Movie Marathon Schedules Archives - Page 3 of 4

Disney Hand Drawn Animation Ultra-Marathon

When I was putting together my movie marathon schedules for the Disney animation studios movies, I was struck by the sheer volume of movies you could see in these movies, since they were so short.

I usually insert break times between movies in my movie marathons, since they are social events as much as movie-watching experiences. However, if you cut them out entirely, you then have two to three extra hours to play with. So in exchange for conversation and bathroom breaks, how many movies could you watch in one movie marathon? The answer is: eighteen!

I figure only hardcore Disney fanatics would participate in such madness so for this movie ultramarathon, I stuck to just the hand drawn Disney films. It seemed like something fanatics would do. If anyone out there is crazy enough to do this, you have to let me know how it turned out!

Disney Hand-Drawn Movies

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

My take: A wicked queen attempts to murder Snow White several times because Snow is prettier than the queen. Wouldn’t it have been less of a hassle for the Queen to use one of her appearance-altering potions to make herself prettier? That seems like a more direct route to achieve her goal.

Pinocchio

My take: Pinocchio the puppet comes alive, but to become a real boy, he must prove himself brave, truthful and unselfish. Man, the standards for boys made the old-fashioned way sure are low.

Dumbo

My take: Dumbo the elephant has big ears and is a little awkward, so he is mercilessly teased and exploited by members of the circus. Then he learns how to fly, and is no longer teased. The exploitation continues, but in a good way. The end.

Bambi

My take: A coming of age story of Bambi: the Great Prince of the Forest. His name and title aren’t quite as impressive as Simba: The Lion King, but I suppose even forests need kings too.

Cinderella

My take: Cinderella is emotionally abused by her step-mother and step-sisters. But, because she is pretty, she is saved from her crummy life by some standard-issue prince she knows nothing about. Second-wave feminism this a’int.

Alice in Wonderland

My take: The ultimate “and it was all a dream” story.

Peter Pan

My take: Peter Pan brings Wendy Darling (and her brothers) to Never Never land, where where a pixie, mermaids, and a pirate captain promptly attempt to murder her. A whimsical classic!

Lady and the Tramp

My take: “And they called it….puppy love.” – a little Paul Anka for you there. Hope you enjoyed it.

Sleeping Beauty

My take: A titanic struggle between Maleficent, the evil fairy / dragon / hellbeast and three good fairies. Other characters like Sleeping Beauty exist too, but they are pretty much puppets manipulated by the real power-holders in this kingdom.

101 Dalmations

My take: Cruella De Vil really, really wants a Dalmatian fur coat. I wonder if her psychological problems started with her parents, who gave her an anti-virtue name. Maybe if she was named “Charity De Vil” she would have started an animal shelter.

The Jungle Book

My take: A kid is raised by wolves and has lots of animal friends. He instantly forgets all that the second he sees a pretty girls. Men! So predictable!

The Little Mermaid

My take: A mermaid falls in love with the first human she sees, then gives up her entire life to marry him. A family movie classic!

Beauty and the Beast

My take: A typical love-triangle story of a French inventor’s daughter, a muscular yet evil hunk, and a hideous man-beast with a heart of gold. You’ve seen one of these stories, you’ve seen them all.

Aladdin

My take: Robin Williams plays a crack-addicted genie who bestows near-infinite powers on any dope who gets his hands on a magic lamp. Hilarious disruptions of the space-time continuum follow.

The Lion King

My take: Lion kings battle each other in a vicious fight for ultimate supremacy. Its all part of the beautiful circle of life.

Mulan

My take: Mulan pretends to be a boy so she can almost single-handedly defeat the Hun invasion and save the emperor from assassination. She gets a nice thank-you from everyone involved. The end.

Tarzan

My take: A boy is raised by apes, later gets the chance to live with humans, but decides to stick with the apes. His human girlfriend Jane also agrees that apes are the way to go. Can you blame them?

The Princess and the Frog

My take: A two-minute children’s story is extended to an hour and a half by the introduction of a trumpet-playing alligator, among other things (how does he purse his lips?).

Disney Hand-Drawn Movie Schedule

So now you know all about the movies, but how do they fit into a 24-hour movie marathon schedule? Lucky for you, I have pre-packaged the 24-hour disney movie marathon schedule for you below. Do you think you can relive your childhood in 18 movies in 24 hours? There is only one way to find out!

Start Time	Title
12:00 PM	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
01:23 PM	Pinocchio
02:51 PM	Dumbo
03:55 PM	Bambi
05:05 PM	Cinderella
06:19 PM	Alice in Wonderland
07:34 PM	Peter Pan
08:51 PM	Lady and the Tramp
10:07 PM	Sleeping Beauty
11:22 PM	101 Dalmations
12:41 AM	The Jungle Book
01:59 AM	The Little Mermaid
03:22 AM	Beauty and the Beast
04:46 AM	Aladdin
06:16 AM	The Lion King
07:45 AM	Mulan
09:13 AM	Tarzan
10:41 AM	The Princess and the Frog
12:18 PM	Finish

Disney Animation Movie Marathon – Post-Renaissance Era

The Disney Animation Studios post-renaissance era started in 1988¹. This era was kicked off by the release of The Little Mermaid, ended a streak of low-performing, not-so-memorable films, and started a streak of smash hits. Most people would consider the films of this era Disney’s “modern classics” (If you’d like a little more info on Disney eras, check out my earlier post on the subject)

So what better way to catch up on popular culture than a 24-hour Disney animation movie marathon? And what a marathon it is! Any movie marathon containing Disney animation films will be dense, as the movies are short compared to other feature films. This movie marathon has an impressive 15 movies. I was able to get 16 in the pre-renaissance era marathon, but 15 movies is a lot if movies to watch in one sitting by any standard!

So here is a 24-hour movie marathon schedule for the best Disney films this era has to offer. Enjoy!

Disney Post-Renaissance Era Movies

The Little Mermaid

My take: A mermaid falls in love with the first human she sees, then gives up her entire life to marry him. A family movie classic!

Beauty and the Beast

Aladdin

My take: Robin Williams plays a crack-addicted genie who bestows near-infinite powers on any dope who gets his hands on a magic lamp. Hilarious disruptions of the space-time continuum follow.

The Lion King

My take: Lion kings battle each other in a vicious fight for ultimate supremacy. Its all part of the beautiful circle of life.

Hercules

My take: Zeus and Hera have a son named Hercules…wait. This film is already not faithful to the source material – which clearly states that Zeus had an illegitimate child by the mortal Alcmene by pretending to be her husband. Oh Disney – when will you stop re-writing pseudo-history?

Mulan

My take: Mulan pretends to be a boy so she can almost single-handedly defeat the Hun invasion and save the emperor from assassination. She gets a nice thank-you from everyone involved. The end.

Tarzan

Fantasia 2000

My take: Fantasia, rebooted. This probably started the trend of other famous movie reboots, such as Batman Begins, Star Trek, and The Amazing Spider-Man.

The Emperor’s New Groove

My take: A cocky, uncaring emperor learns humility when he is transformed into a Llama. Later, he learns to sing after being transformed into a macaw. Don’t ask what he learns when he is transformed into a Tapir.

Lilo and Stitch

My take: Ugh. Another movie from Disney about a horrible genetic experiment from space being adopted by a young girl as a pet and training him as an Elvis impersonator. C’mon Disney! Where is your imagination?

Meet the Robinsons

My take: Back to the Future with singing gangster frogs, etc.

Bolt

My take: Bolt the dog discovers his Hollywood life is a lie. Has he seen Hollywood? I could have told him that! What a dump!

The Princess and the Frog

My take: A two-minute children’s story is extended to an hour and a half by the introduction of a trumpet-playing alligator, among other things (how does he purse his lips?).

Tangled

My take: Rapunzel’s mom isn’t really her mom, and her innocent-sounding house rules are really an evil plot to control and suppress her. This story is a confirmation of every teenage girl’s current thoughts on life.

Frozen

My take: Heh – boy – that Elsa is a real ice princess. No. Really. She is. Oh never mind.

Disney Pre-Renaissance Era Movie Marathon Schedule

So now you know all about the movies, but how do they fit into a 24-hour movie marathon schedule? Lucky for you, I have pre-packaged the 24-hour disney movie marathon schedule for you below. Do you think you can relive your childhood in 15 movies in 24 hours? There is only one way to find out!

Start Time	Title
12:00 PM	The Little Mermaid
01:45 PM	Beauty and the Beast
03:15 PM	Aladdin
04:45 PM	The Lion King
06:15 PM	Hercules
08:00 PM	Mulan
09:30 PM	Tarzan
11:00 PM	Fantasia 2000
12:15 AM	The Emperor’s New Groove
01:45 AM	Lilo and Stitch
03:15 AM	Meet the Robinsons
05:00 AM	Bolt
06:45 AM	The Princess and the Frog
08:30 AM	Tangled
10:15 AM	Frozen
12:00 PM	Finish

Disney Animation Movie Marathon – Pre-Renaissance Era

The Disney Animation Studios pre-renaissance era stretched from 1937 until 1988. This era produced many of the classics we remember, and some that we do not. If you’d like a little more info on Disney eras, check out my earlier post on the subject.

Picking the best movies out from this era results in an astounding 16-movie 24-hour Disney animation movie marathon. A typical 24-hour movie marathon has eleven, maybe twelve movies in it. This movie marathon wins the “most feature films in one 24 hour movie marathon” award. The schedule even includes copious breaktimes!

So if you want to see the best classic animated films Disney has to offer, and only have a day to do it – have I got the movie marathon schedule for you!

Disney Pre-Renaissance Era Movies

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Pinocchio

My take: Pinocchio the puppet comes alive, but to become a real boy, he must prove himself brave, truthful and unselfish. Man, the standards for boys made the old-fashioned way sure are low.

Fantasia

My take: A series of short animated stories set to classical music, including Mickey Mouse casting spells to infuse broomsticks with demonic cleaning powers. A kids classic!

Dumbo

Bambi

My take: A coming of age story of Bambi: the Great Prince of the Forest. His name and title aren’t quite as impressive as Simba: The Lion King, but I suppose even forests need kings too.

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad

My take: Not exactly a feature film, but two short stories packaged together. Hey – everyone was busy for a while with World War II!

Cinderella

Alice in Wonderland

My take: The ultimate “and it was all a dream” story.

Peter Pan

My take: Peter Pan brings Wendy Darling (and her brothers) to Never Never land, where where a pixie, mermaids, and a pirate captain promptly attempt to murder her. A whimsical classic!

Lady and the Tramp

My take: “And they called it….puppy love.” – a little Paul Anka for you there. Hope you enjoyed it.

Sleeping Beauty

101 Dalmatians

The Sword in the Stone

My take: A dramatic enactment of the old moral: leaders are chosen through divine right, not through piffle like democratic elections or talent.

The Jungle Book

My take: A kid is raised by wolves and has lots of animal friends. He instantly forgets all that the second he sees a pretty girl. Men! So predictable!

The Aristocats

My take: Does everybody want to be a cat? The movie’s answer, is an emphatic “Yes!”. In song form!

The Rescuers

My take: This movie follows the adventures of agents of an international mouse organization dedicated to helping abduction victims around the world. Its like Taken, but with mice, and less brutal violence.

Disney Pre-Renaissance Era Movie Marathon Schedule

So now you know all about the movies, but how do they fit into a 24-hour movie marathon schedule? Lucky for you, I have pre-packaged the 24-hour disney movie marathon schedule for you below. Do you think you can relive your childhood in 16 movies in 24 hours? There is only one way to find out!

Start Time	Title
12:00 PM	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
01:45 PM	Pinocchio
03:15 PM	Fantasia
05:30 PM	Dumbo
06:45 PM	Bambi
08:15 PM	The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
09:30 PM	Cinderella
11:00 PM	Alice in Wonderland
12:30 AM	Peter Pan
02:00 AM	Lady and the Tramp
03:16 AM	Sleeping Beauty
04:31 AM	101 Dalmatians
06:00 AM	The Sword in the Stone
07:30 AM	The Jungle Book
09:00 AM	The Aristocats
10:30 AM	The Rescuers
12:00 PM	Finish

Pixar Movie Marathon

My kids attended parts of the 24-hour movie marathon I held last year. That got me to thinking about what a kid-friendly, high-quality movie marathon would look like.

My thoughts immediately went to a Pixar movie marathon. Pixar makes some truly stunning films – both in terms of visual beauty and engaging storytelling. I grew up too soon to see a Pixar film as a child, but watching them as an adult has been a real pleasure.

It turns out that the Pixar catalog of original movies almost fits perfectly into a 24-hour movie marathon format. You have to be willing to skip the derivative sequels Cars 2, Cars 3, and Monsters University. And you’ll have to skip the “Just Ok” The Good Dinosaur. But if you can do that, you get to watch 13 gorgeous feature films in one 24-hour period. I have a sample schedule for you below, arranged in chronological order of release of the film.

And this marathon comes with a bonus! By watching each film in one session, you can see for yourself if you believe The Pixar Theory.

The Pixar Movie Marathon Movies

Toy Story

My take: Toys come alive when no one is looking. Why they bother to pretend to be not alive when looked at is never explained. This is frequently cited as the major weakness of the film.

A Bug’s Life

My take: Remember the parable about the foolish grasshoppers vs. the frugal ants? What if the grasshoppers just did shakedowns of the ants to get their food? Who’s foolish now?

Toy Story 2

My take: Woody the toy is abducted by the Collector and put in plastic with Xena Warrior Princess, Dr. Who, and…oh wait – that was a Simpsons Halloween episode.

Monsters, Inc.

My take: Monsters scare children to generate electrical power. This movie is very similar to The Matrix, in that implausible power generation sources are used in both films.

Finding Nemo

My take: If fish can all talk to each other, wouldn’t sharks eating other fish be kind of like cannibalism?

The Incredibles

My take: A superhero family lives a typical suburban lifestyle. The teenage years are going to be rough on the neighborhood.

Cars

My take: A race car learns that life isn’t all about racing. Wait, what?

Ratatouille

My take: A rat fulfills his lifelong dream of being a gourmet chef. Now that would have been an interesting episode of Gordon Ramsey’s “Kitchen Nightmares”.

Wall-E

My take: The life and times of a mobile trash compactor in the dystopian future where humans have trashed earth and spent the last 700 years in a space mall. Deep stuff for the elementary school crowd.

Up

My take: So…it seems like the villain in this movie could have made some serious bank with his talking dog collar invention. I might have just retired after that one. Just sayin.

Toy Story 3

My take: More unending sadness about loss and abandonment and the ways it twists the minds of those who experience it. But told in colorful toy form!

Brave

My take: The classic story of a mother-daughter fight which leads to the mother turning into a bear. Who hasn’t heard THAT story already?

Inside Out

My take: A psychology textbook brought to life in colorful Pixar form. An insanely good drama of a young girl dealing with moving away from her home to an unfamiliar environment, woven together with a strangely accurate depiction of her cartoon subconscious emotions. A stunning achievement of entertainment and education.

The Pixar Movie Marathon Schedule

Start Time	Title
12:00 PM	Toy Story
01:45 PM	A Bug’s Life
03:30 PM	Toy Story 2
05:15 PM	Monsters, Inc.
07:00 PM	Finding Nemo
09:00 PM	The Incredibles
11:00 PM	Cars
01:00 AM	Ratatouille
03:00 AM	Wall-E
04:45 AM	Up
06:30 AM	Toy Story 3
08:15 AM	Brave
10:00 AM	Inside Out
12:00 PM	Finish

Marvel Movie Marathon

I mentioned a while back that having a Marvel movie marathon sounds like a good idea and that I’d put together a sample schedule for such a marathon.

Well here it is, in all its sample glory. This would be one sweet movie marathon, if I do say so myself. If only we had latent superpowers unlocked by sleep deprivation, instead of anger.

The rule of thumb I used for selecting the movies was that I chose the first movie in a series to favor a variety of “origin story” movies, rather than following the sequels of any particular series. Your mileage may vary. Spider-man 2, for example, is widely regarded as one of the best superhero movies of all time. The Punisher is, well, “meh” at best. Just be thankful I didn’t include Howard the Duck.

Also, I put the films in chronological order of their release for no particularly good reason. Perhaps it will help you appreciate the special effects as they go from worst to best. Enjoy!

Marvel Movie Marathon Movies

Blade

My take: Wesley Snipes plays a vampire hunter who really hates vampires and their midnight rave blood-shower parties. What a buzzkill.

X-Men

My take: Patrick Stewart plays himself as a totally awesome psychic leader of superhero mutants battling other villainous mutants. Things go boom. Punches are exchanged.

Spider Man

My take: Tobey Maguire plays a half-human, half-spider. Surprisingly, very few fluids are sucked out of ensnared victims. Mostly, stuff blows up and people smooch and whatnot.

Daredevil

My take: Ben Affleck plays a leather-clad superhero lawyer. His powers of filing briefs and clocking billable hours are unparalleled.

The Punisher

My take: The Punisher fights crime using….no superpowers and pretty conventional weaponry. He’s like Batman without infinite resources, a utility belt, or any kind of working ethical system.

Fantastic Four

My take: Astronauts become superheros who battle an evil CEO while in skin-tight, sexy uniforms. The American dream in a nutshell.

Iron Man

My take: A cocky millionaire invents cold fusion and a flying mechanical battle suit with the help of various robots and artificial intelligences of his own design. This is Showgirls for engineers.

The Incredible Hulk

My take: A man who turns into a gigantic, super-powered green fighting machine? Credible. His pants stay intact post-transformation? Incredible.

Thor

My take: The god of thunder comes to earth to participate in a deadly martial arts tournament….oh wait. That’s Mortal Kombat. In this one, the god of thunder goes to New Mexico and flirts with an attractive astrophysicist. Which film do you think is more plausible?

Captain America: The First Avenger

My take: Captain America – the superhero who is…really strong due to chemical enhancements…and he has a shield. So – he’s pretty much Barry Bonds with a shield instead of a bat.

The Avengers

My take: Calling Team Awesome! Assemble in the flying aircraft carrier and fight an evil God and his invincible alien army from another dimension! Clearly the best movie ever made.

Marvel Movie Marathon Schedule

Start Time	Title
12:00 PM	Blade
02:30 PM	X-Men
04:30 PM	Spider Man
06:45 PM	Daredevil
08:45 PM	The Punisher
11:00 PM	Fantastic Four
01:00 AM	Iron Man
03:15 AM	The Incredible Hulk
05:15 AM	Thor
07:15 AM	Captain America: The First Avenger
09:30 AM	The Avengers
12:00 PM	Finish