*ANASTASIA* is my ROMAN EMPIRE - Movie Commentary

[@thebestofstephx]

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[@coldmeatballscoldmeatball4451]

You should watch the last of us

[@thebestofstephx]

I want to! Idk if I’ll do it for a reaction but hopefully!

[@DigiVixen]

You're a Disney Princess, confirmed. You can sing, and you have animals being drawn to you as you do.

[@coldmeatballscoldmeatball4451]

@@thebestofstephx yay

[@thebestofstephx]

Haha I do kinda look like Snow White in that scene don't i 🤣@@DigiVixen

[@dereklopez9060]

The scene where Dimitri looks up at Anastasia in her dark blue dress, That gave me some serious Titanic vibes.

[@thebestofstephx]

Omg you’re so right it does.

[@dereklopez9060]

@@thebestofstephx Which both movies came out the exact same year in 1997. This movie was directed by Don Bluth, who also directed An American Tail, Secret Of Nimh, All Dog's Go To Heaven, and my favorite, The Land Before Time.

[@fairytalepurityanalyser6056]

And more.

[@jacob4448]

Anastasia is one of the best movies ❤ I’m sooo glad you watched it

[@thebestofstephx]

I’ve seen it sooooooooo many times!!! ❤️

[@lulystalgianature2968]

The last Don Bluth movie that was actually successful. Regardless on what really happened, it doesn't stop the movie from being great! Let's face it. Few movies do a pair's antics as hilarious as Anastasia and Dimitri, while at the same time making it look very realistic. And Rasputin was one heck of a villain! With one killer song! After a few fallbacks in the 90s, Bluth made an epic comeback with this movie. Too bad he couldn't do the same with the next one, which ended his studio. Makes me wonder how many other stories we have missed from him 😢

[@thebestofstephx]

Yeah it’s definitely as far from historically accurate as humanly possible but who cares when the end product is so fantastic!

[@lulystalgianature2968]

@@thebestofstephx We must remember though, that what really happened wasn't known at the time, so it was that interesting sense of mystery that lead to the creation of this movie. We now know the horrible truth, but it doesn't stop the movie from being any less epic. It's just a movie to entertain, not a documentary.

[@helenahector5910]

The scene of Anya fighting and later kills Rasputin ALWAYS give me chills !!! WHAT A QUEEN ❤️❤️❤️, . DASVIDANYA

[@Callmekatielee]

It’s the way Vlad says Dimitri can sleep through anything, but the moment Anya is in danger he wakes right up. Truly the OTP of all OTPs.

[@abthedragon4921]

I can't blame her for singing along so much, this movie's soundtrack is iconic!

[@carissamacdonald2915]

This movie is one of my favorites from when I was a kid. As someone who’s great grandmother, who’s parents had her flee by herself at 12 years old from St. Petersburg in the early 1900’s to the states to live with her uncle because it was unsafe and they were unable to leave with her, it really enhanced the experience of this movie for myself while watching it.

[@thebestofstephx]

Wow. That would change anyone’s perspective. She must have been so strong to be able to do that.

[@nickit7655]

I never realized that the people in her nightmare scene were supposed to be her family! That adds a new layer of horror to it. That scene scared me so much as a kid.

[@Callmekatielee]

I saw this on Broadway with the original cast and let me tell you it was life changing. Also Derek Klena is SO NICE!

[@wesmcinerny4524]

It is a wonderful film, despite its historical errors. By the way, you should watch the rest of the Don Bluth library, starting with The Small One.

[@happysigns]

You are so ME! I sing along to my favourite movies, and sometimes quote lines from them. ❤

[@ajmalaika1287]

"In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you" YESS ALL THE LOVE TO THE CREDIT SONG

[@hannahhester8376]

Her PJ's she wears when she's with her grandmother too, they're adorable

[@Jessica_Little]

My community theater is putting on this production this summer and I could NOT be MORE EXCITED! I absolutely love this movie and its broadway musical!

[@thebestofstephx]

That’s so exciting!!

[@teaandhouseplants]

Omg I haven't watched this movie since I was a kid, and I was SO sure they wrote all but like four of the songs specifically for the broadway musical. Turns out I just completely forgot about them until hearing the "musical" songs in this video🙈

[@thebestofstephx]

Hahahahaha

[@nickit7655]

The line “Paris holds the key TO…HER… HEART” Is my favorite and I was very offended that it was removed for the stage musical.

[@FrostbiteJames]

Ok but have you seen Bartok the Magnificent?!?! Highly recommend for our favorite bat friend

[@emmaramirez3417]

3:00 I'm learning to play this on piano. I'm literally obsessed with this song

[@thebestofstephx]

I love that!!!!

[@Metzwerg74]

contagious happyness.... really easy to see You love that movie.... thank You for not holding back, it´s a pleasure to see such unbridled joy... actually liked that one too

[@thebestofstephx]

Thank you so much!! 🥹

[@Metzwerg74]

@@thebestofstephx i would hope, You would give the first "The swan princess" from Don Bluth a chance... in the german versions, anastasia, the swan princess and belle from disneys beauty and the beast hat the same singer as singing voice, Jana Werner... i was so in love with that voice....

[@allyburnett3315]

I looooooooooooooove this movie. I'm definitely going to watch it on my Channel some day 😂😂❤❤❤❤❤

[@thebestofstephx]

❤️❤️❤️ yessss!!!

[@abthedragon4921]

12:05 Timbuktu is located in West Africa (the modern-day country of Mali to be specific) and it was a major center of trade and learning during the Middle Ages. When someone from Europe or America says "they came from Timbuktu" or something like that, it's usually an expression to state they've come from somewhere far away because before the modern era, most Europeans wouldn't have been to Timbuktu since crossing the Sahara was dangerous for non-Africans or people not familiar with the climate.

[@hannahhester8376]

The peppermint scene always stuck in my head, so much that I actually looked it up a years later, distinct smells like that can actually bring back memories.

[@ghostsurfer23]

There's something so magical to me about seeing a person geek out over their favorite film. Thank you for sharing this with us!

[@thebestofstephx]

Thank you! 🥹

[@kaseymills258]

I remember having the Anastasia kids meal toys and I REFUSED to get rid of them until the pain was worn off. One of my all time favorite movies ❤

[@thebestofstephx]

I wish I had some of those!!

[@lfreeman4612]

thank you for appreciating the credit song. The amount of times I've watched reactors and then been sad bc they totally miss a Banger of a credit song. love your reactions girl, keep it up!

[@thebestofstephx]

ITS SUCH A BANGERRRRRRR

[@Noetic-juggernaut]

I love enemies to lovers stories I don't know why.

[@thebestofstephx]

They’re the bestttt

[@Noetic-juggernaut]

@@thebestofstephx True I love much Ado about nothing.

[@roronoazoro8322]

I still own the VHS Of anastasia. I just don't have a v h s player anymore

[@thebestofstephx]

DONT EVER SELL IT!!

[@roronoazoro8322]

@@thebestofstephx I've had this VHS since VHS is worth a thing and DVD's just started coming out so I don't plan on selling this V h s ever

[@mikesgirl8304]

I grew up loving Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast but then THIS movie came along, blew them out of the water, topped them, argue with the wall

[@Butterfly-ql4pg]

The first time I watched this movie was at a sleepover with one of my friends when I was nine. It's one of my favorite memories 🥰

[@thebestofstephx]

❤️❤️❤️

[@karliux4e]

Anastasia is my favorite, it came out when I was 2 years old and I have seen it since then, at least once a year. I am actually at my school at a singing club, we do every year a Disney musical with lots of characters, I'm playing Anastasia. I love the dresses and the scenery is an impressionism style paintings; similar to Monet's detailing.

[@NaivaxWolf]

Definitely watched this one waaay to many times. To the detriment of my siblings begging to watch something else or for me to quit rewinding the song parts. xD Also guilty of trying to hold that last note to the very end.

[@thebestofstephx]

Right??? That note was so hard when I was younger and had zero lung capacity

[@AdamFishkin]

Yes, the pure joy of singing along! Everyone gave Don Bluth so much flak for his previous films' work with Barry Manilow (i.e. the heinously-written songs of Pebble & the Penguin) that when Fox hired him for Anastasia, he eschewed pop-rock celebrities and instead recruited the experienced Broadway team of Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty. Appropriately enough, Once Upon a December was the first song they handed in ... and it happened because they were trying to lift their own spirits during a really bad LA heat wave. Anastasia is actually a remake of Fox's 1956 film about the princess starring Ingrid Bergman, and David Newman (son of the original film's composer Alfred Newman) wrote the non-song underscore for this animated version. The great thing about the voice cast is they lacked ego. About half of them couldn't sing, and despite being A-listers they were gracious enough to let professional singers take over for their numbers. John Cusack's singing double John Dokuchitz spent 2 years on Broadway understudying not one but THREE of Into the Woods's original cast members. Regarding your observation of the hair color: it could be a lighting thing. Bluth was always a perfectionist when it came to matching color shades with the light in an environment. Anastasia was the first time he could've corrected things with computers (his budgets before this film were too small), and given this was 1997, I suspect any shortcuts in the ink/paint department were the one weak link here. 21:05 Timbuktu is in west Africa, which is part of a subtle joke about why all the imposters failed. When the stage rights were bought for a Hartford and Broadway run, the producers cut out Rasputin at Bluth's suggestion: his initial idea for a main villain (before the final script was written) was a Bolshevik officer named Gleb, which is what the Broadway plot adopted.

[@Leo-Galaxy]

Is it true you're gonna do Red, White and Royal Blue next??!

[@happysigns]

Another great movie by Don Bluth is “Thumbelina”. It was one of my favourites. The music in that movie is great. If you do end up watching it, here’s a fun fact. Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in “the Little Mermaid”, acted as Thumbelina.

[@matildapersson-berg4309]

This movie is my childhood, used to sleep over at my sisters house (big age gap) and watch this, both of us love this movie. Can’t wait until her kids can watch this but might be a little too scary still🫣

[@thebestofstephx]

I was watching it when I was pretty young and hate scary stuff and I don’t ever remember being really that scared or anything.

[@maxbrown7719]

Your "BYE" at the end, and if u think of how Rasputin goes, Anastasia stomping, the turning into a pile of dust, Owl House parallels lingering in the brain methinks 🤔😅

[@joshuawells835]

I grew up with this film and it did spark an interest in Russian history, in the same vein that Lawrence of Arabia did the Arab Revolt and The Last Samurai did Imperial Japan. I still find myself occasionally singing a very bass rendition of "Once Upon a December" in the car. Edit - Timbuktu is in Mali, which in the 1920s would have been part of French Colonial Africa.

[@antoniamcgregor3285]

I had a pooka stuffed toy Anastasia is timeless , nostalgic and just overall beloved Do not ever remake it because there's no need That is all ❤❤🙌

[@ElfsArt24]

Have you seen or listened to the musical ? I haven't, but seeing this video reminded me that I still want to. It has a lot more songs, obviously, which is what I craved from the film growing up. My mum was the one who made me watch this and the other don bluth films. I'm glad she did.

[@thebestofstephx]

I have! It came to my town when it was touring! Definitely a bit different but still stunning!

[@jimmykarlsson2567]

Wow, that singing was incredible ❤

[@ShadowLight-kn7rl]

I seriously only just watched this movie like 4 days ago and afterwards I came across if a breakdown of how the historical story unfold (movie wasn't far off it) and OH MY GAWD!!! This story is dark

[@thebestofstephx]

Right? If you’re just now learning about the real story of the Romanovs you’re in for a horrific ride

[@BlackTigr]

Hello fellow Anastasia-movie loving, calico-owning, possible aquariun. 👋 This movie was probably one of the closest things to a security blanket growing up for me. I had the Anastasia doll with the dream waltz dress (came with a cassette of Once Upon a December that I'm amazed I didn't make melt bcuz of how much I played it), the polly pocket with a miniature midnight blue dress Anastasia. And I even got to see the On Ice performance for my birthday and get a souvenir photo with a giant Bartok. Sadly all that stuff either got lost from all the moving, or sold off by my mom when she thought I grew out of it. But I did manage to get lucky enough to find a working toy train set for the movie and the Anastasia volume of the Royal Diaries book series, several years ago at a thrift store. So many good characters, music, songs, the acting, the story, the animation. Love it all. Bluth was not afraid to make things creepy/spooky/scary for kids in his movies. The way they made Rasputin so disgusting and gross definitely haunted me 😂. I also love Anya and Dimitri's dynamic and the way they work well together. Both absolutely not shy to throw hands for each other. And I imagine the movie overall, really spoke to a lot of people who felt lonely and just wanted to belong.

[@ElfsArt24]

PLEASE WATCH CANDLE SHOE!! It has a similar plot but in live action where a street girl is found by this couple who want to steal some treasure from an old wealthy woman (dutchess?) who lost her granddaughter a long time a go, so the girl pretends to be the granddaughter and searches the house for the treasure. It's really funny and the girl is played by the same actress from the original Freaky Friday.

[@PrincessMeggala0913]

This movie was my entire childhood! It was the very first film way back in 1997 that I saw in the movie theaters twice! I had an Anastasia themed birthday party that year. I had a backpack with Anya on it. I had a sweatshirt with Anya on it. I had a stuffed animal of Pooka…….I have a beautiful doll of Anya that is still on a shelf in my bedroom….i wore out the cuz I watch the tape so much. (I have since then replaced it with a dvd!) and it is my dream to someday own a cosplay/costume of every single outfit Anya wears in the movie……😂 Oh! I also have a replica of her Together in Paris necklace. At The Beginning was the “first dance” song at my wedding!!!!!!! I also was, and still am, a hat girl BECAUSE of Anya’s hat😂

[@thebestofstephx]

I would give anything to have seen it in theaters!!! I’m so glad you were as obsessed as me!!

[@justinchambers7454]

I've always wanted Rasputin's reliquary

[@Rhuby84]

Still one of my favourite movies, and I still want that blue dress

[@cassafraserole]

such a beautiful voice, you literally sound like a princess!✨

[@hannahhester8376]

And YES my two favorite dresses are the blue one and the final ballgown. I would LOVE if someone ever made them for me. I want the jewelry from both and the crown in the final one too.

[@mostly_def]

Youre a goof! I was researching going to Scotland (amazingly fun video btw) and I saw this suggested and I was like wtf she's cool as heck Scotland + Anastasia Commentary -- Thanks for creating nice content

[@Bri_Games]

DUDE I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Broadway play Anastasia sooooooo extremely much!! The picture of Olga is an actual real life drawing the real Anastasia drew & they found it & added it in. Also the puppy is supposed to represent Maria’s or Tatiana’s dog that became Anastasias’ during the quarantine. Last summer I was in the play Anastasia!!!! Had so so so much fun!! I also want to go to Russia to visit all the old homes of the Romanovs!!! I did 2 school projects about the Romanovs bc of this movie & when I found I the movie was based off real events. I mainly love looking into how they used to live before they were k*lled like their family everyday life. Love the videos! You do an amazing job!

[@havelahmclat]

Yes it is my favorite! I also love the broadway musical as well. Love it so much.

[@kylecope528]

There's a live action version from 1956 starring Yul Brynner and Ingrid Bergman.

[@Disney65Fan]

This was my Tangled from the 90s.

[@MrTristy22]

12:24 This is something I miss about a lot of animated family films where they make little subtle jokes that adults would get but kids didn't mind because it made them feel intelligent. Also, while I'm here, have you see Who Framed Roger Rabbit? That's a pretty good one to react to. That one also has Christopher Lloyd as a villain... a MUCH creepier villain.

[@fairytalepurityanalyser6056]

Native Russians have translated "Once Upon A December" so they can sing it in Russian. They f***ing love it.

[@aleksandradabrowska8510]

Love Anastasia ❤. Definitely one of my favourites. There was a time that I watched Anastasia several times a day. Love the songs in original but also in polish (my native language). This film is just perfection.❤

[@Okini_Hasa]

Girl I know every single note of that beautiful soundtrack by heart too! 😂❤

[@momors4039]

U never stop surprising with this reactions, love Anastasia ❤

[@thebestofstephx]

Thank you! ❤️

[@alanafowler3024]

It was the 90’s need I say more.

[@chrissie627]

The way every random line I quoted you quoted as well at the same time made me feel like you were in my brain 😂

[@marzh5278]

Love this movie so much ❤

[@thebestofstephx]

❤️❤️

[@BobbyMoore2-mp8wb]

You should watch Titan A.E.next

[@thebestofstephx]

I’ve never heard of that!

[@lulystalgianature2968]

​@@thebestofstephx It was Don Bluth's last movie. It failed so badly it destroyed his studio 😢

[@Metzwerg74]

@@lulystalgianature2968 yet it was so good...

[@KrystalAnn0688]

I have the music box! I think it was one of the first things I ever bought myself (it was like $60 I think?), I bought it from a store in our local mall called…Music Box & Co (I think?). I was like a 10yrs old. Still have it, it’s on top of my dresser in my room currently ☺️

[@thebestofstephx]

Omg I love that! I’m so jealous!!!

[@JamailvanWestering]

Watch Step get an orgasm mid movie from all the singing xD

[@thayjana3969]

I really love this movie

[@myranda_anne264]

I love anastasia

[@DanielRDrew]

I remember renting the VHS as a kid a lot too XD I loved the visuals and the songs are so good! Just everything was amazing. The visuals of Atlantis: The Lost Empire also gave me similar vibes. I think I had a toy from Burger King or McDonalds of Rasputin's reliquary or I saw it and wanted it. Such a fantastic movie!

[@thebestofstephx]

That would be such a cool kids meal toy!

[@Noetic-juggernaut]

What a lovely lovely voice.

[@vitorialarissa9176]

I love this film so much, i loved the video. I don't know if you've seen Brother Bear, but I'd love tô see your reaction. Love from Brazil ❤ 🇧🇷

[@LaTericeallover]

Never watched this movie somehow. I’m braiding my hair all day so I guess today is the day. But why isn’t she a Disney Princess but Pocahontas and Mulan are when they weren’t even Princesses? Is it the red hair and they didn’t want her being mixed up with Ariel?

[@thebestofstephx]

She’s only kinda since she came from 20th century fox not Disney!! So when Disney bought 20th century a few years ago that’s when people started saying she was a Disney princess.

[@LaTericeallover]

@@thebestofstephx Oh wow, I always thought it was a Disney movie. I didn’t think anybody else was doing animated movies back then.

[@ecyobynot]

Have you checked out any other Don Bluth movies, try maybe The Secret of NIMH

[@thebestofstephx]

I haven’t! But I definitely will!

[@ecyobynot]

@@thebestofstephx It's the movie I was raised on.

[@lulystalgianature2968]

@@thebestofstephx The Secret of NIMH was Bluth's first movie. It's epic! So much that Steven Spielberg loved it so much he worked with Don Bluth to create movies like The Land Before Time and An American Tail. Spielberg got into animation thanks to him, to the point he kept doing them even when not working with Bluth anymore. Movies like Balto and even series like Animaniacs are all thanks to Bluth giving Spielberg a spark into animation 😄

[@ayanamiayachanJ]

@@thebestofstephxTimbuktu is in Africa

[@amaelboisson5439]

This is one of my childhood movies, I love it so much ^^ but recently I discovered the album of the Broadway adaptation and fell in love with it, it's so good I listened to it a lot, and the story seems very charming and also much more historically accurate, the movie isn't really ^^

[@BeeKee404]

I love every single song from this movie but I think my personal favorite is Paris Holds the Key. It's such a fun song and that final line is so epic! All the other songs are tied together as my second favorites. Does that make sense? Probably not but I suck at ranking and I honestly hate to put any of them dead last so I'm going with it 😂 I guess A Rumor in St. Petersburg and the song Vladimer sings when Anastasia and Dimitri are dancing on the boat can be last cause I don't remember them as well lyric wise.

[@allyburnett3315]

I'm glad you sing the songs bc it will be hard for me to not sing as well 😅😅😂❤

[@thebestofstephx]

Right? What am i supposed to do? Just sit there??

[@allyburnett3315]

@thebestofstephx like a crazy person???? Lol no thank you 🤣🤣 I have to sing every day of my life hahaha

[@icekingjames8791]

i love this Movie🥰

[@haydenlindquist7006]

Timbuktu is in the African country of Mali

[@jackiehansen2421]

Unfortunately the real Anastasia didnt survive. They found the grave with the parents and 3 of the girls but the body of one of the daughters and son was missing. Eventually they found the two bodies in another grave nearby

[@kristian1994able]

🎉❤❤❤