Every month on Disney Danielle I plan to have a week dedicated to recommending something that isn't purely Disney but has ties to it. This week I am recommending a podcast called Literary Disco! The podcast is hosted by Tod, Julia, and Rider, three friends who went to graduate school together and are collective book nerds. If the name Rider stands out to you, good job. Rider Strong is an actor most known for playing the character Shawn Hunter on the hit 90s TV series, Boy Meets World.
While I was never a big fan of the show growing up, I've always viewed Shawn as my favorite character and the most well developed of the series. I'm so glad to see that Rider isn't the cliche child actor but is going into the realm he wants rather than what nostalgic fans ask of him. It is very typical of me to recommend a literary podcast for my first recommend. I am a lover of books and literature and I am also a podcast fanatic. Combine the two and it is a match made in heaven as far as I'm concerned. Finding good podcasts about books isn't easy. I only listen to one other book podcast and have unsubscribed to many others after attempting to listen but just becoming annoyed (this excludes podcasts such as Game of Owns and Alohomora, two book podcasts that I adore. One focuses on Game of Thrones and the other focuses on Harry Potter). Literary Disco is intelligent while also entertaining and witty. The language can be choicey so this isn't a show for kids. The hosts go into unique segments such as grabbing a book from their book shelf and talking about it or klassics korner where they read two real quotes from a classic novel and one fake that they wrote and the other two hosts must guess which quote is fiction (pun intended). They also go into in depth discussions about books and their impact on the world and what the impact means. But my descriptions is feeble and can't actually describe the awesomeness that is Literary Disco. Go take a listen yourself by clicking one of the links below! You will be not disappointed!
Since a new school year is about to begin, I have decided to talk about Pixar's latest film - Monsters University.
This computer animated prequel is one that was highly anticipated,
mostly because the last two films Pixar has released have been awful
compared to their usual quality and because Monster Inc., like most
Pixar films, is beloved by millions. With Toy Story revisiting
it's characters twice and being successful, Pixar seemed to have nothing
to lose by returning to the monster world since their last two films
were flops. It seems this may become a pattern since Pixar is soon to
release Finding Dory which revisits the world of Finding Nemo.
I was a bit weary about this film since Pixar hasn't been doing as well
as I usually expect from them but I found the film to be typical Pixar,
which means it was an A+++++++++! This
post isn't a movie review. But I
do want to talk about the artistic elements that are seen in Monsters University,
specifically focusing on Ring Composition, how well the film ties in
with it's predecessor, character development, and why this film is
getting Pixar out of their funk and symbolizes a bright future for the
company. Warning, there may be a few spoilers!
Let's
start of with ring composition. For those of you who don't yet know
what ring composition is, just go ahead and read book series such as The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games,
etc. Ring composition is a story-telling format that brings a story
full circle. This style is more apparent in books although films use it
all of the time. It is a form of narrative transformation. I've
recently gotten into reading about narrative transformation and ring
composition since working on the MuggleNet Academia podcast and I am
suddenly noticing the two everywhere! Not only does this movie use ring
composition but most Disney/Pixar films do as well (and of course
regular Disney films use it too). Ring composition is apparent in this
film when in the beginning we see Mike stepping onto the scare floor as a
kid idolizing the "scarers" and then at the end we see Mike stepping
onto the scare floor as an adult working with "scarers". Another
example of ring composition is in the first quarter of the film we see
Mike and Sully working separately but in the third quarter they are
working together. Of course I could go on and on about the ring
composition but...well I don't remember all of it, haha. Pixar does an incredible job of tying this prequel back to it's predecessor, Monster's Inc.
Prequel's are always challenging because it is difficult to avoid being
cheesy when giving a character an almost forced back-story to conform
to their original movie. Pixar, though, does not come across as
forced. In fact they attack the challenge with ease! In this film we
see how Mike doesn't become a "scarer" and there are hints at his future
job as a comedian, how Sully and Mike form their morning routine that
we see in the first film, why children's files are so important (and how
they relate back to a monster's education), and what goes into making
doors that lead to children's closets! It is all extremely well done.
We also get a glimpse at some character's from the first film and while
Randy Newman composed a brand new score, he and Pixar still included
some original tracks from the first film! Another awesome attribute to
the story is the relationship Mike and Sully have with Randal. That was
especially well done in the film! Mike
and Sully both go on huge journey's in this film. Mike is the main
focus. The audience sees him in his elementary years wanting to be a
"scarer" someday and the goal of the film is to show how Mike came to
realize his talents lay in other hidden places. He is very book smart
and this shows throughout the story. Sully's story, while not
necessarily the main focus, is very compelling as well. We learn that
his father was a top "scarer" and this puts a lot of expectations on his
shoulders. He goes on to start letting everyone down and learns to be
his own monster instead of trying to live up to his family name. Before I go into my last point, I just want to comment quickly on how accurate this film was in terms
of
university. Pixar used this idea of having a college focused movie to
their advantage by making a website to reflect an actual university
website and having a trailer that actually reflects what a college
advertisement would look like on TV. The films shows us stereotypes and
portrays a very realistic atmosphere. Job well done Pixar! Finally, I want to talk about why this is the film that will pull Pixar out of their funk. I haven't seen Cars or Cars 2, so I can't say much about that sequel. However, I have seen Brave. What makes Monsters University the savior that Brave could never be? Well for starters, it isn't forced. Brave was made to impress anti-Disney feminists by creating a characters with no love interest plot. Secondly, Brave
was all over the place. It was trying to be a feminist film while also
trying to be a mother daughter film while also trying to be a folklore
film and it just couldn't do it. The only plot that was worth caring
about was the mother daughter relationship so thank God there was
character development in that area because there was none anywhere
else. Lastly, Monsters University has no loose ends. It ties the movie up in a crisp fashion and leaves the audience satisfied. So would I recommend Monsters University? It is OK! (Catch my reference???)
I was sitting in the family room, watching Jeopardy with my grandma. My dad was upstairs trying new clothes on and my mom was in the living room discussing vacation plans with a friend. It was a relatively ordinary evening. I had made dinner that night instead of my mother which was a welcomed change but other than that, everything seemed particularly dull. As we watched Jeopardy, a red banner appeared at the bottom of the screen with white letters. At first I thought it was a weather alert but upon reading the text, my mind first jumped to Tracey Morgan who I knew had been in a bad accident a few weeks ago. I assumed this may be an update on his condition. And then my eyes saw the name Robin Williams and my brain slowly registered what I was reading. Robin Williams found dead. Death by suicide, it said.
Perhaps it sounds strange when I say I teared up. I am writing this the day after and still feel choked
up about it. This has never happened to me before. I imagine I am feeling something similar to fans of MJ when he died. I never knew that I could feel a connection of such caliber from a person I never actually met. I know this is a pretty heavy topic to start out with on my new blog but I feel I need to reflect on the impact Robin Williams had on my life because truth be told, he was like a member of my family. My family and I may disagree on many things, but one universal truth in our house is that we are all lovers of Robin Williams. He has entered our household countless times, telling hilarious jokes and moving us to tears from his brilliant performances. Perhaps this is why I feel so sad about his passing. He was more than just an actor. He was a role model, a mentor, and a friend. Only the most brilliant actors are. Where do I begin? It is hard to find a starting place for this post. I can hardly begin to answer the question, what impact has Robin Williams had on my life? To answer in broad terms, he has introduced me to good comedy. He has demonstrated what it means to be a genuinely good actor. His film range is exceptional and every performance is beautiful and honest and funny and outright special. You will never forget a movie Robin Williams was in.
There are two roles that Robin played that I grew up with and these movies have stayed with me for a long time, and I imagine they will remain with me for the rest of my life. The first has to be the Genie from Aladdin. I grew up watching Disney movies constantly and Aladdin was one my brother and I always popped in to the VHS player. Speaking specifically toward Robin's character, I can't say enough just how much my friends and I quoted him in college. His performance as the Genie encompasses Robin completely...a man of heart and humor. You can't watch the movie without smiling. Aladdin is one of the best Disney movies ever made and part of that is the Genie's character, brought to life by Robin!
The other role which Robin played that was a huge part of my childhood is Daniel Hillard slash Euphegenia Doubtfire. Mrs. Doubtfire was the first PG-13 movie I ever saw, at the age of 9. My younger brother and I, oblivious to the film's dirty humor, cracked up at Daniel's alter ego. From watching her dance with a vacuum to Daniel's hilarious impressions with the social worker, we were hysterical. And it wasn't just us...it was our parents too. Yet the film is not just all laughs. It is about a very serious topic, divorce. Robin does an amazing job at capturing a man who would do anything for his children while also balancing being a big kid himself. The humor is dirty but man, it is fantastic. It is simply an amazing film.
Looking back, there are so many Robin Williams movies that I love and want to briefly reflect on during this blog post. One that doesn't come to most peoples minds is Flubber. That is another movie I grew up with though it never moved me as much as Aladdin or Mrs. Doubtfire. Flubber always cracked us up as kids. We still on it on VHS. Robin had perfect comedic timing and plays a professor who everyone can get behind.
The next movie I want to talk about is Dead Poets Society. Surprisingly I have only seen this movie once. Robin plays another professor though this time he excels in Poetry. This is the kind of film I knew I would love before I watched it, the kind where a teacher swops in and inspires their students to be more, that they are special and can make a difference in the world. His performance is fantastic. It completely exemplifies Robin's message - that you can do and be anything.
The next film is Patch Adams. I saw this when I was in middle school. Like most of Robin's films, it cracked me up (or rather, he cracked me up) and it once again embraces another one of his philosophies on life - that making people happy is essential. His character experiences great personal loss but still manages to bring smile to the world. His character shows that it isn't normalcy that cures or even standing out, it is love. He loves people as they are and meets them where they are.
Now let us talk about Good Will Hunting. This is another movie I have seen only once. I watched it on Netflix a little over a year ago. Again, Williams is a professor and a mentor. I don't have much more to say other than, watch the movie. It is as simple as that. You will thank me for it later.
Now The Bird Cage. This movie never cracked me up until my stomach hurt but the dry humor does make you chuckle quite a bit. It isn't a typical Robin film but I still love it. It just showcases another side to his acting style.
GOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM! I have an interesting story to tell that is directly tied to this movie. In 2009 when my family traveled to Disney World, we rode the Great Movie Ride. At the end there was a brilliant montage that briefly scanned over the great Hollywood films and above Tara's Theme from Gone with the Wind came Robin shouting GOOOOOD MORNING VIETNAM and I felt such passion from him at that moment and I hadn't even seen the movie. It is phenomenal! A great portrayal of the damages of war and the humor and love that can exist despite the hardships.
My last mention will seem silly to some but it is another film that was a big part of my childhood. That movie is, Aladdin 3: The King of Thieves. Okay, so we all know Disney sequels usually equate to poop. But there are a few that are genuinely good and this is one of them. Not only is the story easy to get behind but Robin's comedy is top notch. His impressions and references are hysterical and his comedic timing is, you guessed it, brilliant!
He are some honorable mentions to end this blog: Hook, Jumanji, Night at the Museum, License to Wed, and Happy Feet.
The brilliance of being in entertainment is that your memory truly remains alive through the projects you were apart of. I hope to watch many Robin Williams films for the next few weeks. And I am aware of how many times I have used the word brilliant in this post...but seriously, how can I not?
Good-bye Robin. You will be deeply missed. I hope you find peace wherever you have gone. Your creative, awe inspiring, funny, and genuine acting style will not be forgotten.
Hello all! Welcome to my new side blog, Disney Danielle! Of course I must give credit where credit is due...the title of this blog must be credited to my good friend and podcast co-host, Eric. Thank you Eric! He has been insistent on this name ever since we began recording our podcast and I was never into it until, well, a few weeks ago.
So here is an introduction to me! My name is Danielle. I am 23 years old, 24 later this month. Ever since I was born I have been exposed to Disney. I had Disney toys, Disney clothes, Disney books, and Disney VHS tapes. Like most children in the 1990s, Disney was shoved down my throat...though I don't say that with all the negative baggage a saying like that usually holds. On the contrary, I'm so thankful for having such a prevalent exposure to Disney in my childhood, otherwise I may have rejected it when I became an adult. From the animated films to the classic 90s TV shows to the man himself, I can't get enough of Disney! I dressed up as Disney characters on Halloween as a kid, read tons of Disney books and even got to go to Disney world a few times. I watched the VHS tapes my grandma bought endlessly. I could never get enough. When I was a teenager I attended a week long church camp and my pastor showed us a clip from the Lion King. This is when I began to realize how relevant Disney remained even as I grew up. It was at that moment that I became engrossed in studying entertainment and it's connection to faith and spirituality, though at the time I hardly knew how to put into words what I was feeling. Since then I have created my very own podcast, with the help of my three very good friends, all about Disney and looking at this company with a critical lens called Talk Magic to Me.
You can usually find me at my blog, The Reader (original title, right?) where I blog about books, art, and social norms and I frequently write about Disney. Now that I am more heavily invested in Disney with the podcast, I figured I should make a new blog where all of my Disney posts can reside. And when this idea was conceived, Disney Danielle was soon born. Ta-da!
On this site you will find movie reviews, book reviews, news commentary, analysis posts, and more! I will frequently recommend books, podcasts, Broadway shows, blogs, youtube videos, and whatever else comes to my brain! I will blog once a week. For the first few months of this blog I will be reposting blogs from my reading blog as well as the Talk Magic to Me blogs I wrote in the past. I can't wait!
My hope is to interact with you all and make this a place for freedom of opinions and healthy conversation! Always let me know what you think! Conversation is always welcome and your opinion is just as valid as my own and the next persons! I hope this will be a magical experience for all of us!
Check in every week for a new blog! And be sure to listen to Talk Magic to Me!
