms conquered the world. As scientifically correct as possible, but without being boring.

(And now when Rhapsody in Blue is finally in public domain, everybody are free to make their own animated short about it)

[Avaitor]

I think Fantasia may very well be my favorite Disney film, at least in the top 5. I'm a sucker for the artistry put into each sequence. I'll admit that I'm seldom in the mood for it as opposed to a lot of the narrative films, but I do try to watch it at least once a year, and I did last month, where I was in awe of the last two segments as always.

I don't like Fantasia 2000 nearly as much, aside from "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Firebird Suite". The other segments don't tend to stick in my mind as well, and while I understand the reason that "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" was repeated, I do wish that another segment took its place. I do respect its diversity and briskness, but I don't come to it nearly as often.

[JeanGreyForever]

I don't like Fantasia 2000 nearly as much, aside from "Rhapsody in Blue" and "Firebird Suite". The other segments don't tend to stick in my mind as well, and while I understand the reason that "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" was repeated, I do wish that another segment took its place. I do respect its diversity and briskness, but I don't come to it nearly as often.

These are my two favorite segments from Fantasia 2000 as well. From what I've seen, that seems to be the popular consensus.