Originally Posted By Doobie This topic is for Discussion of: <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/News-ID510260.asp" target="_blank">4/4/06 Jim on Film: Rescue Aid Society</a>
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Thank you for intelligently expressing for me what has been missing. Last Friday watching Ice Age, the entire audience seemed to be in that frozen glare stare with very little laughter from any age group. And it was the longest hour and a half I have ever endured. Just because it makes money does not mean it is good.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA Great essay about the recent Disney Animation Features. Yes, here's hoping that the Pixar gang can get the ship back to basics 'It all starts with a great story.' And here's hoping that they drop the whole 'Gnomeo and Juliet with old Elton John songs' thing FAST!
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>If Disney is busy following everybody else’s lead, they won’t be able to stay up to date as tastes change.<< Well said, Jim! Good article.
Originally Posted By Sapphire I like Jim's points too, particularly about perception. Here's something Disney ought to consider about that. In Las Vegas, ever since Siegfried and Roy's show came to its untimely end, the production show roost has been ruled by Cirque du Soleil. Due to the success of their initial two original, resident* shows for Vegas ("Mystere" and "O"), the MGM-Mirage casino corporation pushed for two more shows for other Vegas hotels they own, and ultimately a fifth to replace S&R's. As of this fall, they will have 5 shows running simultaneously in Vegas. (And the director of the original 2 shows, Franco Dragone, has moved on and created Celine Dion's Caesars Palace show and "Le Reve" at Wynn Las Vegas, which can't be sneezed at.) *Resident = non-touring. WDW's "La Nouba" operates the same way. This strength in numbers is partially due to thoughtful differentation. Each of the Vegas Cirque shows is distinct from its sisters, as well as from the touring shows and "La Nouba". "Mystere" (opened 1993) is the most "traditional" of the bunch, as it was relatively early in the troupe's large-scale success. "O" (1998) was a much bigger undertaking, integrating a giant into the staging brilliantly - a whole new set of acts only achievable with water, but also more traditional circus acts given a watery twist, and a more operatic tone overall. "Zumanity" (2003) was made only for adults, intended as adult cabaret, not circus. "KA" (2005) took inspiration from cinema to tell an adventure story through acrobatic acts and a remarkably conceived stage. The upcoming, as yet untitled, show, is a merging of the Cirque aesthetic with the music of the Beatles, which will require another kind of approach. Fans wait with bated breath to see what it will be. ;o) Each of these shows, while they all involve circus-type acts and a wild sense of fantasy, has a distinctive tone and focus. "Mystere" is whimsical and often funny, "O" is operatic, "KA" is a rousing epic, and "Zumanity" is...something else! Each is high-quality IMO, and each can be loved for different reasons. It's the same way with their tours. The melancholy "Quidam" would never be confused with the sunshiny "Saltimbanco", or the deeply emotional "Alegria". Disney, as Jim put it, didn't do enough to vary the style of their 90s films, so their merits were easily dismissed or forgotten. Just a different structure or thematic focus can do wonders for a film to differentiate it from its predecessors. And also with his comment about music - how about getting one or both of my favorite Cirque composers, Rene Dupere and Benoit Jutras, to score a Disney film? The results could be wonderful! It's time for more thinking outside the box!
Originally Posted By Shadow wolf ^I would love to have Benoit Jutras score any film! Just listen to Le Reve's soundtrack, it's one of the best out there along with O's.
