#how to hear classical music

[english-history-trip]

Just opened Northanger Abbey for the first time, and I'm loving the tone it sets, but goddamn:

"[Catherine's father was] a very respectable man, though his name was Richard..."

[begun-to-blur]

what is it about hannibal that gets such a death grip over all of us... like yes i adore the show, yes every time i watch it i notice something new, yes there's a million beautiful interpretations ... but that doesn't really explain why it comes up in my mind multiple times daily. everything can and will be a hannibal reference.

[brunhielda]

Because this is becoming THAT blog-

The one where I review old movies we all have already seen, but I personally, have not seen for years until recently.

I just watched “An American Tale.”

If you were a child of the 90s, you just thought- “There are No Cats in America 🎶? THAT American Tale?”

Yes.

If you had that thought, you likely already know. If you have not had the absolute joy- buckle up. I am going to rant about a classic.

First of all- This is Don Bluth.

His movies do not get worse with age.

They get BETTER.

And American Tale is example number ONE.

No, it is not fond memories or nostalgia glasses, you can breath, and then go treat yourself to a viewing.

Secondly- the man did not dumb down or sanitize his history.

He said “I’m going to tell the immigrant story” and then opened with a fucking ethnic cleansing.

I said what I said.

The movie is set in the early Russian Empire, a time full of anti-Semitic sentiment and enforced laws, also seen in “Fiddler on the Roof.” Fiddler on the roof might actually be tamer on the subject.

Every other historical note in this movie is on point and easy enough to look up in a history book, if you have the common sense to realize that names have been altered.

The Statue of Liberty was not built by a pigeon, for example. It was built by a Frenchman. (Frederic Auguste Bartholdi).

I don’t know of an “honest John,” but I did guffaw out loud when he started taking names of the dead at funerals to add to his vote count. Ghost votes were very real, one of the reasons people are still so twitchy about voter fraud today.

I do not recall a moment in 1886 when the minorities of New York managed to run off prominate members of authority… but with how on point everything else is? It would not shock me.

Thirdly- Bluth DID NOT FLINCH

I don’t remember who said it first, but both Bluth and Spielberg had a belief that you could put very sad and scary things in children’s films, as long as the ending was happy.

This movie has multiple nightmare moments. Cats, monster waves, more cats, bugs and fish, and of course, the horrifying “Mouse of Minsk” (iykyk).

The thing is, it’s not even how they are drawn. Like, yes, the image is scary, but it’s the storytelling around it. It’s the lighting change. The soundtrack. The horrific sound effects. Seriously- whoever did foley on this film deserves all the awards- you make me scared of the kitty kats, and I LOVE cats. 🐈

Some people will question whether or not it is appropriate for small children. I would say maybe wait until they are six, and watch it with them, but they should watch scary things if they can. Being scared in appropriately safe space teaches you how to react to fear and handle moments when you are scared in real life. It is my major argument for Halloween. But each parent has to do as they think is best for each individual child. In any case, watch this one first before showing it to your kids- definitely more scary than you remember.

Finally- the animation on this film is a national treasure. I honestly hope this film is in the Library of Congress collection.

There are animation techniques here that don’t exist anymore.

Sparks. Sparkles. Glimmers. Stars in the Night Sky. Smoke billows.

Actually, I almost paused the film on a smoke billow. Sony is doing some things in the recent “Spiderverse” trilogy that are insane- and part of it is their mixed animation.

All the smoke billows? Hand drawn.

They look the same as Bluth’s smoke in this film, which is making me wonder if one of their artists studied under him. Maybe not- maybe they just did their homework on good hand drawn cloud formations. Either way, realizing how close they got to the master work in this film made me appreciate them even more.

Speaking of insane animation-

I don’t know WHO Bluth felt he had to show off to, but this man could DRAW WATER and he fucking knew it.

Like water is hard to do, ok? Like hands, Da Vinci had notebooks full of sketches of the substance, proving it to be the bane of the artistic existence.

Most water in hand drawn animation comes in two forms-

Flat water color with pretty things floating in it to distract you-

Or drawn over a live video of water that they spliced into the image.

Even that was hard to do, and they used a technology no longer available to us. It looks pretty cool honestly.

But no, not DON fucking BLUTH.

Not only can this man hand draw water without the underlying video, but he draws it moving in multiple different ways. He shows it from the top, side, and sinking underneath (with moving bubbles and shifting light, no flat blue for him).

He turns it into a NIGHTMARE FUEL WAVE MONSTER.

He ADDS it to SCENES it DIDNT HAVE TO BE IN!

The more I watched this film, the more I realized that if Milt Kahl had the head swaggle, Don Bluth had water, and by God was he going to use it.

He wrote plots AROUND the idea of water, so he could showcase it in every scene. “Rock-a-doodle,” and “Pebble and the Penguin” come to mind. “Anastasia,” “Thumbelina” and “All Dogs Go to Heaven” all feature action scenes in water. Heck- the one in “All Dogs Go To Heaven” came out of no where, and makes so much more sense if it was just Bluth wanting to show off.

“An American Tale” had the travel by boat sequence and our main hero being thrown over board. He could have left it there. NOPE. There were puddles and sewers and fire hoses and action scenes at the docks.

And the few scenes without water? Let’s throw some scary sparks in there. Maybe some smoke billowing. For funzies.

Also- we’re going to have a Love Song with the most incredible Night Sky you have ever seen and a Comedic song featuring fun house mirror distorted reflections because WHY NOT???

I think he was trying to make sure Disney regretted him leaving, the way you dress up when you know your toxic ex will be there, and I love that for him. 🩷

Also- the backgrounds are all beautiful water color. I love a good water color.

Also- yeah, the sound track holds up. The songs are just as catchy as they ever were- if you have ever seen this movie you WILL find yourself singing along.

As previously mentioned, when it comes to the scary parts, the composer UNDERSTOOD THE ASSIGNMENT and the music easily fits into a good horror film.

And finally- the music at the finale when everything is made right, and the happy ending is finally here, is the most heart breaking thing you will ever hear. You will cry. Watch the movie, but bring the tissues. 🤧

This movie is definitely worth a watch.

This movie is more than worth a watch, it should be mandatory for elementary history and college animation classes alike.

But also it’s just fun. 🤩

[jooyeone]

xdinary heroes truly are the most criminally underrated group right now huh.

[musicrunsthroughmysoul]

Fanny performing their song "The First Time" live on the TV show aired via PBS, The Session, in 1972.

[ammyamarant]

Anytime I see a character who likes classical or performs classical music hating rock/metal, or vice versa, I laugh because all of the above genres have more in common than you think. "Opera singer/classical composer listens to metal and likes it" is a big reaction genre for this reason, and seriously, they spend a lot of time comparing what the song has to classical compositions and it's a lot.

[monotonous-minutia]

Waiting in the doctor's office (routine checkup) and they're playing an instrumental version of Musetta's Waltz on the intercom

[istherewifiinhell]

Fascinating fascinating looking at like. 40-60s era jazzy croony music and like. How it links to nostalgia and how that links with war and colonialism. Like who writes the song who performs them what are they refering to. But then who hears them who takes them to other countries what does it get used as nostalgia FOR.

[lavelans]

veilguard’s composers are likely hans zimmer and lorne balfe but i’m really hoping we’ll still get bangers like the entire trespasser soundtrack

[caterjunes]

amps were a mistake

[bbeelzemon]

okay first of all was anyone going to tell me that ac/dc is an australian band. and second of all was anyone else going to tell me that they're apparently colloquially referred to as "acca dacca" in australia

[strxnged]

hear me out

[doctorwhoisadhd]

there's a certain quality the harmonies of like... early to mid 2000s alt rock has. which i am obsessed with... like i wanna do that. i NEED to figure out how to write harmonies that sound like that

[cptnbeefheart]

gonna sound stupid for a moment let me have this ive been listening to the clash i never got into them really despite having a huge punk and hardcore phase and as a result a phase of like the bands that inspired them. like OG punks New york dolls ramones and later sex pistols who are more punk sounding comparatively (even tho johnny rotten wouldnt agree. he sucks i dont want to agreee with him). early white kid ska punk Op Ivy and then thatd lead me to minor threat black flag fugazi then like post punk emo stuff that kinda stuff ANYWAY what im saying the clash is right up my alley and i jusr kinda skipped over them so im going back and what i think is so cool about art is releasing stuff that is derivative of what YOU enjoy but it has your own flare to it (consciously or not, through the lens of a different time than your influence was released and with the considerations and influences of pop/counter cultural etc) and even if its not successful now it may speak to people in yhe future who expand upon the sounds or ideas of your work and from there it becomes a genre with a name. like the clash was british punk rock OGs but their music kinda sounds like ska. which wasnt really a popular genre with a name back then it only became so because bands like Op Ivy (and other cool ones) were influenced by the clash anD MORE. ska & the clash are just an example i thjnk its cool with a lot of genres anyway it reminds me of when you used to have a really good socratic where everyone contributed their little thoughts and then the whole group walked away with a much larger fleshed out thesis i just think its so lovely we’re all sharing

[kavaleyre]

if they didn’t want me to fall madly in love with BOTH Raoul and the Phantom they shouldn’t have had the Phantom’s first real singing part been him belting “Insolent boy, this slave of fashion”

there’s just something about the angry perversion of the soft “Angel of Music” melody and the power behind the phantom’s voice that shows how dangerous this ‘Angel’ really is. his introduction— filled with beautiful music and absolute rage and jealousy— just absolutely overtakes you.

and then when it’s mixed with the degradation of Raoul as a suitor for Christine and a man in general… the phantom isn’t entirely WRONG, of course. Raoul does very much seem to know how to get along in “proper” society. but he is also willing to die for Christine at the end of the show, so he isn’t as frivolous as the phantom wants to believe either.

it’s such a good character introduction for both of them and it just GETS ME EVERY TIME

[crazy-fangirl2524]

Kevin Day listens to classical music to fall asleep when he can’t (or to chase away nightmares)