Manon des Sources Similarities to Hunchback

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Way back in March 2013 I did a post of Jean de Florette, a famous movie from France and its similarities to the Hunchback of Notre Dame (you can read that post here).

Emmanuelle Beart as Manon in Manon des Sources picture image

Emmanuelle Beart as Manon in Manon des Sources

In that post I mention it’s second part, a film called Manon des Sources which follows Jean’s daughter, Manon played by Emmanuelle Beart. It takes several years after Jean de Florette.

Manon (Emmanuelle Beart) and Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil) Manon des Sorces picture image

Manon (Emmanuelle Beart) and Ugolin (Daniel Auteuil) Manon des Sorces

In this movie Ugolin sees Manon dancing naked and falls into a deep crazed infatuation with her. Manon has similar free-spirited innocence that Esmeralda had in the novel, she even has goats. Unlike Frollo’s obession with Esmeralda, Ugolin never tries to harm Manon but he does try to win her over but Manon despises him and his uncle for destroying her father. However like Frollo, Ugolin is undone by his love for Manon.

I highly recommend seeing these two movies, they are great.

Differences Between the King’s Academy Production and Der Glockner von Notre Dame

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Frollo, Quasimodo and Ensemble performing Esmeralda King's Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo, Quasimodo and Ensemble performing Esmeralda King’s Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame

The King’s Academy version of the Hunchback exist as step between Der Glockner von Notre Dame and the official American musical version of La Jolla and Papermills. The King’s version has some core differences of Glockner and even the Disney movie. Also Please note, I’m working off of memory, I had hope to re-watch it and make a list but I couldn’t do that so I probably will miss things.

So the big difference and something that I find a unforgivable is Phoebus or rather not Phoebus. This version calls him Edgrick, I’m not sure why they changed his name. The did change the gargoyle names back to there original Disney name of Victor, Hugo and Laverne instead of the Glockner names Charles, Loni and Antoine. Also in this production Phoebus does not sing. This Phoebus’ signature song of Ein bißchen Freude or Rest and Recreation does not occur. Also Out of Love is cut which is also cut from the La Jolla version. He also doesn’t sing in Esmeralda instead Frollo sings Phoebus’s part which doesn’t make that much sense as the Frollo asks why he hears her words inside his head I have no idea what he would be referring to, though the lyrics have been changed somewhat.

King’s version
Frollo:
Why do I long for Esmeralda?
Why do I hear her words inside my head?
Why do I think of Esmeralda?
With all the Gypsies Beggars left for Dead

Yes my Duty calls for
Paris is Burning
Lit to expose that furtive pair
Sneaking about
Out There

Glockner
Phoebus:
What have I done for Esmeralda?
Why do I hear her voice inside my head?
Why do I think of Esmeralda?
With my career and prospects left for dead?

Frollo:
Once more my Duty calls
Paris is Burning
Lit to expose that furtive pair
Sneaking about
Out There
http://www.shipperland.de/miracles/

I wish Phoebus or Edgrick had sung in Esmeralda be it harkens to the basis of the book three guys and how they hearts are made different with regard to one woman. Plus it adds rich to the big act ending song.

Another cut song from the Glockner version is Tanz auf dem Seil or Dance on the Rope which served as Esmeralda’s introduction. Instead she appears dancing before a crowd like in the movie. The La Jolla version also cut Dance of the Rope and opted for keeping the dance angle but added the song Rhythm of the Tambourine.

The King’s Academy also cut Tanz der Zigeuner, Dance of the Gypsies and reintroduced The Court of Miracle from the original. Minor change really.

Clopin doesn’t narrate the tale as a beggar which he does in Glockner. In the King’s versions he is in his jester costume at the start. Minor change.

However the big change is at the end, no one dies and I mean no one, well except Quasimodo’s mother. But Frollo lies, he is about to attack Quasimodo and Esmeralda but he just walks off. This could be because he said care for the child.

A curious addition and not really a change but it needs to be mention is Djali isn’t in this version but one of Hugo’s lines mention Djali not by name but he does say “the one in the dress ain’t bad either” referencing to the nonexistent Djali.

Again I’m probably missing other difference between the shows but those are the one I remember and can find

Next Time -Direction and Staging

Esmeralda, Quasimodo and Ensemble performing God help the Outcast King's Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda, Quasimodo and Ensemble performing God help the Outcast King’s Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame

The King and I Review – With Dragons and Monkey Antics

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The King and I Picture image

The King and I

Sometimes a movie comes along and it makes you just ask yourself why? The 1999 animated movie version of The King & I is one such movie. It was made by Warner’s Brother in associated with Morgan Creek, Nest (our friends from The Swan Princess) and my old nemesis Rankin/Bass. This movie is based or rather somewhat based on the Roger Hammerstein musical “The King and I” which in turn was based on a novel by Margaret Landon called Anna and the King which was in turn was based off of Anna Leonowens’ memoirs which were over-extragted about her life, teaching the children of King Mongkut of Siam.

Now I don’t know much about the King and I or Thailand’s history but I do know that Thailand was never colonized because of the reforms of modernization undertaken by Mongkut a.k.a Rama IV and Rama V.

I have also seen The Legend of Suriyothai which is a movie about Suriyothai, one of Thailand’s most famous and beloved Queens. The movie was financed by Queen Sirikit, directed by a member of the Royal family and stars a minor royal and a pop star. But enough of that tangent and my clear stalling, let’s talk about The King and I.

Anna and the King about to get their dance on The King and I Picture image

Anna and the King about to get their dance on

Unlike other movies that just introduce characters and situations this one make the bold decision not to. The king’s advisor dude, The Kralahome wants to be king because all bad guys want to rule for no reason. He spies on Anna on route to Siam with  her son and thinks “I can use this lady to dethrone the king.” So what does he do? Sends a dragon with his BS illusion magic that is never explained to I think scare her, not sure what his plan is. Then Anna sings her whistling song and the dragon either finds the whistling or uptempo singing disagreeable and peaces out.

Anna docks and her son gets to keep a monkey whose name is Mushi, or Mochi, or Munchi, I couldn’t understand the kid and who cares (it seems to be Moonchee and I still don’t care). Anywho Kralahome and his overly offensive minion Master Little welcomes Anna and tells her she isn’t going to live in a house like she was promised which get Anna’s panties all in a knot. There is also a lame running gag where Master Little looses his teeth, charming.

Anna speaks to the King who getting a present from Burma, a girl named Tuptim who can read, OMG Shocks! Then Kralahome then decides to try and kill Anna’s son, Louis because the King will get blamed for it. Huh? What? How do you figure that? Kralahome is a massive dum-dum. That plan by Kralahome fails too like the dragon. But whatever his lame plans pads out the running time.

Then we see Tuptim meeting her cute sidekick, a little Elephant named Tusker and then she meets the crown prince, Chulalongkorn and voila they’re in love because they’re attractive, meh they’re teens.

Then Anna meets the nameless kids of the king and that pads out the running time for a little bit. Then Anna starts teaching and takes them outside the palace sings the getting to know you song while Mater Little and the Monkey cause antics, I really can’t remember why, probably another Kralahome master plan of dumbness.

Then Kralahome sends a letter to the Bristish saying that Anna is being treated badly and the King is a barbarian. The letter plan works as the Bristish officer heads to Siam to dethrone him. Yeah that is just dumb.

Kralahome then sends killer statues while the King sing-prays to Buddha but the King’s panther, Rama (everyone has pet/sidekick) defeats them before the King notices by roaring. I don’t get what Kralahome’s plan is.

Then the British come and Anna convinces the King to put on a banquest because the Bristish like dinner parties, but if Downton Abbey has taught me anything that is where the real fighting is really done.

Master Little learns that the crown Prince gave the royal pendent to Tuptim so Kralahome uses that info to goat the king into being a meanie pants at the banquet because when he learns this he wants to whip Tuptim to death but then decides to send her back to Burma which is also death. The Crown Prince and Tuptim run off. Kralohome decides that this is a good opertunity to kill the king or something but when that plan fails he just decides to use firworks (a la Mulan) to kill him. It doesn’t work so Kralahome is sentenced to clean up the sacred white elephant shit, The crown prince gets to marry Tuptim and Anna gets her house. I was just so happy when it was over.

The sidekicks The King and I Picture image

The sidekicks

One of the main problem with this anus of movie is that in order to make it friendly for kids they threw in sidekicks everywhere. These sidekicks come at the expense of the characters who are really there so that the production didn’t have to think to hard. The story, characters and songs were already established but the additions of the sidekicks just steamrolls over that.

The getting to know you sequence is a great example, the movie has Anna and the kids singing it but the focuses is on Master Little and that Monkey. After a while I just tuned it out as a coping mechanism.

The King's kids The King and I Picture image

The King’s kids

So we don’t get interesting or compelling characters in this, hell Disney Sequels have more interesting and compelling characters, at least Madeline in the hunchback sequel got more of a characterization then any character in this movie. The King wants technology and tradition, Anna wants a house, The prince and Tuptim want to get married and Kralahome just wants power. What is it with advisors wanting power?

Speaking of Kralohome, what the fuck? This guy is like Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones. Like Cersei, Kralahome thinks he is like a genius and a master tactician but he is really just an idiot. On what planet do you think a King will get blamed for the death of a boy when your fucking minion is the last one seen with him? There so much fail with Kralohome, I would feel embarrassed for him, if I cared.

Tuptim The King and I Picture image

Tuptim

I have already mention Tuptim, who I would assume is the token Princess-like character. Tuptim was given to the king from Burma. She can read but never seems to want to read, that would have made her interesting. Instead she is in love with the Prince and whines about being a servant, never mind she is a stranger in a strange place no instead she has a elephant. See what I mean about the characters having next to no personality.

The King and Rama the panther with stupid CG killer Statues The King and I Picture image

The King and Rama the panther with stupid CG killer Statues

Seeing as the songs where not original to the movie, I’m not going to talk about them but they are fine on the whole, I guess. To be honest half the songs don’t bother to focus on the singer or the subject matter so if the movie doesn’t care why should I?

The animation on the other hand is a train-wreak. It’s bad in the sense that it’s trying really, really hard to be good which makes it bad. It’s not even bad in that special bad way, it just off-putting. The dialogue is also really off-putting with it’s on and off again broken English.

Kralahome with Master Little The King and I Picture image

Kralahome with Master Little

The King and I is just a lame-duck of movie. It has nothing going to for it, I found the coldness in my feet far more entertaining than this puke of movie. One final piece of trivia, this movie made the Roger and Hammerstein estate have a no animated movie stance on any their musicals in the future, Good Job movie commend your lameness.

New Notre Dame Production 2015

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Robert Marien as Froll & Matt Laurent as Quasimodo, World Tour Notre Dame de Paris Crocus City picture image

Robert Marien as Froll & Matt Laurent as Quasimodo, World Tour Notre Dame de Paris Crocus City

YAY, Korea is putting on a French Cast Production of Notre Dame de Paris in honor of the 10th anniversary of the show in Korea. This marks the like fourth run of the show in Asian country but it’s the fisrt time since 2005 that a production has been in its native.

The show will run at The Grand Theater, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul from January 15th to February 27th 2015.

So here is the cast and if you have been following the Notre Dame de Paris recent cast ( or just in general) you will see some familiar faces.

Quasimodo – Matt Laurent & Angelo Del Vecchio

Frollo- Robert Marien & Jerome Collet

Esmeralda – Stephanie Bedard & Myriam Brosseau

Gringoire – Richard Charest & John Eyzen

Phoebus – Yvan Pedneault & John Eyzen

Fleur de Lys – Stephanie Schlesser & Myriam Brosseau

Clopin – Roddy Julienne, Gardy Fury & Angelo Del Vecchio

Also according to Matt Laurent’s site the show will also go to
Daeju, South Korea
Daejeon, South Korea
Kwanju, South Korea
Busan, South Korea
Ulsan, South Korea
Taipei, Taiwan
http://mattlaurent.com/calendrier.php

King’s Academy Version of Hunchback Introduction

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So the La Jolla production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame musical is in full swing and the Papermill playhouse show is on the horizon. The La Jolla veriosn is considered to be the American debut of the German musical Der Glockner von Notre Dame which was based on the Disney movie. But you know it was not the first time the musical was adapted in English.

Esmeralda and Quasimodo singing On Top of the World King's Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda and Quasimodo singing On Top of the World 

In 2013 the musical was performed at King’s Academy in Palm Beach County Florida which is private catholic high school. The musical was done in collaboration with the school and Disney. However it has some differences with the Glockner version that warrant discussing.

As I have already discussed the Disney version and the Glockner version before and I hope to discuss the musical more in future (hint hint) I’m not going to spread too long talking about it and as the performers are high school students (or at least were), I’m going to go easy them in terms of acting and singing.

So for the next five weeks, we will look at this version.

Also please note, the whole thing was on youtube a few weeks ago and I did watch it  but now most of it not available but I won’t let that stop me, Gwahahahahahaaa.

Another Simple Novel based Question

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Last week I asked what was your favorite part of the novel was. This time I’m going to ask what is your Least favorite part of novel?

Frollo and Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo and Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

For me I hate Bird’s Eye view of Paris but that chapter is so boring and dull it hardly seems like part of narrative so I will say the begining  of the novel, the first few chapter till it follows Gringoire more and stops focusing on  Jehan and random people.

The Prince of Egypt Review; Deliver us to Pretty Animation

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The Prince of Egypt Picture image

The Prince of Egypt

The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 animated film based on the bible story of Moses and Exodus and the 1965 movie The Ten Commandments. It was one of Dreamsworks’ first movies and did fairly well at the Box-office. But the real question we have to ask is this a bad movie or is just ok? It’s great, shut-up.

Moses and Ramses The Prince of Egypt Picture image

Moses and Ramses

Ok the plot, So Ancient Egypt total sucks in you’re a Jewish slave under Seti I. This go shit to crap when Seti decides to killing the Jews babies. One mother decides to send her baby boy adrift in a basket on the Nile and he is delivered to the Queen of Egypt who adopts him and calls him Moses.

Years later Moses has grown into a care-free trouble making type and is best pals with big bro Ramses II. The toy cause some shenanigans and get in trouble with their dad and he says one weak link can ruin a dynasty, these words haunt Ramses. I just want to point out this Egyptian Dynasty isn’t that old, like Seti is the second Pharaoh of the 19th so yeah. Anyway Moses ask Seti to give Ramses a chance to prove himself and later that night at banquet. Ramses is named Prince Regent. The priests also offer him a capture woman from Midian. She is bit to wild for Ramses so he gives her to Moses.

When Moses sees her escaping her sort of helps by distracting the palace guards and follows her. He then runs into two salves, Miriam and Aaron who are his siblings. Miriam knows this because she followed the basket to the Queen. She sings the lullaby their mother sang to baby Moses and the stirs something within him. He confronts his mother and father and learns that Seti ordered infanticide because he fear their numbers. The nest day Moses accidently kills a Slave driver when he was over whipping an old man. Moses runs off despites plesa from Ramses.
Moses then runs into the Midian lady he helped and her people. He because a shepherd and falls in love with and marries the Midian lady who is named Tzipporah. Life is peaceful for Moses but then he runs into a burning brush which is God. God tells Moses that he needs to get the Jews freed from stinky-pants Pharaoh and God give Moses‘ stick special powers do his wonders.

Moses tells Tzipporah who is shocked but decides to go with him. Moses returns to Egypt and though delighted to see his brother who is now the Pharaoh is also now his adversary. Moses tries to convince Ramses to let his people go but Ramses refuses and the Jewish people don’t warm up to Moses either. Moses uses performs God’s wonder only to have the Priest use pallor trick to undermine him. Then the plaque come and Ramses still says no. Moses tries to warn him that something worse is coming but Ramses remains stubborn claiming he will not be the weak one and threaten Moses with infanticide of the Jewish people. Then the Egyptian first borns are taken including Ramses’ son. Ramses gives in and releases them.

The Jewish people are free and they walk and ended at the Red Sea. Ramses then shows up with his army. God sends a fire tornado to stall them (fill that sucker with sharks and think you have the plot to the next Sharknado movie). Moses then splits the Red Sea and the Jewish people get cross while the Egyptian (guess that awesome firenado did last) aren’t so lucky though Ramses lived, though historical dude lived to be like 90. The movie ends with Moses and the ten commandments.

Moses and the burning brushThe Prince of Egypt Picture image

Moses and the burning brush

Former Disney chairmen, Jeffrey Katzenberg had always wanted to make an animated version of The Ten Commandments but Micheal Eisner refused the idea. So when Katzenberg formed Dreamworks pictures with Steven Spielberg and David Geffan they went for it. Unlike some of the other Knock-off Disney movies, this one doesn’t use the sweet, sweet Disney formula, instead it opts to use the basic indigents that make Disney movies great; great stylish animation, sweeping music with great characters.

Moses and RamsesThe Prince of Egypt Picture image

Moses and Ramses

One of the best parts of this movie is the dynamic between Moses and Ramses. Their relationship is genuine but they also have to honor their adult reasonability that puts them at odd with each other. This makes for some great drama and in a lot of way this story and relationship is more mature than most straight up movie aimed at adults.

The down side is that that the rest of the characters are not that interesting and don’t have much personality to them. Miriam sort of does as she is hopeful but that that much considering Ramses and Moses. The comic relief priest are a little annoying but they don’t get that much screen time so it’s not that bad.

Tzipporah, The Prince of Egypt picture image

Tzipporah,

Then we have are vague princess-like character Tzipporah. She is the daughter of teh high Priest of Midian and is very similar to Esmeralda is character type. She feisy and mature, heck she is voice Michelle Pfeiffer who was akin to Demi Moore in the 90s. The trouble is Tzipporah don’t do all that much but considering that her personality does come though very well.

A Lovely Shot from The Prince of Egypt , picture image

A Lovely Shot from The Prince of Egypt

The really stand out in this movie is the animation and the visuals. I will just say that I’m not in love with the square angularness of the characters design but it’s a style and I can appreciate that especially when the other visuals and very cinematic looking shots and angles are truly beautiful. This movie has real scope to it and it one of the best looking animated movies with out a doubt.

I personally love the shot of both Ramses and Set in profile against the statues. I love that right before the passover scene Ramses, his son and Moses are mirroring the image on the wall depicting the death of Jewish babies, with son between the crocodile foreshadowing his death. My favorite image from the film though is the whale in the Red Sea as they cross it, that just makes me want to cry big sappy happy tears . Speaking of the Red Sea scene, I love the atmosphere as the depend down in the sea and the sound of the sea and the darkness is just wonderful.

The music is also great. I really love the background music especially the lullaby leitmotif and the burning brush music. The songs are good, I don’t love them but I don’t hate them. No song was that bad and they moved the story along. Some people question their existent in the film narrative but they didn’t bother me. I think they had more of lead in it would have been better.

Moses with Miriam and AaronThe Prince of Egypt Picture image

Moses with Miriam and Aaron

This this film perfect? No it’s not it has a bog flaw that hold it back, the running lenght. I feel this film could have stood to be longer. Moses learn about his origins with little to no breathing room between him seeing Tzipporah run off, his feeling bad over the Egptian children and his brother pain is cut too short because of the Exodus and When you believe. I think ten minutes would have help with the flow and maybe that would have fleshed out some the minor characters a little bit more.

Moses and the Jewish People leaving Egypt when you believe The Prince of Egypt Picture image

Moses and the Jewish People leaving Egypt

The Prince of Egypt is a very good movie despite any minor faults it has. It has real beauty and drama and you can just tell that the production team believed in this movie an delivered a great movie in return, see what I did there, because of the songs When you Believe and Deliver us?

The Hunchblog’s 1000th Post

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Quasimodo doll wants to go new jersey hunchback notre dame picture image

Help The Hunchblog go see the Musical

So in honor of the blog’s 100oth, I have a few little announcements to make.

Announcement #1,

Since I don’t live super very away from New Jersey, I would like to try and go to the Hunchback Musical at the Papermills Playhouse in New Jersey. However since I’m primarily a blogger by trade I don’t have the funds to go on my own so I’m trying to crowd fund it.

If you would like to be a wonderful person and help me and the blog out to go to this musical, here is the link to donate, http://www.gofundme.com/h0h4z4     .

Anything you can give towards this is very much appreciated.

Announcement #2,

November is Nation Novel Writing Month (http://nanowrimo.org) and I’m trying participating. I’m writing a novel based on what I know which is me and blogging and ripping part Disney movies. Basically I’m parodying myself, the blog and online reviewing and I’m having such fun doing it.

I’m hoping publish it at some point. Also speaking of Hunchblog related book I’m planning on writing one using blog posts from the 1939 version and greatly expanding on it in a much more in-depth way.

Announcement #3,

This isn’t quite a formal announcement but I’m considering signing up for Patreon for the blog which offer special content to patrons but I’m a little apprehend about it.   It takes a lot for to sign up for things like that. Gofundme took some effort to go for. I

Thank you guys so much for your support and interested in the blog, I really appreciate it. And I hope for another 1000 posts and thehunchblog’s birthday is in another month so that is exciting.

 

1986 version Conclusion

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Frollo 1986 Hunchback Notre Dame picture image

Frollo

While I have bashed the 1986 version of the Hunchback of Notre Dame, calling it a lazy, uninspired mess with cheap knock-off characters set in tones of soul-crushing dullness, I didn’t hate it.

Esmeralda and Gringoire 1986 the Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda and Gringoire

At best it’s watchable which is more than I can say for the Dingo version or the Enchanted tales version which one can only watch because they are so bad you can’t look away. The 1986 version isn’t so bad it’s good it’s just meh. Which considering the amount of laziness half-ass workmanship that went into this version, meh is high praise.

Next Version- Unknown

Djali Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney

Djali