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pictureofsoph1sticatedgrace · 7 years ago

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Frozen the Musical - My Act One Thoughts

Hi friends! So... here we go! I saw Frozen twice while I was in Denver - once on August 18th and once on August 19th. A few things you should probably know before we delve into all my thoughts: 1. I’ve been a musical theatre nerd for most of my life. I went to a performing arts high school for musical theatre, and majored in theatre arts administration in college. 2. I am also a Disney nerd - always have been and always will be. I did the DCP in Walt Disney World and absolutely adored it. 3. Frozen has been my absolute favorite movie in the entire world since I first saw it back in 2013. I’ve made very good friends with Anna at all kinds of local parties and gatherings, run Frozen camps, and more. So... we can imagine how COMPLETELY ELATED I was when they announced they were creating Frozen on Broadway. Which leads me to point 4... Caissie Levy. I saw Caissie in Ghost back in 2012 and was ASTOUNDED by the sheer talent I was witnessing. Caissie has without a doubt become my absolute favorite performer, but more than that, she’s become an incredible mentor. So when I found out she was going to be LEADING this show, I MIGHT have lost my shit just a little bit (read: a lot).

With all that said... I hope that makes it clear that I know my way around good theatre, but I also have some implicit bias. I will try my best to stay as objective as I possibly can (which will probably be not at all tbh) while also fangirling my heart out.

Now. Let’s talk Frozen the Musical! Prepare for a novel.

- Preshow. They have some really cool sound effects and a projection of the Northern Lights that move around. It’s really pretty, and helps to put you in that mystical setting.

- The show opens with the newly introduced Hidden Folk. Let’s talk about them for a hot second. I get why they moved away from the trolls - having seen the stage show at the Hyperion out in Disneyland, the trolls would have been too campy and weird for what they’re trying to do with this show. I love the concept - the traditional Norwegian Huldufolk are the perfect fill in. The execution, IMO, needs some work. Crystal necklaces that light up just like in the movie? Super cool. Glowing eyes in the pitch black? REALLY cool. Long, swingy tails that make them look like non-blue Na’vi from Avatar? Not so much.

- Hearing Vuelie in person with that incredible ensemble was enough on its own to basically send me into a coma.

- THE YOUNGINS. Oh my LORD. They are so ridiculously good - especially the Young Annas, Audrey and Mattea. Their comedic timing is so good... you really can’t help but laugh every time they speak (”like run naked in the breeze!” I died).

- “Anna and Elsa” is adorable and just introduces us to the sisters. They also worked in a chunk of the cut song from the movie “We Know Better”, which was perfect and made me extraordinarily happy.

- “A Little Bit of You” is so stinking cute. And then Elsa hits Anna and your heart hurts. So thanks for that, Lopez crew (I’ll be saying that a lot tbh).

- The scene where the Queen summons the hidden folk is one that I would not be surprised to be tweaked. She started chanting and people started giggling (because tbh it is a little strange - it sounds incredibly dramatic), which is definitely not what you want happening there.

- Elsa asks Pabbie to remove her magic altogether because she’s afraid of what she’ll do, which just hurts my heart. He asks her to close her eyes and tell him what she sees, and it’s basically a premonition of the coronation - she sees a monster. Tears.

- Elsa is also the one who basically says “keep Anna away from me while I figure this magic thing out,” which is also devastating because that adds another layer of her guilt to what we knew from the movie.

- Another change from the movie - the girls are still their young selves when their parents die at sea. OUCH. I think it’s more effective, honestly.

- Caissie got entrance applause and that was the first time I cried. #proudmama

- Let’s take a moment to talk about PATTI FREAKING MURIN. I’m not going to lie to you - I was really worried about what they were doing with her in all the promotional stuff we saw, but I had no reason to be. Patti is the perfect Anna. She is adorkable, silly, fun loving, and tender and vulnerable when she needs to be. Anna is undoubtedly my favorite princess... Patti lives up to it.

- There are a few lyric tweaks in “For The First Time In Forever” to go with the action on stage - i.e. there are not 8,000 salad plates, so it wouldn’t make sense to sing about them.

- The scepter and orb glow at Elsa’s touch and it’s REALLY cool.

- The moment when they opened the gates and the whole ensemble spilled in... the second time I cried. It was so epic and just a beautiful, beautiful moment. All those voices harmonizing... it was overwhelming.

- Sven got entrance applause. I’m still trying to figure out how he’s maneuvered?! Literally the most lifelike reindeer puppet you could imagine.

- Obviously we have no horses on stage, so Anna and Hans bump into each other and fall into Kristoff’s ice cart, which is a nice touch.

- Anna makes an heir and spare joke - another reference to a cut song from the movie (my favorite one, so I was thrilled).

- John Riddle as Hans... he’s SPECTACULAR. He’s not a ginger, but I guess I’ll forgive him because he is incredibly good looking and SO charming. And that voice! He makes you fall in love with him. Which makes you hate him even more later on.

- Queen Anointed is GORGEOUS in every sense. There’s a little section of choreography as the church bells ring that was very, very cool - the ensemble moves in and out of line with each chime. Hard to explain, but visually gorgeous.

- As the ensemble is singing, Elsa is basically silhouetted upstage while the priest puts on her cape and they walk the orb and scepter in. The lighting here just made me melt.

- Dangerous to Dream. There’s already been some pretty good discussion about this (see @frozenartscapes and @not-rotting for that fun), but oh MAN. After the first verse, Anna runs in and kneels downstage with her hands over her heart and Elsa sings directly at her. UGH. After she’s crowned, she observes the festivities and sings the rest of the song as Anna is shown enjoying it - dancing, being lifted up on a chair, etc. All while Elsa just looks on longingly. My heart.

- Robert Creighton as the Duke is the wonderful blend of funny, creepy (”Let me tame you with my tango” and “you’ll be looking for a king, no doubt” ugh), and dastardly that the role demands.

- The camaraderie between the sisters as Anna disses the Duke is perfection.

- Love is an Open Door. WHERE DO I START. Take the movie and ramp it up by about 800%. Sexual tension is not off limits here. Anna runs her hands over Hans’s chest, Hans grabs Anna’s butt, there’s some panting, there’s a very cute dance break where he has her leg up by her face in a split and she’s like “ow ow ow ow ow” and then she somehow ends up on the ground beneath him... and then as the song ends, he buries his face in her chest and then they proceed to make out for at LEAST 30 seconds as all the coronation-goers filter in. It is hilarious, and on the second night recording, you can literally hear me go “I thought this was a family show!” lmao.

- Elsa freezing the ballroom - the spikes shoot out of the wall and I was legitimately concerned someone was going to be impaled on stage. It’s so organic and realistic!

- After Elsa runs out of the ballroom, you see the various townspeople as they run to safety... then Elsa stumbles forward, catches herself on the proscenium of the stage, and then the proscenium freezes in what was my first “WTF IS HAPPENING” moment of the show. The projections there... omg. Otherworldly.

- Ah, and now I get to talk about Jelani as Kristoff. GUYS. He’s SO GOOD. His voice is divine. He is SO PERFECTLY SASSY, but like Patti, when he’s a softie, he just melts your heart. He and Patti play so well off of each other - their witty banter is everything you’d hope and more. Kristanna shippers, rest assured, your hearts will flutter.

- I mentioned in a previous post that right before “What Do You Know About Love”, Kristoff literally rips off Anna’s dress before she changes into Kristoff’s clothes and that was the moment I died. My shipper heart.

- Speaking of... “What Do You Know About Love”. WE FINALLY HAVE A KRISTANNA DUET, Y’ALL. And it was worth the wait. It’s 5 minutes of stellar witty banter. God bless. The music is also CATCHY AF.

- The bridge! It’s very, very cool. One of my favorite scenic elements in the show.

- “You’ve got some guts.” “You’ve got some... brains.” I’ll leave it at that.

- When Olaf makes his grand entrance, you hear his voice all around the theater. Which caused absolutely everyone to collectively lose their shit while turning around in their seats. Hilarity.

- The Olaf puppet, for anyone who hasn’t seen yet, is done very similarly to Timon from The Lion King. Anytime Greg moves his feet, Olaf moves. Same with the hands.

- Greg as Olaf. There were moments I had to remind myself that Greg did NOT, in fact, voice Olaf in the movie. He’s that spot-on, but of course with his own flair. 12/10 casting.

- “In Summer”. It’s just as ridiculous as you might imagine, though not as campy as it is in DCA with the random backup dancers in flippers and scuba gear. There’s just random birds flying in on a stick instead.

- “If there’s one thing Arendelle can handle, it’s snow.” - Anna, cut immediately to “I CAN’T HANDLE ALL OF THIS SNOW!” - The Duke.

- “Hans of the Southern Isles (Reprise)” - aka the “I’m Hans and I’m gonna manipulate the entire town into believing I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread but HEY I’m humble no big deal” song.

- The moment you’ve all been waiting for (along with literally everyone in the theatre who audibly squealed at the first notes)... “Let It Go”. Aka the moment I officially LOST. MY. SHIT. I waited to talk about Caissie until this moment because this is the first time we get to see her in all her belty, sparkly glory. She. Is. Perfection. She looks the part, she acts the part, she sings the SHIT out of it.

- I will say - the song is back in its intended key, which means it’s a half step lower than we hear in the movie (cut to a clip of Idina being like “but what if I sing it a half step up just this once?” and then hating her life as every child on the planet began to sing the song). But that makes it no less belty and beautiful. Rather than just letting that last note kind of fade like you hear on the soundtrack, Caissie takes it up to the high heavens and the sky opens up and you melt into a puddle on the floor. Wait... that was me. Definitely me.

- Scenically, I wanted a little bit more. The projections are cool, and the massive wall of Swarovski crystals that dropped from the ceiling was sparkly enough to blind me. But other than that, the stage felt a bit empty. The rumor is that they have another plan for Broadway - which makes sense since they’re in a temporary home and it wouldn’t make sense to build any really massive set pieces until they’re in a place where they can do that. They know they could pretty much put Caissie in a trash bag, throw her on stage to sing this song, and the crowd would still lose their minds. Save the magic for the big guns. At least, I hope that’s what’s going to happen!

- The dress change. There was a clip floating around from the show Friday night, and the timing of the flash was off, so it’s unfortunate that’s the one that got passed around (even though it’s still freaking incredible!) because you can kind of see the magic. Saturday night, you couldn’t see a thing and LORDY BE. It is truly magical. And the dress! It’s STUNNING. I sobbed both nights. Like... ugly crying, heavy sobbing.

And with that... I went into the lobby going “I’M GONNA PASS OUT MOM, I SWEAR. I’M GONNA PASS OUT MY FACE IS TINGLY I’M GONNA PASS OUT” because I was so overwhelmed and it was intermission.

Thanks for tuning in for Act 1... Act 2 to come later!

#frozen the musical #frozen #musical #musical theater #ramblings

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ruffoverthinksthings · 7 years ago

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The Xiongnu and You: A Headcanon Guide to Mulan’s “Huns” in the Descendants Verse

What do you think happened to the Huns after they were sent to the Isle? Personally, I think that Auradon sent most of the Xiongnu (Shan Yu's people) to the isle to avoid future problems.

In my opinion, I think Mulan would have been a better movie if we had mention on why the Huns attacked China. I think it would have shown more than the ‘Good’ vs. ‘Evil’ mentality. I mean, wars happen for a reason, either a legitimate or stupid reason, but a reason regardless.

Like what if the war was because Shan Yu wanted to expand his empire for goods and the economy.

For my fic that I’m writing, I’ve been doing research on Shan Yu’s people, the Xiongnu and the Chinese relations and it’s a lot more complicated than ‘Oh, he’s attacking because he’s evil.’

Wouldn’t been interesting if Shan Yu was a little more complex? Like yeah, he invaded a country and burned down a town, but who's to say that the Chinese army didn’t burn down a Xiongnu village. We only see from Mulan’s POV, so we didn’t see everything at happened during the war throughout all of China.

War is complex and tricky and when written down, it is in the POV of the winners.

My oc, who’s the daughter of Shan Yu is not evil, although she is not the friendliest of people, she takes pride in her people and heritage. I can see her being pissed off in history class at Auradon Prep when they are going through Chinese history and they are portraying her people as barbarians. She states that it’s more complex than that.

@mazuru7

Yes, Auradon did in fact send some or most of the Xiongnu people (or “Huns,” as Mulan misnames them) because of the War with China, and their history before that. Little bit of background context, a mix of historical accounts and my own headcanons because Mulan is an anachronistic mess as is:

The war depicted in the movie happens after the Warring States Period, where the six states of Han, Zhao, Yan, Wei, Chu, and Qi, were conquered and unified by the seventh Qin state, and became the first unified “China.” In my research, there was mention of them expanding into the territories occupied by nomadic people like the Xiongnu, and even the Xiongnu being conquered and enslaved by the various Chinese states during, and before this period.

During the Han Dynasty, the period where the “Great Wall” was built, they have been mentioned to have repeatedly attacked and invaded China, the progress of their societies relying entirely China’s because they constantly sought and demanded “tribute” from them, had marriages between the Xiongnu and China (that didn’t last long or were successful, politically speaking, and weren’t popular decisions--“humiliating” is a word used), and some Chinese leaders that hired Xiongnu generals, only to have them turn against their masters and start their own independent states.

Whether this is necessity after having lost their lands and being forced to rely on China for their daily needs, or the same greed and lust for power that leads other states to go on military conquest and dominate others, is up to you.

What I can say definitively, though, is that yes, the War and Shan Yu’s behaviour was much more than just “Oh, he’s evil.” In Mulan, China is painted as this noble, civilized society that is fighting a war of self-defense, but History is Written by the Winners indeed, and it’s not like many pinnacles of society and progress didn’t bloody their hands and have some ugly, ugly pasts indeed.

Examples and the rest of this long piece below.

Rome was a big fan of the coliseum and going to war to expand their territory, and much of their infrastructure ran on slavery,

Western Europe, which most of Auradon belongs to, invaded, robbed, and conquered numerous countries and indigenous peoples for their own selfish needs, and

America had many sordid business in becoming the “Shining City on the Hill,” like the extermination of Native American tribes, African-American Slavery, and of course, their less than glorious wars, such as the Iraq war.

That the Chinese may have also burned a Xiongnu village is just one “evil” action among many: as mentioned above, the Chinese were the ones that invaded, conquered, and enslaved the nomadic Xiongnu people, and I don’t doubt that what accounts we do have were heavily biased.

Who’s to say that all of the behaviours we’ve seen from them—the raids, the faltering marriages, the betrayal of their Chinese masters—wasn’t done from desperation, necessity, and a desire to turn away from the tyrants that had “corralled them like farm animals,” as I assume Shan Yu might say?

There was also the possibility that before China fused with Auradon, emboldened by their victory against the Huns and the marriage alliance in Mulan’s sequel, they were already well on their way to pushing back against the Xiongnu, exterminating or scattering them to the point where historians don’t even bother to mention them anymore.

Maybe all of the Xiongnu were thrown onto the Isle, maybe some of them were spared, but I can guarantee you that the ones that did end up there alongside Shan Yu are very bitter about their situation, to say the least.

They harbour an inherent distrust and disgust towards Auradon and especially that of China, seeing them as tyrants masquerading as “the Good Guys,” and would rather die before they subscribe to Maleficent’s rule. I imagine that they actually separated from the Isle society at large, ruling either a mountainous, hostile region of the wilds, or being a third party vying for territory and control over the Badlands alongside Queen La and Scar.

Like with China, I’d imagine they frequently get into military and violent conflict with the “inland” Islanders, fighting with them for scraps and disrupting Maleficent’s operations to secure necessary supplies and luxuries, much like the “tributes” from China from before, only much more desperate.

In line with this, the Xiongnu VKs aren’t really part of the culture, seen as outsiders, troublemakers, and enemies that you should never consider working with—if Shan Yu’s Descendant is portrayed as also going to Dragon Hall rather than coming over to raise hell every once in a while, I’m assuming it’s a “know your enemy” sort of deal rather than them “willingly being indoctrinated by your petty immortal empress.”

Both the adults and the kids culture likely relies on these key tenements.

Unbreakable In-Group Loyalty, “the Horde above all else,” with them refusing to be abusive or cruel to each other unless someone truly gets out of line

Militaristic Society, based on a strict hierarchy that decides who controls how many soldiers, who organizes the raids, and who gets to parcel out the spoils of war and who gets to enjoy the “tributes” they extract from Maleficent or the other residents

Shan Yu and his descendants being at the top of this hierarchy, by virtue of infamy and “still having it” when it comes to fending off challengers

“Taker” Mentality, in that they don’t even bother to set up any form of agriculture or permanent living like their ancestors, living true to their nomadic past by shuffling around the Isle and raiding what they need from Maleficent

Strong Emphasis On Military Training And Martial Prowess, though instead of horseback archery, it’s now guerilla tactics, using stealth, shock, and the element of surprise to catch their enemies unaware, or pilfer all of the enemies goods without them ever noticing you’re there

Deity-like Worship To Horses And The “Great Lands Of Old,” a myth they propagate about a bountiful land of pastures where they were free to ride and live, until the “Conquerors” (the Chinese) came, greedily took everything from themselves, forced the Xiongnu to attack them out of desperation, and had the gall to call them the cruel, heartless barbarians and separate them from their ancestral lands forever, trapping them in a hellhole where they would be trapped behind a barrier, forever forced to longingly look at it, but never able to return

Please note that the above is just the Xiongnu belief, and could be actual history from the perspective of the “losing” side, propaganda, or a mix of both, as serves their needs to spur and combine their people towards one common enemy.

Should you, or anyone else wish to play a VK that is either Shan Yu’s descendant (male, female, or non-binary, it doesn’t matter as they’re still of Shan Yu’s blood and sexist ideals falter in the face of need and the lack of infrastructure to support it), or a member of their “Horde,” here’s some behaviours, scenarios, and beliefs you may find useful and a springboard for your ideas:

Anti-Establishment Beliefs, thinking the current state of Auradon like one “giant, gold-plated and gem-encrusted toilet your ‘glorious leader’ sits on like it’s actually a throne,” being disgusted with the laws, rules of civility, and systemic means of oppressing the people and “keeping them in place,” along with a strong desire to rebel, establish their own “free” society, possibly coordinating with the Sidekick League and other outcasts like the Merry Men and Maidens

Strong Anti-Consumer Culture Bent, mostly because I headcanon China as a giant producer and consumer of goods, and they see that the rampant “buy, buy, buy” for more convenience, comfort, and speed has made the Auradonian people “fat, useless, and lazy”

Frequent Run-Ins With the Royal Guard, for raising trouble, stealing without remorse, or intentionally provoking them into combat to test their skills. Because the Guard has spent 20 years without any real fights or combat, and the veterans of actual war are retired or in desk jobs for ageing, the Guard fails, and fails BADLY in the face of the Xiongnu VKs—oftentimes, it takes one hit to down them and they’re disgusted that they don’t even try to get back up

Tourney and Other Sports Emphasis, their way of legally engaging with “war” with the AKs without getting into trouble, treating the trophies like conquests, and abusing the system to gain privilege, legitimacy, and numbers with their new “horde.” I wouldn’t be surprised if they make up a new Xiongnu people united by love of sports, and get in bloody conflict with the Tourney fans from Greece, Sparta especially.

Love Of Horses And The Outdoors, being the ones able to tame and ride the “can’t tame ‘em, can’t ride ‘em” steeds in the stables of Auradon, fond of exploring the forests of Sherwood, the hills of Dunbroch, and the mountains of Arendelle, and generally finding careers as either environmental preservationists, forest rangers, shepherds, or a new breed of highwaymen and raiders making hell for Auradon at large

Alienation And Constant Conflict With The Regular VKs, such as the Rotten Four, the Second Wavers (Freddie, CJ, Zevon, Uma, Gil, Harry, and the rest of the Pirate Crew), and any Third-Onwards Wavers you can think of. These kids were not friends nor even frenemies on the Isle, have probably gotten into some very unfriendly disagreements, and still see each other as competition, what stands between them and getting to eat today or starve, bruised and battered physically and emotionally.

If you have more questions, or you feel this was unsatisfactory, please feel free to ask.

#the xiongnu and you #Descendants #Disney #headcanon

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starryburglar-archive · 5 years ago

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Will Info

Full name: Wilhelmina Vandom

Species: Human

Age: 18 ( verse dependant )

Sexuality: Pansexual

FC(s): Jane Levy || Alyson Hannigan

Bio: Will Vandom had a lot of changes during her life, from divorced parents to moving toa new city because of her mother’s work. Heatherfield is where she experienced the most changes. Getting used to a new town, school and making friends is definitely a hard task for a fourteen-year-old who’s just starting to enter puberty. But not only did Will meet a very interesting group of girls, but something bigger would unite them and make all of them the greatest friends. Will, along with Irma Lair, Taranee Cook, Cornelia Hale and Hay Lin, became the new Guardians of Kandrakar and the Veil, with powers given to the to fulfil this task. Will became the leader, making her the keeper of the Heart of Kandrakar and the one with power over the Quintessence.

To talk about Will, she is most likely the most tomboy-ish of the Guardians, also one of the most insecure in certain subjects and is sensitive towards other people’s feelings. Not only that, but Will also has a fierce temper but the heart of a leader; with the years she learned to make quick desitions in the most difficult scenarios. Nowadays this doesn’t happen that much but she used to have big issues with trusting people, because of the fear of rejection like her old friends in Fadden Hills did during the divorce of her parents.

For a long while ( I mean, years ) Will used to have this big crush on a guy named Matt Olsen, then even dated for a long time. But things began to shatter between the two, eventually putting an end to their relationship. Nowadays, Will cannot even stand being in the same room as him.

Note: Heavily based on the comics. Won’t reference the TV show at all.

[ MAIN || INBOX || HEADCANONS || VISAGE || MUSINGS ]

-----------------------------------------------

V001: Who You’re Gonna Call

Default main verse. Takes place at any point in the comics but mostly post the new power arc ( 7th ) or after the guardians become official Magical Sovereigns of Kandrakar.

V002: Older and a Little bit Wiser

Young adult | College verse. Will may not be a teenager anymore, but she still feels like the worlds are too much of a big place. Years have gone by and she’s still a Guardian, now going as Sovereigns, with her friends they’ve protected Kandrakar and other words countless of times, and they’re always ready if a new threat comes by. Outside of her magical responsibilities, Will has graduated from college and now is trying to become a professional writer, currently working on a story.

Note: In this verse, Will’s is 23 years old

V003: Magicless

Alternate main verse. What if, instead of Susan and Will moving to Heatherfield, they decided to move somewhere else? By default, Will wouldn’t have met any of her friends not she would’ve become a Guardian of the Veil. She would be just a normal girl, like the rest, with a passion for swimming and a love for frogs.

V004: District Five

A Hunger Games verse. Born in a small house in District 5, Will had a modest life until she was twelve. The year her name was going to be on the Reaping for the first time her parents had a big fight which ended up in a divorce. Luckily for Will, she wasn’t chosen to be a part of the Hunger Games on that occasion and had the rest of the year to adapt to a new lifestyle, only with her mother. Not even her so-called ‘friends’ made the situation better, they betrayed her and said that she should’ve been reaped for the Hunger Games.

A year later, when Will was thirteen, this time fate was against her and Will became the female tribute for District 5. Will had everything against her, nobody thought she would survive especially she is so young against much older tributes; but a miracle happened, Will Vandom was brave during the games and with her little knowledge of electricity (since that year the arena took place in a place with a lot of water) the redhead managed to electrocute the last two survivors (minus her). And she became the winner of the Hunger Games in that year.

Now at the age of seventeen, Will and her mother had a somewhat peaceful life, neither of them had to live with the fear of Will ending up in the Hunger Games because it already happened. Because of what happened in the past, the divorce and betrayal of her old friends, Will has very strong trusting issues. Not even during the training or in the arena, the girl tried to make an ally or a friend; and that behaviour is still in her system.

V005: Runaway Countess

A medieval or fantasy verse. Once a countess, daughter of a very rich family, now a young runaway who only wants to be free.

Lady Wilhelmina Vandom wasn’t your ordinary Countess; sure she can act like a proper lady but that wasn’t her style… that wasn’t the real Will. Not only she despises her name but always wished to have more freedom and not to be so oppressed. During a political dispute and some serious problems between her parents, the young maiden had enough of that and decided to run away. Now alone in the real world, Will fights hard to survive. She is willing to do any job ( ok, not every job ) and get dirty, but everything is worth the freedom she has now.

V006: Dance Academy

A verse within her fandom fully exclusive to any Jensen Dance Academy business. Will never thought the audition for Jensen’s Dance Academy would pay off. Sure, she did it because Taranee convinced her and the others, and Taranee is her best friend, but Will has never been the greatest dancer. Was it luck that she got in? Who knows, but Will enjoys this new moment of her life, doing something that Taranee loves together.

V007: Another Kind of Descendant

A Descendants verse. In Auradon, most of the children either come from heroes or villains, currently vanished at the Isle of the Lost. It’s very rare to find another realm that co-exists within the same universe, and yet Kandrakar is very much a thing Beast and Belle (as well as some of the other royals) are aware of. Their ‘descendants’, to call it like that, are the next generation of Guardians of the Veil.

Will Vandom was shocked to hear from the Oracle and her teacher, the current Guardian of the quintessence until the role is fully passed down to her, that she and the others would be attending Auradon from now on. To get to know other kids of their age, form strong social links and so on and so for – but to also act as a kind of mediator for the VK when necessary. Since they come from a different realm, people in Kandrakar believe in second chances.

But, honestly? Will is more nervous about meeting new people than being a mediator. Even if she’s able to use her magic, since their magic laws don’t really apply to people from Kandrakar, it will take a while for her to feel comfortable in an environment like this one.

V008: Almost an Avenger

An MCU verse. How did the Guardians of the Veil got involved with superheroes? Well– one of their villains was threatening Earth on a bigger scale than just Heatherfield. And while they were going to defeat Phobos on their own, somehow Nick Fury and the Avengers got involved into their mess. Fury even asked them to become official members of the Avengers.

The Guardians gave a ‘half no’. They don’t mind helping them from time to time when Earth is under tragic danger (Like the time with Loki) but they prefer to not be official members. Their first priority os Kandrakar, after all, they have to take care of the entire universe.

V009: Atomic Energy

A My Hero Academia verse. When not busy trying to get a full hold on her powers (which, even at her age, still has some troubles), Will is a third-year who can be awkward but fun to have around. She’s a kickass swimmer too!

Quirk: Able to use the natural energy of atoms around her as lasers – if Will pulls all her might and determination to it, she can have enough energy for a large laser or explosion. The downside to her quick is that it drains her physically ( and mentally too, if she pushes herself over the limit ).

-----------------------------------------------

CONNECTIONS

W.I.T.C.H. || Guardians of Kandrakar

:: Will ♣ The magical police ( Guardians of Kandrakar ) ::

Hay Lin :: [ Star ]

:: Will ♣ Air’s maiden ( Hay Lin ) ::

Cornelia Hale :: [ Adam ]

:: Will ♣ Earth’s queen ( Cornelia ) ::

Taranee Cook :: [ Tessa ]

:: Will ♣ Fire’s goddess ( Taranee ) ::

Irma Lair ::

:: Will ♣ Water’s mistress ( Irma ) ::

Merida DunBroch :: [ Deedee ]

:: Will ♣ Feisty redheads [ Merida ( gottamuseemall ) ] ::

Ben Tennyson :: [ Josie ]

:: Will ♥ Mish mash of aliens and magic [ Ben ( galaxyveind ) ] ::

Keith :: [ Monie ]

:: Will ♥ Accidentally in love [ Keith ( -- ) ] ::

Raphael Hamato :: [ Michi ]

:: Will ♥ Without you I’m incomplete [ Raph ( xsunflowerr ) ] ::

Leonardo Hamato (2018) :: [ Zach ]

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mymoviesnob · 6 years ago

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A Movie Snob Predicts the Oscars – 2019 Edition

Hello fellow movie lovers! It’s been another busy award season. There were 121 nominations and I got to see all but 9 of the films this year. Not too shabby, all things considered.

This season, like the ones before it, was full of pleasant surprises, a few hours I can’t get back and films shining a bright light on topics which were painful to watch.

Now, for the four of you who still read this each year, let’s get to the movies! J

Best Picture:

· Black Panther – The first Marvel movie to be nominated for Best Picture. I don’t see this as the winner.

· BlacKkKlansman – Based on a true story, about a black cop, impersonating a white cop, to infiltrate the KKK.

· Bohemian Rhapsody – I loved this movie. I love Queen. I wish Freddie Mercury had been able to grace us with his presence for more than we were lucky enough to receive. I would love to see this beat Roma but unfortunately, the Director’s alleged shenanigans will get in the way.

· The Favourite – Dark and witty, full of strong performances. This however, was not my favorite. (Yes, pun intended…I know, I’m hilarious)

· Green Book – Another based on a true story, about a black performer in need of a driver/ body guard as he tours the deep South and how their friendship was formed. I really enjoyed this film. Mahershala and Viggo were both fantastic. I kept wondering how I had never heard of these men before watching this.

· Roma – While I can’t call this my personal favorite film in the bunch, I do think it will take the top prize this year. It’s been so lovingly received by critics while others on this list have been subject to controversy moving Roma to the top of the pile.I did enjoy it, just not as much as others here.

· A Star Is Born – I loved this too and when I saw it, I thought it would be a lock for Best Picture… until I saw the competition. I was equally surprised by Lady Gaga’s acting and by Cooper’s singing. I’ve seen the previous versions of this film and while I typically dislike remakes, this was well done. Cooper should have received a Director nod here.

· Vice – Based on the life and career of the notoriously private Dick Cheney. Something tells me he will never endorse this one, or confirm any of its story line. If you like Cheney, you will hate this movie. And if you hate him, it will make you question just how awfully distasteful you can find another human being to be.

Lead Actor:

· Christian Bale – Vice –When I first read that Bale was going to play Dick Cheney in a movie, I thought Central Casting was delusional. Then I saw it. If anyone is going to give Malek competition, it’s Bale. You literally forget it’s him buried behind the makeup.

· Bradley Cooper – A Star Is Born – Cooper will get his Oscar one day and I thought he was fantastic in this movie, but this is not his time.

· Willem Dafoe – At Eternity’s Gate – He’s always great, this time as Vincent van Gogh

· Rami Malek – Bohemian Rhapsody – Malek became Freddie Mercury. Every detail of his iconic performances, recreated to the letter. He must have studied Mercury’s every move. The commitment to getting that right is stunning and I think this win will be well deserved.

· Viggo Mortensen – Green Book – Another great performance by an actor who seems to be able to play anyone.

Lead Actress:

· Yalitza Aparicio – Roma

· Glenn Close – The Wife – I didn’t want to like this one. I don’t care for her, ever since she boiled a bunny back in the day, but she was amazing.

· Olivia Colman – The Favourite – I have a sneaking suspicion that we’ll be seeing much more of her.

· Lady Gaga – A Star Is Born – She was surprisingly great in this movie, but it wasn’t really much of a stretch… playing a singer and all. Don’t get me wrong. She’s an incredible talent and deserving of this nomination, but I’m curious to see how her film career progresses playing roles outside of the scope of her ‘day job”.

· Melissa McCarthy – Can You Ever Forgive Me? – Another true story and another surprise. McCarthy in a serious role as the caustic (not to mention desperate) author, Lee Israel, as she resorts to forging letters for profit. If you haven’t seen this one, watch it. And someone please sign her up for more roles outside of the comedic space!

Supporting Actor:

· Mahershala Ali – Green Book – Everything I’ve seen him in has been excellent. This was no exception.

· Adam Driver – BlacKkKlansman – I love, love, love Driver.

· Sam Elliott – A Star Is Born – About time you nominated him, Academy!

· Richard E. Grant – Can You Ever Forgive Me? – I’m not sure I’ve seen him before but watching him here made me want to find everything else he’s ever done. I don’t think he will beat Ali, but if he did, I wouldn’t be disappointed.

· Sam Rockwell – Vice – Another consistently consistent character actor, this time as a weirdly convincing G.W. Bush. I love it when the Indy guys get the attention they deserve!

Supporting Actress:

· Amy Adams – Vice – We get it… the Academy adores Amy Adams. She did not blow me away in this movie.

· Marina de Tavira – Roma

· Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk – I must confess that this was one of the films I was not able to see. It left the theater too soon, and as you may know, I won’t use bootlegs on this journey each year. I’ve chosen her for a few reasons… one, she’s won virtually every other award known to man for this performance. And two, this has been a long time coming. She’s always great!

· Emma Stone – The Favourite – Stone and Weisz here a glorious team.

· Rachel Weisz – The Favourite - She’s married to Daniel Craig so she’s basically already won at life.

Director:

· Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman - Spike Lee is finally nominated here! I do believe he will take home a statue one day but I don’t think it will be this year.

· Pawel Pawlikowski – Cold War

· Yorgos Lanthimos – The Favourite

· Alfonso Cuaron – Roma

· Adam McKay – Vice

Animated Feature:

· Incredibles 2 - this gets my kid’s vote, just for the record.

· Isle of Dogs – Another year where I have the opportunity to declare my love for Wes Anderson. Another year where he will go home empty handed.

· Mirai

· Ralph Breaks the Internet

· Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse – I can’t believe I’m choosing a non-Disney / Pixar for the win, but I am. It’s visually stunning.

Animated Short:

· Animal Behaviour

· Bao – Pixar for the (predictable) win. Every one of the films in this category is a gem! Watch them all!!

· Late Afternoon

· One Small Step

· Weekends

Adapted Screenplay:

· The Ballad of Buster Scruggs – I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would recommend it.

· BlacKkKlansman – This category is tough. I think this may be where Lee picks up a win, but…

· Can You Ever Forgive Me? – … I really loved how this was written… and I think it can bump Lee out of the top spot.

· If Beale Street Could Talk

· A Star Is Born

Original Screenplay:

· The Favourite – The quick witted dialogue may push this one over the top to win.

· First Reformed – I want my two hours back

· Green Book – The Favourite is the favorite in this category, but I think the story line in our current climate will give this screenplay well warranted votes

· Roma

· Vice – Another film where the writing definitely shined!

Cinematography:

· Cold War

· The Favourite

· Never Look Away

· Roma - There is just something about the way this movie was shot which immediately grabbed me at the opening scene. The very things I loved about it are things that others found to be a turn off, but the crisp black and white, tight, artsy shots were mesmerizing. Maybe it’s my love of photography, particularly B&W, but this film made it easy to see the beauty in the mundane.

· A Star Is Born

Best Documentary Feature:

· Free Solo – Will probably win, but…

· Hale County This Morning, This Evening – A film about regular people doing regular things. I hope the point is not lost on those who see it.

· Minding the Gap - This is an interesting narrative on the leap into adulthood and just how hard that is to navigate.

· Of Fathers and Sons – Watching this literally made me feel physically ill. If you question whether or not hatred can be taught, this confirms it.

· RBG - … I’m rooting for RBG, tonight and every single day for every single reason! Someone please put this woman in a bubble and preserve her for all of eternity... or at least until the next administration.

Best Documentary Short:

· Black Sheep - The Shorts this year were difficult to watch. This is about a young black man and his experiences growing up in a suburban white British town.

· End Game –This film is about the painful process of helping a loved one through the last days of their life and the humanity of the doctors and nurses who are walking alongside them. This is my vote.

· Lifeboat –About refugees fleeing their war torn home in the hope of a better life.

· A Night at the Garden – Actual footage of a 1939 Nazi rally at “The World’s Most Famous Arena”. The fact that this actually happened in this country, and so long ago, hurts my heart.

· Period. End of Sentence – About young women in India just trying to survive being a girl in a culture that demonizes something which is utterly (and biologically) out of their control.

Best Live Action Short Film:

· Detainment – A reenactment of the interrogation of two ten year old boys in Ireland, accused of murdering a toddler. Terrifying. And true.

· Fauve - this won at Sundance, but…

· Marguerite – my pick to win

· Mother – As a parent of a 6 year old boy, this one kept me up at night.

· Skin

Best Foreign Language Film:

· Capernaum

· Cold War

· Never Look Away

· Roma – If this doesn’t win I’ll be shocked, but since it’s a likely winner in other categories, voters may spread the love and throw Cold War a bone.

· Shoplifters – I really liked this one, about an unlikely group of outcasts in Japan, trying to survive on stolen items while flying under the radar.

Film Editing:

· BlacKkKlansman

· Bohemian Rhapsody

· Green Book

· The Favourite

· Vice

Sound Editing:

· Black Panther

· Bohemian Rhapsody

· First Man

· A Quiet Place – I’m selecting this because of how profoundly important sound was to the entire concept of the film. I know I’m probably wrong... it will probably be Black Panther

· Roma

Sound Mixing:

· Black Panther

· Bohemian Rhapsody – Because of the music

· First Man

· Roma

· A Star Is Born

Production Design:

· Black Panther

· First Man

· The Favourite – Period piece + Castle = Win

· Mary Poppins Returns

· Roma

Original Score:

· BlacKkKlansman

· Black Panther

· If Beale Street Could Talk

· Isle of Dogs

· Mary Poppins Returns

Original Song:

· All The Stars

· I’ll Fight

· The Place Where Lost Things Go

· Shallow – if there is one certainty about tonight, this is it.

· When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings

Makeup and Hair:

· Border

· Mary Queen of Scots

· Vice – Because I forgot Christian Bale was in there….

Costume Design:

· The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

· Black Panther – This is hard because any one of these could take it, but this is my gut feeling

· The Favourite

· Mary Poppins Returns

· Mary Queen of Scots

Visual Effects:

· Avengers: Infinity War

· Christopher Robin

· First Man

· Ready Player One

· Solo: A Star Wars Story

I’m sad to see this season come to an end as the summer blockbusters approach. Here’s hoping there are some hidden gems among the moneymakers this summer to keep me company!

Thanks for sticking with me to the end, all four of you. :)

#moviesnob

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sergeantpepperconcept · 8 years ago

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Sergeant Pepper's wild trip

IT WAS 40 years ago today that the Beatles put outSergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. With its orchestral arrangements, trace of eastern rhythms, collage art and reported inspiration in LSD, the album is said to be the most influential rock record of all time. Newsweek compared it toThe Wasteland by T. S. Eliot. Critic Kenneth Tynan extravagantly called it "a decisive moment in the history of Western civilisation".

But claims that Sergeant Pepper fathered hippies, psychedelia, progressive rock or the 1967 Summer of Love surely miss the point. The album is about something both more ordinary and more weird: England.

It is an England of brass bands, fun fairs and music halls; double-decker buses, home maintenance and holidays by the sea; rain, of course, and cups of tea. It is an England that is timeless and caught at a distinct moment in time, as the old ticks over to the new, lords and armies lose their grip on the land and a girl runs away from home to meet a man from the motor trade. It is England at a precise point in the lives of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, whose highly competitive partnership reaches its creative peak on Sergeant Pepper, before the bitter slide towards separation.

The Beatles recorded the album between December 1966 and April 1967. In that time they also recorded Strawberry Fields, written by Lennon, and McCartney's Penny Lane. Yet producer George Martin left the two songs off Sergeant Pepper, a decision he says he regrets to this day. With the 13 on the album and I Am the Walrus, which Lennon wrote in September 1967, they form the only body of Beatles work that conveys a spirit of the place that made them.

The early days, their yeah-yeah-yeah period, were all placeless love songs, Paperback Writer being a rare exception. The very English Eleanor Rigbylives and dies on Revolver, the record before Sergeant Pepper, and George Harrison complains about the government's revenue collection policies in Taxman. But that is all.

After Sergeant Pepper, the break-up is looming. They mostly write separately. Lennon's lyrics are harder, often focused on politics; Harrison turns eastwards. The themes of Sergeant Pepper are gone. In their whole career is one nine-month burst of songs of home. What accounts for this brief, brilliant dream of England?

In August 1966, the Beatles played their last live concert, in San Francisco. After three years of almost constant touring, they were fed up with not being able to hear themselves above the screams. They had been hounded out of the Philippines, fearing for their lives, after allegedly insulting Imelda Marcos. Their records were being burnt across the United States after Lennon had said they were more popular than Jesus. They were exhausted and disillusioned; they wanted to hide. McCartney proposed that on their next record they take alter egos. On the plane back from America, Harrison said: "That's it. I'm finished. I'm not a Beatle any more."

Sergeant Pepper, then, was the record they made after they went home and saw it as if for the first time. Except, of course, that England in 1966 was hardly the world of Sergeant Pepper and his band. The looking glass points backwards: Penny Lane is the suburban junction where Lennon and McCartney would meet as teenagers before taking the bus into Liverpool. Strawberry Fields is a children's home near where Lennon lived as a boy. The songs Getting Better and Good Morning contain fragments of unhappy school days. With time on their hands, Lennon and McCartney found their minds free to wander, to drift into the past.

Lennon and his wife, Cynthia, had bought a mock-Tudor mansion in Surrey. He was determined to see more of his three-year-old son, Julian. But family life was an ordeal: he took drugs nearly every day and was "unconnected, moody, distant and unpredictable", Cynthia Lennon wrote in her 2005 biography, John. In November, he met Yoko Ono at an exhibition she held in London. She reportedly passed him a card that said, "Breathe." It was a turbulent time, out of which he would write some of his best music.

McCartney, meanwhile, kept tinkering with music-hall comedy, the sort of tunes his father used to play to him on piano. Sergeant Pepper is in many ways McCartney's album, yet Lennon's role, though secondary, is crucial. Without it the record may not have risen beyond old-fashioned melody and cheery whimsy.

It is Lennon who slips in the euphoric sigh at the start of Lovely Rita, and the wife-beating verse in Getting Better, and the line, "It couldn't get much worse." As McCartney's brass band marches merrily down the street, Lennon is lost in the bending mirrors, swirling apparitions and glass-eyed dolls of the fun fair. "Don't you think the joker laughs at you — ha ha!" If ever the Beatles got too sweet, it was Lennon who supplied the necessary, off-key note.

"The Hendersons will all be there, late of Pablo Fanques Fair" — he took the words of For the Benefit of Mr Kite verbatim from a Victorian circus poster he found while rifling through an antique shop in Kent. The song is so narcotic and trance-like that Beatles detectives hunting for meaning assumed Mr Kite flying high, or Henry the Horse dancing the waltz, was code for heroin. No, said Lennon, they were just words on the poster.

Similarly, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds was not LSD but the name of one of Julian's drawings. It was hard to believe, especially since Lewis Carroll, to whom Lucy in the Sky pays homage, was an opium smoker. But, Lennon said, drugs only open what is already in the mind. The boat drifts down the river, past rocking-horse people and flowers that grow incredibly high. Shapes are distorted, plasticine porters come to life, the sky is made of marmalade. It is a hallucination of an English childhood.

More than any other song on the record, Lucy in the Sky was said to have inspired the hippy movement. But as historian Dominic Sandbrook shows in two recent books on the 1960s, few Britons were touched by flower power, free love and swinging London. The country was getting richer, but two-thirds of people still saw themselves as working class, half lived in housing estates and barely more than a

third owned cars, which is why the man from the motor trade had such spivvy glamour. The soundtracks of South Pacific and The Sound of Music easily outsold any Beatles album.

The '60s, though, would change Britain as they changed other places. But not yet: on Sergeant PepperLennon and McCartney steep themselves in the lower-middle-class world they knew as children. It was a world where an elderly couple might rent a cottage on the Isle of Wight if it's not too dear; where a man woos a working girl by taking tea with her on a sofa, chaperoned by a sister or two. As soon as Harrison finishes philosophising on Within You, Without You, his sitar is chased away by McCartney's clarinet and his homespun, "When I get older, losing my hair …" We've ditched the Maharishi and are back in Maidenhead.

In this way Sergeant Pepper goes against the grain of most pop music. Rock stars are by definition upwardly mobile. At first, they embody the spirit of the streets and town they come from. But as they get famous, they lose that connection. Feted, harassed, living in hotels, they inhabit a surreal world in which only the best retain the ability to make good music.

In 1966 and 1967, Lennon and McCartney, having rarely written about local life, write about it all the time. The drift of Sergeant Pepper is downwards, into domesticity and respectability, but with a hint of something repressed behind it.

EVEN McCartney catches it. Penny Lane is a sepia photograph of settled, decent vanishing England. The nurse sells remembrance poppies, the fireman carries a portrait of the Queen. But as the barber shaves another customer and the banker waits for a trim, "the fireman rushes in, from the pouring rain, very strange". Something is amiss … what is it?

It is English weirdness — born, as always, in the tight conformity of ordinary life. It is Alice reading on the river bank before she goes down the rabbit hole; Mole throwing in his spring cleaning to tunnel up to the river bank and the wide world. It is the hobbit in his home in the Shire before the dwarves and wizard come knocking. It is Tory MPs dressed in women's underwear, and the mother of Sex Pistols guitarist Glen Matlock complaining of the shame of her name being associated with that filthy band: "The girls at the Gas Board are all calling me Mrs Sex Pistol."

During the time of Sergeant Pepper, Lennon was reading The Daily Mail, the sour voice of middle England. The heir to the Guinness fortune had killed himself in a car crash. On the next page was a story about the need to fill 4000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire. "I read the news today, oh boy" — Lennon wrote in A Day in the Life with The Daily Mail open beside him on the piano.

Who knows what the song means? The artist makes images, the audience imagines. Old England is breaking down, the lights have changed. Nobody knows or cares if the dead man is from the House of Lords. The English army wins the war; people turn away. Two years later, Lennon will return his MBE in protest against Britain's support for the Vietnam War.

It is his song, yet the vital middle verse is McCartney's: the alarm clock of his common man shatters Lennon's fantasy. McCartney said the words were a memory of school days. But it might equally be a middle-aged bank clerk, comb dragged across his head to keep his thinning hair in place. Cup, coat, hat … no time to think until he climbs to the bus's top deck and has a smoke "and somebody spoke and I went into a dream".

Is it Afghan hash? More likely a Woodbine. The music soars over the red post boxes and neat, wet streets, but the words are plain: a lonely heart dreams of love. It is McCartney who writes the hesitant, yearning line, in which the riot of the '60s is locked up inside English reserve: "I'd love to turn you on." If A Day in the Life is Lennon and McCartney's greatest song, it is because their competing visions perfectly meshed. They never would again.

In 1969 McCartney married an American, Linda Eastman. But he stayed in England. Even at the age of 64, a bitter divorce with his second wife in train and no sign of the old age by the fireside he once imagined, he retains the chipper goodwill that so endears him to his countryfolk.

Lennon married Yoko Ono and became John Winston Ono Lennon, the middle names catching the ambivalence he felt for his home. Three years later he left it for virtual exile in New York, and would never return, or write about it again. Sergeant Pepper is his last, bittersweet ode to England.

Or maybe not. Maybe it's just a bunch of songs. Whole lives have been wasted trying to divine messages in Beatles songs, playing records backwards and all that. But as Lennon later sang, "here's another clue for you all". In the album artwork the four appear as members of the band and as Madame Tussauds waxworks, frozen figurines, English kitsch. In the inside photo, Lennon has stitched onto his sleeve, mockingly or fondly, the Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom.

James Button is Europe correspondent.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/in-depth/sergeant-peppers-wild-trip/2007/06/01/1180205508929.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap3

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