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THE WIZARD IS BAZ IN THIS "BALLROOM"

Blog, Movies

Posted on Dec 04 2010 by Greg

Before he started making movies with Hollywood names and geting known for the breakneck editing techniques of Moulin Rouge, Australian director/co-screenwriter Baz Luhrmann gained international acclaim and a shelf of awards for Strictly Ballroom, a quirky, highly stylized light drama about a young dancer who apparently isn't allowed to improvise and the young plain Jane who becomes his partner.

Filmed with a marvelous Aussie cast, Luhrmann made up for a clearly limited budget with flashy lighting, dynamic color and a an eclectic mix of musical styles. Though referred to as musical, there is no on-camera singing and the songs are used as dance background for the most part. Doris Day's hit, "Perhaps" is referred to by Luhrmann as a "pricey" acquistion for the film but very much worth it.

Disney fans will want to listen for "Os quindines de ya ya" which serves as the key music for the father's dancing past. "Ya ya" was the big number in Walt Disney's The Three Caballeros in which the produce lady danced with Donald Duck, the townspeople and an animated dancing city. Another song, "No Other Love," was a '50s pop tune adapted from Chopin which was a hit for Jo Stafford and was one of the handful of Disney songs that were not created for movies but just as pop hits, like "Shrimp Boats" and "Mule Train."

I never could quite cotton to the whiplash pace of Moulin Rouge, so even though Strictly Ballroom sometimes has a Howard Hawks rate of speed, it's not all in the editing but rather in the performances, which are uniformly excellent. The opening scenes were so raucously done that they reminded me, of all things, of an episode of The Monkees.

Parents should take note that, although this film has a PG rating and is not as gritty as it might have been, there is some strong language and one scene in which a dance judge and and a young woman are seen in bed, vigorously engaged what my dad used to call "spoo-ja-doo."

This special edition DVD includes an audio commentary from 2002 with Luhrmann, Choreographer John "Cha Cha" O'Connell and Production Designer Catherine Martin and a new half-hour chronicle of the story behind the film, which was a Cinderella story in itself, from a student musical to a plucky little film with a first-time director and star to a dubious opening with a negative review, all the way to a Cannes Film Festival award win. This film was quite a change of pace in its day, many years before the dawn of popular TV dance competition shows like Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance.

Have to add, though, that the first time Antonio Vargas and Paul Mercurio begin the pivotal paso doble dance, it can't help now but conjure up an image of Buzz Lightyear's Spanish mode in Toy Story 3.

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DON'T FIRE THIS "APPRENTICE" -- IT'S BETTER THAN YOU MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT

Blog, Movies

Posted on Dec 03 2010 by Greg

When Disney announced a live action adventure feature based on The Sorcerer's Apprentice, at first it was met with disbelief. When it became clear that it was a action/fantasy more in the manner of a modern day Harry Potter, the general reception improved. However the box office did not yield results as spectacular as the resulting film.

It's a shame because my family and I enjoyed it in the theather and again seeing it at home on this DVD/Blu-Ray release. Nicolas Cage plays the mentor sorcerer Balthazar in the manner of his performance in National Treasure, a crowd favorite, and Jay Baruchel (who scored much higher, box-office-wise, in How to Train Your Dragon) does a creditable job as a likable young nerd who learns the apparent connection between science and magic.

The cast appears to be having a ball. The always entertaining Alfred Molina delights in yet another larger-than-life villain role, much more rich than the one he was given in Prince of Persia.

There are some deleted scenes as bonus features (more on the Blu-Ray than the DVD) and making-of feature, but no commentary, which might have been welcome. However there is that thoughtful narrative description feature for the sight impaired and those of us who might like to listen to the movie without watching -- like the classic Disneyland Storyteller LP series of days past.

The film's centerpiece of course is the iconic broom sequence made so famous by Mickey Mouse's definitive Fantasia performance and Paul Dukas' masterful music. It's cute and brilliantly executed (as one of the bonus features prove) but hardly the same as the animated version. However, these moments of sheer magical whimsy put me in the mind of Bedknobs and Broomsticks and made me yearn for a all-out family fantasy in the classic Disney tradition. Maybe someday...

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"PAWS" TAKES A FEW NIBBLES FROM OTHER HOLIDAY KIBBLES

Blog, Movies

Posted on Dec 02 2010 by Greg

It's been said that there are only seven basic storylines for westerns. The same might be said for Christmas movies and The Search for Santa Paws is no exception. This one leans a bit toward Miracle on 34th Street, but as Santa's magic bag of story ideas started to run low, it clearly was time to "pay tribute" to Mister Magorium's Wonder Emporium and about eight gallons of Annie.

The interesting thing is that, of the many entries in the "Buddies" series, including last year's Santa Buddies, this film is less about the cute talking puppies and more about an amnesiac Santa, several adorable orphans and warm hearted yuppies.

No kidding, the little orphan girls sing a song in their room just like "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile" and the youngest orphan sings her version of "Maybe." Actually the whole film is largely a musical with on-camera singing with both the orphans in New York and the elves at the North Pole. The songs and the lavish musical score are nice, though, and I'm looking for a soundtrack CD (last year, you had to buy Santa Buddies at Target to get a soundtrack) but can't seem to find one this time around.

There's even a Miss Hannigan type who burns toys, bans singing and "is a strict home schooler." Okay, why did that line have to be there? Especially when countless home schooling parents might be part of the buying public. I know she's really lying and making the girls work for her, but the line's not necessary nor nice.

What's most interesting for holiday movie buffs is that the special effects, particularly Santa's sleigh flying over New York, must be more rudimentary and certainly less cumbersome to create for this modestly budgeted direct-to-DVD movie than it was back when 1985's Santa Claus the Movie used quite a bit of its multi million dollar budget on doing pretty much the same thing without the benefit of today's technology.

Disney Channel watchers will recognize a lot of actors from various shows, including Madison Pettis (who's grown up a bit since Cory in the House), John Ducey (the JONAS dad) and G. Hannelius (of Sonny with a Chance). Voicing the lead puppy is Mitchel Musso of Hannah Montana and Pair of Kings.

It's pleasant going but isn't likely to replace Dickens. But then, it isn't intended to. It's kind of like one of those store bought holiday cookie making kits. The cookies are kinda tasty, very colorful, the kids enjoy them. But they're not the same as those cookies you waited all year for to arrive from Aunt Marge.

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BIG NIGHT FOR ANIMATION ON "STU'S SHOW" TONIGHT & ALL WEEK

Blog

Posted on Dec 01 2010 by Greg

Right at this moment, Jerry Beck is guesting on Stu's Show along with Jim Korkis, talking all about Warner Brothers and Disney and all things animation. There's still time to get in an email question or maybe they may take calls.

Just visit www.shokusradio.com and click on the little start symbol in the blue Live 365 box. If you miss the show, it's being rebroadcast every day, three times a day until next Tuesday.

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"WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY" SURPRISE CAMEO...SORT OF

Blog, Movies

Posted on Nov 28 2010 by Greg

Three must-have Disney documentaries make their DVD debut on Tuesday, Nov. 30: The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story (watch this blog for an upcoming interview with the Sherman cousins), Walt and el Grupo (more about that on my Nov. 21 blog) and Waking Sleeping Beauty, the story of the tumultuous though successful second golden age of Disney animation.

Waking Sleeping Beauty, of the three films, has received the most notice in the press because it involves the most current high-profile films and some of the highest rollers in entertainment. It is a major work, not only because it reveals more about the goings-on behind the Disney scenes, good and bad, than any Disney-released film before it, but also because it shows what it was like to have those "dream jobs" of being a Disney animator during it most explosive period since Walt's days.

The DVD adds a detailed audio commentary by filmmakers Don Hahn and Peter Schneider and a generous supply of bonus features like deleted scenes and informative segments that build on the film itself. I wish the film could have continued the story beyond the resignation of Jeffrey Katzenburg, but as one animator in a deleted scene does comment, things were never the same when Katzenburg left. The same is said for Howard Ashman, Frank Wells, Joe Ranft and most recently, Roy E. Disney. History has proved it true in the ensuing years though things are certainly looking up since the end of the contentious period described in the book "Disney Wars".

Take a look at the Waking Sleeping Beauty Bonus Features, and in a section called Studio Tours, you'll enjoy three informal romps through the animation halls with animator/director Randy Cartwright (filmed by none other than John Lasseter, just before he started doing that "computer stuff.") A young Tim Burton appears in the 1980 segment, but that's not the surprise.

In the 1990 segment, Randy visits director John Musker's office as he is reading the latest Animation Magazine. John holds up the magazine and there is the great big name of renowned animation historian JIM KORKIS right in our astonished faces!
Imagine that!

Jim was a regular columnist for Animation and his exquisite anecdotes, little-known and never-known facts helped him amass his legion of fans worldwide.

You probably know that Jim's latest book, The Vault of Walt, is the talk of every animation enthusiast, Disney fan and noted expert this season. It's probably on your amazon wish list. Jim took his columns and blogs and updated them with even more information. It's a treasure trove. No one could possibly read this and say, "Oh I already knew everything in there!" Even Diane Disney Miller herself, who wrote the forward.

And with all that Jim has done for Disney executives, cast members, enthusiasts and friends on both coasts, surely no one person will be able to forever keep him from continuing to inspire and help others in his neverending quest to unearth more knowledge and share it with a wider audience than ever before.

Hey if it's good enough for John Musker, right? After all, he co-wrote and co-directed The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess and the Frog and lots more. You ain't never had an expert like Jim, nor a book like The Vault of Walt.

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