Fairytales: Why I Love Them.

I loved today's class and the talk about fairytales. I grew up reading fairytales and watching movies based on or inspired by them. When I was little I believed that we were all living our own fairytale, and I still do. I would like to think that we are all miniature fairytales in a greater one, the Bible.  Fairytales tell us the transformation of a character whether it be physical, spiritual, or both like the Beast in Beauty and the Beast.  We also go through a spiritual transformation when we accept the Lord to be part of our lives and we change for the better. Fairytale can also be about anything and everything that we think of our see in the figment of our imagination, sometimes we just need a way to bring it out and show it to others so that we may inspire there stories that are just song to come out. I thought that the film 'A Man Bought a House on a Hill ' was very interesting and awkward when a man hated a rat, a rat liked the man, and in the end they get married and live together for the rest of their days. If that happened in today's world I would think that they would be in a weird situation.  Fairytales is a wonderful way to let our minds travel to different world and meet characters without actually putting ourselves in danger.

 Beast Transformation Scene http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xOVlVF3RJQc&list=PLcOFwW_xqGyzdbwiMm1Uq07KF1hloMosg

Fairy Tales

Fairy Tales are something I have enjoyed ever since I was little. My favorite pastime was reading, and fairy tales were my favorite. I remember very specifically my dad telling me a creation story, of how a giant sea turtle carried the earth on it's back. The earth was formed by the Skywoman, who fell from skyland, and was rescued by the animals. She was put on the turtles back, and with the help of the animals, she built the earth on the back.  She was pregnant and had a daughter, who eventually had twins that continued her work. The twins would fight often, because one was better at hunting, and the other better at agriculture. Each would have spirits come to them to turn them against each other, until eventually they fought to the death. The fight lasted for several years, and through that time several peoples sprung up, and many different languages were spoken.



I think the reason I love film and theatre so much is because of the influence of different fairy tales. To me, they are the most widely known stories, and the ones that have the most influence on who we are as people. Fairy tales make me want to tell stories of my own and create my own fairy tales that might be remembered for generations.

I wasn't really raised a christian, so most of my morals and virtues came from fairy tales. I realize now that there are many similarities between culture's beliefs, and that the fairy tales that spring up in different cultures relate strongly to their belief systems. 

Father and Daughter

Of the short films we watched today, I was struck most by Father and Daughter.  The art and style is very simple and there is no dialogue, but I think that's what makes the film so interesting to watch.  It plays along with the idea that Fredrick Buechner described in Telling the Truth, where a storyteller takes something ordinary and turns it into something extraordinary.  For example, most of the film is watching the girl ride her bike to the top of the hill and looking out over the water, waiting for her father to return.  This scene plays over and over again, but each time, something changes.  The girl doesn't just get older; you also see the seasons changing, you see the scene at different angles, the tone of the music changes, and so on.  One part I loved artistically is when she rides up yet again after it had rained.  You can see her reflection in the puddles, and it just looks great with that simple, rough, sketchy style.  

From a story standpoint, the film also surprised me.  Pretty much from the beginning, I could tell what was going to happen -- the father would not come back and we would see the girl keep coming back to the same spot.  This all played out as I thought it would, but with that kind of a story, you can't really determine how it will end.  Will she ever find her father? If so, where would she find him? In the end, I love how they show her (now as an elderly woman), finally stepping onto the water (which is now a thick grassy marsh land I guess), and finding the capsized rowboat.  She then curls up beside it and dies, I'm assuming, and then awakens in heaven (or perhaps it's just a dreamy state of mind) as a young girl again reunited with her father.  It's a beautiful ending that's happy on the surface, but also quite sad.  Happy that she finally found her father; sad that she never saw him again when she was still alive.       

A lost connection

     Father and Daughter, I thought, was an interesting piece. It's the type of piece that, when interpreted correctly, everyone can connect with at one time or another. The message I received is that in due time you eventually will be reunited with a loved one that you have lost over the years. When the daughter was moving through the brush it was a very "seeing the white light" esque type of moment. For me, I believe that moment when I pass will be seeing those that I have loved along the way. The first face that I might see is my grandmothers as she has been such an integral part of my life. Hopefully she gets many more years here on this Earth.

     There are two parallel themes here in play. The first is how with each new sequence the season of the year changes. That represents how nature and our life intertwine. With each new season we saw the daughter get older. Then, another theme I believe is displayed, the daughter never gave up and was always yearning to see her father. Her faithfulness was rewarded eventually as when she passed into the other life she not only saw her father, but returned to her youthful age. That makes me wonder if when we pass over we will return to our youthfulness or at least the years we see as our best. I can only assume so because the after life is supposed to be pure happiness.

     In conclusion, a lost connection is never truly lost if you keep them close to your heart. That is what the daughter did by always returning to the spot where she last saw her dad. It's said no one was there to walk her down the isle, though. As I always say, keep a smile next to your heart and you're never too far from home.

Let the feels commence....

Rat Lover

The one with the rat was a bit different, and that’s not just because of the relationship at the end of the film. The idea that an attempt to kill the rat resulted in the rat believing that the human loved her, she saw the things meant to kill her as gifts. Sad indeed for the man who wanted nothing more but to be free of the rat, and live in peace, instead finding a wife. Here is when some interpretation comes in, based on the man’s facial expressions throughout the photos I am assuming that he didn’t really want to marry her, and live until death parted them. This sounds a bit familiar, is this based on how people can end up hitched with people they would never want to, but somehow it just ends up happening? Interesting how it says they were happy ever after, perhaps how outsiders often see relationships that they aren’t a part of or they do not understand. What if the rat had died though instead of the marriage that took place? The story would have been pretty average. So thank goodness for the fact that they got married otherwise it would have been pretty dull.

Ordinary + Extraordinary notes

 

The Joy of Fairy Tales!

Ah~ Fairy tales. The one thing that I enjoy more than comedy. Not only because the tales bring normal characters into extraordinary life (or vice versa) but what also brings a paradise into the readers eyes. Well maybe not a paradise per se, but something that you find on the dream side of things, fantasy if you will. Even when I was a child I always enjoying hearing fairy tales, the traditional ones like Cinderella to ones that hardly anybody hears about. In a way its how my imagination got started.

In fairy tales you could literally bring anything to life within that realm you made up. It doesn't even have to connect if you truly don't want it to. You could even have it end with a tragic scene like in the real versions (Grim's) of Sleeping Beauty and all of those Disney films. But you could also have two very different characters get together just like in the film in class today, the one with the rat and the man. Yes, its something you usually wouldn't think of but that's the beauty behind it. That's what brings a fairy tale to life. All of that mystery, the unpredictability to transform characters, the realms that are made within the fairy tales is just what makes it a fairy tale.

Personally, I'm more of the medieval renaissance kind of person. I love hearing the styles of clothing and weapons that are made up for that time period. Even when I visited the Blarney castle in Ireland I felt almost in a fairy tale... Yeah, it wasn't one but if I put my mind to I could see the various things that used to be there as well as the people who would walk around those halls and walkways as I did. It held that mysterious, stopping time kind of feeling.

Not to mention, the style of fairy tales you can come up with as well. I've seen some beautiful artwork that deals with the mysterious realm of fairy tales. You can have the character be an animal yet still lives an ordinary life like a human or you can have a person that is transformed into a mystical being or just transported to a different realm. It all depends on how you want to view your fairy tale.

I have such a soft spot for the people left behind after a loved one dies. I have not personally experienced the death of someone close to me, so I shouldn't even attempt to relate or associate with someone who has. All the same, I can't begin to imagine how difficult it would be to carry on with life after a tragedy like that has occurred. The films Leeper showed us today really moved me. I tried to yawn it off and not cry. I feel like such a loser when cartoons get to me like that- but whatever. 

The short animation, Father and Daughter by Michael Dudok de Wit is about a father saying goodbye to his daughter, and the daughter's desire to see him again because she loves him so much. She visits the spot where he left her, and she goes back to that spot her whole life in hopes that he'll be there. The ending shows her in her old age, and she heads off in the direction that her father went. I can only assume this means she died. As she continues walking, her father is revealed to her, and they embrace each other for the first time in a long time. The beautiful music and the thought of being reunited with a loved one after a long period of time overwhelms me. That film captivated me and I feel like I fully experienced it- maybe a little too much haha.

As if it couldn't get any worse, Leeper shows us Bunny by Chris Wedge. I've seen this one before and when he said the title I instantly flew back in time to my childhood. I remember the Ice Age DVD had this in its bonus features, and my sister and I watched it on a family road trip. It was the first animated film I ever saw that wasn't cute or comedic. I hated it so much because it made me so sad. The ending is similar to the Father and Daughter film because the bunny dies and is reunited with her husband in heaven. I am such a sucker for the beautiful moment when people who love each other are separated by death, but are reunited in the end. If you ever want to make me cry just show me a film like these two. I understand that today's class was about fairytales, but it felt more like the tragedy classes to me. I just got way too emotionally involved in the moments leading up to the happy ending haha I'm so lame.  

When you wish upon a star........

When you wish upon a star........

If you have ever watched Disney, you hear this sound track every time the movie begins.  Here are the lyrics:

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you

Now if you are a true disney fan you just sang it in your head.  If you didn't you are not a true disney fan.  Just kidding!  I'm only being serious........

But if you are a Disney-fan you know that most of their stories/movies/books have been based off of ancient fairy tales that have many different versions of that same story.  Most of these ancient fairy tales ended to a tragedy.  But what child wants to see Ariel being turned into foam, Sleeping Beauty raped, and Pinocchio killing Jiminy Cricket?  WHAT KIND OF A CHILDREN'S STORY WOULD THAT BE?

Not a very good bed time story, but maybe something we could learn from.  Like maybe puppets shouldn't come to life to kill talking crickets.  Okay that wouldn't be the real lesson, it would probably be something much deeper like, not all heroes are perfect.  Heroes fall, but they are a hero because they triumphantly return learning and growing, and being a deeper character than they were before. 

 In the Disney World, things don't have to be perfect during the story, but it has to be a perfect ending.  That's what the song means in a disney film: "That anything the heroes desire will come to them........at the end of this film."  Yeah not as catchy.  But you see my point.  There was never an ending where the couple didn't get together, the bad guy succeeds, and the comedic character somehow dies.   

That's what maybe the world needs a balance of both realism and fairytale.  Enjoying the tales but applying what we learned to what we have now.  Therefore discovering the connection between these two.  Old fairy tale writers learned the lesson of realism and put that in their fairytales.  That not all endings have a happy ending.  That life is messy.  But fairytales have away of translating these truths into something beautiful.

Fairytale - Captivating and Nightmare Inducing

I am definitely a fan of fairy tale. There's something about the dreamlike state and dreamlike wonders that make fairy tale and fantasy so captivating. Nothing has to make sense, you don't have to stay within the realms of anything for fairy tale to work and that's part of the beauty. I like Alice in Wonderland, anything medieval, Puss in Boots, etc. That's why Shrek worked so well - there were so many fairy tales! My local Renaissance Faire back in Pennsylvania is one of the most magical places for me! I want so badly to travel to Ireland and Scotland to see all their ancient castles! Also, I've had a long love of dragons. Anything with a mystical vibe is pretty cool.

I had something I really wanted to talk about, but then we watched the films in class and I had a different train of thought.

Fairy tales can also be nightmare-inducing. Those films were not what I was expecting out of a fairy tale topic. I remember seeing that Bunny one before - it was a special feature on some children's movie I had when I was a lot younger ( I can't remember what it was now). Bunny freaked me out then, and still has a creepy undertone to me.

And dear God, if I ever saw a human-sized rat running at me in dress telling me to wait, I would have a breakdown. Nightmares!! I may be having rat nightmares. The style of animation didn't help the creep factor either.


Anyway, so fairy tale can be spectacular and mysterious. But some things I also find downright terrifying - but it still has that dreamlike state - which makes it a bit creepier as well.

Such a sucker for fairytales ::or:: Maybe learning something or maybe not

I have such a problem with fairytales. I love them, but maybe that's not quite strong enough a term. I fucking adore them. All throughout my childhood, I consumed books with such a passion, and fairytales (and fantasy and scify but mostly fairytale) were always my favorite.

Like, I'm still a bit really obsessed with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and I just got a tattoo that's my favorite quote from Peter Pan. If something is fairytale themed or fairytale esque, I am at least willing to give it a chance. Except Once Upon a Time, cause it seems like they're are just sucking Disney's dick for views and I'm not about that life. OUaT is now one of those things that make me irrationally mad whenever I think about it. I used to watch it and now it's just like staawp it what are you doing with your life

But fairytales. I've always been obsessed, and I prolly always will be. There's something dreamy and whimsical and mystical that just makes me feel satisfied and sated. They just lend themselves so nicely and you can read them and you feel like maybe you have new knowledge but it doesn't feel pushed on you. Fairytales are tales unapologetic, and that is something I'm all about. Just putting yourself out there and saying here I am. This is where I am, and this is where I stay. I am waiting for vazinni. Like, people tend to just accept these charming old fables. Whether they like these stories or nah, they still just accept them.

And they can become so dark and twisted, and sometimes they don't end how we want them to, and that can be so important. These are safe places. These are places we can see things from a different point of view but also from where we are and where we are coming from. We can face the dragon, and we can know that the dragon can be defeated, and we can do this while surrounded by blankets and tea. Or we can fall down the rabbit hole and get lost and discover that even though we might almost lose our heads, we will still make it home back to Dinah. I'm not going to mention Peter Pan cause that is so deliciously haunting and doesn't always leave us with a comfortable feeling in our stomachs, and it shouldn't. It's definitely a cautionary tale.

But fairytales take us from where we are and place us in our dreams without having to fall asleep. This seems to be something the church especially seems to forget constantly. They preach the good news, and then spend the other 93% of time assuming that now that you know the good news, casual mentions of this whimsical intricate tale is enough. Like, well, these people all know the story, now lets only drop super obscure references and hope it gives enough comfort to all these basic parishioners.

We do need more of the whimsy, more of the mystical, of the magical, of the enchanting. Hook me on this fantasmical tale, don't just mention it and then string me along with casual mentions while making me feel like shit. Spin me a web of wonder and hope mixed with the shitty fucked up bits, cause they all belong together. They are all part of the same story, not things that are to be proclaimed separately. The comedy, tragedy, and fairytale should all be entwined as that's what life just is.

We are the kids running around, not knowing where we are going or where we will end up, but dammit we are going to experience it anyways. Life is this wonderful, beautiful thing. Let's not fool ourselves and pretend everything is golden and perfect, but get through it all by knowing while things might not be perfect there will be golden days out there, and maybe happy every after is a thing we can experience and not just dream about.


I could prolly go on and on and on until happy ever after, so I'm going to wrap this up. Have a beautiful poem that vaguely relates [click here you presh lil human] .



 Have a great day. Or don't. You do you.

Is It a Wonderful Religious Film?

It’s a Wonderful Life is an archetypal classic Christmas film. And I didn’t need to tell you this because YOU ALL KNOW THIS! Even if you didn’t knew it, I guarantee you that you have seen many of its lines in popular culture (tell me you haven’t heard “Every time a bell rings, and angel gets it’s wings.”), or at lease parodied. If you haven’t seen it, one, you should, and two, the premise is that our main character, George Bailey (played by Hitchcock favorite Jimmy Stewart) who isn’t having a good day on Christmas Eve as his life is practically falling apart and wishes he had never been born. Well an angel grants him his wish and it turns out that if he was never born, everyone’s life he has touched would end up rather crummy. That’s because before it, the movie played us his life before he made his wish as it showed how he meet his wife and how he got his job and his position. He then regrets this and wished his life was back to normal, it does, and he realized that his life is, indeed, a wonderful life.

So this doesn’t seem symbolic of Jesus now does it? Well…it kinda is. Let me explain. This movie has some symbolism with the Bible, particularly with the New Testament. Is it really a Christian movie? I would say no since there isn’t that strong of an element and it could be partially coincidental. I mean yeah it does take place in Christmas and it does have angels, but honestly I don’t find those that strong to be labels as one. But again that’s just me. But if it those symbolic elements are considered a Christian movie, I wouldn’t deny it. Three strong elements are when George is wooing his future wife, Mary (LOL GET IT), it does have a part where he throws a rock in their future house and makes a wish and tells her that he wants to explore the world, something which is a motif, I guess, of his. She does as well, but she won’t tell him. Then he tells her that he’ll lasso the moon and give it to her, then she’ll eat it and the moon’s rays will shine upon her. This could be a reference to many pictures of the Virgin Mary with a heavenly glow around her head.

TOO BIG!

There is also the scene where George and Mary is helping a poor family moving into a bigger house, giving the salt, bread, and wine. I don't think I need to explain that one. And finally, there is the scene where the movie's main antagonist, Mr. Potter, tempts George to be partners with him, with a large sum of money for him too. George accepts at first but then declines, knowing that it isn't the right thing to do. Could this be a reference to making a deal with the devil? Or Judas?

Again, this could be entirely coincidental, but I don't think it is that far of line to suggest. Normally I would be against any form of media that hammers down the word of God (just look at a movie released earlier this year that gotten some foothold, God's Not Dead) since many of it's purpose is to say that God is good for people that already knew this and does nothing to challenge it, but I can give this a pass. But I will stand that it's not.

Also if I may recommend something, check out's Arcade Fire's Neon Bible if you want to listen to something that does challange your beliefs. It's amazing. It's no Funeral but it's close.

It is a wonderfully disguised Life

So this Thursday we watched clips of "It's a Wonderful Life".  Now I have never seen the full movie though I have heard of it.  Also I don't really like movies that are religious and push religious elements.  To me Christian films that do that are horrible because it sacrifices the story to stay with a message.  Now films like "It's a Wonderful Life" are sneaky little devils for they hide their religious elements which is great.  I'm not saying that a movie that is blatantly religious is bad but they usually aren't good.  With that said we watched a clip were Mary was walking with George and George talks about lassoing the moon for Mary to eat.  This is a reference to the virgin Mary (Which we saw multiple interpretations of in class).  Also that they both walk through a garden which represents Adam and Eve.  They are both uses of the bible in the story but if you didn't know that you can still enjoy the story.  This doesn't hinder the film in any way.  Then there is also the part of the film where Mr. Potter is trying to have George sign a bad deal.  It is made to be like the devil tempting mankind into wrong.  But if you don't make the connection the scene still works.  This is one of the few movies I have seen that are enhanced by religious elements.  I liked it and I hope now that I get to see the rest of the film and see which elements I can pick up on my own.  Of course I only mentioned two things in depth but there are connections in the house greeting scene, Potter field and the angel in the film.

Story Telling

Story time! Those two little words always brought a smile to my face no matter how old I am, even now I love hearing those words. And well in last classes session when Mr. Leeper brought up the idea of letting your story tell you not you having to tell it. I felt that he has a very good point. After all if we just start organizing every single detail of a plot and what not then we would totally miss the whole idea behind the story. For me personally, I find myself liking stories that tend to have the story talk to you rather than just sit there actually like any average normal book. Not to mention, whenever I tend to draw/write I find it harder when I really concentrate on the idea but when I just draw with no purpose I end up coming up with a great idea or picture. It's just the way I work I guess...

To be quite honest, I haven't really thought about it until now but when I look back to my characters that I've made or the small short stories that I've written I find a small common theme among them. And most of the time its usually on how I see or believe in things. So in way without me even realizing it I was putting myself into my stories subconsciously not even noticing it until a few weeks later when I re-read/look at them for fun. Its definitely an interesting thing to find. And personally, character is something you build not something where you come up with everything all at once. You have to let it find you before your able to find it.

What You Believe In

Usually in class I have no idea what professor Leeper is talking about but Thursday in class he caught my attention on an very interesting subject that I've been thinking about for some time. And during his lecture, he was speaking on going beyond the mainstream, expanding your interests, releasing yourself from the expectations of the church, and if you have talent USE IT. But the part about releasing yourself from the churches expectations really hit me hard because going to a christian college I was afraid of what most, especially the professors, would think about my ideas because the christian atmosphere is a little new to me. Even though I am familiar with my beliefs, and will respect others of theirs, where I'm from is not very much of a religious place and I grew up around things that probably some christians would not agree with. But what the professor said really made me feel a little bit more confidant about myself and what I want to do.

Also when he spoke of expanding your interest. I'm a HUGE fan of super heroes, Star-Wars and action films. Yea that's right Leeper, I like Thor and Transformers. But when Leeper said to "expand your interests" and "go beyond mainstream" is something I found very informative because a all I can think about is action. And going outside your box in the film industry can be a little challenging and risky.

How (Subconsciously) Wonderful!

In Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life", there are many pieces of Catholic influences mixed within the story. Many of these are more than likely not on purposed, because they do not seem forced. They are rather likely part of subconscious showing up in minor details throughout the movie. One example is when the two characters George Bailey and Mary Hatch are walking home from a dance party turned pool party. Mary's name is likely influenced by the Virgin Mary's name. Mary in the film is wearing a robe after the pool scene, and when the Virgin Mary was around, people often wore robes as clothing. George and Mary could be viewed as Adam and Eve when they walk down a street that resembles a garden, alluding to the Garden of Eden. When George talks about lassoing the moon for Mary to have it to eat, it resembles the painting of the Virgin Mary, with the moonbeams shooting from her head.

Another scene that shows Catholic symbols is the blessing of the Martini's house. They give bread so the homeowners will never go hungry, salt so their lives will never lose flavor, and wine so they can prosper in this scene, which is somewhat like when Jesus gave bread and wine as his flesh and blood.

The last scene we watched in class was when George Bailey was being tempted by Mr. Potter. In this scene, the old, sly Mr. Potter is trying to trick George into signing an agreement he knows George will feel bad about. After all, George has made a promise to his family that he will keep the family's business alive and even though he would like to travel the world someday, he knows that he would feel best in his conscience if he kept true to his promise. The conniving Mr. Potter is a representation of the devil and how he tempts us.

I found it very interesting that these hidden symbols could be so easily inserted into the film, and likely without the directors and writers even realizing. It's amazing that you can tell things about a person through their works. The subconscious really does play a part in what the audience sees.