"Maleficent": Reinventing the Tale - Featurette #1...

... I'm hoping of many.

By the way - don't you just love all the spinning wheels emphasized in this mini-poster?

I want to hear all I can about the behind the scenes process of bringing this fairy tale to life on screen and the considerations they took regarding the characters of Aurora (as it's based directly on the Disney animated classic), Maleficent and the fairy tale overall.

In this featurette , which is titled "Reinventing the Tale", Angelina Jolie talks briefly about finding a new way to look at the story of Sleeping Beauty and of how, while it's faithful to the source, showing all those scenes we really want to see, while at the same time bringing us something we never would have imagined as part of the tale and world before. Screenwriter Linda Woolverton (who is possibly the most prolific woman writer of fairy tales for the bi screen today) explains how it's not actually a retelling of the fairy tale but rather a reinvention and tells us a little of how she approached the writing.

Note: it seems unlikely, but I have to wonder if Ms. Woolverton looked at other versions of Sleeping Beauty that gave the 13th/uninvited fairy more of a character than most retellings have; like Carabosse in the Sleeping Beauty ballet. (Contemporary ballet choreographer, Matthew Bourne's Carabosse is fascinating!)

Take a look (you can see a high res version at this link HERE):

Here's the latest synopsis which has changed slightly again to reflect more of the reveals they've been showing (words in bold are my emphasis):

“Maleficent” explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty” and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.

El Capitan Theater in LA is holding a special preview with a whole heap of extras to add to the entire movie going experience as well (honestly - these El Capitan special previews are amazing and unforgettable. To attend one for a fairy tale movie is on my bucket list...)

Hollywood's legendary El Capitan Theatre presents a special engagement of Disney's "Maleficent" in Dolby Atmos May 29 - July 17, 2014. Internationally acclaimed magician Greg Wilson will present an all-new magic show before every screening of the movie through July 6. Plus, El Capitan guests will have the chance to see an exclusive collection of props from the movie, including Aurora's bedroom, Maleficent's gown and horns and the model of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland during the entire El Capitan engagement.

By the way - the horns, which were one of the props I got to see last week, were much smaller than I expected! Perhaps the cowl gives the effect that they're larger than they are. Interesting.

"The El Capitan will kick off our special engagement of Disney's 'Maleficent' in royal fashion," said Lylle Breier, senior vice president of worldwide special events for WaltDisney Studios Motion Pictures. "El Capitan Theatre guests will have the opportunity to see the movie in advance of its national opening with two special screenings on May 29 at 8 p.m. and Midnight. Both of these screenings will also feature raffle prizes and costume contests, adding to the excitement of this long anticipated film."

You can find out about tickets and more HERE.

Sources: HERE & HERE

Gabriel García Márquez, Thank You For The Wonder. Rest In Peace.

Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez
March 6, 1927 - April 17, 2014

Often called the father of magical realism, Gabriel Garcia Marquez's work is beloved all over the world. His stories are everyday tales of ordinary people, with shadows of the impossible appearing everywhere around them, just as they do any other ordinary day. He credited his grandmother with influencing his writing and view of the everyday with her oral tales and the way she, as he put it, “treated the extraordinary as something perfectly natural.” He readily acknowledged her influence on him and his most famous books certainly reflect that style. In this way his stories share much with fairy tales and it's because of his writing that I've seen people come to respect fairy tales more as well. 

He sadly passed away after a long illness on Thursday, April 17, 2014 at the age of 87 and, as I write, right now, I am seeing responses and touching tributes from all over the globe flood the web, mourning the loss of our "conjuror of literary magic". (You can read the Wikipedia entry for a life, works and awards overview HERE.)

A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings is the title of one of Señor Garcia Marquez's short stories and the images he created within his pages are certainly close to us today. 

by MauroIllustrator

Written by the great Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 1955, “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings” is one of his most beloved and anthologized stories. The short story is an example of magical realism, a narrative in which characters and setting are “real world” but which also includes a convincing and straightforward element of magic. The reader must agree to temporarily suspend disbelief in order to understand and appreciate the story. Marquez is often cited as the father of this literary technique. (Source)

Mr. García Márquez was a master of the literary genre known as magical realism, in which the miraculous and the real converge. In his novels and stories, storms rage for years, flowers drift from the skies, tyrants survive for centuries, priests levitate and corpses fail to decompose. And, more plausibly, lovers rekindle their passion after a half-century apart. (NYTimes)

You will no doubt see a myriad of articles, special presentations and much more over the next few days and weeks. Take advantage and watch and read... If you don't know his work I suggest you find out. There's a good chance if you love fairy tales that his work will speak to you too. 

To start, there's a great overview of his life, love, work and writing HERE at the NYTimes, from which the above is excerpted and the BBC has a special slideshow 'His Life In Pictures' HERE. 

Closer to our hearts here in the fairy tale community is information in the entry from the Greenwood Encyclopedia of Folktales and Fairy Tales G-Z, edited by Donald Haase:

If you know and love Garcia Marquez's work, now is a great time to celebrate having lived during his era and to recall favorite stories, phrases and images and perhaps discover some more.

Dear Gabo,

Thank you for all the wonder. Rest now.

We won't forget.

Sincerely,

The World & Me

"The Tale of the Three Brothers" Live Action Film (Made with Rowling & WB's Blessing)

Do you remember the Harry Potter fairy tale , "The Three Brothers" from "The Tales of Beedle the Bard", which was animated to wonderful effect in the final movie?

There's going to be a live version.
And it's (essentially) an indie film.
Made by college students.
Who got the permission of J.K. Rowling AND Warner Bros to do it.
!

The Tale of the Three Brothers serves as a pivotal plot device in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the series’s final installment. In the Harry Potter world, the fable-style story is told to wizard children, but most adults believe it to be nothing more than a legend. Over the course of the final book, it becomes apparent that several parts of the story are true.

The film will screen in May at Husson University, which is also in Bangor (Maine). It’s not clear whether it will be made available online at a later date.

I am just going to stand and applaud them for their tenacity, audacity and sheer luck in making this happen. *applauds*

I'm not saying they didn't work hard or aren't talented because clearly this college filmmaking group are both. But that's only half the battle when you're working in Entertainment. The rest is who you know and luck of timing/the draw.

Lisa Stock of InBytheEye, who sought and was given permission by Neil Gaiman to stage his short story "Snow, Glass, Apples" had her own success with this bold approach too, but she will tell you: it didn't come without a LOT of hard work on the foundations first!

In this new case, because it's film, we are likely (we hope) to be the witnesses/recipients of their hard work but I wanted to take a post to acknowledge the fact that some students felt strongly enough about an olde-worlde-type fairy tale, to bring it to the screen in moodily shot live-action. Most Harry Potter fans would be focused on the (myriad) other aspects to create from and although the id most definitely nothing wrong with those leanings, particular fairy tales aren't usually the focused of the HP obsessed and I'm glad to see the deeper callings of fairy tale-type stories stirring the creative drive of tomorrow's filmmakers.

Here's the trailer:

And here's the animation from the Harry Potter film:

I love hearing about things like this. It warms my heart to know there are famous people out there who aren't threatened by anther creative team adapting material that originated with them and more, actively encourages and supports the sincere and talented efforts of deserving people.

Hopefully we have a lot to look forward to from the people involved with this project.

If I find news of an online release for the live action The Tale of the Three Brothers, I will, of course, share it with you.

Sources: HERE & HERE

Ask Baba Yaga: I Know I'm Lashing Out and I Can't Stop, It Feels Too Good

Baba Yaga by Allen Douglas

Do you know of poison gardens? The ones which give warnings in large, large letters at the gate that the plants within have the power to kill you? Some people need that warning. But what do you do if you suspect you're turning into one of these poisonous people?

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

(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

Ouch. Sounds like someone has a festering internal blight that needs some healing stat. Hopefully the Baba made how to stop the "fiending" (love that word!) clear... No quick fixes here though. 

Wow, I really feel for that person. Hopefully the Baba's words in their "sense of non" make it past consciousness to the inner place it's needed and help this person with their soul-scaping...

Heavy stuff. I think I need a cup of tea.

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.
** Actually, it's only gotten worse as I've gotten older. Baba's right - wonder is always mixed with fear. It doesn't have to be fear of the 'thing', it can just be fear of yourself (and I have plenty of that). It's one of the reasons I'm not so averse to this " dark fairy tales" trend, or of delving into the shadier sides of the stories. When you've been surrounded for a long time (as we have) by bubblegum and glitter tales, they lose their strength and ability to bite when you need them to. I like my stories to be strong and my fairy tales to have teeth...

How Frozen Should Have Ended. Or, Perhaps, Started... (A lighter post now we're past Tax Day in the US!)

Well this would have made for a very different movie! One of the issues I have with Frozen is that I had the exact reaction of the old troll did when I realized what happened after the 'save Anna' visit.

(Note: please remember, this is done in good humor, not in the spirit of bashing the creators. I only say this because the YouTube comments.. yikes! Different sorts of trolls there it seems.)

The Snow Queen comes into her own!

Oh, and by the way, why has no one talked about how Marshmallow is Disney's newest princess?! I thought people would be all over that (in a good way). 

If you don't know what I mean, check it out:

Let the fan fiction begin...

:)

PS: If you need a Fairy tale justification for this post, here's a question: 

How do Disney parents compare with the older fairy tale parents in general? 

(Anyone who answers on their own blog is welcome to send me a link,

and I'll repost it on OUABlog with full credit to you and linkage to your site,

so everyone can discover your Awesome.

Seriously.)

"The Curse of Maleficent" by Elizabeth Rudnick (Illustrations by Nicholas Kole)

The Curse of Maleficent by Nicholas Kole

The release of Disney's Maleficent is looming and we're starting to see pre-orders of various products available, including a novelization of the movie (also by Disney publishing veteran Elizabeth Rudnick) and a YA tie-in.

The YA version, however, is extra special. It has unique illustrations by Nicholas Kole throughout and a seriously beautiful cover. The image above (click to see the huge, desktop-worthy size) is the wrap-around version of the artwork (minus any text etc) and is stunning. It looks similar to Corey Godney's work, which equals a good thing in my book!

Here's the blurb:

Mr. Kole with his & Ms. Rudnick's book

Aurora has always enjoyed her simple life. She loves to explore the beautiful woods surrounding her quaint cottage. She even likes living with her bumbling yet well-meaning aunts. But when Aurora discovers a dark secret about her past, her whole world turns upside down. Will she be able to save herself from an imminent curse?  

This beautiful novel filled with whimsical illustrations tells Aurora's story in the upcoming Disney film, Maleficent.

From Mr. Kole's deviantArt page:

This is the unadorned full cover art for a book I just finished illustrating for Disney: The Curse of Maleficent, a tie-in YA novel for the upcoming movie! The book is up for pre-order on Amazon, and will be out at the end of the month. The final hardcover has 25 full-color interior illustrations that I'll be sharing some of as well.

Just gone live, you can now pre-order the book through Amazon HERE.

Advertising: Waking Sleeping Beauty.. With Coffee

If you were in any doubt, Sleeping Beauty is definitely gearing up to be the fairy tale du jour (after The Wizard of Oz). We have more books coming out (some Disney, some not, some novels, some art books... I want them all..! Ahem), clothing lines, parodies and advertising. The only thing I'm surprised at is that I haven't seen Sleeping Beauty in Oz... (but talk about potential: poppy field, RED poppies..! But I digress..)

Sleeping Beauty has been used to good effect for advertising a lot in the past, of course, but this new commercial, released a couple of days ago in Australia, is beautifully shot and gives a sense of an ordinary-people fairy tale without overdoing it. (Ok, so maybe everyone is a little TOO good looking, but you know what I mean.)

M&C Saatchi Executive Creative Director Ben Welsh (of Moccona Coffee Australia) said, “It's great to do some good old fashioned story telling, particularly when you can capture the authenticity of character and place like this. Thank you Rena (the marketing director in charge of the campaign). (Source)

The marketing campaign took on some romantic research before going down this path: apparently the simple-but-thoughtful (and unselfish) gestures are waaaay more romantic than flowers, shoes, chocolate or even diamonds... so this commercial sets out to make that point.

A nice touch? The whole commercial was shot in Rome to show Moccona's European heritage, although research helped make that choice too. (You can read about that HERE.)

There's a 30 second and a 45 second TV spot as well as a full 60 second once for theaters. Here's the 45 second one, which I'm choosing over the 1 minute version, since it seems clearer in the storytelling. (You can see the full minute version HERE.)

Take a look:

I concur with this mentality. (Besides, if you try to kiss me while I'm really asleep, you're likely to inadvertently get a black eye. Just FYI.)

Now if only people wouldn't try to talk to me until I'd actually drunk my first cup... ;)

L is for Little Mermaid... (Pensuasion's A-Z Fairy Tale series)

Continuing the A-Z fairy tale theme daily blogging challenge, S.L. Hennessy of Pensuasion brings us a little meditation on Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid today.

If you're catching up, start HERE for my introduction, then go by Pensuasion to catch up where you can continue reading "L is for Little Mermaid" HERE. And if you do, let her know you stopped by.

"Maleficent" Limited Edition Collection by Hot Topic & Disney - Online Pre-sale Starts TOMORROW (get it while it's hot)

SPECIAL ONLINE PRE-SALE BEGINS TOMORROW!
APRIL 15, 2014 AT HOTTOPIC.COM
(Not in stores until May 13th)

You have to admit - the match is pretty much perfect: Disney + Hot Topic for Maleficent? Total WIN. Hot Topic has a tradition of helping us show our darker side (without freaking out the neighborhood) and this collection does that, with an extra edge. Tell me you can't see a young, modern Maleficent wearing these...

Without further ado, here's the collection and official press release (please click on images, including theLook book spreads, to see them full size):

HOT TOPIC INTRODUCES FASHION COLLECTION INSPIRED BY DISNEY’S “MALEFICENT” 

Hot Topic has unveiled a limited-edition collection of apparel inspired by Disney’s “Maleficent.” The collection will be available exclusively at Hot Topic stores and online starting in May, with a pre-sale beginning on HOTTOPIC.COM April 15.  

The “Maleficent” fashion collection is inspired by the feature film, which is the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty.” The film, in theaters on May 30, reveals the events that hardened Maleficent’s heart and drove her to curse the baby, Aurora, only to later realize that the child may hold the key to peace in the land. The collection is dark and mysterious like Maleficent herself.  

“There is so much we instantly loved about ‘Maleficent’ – the complex story behind this beloved villain, the breathtaking scenery and the striking costumes,” said Cindy Levitt, SVP, Merchandising and Marketing at Hot Topic. “We just knew we had to design a dark and edgy collection – because it’s exactly the kind of fashion our customers love.”  

The “Maleficent” fashion collection includes nine pieces. Seven are black, designed in striking fashion silhouettes, and feature distinctive details, including faux leather accents, lace trim, skull hardware and a Maleficent charm. The collection also includes two Aurora-inspired pieces.

                      

 Corset Hi-lo dress: $ 52.50 

                      

 Hi-lo Waistcoat: $44.50 

 High-Collar Dress: $54.50

(Note: Collar can be worn up or down.)

 Button-Front Coat Dress: $54.50 

(Note: wear as a dress or Summer coat)

 Corset Top: $46.50 

(Note: Zippered front)

 Asymmetrical Crow Feather Top: $32.50 

                     

 Wing Hooded Cape: $49.50 

                     
                            Pink Aurora Lace Top: $29.50        White Aurora Bell-Sleeved Dress: $49.50

In addition to this fashion collection, Hot Topic will offer a wide range of new and classic Maleficent apparel and accessories, including tees, dresses, jewelry and more. 

And now that you've seen the lovely official pics, here are some of mine (please excuse the lack of pro-quality!):

       

 

I asked specifically and yes, any leather details are faux leather and the collection overall is eco-friendly as best the designers and marketing team could confirm; none of Maleficent's creature friends, (or foes), were harmed in the making of this collection, to the best of their knowledge. That equals an extra thumbs up from me and should earn some fae approval as well.

I have an on-the-spot-with-camera-phone video interview that SVP of Merchandising and Marketing, Cindy Levitt, kindly granted me to share with you, however, I'm having serious upload difficulties at present! In the interest of timeliness for the pre-sale, I'm going to work on that later tonight (hopefully) and set this post live without it for now. (Wish me luck!)

After the official interview about the collection (and once we both relaxed with the camera off), we got to talking about different fairy tales, their allure and staying power, even as we grow older, and why such old stories still seem important. This was probably one of the best things about the preview for me. My impression was that talking this way about fairy tales, backed up the mentality the designers used to approach the Maleficent fashion designs. Essentially, they aimed to tap into that feeling and power that the character of Maleficent evokes and people are so drawn to, and still make it relevant to their customers today. It looks to me like they succeeded. It's one of the reasons I'm so happy to take time to share the collection with you, as it truly is a manifestation of people thinking about how fairy tales affect people, then designing something to add to the experience in their daily lives (that people will be more than happy to pay for). 

My sincere thanks to Ms. Levitt, Dara Meas and the team at Hot Topic and Disney for inviting me to the preview. I'm looking forward to seeing where this new way of working takes the Hot Topic/Disney collaboration!

"Maleficent" Limited Edition Collection from Hot Topic & Disney, Special OUAB Preview!

Tomorrow is the online pre-sale launch of the limited edition Maleficent collection from Disney and Hot Topic. Two things surprised me: how gorgeous it looked with elegant lines and serious attention to all the small details (it's really made made) and yet it was still relatively affordable!

The images posted here are a "pre-preview" of the collection which I will be sharing all of the lovely images from later today.

I've been given the opportunity to let my readers know early so you guys can get in and order before they sell out (because they almost certainly well, and with the buzz it's generating, if any of the collection make it to stores, they won't be there long).

HOT TOPIC INTRODUCES FASHION COLLECTION INSPIRED BY DISNEY’S “MALEFICENT” 

Hot Topic has unveiled a limited-edition collection of apparel inspired by Disney’s “Maleficent.” The collection will be available exclusively at Hot Topic stores and online starting in May, with a pre-sale beginning on HOTTOPIC.COM April 15.  

The “Maleficent” fashion collection is inspired by the feature film, which is the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty.” The film, in theaters on May 30, reveals the events that hardened Maleficent’s heart and drove her to curse the baby, Aurora, only to later realize that the child may hold the key to peace in the land. The collection is dark and mysterious like Maleficent herself. 

You remember I had an interview with the design team on Friday (and showed you the horns they gave me afterward)? I'll be posting that video later today so you can hear us chat about the collection and a little about fairy tales too.

Stay tuned folks: I'll be posting a lot of eye candy in just a few hours...