Let's just get this out of the way! If Bernie Sanders is the Democratic nominee for president in November, I will support him both with my vote and financially.
That being said, I don't think that will be happening. I hope not.
In 2008 I made a tough choice and decided not to caucus for Hillary Clinton and gave my support to Barack Obama when I lived in Washington. It was a tough choice because I knew both of them would make an excellent presidents. I feel I have been correct in my choice aside from a few disagreements in policy (education and his terrible education secretary specifically), I think Barack Obama has been an excellent president. The history books will be kind to his presidency and not so much to the racists who disrespected him and the do nothing obstructionist Congress he had to deal with during much of his presidency However, had Hillary won in 2008 I believe she also would've had a successful presidency. In 2008 we were lucky to have at least two strong choices for President of the United States.
2008 is NOT 2016. I'm not feeling the Bern.
The thing is I've known about and have liked Bernie Sanders for many years (which is more than I can say for some of his obnoxious followers) I used to listen to a liberal radio station called Air America. Every Friday, host Ed Schultz would host a chat with Bernie Sanders about current issues. Bernie Sanders is a smart, caring man. Bernie Sanders has a lot of great ideas. I am glad Bernie Sanders is running for president because he brings in conversations to the race that otherwise might not be happening. But I don't think Bernie Sanders would make a good president.
As I said Bernie Sanders has great ideas. However, I am not convinced that he can bring many of his ideas to fruition. To me Bernie Sanders is a bit like that friend you may have had in high school or college who smoked a lot of weed. When he smoked, he would pontificatr about these great ideas he had to change the world, but then when the buzz wore off he needed a nap and sometimes forgot he even had the ideas. The revolution was over!
That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but I am not convinced that Bernie can make any of his ideas happen if he is president. President Obama has brought far less radical ideas to an obstructionist Congress and had them shot down. Now granted I believe there is a lot of underlying racism as to why this Congress has behaved toward Obama as they have, but there is no way Congress is going to let any of Sander's ideas fly. No way. Not one. I also don't think he has the leadership skills or charisma to negotiate with them to accomplish anything.
Out of all of the candidates both Republican and Democrat who are still running for President only one has the skills and understanding of the U.S. political system to get things done and that person is Hillary Rodham Clinton. I think she will be President, and if she is elected she will be an excellent President. She will take on the strong legacy that President Obama will leave her and continue to make it grow. She will be a much better president for public school teachers and students than even President Obama was. I trust that she will work hard to accomplish the things she believes in.
I believe that after the caucuses in Nevada and the primaries in South Carolina Bernie Sanders, a great man, is running on borrowed time. When I vote in the Massachusetts primary on Tuesday for Hillary Clinton, I hope my vote brings the Sanders candidacy one vote closer to its end so that Hillary Clinton can start running for President against the person she really needs to be running against, the Republican candidate for the President of the United States and for the future of our country.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Saturday, February 27, 2016
My Definitely Not Confident Oscar Predictions
My movie super bowl is finally here! The Oscars this year have more unpredictable categories than usual. So without further ado here are my nominations
Best Picture: This category is usually said and done at this point, but not this year. There is a three way race for this and either The Revenant, The Big Short, or Spotlight could win.
Will Win: The Revenant
Should win: Room
Should have been nominated: Inside Out
Best Actor: Done and done
Will win: Leonardo DiCaprio
Should win: of the nominees probably Leo, but I could make the case for Michael Fassbender
Should have been nominated Jacob Tremblay Room
Best Actress: Also fairly done
Will win: Brie Larson Room
Should win: Brie Larson Room
Should have been nominated: Rooney Mara Carol. In this category.
Best Supporting Actor: Probably not the sure thing some people think
Will win: Sylvester Stallone
Should win: probably Sylvester Stallone, one of Hollywood's greatest comebacks ever, but I'd cheer hard for Mark Ruffalo winning.
Should've been nominated: Idris Elba. He's so good in Beasts of No Nation And this one nomination could have softened the whole #Oscarsowhite controversy
Best Supporting Actress: a lot of fraud in this category with at least two leads up for a supporting award.
Will win: Alicia Vikander The Danish Girl, but she's a lead. She's one of the two Danish Girls.
Should win: I like Rooney Mara's performance the best, but Jennifer Jason Leigh has the best supporting role.
Should've been nominated: Joan Allen Room
Best Director
Will win: Alejandro González Iñárritu The Revenant
Should Win: Lenny Abrahamson Room
Should've been nominated: Todd Haynes Carol
Best Original Screenplay
Will win: Spotlight
Should Win: Inside Out
Should've been nominated: There is no huge injustice here
Best Adapted Screeplay
Will win: The Big Short
Should win: Room
Should be nominated: no major snubs here either.
Others that I predict will win
Best Animated feature: Inside Out
Cinematography: The Revenant
Costumes: Carol
Documentary: Amy
Documentary Short: Claude Lanzmann: Spectre of the Shoah
Editing: The Revenant
Foreign Language Film: Son of Saul
Makeup and Hair: Mad Max Fury Road
Original Score: The Hateful Eight
Original Song: Til it Happens to You
Production Design: Mad Max: Fury Road
Animated Short: Bear Story
Live Action Short: Day One
Sound Editing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Sound Mixing: Mad Max: Fury Road
Visual Effects: The Revenant
Monday, February 22, 2016
Catching up on Oscar Movies Part 2: Actors that aren't going to win (probably)
Before I make my predictions later this week for who will win an Oscar Sunday and give my opinion on who should win, here are four movies with actors nominated who likely will not win.
Bridge of Spies: Any movie that has the word Spy in the title and does not star Melissa McCarthy is usually not for me, but the magical Steven Spielberg has managed to make one that did not bore me to tears. Tom Hanks, the Jimmy Stewart of our day, plays a lawyer who tries to do what is right by protecting a Russian spy even when no one thinks he should. Oscar Nominated Mark Rylance plays the accused spy, and he's such a good actor (he's extremely well known in the theater world) that he almost makes playing this part look easy. Anyone else who played this probably have acted it with a capital A, and it is to his credit that he didn't. What I liked most about this film is how it played with gray areas of morality. Why is a spy who comes to our country terrible, but a person we send to do the very same job in another country isn't? Spielberg is generally good at presenting these moral quandaries. This is mid level Spielberg here, but compared to most directors that's not too shabby
Bridge of Spies 7 out of 10
Trumbo- I didn't think I'd like Trumbo and frankly I dont think Oscar nominated Brian Cranston, a great actor, does anything particularly interesting here, but I ended up liking the story. Our country has made many bad choices in our history and blacklisting "communists" was one of them. I'm actually surprised the Academy didn't fall harder for this because it's a movie about making movies and the film takes an interesting and sometimes too light hearted approach to the subject matter. I do wish the great Diane Lane's character would have been more complex and I'm glad Helen Mirren wasn't nominated because her character really felt like an underwritten afterthought to me.
Trumbo 7 out of 10
Steve Jobs
I wanted to love Steve Jobs since I like everything Apple invents (except the watch) but I just liked it. Frankly, Michael Fassbender is who elevates the movie for me. Though he looks nothing like Steve Jobs, he really disappeared into the role. At times the Aaron Sorkin rat a tat dialogue is too much, and I didn't like how the film was framed around Steve Jobs making public announcements over the years. Kate Winslet is the only actor in any of these film's that I'm writing about today who could win, and aside from the unique Eastern European accent she speaks, I'm not sure why. Steve Jobs definitely had a lot of flaws but watch it for Michael Fassbender!
Steve Jobs 7 out of 10
45 Years-
I'm glad that Charlotte Rampling has been nominated for an Oscar after an amazing career, but it is her character that gives me the most pause about the movie 45 years. She plays a woman who finds out a secret about her husband after 45 years of marriage and there lies the problem for me. The secret doesn't feel that devastating. However, Rampling's character is devastated and she acts that part very well. I'm not saying that this character doesn't have the right to feel that way, but I just had a really hard time understanding it. I thought a lot about the movie after it was over. It definitely challenged me even if I didn't necessarily love it.
45 Years 7 out of 10
All 7s. Jackpot!
My next blog post will be my Oscar predictions and my favorites of their choices! Look out for that.
Bridge of Spies: Any movie that has the word Spy in the title and does not star Melissa McCarthy is usually not for me, but the magical Steven Spielberg has managed to make one that did not bore me to tears. Tom Hanks, the Jimmy Stewart of our day, plays a lawyer who tries to do what is right by protecting a Russian spy even when no one thinks he should. Oscar Nominated Mark Rylance plays the accused spy, and he's such a good actor (he's extremely well known in the theater world) that he almost makes playing this part look easy. Anyone else who played this probably have acted it with a capital A, and it is to his credit that he didn't. What I liked most about this film is how it played with gray areas of morality. Why is a spy who comes to our country terrible, but a person we send to do the very same job in another country isn't? Spielberg is generally good at presenting these moral quandaries. This is mid level Spielberg here, but compared to most directors that's not too shabby
Bridge of Spies 7 out of 10
Trumbo- I didn't think I'd like Trumbo and frankly I dont think Oscar nominated Brian Cranston, a great actor, does anything particularly interesting here, but I ended up liking the story. Our country has made many bad choices in our history and blacklisting "communists" was one of them. I'm actually surprised the Academy didn't fall harder for this because it's a movie about making movies and the film takes an interesting and sometimes too light hearted approach to the subject matter. I do wish the great Diane Lane's character would have been more complex and I'm glad Helen Mirren wasn't nominated because her character really felt like an underwritten afterthought to me.
Trumbo 7 out of 10
Steve Jobs
I wanted to love Steve Jobs since I like everything Apple invents (except the watch) but I just liked it. Frankly, Michael Fassbender is who elevates the movie for me. Though he looks nothing like Steve Jobs, he really disappeared into the role. At times the Aaron Sorkin rat a tat dialogue is too much, and I didn't like how the film was framed around Steve Jobs making public announcements over the years. Kate Winslet is the only actor in any of these film's that I'm writing about today who could win, and aside from the unique Eastern European accent she speaks, I'm not sure why. Steve Jobs definitely had a lot of flaws but watch it for Michael Fassbender!
Steve Jobs 7 out of 10
45 Years-
I'm glad that Charlotte Rampling has been nominated for an Oscar after an amazing career, but it is her character that gives me the most pause about the movie 45 years. She plays a woman who finds out a secret about her husband after 45 years of marriage and there lies the problem for me. The secret doesn't feel that devastating. However, Rampling's character is devastated and she acts that part very well. I'm not saying that this character doesn't have the right to feel that way, but I just had a really hard time understanding it. I thought a lot about the movie after it was over. It definitely challenged me even if I didn't necessarily love it.
45 Years 7 out of 10
All 7s. Jackpot!
My next blog post will be my Oscar predictions and my favorites of their choices! Look out for that.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Catching up on Oscar movies Part 1: Three docs and the Revenant
Once Oscar nominations are announced I do my best to catch all the Best Picture, Director, Acting and Screenplay nominees. This year I caught all of those, and all of the nominated documentaries thanks to Netflix. This year's group of five is a strong group, and they are much better than what they nominated last year. Here are reviews of the three I watched most recently.
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom
I am not a big fan of documentaries that are just footage with minimal narrative structure, and Winter in Fire comes close to being that. I wish it had gone into a little more depth into the "characters" in the film, but I was moved by how people in the Ukraine created a revolution to become a part of the European Union. Any Bernie Sanders supporter who thinks they are a part of some big revolution needs to watch this and walk away with their tail tucked between their legs.
Winter on Fire 7 out of 10
Cartel Land:
Cartel Land shows the impact of the drug trade on the U.S./Mexico border by telling the story from both sides of the border. It's a smart move because movies and docs about the Mexican drug cartel for better or for worse are a dime a dozen these days. The topic is an important one, by I glaze over a bit by how much it is covered. This movie gets to know the people behind the cartel and one of the freedom fighters on the U.S. Side trying to keep them out. All sides are treated fairly and as humans.
Cartel Land 7 out of 10
The Look of Silence:
This is a companion piece to the Act Of Killing. They are both about the purge of Communism in some Asian countries during the 1960s. I preferred this one. Both run a little tedious and both are difficult to watch. They show how nonchalant people can be about violence and murder, but The Look of Silence does one better by showing the power of forgiveness.
The Look of Silence 7 out of 10
And the one fictional film I watched was The Revenant. It is likely going to be the Best Picture winner and though it is definitely not my favorite movie of the year, I can see why it is taking that path. Everything about it is ambitious from the direction, the photography, and the performances. It is to the great credit of director Alejandro González Iñárritu that he has been able to create a film from such a brutal but quiet world and also make it entertaining. Tom Hardy gets the showy role, and he gets the chance to show why he will probably be collecting his own Oscar in the next few years. But the film is Leonardo DiCaprio's He has become the front runner luck for Best Actor partly because he has never won an Oscar but this is a worthy performance. In fact, it is rare that the Oscars award a role with so little dialogue. I was honestly turned off when I saw how long The Revenant was, but ended up being surprised by how entertained I was and how quickly it moved.
The Revenant 8 out of 10
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom
I am not a big fan of documentaries that are just footage with minimal narrative structure, and Winter in Fire comes close to being that. I wish it had gone into a little more depth into the "characters" in the film, but I was moved by how people in the Ukraine created a revolution to become a part of the European Union. Any Bernie Sanders supporter who thinks they are a part of some big revolution needs to watch this and walk away with their tail tucked between their legs.
Winter on Fire 7 out of 10
Cartel Land:
Cartel Land shows the impact of the drug trade on the U.S./Mexico border by telling the story from both sides of the border. It's a smart move because movies and docs about the Mexican drug cartel for better or for worse are a dime a dozen these days. The topic is an important one, by I glaze over a bit by how much it is covered. This movie gets to know the people behind the cartel and one of the freedom fighters on the U.S. Side trying to keep them out. All sides are treated fairly and as humans.
Cartel Land 7 out of 10
The Look of Silence:
This is a companion piece to the Act Of Killing. They are both about the purge of Communism in some Asian countries during the 1960s. I preferred this one. Both run a little tedious and both are difficult to watch. They show how nonchalant people can be about violence and murder, but The Look of Silence does one better by showing the power of forgiveness.
The Look of Silence 7 out of 10
And the one fictional film I watched was The Revenant. It is likely going to be the Best Picture winner and though it is definitely not my favorite movie of the year, I can see why it is taking that path. Everything about it is ambitious from the direction, the photography, and the performances. It is to the great credit of director Alejandro González Iñárritu that he has been able to create a film from such a brutal but quiet world and also make it entertaining. Tom Hardy gets the showy role, and he gets the chance to show why he will probably be collecting his own Oscar in the next few years. But the film is Leonardo DiCaprio's He has become the front runner luck for Best Actor partly because he has never won an Oscar but this is a worthy performance. In fact, it is rare that the Oscars award a role with so little dialogue. I was honestly turned off when I saw how long The Revenant was, but ended up being surprised by how entertained I was and how quickly it moved.
The Revenant 8 out of 10
Sunday, February 14, 2016
The Tarantino 8
Last week I finally caught Quentin Tarantino's eighth film, The Hateful Eight. I have to admit I procrastinated because of how long it was (almost three hours), but I was fortunate to catch it in all its 70 MM film glory. On a side, it also had a ten minute intermission, and I think this is a good idea for any film approaching the two and a half hour mark.
For me The Hateful Eight had all the amazing elements that I would expect from a Tarantino film. In this case, it has amazing cinematography, a sparsely but effectively used score, a strong ensemble of actors, and a clever script. There were time I sat there in awe thinking that Tarantino is a genius, and he is.
I did have some qualms about this film though. I think the film built toward this huge ending and I didn't think the end actually totally paid off (much like Kill Bill Volume 2). But my biggest problem was its almost gratuitous language toward minorities and women. I'm pretty tough skinned, and I get that in the Wild West of Wyoming they probably said the N word to refer to black people and the rough guys probably beat the crap out of women (Mexicans get it to a lesser degree in this film also), but do we need to see it in a film to the point that it feels like it's being hammered in our head. I'm also less concerned by Tarantino doing it in this movie than I was concerned about the reactions of glee from the audience. I think artists should not be censored, but I also think that comes with consequences and a bit of responsibility.
Aside from that, I was thoroughly entertained. The movie was well cast. I particularly enjoyed the performances of Samuel L Jackson (who really should have been a big part of the awards conversation this year), Walton Goggins, and especially Jennifer Jason Leigh. It was nice to see an actor who has spent her career playing dark twisted characters (very well I'd add) getting a chance to have some fun with one of those characters.
Ultimately, The Hateful Eight is mid level Tarantino , but it certainly makes for an interesting chapter to his collection.
The Hateful Eight- 8 (wow) out of 10
And while I'm here, this is how I'd rank his eight films. Note: I have not seen his Grindhouse film
8. Inglourious Basterds
7. Kill Bill Volume 2
6. Jackie Brown
5. Reservoir Dogs
4. The Hateful Eight
3. Django Unchained
2. Kill Bill Volume 1
And 1. Pulp Fiction
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Good Steve Bad Steve
Steve Carell has become one of the most interesting actors around. His iconic role in The Office certainly showed that he was a wonderful comedic actor, but in the last several years and in particular with his Oscar nominated role in Foxcatcher, he is showing he has quite an acting range. In 2015 he played two very different "dramatic " roles, and in these cases, Steve wins some and he loses some.
The Big Short shows how the great financial downturn of 2008 came to be. What could be as exciting as reading a bunch of Fortune 500 companys' financial reports, is both educational and entertaining thanks to a sharp script and the unique direction of Adam McKay. Characters break the 4th wall to explain to the audience some of the confusing and tedious parts of the financial chats. He incorporates celebrities like Anthony Bourdain and Selena Gomez to explain these confusing parts. What could have been condescending and eye rolling actually turns out to be quite genius, and it is especially helpful that the "trick" is used in perfect moderation.
The Big Short has a pretty amazing ensemble of actors that includes Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, but it is Christian Bale that is getting the lion share of the attention. Bale's role is certainly the most actory of the bunch with all of its twitches and quirks that zig zag that fine line between performance and going over the top. However, for me it was Steve Carell playing a grumpy caustic character who is actually the moral compass of the film. I looked forward to every scene that he was in and by the end i felt so dismayed by the people and situations who put as all into financial ruin, and it is only Carell's character that actually made any effort to save us. What starts off as a one note grumpy but funny character becomes an extremely complex character by the films end and Carell more than pulls it off.
By accident in the same week I saw the Big Short, I saw another film that Carell had a supporting role in. It is called Freeheld and despite the talent of Carell, Julianne Moore, and Ellen Page it is essentially a gay after school special. Freeheld is The true story of lesbian couple Laurel and Stacie whose lives were torn apart when Laurel became terminally ill. Later Stacie cannot inherit her pension because they are not a legally recognized couple. It is a sad story, and It is a story that happened to many gay couples in the very recent future and should not be forgotten. However, relatively early in the film I realized there just wasn't a movies worth of story there, and where there is no story the movie decides to preach. Though the preaching may be appropriate in context to how these women were treated by the law and by their community it does not make for a compelling film.
Steve Carell jumps in about half way through the movie as a stereotypical capital G gay and capital J Jewish activist who works to both help and exploit the couple. Carell has played a gay character to much better effect in Little Miss Sunshine, and I am not sure whose choice it was to have him play the role in such a way that makes some of the queens on Rupaul's Drag Race look subtle, but it doesn't work. Sadly neither does the movie.
The Big Short 8 out of 10
Freeheld 5 out of 10
The Big Short shows how the great financial downturn of 2008 came to be. What could be as exciting as reading a bunch of Fortune 500 companys' financial reports, is both educational and entertaining thanks to a sharp script and the unique direction of Adam McKay. Characters break the 4th wall to explain to the audience some of the confusing and tedious parts of the financial chats. He incorporates celebrities like Anthony Bourdain and Selena Gomez to explain these confusing parts. What could have been condescending and eye rolling actually turns out to be quite genius, and it is especially helpful that the "trick" is used in perfect moderation.
The Big Short has a pretty amazing ensemble of actors that includes Ryan Gosling and Brad Pitt, but it is Christian Bale that is getting the lion share of the attention. Bale's role is certainly the most actory of the bunch with all of its twitches and quirks that zig zag that fine line between performance and going over the top. However, for me it was Steve Carell playing a grumpy caustic character who is actually the moral compass of the film. I looked forward to every scene that he was in and by the end i felt so dismayed by the people and situations who put as all into financial ruin, and it is only Carell's character that actually made any effort to save us. What starts off as a one note grumpy but funny character becomes an extremely complex character by the films end and Carell more than pulls it off.
By accident in the same week I saw the Big Short, I saw another film that Carell had a supporting role in. It is called Freeheld and despite the talent of Carell, Julianne Moore, and Ellen Page it is essentially a gay after school special. Freeheld is The true story of lesbian couple Laurel and Stacie whose lives were torn apart when Laurel became terminally ill. Later Stacie cannot inherit her pension because they are not a legally recognized couple. It is a sad story, and It is a story that happened to many gay couples in the very recent future and should not be forgotten. However, relatively early in the film I realized there just wasn't a movies worth of story there, and where there is no story the movie decides to preach. Though the preaching may be appropriate in context to how these women were treated by the law and by their community it does not make for a compelling film.
Steve Carell jumps in about half way through the movie as a stereotypical capital G gay and capital J Jewish activist who works to both help and exploit the couple. Carell has played a gay character to much better effect in Little Miss Sunshine, and I am not sure whose choice it was to have him play the role in such a way that makes some of the queens on Rupaul's Drag Race look subtle, but it doesn't work. Sadly neither does the movie.
The Big Short 8 out of 10
Freeheld 5 out of 10
Friday, February 12, 2016
Teeny Tiny Movie Reviews
How this works is that the amount of words in the movie review match the rating I give it. So for example if I give it a 2 out of 10, the review will be 2 words long.
The Walk
6 out of 10 Vertigo inducing. Original documentary was enough
Grandma
8 out of 10 Lily Tomlin at her best. Provocative sweet story.
A brilliant young mind
7 out of 10 Autism plus math makes a compelling film
Hukkle
5 out of 10 Experimental. Lots of mundane sounds
Diary of a Teenage Girl
7 out of 10 Bel Powley is amazing. Unsettling yet funny
The Visit
4 out of 10 Grandparents are way scarier
The Walk
6 out of 10 Vertigo inducing. Original documentary was enough
Grandma
8 out of 10 Lily Tomlin at her best. Provocative sweet story.
A brilliant young mind
7 out of 10 Autism plus math makes a compelling film
Hukkle
5 out of 10 Experimental. Lots of mundane sounds
Diary of a Teenage Girl
7 out of 10 Bel Powley is amazing. Unsettling yet funny
The Visit
4 out of 10 Grandparents are way scarier
Thursday, February 4, 2016
In Defense of Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame
I've been listening to the Original Cast Recording of the new musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame which is based on The Disney movie from the late 1990s. I can tell from listening to the cast recording that there are problems with the show that may prevent it from ever making it to Broadway. However, listening to it made me nostalgic for the movie, which I loved and most everyone else viewed as a big disappointment for Disney.
The late 1980s to early 1990s were a peak time creatively for Disney. it started with The Little Mermaid and peaked with the Lion King . Shortly after that Disney seemed to put more of its resources into Pixar and its own animation studios suffered because of it. Tarzan, Hercules, Brother Bear and yes Lilo and Stitch were all creatively lackluster, and it seemed Disney animation was heading into a valley. However, Disney did a couple interesting Projects during that time. Long before Hollywood's call for diversity Disney had a hit animated movie with an Asian female character as the lead with Mulan. also just before that time came The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
In many ways it was ahead of its time. It may still be ahead of its time. Disney made a children's musical based on a book by the author of Les Misérables. What could go wrong? But that's the great thing about the movie. It somehow works despite its lack of mass appeal. That it was even able to exist at all makes me excited for the risks that artists every once in awhile are able to make.
So why might it not appeal to a mass audience? Well even though they made Quasimodo, the hunchback, a little cuter, Disney had to know that they weren't going to sell a bunch of Quasimodo dolls. Selling movie merchandise is where Disney really makes its money and there was just little potential for much financial success there Then there is the music. The base of the score is Gregorian chants. The songs weren't exactly under the Sea sing a long ditties (though God Help the Outcasts is one of the most underrated Disney songs ever) Then there is the matter of the villain of the movie. The villain is a bishop. He's a man who is supposed to help people, but he is corrupt. I can just hear religious conservatives seething over that fact. Then that "religious" character decides that since he can't have the heroine of the movie, Esmerelda, who is also a gypsy, then she must die. Oh AND Esmerelda was voiced by Demi Moore who was in the midst of her not so family fried lay Striptease years! This isn't exactly warm and fuzzy toys yelling "To Infinity and Beyond!" Did you forget this was a family friendly cartoon? It should have been a mess. But it wasn't.
As I said earlier it was ahead of its time. The songs are thinly veiled pleas for tolerance for "the outcasts" of the world. The outcasts of that time were gays and lesbians. Oh you think I am reading too much into it. Come on! One of the shows big anthems was called "Out there"! It may seem hard to realize but the mid to late 1990s weren't exactly as gay friendly as they are now (that's not to say we don't have more progress to make still). Family friendly talk show host Ellen Degeneres was one of the most controversial people around in the late 1990s when she came "out there" as a lesbian.
I think I like the Hunchback of Notre Dame for many reasons, but I especially like it for the risks it took during a time when such risks weren't usually taken by a big media company like Disney. Unfortunately, the movie didn't make Lion King or Toy Story money and now nearly 20 years later, movie studios are even more risk adverse than they were then. But every once in awhile film is still art and not just a money machine. Yes, I think Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame is art. You don't agree? You never saw it? Check it out now! It's streaming on Netflix!
The late 1980s to early 1990s were a peak time creatively for Disney. it started with The Little Mermaid and peaked with the Lion King . Shortly after that Disney seemed to put more of its resources into Pixar and its own animation studios suffered because of it. Tarzan, Hercules, Brother Bear and yes Lilo and Stitch were all creatively lackluster, and it seemed Disney animation was heading into a valley. However, Disney did a couple interesting Projects during that time. Long before Hollywood's call for diversity Disney had a hit animated movie with an Asian female character as the lead with Mulan. also just before that time came The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
In many ways it was ahead of its time. It may still be ahead of its time. Disney made a children's musical based on a book by the author of Les Misérables. What could go wrong? But that's the great thing about the movie. It somehow works despite its lack of mass appeal. That it was even able to exist at all makes me excited for the risks that artists every once in awhile are able to make.
So why might it not appeal to a mass audience? Well even though they made Quasimodo, the hunchback, a little cuter, Disney had to know that they weren't going to sell a bunch of Quasimodo dolls. Selling movie merchandise is where Disney really makes its money and there was just little potential for much financial success there Then there is the music. The base of the score is Gregorian chants. The songs weren't exactly under the Sea sing a long ditties (though God Help the Outcasts is one of the most underrated Disney songs ever) Then there is the matter of the villain of the movie. The villain is a bishop. He's a man who is supposed to help people, but he is corrupt. I can just hear religious conservatives seething over that fact. Then that "religious" character decides that since he can't have the heroine of the movie, Esmerelda, who is also a gypsy, then she must die. Oh AND Esmerelda was voiced by Demi Moore who was in the midst of her not so family fried lay Striptease years! This isn't exactly warm and fuzzy toys yelling "To Infinity and Beyond!" Did you forget this was a family friendly cartoon? It should have been a mess. But it wasn't.
As I said earlier it was ahead of its time. The songs are thinly veiled pleas for tolerance for "the outcasts" of the world. The outcasts of that time were gays and lesbians. Oh you think I am reading too much into it. Come on! One of the shows big anthems was called "Out there"! It may seem hard to realize but the mid to late 1990s weren't exactly as gay friendly as they are now (that's not to say we don't have more progress to make still). Family friendly talk show host Ellen Degeneres was one of the most controversial people around in the late 1990s when she came "out there" as a lesbian.
I think I like the Hunchback of Notre Dame for many reasons, but I especially like it for the risks it took during a time when such risks weren't usually taken by a big media company like Disney. Unfortunately, the movie didn't make Lion King or Toy Story money and now nearly 20 years later, movie studios are even more risk adverse than they were then. But every once in awhile film is still art and not just a money machine. Yes, I think Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame is art. You don't agree? You never saw it? Check it out now! It's streaming on Netflix!
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