#I am SO curious about the Chinese theater scene

[hunxi-after-hours]

I'm chatting with a Chinese student for my Chinese class and discovered our shared love for musicals. Anyway long story short, we've been exchanging covers of French musicals in Chinese shows and I got reminded of Ayanga, Hong Zhiguang, and Yu Di's cover of Les Rois du Monde and given that I first discovered it because you were watching Super Vocal, I thought you would enjoy the remember that it exists. (Also did you know some of the songs are on Spotify? Because I didn't until today)

aaaaaaaaaaaaaa I am ALWAYS down for another listen of Les Rois du Monde, thank you!!

I am however unhinged and, uh, listen to all of my music on YouTube but Spotify alert for all of you on that platform

[filmnoirfoundation]

ASK EDDIE returns Thursday, September 7, 7:00 PM PT to our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/filmnoirfoundation/live

FNF prez Eddie Muller responds to film noir fan questions fielded by the Foundation's Director of Communications Anne Hockens In this episode, we discuss “Oppenheimer”, why audiences laugh inappropriately at classic film screenings, how to get the most out of a NOIR CITY film festival, Fritz Lang’s “The Woman in the Window” vs. “Scarlet Street”, if either the Dick Tracy or the Charlie Chan films can be considered film noir, and more. We wind up the show with a discussion of Westerns, both noir and not. On the cat front, Charlotte is curious and Emily sleeps.

Want your question answered in a future episode? We solicit questions from our email subscribers in our monthly newsletters. Sign up for free at https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/signup.html

Everyone who signs up on our email list and contributes $20 or more to the Film Noir Foundation receives the digital version of NOIR CITY Magazine for a year. Donate here: https://www.filmnoirfoundation.org/contribute.html

Can’t join us on Thursday? No problem! A recording will be up on our YouTube channel, @NoirCity, on Friday, September 8: https://www.youtube.com/user/NoirCitySF

Note: Eddie will not be able to answer questions posted during the livestream nor ones left on our social media accounts

This week's questions

This past Saturday night, we were in your audience at the Music Box Theater in Chicago for the screening of “Call Northside 777”. For some viewers, the 1948 dialogue seemed hopelessly funny, no matter how serious the scene, whereas for others, the same dialogue elicited no such reaction. Do you see this kind of split reaction among viewers when you present noir films across the country, and if so, what do you make of it?  (Is it okay to laugh at a serious scene if/when the dialogue sounds too hokey to sustain the mood?) -Mike I am planning to attend my first NOIR CITY this year. Any suggestions for first timers to maximize the experience? -Carlton, Atlanta, GA Could you put in a plug for the downloadable back issues of NOIR CITY Magazine? -Jerry, Burke, VA What should take precedence …the music or the sound? Very often, if the sound effects are that powerful and important, they take the music out. There are directors who feel that one shouldn’t hear the music.  Music can be overshadowed by horses’ whinnies, or anything the sound-effect person put into the track prior to the musical scoring. -Alan, San Anselmo, CA. I have a question concerning noir films set in England but staring American actors. In "Night and the City” Richard Widmark would not be able to obtain a work permit. Burt Lancaster in "Kiss The Blood off My Hands” is in England illegally, having jumped ship. How does Bill Saunders not get deported at the end of his prison sentence and how does he get a legitimate job as a truck driver without a passport or work papers? Also, there is nothing in the plot that makes it imperative that it be set in England. The story could easily have been changed to take place in the States. Why not make this change? Or am I the only one who notices or cares about such details? -David Fishman, Chesterfield, VA Curious if Eddie is familiar with a tongue-in-cheek 1954 homage to Film Noir produced as a 30-minute black and white episode of "The Adventures of Superman" TV series titled "Semi-Private Eye”. -Brian In watching TCM's marathon of Dick Tracy movies recently, it struck me how Noirish these RKO B movies were. Would these Dick Tracy movies be considered Film Noir? If so, would Eddie show them either on “Noir Alley”, or at a Noir film festival? -Scott, Los Angeles, CA Would you consider the Charlie Chan movies noir, and should they be aired regardless of the Chinese aspect of them? -Gerard It’s so interesting that Fritz Lang basically remade his 1944 film, The Woman in the Window, just a year later with “Scarlet Street”.  Do you know of any other instances where a director made such a close variation on his own film?  Also, which of the two films do you think is better?  -Kingpin Johnny, Doylestown, PA I recently watched a batch of early 1930s Joan Bennett movies and was struck by the contrast of her wise-cracking, sassy characters in those films with the film-noir roles she would go on to play in the '40s and '50s. Can you think of any other actresses that made a similar transition? -John from Bethesda Would Eddie consider "Julie" to be Doris Day’s noir film? Maybe “Midnight Lace”? -Pam Eddie, are you a fan of Westerns and what are your favorites? Would any qualify as noir? -Kitaman

[atinydise]

Ateez reacting to their s/o acting sexy, but being cute or unnatural instead

❦ Genre: Fluff, a little bit suggestive.

❦ Pairing: OT8.

❦ Word count: 3K4.

❦ Requested: Yes, thank you! 🦋

HONGJOONG

Your boyfriend went to the supermarket to find some snacks. He was producing since 7AM without a break. When you joined him, you practically begged him for to rest a bit. So now, you were alone in his big studio, wondering if you had been enough clear about the food you wanted. Bored and hungry, you looked around, trying to find at least a chewing-gum to stop your belly from growling crazily. When finally, a red paper sheet, caught your attention. It was not your type to read Hongjoong's stuff, but this one was titillating your curiosity.

When you made sure that you were completely alone, no camera around, you grabbed the paper. The moment, you realized the explicit lyrics on it, you couldn't help but to compare your shy actions with your boyfriend. Does he want you to act like this? But the real question was: could you do it?

When you heard footstep in the hallway, you put back down everything, and ran on the red couch. "I'm back babe." Said Hongjoong, smiling at you, not suspecting you at all. For you, it was a sign. The right moment to act. He would never expect this from you.

"Oh already! I missed you." You replied, biting your lip messily. Hongjoong raised a brow, not understanding what was going on in your head. "I left 10 minutes ago. Only." You stood up, trying to roll your hips as much as you could. "That's already too much." "Are you okay sweetheart? You look... different?" He asked when you back hugged him, pushing your chest right on his back. You roamed your hands on his abs to his belt. "I-I'm trying to make you feel good." The way your voice cracked and how your hands were tickling more than it should, Hongjoong turned around, trying to not laugh. "Y/N. Stop." He held your wrists. "I don't know why you are trying to do but it doesn't feel right." "I saw the lyrics on the red paper sheet." You said, without thinking twice about the consequences. "Oh." He paused. "Oh." He realized when he finally understood the situation. "Do you want me to be sexier with you?" "Babe that's just lyrics. Inspired by movies, music and you of course." He tried to reassure you. "Don't act sexily like this. Don't change anything, you are perfect. And you were cuter than hotter honestly." You could have been offended, but it felt like a compliment. "Okay." You pouted. "Let's eat before I end by being the meal." He teased you. You slapped his shoulder completely flustered. "Stop!" "I'm joking!" He laughed. "And you are sexy the most when you don't try to be." "Can we change the subject?" You rolled your eyes, looking for your meal. "I can't believe you tried to be sexier because of these lyrics." He busted in laughs, once again.

SEONGHWA

You've been a bit confused the last week. Seonghwa invited his friend one night. To not bother them, you stayed in the bedroom most of the time. You didn't complain, watching your favorite movie with Chinese food was all you needed. Just one time, you got out of the room to find something to drink. Before entering the living-room, where your boyfriend and his friends were, you heard one of them asking which type of girls Seonghwa was usually attracted to in high school. "Well... I can't really remember because I was mostly focused on practicing and studying." He replied. "Come on, you can’t remember your old taste?" Insisted one. "Hum... I was into sexy girls at that time. Like these ones who know what they're doing." He winked.

Since then, you couldn't stop to think about it. You were not really what we can say "sexy", just normal or cute most of the time.

Motivated to show Seonghwa what you were capable of, you asked advices to your friends and elaborated a complete plan. "Y/N! I'm here!" Greeted your boyfriend, locking the door behind him. "Oh wow, it smells so good." Seonghwa walked in the kitchen, curious to see what you were cooking. Gently, he pecked your cheek before asking: "Lasagnas? Are we celebrating something?" "I don't know... I just wanted to eat this." You started. "Or I would eat you instead." Seonghwa chocked with his saliva, not expecting you to say something like this. Proud of this reaction, you winked. Even though you tried to act the sexiest possible, it had the opposite effect. When you saw the light smile on his face, you were wondering if you should go to the next level. Not thinking twice, you dipped your finger in the tomato sauce before licking it, suggestively, in front of your boyfriend. "You cute." Whispered Seonghwa, patting the top of your head. "Cute?!" You repeated, confused. "Yeah?" "I was trying to be sexy!" You put your hands on your hips. "Yeah, but the sauce dripping off your chin makes you look cuter than sexy." He smiled, before heading to the bathroom. "Shit." You mumbled, wiping the sauce nervously. "If you act like this because of what I've said 2 weeks ago... stop thinking about it. I was a simple teenager." He yelled from the other room. "So, you are not really into sexy girls?" You yelled back. "No. I'm into you idiot." He replied, before closing the door. You smirked happily. "Well... that's everything I needed to know."

YUNHO

The whole day, you acted suggestively with your boyfriend. He noticed and counted how many times you bit your lip or whispered casual talks right in his ear. Of course, he was affected by your action, he was a simple man. But most of the time, he found you cute. Like right now, you were at the theater and your hand was resting on his thigh the entire time. The only times you were removing it, was when you rushed to plunge your hand on the popcorn pack just to touch his hand. Yunho tried several times to suppress the laugh coming from his throat. He ignored if you were doing this on purpose or just because your period week was coming. "Should we go to our favorite restaurant after the movie?" You suggested, whispering right in his ear, hand on his chest. Yunho glanced at you, trying to perceive the reason of your actions, but nothing, not the usual lust sparkles in your eyes when you are on your period. "Sure, if you are still hungry after this giant pot of popcorn." He smiled. "I'll be. But I have other plans for the dessert." You winked before turning your face to the giant screen. Your boyfriend couldn't leave his eyes from you, wondering where this sudden libido was coming from. After the movie, you walked 15 minutes until the restaurant. Inside of you, you were trying to know how you could prove him that you were the sexiest girl ever. Just before finishing the main meal, you decided to attack again. As he was resuming how went his last week, you slowly passed your foot on his legs, trying to excite him as possible. The only thing you didn't know was that you were kicking him more than anything. Yunho spotted too, the flustered look on your face. You were focusing on your mission. "Babe." A laugh escaped from his lips. "You are hitting me." "Huh?! I'm sorry!" You put your foot down, worried. "It's okay," he giggled. "But what's got into you?" "Oh, so you noticed." You hid your face behind your hands, completely ashamed. "You are really asking me if I noticed that you almost jumped on me as if I was the last hamburger in the fridge?" He held your hand on the table. "I'm just trying to add spiciness to our relationship." You sighed. "We don't need that Y/N. We are all fine and I won't get bored." He tried to reassure you. "Really?" Yunho nodded, trying to comfort you. "Okay then." You smiled. "So... we are all good now?" "Yeah." "Good." He rubbed his thumb on your hand. "But can you remove your foot in the middle of my legs now?" "Oops. Habits." You shrugged.

YEOSANG

You really thought that Wooyoung recommendation was just another action movie. Until the main actress started to make out or act suggestively with everyone, she was close to. Of course, you had no problem with that. It just made you wonder if you could act like this with Yeosang. You were not officially in a relationship, yet, but you were acting like one. At the next hot scene, you glanced at him. His eyes were glued to the TV screen, looking every actress' moves. For sure, he liked what he was watching to. Maybe you should give it a try. You had nothing to lose except your ego. But what if he laughs so much that you become insecure?

Yeosang looked at you weirdly when you slapped your forehead to erase these stupid thoughts. "You... okay?" "Yeah! I just need something to drink." You threw the blanket off and almost ran to the kitchen. You grabbed a bottle of water but didn't find any clean glasses on the cupboard. Was it a sign? You stared at the bottle and guessed if you could do something with. "Did you find water? I think that's all we have left." Said Yeosang.

"It's my time to shine, you thought."

You walked back to the living-room, bottle in the hand. "It's pretty hot here no?" You faced yourself with your free hand before tugging on the collar of your shirt. "I'm okay, but you can open the window, I don't mind." Not adding anything else, you opened the bottle and sipped into it. When you made sure Yeosang was looking, you poured 'accidentally' water on you, especially down on your chest. "The hell Y/N!" Gasped Yeosang, grabbing a pack of tissue. "Argh sorry! I'm so messy." You pouted, grabbing a tissue to wipe your chest. Yeosang stopped on his track. "Am I dreaming, or you are trying to act like her?" He pointed at the TV screen. You rolled your eyes. He was too smart. "I failed right?" "Completely." He smiled. "But nice try, that was cute." "I wasn't trying to be 'cute'." You air quoted, sitting down on the couch. "You need to practice, to be at my level of sexiness." He added proudly. "Shut up Kang Yeosang." "Sure. Cutie." He laughed.

SAN

"Hello bonobos!" You greeted the whole group when you entered the practice-room. "For the 1601st time Y/N-" Started Wooyoung. "We are not bonobos." You said at the same time. "I know Woo. I'm just teasing you because I know you hate that." "San, get your girl before I say something I regret." "Babe stop teasing him or he's going to explode." Giggled San. "That's why it's fun." "What are you doing here by the way? I thought I was the one supposed to come over?" "I wanted to practice a bit. With you." You said removing your jacket. Honestly, you wanted to see how your boyfriend would react if you dance sexily in front of him. To not be too suspicious, you wore a simple sweatpants but choose a really light and short croc-top. "So, what we are practicing today?" You asked, ignoring San's stare on you. "Thanxxx." He replied, brow narrowed. "Okay, let's go." You smiled, completely confident. You positioned on the side, behind the whole group to not bother them. When the music started, you tried your best to exaggerate every facial expression, every move, every body roll to get your boyfriend's attention. You caught him looking at you, times to times, but he didn't say a thing, too professional for that. For the breakdown part, you were freestyling as Hongjoong and Mingi while they are rapping. You tried to match San's facial expression, but it seemed so unnatural for you that you were tripping and wincing messily. The whole scene caused San to bust in laughter. Everybody looked at him. "Sorry." He apologized, hands covering his mouth. "But Y/N, you are too cute behind." You raised a brow. "You are trying so hard to be sexy, but it feels not right." He continued. A bit mad, you rolled your eyes and sat on the chair next to you. Still giggling a bit, San walked to you. "Don't be mad." He kneeled in front of you. "You wanted to surprise me? It's a success." "But I did it wrong." "Don't try to act like someone you are not." He held your hands. "But you do it all the time!" You sighed. "I just wanted to prove you that I can be sexy too." "I was impressed! Your dancing skills are really good now. And with the 'cutie' side, it was the cherry on top." You hide your face on the crock of his neck, "oh please... what a shame."

MINGI

"Candles ok. Music ok. Champagne ok." You checked all the things on your list. You made sure everything was ready for your night with Mingi. One last time, you checked at your reflection on the mirror. You applied a last layer of this red lipstick making sure it made your lips more desirous and kissable. "Y/N! You there?" Shout out your giant boyfriend. "Why is this so dark?" "I'm in the bedroom love!" "Are you sleeping already?" He asked, walking to the room. When he spotted the atmosphere in the bedroom, he stayed quiet. Ignoring how to react. "Is someone dead?" You raised a brow, how he could compare this atmosphere to funerals? "I know how stressed you were this week, so I wanted to help you out." You slid his jacket off him. "Oh my!- Your hands are so cold!" He complained. "Then remove your clothes by yourself and lay on the bed. On the stomach." "What are you planning?" "I'm just trying to help you. Lay down!" "Okay okay." Mingi removed his shirt and laid down on his bed, lazily. At the same time, you were trying to warm up your hands a bit. "And now?" He asked, trying his bed to not fall asleep. "I'm going to give you a massage idiot." You rolled your eyes. Taking a deep breath, you sat on his butt and started to spread oil on his entire back. "Y/N it's cold!" He complained again. "And you are scaring me." "Just stay still!" You replied, trying to not lose your temper. "I'll start." Slowly and gently, you passed your hands on his pale back. But when you pressed his shoulders, he gasped in pain. "You are the worse masseur ever." "Stop moving!" "I can't when you are almost breaking me in half!" "I'm just trying to massage you!" Not thinking twice of your actions, you grabbed the candle next to you. "It might be a little bit hot," you whispered. You delicately poured few drops of wax on Mingi's back. "Does it-" Your boyfriend yelped in pain, beneath you. You fell on the bed when he turned around to remove the hot feeling on his skin. "THE FUCK Y/N! IT BURNS!" "I just saw it on a sexy movie! The man seemed to like it!" You freaked out. "In a sadomasochist movie?!" He shouted, rushing to the bathroom. "I'm so so so sorry!" You rubbed your hands nervously. "You crazy!" "I wanted to surprise you!" "By what? Ripping my skin off?!" Well, seems like your romantic and sexy night was ruined. Don't believe what you see in movies guys.

WOOYOUNG

"Babe, are you sure about that?" Asked Wooyoung, sitting on this chair in the middle of the room. "Yeah!" You replied setting your sexiest playlist. "You never done this before! You don't need to do it now." "If your ex could do it then I can." Wooyoung stayed quiet. He couldn't change your mind anyway. Yeosang accidentally mentioned that he ran to Wooyoung and his ex-girlfriend stripping for him a year ago. You immediately challenged yourself. If she had the nerves to do it, no reason that you don't, right? "Are you ready?" You put your phone down, 'Careless Whisper' playing the background. Wooyoung puffed, not believing your chose this song over a thousand ones, more appropriate. "What?" You mumbled. "Nothing, just go ahead." He tried to go back on his usual poker face. Finally finding the braveness to start, you walked sexily toward Wooyoung. Even though, you tried to look confident, you couldn't make an eye-contact. Your boyfriend noticed your shyness. It caused his heart to melt for you even more than before. You stood up, in front of him, starting to sway your hips from side to side. The moves were pretty good, but it felt unnatural for him. He could see that you were trying your best. Your tongue tugged out of your mouth sometimes, because of the effort. When you judged that it was time for you to remove your shirt, your hands started to shake a little bit on your hips. Wooyoung started to feel a kind of horniness until your top stayed stuck around your head, causing you to tug on the side. Your boyfriend laughed so hard at the scene. His dolphin laugh making you shy and ashamed of your performance. "Can you help me please! One of my earrings is stuck too!" "This is terrible Y/N!" He laughed, putting your top down. "I can do it." "Do it when you'll be ready to." He pecked your cheek. "It's okay. No rush." "Wooyoung sat back on the chair, not breaking the eye contact. "What?" He raised a brow. "I can do it." You repeated, lifting your top once again. He was taken aback by your new tentative, but it didn't fail to make him laugh again. It was really a cute scene to see. "Stop you are being too cute! I can't handle it!" He wiped his eyes, arms around his abs to seduce the slight pain.

JONGHO

Your room was a mess. Clothes spread out on the floor, hanging messily in the wardrobe and few of them were falling off the chair. Why? Because Jongho can't stop mentioning that you are "cute". There's nothing bad about that. It's just that you wanted to be something else than cute.

You tried a ‘nerdy’ look, but it was a complete failure. With those glasses and the bang, he was comparing you to a shy uniform high school girl.

Useless to say that you changed your look the next day. And for what? A ‘tomboy look’. You thought that this one would work, but the beanie and the large cargo pants caused you to look tinier. It was a failure, again. So, these last days, you thought about a sexy look. You felt like this option was finally the one which will succeed. For the occasion, you pickled a black leather skirt and a revealing top. For sure, he will spot your nipples and this white see-through shirt. "Y/N! Have you seen my-" he paused, looking right at you. "phone..." You smiled proudly, satisfied by the expression on his face. "Probably under a pillow in the living-room." You replied as nothing happened. To continue this way, you placed your hair out of your neck. Exposing your skin. His favorite part on your body. "You should look there, instead of standing there, staring at me like a fish looking for water." "Sorry but... I just can't get over the fact that-" he gulped. You smirked, waiting for him to finally admit that you could be something else than 'cute'. "So adorable! He giggled. "Are you kidding me?!" You said, completely done. "How can I be cute this outfit? Especially this skirt! If I bend over, you can clearly see my butt!" "Have you seen how cute your butt is?" He giggled. "Looking cute isn't a bad thing." "But right now, I wanted to look sexy! Like the hotter I've ever been!" You pointed at your chest. Jongho's face softened. He needed to admit that you looked hot with this outfit. But you couldn't help, but to be adorable. It was just how he sees your face every day. "I can't. I just want to pinch your cheek and to drown you by a thousand of kisses." He shrugged. "Okay, I give up." You rolled your eyes, grabbing your pajama on the bed. "Oh please... don't be mad!" He chuckled following you. "Don't talk to me." You said before slamming the bathroom's door, in front of him. "Cutie!" He yelled to tease you. "I hate you!" "I'm kidding." He paused. Before adding, "cutie." "Choi Jongho!"

[xoxardnekoxo]

Movie Review: Mulan (2020)

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Ah, Mulan. One of my all-time favorite Disney movies. I loved it so much I had a life-size plush Mushu, a Disney Beanie Baby talking Mushu, a Mulan Barbie, every action figure made, a chirping Crikee, and even a Mushu/Crikee alarm clock. It’s no surprise that when Disney announced a live action version of this movie, I was all over it. The three-time delay in theaters due to the pandemic was disappointing, but then again, so was having to pay $30 on top of a monthly fee I already pay for Disney+.

When the movie was first announced, we knew right away that three things would be lacking that were in the beloved cartoon:

1. Mushu 2. Shang 3. Songs

I immediately jumped on this band wagon at the announcement of no Mushu:

Supposedly the actual country of China strongly disliked Disney’s animated interpretation of an actual legend from their homeland. I don’t know the full details, but I do know that with that in mind, Disney wanted to make the live action version of the movie more authentic to the actual story. This really wasn’t meant to be a remake of the cartoon, but a more accurate take on real events.

I know it’s Disney and that usually means music, but honestly, I’m okay with no songs. I outgrew musicals 15+ years ago. I was even okay with no Shang (but it makes no sense when there is an obvious, if unfulfilled, love interest in this version as well).

Much as I love Mushu, I was still eager to see this movie because I’m a fan of Asian culture in general and was curious to see how this movie would play out. Imagine my surprise when I learned that this version would consist of a phoenix and a witch.

How is that any different than a dragon? Is it because dragons are kind of sacred to the Chinese? A phoenix is similar - it’s a bird that is reborn from fire. And a witch? I highly doubt that actually happened in the original story. Did it? I don’t know, but my point remains.

Unlike the cartoon, Mulan in this adaptation knows quite a bit about combat already. We can see her as a child using her skills quite often, and her father tells her to contain her (strong) chi. Speaking of chi, it’s mentioned quite a lot in this movie. Apparently what makes Mulan such a strong/good fighter and leader is her strong chi. Chi is mentioned so much all I could think of was this:

(Chobits anime)

Mulan doesn’t have her dog (Little Brother) in this movie, but she does have a little sister. Interestingly enough, the original story depicts her as having a younger brother, but he was too young to fight. So if Disney was going for accuracy, they still could have gone that route and stayed true to the source material.

As with the cartoon, Mulan does meet the matchmaker, but she doesn’t go in alone. She goes in with her mother and sister, the latter of which is terrified of spiders. Instead of a lucky cricket causing a catastrophe during this “audition,” a spider decides to scurry in and scare the younger sister, prompting the cacophony. So really, it’s the sister’s fault Mulan brings dishonor in the matchmaker’s eyes.

Mulan’s father is frequently chastised by her mother for encouraging her boy-like behavior. “She is your daughter, not your son.” Rude. But remember, this is a different era. The only way a female could bring honor to her family was to be a good wife and bear sons. Still, harsh.

So we all know what happens next. One man from every family has to join in a fight against some turd determined to take over the empire, in this case one who is using a witch to help him, and Mulan takes her father’s place since she fears for his life. But she has good reason to - the poor guy needs help walking and even her mother said he won’t return from battle this time. Way to sugar-coat it, lady.

So we get to the men’s camp... no wait, first, we get lost and a phoenix (symbolic, since it appears no one else is able to see it at all) shows up to guide Mulan to where she needs to go. Yes, instead of asking the ancestors for help, her father asked the family guardian (phoenix) to watch over her. Okay.

Eventually we get to a large tent shared by all the soldiers. Yes, this time, they don’t all get their own individual tent. And of course, all the men are running around half dressed, throwing things at each other, rough-housing, you know the drill. It’s especially amusing when one of them loses his towel and Mulan immediately closes her eyes and cringes.

Then the commander asks for a night guard volunteer. Mulan proceeds to volunteer for this every night to avoid having to shower with the men. Too bad they all start to notice the smell. Funny, in the cartoon, Mulan absolutely did not want to smell like a man at all. It takes her quite some time before she’s able to sneak into the river to bathe. Too bad one of the guys decides to follow her in and she has to hide herself. :D

During training, rules and penalties are revealed, and the penalty for pretty much doing anything wrong is death. Except one thing - dishonesty. Dishonesty brings expulsion from the army as well as dishonor to the family. Don’t talk to a woman or you’ll die, but pour out some water to make the buckets lighter during a strength exercise and get humiliated.

So we eventually get to a big battle scene with all the flying arrows, and Mulan, of course, winds up by herself fighting the witch. The witch can obviously tell that Mulan is hiding her true self, so she’s all, “You’re going to die pretending to be something you’re not.” Then something pierces the wrap Mulan uses to hide her chest and she decides the best course of action is to go back to her comrades as her female self. The whole “big reveal” scene is her taking her hair down (which she does not cut with a sword by the way - in fact, she doesn’t cut it at all) and walking out of the fog and introducing herself. To me, that was very anti-climactic.

The cherry on top of that is when, after being expelled from the army for dishonesty (weird though, another rule was to not consort with women at all and yet she actually IS a woman and isn’t killed), she returns to the camp and the men immediately accept her for who she is because she’s all, “The emperor is in danger and I know how to save him.”

So the commander allows her to lead a group of men into the Imperial City to save the emperor, who is quite a warrior himself - he breaks out his armor to fight the Hun (not Shan-Yu, I don’t even remember what his name is this time), then Mulan shows up and of course she and the witch team up because, hey, why not? They’re both misunderstood women always being told to stay in their place, except the witch is controlled by the Hun and Mulan is free.

The witch can transform into a hawk or something like that (probably a shout out to Shan-Yu’s pet from the cartoon) and she actually flies in front of Mulan to save her from getting pierced by an arrow. So of course she dies in our protagonist’s arms and is all, “Take your place.” And of course, as expected, Mulan saves the day. And let me just say, how many times can one possibly kick an arrow and send it flying straight toward a designated target? It happens at least five times in this movie, and just once is a one in a million shot. Yeah, cool effect, but totally not accurate, Disney. I thought that was the whole point of this movie - more accuracy to the source content. And you also wanted to appease China. Too bad it didn’t work this time around, either.

The movie ends with Mulan being offered a position on the emperor’s army (nice cameo by Ming-Na Wen, the original voice of Mulan from the cartoon!), but she chooses to go back home - where her sister has been matched to someone who isn’t afraid of spiders.

Yay! Then Mulan’s commander and some other guys show up and offer her the same job the emperor did, only in front of her entire village, so everyone knows she has now brought honor to her family and the country, prompting the matchmaker to faint because she was proven wrong.

So then she does take the job after all, and that’s pretty much the end. Shang isn’t in the movie but there is one fellow soldier she seems to have fun with in practice combat, and he’s super eager to accept her as a woman, even saying she’s the best soldier they’ve got. But nothing comes of that - the two part ways as friends, but honestly, I think it’s okay in these circumstances. Throwing a love story into this rendition just wouldn’t work.

So all in all, not a bad movie, but I think I probably should have waited until it was available on regular Disney+ or DVD instead of spending $30 on premiere access. But I would have spent that going to the theater anyway, so I guess it’s not so bad. I do know a lot of people absolutely hated this movie and it’s gotten bad reviews. I didn’t mind it, but I think my favorite live-action Disney movie so far is Aladdin. This one is probably in second place, though. I think the reason people dislike it so much is that there are so many things missing that were in the cartoon. But again, this is not meant to be a remake of the cartoon - it’s meant to be a more accurate version. But you just can’t make everyone happy.

Overall, I’d give the movie a 7/10. It could have been better, could have been worse. I still prefer the cartoon but it was interesting to see this version as well. Now to see what other live action movies get made... and we’ll see if The Little Mermaid can beat this with a black Ariel. I think I should audition for the role of Snow White - I have the short hair, pale skin, and am always talking to animals. If Ariel can be black, Snow White can be fat!

[petetoms]

Every new year I think about how it might be nice to return to the salad days of blogging a little about things I’m watching or reading. Then I slip into the part of my seasonal depression where I’m rarely not lying on the floor until April and my thoughts of blogs turn to thoughts of our bad world, my lifetime of numerous regrets, how tired I am all the time, raccoon liberation, and my increasing understanding of the villainous characters from sci-fi literature who are trying to Freejack younger bods.

So while I doubt this will be an ongoing concern, here’s some bloggin:

CRAWL (2019)

Two things I would’ve put into this movie about two people hiding behind a sort of pipe fence from the alligators that are in their basement and want to bite them is a scene where they hear an unusual page turning sound and slowly realize that a gator is reading a how-to plumbing book and they have to escape before it gets to the chapter about removing pipes. And I would’ve had the gators, as a last resort, throw their gator eggs through the pipe fence, and as they break, baby gators would hatch and attack.

I was not exactly rooting for the alligators while watching this movie, I guess I just feel they could’ve tried harder.

THE PROFESSIONALS (1966)

This is kind of like SUICIDE SQUAD with aged western hunks. So like Burt Lancaster is Harley Quinn and uh, Jack Palance is the Joker* (I don’t really remember anything about the Suicide Squad movie at this point other than the couple that sat next to me when I saw it in the theater sang and danced to every song on the soundtrack and I now - perhaps totally unfairly- think of the two of them as the audience that all contemporary pop culture is geared towards).

There’s a lot of really good tough guy one liners in this movie. To the point where I imagined the anxiety I would feel if I was one of the professionals and had to talk knowing that all the other pros would have a cool comeback.

Me: Good night, Lee Marvin.

Lee Marvin: Nothing good about it.

Me to me: Damn he got me again.

*I realized after writing this that Palance is killed by the Joker in the Tim Burton Batman movie, so I apologize for making this joke.

DETECTIVE COMICS 339 (1965)

This comic has the same plot and many of the same layouts as one of Jiro Kuwata’s Batman stories and I’m assuming one is an adaptation of the other, though the laziest possible Google search doesn’t tell me which one came first.

A scientist feels bad that he grew up wimpy and boring so he builds a machine that gives him the traits of animals for a limited time so that he can become tough and interesting like your average animal. It’s all good when he gets like the flying powers of an eagle or the cool vibes of a snake, but when he gets the strength of an ape, the ape also gets the scientist’s intelligence and declares war on humanity. Kuwata’s story is longer and spends a lot of time on the ape’s motivations and ends with Robin being like “If I was an ape, I’d also want to get revenge on humanity.” So it’s much better, but this one ends with Batman saying that they’re going to send the ape to live in the jungle so he can hang out with other apes and the scientist is like “I wish I could get sent to a human jungle where other humans would be forced to hang out with me,” which is also a pretty good ending.

The most interesting thing about this is seeing how both artists interpreted the same material and it made me wish that every single Batman comic was just an adaption of this story.

THE PUNISHER LIBRARY

http://stanleylieber.com/2019/12/21/0/

IP MAN 4: THE FINALE (2019)

I went to go see the new Terrence Malick movie (I will possibly never get over the blurb on the Instagram ad I saw for it that said, “CINEMA AT IT’S MIGHTIEST AND HOLIEST. A MOVIE YOU ENTER LIKE A CATHEDRAL OF THE SENSES,” because it’s like something Dracula would say and you’d be like “Take it easy, Dracula. This is dramatic even for you”), but I was already feeling very sad and was nervous it would make me even sadder. So when I saw that Ip Man was playing, I decided to watch that instead. Then it opens with Ip Man being told he has terminal cancer.

Ip Man goes to San Francisco to try to register his jerk teen son for high school, but can’t without a recommendation letter from the Chinese Benevolent Association (which is made up of martial arts masters), so the main plot of the movie is him trying to get this recommendation letter. While, of course, dealing with racism against Chinese immigrants (it’s suggested in the film that the main cause of this prejudice is that Americans think Karate is better than Kung-Fu). The audience I saw it with (at like 5pm on a weekday in the mall) was kind of laughing at the entire movie and then when Donnie Yen beats up Scott Adkins (playing a racist American marine who’s a karate-expert and has a British accent) at the end, everyone started genuinely cheering.

I’m mostly curious if in trying to figure out what Ip Man was up to in his later life, the screenwriters heard he had a hard time getting his son a recommendation letter and were like “That’s it. That’s the film.”

THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY (1996)

I can’t remember if I saw this when it first came out, but I liked it so much when I watched it last week that I keep saying, “Yo, you seen Portrait of a Lady yet,” to people as if I’ve been in a coma since the 1996 awards season.

[airasora]

What do you think about Disney remakes (past and future)? Do you like them? Are you waiting for one in particular? Or are you tired to see so many remakes nowadays? I'm curious ^^

People are always welcome to be curious about anything, so never hold back, any of you! ;D

Would I prefer for Disney to go back to traditional 2D animation and make new movies/stories with that? Sure. But I’m probably one of the few people who actually prefer the live-action remakes of old beloved stories to their new CGI movies.

I have not fully enjoyed any newer Disney movies since they switched to CGI. The princess and the frog was the last “new” animated Disney movie I really enjoyed, the CGI ones feel very lifeless to me because… well, they look lifeless to me. Computer animation makes me feel nothing, it’s always been like that. I feel nothing for the characters or the story like 90% of the time x’D

So, I’m honestly more interested in these live-action remakes than any of their CGI movies xD

Have I enjoyed them all? Nope. Cinderella (2015) for instance… nope. Never liked the original animated movie either, but this was just… nope.

Then there’s Mulan (2020) that I think, with the exception of it being an all Chinese cast which is A+, is gonna be a clusterfuck. They added magic, bitch, it’s gonna be an interesting watch, that’s for sure xD

Then there was The Jungle Book (2016) that was critically acclaimed and loved by many and, yup, I saw a lot of issues with it that other people apparently didn’t??? Oh, well x’D

I liked The beauty and the beast (2017) more than that, I’m just saying. Not by like… A LOT, but The Jungle Book (2016) legit pissed me off more than once x’D

I’m… “intrigued” by Tim Burton’s Dumbo (2019) cause I love TB and have for many years, so I’m interested in seeing what the’ll do with it. What I’ve seen and heard so far sounds pretty OK, so I’m intrigued by that.

The Lion King (2019) I’m pretty pumped for. I get why others are like high-key scared cause it’s a lot of people’s favorite Disney movie. That is NOT the case for me, I’ve always liked it fine and can see why others love it to death, but it’s never been one of the Disney movies I rewatched into my teenage and adult years. I kinda left it in my childhood, though I have watched it in English once or twice maybe xD

And the movie’s teaser looks AMAZING, OK? Like don’t get me wrong, no one is gonna believe those are real animals or anything, BUT it looks pretty good and I have this feeling… that the animals aren’t gonna be talking as much as we think? In a way, I hope they don’t talk as much as they do in the animated version because it’s gonna look a little weird. Most “live-action” movies with talking animals aren’t very good, so I hope I’m right about this or that they at the very least are better at it than the countless talking animals movies we’ve had so far xD

Then there’s Aladdin (2019) which I’m kind of indifferent about. I don’t think it can really disappoint me because, like with Lion King, Aladdin was never a movie I rewatched into my teenage/adult years. I did watch Aladdin in London, at Prince Edward’s Theatre, and unlike when I watched Lion King in London, at Lyceum Theatre, I was pretty underwhelmed… and given how much of a musical/theater lover I am then the fact that a DISNEY musical could be underwhelming to me… says a lot about either the musical version of this movie or my disinterest in Aladdin in general, interpret that however you want.

The little mermaid (20??) is, uh… I’m excited about Lin-Manuel Miranda writing new songs for it! :D … That’s all I have to say. This could be a hit or a miss to me, it’s gonna really depend on whether the rumors of Zendaya being cast as Ariel being true or naw… xD

Snow White (20??) and Rose Red (20??) are movies I’m legit considering skipping. Unlike Aladdin and The Little Mermaid that I’m semi-indifferent about, but still want to watch, Snow White and Rose Red are… I think I might not even want to waste money on either movie x’D I think Snow White, the animated original I mean, is a fine, little story, but with the exception of a few scenes, then that is also a movie I left not just in my childhood, but early childhood x’D

Pinocchio (20??) Both Disney and Warner Brothers are planning to tackle this fairy tale and I’m intrigued by both, but mostly curious to see how dark they’ll make it. I think we were all traumatized by Disney’s animated Pinocchio, especially with the donkey scenes, so I wonder if Disney, or Warner Brothers, are able in this time and age to get that dark and grisly. Cause I personally think parents are too sensitive and protective of their children nowadays for Disney or WB to take that chance? I hope not, I’d love some dark Disney. Been a while!

The Sword In The Stone (20??) This is DEFINITELY the remake I am the most surprised by. As far as I know, this movie didn’t do very well, not when it came out and neither did it get a big following in later years? A Game of Thrones writer/producer will be behind the script for this so I think either it’s gonna be completely different from the animated movie, which could potentially be good on its own, or it’s gonna flop completely. I always liked the simplistic charm in this movie, Merlin is hilarious and so is the owl Archimedes, but I doubt the live-action remake will be able to capture that.

Peter Pan (20??) So… *sigh* Peter Pan is a story/character I’ve always had very mixed, but strong feelings about. First of all, I want to explain that I was one of those weirdo kids who WANTED to grow up, so the overall concept of Peter Pan never appealed to me, not as a kid, teenager or grown-up. But as a grown-up, my eyes are more open to the potential darkness of Peter Pan, so I’m slightly more interested now. With that being said, Disney’s animated Peter Pan, as a character, I see as that “ex-boyfriend that makes you wonder what you ever saw in him” type of person. Fuck, does he piss me off in every single way.

He’s like… Like, he’s a prime example of: “Oh, he’s treating you like shit cause he likes you! Boys abusing/teasing you just means they like you!” HOW, in this day and age, where we are so aware of toxicity, etc. have people not talked that much about Wendy’s and Peter’s unhealthy childhood “romance”??? Look, I know we could argue back and forth about this, and trust me I could get super into that, but I’d rather not, so let’s end it here with a simple: I really hate Peter Pan and I will watch the live-action remake just cause I hope he’ll be less of a bastard.

Peter Pan (2003) though... that’s a completely different story... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) but that wasn’t Disney, so I can’t talk about that here   ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I think that’s it? Oh, wait, Winnie the Pooh (2018)… I don’t like Winnie the Pooh. The end xD

[aion-rsa]

How Shadow and Bone’s Jessie Mei Li Grounds the Grishaverse

https://ift.tt/3t78Uxh

If you’ve watched Shadow and Bone, then you’re probably curious about the literal sunshine at its center. Her name is Jessie Mei Li (she/they) and, though she’s a relative newcomer to the world of mainstream entertainment, that seems poised to quickly change. Between Shadow and Bone‘s current status as one of the biggest TV shows on the planet, and Li’s upcoming appearance in Edgar Wright’s psychological horror Last Night in Soho later this year, the 25-year-old British actor is surely at the start of an exciting storytelling career. We had the chance to sit down with Li prior to the release of Shadow and Bone to talk about where she’s come from and where she might be going.

“I really don’t think I’ve considered this show and the fact that people will actually watch it,” Li says, with a laugh, when I talk to her ahead of Shadow and Bone‘s April 23rd global release. “So much of what I’ve done hasn’t come out yet. So I guess the way I’ve been working is just having fun. Then I sort of just follow that, just get really immersed in it.”

Li has to be downplaying the skill and work that went into her warm and grounded performance as Alina Starkov, the orphan-cartographer at the center of Shadow and Bone’s excellent first season. It’s not easy to play a likable “Chosen One,” a character type that is often strapped with all of the angst and none of the fun of a fantasy epic, but Li makes it look like it is. She never makes the mistake of conflating fierceness with apathy, infusing Alina with an emotional intelligence and complexity that is apparent in every scene, whether it involves our protagonist light-heartedly teasing new Grisha friends or fighting for agency over her own body and power after a visceral betrayal. 

“[The actors] have to infuse the character with truth and the honesty, and they have to be brave,” says Mairzee Almas, who directed Li in episodes 5 and 6 of Shadow and Bone. “Jessie has a huge part in creating this character. Yeah, it’s in a book series and, yeah, here we are, it’s in the script—all of that’s true, but she has to bring her own humanity and her own fear and her own bravery and all of those things to the character.”

When talking to Li and looking back at her career so far, it’s clear just how much the actor’s bravery and humanity, focused by a joy of acting and a love for people, has driven her path so far. It wasn’t so long ago that Li was studying languages (French and Spanish) at university, unsure of what she wanted to do with the rest of her life, but increasingly sure that it wasn’t uni life. “I always loved playing dress up and doing little scenes and puppet shows and things with my brother and friends growing up,” says Li, who grew up in Surrey to an English mother and a Chinese-born, Hong Kong-raised father, “but I never really thought of it as something that I could actually do as a job.” 

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It’s easy to understand why Li grew up without considering acting as a viable career path. While we’re encouraged to think of acting as one of the more egalitarian professions, it exists in an unequal society that privileges certain groups of people above others—and some U.K. actors, like James McAvoy, who do not come from the kind of immense economic privilege as the Benedict Cumberbatches or Tom Hiddlestons of the world, have become increasingly vocal about the class ceiling, while British actors of color, like John Boyega, has spoken about the barriers that exist for BAME actors, even when they’ve been cast in one of the biggest film franchises in the world.

Li, who doesn’t come from an acting family nor from the elite Oxbridge world that churns out a disproportionate amount of the U.K.’s best-known actors, is also multiracial in a majority White industry. She might not have seen a clear path forward for her acting career, but she followed her passion nonetheless. After two years, Li left college before completing her degree and began working as a tutor, a waitress, and then as a teaching assistant. “During that time, I wanted to just do things that I liked doing,” says Li. “And one of those things was doing a bit of acting and then slowly over time, I was like, ‘Oh, this really makes me happy. I can really express myself doing this.’”

Li’s first foray into more formal acting training came in a summer course at the National Youth Theatre, a youth arts charity with a mission of “giving accessible opportunities both onstage and backstage to young people aged 14-25 from all corners of the U.K.” Li wasn’t intending on auditioning, but when the eldest son from a family she used to babysit for went to audition, the family encouraged Li to go along as well. While at the four-week program, Li learned about the Identity School of Acting, a part-time drama school in London “with a mission to disrupt the industry with a new, diverse generation of talent.” In addition to Li, its alums include Boyega, Letitia Wright, Sabrina’s Chance Perdomo, and Hanna’s Áine Rose Daly. For Li, the experience was as much about the relationships she made there as it was the skills honed.

“It was just so nice to meet people,” says Li. “I think that’s what really made me want to do these classes. It was to make friends who were like-minded. I’ve met some real lifelong friends through the National Youth Theater and Identity. So, yeah, it was definitely worthwhile for the relationships I made.”

Li might say the same about her experience working on Shadow and Bone, which filmed in Budapest from October 2019 to February 2020. Suzanne Smith, who did the casting for the Netflix adaptation and whose previous work includes Outlander and Good Omens, brought together a cast that is much more representative of the world than the average TV ensemble. Though the production includes veteran actors like Ben Barnes and Zoe Wanamaker, the vast majority of the series’ stars are younger newcomers, and they are delightful.

“This is a story about young people who have been overlooked and who’ve never had the chance to show people what they can do, who have all this talent and all of this power,” Shadow and Bone author Leigh Bardugo tells Den of Geek. “So it made a lot of sense in terms of the soul of the books for us to have all these incredibly gifted young people that arrived on our doorstep, like a magical gift in the show.”

It’s also a cast that seems to genuinely love and respect one another, as the many, many seratonin-inducing clips from the Shadow and Bone virtual press junket have made apparent. When speaking about what she is most looking forward to about the show’s release, Li immediately and enthusiastically shines the spotlight on her co-stars, saying: “I think everyone is amazing in this show. I can’t wait for people to fall in love with whichever character is their favorite.” (If you were wondering her favorite characters are Mal and Inej: “I think both of those characters just made me cry.”) This cast are each other’s original #1 fans, and, in an time when Hollywood is getting slightly better at discussing abuses of power on set and in executive offices, it is important to celebrate the shows that prioritize supportive and collaborative work environments as vital to the artistic process.

When I ask showrunner Eric Heisserer if it was a priority to cast good people, he says: “Absolutely. I mean, you can’t always be sure of something like that, but there are certainly flags or behavior patterns that let you know a little bit more about that. And it was vital to me in a show where you’re building long-term relationships to begin with.” Heisserer says it is especially important to cast kind people when working on a (hopefully) long-running TV series versus a feature, which is usually a one-and-done production.

“Here, this is a pretty long-term group monogamous relationship,” says Heisserer. “And I’ve seen on the sets of shows I’ve shadowed on before that one bad apple can really turn the whole place toxic. So it was a careful set of choices here and a not insignificant amount of luck. I count my stars that we found the people that we did because the alchemy here… they’re so good to each other and they’re so good in their hearts.”

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This sense of gratitude for the opportunity and experience is reflected in how Li speaks about the project: “I’m so lucky to have had the opportunities I’ve had,” she says, when asked if there has been a point at which she feels like she “made it.” “I know so many actors who are far more talented than I am, who haven’t quite had that break yet. So I do feel really, really blessed to be where I am.”

While it’s not necessary to see this kind of behavior modeled in order to embody it yourself, when Li talks about what she learned from her first “big break” project—a West End production of All About Eve starring Gillian Anderson and Lily James in which she played a small role (as Marilyn Monroe)—she doesn’t speak about the lead actors’ performances but rather their professionalism.

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“They really set the bar for how much hard work goes in,” reflects Li. “Those two and the other cast members worked so hard and must’ve been exhausted and were just really great leaders in terms of bringing everyone together and getting us all cakes and doughnuts once a week and things like that. It was lovely to see these two women at the helm of this cast and how strong they were.”

After early 2019’s All About Eve, Li’s career continued to take off. She got confirmation she had won the lead role in Shadow and Bone just before production began on Last Night in Soho. Li will play the minor role of Lara in Wright’s 1960s London-set period story about (via Deadline) “a young girl [played by Jojo Rabbit‘s Thomasin McKenzie] who is passionate about fashion design, who mysteriously enters the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a dazzling wannabe singer.”

“Reading the script, I was like, ‘I’ve never read anything like this,’” says Li. “And it was such a great experience because I love Edgar Wright. I think I’ve watched Hot Fuzz more than any other film ever. So it was really great to meet him and work with him and see the way his films work. Everyone works so hard and it’s really set the bar. I keep saying that, but then going to do Shadow and Bone, I was like, ‘That’s the level of professionalism I want to bring to our set on Shadow and Bone.'”

While Shadow and Bone Season 2 has yet to be officially announced, the Netflix fantasy series debuted in the streamer’s Top Ten and was met with critical and fan acclaim. We’ll likely be seeing much more of Li’s Alina in the next few years. That’s good news for us and good news for the actor, who genuinely seems to love her character and can’t wait to see what happens next: “I think I’m really excited for us to see how Alina deals with everything,” she says. “It’s kind of how I feel at the moment in terms of: we’ve got this show coming out and now people might know who I am. And I feel like that happens to Alina too.” 

Shadow and Bone is now available to watch on Netflix.

The post How Shadow and Bone’s Jessie Mei Li Grounds the Grishaverse appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[austinpanda]

Dad Letter 022121

21 February, 2021

Dear Dad--

The past week was mostly filled with concern about everyone without power in Texas (and, I believe, Oklahoma too) and how awful that made life at home! I’ll get to that in a bit. I hope you and Elaine are warm and have power and haven’t had any interruption to your water service or burst pipes or any other such excitement.

The most interesting thing that happened to me personally last week was a song. Zach, being a young person, carries his phone around and plays music from it all the time. And Zach’s musical tastes don’t have a lot of overlap with my musical tastes. A lot of what he listens to could best be described as experimental. But he listened to this one song just enough that it lodged in my brain and I began listening to it on my own. The song is While You Were Sleeping by a guy named Elvis Perkins. And the song might not seem like much at first; it’s kind of odd, and he sings this weird “Uh-OH,” part a few times, just to have a couple of notes to end a phrase. But the meat of the song is really catchy and it became an earworm, and now I listen to it a lot.

Then Zach told me about the guy who wrote and sang it, Elvis Perkins. Whenever I see the name “Perkins,” I think of Anthony Perkins from Psycho, and sure enough, that’s his dad. Anthony Perkins, whose first few relationships were with male movie stars like Tab Hunter (surprise), eventually did the nasty with Victoria Principal, his first experience with a female, at the age of 39. This is all on Anthony Perkins’ Wikipedia page. After that, I suppose he sort of converted to the Church of the Vajayjay, and he found this female photographer and actress named Berry, and they got married. They had two sons, Oz and Elvis. Anthony Perkins later died from AIDS-related pneumonia, and I couldn’t believe what happened to wife Berry Perkins, the mother of his boys; she died on 9/11. She was in the first plane that hit the World Trade Center.

So now, every time I listen to the song, which got me started on all this, by way of being a kick-ass song, I think of this singer and his Psycho dad and his 9/11 mom and appreciate the song even more.

But! As I mentioned, most of the last week was spent fretting about all my friends to the south. Stacy, and everyone else I know who doesn’t live here in Maine, lost power about 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning last Monday. No biggie in itself, except it stayed off, and because it was so cold outside, it quickly became cold inside. I went through this with Zach after we’d lived here for a couple of months; we lost power for a couple of days during a cold snap in November, and we got to learn the special joy of that kind of power outage: Do we die from hypothermia, since it’s 40 degrees inside, or do we die from boredom, because there’s still no power? After a while, Austin decided to increase the degree of difficulty, by having enough of its water treatment facilities go offline that the water was no longer safe to drink.

Not that everyone even had access to the undrinkable water! So many pipes burst, that the fire department couldn’t respond to all the emergency calls to shut off water. I’ve read that maintenance guys are noticing some pipes didn’t just burst, they exploded. They’re finding shards of pipe nearby, flung outward by the force of the burst. Texas just wasn’t ready. I read elsewhere that the whole of north Texas has about 40 snow plows in it, about as many as every neighborhood has in a place like Chicago. So I get on the internet and all my friends are cold, they’re all miserable, they can’t sleep, and half of them have flooding to deal with. They can’t reach their landlords or property managers. Cell service begins dropping. I have to wonder if everyone in Texas with a fish tank didn’t just lose all their fish. Stacy had to keep her pet snake alive by wearing it in a cloth sack around her neck.

Took about four days, but by now, everyone I know seems to have power again. And they have internet again, but they still have to boil their water. That’s such utter bullshit. Zach and I had to do that for a while in Austin; there was some issue with sediment, and for a week, all the tap water in the city was no longer potable. To have to deal with that on top of having no electricity, and in the freezing cold...I would have given up and fled town to the nearest hotel that wasn’t gouging the guests too badly, and just put the whole thing on a credit card. I just wonder how far I’d have had to drive. Probably have to leave the state. And now all the finger-pointing begins, it’ll be investigated, ERCOT will get a lot of attention, and maybe stuff will change, maybe not.

Then I read an article that pointed out it’s not that hard producing electricity in extremely cold weather. The article said that people in Alaska, and Russia, and Maine do it every day. It occurs to me that we haven’t lost power at all this winter, and I’m very, very grateful. We also haven’t had much snow this winter, which, ironically, pisses me off. All the snow we’re not getting seems to have been delivered to Texas, by mistake. We’re ready for the snow here; I WANT the snow. I just looked at the Washington Post photo essay about it, and it had pictures of the HEB grocery store where I used to buy my groceries. The photo was taken from a nearby hillside that featured a homeless camp covered with snow. I’ll include it with this letter.

This week I think I’m going to spend a little time planning on things I’d like to do once the plague is over. For the moment, I still don’t know when I’ll be able to get vaccinated, but it occurs to me that we won’t have to wear masks outdoors forever, and that’ll be a glorious day, when we’ve finally defeated Covid-19, and we can have Chinese buffet restaurants again. Aside from those, and movie theaters, and book stores, I’m most looking forward to being able to visit friends again. It’s terrible watching a friendship begin to grow malnourished because it can only happen with text messages. On the plus side, the number of new Covid cases here in Maine, which had been approaching 1,000 per day, is now lots closer to 100 per day. I suppose something must be working! Perhaps now the vaccine will be more available and I can sign up for it soon.

In the meantime, I’m watching a movie called The Midnight Sky in installments. Some movies, even when they’re good, simply can’t hold my attention that long, and I can only watch them a few scenes at a time. I’m doing that with this movie. And it’s interesting so far; George Clooney is a scientist with a terminal disease, working in an Arctic research station. And there’s a nuclear war, and everyone at the research station leaves to be with their families, but George Clooney stays behind because (a) he’s dying anyway, and (b) he hasn’t anyone to return to. After a couple of days he discovers a little girl stayed behind when everyone else left, and now he’s got to take care of her. (Having a child in your movie is a treacherous thing, but the potential negative effects of this one are ameliorated somewhat by the fact that she doesn’t speak.) Meanwhile, there’s a spaceship returning to earth from deep space, (This is a science fiction movie!) and they’re wondering why the hell they can’t raise anyone on earth by radio. I’m about halfway through the movie now. Based on the movie’s tone, I don’t think George Clooney is going to find a miracle cure for whatever’s ailing him, but I am curious to see what happens to the little mute girl. Will advise!

I really hope you’re staying safe and warm, and have plenty of water and electricity! I’m about to get my day started, watch another ten minutes of movie, and do laundry. All my love to you both!

[magicaldistractions]

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Walt Disney  Walt’s dream of “opening new doors” is coming true at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. As Magical DIStractions continues to report, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is undergoing a major expansion. With the new Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land on the horizon, it is inevitable that some of the “oldies but goodies” have to go. Today’s edition of the Things I Miss Series covers just a few of the things that I miss at  Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Some of the attractions closed prior to the announced expansion but others are making way for the new lands and new memories for the Guests.

Things I Miss: Disney’s Hollywood Studios Edition

Osborne Family Lights: Photo Credit: Murtagh Photography

7. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure closed its gate at the end of the day on April 2, 2016 and I was a bit sad to see it go. At 11,000 square feet, the play area gave kids the room to play to their delight!  The attention to detail was amazing! Anty the ant and Quark the dog made appearances alongside the giant paperclip and super soaker. Kids and adults alike loved to pose on the back of the oversized ant for one of the most unique picture taking opportunities in the park.  Back in the day when my kids were younger, they could have played for hours if I hadn’t encourage them to see other parts of the park.

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6. Streets of America and Forced Perspective Backdrops

The buildings along Streets of America were all fascades but unless you looked really closely, you may not have been able to tell. Disney’s use of forced perspective made Guests feel as if they were actually on the streets of New York  and San Francisco. In true Disney form, the attention to detail amazed all who walked the area. If you listened closely, you could even hear the sounds of a busy street. The backdrops also afforded cool photo ops such as a mini-version of The Beatles crossing Abbey Road created by three in our group.

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5. Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun Parade

This fun parade featured cute floats and lots of characters from Pixar films. Included in the cavalcade of characters were Mr. Fredricksen, Russell, and Doug from Up. Marching along the streets and on the floats were The Incredibles. Flik, Princess Atta and more of A Bug’s Life characters delighted the Guests as well. And, one can’t forget Mike, Sulley and the sock wearing monster from Monsters, Inc.  Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun Parade was fairly short lived having only run from January, 2011 to April, 2013. But, it is one of the things I miss because the parade included so many lovable characters.

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Things I Miss-Disney’s Hollywood Studios Edition-Photo Credit: Lisa McBride

4. The Backlot Tour

There have been several versions of The Backlot Tour over the years.  The tour was in several parts that included both walking and a tram ride through what was then Disney MGM Studios. Some of us veteran Walt Disney World Resort Guests still catch ourselves calling it MGM Studios.

When the attraction first opened, the tour could take quite some time to complete as you were taken behind the scenes and given the opportunity to see actual television production sets, and were later taken on a tram ride through areas of the park. I still remember seeing the sets of Home Improvement and 102 Dalmatians during the walking portion of the tour.  To make the queue for the tram a bit more fun, Guests walked through a portion of the props department. There you would see props from the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, Mulan and more! It was also quite something when the tram rolled down Residential Street past the houses used in The Golden Girls and Ernest Saves Christmas and Empty Nest. I’m dating myself, I know!

Over the years, Disney revamped the attraction to make way for the park’s “new” attraction: Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show which, by the way, has since closed, and makes this list too. Gone was the tram ride down Residential Street but Guests were able to see something a bit more exciting: Catastrophe Canyon! And, any true Disney fan loved getting an up close look at Walt’s personal plane.

Sadly, The Backlot Tour closed and the last tram tour rolled out on September 27, 2014.

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3. Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show

I’m not a stunt show type gal but Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show added an extra vroom-vroom of excitement to my Disney’s Hollywood Studios day. The stunt show spun the tires for the last time on April 2, 2016.  That’s the same day that Streets of America closed.  The stunt show packed a lot into the approximately 35 minute show. There were specialty designed cars, motorcycles, jet skis, and even explosives! The show was set in a Mediterranean village and included a classic story line of good versus evil. Few adjustments were made during the almost 11 year run.

Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show was massive at 177,000 square feet with a 5,000 seat stadium. By doing away with the show, Disney’s Hollywood Studios gained a lot of ground for their new expansion.

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2. The Great Movie Ride

The lastest attraction to close its doors at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is The Great Movie Ride. Housed in a recreated Chinese Theater, The Great Movie Ride was, at 95,000 square feet, a massive indoor attraction. Guests would board a large tram and greeted by their very own host who gave details on the attraction and even played a roll themselves. Guests were taken past life size animatronic stars, including Gene Kelly, John Wayne, James Cagney, Julie Andrews, and even Cheeta from Tarzan. Fans of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien and The Wizard of Oz were delighted as they traveled through sets of the classic movies.

A video montage of short clips from movies such as Good Morning Vietman, Chicago, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Lady and the Tramp, Tangled and Frozen, rounded out the tour.

While I am sad that this classic Disney attraction shut its doors on August 13, 2017, I have to admit that I’m exciting about its replacement: Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

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1. The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

Sadly, Disney pulled the plug on this very popular yuletide spectacular on January 6, 2016. Arkansas businessman, Jennings Osborne, started the lighting tradition for his six year old daughter. Year after year, it grew bigger and more popular. Neighbors sued Osborne and he was forced to stop by the Supreme Court. Mr. Osborne’s story caught national attention and Walt Disney World contacted Mr. Osborne who accepted Disney’s offer to move the display to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

In 1995, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights made it’s debut and it was an immediate success.

The Backlot area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios was covered in millions of glittering lights. There were displays that danced to special songs of the season, twirling carousels of angels, toy soldiers, a spinning Earth, and even Santa and his reindeer flew high above the street. Guests were amazed as the truly spectacular event.

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  That’s a Wrap!

So, there you have it folks. That’s my list of the seven Things I Miss at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Do you miss any of these attractions? Are there others that you hated to see go? Let us know in the comment section below!

Things I Miss: Disney’s Hollywood Studios Edition

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

Things I Miss: Disney’s Hollywood Studios Edition "We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

[katthetaipeicat]

Week 12 (11/18~11/25): Language Mission Week aka VACAY TO KENTING

Language Mission Week

So this week, we didn’t have classes! Instead, we had to participate in language mission week, where we would each attend two activities of our choice, and these activities not only implement our Chinese skills but also teach us more about different aspects of Taiwanese culture. (and we had to write a report at the end but ugh whatever.)

Activity 1: Whiskey Tasting 品酒學中文

For my first activity on Sunday, I went to Bar 春花 The Primrose, which is actually owned by a former ICLP teacher! The teacher taught us lots of whiskey terminology, and the differences between types and brands of whiskey. Honestly, I barely understood anything in English, so learning everything in Chinese made even less sense to me. For me, I mostly wanted to drink whiskey and eat snacks haha. That said, it was still super cool to understand the world of whiskey slightly better. And we had a fun activity where we smelled different whisky samples and guessed the flavors! My dearest friend Jeremy unfortunately sniffed in such a suspicious way that we had to call for an intervention LOL. 

BREAK TO KENTING 墾丁

Of course, I couldn’t waste this precious break in Taipei, which is now damp and chilly, so Chris, Alek and I decided to go for a three-day trip in Kenting!! Kenting is at the southernmost tip of Taiwan, and it is a tourist hotspot known for its gorgeous national park and breathtaking beaches. But since we just wanted to relax, we decided to skip the national park and just go straight to the beaches. 

And oh my. Everything was soooooo beautiful!! I’ve heard some skeptical reviews from my Taiwanese housemates and teachers about how Kenting can be really expensive and dirty due to the hoards of tourists. The expensive part is not wrong, my wallet was sobbing at the end of the trip. But because we went during the off-season, there were not many other tourists, so we essentially had the whole beach to ourselves!! We went to two beaches, the first being South Bay (Nánwān 南灣), and the other being White Sand Bay (Báishāwān 白沙灣). The latter was definitely our favorite, and unsurprisingly, because that was where they filmed the last beach scene in “The Life of Pi”!!!

We had a mini photoshoot ofc: 

Activity 2: U-Theater Drums 認識優人神鼓與打鼓

After we got back from our getaway, I participated in my second activity on Friday: drumming at U-Theatre! U-Theatre is actually super cool, basically they’re a troupe of performers who practice drumming with a focus on Zen, and they drummed not only as a performance art, but also as an approach to life. You can read more about them on their website: http://www.utheatre.org.tw/en/home-2/

I was especially interested in this activity for two reasons. First, I trained in Korean traditional drumming since I was little, so I was curious to see the similarities and differences between the two art forms! Second, I am a practicing Zen Buddhist, so I also wanted to see how the philosophy of Zen influenced this art of drumming. My observations are that, Taiwanese and Korean drumming are overall very similar, and while the religious connotations of Zen might not be prominent in this art, the lifestyle influence is very strong. It also fascinated me that for U-Theatre, practice is not just drumming, it’s also a lot of martial arts and dance, in order to build a strong physical foundation to keep up with the demanding drumming. 

Watch us learn how to drum in this video! (I’m in the pink t-shirt in the front row):

And then watch these high school students perform! These students are currently attending the U-Theatre high school training program; they’re like any other students who take core classes like math and history, but in the afternoon they practice drumming. They are absolutely amazing!! After the performance, we chatted with the students (in Chinese of course), and it was really nice to see that in the end, despite the fierceness of their performance, they’re still young carefree teenagers with big smiles on their faces. 

The video here shows highlights of their performance and pictures of us chatting with them. Hope you enjoy!

[placetobenation]

Fantasia

Release Date: November 13th, 1940

Inspiration: “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Budget: $2.28 million

Domestic Gross: $76 million

Worldwide Gross: $83 million

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

IMDB Score: 7.8/10

Storyline (per IMDB): Disney animators set pictures to Western classical music as Leopold Stokowski conducts the Philadelphia Orchestra. “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” features Mickey Mouse as an aspiring magician who oversteps his limits. “The Rite of Spring” tells the story of evolution, from single-celled animals to the death of the dinosaurs. “Dance of the Hours” is a comic ballet performed by ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators. “Night on Bald Mountain” and “Ave Maria” set the forces of darkness and light against each other as a devilish revel is interrupted by the coming of a new day.

Pre-Watching Thoughts: We now move onto a very interesting piece in the Disney film canon and that is Fantasia, not so much a film as it is basically a concert with animation. This is a film that I can say that I have never seen in its entirety as I have only seen “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and nothing else. I am curious as to how this film manages to hold up especially after how great Snow White and Pinocchio ended up being, but I have a feeling I might be in for a bit of a letdown though hopefully I’m proven wrong.

Voice Cast: So in a break from tradition, we have no voice acting as the film was mainly music pieces set to animation, but we did have a host for the event which was composer Deems Taylor who does a good job in setting the scene for each piece. We also hear briefly from the conductor of the orchestra Leopold Stokowski who speaks briefly with Mickey Mouse after “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”. Finally, we do have history made here as Walt Disney himself makes an appearance as the voice of Mickey Mouse when he congratulates Stokowski for his work. While this would be the least amount of talking in any of the Disney films, it worked out since it was more about the music.

Hero/Prince: N/A

Princess: N/A

Villain: While we don’t have a hero or a princess for this film, we actually do have a villain in the film and that is the evil Chernabog who appears in the final piece “A Night at Bald Mountain”. During the piece, we see the Chernabog summoning the spirits of the dead and they roam throughout the sky until the coming of day and the ringing bells return the spirits to their slumber and the Chernabog to its place in the mountain. As a result, the Chernabog is not one of the major villains in the canon though his presence in the film is enough to cause numerous nightmares. I do want to make an honorable mention as well to the T-Rex in “The Rite of Spring” as he does battle with and ultimately kills a Stegosaurus, but he will not be included in the main list of villains.

Other Characters: This is an interesting category for this film because we have various segments throughout the film and the characters included were confined to their specific segment. We of course have the icon of Disney himself, Mickey Mouse make his official film debut as the apprentice to the sorcerer Yen Sid along with the broom that Mickey brings to life and the numerous brooms that materialize out of the remains of the destroyed brooms. We also have the various creatures that are featured in their respective segments which help the animations keep moving through the pieces, and while the focus of the film was on the music the animations were the perfect compliments to these pieces.

Songs: Now as opposed to other films which have songs that are sung, this film features some classic musical pieces from various ballets and works from some of the most influential composers in history. We kick things off with “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” by Johann Sebastian Bach and segue into “The Nutcracker Suite” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and then we have “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Paul Dukas and “The Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky before going into the intermission. After a brief jam session and a demonstration of the soundtrack, we continue on with “The Pastoral Symphony” by Ludwig Von Beethoven and “Dance of the Hours” by Amilcare Ponchielli. We then close out the film with “A Night on Bald Mountain” by Modest Mussorgsky and “Ave Marie” by Franz Schubert, and this was a unique collection of music that did well complimenting each other.

Plot: This is pretty interesting as well as there really was no central plot for the film and it was just a collection of musical pieces that were coupled together with animations. Now a funny note is that “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” was originally set to be a short in the same vein as the Silly Symphonies as a way to help rebuild Mickey Mouse’s popularity. Ultimately, the budget was growing too big that a simple short would recoup it so the decision was made to make this into a full-length feature film including the other pieces featured in this film. In this short, Mickey is an apprentice to the great sorcerer Yen Sid and after he retires for the night, Mickey decides to put on his hat and bring a broom to life so it can get the buckets of water Mickey is supposed to get. It works briefly until Mickey can no longer control the broom and tries to destroy it with an axe, but multiple brooms spawn out of the remains and continue to fill the room with water until Yen Sid returns and sets everything right. Realizing the error of his ways, Mickey returns the hat to Yen Sid and walks away with the buckets with Yen Sid giving him a push with the broom as punishment. While the short would’ve worked by itself, being in this setting was fine and it would end up being the most memorable segment from the film as the image of Mickey with the hat on would become part of Disney lore in the years to come.

Random Watching Thoughts: I wonder what people were thinking when the film started and the first thing they saw was the orchestra taking their place; First film to not have an opening card or even credits; Did they film this in front of a live audience because we don’t hear a lot of crowd chatter; I also wonder how much this orchestra got paid to do this film; What kind of name is Deems Taylor?; It is interesting that this is considered part of the animated canon since it is a mix of animations and live action; The animation for the first song was really well done even though it was just a random sequence; It is funny that Tchaikovsky detested the Nutcracker Suite and it ended up being his most popular piece; It is weird hearing the Nutcracker Suite and not seeing anything related to the actual Nutcracker ballet or even Christmas; According to one of the animators, the Three Stooges were used as inspiration for the dancing mushrooms; Considering that there was a scene later in the film that caused a lot of controversy, I’m surprised the dancing mushrooms weren’t called out as a potential stereotype against Chinese people; Kudos to the animators for doing a great job matching the choreography to the music perfectly; The goldfish in the Nutcracker Suite looks like it was modeled off of Cleo from Pinocchio; How naïve is Mickey to think that Yen Sid’s powers came completely from his hat and not from years of work?; Of all the things to bring to life to help you, why would you pick a broom?; Mickey got pretty cocky with his ability so it shouldn’t come as a surprise what happens; It is fairly interesting that Mickey’s debut on the big screen in a film involves no dialogue during the short; Mickey learns the important rule about magic in that it’s all about being able to control; How many brooms were able to materialize out of the shards of the broom Mickey destroyed?; Shouldn’t the water be flowing out of the window when it reaches it?; Where did those whirlpools come from if they are in an enclosed room?; Of course, Yen Sid is such a badass that he can cause all the water to disappear in such a short time, but where did all the brooms go?; It was cool to see Mickey appear with the conductor after the short ended; So to fill time, they had the chimes fall apart and cause a scene even though it was pretty humorous to see; The Rite of Spring was apparently supposed to feature the early days of humanity, but reportedly creationists threatened action because of their beliefs; I wonder if the scene where the water overcame the volcano was an inspiration for Roland Emmerich’s “2012” when the water rushed over the mountains; The scene where the dinosaurs are being chased by the T-Rex is a pretty terrifying scene and of course the slow Stegosaurus would be the one he catches; How thick is the T-Rex’s skin because you would think the Stegosaurus’ giant spikes would pierce right through and kill him?; Considering there is only one T-Rex, wouldn’t the other dinosaurs help the Stegosaurus instead of just watching the T-Rex kill him?; It is weird hearing the upbeat music in between the shots of the Stegosaurus dying; It is interesting that they depicted the dinosaurs going extinct due to the lack of resources when the common theory is an asteroid hitting the Earth wiping them out; Did we really need an intermission and I wonder if it really was 15 minutes in the theaters because it wasn’t that long in the Disney+ version; Very rare to see the title card in the middle of the film; It was pretty cool to hear the orchestra do a jam session and to see how sound is rendered through visual film, but it does kind of bring the film’s momentum to a halt; It was pretty risqué for an animated film to have the female centaurs originally be bare chested before having something covering their breasts; Even more controversial was that there were black female centaurs acting as servants to the white female centaurs though that was cut out of future airings including the Disney+ version; I feel bad for that poor unicorn that has to carry Bacchus; Why is Zeus so upset that he crashes the party and has Vulcan throw down lightning bolts, was he not invited to the party?; Only in a Disney film can they bring together ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators to act out a comic ballet; So the 1940s had a bunch of ostriches fighting over a thing of grapes while the 2010s had a group of Minions fight over a banana; Those must be the most light-footed hippos if they are able to keep that sort of balance on their toes; That must’ve been an extremely strong gust of wind to blow all those elephants away; If the T-Rex was terrifying, the Chernabog is the stuff that nightmares are made out of; This last scene is so creepy yet so disturbingly beautiful in terms of the animation coupled with the ominous music; For as powerful as the Chernabog is, it is weird that it simply takes the tolling of bells and the coming of day to put him and the demons to rest; How many monks are there walking through this forest?; It is pretty unsettling to see a film just end without closing credits.

Overall Thoughts: Overall, this ended up being a pretty solid film though unfortunately it was a step down from the previous two films. While the film was not actively bad as the music was really good and the animations were beautifully done, it does seem like this film requires a certain taste since it is not like the rest of the films in the Disney canon. It almost feels like the film is in its own category apart from the rest of the canon since there is no real story and it is just a collection of animations coupled to the music. Considering that this was just supposed to be a simple short that was changed to a full-length film, Disney did a good job in making this film and a lot of credit goes to the animators who worked on the film. These next few years are going to be an interesting time for Disney as we inch closer to World War II, but we do have two films to get too before we get to that period of time. As for Fantasia, it is a pretty solid film though again it is a bit of an acquired taste to enjoy otherwise you might find yourself a bit bored even with the beautiful animations.

Final Grade: 6/10

[wikitopx]

Hollywood is a thriving hub for the film and entertainment industry, where visitors can play with celebrities at a bar or grocery store. It is an interesting town with a lot of history. From the charm of the Dolby Theater to the art of Hollyhock House, Hollywood has it all. Here are top 10 things to do in Hollywood.

1. Hollywood Sign

The first major point I think you should visit is probably Los Angeles' most iconic landmark, the Hollywood Sign, written in large white letters nearly 45 feet high. The mark can be seen from all over LA, and it is one of the most heavily protected landmarks in Southern California. It was first built in the 1920s, when it read the HOL HOLWOODWOOD and was actually just an ad for real estate development, but over the years, it has become a valuable cultural spot and iconic, recognizable around the world.

2. Warner Brother's Studio Tour

One of the five places in the top 10 places you should go is to take a tour of Warner Brother's studio, located in Burbank, a must-see for any film lover visiting Hollywood. . The tour will take you through several film studios and studios where classics like Casablanca and Batman were filmed, along with more modern works like The Big Bang Theory and Gilmore Girls. You'll have the opportunity to see the central Perk set up from Friends and try the sorting hat in the Great Hall from Harry Potter.

3. Walk of Fame

Come to Hollywood Walk of Fame to see the first bronze stars on the sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard. Today, there are more than 2,600 stars on the Walk of Fame and the site attracts about ten million visitors each year. Clearly a truly iconic piece of American cultural history, and featuring the names of some of the greatest artists in the history of visual media. Hollywood Walk of Fame is a public space that is open to visitors 24/7 and there are often many celebrities and regional figures, so visitors can take photos with Elvis, Hulk or Captain Jack Sparrow. commemorate their visit.

4. Universal Studios Hollywood

If you are a film lover, you should not miss Universal Studios, it is both a studio and an amusement park in Los Angeles, where guests can visit the studio with virtual host Jimmy Fallon to watch backstage of movies as well as props and costumes from classic movies like Jaws and Psychology. At the theme park, guests can watch entertainment shows about special effects or introduce famous animals commonly used in movies and have fun and exciting times on all trips in the park.

5. Griffith Observatory

Up on the southern slopes of Mount Hollywood is located at Griffith Observatory, a famous attraction in Los Angeles that offers a breathtaking view of Los Angeles, including the famous Hollywood Sign. But the point is not to end there, because Griffith is also home to a planetarium, where guests can sit back and look at the infinite range of the Universe. Visitors can also look through the observatory telescope to see the night sky or any other point of interest, and explore some educational exhibits in the observatory.

6. Dolby Theatre

Are you curious about the event venue, the red carpet awards? If you're curious, go to the Dolby Theater which is home to the Academy Awards, the biggest red carpet night in Hollywood. This ornate theater, with its grand staircase and grand stage crowned by a Kingdom's crown, is a wonder in its own right, and visitors to Hollywood can visit the Dolby Theater. 7 days a week, with guides starting the tour every half hour from 10: 30 am and 4:00 pm.

7. Hollyhock House

Hollyhock House is located in Barnsdall Art Park, which was mentioned earlier on this list. Designed by the famous Frank Lloyd Wright, Hollyhock House was built between 1919 and 1921. This is the first house built by Wright in Los Angeles, and represents his first attempt at architectural style. The structure is suitable for Southern California. Visitors to Hollyhock House can explore the house and garden to see a seamless combination of indoor and outdoor spaces, a lovely rooftop terrace and hollyhock flowers from which the house gleanes its name. it. Hollyhock House is open for visits from Tuesday to Sunday, and leading tours are offered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when booking.

8. Hollywood - Behind the Scenes Walking Tour

This hour-long walk leads you to all of Tinseltown's main attractions, from famous landmarks to hole-to-wall theaters. Savvy guides will point out architectural points of interest as well as cultural landmarks, and offer compelling stories of famous people who have turned Hollywood into the place it is today. Some of the stops on the tour include the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the original location of the Academy Awards and a famous bar dating back to the 1920s from the Forbidden era. Tours begin at 10 am, 12 pm, 2 pm and 4 pm each day and can be reserved online.

9. Hollywood and Highland Center

Hollywood and the Central Highlands are a major tourist destination, known as the home of Hollywood Walk of Fame, and it is also a major cultural center. There is a big shopping mall in Hollywood and the Central Highlands, with shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. Also in the vicinity are the Dolby Theater, which hosts the annual Academy Awards, Grauman Chinese Theater, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum Center, and more.

10. Hollywood Bowl

The Hollywood Bowl is one of the world's most famous music venues, a circular theater set into the "bowl" of the hills surrounding it. Known for its special cover that covers the stage, creating a sound and visual masterpiece, the Hollywood Bowl can hold up to 17,500 people and its event calendar includes all kinds of music, from an old concert band. Complete dictionary up to famous hip hop artists. The Hollywood Bowl is the largest of its kind in America and is also home to a park with a picnic area. Whatever the agenda, the Hollywood Bowl always gives its guests a perfect night under the stars.

These are top 10 things to do in Hollywood. Wish you will have a happy and happy trip.

From : https://wikitopx.com/orther/top-10-things-to-do-in-hollywood-700073.html

[stag28]

"Where does this stuff come from? It comes from sensory deprivation. It comes from turning down all the volume knobs to the one setting—or somewhere between zero and one—on everything, so I can actually hear myself think and I can actually poke around inside myself. We’re all so used to cultural noise being played at full volume. It can come as a surprise, even to myself, how much you can know about what’s going on by listening to almost nothing. It’s important, because if you have it up at full volume, you can’t hear yourself think, and all you want to do is chase after the stuff that’s going on. [..] I don’t actually think the author should be the last word on what the book means, or what some aspect of the book means. I’m not omniscient. But certainly, we live in a commercial culture that celebrates freedom of choice, that fetishizes freedom of the markets, and these are all… [Pauses, sighs.] These are developments that are not without their emotional and psychic consequences for the individuals in the society living in that system. [..] there are all these fairly well-off people who are enjoying all of their freedom and are telling other countries that have less of that brand of freedom what’s wrong with them. They don’t seem very happy. They seem pretty pissed-off. What’s that about? [..] Dostoevsky, say, or reading Balzac—the books are full of these contemporary references, and there are feuds going on, and names are dropped, and you know that they’re significant. If you have a good edition, it’ll have six pages of notes at the back explaining what the reference is, because some good scholar has actually looked all of the stuff up. But I don’t really feel like it detracts from my reading of that, and in a perverse way, it actually makes it feel… [Pauses.] I want to say something can’t become timeless unless it had first inhabited its own time. Undoubtedly, we only get 70 percent of Shakespeare, because the other 30 percent is references that are just completely lost. There are all of these in-jokes, these insider references and contemporary references. We’re so removed from that culture, we don’t even know they’re there. But he was having so much fun writing those plays, and part of the fun was putting all this other stuff in—all of the wordplay, taking a jab at this actor and that theater. He was having so much fun that it just became inseparable from the general fun of those plays, and reading them, and going to performances of them. And he maybe needs those little references to make it fun for him. [..] people reading it in Mandarin Chinese are not going to get most of this stuff, but they’ll have this sense it was written in a real time, in a real place, by somebody having fun. [..] novelists nowadays have a responsibility—whether or not my contemporaries are actually living up to it—to make books really, really compelling. To make you want to turn off your phone and walk away from your Internet connection and go spend some time in another place. [..] when I connect with a good book, often by somebody dead, and they are telling me a story that seems true, and they are telling me things about myself that I know to be true, but I hadn’t been able to put together before—I feel so much less alone [..] The engine of technological consumerism is very good at exploiting the short-term need for that little jolt, and is very, very bad at addressing the real solitude and isolation, which I think is increasing. [..] I perceive my mission as a writer—and particularly as a novelist—is to try to provide a bridge from the inside of me to the inside of somebody else.  [..] hen people were responding to Crime And Punishment, when they were responding to Jane Eyre, they really felt un-alone. But there were so many other kinds of writing, and so many other kinds of reading going on, and the novel served so many other functions back then, that the really elemental function of literature was not as obvious. And you didn’t have to attend to it so much. I should also mention poetry. Poetry, which was widely read and memorized, especially in earlier centuries, served that same function. So it’s really only with the advent of the various screens, beginning with television—I don’t think movies were really in so much conflict with the novel—but basically, video technology, then computer technology, then super-high-speed communications technology… Certain kinds of things that the novel used to do, which was, “Oh, I’m living out here in West Nowhere, Nebraska and I’m curious how the upper class in New York City lives, I guess I’ll read a novel about it.” We don’t have to do that now. You just turn on the TV. [..] increasingly, I think the mission for the writer is to tell stories in a compelling way about the stuff that cannot be talked about, that cannot be gotten at with these shallow media.  [..] Family’s the one thing you can’t change [..] You can cover yourself with tattoos. You can get a grapefruit-sized ring going through your earlobe. You can change your name. You can move to a different continent. But you cannot change who your parents were, and who your siblings are, and who your children are. So even in an intensely mediated world, in a world that offers at least the illusion of radical self-invention and radical freedom of choice, I as a novelist am drawn to the things you can’t get away from. Because much of the promise of radical self-invention, of defining yourself through this marvelous freedom of choice, it’s just a lie. [..] much of what I learned about the way human beings relate to each other goes back to those almost mythical scenes of my childhood."

[magicaldistractions]

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Walt Disney  Walt’s dream of “opening new doors” is coming true at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. As Magical DIStractions continues to report, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is undergoing a major expansion. With the new Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land on the horizon, it is inevitable that some of the “oldies but goodies” have to go. Today’s edition of the Things I Miss Series covers just a few of the things that I miss at  Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Some of the attractions closed prior to the announced expansion but others are making way for the new lands and new memories for the Guests.

Things I Miss: Disney’s Hollywood Studios Edition

Osborne Family Lights: Photo Credit: Murtagh Photography

7. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure closed its gate at the end of the day on April 2, 2016 and I was a bit sad to see it go. At 11,000 square feet, the play area gave kids the room to play to their delight!  The attention to detail was amazing! Anty the ant and Quark the dog made appearances alongside the giant paperclip and super soaker. Kids and adults alike loved to pose on the back of the oversized ant for one of the most unique picture taking opportunities in the park.  Back in the day when my kids were younger, they could have played for hours if I hadn’t encourage them to see other parts of the park.

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6. Streets of America and Forced Perspective Backdrops

The buildings along Streets of America were all fascades but unless you looked really closely, you may not have been able to tell. Disney’s use of forced perspective made Guests feel as if they were actually on the streets of New York  and San Francisco. In true Disney form, the attention to detail amazed all who walked the area. If you listened closely, you could even hear the sounds of a busy street. The backdrops also afforded cool photo ops such as a mini-version of The Beatles crossing Abbey Road created by three in our group.

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5. Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun Parade

This fun parade featured cute floats and lots of characters from Pixar films. Included in the cavalcade of characters were Mr. Fredricksen, Russell, and Doug from Up. Marching along the streets and on the floats were The Incredibles. Flik, Princess Atta and more of A Bug’s Life characters delighted the Guests as well. And, one can’t forget Mike, Sulley and the sock wearing monster from Monsters, Inc.  Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun Parade was fairly short lived having only run from January, 2011 to April, 2013. But, it is one of the things I miss because the parade included so many lovable characters.

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Things I Miss-Disney’s Hollywood Studios Edition-Photo Credit: Lisa McBride

4. The Backlot Tour

There have been several versions of The Backlot Tour over the years.  The tour was in several parts that included both walking and a tram ride through what was then Disney MGM Studios. Some of us veteran Walt Disney World Resort Guests still catch ourselves calling it MGM Studios.

When the attraction first opened, the tour could take quite some time to complete as you were taken behind the scenes and given the opportunity to see actual television production sets, and were later taken on a tram ride through areas of the park. I still remember seeing the sets of Home Improvement and 102 Dalmatians during the walking portion of the tour.  To make the queue for the tram a bit more fun, Guests walked through a portion of the props department. There you would see props from the Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, Mulan and more! It was also quite something when the tram rolled down Residential Street past the houses used in The Golden Girls and Ernest Saves Christmas and Empty Nest. I’m dating myself, I know!

Over the years, Disney revamped the attraction to make way for the park’s “new” attraction: Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show which, by the way, has since closed, and makes this list too. Gone was the tram ride down Residential Street but Guests were able to see something a bit more exciting: Catastrophe Canyon! And, any true Disney fan loved getting an up close look at Walt’s personal plane.

Sadly, The Backlot Tour closed and the last tram tour rolled out on September 27, 2014.

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3. Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show

I’m not a stunt show type gal but Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show added an extra vroom-vroom of excitement to my Disney’s Hollywood Studios day. The stunt show spun the tires for the last time on April 2, 2016.  That’s the same day that Streets of America closed.  The stunt show packed a lot into the approximately 35 minute show. There were specialty designed cars, motorcycles, jet skis, and even explosives! The show was set in a Mediterranean village and included a classic story line of good versus evil. Few adjustments were made during the almost 11 year run.

Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show was massive at 177,000 square feet with a 5,000 seat stadium. By doing away with the show, Disney’s Hollywood Studios gained a lot of ground for their new expansion.

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2. The Great Movie Ride

The lastest attraction to close its doors at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is The Great Movie Ride. Housed in a recreated Chinese Theater, The Great Movie Ride was, at 95,000 square feet, a massive indoor attraction. Guests would board a large tram and greeted by their very own host who gave details on the attraction and even played a roll themselves. Guests were taken past life size animatronic stars, including Gene Kelly, John Wayne, James Cagney, Julie Andrews, and even Cheeta from Tarzan. Fans of Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien and The Wizard of Oz were delighted as they traveled through sets of the classic movies.

A video montage of short clips from movies such as Good Morning Vietman, Chicago, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Lady and the Tramp, Tangled and Frozen, rounded out the tour.

While I am sad that this classic Disney attraction shut its doors on August 13, 2017, I have to admit that I’m exciting about its replacement: Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

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1. The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

Sadly, Disney pulled the plug on this very popular yuletide spectacular on January 6, 2016. Arkansas businessman, Jennings Osborne, started the lighting tradition for his six year old daughter. Year after year, it grew bigger and more popular. Neighbors sued Osborne and he was forced to stop by the Supreme Court. Mr. Osborne’s story caught national attention and Walt Disney World contacted Mr. Osborne who accepted Disney’s offer to move the display to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

In 1995, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights made it’s debut and it was an immediate success.

The Backlot area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios was covered in millions of glittering lights. There were displays that danced to special songs of the season, twirling carousels of angels, toy soldiers, a spinning Earth, and even Santa and his reindeer flew high above the street. Guests were amazed as the truly spectacular event.

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  That’s a Wrap!

So, there you have it folks. That’s my list of the seven Things I Miss at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Do you miss any of these attractions? Are there others that you hated to see go? Let us know in the comment section below!

Things I Miss: Disney’s Hollywood Studios Edition "We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.