A film's closing credits can put some pressure on an audience.
If we're sniffling over a happy ending, we need to dig for tissues. If we're looking to find the screenwriter, we're watching each name. And if we realize that we probably won't watch the movie again on the big screen, we must deal with that particular disappointment.
But, on occasion, that disappointment magically transforms into excitement, at least around El Capitan Theatre. Disney's vintage Hollywood movie palace is known for occasionally visiting the vault and summoning cinematic favorites of the past, but rarely the recent past, and rarely in quick succession.
That will change from Thursday, Feb. 18 through Wednesday, Feb. 24. The Hollywood Boulevard landmark will show a different contemporary work from Walt Disney Animation Studios each night, with a big bonus: Some writers and/or actors and/or directors will be in attendance at the 7 o'clock shows on each of the specific dates, all as part of the "Countdown to Zootopia."
First up, on Feb. 18? "Wreck-It Ralph." "Frozen" follows on the 19th, with "Tangled" Rapunzeling-up Feb. 20. "Big Hero 6" brings the action to Feb. 21, "Bolt" charges into Feb. 22, "Winnie the Pooh" charms Feb. 23, and Tiana and friends round out the fun with "The Princess and the Frog" on Wednesday, Feb. 24.
These are all big-screen features, played wide in the El Capitan, complete with pre-show on-stage cameos. The appearances are major: Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, directors of "Frozen," will stop by on Feb. 19, while Mandy Moore -- she's the voice of Rapunzel in "Tangled" -- will say hello on the right night. Anika Noni Rose, who played Tiana, will be at the El Capitan for "The Princess and the Frog," while Baymax and Hiro Hamada -- actors Scott Adsit and Ryan Potter -- will appear before "Big Hero 6."
Call it double the delight: You can see a recent flick you liked played large once again, and you can hear some of the people involved with it talk about how it was made.
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Make that triple the delight, though: Recent Academy Award-nominated shorts from Disney, like "Paperman" and "Feast," will also screen.
Make that quadruple the delight: Specially created artworks will be handed out at the 7 p.m. shows, and the first 75 to queue up can have those artworks autographed by the filmmakers in attendance.
Make that quintuple the delight: "Zootopia" debuts at the El Capitan, and other theaters, on March 4. (That side-splitting sloth trailer has been creating buzz far and wide.)
It's a lot to take in, much like we try and take all of those closing credits in, when we don't want a great movie to end.
To get the whole story, to make sure you're there on the night of your favorite film, and to find out the details, throw your braid or hop like a frog or ice skate a la Olaf to the El Capitan Theatre site now.
