Literary Critic; Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson

Original post: http://thereader101.blogspot.com/2014/11/literary-critic-disney-after-dark-by.html

Hello, I'm the Literary Critic. I read it so you don't have to. Can we talk about Young Adult fiction for a moment? I mean, the genre is basically a brand these days from John Green to The Hunger Games. And while lots of YA is very good, there is also a butt load more that suck. Now don't get me wrong, every genre includes sucky titles. But YA seems particularly prone to the suckiest of them all. Why is this you might ask? Well, I think there are an array of reasons beyond all of our comprehension but the main reason that I've noticed is an author's ability to write down to readers. They don't try to write a genuinely good novel but write a silly story because it is assumed that kids and teens will drink that crap up. And that is just not true. Sure there are kids who enjoy the bad books but if they take an interest, how can we fault them? But there are many kids who seek good literature and lean toward adult novels to do so because the books in their age group have no appeal and just aren't good. And that isn't how it should be. A book should be good on it's own and not have to stoop down the story.
Oh, you think I'm wrong? You think these books don't exist? Well, they do dammit! Have you ever read Bridge to Terabithia or The Secret Garden or Sarah, Plain and Tall or Holes or The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe or Harry Potter or Skellig or Matilda or...I think you see my point. So what do all of these books have in common? Well, they are good pieces of literature. They appeal to children's imaginations yet the writing holds up. The characters are developed and complex and the author is taking a simple story and painting it as a beautiful artwork. Yes, that is literature, and YA literature at that and it is so damn good! But lots of YA doesn't fall into this category. Why? Because lots of books seem to think that because they are in the children's or YA category, they don't need to write credible scenarios or unique characters. As long as there is an adventure, kids will eat it up. And that is a big issue in my opinion. I take issue when adults say, "well at least they're reading." Kids shouldn't be subjected to lazy writing. They should get a book that took the time to really write a good book and not just because it is for kids.
Now I know what you may be thinking. I'm a 24 year old woman. Why would I be reading books below my age group? Well here is the problem: books can be written toward an age group but should not be limited. This goes for all art. Sure there are shows like Barney that aren't necessarily good but that show is aimed to teach kids things like colors and rhymes and numbers and has no real merit beyond that...and even the characters on Barney are more unique than those in some YA books. But look at another series called American Girl. Those books could easily be looked at as marketing strategies to sell more dolls and make more money but if you actually sit down and read the books, they are actually very well done. Sure the writing isn't perfect but there are never any inconsistencies, the characters are well developed and you learn a lot about culture and history along the way. I read them last year and really enjoyed them. Sure they had their problems but all books have those. My point is, there is a difference between a children's book and a childish book. The first being a genre and you can expect fantasy and lots of hypothetical situations but altogether fun, the second being poorly written and the author being outright lazy because of the genre.

So with that in mind, let's talk about the first book of seven (there are seven books of this garbage??) in the Kingdom Keepers series titled Disney After Dark. Okay so what is this book about? Well we begin with a boy named Finn. He is the typical handsome white male who lives in Florida and is pretty famous because of his role at the Disney Parks. Finn along with four other kids, whose names I can't recall because they are all so boring and generic, are DHI's which stands for Disney Host Interactive. The kids are essentially actors and they have filmed scenes where they talk about rides and the park. These holographic images are then digitally projected in the parks for guests who need help. One night, something acts up in the Disney servers and Finn's dream becomes a reality when he finds himself at the park in his DHI form after he goes to bed and the park is closed. There he meets Wayne, the obligatory wise old man, who cryptically talks to Finn even though he has no reason to. We learn that the parks are in trouble and that the DHI's are the only ones who can save the parks, and apparently the world. That's right. The DHI's must defeat Disney villains come to life because they want...what else? World domination...because that isn't cliche. Anyway, Finn seeks help from a girl in his school named Amanda who is keeping a secret of her own. Oooooh, mysterious! With Amanda's help, the DHI's try to solve a mystery that will bring peace back to the parks and let them sleep without entering their DHI forms ever again.
The premise sounds a little rough but not too bad. I was interested when I read the back cover of the book. The book had some good parts...or, well a couple. Okay two or three. The concept of the DHI's is cool and questioning technology and our relationship with it is awesome. At one point Amanda sees a theme park goer walk through a DHI hologram and comments that it is rude and I thought it was awesome that this book may be asking the reader to question her logic. Like, is it actually rude when the DHI's aren't actual beings but just projected images? But the book never really got to that place again. And okay, parts of the ending I didn't see coming. But this book still sucks. Boy does it deserve to rot in a garbage dump. This book was so bad that I actually wanted to kill myself. And let me mention that I hate suicide notions and never make them...except this one time because it is necessary. I mean, I really wonder if the author had a hat full of plots and just reached in for an easy explanation or a random piece of generic dialogue or some kind of crap to end the chapter. The entire book was so ridiculous and contrived that this wouldn't surprise me.
Let's talk about the characters first because they were by far the worst part of this book. First off, what utter vanilla characters we were given. I like to think of all of them like balls of grape jelly...or, whatever jelly you want to imagine. It doesn't matter to me. There is no authenticity or character integrity to them. They just shape into the form the author desires. If the author wants a suave character, he's got it. If the author wants a fighter, he's got a fighter. But when you remove the jelly from it's fighter or suave jar, it will never stand on it's own. It will always fall flat. And that is essentially what these characters are, flat. Between the rotten dialogue and horribly forced interactions, one wonders how this book was even published in the first place. I mean, what sort of person would allow this junk to print?...Let's look at some direct quotes, shall we?
At the end of one of the chapter's, a woman isn't taking Finn seriously because of his age. She notes he is 13 and Finn corrects her, "14. I will be 14 next month." So wait, you are 13 then? Well isn't he a smart character. When someone states his age he feels a need to correct that person that they are right yet it is supposed to come across as smart. Yeah...cause that isn't stupid. I mean, why would this piece of dialogue be allowed in any text? I feel disgusted just featuring it in my review. Here is another example of the stiff dialogue. Finn is looking for clues with another DHI and says, "Hey guess what? We haven't got a clue." The other DHI then responds in annoyance, "That's a sick joke." Wait so, that was...a joke? Am I too old to get it? Or are these kids smoking something?
But my favorite quotes by far were from conversations between Finn and Amanda. I mean, these don't get any dumber. And it isn't just their dialogue, it is the narration and the ridiculous story that they are placed into. The story sets it up as if Finn and Amanda only know each other from passing in the school halls or having a class or two together. When Finn asks her for help...*POOF*...they are suddenly destined to be a romantic item. Finn will be confused by Amanda's girlish wit and Amanda will be jealous when Finn talks to any other girl. How adorable. I love teenage romance. My favorite TV station is ABC Family and the Lifetime Network. There is a part where the two are riding bikes and the narration goes, "Amanda stayed in the lead on her bike. Thankfully, she hadn't asked any questions, and he took this as a sign they were becoming really good friends." A silent woman! Men love these! Don't speak your mind girl, Finn likes it. It makes him feel much more comfortable than having to explain himself to you. A passage like this could be viewed as subtle and quite good but it just doesn't work with these characters. They are the most vanilla of the bunch yet we spend the most time with them! They also constantly contradict themselves. In this passage Amanda isn't upset with Finn for not telling her anything yet just a few chapters ago she was fuming at him for the same thing. And Finn contradicts himself within a page and a half when he states he respects the one DHI for being smart and then says how annoying his smarts are. WHY DO THESE CHARACTERS HAVE NO CONSISTENCY???!!!! WHERE IS THE DEPTH?? WE DON'T NEED MORE STEREOTYPES!!!
Even the adults are black and white cliches. Take Finn's mother for example. She is the mother that cries when her son goes anywhere with a girl. Oh Finn got paired with a girl in science. I bet they will get married! My boy is growing up! His mother also asks questions and grounds her son yet doesn't follow up when necessary. Like the entire book is her grounding Finn but when Finn starts breaking the most rules, she is out of the picture. She is only included when it is convenient for the plot. How nice. But Finn's mother isn't the only suspicious adult. All the adults are suspicious and not in a credible way but again just for the sake of the plot. Even when Finn asks an innocent question they are on to him like dogs sniffing for drugs. Finn could have asked for a strawberry ice-cream cone and they would reply, hey punk why don't you order vanilla to match your personality?
Oh, and I forgot to mention that Finn's lady friend is not only vanilla but angelic. Yep, she is literally an angel. The book goes out of it's way to establish that Amanda lives in an old church and tries to set up beautiful imagery but I think it is safe to say the author just flew too high without a parachute. I mean, what Ridley Pearson did to Amanda is identical to what Stephenie Meyer did to Bella in Twilight. It just isn't good writing and completely missed the mark. Speaking of missing the mark, let's talk about the author setting up situations and not tying them up at the end. I already talked about Finn's mom and her lack of parental control when it is beneficial to Finn's plot. Let's talk about a scene in one of the early chapters of the book. Finn and Amanda visit the parks one day without permission (Finn needs to carry a special pass with him when he visits the parks because he is a DHI) and are chased by a bunch of security guards. Amanda angelically saves them by finding a secret passage way and they narrowly escape the guards. Once the guards that were chasing them walk away, Finn and Amanda walk out into the open and suddenly everything is normal. I'm almost positive they go and get ice-cream or something along those lines (I can't check the source material because I threw that book away the moment I finished the last sentence so I apologize for that). So...wait, isn't Finn wanted still?...won't other security guards see him?...how can he magically be wanted one minute but off free the next?....oh screw continuity. Let's just let the kids have fun at Disney World even though it contradicts the entire chapter we just read. No big deal.
This is one of the many plot holes in this book. Other plot holes include the fact that Maleficent magically comes to life yet Finn and the other DHI's actually see people dressed up in Mickey and Cinderella garb. How does that work? Well...it doesn't quite frankly. The ending was atrocious. The story essentially breaks the law of physics when Finn can suddenly become a DHI anytime he wants and at the end of the book he simple spins around and *POOF* the spell is broken. The story never was set up to be a fantasy. It is set up as science fiction where a person can enter another realm. How easy of the author to switch genres for plot convenience. It is the sign of poor writing and poor plotting. And I bet you thought this book couldn't get any worse, right? Well you are dead wrong because it can! This author has no basic knowledge of Disney history and Disney World. At one point he refers to the Hollywood Studios nighttime spectacular as "Fantasmics" instead of "Fantasmic". Good job buddy. You have absolutely no concept of your source material. Always the sign of a good author.
This book is awful! And I know awful! I read Twilight. And this was worse! I feel like the author is trying to get us to purposefully dumb ourselves down. This Night at the Museum recreation is full of contradictions, bland characters, over dramatized situations, and stab you in the eye dialogue. The book should have a warning on the back that the side effects of reading it include self harm, please keep all readers away from sharp objects and prescription drugs. Between the forced relationship between Finn and Amanda and the awful one liners, I was lucky to not bring a gun to my head. This has to be one of the worst books I've read in a long while and to think it is a series is mind boggling. I wouldn't return to this series if my life depended on it!
The only part of this book I enjoyed was the first paragraph of a later chapter on page 244 and it says, "The transportation and ticket center hummed with conversations as a tangle of park visitors shuttled between buses and monorails. Some families were ending their days just as others were starting theirs. On a Monday afternoon, thick with humidity, the tired and impatient mingled with the exhilarated and anxious. For some, a day spent; for others, an evening full of promise. The humidity hung in the air so heavily you could practically wear it like a coat." Okay, why couldn't the entire book be like that one paragraph? It was a diamond in a whole lot of rough.
What do I think of this book? Well, it pretty much blows. It is the worst bunch of words splattered on paper. I've never wanted to barf so much in my life. This could be the book that would turn kids off to books...like when you visit a fast food chain and vomit and vow to never go there again. Well this is the vomit that scares a kid from reading and makes them think it is stupid. There are some good moments...well two to be exact, which is not enough to redeem this awful awful excuse for a book. A stupid movie I could see. But a book? This is just despicable. 1 out of 5 stars from me.

To whom it may concern: This review was a parody of two things, 75% Nostalgia Critic and 25% Literary Disco podcast. This review most definitely reflects my views though I expressed them in the form I was parodying.

Disney's Small One Short Film Review

Small One is one of the first projects Don Bluth was in charge of. It is a short film made by Disney and centers around a donkey named Small One. You don't have to look far to see how Small One got his name, for he is very small compared to the other donkeys. Because of Small One's size, he cannot perform the quality of work that is required of him. Although he is loved by his master's unnamed son, he provides little reasons to be kept. His master decides that Small One must be sold which greatly troubles his son. When he explains his reasoning, the son volunteers to take Small One into town and sell him to make sure he goes to a good home. The father agrees and the rest of the short follows the son's day in town and finding Small One a home.
I really liked this short. I didn't love it because there were a lot of problems with it but for what it offered I found it to be very solid. One thing I appreciated was that the film revolved around a biblical story. Usually Disney shies away from out right recognizing any religion and goes with cultural/social norms of the day. It is no surprise to me that Bluth was involved in this project as it is widely known that Bluth like taking Disney in uncomfortable territory (not a bad thing) and ultimately left Disney because they played safe instead of making quality films. One of the films Bluth worked on was The Fox and the Hound which is a cute film and one I adore but not necessarily a good product. Bluth went on to start his own animation studio and dabbled in more controversial areas. He came back to a religious theme with his film All Dogs Go To Heaven.
Of course it isn't just the theme that makes it a good short but the quality story telling that goes on. Bluth sets up a very biblical and literary plot by taking common ideas like the number three and anonymity and using them to not only advance the plot but artistically depict the story. For example, the son goes through three trials to find Small One, a home - the first being the encounter with the man who kills animals for their fur, the second being the people in town (specifically the auctioneer), and the third being the shepherd. Then there is the anonymity theme which I love. Or may be

anonymity is the wrong word and perhaps the right phrasing would be that the film is allowing the audience to put the pieces together. They aren't spoon feeding the audience. It is obvious from the character design and the presence of the donkeys and the animation of the setting that this story is biblical. It probably was also obvious by the time of year it was released. I'm completely unaware how Disney marketed the short but I'm guessing it played on ABC at least once during the holidays. Anyway, keeping all of that in mind the short never once tells us who the shepherd is that ends up buying Small One. Everything is implied through visuals which I found to be very clever.
I guess my biggest problem with the short was the center part when the son is trying to sell Small One. There is a continuous song being sung through these scenes partially by the son and partially by three men who seem to represent the greed that exists in the world. Don't get me wrong, this idea appeals to me since Christmas has become very greed ridden but I'm not sure we were so aware of the greed when this short was made. However, whenever these three men sang I just wanted to fast forward. They were annoying and not very well set up...and borderline racist. I'm not sure what could have been done differently to fix this but it was just something that bothered me.
Overall, the short was really cute and well thought out. The characters were pretty generic and others outright annoying. The pacing in the middle became a bit of an issue and the music never stood out. While the animation was simple grade B/C quality, I have to give the studio and Don Bluth credit for the effort. It definitely captures the quality of old school Disney and you can tell they are still trying to find their place after Walt's death. I would definitely recommend this short to you.
Be sure to watch the short HERE and listen to our new Christmas themed episode of Talk Magic to Me where we discuss Mickey's Christmas Carol.

The Gospel According to Disney by Mark I. Pinsky

Original post: http://thereader101.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-gospel-according-to-disney-by-mark.html
 

When I was 15, I attended church camp for a second time. As much as I want to go into great detail about my experiences there, I will spare you the reader and get to the point that relates to this book review. My friends and I were at evening chapel, soaking in what the Pastor was saying. Suddenly, he stepped aside and the lights dimmed. The screen lit up in a blue glow and once our eyes adjusted it became apparent we were watching a clip from a Disney movie...and not just any Disney movie but The Lion King, one of my all time favorites! What does The Lion King have to do with church? I asked myself. Let me paint the scene for you. Simba has just reunited with his childhood friend who believed him to be dead and confronts him with his past that he thought he left behind him. Angry, confused, and lost Simba walks to the water and stares at his reflection in the water. Suddenly, the peace is disturbed by the wise old Rafiki who tells Simba he knows he is Mufasa's boy. When Simba tells him his father is dead, Rafiki disputes him and tells him his father is alive and he can see him if Simba follows Rafiki. Simba follows and they arrive at another body of water. Rafiki tells Simba to look and when Simba looks at the water, he only sees his reflection. Rafiki urges him to look harder and suddenly Simba is starring at the image of his father. Then Rafiki says the iconic words, "You see, he lives in you." There is a loud rumbling and in the sky stands Mufasa, urging Simba to stop running from his past and to take his place on Pride Rock as King. When Mufasa's ghost fades, Rafiki furthers his message by saying, "Oh yes the past can hurt, but the way I see it you can either run from it or learn from it." Hans Zimmer's score beautifully clashes with the African choir as Simba makes his decision to return to Pride Rock. Tears welled up in my eyes. A great deal of my emotion stemmed from the nostalgia I was feeling. But it was also more than that. I had never known that faith could be seen through "secular" entertainment. Yet here was a perfect example. The Christian symbolism was so clear to me at that moment and it is one of the defining moments of my adolescence for it is the moment that inspired me to study other entertainment and look for hidden meanings in other media I encountered. I began searching for books that discussed this topic of Christian symbolism in Disney films and soon came across this book, The Gospel According to Disney by Mark I. Pinsky. I couldn't wait to read it.
This book is not what I expected at all. While the title implies that the author will be picking out bits of the gospel that are ingrained in Disney films and discussing them, it is quite the opposite. The book begins with a long chapter discussing Walt Disney's relationship with Christianity and faith in general. It takes a deep look at Walt's childhood that greatly summarizes the man the public came to know and either adore or despise. The book then goes into separate chapters discussing a different movie each chapter. Part one of the book focused on the films that were made while and a little after Walt was alive. Part two focuses on the Michael Eisner years. Once again, Pinsky provided a good look at Eisner's relationship with faith. It then goes into a bit about the theme parks and the Baptist boycott. 
Critical reviews of this book are very positive while the reviews I saw online were extremely negative. This made me wonder a great deal, for I was on the latter side. I did not think this book was very good. But I think it is the title that either helped the book or made people cringe at the book. I already stated what I expected this book to be. However, I realize the title can be read another way. Rather than picking out the deeper Christian gospel messages of these films, this book gave a detailed look at Disney's relationship with culture and general religion. It didn't really look for the deeper messages but at surface level material - what Disney the company did, what it would look like if people clung to the films as a religious entity, etc. While this was also a good approach, it has already been done before. None of Pinsky's chapters looking at these wonderful films wowed me or moved me. The only chapters I took great interest in were looking at Walt's life and Eisner's life, the theme parks, and the Baptist boycott. Those chapters contained worth while substance. The rest of the book...not so much.
One huge fault of the book is Pinsky's constant lengthy summaries of each movie he talks about. Literally every chapter is a frame by frame look at the film in question. As an English major in college, I was taught that when you write an essay you should always avoid giving the summary of said subject. The person who is reading your essay or group of essays will most likely be reading it with knowledge of the content beforehand. They don't need to hear it again, they just need to hear your analysis. And if the chapter didn't contain a summary, it was Pinsky bitching about the movie's lack of political correctness. I gained nothing from these chapters which was extremely disappointing.
Another huge fallback of the book was it's lack of even addressing the gospel at all. The chapters talked more about Disney and culture and went on more about tropes and stereotypes. We get it! People talk about this all of the time. Why do we need to hear about it again? Chapters such as Alice and Wonderland and Aladdin never mentioned the gospel once. It made me question why I was continuing with the book when it wasn't even addressing the subject it claimed to tackle in the actual title! And there were a few mistakes made throughout the book as well. The one I can remember off the top of my head was in the Alice in Wonderland chapter when Pinsky kept calling Alice's older sister her governess.
And finally, the book's biggest mistake has to be the title. The word "gospel" should not be in it. It is misleading and insulting to the actual Christian gospel. Rather, the book should be titled Religion According to Disney. The book's focus on religious culture and culture in general combined with no focus on any specific faith tells me this book was not about any gospel. It is about organized religion.
This book disappointed me on multiple accounts. It is a real shame because I think there is a lot of potential in looking for the Christian gospel in Disney films but Pinsky went the cynical route. The fact that he didn't take advantage of what could have been some excellent analysis is just inadequate. 
In short, this book is a compilation of what has already been said and done before. It added little to no new or interesting commentary to these excellent films.
I can't help but compare this book to a similar book I read earlier this year titled The Wisdom of Pixar by Robert Velarde. That book not only looked at Christian wisdom but philosophical wisdom and it took that knowledge and applied it to the Pixar movies. It dissected Pixar and showed where the gospel was hidden and what we as Christians or general audience can gain from it. This does not happen in The Gospel According to Disney and this is what I wanted and expected and I don't think I am alone in feeling this way.
Overall, this book wasn't very good. There were some interesting chapters about Walt himself and the Disney company outside the movies but it really was poorly structure otherwise. For what the book was going for, it wasn't a terrible book. It did a fair job at illustrating how Disney became the almost religious icon that it is today and explained the morals Disney films present that fans live by. But the glaring problems like the misleading title, the semi-present gospel analysis, and the consistent dull summaries were what I would expect from an amateur. I will give this book 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Disney's Apples to Apples

As far as I'm concerned, mid October is the start of Christmas and the holidays and the holidays mean family time. A great way to take advantage of time together is by playing board games and what could be better when you combine board games with Disney?!
This month, I am recommending the game Apple to Apples, Disney edition. If you're not sure how this game works, allow me to explain. Apples to Apples is a card game. There are red cards and green cards. On the red cards are nouns (person, place, thing, or idea) and the green cards are adjectives. Simple grammar, right? The game must be played with at least three people though four or more is recommended. The object of the game is to gather the green cards. Whoever has the most adjective/green cards by the end of the game, wins.
Each player gets a certain amount of red cards. They are not supposed to let each other view their selections. To start the game, one person becomes the judge and picks up a green card from the pile and lays it down for the other players to see. It is the job of the rest of the players to put down a noun from their hand that they feel best fits the adjective. All red cards should be face down. Once everyone besides the judge puts down a red card, the judge gathers the cards and decides which red card fits the adjective best. Whoever put down that card wins the round and gets to keep the green adjective card.
Here is an example game: the adjective I put down is romantic. Players put down Hercules, Lumiere, Baymax, and Belle. You may be wondering why Baymax is on this list. Well, the game leaves room for silliness and you can always put a card down that purposefully doesn't fit the adjective but is funny to think about in that way, or you can put a card down that is the opposite or to be ironic. In the end, the judge decides and may like you sense of humor or may like that you chose to be straightforward.
Be sure to pick up Disney's Apples to Apples today and spend lots of hours playing with your family!

MCMagic Minecraft Server

Minecraft. It is the game title that can be split into two parts that collectively and simply describe the game. When you play Minecraft you mine and you craft. The premise is very creative yet also a bit confusing at the start. Many people don't get it and ask, what's the point? The game seems so simple that it would be borderline boring and pointless. I wondered these exact same things about two years ago when I watched YouTuber Luke Conard post a video of him playing the game on his YouTube gaming channel. Through a snowball of events that are too jumbled to go into, I bought the game and have been a fan ever since. Minecraft has a very rare quality about it that I find very appealing. At times it is an addicting computer game taking over my life as alcohol would an alcoholic. Of course at these times I have to pull myself away as this is a very unhealthy habit. The game also has an ambient quality to it. You the player are an explorer venturing around the various spawned worlds, listening to the simple score that becomes so familiar to your brain that it relaxes you outside the game as well. Okay, so perhaps all of these things sound a little weird and you may be questioning my sanity. But if you have ever played Minecraft, this may sound familiar.

Forgetting all of that, Minecraft offers a lot of room for fun adventures and gaming which is why I believe it to be so successful. It gives complete control to the gamer in charge. What's not to love?

Now combine this game with one of entertainment's largest global names...That's right, someone created a Minecraft map replica of Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida! From strolling down Main Street USA to riding the Tower of Terror, there really is no limit to this awesome recreation. The map offers as much as Minecraft is limited to do. Users can download special resource packs to see cool visuals and hear actual audio that would be playing in the parks. The audio also allows users to watch fireworks shows like Wishes and Illuminations as if they were watching the real thing! These resource packs allow an even more immersive experience for Minecraft players.

The map is called MCMagic. Hours upon hours upon hours have gone into this project and it is offered to Minecraft players 100% free! This takes more than just dedication. It takes passion. The project is clearly created by people who love Disney and who want to keep the spirit alive. Many may scoff at people who spend so much time perfecting a Minecraft server but the truth is that a lot can be learned from creating something like this. There is a real discipline that is required to build on Minecraft. The same can be said of other professions and projects. When I come onto the Walt Disney World server, I feel an intense longing to create something too. Not only does a project like this excite but also inspires and that is what creating is about.

This server will only further Walt's dream of what Disney Land and Disney World could become! I can't wait to see what comes of this server and encourage any Disney fan to check it out. You will be utterly amazed just as I continue to be every time I explore on there! If you want to see me explore the Magic Kingdom along with my Talk Magic to Me co-host Rachel in our new gaming series, check out the video below and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more videos to come.

Aladdin and Original Sin and the Message of Forgiveness

The films of the Disney Renaissance all share many of the same qualities. One of the qualities is the spiritual and religious metaphors and symbolism ingrained into each story. What sets the Renaissance apart from other eras in Disney film history is that the content not only looks and sounds good like normal but each film reaches it's audience on a deeper level. The characters are no longer boring two dimensional cartoons, nor are their story arcs. Each film has something profound to say and can be taken seriously unlike most animated films in years previous. Animation has never been an exactly respected medium but it gained more respect during the 90's and that is largely credited to Disney.
Aladdin carries a lot of weight in the spiritual realm of the story, particularly in our main two characters - Aladdin and Jasmine. I believe Aladdin is a metaphor for original sin while Jasmine is a metaphor for forgiveness. I don't believe Disney went into this project with this intent however I do believe that if an art form is good, it will be open to interpretation because it will automatically leave the audience with those questions that bring about discussion and overall spiritual or narrative or scientific reassurance.

Allow me to go into more detail as to why I see Aladdin and Jasmine being symbols of these two religious symbols. Spark Notes published a blog a few years ago discussing why the Disney Princesses are bad role models. I disagreed with the article 100% and it inspired me to write my own article in defense of the princesses. One thing the author wrote on Spark Notes was that Jasmine was teaching young girls to allow their boyfriend to lie to them. While I can see why this may be true, I see Jasmine's choice to continue loving Aladdin as a decision to forgive him. She knows he is not perfect (nor is she) but a good man who she loves and understands and he obviously feels the same way. He pursues her but unlike the other men who have done the same thing, he values her. He knows she isn't a prize to be won (or at least comes to learn this) and that is why he makes the decision to not be a prince at the end and free the Genie. He acknowledges his unworthiness which is ultimately what makes him worthy. Jasmine, the symbol of forgiveness because of her unfaltering decision to love Aladdin and see him for more than his mistakes, forgives Aladdin because she puts herself in his shoes. When Aladdin apologizes for lying, Jasmine leans close and says, "I know why you did." That is all that needs to be exchanged between them. She isn't excusing him from his mistakes but saying, "I love you and our love is more important than either of our mistakes." This isn't to say this is a method every woman should use in a relationship but in this case it works. Forgiveness is a really hard place to get to. Disney realizes that love is complex and messy but it is rewarding and ultimately their films strive to display this reward. Whether their depiction of how it is achieved is accurate or not, it has taken the culture by storm. Jasmine is ready to let go of the hurt she felt because not only does it weigh her down but by letting go she has more room for love in all areas of her life.

Aladdin is on the other side of the spectrum, representing the allure of original sin. The symbolism of the Adam and Eve parable is beautiful. They take a bite of the sweet apple and it feels good but leaves them feeling naked and vulnerable and unworthy. Aladdin, who is frequently seem with apples in the film, also bites off more than he can chew when he lies. In the beginning lying is sweet. The moment the Sultan announces to Aladdin that one day he will take over and become Sultan, Aladdin has the realization that he has never been worthy for this and is suddenly ashamed and afraid of being found out. He has dug his own grave. This leads him to take the easy road by not freeing the Genie like he promised. It is only when he admits to his fallen nature that he realizes he never had to be perfect, he just had to be himself and that is when he becomes worthy. It takes Jasmine's forgiveness to also make this possible.

What do you think of this analysis? Do you agree or disagree? Do you want to expand on my points? Leave it all in the comments or enter discussion on the Talk Magic to Me forums!


We talked about Aladdin on last month's episode of Talk Magic to Me! You can listen to it in the video below!

The Redemption of the Evil Queen

Original post: http://talkmagic2mepodcast.blogspot.com/2014/03/danielles-corner-redemption-of-evil.html

I watch the show Once Upon a Time on ABC.  I won't lie to you, the show appeals to me.  I love fairy stories with their fun lighthearted and moral elements.  But I also like raw stories that are dark and don't sugar coat things.  Once Upon a Time tries to be the show that bridges that gap between those two elements...though in my opinion the show fails to truly bring these two genres together.  Season four has started and continues to let me down. Between the constant Disney-fying and shoving Frozen on the audience, I'm seriously questioning why I continue to watch the show. The show has a ton of flaws and is cliche.  The actors are okay.  Some are awesome and some I can't stand.  But I still watch the show because there is something about it that brings me back.  That something, or someone I should say,  is the Evil Queen.
First of all, the Evil Queen (Regina) is arguably the best character in the entire show.  There are many attributes to this statement.  The first attribute is that her character is complex but not in a cliche sort of way.  Tons of characters from Once Upon a Time are made to seem complex when really it is just easy writing.  I'm in no way saying I could do better but that is just my opinion.  Regina is by far the most well thought out character.  Her back-story is beautiful and heartbreaking.  She is flawed in the best way possible and is the balance in the show.  She balances the show by being the bridge between good and evil, the see-saw that constantly is falling back and forth and living out the eternal struggle of living for one's own self interests or living for something greater and beyond themselves.  Besides her actual character, the actress who plays her, Lana Parrilla, is incredible!  She plays Regina with such grace and charisma.  The best part of her performance is watching her facial expressions.  The performance is all in her face.  No other actor in the show seems to capture the complexities of their character as she does...though Mr. Gold/Rumpelstiltskin comes close.
As I said above, I watch the show and enjoy it but don't think it is a good show per say.  However, I do have a hope for the show that would redeem it.  I hope beyond hope that my wish will come true (pun intended)!  My hope is that the show will end with Regina becoming good.  Not a temporary good like we have seen in previous episodes.  I mean she will truly become a good human being.  It won't mean she is perfect. I want her to still question her goodness but I also want to see her cling to something bigger than herself and long for something good and not something evil. The show seems to revolve around the struggle she encounters every day about choosing which side she wants to be on and it is so good, it makes me feel like she is the show and it should end with a focus on her.  That would make me so incredibly happy!

Disney Film Project Podcast

I'm on a Disney podcast. The reason I even thought I had a chance at making a one of a kind show is because for the longest time I could not find a single Disney podcast that analyzed the Disney films. I figured that since there was no Disney podcast out there that I knew of (or didn't bash Disney the entire podcast), I'd start my own. How I was ignorant to so many Disney podcasts I can't comprehend. Suddenly after I began a Disney podcast of my own, Disney podcasts flooded my twitter feed and iTunes recommendations. In a way, I'm glad I didn't see or listen to any before Talk Magic to Me. If I had, I may not have gone through with my idea and I'm so happy to have a podcast of my own.
End rant.
My recommend this month is The Disney Film Project and it is one of the podcasts that I came across on iTunes in the early weeks of summer. I listened to the first episode about Beauty and the Beast and immediately fell in love! Since then I have been catching up on all of their shows and always look forward to letting them help me get through the work week! The show is hosted by Ryan along with Brie, Rachel, and Todd. I've only listened to early episodes thus far (I just got to episode 90 although I haven't listened to all 90 episodes since some films the hosts discuss I have not yet seen. The reason I say this is because I listened to their most recent episode, Holes, and there is a host I am not familiar with named Rachel so I am assuming she came onto the podcast and Brie left. I guess I will find out!). The show is produced by Cheryl who also puts in her two cents during recordings! The group is a lot of fun to listen to!
The show is a five star spectacular! Each host and guest host has their own unique take on the films and facts that will always hold your interest. The conversation can get into some really deep and critical territory which I love. I have a great deal of respect for the hosts because many people treat Disney films as below them or containing zero intellectual value which is completely not true and these hosts seem to feel the same way. They look at these movies and their history and compare them to other stories and the company's history and point out all the little nuggets the creators place in their films and I enjoy this very much. It's great to hear people breaking down these movies and seeing them for what they are because a film made by Disney doesn't make it necessarily bad or necessarily good. It is a film that is just as valid as any other film. There are times when the audio isn't the greatest but the way I see it, if the content is good than I will listen through thick and thin.
I would highly encourage every Disney fan (or any film buff really) to go and listen to this show. It is a lot of fun and a great way to get a weekly fix of Disney awesomeness. Check them out at the links below.

Website: http://www.disneyfilmproject.com/
Touring Plans: http://touringplans.com/
Disney Driven Life: http://thedisneydrivenlife.com/
Adventures of Brie: http://adventuresofbrie.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyFilmProject
Twitter: https://twitter.com/disfilmproject
Podbean: https://twitter.com/disfilmproject
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/disney-film-project-podcast/id413620708
Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/disney-film-project-podcast

The Wisdom of Pixar by Robert Velarde Book Review

Original post: http://thereader101.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-wisdom-of-pixar-by-robert-velarde.html

Pixar has always been a huge part of my life. I grew up with the movies and can appreciate them as artistic films as an adult. When I was in high school, I became very fascinated with entertainment and the connections with Christian spirituality. Being a teenager and still very inexperienced in many aspects of life, I didn't quite have the vocabulary to state what I felt and saw, but I continued to have an interest and learned a lot since then. I now know I'm not the only one who sees these connections. There are books and books discussing entertainment's connection with faith as well as psychology, philosophy, history, etc. I have read quite a few of these books and want to write one of my own someday. The Wisdom of Pixar by Robert Velarde is one these awesome books and it does a great job of analyzing these films and forming connections that the viewer may not have noticed before.
If you aren't aware, I am a host on a Disney podcast called Talk Magic to Me. Disney is a big part of my life and I have always felt a strong connection with their movies. That is why I am on the podcast, to discuss my love for Disney in a community based way. Our summer theme is Pixar and I figured this was as a good a time as any to start reading this book. A big plus to being on a podcast is that I contacted author Robert Velarde himself and had a chance to interview him! How cool is that?!
I'm going to state right away that this will be a five star review. I'm telling you this early because I don't want you to think I'm giving the book kudos just because I interviewed the author. Nope, not the case. I genuinely really  loved this book. While the title of the book doesn't overtly hint at any faith based analysis, it is primarily focused on Pixar films and their connection to Christian faith and spirituality. Wisdom itself is a biblical virtue after all. I find it a bit ignorant when I see people reviewing this book with one or two stars just because of it's Christian worldview. Every book has a worldview so why start getting picky when there is a Christian one? Velarde doesn't shove the theology mindlessly down our throats. He meets us in the middle and is very straight forward...here is a movie, this biblical virtue exists within that movie, this is what we can learn and take away to apply to our own lives. Velarde makes it clear that he isn't saying Pixar intended to make their movies as biblical metaphors.  But as John Green states, "Books belong to their readers" and this saying isn't limited to books but all entertainment. What you get out of a film, TV show, painting, or video game is equally (if not more) important than the author's intent. This phrase has always been bittersweet for me because as a writer and creator I want my intentions to be known yet as a reader I have interpreted texts and art in a very specific way that has helped me grow as a person but not everyone gets.
The book is split into chapters in order of Pixar movies, starting with Toy Story and ending with Up. Each chapter has a different focus on wisdom such as love, humor, technology, justice, etc. and how the piece of wisdom ties into the movie of focus (with an occasional look at other Pixar films that also incorporate the same aspect of wisdom). The chapter will use biblical examples to make things clearer. Velarde does a great job at breaking these films down and analyzing them in a simplistic way. He reveals the depth within Pixar that many

choose not to see since they label it as kids entertainment. David Beagley, a professor at La Trobe University once said in a lecture, "Children's literature is not simple. It's as complex as adults. It's the audience that is different, not the literature." The same can be said about any other medium. Of course with film this idea is hard to see since so many companies only make kids movies for money and use stupid dialogue and easy humor that suggests no adult will ever enjoy these movies at all! Luckily Pixar is not one of those companies, nor Disney...or at least most Disney movies don't adhere to that standard but there are exceptions. Ironically enough, David Beagley also stated in his lecture that he hates Disney which made me die a little inside because I really respect him and hoped some scholar would see the good in Disney but so many don't.
Pixar is the perfect example to show that not all "kids" movies are simple. They hold a lot of weight! What is cool about being a 90's kid is that I grew up in arguably the greatest era of Disney...the Disney Renaissance, good Disney channel programming, and of course the birth of Pixar. These films have really shaped me as a person. I'm not saying my entire being is all thanks to Disney/Pixar but you get my point. I was able to enjoy these as a kid and now can still enjoy them as an adult but in an academic way which is really awesome!
The book was excellent. I really enjoyed Velarde's writing style. He wrote as if you were on the journey through Pixar movies together. He has a lot of important things to say about these movies and the biblical imagery within them that should be taken more seriously by Christians and entertainment lovers alike.  It was thought provoking and written well. If you love Pixar, you will really enjoy this book. As I said, I will be giving this 5 out of 5 stars. If you want to check out our interview with Robert Velarde, visit www.talkmagic2me.net and be sure to rate and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

Dead Poets Society Movie Review

"Carpie Diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary."

This quote is probably the most famous line from Touch Stone's 1989 classic, Dead Poets Society. Starring the semi-newcomer Ethan Hawke, and the talented Robin Williams as the English professor everyone wants to have at least once during their education career, Dead Poets Society takes place at an all boys Catholic boarding school in the 1950s. The story focuses on a group of boys and their experience with their new English teacher, Professor Keating. 

This film is excellent; a bit overrated but excellent all the same. The story is wonderful, the direction is exemplary, the characters are magnificent, and the score and visuals are absolutely gorgeous. I have a love for boarding school stories which makes me a bit bias toward this story but hey, we are all biased in one way or another. I can't quite comprehend my attachment to this particular trope. Perhaps it is the idea of being overnight like being away at camp that excites me...after all, my years going away to overnight camp are some of the best memories of my teenage years. There always seems to be a foreign yet wonderful aspect to boarding school stories that makes them so fantastical to me and bring back my own memories from staying at camp overnight. The film also carries a very novel quality to it which is illustrated through all aspects of the film from the reflective score to the colorful personalities dubbed to each character.

A topic widely debated about this film is the issue of the main character. Many believe it is Neal or Professor Keating, but many also believe it is Todd. I would have to agree with the latter. While all of the characters are set up with conflict, it is Todd who sheds his cocoon and turns into a butterfly. Okay, all cheesy metaphors aside, Todd starts out as a shy young man who is weighted down by the expectations set forth by his older brother. While I can't relate to the older sibling aspect of Todd, I can relate to his shyness and his desire to take his teacher seriously. I too would have been like Todd and I forged a connection with him right away. But while Todd shows the most growth, the other characters grow too within the confines of their story. Too often movies will create side characters that only exist to push the plot forward and they become generic caricatures. This is why Dead Poets is so novel. It shows Knox trying to get the girl and it shows Neal struggling to defy his father in a healthy way and it shows Professor Keating struggling against conformity; but in the end it all comes back to Todd who is shown in the film's film shot. The characters are not simple and the film

Todd in the final shot of the film

doesn't set it up that way which in itself is revolutionary. In most films, if the character isn't a main one then we only see the side character with our main character. It is a trope that isn't bad but none the less a trope, but this movie defied that and said, "Hey, you are gonna see clips of these kids whether they are the main characters or not!" It is almost as if the film is asking the viewer to decide themselves who the main character is. 

The character Professor Keating is the sort of Professor everyone dreams of having, someone who shakes things up and shows why learning is fun. While other Professor's are telling the boys to hang their heads, listen and sit down, Keating invites them to stand. He promotes freedom of thought which is the true purpose of this film, not Carpe Diem as so many believe. My favorite scene in the film is called Find Your Own Walk where Keating has the boys do a walking exercise to metaphorically demonstrate what it means to conform while also telling the boys to think for themselves. He goes beyond simply reading words from a page (which isn't bad, don't get me wrong. I love to read words off pages) but makes poetry physical through sports, classical through music, and communal like friendship. This belief of standing up is also well represented by the many shots of birds taking flight throughout the film. Robin Williams's subtle humor and authentic portrayal of Keating shines! This is easily one of his best roles.

What makes the film enjoyable to the eyes and the ears are the warm colors consistently used and the quietly reflective score. The film is full of reds and oranges and browns and seems to have an essence of autumn. Autumn is often a symbol of wisdom. Warm colors are often used to convey simple optimistic scenes or strong violent scenes, both of which exist in

Keating wears red

this movie. Red is a color of love, passion, joy and power emphasized by Keating who is seen many a time with red in his tie, his scarf and in one scene he even wears a red sweater. Gold is a very traditional color that represents riches and tradition while orange promotes change (like the leaves in autumn), health and energy. All of these are represented in the movie. Brown and black are also warm colors and used a lot in the movie. 

The score is of quiet reflection and it's simple beauty is something to behold. It provides a certain haunting quality to the film that clashes well with the religious undertones and historical setting. There are a few primary instruments being used, being the bagpipes, the flute, the harp, and the harpsichord. The bagpipes are the most prominent in the film and are known for their Scottish routes and also being used at funerals. I will return to this idea in a moment. The harp and the flute sound very naturalistic. When I was younger I used to watch an English dubbed version of an Austrian Pippi Longstocking film and in the movie the children were running away and this soft melody of a flute played as they traveled through the woods. While that movie is awful, it does hold a piece of me and does speak to this idea of using simple music to express simple emotions. The flute especially makes you feel as if you are at the school watching the trees blow in the breeze and as if you are surrounded by nature. It is a refreshing sound like drinking water on a hot day and makes you feel as if you have disconnected from all of the technology that holds you back and doesn't let you "seize the day!". The harpsichord provides a very old sound that seems to represent the school itself as it is very old and very tradition and very strict. This score very much reminds me of Dario Marianelli's score for the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice. It is so simple and beautiful and moving that it seems to transport you into this realm where you are alone in nature and in peace. I guess that is a good word for the score, peaceful. 

The religious imagery in the film is very fascinating to me. Going back to the bagpipes for a moment, the film starts out with bagpipes which as I said above are often used at funerals. This leads me to believe that the film is starting out with death and ending with death, but death is different in each instance. In the beginning, the boys are all dead to themselves. By the end, they have killed their insecurities (or at least are on the way to doing so) and are becoming alive. The bagpipes are heard very loudly at the very beginning and at the very end when the credits begin. Keating himself is a Christ figure. His dangerous teachings very much embody the character of Christ who also taught very dangerous things for his time. The religious imagery becomes very heavy handed with Neal's death as he places the crown of thorns on his head. This is the only part of the film I found to move into movie-ism cliche, when Neal died. His parents reaction was shot in such a way that reminded me of comedies. Perhaps these comedies I am thinking of subconsciously were made after this film and so it wasn't cliche when it was made but the slow motion shouting felt a bit out of place. I also found Todd's snow walking to be a bit Hollywood but at the same time, that scene was also beautiful. I should also note that the film ends in winter, a season that often personifies death which ties back to the bagpipes being used. 

One last thing to mention is the narrative transformation used in the movie. Narrative transformation is something used when the artist is setting up something one way and then later flipping it on the audience. In the beginning of the film we see Mr. Nolan as a respectable figure we can look up to and the boys see Keating as a joke. By the end of the film, most of the boys show an incredible respect for Keating while we as the audience see Nolan in an entirely new and almost evil light.

To put it simply, this film about poetry is executed as poetry. As a lover of novels, I often look for novel aspects in the things I immerse myself in. But the novel can also be poetic as can music and video games and even film. This movie is brilliant. It is definitely a favorite of mine. Not only is the film itself a work of art, but Robin Williams is amazing and it is about literature/poetry which is my forte. It can't get any better than this! This film definitely gets an A+ from me!

Literary Disco

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!

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/literary-disco-literary-disco/id509343636?mt=2
Website: http://www.literarydisco.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LiteraryDisco
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiteraryDisco
Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/literary-disco
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/83453-literary-disco

Monster's University REPOST

Original Post: http://thereader101.blogspot.com/2013/07/wasted-wednesday-monsters-university.html

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???)

Welcome to Our Family Time, Welcome to Our Brotherly Time! - Introduction Blog

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!