Day 1241: Club Villain

After my mom experienced Club Villain back in January, she knew that she had to take me when we went this May. Really I wasn't sure what to expect, but overall I loved the experience, the atmosphere, the characters, the food, and honestly, pretty much everything! 

Since it's a highlight, we'll start with the food. There was a good selection of New Orleans inspired main dishes, my favorite of which was something with pork. I don't 100% remember, but I do know there was some really delicious gravy, and I love gravy. Then, for dessert there were two selections from each of the four villains: Cruella de Vil, The Evil Queen, Maleficent, and the Queen of Hearts. Honestly the Queen of Hearts won out for dessert in my book with a red heart shaped macaron and a red velvet cupcake, but the others were all just as delicious! And while I couldn't drink them, there were also select themed beverages for each of the villains as well. 

Now, onto the show, which definitely kept you entertained the entire night. There was a DJ between main performances, but Dr. Facilier and his right hand man were the real stars of the show. Special performances that included singing and dancing occurred throughout the night and I cannot wait to share some of these in upcoming vlogs! I can't even try to describe to you how amazing these were! 

And of course, the night wouldn't be complete without a visit to your favorite villain. On your special invitation you were given times that sort of acted like fastpasses for when to visit with the villains, and they'd take pictures and chat with you in their special areas. Personally I loved Cruella and the Queen of Hearts, because they're just so entertaining. 

I would definitely go back to Club Villain again...if we hadn't gone on the last night. I mean, I can definitely see the appeal of themed events like this, and I think that with the right selection of characters and themes, they could keep them going all year long and people could continuously come back. If you came in hungry and wanted a couple of drinks it was definitely worth the money, and I highly recommend it if they do bring it back! I mean, almost the entertainment alone is worth a good portion of the price, and with the delicious food to top it off, you're golden. Plus, when else will you get to meet The Queen Hearts? 

Have a magical day!

Day 844: Have Courage and Be Kind

After around a month of waiting past the initial premiere date in theaters, I finally got around to seeing Cinderella. Originally, my roommates and I were all going to go see it together, but with finals coming up soon, we're all so busy that most of us can't swing three hours of our lives to go see a movie, much less the same three hours that fit into our busy schedules. In fact, I think I've been more busy in these past few weeks of this semester than ever before at college, but that didn't stop me from spending the extra time granted by a canceled class wisely! 

I'm not really sure what my expectations were heading into the theater, especially after not liking Maleficent as much as most of my friends and family. I just didn't find it appealing, and with Beauty and the Beast on the horizon, I've been faced with questions about whether or not I'm excited for that film. My only answer? I'll decide after I see Cinderella. Of course, now I am excited for Beauty and the Beast, but that's a blog topic for another day.

I'm pretty skeptical about these live action remakes, especially when they're fairy tale based. I watch Once Upon A Time, where Captain Hook becomes a hero and Prince Charming is currently in some deep trouble with his grown up daughter. The creators of OUAT have changed around these stories to the point where things don't really shock me anymore, and in order for me to like a live-action version of any of these tales, it has to be good. Every element has to be there, and in some ways, I think that's where it fell flat for Maleficent. I'm one of those hard critics, and something was missing from that storyline. 

Cinderella, however, really pulled through for me. I absolutely adored it, and I left the theater wanting to see it again (I probably would have if not for a recital I had to attend about a half hour after the movie ended). Right from the beginning I could see not only the slight changes to the story, but the numerous references that go right back to the original tale. And I'm not ashamed to say that I cried three times while watching it, one of which was during the dress transformation scene. 

But the best part about this movie? It breaks as many stereotypes as a film such as this can. Cinderella is an absolutely strong female character who, ultimately, stands up against her stepmother in an attempt not to protect herself, but to protect the one she loves and the entire kingdom. Kit is an exceptional character in every aspect as well, showcasing that even grown men are allowed to cry. The scene with Kit and his father was one of my absolute favorites of the film, and is one of the main reasons I recommend it for everyone to watch at least once. 

Overall though, it was different and new, but still rooted in the deep traditions that fairy tales stem out of. It's that same tradition that Walt Disney brought to life through many of his original animated films, and the same tradition that will keep these tales alive for many, many years. 

If you haven't seen Cinderella yet, I encourage you to do so. It's brilliantly made with a spectacular cast. Lily James is perfection as Cinderella and no one can tell me otherwise. While we may live in a society far away from one dominated by Kings and Queens, there is one thing that we should all take to heart: Have Courage and Be Kind. It's a powerful message that I hope to live my life by, and you should too. 

Have a magical day!

Day 804: Maleficent

With a Maleficent backstory on Once Upon A Time, I figured I should finally get around to watching Maleficent, which I bought ages ago and just didn't watch until now. Everyone, of course, raved about the movie, but I suppose I had a bit of a different opinion by the time I reached the end. So I guess we'll start with what I didn't like just so we can get to what I did, because overall yes, I did like the movie.

I think the whole fairy tale crazy is a little weird for me, especially since I'm an avid fan of the show that really began the whole reboot of fairy tales. Once Upon A Time, which premiered in 2011, was the first time in ages a fairy tale has really been thrown totally upside down and now we see this whole trend as films such as Maleficent and now Cinderella return with new twists. On top of my watching Once Upon A Time, that love inspired an extreme interest in fairy tales, and I've found through English that when I eventually have to focus on one thing for a portfolio in the future, it will be on fairy tales of some sort.

Which means that the idea that it was Maleficent that provided True Love's Kiss just wasn't that impressive to me. I mean, the new "thing" with fairy tales is that true love's kiss isn't always shared between a couple and that it's not the only answer. We saw it in Frozen with the act of true love between two sisters, and we've certainly seen it on OUAT, where at the end of Season One, Emma placed True Love's Kiss on her son Henry, therefore breaking the curse over the town. And for that reason, I saw the whole "surprise" of Maleficent coming from miles away. Plus, with Captain Hook as a favorite character, I can definitely always see a villain as a hero now...so that didn't really sit well with me either. It's all a great idea, and I'm all for exploring the fairy tale, but it's been done before in my book. An interesting twist on Sleeping Beauty? Yes. Surprising? No.

On the other hand, I really loved the costume design, visual effects and makeup. Maleficent's wings, for instance, were spectacularly done (and on that topic, the cutting of the wings part really made the movie worthwhile for me...as did the idea that it wasn't Maleficent herself that turned into a dragon). The acting throughout was great as well, and therefore, I found that I enjoyed the film.

I am, on the other hand, eagerly awaiting my turn to see Cinderella, as I have the feeling I'll enjoy that one much more. Fairy tales are about retellings that examine something in our world, our society, and Maleficent just didn't do that for me, but I have a good feeling that Cinderella will. We'll have to get to the theater to see it before I can make any final calls though (and it sounds like my roommates and I will be heading to see it soon!)

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on March 16).