When Walt Disney was a person alive making animations movies and not just a brand, he had the dream of making animated concerts mixing his animation with classical music. Fantasia was born. It was 1940.
Fantasia 2000 is a celebration of Disney's vision, an a celebratory anniversary of the original Fantasia. James Levine directs the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in seven new animated short films. Some of them are an abstract mix of colour, light and movement. Some other are a creation inspired by specific musical pieces, while others have a story for which a piece of music was created a posteriori.
1/ An Allegro from Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5", offers an abstract light, colour and abstract birds & butterflies very short short.
2/ Respighi's "Pines of Rome" shows a family of humpback whales playfully swiming from water to air. This is my favourite short, as it is completely experimental, pure fantasia and extravaganza, but still very modern in animation style and feeling. Very New Age, in a way.
3/ Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" inspires a story set in New York during the Big Depression, with moody unhappy characters who dream of having a different life. The animation style is very 1930s and is based in Al Hirschfeld's cartoons. The first seconds of the segment are brilliant, but the whole piece captures the spirit of old-style 2D animation with great mastery.
4/ An Allegro from Shostakovich's "Piano Concerto No. 2" matches a version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Steadfast Tin Soldier. This is the most linear story, and the one I enjoyed the least.
5/ Saint-Saëns's "Carnival of the Animals" offers a colourful flamboyant scene of dancing flamingos that are trying to get a yoyo-obsessed dancing flamingo back into the flock and dancing routine. It reminded me of the Warner Bross old classics cartoons! Delightful.
6/Dukas's "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" accompanies Micky Mouse naughty slovenliness in his sorcerer chores in this old well-known piece included in the original Fantasia. Despite its age, the piece is still delightful and fresh.
8/ Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance" offers a version of Noah's Ark with Donald Duck and Daisy leading the animals into the ark and into a safe land. 9/ Finally, Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite" offers a story of a death and renewal with a spring fairy and her companion Elk.
The movie has, overall, a retro-style that mimics the style of the original. Walt Disney and Disney Factory's old spirit are still here. However, the fact that each short is introduced by different celebrities (Steven Martin, Quincy Jones, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, and Angela Landsbury among others) rests fluidity to the movie. I thought the introductions were funny and charming, but I would have preferred longer shorts and shorter speeches. The original Fantasia was original in its conception, but also daring and experimental in its visuals and the stories told. Creativity was overflowing. That cannot be said about Fantasia 2000, although the contrary could be expected with the digital revolution allowing Animators to bring to the big screen almost anything. Still, this is a good entertaining movie. Fantasia 2000 is a very enjoyable family movie that can be enjoyed by both adults and children; it might not be fit for small children as some of the pieces are a bit abstract. This is a wonderful movie to introduce Classic Music to children.
The Iron Giant tells the story of the fall into Earth of an alien giant robot, and his relation with a naughty child who lives with his single mother in a small town in the States.
The movie is set in the 1950s, during the Cold War period and the space race, when aliens and robot populated TV shows, comics and the imagination of everybody. The movie is able to reproduce the mood and style of the era, even the animation style, but with all the improvements that technology has brought to animation.
The characters are well drawn psychologically, which is not a surprise the movie being a Warner Bros'. Moreover, the cartoons have a superb body movement and facial expression.
The script is engaging and very entertaining, very funny and lovable. At the same time, the film address serious social and political issues in a simple approachable way, without lecturing: You are who you decide to be, if you respond to violence is your option., it is in your hands to make your own destiny no matter what your past is, your heart is always a great power to connect with others no matter how different they are. Great messages to pass on to children. All the voice actors are terrific, and the movie is never dull, but cheerful and full of life thanks to them. Eli Marienthal is terrific as the little hero Hogarth Hughes. Jennifer Aniston is extremely lovable as his mother Annie (perhaps Aniston's best performance ever...), Harry Connick Jr is very likeable as the quirky Dean McCoppin, Vin Diesel very sweet as the "brute" Iron Giant, and Christopher McDonald terrific as the annoying paranoid Government Agent Kent Mansley.
The Iron Giant did not have success at the box office when first released, due to poor marketing, but it has proven to be one of the most charming, entertaining and lovable animation movies of all times, matching Miyazaki's and other classics of 2D animation because of both the quality of its animation and script. The Iron Giant is a a movie with a great script, characters and old-style animation suitable for both adults and children. Forget the hollow modern movies for children, and show them one that has some substance.
In a world inhabited by locomotive machines and cars, the little abandoned town of Radiator Spring is languishing. The visit of a posh race car, Lightning McQueen, will revitalise the live of the locals and will teach him invaluable lessons on life. The whole film is a long visual feast and you feel like clapping to those big digital artists working for Pixar in this movie. The mate drawing of the landscape and town settings is magnificent. The cinematography and shot angles are truly artistic. The design of the cars is equally impressive regarding animation, colours, texturing and lighting. The night scenes in the open field are among my favourites because of their beauty and artistry.
The voicing of the characters, done by A-list actors (Paul Newman among them, in his last acting role before passing away), is extremely good, very charming and effective, as the viewer really feels that the voices match the cars' personality and give a big cosy feeling to the movie.
However, all of this is not enough to save the movie, which suffers from an absurd point of departure, stereotypical script and characters/role models, and a childish storyline. This will delight small children, guaranteed, but will not engage most adults. I thought that Pixar had lowered their storyline standards and made a movie that would suit more Disney's requirements. No wonder, Disney bought Pixar little after Cars was released.
Cars is an enjoyable movie for kids, with spectacular animation and eye candy colours.
Decalgirl is an American online shop that sells skins for almost every possible gadget in the market, and cases for smart-phones. The business started as a couple's home-business in 2003 and has become a millionaire business with 25 staff members. You will understand their success when you visit Decalgirl.
Decalgirl's website is simple and very functional. You will find easy searching for your gadget, zooming the artwork on display, and getting answers regarding ordering and shipping. I love the variety of artwork they have, and the fact that all the items are available for all gadgets, which is not the case in other decal online shops. Most importantly, you can upload your own photos and artwork, and customise the gadget of your choice. You can choose mate or glossy finish. The only downside I can mention is the lack of a search box based on tags or keywords, which would be handy if you are looking for, say, cars, sports, mermaids, or a specific theme or motif you want for your gadget.
Decalgirl's prices are very similar to the ones you find elsewhere online. Shipping prices for Australia are quite expensive: about 10 dollars for standard post, which can take up to two working weeks; upgraded postal varieties are around 30 bucks. These are ridiculous prices for an almost-weightless product, and only worth paying if you order a bunch of things or you cannot find your item elsewhere. Matte and glossy finish are charged at the same price, though.
After paying and placing your order, you will receive an email with the details of your order and a link to their order status page where you can check, yes!, the state your order before shipping. The shipping of your order can take up to three days; then, you will receive an email with a tracking
link.
Registration is easy. Use your existing Facebook, Twitter or Google Account, and you will be
able to save your favourite pieces of artwork, make your wish list and
save your personal projects. You can create your own profile, save your payment details, and receive the Decalgirl's newsletter if you want.
I love the skin I chose for my kindle. Decalgirl was the only place I found this image, so I put up with the shipping costs. I got my order in 17 working days, and the product was identical in colour and detail to the one in the photo in their website. The decal is great regarding colours and quality of the material used.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT I am very happy with the service provided by Decalgirl, but they absolutely need to make things easier for overseas customers. What about reducing the shipping fees if you purchase more than one item? What about covering themselves the shipping costs if you choose standard shipping? What about offering a better post option for the same price?
Ana (Manuela Vallès), a young hippy talented painter living in Ibiza, is discovered by Justine (Charlotte Rampling), an Arts Patron who invites her to join an independent Arts school. Ana's first troubled love and sexual experiences, and her constant nightmares will get Anglo (Asier Newman) to perform hypnosis on her. Ana's past lives will be open to the viewer, but not to Ana, who will have to deal with her life chaos in unknown painful ways not being aware of what is causing it.
Chaotic Ana is a very
difficult conceptual film to watch, called pretentious and pointless by
many, or challenging and profound by others. You cannot watch it as a
linear story. This film requires of you a willingness to accept the odd,
the chaos and the surprising. This film requires of you a willingness to
embrace Medem's personal intimate story as it is related to Medem's late sister Anne, who was a remarkable
painter.
Chaotic Ana touches Universal themes and myths related to the Female and the myths of the Motherland (from Oedipus and Electra to primitive matriarchal mythologies). In his
odyssey of discovery of The Female, Medem takes us from the cave to the
skyscraper using the Ocean as a linking element
Chaotic Ana is -despite some shocking violent scenes- an ode against male violence and
wars, and against those individuals who start them; however, the film
also shows a blind faith in the goodness of Human Kind despite the
tragedies and havoc that we create.
Chaotic
Ana is both a reflection on Death and the void left by the departed -
Medem's tribute to his late sister.
Chaotic Ana is also an
invitation to see Art as a form of individual expression, a timeless
biography of the living, and a living legacy of the deceased. I especially liked some of visual shows shown in the House of the Artists.
The editing is complex and very dynamic. Every small detail in the film has a meaning and it is intricately related to what is happening in the story as a whole. This is one of those films that you need to watch more than once -if you dare or care enough- to get everything. The film continuously
unsettles the viewer, and there are some gory, violent and shock sex
scenes. The international cast members are just OK in their performances, but this is not a movie for them to shine as the script is what matters, and they are, in a way, just Medem's "mediums". Movies like this are never popular or highly rated, and are hated or loved, nothing in between. I loved it, but some of my friends -who are also fans of Medem- totally hated it. I always love a mental challenge, odd stuff, and artistic honesty, and this film has all of those things. However, the mediocre performances, the intellectual complexity of the script, and the length of the film do not help the viewer to connect with the film at an emotional level, just at an intellectual one, and not always. This is a pity, because that emotional connection is what Medem was looking for in the viewer.
This is a film not for the faint hearted. Not easy to watch. Difficult. Complex. Intricate. Interesting, nevertheless.
All the Little Lights is a folk-rock independent album composed and sang by street and independent musician Mike Rosenberg (aka Passenger).
Music, like Poetry, is something that it is always very personal. You like it or not. It does speak to you or it doesn't. It does touch you or it doesn't. All the Little Lights is an album that directly speaks to me.
All the Little Lights has little instrumentation and basic musical
arrangements, with a predominance of guitars, violins and drums, very acoustic at times. The music is very catchy and cheery; a downside for an independent album, I think, which, in a way, explains its international success. However, the melodies per se aren't what make you listening to the album the second, third or tenth time. You will listen to it because of the lyrics, and because of Rosenberg's charming voice and honest performance.
All the Little Lights is an poignant album about love and lack of love, dreams and hopes, passions and disliking, failure and success. Rosenberg displays his wounds and flaws with emotional maturity, self-acceptance, lack of self-pity and lots of wit. Rosenberg has written wise witty lyrics that say something about him, his life, how he sees life, and who he is.
I absolutely love the lyrics of Things that stop you dreaming, Let her go, All the Little Lights, and I Hate (the latest recorded live in London). However, all the lyrics are great. All the Little Lights is a good album with excellent lyrics that deserves the praise and success it has.
I hate the cover of the CD. I think it doesn't make any justice to the album.
"Cosmetics Now" is an international etailer with offices in the USA, Australia and the UK that sells male and female cosmetics, make-up, and fragrances. The Company is very similar to StrawberryNet and OzCosmetics, but I consider "Cosmetics Now" an upgraded version regarding the looks of the site, and the number of beauty and perfume houses available in the site. Prices are very similar to the other two etailers, but they have regular discounted specials.
Let's take one example: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion pump 125 ml > Retail Price in Australia: $74 > Cosmetics Now: $46 ($42 on special) > OzCosmetics: $46 > StrawberryNet: $48 What makes "Cosmetics Now" a stand-out for me is the fact that they have niche perfumes for sale.
Niche perfumes! They are not cheap, but certainly cheaper than at your local perfumery, even with the extra fee you pay for shipping. Some of them are not available for sale in Australia and/or in Perth. The good thing is not only the good prices, is that you won't have to stand the rudeness of any shop assistants, as it happened to me last time I decided to visit my local perfumery. Some of the niche perfume houses available are: Comptoir Sud Pacifique, Amouge, Robert
Piguet, E. Coudray, Etro, L'Artisan Perfumeur, Il Profumo, Maitre Perfumeur et Gantier, and many others. Not all of these houses' perfumes are available, and the ones on offer sell fast; if the one you are seeking is available, you will save a bunch of dollars.
Placing your order and checking out is extremely easy and no-fuss. You can pay with your credit card and Paypal. Shipping is free for
all products, except for the perfumes -this is a difference with the
other two etailers- and you will be charged a $10 fee.
Their email Customer service is very friendly, but a bit slow, and misinformed at times. I asked about a niche perfume I was interested in; I was told that the product was not available in their warehouse and it would not be back on sale. I was surprised at hearing such a bold statement. About three weeks later, the perfume was back in stock! In case of need, call their 1300 number in Australia or the company number in your country of residence. Registering as a member is always convenient. "Cosmetics Now" has a Wish List, which always comes handy. They state in their website that they will email you when any out-of-stock item in the list is back for sale; however, I did not receive any email. They also have a reward points system (expenditure pro-rated), which you can exchange for discounts at your next check-out. My product was dispatched the day after I placed my order, and two tracking links (International and Australia Post's) were provided right away. I got it at home four days later! If you aren't at home they will take it to your nearest Post Office.
I have read some reviews on damaged packaging and odd things regarding the products received. I can only say that this was my first experience shopping with "Cosmetics Now", that the product I received was genuine, arrived in perfect conditions in record time, and it is something I could not get in Perth and Australia at all. There you have it!
UPDATE JANUARY 2015 I have to correct some of the info provided above. > Since this review was written I have been emailed regularly bout items in my wish list being back in stock, which did not happen when I first reviewerd this place. > Also, they regularly send you updates of your point rewards system, usually monthly. > Their service has always been excellent, and I cannot recommend them enough.
