Tag: disney

Live Action Disney Movies

Jordan Brown 1 Comment

There has been a new trend over the past couple of years in the Disney movies that have been released.  Live action Disney movies started with the live action Cinderella and are still continuing now. There are three that are being advertised right now: Dumbo, Aladdin, and The Lion King.

The trend started with Cinderella.  The movie was almost an exact replica of the animated version.  They had tweaked a couple of things and made the movie as beautiful as possible.  This movie was beautiful to watch, and gave you the same magic as the animated version.  Beauty and the Beast was similar to Cinderella in the fact that it was very similar to the animated version.  Both movies included the most popular songs and followed the plot very closely.

For some of the movies Disney has changed the formula a little bit.  The live action version of the Jungle Book was very different from the animated version.  In the live action they only include the most popular songs and they add more to the movie to make it more cohesive and have more substance.  The live action Jungle Book improved upon the original animated version of the movie. The movie Maleficent also didn’t just recreate a past movie.  But this is because there was no Maleficent movie before this one. This entire live action movie was based off of Maleficent’s part in Sleeping Beauty.

The new Disney live action movies are coming out throughout the rest of this year.  Based on the trailers for the movies, we cannot tell if they movies will follow the plot lines to a T like they had for Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast.  I think that The Lion King and Aladdin will follow the original’s plot very closely but Dumbo might stray from it a little more. Dumbo might not follow the movie exactly because the original is not as popular with children now.  The animated version of Dumbo was also a little darker than most Disney movies are now, so I think that it might have a more happy and positive tone than the original.

FreeForm 25 Days of Christmas

Jordan Brown Leave a comment

Thanksgiving is now over, meaning that it is officially the holiday season.  Stores are decorated, the radio is playing festive music, people are now buying gifts for the upcoming festivities, and TV channels are playing their holiday movies and TV episodes.  A staple TV holiday movie schedule is ABC Family, now FreeForm, 25 Days of Christmas movie schedule.  This is a month long event that people look forward to starting in October.  FreeForm posts the movie schedule in November for their viewers to get excited and mark their calendars and DVRs for when their favorite movies are playing.

The 2017 schedule is out and it is starting in 3 days, so it’s time to look at it now and prepare for a month of nonstop holiday movies and entertainment.  Starting on December 1st everyday from 7:00am to 1:00am there will be nonstop holiday movies.  There are hundreds of holiday movies to choose from for FreeForm to put on the schedule, but they mainly stick to the same 50 or so movi

Buddy the elf showing his holiday spirit

es each year.  The classics like Home Alone, Polar Express, and A Christmas Carol are always played several times throughout the month so that everyone can get a chance to watch the show.  The most popular holiday movie in recent years is Elf.  Elf is playing 20 out of the 25 days, so don’t worry about missing it because there are plenty of opportunities.

With FreeForm being owned by Disney, there are also a lot of Mickey Mouse appearances throughout the month.  Disney takes classic stories like A Christmas Carol and replace the characters with the familiar faces of Mickey and his friends.  Movies like these will be played several times throughout the month along with non-Disney versions as well so people can watch it both ways or just pick their favorite version and watch that.

The movies throughout FreeForms 25 Days of Christmas range from animated to live action, child to adult movies, and old to new.  Claymation movies are sprinkled in throughout the new animation remakes.  The classic Rudolph The Rednose Reindeer claymation is generally played at least once during the month.  This year The Little Drummer Boy will be played 5 times throughout the month for all those who enjoy classic claymation movies.  These claymation movies are generally more for adults who grew up watching them, children now enjoy the animation in the Polar Express and A Christmas Carol more than the claymation animation style.

FreeForms 25 Days of Christmas is a nonstop holiday party for the entire month of December.  Whenever people are feeling festive they can put it on and know that it will deliver.  It shows movies for every age to enjoy and for families to watch together.  Check the schedule now to make sure that you don’t miss your must watch holiday movie.

https://freeform.go.com/25-days-of-christmas/news/25-days-of-christmas-2017-schedule-full-list-of-movies

An Open Letter to Disney/Pixar

Jeannie Marie 1 Comment

The-Incredibles-Logo-Backgrunds-Wallpaper

 

I know there was something I was going to write about for today’s blog – I’m for sure. But alas, as the week has worn on, I have forgotten. Lucky for me, a nice, juicy piece of news has fallen into my lap.

Today Disney announced that both the Incredibles and Cars have been slated for sequels.

Wait for it…yep. Disney is FINALLY making the Incredibles 2. Loud cheers can be heard from all across the internet.

In recent years, some of the older fans of Disney have been clamoring for an Incredibles 2, saying that the movie lends itself well to a sequel and yes the movie was that good and it deserves it.

However instead of the Incredibles we got Monsters University (which I still haven’t seen) and Cars 2 (which I hope never to see). And no one is going to mention the studio mess that was Planes. No one.

While I do have to admit I am one of those fans that is beyond thrilled, I do have to ask why. Why now, and why do a sequel?

It’s no secret that Pixar has a corner on the animation market. While other companies do put out fantastic and well received movies (think How To Train Your Dragon and Rise of the Guardians), it’s Pixar, and by extension Disney that everyone knows and recognizes. So why make sequels instead of the amazing, creative, original stories I’ve come to love?

I’ve noticed this trend and it’s become a bit frightening. Out of the 14 movies Pixar has made, 4 have been sequels, and this is another two slated for release on top of the forthcoming sequel? spinoff? related movie? Finding Dory. That will make seven movies that Pixar has made sequels. Coming from a studio that was built on creative and original storylines, that’s a lot more than I would expect.

While my inner fangirl screams at the idea of another Incredibles (one of the most underrated Pixar movies in my opinion), my brain wonders what is going to happen with this. And in another corner of my heart, I miss the old Pixar. I want another Merida. I want Marlin and Nemo’s adventure to stay what it was. I want another unlikely hero, a thrilling tale, clever comedy and a plot I can sink my teeth into. I want more boundary pushing. I want a full length film animated with 3D and 2D combined (it’s gorgeous and if you don’t believe me watch Paperman).

I want more than a sequel, and I want more than Disney pandering for my money out of brand loyalty or out of a love for something I cherished in the past. I know you’re capable of it Pixar, I’ve watched you do it for almost 20 years now. Demand that Disney let you tell your stories, and demand that the public appreciate them for their depth, sincerity, and pure genius that they are.

The Heart of Frozen

Jeannie Marie 1 Comment

Like many people my age, I am in love with Disney. I’ve been in love with Disney movies ever since I could sit up long enough to watch one. I even got to sit on Cinderella’s lap when I was three years old because she was at the castle while everyone was watching the fireworks at Disney World. And that little three year old in me has never grown up.

So anytime Disney puts out a new movie, I am always beyond thrilled. And as many people know, they delivered a fresh new animated movie over the holidays for Disney fans to enjoy.

However, I wouldn’t say “enjoy” was how I felt about Frozen.

Set in a fictional land named Arendelle meant to resemble Northern Europe, Frozen is a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Snow Queen.” The last time we got an Anderson story was in 1989 with one of my favorite movies The Little Mermaid, and as many know it was vastly changed from the original, since Anderson is known for his, ah, gruesome endings. And as a Disney fan, I’ve grown used to the fluff they add to make their movies age appropriate. I didn’t even protest when they took E. D. Baker’s fantastic fairy tale The Frog Princess and turned it into the vastly different The Princess and the Frog.

But as far as Frozen is concerned, I was massively disappointed. I have never read “The Snow Queen” before, but I know that Frozen has greatly disrespected it. I don’t mind when Disney puts out an adaptation that misses the mark. I do mind when they put out a movie that misses the mark.

The beginning of the movie started off strong, and I immediately loved the feel of it – the sisters in the castle, the playfulness with the snow, and the mistake that sets the narration in motion. I was ready to love this movie and put it in my favorite;s collection forever.

But as the movie wore on, it started going downhill. The songs, while cute and relevant at the beginning, started getting pointless, adding nothing to the movie nor advancing the plot. The characters were being left undeveloped. And the lines started getting cheesier as the plot started to get unbelievable.

In a word, Frozen, in all of its praise and glory, is a very sloppy movie.

Now I’ve voiced this opinion to many of my friends and family members, thinking that this is a valid complaint. It’s not like I didn’t like Anna’s hair, it’s that the movie was poor in quality. But instead I’ve gotten shot down. The main counter argument? It’s a kids movie, you’re being too critical.

As I’ve thought of this, I’ve come to a realization. Why can’t I be unbiasedly critical of a children’s movie? Why can’t I mention what aspects were weak and needed to be fixed? Disney not only has a reputation of making over 50 solid if not good movies, but they also are marketed as a family brand. When you go to a Disney park, rides, activities, and games are all made for a family to enjoy. Granted, they understand that a child will get the most enjoyment out of a Peter Pan ride, but they also strive to include the things that families can enjoy together, without feeling like they will die of boredom. The same goes for their movies; when I saw Brave with my mom, me and her were the only ones that laughed at the jokes that were supposedly for the kids that were in the theatre with us.

So with that in mind, seeing that Frozen has flaws in its writing and story, the fundamentals of what makes a movie, isn’t being critical. It’s pointing out that a company is getting sloppy and lazy in order to put out movies that will make money. If they truly want a family to enjoy their movies, they must make a quality movie that someone like my mom can enjoy along with me and my little cousins. I have no doubt that children loved the talking snowman included in the movie, but frankly, Olaf got on my nerves, mostly because he added nothing to Anna’s character or the plot, and had the most horribly written lines and jokes I’ve ever seen in a Disney side character.

And honestly, I know that Disney can make better movies, and those movies, the ones that are top notch and are made with love, those are the ones I want to show my kids. Not the ones that have a frozen heart.

Bringin’ Disney Back: Aladdin in Toronto!

Sarah Ogar Leave a comment

OMG. Like my nineties kid-self (inside my about to graduate, 21 year-old body) is so excited for the new Aladdin stage musical, I could jump onto a magic carpet and go to the moon.

Yes, Aladdin I will always accept

Aladdin is being revamped for Broadway, but is pre-showing in Toronto.  Finally, my proximity to the moose and maple leaf country pays off!  The show runs at the Ed Mirvish theater in Toronto for nine weeks (Nov. 1 – Jan. 5) before heading to Broadway in 2014.

At the bottom of this post is a teaser featuring Alan Mencken (the artistic genie-us behind ‘A Whole New World’) and the rest of the cast and crew.  It will please everyone to know that Jonathan Freeman who originally voiced Jafar, will be reprising his infamous villain role for the stage.  There are few sounds in the world that I would love to hear live, but the real voice of Jafar saying, “Prince Ali Abu-bu” is one of them.

Some other sounds that I am looking forward to hearing are the deleted songs from the film that have been reworked into the story line.

Aladdin, Jasmine, and the genie have new cast members, but judging by their enthusiasm and energy in the teaser, I’d say this show is going to be a win for all of us.  I don’t know when I’m going (I am hoping to convince my sister and brother-in-law to road-trip it through the wild Canadian landscape) but this will happen.

The original movie came out the year I was born.  Hard to imagine that prior to 1992, we lived in a world without ‘One Jump’ and ‘Friend Like Me’.

The next Aladdin stage show that I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see, would be Robin Williams performing the 16 hours of extra material for the genie.  Okay, maybe not all 16.  But I would definitely attend a ‘Aladdin Genie: Live!’ performance put on by Robin Williams.

Would LOVE to see this
Would LOVE to see this

And now, without further ado…the Aladdin Teaser!

The Art of Wedded Bliss

Sarah Ogar Leave a comment

Last year, on July 7 my sister got married.  It was fun.  It was fabulous. And it was most definitely themed.  In fact, one of the first things that people asked my sister when they found out she was engaged was, “So what are you colors? And have you picked a venue?”

In essence, if you had to pick something (besides you and your fiancee, who this whole shindig is about) to encapsulate your nuptials, what would it be?

After a lot of trial and error, my sister eventually found a venue, picked her colors (pink and green) and created a fairytale wedding at Meadowbrook Hall in Rochester.

The Best Part!!
The Best Part!!

One year later, with my family still recovering, my older brother pops the question to his significant other and we are back in the throes of the wedding industry.  Theirs will also be fairytale, but with slight alterations.

I could be a curmudgeon and talk about the commodity fetish in relation to all things wedding, but instead I think it is worth acknowledging the undoubtable aesthetics of weddings.  They are almost like grand architectural, musical, floral feats of greatness, are they not?

This ‘Peter Pan-themed Wedding’ on Buzzfeed is one that will knock your stockings off.  Time and time again I am amazed at the small details that create weddings.  They are often like huge bacchanalian paintings but with sound and more dancing and (sometimes) more wine.   And while you’re at one of these things, it’s almost hard to appreciate the setting, when the thing itself (the marriage ceremony) has all of your attention.

But when considering a wedding as ‘art’, I proceed with caution only because it is undoubtedly one of the most profitable industries out there.  If wedding planners and event coordinators are ‘artists’ then they have definitely sold out to the Man (or the Woman as is often the case).

In one of my classes, we are examining the theme parks of DisneyWorld in all of its fairytale glory.  I plan to focus my research on Cinderella’s Castle and Disney Weddings*.  If you want to talk about themes, there is no theme so ubiquitous as the fairytale and no conglomerate more suited to this theme than Disney Weddings.

*When adding the Disney Wedding link, their site was so beautiful and so enchanting, I was almost tempted to click the ‘Let’s Begin Designing Your Disney Wedding’ button, even though I am not engaged, going steady, or casually dating anyone at the moment  :/