Instapic: Walt Disney or Bust?
from Instagram: It’s Walt Disney World or bust? get it? How long until your next Disney vacation?
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Haunted Mansion’s new Hatbox Ghost revealed by Walt Disney Imagineering
The Hatbox Ghost has just reappeared at Walt Disney’s Haunted Mansion in Disneyland after a 45 year absence. If you saw the video from our previous post, you know Walt Disney Imagineering did an amazing job with both the figure and effect. The Disney Parks… Read More »Haunted Mansion’s new Hatbox Ghost revealed by Walt Disney Imagineering
Go Broadway to Hollywood to help Preserve Walt Disney’s Birthplace
Friends of the Walt Disney Birthplace invites you to attend “Broadway to Hollywood” for an evening of magic, featuring Disney Legend Paige O’Hara, the voice of Belle from Disney’s Academy Award-winning Beauty and The Beast! This exclusive dinner event will feature the musical performances of… Read More »Go Broadway to Hollywood to help Preserve Walt Disney’s Birthplace
Featurette looks at ties between Walt Disney and the new film Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland is just a dream away is the theme of a new featurette from the movie Tomorrowland. Brad Brad, Damon Lindelof, George Clooney, and imagineers Danielle Lieu and Tom Morris discuss how Walt Disney was an inspiration for the film and how his life-long interest… Read More »Featurette looks at ties between Walt Disney and the new film Tomorrowland
A Super-Cut of Disney’s Live-Action Movie Legacy
“I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or sixty.” — Walt Disney There’s no denying The Walt Disney Company of today is a behemoth compared to the Walt Disney Studios… Read More »A Super-Cut of Disney’s Live-Action Movie Legacy
Help restore the Walt Disney Birthplace
The birthplace of Walt Disney is a small and unassuming home on the corner of Tripp Avenue. It was designed and built by Elias and Flora Disney in 1893 just outside downtown Chicago, and was home to the Disney family in 1901 when Walt was… Read More »Help restore the Walt Disney Birthplace
Author George R. Stewart and his influence on Walt Disney
Way back in my teenage years, I discovered a book on my stepfather’s book shelf that had a lasting impact on me, even to this day. That book is “Earth Abides” by George R. Stewart. It is set in a post-apocalypse world after a mystery… Read More »Author George R. Stewart and his influence on Walt Disney
Cinderella A Refreshing Remake of Disney Classic
Walt Disney’s original animated classic “Cinderella” was visually stunning and masterfully animated. Based on a fairy tale from Charles Perrault, and with beautiful songs and orchestration, it won over theater audiences and helped cement the Disney Studios as the leader in feature animation.
So when news came out that Disney was remaking the movie with a live action cast, the question was why? When I heard that Kenneth Branagh would be directing, I felt a bit better. But it was costume designer Sandy Powell’s costumes that really sealed the deal for me. Even if Cinderella was a 2 hour parade of Powell’s gorgeous costumes, I would have left satisfied.
The good news, is that the rest of the movie works too. It is a refreshing take on the fairy tale that we all know and love with lessons we can all take to heart. Branagh revisited the original Perrault fairy tale and incorporated some more modern motivations to make the film more relevant for today’s audiences. The story actually works better once Cinderella (Lily James) has a little agency.
That agency is delivered to Ella by her parents. First by her mom (played suitably by Hayley Atwell) who tells her to “have courage and be kind,” and by her father who teachs her the strength to endure. She’ll need both of these in spades once her parents die (at least both mom and dad die in this one instead of just mom). Actually dying parents is a fairly strong theme in this movie, something to be aware of if your kids have recently lost any one close to them.