Thought I would dabble in a bit of jewellery making, and here are the results;
Alice Cameo
Alice in Wonderland Necklace
Ariel Cameo
Cheshire Cat Cameo
Flounder Cameo
Mad Hatter Cameo
Magic Mirror Cameo
Maleficent Cameo
Queen of Hearts Cameo
Ursula Cameo
White Rabbit Cameo
Feather Drop Earrings
Button Earrings
Please let me know what you think/which one’s are your favourites, or if there are any you’d like to see me try. (I’m working on a Wolverine one next, very excited!)
– Bee
There are several songs that didn’t make the cut across all 52 of Disney’s Animated Classics. If you look them up I am sure you will come across many you like and some you may dislike. Here is a list of 13 songs thats didn’t make the cut;
1. As Long As There’s A Moon – The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
As explained in the clip above, the reason this song got cut from the final film is because it draws too much attention away from Quasimodo (after all, the film is called The Hunchback of Notre Dame, not Esmerelda and Phoebus’ love story!).
This song revolves around the marriage of Esmerelda and Phoebus. It is a good song, but in my opinion, does not match up to the quality of the rest of the songs in this film.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is probably my favourite soundtrack of all the Disney Animated Classics and I just don’t think this song would fit in. Also, as mentioned in the video above, there just really isn’t a need for it in the film. It doesn’t add much to the overall story.
2. Be Prepared (Reprise) – The Lion King (1994)
This is an interesting song. One in which I am very disappointed got cut from the final film.
As shown in the clip above, this reprise to ‘Be Prepared’ shows Scar’s reign over the pride lands. Scar decides he needs a Queen to help him rule, and in true villain fashion, he chooses the first lioness he lays his eyes on, Nala. Nala thankfully rejects him, and Scar banishes her and reveals that the hyenas will keep the other lionesses in line.
This essentially explains their hostility for the remainder of the film, which I feel is important seeing as they do not yet know that Scar is the one who killed Mufasa (although one of the hyenas almost blows his cover in this song also!).
This is a great song, I really wish it was in the final film.
3. Dancing To The Wedding Drum – Pocahontas (1995)
This is an interesting one also. The song is okay, but what I found interesting is the early portrayal of the character of Kocoum (whom Pocahontas is set to marry).
Before the song starts, Pocahontas is going to speak to her father about her doubts as to whether she can marry Kocoum. On her way to see her father, the cast breaks into song about the upcoming wedding, and Pocahontas meets Kocoum, who is portrayed as a very happy, friendly character.
I am happy they changed Kocoum’s personality from this to a very serious and sombre man. It gives Pocahontas more validation into her doubts about marrying Kocoum, and also makes us as an audience root for her relationship with John Smith that much more.
4. Humiliate The Boy – Aladdin (1992)
I’m so sad that this didn’t make the final cut. Jafar really should have had his own villain song. Not only that but this song is actually really good.
Jafar is determined to belittle and humiliate Aladdin in front of Jasmine, the Sultan, and his mother. Yes, in the early production of Aladdin many more characters were in this film, including his mother. (Unfortunately she later got cut from the film).
Perhaps the reason this song could not be used in the final film is because initially the Genie could grant an unlimited amount of wishes, however in the final film, he could only grant three.
This song clearly demonstrates Jafar asking for several wishes so he can destroy Aladdin. Regardless, I love this song and wish it was in the film.
5. I Can’t Believe My Heart – Hercules (1997)
This song is a solo song for the character of Megara. If you listen to the song you will more than likely hold the same opinion as everyone else who listens; the song not only sounds similar, but basically has the exact same meaning as Megara’s solo song (that can be heard in the final cut of the film) ‘I Won’t Say I’m In Love’.
In this song she is explaining how she hasn’t had luck with men in the past, and then in comes Hercules who she is afraid to admit, is falling in love with.
Although it’s a good song, there really is no need for it in the film.
6. I’m Odd – Alice In Wonderland (1951)
I only have one question…WHY DISNEY WHY?! Why was this song cut from the movie?
I love this song, I think it’s fantastic. The Cheshire Cat is one of the most iconic characters to have been portrayed in this film and why he did not get his own song is beyond me.
One thing I will say though is, if you close your eyes and just listen to this song, doesn’t it sound like Winnie The Pooh is singing to you? This is because the voice actor who portrayed the Cheshire Cat, Sterling Holloway, was the original voice of Winnie The Pooh before Hal Smith and Jim Cummings took over.
This song gets right down to the point, the Cheshire Cat is odd, Wonderland is odd, heck even this film is odd. It would have been a fantastic addition to the film but alas it got cut.
7. Keep ‘Em Guessing – Mulan (1998)
This song, as stated by the director, was supposed to be an introduction to the character of Mushu.
The production team however felt that Eddie Murphy had enough charisma to pull of introducing Mushu in a couple of lines, as oppose to a 1-2 minute song in the final cut of the film.
While I agree that this song may be unneccessary for introducing the character of Mushu, when listening to it you also get a feel of Mulan’s doubt as to whether she can pull of being a man, which I feel is an important aspect of Mulan’s character.
Regardless, the song was cut, but at least we get to hear what could have been.
8. One Dance – The Little Mermaid (1989)
Many say this song is too similar to ‘Part Of Your World’, however I think (depending on where in the film this song would have been used) could have worked.
I really liked this song and it was interesting to listen to. It has the same principle as ‘Part Of Your World’ in that Ariel wants to dance with Prince Eric and essentially be part of his world, but the song itself is quite different.
9. Proud Of Your Boy – Aladdin (1992)
Not only am I a huge Disney fanatic, I am also a big fan of Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice, etc.
As some of you may or may not know, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman were working on the score for Aladdin (having previously worked on Beauty and the Beast together). Howard Ashman wrote this song, ‘Proud Of Your Boy’ and was very proud of his song (why wouldn’t you be?!).
Unfortunately though, with changes to the story, the character of Aladdin’s mother got cut. At the same time Howard Ashman passed away after succumbing to his illness.
Alan Menken fought hard to adjust the song so they could keep it in the film and honour Howard Ashman however it unfortunately didn’t work and had to be cut.
I love this song and am sad that it didn’t make the movie but at least we get to listen to it now.
10. Snuff Out The Light – The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
Disney cut an Eartha Kitt song? Yes. Yes they did.
With the changes made to the storyline regarding Eartha Kitt’s character, the song no longer made sense and was therefore cut.
11. The Middle Of The River – Pocahontas (1995)
This song was intended as a duet between Pocahontas and John Smith. However the song very closely resembles ‘If I Never Knew You’ and therefore was cut.
12. To Be King – The Lion King (1994)
Oh dear. I’m sorry to say that I am actually glad this song did not make the film.
Nothing against the song, it’s not bad really but I think it would have completely taken away from the character of Mufasa. This is one song best left on the cutting room floor. Still interesting to watch though.
13. Why Me – Aladdin (1992)
Again, why didn’t Jafar get a villain song?!
I love this, not only is the song really catchy, but it’s full of self-pity and lust for power.
I really wish this song made the movie. Jafar needs his villain song!
This song was replaced with ‘Prince Ali (Reprise)’.
– Bee
This time last year (March 31st to be exact) I did an oil painting of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse, as pictured below.
Today I decided to give to give the painting more depth so I added some shading;
I think it gives the painting a much richer look to it and am very happy with the results (I’m also very happy I didn’t ruin my painting!)
So I have put the pictures side by side just to further emphasis the power of shading, and what a difference it really does make to a drawing/painting etc.
Let me know what you think!
– Bee
My Art website: http://bee-minor.deviantart.com/
Originally I was going to write a blog about the various villains of Disney’s animated classics, however after reading an article about the 7 Deadly Sins, this inspired me into thinking about what Disney villains are guilty of said sins. Thus resulting in a new idea for this blog.
The seven deadly sins is a classification of the following vices;
The villains in question are taken from Disney’s animated classics. So which of these villains are guilty of these sins?
Envy
The dictionary describes envy as “a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another’s advantages, success, possessions, etc.”
This trait can be seen in many villains in Disney’s animated classic.
The Queen (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937)
The Evil Queen is the main antagonist of Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), and the first Disney animated canon villain. There is no denying the Evil Queen is guilty of envy. When she discovers Snow White has overtaken her to becoming ‘the fairest of them all’ the Queen becomes completely envious of Snow White, and wastes no time in hatching an evil plan to kill Snow White so she can once again reclaim her title.
Lady Tremaine (Cinderella, 1950)
It comes as no surprise that Lady Tremaine, Cinderella’s wicked step-mother also holds a place under the ‘envy’ category. Jealous of Cinderella’s beauty, she treats her as a slave her in our home after her father’s death.
Ursula (The Little Mermaid, 1989)
Once again, no surprise to see Ursula’s name here. Jealous of Ariel’s beautiful voice, she uses Ariel’s longing to be part of the human world to her advantage by striking a deal (which she also goes on to sabotage). She is also jealous of King Triton’s position of power and also manipulates the naive Ariel in order for her to usurp the throne.
Scar (The Lion King, 1994)
Another Disney villain jealous of the King’s position of power, Scar is so envious of his brother, Mufasa’s, role as King, that he hatches a plan to kill Mufasa and, in a classic villainous move, leads Simba to believe he is responsible for his own father’s death. Poor Simba.
Hades (Hercules, 1997)
Last on my list of envious Disney Villains (although you could argue there is many more) is Hades. Now I’m sensing a pattern here, because just like Ursula and Scar, Hades is envious of Zeus’ position of power as King of Gods, and plans to usurp his brother and kill his nephew Hercules.
Gluttony
It was surprisingly difficult to think of a villain who portrayed gluttony, and then I remember, Kaa.
Kaa (The Jungle Book, 1967)
Kaa is a sly snake from Disney’s The Jungle Book, who is almost constantly hungry. He is seen on many occasions trying to devour Mowgli (however obviously failing).
Greed
Stromboli (Pinocchio, 1940)
Stromboli’s only concern is making money. Therefore he falls under the greedy category after using Pinocchio in his puppet show to earn even more money.
Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians, 1961)
One of the most iconic Disney Villains of all time, Cruella De Vil’s greed involves her stealing puppies and skinning them to make herself a fur coat.
Governor Ratcliffe (Pocahontas, 1995)
Governor Ratcliffe is perhaps one of the most (if not the most) greediest Disney villains there is. The entire film see’s his longing for gold, gold, and more gold, in order to become obscenely wealthy.
Mother Gothel (Tangled, 2010)
In the opening scenes of Tangled, Mother Gothel’s greed is immediately highlighted. She is determined to keep the magical healing flower hidden (even though it can save the life of those who are ill) in order to keep herself looking youthful. Once the flower is taken by the King and Queen, she then steals their child and hides her in a castle, again just to maintain her youth.
Lust
Jafar (Aladdin, 1992)
Although Jafar is pretty much guilty of all the 7 Deadly Sins (apart from gluttony perhaps), lust is probably his most predominant characteristic. Not only does Jafar lust after Jasmine, he also lusts after the title of Sultan which sees him desperately try to kill Aladdin (so that Aladdin will not marry Jasmine thus resulting in Aladdin becoming Sultan).
Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996)
Throughout the entire film, (even though he spends most of it insulting her also), Claude Frollo lusts after the gypsy girl Esmerelda. In fact, he even sings a song about it! In ‘Hellfire’ he sings “be mine or you will burn”. Also once she is captured Frollo gives her two options, Frollo, or death. She wisely chose death, which infuriates Frollo.
Pride
Maleficient (Sleeping Beauty, 1959)
Maleficent is the ultimate face of pride. In an attempt to get revenge on the King and Queen, Maleficent curses Princess Aurora. She is very malicious, spiteful and ruthless. She is determined to kill Princess Aurora, but why? Oh yeah, because she wasn’t invited to the christening…yikes! Definitely a proud villain not to be messed with.
Gaston (Beauty and the Beast, 1991)
When Belle, the most beautiful girl in all the village, rejects the highly narcissistic Gaston, his pride (and ego) are hurt. Therefore he seeks revenge by plotting to kill the Beast who has stolen Belle’s affections.
Sloth
Bill Sykes (Oliver & Company, 1988)
Skyes is the ultimate villain to represent sloth. Not only is he a brutal murderer, he doesn’t do any of the work himself. Instead he gets people to do his dirty work for him. Evidently highlighting the reason he is categorised under sloth.
Wrath
Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland, 1951)
If anyone has a problem with rage, it’s this lady. The Queen of Hearts is notoriously known for wanting to cut of people’s heads. Although she is one of the more comical Disney villains, there is no doubt that she conveys wrath to perfection.
Captain Hook (Peter Pan, 1953)
If there was ever a reason to be full of rage, Captain Hook has the best excuse. Although he portrays a character full of wrath, he does have a very good reason, after all Peter Pan fed his hand to a crocodile (wouldn’t you be angry?)
That concludes my list of Disney Villains that represent the 7 Deadly Sins.
I hope this was an interesting read!
– Bee
The Fault In Our Stars is the fourth novel by author John Green. However John Green is probably more well-known as being one half of the Vlog Brothers on http://www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers with his brother Hank.
Published in January 2012, The Fault In Our Stars follows the story of 16 year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster, the novel’s narrator, in her journey through living with Stage 4 thyroid cancer. Hazel is an only child, and worries about how her parents will cope after her death. She therefore attempts to alleviate their worry by (reluctantly) agreeing to attend a support group for children living with cancer. It is at this support group where Hazel meets Augustus Waters (Gus) who becomes intrigued by Hazel as she resembles his late girlfriend, Caroline Mathers. Augustus is 17 years old, and in remission having previously lost a leg to osteosarcoma. It is not long before Hazel develops feelings for Augustus, and the feeling appears mutual as he uses his saved wish from an organisation (similar to Make a Wish Foundation) to travel, with Hazel, to Amsterdam to meet Peter van Houten, the author of An Imperial Affliction, Hazel’s favourite book (which also holds quite a significant role in the novel).
The book continues to illustrate the growing relationship between Hazel and Augustus, and how they cope with Hazel’s cancer.
I do not want to give anymore of the plot line away as I highly encourage you to read this book. I read it last summer and immediately fell in love with both protagonists and their story. This book is heartwarming, captivating, and if you are anything like me, you will not be able to put it down.
I will warn you however, (and it shouldn’t come as a shock seeing as it is a story about teenagers living with cancer) it is a bit of a tear-jerker also.
I was highly impressed at how John Green, a 35 year-old man, was so convincing at portraying his narrator through a 16 year-old girl. Not many men would be able to pull this off, especially not as convincingly as John Green.
Another aspect of the book I love is it’s title. John Green has stated that this was inspired by a line from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar,“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.”
I hope I have done enough to convince you that you need to read this book, and for those of you who have already read it, you may or may not know that in February of last year, the film rights to this novel were optioned by Fox 2000, and just a few weeks ago, Josh Boone was announced as the director.
Although no-one has been cast as of yet, there are rumours floating around that Shailene Woodley (of The Secret Life of an American Teenager) and Hailee Steinfeld (of True Grit) are being considered for the role of Hazel Grace Lancaster. Which got me thinking, what actors would I like to see portraying these characters, so here are my picks.
Hazel Grace Lancaster
Hailee Steinfeld Mae Whitman Vanessa Marano Shailene Woodley
Augustus Waters
I haven’t heard any rumours as to who may be playing Augustus Waters, so here is who I wouldn’t mind seeing playing the role.
Douglas Booth Thomas Sangster Nathan Kress Cody Christian
Hope you have enjoyed this post and I also hope you go out and read this book, its well worth it!
– Bee
BeeMinor 