Mickey Mouse Disco (1980)

the audience applauded

hyped garbage

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

It might sound strange to you, whether you're old or young it doesn't matter (the older ones will get this reference while any kids reading this will be like 'huh, what'?) but as a kid I a) remember watching this (and possibly blocked it out, sort of), and b) confused it with "Disco Duck." Remember that horrible novelty song that somehow became a hit single? It was like the planets aligned and some weird God appeared and said 'Let there be DISCO DUCK, and people will listen to it, briefly, and then torch it and put it in the giant dumpster fire that the rest of disco will go into.' But the point is, for the longest time I actually thought THIS was what people meant when they brought up the song 'Disco Duck' because I never actually heard the song, only this clip-show of songs.But why am I going on this tangent? Oh, because there's not too much to say here: Disco finally seeped in to the walls of Walt Disney animation studios and, as I suppose any of the remaining Nine Old Men from the classic era were working on The Black Cauldron or Fox and the Hound or whichever, there needed to be something quick and slapped together to appease the (then waning) craze for disco, so this was made. This is a CLIP SHOW, not anything newly animated, and the credited directors somehow include people who had already either retired or died by 1980 (Jack King, Ben Sharpsteen for example) from classic cartoons (it's hard not to recognize Thru the Mirror since it's one of the greatest shorts of all time, nevermind Disney).In other words, this 10/10 is mostly meant as a kind of ironic rating; this is a trashy little piece of product that was thrown out there for some reason or another, and yet I'm sure it lit up many fans (as it probably did for me) when it was out there with copies of The Black Hole on VHS in the 80's. You can now see it on YouTube in all its cocaine-drenched glory.

I love Disney and do like good disco music that you can dance and tap your feet to. Seeing the super 8mm film on Youtube, I was blown away, I do remember having an audio CD of the songs and other ones too(which has been since lost), but watching this brought back so many memories. The animation, made up of clips from the likes of Symphony Hour and Mickey's Birthday Party, while not the best in terms of picture quality, is nonetheless colourful and fluid and edited very well in the five songs. Mickey Mouse Disco and Macho Duck are especially good in this regard. The music is irresistibly catchy, the exuberant melodies and enthusiastic vocals really do make you want to get up and dance and if not that it is certainly toe/foot-tapping-stuff. Welcome to Rio is full of that carnival celebratory feeling. The characters are a delight to see, Mickey, Donald and Goofy are all here and shine in their segments, as do Daisy in Macho Duck and Clara Cluck in Welcome to Rio. Overall, if you love Disney and disco Mickey Mouse Disco is a dream come true. 10/10 Bethany Cox