themadhatter_2000
Joined Sep 2000
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themadhatter_2000's rating
Disney has a knack for enlightening children to tales from centuries ago by animating them, adding some songs and making everything pretty and colourful, Alice In Wonderland is that and a whole lot more.
Learning about Literary Classics from Disney cartoons is the most convenient, entertaining and wildly amusing ways of seeing what an author had intended the viewer to create in their mind. But nowadays, thanks to television, children can hardly get past the first sentence of a book without wanting a Pikachu or some sort of explosion to take place.
That's where the magic of Disney films come in. The animators, imagineers, musicians and creators take massive pride in the making of their literary classics to Disney masterpieces and Alice In Wonderland is a prime example.
The story of young Alice toppling down a rabbit hole and meeting a bunch of locals in the magical world of Wonderland is created perfectly through this Disney adaptation. Taking aspects from both the original Alice and Through The Looking Glass, the exploits of Tweedledum and Dee to the Mad Hatter's Tea party blend seemlessly in this brilliant animational masterpiece.
The musical score, with each character owning their own theme music, and the various songs throughout are enjoyable and fantastic.
The characters themselves shine, making each and everyone of them memorable especially the talents of Ed Wynn as The Mad Hatter and the brilliant J. Pat O'Malley as the Tweedles and their story telling equivalents.
So, the ideal way to introduce children, or even Highschool Students having to do books from the 19th Century, is to find a Disney Classic such as Alice In Wonderland and marvel at the creative genius behind the team that made books exciting for the new generation.
Learning about Literary Classics from Disney cartoons is the most convenient, entertaining and wildly amusing ways of seeing what an author had intended the viewer to create in their mind. But nowadays, thanks to television, children can hardly get past the first sentence of a book without wanting a Pikachu or some sort of explosion to take place.
That's where the magic of Disney films come in. The animators, imagineers, musicians and creators take massive pride in the making of their literary classics to Disney masterpieces and Alice In Wonderland is a prime example.
The story of young Alice toppling down a rabbit hole and meeting a bunch of locals in the magical world of Wonderland is created perfectly through this Disney adaptation. Taking aspects from both the original Alice and Through The Looking Glass, the exploits of Tweedledum and Dee to the Mad Hatter's Tea party blend seemlessly in this brilliant animational masterpiece.
The musical score, with each character owning their own theme music, and the various songs throughout are enjoyable and fantastic.
The characters themselves shine, making each and everyone of them memorable especially the talents of Ed Wynn as The Mad Hatter and the brilliant J. Pat O'Malley as the Tweedles and their story telling equivalents.
So, the ideal way to introduce children, or even Highschool Students having to do books from the 19th Century, is to find a Disney Classic such as Alice In Wonderland and marvel at the creative genius behind the team that made books exciting for the new generation.
The Blair Witch Project was a revolutionary experiment in fear through an audience's perceptions of what could have happened to those three student film makers in their ill fated trip to Burkettsville after their footage was found showing their strange demise.
Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows is really just another film where strange flashes and frights are rampant, though a mild sense of fear is created.
The difference between the two? The 1st Blair Witch was actually believable, the 2nd one isn't.
This time around, rather than the more convincing shaky black and white snippets of film mixed with shaky coloured film, the piece is a "Fictional Re-enactment" of events that occurred after the first film was released at cinema's everywhere, following four budding students into the Black Hills once more to find out just what happened to Heather, Josh and Mike.
Sadly, the fact that it is a "Fictional Re-enactment" takes the fun out of believing that this piece could possibly be true. BW2 is simply too professional looking to seem realistic, even for a "Re-enactment" Whereas BW1 had a certain sense of mystery and reality.
Although entertaining in it's own right, the fact that you don't really believe that these bizarre things happened to people lets down the aura that the first created. Because of the shakiness and poor quality of the picture in the first Blair Witch it made things more believable...
But this time, with a literal cast of thousands, a soundtrack, cinematic score, boom mike and casting director, you begin to feel that the Blair Witch makers are just out the make a buck...And I hear you all gasp.
My bitterness though did not spoil my outing, though a wayward film reel did. Actually, it added to the movie, as during their first visit to that Mill the film on screen was strangely angled and I thought it was clever. Until the Cinema Man walked in and apologised before having it promptly reassigned.
Onto the movie now...there were actual scary bits. The bit where the Gothic Girl sees the fun dead kids was kinda creepy. The good 'ole laughing and crying children made a comeback, plus flashes, distressed looks and visions of what took place during a lost 5 hours.
Which is where the story comes in. The four new people, one was called Tristian I remember that much, go on The Blair Witch Hunt into the Black Hills to have a camp out in the ruins of the Rustin Parr ( see the first film to find out who he is ) house to catch a glimpse of our favourite Blair Witch.
After a drinking and smoking session, the four awaken to discover strew paper and smashed, lost video equipment, before realising that they had in fact lost 5 hours during the night. Then, to make matters worse, hikers seen earlier by the quad are found dead on Coffin Rock in good old Stickman Pentagram fashion and strange Wiccan Alphabet symbols are etching themselves onto their skin.
That is the overall premise of BW2. Mixed with interviews with police, townspeople, flashes of strange rituals and murders and the occasional dead child waddling around, a certain creep factor begins to appear, but not nearly as much as it's predecessor.
Overall, BW2 had it's own sort of appeal. If you just wanted a strange movie with a fun witch back-story then it'd do, but as a follow up to an actual "scary" movie with a more creepy sub-text then it sadly falters.
The actors are great, with the occasional worried look and shocked appearance during trippy murder visions. Burkettsville is looking as spooky as ever, though a Mill is the new scene of madness for this outing.
The Blair Witch Mythology, created for the first movie, kinda takes a back-step in this film. Sure, there's the whole blame the witch possession aspect, but no actual explanation of what happened to Rustin Parr's house since the last film. The whole Coffin Rock past murder things. The disappearance of Heather and Co. in the last movie. Or even the Blair Witch herself, though the facing the corner Rustin Parr murder style thing is seen for a brief moment.
The absence of the mythology and the sort of twist that the ending takes leads viewers to believe, rather reluctantly, that the apparent 3rd movie will consist of five students going to the Mill to find out what happened to the students in the 2nd film, who in turn were just trying to find out what happened to the three students in the first film and so on and so forth for another 59 sequels...
Hopefully the guys take the first BW approach and just send people out and chase them around shouting Oooga Booga for the 3rd one Prequel thing.
The point of all my rambling simply comes down to Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows being a great movie in it's own right. Creepy, strange and thought provoking. But, it doesn't quite make it as a sequel to the original Blair Witch as it misses the essence of its predecessor.
Go see it just to see what everyone is complaining about and get your own opinion of it. That way, you'll enjoy the 3rd one and consequently the 1st one more next you view it. And oh yes, Take your Nan!
Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows is really just another film where strange flashes and frights are rampant, though a mild sense of fear is created.
The difference between the two? The 1st Blair Witch was actually believable, the 2nd one isn't.
This time around, rather than the more convincing shaky black and white snippets of film mixed with shaky coloured film, the piece is a "Fictional Re-enactment" of events that occurred after the first film was released at cinema's everywhere, following four budding students into the Black Hills once more to find out just what happened to Heather, Josh and Mike.
Sadly, the fact that it is a "Fictional Re-enactment" takes the fun out of believing that this piece could possibly be true. BW2 is simply too professional looking to seem realistic, even for a "Re-enactment" Whereas BW1 had a certain sense of mystery and reality.
Although entertaining in it's own right, the fact that you don't really believe that these bizarre things happened to people lets down the aura that the first created. Because of the shakiness and poor quality of the picture in the first Blair Witch it made things more believable...
But this time, with a literal cast of thousands, a soundtrack, cinematic score, boom mike and casting director, you begin to feel that the Blair Witch makers are just out the make a buck...And I hear you all gasp.
My bitterness though did not spoil my outing, though a wayward film reel did. Actually, it added to the movie, as during their first visit to that Mill the film on screen was strangely angled and I thought it was clever. Until the Cinema Man walked in and apologised before having it promptly reassigned.
Onto the movie now...there were actual scary bits. The bit where the Gothic Girl sees the fun dead kids was kinda creepy. The good 'ole laughing and crying children made a comeback, plus flashes, distressed looks and visions of what took place during a lost 5 hours.
Which is where the story comes in. The four new people, one was called Tristian I remember that much, go on The Blair Witch Hunt into the Black Hills to have a camp out in the ruins of the Rustin Parr ( see the first film to find out who he is ) house to catch a glimpse of our favourite Blair Witch.
After a drinking and smoking session, the four awaken to discover strew paper and smashed, lost video equipment, before realising that they had in fact lost 5 hours during the night. Then, to make matters worse, hikers seen earlier by the quad are found dead on Coffin Rock in good old Stickman Pentagram fashion and strange Wiccan Alphabet symbols are etching themselves onto their skin.
That is the overall premise of BW2. Mixed with interviews with police, townspeople, flashes of strange rituals and murders and the occasional dead child waddling around, a certain creep factor begins to appear, but not nearly as much as it's predecessor.
Overall, BW2 had it's own sort of appeal. If you just wanted a strange movie with a fun witch back-story then it'd do, but as a follow up to an actual "scary" movie with a more creepy sub-text then it sadly falters.
The actors are great, with the occasional worried look and shocked appearance during trippy murder visions. Burkettsville is looking as spooky as ever, though a Mill is the new scene of madness for this outing.
The Blair Witch Mythology, created for the first movie, kinda takes a back-step in this film. Sure, there's the whole blame the witch possession aspect, but no actual explanation of what happened to Rustin Parr's house since the last film. The whole Coffin Rock past murder things. The disappearance of Heather and Co. in the last movie. Or even the Blair Witch herself, though the facing the corner Rustin Parr murder style thing is seen for a brief moment.
The absence of the mythology and the sort of twist that the ending takes leads viewers to believe, rather reluctantly, that the apparent 3rd movie will consist of five students going to the Mill to find out what happened to the students in the 2nd film, who in turn were just trying to find out what happened to the three students in the first film and so on and so forth for another 59 sequels...
Hopefully the guys take the first BW approach and just send people out and chase them around shouting Oooga Booga for the 3rd one Prequel thing.
The point of all my rambling simply comes down to Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows being a great movie in it's own right. Creepy, strange and thought provoking. But, it doesn't quite make it as a sequel to the original Blair Witch as it misses the essence of its predecessor.
Go see it just to see what everyone is complaining about and get your own opinion of it. That way, you'll enjoy the 3rd one and consequently the 1st one more next you view it. And oh yes, Take your Nan!
The most hated word in the English language is sequel, as most of the time a "sequel" to a movie is a money laundering plot that offers a pointless outing to an already finished tale.
Fantasia 2ooo is not a sequel.
Fantasia 2ooo is a continuation of the most historical musical masterpiece that paired brilliant animation with well known symphonic classics...and that was just the credits.
Continuing on from Fantasia, this 2ooo revival adds seven new pieces as well as The Sorcerer's Apprentice from the original. This time, with technology enabling the masters to finally somewhat portray what brilliance is going through their minds, Fantasia uses revolutionary new computer animation techniques, as well as the good old pen and ink method of the past.
From Beethoven's 5th to The Firebird Suite, there's a new myriad of classical pieces that burn into the minds of the intellectually sound. Critics of such films as Fantasia are simply, to put it bluntly, uneducated and unintelligent, because truly Fantasia 2ooo and its predecessor and nothing short of an art form in themselves.
Bringing exciting tales to somewhat 'boring' pieces of classical music is Fantasia's forté. And after watching such films, those 'boring' pieces are suddenly vivid and you begin to realise the complexity, brilliance and mastery that goes behind each musical number, thanks to the pictures put forth by the Disney crew. Fantasia 2ooo takes musical appreciation to a new level.
Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance makes the viewer almost weep as the booming march highlights Donald Duck's safe delivery of animals to the new world. The Carnival Of The Animals Finalé entertains the viewer visually as well as humorously. And the Pines Of Rome is truly breath-taking as whales take to the sky in an amazing beginning to this millennium presentation.
Truly, as a stand-alone film, Fantasia 2ooo falls into no category. It is a film, a symphony, an experience to be encountered by young and old alike and remembered as the most amazing film ever to grace human eyes.
Oh yeah...Did I mention I liked it?
Fantasia 2ooo is not a sequel.
Fantasia 2ooo is a continuation of the most historical musical masterpiece that paired brilliant animation with well known symphonic classics...and that was just the credits.
Continuing on from Fantasia, this 2ooo revival adds seven new pieces as well as The Sorcerer's Apprentice from the original. This time, with technology enabling the masters to finally somewhat portray what brilliance is going through their minds, Fantasia uses revolutionary new computer animation techniques, as well as the good old pen and ink method of the past.
From Beethoven's 5th to The Firebird Suite, there's a new myriad of classical pieces that burn into the minds of the intellectually sound. Critics of such films as Fantasia are simply, to put it bluntly, uneducated and unintelligent, because truly Fantasia 2ooo and its predecessor and nothing short of an art form in themselves.
Bringing exciting tales to somewhat 'boring' pieces of classical music is Fantasia's forté. And after watching such films, those 'boring' pieces are suddenly vivid and you begin to realise the complexity, brilliance and mastery that goes behind each musical number, thanks to the pictures put forth by the Disney crew. Fantasia 2ooo takes musical appreciation to a new level.
Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance makes the viewer almost weep as the booming march highlights Donald Duck's safe delivery of animals to the new world. The Carnival Of The Animals Finalé entertains the viewer visually as well as humorously. And the Pines Of Rome is truly breath-taking as whales take to the sky in an amazing beginning to this millennium presentation.
Truly, as a stand-alone film, Fantasia 2ooo falls into no category. It is a film, a symphony, an experience to be encountered by young and old alike and remembered as the most amazing film ever to grace human eyes.
Oh yeah...Did I mention I liked it?