Vanessa's Song

(A.K.A. Poor Unfortunate Souls-reprise)

I don't see how anyone could hate this song. True, it may not stand out as an amazing song to some, but I see not reason to dislike it for any particular reason. I'd say it doesn't get enough credit because it's really short. Like, haiku short.

First of all, Vanessa. She's a great villain. True, she may be Ursula in disguise, but let's face it; Ursula doesn't exactly have the looks. And other antagonists like the Queen from Snow White or Mother Gothel from Tangled are in search of beauty, which is exactly what turns them into the "bad guy". But the thing that separates Vanessa as a character (and as a villain) is that she is competing with Ariel for Prince Eric. Ariel gave her those resources (her voice) and then Ursula turns into Vanessa and Eric falls under her spell, believing she is the girl who rescued him from the shipwreck. Ursula has gone from the "bad guy" to the "bad bitch" in a matter of spells.

Then, Jodi Benson. She's got this amazing singing voice and voices Ariel. When Ariel gives up her voice to Ursula who then uses it as Vanessa, of course Jodi Benson is going to voice Vanessa too. But her personality is obviously not the same and it makes such a difference, especially in the singing. It's extremely hard to describe this way, and you might think I'm crazy, but I'd say if I were to visually describe Vanessa's voice it would be full of sharp angles. Beautiful? Of course. It's not harsh or crude or rough, it's smooth and pretty but jagged in places, which is the evil coming out. Ariel's voice is also smooth but more light and fluffy and curvy, like the gentle rocking of a ship on a calm sea. That's what makes Ariel so much sweeter.

And the lyrics!

What a lovely little bride I'll make; my dear, I'll look divine
Things are working out according to my ultimate design
Soon I'll have that little mermaid and the ocean will be mine!!

From http://aquamarine.nu/lyrics/disney/littlemermaid89.php

Combined with the ominous laughter, this song is so delightfully evil I end up listening to it again and again. Although I am sad it is so short, I believe I would keep it the way it is, given the option to change it. A full song or even a full reprise is not necessary to get the idea across, and might drag the movie along a bit.

Thanks for reading! Sorry I haven't written in a while.

Mystery Maiden

Since maybe about May or June I've been searching for a Mystery Maiden. She showed up on this awesome wallpaper I found online.



Yes, this is the screen I logged onto every day since then. Isn't it amazing? Not only are the Disney Princesses present, but all the heroines and not-so-famous characters, even the animals. The one character I didn't recognize is the one sitting, below Mulan and Meg to the right of Anita, right in the center. I have nicknamed her the Mystery Maiden, for that is who she is.

And so my search on Google Images begins.

I've tried searching before, but today I searched again, going through 9 pages worth of Google Images "disney heroines", finding only collages of various princesses and occasionally non-princess characters. Even some non-Disney ones at that. I finally came across a collage of all the female Disney characters starting with Snow White and ending with Rapunzel, meaning it was in order in which the movie came out. My Mystery Maiden was at the end, before Tiana and right before Penny. I still couldn't think of a classic hand-drawn animated Disney movie that had come out in the late 2000's, and I didn't think looking through the list of Disney movies would help, because I did that the other day and hadn't found anything.

Luckily for me, under each character was her name, so I found out Giselle was the name of the Mystery Maiden. If I didn't know her movie off the top of my head, I always had Wikipedia.

I was very surprised to find out what movie Giselle was from. Meet Giselle, from Enchanted. I haven't seen Enchanted in about three years, but it's a really awesome movie. Part animated, part live-action, it begins in the animated kingdom of Andalasia, where Giselle live amongst her singing woodland animals. On her wedding day she falls down a magical well and appears in live-action New York City. It's quite an amazing movie. I can't believe I forgot the beginning though, I really shouldn't have. Ah, well, I've found out who the mystery maiden is.

'Tis Amy Adams!!



Just 'cause.



I Cut My Hair

Yes, I have finally cut my hair short.

As a child, I wanted to be Rapunzel, so I let my hair grow long. Whenever my parents said "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" I tipped my head back, making my hair slightly longer. I let it be long, but in middle school, I started trimming it more often and instead of going all the way down to my butt, it went to lower-back and then mid-back.

And I knew I'd cut it short and donate it, I just wasn't sure when. About a month ago, I got bangs (straight-across bangs) just to see how they looked. Today, I went into the salon and got my hair straightened and then cut. If I had straighter hair and the right kind of face, I'd get something shorter, but I'm fine with the way my hair turned out. It's to my shoulder, a little longer in the front than in the back. I'm just worried about keeping it straight without using chemicals or heat, because I don't want to ruin my hair. I'm open to any suggestions.

SPOILER (Tangled)

And just to connect this to a Disney movie, anyone who's seen Tangled would know Rapunzel's hair is cut at the end, so Mother Gothel doesn't use it. Her beautiful, magical, 70 foot long (stick-straight) hair is cut pixie short by Flynn. Although mine is actually several inches longer than hers. More like Mulan's hair when she cuts it. Then again my long hair was nowhere near as nice as either Mulan's or Rapunzel's to begin with.

Well, hopefully my hair won't curl too much.

Lilo & Stitch: Stuff I Forgot

Oh my gosh I forgot to tell you some very important things related to this movie.

First of all, I took hula classes from first grade to sixth grade (Lilo & Stitch came out the summer between first and second grade). I have no idea what I thought when this movie came out, I'm not sure if I connected Lilo & Stitch to hula class at all. I stopped in sixth grade because of the work load, and I had become more serious about basketball and softball at that point and didn't have time for hula. I remember thinking over winter break that I should take hula classes again in the summer, if they were still offered. Summer's here and I'm not taking hula, because I had forgotten about hula classes shortly after winter break ended. I would take classes during fall, but they're on Saturdays and that's when marching band competitions are, as far as I know. Perhaps I'll take it up in the winter.

Second of all, I had a dream last night I was in Hawai'i. I didn't really remember it when I was watching the movie. In my dream I was going up a ski lift (with skis), although I didn't register that until after I woke up. It was very high up, and it was absolutely terrifying. You know how, in dreams, you don't know depth? Things can be really close and really far at the same time. That's what it was like in my dream. Somehow the cable of the ski lift was above me but also in my hands and I was holding onto it for dear life, despite the fact that I was sitting in the chair. It looked like one of those stretchy rubber physical therapy/warm-up bands; not the flat ones, but the round ones. I got to the top and got off, and it was very, very high up. I think I saw Hawai'i below me. It was a bit like a resort at the top. Why I had skis and was sitting on a ski lift I do not know. But I knew since I was at the bottom of the lift that I was in Hawai'i.

Last of all, perhaps the part that pertains most to Lilo & Stitch, is the music. I don't know how I could have missed the music, because I love movie scores/soundtracks. I believe the Lilo & Stitch soundtrack consists of mainly Elvis Presley songs and others performed by A*Teens and Wynonna, although there are three tracks composed by Alan Silvestri. My two favorites are Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride and He Mele No Lilo, sung by Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu and The Kamehameha School's Children's Chorus. The first is played in the scene where David takes Nani, Lilo, and Stitch surfing. I believe the lyrics are mainly in English, but there is a section in the middle sung in Hawaiian. I remember dancing to this song in hula classes when I was younger. It was also a played at our Hawaiian-themed elementary school graduation. The second song, He Mele No Lilo, is my favorite, sung entirely in Hawaiian. This is the song that opens the movie, as Lilo swims through clear tropical waters of Hawai'i to bring Pudge the fish (who controls the weather) a peanut butter sandwich. If you listen closely, you can catch some of the words of the song (Mauna Kea, etc.). Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll have to Google the lyrics and a translation. It reminds me of when I took hula classes, although I'm not sure if we ever danced to it. It's quite a relaxing song.

Oh, and the song Nani sings with Lilo is Aloha 'Oe. It was written by the last queen of Hawai'i, Queen Lilo'uokalani, in 1877.

Lilo & Stitch

Lilo & Stitch was the first movie I've ever seen in the theatres, as far as I can remember. It was at a field trip during Rustic Canyon Summer camp, and I was in the youngest group, named the "Sixers" for obvious reasons. I don't remember much about where I went to see it, I just remembered the main plot and none of the details. I also remember having to go to the bathroom near the end, therefore I didn't see the last bit of the movie.

Seeing as I'm watching this movie right now, I thought it would be appropriate to blog about it. It was one of the last "classic" Disney movies, before live action and CGI took over. So not only is the hand-drawn animation better, but the quality of the plot is much higher than, for instance, Spy Kids: Island of Lost Dreams, Country Bears, or Inspector Gadget II, as shown in the trailers before the movie.

I love how the animators of every single classic Disney movie work together to create characters with a similar style. As far as I know, only a few people design each character, instead of everyone working on all the characters at the same time. But they communicate so each face is drawn with a similar style, as if one person created them all. No two Disney movies are drawn with the same technique, although many of the same animators may have worked on different movies. The faces of this particular movie are drawn with full curves and large, somewhat egg-shaped eyes. Instead of almond-shaped or cat-like as in some other movies, the eyes are composed to match the roundness of the face and nose.

If you are familiar with the story, you would know that Lilo has no friends and is the outcast of her class. Lilo means "lost" in Hawaiian, and is allowed to pick out a puppy from the shelter, despite the fact that her sister, Nani, is struggling to find a job and watch Lilo at the same time. Nani is legal and therefore can take care of Lilo, but a social worker, Mr. Cobra Bubbles, is called in to monitor the family and determine whether or not to take Lilo away. Lilo picks out a "dog" from the shelter, who she names Stitch, who is actually an illegal genetic expirement (Expirement 626) on the run. I think the reason the name Stitch was chosen (by the creators of the movie) is because by the end of the movie, the broken pieces of the Pelekai family are stitched back together. Also, David, Nani's friend and crush, is named after the last king of Hawai'i. Or so I would think. I should probably Google that before I publish.

As for the aliens, there's Dr. Jumba, an "evil genius" who created Stitch, sent to Earth to recapture his expirement. Pleakley is sent to monitor and help him as an expert on Planet Earth by the Grand Councilwoman (hooray, a woman in charge!) Gantu is ordered when Pleakley does not bring Stitch back fast enough. Also, in the beginning, when Stitch is sent hurtling towards Earth, the Grand Councilwoman speaks to another alien at the dashboard, who tells her where Stitch is. Anyone who is familiar with Winnie the Pooh would recognize the similarities of the little rosy-colored alien to Piglet, our lovable, nervous pink friend. And right next to the Little Pink Alien is guess who? Yes, that's right, it's Big Striped Alien. Also known as Tigger, in my mind. The bouncy-trouncy-flouncy-pouncy-fun-fun-fun-fun-fun! Tigger we all know! Two other unmentioned aliens closely resemble animals; the Hammerhead Shark Captain and the Armadillo Alien.

Also, Gantu closely resembles a manta ray. According to Wikipedia, he tells people he is Samoan, in later spinoffs.

VHS Collection

Disney movies used to be on YouTube in ten minute segments until they were taken down due to copyright infringement, etc. So at the beginning of June I went to a Goodwill store and bought several movies on VHS, mainly Disney. Since then I've collected many Disney movies on VHS from Goodwill and The Record Surplus Store for about two dollars each.

I also have several non-Disney movies on VHS, like My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Sense and Sensibility, and Dreamworks movies, like Ice Age, Sinbad, and The Road to El Dorado.

If anyone knows where I can find Mulan or Pocahontas on VHS, or The Prince of Egypt, or any other Disney movie, please tell me.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

Yesterday was my first time watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Yes, after 15 years, I have finally seen it. What a deprived child I was.

I've actually owned the movie on VHS for about two months, but I've been putting off watching it. The reason why? I never really liked her hair. In ballet classes I took when I was younger, we got stickers, and when we got princess-themed stickers I never wanted Snow White simply because I did not like her hair. In fact, the reason her hair is styled that particular way is because that was the style in 1930's America. I've never really liked their hair either.

I find it appropriate that Snow White is my first official blog post about a Disney move, as it is the first full-length film produced by Walt Disney. It is also the first full-length animated film and first full-length film to be in color. Something like that. Basically, everyone thought the movie would fail. It was incredibly pricey for a movie of its time, but it ended up a success and was nominated for several awards and remains one of the highest grossing films of all time, after adjusting for inflation.

As for the movie— it was much better than I expected it to be. Not that I expected it to be bad, it's just that I was expecting myself to be somewhat bored. Aside from the hair, and maybe the high-pitched voice of Snow White, I find the movie quite enjoyable. Snow White is probably the most feminine of all the Disney Princesses/heroines, but I believe that is because that's what women were like back in 1937. They all stayed home, cooking and cleaning and taking care of the children. It was not until WWII when many started getting jobs. As for the dwarves, who couldn't love seven little bumbling men dedicated to Snow White? Though I couldn't name a favorite dwarf yet, as I've only seen the movie once. Possibly one of my favorite characters from the movie is the Evil Queen. I really loved the scene where she makes the potion to turn herself into a beggar woman and poisons the apple. It reminds me of the scene from Sleeping Beauty where the three fairies give their gifts to the baby Aurora, in an ominous sort of way.

I think it was a brilliant way to start off hand-drawn animation.

Tangled, err, Disney, Part 2

Picking up from where I left off before, I didn't really know much about Disney movies until about two years ago when I got this laptop and discovered that a lot of people have put Disney movies on YouTube in ten minute sections. That's when I started watching them. I don't know how long it took for me to memorize every single word of Part of Your World, A Whole New World, and I Won't Say I'm In Love, but it wasn't very long. I also went to Disneyland that summer, for the first time I can remember.

This past Christmas I got three CDs from the Disney store, three volumes of Disney's Greatest Hits (not Disney starlets, from actual movies) and I know the words to the majority of the popular songs. My obsession with the whole thing intensified around the beginning of April. It's really hard to explain— I mean really, really complicated. I can't even find the words for it now.

I also can't remember when I started listening to the score to the movies in addition to the songs. If I could remember when it would probably help, but I simply can't remember. All I know is that Alan Menken has done an amazing job composing the music for the majority of the Disney Renaissance movies. I've also learned to draw some of my favorite characters: Ariel, Briar Rose, Belle, etc. My dream job would be to be an animator at Disney studios and bring back hand-drawn animation.

Essentially, I love just about everything about Disney movies. Sorry my post is so scatter-brained.

Tangled, err, Disney

First of all, Tangled is an amazing movie. And I know I'll probably say that about a lot of [animated] movies, but most every Disney movie is truly wonderful. The effort the whole entire team puts into each movie results in not only entertainment but a work of art. It's why Disney is known for its masterpieces. I wouldn't be surprised if Disney were the most successful producer of animated movies.

Okay, I might as well make this blog post about Disney. It was going to be about Tangled, but I'll save that for another day. As you may have realized, or perhaps not, I am a huge Disney fan. If I were a good artist, I'd work in the studios creating movies. If I were good at math, I'd be in another studio designing rides/ designing the whole park (aka Imagineering). If I were good at music, I'd compose music for the movies. If I were a good singer, or even voice actress, I'd voice the role of the character. You know what I mean. Anyways, that's not going to happen. At least the latter two. I have a better chance with the former two.

My obsession with Disney movies didn't appear until about two years ago. When I was younger, all the Disney movies that I owned were Peter Pan, 101 Dalmations, Pinocchio, Bambi , and later, The Aristocats. I always assumed I had those four movies because all my elder cousins were boys, at least the ones who were young enough to still have Disney movies. The Aristocats was given to me at around six or seven because of my love of cats. That, along with Peter Pan, were my favorites. I also had five Disney computer games: Mulan, Pocahantas, two different Lion Kings, and a Beauty and the Beast. The first two were my favorite, and usually when I went to Blockbuster I got Mulan or Pocahontas.

To Be Continued...