November 18, 2008
- Has anyone else noticed how the main villains in both Aladdin and The Lion King look like Jonathan Harris, the actor who portrayed Doctor Smith on the TV show Lost in Space?
-Contributed by Ora S.
- Popeye seems to be a curious meld of Zen and absurdist philosophies. The Zen nature of Popeye is obvious: “I am what I am and that’s all that I am.” Popeye sees himself as existing neither in contrast nor comparison to any other entity, he simply is. His relationship with Olive Oyl can be read as absurdist. In many episodes, Olive willingly leaves Popeye for Bluto (or Brutus). Popeye goes to great lengths to “rescue” her when the relationship goes bad. The memory of these rescues never impresses Olive because we know she will leave Popeye again and again need to be rescued. (”Who are we waiting for? We are waiting for Godot.” Repeat ad infinitum.)
-Contributed by Chris B.
- In Muppet Babies, I feel there are two main reasons why Nanny was only shown from the knees down. These are:
1. to make a running gag
2. to make the show seem to be even more from a child’s point of view.
-Contributed by The Editor
- Of course this is pointless, but I used to notice frequently on Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids that if they were chasing a member of their group, the ensuing crowd of pursuers would also include the one who was being chased. For instance, if Rudy had committed some offense and Fat Albert and the gang chased him across that junk yard, Rudy would also be in the crowd that was chasing him! C’mon guys, spend a half-hour and ink a new cel.
-Contributed by Ken G.
- What is the concept of Pokemon? People capture these wild animals, and use them to battle other people who engage in this activity with a hope to have the strongest creatures and the title of “Pokemon Master.” Now let’s pretend this is real. You would go out and capture wild creatures and force them to fight each other. Now aren’t cockfights and dogfights illegal? And if animals were smart enough to do what they were told, I think most people wouldn’t want to do such a horrible things to them! When you think about it, the whole concept of Pokemon is wrong and evil. So I think.
-Contributed by Xwonka
Tags:cockfighting, Godot, Jonathan Harris, Lost in Space, Nanny, Zen
Posted in Aladdin, Bluto, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, Mini-Analyzations, Muppet Babies, Olive Oyl, Pokemon, Popeye, The Lion King, all categories that do not contain themselves, mistakes, morality, philosophy, villains | 2 Comments »
May 2, 2008
- “I don’t know if Disney has a house rule about which animals can speak and which cannot, but guidelines seem to be emerging. The rule is, if you are a predatory carnivore, you don’t talk, but if you are a pacifist, a vegetarian or cute, you do. In Tarzan, the apes spoke, but the leopards didn’t. In Dinosaur, all of the creatures speak, except for the vicious carnotaurs. A Faustian bargain seems to be at work: If you are an animal in a Disney picture, you can speak, but only if you are willing to sacrifice your essential nature.”
-Quoted from Roger Ebert’s review of Dinosaur >Catena Ex Situ
- A black & white Betty Boop in Who Framed Roger Rabbit was employed a cigarette girl at the Ink & Paint Club circa 1947. She bemoaned how “work’s been kind of slow since cartoons went to color”. Perhaps Miss Boop forgot about her starring role in the 1934 Fleischer Color Classic “Poor Cinderella.”
-Contributed by Brendan S.
- In Ratatouille, whether Remy walks on all-fours or on two feet depends on his mood:
“If he feels exuberant, he tends to be more upright, and his hands pulled back. Later on, when he feels shame in front of his father, and [his dreams] have all turned into disaster, he folds back in again. It’s not just a mannerism. It’s a thing that helps tell the story.”
-Quoted from an L.A. Times interview with Brad Bird >Catena Ex Situ
Tags:Roger Ebert, Brad Bird, Disney, Faust, mannerism
Posted in Betty Boop, Dinosaur, Mini-Analyzations, Ratatouille, Tarzan, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, ex situ, mistakes | 4 Comments »
