Born to be Ren

Dear Zac Efron,

I realize you don't want to be pigeon-holed into the singing, dancing guy who turns things around and learns/encourages other characters to go against the status quo, but you were really made to play Ren McCormack. I don't know Kevin Bacon, but I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that I think he'd give you his blessing to play the 21st century version of Ren. I mean, between "Scream" and "Bet On It" you really wouldn't even have to learn any new choreography. You could squeeze Footloose into your crazy schedule.

Still sad that you turned the part down.



[And yes, I realize that this is my second post in a row that concerns both Zac Efron and High School Musical. Acknowledgment, but no apologies.]

The Derby Stallion High School Musical

Starring Zac Efron as Patrick McCardle Troy Bolton

Fifteen-year-old Patrick Troy doesn't know what to do with his life, and the pressure put on him by his dad isn't helping. But then he meets a misunderstood horse trainer math geek who convinces him to train audition for the Derby Cup school musical. Can Patrick Troy convince his parents to let him compete perform, beat out the rich town bully musical snobs, Sharpey and Ryan?--and find the champion musician that lies within?

Hmmm... this back-of-the-dvd blurb sounds familiar...

There's also a new girl who just moved into town and encourages him to ride horses instead of play baseball which is his dad's dream.

This movie is so bad that it's good... at least good in the sense that Beth and I died laughing all the way through it. One thing it's got going for it: New girl never calls him "wildcat."

For your viewing pleasure...

My desktop background....

I can't stop staring at it... with the exception of Fenrir Greyback who scares me. Nine days.

We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto

The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie of all time. Recently a friend gave me Return to Oz. I actually hadn't seen it before, although I do remember begging my grandma to rent it at the video store when I was about 5 yrs old. The Wheelers scared me and she wouldn't let me watch the rest of it because she thought I would have nightmares. Probably a good call, grandma. Haha. Anyway, here's my take on the film.

Return to Oz was made by Disney in 1985. It has an awkward charm; weird but completely enjoyable. The thing you have to remember about Return to Oz is that the director didn't intend for it to be a direct sequel to (or really, anything at all like) the Judy Garland musical. Although, ROz is based on the 2nd and 3rd Oz books by L. Frank Baum.

It's definitely darker than WOz, but totally entertaining in a quirky sort of way. Dorothy has been back in Kansas for awhile and talking about Oz, making Auntie Em think she's gone mad. Dorothy has to escape from the evil electro-shock therapy clinic and ends up floating on a river to Oz. There're no cheerful Munchkins or Glinda, the good witch, dressed in a sparkly bubblegum colored dress, but there is Tik-Tok the robot, Jack Pumpkinhead, Gump--a mounted moose head attached to a couch for most of the movie and Billina the talking chicken (who would be much less annoying if she didn't talk). They have to save the land of Oz, Princess Ozma and the Scarecrow, the Tinman, and the Cowardly Lion. The villains in this movie are by far the strangest part. There's Princess Mombi who has a room full of heads that she pops on and off like wigs, The Wheelers (who still kind of creep me out: see pic)--think rollerblades for hands and feet along with bad makeup, crazy clothes, and cackling laughter, and the claymation stone cross-dressing Nome king, who is wearing the ruby slippers.

Bits and pieces of this movie remind me of Narnia. Dorothy returns to Oz to find the Yellow Brick Road and the Emerald City in ruins. All of the people of the Emerald City have been turned to stone (and some decapitated for Mombi's collection). The Nome king lives on a snow covered mountain, and the rocks are all spies for the king--remniscent of the trees in Narnia. Interesting coincidences.

I enjoyed it although WOz is several (decapitated) heads above in ranking, and if you're interested in watching it with me I'll probaby watch it again soon (maybe along with WOz). See it if: you like dark and quirky 80s movies with ridiculous characters, claymation, animatronics, and have no expectations of it being anything like WOz. Don't see it if: you're 5 yrs old.

[Take home lesson from the end of ROz: Behold the power of the incredible edible egg.]

I ain't lyin'

Bringing joy into your world, one musical at a time.
Of particular note in this clip:

• Link's wink and slight vanity
• Seaweed's switchblade while serenading Penny
• Link licking Tracy's picture. Ewwwww.
• Link's freaky change in facial expressions
• Seaweed, Seaweed, did I mention Seaweed?

Hairspray: Without Love

6 reasons why I'm happy that the HSM III Dvd release was this week

Don't judge, just read. :)

1. It's silly. Yeah, we know it and we own it. The silliness is half of the charm of HSM. The other half is equal parts Ryan's voice (give him more songs!), Troy's face (See #2), and choreographed musical dance numbers in response to life events. Sometimes you just need something that entertains without delving too far into analytical thought. 

2. Zac Efron's facial expressions. The boy had me at laryngitis (min 2:32-2:36). I'm amazed at the speed at which he can change his facial expressions. His skill holds through to HSM. And he may even teach you how to be a super he-ro.

3. Cheesy pop tunes. You know you love them. They're catchy and make me sing along every time. What's life without some power ballads and cheesy lyrics from the Backstreet Boys, Michelle Branch, Jesse McCartney, aaaaaaaaand the HSM soundtracks. I'd say it'd probably be like life without love or getting your big break and laryngitis (just can't help the Hairspray references now.) 

4. Happy Disney endings. Teenage angst followed by a happy ending. Does that ever actually happen, or do we just grow out of it without resolution? I don't know, but it's always more fun to watch teen angst than to be involved in it. Forget your former high school teenage drama and laugh at theirs.  And you can watch the angst occur via music; it's always better when expressed through song... on a bridge, on a desert golf course, in the school hallway that starts spinning, during the basketball game...

5. They just keep getting better. HSM I is mediocre at best, cut it some slack and remember it was a made-for-Disney-channel, low-budget film.  HSM II is better, as long as you don't include that extra Hawaiian headdress Sharpay song on the extras. HSM III--great. 

6. It's a good excuse (as if we need one) to get a group of good friends together for a night of marathon fun. We laugh, we cry (mostly from the laughter, not movie-inflicted distraught), we get annoyed at Gabriella's whiny voice (if she calls him 'Wildcat' one more time...).

What's that? You don't dance? ...I know you can. High School Musical. Who says we have to let it go? :)

Fauns, Dryads, SPIRITUAL TRUTH!

(1:45-2:21 in particular)

I somehow missed the Narnian bandwagon while growing up, so I'm working on catching up now. Books first, then movies. I just finished watching The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I quite enjoyed it, although I was disappointed that one of my favorite quotes from the book was skipped over:

"Then he [Aslan] isn't safe?" said Lucy.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

They did include a different version of the conversation with Lucy and Mr. Tumnus at the end, but I don't think it holds the same weight.

Some of the symbolism is so much stronger when seen live. For example, when Aslan breathes on Mr. Tumnus to bring him back to life, Tumnus makes all sorts of crackling, icy noises while thawing out. At this point, Kendal commented, "That would be painful... unfreezing..." Yes, absolutely! If we're being literal, thawing out totally hurts; think about coming in from the cold and your fingers and toes warming back up. It actually hurts. But looking beyond the obvious, being brought from death back to [spiritual] life, continually molded by the Spirit into a different person than you were before, and fighting against our human nature. The sanctification process can definitely be uncomfortable and even painful, but totally and completely worth it.

Harrison Ford makes me want to major in archaeology