Nobody calls me Chicken: Chinese New Year

So I’m not a big chicken fan, but I will do my best to continue my tradition and count down by favorite rooster or chicken moments in film, TV, or books.

But before I go there, let’s talk about those born in the year of the Rooster. Roosters are trustworthy, with a strong sense of timekeeping and responsibility at work. Some famous Roosters are Donny Osmond, Dolph Lundgren, and Jennifer Lopez. Roosters are best with Oxen and Snakes; but should avoid Rats, Rabbits, Horses, and Pigs.

.So now onto the countdown.

4) Back to the Future:Part II (1989)

Back to the Future: Part II picks up where the first leaves off. Marty has come back to 1985, slightly altered from his time travel, and eager to continue his weekend plans. However, that all changes when he and his girlfriend, Jennifer, go with Doc to the future, 2015, to help their children. As they are occupied there, old Biff steals the time machine and using a futuristic almanac, goes to 1955 to alter the future. Now Doc and Marty must return to 1955 in order to fix their future, but things are more complicated. They must avoid their previous selves, or else destroy the entire space-time continuum.

Best Chicken Scene: “Nobody Calls Me Chicken”

Marty has the almanac and has completed the mission, but is stopped by Biff. Biff calls him chicken, which we know is Marty’s undoing. He goes to begin the fight, but gets himself knocked out by his earlier time traveling self. How sad and hilarious. Poor Marty!

For more on Back to the Future: Part II, go to We’re in the Future: Good-bye 2015

4) Chicken Run (2000)

Mr. and Mrs. Tweedy run a chicken farm in Yorkshire that is failing. Mrs. Tweedy comes up with the idea of switching from raising chickens to starting a Chicken Pot Pie Farm.

Ginger, one of the chickens, has been trying to free herself and the other chickens, with no avail. This increases as they discover what the Tweedys are planning.

Rocky, a rooster, is running away and flies into the chicken farm. They agree to hide him, as long as he teaches them how to fly. He begins the preparations, but it turns out he is a liar and cannot fly without assist from the circus cannon.

They begin building an airplane in the hopes to fly, but will the Chickens figure something out before they are turned into pies?

Best Chicken Scene: But I’ve Seen Ev’rything
When I See a Chicken Fly

The chickens are finally able to fly but it isn’t a smooth take off.

2) Robin Hood

Disney has taken its hand at the classic Robin Hood, but has told the story with animals! Robin Hood, a fox, must outwit the Sherriff of Nottingham (a wolf) and Prince John (a lion). To aid him are Little John (a bear), Alan-a-Dale (a rooster), and Friar Tuck (a badger).

Best Chicken: Alan-a-Dale

Alan-a-Dale is a friend of Robin Hood and tries to help him as much as he can; but even more than that Alan is our narrator and helps tell the story. Through him and his songs, we are relayed information about the characters and their situation.

For more on Robin Hood, go to Waiter, There’s Some Disney in My Jane Austen

1) Foghorn Leghorn, Looney Tunes

Foghorn Leghorn is a large rooster, who’s voice and way of talking is based on Senator Claghorn from The Fred Allen Show.

Foghorn is a blustery character who is constantly fighting the barnyard dog in a Coyote-Roadrunner relationship. He also has to outwit a tiny boy chicken hawk and babysit Egghead Jr. in order to woo Miss Prissy.

I loved how he would say, “I say, I say, I say…”

For the 2016 Chinese New Year, go to A Little Monkey Business: Chinese New Year

For the 2015 post, go to Well I Feel Sheepish: Chinese New Year

For the 2014 post, go to A Horse’s Tale: Chinese New Year

For the 2013 list, go to Snakes on a Post: Chinese New Year

Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

So I’m sure you all have heard that old joke “Why did the chicken cross the road?”

Duh!

Well have you ever lived it?

What?

Yeah, that’s what I thought. Well I’ll get to that in a moment. First we need to go over some backstory.

So in my hometown, years ago, some people released a series of chickens into the city. The group grew each year and now they have taken over an area of the town as their domain. They are in fact protected by the city, and it is now illegal to kill them.

Yeah I don’t understand it either

During my freshman year at college, a rooster wandered on to campus and made it it’s home. Everybody freaked out and tons of people signed a petition trying to get the rooster declared the new school mascot. They were amazed at seeing a rooster living on campus. I don’t see the big ta-do. And I told people, it’s nothing new to me to see a chicken or rooster not on a “farm”, that’s pretty normal.

Anyways, as I mentioned these chickens not only took over a section of the city, they actually have become very smart. I am not kidding you, they have figured out how to use the crosswalks.

Yes I am not kidding you!!! One day my sister Jessica and I were driving somewhere and had to stop for a red light, and a chicken was waiting on the corner. As soon as the hand changed to the walk signal, the chicken crossed the street, remaining in the lines. Crazy, huh?

Anyways, so the other day I was driving somewhere and coming up a street to make a right turn. As I drive up, this chicken comes walking through. I figure, hey it’ll keep moving along, but that’s not what happened.

Stupid, stupid

The chicken stopped halfway through crossing the street. I guess it became nervous, because it just started pacing back and forth all flustered.

Of course

I’m like Chicken move!! I mean this guys are protected I can’t run it over. Besides I would feel really bad if I did. So I’m honking my horn and screaming at this Chicken, which only flusters it more and increases the pacing.

This guy on the corner is watching me and the chicken and just laughing his butt off.

Finally the chicken has  figured out what it wants and continues on it’s way allowing me to continue on mine.

Yep, just another day.

For more scenes of my everyday life, go to Just A Moment

Oh Oh De Lally

Day 25) Your Favorite Disney Classic

Robin Hood (1973)

So this is one of the best Disney films. Many have not seen it, so it remains a beloved little known classic. It is also one of the best depictions of Robin Hood ever made. You know why? Because the person they use for Robin Hood is perfect:

So just like The Great Mouse Detective this film also uses animals instead of people to tell the story, and each one was perfect for the character they are supposed to portray.

The film is told by the minstrel Alan-a-Dale, who is played by a rooster, of which is perfect because he is never quiet. He starts to tell us the story of Robin Hood who is a fox (literally and figuratively) and Little John, a bear. The two live in Sherwood Forest and rob from the rich and give to the poor. You see the people of Nottingham are not doing very well. King Richard (a lion as he was called Richard the Lionhearted) is in the Middle East fighting the crusades, and his brother John is in charge. Prince John sucks as a ruler (and sucks his thumb) and is heavily taxing the people. He leaves the  dirty work to the Sheriff of Nottingham (a wolf) and his posse. The Sheriff tries to catch Robin and Little John, but fails every time.

So the film starts off with Prince John charging through the forest and stopping to get his fortune read by two Gypsy women. And those women turn out to be…you guessed it Robin and Little John. The two dressed up to rob whoever was coming through and decide to take down Prince John.

Sir Hiss tries to warn Prince John that the two can’t be trusted and sure enough Prince John gets robbed blind. The guards try and chase the two and fail, fail miserably.

We then see  Friar Tuck visiting the poor, such as an injured blacksmith. He tries to give him the earnings that Robin Hood won for him, but  who should come along? The big, bad, wolf Sheriff. Yep

 The Sheriff then goes to visit a family of rabbits, one of which is celebrating their b-day and he takes all their money, the rabbit Skippy’s b-day present.

But soon a blind beggar comes on the screen who is secretly…you guessed it Robin Hood. And he makes everything better

Robin gives the rabbits some money, along with his bow and arrows, for  Skippy’s b-day present.

The kids scurry off to test it out, sending an arrow into Prince John’s castle grounds. Luckily the group doesn’t run into Prince John, but Maid Marian, Robin Hood’s sweetheart (also a fox) and her lady-in-waiting, Lady Kluck (a chicken). They all play act, with Marian discussing her love for Robin and hope that he feels the same way. Lady Kluck assures her that there is no way would he forget her. After all:

Back with the boys, Robin and Little John get a visit from Friar Tuck who has told them about an archery tournament that Prince John is hosting. Prince John was enraged by how Robin embarrassed him and decided he was going to take Robin down. He knew that an archery contest would be impossible for Robin to resist. Especially if the prize was a kiss from Maid Marian.

Robin pf course can’t resist, no matter what they say and decides that he is going to go. But he comes up with a crazy plan to get in:

So the two head out to the competition. Little John dresses up as the Duke of Chutney and Robin is a stork. Sir Hiss figures out who hey are, but Friar Tuck and Alan-a-Dale locks him up in a barrel of ale.

So Robin competes and of course, wins.

Robin wins, but Prince John unmasks him and is about to execute him when he has a sudden change of heart. He wants to let Robin go.

It turns out that Little John is holding him at knifepoint, only to be caught by the Sheriff. What follows is craziness, chaos, and comedy. 🙂

 So the group hurries off to the forest where they have a great time making fun of Prince John.

Robin and Marian also fall in love again.

But while that is going good, back in the castle trouble is brewing. Prince John is angry. He decides he is going to heavily tax the people, taking everything. When he takes the poor box from the church, Friar Tuck becomes so enraged that he starts fighting the sheriff.

Them’s fighting words!

The Sheriff arrests him and they decide to hang Friar Tuck to capture Robin Hood. I don’t know why but my sis and I would randomly say this all the time in his accent. “Hang Friar Tuck?”

Anyways, so this is when we get spend some time with Sheriff’s minions, Trigger and Nutsy. It’s hilarious. I love how Nutsy announces every hour and says “All’s well!”.

Robin decides that he is going to do a jailbreak and steal all the money.

 

Everyone escapes, except Robin as he went back to save a baby and missed getting out. Him and Prince John have a fight in which he manages to escape, but  causes the castle to burn. Robin leaps from a tower into the moat below, all the while being pelted by arrows. Little John and Skippy watch and think he is dead, only to see him emerge unharmed after using a reed as a breathing tube.  King Richard returns to England, placing his brother and his cohorts under arrest and allows Robin and Maid Marian to be married and leave Nottingham with Little John and Skippy in tow.

Love that movie!

For more on Robin Hood (1973), go to Snakes on a Post

For more on Disney animals, go to Wake Up Dad

For more on Disney animated films, go to The Boys are Back in Town

For more on Disney Royalty, go to And Away We Go

For more films based on books, go to I Could Kiss You

For more films in which the main characters disguise themselves, go to This Isn’t Love, This is Ecstasy

For more on Persuasion, go to A Letter of Love

For more of my favorite quotes, go to Beautifully Miserable