Sony Pictures Animation  is releasing a new 3-d movie called  Hotel Transylvania. It’s about a hotel for monsters and the character of Quasimodo is it. Quasimodo is played by Jon Lovitz and is a gourmet cook.

Quasimodo as a monster archetype comes out the 1923 reputation, so this interpertation of Quasimodo has nothing to do with the book. The fact that he’s a gourmet chef is more of a  parody of the French than Quasimodo. However since this movie isn’t about Quasimodo and him being a straight-up monster and a chef doesn’t bother me

Quasimodo in Hotel Transylvania picture image

Quasimodo in Hotel Transylvania

My biggest annoynace is the design of Quasimodo. For a character that is famous for being deformed and ugly he sure looks normal albeit slightly ugly but not up to standards for the character. I mean look at this eyes, where his protrusion? Even cutesy Disney Quasimodo got that much. It’s a bad character design when the identifiable characteristic are his legs and feet.  If it wasn’t for the legs and the shoes I wouldn’t believe this as Quasimodo. For a movie about monsters they could have made him look more like a monster but they didn’t. I have to wonder though, for a movie about a haven for monsters where no humans are allowed, how do they explain Quasimodo being there in the first place?

I have no issue with Jon Lovitz for the voice.  I loved him in The Critic and I’m sure he’ll be fine in this.

Hotel Transylvania hits theaters September 28, 2012. You can see Quasimodo at 1:32 in this trailer.

I think the movie looks entertaining enough. Not an original concept but seems silly.

 

 

Today’s Fan-art is  by Ida Christensen. It is Gringoire & Esmeralda. I love the details. This one of three sketchs by her.

Gringoire & Esmeralda by Ida Christensen picture image

Gringoire & Esmeralda by Ida Christensen

Besides Quaismodo’s make-up and Lon Chaney is there anything else that this movie has going for it? Yes, yes there is, the Sets. The sets are well done.

Notre Dame de Paris set from the 1923 version of Hunchback picture image

Notre Dame de Paris Set from the 1923 version of Hunchback

The sets for the 1923 version of the Hunchback were built on the back-lot of universal. To create the cathedral they built the set up to the row of statues. The upper portions of Notre Dame in the long shots were the results of a floating miniature. A floating miniature means that they would hang the model in front on the camera to force the miniature to match up with the set to look like a whole. It’s a trick of the camera that isn’t used to much these days.  But the result look seamless.

 

A Matte Painting used 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

A Matte Painting used 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame

The production also used age old film tricks like matte painting to give the sets more depth. In the picture above, everything beyond the chest is a painting

Group cluster together 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture imageg

Group cluster together

Also strategic positioning of extras helped to give the sets more scale.

 

The Notre Dame Set in the Chaney version of the Phantom of the Opera picture image

The Notre Dame Set in the Chaney version of the Phantom of the Opera

 

According to the DVD commentary, the Notre Dame set was used at the end of Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera. Notice how you don’t seen the upper portion of the church that was filled in bu the floating miniature

 

Quasimodo (Lon Chaney), Esmeralda (Patsy Ruth Miller) and Gudule (Gladya Brockwell) Hunchback of Notre Dame 1923 picture image

Quasimodo (Lon Chaney), Esmeralda (Patsy Ruth Miller) and Gudule (Gladya Brockwell) Hunchback of Notre Dame 1923

 

So the set are great but  does that couple by Chaney, his make-up and one of my favorite Esmerladas make this a Good movie?

Find out Next time

Patsy Ruth Miller as Esmeralda 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Patsy Ruth Miller as Esmeralda 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame

This rare footage from the Disney version of Hunchback  is how the sequence was originally filmed but due mistake in the editing  room the chase scene was play out in a forward action instead. By the time the mistake noticed they had already printed the release date on popcorn buckets so they had to deal it. But thanks to the magic modern technology we can see the chase segment as it was originally intended.

Please Enjoy.