New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

A mural of a woman’s face holding up a chain with the word “LOISAIDA” and a gold cityscape. The words “el bohio murals” and “#BRINGARTBACK” are next to the woman alongside the words “CURATED BY … THRIVECOLLECTIVE.ORG.”
Activists’ 25-year fight to revive an East Village community center
Dharma Niles, Deputy News Editor • Mar 12, 2024
A front entrance with the text “Electric Lady Studios” written in a retro white font on two reflective walls.
‘An exploitative environment’: The interns behind Electric Lady Studios
Julia Diorio, Music Editor • Feb 20, 2024

Staff Recs: Best Disney Channel Original Movies

We’ve talked about some of our favorite childhood Disney series, but let’s not forget how one of our favorite channels was churning out classic T.V. movies at this time as well.
A+poster+for+the+Lizzie+McGuire+Movie.+%28via+wikimedia+commons%29
via wikimedia commons
A poster for the Lizzie McGuire Movie. (via wikimedia commons)

Before “High School Musical 3” graced the big screen, its predecessors grew to national fame on the small screen. But “High School Musical” wasn’t the only movie to gain classic status on Disney Channel, so WSN is here to give our recs on all the amazing films that dominated our childhood.

“The Lizzie McGuire Movie”
No matter how you see it, Lizzie McGuire is an icon for our generation. Hilary Duff was the first of many Disney stars to grace the covers of our teen magazines and star in several family-friendly movies, all thanks to her role as an awkward and relatable teen on Disney Channel. McGuire set the stage for her successful sitcom successors, such as “That’s So Raven” and “Hannah Montana.” Her place in Disney Channel history is so important that her series’ feature film, “The Lizzie McGuire Movie,” was actually played in theaters during its release. “High School Musical 3” wishes it could compare to this movie. And let’s not forget the actual premise of the movie either: a girl, living her best life on a school trip to Rome, being mistaken for a pop sensation? Iconic. And who could forget the unforgettable line, “sing to me Paolo,” that made just about every tween girl suddenly want to become an empowered young woman? There are few movies that can compare to this Disney Channel Original Movie. — Melanie

“Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire”
If you were ever home sick between the ages of five and 10, you know “Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire.” I swear Disney Channel had this movie playing one day a week for at least 10 years during a daytime T.V. slot. Hence, as a perpetually sick child, I watched it quite a lot. Going along with the late 90’s grunge trend, “Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire” is a fair bit darker than most other Disney Originals. It tells the story of a recently-divorced mother of two who starting to date again while maintaining her career — a very modern premise for a Disney movie, I might add. She meets a vampire predator who’s been preying on her for some time and agrees to go on a date with him despite her children’s pleas. The dates that follow put everyone — kids and parents alike — on edge as they watch the disaster unravel. To be blunt, this a very adult type of children’s movie. There are creepy men, violent deaths and possibly even hints of a rape scene. But despite this, it was still a blast to watch when I was younger and it still makes for a great Saturday night in. That being said, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it for your niece and nephew. — Claire

Smart House”
Forget a rent-controlled studio in the heart of Williamsburg — this was truly the dream home. Complete with an automated wardrobe, metamorphic rooms and an overprotective robotic house that thinks it is the mother of a family, what’s not to love? The story follows recently widowed father Nick Cooper (Kevin Kilner) and his two children, Ben (Ryan Merriman) and Angie (Katie Volding) as they win the lottery and move into a hi-tech smart house. While the house seems to cater to the Coopers’ every need, Ben re-programs the house to serve as a maternal figure, eventually leading to the house taking over the Coopers’ lives and locking the family inside. While all the futuristic gadgets and NSYNC-soundtracked dance sequences may seem cheesy now, “Smart House” seemed to be the ultimate glimpse into the future for early ‘00s kids. — Nicole

“Minutemen”
This film is an underrated sci-fi classic in the pantheon of DCOMs. “Good Luck Charlie” fan-favorite Jason Dolley stars as high school outcast, Virgil Fox, who invents a time machine with his two other friends, Charlie Tuttle and Zeke Thompson (Luke Benward and Nicholas Braun), and uses it to go back in time to prevent embarrassing situations from happening. The film dives into the usual high school social clique tropes that dominate multiple DCOMs, but the time travel gimmick is used to great effect to make the film endlessly entertaining. “Minutemen” does a surprisingly good job of adhering to a reasonable logic surrounding its time travel and escalates to a point where a black hole opens up in the kids’ school and the teens have to work with the FBI to save the day. These teen heroes are inspiring and some of the best protagonists to have graced Disney Channel. Dolley, Benward and Braun give earnest, mature performances with electric chemistry that makes them a wonderful trio to revisit time and again. — Guru

Email the Arts Desk at [email protected].

Leave a comment
About the Contributors
Guru Ramanathan, Under the Arch Managing Editor
Guru Ramanathan is a senior in Tisch majoring in Dramatic Writing. Born in India, but living in Boston for most of his life, he was initially very confused by the lack of Dunkin’ Donuts in New York City but grew to love Starbucks' hot chocolate. Guru lives and breathes film to the point where every other thing he says is probably a movie quote, and he was also a tennis and piano player for 10 years each. If you ever need to find him he will probably be writing something on the seventh floor of Bobst or the Dramatic Writing department’s half of the seventh floor in Tisch. Follow him on Instagram @i.am.gru and listen to his podcast, “The Passion Project.”
Nicole Rosenthal, Music Editor
Nicole Rosenthal is the Music Editor for WSN and a dual Journalism and Psychology major. Born and raised on Long Island, Nicole has always enjoyed listening to music and attending concerts in nearby New York City, making playlists which include everything from the B-52's to BROCKHAMPTON to Bon Iver. She has written for several music blogs and news publications and is currently an editorial intern at amNewYork. Outside the realm of music, Nicole spends her free time binge watching true crime series on Netflix, hunting down new Brooklyn coffee spots and writing creative fiction.
Claire Fishman, Arts Editor
Claire is a junior studying English Literature in CAS. After a 10-year stint as a concert cellist, she now spends most of her time writing funny little stories and very not-funny, very serious poetry. She has roots in San Diego, Dallas and Stockholm, but please do not ask her where she's from. (It's a very boring story; you wouldn't enjoy it.) If you happen to see her ugly mug on the street, be sure to tap her on the shoulder and run away. If she doesn't catch you, it's good luck for the rest of the semester. Bon chance.
Melanie Pineda, Opinion Editor
Melanie Pineda is one of the Opinion Editors for WSN. She is a junior in CAS double majoring in Journalism and Latin American Studies. She enjoys going on long rampages about her dog because, well, he’s a good boy. Her hobbies include pretending to have it all together, discussing social justice issues and making obscure Vine (RIP) references. She is more often than not seen calling her mom about everything and anything and drinking absurd amounts of coffee. Follow her on Twitter @meiabean.

Comments (0)

Comments that are deemed spam or hate speech by the moderators will be deleted.
All Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *