Skate Better: a history in brief of the DCOM

What inspires me today...

DCOM's

Looking back at my childhood, my current brand of hybrid feminism and independence doesn't match very well with my former movie tastes.  For as much as I loved animals, The Lion King was not my favorite movie.  I considered Fox and the Hound good-not-great.  Julie Andrews was a curse word around our hosuehold.  Our family was fully invested in the Disney Princess VHS Special Vaulted shiny puffy-cased cinema.

Yes, the messages to little girls aren't the best.  Granted.  Their voices were very high, and Snow White's ballads are almost insufferable.  Clearly.  But creepy Prince and no clear personal goals aside, something was magical about those dresses that they put on/magically appeared/traded fins for/were a gift from a giant he-wolf/got from animals your parents always told you you'd get rabies from if you touched.

(Normal every-day situation.)

When I think of Disney Movies, I think of the amazing cartoons that I loved so much as a child.  However, as I grew and began looking forward to the new millennium, a whole genre of movies began to emerge.  Out of the late 90's, the Disney regime came out with a series of pieces that have thus far been pretty much overlooked in the broad scheme of "things that matter" or "things worth remembering."

But, Erik Von Detten, I will not forget your made-for-tv screen debut.  That's right folks, I'm talking about the DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIES.

Finally, real situations that affect my everyday life are addressed, such as switching bodies with my sister, having to choose between my preppy skiing schoolmates, and the cool snowboarders at the public school on the other side of the mountain, and my house trying to destroy me.

My favorites in chronological order: 

1996: 

Wish Upon A Star

Did anyone tell them that Freaky Friday had already been made?

1998: 

Brink!

Too many things to say about this magnificent cinematic wonder.  Pup 'n Suds for life.

1999: 

Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century 

Zeetusapetus!

Smart House

I'll admit that this morning standing in our community camp-like bathroom, I wished for wet/dry vac flooring.

Johnny Tsunami

 Why are the bad guys always named "Brett"?

Don't Look Under the Bed

A realistic and logical girl named Francis living in Middleberg.  What could possibly go wrong?

2000: 

Alley Cats Strike

Tell me you did not try that "crazy" bowling at least once.

The Color of Friendship

Addressing important issues of race and apartheid through friendship of two adolescent girls.  I only remember the fun shopping montage.

2001: 

Zenon: The Zequal

Protazoa is so dreamy.  Frosted bleach tipped hair...of the future!

2004: 

Zenon: Z3

No one saw this movie.

2005: Twitches

Teen witches.  Get it?

A clear rise, peak, and fall can be tracked in this simple time-line.

 High School Musical came out in 2006 and shifted the entire genre towards a younger, hipper generation of children, whose shortened attention spans can't track the character development and complexities portrayed by the Mowry family.  Yes, the DCOM was short lived, but I owe a big part of who I am to a bunch of kids in bowling club.  And for that, I am grateful.

But lets be real, it was inevitable.  In-line skating just doesn't have the same effect and raw power when viewed on an iPad. 

Zach Effron who?