Electric Boogaloo

After years of waiting, my favorite computer animated film Wreck-It Ralph is getting a sequel!

Accurate representation of my feelings.

Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 is the title. The fans have known for a while that this sequel was going to delve into the world of online gaming. Plus, everybody is coming back; possibly even Alan Tudyk.

This asshole.

I'm actually really excited about this; there's so much for Ralph and the gang to explore beyond arcade gaming, and the possibilities for stories are rich and exciting. Characters I love dealing with new challenges? Yes! That is exactly what a sequel should be!

It doesn't hurt that the director Rich Moore also directed the first one, and worked on The Simpsons, The Critic, and Futurama.

In context, this is a very classy joke. Don't believe me? Better watch it to be sure.

And just won an Oscar.

So once again in regards to not getting my hopes up...

Beauty

When I was four years old I'd probably already been to the old Cinemark I II III theater many times. My father took me on this particular trip. It was a Disney movie. I don't remember if I saw any trailers or commercials or even know what was happening.

Then the lights dimmed and I saw this:

The golden light slanted across the screen as piano tinkled in the background. I sat still, in shock. I had a singe thought:

'This is beautiful.'

It's my earliest memory of understanding beauty. Not cuteness, not something merely pleasing to the eye; what I saw was beautiful. What I heard was beautiful. And both those things worked together to produce something even better than the sum of its parts.

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie. It goes beyond the basic visual beauty, of course; a bookish brunette on the outs from her peers? That was much of my childhood. I still own my VHS copy (along with the special edition DVD and Blu Ray; what can I say, they all have different special features). I'm participating in my second run of the musical at my local theater. I know the lines, I know the words, I even know the dances (despite my general malaise towards choreography).

And now we have the live action remake.

I've spoken out against remakes and reboots.  Disney seems determined to make live action alternate universes for their properties, and my whinging won't stop them. But I'm actually for this version. Great care seems to be in place with the casting. Alan Menken returned to do new musical numbers. There is great respect for the original, not just the desire for a quick buck (I hope).

I cried when I saw Belle touch the bell jar in the teaser. I admit it. I'm tearing up just thinking of the music. This movie has impacted me in so many ways. And yes, I'm excited for the remake. There are things that bother me (why is Babette named Plumette? Why is she a bird? Why does Lumiere-McGregor look like that?) but I'm still very excited. Many of my fellow cast mates are dubious about Emma Watson as Belle, but I've enjoyed her as Hermione, and see nothing thus far that's bothered me about her Belle.

The Beast looks and sounds great. I've never liked the Beast on the Broadway soundtrack (sorry Javert!). The deep resonance of Robby Benson (HA) has been my standard, and Dan Stevens is doing a fine job with it. A far cry from 'That Guy who did pretty well in Night at the Museum 3'.

We won't be getting the Broadway songs, but Menken has penned new numbers that I'm sure will be perfect. He's Alan Freaking Menken for God's sake. 

Gushing aside (and I could go on about my pleasure over Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, Josh Gad as LeFou, etc), I'm overall excited for the new take on the tale as old as time.

The world could use a story of daring sword fights, magic spells, and princes in disguise right about now. We need something to take us away from all this, if only for a little while. Let us forget who we...WHAT we have to face as a nation. For those few hours let us peer into the world of the Beast, and understand that those different from us are still human. We can't let what we don't understand scare us. 

We need to remember that Beauty is found within.

Five Awesome Disney Prince Fan Arts

5. Disney Princes Smile for the Camera by RiverCreek

4. Prince Eric Skellington by Fairygodflea

3. Genderbent Beast by TheWonderPuppet

2. Olaf as Prince Phillip by TortallMagic

1. Disney Queens by kevinbolk

(Granted, there's a few non-princes in there, but I don't care)

Five Awesome Disney Princess Fan Arts

5. Renaissance Mulan by Thunyamon charoensuttikul

4. Fairy Jasmine by thesussexbees

3. Meg in Hercules clothing by Ogo Nkadot

2. Racebent Snow White by lettherebedoodles

1. Belle Mermaid by uppuN

TEN Scary Fan Drawings

Spooky Friday!

10. Boogieman by Lunoki

This art was inspired by the TOS episode Phantasms. I won't spoil it, but this image marries perfectly with Halloween.

9. Muppet Hell by LordWormm

Meep indeed...

8. Sam's New Pet by kezeff

Remember how the drawing in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark were the only scary thing? Somebody took one of the most horrifying and made a sculpture out of it! Enjoy!

7. ET by THATGUYWHODRAWS

Finally, someone else sees the little monster how I do.

6. Pennywise...by RayDillon

Tim Curry's got nothin' on this guy.

5. Elmo's Nightmare Revisited by xXxMudzxXx

There are a lot of puns about 'A Nightmare on Elmo Street'. This drawing is the most horrifying of the bunch. Elmo's dead eyes are just chilling.

4. Mrs. Lovett - Puppetmaster by KittyMira

The art itself is fine, but the implications are what really makes this piece work. Mrs. Lovette, not an obsessed, lovesick psychopath, but a plain psychopath willingly jerking Sweeney Todd to her whims. Brr.

3. POST IT POLTERGEIST by QuinteroART

HOLY CRAP, NO.

2. The Further by davidcombs76

Go watch Insidious. And Insidious 2. Now.

1. Deception and Blood Lust by  Silver-HeartCrosser

I love Wreck-It Ralph. The original character art was already terrifying, but damned if this doesn't take it to the next level. BRAVO!