Search Results for: blog the rise of the dark fairy tale

Ashlee and Pete’s Fairy Tale Wedding

It might’ve had a fairy tale ending, but the theme of Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz’s wedding was based on a more bizarre children’s tale: Alice in Wonderland. No surprise there given that the newlyweds are self-professed fans of the “twisted, unique and unusual.” Another non-surprise: the wedding date. Ever since Wentz proposed to his pregnant gal pal last month rumors have been flying that the two would be marrying this weekend at her parent’s Southern California home. And so it came to be… last night the singer and her Fall Out Boy bassist fiancé wed in front of 150 … Continue reading →

First Glimpse of Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent

I’ve reported less on forthcoming Disney movies than I used to, now that I’ve learned how the whole studio machine works. I don’t believe rumors of a film until filming actually starts and we see some production photos. That’s why I’ve said very little about Disney’s live action Maleficent film. I first heard rumblings about Disney wanting to make a live action movie about one of their most popular villains back when Tim Burton made his feature length “Alice in Wonderland.” At the time the rumor was that Burton wanted to direct. After hearing that I assumed that Helena Bonham-Carter … Continue reading →

It’s Walpurgis Night – So What’s That?

Six months ago I profiled Chernabog in my Halloween list of the most frightening Disney moments. Chernabog is a Slavic deity; not much is known about him, but as Christian traditions took over the pagan ones in Europe he was seen as a black god, even sometimes associated with or as the devil. The Night on Bald Mountain sequence from “Fantasia,” which contains Chernabog, is according to the conductor who introduces the segment set on Walpurgis Night. I’d never heard of Walpurgis Night, or at least it never registered as I watched “Fantasia,” so I thought I would research it. … Continue reading →

Walt Disney’s Wonderland

“Alice in Wonderland” is that rare Disney movie for which the source text is more beloved than the animated adaptation. Today I’m only looking at the 1951 Walt-Disney-overseen animated adaptation of the famous stories by Lewis Carroll, not Tim Burton’s recent live action film; perhaps I’ll return to that another day. Disney did something interesting with this film: it’s an adaptation of both “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass.” Bringing both stories to the screen is possible because, well, both are just the tales of Alice’s many adventures in Wonderland. Neither have a specific plot; Alice falls … Continue reading →

Exploring the Original Snow White

We always think of the Grimm fairy tales as darker than their Disney updates, and for the most part that is true. But in reading and watching the two versions of “Snow White” together, I was surprised to find they’re not that much different. The Evil Queen asks for Snow White’s heart as proof of her death in both stories, though at least Disney withholds the part where she proceeds to consume the organ to symbolize her triumph over her enemy. However, one could argue the Disney film is darker than its source for a different part: the fate of … Continue reading →

Once Upon A Time

What happened after the happy ending? On Sunday night fairy tales and the real world collided. Or at least they did on television channel ABC, which debuted its newest show “Once Upon A Time.” The Disney-owned network showed its membership in the House of Mouse for the first time in its original programming, creating a new series that stars the likes of Snow White, the Evil Queen, and Jiminy Cricket. I don’t usually cover shows on ABC, despite its ownership by Disney, because most of them don’t really relate to the Mouse Company at all. But “Once Upon A Time” … Continue reading →

“Newsies” Show Debuts on Sunday

I can’t believe it’s actually happening. Almost a year ago I wrote about how “Newsies” was slated for Broadway, but although I read reports about it happening I didn’t quite believe they would come to fruition. But they have. “Newsies” opens on September 25 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey, only 25 miles from Manhattan. It runs through October 16, and if it’s successful, who knows, it could come back for more. In further proof of the musical’s existence the Disney Blog has a variety of videos about the show, from rehearsal clips to an interview with composer … Continue reading →

Considering Pixie Hollow

Of the few women in the Peter Pan story, I always liked Tinker Bell the best. Mrs. Darling had a one-dimensional role and Wendy came across as simple and boring (why would she want to be the mother, of all things, when she’s in the middle of a fairy tale world?). Tiger Lily had a lot of potential and I wouldn’t have minded if we’d followed her adventures on Never Land rather than Peter Pan’s; even as a child I thought she must have gotten up to more than Peter realized, but he, selfishly of course, only thought of her … Continue reading →

50% of Marriages Do Not End in Divorce

I thought that headline might get your attention. Far too often we focus on the negative report of statistics that indicate relationships won’t succeed and that marriages end in divorce. I remember when I was growing up; I would wonder why people bothered to get married. I remember watching some wedding ceremony on a soap opera and finding it rather boring. Why boring? Because on a soap opera there really is no such thing as happily ever after and a couple may get married but they will likely divorce in a year or two and that divorce will either be … Continue reading →