Friday, June 17, 2016

Happy (Almost) Weekend!

Some Friday morning LOLZ--after the last week, I think it's in order.


I know they're out there, and I kinda get it. I mean, I get the beef people have with the company. But the movies? C'mon. If Inside Out doesn't make you feel ALL THE FEELS, then I don't know what will. 

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Alligator Attack at the Grand Floridian

My heart hurts for Orlando. They are not having a good week down there.

Today's news *is* Disney-specific, though -- and, as a new mother who is counting the days until she can take her child to Disney, I cannot even begin to imagine what it must be like to be in this situation.

The details, by now, are all over the news: a family of four from Nebraska was vacationing at Disney and staying at the Grand Floridian. The monorail resort is on the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon, a man-made lake (along with the Polynesian). Last night, the family was by the water, the little boy waded in and...I can't even type the words. You can read The Orlando Sentinel's account here and NPR's account here.

I'm purposefully staying away from the comments section on this story, because (1) my heart can't take it; (2) I also can't handle another internet-parent-shaming vitriol and (3) I don't want to read about the Disney-blaming which I'm sure will ensue.

My $0.02:
It was an accident. A horrific, terrible, tragic accident. No, there aren't signs posted warning about alligators in the lagoon (although I'm sure there will be now), but then, there wasn't really a reason for there to be. It's a man-made lagoon and Disney doesn't keep alligators in there (for obvious reasons). There are signs prohibiting swimming in the lagoon, but I'm sure the lack of specific warning will fan some fires.

I did read a piece on CNN about the attack being a "perfect storm," namely the time of day, the time of the year, and the prevalence of alligators in Florida. (The ABC news segment I watched this morning -- which of course I can't find the link to now -- even mentioned that the number of alligators in unusual places is rising, perhaps due to encroachment.)

But, what I was reminded of today was a piece from Carl Hiassen's Team Rodent: How Disney Devours The World. I'm considering focusing on evil/villainy in my Decoding Disney course next semester, and one of the things I wanted to discuss was the conversation surrounding Disney-the-Company-as-Evil, and Hiassen is a big part of this conversation. He writes:

"Imagine promoting a universe in which raw Nature doesn't fit because it doesn't measure up; isn't safe enough, accessible enough, predictable enough, even beautiful enough for company standards. Disney isn't in the business of exploiting Nature so much as striving to improve upon it, constantly fine-tuning God's work. 
Lakes, for instance. Florida's heartland is dappled with lovely tree-lined lakes, but the waters are often tea-colored from cypress bark. For postcard purposes, tea-colored water was deemed unsuitable for Disney's World's centerpiece, Bay Lake, so in the early 1970s Team Rodent sprang into action--yanking out many of the cypresses, draining the lake, scraping out the bottom muck, replacing it with imported sand, then refilling the crater. All this was done to make the water bluish and therefore more inviting to tourists. For good measure, Disney even added beaches. 
(My own Bay Lake fantasy: sneak in one night and dump a truckload of hungry bull gators in that lovely deep-blue water. I know friends who'd be thrilled to help, and who also have experience in the transport of large crocodilians. My conscience is all that's stopping me--the Magic Kingdom is not a safe place for a reptile, and I fear the alligators would be systematically hunted down and trapped, or worse.) [my emphasis]
While Hiassen's fears are founded (the NPR piece mentions that five alligators were found on the property today and euthanized--a not uncommon practice, it seems), this passage seems particularly chilling--and I can't help but wonder how Hiassen feels. I'm sure he feels for the family--but does he feel that Disney is getting what it deserves? (It is very clear that he is no fan of the company.) Does he regret the hypothetical? Or did he just assume that it was so preposterous that it was safe to play the "what if" game? And, having read Hiassen's book, I can't help but wonder...what effect will this have on Disney? The company can't escape the press coverage, but will its reputation be affected? (I imagine the Grand Floridian will see a drop-off in bookings...)

Again, another conversation/post I wish I didn't have to have...my heartfelt sympathies to the family and to anyone else involved.

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Disney Donates $1M For Orlando Victims

Big news tonight: Disney is donating $1 million to the OneOrlando Fund "to assist those affected by the tragic events in Orlando." 


In addition to their donation, Disney has announced that they'll match, dollar-for-dollar, every (eligible) donation made by their employees. They're also providing free accommodation for the families and friends of the victims as well as opening several blood donation centers across the properties.

My $0.02:
I linked to the official announcement from Disney on their blog -- better to get information from the original source -- but I originally read the news from Entertainment Weekly via Facebook. And I'm shocked by all the people who are trolling Disney saying they're not doing enough. (Although, maybe I shouldn't be surprised. There's also a comment about how Disney bans people with tattoos from entering their parks which...no. Just no. Yes, cast members have to cover their tattoos while working, but that's another matter entirely.)
And, to be fair, there are a lot of people defending the donation -- and I agree with them. Disney didn't have to do anything -- although, given their presence in Orlando, it would have been a major PR disaster if they hadn't. But again--they're a business. They don't have to make a donation. And as for the amount? Those saying that "a million dollars" isn't enough...I don't think any amount would be.

I just wish this conversation didn't have to happen at all.

It's a world of laughter, a world of tears...

...It's a world of hopes and a world of fears. 
There's so much that we share, that it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all."

One of the things I wanted to highlight today was the response of the theme park employees in Orlando -- specifically Disney, although employees at Universal and SeaWorld are showing their support in similar ways. (See guests at Universal Studios Orlando raise their wands to honor the fallen -- I dare you not to cry.)

While the response was motivated partly through a loss of several of their own, I would like to think that they're not just mourning those few -- that they're mourning everyone whose life was cut tragically short that day. Again, I don't want to delve too much into the politics of it, or my personal opinions--I just want to show the beautiful way Disney employees are showing their support and solidarity:

"Ohana"means "family." "Family" means no one gets left behind.

Only love can thaw a frozen heart.

Disney World Cast Member Kevin O'Brien has been collecting and posting photos of the hearts (and similar tributes across Orlando) on his Facebook page. You can see them herehere and here


And, I think it's also worth noting that Equality Florida has set up a GoFundMe page for the families of the victims. They initially had a goal of $100,000 and quickly surpassed that. At my last check, they had raised about $4.4 million. (It's a record-setting crowdfunding campaign -- which gives me a little hope, in light of all the sadness.)

If you're thinking about donating (or not donating), as I did, just remember: there's so much that we share, that it's time we're aware, it's a small world after all..."

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Moana Teaser Trailer!

It's finally here! A teaser trailer for Moana!


I am beyond excited for this movie -- despite the fact that I know very little about it.

Thoughts:

  1. LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA. That is all.
  2. I love, love, love the sequence with the tattoos. It's done in the "traditional Disney" 2D style, and it kinda reminds me of the muses and the Grecian urns in Hercules. 
  3. The computer animation is gorgeous as well -- this is going to be a beautiful film. 
  4. It's interesting that the teaser trailer features The Rock's character, Maui, rather than the titular protagonist....I'll try not to read too much into that.
  5. Many people are already commenting on how The Rock is of Samoan descent--very important since this is one of Disney's "diverse films." (This hasn't really been an issue for Disney lately -- in their more recent films they have used voice actors that match the ethnicity of the characters, like Asian-American actors for Mulan, but still.
I *really* hope that this princess movie continues Disney's forward progress. They have a great momentum going from Frozen, and I'd love to see Moana be a spirited, independent princess with agency. 

And wouldn't it be great if there was no love story? 

Prayers For Orlando

I try to keep political thoughts and opinions off of this blog, but after today's heartbreaking news, I feel like I have to share this Instagram post from one of my favorite Disney artists, Karen Hallion:


My heart hurts for all the people affected--such senseless violence and it doesn't matter whether we label this as a domestic terrorist attach or a homophobic hate crime. Hate motivated this person, and I cling to the belief that hate will never win. #lovewins

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Little Mermaid at The Hollywood Bowl

Ever since it was announced that there would be a live concert of the music of The Little Mermaid at The Hollywood Bowl, I had been clinging desperately to the hope that there would be a live broadcast -- even if they did it at a theater and you had to pay admission.

Sadly, this did not happen.

But, luckily, we live in the age of YouTube. That way, even though I couldn't see it in person, I can at least watch the YouTube videos. (Sure the quality is less than stellar, but it's better than nothing.)


I think the casting choice I was most excited about was Rebel Wilson as Ursula. I'm not gonna lie -- "Poor Unfortunate Souls" is one of my all-time favorite Disney songs, and topping Pat Carroll is no easy feat. I'm not saying Rebel Wilson sings it better, but she does it justice.

Titus Burgess was Sebastian in the Original Broadway Cast, so you know he's gonna nail it.



I am excited that John Stamos as Chef Louie made it onto YouTube -- it's such a ridiculous character and song, but I love it. 


Friday, June 3, 2016

Not So Fast, Netflix Users

So, one of the big pieces of news this week was that Disney and Netflix were teaming up.


That's right--soon (well, soonish -- in September), Netflix subscribers would be able to access every single Disney movie exclusively via the streaming service -- including Marvel and LucasFilm movies.

But it's Disney, so there's a catch.

That catch comes in the form of the somewhat-annoying-but-undeniably-ingenius Disney Vault: that elusive, mysterious place where all Disney movies hide at some point in their lives -- like a semi-permanent retirement community for Disney's money-makers. Every so often, usually around a "big anniversary," a film will come out of the Disney Vault, usually digitally remastered or with some exclusive content or in some new format (DVD! Blu-Ray!), and always only for a limited time.

Like, I said. Merchandising gold. You've taken a ubiquitous product and made it special and exclusive and only available for a short period of time.

Netflix, however, would change all that: after all, if you subscribed to Netflix and you could watch the movies any time you wanted, why would you buy the special edition DVDs?

Chances are, you probably wouldn't.

So, despite the Internet's typical over-reaction, you won't be able to watch every Disney movie: some of the older movies will still be available (probably to garner interest in older, less popular films) and the newest films will be available as well. I would imagine that watching Zootopia or Finding Dory on Netflix might be akin to watching it on HBO or Starz or whatever TV channel Disney used to have the agreement with.



Thursday, June 2, 2016

"Disney" and "Flop" Do Not Often Appear in the Same Sentence

Yikes.


Leaving aside all the personal drama involving Johnny Depp, I'm really not surprised by this. (Full story here.)

The first Alice seemed so promising -- if there was ever a director who you would think would perfectly capture Lewis Carroll's Wonderland, it would be Tim Burton. And with a cast that included Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Stephen Fry, and Alan Rickman (RIP, Snape)...well, it seemed like it would be amazing.

And...it wasn't. I was so excited about this movie -- Alice is one of my favorite novel -- that a group of friends and I splurged and saw it in IMAX (the REAL IMAX in downtown Raleigh; not the IMAX screens they have in some movie theaters). 

Now, I'm rather picky when it comes to adaptations (particularly of adaptations of my favorite books), and while some of the connections to the original source material were clever, I remember walking out of the theater really disappointed. 

And the trailer for Through the Looking Glass looks predictably lackluster. I was planning on seeing it for two reasons only: (1) it's Disney, and Alice, so...research? and (2) it was one of Alan Rickman's last films. 

Part of my skepticism, I think, lies with the screenwriter, Linda Woolverton...she also wrote the screenplays for Beauty and the Beast and Maleficent. But I'm still sorting out my thoughts on that issue...