When it comes to fantasy series, they tend to get quite extensive. This can be said of J.R.R Tolkien and C.S Lewis. Fun Fact: J.R.R Tolkien and C.S Lewis were actually friends! But today, we're going to shed some light on the film of C.S Lewis's second book of the Narnia series: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Once upon a time in World War II, four children (siblings) are sent away from the bombings in London. Their names are Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. When they come to live with Professor Kirke and Mrs. MacReady, Lucy finds an old wardrobe and steps inside. There she finds a whole new land. A land buried in winter. A fawn by the name of Mr. Tumnus tells her that she's in a land called Narnia, and that it's been like this for 100 years because of the White Witch, an evil enchantress who "calls herself the Queen of Narnia, but she really isn't." At first, Peter, Susan, and Edmund don't believe Lucy. But Edmund follows Lucy into Narnia himself, and meets the White Witch. She appears to be a friendly lady, and finds out from Edmund that Lucy met Mr. Tumnus. When the children hide from Mrs. MacReady because of a broken window in the wardrobe, they find themselves in Narnia. They learn that Mr. Tumnus was arrested for being with a human. Why? Upon meeting a couple of beavers, they are told that, "When Adam's flesh and Adam's bone, sits at Cair Paravel in throne, the evil time will be over and done." In other words, it is Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy's destiny to defeat the White Witch and restore peace to Narnia. But when Edmund is captured by the White Witch, his brother and sisters have to seek help from the true king of Narnia, a lion named Aslan. Will they defeat the White Witch, or is Narnia doomed to endless winter?
Leave it C.S Lewis to create such a world as Narnia. But is it better than Middle Earth? (Middle Earth is where The Lord of the Rings takes place.) I prefer not to pick favorites with the two, since Narnia and Middle Earth are different and magical in their own way. Narnia has talking animals, Middle Earth doesn't. Middle Earth is centered around more humanoid creatures, such as Elves, dwarves, and of course, Hobbits. With Narnia, it's basically all walks of life magically coming together to the battle of good vs. evil. One thing I do like about Narnia, however, is that it has a bigger variety of creatures. Don't get me wrong, I love Lord of the Rings. It has romance, adventure, and a pinch of comedy all in one!
For each of the children, their adventures in Narnia taught them something different. Peter gained bravery, becoming "Peter, the magnificent". Susan became a little more humble, becoming "Susan, the gentle". Edmund is a long story. Throughout most of the Narnia books and/or films, Edmund was relatively the same. Stubborn and independent. But he usually meant well. In the end, he was always brave and did what he had to, which is probably why he has of the name of "Edmund, the just". Lucy is the young, imaginative child that started it all. She may have even been the bravest of the children, earning her the name of "Lucy, the valiant." But in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, she learned to see her own beauty, and did some maturing when Susan wasn't around.
A word concerning siblings: Being the second oldest of four siblings, I relate to Susan the most. Which of the four children do you like or relate to? In general, most people with siblings can relate to how Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy get along with each other. Some of the time, they don't, which is quite normal. For those of you who are an only child, the children's story in Narnia gives you some idea of what it's like to have brothers and sisters.
As a strong Mormon, (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, :) ) and thus Christian, I find that Narnia has a link to religion. (Mainly Christianity.) Spoiler Alert! When Aslan is killed in the place of Edmund, he rises from the dead. When Susan and Lucy are confused at this, Aslan explains, "If the Witch knew the true meaning of sacrifice, she would have interpreted the magic differently. For when a willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in a traitor's stead, the Stone Table will crack, and even death itself will turn backwards." This relates to the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He had not sinned, but he took upon Himself all our sins and was crucified. 3 days later, Christ rose from the dead. As well as that, some of the names in this story are in the Bible. Such as Peter, a true Apostle of Jesus Christ, and Adam, the first man.
Why we love Narnia: With most fantasy worlds, seemingly impossible things come to life and adventure is everywhere. Narnia is a place where you can be anything. A king or queen, a fawn, a talking animal, or a bunch of other mystical creatures. If you want to be a ruler of Narnia, remember this: Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen.- Aslan
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When you think of Egypt, what comes to mind? Most likely pyramids or the Sphinx right? Or maybe it's what lies beneath all that. That's right, the tombs of the pharaohs that have been carefully preserved for the Afterlife, called mummies. In 1939, a film was made that made the mummies look like creepy things wrapped in what you thought was toilet paper as a kid. If you're not careful, you could accidentally bring one back to life. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what happened in Stephen Sommer's 1999 version of The Mummy.
Once upon a time, during the reign of Seti, High Priest Imhotep is having an affair with the Pharaoh's mistress, Anck-su-Namun. One night, the Pharaoh catches Anck-su-Namun with Imhotep. That's when they murder the Pharaoh. Imhotep is able to escape before the Medjai arrive moments later. Anck-Su-Namun however, kills herself in front of them, knowing that Imhotep can resurrect her. Imhotep does attempt to do so, but the Medjai find him and stop him in the middle of the ritual. Having committed a serious crime, Imhotep has the curse of the Hom Dai placed upon him, as well as he and his priests being mummified alive.
Now it's 3,000 years later, in 1926. Evelyn Carnahan and her brother Jonathan are determined to find Hamunaptra, City of the Dead. But before they can do so, they save a man named Rick O'Connel from a hanging. O'Connel claims that he was in the city itself while serving in the French Foreign legion 3 years earlier, in 1923. After some events, the group find the Book of the Dead. Evie reads a few lines from the book, but unknowingly ressurects Imhotep. Will they be able to stop him before he can wreak havoc on the world?
There is great detail in this film. Detail is definitely needed when you're working with a culture and setting like Egypt. Whether it's the Book Of The Dead, or the basic dress of the basic dressing of the ancient Egyptians, The Mummy well executes the detail required for the story. Note that this also includes some of the 1920's outfits of the time. But the Mummy himself often distracts us from that.
With each form he takes, Imhotep gains power and his living form. That's not makeup either. Yep, mostly CGI. (Computer Generated Image) That's probably a good thing. In this day and age, a mummy as detailed as Imhotep shown above is frankly, very hard to do and possibly could've ended up looking cheesy. Thank you CGI!
For a story like The Mummy, you're going to need a pretty good set. Was Stephen Sommers able to accomplish this? Yep. The filmmakers were able to give us a look at some of the culture at the time. They also showed what Ancient Egypt might have looked like. The Egyptians (and probably still do,) loved their gold leaf and artwork, showing their wealth. This goes hand-in-hand with the detail I was talking about.
Where there's a set, there's a location. The movie was filmed mostly in Morocco and Egypt of course, but there was also filming in the UK and in Arizona. Most of these places have the desert-like environment that is frequently seen in The Mummy. Could The Mummy have been produced without this? Yes, it just wouldn't have turned out very well. But Stephen Sommers is a good director, thankfully.
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The Christmas season has started! It is the season of the heart, a special time of caring, the ways of love made clear. It is the season of the Spirit, the message, if we hear it, is make it last all year. Amen to that. Those are words right out of The Muppet Christmas Carol itself. Fun fact: A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens is the story that has been adapted into film the most. Today we're going to look at the Muppet"s version of A Christmas Carol.
Once upon a time, there lived a harsh moneylender by the name of Ebenezer Scrooge, employer of Bob Cratchit. So greedy for his money, Scrooge pays Bob and the book keepers very little. On the night of Christmas eve, Bob is lucky enough to get the day off for Christmas. When Scrooge goes home on Christmas eve, his is visited by his deceased partners, Jacob and Robert Marley. They are burdened with heavy chains forged by their evil deeds in life. They warn Scrooge that the same thing will happen to him if he doesn't change his ways, and that he will be visited by three ghosts, or spirits, that night. After the spirits show Scrooge his past, present, and future, will Scrooge change for the better, or end up like the Marleys?
This version of A Christmas Carol is aimed more at kids, since other versions might seem a little frightening. When that's the case, the film is liable to be less accurate to the novel. Let's face it: Film adaptations of a book shouldn't be expected to be 100% accurate. It would take too much time trying to make sure the film contains every single detail.
Of all versions of A Christmas Carol, this version of Scrooge's transformation of bad to good is one of the most beautiful. Especially when Tiny Tim and his family sing Bless Us All. Scrooge sees that even though he pays Bob very little, they are not always bitter. He also sees how sick Tim is, mainly the fact that Scrooge could have been helping them more. In this way, I believe that the story could be teaching that we don't know what is happening in another person's life. Be good to them, love them.
Is it possible for someone to be as bad as Scrooge? What do you think? Possibly, because so many people are unfortunately prone to not caring. They can became so wrapped in their greedy and miserable attitude that they can lose it within themselves to care for others. That's what happened to Scrooge. Even though I've never met anybody quite like Scrooge, I hope nobody becomes unhappy enough to be like Scrooge.
Do you agree with this? Feel free to request a holiday film to see on ETF this season! Also be sure to like, comment, share, and follow to always come back for more Enchanted Tales of Film!
It's officially Christmas time!!! As far movies went in the 60's, a lot of musicals weren't seen as each decade tends to move on to a new genre. Disney's Babes In Toyland is a rare film that is probably underrated. We don't know why that is, but what we do know is why we'd love it.
Once upon a time in Mother Goose Village, Mary Quite Contrary is about to marry Tom Piper. Meanwhile, an evil Mr. Barnaby is plotting to get rid of Tom in order to get to the fortune that Mary will inherit. Instead of drowning Tom, the two bumbling henchmen Barnaby hired sell him to a band of gypsies to get paid more. With Tom gone and Bo Peep's sheep that Mary depend on stolen, Mary has no choice but to marry Barnaby. To celebrate, Barnaby hires a band of gypsies to entertain everyone, unknowing that they're the same gypsies Tom was sold. Tom returns, and now he and Mary along with the children Mary takes care of find themselves in Toyland.
Babes In Toyland is colorful in such a way that it isn't boring but doesn't look like a cartoon too much at the same time. That's some skill right there! Some of the shapes do suggest a slightly cartoon look, such as the green boards shown behind Mr. Barnaby, but most of the color in the film is only applied to look bright and cheerful. This is obvious on the architecture in the film. The clothes look colorful too, but the shades are a little lighter and don't have unusual shapes to them.
I find the set of Babes In Toyland worthy of some praise. The Forest of No Return looked like an actual dark forest. For all the sets that were outdoors, the backgrounds aren't obvious and look like the sky. I especially like the indoor sets as well the colorful furnishings. A lot of the things in the set are well textured, which helps the overall look of the film.
A word concerning the music: All the songs in Babes In Toyland are either something that makes you want to dance, or something you can't help but sing along to. But some people have said that some of it is slighlt sexist. Why? With one particular song, Just A Toy, Tom is singing to Mary. Smiling eyes, silken hair, you'll need such loving care, you're just a toy....If you listen to the entire song, it doesn't sound so bad, since the song starts with Mary singing about a doll they just finished working in the toy maker's workshop. P.S I totally fell in love with that doll as a kid. Anyone else?
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Happy Thanksgiving! For my foreign readers, it's Thanksgiving day over here in America!
While we give thanks, the most iconic part of this official American holiday is the dinner. Cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, stuffing, and of course, the turkey! But what if we didn't eat turkey on Thanksgiving? That, ladies and gentlemen, is what Free Birds is all about.
Once upon a time, a young turkey by the name of Reggie lives on a turkey farm. But Reggie knows something the other turkeys fail to realize: They're being raised only for one of them to be eaten each year for Thanksgiving! Year after year, the turkeys won't listen to Reggie's warnings. Reggie's life isn't the best, but that changes when he's chosen to be the "Pardoned Turkey", which spares him from the certain fate of being a meal. Enjoying his new life in the President's home, Reggie is suddenly kidnapped by a turkey named Jake. Knowing of a secret time machine, Jake takes Reggie back almost 400 years to stop the first Thanksgiving and save all turkeys. Will they succeed, or are they doomed to remain the #1 Thanksgiving course?
Any repetition in the film? Yes and no. For a Thanksgiving film, the food we seem to see most is pizza. Why pizza? For one thing, our American go-to seems to be pizza. Who doesn't love that cheesy, red-tomato deep dish goodness? I know I do! With that being the case, pizza seems to represent America a little since it's so common. (I know, I know, it's Italian.)
Thanksgiving has a tendency to dish out comedies. (No pun intended.) Free Birds is one of those. And even better, it's for the whole family! One the comic relief character as well as one of our heroes is Jake. Even thought his past is sad, he became kind and good as well as funny. Nonetheless, every character in Free Birds has something amusing to offer, bringing a smile to your happy turkey day.
You can't have a good film without good actors. Free Birds has that. With the talents of the one and only Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, and Amy Poehler, Free Birds makes yet another addition for the Thanksgiving playlist. But don't forget to be thankful. One thing to be thankful for is the fact that you're not the turkey this year. After all, what is Thanksgiving without the thanks?
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"Sometimes the things you believe in become more real to you than all the things you can explain away or understand." I agree with that. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what Jeff Douglas and Tommy Albright learn when they come upon Brigadoon, a rather unusual village in the Scottish Highlands. Based on the Broadway musical, Brigadoon is arguably one of the best musicals. Why? Let's take a look:
Once upon a time, an engaged man named Tommy Albright and his friend come to Scotland to hunt game. Before long, they become lost and wander into Brigadoon. The people there are friendly, but they act a little strange; as if they're hiding something. After Tommy meets Fiona Campbell and eventually falls in love with her, they find that Brigadoon goes to sleep every night. But by the next day, 100 years have passed. Now Tommy has to choose: Brigadoon, or his fiancee in New York.
Considering the setting of Scotland, the dances were well executed. The "Heather On The Hill" dance was by far the most beautiful dance in the film, with just the most romantic music to accompany it. If it's not soft you want, there certainly lively dances, one being a favorite, "Go Home With Bonnie Jean." One thing seen in a lot in these dances is the required footwork, such as tap dancing and a little bit of ballet.
Naturally, dances don't usually go without music, and Brigadoon is certainly no exception. Even Cyd Charrise's voice was dubbed, "Waitin' For My Dearie" is a beautiful song that expresses almost everyone's dream of finding their true love, or their "Dearie". You might notice that a lot of the songs have to do with some type of anticipation for love. From wanting to walk with someone through the heather, to finally marrying Bonnie Jean, Brigadoon seems to be about finding what love really is. "For if you love someone deeply enough, anything is possible."
The concept of Brigadoon is slightly complicated. Because of the enchantment, Brigadoon is a place where almost no evil can be found, where everyone is happy. Everyone, that is, except for Harry Beaton. You want his story? Watch the film and find out! As Mr. Lundy said, "There must be a lot of people out there searching for a Brigadoon." And they do. People in the world are constantly seeking happiness, searching for a blessed place in which they can feel safe, searching....for a Brigadoon.
A word concerning location: Brigadoon
takes place in Scotland. That may be so, but when it was filmed, they
only used a lovely stage and some rather obvious backdrops. I bet some
of us would have liked the film to be filmed in Scotland it self. After
all, location makes all the difference in the quality of a film.
Do you agree with this? Feel free to request a holiday film to see on ETF! Also be sure to like, comment, share, and follow to always come back for more Enchanted Tales Of Film!
For each of the children, their adventures in Narnia taught them something different. Peter gained bravery, becoming "Peter, the magnificent". Susan became a little more humble, becoming "Susan, the gentle". Edmund is a long story. Throughout most of the Narnia books and/or films, Edmund was relatively the same. Stubborn and independent. But he usually meant well. In the end, he was always brave and did what he had to, which is probably why he has of the name of "Edmund, the just". Lucy is the young, imaginative child that started it all. She may have even been the bravest of the children, earning her the name of "Lucy, the valiant." But in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, she learned to see her own beauty, and did some maturing when Susan wasn't around.
