#DianaYoung

[adamwatchesmovies]

Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992)

Oh, I bet I’ll catch some shrapnel for this one, but I'll proudly die on this hill. Ferngully: The Last Rainforest is a generic 90’s Disney wannabe. None of the characters are interesting, the songs are unmemorable, the jokes bad, and the message nice… but hamfisted. Think I’m wrong? Let's go through memory lane together, then we’ll see who’s wrong.

Deep inside the FernGully rainforest live the fairies. Mankind and fairies lived together once upon a time, but a malevolent spirit named Hexxus (voiced by Tim Curry) drove the two species apart. When fairy Crysta (voiced by Samantha Mathis) accidentally uses her magic to shrink a logger named Zak (voiced by Jonathan Ward) down to fairy size, they must set aside their animosity to prevent Hexxus from escaping from his prison and destroying FernGully.

This is yet another children’s film trying to capture the magic of Disney's Renaissance era without understanding what made those films great. Why is there a love plot in this film? Is it a love story? No, it’s a lesson about the environment but since it features two protagonists of the opposite gender they must fall in love. It doesn’t matter that they have no chemistry or interests in common. Why is it a musical? Because the biggest-grossing animated films are musicals! So what if none of its songs are memorable, good, or even reinforce the message; The Little Mermaid did it, so we have to do it too.

To be fair, the message is nice and children will probably learn something from it, even if the delivery is so over-the-top it alienates the audience. Hexxus isn't a greedy corporate fat cat that started off as a regular guy and then over time became corrupted by greed, like the Lorax. He’s an evil spirit that eats pollution and lives to destroy the environment. Does that sound like someone you could teach a lesson to? The fairies and the rainforest aren't much better. There’s no subtlety and every character is as thin as the sheets of paper used to bring them to life. It's like the film did no research at all, going so far as to blame the logging industry for cutting down the rainforest when farmers and the cattle industry are responsible for its destruction.

Those aren't necessarily reasons to dismiss a film but bad writing is. The characters are not compelling and the events they live through are predictable. Crysta undergoes no change or growth. She simply meets up with Zak and a pop culture joke-spewing Bat named Batty (I bet they had to slave for hours to come up with that one) voiced by Robin Williams. It's followed by typical rom-com stuff with some fish-out-of-water comedy thrown in. You know Zak’s lies will be exposed at some point, that it will cause the couple to "break up". Thank goodness Hexxus shows up to bring them together once more. His arrival should be terrifying. Crysta has been wasting all this time falling in love and from his appearance, you can tell the death cloud monster is a mighty opponent. Except their conflict means nothing. The two have never met before. She hasn’t been searching for some new strategy to defeat the monster while he approaches. Zak being there doesn’t mean a whole lot either. She doesn’t learn why people cut down trees, what she or anyone in the audience could do to stop it from happening and the two civilizations will not be any closer once the film is over.

When I see FernGully, I see people who were so busy patting themselves on the back they didn’t bother second-guessing any of the choices they made. The animation is fine but it's nothing spectacular. You'd never listen to the soundtrack on its own. Oh, Tim Curry sings a memorable song you say? Does he really? Or would you rather just listen to rejected outtakes of I Can Make You a Man.

If you want to teach your children about the environment, go outside and read The Lorax. FernGully: The Last Rainforest is no substitute. It's the kind of picture you remember liking and think will hold up but doesn't. (On VHS, March 18, 2016)

[simmingwithralk]

Hi everyone!

Pay attention to their colors 

This is an introduction post for my new Sims Story! Meet Adalyn “Ada” Winters, the badass and delinquent. Don't call her by her full name, she has a fiery temper to match her red hair. She is dating Kya Parks, after meeting her in Chemistry. Ada never skipped any classes she had with Kya after that, eventually, they fell in love and started dating. Ada doesn't want to be at the party, but she came for Kya.

Meet Kya Parks, the laid-back girl. She is the blue oni to Ada’s obvious red; however, she doesn’t mind that. Kya loves to have fun with friends, family, or loved ones, so she asked Ada to join her at the party, and she accepted, only for Kya, though. They met in Chemistry, one rainy day, by pure coincidence that Ada’s other skipping friends couldn't be there that day.

Meet Calvin Montgomery, the asshole and prep. Calvin comes from a wealthy family and was pampered, even to this day. He met Callie in World History, fell in love with her; however, there are some rumors floating around about him and another girl…

Meet Callie Berry, the “goodie-two-shoes”. Everyone considered her a boring, practical girl ever since Middle school, so it came as a surprise when Calvin of all people to fall in love with her, she was over the moon to be with him, and still loves him to this day. Even with all of those rumors floating around…

Meet Diana Young, the bitch and flirt. Everyone voted Diana for anything to do with beauty, talent, or popularity, either fearing her or loving her, she tends to leave an impression on people. Her flirtatious behavior hides something about her that she has rarely shown. 

Meet Gage Wilson, the bully. No one likes him, they either fear him or hate how he treats those “Weaker” than him. No one invited him to the party, either; however, his mother ended up marrying Sydnee’s father, which neither him or Sydnee are happy for. They constantly bicker at each other, Gage accuses her father of treating him less because he isn't a full son.

Meet Nikolas Harper, the mask. Nikolas came from a somewhat wealthy family, and everyone would claim he has a way with words, especially with women. Nikolas has a hard time growing into adulthood, so he gets angered by any attempts to belittle him about his shortness or late bloomer status.

Meet Sydnee Boyd, the hostess. She is hosting the party at the Boyd manor, and invited all of her close friends, Kya, Callie, Kyle, Richard, and Keith. She wouldn’t think in a million years that the most popular girl would’ve accepted her invite to the party, but Gage insisted on Diana coming. Sydnee has always been a shoulder to cry on, and a nice person to all.

Meet Kyle Steele, the leader. Kyle is happy to come to the party alongside his boyfriend, Richard. They met at a Party one night and decided to exchange numbers, eventually they fell in love and ended up dating. He has a direct, calm quality about him in certain situations, and it made Richard only fall in love with him more.

Meet Richard White, the warmth. Sometimes, people only need a warm smile and a comforting hug to make them feel better. Richard loves his boyfriend and friends and is willing to take a hit for them if it meant he is fucked over. He was invited to the party and agreed to go, and went with Kyle. Richard thanks his friends for dragging him to that party that night so he ended up meeting Kyle, and he holds Kyle close every day.

[countrysideframing]

February "Art of Love" Exhibition featuring @diana young @countryside_gallery would like to invite you to our Annual Valentine Showcase Exhibition. https://www.facebook.com/events/588869125285868/ 2 South State Street Newtown Pennsylvania 18940 www.countrysideframes.com Countrysideframes@gmail.com 215.896.2246 Sunday - Monday 11am - 4pm Tuesday - Wednesday 10am - 6pm Thursday - Saturday 10am - 7pm Multiple guest artist will be exhibiting original artwork including watercolors, acrylics, oils, pastels, photography, pen & inks, gauche, hand crafted jewelry, artisan textiles, art glass, giclee, prints, ceramics,woodcraft and other hand made wares! Don't miss out on the chance to find one-of-a-kind gifts for your family, friends, & loved ones! Displayed artwork will be viewable at our 2 South Street location from February 7th through March 4th for all your Valentine gift giving needs. #blownglass #graffiti #watercolor #acrylic #oils #pastel #photography #penandink #handcrafted #jewelry #artisan #textiles #artglass #giclee #prints #artwork #gifts #holiday #valentine #february #exhibition #artistsofinstagram #openingnight #reception #artgallery #artshow #dianayoung (at Countryside Gallery & Custom Frame Design) https://www.instagram.com/p/B84ObB0jpB0/?igshid=1tynxc3k9u6cv