I just completed my review of Neil Diamond's concert for the school
newspaper, and I would like to include it here. However, since this is
Epinions and not the school paper, I’m going to exercise my right to
ramble. Wherever you see italics - except for song titles - you’re
getting additional insight of which my fellow college students were
deprived. Feel privileged. (Or annoyed. Take your pick.) P.S. If you opt
for the latter, just ignore the stuff in italics.
I've been a
Neil Diamond fan for a long time. I can trace my admiration of his
music back to the first days of our CD player, when we got our first
batch of Columbia House CDs. Simon and Garfunkel made it out of the case
first. And though I initially rejected them, within a day I had changed
my mind. I became an 8-year-old obsessed. I sang their songs all day,
listened to their music incessantly, dreamed I was performing with them.
My parents got sick of it. "Listen to something else!" they demanded.
And when I did not comply, Dad switched the CDs on me. And Neil Diamond
weaned me off of Simon and Garfunkel, bringing my fanaticism to a better
balance. I still enjoy his music, and his Christmas album is probably
one of my top three favorite Christmas albums.
Still, I have
noticed that I have impeccably good timing. Just as I happened to decide
to write Art Garfunkel a letter months before he happened to come to
Erie, so I happened to discover Cracklin' Rosie just a month or
so before Neil Diamond came to State College. My little brother's got me
hooked on Froggy (our oldies station), and I heard that song on the
radio frequently and fell in love with it. Why? Who knows. Now that I've
got it memorized I tend to think it may be a bit...I dunno, raunchy?
But I love it anyway. I happened to mention this on the way to school
one day as Cherry, Cherry was playing, just before they announced that Neil Diamond was playing three nearby locations in the next month.
So my birthday rolled around, and I should have taken the hint when my brother dedicated Cracklin' Rosie
to me on the radio. But I’m so determined to be surprised, I never pick
up on clues. So I had no inkling that I would be presented later that
night with the news that I was going to see Neil Diamond in concert at
State College. All I can say is...yay!!!! And the concert did not
disappoint...
"If it’s true, as they say, that music can
heal, let the healing begin." With this sentiment at heart, Neil Diamond
graced a 10,000 -member audience with an electrifying two-hour
performance on Tuesday at University Park’s Bryce Jordan Center. The
drama of the performance was greatly increased by the fantastic
lighting. In order for that to be possible, technicians had to climb up
to the light boards, at least 50 feet above the stage, on rope ladders.
Then they had to sit on the structures, which wobbled, for the duration
of the program. I tip my hat to crazy people.
Diamond
played without intermission, covering songs from all stages of his
career. In light of the events of Sept. 11, Diamond’s 2001-2002 tour is
decidedly patriotic in nature. The show began with a large flag hanging
down in front of the stage. As the flag was raised, Diamond burst into America, a hit which has enjoyed renewed popularity since Sept. 11. Fun Fact: I bought a t-shirt bearing the image of the American flag behind Diamond’s silhouette.
The audience gave roaring approval to the song, and when the lyrics
demanded "Stand up for America...today!" everyone complied. Fun Fact:
When I told my best friend about going to see this concert, she told me
her mom has always loved this song because it reminded her of coming to
America from England as a child.
Next, Diamond dug deep in his repertoire to sing Solitary Man and Cherry, Cherry.
He made a few comments about college life along the way and slyly
suggested that the administrators in attendance might see to it that the
attending students would be exempt from morning classes the following
day. His wit and charm kept his rapport with the audience going when the
music was silent. And while his stage presence magnified the impact of
his more energetic tunes, the slower songs such as Play Me and Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon flourished under his silky presentation.
The latter, in fact, turned out to be one of the show's greatest
moments. Halfway through the song, Diamond selected a young woman in the
front row of the audience by beckoning to her and urging her to, as the
song says, "come take my hand." For the remainder of the song, he
stretched out over the stage, clutching her hand, as she turned varying
shades of red and fanned herself with one hand to keep from fainting. As
the song ended, Diamond separated himself with an embrace and flopped
down on the stage as though he'd just gotten the wind knocked out of
him. Another woman in the front row offered him her handkerchief, which
he gratefully accepted before singing two songs from his new album, Three Chord Opera,
to "cool down." This complete lack of a barrier between performer and
audience thrilled the observers, and the unwitting participant in the
song got a nice round of applause. This incident prompted me to
wonder whether I would be willing to pay - just a guess - $200 for Neil
Diamond to kiss me in front of 10,000 people. Hmm....
I'm a Believer
was another big winner. The song that became a hit for the Monkees a
generation ago hit the top of the airwaves again last year with
Smashmouth’s version, which was featured in the movie Shrek, and middle-agers and college students alike knew all the words. Some songs required more audience participation than others.
Fun Fact: While we were watching Neil Diamond in State College, my
grandma was watching Anne Murray (a concert I wouldn't mind seeing
sometime myself) in good ol' Erie, PA. Although I have not yet confirmed
this, I feel fairly certain that Murray performed Daydream Believer. And so Dad and I were linked to Grandma by the Monkees. Diamond introduced Forever in Blue Jeans as an old familiar favorite and encouraged the audience to stand and sing along and even go solo in a few places.
Likewise, Sweet Caroline
was a stand-up-and-sing-along song, although when it ended, he quipped,
"Beautiful job, that was lovely...but...why are you still standing?
Don’t you know the song is...over? You mean you expect me to go out
there and do it again? I was just checking to see if I had any choice in
the matter..." He then took up the chorus yet again, this time with
great accentuation on each note and hand gestures to match.
Beautiful Noise
was one of the...well...noisiest songs of the night, making full use of
the extensive band backing Diamond up. Each section had a portion of
the song to itself, and by the time the song was over the audience
members felt like they had been transported to New York City, Diamond’s
hometown. Yet another highlight was You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, a
soulful duet in which Diamond shared the stage with Linda Press, whose
piercing vocals have contributed to this song for over 25 years.
One of the show's most poignant moments was the singing of Captain Sunshine, which was dedicated to Vince Charles, a member of Diamond’s band since 1977 who died last year. The other was the singing of He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother to honor the nation's true heroes: firefighters, policemen and servicemen. The show ended with I Am, I Said, one of Diamond’s defining hits. He was long gone long, however, before returning for an encore. A raucous Cracklin' Rosie preceded and electrifying Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show, and the show officially ended with the lowering of the flag over the chorus of America.
"It's a good feeling to know that I've been able to bridge generations
and still entertain such a varied audience," noted Diamond in his tour
book. Fun Fact: He also mentions in his tour book that Simon and
Garfunkel, along with the Everly Brothers and the Beatles, are his
favorite singers. Good form, Neil! That certainly proved true on
Tuesday night, and audience members young and old left the show assured
that good music never goes out of style.
Wednesday, February 27, 2002
Hometown Boy Pulls into the Grammy Station
It's a proud day in Erie, PA. All you haters who say Erie's a podonk
town with nothing good going for it, chew on this: Our guy is performing
at the Grammys! Yep, the band Train with Erie-based lead singer Pat
Monahan is gracing the Grammys with a performance of Drops of Jupiter,
the song that swept the nation, a song that may just earn them a few
golden statues themselves. And I say more power to 'em. Anybody from
Erie reading this? I declare this Train Day! Wear conductor hats! Wear
bandanas! Wear a choo-choo train lapel pin! Show your support for Train,
who has managed the awesome feat of getting me to care about a modern
band.
Yeah. You can tell. I'm psyched. And in case you don't know, modern music generally excites me about as much as... well, I'm feeling pretty uncreative this morning. But it doesn't excite me much. And then came this song. This amazing, miraculous song. This song that blows everything else out of the water. And it came from Erie. Pat Monahan, you have managed to write what is quite possibly the best song of the decade. I salute you. And to think I missed these guys the last time they performed in Erie! If I only knew...
How can I express my admiration of this song? Perhaps this would say it best: It belonged in the '70s. High praise indeed. The piano-heavy instrumentation makes it very reminiscent of Billy Joel. I saw in our paper the other day that this song came to Monahan out of the blue, in the middle of the night, and he rushed to the studio to play around with it. A friend of his came, too, and his friend was the one who discovered that piano was just the nudge this song needed to turn it into a hit single. Well, it certainly works.
But the piano isn't all that works. The overall instrumentation is amazing. It sounds like outer space. The sweeping strings in particular evoke an image of swiftly swirling galaxies and rushing planets. It embodies the conflict: the demanding earthiness of the piano, the alluring mysticism of the strings. Wow. Again I say wow.
But in order for a song to be truly great, it?s got to have great lyrics too. And the song succeeds on this count as well. I have praised Don McLean?s Vincent for its ability to conjure images of Van Gogh's paintings through its poetic language. Drops of Jupiter does the same thing with outer space. The lyrics work with the music to create a vibrant picture. "She acts like summer and walks like rain." "She listens like summer and talks like June."
The chorus is one big swirling mass of outer space sensuality. "Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet / Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day / And head back toward the Milky Way / Tell me did you sail across the sun / Did you make it to the Milky Way / to see the lights all faded / And that heaven is overrated / Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star / One without a permanent scar / And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there."
Again, the conflict between earth and sky is audible in the lyrics as well as the music. The speaker voices his frustration by rattling off first a description of himself he's afraid she may have ("plain ol' Jane / Told a story about a man / who is too afraid to fly so he never did land") and, later, a frantic listing all of the reasons that she should want to get back down to earth. "Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken / Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you're wrong / Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone conversation / The best soy latte that you ever had . . . and me?"
You ever hear the song Ernie sings on Sesame Street, I Don't Want to Live on the Moon? Great song. Probably my all-time favorite muppet song. Well, that's what this reminds me of. Except now it's I Don't Want You to Live on the Moon. And it's more metaphorical, of course. It's a song about a guy afraid he might be losing his best friend because she's so immersed in her soul-searching endeavors that she's forgotten everything that used to be important to her. And it's just a great song. Heard it twice yesterday on the way back from State College, and I don't think the journey would have been complete without it. Train, good luck tonight. I hope you win. You deserve it.
*** Update: Glued to the television all night after parading around all day in my blue-and-white striped overalls and red bandanna (a subtle statement many missed). Snagged Train on tape performing Drops of Jupiter. Awesome job. They performed perfectly in front of millions of viewers and managed to bring home a couple Grammys as well. Great job, and can't wait to see what else is in store...
Yeah. You can tell. I'm psyched. And in case you don't know, modern music generally excites me about as much as... well, I'm feeling pretty uncreative this morning. But it doesn't excite me much. And then came this song. This amazing, miraculous song. This song that blows everything else out of the water. And it came from Erie. Pat Monahan, you have managed to write what is quite possibly the best song of the decade. I salute you. And to think I missed these guys the last time they performed in Erie! If I only knew...
How can I express my admiration of this song? Perhaps this would say it best: It belonged in the '70s. High praise indeed. The piano-heavy instrumentation makes it very reminiscent of Billy Joel. I saw in our paper the other day that this song came to Monahan out of the blue, in the middle of the night, and he rushed to the studio to play around with it. A friend of his came, too, and his friend was the one who discovered that piano was just the nudge this song needed to turn it into a hit single. Well, it certainly works.
But the piano isn't all that works. The overall instrumentation is amazing. It sounds like outer space. The sweeping strings in particular evoke an image of swiftly swirling galaxies and rushing planets. It embodies the conflict: the demanding earthiness of the piano, the alluring mysticism of the strings. Wow. Again I say wow.
But in order for a song to be truly great, it?s got to have great lyrics too. And the song succeeds on this count as well. I have praised Don McLean?s Vincent for its ability to conjure images of Van Gogh's paintings through its poetic language. Drops of Jupiter does the same thing with outer space. The lyrics work with the music to create a vibrant picture. "She acts like summer and walks like rain." "She listens like summer and talks like June."
The chorus is one big swirling mass of outer space sensuality. "Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet / Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day / And head back toward the Milky Way / Tell me did you sail across the sun / Did you make it to the Milky Way / to see the lights all faded / And that heaven is overrated / Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star / One without a permanent scar / And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there."
Again, the conflict between earth and sky is audible in the lyrics as well as the music. The speaker voices his frustration by rattling off first a description of himself he's afraid she may have ("plain ol' Jane / Told a story about a man / who is too afraid to fly so he never did land") and, later, a frantic listing all of the reasons that she should want to get back down to earth. "Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken / Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you're wrong / Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone conversation / The best soy latte that you ever had . . . and me?"
You ever hear the song Ernie sings on Sesame Street, I Don't Want to Live on the Moon? Great song. Probably my all-time favorite muppet song. Well, that's what this reminds me of. Except now it's I Don't Want You to Live on the Moon. And it's more metaphorical, of course. It's a song about a guy afraid he might be losing his best friend because she's so immersed in her soul-searching endeavors that she's forgotten everything that used to be important to her. And it's just a great song. Heard it twice yesterday on the way back from State College, and I don't think the journey would have been complete without it. Train, good luck tonight. I hope you win. You deserve it.
*** Update: Glued to the television all night after parading around all day in my blue-and-white striped overalls and red bandanna (a subtle statement many missed). Snagged Train on tape performing Drops of Jupiter. Awesome job. They performed perfectly in front of millions of viewers and managed to bring home a couple Grammys as well. Great job, and can't wait to see what else is in store...
Friday, February 22, 2002
"Impossible Things are Happening Every Day"
I've been in a romance-y mood ever since I saw The Princess Diaries,
and the other night I decided to indulge in a viewing of one of my
all-time favorite romantic movies. At one o'clock in the morning. When I
should have been writing a paper. Such is life.
I'm a sucker for Rodgers and Hammerstein. I love musicals, and not too many folks can outdo this creative team. And I definitely prefer the touchy-feely sentimentality of Hammerstein to the more hard-edged lyrics of Hart. I've loved their version of Cinderella for as long as I can remember, and it stands as my favorite although I enjoyed Disney's version and Drew Barrymore's Ever After. The songs are phenomenal, the prince (Stuart Damon) is gorgeous, and the sweep-you-off-your-feet, seemingly impossible romance is a thrill every time. (OK, Bargainluvers, you can dole out that corny award any time now.)
Leslie Ann Warren, 17 at the time, stars as the starry-eyed Cinderella, a meek and mild lass who exudes an innocence and freshness rarely seen on screen. She timidly obeys the commands of her step-mother and, to a lesser extent, her step-sisters, but when no one is looking, she whiles away her hours dreaming by the fireplace (In My Own Little Corner). As the movie begins, Cinderella is alone at home with strict orders to speak to no one. When a handsome stranger passes by on his travels, however, her kindness overcomes her fear of her step-mother and she offers him some water. As he and his companions move on, Cinderella discovers to her delight that the courteous gentleman with whom she had been speaking is, in fact, the prince.
When she learns of the prince's invitation to a royal ball (The Prince is Giving a Ball), Cinderella dreams of going to meet the prince again. Her step-family, of course, balks at the thought, and she must remain at home among the ashes. That is, until her fairy godmother shows up to convince her that anything is possible if she wants it badly enough (Impossible). The fairy godmother's song is a key number in both the Disney version and this version. Here, however, the emphasis is upon an individual's power to dream the impossible and make it come true. In Disney, the focus is on the magic in a few certain words. I like both, but Bibbity Bobbity Boo isn't likely to come in handy much in ordinary life!
Devoid of her rags and draped in a luxurious fur-trimmed gown, Cinderella arrives at the ball, flooring the previously fatigued prince. Once glance, and the prince is hooked. And somehow, it seems to him that they have met before... Ten Minutes Ago, the prince's starry-eyed duet with Cinderella about their love at first sight, is my favorite song in the film. Do I Love You Because You?re Beautiful? also fits in here, an interesting question because the prince didn't really fall for Cinderella until she looked like a princess instead of a dirt-smudged servant. Kinda like Eric in The Little Mermaid. These princes who are so sure they'll know their true love the first time they lay eyes on her... Anyway, Cinderella?s abrupt departure leaves the prince in shambles, and he must embark on a kingdom-wide search for the missing girl of his dreams. The film ends as it begins, and the prince's ability to recognize Cinderella in her rags and still be smitten is enough evidence for me that this love is not based solely on exterior appearances.
I love this movie. Its sets are very simple, and the scene in which Cinderella flies to the ball in her carriage is extremely fake, but I breathe it all in just the same. This prince has long been my standard for whether or not I consider an actor to be terribly handsome. Few can measure up. As I watched this most recently, I realized that the prince, as kind and courteous as he is, is a bit condescending. In his conversation with Cinderella, he carries a clear air of superiority, and he comes off as a bit of a snob when he dismisses Prunella and Esmerelda on the basis of a creaking knee and batting eyes. Cinderella is poor and subservient, but under the right conditions it is clear that she's physically flawless. Oh, well. It's a fairy tale.
The step-family is extremely enjoyable. Prunella (hey, speaking of Little Mermaid, she played Ursula) and Esmerelda (a Rodgers and Hammerstein regular) come off as a couple of silly, insecure young women constantly badgered by their whining mother. They're not especially nice, but it's not too hard to sympathize with them. Their moment in the spotlight comes with the hilarious and all-too-true song, Why Would a Fellow Want a Girl Like Her? They also come across as being halfway decent sisters during the song I Suppose. (Is that the title? I'm not sure.) The step-mother is hilariously snivelly, always complaining and wearing a look of disdain on her face. The look she wears when the prince silences her from reprimanding Cinderella at the end of the film is simply priceless. Put it on freeze frame. You'll laugh out loud. The king and queen are regal and genteel, played by veteran actors Walter Pidgeon and Ginger Rogers, and the kindly fairy godmother is beautifully portrayed by Celeste Holm.
I could watch this movie a hundred times - I probably have - and never get tired of it. "Ahhh-ahhh-ahhh!" (Little Mermaid again. Think Ariel getting her voice back from Ursula. Divine chorus. Can ya hear it? That is the sound of inspiration.)
~el fin~
I'm a sucker for Rodgers and Hammerstein. I love musicals, and not too many folks can outdo this creative team. And I definitely prefer the touchy-feely sentimentality of Hammerstein to the more hard-edged lyrics of Hart. I've loved their version of Cinderella for as long as I can remember, and it stands as my favorite although I enjoyed Disney's version and Drew Barrymore's Ever After. The songs are phenomenal, the prince (Stuart Damon) is gorgeous, and the sweep-you-off-your-feet, seemingly impossible romance is a thrill every time. (OK, Bargainluvers, you can dole out that corny award any time now.)
Leslie Ann Warren, 17 at the time, stars as the starry-eyed Cinderella, a meek and mild lass who exudes an innocence and freshness rarely seen on screen. She timidly obeys the commands of her step-mother and, to a lesser extent, her step-sisters, but when no one is looking, she whiles away her hours dreaming by the fireplace (In My Own Little Corner). As the movie begins, Cinderella is alone at home with strict orders to speak to no one. When a handsome stranger passes by on his travels, however, her kindness overcomes her fear of her step-mother and she offers him some water. As he and his companions move on, Cinderella discovers to her delight that the courteous gentleman with whom she had been speaking is, in fact, the prince.
When she learns of the prince's invitation to a royal ball (The Prince is Giving a Ball), Cinderella dreams of going to meet the prince again. Her step-family, of course, balks at the thought, and she must remain at home among the ashes. That is, until her fairy godmother shows up to convince her that anything is possible if she wants it badly enough (Impossible). The fairy godmother's song is a key number in both the Disney version and this version. Here, however, the emphasis is upon an individual's power to dream the impossible and make it come true. In Disney, the focus is on the magic in a few certain words. I like both, but Bibbity Bobbity Boo isn't likely to come in handy much in ordinary life!
Devoid of her rags and draped in a luxurious fur-trimmed gown, Cinderella arrives at the ball, flooring the previously fatigued prince. Once glance, and the prince is hooked. And somehow, it seems to him that they have met before... Ten Minutes Ago, the prince's starry-eyed duet with Cinderella about their love at first sight, is my favorite song in the film. Do I Love You Because You?re Beautiful? also fits in here, an interesting question because the prince didn't really fall for Cinderella until she looked like a princess instead of a dirt-smudged servant. Kinda like Eric in The Little Mermaid. These princes who are so sure they'll know their true love the first time they lay eyes on her... Anyway, Cinderella?s abrupt departure leaves the prince in shambles, and he must embark on a kingdom-wide search for the missing girl of his dreams. The film ends as it begins, and the prince's ability to recognize Cinderella in her rags and still be smitten is enough evidence for me that this love is not based solely on exterior appearances.
I love this movie. Its sets are very simple, and the scene in which Cinderella flies to the ball in her carriage is extremely fake, but I breathe it all in just the same. This prince has long been my standard for whether or not I consider an actor to be terribly handsome. Few can measure up. As I watched this most recently, I realized that the prince, as kind and courteous as he is, is a bit condescending. In his conversation with Cinderella, he carries a clear air of superiority, and he comes off as a bit of a snob when he dismisses Prunella and Esmerelda on the basis of a creaking knee and batting eyes. Cinderella is poor and subservient, but under the right conditions it is clear that she's physically flawless. Oh, well. It's a fairy tale.
The step-family is extremely enjoyable. Prunella (hey, speaking of Little Mermaid, she played Ursula) and Esmerelda (a Rodgers and Hammerstein regular) come off as a couple of silly, insecure young women constantly badgered by their whining mother. They're not especially nice, but it's not too hard to sympathize with them. Their moment in the spotlight comes with the hilarious and all-too-true song, Why Would a Fellow Want a Girl Like Her? They also come across as being halfway decent sisters during the song I Suppose. (Is that the title? I'm not sure.) The step-mother is hilariously snivelly, always complaining and wearing a look of disdain on her face. The look she wears when the prince silences her from reprimanding Cinderella at the end of the film is simply priceless. Put it on freeze frame. You'll laugh out loud. The king and queen are regal and genteel, played by veteran actors Walter Pidgeon and Ginger Rogers, and the kindly fairy godmother is beautifully portrayed by Celeste Holm.
I could watch this movie a hundred times - I probably have - and never get tired of it. "Ahhh-ahhh-ahhh!" (Little Mermaid again. Think Ariel getting her voice back from Ursula. Divine chorus. Can ya hear it? That is the sound of inspiration.)
~el fin~
Saturday, February 16, 2002
"And I Would've Gotten Away with it, Too..."
Scooby Doo is a classic. Everybody knows that. And I have no
great objection to the show or its title character. Scooby has earned
his place with Yogi Bear, the Flintstones, the Jetsons, and others. But
recently, I have been home to watch the Kids' WB after school lineup
with my brother, and I've had the opportunity to watch episode after
episode of the furry coward's sleuthing. (Don't ask me why they stuck a
vintage show like Scooby Doo in with Pokemon and Jackie Chan Adventures. The much more pressing question for me is, why is this lineup immediately proceeded by Elimidate??? But that's another issue.)
I never really watched Scooby Doo that much before, certainly not back to back. So it's only now that I've come to realize just how formulaic the show really is. The following is a list of some of the many things that you can count on happening in just about every episode:
* Shaggy fixing himself a ludicrously complicated snack, only to have it swiped by Scooby at the last minute
* Fred ordering the protesting Shaggy and Scooby to branch off by themselves while he looks for clues with Daphne and Velma
* Shaggy tricking Scooby into taking the more dangerous part of their mission
* The five being reunited, then separated again, then reunited again
* Velma shouting "Jinkies!"
* Daphne disappearing
* Scooby being bribed with a Scooby Snack
* Chase scenes
* Instantaneous costume changes
* Really corny music
* Fred saying something obvious like, "Look! Footprints! It might be a clue!"
* Cops showing up at the end
* Unmasking, in which the villain(s) is revealed to be the only other character(s) in the episode
* "I would've gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for those kids and that dog!"
Had enough? Me too. The basic thing I have discovered is that if you've seen one episode of Scooby Doo, you've seen 'em all. That said, it's still funny, even if some of the laughs come from the corniness. Shaggy and Scooby's antics are always entertaining, and it's rather
interesting to listen to the audience laughter in the background. Sometimes I scratch my head and wonder what was so funny; some of the comedy is a little dated.
Velma has always been my favorite, the bespectacled nerd who gets to play second fiddle to Daphne. If Daphne's more visible, though, she's certainly not more important. She's pretty clueless, rarely contributing anything to the case and usually vanishing or getting herself kidnapped. Fred is Mr. Know-It-All, always ready to take charge and figure out what's going on. And usually he?s right, too, unlike in the later series when, as a 10-year-old, he was always ready to waggle the finger at Red Herring. Then there are always the extras, who are cookie-cutter copies of one another. They've got one ghost, one zombie, one witch, one old man, one cop... you get the idea. Same voices, too. I guess you could say that one thing Scooby Doo provides is stability. Don't expect too many surprises.
Certainly, Scooby Doo is not the only show whose plots so closely resemble one another. In Magic Schoolbus, for instance, the subject is always different but you always know who is going to say what and when. And the Scooby Doo theme song is hard to beat. As far as TV theme songs go, it's almost right up there with Gilligan's Island. So Scooby may be a little corny, and a little predictable, but he's still popular after all these years, so he must be doing something right.
I never really watched Scooby Doo that much before, certainly not back to back. So it's only now that I've come to realize just how formulaic the show really is. The following is a list of some of the many things that you can count on happening in just about every episode:
* Shaggy fixing himself a ludicrously complicated snack, only to have it swiped by Scooby at the last minute
* Fred ordering the protesting Shaggy and Scooby to branch off by themselves while he looks for clues with Daphne and Velma
* Shaggy tricking Scooby into taking the more dangerous part of their mission
* The five being reunited, then separated again, then reunited again
* Velma shouting "Jinkies!"
* Daphne disappearing
* Scooby being bribed with a Scooby Snack
* Chase scenes
* Instantaneous costume changes
* Really corny music
* Fred saying something obvious like, "Look! Footprints! It might be a clue!"
* Cops showing up at the end
* Unmasking, in which the villain(s) is revealed to be the only other character(s) in the episode
* "I would've gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for those kids and that dog!"
Had enough? Me too. The basic thing I have discovered is that if you've seen one episode of Scooby Doo, you've seen 'em all. That said, it's still funny, even if some of the laughs come from the corniness. Shaggy and Scooby's antics are always entertaining, and it's rather
interesting to listen to the audience laughter in the background. Sometimes I scratch my head and wonder what was so funny; some of the comedy is a little dated.
Velma has always been my favorite, the bespectacled nerd who gets to play second fiddle to Daphne. If Daphne's more visible, though, she's certainly not more important. She's pretty clueless, rarely contributing anything to the case and usually vanishing or getting herself kidnapped. Fred is Mr. Know-It-All, always ready to take charge and figure out what's going on. And usually he?s right, too, unlike in the later series when, as a 10-year-old, he was always ready to waggle the finger at Red Herring. Then there are always the extras, who are cookie-cutter copies of one another. They've got one ghost, one zombie, one witch, one old man, one cop... you get the idea. Same voices, too. I guess you could say that one thing Scooby Doo provides is stability. Don't expect too many surprises.
Certainly, Scooby Doo is not the only show whose plots so closely resemble one another. In Magic Schoolbus, for instance, the subject is always different but you always know who is going to say what and when. And the Scooby Doo theme song is hard to beat. As far as TV theme songs go, it's almost right up there with Gilligan's Island. So Scooby may be a little corny, and a little predictable, but he's still popular after all these years, so he must be doing something right.
Tuesday, February 12, 2002
In Honor of Lincoln on our Birthday
Today, February 12, marks the auspicious anniversary of the birth of two
extremely important people - namely, Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth
president of the United States, and Erin McCarty (myself). Okay, okay,
I'm not really putting myself in league with the man I consider to be
this country's greatest president. But I do think it's pretty cool that I
get to share a birthday with him. So I figured this year, I would honor
Mr. Lincoln with a review of one of the best biographies about him that
I have read.
Lincoln: A Photobiography is a concise, easy-to-read biography packed with pictures of and facts about Abraham Lincoln. It was a most useful resource to me when I did a project on Lincoln in sixth grade, and I still consider it a fine portrait of my favorite president. Obviously many others agreed with me, because this book was awarded the Newberry Medal, the most prestigious prize in children?s literature.
The book is divided up into seven chapters. Chapter One, The Mysterious Mister Lincoln, provides a physical description of Lincoln and discusses why this man has come to be known as such a remarkable person. Included are two photos, one a portrait of a whiskerless Lincoln and one of Lincoln with General McClellan and his staff. Freedman shares several observations of those who knew Lincoln, and a few comments by Lincoln himself, including the famous quip, "If I had another face do you think I'd wear this one?"
Chapter Two, A Backwoods Boy, concentrates on Lincoln's early life. He was born in 1809 and lived in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois, working on farms and educating himself through voracious reading. His mother died when he was nine, and he gained a step-mother the following year. This chapter describes Lincoln's home life and discusses how he fought his way up through the system to eventually become a lawyer. There are many pictures in this chapter, including a photograph of Lincoln's step-mother and a very nice painting of him splitting logs as a young man.
Chapter Three, Law and Politics, lists Lincoln's struggles with making a name for himself and courting Mary Todd, whose family did not approve of him, much to Lincoln's disappointment. The two eventually married despite the family's objections, and in the next ten years they had four sons, Robert, Eddie, Willie, and Tad, as Lincoln?s reputation as a lawyer grew. The end of the chapter deals heavily with Lincoln's family life and the tragedy of Eddie's death at the age of four. Among the pictures in this chapter are side-by-side portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln and a family portrait of Mrs. Lincoln with Willie and Tad.
Chapter Four, Half Slave and Half Free, delves into Lincoln's problems with the institution of slavery. "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong," he said. "I cannot remember when I did not so think, and feel." This chapter discusses how Lincoln dealt with the problem of slavery as a congressman and follows his bid for the presidency, his debate with Stephen Douglas, and his eventual election to the presidency. Two of the best graphics in this chapter are the poster announcing Lincoln's victory and the series of four portraits chronicling the growth of Lincoln's beard.
Chapter Five, Emancipation, chronicles the beginning of Lincoln's presidency and the commencement of the Civil War. The chapter deals with the opposition Lincoln faced, his reluctance to engage in a war that would tear the country apart, and the joys and sorrows of his family life. Of particular interest are the antics of Tad and Willie, who ran wild through the White House and had their own menagerie of pets which included a pony and a goat. This period also contained Lincoln's greatest personal tragedy, the death of 11-year-old Willie, whom Lincoln described as "too good for this earth." The chapter ends with Lincoln?s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which he considered to be the most significant act in which he would ever participate. Of the pictures, particularly enjoyable are the photographs of Tad and Willie and the painting depicting the signing of the Emancipation Proclamaton.
Chapter Six, This Dreadful War, follows the Civil War through to its end. Lincoln?s distaste for war is evident throughout this portion, and his "pigeon-hearted" nature is discussed in detail. His generals complained that he was always pardoning soldiers who had been given the death sentence. "It rests me, after a hard day's work, that I can find some excuse for saving some poor fellow's life," Lincoln said. This chapter also includes Lincoln's delivery of the Gettysburg Address and Lee's surrender to Grant. Many excellent graphics fill this section, including a handwritten copy of the Gettysburg Address, a full-body photo of General Lee, a painting of Pickett's charge, and the last photograph taken of President Lincoln during his life.
Chapter Seven, Who Is Dead in the White House?, concludes the narrative portion of the book, describing the days leading up to and following Lincoln's assassination. Death threats were nothing new to Lincoln, and there had been concern for his safety for some time. But when he went to Ford's Theater on April 14, he was in a festive mood. The attack by John Wilkes Booth threw the theater into an uproar, and although five doctors struggled to save Lincoln?s life, he died of his wound. In the words of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, he would now belong to the ages. Pictures in this chapter included a poster for the capture of Lincoln's assassin, a drawing of Booth in the act of shooting Lincoln, and a photo of Lincoln's funeral procession.
Finally, the book concludes with three appendices. A Lincoln Sampler is a collection of cool quotes from President Lincoln. In Lincoln's Footsteps contains descriptions of ten historic sites dedicated to Lincoln's memory. Finally, Books About Lincoln points readers in the right direction for further reading about this great American legend. Although Lincoln: A Photobiography is not particularly in-depth, it provides an excellent overview of Lincoln's life and is filled with interesting tidbits. I would rate it essential reading for Lincoln scholars as well as those only tangentially interested in him. I can think of few people in history more worth reading about.
Lincoln: A Photobiography is a concise, easy-to-read biography packed with pictures of and facts about Abraham Lincoln. It was a most useful resource to me when I did a project on Lincoln in sixth grade, and I still consider it a fine portrait of my favorite president. Obviously many others agreed with me, because this book was awarded the Newberry Medal, the most prestigious prize in children?s literature.
The book is divided up into seven chapters. Chapter One, The Mysterious Mister Lincoln, provides a physical description of Lincoln and discusses why this man has come to be known as such a remarkable person. Included are two photos, one a portrait of a whiskerless Lincoln and one of Lincoln with General McClellan and his staff. Freedman shares several observations of those who knew Lincoln, and a few comments by Lincoln himself, including the famous quip, "If I had another face do you think I'd wear this one?"
Chapter Two, A Backwoods Boy, concentrates on Lincoln's early life. He was born in 1809 and lived in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois, working on farms and educating himself through voracious reading. His mother died when he was nine, and he gained a step-mother the following year. This chapter describes Lincoln's home life and discusses how he fought his way up through the system to eventually become a lawyer. There are many pictures in this chapter, including a photograph of Lincoln's step-mother and a very nice painting of him splitting logs as a young man.
Chapter Three, Law and Politics, lists Lincoln's struggles with making a name for himself and courting Mary Todd, whose family did not approve of him, much to Lincoln's disappointment. The two eventually married despite the family's objections, and in the next ten years they had four sons, Robert, Eddie, Willie, and Tad, as Lincoln?s reputation as a lawyer grew. The end of the chapter deals heavily with Lincoln's family life and the tragedy of Eddie's death at the age of four. Among the pictures in this chapter are side-by-side portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln and a family portrait of Mrs. Lincoln with Willie and Tad.
Chapter Four, Half Slave and Half Free, delves into Lincoln's problems with the institution of slavery. "If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong," he said. "I cannot remember when I did not so think, and feel." This chapter discusses how Lincoln dealt with the problem of slavery as a congressman and follows his bid for the presidency, his debate with Stephen Douglas, and his eventual election to the presidency. Two of the best graphics in this chapter are the poster announcing Lincoln's victory and the series of four portraits chronicling the growth of Lincoln's beard.
Chapter Five, Emancipation, chronicles the beginning of Lincoln's presidency and the commencement of the Civil War. The chapter deals with the opposition Lincoln faced, his reluctance to engage in a war that would tear the country apart, and the joys and sorrows of his family life. Of particular interest are the antics of Tad and Willie, who ran wild through the White House and had their own menagerie of pets which included a pony and a goat. This period also contained Lincoln's greatest personal tragedy, the death of 11-year-old Willie, whom Lincoln described as "too good for this earth." The chapter ends with Lincoln?s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which he considered to be the most significant act in which he would ever participate. Of the pictures, particularly enjoyable are the photographs of Tad and Willie and the painting depicting the signing of the Emancipation Proclamaton.
Chapter Six, This Dreadful War, follows the Civil War through to its end. Lincoln?s distaste for war is evident throughout this portion, and his "pigeon-hearted" nature is discussed in detail. His generals complained that he was always pardoning soldiers who had been given the death sentence. "It rests me, after a hard day's work, that I can find some excuse for saving some poor fellow's life," Lincoln said. This chapter also includes Lincoln's delivery of the Gettysburg Address and Lee's surrender to Grant. Many excellent graphics fill this section, including a handwritten copy of the Gettysburg Address, a full-body photo of General Lee, a painting of Pickett's charge, and the last photograph taken of President Lincoln during his life.
Chapter Seven, Who Is Dead in the White House?, concludes the narrative portion of the book, describing the days leading up to and following Lincoln's assassination. Death threats were nothing new to Lincoln, and there had been concern for his safety for some time. But when he went to Ford's Theater on April 14, he was in a festive mood. The attack by John Wilkes Booth threw the theater into an uproar, and although five doctors struggled to save Lincoln?s life, he died of his wound. In the words of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, he would now belong to the ages. Pictures in this chapter included a poster for the capture of Lincoln's assassin, a drawing of Booth in the act of shooting Lincoln, and a photo of Lincoln's funeral procession.
Finally, the book concludes with three appendices. A Lincoln Sampler is a collection of cool quotes from President Lincoln. In Lincoln's Footsteps contains descriptions of ten historic sites dedicated to Lincoln's memory. Finally, Books About Lincoln points readers in the right direction for further reading about this great American legend. Although Lincoln: A Photobiography is not particularly in-depth, it provides an excellent overview of Lincoln's life and is filled with interesting tidbits. I would rate it essential reading for Lincoln scholars as well as those only tangentially interested in him. I can think of few people in history more worth reading about.
Monday, February 11, 2002
Labyrinth Leaves Henson Devotee in the Dust
It's very hard for me to believe that a Muppet fanatic like myself
living with a little brother who is even more of a Muppet fanatic should
find herself watching Labyrinth for the first time within a
month of her 21st birthday. How could I have gone so long without seeing
it? It remains a mystery. Nonetheless, I have finally seen the Jim
Henson fantasy that seems to have far outranked The Dark Crystal
in terms of popularity. My brother liked it so much that he ran out and
got the DVD two weeks later. I admit that my reaction was a bit less
enthusiastic, and I am inclined to prefer The Dark Crystal. But
the film was certainly a showcase of Henson's creative talent, and if
nothing else, I enjoyed the wide array of characters that showed up
throughout the course of the movie.
Labyrinth is the tale of Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), a teenager with an imagination rivaling that of Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables fame. She spends her time acting out fantasies in which she is the heroine, and her bedroom is filled with fantasy characters, many of whom show up later in the movie as living creatures. Her adventures begin when she returns from the park late to be reprimanded by her step-mother, who has stuck her with babysitting duty yet again. Sarah's baby brother, Toby, seems to be feeling particularly cantankerous tonight, and it isn't long before Sarah finds herself wishing that he would be stolen away by goblins. Much to her surprise, her appeal to the goblins is successful, and Jareth (David Bowie), King of the Goblins, shows up to present Sarah with a mystical gift.
Immediately remorseful, Sarah reluctantly refuses Jareth's offer and demands her brother back. Jareth informs her that she has just over a day in which to find her way through the labyrinth and into his castle. If she does not reclaim her brother in time, he will become a goblin forever. Eager to start, Sarah enlists the aid of Hoggle (voice of Brian Henson), an old dwarf caretaker who is spraying fairies with pest spray when she first meets him. Although he is rather gruff, he warms to the girl, and the next time they meet he agrees to help her find her way to the goblin castle. Sarah also finds friends in the form of Ludo, a gigantic sloth-like creature, and Sir Didymus, a fox-like knight who guards the bridge of the Bog of Eternal Stench and rides a sheepdog.
Other creatures include an ancient oracle with a bird on his head; a pair of two-headed playing cards that guard the entrances to two pathways, one leading to the castle and one to sudden death; flamboyant birds that juggle their heads around; two doorknockers, one who can't hear and one who can't talk; an enormous stone monster; and lots of goblins. Some strange new creature is always popping up, so you have to keep your eyes on the screen so you don?t miss any of them. One of the neatest scenes in the film involves a long tunnel of Helping Hands. These hands guide Sarah downward to the oubliette, and they constantly rearrange themselves in order to talk and convey a variety of expressions.
The film has many moments of cleverness, mostly in the way that Sarah overcomes various obstacles standing in her way, and it all ends happily ever after. That said, I must admit that this movie didn't really resonate with me the way Henson's movies usually do. There seemed to be an air of incongruity about the film, and at times I had a bit of difficulty following the action. The characters, especially Sarah, seemed to develop in spurts. Each change of heart was instantaneous rather than gradual. And the songs left me completely cold, a rarity for Henson; I usually sing along with gusto while watching one of his movies. I couldn't understand the words half the time, the tunes didn't click with me, and the songs just seemed pretty out of place overall. I was hopelessly confused as soon as Jareth started droning, "You remind me of the babe/the babe with the power/the power of voodoo?" And the later songs didn't make much more sense to me.
Jareth is the most enigmatic character in the film, and it is hard for me to decide whether or not to like him. He's a villain, obviously, but there's more levity than menace in his most villainous moments, such as the scene where he promises to make Hoggle "Prince of the Land of Stench" if Sarah kisses the dwarf. He seems genuinely overjoyed with Toby and treats him with paternal affection. Meanwhile, he is a melancholy presence when Sarah is near, and he seems to be quite taken with her and wishing she would reciprocate his adoration. He gives me the creeps, and yet I can't help but feel sorry for him. I find him to be the most engaging character in the film, and so I would probably, ironically, rate him my favorite character.
Since Nathan acquired the DVD, I suspect I will have plenty of time to grow into a deeper appreciation of this film. Perhaps it is one of those movies you must see several times to really understand. I hope that is the case. Though I didn't hate the movie, I think the most accurate comment I could make would be that I didn't get the movie. It?s a must-see for any Muppet enthusiast, and the bonus feature at the end which describes the making of Labyrinth is fascinating. But if I were to rank Jim Henson's films, I think this one would fall at the bottom of the list.
Labyrinth is the tale of Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), a teenager with an imagination rivaling that of Anne Shirley of Anne of Green Gables fame. She spends her time acting out fantasies in which she is the heroine, and her bedroom is filled with fantasy characters, many of whom show up later in the movie as living creatures. Her adventures begin when she returns from the park late to be reprimanded by her step-mother, who has stuck her with babysitting duty yet again. Sarah's baby brother, Toby, seems to be feeling particularly cantankerous tonight, and it isn't long before Sarah finds herself wishing that he would be stolen away by goblins. Much to her surprise, her appeal to the goblins is successful, and Jareth (David Bowie), King of the Goblins, shows up to present Sarah with a mystical gift.
Immediately remorseful, Sarah reluctantly refuses Jareth's offer and demands her brother back. Jareth informs her that she has just over a day in which to find her way through the labyrinth and into his castle. If she does not reclaim her brother in time, he will become a goblin forever. Eager to start, Sarah enlists the aid of Hoggle (voice of Brian Henson), an old dwarf caretaker who is spraying fairies with pest spray when she first meets him. Although he is rather gruff, he warms to the girl, and the next time they meet he agrees to help her find her way to the goblin castle. Sarah also finds friends in the form of Ludo, a gigantic sloth-like creature, and Sir Didymus, a fox-like knight who guards the bridge of the Bog of Eternal Stench and rides a sheepdog.
Other creatures include an ancient oracle with a bird on his head; a pair of two-headed playing cards that guard the entrances to two pathways, one leading to the castle and one to sudden death; flamboyant birds that juggle their heads around; two doorknockers, one who can't hear and one who can't talk; an enormous stone monster; and lots of goblins. Some strange new creature is always popping up, so you have to keep your eyes on the screen so you don?t miss any of them. One of the neatest scenes in the film involves a long tunnel of Helping Hands. These hands guide Sarah downward to the oubliette, and they constantly rearrange themselves in order to talk and convey a variety of expressions.
The film has many moments of cleverness, mostly in the way that Sarah overcomes various obstacles standing in her way, and it all ends happily ever after. That said, I must admit that this movie didn't really resonate with me the way Henson's movies usually do. There seemed to be an air of incongruity about the film, and at times I had a bit of difficulty following the action. The characters, especially Sarah, seemed to develop in spurts. Each change of heart was instantaneous rather than gradual. And the songs left me completely cold, a rarity for Henson; I usually sing along with gusto while watching one of his movies. I couldn't understand the words half the time, the tunes didn't click with me, and the songs just seemed pretty out of place overall. I was hopelessly confused as soon as Jareth started droning, "You remind me of the babe/the babe with the power/the power of voodoo?" And the later songs didn't make much more sense to me.
Jareth is the most enigmatic character in the film, and it is hard for me to decide whether or not to like him. He's a villain, obviously, but there's more levity than menace in his most villainous moments, such as the scene where he promises to make Hoggle "Prince of the Land of Stench" if Sarah kisses the dwarf. He seems genuinely overjoyed with Toby and treats him with paternal affection. Meanwhile, he is a melancholy presence when Sarah is near, and he seems to be quite taken with her and wishing she would reciprocate his adoration. He gives me the creeps, and yet I can't help but feel sorry for him. I find him to be the most engaging character in the film, and so I would probably, ironically, rate him my favorite character.
Since Nathan acquired the DVD, I suspect I will have plenty of time to grow into a deeper appreciation of this film. Perhaps it is one of those movies you must see several times to really understand. I hope that is the case. Though I didn't hate the movie, I think the most accurate comment I could make would be that I didn't get the movie. It?s a must-see for any Muppet enthusiast, and the bonus feature at the end which describes the making of Labyrinth is fascinating. But if I were to rank Jim Henson's films, I think this one would fall at the bottom of the list.
"You Saw Me When I Was Invisible."
Last Saturday, I went to the dollar theater and saw Joe Somebody,
a less-than-mediocre movie about an average guy who nobody noticed
suddenly becoming a somebody in the eyes of his colleagues. That
evening, I watched The Princess Diaries, which we had rented a
couple days earlier. This movie followed the same basic plot: nobody
becomes somebody. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this film while I had
little good to say about Joe Somebody.
The Princess Diaries centers around 15-year-old Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway), a young woman completely devoid of grace and glamour. She hides behind a thick bush of frizz and a pair of glasses and is a first-class klutz. The popular kids only take note of her occasionally in order to make fun of her. Her life revolves around her best friend, the defiantly nerdy Lilly Moscovitz (Heather Matarazzo), and her cat Fat Louie, who lives like a king in her bedroom above her mom?s art studio in an abandoned firehouse in San Francisco. She is perhaps the least likely candidate for queendom imaginable, so when her grandmother Queen Clarice Renaldi (Julie Andrews), who is basically a stranger to her, shows up unexpectedly to tell her of her claim to the Genovian throne, Mia is flabbergasted. Her appalled reaction is not exactly what the stately queen had been hoping for.
Clarice explains that Mia's long-absent father was the prince of Genovia. Because of his untimely death, Mia is obligated to accept the role of princess or pass the rule on to a pair of stuffy aristocrats who are next in line. (These two are delightfully despicable and bear a strong resemblance in my mind to the Sackville-Bagginses, the couple in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings determined to inherit Bag End.) After much coercing, Mia agrees to consider the proposal, and she begins her training in courtly manners at the Genovian embassy. She also gets a personal chauffeur, the delightful Joseph (Hector Elizondo), the queen's head of security. Joseph's dry wit provides many laughs, and his empathy keeps Clarice from allowing her role as queen to overshadow her role as grandmother.
The scenes in which Mia attempts to transform herself into a princess are among the most amusing in the movie. I can certainly identify with her awkwardness, and I can only imagine what a disaster I would be as an aristocrat. One thing I can't identify with is the cruelty of Mia's classmates. Characters like Lana (Mandy Moore), the vicious cheerleader who makes Mia's school life miserable, are a teen movie staple, but I can't help but wonder if that sort of behavior really happens. I mean, I'm the biggest nerd around and it never happened to me, at least not to that degree and not in high school. At any rate, the distinction between popular and unpopular is very important in this movie and plays heavily into Mia's ultimate decision concerning her future.
Mia, just like Joe in the aforementioned Joe Somebody, finds herself suddenly surrounded by people who seem to be dying to associate with her. Her sudden popularity thrusts her into confusion, and her eagerness to be one of the cool kids causes her to slight her true friends, including Lilly's adorable brother, Michael (Robert Schwartzman), who is obviously hopelessly smitten with her. With the date fast approaching when she must formally announce whether she will accept the Genovian crown, Mia faces a difficult decision that will drastically affect her entire future.
I wanted to see The Princess Diaries when it was in the theater. I'm a sucker for Disney, and although I have found some of their recent live action films to be a bit lacking, this looked like a winner. For one thing, how often do you see a live action G-rated movie these days? It?s an extreme rarity, which is a shame for someone who almost always prefers G and PG films to PG-13 and R films. So the rating in itself intrigued me. And of course, there is Julie Andrews. The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins are both high on my list of favorite movies, so Julie Andrews is certainly likely to lure me into seeing a movie. Finally, I saw a lot of myself in Mia, and what girl doesn't want to imagine that someone like herself could become a princess?
The movie won me over completely. The plot might not be very original. I already compared it to Joe Somebody, and more specifically in follows in a long line of teen movies about awkward girls coming into their own, risking the loss of their true friends along the way. In this movie, however, we didn't have to deal with the crudeness and foul language that populates most teen flicks. Instead, what we got was a fairy tale film complete with charming characters and a touch of foot-popping romance. I have not read the book, so I cannot comment on the differences. Perhaps my opinion of the movie would be altered had I read the book first. But I find it hard to believe that knowledge of the book would lessen my enjoyment of the film. This is first-rate Disney fare, and I give The Princess Diaries my hearty recommendation.
The Princess Diaries centers around 15-year-old Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway), a young woman completely devoid of grace and glamour. She hides behind a thick bush of frizz and a pair of glasses and is a first-class klutz. The popular kids only take note of her occasionally in order to make fun of her. Her life revolves around her best friend, the defiantly nerdy Lilly Moscovitz (Heather Matarazzo), and her cat Fat Louie, who lives like a king in her bedroom above her mom?s art studio in an abandoned firehouse in San Francisco. She is perhaps the least likely candidate for queendom imaginable, so when her grandmother Queen Clarice Renaldi (Julie Andrews), who is basically a stranger to her, shows up unexpectedly to tell her of her claim to the Genovian throne, Mia is flabbergasted. Her appalled reaction is not exactly what the stately queen had been hoping for.
Clarice explains that Mia's long-absent father was the prince of Genovia. Because of his untimely death, Mia is obligated to accept the role of princess or pass the rule on to a pair of stuffy aristocrats who are next in line. (These two are delightfully despicable and bear a strong resemblance in my mind to the Sackville-Bagginses, the couple in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings determined to inherit Bag End.) After much coercing, Mia agrees to consider the proposal, and she begins her training in courtly manners at the Genovian embassy. She also gets a personal chauffeur, the delightful Joseph (Hector Elizondo), the queen's head of security. Joseph's dry wit provides many laughs, and his empathy keeps Clarice from allowing her role as queen to overshadow her role as grandmother.
The scenes in which Mia attempts to transform herself into a princess are among the most amusing in the movie. I can certainly identify with her awkwardness, and I can only imagine what a disaster I would be as an aristocrat. One thing I can't identify with is the cruelty of Mia's classmates. Characters like Lana (Mandy Moore), the vicious cheerleader who makes Mia's school life miserable, are a teen movie staple, but I can't help but wonder if that sort of behavior really happens. I mean, I'm the biggest nerd around and it never happened to me, at least not to that degree and not in high school. At any rate, the distinction between popular and unpopular is very important in this movie and plays heavily into Mia's ultimate decision concerning her future.
Mia, just like Joe in the aforementioned Joe Somebody, finds herself suddenly surrounded by people who seem to be dying to associate with her. Her sudden popularity thrusts her into confusion, and her eagerness to be one of the cool kids causes her to slight her true friends, including Lilly's adorable brother, Michael (Robert Schwartzman), who is obviously hopelessly smitten with her. With the date fast approaching when she must formally announce whether she will accept the Genovian crown, Mia faces a difficult decision that will drastically affect her entire future.
I wanted to see The Princess Diaries when it was in the theater. I'm a sucker for Disney, and although I have found some of their recent live action films to be a bit lacking, this looked like a winner. For one thing, how often do you see a live action G-rated movie these days? It?s an extreme rarity, which is a shame for someone who almost always prefers G and PG films to PG-13 and R films. So the rating in itself intrigued me. And of course, there is Julie Andrews. The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins are both high on my list of favorite movies, so Julie Andrews is certainly likely to lure me into seeing a movie. Finally, I saw a lot of myself in Mia, and what girl doesn't want to imagine that someone like herself could become a princess?
The movie won me over completely. The plot might not be very original. I already compared it to Joe Somebody, and more specifically in follows in a long line of teen movies about awkward girls coming into their own, risking the loss of their true friends along the way. In this movie, however, we didn't have to deal with the crudeness and foul language that populates most teen flicks. Instead, what we got was a fairy tale film complete with charming characters and a touch of foot-popping romance. I have not read the book, so I cannot comment on the differences. Perhaps my opinion of the movie would be altered had I read the book first. But I find it hard to believe that knowledge of the book would lessen my enjoyment of the film. This is first-rate Disney fare, and I give The Princess Diaries my hearty recommendation.
Sunday, February 10, 2002
Uncreative Names Aside, Cat and Bear a Winner
This past week, I unexpectedly came across an adorable little book by the name of Cat and Bear.
The cozy story drew me in despite its simplicity, and I look forward to
seeking out more books written by Carol Greene or illustrated by Anne
Mortimer. The illustrations are a major part of the book's appeal,
especially since the story is written with so few words.
The main character is Cat, a gorgeous Siamese with striking blue eyes and an air of aristocracy about him. His silky fur is so realistically rendered, the reader can almost feel it when reaching out to touch the page, and his intent expressions will ring true with any cat owner. Bear has a more whimsical look, and his fur appears course, offsetting the satin ribbon around his neck.
Cat is quite satisfied with his life with the Child, a golden-haired little girl, prior to the arrival of Bear in a brightly wrapped birthday package, and he views Bear's presence as entirely "unnecessary." His resolve against Bear stiffens when he discovers that the furry newcomer sings. Finding Bear to be a ridiculous nuisance, he plots ways to be rid of him.
Each plan is more devious than the last, leading to a climax strangely reminiscent of Toy Story. But when Cat finally succeeds, he begins to have second thoughts about his unkind treatment of Bear. The warm and fuzzy conclusion makes this an ideal story to read to a child who may be feeling just a tiny bit jealous of a new family member.
The main character is Cat, a gorgeous Siamese with striking blue eyes and an air of aristocracy about him. His silky fur is so realistically rendered, the reader can almost feel it when reaching out to touch the page, and his intent expressions will ring true with any cat owner. Bear has a more whimsical look, and his fur appears course, offsetting the satin ribbon around his neck.
Cat is quite satisfied with his life with the Child, a golden-haired little girl, prior to the arrival of Bear in a brightly wrapped birthday package, and he views Bear's presence as entirely "unnecessary." His resolve against Bear stiffens when he discovers that the furry newcomer sings. Finding Bear to be a ridiculous nuisance, he plots ways to be rid of him.
Each plan is more devious than the last, leading to a climax strangely reminiscent of Toy Story. But when Cat finally succeeds, he begins to have second thoughts about his unkind treatment of Bear. The warm and fuzzy conclusion makes this an ideal story to read to a child who may be feeling just a tiny bit jealous of a new family member.
Friday, February 8, 2002
Joe May Be Somebody, but the Movie is Nothing
Last Saturday, I was bored and frustrated after spending the early
afternoon plowing through some difficult reading for school, and I was
looking for any excuse I could find to get away from my homework. So Dad
proposed that I accompany my brother and his friend to the dollar
theater for a fun diversion. The viewing choices were limited, and Joe Somebody
was the only film with a PG rating. None of us knew much about it, but
we figured that we would be pretty safe with a Tim Allen movie. And for a
buck, it would be no huge sacrifice if the movie didn't turn out to be
that great. So at least we went in without high expectations.
In the film, Tim Allen portrays Joe Scheffer, a video designer at a pharmaceutical company. Some of the biggest ripples of audience laughter throughout the film occurred when the narrator on his commercials recited a seemingly endless list of possible side effects. This exaggeration was rather amusing the first time, but repeating it was unnecessary and increased the impression that this movie didn't have much to go on. Most of its comedic moments depended on one of two gags: a ridiculously long recitation of side effects or some painful injury to the family jewels. The latter caused our neighbor to nearly collapse laughing, but my brother and I found it only mildly funny the first time and increasingly obnoxious the next several times.
But back to the story. Scheffer is a nobody, a guy whose contributions are never noticed. He's been skipped over for a promotion, he just got divorced, and he doesn't have any friends. In fact, nobody seems to care about him at all except for his daughter Natalie (Hayden Panattiere). So it's "Poor, poor, Joseph, whatcha gonna do, things look bad for you, hey, whatcha gonna do?" at this point. Joe's life takes a bit of an upward turn when he meets Meg (Julie Bowen), the company counselor who seems to be rather taken with him. But it slides right down to rock bottom again when he gets beaten up in the parking lot by Mark McKinney (Patrick Warburton) in the parking lot in front of his daughter on Take Your Daughter to Work Day.
Utterly humiliated, Joe locks himself in his house and immerses himself in housework. But he cannot escape his job forever. Meg comes knocking on his door after he has been absent for several days and convinces him to come back to work. Inadvertently, she also inspires him to challenge Mark to a rematch when he returns to work after his suspension. In no time at all, everyone in the office gets wind of the upcoming fight, and suddenly Joe is everyone's best friend. He gets to play squash in the exclusive company club, he gets a promotion even bigger than the one he was hoping for, he gets his own parking space, and he even gets to hobnob with Governor Ventura at the Minnesota Timberwolves game.
Life is good for Joe. All he needs now is the skill to beat Mark, and for that he enlists the aid of washed-up action film star Chuck Scarett (Jim Belushi), who uses unconventional methods to teach Joe what he needs to know. Both Meg and Natalie disapprove of Joe's decision to fight Mark, and despite his newfound popularity, Joe faces animosity from Jeremy (Greg Germann), a prissy exec with the hots for Meg. Before the film comes to a close, Joe will have to sort out what really matters to him and decide who his real friends are.
Nothing in this movie is very well developed. Natalie, who could have been a vital character, virtually disappears for the middle of the film. Callie (Kelly Lynch), Joe's eclectic ex-wife, confesses towards the end of the film that she is lonely and misses Joe terribly. And that's it. Apparently her renewed attraction to Joe stems from his new personality, but we can't be too sure. She never follows up on her feelings, and I'm inclined to wonder why they bothered sticking that scene in the movie. Similarly, Joe complains loudly about Callie's public displays of affection with her boyfriend, but he shows no qualms about kissing Meg while he is sitting right next to Callie at his daughter's school play. And no one else seems to care, either. Stupid.
Basically, I thought this was a very poorly done movie. I'm not sorry I went to see it. It was still fun. But I'm very glad I didn't see it for full price. The low-grade humor, the inane soundtrack (same seven notes played over and over and over...), the underdevelopment, the corniness... Somebody tell me why Tim Allen agreed to be in it.
In the film, Tim Allen portrays Joe Scheffer, a video designer at a pharmaceutical company. Some of the biggest ripples of audience laughter throughout the film occurred when the narrator on his commercials recited a seemingly endless list of possible side effects. This exaggeration was rather amusing the first time, but repeating it was unnecessary and increased the impression that this movie didn't have much to go on. Most of its comedic moments depended on one of two gags: a ridiculously long recitation of side effects or some painful injury to the family jewels. The latter caused our neighbor to nearly collapse laughing, but my brother and I found it only mildly funny the first time and increasingly obnoxious the next several times.
But back to the story. Scheffer is a nobody, a guy whose contributions are never noticed. He's been skipped over for a promotion, he just got divorced, and he doesn't have any friends. In fact, nobody seems to care about him at all except for his daughter Natalie (Hayden Panattiere). So it's "Poor, poor, Joseph, whatcha gonna do, things look bad for you, hey, whatcha gonna do?" at this point. Joe's life takes a bit of an upward turn when he meets Meg (Julie Bowen), the company counselor who seems to be rather taken with him. But it slides right down to rock bottom again when he gets beaten up in the parking lot by Mark McKinney (Patrick Warburton) in the parking lot in front of his daughter on Take Your Daughter to Work Day.
Utterly humiliated, Joe locks himself in his house and immerses himself in housework. But he cannot escape his job forever. Meg comes knocking on his door after he has been absent for several days and convinces him to come back to work. Inadvertently, she also inspires him to challenge Mark to a rematch when he returns to work after his suspension. In no time at all, everyone in the office gets wind of the upcoming fight, and suddenly Joe is everyone's best friend. He gets to play squash in the exclusive company club, he gets a promotion even bigger than the one he was hoping for, he gets his own parking space, and he even gets to hobnob with Governor Ventura at the Minnesota Timberwolves game.
Life is good for Joe. All he needs now is the skill to beat Mark, and for that he enlists the aid of washed-up action film star Chuck Scarett (Jim Belushi), who uses unconventional methods to teach Joe what he needs to know. Both Meg and Natalie disapprove of Joe's decision to fight Mark, and despite his newfound popularity, Joe faces animosity from Jeremy (Greg Germann), a prissy exec with the hots for Meg. Before the film comes to a close, Joe will have to sort out what really matters to him and decide who his real friends are.
Nothing in this movie is very well developed. Natalie, who could have been a vital character, virtually disappears for the middle of the film. Callie (Kelly Lynch), Joe's eclectic ex-wife, confesses towards the end of the film that she is lonely and misses Joe terribly. And that's it. Apparently her renewed attraction to Joe stems from his new personality, but we can't be too sure. She never follows up on her feelings, and I'm inclined to wonder why they bothered sticking that scene in the movie. Similarly, Joe complains loudly about Callie's public displays of affection with her boyfriend, but he shows no qualms about kissing Meg while he is sitting right next to Callie at his daughter's school play. And no one else seems to care, either. Stupid.
Basically, I thought this was a very poorly done movie. I'm not sorry I went to see it. It was still fun. But I'm very glad I didn't see it for full price. The low-grade humor, the inane soundtrack (same seven notes played over and over and over...), the underdevelopment, the corniness... Somebody tell me why Tim Allen agreed to be in it.
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