This 'n That Thursday: My Favorite Animated Movies

From IMDb

I recently scrolled through a list of "The 100 Best Animated Movies" and, while some of my favorites did show up, most of them I had either never seen before or did not rate as highly as the compiler of the list.  In fact, his number one movie, "Toy Story" (1995), I found to be okay but not great.  I decided to compile my own list of favorites, which is nowhere near 100, but I have seen these films multiple times and will watch them again with pleasure.

1) "101 Dalmatians" (1961) - anyone who reads my blog knows that I am an avid Dalmatian lover, so this one should come as no surprise!
2) "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) - a smart and courageous heroine who loves to read; how could I not love this film?
3) "My Neighbor Totoro" (1988) - I am a big fan of the animated works from Hayao Miyazaki, and this movie is one of his best.
4) "Spirited Away" (2001) - another film by Hayao Miyazaki, and I would say this has to be my number one choice for favorite animated movie.  The story and animation are so incredibly different from anything I have ever seen before, and I am enchanted anew each time I watch this film.
5) "The Incredibles" (2004) - just when you think you've seen every superhero imaginable, along comes this movie about superheroes with a family life!  Despite their powers, it is easy to relate to the members of this family.
6) "Monsters, Inc." (2001) - the talents of both John Goodman and Billy Crystal shine in this imaginative and incredibly funny movie, but little Boo almost steals the show!
7) "Up" (2009) - I would have to say this is my number two favorite, and a close second it is.  A sweet story, a fascinating adventure, and lots of dogs - this is my kind of movie!
8) "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993) - one of the things I love most about this movie is the songs.  As I've mentioned before on this blog, I have little interest in music, so this fact surprises even me!

From Amazon

Of the movies I had never seen on the list of one hundred, there was one I felt I had to watch, called "When the Wind Blows" (1986).  Luckily I was able to find it on YouTube.  This film is achingly sweet and at the same time heartbreakingly sad, but so beautifully made that I have to recommend it.  If you are prone to being emotional, the movie may move you to tears, but the story is so well told and compelling that it would be a shame not to watch it.  You have been warned, so decide for yourself if you want to continue: