Movie Review: Cinderella (1950)

World War II really brought the Disney Studio to its knees. After years of producing top-notch animated productions like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi, the war forced the studio to get by on cheaply made films which were enough to  make sufficient money to stay alive. In 1950, when all was better,  Uncle Walt decided to try to revive the magic of the animated film- with the same formula that made Disney, Disney. The musical fairytale.       

The 12th Disney Animated Classic, Cinderella was released in 1950 to acclaim and profits, and encouraged Disney to keep going. In the 62 years since it's initial release, this magical film has more than earned its status as a classic.
And for good reason. Cinderella is definitely one of the best Disney films ever made.

We all know the story so there is really no need to delve deep into it. Cinderella, the titular protagonist, is orphaned and forced to live with her stepmother and stepsisters. Reduced to a servant in her own home, Cinderella copes with the orders and demands thrown upon her every single day. Yet she dreams of a better life where all her dreams will come true. But when she falls in love with the kingdom's prince, it will take her courage, determination and sheer self sacrifice to make all her dreams come true. Either that or a Fairy Godmother, a bunch of singing mice and a perfect fit into a glass slipper.

Not bad for a pumpkin.

  
Cinderella is simply charming. No pun intended. The animation is soft and pretty, the songs are catchy and hummable and the story is very engaging. The climax of the story - where (Mild Spoilers!) Cinderella must race against time to fit into the slipper - is gripping and was definitely a nail-biter for me.
What stands out about this film is the characterization. Cinderella is sweet, determined and lovable (though she gets flak for being passive). Lady Tremaine, the stepmother, is genteel, proud but cruel and would give Mother Gothel from Tangled a run for her money. Cinderella's twin stepsisters, Drizella and Anastasia are goofy, cartoonish and simply caricatures of un-femininity. The Fairy Godmother is like everyone's grandmother, fussy and loveable. The King is pompous and scatterbrained. The Grand Duke is likeable and gets many a funny moment in the film.

"Talk to the hand!"

Supporting characters like the mice, Lucifer the cat and Bruno the dog are memorable and contribute many of the film's laugh-out-loud moments. And there's also the Prince.

Like I said, the animation is gorgeous. Backgrounds are lush and detailed, and characters in the foreground seem to have a sense of realism. The animation is so well done, it's almost like characters were rotoscoped (they weren't, so put that thought out of your head!). Cinderella and Lady Tremaine in particular are the most realistic-looking characters. But not to the point of looking creepy. It's very beautifully done. Two scenes stood out for me in particular, both iconic moments in film history. The first is the "Sing Sweet Nightingale" sequence, where Cinderella cleans the floor amid hundreds of floating bubbles. The other was, of course, the transformation scene, particularly when the Fairy Godmother transforms Cinderella's rags into that beautiful gown. To think that was hand-drawn is mind blowing.

Hand drawn. Believe it.

  
Cinderella has never been one of my favorite Disney films. I'll be honest.I think I have seen it a grand total of three times. Compare that with my favorites like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Aladdin among others, which I have seen more than two dozen times each. I have always enjoyed Cinderella from a distance, never truly embracing it as one of my all time favorites. That still hasn't changed upon my most recent viewing this month. The film is sweet, pretty and feel good with some great scenes and music. Does it stand alongside the best of the best at the lofty Disney heights? It kind of does, but still doesn't feel "epic". It's a rather middling film. Don't get me wrong, Cinderella is amazing. But for me, personally, it doesn't do that much to rank it among my all time favorites.

"Are you on Facebook!?"

If you like Disney animation, especially musical fairytales, you'll love Cinderella. The film is a delight from start to finish and you'll definitely find yourself humming the songs long after. 62 years later, this film is still high on the entertainment value. Combine that with the aggressive Disney Princess marketing and Cinderella is more than just a film- it's a brand. But it's a brand that the Disney Company should be- and is- proud of.

Perfect fit!

Overall, a fantastic, magical film. If you haven't seen it, watch it now!

RATING: ★★★★ (Very Good)

Walt Disney's Cinderella is now available for the first time on Blu-ray as part of Disney's prestigious Diamond Collection. Buy it now from Amazon (US). Visit the official Cinderella site here.

Bee Yourself!

This week, I have been doing some serious introspection. I was thinking back to when I was in high school, and how I was so different from what I am today. I used to be awkward, shy, and a total introvert. Although I still am those things, though not as much as I was all those years ago, I also used to have some serious self-image issues. I used to feel that I wasn't good looking enough, unpopular, and just pathetic all around.

So today I would like to share with you, how I deal with my own self-acceptance issues. I hope through this I can inspire a lot more young people who are going through what I used to for so long.

5 WAYS TO...

1. The Mirror Exercise: This always works for me! It's easy: stand in front of a mirror and pretend that you are looking at yourself through the eyes of an outsider. Now, speak to your reflection out loud. I know it sounds weird but trust me, it works. Pick out your best features and compliment yourself. For example, "Wow, your eyes are so beautiful!" or, "I love your hair!" or "You have such a bright smile!" It's a great way to see what others find attractive or beautiful in you.

2. Don't fit in for the sake of it: It's sad to see kids trying desperately to be "cool" and ending up doing drugs and drinking and the like. If you don't want to do something everyone is doing, don't do it! It's that simple. You'll thank yourself later. Be happy in your own little ways. Going along with the crowd will do nothing for you.

3. Make friends: Life is always much easier to go through with friends by your side. But not just any friends. Personally, I am very picky about who I make friends with (see? I'm not perfect!) But I do so because I like to surround myself with thoughtful, positive people, who help me be the best I can be, not people who discourage me and put me down. You will know on your own who's going to be with you till the end of the school year and who'll be by your side till you die.

4. Don't Bother! So you don't like the way I dress? I couldn't care less! You don't like my hair? Bite me if you dare! (I also write poetry) Just don't think twice over what people may say to you. The fact that they may say mean things to you shows that they have their own insecurities to deal with. So not worth your time! Move on...

5. Don't forget to LIVE: Remember that you are in control of your own life. Nobody else will ever get to live your life no matter what. Be grateful for all that you have, your family, friends, material blessings and the like. Once you realize that your life is yours and yours alone, you will know that you must make the most of it. Pursue your hobbies, follow your dreams! Stop worrying about trivial things because they are tiny specks of sand in the great desert of time. The more you are thankful for your own life, the happier you will be. Haters? Let them hate. It doesn't matter to you

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is You-er than You.” 

                                                      - Dr.Seuss

The Most Inspiring Scene From Aladdin? YEAH!

Now tell me: What are YOUR ways to be yourself? Share your own points in the comments!

Country American Idols Have a Good Sales Week (and Phillip Phillips too!)

As Phillip Phillips continues to sell a bunch more downloads of his hit single "Home", the best selling album sellers among the American Idol alumni continue to be the country stars. Leading the way as usual is Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" which sold another 16,000 copies to push here total to over 800K (809K to be exact, orange line on my BillBoard chart) and place her #27 on the BillBoard Top 200. The two country Idols from Season 10 also both had good weeks, with Scotty McCreery's "Clear As Day" selling another 2,000 units (1.113 million total, green line on BillBoard chart above) and Lauren Alaina's "Wildflower" selling about 1,000 (294K total.) Even though Kelly Clarkson is not officially country, she is nominated for a CMA and will be performing on the show, so she must count as country too! Kelly sold another 4K of "Stronger" to push her total to 934K and place her at #97 on the chart. Kelly only needs 4 more weeks on the chart to remain on the BillBoard 200 for a full year (the dark red line on my chart). Phillip Phillips did not want to be left out of album sales and his EP continues its solid pace with 2K more to place him at #172 on the chart (blue line above) and total sales of 82K. Two other albums of note are Mandisa's "What If We Were Real" which stays in the Top 200 again this week at #166 (2K more which should put her at 214K total) and the Sparkle soundtrack which is listed this week at #191 with total sales of 67K. Since the Sparkle album was missing from the sales list for the last few weeks I am guessing at its sales between being at 49K on Aug 29th and its 67K now.

Some other folks missing numbers on the sales charts are the other contestants from Season 11 with compilation EP albums. Skylar Laine and Hollie Cavanagh are again listed on the sales list, each with sales of about 1,000 (33K total for Skylar, 13K for Hollie) but Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez are again missing from the list. I guess I will just leave their lines blank for now and we can all guess! I could try estimating the numbers for Skylar, but I will leave her spaces blank too, just for fun.

A New Beginning

This is it! Today I am officially 21! And honestly, it's an amazing feeling, just since it's my birthday.
I have so much to be thankful for, I don't even know where to start! I have the best parents in the whole world, amazing friends, wonderful family, and everything I have ever wanted and then some! What more could I ask for?

I told my parents firmly that I don't want any celebration for my birthday. No party, no dinner, nothing of the sort. All I want is a peaceful, quiet dinner, just my parents and me. I think that would be nice.

Today I am 21. And like every year, I am a year older. I compare myself with what I was like last year and I couldn't be more different! In one year alone, I have achieved so much, changed so much, made more memories, I even look different! I can honestly say that I am proud of myself. I wouldn't change anything right now.

Looking back at 21 wonderful years of love, happiness and joy, I feel a little overwhelmed. Happy times, sad times, difficult times, I've seen them all.

That said, I now look to the future. Here's to the next 21 years! I'm ready. Bring it on!

It's a new beginning, and you're invited for the ride!

Hurray, American Idol Album Sales Numbers!

After a full two week hiatus, we finally have numbers for all of the American Idol album sales back on Idol Chatter. Using my sophisticated subtraction skills that I learned in elementary school, I can also back track and figure out the raw numbers for last week as well. My first graph above is the BillBoard 200 chart, and now that Scotty McCreery's "Clear As Day" (green line) has not charted there for 3 weeks, I have added Phillip Phillips' EP which has been charting ever since Scotty dropped out. That keeps the winners for the past two years on the BillBoard 200 since Scotty's EP came out last July. Phillip's EP drops to #156 this week (from #123 last week) with sales of 3,000 (80K total.) The other two Idols on the BillBoard chart are, of course, Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" and Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger". Carrie's sales are down substantially from last week , but still lead the pack with 15K sold (#24), bringing her total to 794K, just barely below the 800K mark. Kelly sold another 4K copies of her album to stay in the Top 100 again (#89) and bring her total to 929K. Mandisa popped back into the Top 200 this week with a good week with her 2K in sales (#170) bringing her total to 212K, and Bucky Covington's first week sales for his "Good Guys" album sold about the same to land him at #178 on the chart.

Another interesting tidbit in Brian's article was that not only Phillip's EP, but also Skylar's and Hollie's were listed on the sales list, with Skylar Laine selling about 1,000 to bring her total to 32,000 and Hollie Cavanagh selling less than 1,000 to bring her total to 13,000. I am curious what the total sales are for Joshua Ledet and Jessica Sanchez at this point. Jessica is supposed to release her album in the October/November timeline so she needs a single and some promotion to have sales that are worthy of any mention. And Phillip has now confirmed his album will release in December which makes a lot more sense than the early 2013 date they had mentioned before. Now there may be a battle this fall to see which American Idol winner can sell the most albums this holiday season, the Season 10 winner, or the Season 11 winner!

"Can I Have Your Number?"

This morning at college, I met a friend. Actually he was more of an acquaintance really. You know how you know someone by face and not really his/her name? That kind. It had been quite a while since I met him, to be honest, and talking to him was like meeting someone all over again.

Anyway, so we were chatting during our free period, and after about ten or fifteen minutes, he asks me, "Can I have your number?"

Umm...no!!!

"Okay, sure," I said, and we exchanged numbers. All throughout, I couldn't help but feel awkward. I barely know the guy! I thought. Why the heck did I give him my number!?

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I don't like to give out my number to anyone I have just met or know by face or who I barely interact with. It's a weird thing about me.
But what bugs me is how people I hardly know ask me for my number - and the fact that I give it out so easily! I just wish people wouldn't bring the phone number issue into a conversation. That really makes me dislike them a bit. Besides, it's my personal number, I can't just give it out to anyone and everyone!

I think it's great that people want my phone number, but come on, just don't ask me for it and complicate things.

Maybe the problem is with me - I simply can't say "No"! I just find it way easier to oblige rather to decline someone.

Sorry, Carly Rae Jepsen.

What about you? Do you find it weird when an almost-stranger asks you for your number? Or do you willingly oblige? Do you find it easy to say no? Or is it a problem for you like me? Don't forget to leave your number in the comments! Okay, kidding. But comment!

"Blown Away" Rockets Back into BillBoard Top 10

maroon = "Clear As Day", orange= "Stronger", blue = "Blown Away"

This was definitely not as good of a week for the American Idol album sales compared to last week unless your name is Carrie Underwood (or Mandisa.) Carrie's "Blown Away" saw a huge jump in sales to put her back into the BillBoard Top 10 at #8 with sales of 28K, putting her at 749K in total sales. Kelly Clarkson saw her sales drop, though, after a strong previous week, but with another 5K in sales she remains in the Top 100 for 44 straight weeks now, but her #74 position is her worst chart position to date. After three straight weeks back in the Top 200, Scotty McCreery's "Clear As Day" appears to have fallen back off the charts, but it did have 2K more in sales (1.108M total.) Initially it was not listed in Brian's sales article (which would have been its first week ever not listed there since release) but Brian appears to have updated his numbers! (Thanks again for the update, g1dragon!) I was also surprised to not see the "Sparkle" soundtrack listed after being in the Top 25 for the past two weeks. It seems odd it would sell 16K two weeks ago, 14K last week, and now not be listed at all on the sales list. The only Idols still on the Top 200 are Phillip Phillips with his compilation EP with 3K in sales (74K total) to place at #129, and Mandisa at #130 with her "What If We Were Real" which also sold 3K for a total of 208K. Her sales of over 200K is very strong for a Christian album so that is good for her!

There have been a number of album release dates announced recently which should make for some new data points coming out in the future. The most interesting is the current release date for Phillip Phillips studio album which appears to be not until January or February of 2013. That will be the first time since Season 1 that the winner's album was not released before Christmas of the winning year. It will be very interesting to see what effect that will have on his sales, especially selling in such a typically dead period of album sales during winter. Colton Dixon's Christian album should also be released at about the same time, with a lead single being released October 19. From the EP sales numbers so far from Joshua Ledet, Skylar Laine, Hollie Cavanagh and Jessica Sanchez, I think the best selling Idol release this fall will most likely be "Christmas with Scotty McCreery" which will be released on October 16. I bet all his fans will buy it up, especially now that Scotty has been snubbed by not being nominated for the CMA New Artist of the Year Award. That is pretty crazy to not even nominate him if you ask me. Just to help support Scotty I am embedding his video for the pre-order of his album, especially since it is so fun just listening to him talk!

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

When was the last time you sent a letter? No, not the electronic variety; the classic, old fashioned, pen-and-paper variety. No, I haven't sent one of those in a while either. But, yesterday, I did visit the post office to post a birthday card to my dad's brother. It was an experience...and a half.

Dad was at work, so he asked me to drop by the post office and post that card on my way home from college. My first reaction was, "Ugh, dad, really? Why don't you just call him, or send him an e-card instead?" And dad was like, "No, this is the proper way to do it." Umm. Okay.

"Just don't forget to take some glue along, unless you want to lick the stamps," said dad. Point noted.

Our post office. There's actually an older and grander building opposite.

So I made my way to the post office after college and proceeded to get that card posted. I last visited the post office in December last year, for, you guessed it, posting Christmas cards! The first step was to buy stamps. (Remember those? Yeah, they still exist!) I went up to the stamp sale counter and asked the woman sitting there, "Excuse me, how much worth of stamps do I need to put on this? It has to go to Australia."

She takes it from me, examines it like she's never seen a birthday card before and if I'm not mistaken, she actually smelled it. Once she was absolutely sure there was no gunpowder inside, she asked me, "Normal post?"

"Uhh...yes."

She then put it on the weighing scale on her desk. (Jeez, lady, its just a freakin' birthday card.) Once she was certain there wasn't an elephant hiding inside, she said, "Hearty Weight".

I don't think it's that heavy, really, I thought.

Again, I wasn't sure I heard correctly, I said, "Sorry?"

"Arty Freight!"

"What?"

"THIRTY EIGHT!!!"

Whoops. Blame the glass between us. I paid her the money, she gave me the most boring stamps she could find, looking at me as if I just wasted a precious minute of her life. (Come to think of it, I probably did.)

I found an empty chair and sat down and proceeded to stick the stamps on the envelope. Just then I realized, I forgot to bring glue! D'oh!

I sighed. Time to do some serious licking. Once I was happy with the stamp placement and had sufficiently grossed out everyone within a five-foot radius, I went outside and to the other office to have the card franked (that big blue or black ink stamp you see across the paper stamps).

CAUTION: SPIT!

Sadly, the woman who franks the letters wasn't there, and that was a shame, because I always love to see her acting like a mechanical robot, franking the letter and dropping them into separate little boxes which then are put into bags and loaded into a big red van and then are taken somewhere to be sent all over the world!

I just left the card there and went outside and watched some men loading a big red post van. How cool. I felt like jumping into the driver's seat and taking the van around for a spin. It's always been one of my childhood dreams to drive a post van!

The big red post van! With no driver...

Highly satisfied with the experience, and having completed my work, I went into "reflection mode". Why don't people send so many cards and letters anymore? Yeah, maybe it's a lot of work, plus, it's called "snail mail" for a reason, but it's really a lot of fun! The fact that a loved one far away receives something which was once touched, held, and written on by another loved one, is really romantic, isn't it? Taking the time to choose a perfect card, writing in it, carefully sealing and going to all the trouble of sending it, truly means that someone more than deserves your love. And every time you receive a letter or card, it means that someone cares for you enough to go to all that trouble!

I want to ask you now. When was the last time you sent a letter? Or a card? Did you do it out of formality or because you truly care? Here's your homework: send someone you love a letter or card and let me know how it goes!

Album Review: "Carrie Underwood: Blown Away" (2012)

"Blown Away" (c) 2012 Arista Nashville/19 Recordings

Carrie Underwood has always dared to walk on the wild side. On the exterior, she may look like your typical all-American blonde beauty, but within, she is loaded with ferocity and does not think twice before getting her weapons out. Arguably the most successful American Idol (yes, even more successful than Kelly Clarkson), the small town girl with the big voice makes a comeback with a vengeance. Her  fourth studio album, "Blown Away" released this May, and still remains steady on the charts (#2 on iTunes at the time of publishing this post!). "Blown Away" is the follow up to her successful but somewhat disappointing "Play On" (2009) and marks a new direction (of sorts) from the Checotah, Oklahoma native.

Considering, that four months have passed since the initial release of this album, I have to say that this review has been long overdue. As always, below I shall do a song-by-song review of the album (just because it's easier that way!) and give my overall thoughts and rating at the end.

1. "Good Girl" : Like I said, back with a vengeance! The lead single from the album, Carrie unleashes her fierce side with this song. Following the path set be her previous hits like "Before He Cheats",  "Cowboy Casanova" and "Last Name", "Good Girl" is an aggressive warning to a naive girl about thinking twice before falling for that guy. Fantastic way to open up the album.

2. "Blown Away": My favorite song and possibly the best on this album. "Blown Away" is so dark,so biographical and so irresistibly honest that I had this song on repeat even before I had heard the whole album! Brilliant stuff, this one, and really represents the entire album. Dealing with issues like household abuse is no easy feat, and just for that Carrie deserves praise, because it's her first time working with such dark material.

3. "Two Black Cadillacs": Another highlight of the album, and another dark song. It tells the story of two women arriving at the funeral of a man who cheated on them. Just listening to the lyrics gives me chills everytime. Awesome!

4. "See You Again": At song no.4, it's time to go back to the sunshine and goodness of classic Carrie. This is a feel good, sentimental song with pop overtones. Very listenable and friendly, and quite honest. I like it!

5. "Do You Think About Me": Again, Carrie returns to her politeness and friendliness and gives us a song wondering about whether her lover still misses her. It's the kind of song that would have been perfect for Lady Antebellum, but Carrie pulls it off with ease. It's these kinds of songs I love the most, just saying.

6. "Forever Changed": A beautiful ballad telling the story of a girl's mom who is battling Alzheimer's. It's heartbreaking and delivered with tenderness. The lyrical content is really deep and this is just a very well written song overall.

7. "Nobody Ever Told You": First there was Lady Gaga's "Born This Way", then Katy Perry's "Firework", Selena Gomez's "Who Says" and Pink's "Perfect". Not wanting to be left out, Carrie delivers "Nobody Ever Told You". An uplifting, positive song about loving yourself and not bothering about what people think about you. It's another first for Carrie and she does it her way. Very nice, and a must listen for all you people out there who, let's say, are a bit uncomfortable about your self image. Another highlight of the album!

8. "One Way Ticket": Who put this song on here!? Was my first thought when I heard this. It's a Caribbean/summer/beach song and is perfect for the summer, but just doesn't fit onto the album! Good song, but a bit out of place among all the power ballads and country songs... Hmm, anyway, "Grab yourself a drink with a pink umbrella..."

9. "Thank God For Hometowns": If you're from a small town (like me) you'll definitely relate to this song. It's sweet, nostalgic and makes you want to go home. Or at least call your mom and catch up a bit.

10. "Good In Goodbye": A song about letting go and saying goodbye. "Yes, sometimes, there's good in goodbye." An unmemorable song, but for a #10 track, good stuff.

11. "Leave Love Alone": A fun, pure country song, with no pretensions. Carrie is in her element like always! She stretches her powerful voice all over the place in this one while maintaining her country twang.

12. "Cupid's Got A Shotgun": Another loud, fast country song. Carrie describes the feeling of being "under attack" from love. Go Carrie! Fiddles all over the place! This song made me want to buy a pair of boots and do a hoedown. Or buy a shotgun.

13. "Wine After Whiskey": One of my favorite songs on the album. Reminds me of the Randy Travis type music. I always find myself humming this song at odd times. Really memorable and honest.

14. "Who Are You": This song can have two interpretations. It's either about a person who you love or just about God. I think it's two birds with one stone. Good song and a great way to close the album. Tip: If you're a church singer, this is a great choice!

Carrie Underwood can do no wrong really. "Blown Away" has some songs the kind of which she has never done before, and also some classic Carrie-sounding ones. The bad? After the first three awesome songs, Carrie kind of puts away her sword and becomes tame and predictable. The good? Almost all the songs are great, and while not entirely groundbreaking (as advertised) are great additions to your country collection.

Carrie tries very hard to make this album a crossover hit in the likes of Shania Twain and Taylor Swift, but in the end she has to settle for plain, safe ol' country. Don't get me wrong, this is a great album, just not as innovative and different compared to her previous albums. It's two steps forward and one step back. If you love country music, American Idol, or just Carrie Underwood, this is a no brainer. I suggest you buy this just for the fantastic first three songs!

RATING: ★★★★

What are your thoughts? Have you heard this album? Or plan to? Do you agree with my views? Comment! Let's get some conversation going! Remember, if you like my blog, you can "join" via the "Follow" button on your right! I'm also on Twitter @IAmGaryWright. See you there!