Branagh's "Cinderella" Wows CinemaCon (& Blanchett Channels Evil Stepmother Perfectly, Complete With Cat On a Leash!)

Maleficent is going to have to battle for headlines shortly as Disney's live action I has already caught hearts and minds with her grand entrance today, Wednesday, aka preview at CinemaCon. (I'm sure Disney, owning both, doesn't mind too much at all.)

There are no, that's right, NO new images. (Boo. :( ) Yet. But with a teaser/preview like this we should be seeing something by Fall or Christmas at the latest to whet out appetites even more.

In the meantime, enjoy the live action reference photos from the animated movie I've scattered throughout the post.

Here's the (much edited) scoop from an iO9 writer and CinemaCon attendee who is clearly newly besotted with what she just saw (warning: some of this may be considered spoilerish. Read at your own discretion):

Note: THIS IS NOT THE WHOLE REPORT.

I have left HUGE chunks out for you to go and mine on your own. :)

Disney's live action Cinderella movie is so wonderfully beholden to the animated source material, it will make your heart swell. And we've seen a large chunk of it, including the Evil Stepmother, Cate Blanchett — who makes her grand entrance with A CAT ON A LEASH. 

...The footage opened as all good fairy tales should, a woman's voice says "Once Upon A Time there was a Child named Ella." 

... Fast forward... Evil Stepmother Cate Blanchett enters, wearing a stunning dress black with gold embroidered details, a black veil wrapped tightly across her face, and topped off with a massive, black victorian hat. But more importantly, she is escorting in her pet cat who is being led in on a leash. SHE HAS A CAT ON A LEASH!!!!!! THE EVIL STEP MOTHER HAS A CAT ON A LEASH. A CAT. ON. A. LEASH. It is, amazing. We can only assume that this charcoal tabby, who totally flicks his paw like he's rubbing his litter in Cinderella's face, is named Lucifer (like in the the animated movie). How I even managed to watch a thing after the "cat on a leash" reveal, I will never know — but I'm still freaking out about it. And the footage only got better. 

...Someone announces there's going to be a Royal Ball! ... They are all ready and Cinderella descends the stairs in a dress they didn't see coming, "It was my Mother's dress!" And, of course, the Evil Stepmother rips it to pieces. A PAIR OF CG MICE WITH VESTS LOOK ON FROM THE STAIRS. The mice have clothing, and it works, because this movie is literally a complete literal translation of the animated classic with additional Robb Stark scenes. How could there not be mice! 

...Cinderella will NOT go to the ball. She's crying on the balcony watching her dreams die when suddenly a haggard old woman appears in their house. Which is weird because that would mean that she broke into their house and that is illegal. But wait it's actually Helena Bonham Carter in old lady face and she says, "I'm your Fairy Godmother of course." And then bippity bop pity boo, she turns into a gorgeous, blonde Helena Bonham Carter (note she never actually utters that classic turn of phrase, but we assume it's coming). She looks stunning and almost exactly like Glina from Oz but without the down and gigantic sleeves. 

Full disclosure: I was not on board with HBC being cast as the fairy godmother, but I was wrong. She is sensational. She has this little angelic charm and together they root through the green house looking for a sizable vegetable that she can transform into a carriage...  

... We all know where this is going — nothing I've reported on here is new for Cinderella, but that's the point! The absolute dedication to the source material hits right in the Disney sweet spot... Sure there are plenty of new scenes that were hinted at... Plus it's gorgeous and some how they may just make mice with vests work. 

Fingers crossed for this one: It looks really, really good.

Read the whole, entertaining and highly enthusiastic report HERE. (I recommend it - it's not like you don't know the story, right? And you know Branagh/Disney is saving the real live-action departure-goodness for the full show.)

Some additional notes from CinemaBlend who also attended CinemaCon:

While we were told before the footage that some of the special effects had yet to be completed and that the movie is still very much a work in process, I was definitely impressed by what I saw. There is an interesting mix of tones at work, as heavy drama is lightened by some funny dialogue and rapport, and the film looks gorgeously shot. Of course, this is the footage that Disney wanted us to see in order to get us excited for the film, but my interest is definitely piqued. 

Wondering what the release date is, with such a large teaser already shown? March 15, 2015. 

Most of the visual effects are still in the works and clearly they have plans for a lot more in post as well so we shall see. 

Though live action fairy tales have had a recent resurgence in Europe in the last few years in particular (and there are some beautiful looking films out there if you search!) it looks like the revival of the live-action fairy tale, which, honestly, has stumbled a little in the US to date, is well underway now in the House of Mouse as well.

PS Wondering if Into the Woods has made an appearance at CinemaCon yet? It did, but not in the form of footage. Just headshots for now, so Into The Woods news is just a footnote compared to the rest of the 'fairy tale news'. :)

Yeh-Shen & The Crane Wife by Amy Parrish

Yeh-Shen by Amy Parrish

I stumbled across these midweek for the first time while researching the "Chinese Cinderella", though they are nearly three years old now. While I've seen a lot of Amy Parrish's work - so beautiful! - I had missed these entirely. (Note: the website auto-plays music.)

I had no idea she loved Yeh-Shen. Here are her comments about it from her website:

If you’re not already familiar with the title reference of “Yeh-Shen”, this is a tale, extremely similar to Cinderella, but a thousand years older and originating in China. 

Instead of a fairy godmother, Yeh-Shen’s magical gifts come from the remains of her friend; a fish. 

I’ve had an adaption of this sitting on my bookshelf for nearly a decade since first discovering it in my Children’s Lit course at Otterbein. There was something even more mystical about this version than the European tale I was already familiar with, thanks to Walt Disney. If you have children (or even if you don’t), I definitely recommend reading this fairytale for yourself.

You can see the whole lovely photo shoot HERE.

There was another part to this series, creating images for another fairy tale, this time a Japanese one and fairly well known to fairy tale readers. It's the lovely and tragic story of The Crane Wife.

The Crane Wife by Amy Parrish

There are a few more photos for this one and additional commentary too (both of which we love). Here are some excerpts:

As oral tradition typically goes, there are a few versions of this Japanese fable. One of them weaves a story of a poor man who rescues an injured crane. Shortly thereafter, a beautiful young woman knocks at his door seeking shelter. They marry and come upon even worse times than the poor man had experienced alone. His wife told him that she could make a magic sail to sell along the harbor. Only, the husband was not, under any circumstance, to watch her toiling at the loom. After weaving for more than a day, the sail was ready and the wife came out from behind her screen looking extremely exhausted.... 

...Some versions I’ve read have changed dramatically around here; Was it the husband who demanded that his wife weave another magic sail or was it reluctantly suggested? I’d like to think it was the latter, but regardless of how it occurred, an opportunity came about in which a wealthy captain had offered a lifetime’s gold for one of these magic sails he had heard so much about. This time, while the wife was toiling away for a few days, her husband could not take it anymore. Some stories attribute this to an innocent, yet uncontrollable, curiosity and others to cold greed…the husband pulled back the screen, and what he saw was not his wife, as he knew her, at all. The same crane he had rescued so long ago sat behind the loom, trembling and weak as she had woven her very own feathers filled with the sea wind into the sails. 

Terrified and unable to speak, the crane flew away and was never seen again.

See the whole of the photo shoot, read all of Ms. Parrish's comments, hear her inspiration and see some additional artwork inspired by the tale, HERE.

I hope Ms. Parrish is inspired to do shoots representing some other lesser known folktales in future! It's one of the best ways to get people reading them again.

"Evil Is Complicated" (Maleficent Update)

Fan made poster by Silviya Stoyanova Carrier

I found all these random little things regarding Maleficent this past week and decided I might as well just put them together in one post.

The first is a Twitter comment, not at all related to Maleficent but I thought illustrated the direction this movie has taken really well. They say when you write for an evil character the best way to make them genuine is for them to believe they are really the (unsung/misunderstood) hero.

Then there's the most recent trailer, released last Thursday, which dovetails well with this sentiment. It's titled "Evil Is Complicated":

The day immediately after, these gifs (that I still can't find the source for) surfaced:

I found an alternate set of gifs that show the context better, though they're not as pretty:

That cottage... definitely channeling the Disney the fairies hidden cottage, though Maleficent clearly didn't take sixteen years to find this one.

And yes, I'll keep hunting for actual footage, with sound, of this scene.. (though if you have better google-fu than I today and find it first, please do share the link with us all in the comments below!)

In an interesting turn of my brain, the baby smiling at Maleficent's words (whatever they happened to be), reminded me of Godfather Death and how the godson was never afraid of his unusual godparent, despite that he was the ultimate fear of most of the world.

It makes for an interesting set of questions, regarding how much the people who watched over you when you were small, ultimately ended up influencing you, especially as you didn't realize who - or what - they were. This is a theme you find quite a bit in fairy tales. The godchild either turns out to be truly special because of they way they see a situation (and act in it) OR they reveal a warped psyche no one could have predicted and turn out to be some kind of monster. More than that, their 'monster' is a truly scary one since they believe themselves to be the only one who sees things the way they really are and does "what needs to be done".

Fan made poster by Peter Gilbert

I have to say, we're being shown an awful lot of this movie. I do hope there are some real surprises left for us (and that they're GOOD surprises). How are you feeling about all the reveals?

Helen Oyeyemi (of "Boy, Snow, Bird") on Writing the Wicked Queen and the Power Fairy Tales

By now, you've probably heard of Helen Oyeyemi's book Boy, Snow, Bird, a literary retelling of Snow White that deals with racial issues. It's caught the attention of Oprah and The New York Times and is quickly rising on the best seller list.

Let me quickly add the press release blurb, in case this is still new to you, before we move on to others things:

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi 

From the prizewinning author of Mr. Fox , the Snow White fairy tale brilliantly recast as a story of family secrets, race, beauty, and vanity.In the winter of 1953, Boy Novak arrives by chance in a small town in Massachusetts, looking, she believes, for beauty-- the opposite of the life she' s left behind in New York. She marries a local widower and becomes stepmother to his winsome daughter, Snow Whitman.
A wicked stepmother is a creature Boy never imagined she' d become, but elements of the familiar tale of aesthetic obsession begin to play themselves out when the birth of Boy' s daughter, Bird, who is dark-skinned, exposes the Whitmans as light-skinned African Americans passing for white. Among them, Boy, Snow, and Bird confront the tyranny of the mirror to ask how much power surfaces really hold.
Dazzlingly inventive and powerfully moving , Boy, Snow, Bird is an astonishing and enchanting novel. With breathtaking feats of imagination, Helen Oyeyemi confirms her place as one of the most original and dynamic literary voices of our time.

Since there are a lot of reviews and information about the book out there already (I recommend starting with Heidi Ann Heiner of SurLaLune and her review HERE), I won't go over the same ground.

Instead I thought I'd offer some different aspects on this retelling of Snow White. As a little bonus, throughout the post are a variety of proposed designs for the book cover, which I always find interesting as they give a different but valid emphasis to the book.

Here's a short but lovely introduction to the book by way of audio. You'll get an idea of the language the author uses as well as immediate immersion into the fairy tale.

You can hear the whole book for free right now HERE (via one of those 30 day trial deals).

And here are three (four, really) treats: Helen Oyeyemi sharing her thoughts on, not only her book and Snow White but fairy tales in general, as well as excerpts from a very different fairy tale aficionado review.

First up is an excerpt from an interview in Bustle:

What did you see as the most compelling characteristics of the wicked stepmother? 

HO: I like that in the typical fairy tale, the wicked woman is the one who makes trouble. The wicked stepmother in “Snow White” made me think a lot about beauty: how women interpret beauty and how these interpretations feed into our relationships, from envy to rivalry to protectiveness. It also made me wonder why in the original story different types of beauty can’t co-exist. 

What was the most challenging part of constructing the wicked queen?  

HO: The challenge of building the wicked queen was in not relying on Boy’s past for a complete explanation of the problems between Boy and Snow — for most of the book, Boy’s quite determined not to do any reliving. 

I don’t like retellings of stories where a woman is explained by her past — where her past is something that was part of her personality. I wanted to loosen the walls and try to figure out a new way to tell the story of the wicked queen.   

You can read the whole of the interview HERE.

And from NPR, who often presents a refreshing perspective:

On playing off of fairy talesI think that they're the purest form of story that you can get. They sort of strip down human behavior to the absolute basics. So with Snow White you have this story about envy and what the consequences of those are. And I suppose that when I'm reading a fairy tale I find it easier to rescue the characters than with other stories.
And I wanted to rescue the wicked stepmother. I felt that, especially in Snow White, I think that the evil queen finds it sort of a hassle to be such a villain. It seems a bit much for her, and so I kind of wanted to lift that load a little bit. 

You can hear the interview at the NPR link above or, if you're having trouble hearing the audio on your device, there's a transcript available HERE.

And here's a very short, but interesting video of Ms. Oyeyemi speaking about the power of fairy tales in a New York Times interview:

Helen Oyeyemi, whose new novel, "Boy, Snow, Bird," was inspired by "Snow White," says fairy tales allow us to focus on "the nature of stories themselves, and the curious power they have."

Lastly, here are a couple of excerpts from an interesting write up from a Polish blog. Auto-translate is responsible for the weirdness of the language, including the his/her mix-ups but I kinda love the rawness of it as well. I'm including the introduction (shown in bold) because it gives an interesting commentary on the resurgence of fairy tale retellings in recent years as well:

In recent years, pop culture has returned to the fashion of fairy tales and their modern interpretations. After the age of luscious, candy filming the stables Disney fairy tales again regained its adult nature and conquered the imagination of a new culture all manner of modern eaters. Finally, the air is filled with the spirit of the mad and cruel story of Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, sadness and despair beautiful Andersen story or moral decency fairy tale by Charles Perrault certain. She returned even coquettish Scheherazade, flew Peter Pan, or the witches in "The Wizard of Oz". I must admit that the classic fairy tale I have a big fondness. My beloved since childhood, much misunderstanding parents are "Jednooczka, Dwuoczka and Trójoczka" The Brothers Grimm - the title already seen that from an early age, I felt attracted to the strangeness, and how to add, that history also includes burying raw liver under the porch, it knows where to splatterpunka love and gore. As you know, I love to interpret... and fairy tales give me a wide range of possibilities, depending on the time in which to be not taking. Because the fairy tale worth coming back and read again, customize and play with meanings.  

Universal potential and great symbolic force emanating from the classic fairy tale has used in his latest novel entitled "Boy, Snow Bird" by British author Helen Oyeyemi . The writer very subtly and intriguingly tangled in his story magic, supernatural elements and the classic fairy tale themes, creating one of the most interesting reinterpretation of this type in recent years. The basis of the plot used in building one of the most famous stories in the world, that cult "Snow White" The Brothers Grimm. However, "Boy, Snow Bird" reader seeking also find echoes of "Sleeping Beauty", "The Snow Queen", or even "Cinderella". Helen Oyeyemi chose only a tiny kawalątki these stories, and the history of Snow White in a turbulent and presses the uneasy reality of the fifties and sixties of the twentieth century the United States. She told them a new, thus creating a fresh, contemporary fairy tale. And as it happens in the classical fairy tales filled it with ambiguity and universal symbolism, which will long remain in the subconscious mind readers. 

..."Boy, Snow Bird" Helen Oyeyemi is a story that still deceiving me, weaved and sucked in the twists and turns of its plot, as in the forest depths. A small American town seemed mysterious land which seemingly charming and "as a picture" was hidden in the shadows of a dirty racial obsession, intolerance and concerns of closed communities which do not have access to extensive changes in other parts of the country. Family of the picture in the house Whitman, who for one shake a magic wand proved to be the arena fighting for the acceptance of women, both in the eyes of others, as in his own. I mean, how can you live in harmony with each other, even when the mirror shows that we are not to end? When even those closest to us sometimes seem not to notice? When every look we have the impression that in a mirror dimly?

You can read the whole of the blog entry HERE, as long as you either can read Polish, or have Google translate. :)

I'm looking forward to reading this at some point in the (hopefully near) future but if you've already managed to dive in, feel free to share your impressions in the comments below.

Ask Baba Yaga: What Happens If Everything I've Ever Wanted Comes True?

Baba Yaga by Júlia Sardà

Gosh. I don't think this question has ever occurred to me (at least not more than once, and very fleetingly) but it does make you wonder.. what if the genie granted all your wishes? (Subtext: would you really be happy?)

This week's question and answer (via poet and oracle Taisia Kitaiskaia* of The Hairpin):

(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

Hm. This is definitely true regarding 'things'. I guess what Baba Yaga is saying here is that the person asking the question will find out that should this ever come true they were, basically, thinking too small, too materialistically, too finitely... 

Now I will have to do some serious thinking, take a hard look at the things I think I want to come true and adjust my wish list accordingly.

That's Baba Yaga for you: keeping it real.

What do you think of Baba Yaga's advice?

Want to ask Baba Yaga a question of your own?

You can!

There's now an email address where you can send your questions

directly to Baba Yaga herself.

AskBabaYaga AT gmail DOT com

To encourage Baba Yaga to continue imparting her no-bones-about-it wisdom (ok, there may be some gristle in there... bones too), I suggest we not to leave her box empty... 

Thank you Baba Yaga (& Taisia).

* Taisia Kitaiskaia is a poet, writer, and Michener Center for Writers fellow. Born in Russia and raised in America, she's had her poems and translations published in Narrative Magazine, Poetry International, and others.

The Underwater Fairy Tales of Andreas Franke

Red Riding Hood by Andreas Franke

This is a different exhibit: Andreas Franke, who is well known for his underwater fantasy photography, has most recently turned his attention to fairy tales for a unique set of venues for a unique cause.

Here's the press release:

Plunge into the strange, surreal and mysterious world of award-winning visual artist Andreas Franke and experience his photographic Phantasy Fairytale underwater art exhibition at Huvafen Fushi and NIYAMA in the Maldives.

Each photographic piece has been submerged in the Indian Ocean and can be seen from inside the underwater music club Subsix at NIYAMA and inside the underwater LIME spa at Huvafen Fushi. Should you decide to purchase a piece to take home with you a percentage of proceeds will be donated to Per AQUUM’s Coral Regeneration Program. 

Snow White (yes, NOT Sleeping Beauty)

The exhibition magically combines photography, nautical exploration and digital mastery to produce compelling underwater dream worlds where Western fairytale characters are creatively superimposed against the backdrop of the Indian Ocean. Each photographic art piece evokes a feeling of folklore and magic with Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and Star Money exhibiting at both NIYAMA and Huvafen Fushi, while the Snow Queen features exclusively at NIYAMA and The Last Unicorn features exclusively at Huvafen Fushi. 

The Last Unicorn

How cool is that? Using the sea floor as a gallery? Not only that, underwater algae and other microorganisms are encouraged to organically become part of the painting. It's fascinating!

Star Money

Mr. Franke is completely passionate about diving and underwater sea life, so it's really wonderful to see his art supporting what he's most passionate about - the underwater realm and all that he loves about it. All his creations (not just these fairy tales) are magical and otherworldly and I really love how he takes care to incorporate the"normal life of sea creatures" in his photos as well. The reality of them existing in these other-underworlds take these from interesting to wondrous.

Here's a description on how the paintings were created:

The images are created by Andreas undertaking two separate photo shoots; one using an underwater backdrop followed by a secondary studio shoot with real life models that bring the final visual to life. These secondary shots are then superimposed onto the original images to create the finished Phantasy Fairytale. To secure the art underwater, they’ll be encased in Plexiglass and suspended from the underwater structures of Subsix at NIYAMA and the LIME Spa at Huvafen Fushi. 

Snow Queen 

Andreas says his creative input is just the first part of the process. Once the images are submerged, it is up to the sea and nature to create the final finished product. Together with algae and microorganisms, the salt water adorns the pictures from the world above. It is the individual signature of the ocean that embellishes the photographs, a bizarre and beautiful touch of impermanence.

How did you imagine the scenes for Phantasy Fairytale?Andreas: While I was diving, fairy-tale like scenes appeared in my mind’s eye, like Little Red Riding Hood walking through coral reefs resembling trees. The moment I start the photo shoot, everything becomes clear: the concept, the realisation, even the post-production. It is only the interpretation that I leave to the spectators.

Here's a couple of photos of the installation process:

Here's a much more detailed look at how Mr. Franke goes about the dives, the set-ups and the layers of photography. If you love diving and the sea, you will LOVE this video!:

And here's how the Phantasy Fairytale paintings are currently being viewed: 

 

When I first saw these I, on a whim, looked up the prices for an overnight stay and just about fell off my chair. Needless to say, the main resort mentioned is a popular celebrity retreat BUT I'm very happy to know that while I will never see these works in person, the important work of coral regeneration gets a boost in money and resources every time monied visitors indulge themselves, while the exhibit is on display.

The Phantasy Fairytale exhibition by Andreas Franke first premiered on March 4 and will be on display until the end of May this year. To find out more about visiting the exhibit in person you can find more information HERE.

Sources: HERE, HERE, HERE & HERE

Grim Before Grimm - A Brief (Audio) History of Cinderella, Rapunzel & Beauty and the Beast by Dr. Michelle Smith

Heckedy Peg (illustrated) by Don Wood

Here's a lovely little delicious dish for your ears: the history of three well known fairy tales summarized with their less-than-delicate origins intact (don't worry - the language is family friendly).

Each audio is very short, only 3 to 5 minutes long, and does a great job of entertainingly imparting the basic facts fairy tale students quickly learn about in their first year, and without overwhelming.

The text and audio is by Postdoctoral Fellow of English at the University of Melbourne Dr Michelle Smith.

First up, Cinderella (just click on the play button in the "box" to listen):

We know Cinderella as having a fairy god mother, but the earliest known version of the story features a ten foot long fish who grants her food, jewellery and fancy clothes.

 

 Next, Rapunzel:

Rapunzel has a saucy past says University of Melbourne's Dr Michelle Smith - a parsley sauce, to be precise.

 

And last, but not least, Beauty and the Beast:

The 'Beauty and the Beast' comes from a long European history of animal bridegroom stories where girls are wedded to bears, dogs, wolves, pigs, hedgehogs, snakes, frogs and sheep.

  

I hope you took the time to listen as it's well worth it. ( If you're short on time, you can easily do your Pinterest/Instagram/Tumblr browsing while Dr. Smith entertains you. ;) )

This special short series was released on Thursday by ABC Melbourne (Australia) to help promote a live broadcast (by Libby Gorr) for the Annual Children's Book Festival happening on March 23rd. More information can be found about the series and the upcoming live broadcast HERE.

I'd love to see (hear) more series like this! Brief, summarized, with a good sense of humor and especially, accessible to the general public.