After last night on American Idol we now have 15 of the Top 20 specified with the final 5 decided tonight (okay, actually last night, but I will pretend I do not know that.) The first thing that struck me after last night's show ended was that there is no way we will have a repeat of last year -- having 3 short ladies in the Top 5. Last year we had Skylar Laine, Hollie Cavanaugh and Jessica Sanchez all in the Top 5, but this year only Janelle Arthur (and Adriana Latonio) seem to be that short. When Janelle was standing next to Rachel Hale, Janelle seemed a good 4 to 6 inches shorter. I do believe Rachel is fairly tall but Janelle looks tiny. Last week the shortest lady was Adriana Latonio, and she was the only one of the five that could be considered "short". I will have to see her standing next to Janelle to determine which of them is shorter. I actually remembered that Angela Miller was in the "Misfits" group with Janelle (and Breanna Steer and Kez Ban) so we can examine these two pictures to see if we can tell whether Adriana is taller than Janelle (using Angela as a frame of reference):
It would have helped if Angela and Janelle were standing next to each other in the group rounds picture, but I am thinking right now that Adriana might be shorter Janelle. I need better photos!
The other result I realized from last night was that there are now only two minors remaining in the competition, both at 17: Adriana Latonio and Charlie Askew. The three other minors (all female) were eliminated: Juliana Chahayed, Shubha Vedula and Jenny Beth Willis. I wonder when Adriana and Charlie's birthdays are, since I remember in the past having minors in the competition meant that contestants could not work as many hours and had to have tutoring to remain "legal". Knowing the ages of the first 15 of 20, I can now update my age distribution graph:
Along with the two 17 year olds, there are still five 18 year olds, keeping this a pretty young group. Of the last 10 guys tonight only Burnell Taylor is younger than 21, although last week two 18 year old guys made it through, Elijah Liu and Devin Velez. The 18 year old ladies are still represented well by Angela, Breanna and Amber Holcomb. Right now Tenna Torres is the lone contestant over 24, but tonight there are 3 guys who may stay to join her, Mathenee Treco (26), Nick Boddington (27) or Vincent Powell (29).
"It's A Beautiful Day" is the first single from Michael Bublé's upcoming sixth studio album, "To Be Loved". It's an uptempo song with pop overtones. Heavily recalling his previous hit, "Just Haven't Met You Yet", "Beautiful Day" showcases everything we love about Michael Bublé.
The song is fun, happy and cheerful, with lyrics that describe the end of a relationship without the sadness. I thought the song had a strange intro, with music reminiscent of a version of Jingle Bell Rock I've heard somewhere. Within seconds though, the song pulls you in and makes you want to sing along. "It's a beautiful day and I can't stop myself from smiling!" goes the chorus, lifting your spirits and putting a smile on your face. The sunny feel of the song makes you want to take a stroll through a park and whistle as you go.
Bublé's vocals are flawless, as always. His soft, smooth vocals shine, going into his upper register occasionally, but still sounding perfect throughout. I'm yet to find fault with any of his performances. The only minor gripe I have with this song is that comes across sounding a little to processed. Let me put it this way: it wouldn't be out of place in a bubbly TV commercial for some kind of breakfast food. Also, excuse the minor autotuning, which isn't really necessary, but isn't really noticeable either.
Overall, "It's A Beautiful Day" is a great song and is likely to be a big hit for Bublé. It's been a while since we've heard anything original from Mr. Bublé and fans are going to eat this song up. It's original, mainstream, pop-oriented and makes you feel good. In other words, a perfect first single.
RATING: ★★★★☆
"It's A Beautiful Day" is now available on iTunes. Download here. Michael Bublé's sixth studio album "To Be Loved" releases April 23, 2013. Check back soon for the full album review! Check out a preview of the lyric video below!
The powers that be that run American Idol desperately want a girl to win Season 12 of the show, and I know what they need to do that. They need the American Idol version of the hottest young actress in Hollywood right now - Jennifer Lawrence. Let me breakdown why "J Law" is so popular right now and why that is exactly what the lucky lady needs to win the competiton:
1) She is extremely talented but does not take herself too seriously. At the age of 22, Jennifer already has been nominated for two Oscars, and just won for "Silver Linings Playbook" on Sunday. Yet, she does not come across as some self involved artist always trying to improve on each little scene or take. She makes it look natural and not forced and never overdoes it. In interviews she admits she has little formal acting training and never talks like one of those serious thespians. Idol contestants should take note and not try to come across like they are the greatest vocalist to ever be born. They need to be good vocalists, but they definitely should not think they are!
2) She is very attractive, but not so gorgeous or too sexy to make females jealous. Jennifer has that kind of wholesome, healthy good looks that both guys and girls can appreciate. She is not some skinny, anemic waif, and has curves in all the right places. Plus she feels very comfortable in her own skin and looks like a real person. Fake people never get too far in life and never too far in American Idol. All of the latest "White Guy With Guitars" winners, have been good looking but very comfortable, easy going fellows that everyone seemed to like.
3) She is approachable, incredibly likable with a charismatic personality, and a great sense of humor. I think one reason she was selected over the other very talented actresses this year is because Jennifer is so easy to like. When the Academy members vote for the winners you know that goes through their minds when they are selecting who should win.
I love this interview she has when Jack Nicholson shows up and flirts with her. How could anyone not love her? American Idol contestants should remember that just being an excellent vocalist is not how you win the show. You need people to really love you so they will vote for you non-stop for hours. If Jennifer Lawrence were on the show she would get tons of votes and stay in the competition.
So learn from Jennifer Lawrence all you American Idol contestants! Work not only on your singing, but on being yourselves, being personable and being lovable. Make it easy for people to love not just your singing but your whole personality. That is what it takes to be the next American Idol. I think it is more difficult for a talented, attractive woman to have the "likability" factor that Jennifer Lawrence (and Anne Hathaway too) possess in large quantities. Good luck to all of them and may the odds be forever in their favor.
I watched last evening's American Idol episode with my 15 year old son who was more busy watching for his school to be cancelled for the following day (it was!) The first batch of 10 guys performed, and I was not overly impressed with any of them. I was curious to see how the WhatNotToSing ratings would look for them and I was surprised what some of the scores were, especially compared to Wednesday night lady performances. Curtis Finch Jr. scored a 71, tying Angela Miller and ending up higher than Amber Holcomb. I much preferred Devin Velez's performance since I cannot stand to watch Curtis perform (he sounds much better when I close my eyes and just listen to him.) I was also surprised with how low of a score Elijah Liu received. I knew he did not sound that great last night, but I thought he was still better than Charlie Askew. Like many people I was also surprised that JDA did not make it to the top 5 last night over Charlie. I am not sure why Charlie is getting so much love from the judges since he grates on my nerves. It will be curious to see how far he gets in the voting rounds.
For fun I took the 20 ratings from this week and graphed them, color coded by gender:
The light pink are the ladies that made it, the darker red are the ladies who did not, the dark blue are the guys that made it, the light blue are the guys that did not. Charlie and Elijah sit unusually on the low end surrounded by eliminated contestants. Isabelle at 53 remains the highest rated eliminated contestant. Of the 10 that are moving on, 7 of them rated at least a 50, with the only one besides Charlie and Elijah not reaching that level being Tenna Torres.
Of the top 5 rated contestants from this week: Kree Harrison, Angela Miller, Curtis Finch, Amber Holcomb and Devin Velez, I still can only see a gal winning from that group. Despite strong vocals, Curtis just rubs me the wrong way and I see him going the way of Mike Lynch, Jacob Lusk or Joshua Ledet, strong singers who just cannot connect with the voters enough to actually win over other favorites. I see Kree and Angela as the ones to beat with Amber and Devin still too unknown to see what will happen with them. We will have to see who they will have to compete against next week!
If there is one thing I love it is numbers and I was happy to see that WhatNotToSing is already compiling numbers for web ratings for American Idol Season 12. Last night the first set of 10 ladies sang and WNTS already has preliminary web ratings of their performances. The current rankings has 4 of the judge selected top 5 the same, but has Isabelle rated slightly above Tenna Torres. In my own opinion I do not think that makes that much of a difference since I doubt either Isabelle or Tenna would have made the Top 10 anyway. Of the top 4, the biggest surprises were Amber Holcomb who I had not even noticed much before and Adriana Latonio who also has not received as much screen time either. Angela Miller and Kree Harrison are now set up as female front runners, but both need some tweaking to be able to win the whole thing. Kree definitely needs some "style tips" if she wants people to vote for her in large numbers, and Angela has to make sure she does not develop the dreaded "early front runner" syndrome (never living up to her original performance from last week.) Of the two of them, I believe Angela definitely has much higher "win-ability" right now, but she has to make sure people do not tire of her always being consistently critiqued as amazing week after week.
Tonight is the first group of 10 guys and I will be curious to see who remains from them.
What a phenomenal year for animation 2012 was. In fact, it was so good, that the Academy couldn't even fit all the amazing movies into one category (think: Rise of the Guardians). All five of this year's nominees are bold, dynamic and expertly crafted. I'd go so far as to say that 2012 was a landmark year for animation in general.
The Oscar race for Best Animated Feature is just that this year- a race. And it's a tight one. For the first time, anyone could win. Pixar's winning streak was broken last year by Rango, but can it re-establish itself as an Oscar baby with Brave?Will Tim Burton finally win his very first Oscar for Frankenweenie? Will Aardman pick up anotherOscar like they did with Wallace and Gromit for The Pirates!? Could underdogs LAIKA grab their first Oscar for ParaNorman? Or will it all come down to the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios' Wreck-It Ralph, which proved that they still have what it takes to reclaim their hold on the animation industry (without buying out every company out there)?
Let's take a look at each film, shall we?
ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATED FEATURE- 2013 1. BRAVE (Pixar Animation Studios):Brave received a lot of press for being Pixar's first feature film with a female protagonist. The movie is a technical marvel, with Merida's fiery hair and Scottish highlands looking unbelievably real. However, critics weren't too receptive of the movie, calling it a retread of past Disney fairytales and lacking in emotional value. That is somewhat true, but Brave stands far above standard kiddie animated fare. Pixar has won the Best Animated Feature Oscar six times (four of which were in a row), but this time, the competition doesn't make its prospects look very bright. The Academy might actually consider Pixar's history and not give it this award. But than again, Pixar is considered an Oscar favorite, and Brave isn't as bad as Cars 2, so you never know. MY RATING: ★★★★ Read my detailed review of Brave here.
2. FRANKENWEENIE (Tim Burton Productions): Tim Burton has only been nominated for an Oscar twice, once for Corpse Bride in 2005, and now for Frankenweenie. This time around, he could actually win his Oscar- and make his fans rejoice. Frankenweenie is far superior to Corpse Bride and is inventive, unsettling and full of heart (yes, Tim Burton movies are the only movies where "unsettling" and "full of heart" go together). Artsy and completely black and white, this is the kind of film that the Academy goes nuts over. And it doesn't hurt that it's a loving ode to classic horror movies like Frankenstein. I say that this has the strongest chance of winning the trophy. MY RATING: ★★★★1/2
3. PARANORMAN (LAIKA): LAIKA returns to it's creepy stop motion roots (Coraline) with ParaNorman. ParaNorman is as good as Coraline, if not better. It's genuinely scary, mature and tells a really solid story. It's also notable for featuring animation's first openly gay character, for which it probably deserves its own set of awards. The animation in ParaNorman is brilliant and some of the best stop motion work I've seen. All in all, a great movie and deserving of the Oscar. MY RATING: ★★★★1/2
4. THE PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS (Sony Pictures Animation/Aardman): The Pirates! is a surprisingly funny, vivid and fun movie. Does it have Oscar written all over it? I'd say no. Of the five nominees, I'd put this in the lower half. It's richly animated, has a laugh out loud moment every few seconds and has a solid story at its core. Voice acting is top notch and it is overall, a very good film, but I just don't see this one winning the Oscar. But then again, Wallace and Gromit has won before, so who knows? MY RATING:★★★★
5. WRECK-IT RALPH (Walt Disney Animation Studios): After the infamous Tangled snub in 2010, it's time for Disney to take it all. I want Wreck-It Ralph to win, personally. It's brilliant. The animation quality, writing, voice acting, and music all add up to create a modern Disney classic that can stand alongside movies like Cinderella and Aladdin. Disney animation has been on an upward trend recently, after a creative slump in the early 2000s, and Wreck-It Ralph proves that the magic is still alive. Walt Disney Animation Studios has shown that it can give Pixar and DreamWorks a run for their money. If Wreck-It Ralph wins this, it will be the very first Best Animated Feature Oscar for Walt Disney Animation- another reason I want it to win. MY RATING: ★★★★1/2 Read my detailed review of Wreck-It Ralph here.
So there you have it! It's a petty tight race, and I can see any film apart from Pirates! (and perhaps ParaNorman) winning, but then again, who knows? I predict that Frankenweenie will win it, because it's artistic and old fashioned. Which I don't have a problem with, because it's a really good film. Personally, I want to see Wreck-It Ralph win it. It's high time Disney Animation gets the Oscar.
But then again, ParaNorman could be the dark horse and surprise us all. I think Brave or Pirates! winning would be a pretty major upset (I personally know people who will smash their TVs). Side note: I think it's cool that three of the five movies (Brave, Frankenweenie and Wreck-It Ralph) are all distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. Also, three of the five (Frankenweenie, ParaNorman and The Pirates!) are stop-motion. Pretty cool facts.
It all comes down to the evening of February 24 at the Dolby Theatre. Stay tuned!
lt green = Phillip, orange = Carrie. lt blue = Kelly, dk blue = Colton
I am not sure if it was the dual wins of Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood on Grammy night, or just having American Idol Season 12 move out of audition mode, but all the American Idol albums saw nice numeric sales increases this week, with most of their BillBoard placement rankings improving. Leading the pack was Grammy winner Carrie Underwood who saw her "Blown Away" album increase sales by 70%, selling 24K units and placing #27 on the BillBoard album chart, its best placement in 6 weeks. Her total increased past 1.3M to 1.308M which means I had to increase the upper limit on my chart again! Kelly Clarkson saw not only the sales of her more recent "Greatest Hits" album jump 46% (16K to reack 284K), but also her Grammy winning "Stronger" album jumped 116% with 8K in sales to reach 1.031M. Both albums also placed on the BillBoard Top 100 albums, with the "Greatest Hits" album at #45 and "Stronger" at #70. That means her 24K in sales for those two albums matched the 24K Carrie sold for "Blown Away". Carrie also sold 3K copies of "Play On", 3K copies of "Some Hearts", and 2K of "Carnival Ride", so she sold 32K total albums this week. Whew! Between Carrie and Kelly they sold 56K albums together this week.
The male American Idols with albums also saw sales increases this week. Season 11 winner Phillip Phillips saw his "World From the Side of the Moon" increase 23% to 19K to bring his total to 713K (#35 on the album chart) which is a slight improvement from last week. Colton Dixon's "A Messenger" had a sales decrease from 10K to 7K this week, but in 3 weeks he is still in the Top 100 at #83 with total sales of 38K. Scotty McCreery and Casey James both saw nice increases in their sales as well, with Scotty selling another 2K of his "Clear As Day" album (1.157M) and Casey adding another 1K to bring his total to 71K.
I never actually do single reviews, just albums, but hey, I couldn't resist this one! It's also my first music review of 2013!
"Almost Home" is a new single released to promote the upcoming Disney film Oz: The Great and Powerful. In addition to the already "great and powerful" promotion Disney is doing for this movie (they want it to be a big hit), they've also roped in megastar Mariah Carey to lend her incomparable vocals to the movie.
When I first heard the announcement of a tie-in single, I immediately thought of the 1990s, when stars would sing big ballads over the end credits of movies (think Celine Dion in Beauty and the Beast and Titanic, Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey in The Prince of Egypt).
When I heard the single, every Mariah Carey song of the 1990s came back into my head. The inspirational lyrics, the uptempo beat, the mid-range belting, everything. "Almost Home" isn't your big "up the mountain" ballad. It's fast paced, its engaging, it's classic Mariah, and it's actually really good.
The standout of this song is the fact that Mariah returns to her roots- no rappers, no breathy, airy vocals, just her, belting out- and you know what? Turns out she still has that voice! The song starts out solemn, reflective then swells into a bigger something with a beat like that of a heart. "You're almost home, almost home" she sings, reaffirming us with her ever familiar voice. "Open up your eyes and go...you're almost home"
The last minute of any Mariah song is the big "moment", my fellow music fans will agree. "Almost Home" continues the tradition. Mariah sings like nothing else matters, putting her all into the last minute. She doesn't reach into her impossible whistle register, but gives a brilliant and confident performance.
The negatives? I find it hard to relate this song to the movie. Both seem to have different vibes and sensibilities. Sure, one can equate 1939's The Wizard of Oz with the "home" theme, but in the case of Oz: The Great and Powerful, it seems slightly off. Of course, we don't know exactly how the story of the movie will unfold but the song and movie don't seem like they have much in common. Of course, though, we'll be hearing this song play over the end credits, and I trust Disney will make it work (there's a music video coming soon as well).
Last year, her "comeback" song, "Triumphant" wasn't exactly the big return everyone was expecting. It was rushed, embarrassing and a plain mess. With "Almost Home", Mariah Carey returns to remind us what a gifted performer she is and how few can measure up to her. This song recalls Mariah in her 90s glory with a similar beat and structure. This is the comeback she needed.
RATING: ★★★1/2 Mariah Carey's "Almost Home" is now available on iTunes. download here. Disney's Oz: The Great and Powerful opens in theaters March 8. Keep checking back for the full movie review! Watch a preview of the upcoming "Almost Home" music video below!
It's that time of year again! All eyes are on the mother of all awards shows- the Academy Awards. Since I love animation of all kinds, I figured the natural thing to do would be to do short reviews and predictions of the animated shorts and movies nominated this year. Let's do it! ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM- 2013
1. PAPERMAN (★★★★★) Paperman played in theaters before Disney's Wreck-It Ralph back in November 2012. Personally, I loved it as much as I loved Wreck-It Ralph itself. The story of a young man in New York City usi ng nothing but paper planes to get the attention of a pretty girl is just magical. Everything about this short works perfectly, the pacing, music and animation. Speaking of animation- this is the first time Disney has employed a new animation technology hat blends CGI models and classic hand-drawn animation seamlessly. The effect is smooth and flawless and reminds us of good old 2D animation.
2. ADAM AND DOG (★★★★1/2) Adam and Dog is a new vision of the story of Adam and the Garden of Eden. When Adam meets Dog, they form a quick friendship that lasts beyond Adam and Eve's banishment from the Garden. The animation is breathtaking even though it's hand drawn, with character designs reminiscent of high quality anime. The only thing lacking in this is the story, which isn't too robust.
3. FRESH GUACAMOLE (★★★1/2)Fresh Guacamole is less than two minutes long, but pulls you in with it's whimsy and sheer imagination. This crazy twist on making guacamole using nothing but household items (think Christmas lights, grenades and baseballs) made me think "What on Earth-?" more than once. The animation is claymation and looks really good. But the winner in this short is the concept itself.
4. HEAD OVER HEELS (★★★1/2) I liked Head Over Heels, but not that much. The story is about an elderly couple who, let's say, don't see eye to eye. As a student of English Literature, I TOTALLY got the symbolism in this short, which was genius. Using a simple "upside down" concept to portray opposing points of view was really inspired and unique. However, it didn't move me as emotionally as the creators intended it to, nor did I find the characters endearing in any way.
5. MAGGIE SIMPSON IN THE LONGEST DAYCARE (★★★★) I think it's great that The Simpsons are getting recognition at the Oscars in some way, shape or form. This short, which played in theaters before Ice Age 4, features toddler Maggie Simpson stuck in daycare, and trying to stop an "evil" kid from killing a caterpillar. Loaded with wit, emotion and innovation, the short is one of the best Simpsons pieces ever. I was afraid that a short centering on such an iconic character might detract from the story, but it works a million times better. We see Maggie Simpson as never before and kind of fall in love with her all over again. The animation is brilliant, even better than standard TV quality, and the tenderness and sentiment of the short shine through.
PREDICTIONS: I say Paperman should win, not just because it's innovative, but simply because it's the best. The perfect combination of story, music, characters and staging make it an instant classic. My NEXT pick is Adam and Dog, which also has beautiful animation and tells a good (albeit slight) story. It still manages to pack in ample emotion which Oscar judges are nuts over. The other three are nearly as good, but don't quite match up to the charm of Paperman or the grandeur of Adam and Dog.
Short note: You've probably realized that ALL five of the above shorts have one thing in common- they're all silent. A testimony to the power of sheer visuals and storytelling, which only animation can do.
Purely on the basis of sheer storytelling and animation, my top pick is Paperman, followed closely by Adam and Dog.
We'll find out who takes home the coveted trophy on Sunday, February 24!
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: After weeks of consideration, I have finally gone and done the unthinkable: changed the address of my blog! Past readers will remember that this blog was originally under the address: www.iamgarywright.blogspot.com, but NOW I have decided to revamp that and change it permanently to www.garywrightonline.blogspot.com.
I did this because, hey, my blog's not even a year old and I like to constantly keep tweaking stuff here and there. I also think my new address sounds a bit more professional and polished.
Another thing for you to note is that even thought the address is different, that doesn't mean that ANY of the content will change! This blog has a new name, but still has the same heart. Keep coming back for, well, basically everything that catches my interest!
Oh, and if this is your first time coming here, then welcome! Do make sure to Follow my blog (if you have a Google account then it's super easy), follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Instagram! Have a great day!
The 1990s was arguably the most revolutionary time not just for the Walt Disney Animation Studios, but for animation in general. After the phenomenal success of 1989's The Little Mermaid, there was a creative awakening of sorts. Disney realized what truly made them great in the first place- great stories, magical music and groundbreaking animation. Films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, and Pocahontas followed, all of which are considered true animation classics. This was the period of the great Disney Renaissance. Critical reception and box office profits soared, and "Disney" became a household name for a new generation.
The period from 1989 to 1999 is generally regarded as the Renaissance decade. Released towards the end of it in 1998, Mulan was another great success. Its winning combination of beauty and brains- lavish animation, stirring songs and a solid story- have made it another Disney classic today.
Set in ancient China, Mulan tells the story of a spirited young girl who strives to bring honor to her family. Rejected by the local Matchmaker as someone who would never make a suitable wife, Mulan does what any one of us would have done- steals her father's armor, disguises herself as a man and rides off to fight the Huns in her father's place (you would have done the same thing too, right?). On her journey to prove herself, Mulan is joined by her guardian dragon Mushu, and Cri-kee the lucky cricket. What follows is a grand tale of courage, determination and valor, as Mulan proves that you can do anything you set your heart to.
Everything in Mulan works perfectly. The animation is some of the best hand-drawn work you'll ever see, with beautiful representations of Chinese landscapes and motifs. The very opening of the film is gorgeous, with watercolor strokes on parchment. The blending of traditional Chinese symbols and traditions with modern sensibilities is done really well. Look out for dust clouds that resemble spiral smoke as seen in Chinese paintings, tender pink blossoms and beautiful backgrounds.
The music is as beautiful, with stirring tunes that you'll never forget. The biggest and most memorable song in the film is "Reflection", wonderfully performed by Disney legend Lea Salonga (also the singing voice of Jasmine in Aladdin). Other songs like "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" and "Honor To Us All" provide a great way to move the story forward. Mulan is also pop singer Christina Aguilera's claim to fame; her version of "Reflection", as heard over the end credits propelled her to stardom.
What sets Mulan apart from many Disney movies is the themes it explores. This isn't a story of a girl wanting to go to a ball in a fancy dress and fall in love with a prince. Neither is it one where the princess waits atop a tower to be awoken by true love's first kiss. In Mulan, our heroine takes her fate into her own hands and has her priorities straight- honor and duty to family first, love life second. Mulan's quest for upholding the family honor eventually becomes a story of a girl determined to prove herself, as is witnessed in a gripping scene where she retrieves an arrow from the top of a pole. The climactic battle atop the imperial palace is her moment- and also is one of the best Disney fights ever. I can personally say that of all eleven Disney Princesses, Mulan ranks really high on my list. She's also one of the strongest and most well-balanced Disney characters ever.
Two scenes in the film are standouts- the first where Mulan decides to run away and take her father's place, cutting off her hair in the process. The second is a snow covered battle against the Huns- the sheer spectacle of this scene rivals the wildebeest stampede in The Lion King. The use of CGI wasn't the first time for an animated film- but is possibly one of the most effective ever.
Like every Disney film, Mulan isn't all about drama and battles- there's plenty of tasteful humor and lighthearted moments- courtesy Mushu (well voiced by Eddie Murphy) and Mulan's fellow soldiers, Chien-Po, Ling and Yao. Eddie Murphy as Mushu isn't exactly the show-stealer the filmmakers wanted him to be, but still works well.
As for the Disney Villain, I can honestly say that Shan-Yu, the lead Hun is deadly and terrifying. He doesn't have magic powers or a crazy sidekick, but is just downright bad. Everything from his voice to character design have been done superbly. While Shan-Yu may not be the greatest Disney Villain, his time during the film is definitely scary. Let's just say that I would not like to cross paths with him.
All in all, Mulan remains to this day one of the crown jewels of Disney Animation. The perfect combination of story, music, characters and humor makes this not just one of the greatest Disney Classics, but one of the greatest animated films, ever. I struggle to find a single fault, because everything is so marvelously balanced and treated with so much reverence. Ignore the whispers of Asian stereotyping, there's nothing in there. Mulan is nothing less than a winner.
Like Mulan's father says, "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all."
RATING: ★★★★★
Disney's Mulan will be available for the first time ever on 15th Anniversary Special Edition Blu-ray March 2013. Pre-order it now from Amazon!
Now that we have an official Top 40 for Season 12 of American Idol it is again time to generate my age distribution for the contestants. Once again the ladies on average are much younger than the guys. In the past the older contestants tend to be eliminated first, especially the older ladies. We will see if that happens again this year. I pulled my numbers from a post at MJ's Big Blog with the ages so I hope that is correct with all the ages. The year by year breakdown is posted above with the youngest contestant being 15 year old Juliana Chahayed who sang "Landslide" for about 10 seconds on air this week. There are also six other ladies 18 or younger, Amber Holcomb, Adriana Latonio, Angela Millier, Breanna Steer, Shubha Vedula and Jenny Beth Willis. The only two from there I remember hearing much buzz over are Angela (heavily featured) and Shubha (somewhat) so I am not sure how well the others may fare. I also decided to group the age brackets in 3 year groupings:
So in terms of contestants under 21, there are 10 females and 4 males. But for contestants over 23, there are 10 guys and only 5 gals. Surprisingly there are three ladies 28 or 29, Cristabel Clack, Kamaria Ousley and Tenna Torres, and two guys in that same upper end of the age range, Kevin Harris and Vincent Powell. Out of those 5, I only can remember Cristabel (somewhat) and Tenna (barely) and I have no recollection of the two guys.
We will see how well the younger and older contestants fare this year.
green = Phillip, orange = Carrie, lt blue = Kelly, dk blue = Colton
For a second week there are four American Idol albums on the BillBoard Top 100, with the Season 1, 4 and 11 winners leading the way. With their Grammy nominations, performances and wins, both Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson continued to have strong sales. Kelly's Grammy winning "Stronger" album saw the highest percentage increase in sales (up 51% to 4,000 units) to place at #128 on the chart, but her newer "Greatest Hits" album (which includes her latest single, "Catch My Breath") still outsold it, selling 11K to land at #48 and reach 269K in total sales. Carrie's "Blown Away" saw only a modest increase, but still sold 14K to land at #41 with total sales now of 1.285M. Carrie also had three other previous albums sell at least 1,000 units this week. Despite seeing a slight 6% drop in sales this week, Phillip Phillips' "The World from the Side of the Moon" sold another 16K to lead all the Idol albums at #36. His total is now at 694K and hs should break 700K next week. Last weeks Idol leader, Colton Dixon, saw his sales drop the most in typical second week fashion, but with 10K in sales he sits at #55 on the chart with two week sales of 32K.
Other Idols listed in the weekly Idol chatter sales chart include Scotty McCreery's "Clear As Day" which sold another 1,000 to reach 1.156M on week 71, and Casey James who added another 1,000 himself to reach 70K.
Love it or hate it- you can't ignore it. That's right, the annual festival of fluff, the celebration of sappy, the carnival of corny...you get the point.
It's Valentine's Day. Again.
Don't get me wrong. I'm super supportive and encouraging. What's better than a day celebrating love? No, my reason for writing this is for all my fellow perpetually single people out there- who have no idea how to celebrate such an insanely hyped and commercialized day. Just broken up? Join the club!
So here are
Gary Wright's TIPS FOR SURVIVING VALENTINE'S DAY (IF YOU'RE SINGLE or JUST NEED HELP)
copyright Matt Groening/ The Simpsons
1. Count on Movies: Movies are proven to alter your mood.Watch an action or horror movie (or, I also recommend an animated one, but not a romantic one- think Pixar). Some ones that would work are the Scream series, Die Hard, or the Toy Story franchise (if you can put up with Barbie and Ken). Stay away from the Notebooks and Titanics that will be on TV all day long. 2. Get Out: Paint the town red. Or some other color, since red is the color of Valentine's Day. Spend the day with your single friends and make all your "in a relationship" friends super jealous. Hit the mall, get a pizza, buy some new clothes...need I go on? 3. Spread the Love: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! Well, I don't mean threesome (awkward pause). BUT show some love! Make breakfast for your parents or roommate or send a gift to a lonely person anonymously. You don't have to be part of a couple to spread the love. Make a change in your own little way.
4. Love Yourself: Yes, I'm back at the "love yourself" cliche. But it's true. You have to accept that the fact that you're awesome and even though you're not half of a couple, it doesn't mean that you're any less amazing. Look in the mirror and tell yourself "I rule!" Go shopping and buy yourself something nice. Pamper yourself at the spa. Just don't sit at home and mope. You won't be helping anyone, not even yourself.
5. It's Just A Day: Right? You don't have to be committed ON Valentine's Day, do you? Who knows, with all your awesomeness, you may not be single by the end of the year (wink wink).
So those were MY tips for surviving the day of love. Remember, if you think you're pathetic, you will be. Consider yourself to be the best and you will be! You don't need a romantic relationship to make you happy. The kind you see in Nicholas Sparks movies is something reserved for delusional people who aren't happy with what they have.
Have a great Valentine's Day and make it one to remember, irrespective of your "relationship status"!
I watched the two hour show of American Idol Wednesday night with the guys competing, and I will have to say it was not overly entertaining. At least the solo show Thursday evening let us see a few of the guys shine, but only a few. I definitely could not pick out the next Phillip Phillips or Scotty McCreery from this group. One thing that needs to develop soon is some engaging relationships between the new contestants. In the past five seasons I can always think of a "bromance" or implied romance that kept viewers interested in just watching the relationships that grew between the various contestants:
Season 7: David Cook and Michael Johns Season 8: Kris Allen and Adam Lambert Season 9: Lee DeWyze and Andrew Garcia Season 10: James Durbin and Stefano Langone (and the implied possible romance between Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina) Season 11: Phillip Phillips and Heejun Han
Notice in each of the last five seasons the winner was part of a bromance except for Scotty's case where he was instead in the possible romance with Lauren. I think showing a male contestant who displays that they can have a tight relationship with another guy helps with their likability and gives them more votes.
Season 7:
Season 8:
Season 9:
Season 11:
In Scotty's case for Season 10, since he was under age that may have seemed creepy if he "man crushed" on some guy over 18, so instead everyone speculated on a possible country teen romance between Lauren and him (McLaina) and watched their relationship develop. Scotty and Lauren ended up having just a close, platonic friendship which is "bromance"-like in that way, and that relationship worked well in their promotional activities leading up to their album releases:
Out of the guys on Season 12 of American Idol it will be interesting to see if any bromances develop. If any of these guys want to win, I believe it is statistically in their best interest to find one!
It's February and I am right smack dab in the middle of preparations for my college finals! It's going pretty well, if I may say so. My first exams are on March 9, 11 and 12, all English Literature (Novels, Drama and one about Forms and Movements- kind of like history). Then a SIX WEEK break (plenty of time to study) for Psychology which is on April 22, 23 and 24. Then- I GRADUATE! Or, that's the hope, given I don't fail (I like to be pragmatic about things).
Apart from studies, I'm doing what I always do- live a super nerdy life centering around Disney, animation, movies and TV. I could get used to this.
I'm also happy to announce that you can not only read me on this blog, but I am now a news writer for The Rotoscopers website! Isn't that cool? I get to follow two of my passions- writing and animation- at the same time! I've already written a few pieces- one about Pixar's Blue Umbrella short, another about the 2013 Animation Oscar nominees and another one about The Little Mermaid's 3D Cancellation. It's been fun and I really look forward to writing a lot more!
Aside from all this, my life is pretty cool. I'm happy with my place and that's what matters!
Now that Phillip Phillip's "World From the Side of the Moon" has been released for 11 weeks, it saw sales of 16K this week to drop him out of the BillBoard Top 25 for the first time, landing at #26. But to make sure a Season 11 Idol is still in the Top 25, Colton Dixon's "A Messenger" debuted, selling 22,000 copies to land him at #15 on the BillBoard 200 and #1 on the Christian Chart. That is a respectable number for a Christian album, and even compares well to the Season 10 efforts by 4th place finalist James Durbin (28K first week) and 3rd place finisher Haley Reinhart (20K.) That is not too shabby for a 7th place finisher releasing an album at the end of January.
The only other Idols in the BillBoard 200 this week are yet again Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. Carrie's "Blown Away" saw a nice sales boost, selling 13K copies to bring its total to 1.271M and land her at #34 this week (from #37 last week.) Kelly's Greatest Hits album stayed about the same as last week in sales (9K, 258K total) but dropped slightly with more debuts to land at #49. Interestingly "Stronger" sales stayed about the same as well (3K, 1.019M total) and it was able to stay on the BillBoard Top 200 again, at #180.
Looking at the Idol Chatter album sales list, it is interesting to see four Carrie Underwood albums listed, with "Play On", "Some Hearts" and "Carnival Ride" all continuing to see some sales. Daughtry's debut album also showed up with sales of 2K. Jason Castro's "Only a Mountain" sold another 1K, as did Scotty McCreery's "Clear As Day", and the two Caseys (James and Abrams) with their debut albums.
After the post-War success of Cinderella and the lukewarm response to Alice In Wonderland, Walt Disney turned to yet another literary classic for his next big animated feature: J.M. Barrie's play and novel, Peter Pan. Peter Pan is a film that is carried almost entirely by children- children are the heroes of the story while adults are either villains or reduced to the background. The story combines every element of childhood fantasies- swashbuckling pirates, beautiful mermaids, mysterious Red Indians and sparkling pixies- into a story that pushes the boundaries of imagination. Shadows have a life of their own- and are sewn back on with a needle and thread. Crocodiles swallow alarm clocks and chase after pirates. With faith, trust, and a little bit of pixie dust, children fly off following the "second star to the right".
The story itself is slight, but fantastical nonetheless- when young Wendy Darling is reluctant to "grow up", she, along with her brothers, fly off to Neverland- where no one ever grows up- with Peter Pan, their hero. There they meet mermaids, Red Indians and a rag-tag bunch of Lost Boys, and face off against the nefarious Captain Hook and his pirate crew.
Like many book-to-screen animated adaptations, this one too, glosses over the dark and grim incidents in the original book. We are never told who Peter Pan is or how he comes to visit you- all we know is that the children- Wendy, Michael and John- believe.
There are plenty of unique characters to keep the film entertaining. Peter Pan is stubborn, reckless and immature, in perfect contrast to Wendy, who is on the cusp of growing up, and is cautious, independent and motherly. Michael and John are mere supporting characters, but as Wendy's brothers, get important moments in the film. Tinker Bell, who was later to be given her very own CGI spin-off series, is a supporting character as well, but her moments are true highlights of the film. The Lost Boys, who aren't really explained, carry the bulk of comic moments and also account for much of the film's padding (not unlike the mice in Cinderella).
Captain Hook, the villain, is something of a mixed bag. He's cantankerous and ridiculous at one time, but comes across as a real threat the next. Why exactly he is hell bent on beating (killing?) Peter Pan, I have no idea. Hook gave me the impression of being a villain just for the sake of being a villain. His most pathetic moments involve a crocodile who has swallowed a clock, which makes for many scenes of physical humor. I can't say that Hook is one of the greatest Disney villains ever, but he certainly is memorable. His pirate crew, apart from the likeable (and hilarious) Smee, don't really lend much except comic relief.
If you're expecting great, classic Disney tunes, you won't find them here. With the exception of the opener, The Second Star To The Right, the songs are forgettable but still enjoyable. Some songs, like the one at the Red Indian camp, don't even move the story forward in any way. I was disappointed that Hook didn't get his own villain song.
Which brings me to the animation, which is simply magical and gorgeous. Lavish scenery, soaring visuals and sparkling pixie dust make this film a visual treat.Standouts are the exquisite and painstaking sparkles that surround Tinker Bell, all the character movements, and the flight sequence where the children fly over London. Voice actors lend themselves really well to the characters, which makes them all memorable.
Peter Pan comes across as a male-dominated film with characters like Peter, Hook, Michael, John and the Lost Boys. Nonetheless, there's plenty that will keep girls entertained. Wendy and Tinker Bell are the major female characters that have strong personalities and only seldom fit the stereotypical "damsel in distress" Disney Princess image of the 40s and 50s.Tinker Bell especially is the breakout star of the film. Her fiery personality has been toned down in recent CGI spin offs, but she remains endearing and one of Disney's greatest female characters. Wendy, on the other hand, is supposed to reflect our own personalities. Her initial reluctance to "grow up" is highlighted in the beginning, and by the end we really see her mature into a young lady.
Like most Disney animated movies of the 1940s and 50s, I didn't watch Peter Pan as a very young child. I was around ten when I saw it (the same age I saw Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone for the first time) and I remember not being too fond of it. Perhaps because I grew up with the Disney of the 1990s with films like Aladdin, The Lion King and Toy Story. Now, watching it a decade later, I still haven't changed my opinion of this movie. No doubt, it's good. But it doesn't do much for me like the movies I mentioned above. I seem to be having this problem with most of the 1950s Disney movies (except Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty). The biggest problem with Peter Pan (for me, at least)would be the story. There is little or no emotional investment for viewers. The story is overly episodic and is brought down even more by slapstick comedy. One can ignore the unnecessary scenes involving Red Indians and mermaids which don't mesh well with the story, and only provide whimsy and childhood fancy, but in the end there simply isn't much take-away value. It doesn't linger in your heart or mind long after. And for me, that's a serious problem. The lightweight character of the film just doesn't do anything for me the way previous films like Pinocchio, Dumbo and Bambi have.
I was disappointed that Peter Pan didn't really involve or move me. Most of my fellow Disney fans praise this movie and rank it really high, but I just can't bring myself to love it. Have I been spoiled by Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph?
All weaknesses aside, Peter Pan still holds up as a genuinely fun, harmless, lightweight movie. It's messages of being young, fearless and pure of heart no matter what age you are shine through. Although it isn't one of my personal Disney favorites, that doesn't mean I don't recommend it. Peter Pan is high-flying fun for all.
Second star to the right, and straight on till morning!
RATING: ★★★★ Walt Disney's Peter Pan is now available for the first time on Blu-ray as part of Disney's prestigious Diamond Collection. It also happens to be celebrating it's 60th Anniversary! Buy it now fromAmazon! Visit the official Peter Pan site here. More Disney Classics Reviews: *Frozen *Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs *Cinderella *Wreck-It Ralph *Mulan
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