Day 1466: A Completely Uninteresting Day

What happens when you're a blog writer but you have an absolutely, completely uninteresting day and end it with writer's block? The picture above isn't even from today, that's how uninteresting today was. After all, the most interesting things that happened to me today were a four hour study session of Beethoven's first symphony, my boyfriend bringing me a Christmas sweater that his Great Grandma previously owned, and going to Olive Garden at 9:30 at night for breadsticks, mozzarella sticks, and stuffed mushrooms. Other than that, I did lay by my fireplace and watch Parks & Recreation for a while because I was cold, but is that really any better? 

As my roommate just said though, "we're on break," and she's entirely right. As much as I spend a bunch of my time on breaks working on catching up on blog posts and videos and in general, sleep, that doesn't make for a very interesting day. At least, nothing compared to what I'll be up to next week when I'm actually in Florida for another nine days at Disney. 

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that these completely uninteresting days, even when they have very little Disney in them, are necessary for us to really appreciate the truly magical ones. It's sort of like movies - not every single movie is going to hit it out of the park. Disney alone proves that with new films eleven out of the twelve months in 2016. Some of them, such as Finding Dory, Star Wars: Rogue One, and Captain America: Civil War did really well, ending out as the top three grossing films of 2016 in general. But others, such as Queen of Katwe, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and The BFG didn't fare as well, and while each may have been a good concept or film, there was something about them that was, at some point, uninteresting. 

Which is one of the characteristics I pay special attention to when I'm in the theaters seeing each film on opening weekend. When I'm viewing the film, I'm conscious of the moments where I lose my interest, and then at the end of the viewing I sort of count up how many times that happened. From there, I'm able to take that number into account as I determine how much I truly enjoyed the movie. A lull or two is good, great actually, because it allows us as viewers to process everything that's happened thus far in the film, but too many lulls just puts us to sleep, and, well, you get the idea. 

So maybe today, January 5, was a particularly uninteresting day in the Disney department, but I was still able to find enjoyment in the things I did, and that's just as important...especially when you live in Wisconsin and it's -23 degrees outside and you just feel really far away from Disney World. 

Have a magical day!

Day 1465: The Parent Trap

Growing up, there were a few movies that I always watched when they were on TV, and one of those films was definitely The Parent Trap. Not the original version with Hayley Mills you see above though - I'm talking about the remake with Lindsay Lohan. That one movie that pretty much everyone in my generation saw at some point in their lives. 

I always liked the film, and I thought it was clever. For years I absolutely thought Lohan had a twin, and when I eventually realized that she was actually just one person playing both twins, I was astonished. I guess I knew that it was possible for her to play both roles and appear twice on the same screen at once as if there were two people actually standing there, but the execution still blew me away. I mean, I was also probably seven or eight at the time, but still! 

For years, I've been meaning to go back and watch the original film as well, but I never got around to it, even after getting a copy of my own on VHS from my Godfather this past summer. Still, I never had a chance to pop the tape into the VHS player and watch the movie. Well, as I finished up making scones this morning and started on blogging, I needed some background noise, and it just so happens that the original Parent Trap just appeared on Netflix. 

There's been some debate as to which film is truly better, especially among my friends who grew up watching both versions, but I must say that I personally don't know which I enjoyed more. Each is unique, even with the same plot line, and while perhaps I like the remake a bit more just because that's what I grew up with, there's a charm to the original that I never felt with the Lohan version. Hayley Mills just lights up the screen as both girls in the original, and it's hard not to root for them. It was strange to see an older version of a film I've come to know and love, and because I saw the remake first, it almost felt like going back in time, but the fact that the story still works so well for both time periods is astonishing. 

I guess to truly tell the difference though I'll have to grab some oreos and peanut butter and sit down to rewatch the Lohan version, right? 

Have a magical day!

Day 1459: Keep on Singing

I can't believe that this is the second of these posts I'll be writing this week. 

I don't think I realized how much I needed Debbie Reynolds until the first time I watched Singin' in the Rain. Prior to a few years ago, I guess I hadn't really paid any attention to the film that would, quite literally, change my life. And then one fateful day while riding The Great Movie Ride, I made a decision to watch some of the old films featured in the attraction. Now I'm on a personal mission to watch all of the AFI Top 100 films and any others featured in the original Great Movie Ride Film (so the one previous to what's there now), but that's kind of beside the point. 

When I did watch Singin' in the Rain for the first time, I was absolutely enchanted. There's no other way to describe it. The music, the color, the characters, the dancing, everything. What was once just some movie about singing in the rain somehow rose above all the others, and at some point, it became my all time favorite movie. I'm still not entirely sure when that happened. 

But Singin' in the Rain did so much more than become my favorite movie. I once heard a story about how Gene Kelly once insulted Debbie for not being able to dance, because prior to filming she had next to no dance experience. You'd never know with the way she performs on screen, and that idea alone helped give me the courage to audition for Knights on Broadway. I figured that if Debbie had no dance experience and could accomplish something like Singin' in the Rain, I could accomplish something like being a member of Knights on Broadway, where I too had to do a bit of dancing, so you'd better bet that every second on stage I was channeling my inner Debbie Reynolds. 

Singin' in the Rain was the very first movie I put in the box to bring to college. When my brother complained about me taking it, I immediately ordered him a copy of his own to keep at home so we'd never be without the film. 

At some point in high school, I learned every last word of the film, and I can still remember dancing around the band room on one of my last days there while Debbie and Gene mirrored us on the giant screen. 

To this day, Singin' in the Rain is my cure for even the worst day. My friends all know this, and haven't hesitated to put it on or play or sing one of the songs just to make my smile. 

The night I became an official member of Knights on Broadway we had a discussion at dinner about our favorite musicals and what role we'd most like to play - I said without hesitation Singin' in the Rain and Kathy Selden. 

But this goes far beyond Singin' in the Rain. Where Carrie was my courage and my commitment to be the person I want to be, Debbie was my inspiration. These two wonderful women encouraged me to reach for the stars, take risks, and remind myself that we're all a work in progress. We can only start from where we are right now, and if that starting place is one without Debbie and Carrie, then we'll just have to keep going and strive to uphold the legacy that they so deserve. 

It seems almost redundant now to say that my thoughts and prayers are with the family, but they are, especially with Billie. I can't even imagine what this feels like for her, but I do know that Debbie and Carrie are together again, the way they always wanted to be. 

Although something tells me that Carrie is cursing her mother for stealing her thunder. 

We'll miss you both, forever and always. Keep singing and dancing, even from the stars. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1166: When Times Are Tough

Life certainly likes to throw curve balls. Really, after how the fall semester went I figured that there was no way anything else could go wrong...and then we were all thrown for another loop that had my friends and I panicking. It affected a lot of us, and all in all, today was one of the most draining days since last December. Thankfully I have great friends now, most of which are going through the same thing I am, questioning what's even going on and attempting to adjust to drastic changes in the matter of days. I'm not going into the situation at hand, but that's not why we're here anyway. 

After an excessively long day that included multiple recitals and dinner out with friends, the night came to a surprisingly late and much-needed end. One of my good friends and I decided that the only way to deal with the situation was to not think about it and watch Tangled instead. Needless to say, it worked, and we actually ended up also watching part of Into the Woods and the first episode of Game of Thrones, but it just goes to show that there's not a bad day that a little Disney can't fix. 

I realize that this is an extremely short blog post, but honestly there isn't much else to say other than to thank the universe for great movies and great friends that are always there for you when you'd be otherwise floundering. 

Maybe we should have watched The Little Mermaid...

Have a magical day!

Day 1160: Sentimentality

I'm not an overly sentimental person, or at least, I try not to be. I definitely collect things, but that's usually based on a specific theme or something, not the simple fact that I want to keep something because there's a memory associated with it. However, like all people, I do have a few times I do get a bit sentimental, like when I return to the exact location where I talked to Colin O'Donoghue on the phone.

I forget sometimes just how lucky I was to have that experience. I've literally talked to one of my favorite actors on the phone because I drove four and a half hours to see his new movie. It's one of the most obnoxious and fangirly things I've done in my life, and I don't regret one bit of it. Unfortunately, due to the loss of friends that I would have, at one point, considered family, it's a bit of a bittersweet memory. I try to block out certain parts of that weekend, which I'm still sure was one of the greatest weekends of my entire life.

You all remember the weekend I'm talking about, when I drove to the Twin Cities for the Twin Cities Film Festival, where Colin O'Donoghue's new film The Dust Storm had its world premiere. When I found out about the showing, I made a joke that turned into a full blown road trip, and between talking to Colin on the phone, meeting the cast and crew of the film, and basically becoming the talk of the festival that night, it's not a weekend I'll soon forget, at least not completely. 

That's why, when I found out I'd be returning to the Twin Cities for the National Sigma Tau Delta English Convention, I knew I had to find a way to return to the theater and the exact spot where all of this took place. Of course, I ended up finding a way to see a film while I was there too! It just happened to be opening weekend for Zootopia, so after a Gala Dinner at the Convention, a friend and I hurried over to the theater for a late showing of the movie, and again, the Shops at West End made my day. 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1056: Tickets Secured

When Star Wars tickets originally went on sale and the Fandango website crashed, I was indeed one of those unlucky people who wasn't able to score tickets. I did, however, happen to randomly check a few weeks later and happened to find opening night tickets...in 3D...in recliners. So yes, Star Wars tickets have been secured like the plans to the Death Star.

I do find it sort of humorous though, the fact that a midnight premiere doesn't really exist. A number of years back I wasn't a part of any fandom that I would consider sitting out in the cold for just to see the movie as soon as possible. I liked Harry Potter of course, but I was more of the person who'd go and see it weeks later, after the rest of the crowds calmed down. And yet here I am, with tickets for opening night of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

And now tickets are easier to get than ever too. All you have to do is head online and, with the recliners at my local theater, you can even reserve specific seats. Then all you have to do is pick up your tickets from the box office and head in. No hassle required!

Does this mean that I'll probably end up seeing Star Wars more times than I can count over the next few months? Probably. But does it make me feel like Kermit in the following GIF? Absolutely.

I'M GOING TO SEE STAR WARS EVERYONE! LET'S AWAKEN THE FORCE!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was published on December 26).

Day 1028: Still Not Over It

I don't think one blog post is quite enough to describe just how amazing it was to attend the Twin Cities Film Fest. As I said in my video, a lot of what happened is something I want to kind of keep to myself, just to savor that memory forever. There are, however, a few things that I'd love to share! Like extra pictures! 

You know, the life of this college student is pretty weird. I may not be super famous...but going from volunteer work in the morning to a movie premiere and a red carpet at night was pretty awesome. And you know what, I've done a lot of thinking since TCFF, and the more I've thought about it, the more I realize that I really fit in there. I felt kind of like I was with my people, and I'd be more than happy to spend the rest of my days at events like that. Maybe someday. 

We were pretty packed into my car for the drive to the Twin Cities, which, according to pretty much everyone, was impressive for us to do. But then again, I have a bunch of friends in the OUAT fandom, and I sort of felt like it was my turn. I had an obligation to go and support Colin in this film. The fact that he said thank you to ME when we talked on the phone pretty much made everything worth it. Correction, him watching my periscope made it worth it (because yes, that happened too). 

Pictures that showcase we did indeed make it to our hotel. The entirety of the time before the movie I was basically alternating between pacing, shaking, and freaking out completely. At that point we had no idea if Colin might be there, so here I was, completely oblivious to the fact that in just a few short hours, I would talk to Colin on the phone. 

A trip wouldn't be complete without a stop at an Irish pub...which may or may not have given us some extra luck on the trip. Regardless, the food was great, and since it was right at our hotel, we didn't even have to travel too far! 

You'll hear more about my outfit for the night in a blog post later, but now that I stop and look at it...wow, you guys were all right. I really like my shoes. Haha, regardless, look at how great my roommates and I all look on that red carpet! 

A lead actor like Colin has to have a lead actress to make the film complete, right? Meet Kristin, the lead actress of The Dust Storm. She was AMAZING in the film, and such a wonderful person to be around. Gosh...a few months ago I was fawning over the trailer for the film and here I am, standing right next to one of the lead characters! BRILLIANT I TELL YOU, BRILLIANT! 

Oh yes, I may have forgotten to mention that for one night, we became the college students who went to a club...for a film festival after party. Oh, and while at that party, we could basically have been considered famous. Talk of the night? That's the only way I roll. 

And there you have it, a bit more of an inside look at my trip to the Twin Cities to see The Dust Storm. I honestly have to say that I owe a lot of it to my roommates, who, for some reason I'll never quite understand, were totally on board with driving four and a half hours to see my favorite actor in a film they'd pretty much never heard of. So huge props to them. 

Oh...and just in case you didn't believe me about periscope...

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 1...because college).

Day 816: #HTTYD2

Dragon trapping, the viking edition of a lightsaber, lots of flying and ice, and of course, more time with the cat-dragon, Toothless...oh yes, it must mean it's time for another blog post on a Non-Disney Animated Film. As you know very well, this doesn't happen often. After all, I barely have enough time to watch any movie, much less something that's non-Disney and not on my Epic Animated Disney Film Rewatch, but my friend Jessica has brought me to a room I previously didn't know existed on my college campus for an afternoon of dragon watching.

Even weirder in this scenario? I'm blogging while I watch. Sort of.

The simple fact is...blog posts that are written while trying to watch something generally end up to be one giant mess of a post, so instead I live tweeted the majority of the film, and I'll share just some of my favorite tweets with you now...or at least the ones that are important to this blog and the storyline.

Things, as you can see, started off relatively normal. But then again...whenever I embark on a Live Tweeting Spree, you really should brace yourself.

I didn't start my live tweet until maybe like 20 minutes into the movie, so there were definitely a few things my tweeting session missed. In those first minutes, a Viking Lightsaber, a Frying Pan and Viking Pirate Ships were among the odd references I found amusing. Keep the Viking Lightsaber in mind. It'll be back later. 

I actually had several tweets about this and I still feel this way after seeing the whole film, but I sensed a lot of connection between Brave and How to Train Your Dragon, more-so within the second HTTYD than the first. I have the feeling it had something to do with the mother, since Merida's mother and Hiccup's mother really remind me of one another. Then again, it could also be because they're based on similar locations in Europe...

Apparently I was really on a Star Wars track mind today because I found plenty of connections between the films, and yes, that guy really does remind me of General Grievous (I think it later became his mother...but when she had the mask one...and this makes no sense if you haven't seen the movie...). The villain in the film reminded me more of Attila the Hun though. 

I kind of felt like HTTYD2 was filled with little references from other movies, like it was a bunch of Disney animated films and then a few other oddball movies thrown together with a dragon that acts like a cat. I'll talk more about this at the end, but this is just example one of other movies this one reminded me of. 

Of course, I was live tweeting from a computer (because it's literally a million times easier than trying to do it on your phone), and then in the middle of live tweeting a picture of Colin popped up. This actually happened many more times throughout the movie, but we found it amusing...or at least I did...that I never escape. After all, #HookersGonnaHook!

Here we have a more master list of the films this movie reminded me of, and to be completely honest, I'm not even sure where all of these references came from...especially since I haven't even seen The Croods. Must be a Non-Disney Animation thing. 

Haha this character made me laugh! I don't remember her name anymore, but if you've seen the film I'm sure you can figure out who I'm talking about. Basically, she spends the entire movie fawning over this viking and it's not important at all, but I found it super hilarious the whole time and just had to tweet about it eventually. 

Megan was probably more upset about it than I was, but the fact that (SPOILER ALERT) Hiccup's father just goes off and dies is really upsetting to us. It just seemed weird. And sad. And not ok. 

I mean, I feel like the Ice Dragon and Marshmallow would be really great friends! 

I cannot express to you how much I loved the Viking Lightsaber. I thought it was pretty darn clever and was a really unique addition (and reference) to the film. I think I tweeted about it at least three times throughout the course of the movie...basically anytime I saw it. 

In the end, I think I really enjoyed the first film more than the second, mostly because I feel like the plotline in the first one was more original. We hadn't met Toothless yet and we were learning about Hiccups problems, but this one just kind of fell flat for me. I felt like part of the plot from the last film was repeated (with the relationship between Hiccup and his father and so on and so forth), and the mother coming in only for the father to be taken away just kind of disrupted the plotline and made it flow in a sort of awkward way. And as I mentioned earlier, I felt like it brought in a lot of elements from other movies, making me feel like what I was watching had already been done before. No, it wasn't like just one movie being repeated, but sometimes, if there are too many elements that remind you of another film, it still doesn't feel as original as it could. As for HTTYD in general, as in both films, I think they're certainly worth a watch, maybe not on the same scale as some other animated films out there, but something that will keep you entertained. Plus, the music is great throughout both films and if you watch it for no other reason than to listen to the music, go for it. I won't judge, I'm a music major, after all! 

However, that wraps up another live tweeting session, meaning that yet another blog post is in the books. It's sort of odd...blogging about something that's sort of relating to Disney on an off-scale. After all, HTTYD is not a Disney Animated Movie, but the reason I'm watching it is because I should, I suppose, every once and a while, watch a non-Disney Animated Movie. Regardless, if you haven't seen HTTYD, go give it a chance! Toothless is one adorable dragon! 

Have a magical day!

Day 783: Happy Oscars!

I do believe that in the past year I've gained a real respect for everything it takes to put together a film, and I'm sure some of you are sick of hearing about the band trip video by now, but as I face the release of that video on Thursday of this week, watching The Oscars is kind of weird for me. We watched as awards go to cinematographers, directors, actors and writers, among many other things, and I have, if only on a small scale, an understanding of what they all do. Every step of the way through my own band trip video, even if it is just that, a video, I thought of it like a film, a real film, one that I made with the best resources I had available to me. Now, "One Band's Dream" might not be quite the same as "Big Hero 6" or "The Theory of Everything," but on some level, to me, as the creator, it was.

I almost wrote a blog post on this last week, but I do find it unfortunate that creators are literally unable to appreciate their work the same way as an audience, and that's why every reaction is so infinitely important. Every recognition we get for our work is a like a little  nod in our direction, because otherwise we may never even know the gravity or brilliance of what we've done.

Think about it this way:

A writer can read their own book, but they'll never get to read it for the first time. They'll never have the experience of dealing with a cliffhanger and wondering for eternity what will happen in the next novel, because they always know.

The creator of a television show will be able to see their vision come to life on screen, complete for the first time with music and visuals, but they too will never experience a hiatus. They know that the ships of the show will survive, or won't survive.

Those who work on film sets get to be a part of the action. They can watch as things all work in sync, as the cast creates a beautiful picture framed by the cinematographer. And they can be proud of the product they create, but they will always find errors and be their own worst critic.

And that's the point. While, as creators, we CAN be extremely proud of the product we put out, at the same time we will never have those first experiences with it. We will always find that one little flaw that's in the film, while others sit and watch in awe at the finished production that we spent hours on end on.

Which is why I really, truly love the Oscars. I don't always have time to watch them, and sometimes they're a bit frustrating, and they certainly aren't without error, but I think creators deserve that recognition. I mean, we're going to continue doing what we do best regardless of whether or not we have a bright shiny little golden man statue in our hands at the end of the night.

But having one doesn't hurt either.

Congrats to everyone who won at the Oscars the other night, especially Walt Disney Animation for their wins with "Feast" and "Big Hero 6."

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on February 25).

Day 766: How to Train Your Dragon

There have been multiple occasions in my life when I've heard the following words:

"We need to find a Non-Animated Disney Movie that you love."

Now, much as you might not think so, I actually DO watch Non-Disney Movies. I know, shocker, but let's be real. In a world dominated by the film industry, while we all have our favorites, in order to accurately understand and rate each film, you have to realize the competition. I have a few friends who love to watch all of the Oscar nominated Best Picture films before the Oscars themselves, and trust me, if I had the time to do that, I definitely would. Film is one of my absolute favorite things, and having now created a band trip video that reached for the Hollywood Stars (at least that's what my friends have all told me...we'll see what the band thinks in a week!), I find myself 100% immersed in the world of film-making and the absolute talent and hard work it takes to create some of the masterpieces premiering all over the world today.

And that means that I do, indeed, have some favorite Non-Disney animated movies, which I'll get to in just a second. The film that actually inspired this blog post is not, unfortunately, on my favorites list. My favorites lists are extremely difficult to get on, whether because I hold such high standards, because I have a lack of time to watch, read or listen to everything, or because my interests range from literature to music to art and back to filmography, and that means that a spot on those lists is coveted.

One of my good college friends, Jessica, is absolutely in love with the How To Train Your Dragon films. Now, I won't deny that they're good films (or at least the first one is...I'm watching the second soon), because they are just that: good films. I am a huge fan of the music in them, specifically, and I think Toothless is an absolutely adorable character who almost anyone will fall in love with (or maybe it's just because I own a cat and have a growing love for the Disney equivalent of Stitch). However, HTTYD is not on my favorites list. But since I'm sure you're wondering at this point what IS on this list, I won't make you wait any longer.

Basically, when I consider a Non-Disney movie, and often times even a Disney film, I take several things into consideration. First, did it keep me entertained the first time I saw it? Was it solid enough for me to walk out of the theater and tweet that I really enjoyed it, or, if I'm sitting at home, for me to tweet more than once about the film? Second, do I want to watch it again. I think Despicable Me is a great example of this one because while I enjoyed it the first time I saw it, I've never, ever had the the real want to sit down and watch it again. The following movies are different. I've watched many of these over and over again...because they're really good.

When I think about my favorite Non-Disney animated movies, for some reason, Bee Movie has always stuck out to me. I do believe it classifies as my FAVORITE of the Non-Disney animated films, and honestly, I have no idea why. Maybe it's just the right combination of hilariousness, star-studded cameos and absolute insanity to make it entertaining every time I watch it, or maybe it's because we have lots of honey around our house. Here are some other favorites that have made the cut: 

Other than that, I can't really think of anything. I think the only other one might be the original Shrek, but I've found that over time, it's just grown to fall off the list, probably more due to the absolute popularity than anything else. Of course, there are other great films out there, but these are the ones that deserve their spots on my list of favorites...and as you can tell, that's definitely a difficult thing to accomplish.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on February 19, 2015).

Day 694: The GMR Montage - A Tribute

I can bet you right now that there are few people in the world sadder than I am about the changes happening the Great Movie Ride. As was announced a few weeks ago, Disney is changing the Great Movie Ride, just a bit, although I'm pretty sure greater changes will come in the future, as a part of a new sponsorship. I think that updating the attraction a bit is a wonderful idea, but YOU DO NOT TOUCH THE MONTAGE.

Let's back up a step though, just for me to calm down, and actually talk about the changes they're intending to make. According to the release, it sounds like they're making changes to the queue and then the montage at the end, as well as possibly adding some sort of photo option? That part's a bit fuzzy. Regardless, these aren't major changes at all, as for right now they're not touching any of the scenes on the inside of the attraction.

However, I have lived so much of my life based on the Great Movie Ride Montage. Literally, it's one of my goals in life to watch through every single movie in that montage, which is probably going to take me a really long time. When I realized that Star Wars ends the montage? Well, you remember that. I freaked out about the Great Movie Ride several times back in the first year of my blog, and things aren't any different now. It's definitely my favorite attraction at Hollywood Studios, and it killed me when my friends and I didn't get on it in June.

Which brings us to our next problem. It's said that these new changes will be in place sometime in January, and we're going in January. So will we go and be able to see the regular, old version one more time, or have I witnessed my last ride through of The Great Movie Ride as we know it? This is literally a Maelstrom situation all over again, and it's NOT FAIR! I feel even more for you guys that lost Maelstrom now, as if I didn't before. What in the world would I do if I wasn't going in January and had even the chance to ride one last time with the montage I know and love?

Well, I'd cry, for one.

So let's just take a moment to watch, for about the 5th time on this blog, the Great Movie Ride Montage:

That was nice, wasn't it? Now why can't it stay? Brace yourselves. If the new one isn't better, I'm going to be severely disappointed. 

Regardless, have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 12 due to Finals).

Day 689: Cinderella

I'm not the first and I'm certainly not going to be the last to discuss this. It seems that when there's news in the world of Disney, everyone covers it. I debated blogging about this for that same reason, but since I'm a huge fan of both Disney and fairy tales, it seemed like a natural thing for me to discuss today. I am, of course, talking about the trailer for the new live action version of Cinderella, which my roommates and I are all super excited about.

Here's the trailer if you haven't seen it yet:

First off, I love the trailer. It's the perfect combination of action, story, characters and classic scenes. I love it. But can we just stop for a second and talk about the music? I don't know who works on the music for these Disney trailers, but they nail it Every. Single. Time. I'm constantly amazed with the music in the trailers for all of the Disney movies, live action and animated. It's going to be stuck in my head all night now. 

But that's not the only thing I'm loving about this movie and trailer so far. The costume design is beautiful, for one. I'm so used to seeing wonderful costumes on Once that I'm prety sure I have higher standards now than I did before. And of course, they got it ever so right here. Cinderella's ball gown, for instance, is stunning, and I'm quite happy to see a scene depicting the animation in the original animated film. 

Other things I love? The fact that they bring her mother into the story. Such a grand idea. I feel like there's always so much debate about where that mother went (although in many of the stories, she dies, and it seems to be that case here), so it's nice to see some extra backstory. Second, I adore the fact that her name isn't "Cinderella," but simply "Ella." In the fairy tale itself (or at least many of those original versions), her name isn't Cinderella at all. Sometimes it's Ella and sometimes it's actually Ashley, but either way it isn't Cinderella. A nice touch indeed.

And finally, let's just stop for a moment and discuss how odd it is to see Helena Bonham Carter playing the Fairy Godmother. We're all so used to seeing her in darker roles that you almost miss it when she appears in the trailer and then you second guess yourself for thinking it was her when really, it was! 

Regardless, I'm very excited to see this movie, as I am all the other new films coming from Disney lately. I'm also pretty excited that my roommates are excited. It means that we might be able to go see the film together, and that's something that sadly doesn't happen very often. We spend a ton of time together in our room though (and boy do we have adventures), but it seems to me that this is the perfect movie for a March weekend. 

Have a magical day!

Day 663: Alexander and the...

From time to time I do actually get to a movie theater to see a movie, believe it or not. Honestly, I'm fairly certain that the last film I actually saw at the movie theater was Saving Mr. Banks, and we all know that I saw that in like...December. It was definitely either that or Frozen. Regardless, it's been a REALLY long time since I saw anything there.

But for once I DID go to the theater, where I caught a showing of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I can never get that title right (and the only reason I did just now was because I looked it up), but I have to say that it was a pretty good movie. I mean, it wasn't exceptionally good, but it wasn't bad either. It was just...entertaining, as a movie should be.

What really freaked me out, however, was the apparent fact that I was meant to see this movie. And by "meant" to see this movie, I mean I was literally meant to see this movie. There were so many little references to my life that are just sort of...creepy to say the least. I mean, generally we find one little reference to our lives that doesn't make sense within a movie. Like a moment where a character says something that is like an inside joke we have with our friends, one of those kinds of things. But I didn't think it was possible for this many references to my life to appear within one movie.

First there was the yellow bug. I see these things everywhere and just kind of get used to it, although I still laughed a bit. But then the pirate jokes started. PIRATE JOKES. Because you know...Peter Pan...and Captain Hook...and Pirate Blouses. That's just how these things work I guess. There was also a marching band, because there just has to be one of those. And Dick Van Dyke was in the movie, odd because literally the night before I watched Mary Poppins with one of my friends, who'd never seen the film before. Oh, and one of the actors (the guy who plays the older brother), was recently on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, which just so happens to be one of the TV shows I love and adore.

But the creepiest thing? Melvin. There's a guinea pig named Melvin in the movie, and of all the names in the entire world to choose for the rodent, they picked Melvin? I have a Melvin in my life, who's also a rodent...or so to speak. We're not allowed to have pets in our dorms (aside from fish), so we have Melvin, our "pet gerbil." I won't go into too much detail about Melvin since he gets his own blog post later this week, but really? Melvin.

And therefore, I was absolutely meant to see this movie, which, as I said, was actually pretty good, even if I can't ever remember what the actual name of it is.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on October 27).

Day 633: The Great Pocahontas Debate

My roommates and I have really strange discussions.

Not that a debate about Kocoum and John Smith is really that strange because for real this is probably a conversation a lot of people have. I doubt it got to the level we did though, because what started as a simple debate turned into an entire dinner conversation with more than just my roommates.

Two of my roommates like Kocoum, although one of them commented that it's possible it's just because he never wears a shirt. Meanwhile, my other roommate and I are on team John Smith, and to be honest I don't really even know why. I guess I just always liked him better.

From there our conversation about Disney headed into sequel territory, specifically about Pocahontas 2 and the new debate: which John. Because you know, once upon a time we had a discussion about Love Triangles and how that all worked out. Again we were split on the decision. And then we discussed Hunchback 2 and Little Mermaid 2 and Lion King 2 and basically all the other sequels. In the end we basically decided that shorts are ok. So things like "Tangled Ever After" or the new Frozen short are ok, but entire movies just sort of ruin things.

And I agree, as much as I LOVE Tangled, I wouldn't want to see an entire Tangled 2. Just little bits of Flynn Rider every so often are great. This isn't Star Wars, after all. Sequels with completely new storylines are great, like when they made Planes or even Cars 2. And of course there's always Toy Story and the sequels, where each film has it's very own obvious storyline that has little to do with the first one. THAT'S what makes a sequel great, not just "continuing the story." You need something new and different, a factor most sequels forget about.

So here's the question: are you team Kocoum or John Smith, because my roommates and I really want to know?

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 27).

Day 622: Added to the List

Netflix is probably the worst thing for me ever.

College is a lot of work, I'm not going to lie about that, but with my classes I just don't have a lot of homework. If anything, I spend most of my time practicing my instruments in between classes and ensembles. But by the time I return to my dorm room after my last class and dinner, there isn't much left for me to do. Study some French, read a bit of British Literature and maybe do some theory homework. Aside from that, most of my work lies elsewhere, but sometimes you just can't sit and edit video or, if you're like I've been the past two weeks, bogged down with writer's block.

So what in the world are you supposed to do? Honestly, I could do any number of things, and I really probably should be doing any number OF those things, but instead I sit down with my laptop or phone and bring up Netflix, because that just always seems like a good plan. Honestly, I always try to end my day with some Netflix, whether that be a part of a movie or an episode of a TV show, just to kind of wind myself down and as a reward for getting everything accomplished that I had to do that day.

But about a half hour ago I sat down and said "Alright, I'm going to go blog and work on catching up from the past few weeks." Ha! Netflix happened to be up from when I was watching OUAT earlier (because yes I watch it on Netflix even though I have the entire series on DVD...), and things just went downhill from there. I started adding new things to my list, whether I've seen them before and want to watch them again or if it was something I'd never seen before and want to experience.

As you can imagine, a good amount of Disney ended up on there, or at least things related to Disney. Since Robin Williams' passing I've really wanted to see "Good Morning Vietnam" again, and that's been on my list for a few days now, but then today I found Old Yeller and older seasons of Doctor Who and Honey I Shrunk the Kids and all kinds of stuff.

And now all I want to do is sit and watch TV until I can't anymore.

I really need to be more productive.

Have a magical day!