LX Magazine's Tribute to 200th Anniversary of Grimms Household Tales - Dornröschen (Tale 5 of 5)

"Sleeping Beauty" Photography Viona lelegems, Model Jolien Rosanne, Post-production Chester Van Bommel

The fifth and final tale from the 200th Anniversary Grimm's Household Tales Tribute by Lx Magazine: Illuminating Luxury. I hope you've enjoyed our little weekly fairy tale luxury postings! There is so much to mine from the 2012 200th anniversary celebrations. I'm glad this was one of them. Beautiful in every way.

- FTNH aka Fairy Tale News Hound aka Gypsy

Dornröschen - Little Briar Rose/Sleeping Beauty

“After many, many years there came another king’s son into that land, and an old man told him the story of the thicket of thorns, and how a beautiful palace stood behind it, in which was a wondrous princess, called Briar Rose, asleep with all her court. He told, too, how he had heard from his grandfather that many, many princes had come, and had tried to break through the thicket, but had stuck fast and died. Then the young prince said, ‘All this shall not frighten me; I will go and see Briar Rose.’ The old man tried to dissuade him, but he persisted in going.
Now that very day the hundred years were completed; and as the prince came to the thicket he saw nothing but beautiful flowering shrubs, through which he passed with ease, and they closed after him as firm as ever. Then he came at last to the palace, and there in the yard lay the dogs asleep, and the horses in the stables, and on the roof sat the pigeons fast asleep with their heads under their wings; and when he came into the palace, the flies slept on the walls, and the cook in the kitchen was still holding up her hand as if she would beat the boy, and the maid sat with a black fowl in her hand ready to be plucked.
Then he went on still further, and all was so still that he could hear every breath he drew; till at last he came to the old tower and opened the door of the little room in which Briar Rose was, and there she lay fast asleep, and looked so beautiful that he could not take his eyes off, and he stooped down and gave her a kiss. But the moment he kissed her she opened her eyes and awoke, and smiled upon him.
Then they went out together, and presently the king and queen also awoke, and all the court, and they gazed on each other with great wonder. And the horses got up and shook themselves, and the dogs jumped about and barked; the pigeons took their heads from under their wings, and looked about and flew into the fields; the flies on the walls buzzed away; the fire in the kitchen blazed up and cooked the dinner, and the roast meat turned round again; the cook gave the boy the box on his ear so that he cried out, and the maid went on plucking the fowl.
And then was the wedding of the prince and Briar Rose celebrated, and they lived happily together all their lives.”

You can read the full tale as published by Grimms Household Tales HERE (translated to English) and learn much more about Sleeping Beauty's history HERE.

Thus is the end of our tribute tale from Lx Magazine. We are so grateful they shared their fairy tales with us.

(Links below to all posts in this tribute series should now be live!)

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*** TALE 1 *** TALE 2 *** TALE 3 *** TALE 4 *** TALE 5 *** 

When "Game Of Thrones" Meets Fairy Tales

The Princess and the dragon are one in Game of Thrones

Note: All images are made by (talented) fans who are clearly storytellers themselves...

It should come as no surprise that people see fairy tale themes and story lines cropping up in their favorite shows - even where none were intended - and the increase in popularity of "collaged image" fan art from TV shows has become an excellent way of people presenting how they see the show: the themes, the subtext, the fairy tales.

Here are three specific uses of fairy tale I found recently for the very popular HBO series Game Of Thrones (based on George R.R. Martin's best selling novel series A Song of Fire & Ice):

The first is regarding the youngest and scrappiest daughter of the Stark family, Arya. So young, yet on the run from many who might seek to harm her. Her family sigil is the "Direwolf" (essentially a monstrous wolf) and though she's had to part ways from her real companion animal, little Arya Stark proves herself wily and adept at navigating her "dark forest". Arya is very much the Little Red Riding Hood we wish our girls could be (while desperately hoping their woods will never be half so dark).

You have the eyes of a wolf and a taste for blood.

Arya's elder sister, Sansa, is a recognized Beauty and nothing like her sister (or so it would seem to everyone, including the sisters themselves). She was brought up to be a lady and tries very hard to be every inch that example, though is initially a little arrogant in lording that. Even when circumstances turn from her naive idea of fairytale to nightmare, she appears to remain soft in her ladylike manners and beauty. When she becomes trapped by people and circumstance she finds she has nothing left to defend herself with, other than the lessons she paid attention to - to be a proper lady and her spirit which is far stronger than even she knows. In Sansa, the opposite of Arya, we see a different female strength: one with a patient and adaptive spirit. One who quickly understands her limitations and physical weaknesses but doesn't give up hope, doing her best to rally herself to action at just the right moment. The beasts she encounters come in all forms - pretty ones who's souls are evil, ugly ones who show compassion when she least expects it. Sansa herself learns to no longer look on the outside, taking the hard road to wisdom, yet keeping her poise. It is the riddle that she must keep solving: who is a true beast and who is a true man? We can only hope our girls will show as much strength as Sansa does (like Beauty), in her situation, no matter what Beasts come their way.

He throws our human aspirations to the godlike sadly awry; only from a distance would you think The Beast not much different from any other man, although he wears a mask with a man’s face painted most beautifully on it.  Oh, yes, a beautiful face; but one with too much formal symmetry of feature to be entirely human: one profile of his mask is the mirror image of the other, too perfect, uncanny.

He is a carnival figure made of papier mâché and crêpe hair; and yet he has the Devil’s knack at cards.

Sansa has also been likened to Sleeping Beauty, as she waits, a hostage, in a tower, keeping her true nature quiet, asleep if you will, as she waits to be free of this curse she's under (though those who put the curse on her are actually waiting for her to "flower" or bloom into womanhood so she can be married to the (truly evil) King Joffrey and get with his child. In Sansa's case, things change and though her forced betrothal to the king becomes void, she is assured she will still be "deflowered" and remains under the curse. When the replacement, Margaery Tyrell, who is set to be Joffrey's new queen, arrives, Sansa becomes, in fact, surrounded by roses. Specifically it's the Court of Roses, which is the Tyrell family sigil.

During the princess’ long captivity, the riotous roses that bloomed on the thickets about her tower became her sole companions. 

They are the only ones she can speak to, even if it is using the "language of flowers" (in this case veiled conversations and witty use of courtly manners to say what cannot be said out loud). For a time, at least, Sansa is friends and allies with her flowery friends but it's very clear these roses have thorns and she would do best to be wary of their company as well.

The Game Of Thrones versions of these fairy tales, of course, remain unfinished. If you know anything of Game of Thrones it may be that the creator George R.R. Martin is likely to kill off any main character at any point in time. No one is safe. That this threat hangs over the stories of these girls in their versions of these tales, make it even more poignant.

And once again we see the strength of the fairy tale shine through. Though there is no guarantee of a happy ever after (especially here) there is still much we can take from these tales.

Article: OUAT Creators Defend "Disneyfication" (& the Horowitz-Kitsis-fication) of Fairy Tales

This is an interesting report from The National. I've rarely heard OUAT creators, Horowitz and Kitsis, refer (even obliquely, like in this article) to NBC's Grimm since both shows premiered, let alone comparing the darker, more traditional side of fairy tales (or their compatibility with procedurals, urban fantasy and horror) with the Disney/ABC "dark" touch that people talk about OUAT showcasing. (The "dark" touch being taking Disney characters and giving them backstories, making their characters more gray than black-and-white good or evil.)

The article is is definitely worth reading as I think they share an important point of why people like Disney versions of tales, indeed, why people like "predictably happy" versions of fairy tales.

It also suggests that the "dark" in tales that some people are looking to explore (especially right now) is different to both the Brothers Grimm's nice-ified-for-their-time versions and current available, more explicit versions (eg how NBCs Grimm uses tales).

Excerpts fro The National article:

The malleability of fairy tales to adapt to their times has kept them as vibrant as pixie dust for centuries, so it comes as no surprise that Once Upon a Time is still swinging its magic wand like a Louisville Slugger bat... 

Shows such as Grimm, where mythology fuses with police procedural, demonstrate how readily the fairy tale can meld into a hybrid, while the youth fuelled CW network’s new foray into the genre, Beauty and the Beast, casts a female detective as the beauty. Cynics take note; all three shows have already been renewed for the 2013-2014 seasons. 

Whereas the origins of fairy tales are bathed in dark curses, cautionary tales, death, lost love and spilt blood — the “Disneyfication” of all of the above, with its de rigueur happy ending, has brought positive messages of hope, inner beauty, romance and self-empowerment to shine more warmly over the magical firmament in the 21st century. 

“These fairy tales always have an element of darkness and, for us, there’s a big distinction between darkness and unpleasantness,” (says) Adam Horowitz...“And we never want to go there. We’re never going to be a serial-killer show. We want to touch on the darkness and the scariness that are inherent in these stories. We also try to never lose sight of one of the guiding principles of this show, which is hope.” 

We’ve witnessed this through the second season as the Evil Queen/Regina (Lana Parrilla) – who ripped out the Huntsman’s chest and killed her own father in season one – now reveals hints of inner goodness and random acts of kindness as she fights to save Storybrooke from the doom of the encroaching forest.

(Emphasis in bold is mine.)

There is an implication in the article that shows like Grimm are unpleasantly dark and that they don't contain - or maintain - hope, but I don't think that's true. I think the hope in Grimm shines very brightly, perhaps because it's contrasted by the obvious dark.

However, different shows - and types of stories - appeal to different people. And that's as it should be. Would you rather see more true implications of what "ripping out someone's heart" would be (such as is made more explicit in the fan made image collage below, which, in this presentation, looks closer to something out of Hannibal that it does OUAT)? Or would you rather the implication that someone who regularly rips out people's heart "isn't necessarily all bad" when they "do an act of good"? (Which, when you apply that to real life is a little disturbing!) Although real people are shades of gray, which makes these OUAT fairy tale characters more relatable to many people than they have been in the past, when it comes to ripping out hearts, I don't think a judge and jury in our courts would be very lenient...

I know, I know. It's supposed to be a metaphor - or at least symbolic. But that's my point.

Because, you see, either preference is just one POV. Neither invalidates OUAT's way of telling stories. Or Grimm's. Some people need to hear the tales told that way in order to relate them to their lives.

I think we need both versions - or retellings - of tales. The only problem happens when one form of storytelling attempts to eclipse all else. Then people only have one option for exploring stories and issues and that's completely the opposite of what fairy tales are for.

So: I want both please. Or all. I want them all!

ALL THE STORIES! ;)

The article also discusses the melding/crossing over between fairy tale and fantasy worlds that OUAT has become known for and is gearing up to do bigtime in Season 3 as they head into Neverland.

They also speculate on how "merging mythologies" of Neverland and fairy tale character histories will develop... something which I am curious about too because it's become clear that whatever aspects OUAT melds together will forever change the way this generation (at least) will view those individual tales and characters forever.

You can read the whole article HERE.

Syfy Is Reimagining "Oz". (Again.) As a Fantasy-Action Miniseries. (Again?)

So... wasn't it not that long ago that we had Zooey Deschanel stomp her steampunky, un-red boots across Oz on Syfy's Tin Man?

My mistake.

That was SciFi and it was a looooong time ago in 2007. (!)

But this is different...

...

How different exactly?

The scoop from Deadline:

Bekmambetov directing
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter 

Wanted and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter director Timur Bekmambetov is venturing into television with Warriors Of Oz, a mini-series project which has landed at Syfy. Bekmambetov will create Warriors Of Oz based on his idea. 

It is a fantasy-action reimagining of the classic story in which a warrior from present day Earth is transported to a post-apocalyptic future Oz* where he must team up with three other warriors, Heartless, Brainless, and Coward, in order to defeat the evil Wizard who has enslaved the land. Bekmambetov is set to executive produce and possibly direct.  Search is under way for a writer to pen the mini, which will be produced by Universal Cable Prods. 

So it will be different.

In fact it could be quite different. It could be very funny. It will likely be very action-y. It might make critics just as happy as Tin Man did and it might... not.

You know what I'm most p-annoyed at? A little two letter word in there: "he". Dorothy is either in very heavy reverse-Tootsie disguise or one of the classic American girl heroines just got benched for a pec-man (assuming he'll be showing his muscles). :/

Whatever the case,  I can already envision a plethora of warrior designs for Heartless, Brainless and Coward.... (actually I think deviantArtists may have been secretly developing this idea themselves for years...)

Warriors by kerembeyit-d37ia4y

The Twisted World of Oz by ~ginoroberto

The Warriors of Oz by R-Tan

This is one of those things that will either be brilliant or... really won't (and then gets shoved under the Sharknado-ed carpet).

Oh, who am I kidding? IF THEY FIX the Dorothy thing, I will TOTALLY tune in to this! (At least for the first few minutes.)

*Post-apocalyptic future Oz. What the hay happened??! Did someone secrete away the remaining flying monkeys and genetically alter them into Planet of the Flying Monkey dudes that took over the Emerald City and used the Scarecrow for, uh, bedding, or what? (Can you tell it's really late and I'm both very tired and my filter is malfunctioning?)

Ask Baba Yaga: All I Can Think About Is Getting Married

Bony Legs by Joanna Cole

I'm guessing Baba Yaga has had girls ask this question more than once (!) in her long life, so her reply is... refreshingly blunt. ;) 

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

(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

My favorite responses so far:

• Ahra Yaga, I in az oo uyessted, ang now i'm no clozher to ang anszher, and now I have no teesh and no awddy to uh-phhpt. I hate oo Ahra Yaga. (Emby)
• Sometimes on the first read, I think the punctuation is emoticons. Like her "wench" comes with a good-natured smile and she winks at the end to let us know it's all in fun. (SarahP)
• "Deathlove pond" is a spot-on description of the state of love/infatuation. No sootheengs shall there be, wench, indeed. (Jocasta Carr)
• As someone who is currently in their mid-twenties, ambitious, independent, and idiotically in love with and desirous of marrying someone I've only just started dating (3 dates!) I desperately wanted there to be a real answer to this question and read it knowing that this feature does not actually provide advice and am yet somehow still disappointed that I did not receive any... 
  Although in retrospect "the longing & wondering is half the joy of this deathlove pond you've a-stumbled into" is pretty much the same thing as the "Enjoy it, this is the exciting part!" all my friends have given me. So there's that. (Titania)

Dear Emby: Ouch. I hope you have a good dentist, for the sake of your love life and eating apples... 
Dear Titania: *brushes milkweed gently out of your hair*...Have fun!
And I would have to agree with a sentiment that pops up every week in at least one of the comments: This is one of the best advice columns ever!


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.

New Poster: "Saving Mr. Banks"

Ta da! No real commentary here because there isn't a lot to it. But simple is nice. :)

Hallmark Transforming "Mirror Mirror" Comic Into Family Movie "The Hunters"

And it's getting a few known names attached along the way. Joshua Williamson's graphic novel "Mirror Mirror" (released Nov 2010) is essentially a mash-up of Snow White, Indiana Jones and Warehouse 13. With kids. (So much fun!)

Mirror Mirror 1

Read the pages below on the left in order for a little taste of the graphic novel, this section featuring Red Riding Hood tale motifs, showing how it ties into modern day and the real world.

Hallmark Released Synopsis:Carter and Jordyn Flynn (Payne, Forbes) aren't the average mom and dad. For them, a typical workday can take place anywhere in the world, raiding ornate museums and evading pursuing authorities as Hunters, protectors of powerful fairy tale artifacts that are anything but make believe. (Edit FTNH: Definitely sounds like a special annex of Warehouse 13!) 

While they take their jobs seriously, they're just as concerned about the welfare of their two sons, 21-year old Paxton (Amell) and 16-year old Tripp (Tracey), who are unaware of their parents' true line of work. 

When Carter and Jordyn disappear during one of their missions, the boys learn the truth about their parents and their lineage. They turn to old family friend Mason (Garber) for help but they soon discover that the deceitful Mason is after what the Flynns were trying to protect - an enchanted mirror that has the ability to grant any wish. It's got quite a history, too: It's the same mirror that played a pivotal role in the destiny of Snow White. It becomes evident that it's up to the valiant brothers and Dylan to save the day before very real fairy tale magic falls into Mason's less-than-worthy hands. (Source) 

Cont... Mirror Mirror 2

For those not familiar with Joshua Williamson's Mirror Mirror, here's an excerpt from an interview with the author by Comic Vine just before the graphic novel was released.

Joshua Williamson:   Mirror, Mirror is about the magic mirror from the Snow White fairy tale. In our story Snow White destroyed the magic mirror and scattered its pieces across the globe to keep it from ever being rebuilt. She then created a group called the Huntsmen to protect the pieces from evil.   

(Edit FTNH: Also shades of Snow Queen here - a shattered evil mirror with pieces scattered over the globe..)

Now in present day a young man named Owen Grimm is the newest Huntsman and is trying to stop a wicked Prince from putting the evil mirror back together and using it to rule the world. 

As to why someone should pick it up… If you’re looking a family friendly adventure story that is fun for everyone you should pick this up. If you like the Indiana Jones films or National Treasure, this book is for you.  

CV: Where did you get the idea from? Do you often think about twists to old fairy tales?  

Cont... Mirror Mirror 3

JW:  This idea sprang from me wanting to do an adventure book, something with someone searching for something. Crazy vague, I know. The thing is what is out that hasn’t already been found? 

One story that has always bugged me was Snow White. We get this nice happy ending where Prince Charming rides off with Snow White in his arms and the evil old Step Mother is dead. But what happened to that evil Mirror? It was manipulative and has insane powers, and could be argued was the real bad guy of the story. One day I just put two and two together and thought “what if Snow White destroyed the mirror?”   

A line of dialogue that never made it into the script was of Snow White saying “Mirror, Mirror on the wall… do you know what I’m going to do with this?” while she was holding a giant sledge hammer. I’m pretty sure that was the first line of dialogue I wrote but it just never made it in the actual finished script. It was just the germ of an idea that lead to the whole book. 

Yeah, I’m always thinking of twists on classic fairy tales, but not just fairy tales… myths, legends, fables, you name it. 

CV: What makes this take on Snow White and the Magic Mirror different from the stories told in Vertigo's FABLES?  

Cont... Mirror Mirror 4

JW: F or starters we never actually see Snow White in this story except for in a few panels in flashback. I love Vertigo’s Fables, but I still wanted to make sure that we stayed far away from what they’ve done. We don’t have any actual live fables or other characters running around. There are ties to the stories, but a big part of the book is that all those fairy tales and myths came from some kind of truth and we explore that truth. For example, the big bad wolf, Bigby, in Fables is a shape shifter and sheriff, while in Mirror, Mirror, the big bad wolf is actually based off real life serial killer Peter Stumpp. 

This is more like the Indiana Jones films where it’s very grounded in reality with hints of supernatural building until it’s unleashed. (Source) 

I've been impressed in the past with Hallmark's handling of fairy tale movies (eg Snow Queen, Hans Christian Andersen). Some of their made-for-TV fairy tale movies have had better quality storytelling and visuals than the big blockbusters and kept the fairy tale base solid, so while I still think of Hallmark in a "less-than" manner initially, perhaps we'll be pleasantly surprised by this too (fingers crossed!).

What I'm really hoping for is some well balanced but also meaty family entertainment with that mystery/adventure element middle graders seem to love, that delves into different tale details for clues on how to continue the adventure. While Once Upon A Time is generally family friendly it's more soap and less adventure (and has no resolution) than popular family films and series tend to be so perhaps this will bridge the gap.

Argo actor Victor Garber and The Killing's Michelle Forbes are set to star in the Hallmark Channel original movie The Hunters, which is scheduled to premiere October 25. Based on Mirror, Mirror, a comic book by Joshua Williamson, the film will be a part of Walden Family Theater, a new series of family movies to air on Friday nights. (Source) 

With the Fables movie quietly gaining momentum (*fistpump!*), this would be an excellent "fairy tales in the modern world" introduction to kids who aren't ready for something so adult but still want something a little Warehouse 13.

The comic looks like a lot of fun and with the right creative team a family movie could be too. (You can see a little more of the pages from Mirror Mirror HERE after the main article and there are a few more pages HERE too.)

If you'd like to grab one of your own, you can find copies of Mirror Mirror available HERE. It's also available for Kindle.

Sources: Hollywood Reporter, TVBroadwayWorld, ComicVine, ComicBookResources

Article: Fairy Tale Villains (from Worlds Rise)

I have been keeping this tab open at Worlds Rise for the longest time to make sure I go back and read this post! And I'm so glad I did. It's a great breakdown of villain types and very inspiring for story types to get their heads around. Without further ado, I will give you a teaser then send you over to Worlds Rise to keep reading:

Note: I had some major issues in trying to copy over a portion of the text so resorted to a screencap for a teaser. The text at Worlds Rise is normal text you could use as a resource for writing if needed.

The other villain archetypes discussed are:

- The Rampaging Villain
- The Deceived Villain
- The Devil
- The Rude and Lazy Villain
 -Evil Stepmother and Domestic Witch

You can read about all these and the complementary post on Hero Types over at Worlds Rise HERE.

D23 To Present OUAT: Behind the Fairytale

Not listed in their previous event line-up, Disney has announced that Once Upon A Time will be showcased at D23 as well. Although much may be a repeat of Comic-Con, you know Disney will have it's own few exclusives.

I find it interesting that the OUAT team are presenting "Behind the FAIRYTALE" and not "Behind the FAIRY  TALE"... but perhaps that's what they'll be talking about - the idealism behind the show, rather than fairy tale content/influence.

Press release:

Executive Producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz will be featured at a panel titled ‘ABC’s Once Upon A Time: Behind The Fairytale’ on Saturday, August 10 at 1:00 p.m. at Stage 23. Eddy and Adam will talk about exciting developments for season three of their hit series ‘Once Upon A Time’ as well as their new fall series, ‘Once Upon A Time In Wonderland,’ which takes place in the Victorian England of Alice and the strange new land that exists on the other side of the rabbit hole. The Q&A with the executive producers will be moderated by D23’s Jeffrey Epstein. 

Guests on the D23 Expo show floor are invited to come aboard the Jolly Roger for a swashbuckling good time with some of your favorite fairytale characters from ABC’s hit series Once Upon A Time. Explore the famous pirate ship and feast your eyes on original props from the set. You will also find Snow White, Prince Charming, the Evil Queen, Captain Hook, and Emma Swan (and Emma’s red leather jacket). Every pirate who boards the ship gets to visit the Evil Queen’s vault. And a surprise awaits when you unlock a box from Regina’s wall of hearts. No pirate will leave empty handed! (Edit FTNH: That means, every one who goes aboard and visits the Queen's vault of hearts will come away with a souvenir.) Don’t let this exciting adventure sail by without you! 

In addition, as previously announced, guests will be able to get an up-close-and-personal look at some of the elaborate costumes from Once Upon A Time inside the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit located on the second floor of the Convention Center.

They won't be the only "costumes" on display either. The designer princess gowns will be getting window fronts as well:

There is an amazing display of exclusive gowns inspired by Disney’s Princesses making their U.S. debut at the D23 Expo inside the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit. These designs by top designers will be available for viewing, August 9–11 at the Anaheim Convention Center. These Dresses are inspired by the stories of the Disney Princesses by Ralph & Russo (Tiana), Versace (Cinderella), Elie Saab (Aurora), Marchesa (Ariel), Escada (Jasmine), Missoni (Mulan), Roberto Cavalli (Pocahontas), Jenny Packham (Rapunzel),  Valentino (Belle), and Oscar de la Renta (Snow White).

 

The stunning dresses were first showcased in a set of window displays at Harrods, the luxury store in Knightsbridge, London, during the 2012 holiday season.

There's also word of "exclusive screenings" which would, if they got the wording right, means they're going to screen something they didn't already show at Comic-Con but I haven't heard any speculation (or excitement) about what that might be since I think the reveal stage is pretty much done now. Still, we may be surprised.

The Saving Mr. Banks presentations have been slightly expanded in description as well but it's all still a little vague (possibly on purpose!). We do know the film already has a PG-13 rating, suggesting it's both complete and been before the required review boards so there's a good chance any Saving Mr. Banks screenings will have a decent amount of footage (possibly all - sometimes there are such surprises kept on purpose).

Sources: StitchKingdom, Chip&Co, PressEnterpriseBloggers, TheFutonCritic, 

Breaking News: Main Cast 'Almost!' Complete for "Into the Woods" Movie

Into the Woods Poster by laurean

From an apparent "world exclusive" on Broadway World, breaking news of the Into the Woods movie casting came in late last night.

The Baker & His Wife by Phillip Light

From Broadway World: 

A source close to the production has confirmed casting for the majority of the roles now that official casting for the highly anticipated big screen tuner is almost complete, with the big budget production set to start shooting in the UK in a few weeks.

I made a very quick-and-dirty (and giant!) graphic of all the well known characters with names and pics. (Do not ask how late I was up doing this thing!)

You should be able to click on the image to get a closer look (or right click "see original image" and that should show you full-size too).

You will see there have been a few changes (including last week's news of Jake Gyllenhaal having to bow out due to scheduling conflicts). No word yet on who Little Red will be and apparently Daniel Huttlestone has not yet signed properly on the dotted line yet to play "Jack" either, so he's still a maybe.

I've also seen no mention of the giant - either character or voice so I'm not sure what the approach will be on that aspect.

Note: the characters at the bottom, though recognizable are considered ensemble cast so it could run the extreme from cameos by well known actors to unknowns. Likely depends on the approach with the main cast (you don't want to unbalance the movie but at the same time a well placed cameo often adds shades were none were necessarily evident before). I guess we shall see...

All the lovely Into the Woods character-caricatures are by the very talented Philip Light (PhLightAttendant on deviantArt).

And now to the latest cast list.

(Click on image below to view full size) 
- EDIT JULY 24, 2013 -
Because people were having trouble viewing this full size, I have made it the original size here on the blog, even though it's kinda ugleeee! So please excuse the blog look for this post but hopefully the fact you can now see the graphic will make up for that.  A little. :) (You may still need to right click "view image in new tab" and then click the little magnifying glass to make it zoom to size, or you can also drag it onto your desktop to view but it should at least be the correct size when you do this time).

USF Offers Its First MOOC. And It's a Fairy Tale Subject!

The Iron Stove by Warwick Goble

The illustrations in this post are from the awesome princess story The Iron Stove. Both Grimm's Household Tales and also in Lang's Yellow Fairy Book have a version. Click on the links in this paragraph to read this fun and different princess story.

What the heck is a MOOC? It stands for Massive Open Online Course. Which means, it's open to everyone (no prerequisites), it's online (no traveling) and it's a bona-fide higher education course (so expect assignments and being required to participate via email and online discussion boards) which you can receive credit.

The Iron Stove (which looks suspiciously like a TARDIS here) -
Artist unknown

This one lasts for 4 weeks and commences August 5th (2013) and finishes September 1st.

This one is also FREE.


The subject: "Fairy Tales: Origins and Evolution of Princess Stories." (Yay.)

If you haven't heard much about MOOCs or online learning, here's theTampa Bay Times' in-depth look from earlier this year. They're the latest trend in free, accessible higher education, with schools from Stanford University to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology taking part. USF professors have taught independent MOOCs before, but this is the school's first official offering.

I am really excited about this MOOC trend! Let's hope more fairy tale courses become available.

The Iron Stove by H.J. Ford  - Yellow Fairy Book

Here's a little more about this particular one:

The four-week class, "Fairy Tales: Origins and Evolution of Princess Stories," will be taught by professor Kevin Yee, who holds a Ph.D in German language and literature, and who USF describes as an expert on "comparative literature and German Romanticism and online learning." 

Course description:
"Princess stories have been popular for centuries and remain so today around the world; we’ll dive into what these fairy tales mean, and trace the history of these narratives back to their source material, examining contexts all along the way. We’ll borrow tools from cultural studies, literature studies, and film studies to help us analyze these phenomena and what they mean to our society.
Many of us may associate princess stories with modern-day products (much of it marketed to small children) or with Disney movies and theme parks. We’ll examine these current versions of fairy tale mythos as well, using our new interpretive tools to uncover not just what’s been changed in the moral and message of the narrative, but what the stories mean as told now."

So where do you sign up? Right HERE. :)

The Iron Stove by H. J. Ford - Yellow Fairy Book

Sources: TampaBay.com, University of South Florida