A Disnerd Birthday Adventure, part 1: Decorations

My birthday party was AWESOME! I'm still kind of on a high from all the fun I had that night. Actually, I can't really think of anything that would have made the party better, other than having my family and other close friends there. In fact there is so much epic-ness to cover that I need to break this up into a few posts.

First we will begin with my favorite element of the party: decorations! (This is a long post but it's mostly pictures.)

Those of you who know me or who have been following my blog have probably figured out that I'm a bit of a craft nerd. So I held nothing back at the challenge of creating a Disnerd-ified space on a budget.

Here's what I came up with!

Everyone at the party kept asking me, "How did you come up with all of this?" Well, part of it was my own creative genius, obviously. But the other part was lots of time on Google. The Internet is pretty handy, I must say. ;)

I started with the idea that I was going to use Disney children's books purchased at Goodwill as my materials. I bought these 14 books for a steal, $25! (Sorry to Goodwill shoppers, there are no longer any Disney books in stock.) From these books I made garland, ornaments and coasters.

Garland
Materials needed: 2-inch hole punch, string, scotch tape

Basically I punched holes out of the paper and taped them along the string. It was pretty simple though admittedly took a very long time. In the end I think I must have made, oh I dunno, maybe 250 feet of garland? That's a rough guess. Before I put them up I laid it all out across my living room. But this is actually only a portion of it here.

I had planned on just making garland when I bought the books, but I realized I had so much paper than I should probably do some other stuff with it as well. After some Googling and browsing on Etsy, I found these two ornaments that were pretty easy to make.

Pinwheels (from here) 
Materials needed: paper trimmer, stapler, hole punch, string

I used two pages each cut in half lengthwise after trimming the ripped edges. I folded each of the 4 halves into twelfths, accordion style. This was the most time consuming, but I fell into a rhythm by first folding in half, then fourths, to make my folds even. Then I stapled one end together to make a fan.

After all four halves were folded, I stapled the non-stapled ends together to form a circle.

Then I punched a hole through it, tied a piece of string on, and voila!

Lantern balls (from here)
Materials needed: paper trimmer, hole-poker & self healing mat, brads, string

These were a little easier, though it took me a while to figure out that I needed to start with a square shaped piece of paper instead of a rectangle.

I sliced the square into 8 even strips.

Then I pierced two holes through all strips lined up together, about an inch or so away from each end. I fastened the strips together by putting a brad through each hole.

Then I spread out the strips and formed them evenly into a ball shape.

Then I tied string around the top brad, and voila!

Coasters
I had a few board books (for babies) as well as all the hard book covers leftover. So I cut them into 3.5-inch squares and made coasters out of them! Since they have glossy surfaces I didn't need to laminate them. I did add cork board ($3 for a sheet) to the bottom of a few thinner pieces. These coasters were used at the party but I also gave them away as favors for guests. I still have a bunch left if anyone wants some!

 

A few extra things
I also printed out a small poster of my logo and made people sign it at the party, so I could record who came. And I put up the Tangled birthday banner that I got last year at my work birthday celebration.

The bottom line
Total cost for decorations: approximately $36. Not bad, I say! 

Total hours spent: unknown. :) I did this over the course of about 2 weeks. So yes, it took a long time. But seeing the impressed reaction of all my friends made it totally worth it!

Next up: food!

Top 10 obscure Disney baby names (BOYS)

Well, I guess Matt and Sarah decided not to go for any of my suggestions in naming their daughter.

Whatever. I'm over it.

I'm making a new list, of boy names. Maybe someone else will appreciate my brilliant advice! Actually, I don't know anyone who is having a boy. My sister is preggers, but they're waiting to find out the gender. If it is a boy, I think they have some great options here. Seriously.

1. Ichabod, main character in The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad
Why it works: Despite what the name might connote (socially awkward guy with a big nose - that's what I think of, at least), Disney's Ichabod Crane was quite the ladies' man. Until he was driven mad by the Headless Hunter, that is.
Suggested nicknames - Ick, Icky, Ickers

2. Mowgli, main character in The Jungle Book
Why it works: Ten bucks your kid will be the only one with this name in his class. Just make sure he wears more than red underwear.
Suggested nicknames - Mo, Mowgs, Glee-meister

3. Basil, main character in The Great Mouse Detective
Why it works: British names are automatically cool. Plus, he'd be named after an herb. Yum.
Suggested nicknames - Baz, Bazzie, Sherlock

4. Phoebus, love interest in The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Why it works: If you give him this name, your son will most likely grow some awesome facial hair one day.
Suggested nicknames - Pheebs, Pheebers, Bus

5. Clayton, villain in Tarzan
Why it works: When he's not busy hunting apes, he'll be playing tennis at the country club and wearing lots of argyle sweaters.
Suggested nicknames: Clay, Clay-boy

6. Kronk, villain's sidekick in Emperor's New Groove
Why it works: Um, because he's AWESOME.
Suggested nicknames: Kronkie, Kronkers, K

7. Milo, main character in Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Why it works: I think this is a legitimately cute name.
Suggested nicknames: Miles, Lo-Lo, Michael J. Fox

8. Koda, younger bear in Brother Bear
Why it works: Doesn't the name just sound cuddly and cute?
Suggested nicknames: Kody, Kodes, Kody-Bear

9. Pascal, chameleon in Tangled
Why it works: Have you seen Tangled?
Suggested nicknames: Pascie, Cal

10. Maximus, horse in Tangled
Why it works: Have you seen Tangled?
Suggested nicknames: Max, horsie

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 4: Sidekicks

So you wanna be a sidekick.

Sidekickery is a vital job in the Renaissance. Your first order of business is to tell your hero why you're so awesome. You should do this with great panache - song and dance is a must. After you've gotten the gig, your next task is to tell your hero why he's so awesome. (Heroes tend to have identity crises. They're high maintenance like that.) After that, finding some other talent or way to help out is a good idea. If you can fly, you're pretty much set. Otherwise, you should try to work on bossing other sidekicks around. That way you establish some authority. It also helps if you have a great sense of humor, know how to train your hero for battle, or hold a position as the king's right hand man.

If all else fails, being chubby and cute works just fine.

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 3: Villains

It's time to talk about villains! There are actually a lot of similarities between them.

A good (and by good I mean bad) villain is a key component to a quality Disney movie. The Renaissance has some great ones, but also some ehhh ones (namely Governor Ratcliffe from Pocahontas. Man, does he annoy me).

Observations:

• No Shan-Yu (Mulan)! I suppose he could be considered a 'jealous of the king' villain, sort of. Not quite. He's definitely pretty different from all the others. One of the scariest, that's for sure.
• There's only one appearance by the first Renaissance villain, Ursula, who, not insignificantly, is the only female villain of the series.
• Most frequent appearance: Judge Frollo from Hunchback.  
• I'm not actually sure if Hades is the brother of Zeus. I'm forgetting my Greek mythology at the moment. Anyone want to correct/confirm? 
• My favorite parallel is the hilariously similar way that Frollo and Scar confront the main character (Quasimodo, Simba), atop a high place that's on fire (Notre Dame, Pride Rock) and confess the truth that they killed his parent. Villains always seem to want to confess the truth at the climax of the film as they think they are about to triumph. But it never turns out well because shortly after the confession, the hero has a resurgence of energy and defeats them, and they fall to their demise. 
• I also love how villains can never seem to do anything by themselves. They always have their henchmen do the work, only to get frustrated when they inevitably screw it up. If you were a villain, why would you entrust the most important task (killing your arch nemesis) to your stupid sidekicks? This is highlighted in the satirical Emperor's New Groove, but it actually happens in both The Lion King and Hercules. Seriously. Scar and Hades were smart villains. That was their biggest mistake.

Did I miss any parallels between villains?

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 2: Songs

It's another edition of RenVenns! Music is arguably the Renaissance's greatest achievement. I know I've spent a lot more time playing this music on long car rides (when I can sing along, it helps me stay awake) than I have actually watching the movies.

I already wrote about the types of songs featured in these movies, as exemplified by the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack. So here, I present some of the lyric and content similarities.

There aren't too many patterns here, at least none that are surprising. The most common theme in songs are the main character's search and longing for meaning, fulfillment, love, etc. (every movie except Tarzan has a song about this). Makes sense--these are clearly emotions and thoughts that can only be expressed in song. Wouldn't it be awesome if life were a Disney musical? Whenever I was feeling sad, happy, excited, confused, I could just burst out into a musical number and it'd be exactly what I need.

The design is a bit messy because I added in samples of some of the song lyrics. I know that not everyone knows these songs by heart, as I do. 

Renaissance Parallels Pt. 1: Main Characters

I'd like to say that I noticed similarities between all the Renaissance films after watching them consecutively for these past 3 months. But in reality, I created a highly extensive spreadsheet several years ago. Yes, I just admitted that here in the public blogosphere. I figure after 9 months of Disnerdy antics, I don't have much face left to save.

SO, I thought it was about time to turn that spreadsheet into some fun Disnographics! Here's my first edition of "Renaissance Parallels." This first set of Venn diagrams (should I call them RenVenns? Haha. Wow.) focuses on main characters.

I find it interesting that 5 of these 8 parallels are family-related, two of which have to do with father-child relationships. Also, Tarzan, the latest of the 9* movies I'm comparing, shows up 5 times as well. I suppose by the time they got to Tarzan, they just grabbed stuff from all the previous stories? In any event, you start to see how similar these movies are to each other when you look at them like this.

Coming up: sidekicks, songs, villains and a couple others if I can muster up the time. There are a LOT of parallels!

*Rescuers Down Under will not appear in this Disnographic series. It has so little of the same structure, which is why I've always said it doesn't count as Renaissance.

Renaissance Ranked

Well, folks, it's the end of an era. The Renaissance movies will forever remain the best of the best, in my Disnerd opinion. I'm sad that we're moving on, but I've really enjoyed the past 10 weeks! Hope you have to.

You can expect the blog to calm down a bit, but I hope you will still tune in. I've got some Renaissance Disnographics in the works, and believe it or not, there are still about 15 more movies to review! (Yup. That's about four more months, people.)

In case you are curious, here's how I personally rank the Renaissance films. Do you agree or disagree?

1. tie: Aladdin (review) & The Lion King (review)
Top question I've been asked in the past 9 months of Disnerding? "What's your all-time favorite Disney movie?" These two tie for first. They both seem to have that perfect blend of compelling characters, an engaging story, beautiful animation, and awesome music. Funnily enough they also typically get labeled as "boy" Disney movies. Like I've said before, I've never really been into the whole princess thing.  

3. Beauty & the Beast (review)
Just trailing those 2 is Beauty & the Beast, which also has the same quality elements I listed above. I also love the development of not one but two central characters. Their transformations are interesting and compelling.

4. Mulan (review)
The main reason this isn't higher on the list is because of the music. I do love the songs that are on the soundtrack, but somehow they leave me wanting. They're not as classic or memorable as some of the Menken/Ashman stuff. Otherwise though, it's a pretty awesome Disney movie. And Mulan is a pretty awesome heroine.

5. The Little Mermaid (review)
Despite my critique of the film's story, it's hard to deny that The Little Mermaid was instrumental in kicking off a magical era of animation. The movie's demonstration of creativity and fun outweighs its more annoying aspects. I dare you to watch "Under the Sea" and NOT sing and dance along!

6. Tarzan (review)
The relationships between the characters are what make me love this film. It's also beautifully animated and the sequences when Tarzan is flying/surfing through the jungle are impressive. Also, it's hard not to love a movie starring a muscular man in a loincloth.

7. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (review)
It's probably the darkest of the Renaissance films, but so interesting and unique for that reason. The Latin choral music-inspired score is pretty epic, and Quasimodo is one of the purest heroes ever.

8. Hercules (review)
As has been said, this film doesn't shine quite as brightly as the others, but it's definitely entertaining, heartwarming and fun. And I will always love Hercules' cinnamon bun ears.
 

9. Pocahontas (review)
Ehh. I think I've already said enough about this one.

10. Rescuers Down Under (review)
The only reason this falls after Pocahontas is because I've never counted it as an actual Renaissance film.

Stay tuned for more Renaissance wrap-up stuff: Disnographics, a summary of my fashion updates, and maybe some other stuff if I have time. :)

Fashion Update #7: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Hunchback of Notre Dame was a fun week. I enjoyed the chance to wear more color. And for the first time including nail polish into the look. Yay for summer and sandals!

Clopin: Definitely my most colorful outfit yet! I came to work late because I had to paint my toenails yellow, blue & magenta. I never do more than one color on my toes and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do it.

Quasimodo: A casual outfit, but still fun. In the film his shoes are more of a turquoise/green, so I wore my blue Toms. The orange earrings make an appearance to mimic his hair color.

Esmeralda: A gypsy girl outfit is all about accessories. The colors may not be totally spot on, but I think I got the spirit of her look.

Frollo: Okay, he's one creepy dude. But I love this outfit! It's very dramatic. And...it's great that maxi skirts are back in style! Be honest now... do I look intimidating or ridiculous in these pictures?

Blessing the Outcasts

I'm excited to host another guest blogger, Christopher Maslanka. The first time we met, I discovered that he and his wife were Disnerds and, naturally, we became instant friends. He shares his thoughts here on his favorite Renaissance film.
----------------

(c)Disney

When I watch a Disney film, I am particularly drawn in by the animation artistry, something The Hunchback of Notre Dame has in spades: the quality of light throughout, enough beautiful fire animation to fill three movies, the background work, detailed shadow movement, etc. Heck, the entire pre-title sequence is a perfect short film in its own right. And, of course, the movie has a gorgeous centerpiece: the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris. But that beauty is set against one of the most intense and adult dramas Disney has done. And I say that despite the presence of dancing gargoyles.

Hunchback features a stock figure that occasionally bothers me: the Evil Christian. You’ve probably seen an example somewhere in pop-culture: a hypocritical villain spouting off Bible verses fighting the more enlightened, virtuous heroes. Disney mitigates the situation by making Frollo a judge instead of a priest. (Frollo is the Archdeacon of Notre Dame in Victor Hugo’s book. For the record, I have no problem with adaptation. If Disney hadn’t adapted Pinocchio, children would have been traumatized.) Despite the change, Frollo is clearly a believer, seeking what he sees as God’s will. Of course he is terribly, tragically wrong about what exactly God wills. His Christianity is an excuse to hide from his own desires and fears. Those desires and fears creep out along with an intense sense of guilt, making him a complex and very frightening villain. We can recognize that he espouses is not what Christ teaches. However, there are many outside the faith who look at Frollo and think they are seeing an example of Christianity.

And, to tell the truth, the stock Christian villain occasionally reflects real life. I was once a bit like Frollo. I had a taste of the truth of Christ, but I used that truth to support and defend attitudes and a sense of self-righteousness that were not Christian. In high school, I felt so confident in my faith that I put myself above those who did not share it. Thankfully, I moved out and went to college. I saw the world as far more complex, beautiful and frightening than I had ever realized. When I looked more deeply at the truth of Christ I learned that I was not in a position to look down on anyone but was called to love.

Which brings us back to Hunchback. Esmeralda sings “God Bless the Outcasts” in Notre Dame after the Archdeacon tells her someone in the Cathedral can help her (He ain’t talkin’ about the Hunchback, kid!) She sings about being alone, about being abandoned, but also recognizes that God’s love is universal. It is the most overtly Christian song in the Disney canon that I can think of off the top of my head. Further, its message rings true.



In a world torn apart by selfishness, self-righteousness, and self-hatred, we are called, like Quasimodo, to step beyond our safe homes, our self-imposed limits, and actively love those around us, especially those condemned and abandoned. Like Quasimodo, we have a unique perspective on the world, one that renders everyone beautiful and worthy of love: we can see everyone as a child of God. Quasimodo looks down on Paris from his bell tower and sees everyone bathed in heaven’s light and wishes to be a part of that. Frollo, in his own palace of justice, looks down and sees a reflection of his own twisted corruption. Now, I think it’s fairly clear which perspective we are supposed to buy into by the end of the movie, and I think it’s a perspective our King would approve.

----------------
Currently completing his PhD in Medieval English Literature, Christopher has long considered himself a Disney Apologist in that he attempts to defend the artistry of Disney animation against those who would dismiss the work as juvenile or overly commercial. He was very excited to hear of Laura’s project and feels it an honor to be writing a guest blog.  He also likes the term Disnerd much better than Apologist and is sticking with it instead. 

#34: Sanctuary

(c) Disney

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 1996
watched May 13, 2012

The Hunchback of Notre Dame addresses a theme we haven't seen in a Disney film since Robin Hood. And this time, it is treated with a much more serious tone. Let's face it: human characters bring the subject of injustice much closer to home than a couple of anthropomorphic foxes and bears ever could. Additionally, a religious figure portraying the villain adds a weighty, complex layer of tension in the story. With the grand, yet intimidating Notre Dame in the backdrop, the film narrows in on deep, personal crises experienced by our main characters.

One of the only females in the story, Esmeralda is the least conflicted, acting boldly against Frollo and his corrupt justice system. She is unafraid of consequences because she has nothing to lose. This determined constancy is perhaps the reason why Disney chose her to sing the deeply meaningful theme song, "God Help the Outcasts." Whereas other characters experience more doubt, she clearly feels the chasm between the message of hope the Church supposedly proclaims and the oppression that is actually demonstrated towards her people.

Phoebus' ability to follow orders earns him respect and influence in the community. But when he is asked to do something he knows to be wrong, he must decide if he will take the easy route, or bear the disgrace of rebelling against a corrupt power.

Conversely, despite his good heart, Quasimodo, our main character, has never experienced acceptance. Fear and naiveté are what drive him to remain within Frollo's control. As the wall of lies he has been told crumbles along with Notre Dame herself, Quasimodo struggles to defy the one he called Master, even when others' lives are threatened. 

Finally, Frollo's crisis is a very different kind. The thick mask of righteousness and piety he wears prevents him from admitting to the darkness of lust and pride that dwell in him. In effort to keep his secrets hidden, he uses fake religious fervor as a means of getting what he wants. The result is not only the destruction of the entire city, but also the destruction of his own tormented soul.

Justice is not just a theoretical, ambiguous idea. It pierces the hearts of individual lives. In a world where life is plagued by things that shouldn't be, we encounter these same crises of conscience. We can choose to cling to a false reality, or to believe that something beyond ourselves is worth the risk of taking a stand. While Frollo is incapable of  moving past his own selfish pride, Esmeralda, Phoebus, and Quasimodo count it worthy to give themselves up for something much greater.

In the final scene, Quasimodo cries "Sanctuary!" -- claiming Notre Dame's promise of safety and solace. Our sanctuary, true justice, lies not in an ancient cathedral, or in a pious appearance. It lies in a Person, who was once an outcast, too, and who indeed gave up everything to become our Sanctuary.

Disney Mothers

Disney animated films have a lot of missing mothers (Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, for example), and also many evil stepmothers (Tangled, Cinderella, Snow White). Why? I do not know.  I'm sure someone more intelligent and thoughtful than me has a theory. If you've got one please feel free to leave it in the comments! (I've already said some stuff about orphans, a related subject.)

But, since it is Mother's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to supply you with a list of Disney mothers that are present (for at least part of the story) and who demonstrate an immeasurable kind of love, a mother's love.

Mrs. Jumbo: She gets locked up in the "crazy" cage simply for trying to protect her son Dumbo. "Baby Mine" is by far the most memorable mother/child moment in any Disney movie.

Bambi's mother: Here's another example of a mother who gives her life to protect her child. We never see it on screen, but her death has a remarkable impact on viewers of the film.

Fairy Godmother: She's not an actual mother, but she is kind, warm and caring in all the ways Cinderella's stepmother is not. While her bibbidee bobbidee magic is helpful, it's her gentle, loving nature that makes us love her.

Perdita: Anyone who gives birth to fifteen puppies at once deserves to be on a list like this! Not to mention the lengths she goes to in order to rescue her lost puppies. I'm assuming she also adopts the others that come to live with them in the end, totaling 101 children in all. Wow.

Sarabi: Showing great strength after losing both her husband and son on the same day, she does her best to lead the lionesses under Scar's evil regime, and stands beside Simba when he returns to challenge his uncle.

Quasimodo's mother: She's only on screen for the opening song, but her sacrificial love for her deformed child leaves a lasting impression.

Fa Li & Grandma Fa: The only example of multiple generations of mothers, these women deeply care about Mulan, even if they're unsure about how to handle her. Grandma Fa steals the show, proving that old traditional Chinese mothers can be quite funny.

Kala: Perhaps Disney's most well-developed mother character, we see in her a courageous resolve as she adopts Tarzan after losing her own child. She helps him to understand that he belongs, no matter what anyone else says or where life takes him.


Who would you want for your mother? Vote in the poll.

Have a Disnerd Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!