Mr and Mrs Hugo

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Victor Hugo picture image

Victor Hugo

Portrait of Adele Hugo by Gemaelde von Louis Boulanger image

Portrait of Adele Hugo by Gemaelde von Louis Boulanger

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Victor Hugo married the girl next door, Adèle Foucher. Hugo’s mother, Sophie, was against the match but after her death he married Adèle  on October 14 1822. They had five children together. In 1830,  after their youngest daughter (named Adèle ) was born  the elder Adèle told Hugo that  she didn’t want anymore children which was code for no more sex. Both Hugo and the Adèle took lovers.  However it was the expulsion from Adèle bed’s that was the inspiration for Phoebus‘ tragic fate of getting married Notre Dame de Paris.

 

Further Reading

– Victor Hugo: A Biography
– Love Letters of Great Men: The Collection of Love Letters Drawn from by Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex in the City”
– Hugo: The Strange Life and Visions of Victor Hugo

Mr.Frollo as Teacher

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Professor Frollo picture image

Professor Frollo

 

 

Frollo teaches some teenagers the Alphabet using the proper words

A – Abomination.
B – Blasphemy 
C –  Contrition
D – Damnation
E – Eternal Damnation

 

 

Live for the One I Love Music Video

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This is a Music Video of Tina Arena singing “Live from the One I Love.” Which is   the English version of Vivre. Arena played Esmeralda in the first London  cast.  This video reminds me so much of Jim Henson’s 1986 movie The Labyrinth.  She sings it in a Labyrinth  and there is a white owl.

However this may have be a connect to Notre Dame de Chartes which has a Labyrinth and Chartes is considered the Seat of Mary, as it’s believed that her veil is housed there.  Also all the water imagery relates to Mary too.

Or it could that a labyrinth stands for  the singer being trapped and lost without it being a apparent that the song is from a musical.

For the most the video is kind of cheesy with its blues tones, CGs, weird overlays,  weird cross fades and odd costumes. However despite the clunky lyrics, Arena sounds great.

Hypothetical Casting for Frollo; Alan Rickman

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Alan Rickman picture image

Alan Rickman

A popular casting choice for Frollo is Alan Rickman. Rickman is best known for playing Professor Snape in theHarry Potter Movies . He has also played Colonel Brandon in the 1995 version of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, The Sheriff of Nottingham in the 1991 version of Robin Hood (Prince of Thieves) and Rasputin in Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny.

Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape from Harry Potter picture image

Alan Rickman as Professor Severus Snape from Harry Potter

Rickman would make a great Frollo. He has the right level of threat and tenderness about him. He also tends to play elegant characters that may seem calm but are concealing something within and he is good at communicating that dichotomy on film. This duality is essential to Frollo’s character. Also Rickman tends to play character that have a dark streak, which a Frollo really should have.

 

Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon from Sense and Sensibility picture image

Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon from Sense and Sensibility

Many ladies find Rickman attractive but he is not unconventional attractive. The aspects that people find attentive are his voice and with over-all manner. In that way Rickman has the right look and the right level of sex appeal that Frollo seems to have with fans. I mean could you imagined Rickman reciting the monologue in the jail scene (where he confesses his “love” to Esmeralda). I bet a lot fans of both Frollo and Rickman would love that.

Alan Rickman as The Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood; Prince of Thieves picture image

Alan Rickman as The Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood; Prince of Theives

I would just hope that if Rickman does play Frollo he is allowed to bring a dark tonality to the role and maybe recite some of Frollo’s dialogue from book largely intact.

Alan Rickman as Rasputin from Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny picture image

Alan Rickman as Rasputin from Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny

But what do you think? Would Alan Rickman make a good Frollo? Or do you think he would make a terrible Frollo and how dare I even suggesting it?

Who will Johnny Depp be in the 2013 version of Hunchback?

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In an interview with Josh Brolin (click here to watch), he said that Tim Burton will be involved in the project in some way (either directly or indirectly). This just means that Burton hasn’t sign a contract yet. No doubt he is holding out for more money. In any case Tim Burton involvement means that Johnny Depp has to be in this movie in some way.

Johnny Depp image picture

Johnny Depp

He’ll probably end up playing Gringoire. Given that this version is going to focus more on Gringoire and Burton is involved it seems very likely that Depp would be cast in role. Personally I think he would be fine in the role but Depp maybe to mature for Gringoire. Then again I think the book’s plot was thrown out the window ever since Brolin called this version “jazzy.” So perhaps so Depp can make Gringoire into what ever he wants.

But tell me what do you think……

Who Should Johnny Depp play in the 2013 Hunchback movie?

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The Ultimate conclusion of the 1923 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame

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Hunchback of Notre Dame 1923 Lon Chaney picture image

Hunchback of Notre Dame 1923 Lon Chaney

The 1923 version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is fondly remember for launching Lon Chaney’s career and for helping to change the way films were made but the movie is viewed with rose-colored glasses. Viewers often watch this movie as the First major Hunchback movie, as a classic universal monster movie or as Lon Chaney’s star vehicle. Judging by the audio commentator of the DVD this film gets critical pass but the movie is on the boring side and none of the character are fleshed out. It’s just dull on the story front. Speaking on the DVD commentary or in this case the Audio Essay (*cough* Pretentious *cough*), while there is a lot of good information the guy (Michael F. Blake) can not pronounce Quasimodo, Esmeralda or Phoebus. He says Quasimodo like Qua-SAY-Mo-do and Esmeralda like Esme-RAUL-da and really murders Phoebus’ name.

The Hunchback of Notre dame 1923 version Ultimate Edition Stuff picture image

The Hunchback of Notre dame 1923 version Ultimate Edition Stuff

If your interested the DVD comes with ;
– Optional audio essay by Michael F. Blake
– Lon Chaney on the set
– Alias and Alack (excerpt)
– Gallery of promotional shots and advertising material
– 20-page liner notes booklet with images featuring essay and reproduction of original souvenir program.
– And 3-D Glasses with no earpiece so you can’t keep it on. It’s for the Gallery of 3-D stills.They 3d enough just to make you feel slightly dizzy.

Click here to get the DVD along with all these features

Now let’s move anyway from the super remembered 1923 version to the not at all remember Jetlag version. With a studio name like that they have to put out high quality cartoons that are exciting, right?

Jetlag Cover picture image

Jetlag Cover

Oh….. well Next time the Jetlag version (which was selected by a vote)

Life Imitating Art; Hugo’s Youngest Daughter

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Victor Hugo's Daughter, Adèle picture image

Victor Hugo’s Daughter, Adèle

Did you know that Victor Hugo youngest child, Adele developed a romantic obsession a British military officer  who rejected and nearly destroyed her. Kind of sounds like  an mash-up of Frollo and Esmeralda. Adele’s love-life allludes to Notre Dame but it was by no means inspired it. Adele was born one year before Notre Dame’s publication.

There have been several biographies published on Adele Hugo but I really enjoyed the 1975 movie directed by François Truffaut and  starring Isabelle Adjani called The Story of Adele H.

 

Note- For the Month of Setember every Monday I’m going to try post a Victor Hugo trivia that relates to Notre Dame.

Phantom Lyrics with a Hunchback Twist

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Disney Esmeralda and Quasimodo on the Phantom's Boat picture image

Disney Esmeralda and Quasimodo on the Phantom’s Boat

{Esmeralda}
Atop the Cathedral, He’s always there
And rings the Large Big Bells that go Ding-Dong
And do I Dance again for now I find
The Hunchback of the Notre Dame is quite Ugly

{Quasimodo}
Dance once again with me our Strange Chasse
My Tower is quite  nice in the Summer Time
And though you’re quite Shallow to see Beyond
The Hunchback of the Notre Dame is Lovely Inside

{Esmeralda}
Those who have seen your Face draw back in Fear
I’m one of those People

{Quasimodo}
It’s me they Fear

{Together}
Your Face and my Dance in one combine
The Hunchback of the Notre Dame is quite ugly

{Background Vocals}
He’s ugly,  The Hunchback of the Notre Dame

{Quasimodo}
In all you Fantasies, you always knew
You like Men on Horseback

{Esmeralda}
Like my Phoebus

{Together}
And in this Cathedral
That Scraps the Sky
The Hunchback of the Notre Dame is quite ugly

{Quasimodo}
Dance my Lady of Paris

{Esmeralda}
He’s ugly,  The Hunchback of the Notre Dame

(Dances)

{Quasimodo}
Dance, Dance
Dance for me
Dance, My lady of Paris
Dance for me

 

Revised Lyrics by Me,
I used the book as a basis for this but there is a Notre Dame de Paris reference in there, see if you can find it. Also it’s not perfect but try singing these lyrics with the tune of The Phantom Of The Opera.

(Source)
http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/thephantomoftheopera/phantomoftheopera.htm