As a kid, watching movies was one of the best ways to create unforgettable memories for years to come.
In a generation before the emergence of streaming services, such as Netflix and Disney+, many families had a library filled with VHS videocassettes (mine included) in their living rooms.
When you watch certain movies on repeat, it is a sign that it is one of your favorite movies of your childhood. When you watch that movie, it brings you back nostalgia from when you watched it for the first time.
Here are the movies that I used to watch on repeat when I was younger.
Robin Hood (1973)
The first movie on the list is Disney's "Robin Hood," which was released on Nov. 8, 1973 in the United States. This is one of those movies that I have on my VHS tape library.
This movie tells the story of the legendary British outlaw using anthropomorphic animals as characters. For example, Robin Hood is a fox, while Little John is a brown bear. In addition, Prince John is a lion and Maid Marian is a vixen, or female fox.
Fun fact: in the song-and-dance number, "The Phony King of England," the characters' dance movements are recycled from previous animated features, such as "The Aristocats," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "The Jungle Book."
Here is the link to the original trailer.
The Aristocats (1970)
Another Disney classic that I used to watch on repeat was "The Aristocats." It was released on December 24, 1970 in the United States. This movie is also featured on my VHS tape library.
The title is a play on the word "aristocrats," mainly because the owner, Madame Bonfamille, is an aristocrat herself.
The story revolves around a family of Parisian aristocratic cats (consisting of Duchess and her kittens Toulouse, Marie and Berlioz) who are set to inherit a fortune from Madame. Determined to gain the fortune for himself, Edgar, Madame's butler, puts the four cats to sleep, catnaps them, and leaves them in the French countryside. try to make it back home, with the help of alley cat Thomas O'Malley.
In "Everybody Wants To Be a Cat," the characters' dance moves were recycled, so you have probably seen some similarities in movies, such as "The Jungle Book" and "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
Part of the reason why I enjoyed this movie was for my love for cats. I had a cat named Mish, who lived for almost 16 years until she passed away in 2018. Marie, one of the cats featured in the movie, is my favorite one of the Aristocats.
Here is the link to the original trailer.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
During my childhood, I remember watching "The Wizard of Oz" so many times that I know almost the entire movie by heart. In addition, I remember singing and dancing along to the catchy music featured in the movie.
Just like the previous two films mentioned before, I have this movie in my VHS tape library as well.
"The Wizard of Oz" was released on Aug. 25, 1939 in the United States.
Based on the 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, the movie is about Dorothy Gale, who "dreams of land somewhere over the rainbow." When a tornado rips through Kansas, she and her dog, Toto, are swept away in their house into the magical Land of Oz.
You can check out my article, "How 'The Wizard of Oz' is one of my favorite classic movies" to learn more about one of my favorites.
You can watch the original "Wizard of Oz" trailer here.
A Bug's Life (1998)
"A Bug's Life" is another Disney/Pixar classic that I also watched on repeat during my childhood. What stood out to me was how everything looked really huge from a bug's perspective. This movie is featured on my VHS tape library.
The movie was released on Nov. 25, 1998 in the United States. This is the second Pixar film, after the release of "Toy Story" in 1995. One fun fact is that this marks the first Pixar film to not feature humans.
In this movie, a misfit ant named Flik sets out on an adventure looking for "warrior bugs" to protect his colony from a gang of greedy grasshoppers, led by Hopper. He recruits a group of bugs that turn out to be an incompetent circus troupe.
Here is the link to the original trailer.
Hercules (1997)
Finally, my mom would tell me that "Hercules" was a movie that I always watched on repeat as a child. That goes on to show that it is one of my favorite childhood movies and is worth watching again (and again) for years to come.
"Hercules" was released on June 27, 1997 and was the eighth entry of the Disney Renaissance. This was en era beginning around 1989 with "The Little Mermaid" and ending in 1999 with "Tarzan." During this time, Disney Animation Studios went back to producing more musically-animated films that were based on well-known stories, resulting in successes at the domestic and international box offices.
This movie is a loose adaptation of Ancient Greek/Roman mythology, especially the adventures of Heracles (known by his Roman name, Hercules). The titular character, the son of Zeus, is turned into a half-god, half-mortal due to a potion concocted by the evil Hades, who is the god of the underworld.
Like the previous movies I mentioned, "Hercules" features musical scenes, except "A Bug's Life."
Here is the link to the original trailer.
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