Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
Point.
Missed.
Missed.
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
Oh. Well, when you said in the Bambi: Diamond Edition review:
What did you mean Walt was between a rock and a hard place? He was between artistic success and mass audience success?Following the huge success of Snow White, he released Pinocchio in little more than two years afterward, and the immensely personal Fantasia soon after. Both films offered darker, or too-“highbrow” accounts of what audiences expected, and coupled with the War, Disney found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place. A popular book, Bambi seemed the right way to go, and the animal-heavy plot looked like it would finally play like another Snow White.
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
No...he was stuck between the potential financial ruin of two flops (rock) and the bleak future prospects of a world war that would cut off his international markets (hard place)! Can't really get more literal than that!
He needed a Snow White sized hit domestically (this before the hugely popular Dumbo was released, natch) and Bambi, then a contemporary and well-known published book (with a sequel published in America just before the film was released), was it. Back in the day, Bambi was actually much more of an adult novel with many more Watership Down style happenings in it, but Disney's film added Thumper and other animals to make it more cute (even then, he still had to shorten the film to save on costs).
Walt felt that if he could make the story appeal to adults *and* their kids then he'd have another much-needed hit, and eventually he was right (although the slightly shorter and a lot cheaper Dumbo proved to have a better cost ratio return). In its own way, the Bambi books was like the Gone With The Wind of animation...it was quite a highly anticipated screen adaptation of a successful novel (actually originally bought for MGM but passed to Walt when the producer realised they couldn't make it in live-action, hence the "thanks" credit that Sidney Franklyn gets).
He needed a Snow White sized hit domestically (this before the hugely popular Dumbo was released, natch) and Bambi, then a contemporary and well-known published book (with a sequel published in America just before the film was released), was it. Back in the day, Bambi was actually much more of an adult novel with many more Watership Down style happenings in it, but Disney's film added Thumper and other animals to make it more cute (even then, he still had to shorten the film to save on costs).
Walt felt that if he could make the story appeal to adults *and* their kids then he'd have another much-needed hit, and eventually he was right (although the slightly shorter and a lot cheaper Dumbo proved to have a better cost ratio return). In its own way, the Bambi books was like the Gone With The Wind of animation...it was quite a highly anticipated screen adaptation of a successful novel (actually originally bought for MGM but passed to Walt when the producer realised they couldn't make it in live-action, hence the "thanks" credit that Sidney Franklyn gets).
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
Oh, thanks for all the explaining and info. But MGM wanted to make a live-action BAMBI?!?!!!
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
So is it me or is it with all the new Cinderella material we're seeing, it's becoming pretty obvious that Disney is maybe quietly dropping 3D as a theatrical presentation format, favoring the bigger screens of Imax instead?
I know they still have some 3D titles to emerge, but I'm surprised Cinders - what with its Frozen short on the front - isn't in the format, and it'll be interesting to see what and if their big releases in a year or so are still being produced/presented this way.
I know they still have some 3D titles to emerge, but I'm surprised Cinders - what with its Frozen short on the front - isn't in the format, and it'll be interesting to see what and if their big releases in a year or so are still being produced/presented this way.
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
Getting pretty excited about this. I can't wait to see the Frozen Fever short...um, I mean, Elsa...no, I mean, Olaf....hang on, I mean....
There's a movie attached to the Frozen short?
There's a movie attached to the Frozen short?
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift--that is why it's called the present."
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
I thought it was OK. The script made a few notable changes from the 1950 film (which I still prefer to this film), but nothing really worth getting excited over. Branagh's direction keeps things lively for the most part, and Patrick Doyle's score is suitably lush and romantic, though it doesn't feature the most memorable themes he's written. You'll have to stay for the end credits to hear any musical nods to the original (no post credit scene, though.)
Cate Blanchett was superb at portraying cruelty; she's probably the highlight of the whole film.
Frozen Fever was OK too, though I thought the song didn't really have a musical "hook"--but to be fair, it's not meant to be an anthem like "Let It Go," or a lush, classically-styled number like "For the First Time in Forever."
The most excited I got at the screening, though, was during the trailer for Tomorrowland. Even if I weren't a huge Brad Bird fan, I'd still probably have found the trailer thrilling.
Cate Blanchett was superb at portraying cruelty; she's probably the highlight of the whole film.
Frozen Fever was OK too, though I thought the song didn't really have a musical "hook"--but to be fair, it's not meant to be an anthem like "Let It Go," or a lush, classically-styled number like "For the First Time in Forever."
The most excited I got at the screening, though, was during the trailer for Tomorrowland. Even if I weren't a huge Brad Bird fan, I'd still probably have found the trailer thrilling.
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
Can't decide whether to go see this or just wait for the Blu-ray that I will inevitably get anyway. I do want to see it, but there's nothing really here that's naghing me to get to a theatre to catch it, unlike the pull of Jolie in Maleficent. Still early days, but I've a feeling this'll be watched at home in around three months or so...
Still...good to hear it's not a disaster or, even worse, simply bland. I'm looking forward to it.
Still...good to hear it's not a disaster or, even worse, simply bland. I'm looking forward to it.
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
I thought Frozen Fever was a charming little short. I doubt it will set the world on fire, but it had nice, cute moments that's sure to please Frozen fans in anticipation for the next project (be it the next feature-length film or something in-between). There were apparently a number of folks in my theater (which was fairly packed) who didn't know about the short and gasped with delight when the title came up. Everyone had a good time.
Cinderella turned out to be a pretty darn good movie. I agree with a lot of the critical response, where the story is one we know a thousand times over, inside-and-out, with just a few minor touches (including an honest attempt to add depth to the Prince), yet the telling of the story is still fantastic because of how beautiful it looks and the great acting from the cast. Blanchett was obviously going to nail it as the Stepmother, but many in the theater really got emotionally invested in Ella because of the great performance by Lily James. I imagine there are those that wish Richard Madden would've had a chance to display some of the ruggedness from Game of Thrones to portray the Prince, but I think he did a fine job with what he was able to do. Patrick Doyle's music may not come off as memorable, but they worked quite well in enhancing the scenes (couple of audiences members, adults really, clapped during key moments such as the dress transformation).
Branagh directed the film quite well, making sure the old-fashion approach was genuine while throwing in little touches that don't distract from the storytelling (there's a couple of great shots, I felt, with Prince and Cinderella involving a swing and how it is photograph was nicely done). Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, costume designer Sandy Powell, and production designer Dante Ferretti are the champions, really, for turning out such beauty on the screen. The costumes were absolutely fantastic and the visuals of the settings were just wonderful to look at.
Cinderella turned out to be a pretty darn good movie. I agree with a lot of the critical response, where the story is one we know a thousand times over, inside-and-out, with just a few minor touches (including an honest attempt to add depth to the Prince), yet the telling of the story is still fantastic because of how beautiful it looks and the great acting from the cast. Blanchett was obviously going to nail it as the Stepmother, but many in the theater really got emotionally invested in Ella because of the great performance by Lily James. I imagine there are those that wish Richard Madden would've had a chance to display some of the ruggedness from Game of Thrones to portray the Prince, but I think he did a fine job with what he was able to do. Patrick Doyle's music may not come off as memorable, but they worked quite well in enhancing the scenes (couple of audiences members, adults really, clapped during key moments such as the dress transformation).
Branagh directed the film quite well, making sure the old-fashion approach was genuine while throwing in little touches that don't distract from the storytelling (there's a couple of great shots, I felt, with Prince and Cinderella involving a swing and how it is photograph was nicely done). Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos, costume designer Sandy Powell, and production designer Dante Ferretti are the champions, really, for turning out such beauty on the screen. The costumes were absolutely fantastic and the visuals of the settings were just wonderful to look at.
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
I have to echo how well the transformation scenes were done. Not only the dress one, but the carriage one as well. It starts out kind of silly (intentionally), but when it actually transforms, I really felt immersed in the scene.
Nobody clapped in my theater (which had a healthy attendance of little girls in princess costumes), but that probably has to do with where I live--if you need proof that Silicon Valley is cold and heartless…
Clapping at a movie has been rare in my experience, which makes the times it does happen quite electrifying. It happened at The Incredibles, Toy Story 3, Big Hero 6, and The Avengers; at the last, there where also moments during the funniest bits when the theater almost lost it.
Unless this is a horrible year for movies, I doubt this is going to make my top-10 list, but there are aspects of it that are well done.
Nobody clapped in my theater (which had a healthy attendance of little girls in princess costumes), but that probably has to do with where I live--if you need proof that Silicon Valley is cold and heartless…
Clapping at a movie has been rare in my experience, which makes the times it does happen quite electrifying. It happened at The Incredibles, Toy Story 3, Big Hero 6, and The Avengers; at the last, there where also moments during the funniest bits when the theater almost lost it.
Unless this is a horrible year for movies, I doubt this is going to make my top-10 list, but there are aspects of it that are well done.
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
Although I don't know how many of the reviews are just drop-of-water-in-the-desert reviews at seeing someone do a straightforward Cinderella on a big-budget without irony or revision and take the romance and sympathy for the character seriously. (And how many are just saying "Whew, it doesn't stink like Maleficent did!")
A little while before, I'd happened to catch the '77 Sherman-musical "The Slipper & the Rose" on disc, which also seemed like one more "unnecessary" retelling at the time, but gave it a handsome budget that 70's musicals usually got, treated the Prince and fairy-godmother issues realistically, without the feminist revision that recent Snow White movies have gotten (would the Prince really be allowed to marry a commoner just like that?), and putting all the romantic frills as needed. Annette Crosbie also does HBC's "snippy no-nonsense Fairy Godmother" act, but with less deliberate anti-princess revisionism and more actual fairytale sense that just she's doing her job rewarding good.
So for Disney's latest anomaly of a good post-Alice film, I may need a little extra persuasion, as my reaction to "Wow, a gorgeous retelling!" so far has been "...Do tell. "
A little while before, I'd happened to catch the '77 Sherman-musical "The Slipper & the Rose" on disc, which also seemed like one more "unnecessary" retelling at the time, but gave it a handsome budget that 70's musicals usually got, treated the Prince and fairy-godmother issues realistically, without the feminist revision that recent Snow White movies have gotten (would the Prince really be allowed to marry a commoner just like that?), and putting all the romantic frills as needed. Annette Crosbie also does HBC's "snippy no-nonsense Fairy Godmother" act, but with less deliberate anti-princess revisionism and more actual fairytale sense that just she's doing her job rewarding good.
So for Disney's latest anomaly of a good post-Alice film, I may need a little extra persuasion, as my reaction to "Wow, a gorgeous retelling!" so far has been "...Do tell. "
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
EricJ, I hardly know what you are talking about. Are you saying The Slipper & the Rose was so good you don't want to see this new Cinderella movie?
Anyway, here's my spoiler filled review:
Anyway, here's my spoiler filled review:
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
I'm saying, the audience stampede of "Wow, a gorgeously designed live-action Cindy!" may just be a drop of water in the desert for people who didn't know there was another one. (Which isn't hard to do, unfortunately.)Dusterian wrote:EricJ, I hardly know what you are talking about. Are you saying The Slipper & the Rose was so good you don't want to see this new Cinderella movie?
Those who do, may need a little extra persuasion to get past their old studio grudges about Maleficent.
The Shelley Duvall episode was also good, though, I'll grant that, as also with most of the pre-Renaissance titles.
(Oh, and...."Jacqueline"?? )
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Re: Cinderella - Disney Live-Action Feature
With nearly $800m, I di really know anyone other than you with Maleficent hang-ups. Most people seemed to like it enough for Disney to continue along this line, and Cinders' box-office will only confirm, in their eyes, that a new Dumbo is something worth pursuing...