tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post5117811326851868064..comments2024-03-28T02:30:08.913-04:00Comments on Not Just Movies: Beauty and the Beast (1991)Jakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09078001374402400232noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-68378486255072378942010-10-17T01:22:04.632-04:002010-10-17T01:22:04.632-04:00This is one of my favorite Disney movie. Thank you...This is one of my favorite Disney movie. Thank you for this informative post. It reminds me of my childhood. Movies contribute a lot when you feel like you want to reminisce moments from your past. Good thing we can have them in just one click over the internet and watch them again.Mad Menhttp://www.thedvdboxset.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-78861057750835311742010-10-14T11:19:08.360-04:002010-10-14T11:19:08.360-04:00Ditto Tony's remarks on SLEEPING BEAUTY: it...Ditto Tony's remarks on SLEEPING BEAUTY: it's always been my favorite for various reasons - when I was a kid it was the one Disney movie where the Prince was active - my little brain glowed when he faced the dragon.<br /><br />I admit I was cool to my initial viewing of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST on its theatrical release, but your write-up really got me yearning to see it again.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13600990166210022027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-74245438292051237202010-10-12T20:36:37.463-04:002010-10-12T20:36:37.463-04:00Thank you so much for this. As a kid Beauty and th...Thank you so much for this. As a kid Beauty and the Beast was (and remains) my favorite Disney film, as I identified strongly with the independent bookworm of Belle and was inspired by the magical imagery. <br /><br />Today I saw the documentary "Waking Sleeping Beauty", which goes behind the scenes of Disney's "renaissance" and it was so cool to learn about the background of this film especially- much of which you've relayed here. Needless to say I've been in the mood to revisit several Disney films since seeing the doc, and this review only strengthens that urge!Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13471664551639091150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-41079184916458441742010-10-12T08:25:55.504-04:002010-10-12T08:25:55.504-04:00Sam - Thank you so much for your comment and your ...Sam - Thank you so much for your comment and your appreciation of my post on Never Let Me Go. I don't know what the problem is with your comments. No one else has reported problems posting comments on my site. I assume you have a google account? Anyway, I appreciate the comments you leave on other blogs.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-21796536461799707942010-10-11T21:49:46.356-04:002010-10-11T21:49:46.356-04:00Hokahey my friend--how I wish I could comment at y...Hokahey my friend--how I wish I could comment at your site, but alas the restrictions persist there (not to mention comment moderation) I was most impressed by your beautifully written and largely positive assessment of NEVER LET ME GO, and wanted to voice my agreement. I will be sure to link it to my Diary round-up tonight.<br /><br />I beg Jake's indulgence for this intrusion, as I can't find a way to reach Hokahey.<br /><br />I found Tim Brayton's review and as you might surmise Jake, I was blown away!Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-35622520386760735122010-10-11T20:57:38.107-04:002010-10-11T20:57:38.107-04:00This is a beautifully written analysis, Jake. I lo...This is a beautifully written analysis, Jake. I love this - <i>He's the sort of alpha male that women want to be with and men want to be (to the point that they too seem to want to be with him).</i> Well said. But <i>Beauty and the Beast</i> despite its beautiful songs is my least favorite Disney animated film since the Disney resurgence began with <i>The Little Mermaid</i>. I find it romantic, but I find it slow. I find the animation much less dazzling than my favorites: <i>The Lion King</i>, <i>Tarzan</i>, and <i>Pocahantas</i>. <br /><br />But, my biggest gripe with this movie is the presentation of the character of Lefou, LeFou - "Gaston's bumbling and often mistreated sidekick," as Wikipedia puts it - a character you don't mention here.<br /><br />Disney has portrayed other village idiots; shortly after the birth of my daughter with Down syndrome, I happened to be watching <i>Snow White</i> and I was stunned by the floppy ears on Dopey that are one of the characteristics of Down syndrome. <br /><br />Lefou continues the trend. Note the small ears, the small head, the stunted growth, the pudgy build: all traits of Down syndrome. See <a href="http://disney.munkyisland.com/images/beauty/lefou_gaston.jpg" rel="nofollow">this</a>.<br /><br />But Dopey is just dopey. He's not kicked around and abused by a brute like Gaston. He doesn't debase himself as LeFou does in the song praising Gaston. Here, I thought, Disney had gone too far. And I'm not that sensitive about people casually using the term "re-tard" with their friends. But here this distasteful portrayal mars the beauty of the rest of the film.<br /><br />Oh, for innocence. My daughter LOVES <i>Beauty and the Beast</i>, and she just bought the new deluxe edition. I'm so glad she loves the romance and the songs (she loves the title song and knows it word for word). I'm so glad she can just see the beautiful elements in this film and doesn't see Lefou in the same way I do.<br /><br />Conversely - and I must add that its artwork is exquisite - <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i> is ABOUT the painful loneliness and alienation that comes with being genetically different.Richard Bellamyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12397053921647421425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-73590676737702052332010-10-11T10:07:45.860-04:002010-10-11T10:07:45.860-04:00I've recently become a bit of an "expert&...I've recently become a bit of an "expert" on this film, having an almost two-year old daughter and needing something to keep her calm while we fed her meals after a surgery. This was her movie of choice and in watching it repeatedly, it reaffirmed what a perfect marriage of Broadway and animation it really is. I love the songs as much as in THE LITTLE MERMAID (and really, for me, only this and MERMAID are ones I ever want to rewatch from the "Renaissance" period) and you rightly point out what is so great and efficient about the main theme.<br /><br />As for what Tony says, about the rushed animation -- I'll have to check out the Blu-Ray captures (not sure I'll double-dip on this one) but in watching it repeatedly it becomes more and more obvious and I can see how that may be a knock against it. Still, the design of the three leads is so fantastic and beautiful that I'm more than willing to forgive them that.Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-77578556861989188912010-10-10T18:45:56.421-04:002010-10-10T18:45:56.421-04:00That's very kind, Sam, but you really must rea...That's very kind, Sam, but you really must read Tim Brayton's review. His is a great deal more researched and it made every point that struck me with greater depth and clarity.Jakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09078001374402400232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-65707093816830743002010-10-10T18:40:45.247-04:002010-10-10T18:40:45.247-04:00"The single greatest aspect of the entire fil..."The single greatest aspect of the entire film, however, more than the storytelling, more than the lead animation, is the songwriting. Howard Ashman revived Disney's tradition for great, memorable songwriting with The Little Mermaid, and his work is likely as big a reason that film succeeded and revived the studio's creative legacy as anything in the movie. Here, he ups the ante: with Alan Menken, Ashman crafts perhaps the greatest songbook to accompany a Disney film, and one of the best of any film of any kind."<br /><br />Indeed, indeed, indeed.<br /><br />It's a full-flung Broadway score, and it inspired the hit musical that enjoyed quite an impressive run in NYC. I prefer this to SLEEPING BEAUTY on balance, though I love that films as well. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and BY MY GUEST are terrific songs, but BELLE reaches operatic proportions at this juncture:<br /><br />"Oh, isn't this amazing?<br /> It's my fav'rite part because you'll see<br /> Here's where she meets Prince Charming<br /> But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three"<br /><br />Ashman (God rest his soul) was an extraordinarily gifted man, and with Menken, he achieved a onece-in-a-lifetime chemistry. Menke, of course, wrote the ravishing music that was vital to the equation, but Ashman's lyrical contribution was still formidable.<br /><br />I love this film to death, and yes the ble-ray is exceedingly beautiful.<br /><br />This may be the best review I have ever read of this film, which may well be the best of it's year, and one of the great Disney features by any barometer of measurement. Your frantically prolific, versatile, high-quality work at this site continues to amaze me Jake.Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-18090561085790911582010-10-10T09:18:36.192-04:002010-10-10T09:18:36.192-04:00Oh, I love Sleeping Beauty, Tony, and the Blu-Ray ...Oh, I love Sleeping Beauty, Tony, and the Blu-Ray is fantastic (especially because it restores the aspect ratio), but I think that, of the Disney films I would call masterpieces, it has the thinnest story.<br /><br />I just think that Beauty and the Beast has a great story and good pacing. The songs may be on-the-nose, but there's also a relevance to them that absence in Tarzan and most of The Lion King. Most Disney songs are written to a situation to convey a mood, and these songs do that AND advance the story. They're no less subtle than anything in Tarzan and The Lion King, but they do so much more.<br /><br />As for the animation, I don't think it's <i>that</i> bad. The Blu-Ray looks spectacular and I think they really smoothed some things, but even without the restoration it has some great character animation when they're not rushing.Jakehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09078001374402400232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-78773498113381262272010-10-10T07:42:12.130-04:002010-10-10T07:42:12.130-04:00Sorry, here's the link to those SLEEPING BEAUT...Sorry, here's the <a href="http://www.cinemaviewfinder.com/2010/07/sunday-interlude-with-sleeping-beauty.html" rel="nofollow">link</a> to those SLEEPING BEAUTY screen caps if you're interested.Tony Dayoubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04632329277519635858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-494160638739613756.post-44965901129234580282010-10-10T07:39:01.224-04:002010-10-10T07:39:01.224-04:00I've never really liked BEAUTY AND THE BEAST a...I've never really liked BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at all. I find it sort of lackluster compared to Cocteau's dreamy piece, but that's not a big deal given that the two films are apples and oranges. As a father of two young kids I see the need to give children their own Disney-fied version of the story. But you bring up some other reasons why I dislike it in your piece.<br /><br />The music is a little too on-the-nose Broadway for me. I prefer how they married Phil Collins music to TARZAN and the African-inflected music of LION KING. And classic pre-MERMAID Disney music is timeless, pieces like "When You Wish Upon a Star," and "Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho."<br /><br />BEAUTY AND THE BEAST'S worst flaw, however, is the rushed animation you mention. I find it only a half-step above Saturday-morning caliber animation. It's especially jarring when placed next to the innovative computer animation used in the film. That is why it's so surprising this was the next entry released on Blu-ray where its visual flaws will appear so glaringly. It must be its popularity which prompted the release.<br /><br />For what it's worth, my all-time favorite Disney classic is SLEEPING BEAUTY, and I don't think it is a coincidence it was released before any of the others on Blu-ray. It's gorgeous 'scope visuals simply make it the most cinematic of their films. I posted some beautiful screen caps back at my site a few months ago to demonstrate.Tony Dayoubhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04632329277519635858noreply@blogger.com