1998 - Commercial - Disney's Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella - Brandy...

Cinderella (1997)

I can't believe I haven't wrote about this!! And yeah,I'm totally going old school with this post. And I will count this as a movie even though it was first released on TV (the abc channel I believe). It was later released as a VHS so neener neener.


This movie is just pure entertainment.

I know that there alot of flaws with it but I frankly, I don't give a damn. It's colorful,shiny,and romantic. Plus Brandy, Whoopi Goldberg, and Whitney Houston is in it. Hell yeah!

If I'm correct, this movie is based on the Rodger and Hammerstein's adaptation of "Cinderella". There was even a previous TV movie of Cinderella featuring some soap star actor of some sort. I saw a glimpse of it and it was bleh. Boring and hokey looking.

Do I really need to go over the story of Cinderella? I do? Sheesh.

Now gather around:
Cinderella was the beloved daughter of a widowed merchant who travels alot. On one trip he returns with a brand spankin' new stepmother and her daughters. Instant family, just add petty jealousy.
Poor father passes away leaving Cinderella to be enslaved by the stepmother to do chores, etc. while the stepmother squanders the family money away.
During this time, a wayward prince is told to either get hitched his way or his parents way by the end of a ball.Naturally all the dainty females are now all a twitter over a chance of some royal ass.
The stepdaughers from hell go off to the ball while Cinderella mopes, whines, wails, and swoons over her woes. And dammit, a shiny godmother comes, waves her hand, and poof! Makeover magic! (insert expletive). Shiny Cinderella waltzes into the princes arm and waltzes away because alas there was fine print under the shiny: she only has till midnight then all her shininess goes away.
Cinderella carelessly leaves a slipper which the Prince find. He goes foot shopping. Yada Yada long search yada yada oh whee! i found the foot! yada yada happily ever after.

There. That's the basic gist of the story. A better story is the Grimms tale. Oh yeah. Pools of blood and gore. Awesome.

So the duo that is Rodger and Hammerstein were determined to make a much happier song and dance version. Even Disney's version had some tension and gloom ( although I'm not sure whose version came first..). And this is my personal annoyance with R and H. So many of their musicals that are based on a story are really thinly, THINLY, based on the original. I have this feeling that R and H were determined to scrape out as much of the doom and gloom from stories as possible leaving saccharine songs and head scratching dance numbers. I don't harbor much love for R and H. I refuse to watch the "Kind and I" and blanched after watching 'The Flower Drum Song". I'm currently searching for a good autobiography of R and H to understand what the hell was their big idea of making these plays!??!? ok...enough ranting...

the only heartwarming R and H producion is this version of Cinderella. Only this one. I am really not a huge fan of the story. Oddly enough, I love reimagnings of this story. The story just has so much to expand from! There have been many versions but i do love this version. And all for superficial reasons.

I was just a little tween when this movie came out. Hormones were rip roaring through my stream. Boys were becoming attractive. Yeah...you get the gist.

This movie was a great movie for a tween.It had enough shiny and colorful sceneries to attract young,impressionable eyes. The songs were amazingly sung. One of my favorite songs is sung by Bernadette Peters (who plays the fabulous stepmother)," Falling in Love with Love". It's so amazing, here's a you tube video: http://youtu.be/lqEclRcoZeo

The characters in this movie were just plain fun. I've already mentioned Bernadette Peters (who I freakin' adore).There's Jason Alexander for crying out loud. He plays "Lionel", the plucky royal advisor. Whoopi Goldberg is the Queen with Victor Harber as the King. Whitney Houston plays the diva-er-Godmother.

Brandi as Cinderella was a great casting choice. She's beautiful with a kind face. For a tween, she seems like a great best friend. Plus her voice is awesome.

But for a female, it doesn't really matter who plays Cinderella. It's the Prince who holds the movie. For this movie, it was the most scrumptious asian prince I have ever seen. It is a shame that Paolo Montalban hasn't shown up in more movies. Damn he was fine....
Geez, I can wax so much praise for this movie. It's just one of the most enjoyable movie to enjoy. Great movie when you just want to unwind and let your romantic side fly.

Um, a word of warning...

....good luck getting those songs out of your head.

Attack The Block - Official HD

Attack the Block (2011)

Wow. I went from a deep slump of passive viewing of bleh to an eye popping media party! So many movies to write about, so little time to execute!!

First off in my crazy train of movies is "Attack the Block". I have been noticing this movie left and right during all the film festivals. This has exploded to become one of the best movies of the year. After finally watching the movie a few weeks, I wholeheartedly, palm slapping the table agree. So much so, I want to throw myself on top of a table, tap dance a few steps as I scream my enthusiasm for this movie!!

I admit that I did have my doubts. When I first saw the trailer, I immediately thought if how closely linked it seemed to Stephen Spielbergs "Super 8". And, sigh, another attacking alien movie. So many movies have came out about attacking aliens that I'm wondering if these filmmakers are really depressed about the world. Then again, after hours spent in LA traffic, I know I have entertained many thoughts of raining fiery meteors conveniently to cars around me.

But....then I saw that it was produced by the makes of "Hot Fuzz" and "Shaun of the Dead". Not a huge fan of "Hot Fuzz" but I LOVE "Shaun of the Dead".So...sold.

"Attack the Block" is simply a movie about aliens that have landed in the block (the poor/slum-like district of England). A group of young boys witness the alien and set about defending their neighborhood. Not just your run of the mill good boys. These are hoodlums. They're such bad boys that we are first introduced to them while they're committing a crime. And your wondering how the hell am I supposed to relate to these pricks?!

You know what, very well. By the end of the movie, I adored the boys and I was saddened by some of the tragic events. That is so amazing. I haven't seen a movie in a very long time that has me changing my mind about characters. Usually if I hate them in the beginning, I will continue to hate them.

Not only did I love the characters, the action was so good. I mean, I was gripping the edges of the chair. The chases were so damn exciting. I don't even know how the hell am I supposed to do justice on it.

And damn....it was more violent than I thought.....but it was still so good...

Oh and geez, the aliens were simple but SCARY!! They made me so nervous. You just see this blob of black fur with flourescent teeth, big deal right? No. The mannerisms, behavior, and intent of these creatures are what makes them terrifying.

Mixed with the scary parts of the movie, there were plenty of funny bit to balance them out. Damn this movie was soooo good!!! I loved this movie so much!!!

I'm an absolute fan and I definitely recommend this movie to everyone!!!

Mannequin (1987) Trailer

Mannequin (1987)

Whoa!!!! What an unintentional hiatus happened!! I've had most of my time dominated by craft making and lots of korean drama (if your curious, I was obsessed with "mischievous kiss" and "boys over flowers"), a road trip for camping and bridal shower, and oh yeah, school starting.

But to be really honest, I haven't felt a passionate need to write about movies for quite awhile. None of the movies I was watching stirred enough interest to even think about. I watched two Cary Grant movies that made yawn and cringe. Some movies with Doris Day that was heart achingly boooooooooring. And some other crap that I can't remember.

Then admist all my craziness, I was bombarded by movies that made me sit up and cheer!!! Of which I shall write about another day. Tee-hee, I'm such a tease.

No. I have more passion to write about a nostalgic movie. A movie that I LOVED when I was younger. I remember feeling that this movie was oh so romantic! I haven't seen it until I just bought it off of Amazon. Oh man. Oh man.

This is why I should never burst my childhood happiness bubble. I was delighted to watch hideously bad movies (what kind of bad movies? try..."Double Dragon"....."Drop Dead Fred"....just to name a few). Some movies that I have revisited still awaken that childish glee somehow. Some movies just have me grasping my head in shock, wondering if I was drugged as child. At best, my head would be cocked to the side in utter confusion at what I'm watching. I should just not revist nostalgic business and move on. But I can't. When I need an excuse to procrastinate, I watch movies. Any movies. Especially ones hiding in my desk drawers.

I've had "Mannequin" in my possession for a few months. I watched about ten minutes of the beginning before I shut it off. I forgot how the movie began. Yeah. That beginning is DUMB.

Then I rewatched it a couple nights ago. I forced myself to finish the movie. Ok. deep breathe. here I go.

Seriously it was hard to keep watching this movie. It is just so dumb....yet.....I still enjoyed it....

Andrew McCarthy plays Jonathan Switcher. He's a pretty good guy who just can't seem to hold a job. He's impulsive, accident-prone, dreamy but he has a big heart. Awww. He somehow has a girl friend who wears alot of shoulder pads and is very career driven. After Switcher loses his job again, he somehow meanders in front of a declining mall. He miraculously saves an elderly woman who is the owner of the mall. Grateful and charmed by Switcher, she gives him a job.
Blah, blah, hijimks.

Meanwhile, on the evil side of the metropolis, a successful mall is attempting to buy out the declining mall. They even have a mole at the declining mall. Why???? Why would you send a mole if the business is declining at a rapid rate. You can just wait....ok whatever.

Switcher constructs a beautiful mannequin (which I thought was too stern-looking to even be pleasant). One...magical....night, the mannequin comes to live as "Emma", played by Kim Cattral (ahh yes....she's part of the 'Sex and the City' squad....hmm yes).

The only explanation for this ties in the lame intro. Emma was a person in Egypt about to be married to a camel dung dealer. She makes a wish and lights off somewhere. Now, only in front of Switcher, she becomes human. For his love of her. For love. AWWW

I could write until my fingers turn blue on how many story points just blows!!There really is no reason for geniune love to blossum between the two. How is this love even growing? What are they basing their love foundation on? Their montage? Are montages the way to love?

No, hold up your screehing.

This movie is BAD. Very BAD. Yet it's lovable. By the end of the movie, you can't help to love this movie. Switcher and Emma are so cute that it manages to over look the horror of the story. The only thing you can connect for their love for each other is that they're very silly and dreamy. Unstable but strong.

It's Andrew McCarthy. I just loved how he played his silly character. It was so endearing and sweet. There are alot of messed up parts in this movie. Very dark and disturbing parts. I'm not too sure if intended to do so, but like his character Switcher, he just breezes on by. A mannequin just came to life. Raise some eyebrow but don't go tearing off into the night screaming. Now the mannequin is running around naked. Sweet.


Hollywood played by Meshach Taylor made the movie even more enjoyable. He plays the over-exaggerated gay man. How his character is played would probably make alot of people cringe and cry foul of the horrible sterotype. I honestly don't feel that his character was insulting. It was pretty bad-ass how he hosed down the cops.

Kim Cattrel's over acting bothered me at first. Really bothered me. I already have it against her for her future involvement with "Sex and the City". Then I just did what I should have done when the movie opened. Relax. It was made in the 80s. Then her over-acting made sense. If I thought about it character-wise, she was just born in the new world. She's overly excited like a child.


Which leads me one thing that has bugged an eensy-weensy bit. It's great how they go off, get married. But. She was a mannequin. How did she know of sex? Did her first life in Egypt teach her that? Will she cook for him? Clean the house? Work? Does she even know what state she is in? Sorry Switcher, you gotta lemon. A pretty lemon though.

The final shiny cherry of this nostalgic movie are the songs. Two songs pop up in my mind as being my favorite. One is played during the montage. The second is the ending song which everyone adores. And for good reason. It holds all the whimsy and love that the movie had going. So it was a great end.


Song during the montage:



Ending song:

At 1 am in the morning, I sat in front of my desk with a goofy smile in my face. I was happy.This movie could have been a really dark comedy. If made now, this would probably be a dark indie movie. Actually, this does remind me of "Lars and the real girl".

But this was made in the 80's where everything was fun and whimsical amid all the dark stuff going on. This movie made me happy then, and it made me happy now.

THAT TOUCH OF MINK TRAILER DORIS DAY CARY GRANT