Tangled & Frozen

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Walt Disney Characters picture image

Walt Disney Characters

I grew up Disney, hell most of us have. But few of us remember when Disney wasn’t not the huge power house it was in the 1990s. Prior 1990 Disney was going through a slump, The Black Caldron was a major failure and lead animator, Don Bluth left to form a rival animation company that made such great animated films as The Secret of NiMH, An American Tale, and my personal favorite The Land Before Time . And then everything changed with the success of Roger Rabbit. From then, Disney went into a Golden Age making such gems as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. After The Lion King, Disney slipped a little. The films after Lion King did not do as well. And then Pixar walked into Disney’s life and pretty much saved Disney. Since Pixar’s success, Disney’s focus has shifted from the 2-d hand-drawn animated movies to 3-D animated movies. Disney in addition to producing Pixar movies also have made a few 3-D movies on their own. The only recent 2-d animated movie they did was the 2009 The Princess and the Frog which returned to the princess formula. It wasn’t a bad movie, though why they got Randy Newman and not Alan Menken is beyond me. They also made in 2011, Winnie the Pooh. However, neither The Princess and Frog or 2011’s Winnie the Pooh were a huge commercial success and Disney has no plans to make any more hand-drawn movies at present.

Sven and Olaf from Frozen picture image

Sven and Olaf from Frozen

Disney is still going on the princess angle though with its 3-D movies. In 2010 Disney made Tangled which was based on the Fairy Tale Rapunzel. Tangled was meh-ish at best. It had a nice story, some decent songs but the character never captured me except the horse and the lizard. Now Disney is set to release Frozen. Frozen is very very very loosely based off the Hans Christian Andersen story “The Snow Queen.”

The Swing by Jean-Honore Fragonard picture image

The Swing by Jean-Honore Fragonard

Here is my point, when I saw concept art for Tangled and Frozen I thought “Wow cool.” Tangled was said to take an art style from the Rocco painting “The Swing.” I kind of imagined the film would emulate that painting more. But Nope, Tangled looks fairly genetic 3-D movie. I really only seen the influence in the leaves.

Frozen Concept Art picture image

Frozen Concept Art

And now that feeling of genericness is justified in Frozen. The concept art I saw was really cool, it has an unearthly look to the Snow Queen. Now she just looks more like the blue fairy.

Anna (Frozen) & Rapunzel (Tangled)) picture image

Anna (Frozen) & Rapunzel (Tangled))

But the main thing is Rapunzel and Anna (Frozen’s Heroine ) look alike. The animators can the changes colors all they want, the viewing public is not that stupid. They have the same eye shape, lips, nose, cheeks, hell they even both have freckles. Really, they could be characters in the same movie. Lush leaves and snow do not constitute a distinct style and feel for a movie. But then again made they are meant to take place in the same world. However if Disney continues with this style it going to get boring. Oh Wait, it’s already boring!

 

A Side-by-Side Comaparsion of teh styles of Hunchback of Notre Dame and Beauty and the Beast picture image Belle Esmeralda

A Side-by-Side Comaparsion of teh styles of Hunchback of Notre Dame and Beauty and the Beast

The great thing about Disney’s hand-drawn films is that they had different styles to complement the story. The Little Mermaid doesn’t look like Mulan. Even Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame which take place in the same Country and were done by the same directors look stylistically different. (Fun Fact – when Frozen was being development, at one point Hunchback and Beauty and Beast Directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale were recruited to direct the film but the project was put on hold.)

Walt Disney drawing Steamboat Willie picture image

Walt Disney drawing Steamboat Willie

You have to wonder is the ease of computers robbing Disney of its style when it comes to the look and feel of its films? Given Tangled and Frozen, I would say yes. Most of the 3-D fair movie look plastic and devoid of personality. But perhaps Disney can pioneer the 3-D art to have give it a whole new look. Or better yet GO BACK TO THE HAND-DRAWN FILMS!!!!!!!!!!

A New and Not-Improved Esmeralda; The 1982 Version

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Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

There has been bold Esmeraldas, sexy Esmeraldas, kind Esmeraldas, socially conscious Esmeraldas, mysterious Esmeraldas, vapid Esmeraldas but the 1982 version
of Esmeralda is different, she is the first timid Esmeralda.

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

What makes her timid? Well, you know in the book how Esmeralda loves to dance? In this movie she doesn’t like to dance because she is scared of being arrested. An Esmeralda who hates to dance is like the biggest travesty I have seen in a Hunchback version because her love of dance and her free-spirited nature is paramount to her personality and appeal. Even when she does dance it’s half-hearted. Even if otherwise it was a great depiction of Esmeralda is a huge mark against her character and is unforgivable.

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Let’s just talk about her looks for a minute. Lesley-Ann Down is very pretty but she is just not right for Esmeralda. Esmeralda is suppose to look exotic to an extent. Down has bright blue eyes and brown-ish hair, though in Hunchback it looked more dark blond. So we have a dark blond-ish blue-eyes Esmeralda. This made the jail scene silly when Frollo mentions her dark eyes which were actually bright blue. Down is more a classic English beauty, she just doesn’t read Gyspy which adds to not believing this depiction of Esmeralda. The film tries to excuse her looks, by Frollo asking if she is in fact a Gypsy and her saying she doesn’t know that is just was they told her.

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda & Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda & Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Down is also a little on the old side to play to Esmeralda as a young girl. To combat this Down speaks softly. This adds to her timidness. This also makes her seem a bit dim however this Esmeralda isn’t as stupid as she seems. While she is attractive to Phoebus and is willing to sleep with him she does back off and try to leave once she finds out that he’s married. Which makes Frollo stabbing him infinitely unnecessary. She also wants Quasimodo to bring Phoebus to her not because she wants to see him but to convince Phoebus to get the charges dropped against her. She also recognizes her love for Gringoire.

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture iamge

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

She also develops a bit of a backbone when she rejects Frollo in the jail cell and in Notre Dame, though she pretty much has to rescued both times. She also takes a stand to Gringoire when on their wedding night but that’s in the book. In any case it’s good that she doesn’t always use that timid little voice.

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda & Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda & Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Down’s Esmeralda is one of the weaker depictions of Esmeralda. There is not a lot right about her character. Down is not fully to blame, fault lies everywhere; in the writing, in the directing, in the casting and in her acting. Who makes a timid Esmeralda who isn’t free-spirited and dislikes dancing and excepts an audience to buy that character as an good interpretation of Hugo’s heroine? Very little of the original personality of Esmeralda is present in this version except maybe her kindness but that is it. It’s just a weak version of Esmeralda all around and not believable as the character.

Next 1982 Article; Quasimodo

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Anthony Hopkins as Quasimodo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Pick a Word

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What Word do you think Josh Brolin will used next to describe his Hunchback Movie?

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Actually News on the Brolin Version

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(a Note-This is a little off-the cuff and I’m sleepy as I’m writing this (it’s like 2am))

Apparently the universe wants me to look bad because now that did I post where I did a “check-in” to show nothing was happening on the Brolin’s vanity project a.k.a Brolin’s Hunchback movie  there is some actual news of the on Josh Brolin’s Hunchback other than an adjective. Now the film is called “Quasimodo” (excuse me while I gag a bit).  It seems like Zhang Yimou will taking the helm on this project.  Zhang directed  Hero,  House Of Flying Daggers and The Flowers Of War. I liked Hero and I thought House of Flying Dagger was ok-ish. I didn’t see Flowers of War.

I have to say I’m glad Tim Burton isn’t directing “Quasimodo” though frankly I wouldn’t have cared if he did. I would love to have seen how he made everything all black and white and quirky.  Zhang does seem to have his own style but I hope the film isn’t a  action martial art movie but with pretty imagery. But given the Brolin’s interviews, Brolin himself, the script by the Sherlock Holmes writers, and now the director, I think this is going to be a Hunchback movie that will have an inappropriate amount of action in it. But to tell you the true I’m more caught up in the name “Quasimodo.” The Hunchback of Notre Dame is bad enough robbing the original titular characters of Esmeralda and the cathedral but at least there  is an air of mystery to it, but these singular one word titles are meant to sound all epic. Plus this whole movie is Brolin’s vanity project and he can’t let anyone forget that like ever. He is this movie. Oh, why couldn’t have been a better actor’s vanity project?

I’m not sure if my expectations are lower or up a little from this news. Maybe the promise of director who has made some lovely movies has up it but the dumb title has made it go crashing down.  Actually, I take it back, I have don’t have any expectations for this movie really.  I hope it’s bad, It’s more fun for me if it is.

Source; http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/zhang-yimou-circles-hollywood-debut-with-josh-brolin-starring-quasimodo

 

Source;  http://www.firstshowing.net/2013/hero-director-zhang-yimou-to-direct-quasimodo-starring-josh-brolin/ 

Check in Time

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Josh Brolin Interview for Men in Black picture image

Josh Brolin Interview for Men in Black

Let’s check in and see how the “Jazzy” and “Funky” Brolin version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is going……

Google Search on The Josh Brolin Version of Hhunchback picture image

Google Search on The Josh Brolin Version of Hunchback

Nothing since May 2012! In all seriousness, Brolin is going to be in new movie. It’s a disaster movie that takes place on Mt.Everest. He is going to be in Spike Lee’s remake of Oldboy which slated to come out in Novmeber.  So when he start promoting Oldboy maybe he will add the word “hip” to describe his Hunchback movie. And when he is promoting the Everest movie he will introduced the word  “Spicy” into the mix. So we’ll have a Jazzy, Funky, Hip, Spicy version of  The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Kamastutra and The Hunchback of Notre Dame

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KamaSutra; A Tale of Love DVD cover picture image

KamaSutra; A Tale of Love DVD cover

A film that has similar elements to the Hunchback is the 1996 movie KamaSutra; A Tale of Love. And yes it an Erotic drama period piece.

Indira Varma as Maya, KamaSutra; A Tale of Love picture image

Indira Varma as Maya, KamaSutra; A Tale of Love

First off, It’s an about a young women names Maya (Indira Varma) who has studied dancing. We have a young beautiful dancer, though Maya isn’t the prude as Esmeralda is.

Khalid_Tyabji as Biki, KamaSutra; A Tale of Love picture image

Khalid Tyabji as Biki, KamaSutra; A Tale of Love

Second, we have a Hunchback who is not too good this the ladies. The Hunchback who is a prince in this movie. Is in love with Maya. He is no where near as devote as Quasimodo.

Ramon Tikaram as Jai Kumar, KamaSutra; A Tale of Love picture image

Ramon Tikaram as Jai Kumar, KamaSutra; A Tale of Love

Third, we have two guys in love with Maya (in addition to the Hunchback prince). One is an artist who loves her more in a human way.

Indira Varma as Maya and Naveen Andrews as Raj Singh, KamaSutra; A Tale of Love picture image

Indira Varma as Maya and Naveen Andrews as Raj Singh, KamaSutra; A Tale of Love

The other is King who is obsessed with her. He even says his mood depend solely on her, which is true. When she rejects him even though she is his courtesan he get depressed and more dependent on opium. He is where near as complex or as interesting as Frollo.

Indira Varma as Maya and Naveen Andrews as Raj Singh, KamaSutra; A Tale of Love picture image

Indira Varma as Maya and Naveen Andrews as Raj Singh, KamaSutra; A Tale of Love

These similarities are coincidental and I highly doubt that KamaSutra; A Tale of Love was even remotely influenced by Hunchback but still the similar elements are striking.
KamaSutra; A Tale of Love isn’t the greatest movie in the world but it’s pretty and enjoyable.

Almost There; The 1982 version of Frollo

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Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

The 1982 version is a really good depiction of Frollo but it’s lacking in a few areas of his characters. This is one of the few film versions where Frollo is a priest however he doesn’t practice alchemy at all. Instead he’s a pretty by the book religious sort, spouting God when ever he can. But he starts off well, he adopts Quasimodo as an act of charity and he seems godly and pious which is great counter-point to his downfall later (not much later mind you ^_~ ).

Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

However, the way this movie handles his relationship with Esmeralda is weird. First off, Frollo never sees Esmeralda dancing. I’m going to repeat that, Frollo never sees Esmeralda dancing. That is a HUGE oversight. Her free-spirited dancing and radiance is what captured him. Instead he sees her being arrested for dancing and is enchanted. It’s not too far-off but it’s just wrong for both characters. Although I will get more into Esmeralda and her “dancing” when we get to her.

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda & Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda & Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Frollo is also more forceful towards her. When Frollo is a judge this force makes a level of sense but as Priest the approach-avoid conflict should be part of this dynamic with Esmeralda. In this version he lets her off-the-hook for dancing, which is apparently a no-no. And the when she is arrested again she is brought to him for his consent to take her to Bastille (I don’t know why this would happen). However he offers her sanctuary and she goes along with it. He brings her to a room where he makes attempt for sex. She runs off and Quasimodo tries to bring her back. So in the course of a few hours Frollo goes though all the moments that in the books took him months of suffering to reach.

Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture imahe

Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Also he tries to buy Esmeralda from Gringoire for 40 gold crowns. I’m not sure how much that would be today because to my understanding a crown is an English silver coin. But it probably was a sizable amount. However Frollo offering to buy is quite silly but at least the scene is alluded to again when Gringoire is trying to get Frollo to help him save Esmeralda so I overlook the absurdity of then scene.

 

Derek Jacobi as Frollo & Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Derek Jacobi as Frollo & Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Let’s talk about his looks. Derek Jacobi makes a great Frollo but that wig, that wig makes him look like a dork. Jacobi’s Frollo may have the most hair of any Frollo, which considering the character is bald with tuffs of hair isn’t a good thing. It’s just 100% dork salad bowl cut. Also he doesn’t have that angular austere look that Frollo should have.

Derek Jacobi as Frollo & Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame, picture image

Derek Jacobi as Frollo & Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

However, despite all that this version tweaks and weirdness, there is jail scene where Frollo bares his soul to her. Is it perfect? No, the scene has its flaws and is not as powerful as the book. But its there and that is more than most of the other versions have.

Derek Jacobi as Frollo & Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Derek Jacobi as Frollo & Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

All in all the 82 version of Frollo is commendable. It didn’t get all the facets of his complex character but it tries and does fine job communicating it. I think the credit has to given to Jacobi for his portrayal because he really works to sell this Frollo. So it’s an almost a fantastic  depiction but not quite.

Next 1982 Review Post; Esmeralda

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Lesley-Anne Down as Esmeralda, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Les Mis Hunchback style

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I don’t know why  but this made me chuckle so much.

Samantha Barks would make a great Esmeralda (she’s on my casting list since I saw Le Mis)

Disney’s Relationship with The Hunchback of Notre Dame

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Question; Why does Disney act like Hunchback of Notre Dame never happened?

To be fair, there is another Disney film Disney ignores more famously than The Hunchback of Notre Dame and that would be The Black Cauldron. This is because The Black Cauldron was a failure at the box-office and therefore didn’t money for the company. It also received mixed reviews, one being ” It lacked the dark elements of the book.” (sounds like a criticism for another Disney Film)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Blu-Ray Cover picture image

The Hunchback of Notre Dame Blu-Ray Cover

The Hunchback of Notre Dame received mostly positive reviews from critics and actually was a box-office success as its budget was $100 million and its gross revenue was $325.5 million, although it did barely only broke-even domestically. So with this info why does Disney ignore The Hunchback of Notre Dame? The Hunchback doesn’t have the levels of products as a lot of the other films in the Disney pantheon and looking at Disney’s presence on Zazzle, they don’t have a single Hunchback product but they do have stuff for Treasure Planet, which bombed at the box-office. Then you have the blu-ray of Hunchback which had no extras on it. Whereas Pocahonatas’ blu-ray does have quite a few extras and Pocahontas was not only offensive and historical very very very inaccurate but wasn’t received as well. However it appeals to children which pushed Pocahonatas in to the secondary tier of the Princess line of toys, which mean Pocahonatas makes money for the company.

Disney Princess Kitchen Set picture image

Disney Princess Kitchen Set
(Does anyone else think this is Hilarious?)

I would theorize that the reason why Disney ignores the Hunchback stems from they don’t know who to market this movie to. The film didn’t really appeal to children which is Disney’s primary demographic. The film’s darker tones and the more heavy subject matter more likely distances children for it. If the film has done better with their key demographic we would more than likely see Esmeralda* in the Disney Princess Brand and her face would grace the likes of blenders, bed sheets, bikes, shoes, baby dolls, chairs, ect. (They make a lot stuff for that brand). *Before you say Esmerald can’t be part of the Princess Brand as she is not a Princess,  Mulan is not a Princess nor does she marry a Prince and yet she is part of the Brand, here is a Muan Baby Doll )

The Art of the Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

The Art of the Hunchback of Notre Dame

As a company Disney is not going to put money in developing products for a film that didn’t appeal to its core demographic after its initial release. As Hunchback is part of the Disney family it did get it’s entitled blu-ray treatment but Disney did extended any extra effort into the extras which would have cost them. More then likely when Hercules‘ blu-ray comes out it will get extras because had more appeal to children. Plus it would seem that Hunchback’s popular is recent so if starts to gain a big enough following Disney will start showing it love. But It’s a two-street, Disney may think the Hunchback blu-ray failed because people dislike the movie and not because there no real incentive to buy it when the DVD has extras and blu ray doesn’t.

I think the question is why doesn’t the Hunchback of Notre Dame really appeal as much to children and who is does this movie appeal to? Maybe if Disney has a demographic to target they would show Hunchback a little more love.