#a Disney movie inspired by the classics with only ONE good song

[fagbearentertainment]

Idk why but I’ve been obsessed with watching videos of people shitting on the Disney movie Wish and rewriting the songs in it and stuff and like everything I learn about that movie and it’s early concepts makes me wanna cry

[annes-andromeda]

Wish Rewrite

I have this tendency for rewriting material I either don’t like or think had wasted potential. At the time of writing this, Wish hasn’t come out in theaters but I did pirate it as there was an early screening. I also read the junior novelization and bought the concept art book. Needless to say, I was disappointed by what I read/saw.

I feel like Wish could’ve been better. Granted, the story and characters are not terrible, but they certainly leave much to be desired. This is literally Disney’s 100th anniversary, yet it doesn’t really feel like it. Not only that, but the movie felt incredibly rushed. Yeah I know that most Disney movies try have a run time of 90-100+ minutes, but I think a few more minutes could’ve been added to this film.

So, I decided to indulge myself and outline some changes that I think could’ve made the story slightly better. These ideas are by no means perfect, and in the end, this is all in good fun.

Spoilers ahead btw

The main story of Wish is essentially that Asha wants to get a job as Magnifico’s apprentice so that her grandfather’s wish is granted. But Asha finds out about the King’s true nature, and after questioning him, doesn’t get the job, and Magnifico vows to never grant Sabino or Sakina’s wishes.

Asha makes a wish on a star, and the star comes down, Magnifico tries to hunt down the two of them, he uses an evil spell book to create a staff, Magnifico destroys some wishes, Asha gets help from her friends, they sing a song to defeat Magnifico (I ‘wish’ i was joking), Star gives Asha a magic wand, and all is well.

Oh, and Amaya is… there.

It’s nothing complex, pretty cut and dry. And I don’t have a problem with a simple story! But this feels like it’s… missing something.

Firstly, I’d change the title. Disney already has a boat called Wish, and not every movie needs to be one word like Tangled, Frozen, and Brave (amongst others), so the story could be renamed “Asha and the Wishing Star” or “Asha and the Kingdom of Wishes”. Idk, something that evokes a classic fairytale book feel (or that does confuse people with a boat).

((Side note #1: I honestly enjoy that the story started off with a book, as a nod to classic disney movies, especially Snow White. That was cute))

Secondly, and I know I sound like a broken record at this point…

AMAYA👏🏼SHOULDVE👏🏼BEEN👏🏼A👏🏼VILLAIN👏🏼ALONGSIDE👏🏼HER👏🏼HUSBAND👏🏼

The original plan, according to the concept art book, was to have Magnifico and Amaya to be a villain couple who were partners in crime and owned a black sphinx cat named Charo. However for… reasons, the creators took the ‘safe’ route and made Amaya the good one out of the two.

But the problem is, by erasing Amaya’s evilness, the creators of Wish essentially removed any purpose or personality she may have had and thus, she was left to become a literal ‘supporting’ character. First supporting both Magnifico and Asha, then leaving Magnifico to prop up solely Asha.

Deadass, you can literally remove Amaya from the story and nothing would change. Which is probably why she was exempt from much of the promotional stuff minus the dolls. Because she literally serves no purpose but to be… there.

So, in my version of Wish, Amaya would be a co-conspirator to her husband and yes, I’m adding Charo too. Her personality would be inspired by classic female villains such as the Evil Queen from Snow White, Lady Tremaine from Cinderella, and Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.

Vain, glamorous, cunning, and unabashedly evil, Amaya would be the Morticia to Magnifico’s Gomez, the brains to his brawn. She’s the girlboss, he’s the wife instigator. Magnifico spoils Amaya rotten with countless gifts and praises, whilst Amaya is the more calm and collected evil compared to her husband’s ever-growing temper.

While she starts the story with no magic, Magnifico just can’t leave his wife hanging and shares the power of the evil spell-book with Amaya. And yes, even Charo gets in on the fun, turning from a small house cat, to a massive shape-shifting beast who breaths blue fire similarly to a dragon (shut up i think it’d be cool)

Magnifico and Amaya essentially keep the wishes of Rosas locked in the castle as a form of obedience. By giving the citizens false hope, it makes them more dependent on the royal couple, and the two have more power over everyone.

Anyways, let’s get to the main characters: Asha and Star.

I don’t have much of an issue with Asha’s character, more so her design. I already made a post showing my redesign of her, so that’s out of the way. Tbh tho, I also have an issue with the rest of the costume design of Wish, being a big costume nerd myself. The movie’s supposed to take inspiration from the Mediterranean, primarily places such as Spain and Morocco (and the Amazigh people for Asha), but the fashion feels like generic European medieval fashion.

I feel like the whole storyline of Asha’s interview with Magnifico was pretty pointless, so I would have it that she just starts off as the kings apprentice, whilst also working as Amaya’s scullery maid.

The couple took Asha in when the girl lost her father at the age of 12 (according to the film), and she’s been working for them for five years. Asha works not only to support herself, her family, and her community, but also as a way to distract from the grief of losing her father. Which is no issue, as Amaya always bombards the girl with chores, and Magnifico only teaches Asha the most basic of magic for fear of her growing more powerful than him.

I made Asha work as a scullery maid not only as a reference to princesses such as Snow White and Cinderella starting off their respective stories as maids, but also because scullery maids acted as assistants to the kitchen maids. Dahlia works in the kitchen, Asha and Dahlia are best friends, I figured it made sense.

But anyways, on the day of Sabino’s 100th birthday, Sakina tells Asha to take a break and return home, as she hardly visits anymore due to work. Asha says she’ll try asking the king and queen to get off early, but that she can’t make any promises.

Asha meets with Magnifico and asks for the day off, but the king refuses. However, wanting to keep her loyalty, Magnifico finally shows Asha the wish chamber, and even allows her to witness the wish ceremony that night. But once Asha starts questioning the king on his methods, any goodwill between them begins to fade.

Another thing I’m disappointed in, is that originally Star was going to be a shapeshifting humanoid inspired by the Genie and Peter Pan, and may have even had a romance with Asha. But, the idea was scrapped for the more cutesy, ‘marketable’, version of Star.

In my retelling, I’d choose to do this human shapeshifter version of Star, but I’d name him something else. The star Earendel was mentioned in the concept art book, which is the farthest known star from Earth and not only means ‘morning star’ in Old English, but is also named after the Tolkien character, Eärendil.

I would call this shapeshifter Star Earen, and because Disney loves their animal/cute sidekicks, Earen can have the ‘Kirby’ Star as a companion, just like how Asha has Valentino and Magnifico and Amaya have Charo.

((Side #2: Anybody else notice that Star lowkey looks and sounds like Kirby😶))

Earen and Star journey down to Rosas once they hear Asha’s pleas for guidance. Once Asha tells of Magnifico and Amaya’s lies, Earen reveals that he actually met Magnifico decades ago. The amount of years shocks Asha, as she realizes that the King and Queen might be far older than what they are.

((Side note #3: I didn’t realize this till someone mentioned it, but if Sabino is 100 and he gave Magnifico his wish at 18, then he’s been waiting 82 years for his wish to be granted. Which means it’s likely that Magnifico might be immortal. That, or Disney didn’t think this shit through (most likely)))

Anyways, Earen actually attempted to stop Magnifico and Amaya’s ploy to keep the wishes of Rosas locked away, but he was sealed within the heavens until he and Star heard Asha make her wish.

We can have it that the king and queen spun the story so that Earen was made out to be an evil that once threatened Rosas, but Magnifico banished him and saved everyone, essentially making himself out to be the good guy and manipulating the narrative.

Asha and Earen must now work together to expose the lies of the royal couple, and along the way, the two begin to fall in love. Earen disguises himself as a peasant boy so as to remain inconspicuous, while Asha tries to go about her job as if nothing happened, evading the King and Queen’s suspicions.

Star gives Asha a stick infused with stardust once finding out she is, quite literally, the sorcerers apprentice. It is also so that she may defend herself, as Earen has his powers and a sword (similarly to Peter Pan).

Unlike Magnifico, Earen and Star teach Asha the wonders of magic and the potential she wields, showing that there is no need for her to hold back when her gift can help so many, including those she loves.

The three manage to sneak into the kings study, but only have time to retrieve Sabino’s wish and return it to him. However, Magnifico and Amaya, now strengthened by the powers of dark magic, find Asha and Earen and threaten to destroy all the wishes should Earen not surrender to them.

And as a way to ensure that Asha doesn’t foil their plans, Magnifico destroys both Asha and Sakina’s wishes, despite Asha not being eighteen yet. However, the evil magic allows him to do so. This act weakens the two women, and infuriates Earen.

Earen then willingly complies despite Asha’s opposition, and Sabino takes Asha and Sabina to the seven (well six) teens for aid, who are in hiding after Simon ratted them out and who now serves as a puppet to the king and queen.

Despite loosing her wish, Asha finds the strength to carry on through the memory of her late father, enlisting the help of her friends and Star, who managed to evade the royal couple’s grasp. The team must work together to save Earen, whose power will be drained by Magnifico and Amaya. And if such a feat were to happen, then Earen would die and Rosas would be lost.

The five teens go into the woods to distract one of the royals, with the aid of the forest fauna and Star. Amaya chases the group alongside Charo while Magnifico tortures Earen and begins stealing his power. With the help of Dahlia, Asha sneaks into the castle to confront her former mentor and save Earen before it’s too late.

At first, it seems that the heroes have the upper hand with Magnifico neutralized, but then, Amaya swoops in riding Charo, who now takes the form of a giant dragon. Earen transforms into a dragon himself and battles Charo and Amaya, while Asha continues battling Magnifico. Star even comes to help after the original plan fails.

However, the unholy trio have the upper hand, and Amaya strikes down Earen, giving Magnifico enough time to not only drain Earen’s power, but to trap Star within his staff. With their combined powers, Magnifico and Amaya gather all of the peoples wishes, even stealing the wishes of those not yet of age, which includes the teens.

With all the wishes gathered, the couple and their pet destroy all the wishes, taking their energy for themselves.

Asha falls into despair as she watched her friends, love ones, and community succumb to the grief of loosing their wishes. The king and queen force Asha to apologize to the people, mocking her and making her feel even more guilty.

However, Earen comforts Asha despite his weak state, telling her it’s alright and that she shouldn’t be ashamed of wishing on Star, as he brought the two of them together. The two kiss, the strength of their newfound love and hope shining through the darkness and inspiring the people of Rosas to rise up.

As the sky and stars become alive, Magnifico’s staff is destroyed, releasing Star in the process. All the evil magic he, Amaya, and Charo used is sucked out of them and vanquished, and Earen is restored to full vitality.

Think of this as the transformation scene from Princess and the Frog. Asha and Earen get new outfits, with Asha even gaining a crown and a new wand from Star.

((Side Note #4: The “transformation” in the finale of the film is so stupid. Asha could’ve literally gotten a new dress once she becomes a fairy godmother, but instead, Star just made her sparkly. How magical🙄))

Rosas rejoices, as they realize they don’t need the king to make their wishes come true, and they can pursue them themselves. With Magnífico and Amaya banished from Rosas, Asha and Earen become the new rulers, being names Prince and Princess respectively.

And that’s basically how I would’ve done Wish. It’s not perfect, but it’s just an idea. I’m just disappointed that Disney do something better for their 100th anniversary.

[a34trgv2]

Top 10 Best Cartoon Theme Songs

#10. Ben 10 Theme by Moxy (Ben 10): Kicking off our list is the theme for one of the most iconic 2000s cartoons. In addition to perfectly conveying the overall premise of the show, Ben 10's theme does an excellent job pumping up up for the exciting show ahead. With Moxy's hypnotic vocals, lively music, and snappy lyrics, this song feels as out of this world as Ben's aliens.

#9. Danny Phantom Theme by Deric Battise: There's 2 things most people agree online about Danny Phantom: it's Butch Hartman's best show and it's got an awesome theme song. From the iconic opening base line to Deric Battise's informative and catchy rap, this song captures the ecstatic tone of the show while also providing just enough context to the backstory. Of all the songs made by Butch's frequent collaborator, Guy Moon, this is most certainly my favorite.

#8. Atomic Betty Theme by Tajja Isen (Atomic Betty): Atomic Betty wouldn't be on any other best list I make because it's such a badly made show that doesn't do it's premise justice. The one thing it has going for it is its exhilarating theme song. It's upbeat, has clever lyrics, and Tajja Isen has excellent vocals. The theme song makes the show out to be such an action packed space adventure. I just wish the show was as good as the theme song.

#7. Can We Fix It? by Neil Morrissey (Bob the Builder): Bob the Builder is such an optimistic and determined man that it only makes sense that his theme song be optimistic and determined. In addition to giving the main characters a proper introduction, the song also has a great message about working together and a can-do attitude. Neil Morrissey provides excellent vocals and you can hear the passion in his voice as he sings the chorus.

#6. Little Einsteins Theme by Jesse Goldberg, Harrison Chad, Emma Straus, and Philip Trencher (Little Einsteins): Among Playhouse Disney's shows, Little Einsteins stood out by teaching kids about classical art and music. Speaking of the latter, the thene song captures the feeling of exploration and encouraging the audience to come along for the ride. With such a catchy chorus, engaging lyrics, and an orchestral soundtrack, this song gets me to sing along everytime I listen to it. And yes, I do make the revving sound with the kids and it always puts a smile on my face.

#5. Iron Man: Armored Adventures Theme by Rooney (Iron Man: Armored Adventures): At the height of the first Iron Man film's popularity came the animated show by Method Animation. The show might not be as iconic as the movie, but the theme song is exactly Tony's style. It's got an amazing guitar riff, inspiring lyrics, and Rooney's frontman, Robert Schwartzman, goes hard on the chorus. I 100% buy that Tony would not only approve this song, but he'd be the one to commission it to promote his superhero persona.

#4. We Are The Crystal Gems by Estelle, Michelle Dietz, Deedee Mango Hall, and Zach Callison (Steven Universe): It may be on the shorter side for cartoon theme songs, but every second of this song is nothing short of magical. From the ukulele being the main instrument, to the earnesty of the lyrics, this song exemplifies what this show is all about. Steven, the Gems, saving the day, and never giving up.

#3. What's New, Scooby-Doo Theme by Simple Plan (What's New, Scooby-Doo?): This decades long running franchise has had a number of theme songs that fit their respective show. Yet my personal favorite of these has got to be What's New, Scooby-Doo's theme song. With a rockin' guitar riff, clever lyrics, and Simple Plan going hard all the way til the end, this song makes it clear that Scooby and the gang are back and ready for whatever comes next.

#2. Call Me, Beep Me! by Christina Milian (Kim Possible): Nothing gets you more pumped for an epic spy show than with a remarkable and catchy theme song. With catchy lyrics, an excellent bass line, and Christina Milian's owning every verse, this song perfectly introduces Kim Possible and what makes her such a great heroine.

#1. Through My Own Eyes by Aaron Carter and Kayla Hinke (Libery's Kid): When making this list, I knew there was but one song to take the top spot and that was Through My Own Eyes. Not only is this brilliantly sung with the late great Aaron Carter providing an excellent rap, but it also has powerful lyrics that convey hope for a better tomorrow. This song is especially relevant in today's society as we could definitely use some hope and remind ourselves what our founding fathers fought for.

Conclusion: These theme songs really excel at getting me excited for the cartoon. They have such great production values, catchy lyrics, and brilliant vocals, I give them a listen on YouTube all the time. Honorable mentions include Today Is Gonna Be A Great Day by Bowling For Soup (Phineas and Ferb), Rescue Rangers Theme by Jeff Pescetto (Chip n' Dale: Rescue Rangers), SpongeBob SquarePants Theme by Patrick Pinney, and CatDog Theme by Peter Hannan. And that's not even getting into the best anime themes, which will be on their own list. What are your favorite cartoon theme songs? Sound off in the comments and I'll see you next time ;)

[sweetmariihs2]

How AURORA's album "The Gods We Can Touch" fits perfectly The Hunchback Of Notre Dame religious oppression theme —————— ⊹₊ ⋆. ♱ ₊˚ .⊹

I am NOT active in this fandom, but I have some things to say about it that might interest you guys. After this post I will go back to posting about my current fandom as always.

Basically, I watched The Hunchback of Notre Dame for the first time in my life last month because I'm hyperfocused on Disney films, specifically the classic 2D films.

It's a masterpiece, really, I wouldn't add anything to the story, everything it's just *chef's kiss*

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THAT, ONE OF MY FAVORITE SINGERS, AURORA, HAS A WHOLE ALBUM ABOUT RELIGIOUS ABUSE AND NEGLIGENCE, PREJUDICE, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT and I just can't be normal about it

This album is called The Gods We Can Touch.

Yeah the title is pretty clear, while it's still open to interpretation. A huge part of this album is about religion, but also there is a huge part about respect, love and humanity, and she's not only inspired by christianity but also greek mythology. (Aurora says she loves the idea of imperfect gods, because this makes them closer to us, and maybe that's what the title is about. But she also says she sees God in the world around her, the love, the nature, the people, and maybe that's what she can touch. I don't know :/ let's go back to the Hunchback of Notre Dame stuff)

I won't go into detail about this right now, but we all know that there are many (many) people who use faith as an excuse to commit atrocities like Frollo, and this album is about that, I'm not really good at explaining so showing works better for me, some of Aurora's takes are:

The way people use religion to often demonize human behaviors, such as sexuality;

We need to choose between what's right or wrong, there's no in between, which is... questionable;

(Some) People use religion to opress, disrespect and blame anyone who's just living a free life;

And Aurora doesn't like to explain her lyrics, she leaves them up for interpretation. Although their meanings are really clear, I personally see these songs as an ironic criticism of these oppressions, not so much about God himself, but about the people who use his name to oppress. (She's an atheist, so I HIGHLY believe that she's talking about God himself, her lyrics seem to be talking to those people while disguising them as talking to God, and the message is very clear.)

This theme is extremely addressed in the movie, BUT this fandom doesn't know these songs yet. AND THEY NEED TO. IT'S A PITY THEY DON'T KNOW THEM.

Something I HATE is having to watch 'long' videos that I'm not interested in, so if you want to give it a chance but the length of the songs makes you discouraged, just listen to the first 30/40 seconds and decide if you want to watch the rest or not. I know how you feel. I will add videos with lyrics for the songs for people who understand English more easily if they can read the words (like me)

The four songs she really focus on this topic are: Heathens, You Keep Me Crawling, Blood In The Wine and The Devil Is Human.

These songs talk about the same topic but with intensities, explicitness and harshness at different levels. The first song is soft and proposes questioning, the second song talks in a desperate tone about how something that should bring her comfort is just abuse in disguise, the third song portrays revolt and sings the lyrics in a more explicit way, and the last song is harsher, which speaks in a more bold and direct way, like poison.

The song Heathens is soft and makes us question, in a slightly interpretative but still direct way, about what is said to be a sin but is just oppression. How people condemn "sinners" as heathens when everything we come into contact with is considered sin. These lyrics are a little confusing and require interpretation, but it is possible to understand what she meant with them.

You Keep Me Crawling has a double meaning. Both match Frollo really well (lmao). The first is clearer because she says how small and humiliated she feels, begging "on her knees", and this just hurts her — it's not a love relationship, but oppression, "Giving into love should never hurt for me, giving into love should set me free..." But there is also another interpretation, which is that of an abusive relationship, as I said I'm not very good at explanations so it's better for you to read the lyrics (or listen to the song which is a better option). These lyrics really remind me both of Quasimodo and Esmeralda, each one of them with their own situations.

The third song is about the pride of being a "sinner", if being a 'sinner' means being free and loving others. As I said, those lyrics are more explicit and they don't require so many interpretation like the last one. "I was given a name (I'm a human) before I was given blood (before violence), like you were given your faith before there was made a God (you're like this, but not because of your religion, you're evil because that's what you are)" it's pretty clear for me, her word choice and the way she sings these it's simply breathtaking. It's perfect for Esmeralda btw

And finally the song that motivated me to make the post, The Devil Is Human. Again, the title has to do with human beings always being condemned to sin and called pagans, on a level that humanity is so demonized by people, that this title means "our humanity is so hated that we are compared to the devil himself ". "The worst sin we can commit is to give in to what human beings were made to do: love." And again this is where the phrase "proud to be a sinner" comes from, as it is not about true sin, but accepting the judgments placed upon you just because you are... free. (You will be called a sinner if you are part of the LGBTQI+ community for example, even though loving should not be considered a sin. But that's not all, there are more reasons why she says this, such as cultural diversity on the planet and women's independence often result in violence, like the burning of witches, persecution, and more. You know what I'm talking about.)

In this song she sings in a more defiant way, and it seems like she is referring to God, but in fact she is referring to the people who contribute to the culture of hate and intolerance (at least in my interpretation). She's not afraid to be outrageous, bold, tough with her words, and doesn't regret anything she says. Reminds me of Esmeralda's actions and words towards Frollo! She has the same attitude!

This song was previously exclusive to vinyl and later became a single/deluxe. I believe it's because it would be too controversial to be placed on the main album. It would cause revolt and misinterpretations! And she didn't even made an official lyric video to it. That's fanmade.

So basically that's it! I was looking at some reviews of Hunchback Of Notre Dame and this came to my mind, and I hate the fact that people in this fabdom don't know about this wonderful album, as it fits perfectly with some themes in the film.

[monstroso]

literally what makes the aristocats bad. its got nice songs. it has silly characters. it’s got really pretty backgrounds and the old hand-drawn disney animation. it’s inspired by a true story. what’s there to dislike.

(*cough* aside from the racism that permeates most if not all of the old Disney movies but since that’s present in so many of them no special case should to be made against the aristocats for it to be a worse movie because of that shared trait *cough*)

also I hope this didn’t come across as like. confrontational or anything bc it’s not supposed to be. legitimately want to hear your thoughts 👍

No, I love this! I appreciate being asked my thoughts, especially since the good people in the tags have told me loud and clear that I am in the minority on this one.

I will say, I did not expect the poll to have quite the legs it's got on it now. My polls usually only get about 60 votes. If I'd known 4,700 strangers and counting would have an opinion on this, I might have worded it differently. The real reason I didn't include The Aristocats is because I knew it would run away with the thing. Most people consider it a classic, regardless of what my opinions on it actually are. I thought throwing in a cheeky little line about it would be a fun gag for my followers who know I'm a true hater at heart.

Before I even got this ask - and because the overwhelming majority of the tags on the poll are telling me I have no taste - I actually did start rewatching it! Hundreds of strangers on the internet have never been wrong before, right? Part of the problem is I have next to no nostalgia for it. We didn't own the VHS when I was a child, so the only times I ever saw it were when I'd go to a friend's house or borrow it from the library. Maybe my judgement was clouded by not having seen it in a very long time.

First things first: The good stuff. There are parts of this film that rank alongside the best of the Disney classics, and I would be remiss in not mentioning them.

The music, for one, is pretty good. You'd have to be some kind of real Scrooge not to enjoy "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat" of course, but on a rewatch I did find myself grinning through "Thomas O'Malley Cat" as well. This is an easy point in the film's favor though, as I'm an absolute sucker for both big band and jazz. This is great use of your Scatman Crothers and Phil Harris, top points awarded for these two numbers in particular.

The animation is also pretty good. Especially on Edgar and Thomas O'Malley. Your mileage may vary on the Xerox style, but the animation itself is relatively unimpeachable. This was still during the era of the Nine Old Men, so there's all kind of impressive work being done with the big sweeping things like character movement and expression as well as in the more subtle animations like expressions and mouth movement.

The cats are doing all the cat stuff you'd expect like licking their paws and poof'ing their tails, but there's less expected movements here too, like arching their backs when walking alongside things or rolling in the dirt to dry off from the river. This is good character work, but it's also pretty standard for guys like Milt Kahl and Eric Larson. If you're at all interested in animation, I highly encourage you to read more about the Nine Old Men and their history with the studio.

(A big thanks to the tumblr gif artists for gif'ing the parts of this movie that look good so I can spice this post up with some relevant visuals!)

Now, the bad. Like many movies from this era, The Aristocats has something of a pacing problem. While it is necessary to do the work of setting up the conflict in the beginning, you might be surprised to learn that it takes 25 minutes for Thomas O'Malley to show up, which is when the story actually starts.

A huge part of the problem is that this movie suffers from a sort of directionless vignetticism that seems to have been driven only by the idea that it would be cute to see the animals do X, Y, and Z. "Oh wouldn't it be sweet to see the kitten paint?" "Wouldn't it be so adorable if the cat played the piano?" "Ohh, what if the mouse ate a cracker dipped in milk, wouldn't that be darling?" I have a very high tolerance for schmaltz, but The Aristocats is where even I must draw the line.

When the movie isn't being tooth-rottingly sweet, it's frequently boring, and when it's not being either of those things it's showing you another chase scene with the dogs and the butler. It's erratic, tiring, and strains the limits of the modern attention span even at the movie's incredibly sparse runtime. It's a 79 minute film and you feel all 79 of those minutes.

Tonally, much of the movie smacks of the kind of rose-tinted sentimentalism Disney was known (and even criticized at the time) for, but without the guiding hand of the man himself, nearly 5 years gone by this point. The studio was floundering in the wake of Walt's death, and The Aristocats is quite close to the nadir of this particular creative valley - though the distinction arguably goes to Robin Hood, I'm much softer on that film for a number of reasons.

The Aristocats reminds me a lot of Lady & the Tramp, in that it's the same story (down to the aforementioned racist caricatures of Siamese cats), but with cats instead of dogs and with a much less focused sense of purpose, tone, and creative direction. If you like The Aristocats for the music and the beautiful scenery, but you haven't seen Lady & the Tramp, give that one a try instead. The animation is better, the music is about on-par, and it doesn't have as many stupid chase scenes. Or just watch 101 Dalmatians, which outstrips both films on sheer charm alone.

I think I had more I wanted to say, but it was mostly rambling that got away from the point. On rewatch, I don't think this movie is as bad as I remember it being, but I stand by my decision not to include it in the poll.

tl;dr - The Aristocats isn't the worst. If you grew up watching it I totally understand having a soft spot for the music and the atmosphere. In a vacuum, I can't say I think it holds up but ultimately I'm not going to judge anyone for enjoying it. Thanks for the ask!

[synergysilhouette]

Plotting out "Everlasting" (Disney movie)

(Art by wishnutan on deviantart)

Welp, I hadn't planned on doing this before my hiatus started, but I may as well do as many as I can for now. Make sure to check out my summarized post on Part II of the Resurgence Era.

Background--A few years after the success of "Midnight Masquerade," Disney offers several projects to Ron Clements and John Musker. They jump at the chance when offered a story inspired by Pandora's box, having enjoyed exploring Greek culture in "Hercules." Originally, Yorgos Lathinmos was slated to be a director, but instead ended up being the screenwriter, with Disney wanting him due to his recent critical success in Hollywood and his Greek heritage "adding a sense of authenticity." To get in on the remaining hype of "Epic: The Musical," Jorge Rivera-Herrans is brought on to craft the songs. The story was tweaked many times (including contributions from Rick Riordan and Tina Fey, if the rumors are true), with the main concern being cultural accuracy and the proper tone of the film, with some feeling as though the film should be a mature, profound film on good and evil, while others felt like it should be more irreverent and parodying Greek mythology in a way similar to how "Shrek" parodied fairy tales. Eventually Disney was concerned that it was straying "too far" from what would be considered a classic Disney film, and several changes were made, including the protagonist having a love interest (controversial for the reason he was made). With the setting, Disney opts for Ancient Greek-adjacent; the land isn't explicitly called "Greece," but is very Greek-coded with names, architecture, and fashion, albeit not entirely accurate to the Ancient times--basically a step-up from "Hercules" (enough to please the culture it's based on, but still enough wiggle room). The story was originally much lengthier than could fit in a movie, so certain situations had to be cut, conflated with others, or sped through via montage. This included the concept of having seven evils in reference to the seven deadly sins, as seven antagonists was deemed too much for one movie. Also an abandoned concept was a theme of misguided colonialism, with the protagonist seeking to better the world in the way she saw fit and helping to expand her kingdom's empire while trying to eradicate evil. The theme proved too controversial, and the story couldn't find a way to portray it in a way that satisfied a cautious Disney, so it was dropped. And despite the urging from Disney to make the film 3D, the filmmakers push for it to be 2D, so they compromise, opting for a thicker, paint-like 2D art style (check out Lisa Keene's concept art for "Tangled"), and taking influence from Greek sculptures and pottery.

Plot

Once, there was a land that knew nothing of hardship, but one day a plague entered the country that could only be cured by unleashing evil into the world, a concept unheard of at the time. In the years that followed, the once glorious land fell into disarray, and it was not until more centuries had passed that a young woman vowed to rid the world of it's evil by finding the sources and shoving them back into the jar. But on her journey, she begins to question her journey as she contemplates the reason for evil within the world.

Characters

(As usual, this is not a comprehensive list of characters by any stretch of the imagination, but the main players you need to know. The images below would serve as inspiration for the characters' designs and/or personalities)

Pelagia--Almost like she came out of a book of legend, she is a driven hero with a strong sense of justice. The daughter of a magistrate, she was raised to uphold the law above all else, though when she soon ventures to search for the Jar of Despair, she finds that good and evil are subjective, and what is agreeable to her may not be agreeable to everyone else. And thus she must ask herself: is heroism inflexible, Is compassion conditional, and if everyone is capable of great evil, has she made poor decisions in order to bring about the greater good?

Chrysostomos--A flash of hope, the justification of all the wickedness in the world, he is the embodiment of the good that exists in spite of evil. A playful and casual divine creature, he is somewhat oblivious of the plight of mortals, as they exist "beneath a plane of existence" that he has accustomed himself to. However, as he begins to develop schoolboy-like feelings for Pelagia that he can't understand himself, he starts to become involved in her quest to rid the world of evil, even if that means that he himself may cease to exist as a result.

Damiani--The girl (now woman) who started it all. Upon opening the Jar of Despair, she was filled with evil that she never would've encountered otherwise. Her nature went from helping others to harming them, craving the power the jar had to assert dominion over the world, which was all too vulnerable now that it was filled with selfish and destructive desires. The events following her opening the jar left her weak and powerless, but the original evils could help her become more powerful than she ever was. She observes carefully as Pelagia and Chrysostomos collect the original evils, knowing that this will lead them to her, when she can take the power from them and absorb them into her being and bring about her reign of terror.

Songs

The Corroded Age--Long ago, when the world was young, there lived a civilization that knew nothing but kindness and prosperity. For many centuries, they lived in in peace, ignorant of trouble and unhappiness, but one day, an unspeakable plague touched the kingdom. The land was unfamiliar with strife and pain, and a sorcerer was sought out to cleanse the land. Unfortunately, he too soon fell ill to the plague. His daughter, who had joined him on his venture, knew of a jar that was said to hold the cures to all plagues, and sought it out. But she was mistaken, for when she opened the jar, she healed those from the plague, but released countless unspeakable evils into the world, from envy to greed to lust.

Take it to Heart--Palagia's father instructs her on the concepts of right and wrong in the world, though he omits sharing his own personal belief that everything in the world happens for a reason, as he grows concerned that she would simply wait around for things to happen or allow poor situations to befall her without fighting back. As such, Palagia takes her father's rules to heart, seeing the golden age that their country is in and believing that this is something that every land should experience, catapulting her venture into finding the original evils.

Renaissance--Palagia meets Chrysostomos, a divine being an embodiment of the hope within the Jar of Despair. She righteously requests his aid on the quest, which he casually agrees to, though her cause perplexes him, since he fails to understand how she can eradicate all evil in the world, since, as he puts it, "it's seeped into the blood of humans."

You Don't Understand--Damiani and Chrysostomos reflect on how good and evil chase each other in an endless cycle, and how those it affected fail to understand that one cannot exist without the other, at least not anymore; in the Age of Innocence (that soon became derogatorily called the Corroded Age), every thought and action was natural, and now there was no sense of certainty, no sense of simply doing something. Once something good or bad came into the world, it could never be removed.

Everlasting--Chrysostomos, having developed feelings for Palagia, confesses his love to her, which she accepts, to his surprise. That said, they ponder their compatibility due to their views on good and evil and her mortality. Chrysostomos professes that as long as kindness exists, his love for her will persist, and she says she'll love him until the stars fall into the seas at the end of time.

All Good Things--With the Jar of Despair destroyed, there is no longer a way to contain the evils of the world, but Palagia reflects on how her country experienced a period of happiness and success in spite of this, reminding her that evil will never truly engulf the world, and that just like with evil, all good things must come to an end. When Chrysostomos was imprisoned in the jar and it broke, he was nowhere to be found, and she promises to find him, faster than she had found the evils of the world.

Hope you enjoyed this new entry as the Resurgence Era continues! Lemme know if you have any questions

[therosepetalrps]

inspiration  :  what  media  inspired  your  interpretation  of  your  muse  ?  can  be  anything  ;  books  ,  movies  ,  songs  ,  whatever  !

best  friend  :  who  is  their  best  friend  ?  how  do  they  feel  about  them  ?

flower  :  what  would  be  their  favorite  flower  ,  and  why  ?  because  of  what  it  means  in  the  language  of  flowers  ,  or  because  they  just  like  how  it  looks  /  smells  ?

muppet  :  who  would  be  your  muse’s  favorite  muppet(s)  ,  and  why  ?

( all for Maeve! )

»»—— 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 ——««

𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 : what media inspired your interpretation of your muse? can be anything; books, movies, songs, whatever!

The bedrock of Maeve is, without a doubt, classic-era Disney princess films. Predominantly Snow White, but with healthy helpings of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty as well. In my mind's eye, Maeve is eternally cast in soft-focus; a songbird perched on her finger, a daisy chain in her hair, the whole nine yards.

I also find classical waltzes and ballets (especially those with a fairy tale atmosphere) to be very inspiring. 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 playlist and 𝐀𝐋𝐒𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐄 are two of my favorites to pop on while writing. She is the physical embodiment of The Garland Waltz.

And this doesn't really fall under media, but Maeve has a very Tudor look in design and outfitting. Puffed sleeves, French hoods, and so on. I've always imagined Stormlands fashion as being Tudor-inspired. I have no pithy lore reasoning for that — my heart just tells me so.

Other bits and bobs of inspiration; Wendy Darling (a mothering storyteller who clings to childhood fancies), The Princess Bride book & film (highly exaggerated storytelling that is playful, dramatic, and wildly romantic), and The Sound of Music soundtrack (which modern!Maeve would know front to back and back to front).

𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 : who is their best friend? how do they feel about them?

Her younger sister, Aoife.

Maeve is extraordinarily lucky to be in the centre of a very rare Venn diagram; a very large family that is also a lovingly functional one. She has a good relationship with all six of her sisters — particularly the younger ones, as she's always fulfilled a second mother role for them, even when she herself was barely knee-high.

But her and Aoife have always had a special relationship. Only one year apart in age, they were steadfast playmates and confidants nearly from birth.

Aoife is the first person Maeve will share a secret with or the first she teaches a new game she's invented. At feasts, they can be found gossiping and eating food off each other's plates. At balls, they always claim one another's first dance.

Aoife is studious and staunchly disinterested in intimate pursuits, where Maeve is fanciful and a starry-eyed romantic. Their bond isn't born from matching personalities, but from sharing the same temperament — the same heart.

𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑 : what would be their favorite flower, and why? because of what it means in the language of flowers, or because they just like how it looks / smells?

Lavender.

If you asked her purely what the most beautiful flower is, she'd likely say blue sweet peas or pink peonies. But lavender will forever have her heart because of it's smell.

Her perfumes and soaps all have a lavender base. She crumbles the dried buds and tucks them into her pillow case. And, goodness, do not loan her any piece of clothing if you don't want the scent to set into the fabric.

𝐌𝐔𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐓 : who  would  be  your  muse’s  favorite  muppet(s) ,  and  why?

Rowlf — because puppy !!

Robin — because baby !!

And, most of all, Sweetums. I mean, come on. Huge, scary monster who really just wants a hug and a lullaby? Little baby modern!Maeve would adore him.

[pickypickypeak]

thoughts on wish. (spoilers below)

just a nice, harmless, old-fashioned disney movie. not disney's best by far, but far far FAR from bad

animation was good. full stop

the soundtrack. julia michaels is an amazing songwriter and I feel like her style gives this movie soundtrack a very unique vibe among disney classics. maybe she went just a little too pop-ish in some parts that required more broadway styled tunes and lyrics

loved the introduction with the classic disney book

some critic said the disney easter eggs and references were distracting or like,, they were trying to cover up a bad plot with easter eggs for fanservice. well not true lol. I don’t consider bambi’s mom blink and miss cameo as fanservice I consider it childhood trauma coming back. where’s the fanservice in it

people from all over the world coming to rosas. liked that

“welcome to rosas” was okay I just wonder if she does this for any person coming to rosas. like. like it’s a job? she’s getting paid?

asha is a nice character, despite falling a bit under the "adorkable" main girl stereotype. I still feel like she's well characterized, she is stubborn, selfless and will do anything for her family. stan

valentino's not annoying as you'd think

asha's friends are so cool please I love them all so much HOWEVER some of their lines felt a little flat?? they could have been WAY more fun easily I just wish they had more screen time

gabo is wasted potential you can't tell me otherwise

dahlia was literally nerfed you know that

I love that they picked simon to be the depressed one (he’s meant to represent sleepy from seven dwarfs)

bazeema randomly disappearing because she's an introvert she's so right we do that sometimes

I've seen people complaining about disney being politically correct (as always...) for finally making a movie with a classic villain and then making him redeemable, well he's not?? movie ends up bad for him just like with old villains?? this is literally what we’ve been asking for, a villain who is just a villain. king magnifico has motivations of course but still does bad things and gets punishment for that. classic old school disney villain. don’t know what you want

queen amaya, my love whom I owe my life, marry me

“at all costs” listen. this felt a little out of place. that’s because they apparently changed the context to the song. it was supposed to be a love duet between asha and a scrapped human version of star who was like. a jack frost-y character who fell in love with asha. in the final movie, asha and magnifico are singing to the wishes. it still kinda works, but I really wish we got to see the other way round. looks like they really didn’t want to go full classic love story route, but it’s a shame. I’m sure that would have been beautiful and very very disney. the demo version sung by julia michaels and benjamin rice gives you a glimpse of what might have been and it’s just so good, you should really listen to it

actually listen to all the song demos

that one lady screaming in the crowd I forgot her name but shout out to her

asha's family was there

her grandfather turning 100 just like disney and wishing to inspire people and then composing when you wish upon a star after the credits?? so what??? this man is disney???? wtf????? crying

“this wish” bop. next

star’s not annoying as you’d think

the animals were cute john the bear my beloved also the mushrooms please

“I’m a star” actually empowered me okay!!! you know what that squirrel is fucking right we are fucking stars!!!!

“thank you for not eating me john” “you’re welcome bambi” that was wild

breakdancing chickens and it didn’t feel cringe. a miracle perhaps

asha’s friends are so normal about star

simon being sad about making star sad… certified good guy

did I mention I wish we got more of asha’s friends

anyway why does star only grant the animals’ wishes. why do all animals just wish they can talk human

I'm thinking screaming lady's name was sania maybe??

“this is the thanks I get?!” is the perfect song for magnifico. way more in character than “at all costs”

magnifico coming to asha’s house was scary

asha really can swim is she also moana or smth

simon betraying her broke me. never trusting a himbo again

“knowing what I know now” instant bop. please all of them singing together about magnifico being a bastard? queen amaya suddenly entering the room and the music stops and they all just stand there like oh man we fucked up? and then the queen just slams the door and bursts into singing about her husband being a bastard too?? that gave me major chills like yeah girl leave him take me instead

asha and wands: a love story

the bunnies please

“this wish (reprise)” they really defeated the villain with the power of friendship AND by singing this is the most disney movie to ever disney

queen amaya becoming the single queen she deserves to be you go girl (but I'll still have her if she wants me)

simon my man we forgive you you were depressed. it’s not your fault

asha becoming a fairy godmother is actually kind of cool

"oh so you wanna fly? nice. meet peter pan" honey you say it so casually

A BIT SALTY ABOUT THE ENDING. it's not bad but that would have been WAY more emotional if they let us see asha say goodbye to star. especially because they say it's gonna happen soon, so what's the point in not showing us?? asha and star hugging and crying and then star flying up to the sky. asha looking up at the stars, smiling with tears in her eyes and then the camera moves up to the sky and star has become THE star like the one in pinocchio and princess and the frog. all of this with the "this wish" instrumental. that was a perfect way to wrap it!! also oh my gosh imagine asha saying goodbye to star boy!!! ç_ç

the credits with various characters were a nice touch but why on sweet planet earth did they put yokai as a representative of big hero 6

the credits song, "a wish worth making" just... exists. the lyrics though. they hit hard

I really stayed until the end of the credits just to watch 3 seconds of sabino playing music

final verdict: was ALL the hate for this movie deserved? hell no maybe you should just remember you’re a star and relax

[themelancholyhill]

Rules: List 10 comfort shows and then tag 10 people

I was tagged by the lovely @morganathewitch to list my go to comfort shows, but since I don't watch a lot of shows, I'm gonna include movies mainly! I will include either stills from each movie and/or a song from the ost.

1. Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette:

This is easily one of my favorite movies and it's the first thing that comes to my mind if someone asks what my all time favourite movie is. It is visually stunning, the soundtrack is perfection, and Kristen Dunst did an incredible job portraying the young Marie Antoinette!

2. Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes:

This one is a great watch during autumn. Robert Downey Jr, to me, is Sherlock. The soundtrack is also excellent.

3. The Color of Pomegranates (aka Sayat Nova) dir. Sergueï Paradjanov:

How can I not include this visually stunning film?? It tells the life of the medieval Armenian poet Sayat Nova. Paradjanov uses visual means to convey the story which makes it feel like a poem is being painted (if this makes any sense!) I recommend checking this video before or after watching the film.

4. Amelie (or Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain):

This speaks to my inner hopeless romantic. I don't relate to it as strongly as I used to, but it's still a solid and gorgeous film. The story telling is quirky, but in a good and comfy way.

5. One Piece (the Netflix Live Action):

The second I watched half of episode 1, I fell in love with this show. As someone who loves the anime, I was anxious about this version being silly or even, pardon the term, cringey. However, it's like seeing the source material for the first time. The cast, story, costumes, the soundtrack, etc is perfect and it'll always be a definite comfort watch for me.

6. Faust (1926):

I've been watching silent movies a lot this year, and though I enjoyed plenty, this one stands out to me particularly. Despite being made in the 20s, the production is spot on. The visuals and special effects are incredible and it's also a perfect autumn watch!

7. Only Lovers Left Alive:

I adore this movie. I mean 2 vampires who are passionate about music and literature... sign me up! Obviously, there's more to it, but I recommend watching with no clue about it if you're into vampires!

8. The Hunchback of Notre Dame:

I had to include a Disney movie here and this is easily my all time favourite. After reading the novel by Hugo, I have a newly found appreciation for the Disney version.

9. Fantasia (1940):

As a visual person, this one speaks to my soul. It's, not only, the reason why I started appreciating classical music, but I also get inspired by the animation for my watercolor paintings.

10. Peau d'âne:

Last but not least, I've decided to revisit this gem from my childhood, and it still stands the test of time in my humble opinion. It's whimsical and simply camp; I'm actually surprised that no one on the met gala didn't take inspiration from it!

.

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Thank you so much for reading through this list, and I hope that you've discovered new movies, and who knows, some of them might be your new comfort movies 🍂

I tag: @minsulies @elegantwizardsoul @sharkyle @serena-idade @oldsuperstition @dionyrtal @x3xmcx3x @silentcedars @fkhufu @pearleyednomad

[natsubeatsrock]

Top 7 Things I Enjoyed in 2023: Number 6

This year I got to see several musicals and movie musicals. Some of it is genuine interest in a genre I have always loved. Some of it is finally getting to watch classic musicals. Some of it is finally having the means to watch stuff on Broadway. Whatever the case, I'm spoiled for picks about musicals.

Into the Woods? It's amazing, but I saw the inferior Disney version years ago. Can't put it here.

A Little Night Music? As much as I love Send in the Clowns, the rest of the musical wasn't my favorite.

Sweeney Todd? Company? Frogs?

You might not be able to tell, but I'm just listing a bunch of Stephen Sondheim musicals I saw this year. The guy's amazing. But surely, I saw a musical this year I loved without Sondheim.

Yes… kinda.

Number #6 – Tick, Tick… BOOM

The tragic story of Jonathan Larson is well-known in theater circles. He wrote one of the greatest musicals to hit the stage in RENT but wasn't able to see any of its success, dying just before it opened. He never quite got to see what would become of his works.

This semi-biographical movie takes place just before the two musicals he wrote before his big hit. He worked himself ragged to get the Superbia workshop off the ground. It's not just a matter of being stressed. He pushes multiple people close to him away just to get help writing the last song of the musical. Mind you, this is its most important number. 

What happens next? I think you'd better watch it for yourself.

I don't know that we'd get this film if it weren't for a company willing to throw money at an idea that only kind of would make money. The original musical, starring Larson himself, lasted a few weeks in its initial run and has come up occasionally on Off-Broadway now and again. Not many production companies would think this would be as worthy of Oscar buzz as other musicals yet to hit the stage are. Yet the film did garner some buzz during awards season. I guess Netflix is good for something. 

However, special props go to the debut directorial job of Lin-Manuel Miranda. This would be impressive for any director, but for a first crack, this was phenomenal. It helps, of course, that Miranda is no stranger to the musical world. Not to mention, he stared as Larson during a run of the musical Off-Broadway, across Leslie Odom Jr.

"Didn't you mention Sondheim?"

It turns out that Sondheim was a major influence on Larson. Not just in the way that his work inspired Larson. He was a guiding influence on Superbia, including the inclusion of that all-important song. 

Sadly, Sondheim passed away the year this film came out. He was one of the greatest to do it. If the current (and potentially future) Broadway scene is anything to go by, he's been deeply missed.

[isleofair]

For your writing ask!

👄🙌😱🐸

Thank you so much for asking! 🥰💚💚💚

👄 Your OTP are having their first kiss. What song do you imagine is playing?

Oooooh. It's funny, because I've written, like, fifteen first kisses for them at this point, and I had songs to go with pretty much all of those scenes... but if I had to imagine their, uhm, most canonical first kiss, so to speak, I think the song I'd put with it might be Dreams, by The Cranberries.

🙌What's a line or paragraph of yours that you're proud of?

Mh. Today, it's this one, from Three-Step Turn:

Until a figure, familiar, beloved, shoots out of the cloud of smoke and dust, an arrow with a gold-tipped silver head, the fletching of his greatcoat streaked with black soot, but still white as snow underneath.

😱What's your greatest fear as a fanfic writer?

Losing the ability/motivation/inspiration to write and never getting it back again. It's silly, perhaps, because I've only been writing for less than two years (and I'm 41!), but now that I know what it's like, and how good it can be for my mind, for my heart... I don't want to think about a life where I don't have that available to me any more.

🐸 If you incorporated your OTP into a Disney movie plot, which would it be?

Oh, this one's easy, @nicoroni and I play this game all the time: Keith as Hercules, Nathan as Megara, and John as Pegasus! 😂

Or, Nathan as Ariel and Keith as Eric (and John as Max, of course). OR, and this one would maybe get a liiiiiittle complicated on the gender front, but: Nathan as Mulan, Eric as Shang, and, let's be honest, Ryan as Mushu.

They could also totally do classic fairy tale stuff like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty, of course; if they did Beauty and the Beast, though, interestingly, I think Keith would be Belle.

(the ask game)

[ask-artsy-oncie]

It’s really easy to write-off the Disney Renaissance nowadays, since A) it’s been so long since it happened, and B) formulated nostalgia for these films is being forced down our throats so constantly now that we really are encouraged to associate these films purely with childhood (and therefore something either only children can love, or otherwise one can only love through the lens of being nostalgic for their childhood)

But I think that’s a pretty reductive way at looking at these films. So a lot of times I like to go back and watch them from the perspective of the context they premiered in, especially since animation wasn’t seen as a medium specifically for children when the Renaissance started. And even though I don’t always like these films, retrospectively, I can respect them a hell of a lot more than I ever could as a kid.

Specifically, I think about the context through which The Little Mermaid came out a lot. My mother was born in the 60′s and therefore basically grew up during Disney’s dark ages. She would describe to me how impactful this movie was, how it brought the magic back to Disney. That’s a big deal for a company basically known for imparting magic onto the public, like this movie is one credited with starting the Renaissance.

And I’m able to look at it like. Sure, it’s not much, now. It’s undoubtedly beautiful for the most part, but rather basic, and even kind of visually flat at times. The writing isn’t the most inventive thing, and the songs have been so played to death that I don’t find myself listening to the soundtrack outside of when Mama’s playing it in her car. It’s not a bad movie, it’s just a basic one, given the entire rest of the Renaissance to compare it to.

But looking at it from the point of view of someone who had barely a pinch of movies that could be described as true “Disney Classics” between the death of Walt and the release of The Little Mermaid... Yeah. This shit would have blown my tits clean off if I still had them. With the amount of thought and effort that went into the presentation of this movie, despite the fact that it was as much of a gamble as it was, I genuinely think this movie can be called brave despite how basic it is. Because you can see how much care was put into it, how it compares to the Dark Ages - which weren’t bad, and which I don’t actually dislike (and neither does Mama), but don’t carry quite the same level of ambitious presentation. It’s awe-inspiring with that context in mind.

I don’t really know where, exactly, I’m going with this. Just, I dunno, go pirate a Disney Renaissance movie, or preferably try to get an early DVD release second-hand, because as far as I can tell, most piracy sites use the Blu-Ray rips that may have changes from the original theatrical/early home video releases. Buy a VHS or a laserdisc if you have the means to play one, just for the love of god, don’t subscribe to Disney+ just to watch these movies, since it’s not even the best way to watch them (they’re also Blu-Ray rips).

But anyways, do watch these movies, and try to consider them through the context of which they were released. I even think looking up the theatrical posters is a good idea if you haven’t actually seen them, yet. They were genuinely trying to hook general audiences, not just children, with these movies. They’re worth revisiting, and hopefully gaining a round of newfound respect.

[asp1990]

Day 9: Wednesday January 8th, 2025 [Disney Sea]

Breakfast: pesto pizza sub & a crap coffee

Lunch: spiced chicken, rice & a Mickey dessert

Dinner: Cup noodles & a juice box

Steps: 16, 175

We planned to get to DisneySea at 7:30am this morning but I woke up so tired that I took longer to get up and we ended up arriving at 8:30am instead. The queues were more condensed and had less structure than Disneyland so we still spent over an hour waiting outside the park to get through security and ticketing which was super boring. Once inside the park there were people everywhere on their phones trying to obtain priority passes to the newly opened “Fantasy Springs” where the Tangled & Frozen rides were. Morgan was able to nab one for the Tangled ride for us at 5:30pm.

I hadn’t really done much research on the park so was surprised to see that it was Mediterranean themed - it looked like we’d walked into medieval Spain. It was beautiful, but isn’t feel very Disney-like. We bee-lined for a restaurant to get some food where we had yet another awful coffee and a pizza sub. We were both hoping the shitty caffeine would boost our energy levels.

We had a walk around the park and explored a pirate ship & castle. The castle had heaps of Da Vinci-inspired machines and observatories which were pretty cool. After that we watched the New Year Welcome in the Marina which consisted of 1 ferry of characters. A bit underwhelming. We were on the wrong side of the marina and couldn’t really see them properly.

We lined up to go on the Toy Story ride and were queueing from 11:45am until 1:25pm. We were both bored and irritable. The queue was boring and slow moving. There was nothing to do except stand and waste phone battery trying to get passes for other rides. Even Morgan was getting grouchy and he never gets grouchy! Once we actually got on the ride it was a fun point-and-shoot style game with 3D glasses and string-pull guns. It was great to actually be doing something!

After the ride we walked around the marina to have lunch at Horizon Bay, which was in the 20,000 Leagues area (Morgan called it the “100 fathoms below” ride when he couldn’t remember the name hahahaha). Our meals were great and we enjoyed a glass of wine and a dessert. At this point I was getting sick of instrumental covers of Disney songs in my ears at all times.

Instead of lining up for another 2 hours, we decided to just walk around the park and explore. We found Ariel’s underwater mermaid cove, which was incredible to look at but mostly designed as a play area for kids. We then went into Aladdin’s area that was gigantic - almost the size of the whole of Agrabah, the city in the movie. We lined up to see ‘Genie’s 3D experience’ and it was average. The technology would have been excellent about 10 years ago but has not aged well in comparison to what else was happening in the park.

Finally the sun was starting to set and it was time for us to head to Fantasy Springs. Morgan had managed to score us tickets to the Frozen ride as well, so we’d nabbed priority access from 2/4 of the new, popular rides. The kingdom from Frozen, Arandelle, was recreated beautifully in this section of the park and they had a functioning replica of the tavern ‘The Snuggly Duckling’. The Tangled ride looked beautiful, especially the lantern scene at the end, but it only lasted for 2-3 minutes. Way too short! It was a classic water-based ride where you cruise through scenes from the story. The Frozen ride was the same style but MUCH better. The story, animatronics and design were incredible and there were a few tiny rollercoaster-esque parts that added a bit of extra joy. We were so glad to have scored tickets to this as it was the first good ride we’d been on all day!

The sun had gone down completely when we exited the Frozen ride and the park went to a whole new level. Everything was lit within an inch of its life and it looked incredible. We walked back through the whole park to see how things were lit up and Morgan bought a turkey leg to gnaw on haha. There was a huge cruise liner as one of the attractions that looked like the Titanic that we went to look at but the interior was ‘closed for improvements’ so we just looked on the main deck. After that we were just passing time until the 7:30pm water parade, and it was freezing, so we went into one of the restaurants and had a glass of wine and a churro.

We didn’t have high hopes for the water parade after seeing the one-boat show at 11am, but let me tell you. They must save all the boat fuel for this show because it was a full on spectacular! There were projections on the surrounding buildings, lights being shone onto the water from erected lighting rigs and a huge multimedia tower had appeared in the middle of the arena since we’d seen it last. About 10 multi-story boat/floats paraded around in the water with screens on them that played videos from the movie the character on top was from. The music blared, the projections were every-changing and extra cast members were zooming about on jet skis. It was absolutely mind blowing. We had an amazing time just standing and watching.

We left straight after the show and got the train back to Bayside station where our hotel was. Morgan had a bath once we were in our rooms and I was so exhausted that I forced myself to eat cup noodles before going straight to bed at 9:30pm. Two days of Disney has been delightful, but terribly tiring. In my opinion Disneyland is much better than Disney Sea. Disney Sea is not as well-themed as the original park and the introduction of monetised priority passes has really changed how people are able to enjoy their time. The wait times for rides were excessive and everything felt rushed or incredibly tedious. Disneyland has a much more relaxed vibe and I think there is more to do so the queues aren’t as overwhelming. The cast of characters at Disneyland also feels more like what I want the park to look and feel like. I had an incredible time at Disneyland.

We had a lot of moving over the next few days, which is making me a bit anxious, but I’m sure we’ll be fine.

[pushovermediacritic]

Fantasia Short Rankings

Here's my ranking of all the shorts in both Fantasia and Fantasia 2000, from best to worst. And I apologize, but I will be ranking these almost entirely based on the animation and how the music pairs with it. The songs are classical pieces, so there's no reason to rate one higher or lower based on just how much I like the song itself, it's not like Disney made them.

Firebird Suite (forest sprite vs volcano bird). Absurdly gorgeous animation, cute character dynamics despite only having 3 characters, and a really nice character arc of curiosity, fear, trauma, hope, and rebirth that perfectly demonstrates a real scientific phenomenon (life springing back after an eruption) is a beautiful manner.

Rhapsody in Blue (people in city). I love this short. It probably has the best music-to-animation synching out of any Fantasia short. This is one of the few Fantasia shorts where I can't imagine the song without this animation put to it. The animation style is fantastic, the four interweaving stories are great, and the overall tone is sympathetic and fun. My only gripe is John's wife getting way too harsh of an ending.

Pomp and Circumstance (Donald Duck Noah's Ark). The classic Noah's ark story with a different classic "two lovers separate and think the other's dead, just barely missing each other constantly" comedic set-up. I think this short is great, with gorgeous animal animation and great comedic timing. I think this short is better than The Sorcerer's Apprentice, though just by a hair.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Mickey the magic novice). I think Mickey's short is the best of the original Fantasia, but it doesn't hit the same highs of 2000. It has a really fun story, with lots of extremely iconic scenes and segments. There's a reason it's the only short that got remade into a full movie and even included in 2000.

Pines of Rome (flying whales). As nonsensical as they are, I like the flying whales, I'm a defender of this one. The CGI works better here than in The Steadfast Tin Soldier, and the use of light, ice refraction, and water is really pretty. And I don't mind the simple story, with the baby whale getting separated from its parents. The final sequence is beautiful.

Dance of the Hours (ballet of ostriches, hippos, elephants, and alligators). It's always funny to me that this is one of the more iconic Fantasia shorts. After Yen Sid and Chernabog, Hyacinch Hippo seems to be the most iconic Fantasia-original character. This is also one of the few genuinely hilarious Fantasia shorts. Even if half the jokes are fat jokes, they're usually fat jokes on the alligators being out of their depth as predators trying to hunt hippos and elephants, not on the hippos and elephants, who are as nimble and graceful as ballerinas should be. And the dancing is really creative and energetic.

Symphony No. 5 (light butterflies vs dark bats). Pretty basic "good vs evil" story, with abstract shapes to introduce the animation to music concept, similar to Toccata and Fugue in the original Fantasia. Except this short is much better than Toccata and Fugue because it actually has characters and a plot.

Night on Bald Mountain (demons and monks). As cool as the demons are, the entire second half with the monks really drags it down. That's probably just a me thing, though. As a Jew, anything Christian is just super annoying. I totally understand other people rating it much higher.

The Rite of Spring (dinosaurs). I liked this one as a kid, but nowadays, the inaccuracies in the dinosaur portrayals are too infuriating to ignore. The beginning with the world forming was longer than I remember, and the water animation here is really nice.

Piano Concerto No. 2, Allegro, Opus 102 (The Steadfast Tin Soldier). Well, it sure is "Disney's 'The Steadfast Tin Soldier'", complete with a changed happy ending. Obviously it was inspired by Toy Story, but it doesn't really get across the same feeling. Not bad, just kind of mediocre.

The Nutcracker Suite. (flora, fauna, and fairies dance the changing of the seasons). This short always reminds me of Little April Showers from Bambi. Would rank better, except there's quite a bit of racism. Between the Chinese mushrooms, Arabian fish, and Russian flowers, literally half the short (3/6 segments) is stereotypes. Not sure why Disney isn't more ashamed of this short, since they censored The Pastoral Symphony.

The Pastoral Symphony (greek centaur party). Racism issue. Even in the censored version, there's still some racism left like the black zebra centaurs who carry Bacchus in and then don't get to participate in the party. The story is also lame and doesn't really amount to anything. They were gonna have a match-making centaur party, but then Zeus crashed it. That's it.

The Carnival of the Animals, Finale (flamingo with a yo-yo). Cute, but really underwhelming. Decent music synch, but it's just forgettable. Doesn't help that the flamingo is actually annoying to the audience.

Meet the Soundtrack (a white line). Boring. More interesting and humorous than Toccata and Fugue, but still lame.

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (abstract lines and shapes). The first short of the first Fantasia sucks. I thought it was boring as a kid, I think it's boring now. I guess it's okay as an introduction to the concept, but I don't really think "animation set to music" was such a revolutionary idea that it needed an introduction, even in 1940.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (Reprise). Sorry, but I legitimately hate that they just repeated Mickey's short again in Fantasia 2000, with no changes. Complete waste of time.

[gamer2002]

>victim blaming

Stop throwing random phrases from the tumblr list of things to say during an internet argument

>he smashed wishes

Most after him getting corrupted by an evil book (another thing that did not happen to classic villains, which exists to justify the queen's marriage despite his third act actions). That one he did before was the worst thing he has done on his own, but that still is not an eternal imprisonment material. They are pretty much suggesting that he is going to end up to be the Evil Queen's magic mirror.

I don't argue he doesn't become a villain. He does, due to the lacking nuance writing that had no idea what to do with his initial characterization, so it just dropped everything that was interesting about it.

But the movie has established the existence of bandits capable of destroying entire kingdoms out of greed. It does establish a more vile evil than the main villain (another thing that does not happen in classic villain movies), who even at his absolute possessed worst does cause plenty of suffering but not mass killings. Had the bandits got Magnifico's powers, there would be no humans left in the kingdom to create new wishes to defeat them.

Despite that the story does acknowledge existence of not so wonderful people, Asha operates on the logic that all her fellow citizens are only good people who only want to inspire good with their songs, or to have a harmless big chicken to hug. That people, remembering their unfulfilled wishes, wouldn't harbor resentment towards winners of the wishing lottery.

Classic fairy tales Disney stories operated on the clear contrast between good and evil. There was nothing ever beneficial or even gray from the actions of Jafar, Scar, nor Maleficent. Snow White and Sleeping Beauty had pure heroes. The interesting heroes like Aladdin and Simba were bit flawed and wanted similar things to what their villains wanted. Their stories were about learning not to grow into what they fought against.

Here, Asha operates as a pure hero in a pure world with just her villain being bad, but that is not the case. She needs to learn nothing, only to gain validation for her correctness. Her villain is wrong for insisting that anything bad can happen from returning the taken wishes, and the movie expects from you to just not think about it, despite already telling you that people can burn down an entire kingdom out of greed and resentment.

I repeat what I've said in the linked post. They wanted to eat a cake and to have it. They wrote into the story things that do not work together. Had Magnifico been from the start secretly eating thousands wishes to fulfill one and stay in power, THEN it would be clear why hoarding wishes was evil and the conflict had to be escalated in order to stop it. But he couldn't do that because they didn't want the queen to be either evil or stupid. So, the conflict was escalated to stop a more morally ambiguous thing you can argue in favor. And while you can write such a conflict, you cannot ignore already established in your story threats and expect from the viewer to not see why the villain can have a valid reason to do what they were doing. You have to address them.

But I get why tumblr activists would like it the way it is.

The moral of the story is that, regarding the people who did a good job, you should tearn them down for their flaws and take their positions.

[prettyprince00]

♡ FILMS FOR FAUNLET FASHION INSPO ♡

~~Got bored so compiled this (pretty extensive) list of film references for faunlet style and aesthetics, might be helpful for anyone looking to delve into and develop their style. Don't take this as some kind of gospel, it's just a bunch of movies and shows that I think can be useful reference points. My personal style and taste for example is a huge mix and amalgalm of stuff I see, from movie characters to paintings, books, comics, cartoons, music videos, haute couture collections, K- and J-idols, BJD dolls, even elements and staples from female fashion that I kind of genderflip or just outright mix into and merge with my own "masculine"/boyish/whatever faunlet fits. I think the secret to finding your style is to never limit yourself & always be creative (& clever ofc)! ♡

Feel free to suggest and tell me some of your personal films/shows that inspire you the most. I'm sure I forgot some stuff >.> Hope this helps somewhat lolol

WARNING: A LOT OF THESE HAVE MATURE THEMES AND +18 STUFF, SO DO RESEARCH BEFORE WATCHING AND PROCEED AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION, CAUTION & RESPONSIBILITY!

I. Academia/Schoolboy/Old Money/Preppy/Classic Faunlet Vibes

Les Amitiés particulières by Jean Delannoy

A Series of Unfortunate Events (Film and show)

Both versions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Lord of the Flies (both versions tbh)

The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe by Andrew Adamson

Kaze to ki no Uta + Natsu e no Tobira (Honestly most shounen ai anime especially from the 80s/90s)

CLAMP Gakuen Tanteidan

Kuroshitsuji i.e. Black Butler (probably the most famous ouji aka male lolita-influenced anime out there)

Ouran High School Host Club

Cardcaptor Sakura (Li's fits especially but also Touya's and Yukito's)

The Long Day Closes + The Neon Bible, by Terence Davies

If... by Lindsay Anderson

The Butcher Boy by Neil Jordan

Tea and Sympathy by Vincent Minnelli

Purple Noon by René Clément

Sleepers by Barry Levinson

The Basketball Diaries by Scott Kalvert

School Ties by Robert Mandel

The Dangerous Lives of the Altar Boys by Peter Care

Blue Spring by Toshiaki Toyoda

Death in Venice by Luchino Visconti

East of Eden (also Splendor in the Grass I guess?) by Elia Kazan

Lacombe Lucien (+ Au Revoir Les Enfants) by Louis Malle

Bad Education by Pedro Almodóvar

The Ice Storm by Ang Lee

La Luna + The Dreamers by Bernardo Bertolucci

Teorema by PP Pasolini (also Saló tbh bt I feel kinda weird recommending that lmfao even though it's a pretty well-established masterpiece & one of my favs)

Total Eclipse by Agnieszka Holland (teenage Arthur Rimbaud is a core faunler reference tbh, strange that I don't see him brought up more, though he's been a queer/twink culture icon for ages so yeah)

Les roseaux sauvages by André Téchiné

Call Me by Your Name by Luca Guadagnino

Deep Red by Dario Argento (only for the flashback Xmas scenes with the creepy little boy in knee-highs and Mary Janes tbh lol)

The Omen by Richard Donner

The Good Son by Joseph Ruben

Pinnocchio (OG Disney animation) (you could make a double feature with A.I. Artificial Intelligence by Spielberg/Kubrick too)

Les 400 coups by François Truffaut

L'enfance nue by Maurice Pialat

A Single Man by Tom Ford

Looking for Langston by Isaac Julien

Sacré College, Garçons d'Etage, Scouts and Gamins de Paris by JD Cadinot (WARNING: Cadinot's films are basically erotica/arthouse vintage gay p*rn so obviously 18+!!!!!)

II. More Contemporary/Gas Station/Trashy/Greaser/Hustler/Catalet Faunlet Vibes

My Own Private Idaho (also Mala Noche and Elephant) by Gus Van Sant

Slight Fever of a 20-Year-Old + Like Grains of Sand by Ryosuke Hashiguchi

Mysterious Skin + Totally Fucked Up + Nowhere by Gregg Araki

Hustler White by Bruce LaBruce (+18)

Rebel Without a Cause by Nicholas Ray

Cry Baby + Polyester by John Waters

Pretty much any juvenile delinquent teensploitation 40s/50s Old Hollywood flick tbh

The Outsiders by FF Coppola

A Cruel Story of Youth + Sing a Song of Sex by Nagisa Oshima

Most of Edward Furlong and Vicent Kartheiser's 90s filmography (Pet Semetary 2, Brainscan, Little Odessa for Furlong; Heaven Sent, Another Day in Paradise, Masterminds for Vincent)

River's Edge by Tim Hunter

Young Soul Rebels by Isaac Julien

Sleepaway Camp by Robert Hiltzik

Le Diable Probablement by Robert Bresson

Permanent Green Light  + Like Cattle Towards Glow (+18) by Zac Farley & Dennis Cooper

Pauline à la Plage by Eric Rohmer

The Smell of Us + Ken Park by Larry Clark

Flesh by Paul Morrissey

Lonesome Cowboys by Andy Warhol

Cruising by William Friedkin

Un couteau dans le cœur by Yann Gonzalez (though most of the male fashion in this is just ripping off Friedkin's Cruising and Cadinot films like Aime... comme Minet, Deuxième Sous-sol and Les Minets Sauvages so you could just watch those instead I guess lol)

Equation à un Inconnu by Francis Savel (erotica/+18)

Rebels of the Neon God by Tsai Ming Liang

Fireworks + Scorpio Rising by Kenneth Anger

Dope by Rick Famuyiwa

Cooley High by Michael Schultz

The Inkwell by Matty Rich

Red Hook Summer by Spike Lee

George Washington by David Gordon Green

American Graffiti by George Lucas and Bill Norton

All About Lily Chou-Chou by Shunji Iwai

Stand by Me by Rob Reiner

The Mudge Boy by Michael Burke

US Go Home by Claire Denis

Gummo by Harmony Korine

L.I.E. by Michael Cuesta

Palo Alto by Gia Coppola

Spetters by Paul Verhoeven

Fox and His Friends by RW Fassbinder

The Pit by Lew Lehman

O Fantasma by João Pedro Rodrigues

The Delta by Ira Sachs

What Have I Done to Deserve This + Law of Desire by Pedro Almodovar

The Partridge Family sitcom tbh lol, also the 70s era of the Mickey Mouse Club, pretty much any 70s media featuring male idols of the time like David Cassidy, Leif Garrett etc

Dazed and Confused by Richard Linklater

The Lost Boys by Joel Schumacher

Y Tu Mamá Tambièn by Alfonso Cuarón

Summer 85 by François Ozon

Les Chansons d'Amour + La Belle Personne by Christophe Honoré

Body Without Soul + Not Angels But Angels by Wiktor Grodecki (personally rly dislike the weird Christian melodramatic & imo exploitative direction of these documentaries bt the boys who are interviewed do the best they can to salvage it -- quintessential East European 90s cityboy looks)

III. Fantasy/Glam/Mystical/Sacred/Ancient/Historical Faunlet Vibes

Pink Narcissus by James Bidgood

Caravaggio + Sebastiane by Derek Jarman

Peter Pan (any version tbh)

Fantasia (1940 Disney classic)

Tabou by Nagisa Oshima

Poison + Velvet Goldmine by Todd Haynes

Party Monster by Fenton Bailey

Satyricon by Federico Fellini

Der Rosenkönig by Werner Schroeter

The Blood of a Poet by Jean Cocteau