Tangled - Disney

Today, I'm going to write about Tangled, Disney's 50th animated film. I did not go see this movie in the movie theaters, but I should have. I watched it a few weeks ago on Netflix instant queue and have watched it like 5 times since, and I listen to songs off the soundtrack a couple times a week.

The story of Rapunzel isn't exactly groundbreaking, but I like this twist. Supposedly a long long time ago, a flower with magical healing powers grew from a drop of the sun that fell from the sky. A naughty crone, Gothel, found it and has been using it for centuries to keep herself young. After time, a kingdom is built, and we see a sick, pregnant queen, and her greiving husband, the king. The people of the kingdom go searching for the mystical flower and find it, thus healing the queen.

Rapunzel is born with beautiful blonde hair, and Gothel realizes that the mystial power of the flower has moved to Rapunzels hair, and that it must not be cut. She kidnaps Rapunzel, locks her in the tower, and treats her like her own daughter that she wants to protect from people who would harm her for her hair. Enter a thief, Flynn, who Rapunzel wants to use in order to see the floating lanterns that the king and queen raise into the sky every year on the missing princesses birthday. After they leave the tower, adventures ensue, and eventually love.

While this isn't exactly a unique story, I still loved it. It was funny. Rapunzels pet chameleon is hilarious, and even the horse Maximus is great. I was laughing so much during this show, and even crying near the end.

Song, wise, I think it's great, too. Mandy Moore has a great voice, and always has, so she lends it beautifully to this project. A couple of the songs are forgettable, but that's the usual Disney way. Others are heartwarming, super cute, and definitely spot on.

I didn't watch this show because my kid wanted to watch it. He couldn't have cared less. I watched this over and over again because it was cute, funny, and just generally heartwarming. I think that Disney did a great job for it's 50th flick.

The box office agrees, according to Wikipedia: "Worldwide, it is the 15th highest-grossing animated feature ever released,[38] the eighth highest-grossing film of 2010 and the third largest animated title on that list behind Toy Story 3 ($1.063 billion) and Shrek Forever After ($752.6 million). It is also the third Disney film appearing in 2010's Top Ten.[39] Finally, it is the second highest-grossing film worldwide produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, trailing only The Lion King ($868.9 million).[40] "

I've decided to include a little snippet from my favorite song in the movie:

Brand New

I love this album. I first heard it when I was a lowly ninth grader starting out my high school tenure at Oneida High School in Oneida, NY.  A new friend, Holly, introduced us. I think I fell in love almost immediately.  This is probably one of my favorite albums of all time, if the truth be told.

Brand New is a great band. I love the overlapping vocals, something that's akin to Straylight Run or Taking Back Sunday. But, if you knew either of those bands, it would be pretty silly to not know who Brand New is.  I've actually seen both of those bands live, but not Brand New. I was at their show once, but I went with the man who later became my husband for their opening act mewithoutYou.  Then once mewithoutYou was done, he wanted to leave. I got to hear 1 song by one of my favorite bands of all time. This album is just rad. The songs are mostly catchy, and the lyrics are genius. 

They followed it with another amazing album, Deja Entendu . I don't know if I can really compare them. It's almost like apples and oranges. Deja is mellower and darker, but still unbelievable. There are lines in these songs that make goosebumps on my brain.

They've had two albums since, and I haven't heard anything off the new one. But, their 3rd album The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me was not my favorite. I really didn't like the dark icky sounds on that album at all, so I just stick to the albums I do love.

Brand New is definitely worth a listen.  Give it a try.
This song is called "The Quiet things that No Ever Knows" - from Deja Entendu

Amazon has lit my fire

Kindle Fire

Oh dear Jesus, thank you. Drooling all day is not good for my clothes, but I wouldn't trade it. 1 more month and I'll have enough of my side-job's cash saved up for this puppy.

Haha Apple. There's no way in hell I'm paying $499 for an iPad when I can get something that could conceivably end up being way better for only $199. I'm definitely not an idiot, and I'm also not the type that pays for luxury goods just because they're luxury goods. I'm all about the price.

I have wanted an e-reader for a long time, but I didn't like the price of the books. I like to read older books, and the local library and I are besties. Amazon is the third being in my little reading threesome. Books for $.01 plus $3.99 shipping is still better than every other place in this town. Now that my library is gaining an extensive e-library, I'm all for the e-readers. Mmm mm mm. 

November 25th people. That's when this amazing little drool-inducing piece of technology will be out, and you can bet that I'll be the first in line at Amazon.com.

My Philosophy

This blog is really my avenue to say what I think, when I think it. I love to read, watch tv/movies, and listen to music.  So, this little slice of the web that's all mine is really about saying what I think about the things I see, read, and hear.

I was reading again the review I wrote about the Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson when I realized that I really just jumbled through the book really quickly.  This is why: I absolutely LOVE to read. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I go searching for advice on whether or not a book is a good one, only to end up reading what's essentially just an abridged version of the book.  That's not what I'm looking for. So, that's not what I'm going to write.  I'll try as hard as a I can to just get the main point across, sparing as many details as I can so as to not ruin the adventure that each book offers to its reader.

I'm the same way when it comes to TV or movies.  I cannot watch TV shows out of order. Once I decide I like a show, maybe from catching it once on TV or hearing about it, I start right from the beginning. I do not like things to be spoiled, at all.  One of my best friends, M, she loves to have things spoiled. Every time I tell her to read a book or watch a movie, she wants to know everything that happens. It drives me insane! I get so attached to what's happening that I really don't want to know what comes next. I want everything to be as big of a surprise to me as it was to the character.

So, readers of mine, please see this place for what it is. It's a place for me to share my love with everyone who comes across it. I want to get you excited about a book or movie, but I don't want to tell you everything that happens. Where's the fun in that?

random thoughts

So, I was driving home from Wal-Mart today after a futile search for pumpkins (why I always wait until only a couple days before Halloween is beyond me), when I heard Nickelback's song "If today was your last day" come on the radio.  It got me thinking that there are innumerable songs about this concept of what would you do if you were going to die soon.

Now, I get the sentiment. The whole, live your life to the fullest, don't regret anything, never forget to tell the people you love that you love them, etc. But, it sure seems like the music industry is beating a dead horse with this one. I mean, just off the top of my head I can think of tons of songs about dying young or living life, or what you'd do with one more day.  The Band Perry, Kris Allen, the above mentioned Nickelback, even Michael Jackson.  They all say the same thing.

What are your thoughts? Are there some concepts that are just completely overdone in the industry? Or can artists really find a way to make this age old concept relevant and original?