#th: broadway princess party

[betterbooktitles]

I went through a tough breakup one summer. I closed all the curtains in my apartment and played Wii games day and night. I’d like to believe games saved me from a few other self-destructive habits but I was participating in those at the same time. I was using games to escape working through any negative feelings. All I managed to do was delay those feelings. That was the summer I worked on a paint crew and I was fired for not showing up too many days in a row. We can count at least one job lost to gaming (and drinking/sleeping in). Also, the time spent on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess may or may not have precipitated the end of that relationship. Who’s to say?

When I think of the parties I’ve skipped, the hours of sleep I’ve lost, and the months of not reading or writing a word, video games account for a lot of lost time.

There were several games after that summer that I let eat up time. Fallout 3 shaved 4 hours of sleep a night off my regular schedule. Red Dead Redemption became a second job. By the time Dark Souls arrived, I bought it, decided it was ruining my life, and returned it to the store, only to repurchase it months later when I realized a mistake I had made that could be easily fixed and make the game more fun. It was not fun.

When The Last of Us came out, its main selling point to me was that you could finish it in under 15 hours. That’s a few more hours than the HBO miniseries based on the game! I don't believe this will be a trend in gaming. More likely, we’ll be stuck with all-encompassing games like Grand Theft Auto except worse because you’ll have a Meta Quest on your head. You'll have literal blinders on.

The book Reality is Broken explores the benefits of virtual worlds in the face of a deteriorating social structure and planet. Despite the games being used as a salve, other books like Johann Hari’s Stolen Focus and Adam Alter’s Irresistible, point out that the people making these alternate worlds actively disengage from them. Most especially World of Warcraft, a game tantamount to a slot machine. The people designing these pastimes won’t even get “high on their own supply” to quote Alter’s book. Some social media developers won’t let their kids use Instagram. Some Google employees try their hardest to unplug for long stretches and practice mindfulness. There are game designers who refuse to play certain games because they know people who spend 16 hours a day playing them. The issue with the “Do whatever you enjoy. Who cares??” attitude is that there are plenty of enjoyable habits and substances that will literally kill you if you do them too often. You might not succumb to World of Warcraft’s charms but I know I should not try it.

I know video game addiction is not as punk rock as substance abuse. A former coke addict can feel an intense urge from merely seeing a picture of the substance, like reading the word yawn and needing to yawn. It’s a trigger. If you’ve never played a game in the way I’m describing, my writing about it isn’t all that enticing, but my relationship to a game like Civilization 4, a disc I had to break in half in front of my wife to stop playing, or Dark Souls, which took up so much time when I was on a writing deadline, I took my well-worn copy and gift-wrapped it with a note saying “do not reopen until birthday” is all-encompassing. I can’t read a sentence in a history book that deals with troop movements now without getting the itch to turn on Civilization and kill 10 hours.

I feel like David Foster Wallace as played by Jason Segel in the movie version of the book about the profile of the writer called The End of the Tour.

“I am also aware that some addictions are sexier than others. My primary addiction my entire life has been to television. I told you that. Now television addiction is of far less interest to your readers than something like heroin, that confirms the mythos of the writer.”

I quit a job once after going to see Penn and Teller on Broadway, and reading in the playbill a fact I already knew: that the pair decided at a young age to only make money from entertainment, thus guaranteeing they succeeded or starved. It sounds scary but it worked. And Teller said the words (ironic) that I needed to hear: the true commodity in this life is time. They didn’t want day jobs interfering with their art. I realized an office job that expected me to work a 10-hour day plus commute was digging into my creative waking hours, but what happens when your fun takes anywhere from 4-18 hours a day?

To clarify: I don’t think video games are bad for you. I think they’re bad for me. There is a healthy way to consume games, but that’s like telling an alcoholic that one or two glasses of wine won't hurt. I start a new game the way Ken Erdedy gets stoned in Infinite Jest: I close the blinds and make myself dead to the world for a weekend. When I can’t get away with that, I spend hours away from the games thinking about what I’d like to do when I finally have the time to settle into one again. Every game is a bender.

Read the rest of the essay about video game addiction, Final Fantasy, and growing up in the 90s here.

[seeinganewlight]

@projectbway event 01: performance - journey to the past (broadway princess party)

- well starting now i’m learning fast, on this journey to the past

[outoftowninac]

TOP O’ TH’ WORLD

1907 - 1908

Top O’ Th’ World is a musical by Mark E. Swan with music by Manuel Klein and Anna Caldwell and lyrics by James O’Dea, featuring songs with lyrics by Joseph W. Herbert. It was originally produced by J.M. Allison, staged by Frank Smithson, and choreographed by William Rock and Signor Luigi Albertieri.

The story concerns Maida, a little girl who finds herself mysteriously transplanted to the workshop of Kris Kringle near the city of Illusia. There is a love story in which a near discoverer of the North Pole resolves to find it, if only to rescue a maiden who has been frozen by Jack Frost at the command of Aurora Borealis, Queen of the Northern Lights. Guided by Kankakee, an Eskimo, and his little daughter Kokomo, the entire party proceeds to Illusia, accompanied by The Candy Kid and The Jack in the Box, who were brought to life in Kris Kringle’s  workshop, and who are paired up as travelling companions of the Friendly Bear.

The show was designed to appeal to both young people and their parents. The variety musical included:

The Collie Dog Ballet - “8 captivating, whirling misses and almost-human dancing dogs.”

The Candy Kid 

The Intelligent Bear ~ Kathleen Clifford and Arthur Hill as ‘Maida and the Friendly Bear’

Jack Frost

The Heart of Fairyland

In the Land of Christmas

The Top of the World - Santa’s Workshop

The Spring Time of Love

"By the sun that burns throughout the day and the moon that shines at night by the great caciques of the past and the present, by the rivers that flow through northern forests, and the rivers where the hunted deer doth quench his thirst, by all the brave and the true in Eskimo history, I bid you welcome this day in the beautiful month of the seasons to witness little Kokomo." ~ KOKOMO the ESKIMO (Anna Laughlin)

The musical opened in Toronto at the New Alexandria Theatre on August 26, 1907. It then moved to Buffalo NY, Rochester NY, Detroit MI, Cincinnati OH, 

On October 16, 1907, Top O’ Th’ World played Young’s Pier in Atlantic City. [Although this newspaper suggests the play tried out at Young’s Pier in Atlantic City, the newspapers there do not list any such performance on these dates.]

Top O’ Th’ World opened on Broadway on October 19, 1907 at the Majestic Theatre (5 Columbus Circle at 59th Street). The Majestic had previously housed the family-friendly hits The Wizard of Oz and Babes in Toyland. Anna Loughlin, who plays Kokomo the Eskimo Princess in The Top O’ Th’ World, returned to the Majestic where she had played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. Arthur Hill (the Bear) was her Cowardly Lion. 

About the Venue: The Majestic was built in 1903, one of the first theatres by Columbus Circle, which was expected to become another theatre district. It went through many name changes and owners until 1923, when William Randolph Hearst took over, changed the policy to cinema, and renamed it the Cosmopolitan. It was torn down in 1954 to allow for wider sidewalks in front of the New York Coliseum.

George Munroe cross-dressed to played the role of Aurora Borealis, Queen of the Northern Lights, in the style of a pantomime dame. 

On February 3, 1908, the show moved to the Casino Theatre (1404 Broadway at 39th Street) where it closed on February 22, 1908 after 156 performances. 

“’The Top O’ Th’ World’ is a bit of stage-jelly with powdered sugar spiced mildly with peppermint and wintergreen.” ~ INTERNATIONAL PRESS ASSOCIATION

Frost King (aka Dolly Dimples) is at large in the big city! 

The first week in December, a new song titled “Dinah” was added to the show. It was also announced that the production had arranged ‘closed automobiles’ to transport groups of 25 children or more to the theatre for free. To accommodate holiday audiences, the production offered daily matinees. 

“On Christmas Day a Santa Claus will distribute dolls to the little girls of the audience who are so fortunate as to draw tickets for them. Two dolls, of life size, are among the prizes in this ingenious lottery - these being described as ‘made in France, of the finest material and dressed for the occasion’."

The doll promotion was so successful it was continued at all Wednesday matinees. 

~ Fun and Feast for ‘Top o’ th’ World’ ~ 

“After last night's performance of ‘The Top o' th' World’ at the Majestic Theatre there was yet another performance for the benefit of the company only. A small stage had been built under the regular stage, and on this various members of the company made fun for the rest. Sam Diamond indulged in recitations from Shakespeare and George W. Monroe and Catherine Clifford were also on the program. Then Manager J.M. Allison and his wife treated the entire organization to a beefsteak dinner. Congressman and Mrs. James W. Rhlnock of Ohio Joined In the festivities” ~ January 1, 1908

About the Venue: The Casino Theatre was  built in 1882 for light musicals and operetta, but showed mostly vaudeville starting in 1892.  A 1905 fire necessitated much reconstruction. In February of 1930, the theatre was demolished to make room for the expanding garment district.

In an attempt to keep the show fresh producers staged a song contest. There were no winners except the show, which got free publicity from the stunt. 

After closing at the Casino on February 22nd, The Top o' th' World went on the road, opening with Philadelphia on February 24th, then visiting Baltimore, Washington, Boston, and stopping in Atlantic City. 

Top O’ Th’ World opened in Atlantic City at the Apollo Theatre on the Boardwalk on April 16, 1908. The theatre was supposed to host Miss Marlowe during this time, but her engagement was canceled. 

In 1910, the play morphed into The Top O’ Th’ World Dancers, extracting the more popular acts (including the Collie Ballet) into a variety / vaudeville production. 

[audreyhepburnfacts]

88 Reasons to Love Audrey Hepburn!

In honour of what would’ve been Audrey Hepburn’s 88th birthday, here are 88 reasons to love her:

1. For her devotion to her dogs

(photo via rareaudreyhepburn)

2. For her perseverance during the Second World War

3. For the fact that she reportedly told the studio they’d cut “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s over her dead body.

4. For her heartbreaking performance in Two for the Road

5. For the impish smiles throughout Roman Holiday

6. For the lifelong friendship she forged with Hubert de Givenchy

7. For the way she fell for Gregory Peck’s prank in Roman Holiday

8. For the way she loved fairy tales

9. For her comedic timing in How to Steal a Million

10. For the way she spilled red wine all over Cary Grant once, and then spilled ice cream on him in Charade

11. For the fact that she spoke six languages fluently

12. For her fashion sense

13. For the fact that The Princess Bride was one of her favourite movies

14. For loving the Givenchy joke in How to Steal a Million

15. For her complete love and devotion to her sons, Sean and Luca

16. For her joie de vivre in Funny Face

17. For experimenting with different film genres

18. For the absolute joy on her face when dancing with Fred Astaire

19. For her gorgeous Oscar dress

20. For her gracious Oscar acceptance speech

21. For owning a dog that was actually named Mr. Famous

22. For this photo with Grace Kelly, which is almost too much chic to handle

23. For the song “Moon River”

24. For the fun shoplifting scene in Breakfast at Tiffany’s

25. For the way she devoted herself to UNICEF in her later life

26. For the fact that her first line in a movie was “Hello” and her last line in a movie was “Goodbye”

27. For the total camp of Paris When it Sizzles

28. For being referred to as “Princess” by the Rat Pack

29. For retreating to Switzerland and staying above the fray of Hollywood

30. For referring to her dogs as her little hamburgers

31. For the fun she had singing “Just You Wait” from My Fair Lady

32. For not throwing a complete diva hissy fit when she found out that her singing had been dubbed in My Fair Lady

33. For this yellow dress

34. For this Chantilly lace ensemble

35. For helping Givenchy sell perfume for free

36. For terrifying us in Wait Until Dark

37. For befriending a deer named Ip

38. For liking to shop at malls

39. For helping her goddaughter secure a job by letting her photograph a UNICEF mission

40. For making serious movies as well as comedies

41. For branching out and performing on Broadway

42. For being one of the few EGOT winners in history

43. For the enduring friendship with Gregory Peck

44. For the chemistry with Peter O'Toole

45. For proving that Marilyn Monroe wasn’t the perfect Holly Golightly, like Capote said

46. For this quote: “I’m an introvert… I love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking a long walk with my dogs and looking at the trees, flowers, the sky.”

47. For her grace

48. For her wicked sense of humour

49. For her love of dance

50. For the recipes and love of home throughout Audrey at Home

51. For the final scene in Roman Holiday

52. For living la vie en rose in Sabrina

53. For that gorgeous Givenchy gown in Sabrina

54. For the way she loved all children

55. For her chic wedding dresses

56. For her bravery during the Second World War, fighting for the Dutch Resistance

57. For every outfit in Charade

58. For the gorgeous orange coat in Breakfast at Tiffany’s

59. For the way she searched for her father and reconnected with him

60. For how she was concerned that a film festival honouring her wouldn’t be able to find a print of Funny Face to show!

61. For the way she spoke about Robbie Wolders

62. For her love of La Paisible

63. For that wide smile

64. For the way she still influences fashion today

65. For her love of chocolate

66. For that beatnik dance in Funny Face

67. For leaving behind a legacy of humanitarianism and charity and using her fame for good

68. For her honest performance in The Nun’s Story

69. For handling the Oscar snub for My Fair Lady like a pro, and standing by Rex Harrison’s side when he wins his Oscar

70. For this quote: “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible!’”

71. For the “Yes We Have No Bananas Today” song in Sabrina

72. For her dedication to acting, especially on research for Wait Until Dark

73. For always holding a soft spot in her heart for Roman Holiday

74. For the cast party she and Shirley MacLaine threw during The Children’s Hour, during which she asked Shirley: “Hey, Shirl-Girl, whattaya think the bruise is gonna be for this bash?’

75. For her close relationship with her mother, fraught but strong

76. For making movies with great directors

77. For this quote about her from Billy Wilder: “Audrey was known for something which has disappeared, and that is elegance, grace and manners…God kissed her on the cheek, and there she was.”

78. For the balloon portrait in Funny Face

79. For her performance with Kay Thompson of “On How to Be Lovely”

80. For doing this photo of her doing the Twist behind the scenes of Paris When It Sizzles

(photo via rareaudeyhepburn)

81. For making Robin and Marian with “James Bond” (Sean Connery) to the delight of her sons.

82. For this Google Doodle

83. For the fact that almost every college girl hangs a Breakfast at Tiffany’s poster on their wall

84. For this scene in Two for the Road

85. For her Cecil B Demille Award acceptance speech

86. For loving Meryl Streep just as much as we do

87. For the fact that she owned a tiara

88. For everything else!

__

[myfivestartour]

Mark Your Calendars – All The Top Events at Disney World in 2019

Ready to go on that trip to Disney World you’ve been dreaming about ever since you were a kid? You couldn’t have picked a better year. With plenty of events and activities lined up for 2019, your trip to Disney is guaranteed to be full of fun and magic!

Epcot International Festival of the Arts

Still a relatively new tradition, the Epcot International Festival is back for the third time this year. Starting from January 18th and continuing up till February 25th, this festival  is a celebration of all forms of arts, be it visual, performance, or even culinary.

During this nearly month-long period, you can enjoy numerous living statues and gallery exhibits in the Disney Parks in Florida. There’s also the Disney on Broadway Concert Series to look forward to that’ll be held each night in the America Gardens Theatre.  

Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend

If you’re planning to go to Disney World in February, then try visiting between February 21st and 24th. This weekend will host the Disney Princess Half Marathon, where runners will navigate their way through Epcot and Magic Kingdom.

Even if you haven’t registered to participate in this activity, you can still enjoy the program by watching the event fold out. The weekend will also feature the Disney Royal Family 5K, Disney Enchanted 10K, and Disney's Fit for a Princess Expo.  

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

Get ready to experience spring to its fullest during the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival beginning March! From March 6th–June 3rd, guests can enjoy the colors of spring while at Disney.

This annual event features over 100 topiaries that are spread all across the park. The World Showcase is surrounded by multiple outdoor kitchens and kiosks, offering a variety of fresh and flavorful food for you to munch on. The butterfly house is of particular interest to kids and this is where you can find dozens of butterfly species within a confined area. If you’re at Epcot on a weekend, then you can also enjoy the special concerts that‘re held at America Gardens Theater during the festival!

Star Wars Rival Run Half Marathon Weekend

Another round of marathon will take place in April. To be held between the 4th and 7th, the Star Wars Rival Run Half Marathon Weekend will feature some of the most iconic rivalries from the Star Wars saga. This will include the Star Wars 5K, Star Wars 10K, the Disney Kids Races, and the Star Wars Dark Side Challenge.

Unannounced Events

Although the dates for these events haven’t yet been announced, Disney World has plenty of things planned for the remainder of the year.

Mickey’s Halloween Party will return in October, while the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival will begin in late August and continue up to November. This will be followed by the Holiday celebrations that’ll commence November onwards, including Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party held at Magic Kingdom.

Make your trip to Disney World all the more magical with Five Star Private VIP Tours! Through their years of experience in arranging Disney World tours, you can enjoy the best attractions at the parks and avoid long waiting lines!  

Get in touch with them to plan your private Disney tour!

[placetobenation]

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Release Date: December 21st, 1937 (released nationwide February 4th, 1938)

Inspiration: “Snow White” by the Brothers Grimm

Budget: $1.49 million

Domestic Gross: $184,925,486

Worldwide Gross: $184,925,486

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

IMDB Score: 7.6/10

Storyline (per IMDB): The beautiful and kindhearted princess Snow White charms every creature in the kingdom except one – her jealous stepmother, the Queen. When the Magic Mirror proclaims Snow White the fairest one of all, she must flee into the forest, where she befriends the lovable seven dwarfs – Doc, Sneezy, Grumpy, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy, and Dopey. But when the Queen tricks Snow White with an enchanted apple, only the magic of true love’s kiss can save her.

Pre-Watching Thoughts: So my watching of the entire Disney Animated film canon begins with the one that started it all in Snow White. To be perfectly honest, this is one of the films that fit into the category of that I have seen it, but not all the time and I can’t honestly remember the last time I watched it in full. It is going to be interesting seeing this film with relatively fresh eyes especially for this project, because you do have to decide how to rank this film amongst the rest since it was the first and without it, we wouldn’t have what we have today. But that will come in due time when I put together the lists at the end of this, so all I can do is just sit back and begin the journey of watching these films.

Voice Cast: The first thing I noticed and it will be interesting to see how long this lasts is that the actors providing the voices for the characters went uncredited in the film. I don’t know if this was an intentional move by Walt Disney or if he simply wanted those who worked on the film to be focused on, but it is weird not seeing the list of people who voiced these characters. Another note is that most of these films would feature people that weren’t completely well-known in terms of their careers, and I will be interested to see when that trend turns as well. The first one to talk about here is Adriana Caselotti who voiced Snow White and this was in essence her debut, and ultimately it would be the peak of her career aside from a few uncredited roles but she was a perfect fit for Snow White as she brought a pure innocence to the princess and set the standard for future princesses. Up next we have Lucille La Verne who voiced the Evil Queen as she had previously been a star on stage and also in various silent films, and while this role would be her final role ever you could say that this was her greatest performance. The voice of the Prince was provided by Harry Stockwell as this would be his most famous role aside from a few other films and he would have a career on Broadway after this, and it is interesting that we are seeing a trend of this film being the high point for most of these stars. The voice of the Magic Mirror was provided by Moroni Olsen who would have a long career after this movie, and while he was not on screen very long he made the most of his appearances with his sinister voice. The Huntsman was voiced by Stuart Buchanan who would make a few future appearances in other Disney films including Pinocchio and Saludos Amigos, though those roles would be far minor compared to this role. Finally, we have the group of Roy Atwell, Pinto Colvig, Otis Harlan, Scotty Mattraw, Billy Gilbert, and Eddie Collins who provided the voices of the seven dwarfs with Colvig doing the voices of both Grumpy and Sleepy, and all these men would have varying careers though this would be the high point for them. Even though many of these actors didn’t achieve much success after this or this was the high point of them, they can still take solace in that they were part of one of the historical movies of all time.

Hero/Prince: We have our first of many firsts with this film and that is the Prince who doesn’t officially have a name, but he would come to unofficially be known as Prince Charming mainly thanks to it being mentioned when Snow White sings about him. What’s interesting about him is that he is on screen for a very limited amount of time, as we mainly see him in the beginning when he hears Snow White sing and he sings in kind which causes them to fall in love. But then we don’t see him again until the very end when he revives Snow White with “love’s first kiss” and they head off to his kingdom which we never see until the final scene. Because he is the first one, he is credited as the blueprint for future princes in the Disney film canon and they would build off of this one, but because he was the first one he will be seen as a memorable character from now until the end.

Princess: Speaking of the first one, we have our first of what would become known as the Disney Princesses and that is Snow White, the innocent and pure princess of the kingdom which we don’t know the name of. The stepdaughter of the Evil Queen who is forced to work as a scullery maid so her beauty can’t rival the Queen, Snow White is about as typical a princess as you could get. She is beautiful, pure of mind and of heart, and a caring person as she quickly befriends various animals, but being so young and naïve she can be too trusting as she falls for the Queen’s evil plot and is put to sleep by the poisoned apple. However, she is brought back to life by the Prince who had fallen in love with her after their first meeting and it is assumed she eventually becomes Queen of his kingdom. To this day, Snow White remains one of the most recognized characters in animated film history and she is still considered one of the most popular princesses in Disney history.

Villain: We have our next “first” character here and that is the first major villain in the Disney film canon, and that honor belongs to the Evil Queen who is actually named Queen Grimhilde though I wonder how many people still don’t know that. She is the embodiment of what a villain should be as she is arrogant, vain, and jealous of her young stepdaughter Snow White, first forcing her to work as a scullery maid before trying to have a huntsman kill her in cold blood and bring back her heart in a box. She even goes as far as to turn herself into an old hag and give Snow White a poisoned apple to force her into a death-like sleep, but she meets a gruesome end when she tries to kill the dwarfs when the ground collapses under her and she falls to her death with a giant rock crushing her for good measure. She would become the prototype of what the future Disney villains would be and she will go down in history as one of the greatest villains in film history.

Other Characters: There were plenty of other characters in the film that helped move the film along at a nice pace, and at the top of the list is the seven dwarfs who we meet in the middle of the film. Obviously, the most popular one of the dwarfs is usually Dopey as he would provide plenty of comic relief, but the other dwarfs were an important part of the film and it was pretty touching seeing Grumpy break down when he thought Snow White was dead. We also had the huntsman who was in very briefly as he was brought in to kill Snow White, but he can’t do it and in essence keeps her alive by telling her to flee from the castle and the Queen. Finally, we have another minor character in the magic mirror as he leads the Queen to do what she does when he declares Snow White as the fairest in the land. While not on screen for a ton of time, the mirror leaves a mark on this film due to the sheer creepiness of the face in the mirror.

Songs: One thing we will come to know throughout the Disney film canon is that not only did Walt Disney like animation, he loved music too as his early cartoons would be filled with memorable music. Here he takes it up a notch by making his films basically into musicals with each one featuring at least one or two memorable songs that would be remembered to this day. We start off with a solid pair of songs as Snow White sings “I’m Wishing” by her wishing well for her true love, and she is overheard by the Prince who responds in kind with “One Song” as he professes his love for her. One thing to mention is that all the actors did their own singing which adds to the song in the long run, and that is something to track as we hit the later films when they had someone in a speaking role and then someone else in a singing role. We then get a pair of songs from Snow White as she sings “With a Smile and a Song” to her new animal friends, and then she sings “Whistle While You Work” as they clean the dwarfs’ cottage in a memorable scene. We then get the dwarfs’ first song which is one of the most memorable in the films which is of course “Heigh-Ho”, which they sing coming home from work before singing it again when they leave for work. They then sing a song about washing themselves to appease Snow White and then the party sing “The Silly Song” which is another fun song, and finally Snow White sings the centerpiece song of the film which is “Someday My Prince Will Come” and Adriana Caselotti nails it perfectly. The songs did a good job of complimenting the film and were definitely a memorable part of this film.

Plot: This film begins the basic plot themes of this type of story that have been introduced through various written stories about “Love’s First Kiss”, “Love at First Sight”, and “Happily Ever After”, and we also have the evil stepmother in the Queen as she is clearly envious of Snow White’s beauty and wants to be the fairest in the land herself. Tropes like these may be some of the most basic elements of storytelling when it comes to fairy tales, but sometimes the simplest elements work the best and that is shown to perfection here. It is easy to sympathize with someone like Snow White who is also very likeable because she is so pure and innocent, and the Queen has all the qualities of someone who can be easily despised. Throw him some comedic aspects from the dwarfs and some catchy songs on top, and what you have is a film that can be enjoyed by people of all ages even though it was mainly marketed towards children.

Random Watching Thoughts: “My sincere appreciation to the members of my staff whose loyalty and creative endeavor made possible this production.” – Walt Disney; It was interesting to see the credits at the start of the film and not the end; I love the storybook at the beginning as it makes it seem like a story actually come to life; So the magic mirror has basically been a “yes man” for all these years before finally deciding to declare Snow White fairest in the land; Early Mandela affect in place as the quote is actually “Magic Mirror on the Wall” and not “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall” as most assume it to be; Does the Queen not know that her beauty would eventually fade as she gets older, or another besides Snow White would be declared more fairer?; So we never do understand realistically how all the animals can completely understand Snow White; We never do see what kingdom the Prince came from and what the maidens look like there to make him come to the Queen’s kingdom and court Snow White; Does the Prince know Snow White is a princess considering she was dressed in rags when he first met her?; The scene where the Prince sings to Snow White was clearly inspired by “Romeo and Juliet”; What is this penalty if the huntsman fails to kill Snow White?; You can’t blame the huntsman for not wanting to kill Snow White, who would want to?; Considering these films were made for kids, there is some scary stuff in here as the scene where Snow White is running through the forest is legitimately terrifying; Disney Animations, the originator of the jumpscare; Disney showing everyone that no matter how bad things are going, they can easily be fixed by singing; I just realized that most of Snow White’s dialogue is in rhyme; I’m sure the dwarfs can take pride in that their cottage looks like a doll’s house according to Snow White; Given the state of the cottage, it’s no surprise that the dwarfs were all bachelors; Could you imagine walking into your house and seeing a bunch of wild animals cleaning it?; Why would those squirrels think it was ok to sweep the dust into the mousehole, do they not know a mouse lives there?; So do the dwarfs actually work for the kingdom and supply them with diamonds or is it like their song says in that they just dig for the hell of it?; It’s probably good that Dopey doesn’t have a beard like the rest of the dwarfs because he would look so weird with one; The dwarfs’ voices must be very sore if they sing the whole way from work to their cottage; That poor turtle is always a day late when it comes to getting somewhere; You do wonder what the dwarfs’ parents were thinking if they actually named them Doc, Happy, Sleepy, Grumpy, Dopey, Sneezy, and Sleepy unless they were nicknames; The dwarfs clearly have gotten used to living in a dirty cottage because when they find it clean, they are immediately suspicious if someone is there; A fun fact is the actor that voiced Doc was a stutterer in real life and became famous for playing characters that stammer; So when they don’t see the sink full of dirty dishes, they assume they’ve been stolen though you wonder who would want dirty dishes; Sneezy has some very powerful sneezes; Dopey can take a beating and keep on ticking; Funny how Snow White is able to name them correctly on the first try without having met them prior; They must work for the kingdom since they knew Snow White was the princess when she introduced herself; Typical men when they quickly decide to let Snow White stay after she says she’ll keep house for them, especially cook for them; The dwarfs just got back from a long day at work, of course their hands are going to be dirty; Only in a Disney film can you have a group of characters sing a song about washing their faces and hands; Does Sleepy have something in his beard which is why that fly follows him around everywhere?; Grumpy didn’t stand a chance when they surrounded him and forced him to wash up; Only in an animated film can Dopey swallow a whole bar of soap and not die from poisoning; If the slave has been in the mirror for so long, how does he immediately know that there’s a pig’s heart in the box and not Snow White’s?; The real irony of the Queen’s plan would’ve been if she could never change back from an old hag and back to her old self, therefore she could never be the fairest in the land; The Queen turning into an old hag is yet another terrifying moment from this movie; Considering we never really know what part of the world this takes place, it obviously has to take place in a part of the world where yodeling is popular since the dwarfs know it; If the song is truly too silly for anyone to sing, then why are they singing it?; An interesting oversight is that we see Dopey’s arms playing the drums despite dancing with Snow White the previous scene; Even though I’ve made some pretty interesting comments to this point, I will say that Adriana Caselotti had a very beautiful voice and fit Snow White perfectly; How long did that night go if it was only 11:00PM?; Considering that Snow White only took up three beds, they could’ve shared the remaining beds and not had to have made makeshift beds in their various spots; That poor pillow never stood a chance when they all were tearing at it and good for Dopey to still get a feather to use as a pillow; So the Queen believes there is no way that love’s first kiss will save Snow White yet earlier she clearly saw the Prince and Snow White seemingly show some affection to each other, so she didn’t have all her bases covered; I feel bad for the poor sap that was in the dungeon reaching for the jug only to die and become a skeleton, but how long was he there for that he completely degraded into a skeleton?; Poor Dopey really wants a kiss on the lips only to get two on the head and then she pushes him away on the third attempt; It is funny seeing Grumpy start to shed his demeanor after Snow White kisses him only to try and keep the act up; So the Queen has been walking all night without any rest or food, that is real determination; The dwarfs tell Snow White to be weary of any strangers and she completely throws that out the window when the Queen visits her; What would’ve happened if the Queen lost the apple after the animals attacked her?; I wonder how apple sales were affected by this film by those who thought wishing apples were real or those that refused to eat apples out of fear that they were poisoned; They clearly dragged out Snow White biting the apple and falling to the sleeping death since they cut back to the dwarfs rushing back to the house twice; Those vultures are so ready for someone to die because they know their dinner is coming; That cliff must’ve been real weak if a single bolt of lightning can cause it to fall apart and send the Queen to her death; It is pretty sad seeing Grumpy finally break down and cry showing that he truly cared for Snow White; Where did the dwarfs find the materials to make that gold coffin?; How much time passed from when she ate the apple to when the Prince found her and kissed her, and how did he even know where she was?; This also was the debut of the Disney chorus that we would hear in future movies, I wonder how much they got paid for doing these films; Sleepy never got a kiss from Snow White when she leaves with the Prince; We started with the storybook and we end with the storybook, a fitting end to a legendary movie.

Overall Thoughts: So overall, this film was a great watch and has definitely held up very well over the years. It was amazing that when it was being made, a lot of people told Walt Disney that the film was going to be a failure and the risk he was making was not going to pay off in the end. Fortunately for Disney, it was a major success and would lead to a whole new genre of film as animation went from being restricted to shorts and could now be made into a full-length film that would entertain the masses. The film has just enough of everything to make it a good film from comedy to romance, thrills and sappiness, a princess to sympathize with and a villain who you want to see get their come-uppance. At the time of its release, it was hailed by many as “The Greatest Animated Film of All Time” and earned Disney an honorary Academy Award the previous year, and to this day it still remains as one of the standard bearers in terms of animation. Now as for that standing of being the greatest of all time, that is certainly up for debate as you could argue that many films released since then are worthy enough to have that same honor. But at the end of the day, there is no question that Snow White is still one of the greatest animated films of all time and a solid way to kick off Disney’s film canon as it will be interesting to see how things go from here.

Final Grade: 8/10

[gopunksphilly-blog]

Welcome to the punks nirvana, welcome to the Bowery

“OUR NEXT STOP WILL BE PENN STATION,”…….the buzzing speaker crackles for the last time before our departure.  It’s been quite a trip from Trenton, so needless to say, all of the ‘Misfits’ are psyched to hear some maddening, skull crushing, hardcore acts at CBGB’s.  There were a multitude of emotions spent on the ride up, so we’re quite ready to get the spirits heightened and make sure our newbie member, Sammi, is prepped, but nothing can truly ready her for the chaos of CBGB’s on a hardcore punk night.

           Snatching our meager belongings, hustling rapidly from the stopped train, keeping our brisk pace through Penn Station, you can’t help notice the same story being played out in the Big Apple as well, where homeless lay everywhere, while the smell of piss and shit permeate the senses.

           “Jesus fuckin’ Christ, this shithole smells worse than CBGB’s bathrooms,” Dust blurts out to no one in particular.  I toss a Red in my mouth, lighting it up quickly. “Smoke em’ up, Misfits, at least it’ll kill some of the odor!”  

           Bathroom humor was definitely going to happen during this trip, because anyone who’s been to CBGB’s knows what the bathroom situation is like.  The toilets have no enclosures, filth and graffiti scar and scab the walls and if you have a smart ass friend at the urinal, or some fuck ass, drunken dick who wants to make life miserable, you may just end up with your boots getting pissed on.  In other words, it made for a great, memorable night at the ‘Cathedral of Punk.’

           Gem and I take the lead, running the gauntlet of night crawlers, pimps, hustlers and pushers, only stopping long enough to absorb the grand view of the sparkling Empire State Building looming above us. Spotting the friendly glow of the green globe above the stairs for the 34th Street Herald Square subway, we roar downstairs over the filth and trash to snag some tokens, take care of all the ‘Misfits’ fares to save time, get through the turnstiles in order to catch the next train to Broadway-Lafayette Street Station and jump into the subway car, laughing our asses off about how a crew of batshit crazy punks from Philly, its burbs’ and Trenton navigated the city without a hitch once again.  We’re only riding for a few minutes, but if you’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing the NYC subway system, it could be quite traumatic for the weak of spirit or stomach.

           Whereas the ‘Misfits’ may be looked upon in the confines of a suburban Philly SEPTA rail car as a menacing presence or a nuisance, in a New York City subway car, we’re nothing more than street freaks inhabiting some space.  Our Thursday night ride has accumulated its fair share of earlier rush hour litter, while graffiti covers its walls and windows from one end to the other.  It is chaos, despair and decadence; all of the elements which have spawned the birth of the punk movement.  What is an annoyance to most, is a punks’ feel for the new reality under the not so incredible Reagan Administration, evoking a sense of where we feel the future is heading for many Americans; a future of good jobs being lost, immeasurable poverty and a post-apocalyptic feel in many cities and industrial towns.  Don’t get too haughty, suburban America, because if this cycle continues, your demise will soon follow.

            A growing number of punks have become savvy to the realpolitik being peddled in America and none of us are buying into the “Morning in America” line of shit that a second rate actor, a former CIA head, and a carnivorous Wall Street tyrant have sold to the gullible masses.  

           Gem and I are personally disgusted at the amount of people from the 60’s, Anti-War Movement, who said never to trust anyone over thirty, though growing amounts of their numbers have become the Conservative, modern day pimps and scum whose mergers and acquisitions are tearing the country apart.   And as far as the Democrats go, fuck them too, since these limousine liberals have moved so far away from being a party of the people, like in the days of FDR, they should honestly be ashamed of themselves.

           There are those in the punk ranks who believe the system should be totally overturned in an anarchistic fashion to bring about true democracy.  There is a true, Orwellian feel about the future of America and many in the punk movement need an avenue to display their vitriol against it. CBGB’s has stood as a shining beacon for most of us, because it has given punk music a platform to demonstrate its disgust at the system through music.  On a more generic level, it also gives us a place to find commonality; a place where we can blow off some steam, have some enjoyment and not feel like we are the freaks, misfits or the rabble.  The hippies had their Woodstock, the punks have our CBGB’s.

           The subway car comes to a thumping, screeching halt as we pull into Broadway-Lafayette Station to the acrid smell of burning brakes pouring inside while we make our escape.  Gem torches up a Newp, sniffing the putrid, fetid air encircling us.  “Rome is burning, Robbs,” she says with a smirk.  “Sure as hell is, Gem.  Well, if we’re going to witness the fall of the Empire, no better place to do it from than CBGB’s.”

            Tattered jackets and filthy blankets adorn the sleeping homeless everywhere but our gang of twelve marches up the steps like a victorious army laying claim to our spoils…a place of pure debauchery, disorder and desolation to most, is now our place of solace.  Gem can’t help but laugh as I blaze up a Red and grin from ear to ear, the Punk Prince and his Punk Princess, in their element and owning the night, as we walk down East Houston and after a few minutes, turn the corner, before I face the ‘Misfits’, raising my arms towards the night sky.  “Misfits, welcome to our nirvana.  Welcome to the Bowery!!!”

An excerpt from Rich Cucarese’s (that’s me!!) upcoming, literary fiction novel, ‘PUNKS’....Chapter 12, ‘All Hell’s Breaking Loose’

The sorrow of the 80′s in America...rampant homelessness....

Save CBGB’s ....one of the rare times, albeit unsuccessfully, that Americans protested to keep a music icon from closing....

[kyukurator-blog]

DEBBIE AND CARRIE COSMIC DANCING

It has been less than a week since the tragic passing of both Debbie and Carrie. Both made an indelible mark on Hollywood and American Culture from Reynolds’ turn in Singin’ in the Rain to Fisher’s embodiment of Princess Leia in Star Wars. 

We like to imagine that since last week they have been singing and dancing with Prince, Bowie and George Michael while discussing spirituality with Leonard Cohen. 

This week our list celebrates their work, leading up to Bright Lights premiering on HBO this weekend.

 BRIGHT LIGHTS (2017)

Directed by Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens, this doc premiered at Cannes last year. “These women were more than mother and daughter,” said Bloom and Stevens, “they were an expression of exquisite humanity in all its travail and triumph.”

The film was slated for broadcast later this year on HBO but, with their untimely passing, Sheila Nevins thought it appropriate to pay tribute to the two legends by moving it up to this coming Sunday.

Bright Lights manages to balance the oversized personalities of the two legends. Fisher and Reynolds each provide enough charisma and talent — not to mention personal drama — to fill a whole TV series.

And while we get do some of that, from touching footage of Fisher bonding with her Star Wars fans to an 83-year-old Reynolds wowing the crowd with a song-and-dance number, the movie succeeds by applying itself to a larger theme, family.

At its core, Bright Lights is an homage to mothers and daughters. Spanning many decades and partners, it tells the story of a movie star mother and her extraordinary daughter.

POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE (1990)

Directed by Mike Nichols and based on Carrie Fischer’s memoir and screenplay, “Postcards”  stars Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep as Debbie and Carrie, respectively. With some fact mixed with fiction, the result is highly entertaining, ultimately moving, and always insightful.

Mike Nichols brings his comic touch to Carrie’s novel concerning a woman’s struggles with drug addiction and mother-daughter rivalry. Meryl Streep plays Suzanne Vale, a popular movie actress well on her way to a Hollywood crack-up. Suzanne suffers from blackouts and memory lapses and is a barely-functioning wreck on the set of her latest movie. When a coke dealer who delivers stops by her dressing room between takes, she swiftly finds herself being rushed to the hospital.

While in detox, Suzanne attempts to piece her life back together, but her confidence is shattered when her mother Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine) arrives at the rehab clinic. Doris is soon soaking up the adulation of Suzanne’s fellow recovering addicts. Upon Suzanne’s release, she must compete with her mother for attention and fame as she tries to walk a thin line as a recovering drug abuser.

There is no question, though, that the real star in this film is Fisher’s honest and revealing perspectives on a child who was born into the Golden Age of Hollywood.

         SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952)

Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor star in Singin’ in the Rain, one of the greatest and most successful musicals ever filmed – filled with memorable songs, lavish routines and Kelly’s fabulous song-and-dance number performed in the rain.

Set just before the arrival of “talkies,” Don Lockwood rises to stardom during Hollywood’s silent-movie era — paired with the beautiful and jealous Lina Lamont. When Lockwood becomes attracted to young studio singer Kathy Selden (Debbie Reynolds), Lamont has her fired. But with the introduction of talking pictures, Lockwood finds his career in jeopardy after audiences laugh when they hear Lamont speak in her shrill voice… until the studio decides to use Selden to dub her voice.

Debbie was 19 at the time and was taken under the wing of Donald O’Connor who mentored her in her first major role…. The rest is history.

         THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN (1956)

Meredith Willson’s second Broadway hit, after “The Music Man,” proved a lucrative vehicle for the equally unsinkable Debbie Reynolds. Based on a true story, the film casts Debbie as the rambunctious Molly Brown, who wangles her way into Denver Society when she marries “overnight millionaire” Johnny Brown (Harve Presnell).

When the local social arbiters give Molly the brush-off, she pulls off a coup by bringing a representative of European royalty, Prince Louis de Laniere (Vassili Lambrinos) into the Colorado community. Her appreciation for the prince causes a rift in her marriage; it takes the sinking of the Titanic–wherein Molly heroically commandeers one of the lifeboats and is responsible for rescuing several of the passengers–to bring Molly and Johnny together again.

Reynolds earned her only Oscar nomination for this film. In between film work and until just a few years ago, Reynolds practically lived on the stage, performing at 83 in Vegas. She never slowed down or lost her passion for performance.

         SHAMPOO (1975)

Hal Ashby directs Carrie’s screen debut in one of the most Hollywood of all Hollywood productions, Warren Beatty’s masterpiece Shampoo.  Her next film would forever seal her fate as a timeless icon, Princess Leia in Star Wars (1977).

This film is set the day after Nixon’s election in 1968. George (Warren Beatty) is a promiscuous Beverly Hills hairdresser whose services to his female clients sometimes extend beyond a mere snip. George borrows money from his lover’s husband, who in turns requests that George escort his mistress to an election night party.

In her brief performance as Lee Grant’s daughter and another one of Beatty’s conquests, Carrie outmaneuvered two of the most lecherous, manipulative and selfish grown-ups that any adolescent in safe, rich, white suburbia might ever encounter—Warren and her mother.

If you have not watched this film then we highly recommend you do!

         WISHFUL DRINKING (2010)

Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey direct the TV version of Fisher’s autobiographical stage show, Wishful Drinking, which became the basis for Carrie’s 5th book. Her earlier novels— Postcards from the Edge, Surrender The Pink, Delusions of Grandma, and The Best Awful There Is predate her memoir.

Fisher details her complicated yet eclectic extended family tree in Hollywood Inbreeding 101, employing a blackboard and wooden pointer. Her father Eddie Fisher’s very public affair with Elizabeth Taylor ended what had been perceived and celebrated as a “storybook marriage,” and she and her brother Todd later watched both her mother’s and father’s “once white-hot bright star of celebrity slowly dim, cool and fade.”

Fisher’s mordant humor shines as she recounts her experiences with electroshock therapy, dealing with bipolar disorder and addiction, and life in the spotlight.

Carrie Fisher’s final book, The Princess Diarist (2016) left no detail in the vault. Detailing her time on the Star Wars sets, the autobiography spins eye-popping tales of an affair with Harrison Ford and her own coming to terms with her newfound fame as Princess Leia.

         DEBBIE AND CARRIE COSMIC DANCING was originally published on FollowTheThread

[seeinganewlight]

@projectbway event 01: performance - the first broadway princess party show

- 54 below, august 16th 2015

[seeinganewlight]

@projectbway event 01: performance - i see the light (broadway princess party)

- now i’m here shining in the starlight 

[seeinganewlight]

@projectbway event 01: performance - a whole new world (broadway princess party)

- a wondrous place for you and me

[seeinganewlight]

@projectbway event 01: performance - when will my life begin? (broadway princess party)

- stuck in the same place i’ve always been, and i’ll keep wonderin’ and wonderin’ and wonderin’ and wonderin’ when will my life begin?

[seeinganewlight]

@projectbway event 01: performance - the first broadway princess party show

- 54 below, august 16th 2015

[seeinganewlight]

@projectbway event 01: performance - mother knows best (broadway princess party)

- skip the drama stay with mama

[seeinganewlight]

@projectbway event 01: performance - when will my life begin? (brroadway princess party)

- i’ll paint the walls some more, i’m sure there’s room somewhere

[seeinganewlight]

@projectbway event 01: performance - my strongest suit (broadway princess party)

- so bring me all my finest, most audacious, my divinest