I’m in a minority of people who heard the title of Kpop Demon Hunters and didn’t think it was a weird or silly title. In all honesty the initial concept of young ladies who fight demons and are also singers reminded me of a Japanese anime/video game/musical franchise which is similar but not the same. So I was initially endeared to this movie prior to seeing it even though I am not a fervent listener of Kpop.
But is Kpop Demon Hunters actually a good movie? Does it really deserve all the praise or is it just slop hiding behind a glossy poppy veneer finish???
Welcome to “The Hunch” because I can’t change the URL
This blog launched in late 2010 as “The Hunchblog of Notre Dame”. Originally intended to discuss, analyze, and review adaptations of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I had gotten into the novel about a year prior to the blog’s launch when I randomly watched Belle from Notre Dame de Paris on youtube. It was intriguing enough that I watched the rest of the musical that day.
From there I read the book, and watched any of the movie versions I could get my hands on. This is very on track for me since I did the something with The Phantom of the Opera a few years prior.
The original intent was that I would review the Hunchback works and move on to something else but I didn’t. Instead I have kept going and very early in the blog’s life I was reviewing other works like the Disney Sequels, Fairy-Tale/Fantasy movies, the entirely of the main show of Once Upon a Time, and more recently Netflix’s Wednesday.
Silver, Gray or Whitish Disney Outfits, NO Wedding Gown
Cinderella
I’ve done many articles ranking costumes by colors from different types of movies (period, fantasy, etc). And for the most part they were hosted on Hubpages, long story super short, they will we be rolling out here in the near future.
But one type of movie I’ve neglected in those articles was animated movies. So since it’s January and it’s cold and snowy, I thought let’s rank silvery, gray and/or white costumes from Disney Animated Movies that are not Wedding Gowns. In the future we’ll rank non-Disney dresses because there are a lot great opinions out there.
There actually not as many costume in this color palette as one might think but there is enough for a compelling list. Also an old rule I had was one character from one movie but not in this case, only requirements are a female costumes, not a wedding gown, from a Disney Animated Movie and mostly reads as silver, white, or grayish. Mostly cool shades are the name of the game but one be slight.
Heaven’s Light and Hellfire are meant to be listened together. Both parts represent the basic nature of The Hunchback of Notre Dame: how feelings can be internalized and twisted according to the individual.
Frollo and an illusion of Esmeralda during Hellfire
However I’m going to look at Heaven’s Light and Hellfire separately, because of the intensity of Hellfire and the simplicity of Heaven’s Light.
Quasimodo singing Heaven’s Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Quasimodo singing Heaven’s Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Heaven’s Light is the second ballad in the film and is Quasimodo’s final song though it’s reprise later in the movie. It’s the only “romantic” song to make into movie. In this song Quasimodo equivalents love to being heavenly. Since Quasimodo believes himself to be hideous, he thinks he not meant for love. However since Esmeralda gave him a peak on the cheek without fear, he calls her an angel and he’s hopeful that she could love him. He loves the concept of love. This hopefulness is gestalt of song.
Quasimodo singing Heaven’s Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Quasimodo singing Heaven’s Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
There is lot going on in this song: Quasimodo explains what love is like, he feel he’s not meant for it but then not a beat goes by and he turns his hopeful-o-meter up to max, as he hopes that Esmeralda could love him because she wasn’t afraid of him. The song seems to do a lot. This is because it’s such a short song and that’s it feels a light all over the place. Quasimodo goes from being emo to sappy. Anarkia in Notre Dame de Paris has a similar feel to it.
Victor and Laverne’s drawing of Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Hugo draws Djali Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
The elements of humor in this song by the gargoyles is actually good. It’s relevant and cute to the song. In the song each gargoyle draws a picture. The pictures reflect their personalities, Laverne and Victor draw Esmeralda and Hugo draws Djali. It’s cute relevant humor. I like Victor’s drawing the best.
Quasimodo singing Heaven’s Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Quasimodo singing Heaven’s Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
I have to admit that for me this song gets a little lost because it’s the song that comes right before Hellfire, which is for many people is their favorite song in the film as well as many people’s favorite villain songs. However listening to the song in isolation, it’s a sweet, well done song that develops Quaismodo’s character as both hopeful and naive.
Quasimodo reprise Heaven’s Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Phoebus and Esmeralda Kiss Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Quasimodo reprise Heaven’s Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Later when the song is reprised it’s a bittersweet sting to Quaismodo as his heart breaks as he watches Esmeralda and Phoebus kiss.
Quasimodo singing Heaven’s Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
All in all it’s a good song, not terrible but not not fanatic. It’s one flaw is being next to Hellfire.
Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
“Hellfire” is “Heaven’s Light’s” foil in every possible way. “Heaven’s Light” is a sweet hopeful ballad with some subtle humor in the visualization but “Hellfire” is an intense villain song with shades of an I want Song that has a breaks down into insanity.
Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Hellfire is a villain song, but it’s not just any villainsong, it’s “THE” villain song. Many people consider it the best and one of the darkest Disney villain songs. So what makes this song so good and dark?
Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
The song starts with Frollo singing to Notre Dame both figuratively and actually (The building and the Virgin). He claims that he’s purer than the common people and still as pure as he is, he can’t understand his obsession for Esmeralda and why she is invading his mind.
Esmeralda as a fire demon dancing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
For Frollo this lust is not in conflict with ethics or his own deep religious convictions; it’s all about pride and fearing losing control within himself. You can see him visually losing of control: he starts calm and become more and more crazy as the song progresses
Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
For Frollo there are two ways to resolve his problem, either Esmeralda must die or she must be his. Hellfire has a very similar vibe to Frollo in the book. Victor Hugo’s Frollo was very proud of his purity. But much like Disney Frollo Hugo’s Frollo felt that Esmeralda was sent by hell to take him away. Unlike Disney’s Frollo, Hugo’s Frollo is more of a stalker who is hopelessly seeking out Esmeralda. He doesn’t really want her to die but doesn’t want her to be with anyway else.
Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Disney’s Frollo is more black and white, either she is his or she dies, he only going to ask once. Frollo in Hellfire does have a twinge of gray (which you’ll never seen again), he asks for God to have mercy on both him and Esmeralda. If as he knows he’s wrong but he won’t do anything about it because he too far gone. The Latin chanted “Mea Culpa” (Through my fault) also drives that point too.
Frollo and an illusion of Esmeralda during Hellfire
It’s an odd Disney Villain song as Frollo isn’t revealing in his evilness or his brilliant evil plans. Frollo is simply singing out his desperation which ultimately gets worse. Unlike other songs, Frollo is not singing to anyone, usually a villain is rubbing something in the hero’s face, being a demagogue, or exposing their master plan of evil to minions.
Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
Frollo is singing to himself. It’s remindscent of another villainous song from a Notre Dame adapation Notre Dame de Paris’ La Monture. In the original staging of “La Monture” (The Mounting,) Fleur de Lys (Phoebus’ fiancee) sings about her desperation for Esmeralda to be hanged. In the original staging, she singing to her shadow. In singing alone Frollo’s feelings come off more intense, power, and frantic while he sings to the fireplace while seeing illusions and the becomes engulfed in specters.
Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
The song is perfectly sung by Tony Jay, he showcases control and then goes intense. The Latin chanting is great mood enhancer. The music is intense and the Hellfire melody makes up a lot of the Hunchback of Notre Dame’s score. The Music was inspired by Mozart’s Requiem Mass which completes the dark presentation of the song.
Frollo at the end Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame
The music, the singing, the lyrics, and visuals with the intensity, insanity, sexuality, and religious overtones create a great piece of moviedom. I wish Disney would explore their darker side more, because when they do it’s better than some of their more saccharine fair. I mean Disney enjoys going dark, it’s part of their history (Night of Bald Mountain). So Disney embrace the darkness more often! Please…
Next Time- A Guy Like you
Victor, Hugo and Laverne singing A Guy like you Disney Hunchback of Notre dame
In a post on Notre Dame de Paris Fans, there was note from a tumblr blog called Passing Dreams that had a list of who they thought would be the ideal casting choices for Esmeralda, Quaismodo and Frollo if there was a French revival of Notre Dame de Paris. Just got to say that a new French cast would be awesome. The Show hasn’t been performed as a musical in France since 2005. Anyway so I’m going to look at these people and first up is Sofia Essaïdi for Esmeralda.
Sofia Essaïdi
Sofia Essaïdi is half French and half Moroccan so there is no denying that she has a the right look for Esmeralda and she is very beautiful. She was on the third season of France’s Star Academy (2004) which she came in second. On Star Academy she performed Vivre (see video at the bottom of the page). She has also released an album in 2005 called Mon Cabaret (see video to hear Mon Cabaret). She was also on the French version of Dancing with the Stars were she came in second. She also played Cleopatra in the 2009 French musical Cléopâtre, la dernière reine d’Égypte.
Sofia Essaïdi as Cleopatra from Cléopâtre, la dernière reine d’Égypte
Essaïdi would make a great Esmeralda, she can sing and she dances very well. I just happen to not be overly fond of her voice, it’s not that it’s bad, it just doesn’t resonate with me. I also didn’t care for her rendition of Vivre but I think a musical director could help if she was cast (plus those hamster-ball people wouldn’t be there either). However I did like her as Cleopatra.
Sofia Essaïdi
I think if she were to play Esmeralda it would be would be a great casting choice.
Sofia Essaïdi
Videos of Sofia Essaïdi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byo5UhCOMhw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIaHuvT_FUI Christopher Stills would make a good Phoebus.
Pictures and Trailer from the upcoming 2012 Les Misérables movies. I’m still not sure on the casting and the production values seem a bit to much like “Notice Me Academy”.
(Please Note – I’m not as familiar with Les Mis so I may have misidentified characters or actors)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7_pOyPYGUQ
How do you think Notre Dame de Paris would translate to a movie format? I think a cinematic treatment could be cool but the musical doesn’t have the best “narrative.”
Back when I did a six month check-in on the Vincent Cassel’s Quasimodo project, I was HOPING that the casting would be announced and at that time I didn’t see any aside from an AI overview, which I have a healthy scepticism for. And again, at that time, I wanted to see if there was any truth to the info that AI was giving but when I tried to go back it didn’t offer up that same info. So I didn’t really go into that much other some speculation based on the stunt woman credits. (I hate AI.)
While looking through cast options I happened upon Aidan Turner as pick for Gringoire. At the time I was in watching Poldark, which is a great show, and thought why now look into this casting idea a little bit more.
Jennifer Love Hewitt singing I’m Gonna Love you Hunchback of Notre Dame II Disney
“I’mGonnaLoveYou” was made in part by Jennifer Love Hewitt’s desire to sing a song because at the time she was a singer. Considering Hewitt played Madeline, we can say that Madeline sings this song about Quasimodo. The message of the song is a little difficult to communicate so you’re going to have to stay with me, the message is that Madeline is going to love Quasimodo. And not only that she going to do so for the rest of her life. I guess when she dies she is exempt from loving him anymore.
Madeline and Quasimodo Hunchback of Notre Dame II Disney
It’s a standard pop song, sweet and innocuous, though there is hint of codependency, she can’t be without him or her soul will die. What’s more Romantic than Codependency??? I wish this bothered me more but I don’t take this song seriously enough to care.
Can’t say I’m a Jennifer Love Hewitt fan, she seems to buy into the pop vibrato and has nasal tone to her voice but at least she sings without auto-tuning, so kudos to her. I do think it’s funny that at the end, she sings “babe” which is a reference to Quasimodo. It feels really out place with rest of the song and is really awkward. Like, it’s there as a pop music trope rather than as an expression of love.
Madeline and Quasimodo kiss Hunchback of Notre Dame II Disney
“I’m Gonna Love you” is a typical pop song with codependent lyrics to boot. But this whole movie is just and attempt to get children to shut-up for an hour while their baby-sitters make-out, so I don’t imagine too many people (kids) actually listen or understand the codependent message of the song or they are too young to understand, so hence I don’t care, I found the lyrics more hilarious than sad, which I guess is sad.
are meant to be listened together. Both parts represent the basic nature of The Hunchback of Notre Dame: how feelings can be internalized and twisted according to the individual.
(see video to hear Mon Cabaret). She was also on the French version of Dancing with the Stars were she came in second. She also played Cleopatra in the 2009 French musical Cléopâtre, la dernière reine d’Égypte. 
. Considering Hewitt played Madeline, we can say that Madeline sings this song about Quasimodo. The message of the song is a little difficult to communicate so you’re going to have to stay with me, the message is that Madeline is going to love Quasimodo. And not only that she going to do so for the rest of her life. I guess when she dies she is exempt from loving him anymore.
