I wanted to something for Black Friday so I did another anti-motivational poster featuring Hunchback
If you want to use this image on your website just be sure to source thehunchblog, the wording is mine.
I wanted to something for Black Friday so I did another anti-motivational poster featuring Hunchback
If you want to use this image on your website just be sure to source thehunchblog, the wording is mine.
When I say I’d Stick With You is the worse song in the movie I mean it, but it may not be the stupidest. Which is odd considering the lyrics of Fa la la la Fallen In Love, which based on the title, it qualifies as the stupidest song of the movie.
So the song is about how Quasimodo has fallen in love, that’s it. The song starts with the Gargoyles lamenting that their “boy” has grown (their boy is like 27) and in love but their lament is a fake because they’re happy that “Love has nailed him” then the crowd joins in about have love has “derailed him“. (Didn’t this happen more to Madeline???)
Musically the song isn’t bad, it has a jovial and whimsical tone. The lyrics are one of the problems with this song. First off the song is called Fa la la la Fallen In Love and those are the bulk of lyrics. This is just stupid! But I think the “Oh Wow” lines are stupider. Now here the big problem, I can’t write this song off as completely stupid (and that pains me). The song uses a lot of word that I didn’t know. Like roundelay and madrigal. Roundelay is 1) a song in which a phrase, line, or the like, is continually repeated 2) the music for such a song 3) a dance in a circle; round dance. And Madrigal 1) a secular part song without instrumental accompaniment, usually for four to six voices, making abundant use of contrapuntal imitation, popular especially in the 16th and 17th centuries 2) a lyric poem suitable for being set to music, usually short and often of amatory character, especially fashionable in the 16th century and later, in Italy, France, England, etc 3) any part song. However both words are anachronism, I mean if your going to use pedantic words they should at least be fashionable to the setting. It’s funny that a song in a sequel would use GRE type words and be called Fa la la la Fallen, use that title as a Roundlay and use the line “Oh Wow” it’s mind boggling to say the least.
I have another issue with the song. The song seems incredulous to the fact that Quasimodo could have fallen in love in the first place. Which is insane since Quasimodo wants to be in love because he think it looks nice. And this isn’t the first time Quasimodo has “fallen in love” remember Esmeralda, she broke his heart (or ripped it). The purpose of this song seems to be that a hard-hearted people has fallen in love which is evident in the lines “Love has nailed him” and “Love’s derailed him.” It seem more suited to Madeline and not Quasimodo. I mean Madeline as to overcome low self-esteem and has to get past Quasimodo’s deformity. What did Quasimodo have to do? Stare and listen to her. And further more why does the crowd care? When did Quasimodo become the Darling of Paris? Because the Darling of Paris is Esmeralda and is a 1917 Hunchback film version starring Theda Bara.
Fa la la la Fallen In Love is a dumb little song that uses big words for the sake of alliteration, which makes a level of sense because Quasimodo and Madeline’s relationship is founded alliteration as well lies but still it’s stupid. And no amount of smart and big words can help save it from it’s stupid title.
Next Time – I’m Gonna Love You ( a.k.a Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Vanity Project)
With the new cast of Notre Dame de Paris I wanted something Notre Dame de Paris for Fan-art Friday and then I found this;
Drawing by deppangel818
I think this is perfect! I especially love Phoebus and Gringoire.
This video is from 2009, The original Notre Dame de Paris Trio performed Belle on the Show “Vive les Comedies Musicales” and they switched out who they were singing to so that they addressed each other. The result, a silly rendition of Belle.
So I going to start periodically posting hypothetical casting choices for either movies or musicals.
So First off, since there is a new english language cast of Notre Dame de Paris let’s start there.
The thing about the English version of Notre Dame de Paris is that there are a lot of awkward weird lines and just because someone is a good singer it doesn’t mean that these lines can be delivered naturally. There are very few people in this world that can sing song with truly weird lyrics and sound serious and/or sincere. One singer who can do this well for example is the late Dio, who sang Holy Diver . Now I say in my preface that people could living or dead however this post is not about Dio, it actually about another person who is capable of singing very weird lyrics and makes them seem natural and yet would make well cast in Notre Dame de Paris and that person is David Byrne. David Byrne was the lead singer of the Talking Heads but left to have a solo career.
I only recently became of fan David Byrne when I was introduced to him for potential AMV (anime music video) ideas (Shameless plug- I worked on an amv using a David Byrne song to Mononoke TV click here to watch, and leave a comment if you like ^_~, the amv is called Dark Interlude).
Lot of his songs are strange out of the ones I have heard I think U.B. Jesus and Speechless are the weirdest (lyrically). So given that he is a great singer who can sing some crazy lines and make them seem normal, I’d cast him as Frollo in Notre Dame de Paris, (He even looks a bit like Daniel Lavoie (the original Frollo))
I’d Stick with you is a Buddy song sung by Zephyr and Quasimodo. Zephyr is feeling his pal, Quasimodo is pulling away from him because he was staring at a girl (or maybe just ignoring his prattle). Quasimodo tells Zephyr that they’ll always be pal. Zephyr via song poses a hypothetical situation, about if he caught by a witch and is suspended over a kettle of blue glue and he falls he if Quasimodo would still be his pal even if he was sticky. Which Quasimodo says he would still be his friend because it’s not that big of a deal, kid. As the song is being sung, Madeline (who changed out her pink costume and into her casual garb in record time) watches and judges Quasimodo to be a nice loyal sort, because I guess loyalty to someone who is sticky is an important trait in a lifemate for her. So surprise the song is a plot device for the Quasimodo/Madeline pairing. This fact is compounded when you think this the last time Quasimodo and Zephyr speak to each other.
So is the song bad? Yes, yes it, I originally thought another song was worse but I feel this song is the far worse. The music is lazy and the lyrics are stupid. Visuals on it are terrible too. Let’s start with the music. You know those songs you make up as you go, more less sing-song in natural that’s all this is. I’m not sure if it’s because it was written this way because a child was singing it, but either Haley Joel Osment couldn’t sing very well or the composer had little respect for children. If the later is true than shame on the composer because children are capable of singing very well.
The Lyrics in the song are awful too. It’s just mostly rhymes to the word “stick”. This leads to some stupid lines. Like being as close as Frick and Frack. Does Quasimodo mean the Figure Skaters from the from the 1940’s? Since he says “closer than Frack and Frick” or does her mean the slang for two people being so close that they’re indistinguishable or does he mean it as a term of derision for any two people, on par with calling one person a “Bozo” or three people “Stooges” ? In any case the line doesn’t work, it’s just for a rhyme. The clock line is an anachronism too because a clock can’t tick without a minute hand and that was invented in 1577 by Jost Burgi. But anachronism isn’t in Disney’s dictionary and who can tell when Disney’s Hunchback was supposed to take place. My guess is Disney operates setting like The Epcot World Pavilions, representation of a place but not accurate (it’s all fun for the children and tourist). Anyway the Lyrics are stupid. How can one be Sticky and Slick? Tell me song!
The Visuals for this song are dull. It’s practically Quasimodo and Zephyr walking around the circus while Madeline is stalks them. That’s it. The song ends because Zephyr gets bored and falls asleep. So one positive I have for it is; At least it’s short, it’s just under two minutes and there is some dialogue in there.
I would say I’d Stick With You is the worst song in the movie maybe in all of Disney (as far as original versions of songs are concerned, don’t get me started on the pop covers). Whether it’s the worst remains to be seen, I haven’t seen all the sequels Disney made but I’m sure one of those movies must have their own honorable distinction of pure awfulness for a song, but it would have to abysmal to rival I’d Stick With You. I may eat those words with the next song.
Next Time- Fa la la la Fallen In Love
So I had said the Robert Marien, Matt Laurent, and Myriam Brousseau were in the World Tour Cast but it seems that they are in the Asian Tour 2011-2012 Cast. I Suppose with two English Tour cast information get a little confusing. Or Perhaps I’m Waaay off and was wrong about a World Tour.
Anyway here is the Cast of the 2011 Asian Tour Cast
Confirmed Cast (Source) and (Source)
Quasimodo – Matt Laurent
Esmeralda – Candice Parise
Frollo – Robert Marien
Gringoire – Dennis Ten Vergert
Phoebus – Stephen Webb
Clopin – Ian Carlyle
Fleur de Lys – Lilly-Jane Young
Alternates
Quasimodo/Frollo – Nigel Richards
Gringoire/Phoebus – Tim Driesen (Source)
Esmeralda/Fleur de Lys – Myriam Brousseau (Source)
Quasimodo/Clopin -Marc Akinfolarin
Unconfirmed
According to Twitter posts, Rachel Muldoon and Tom Muggeridge are in cast, my guess is that they maybe dancers but I don’t know, some how they’re are linked with the cast.
EDIT 6/25/12
There is a World Tour. It Starts October 31th in Russia. Tour will be English.
(((I’m sorry I got it wrong, but I’ll post something when (and if) and cast news is released on the 2012-2013 cast unless the Asian Tour is in fact the tour that General Entertaiment Associates meant and if that’s the case, why did the say it would be 2012-2013 when the Asian Tour only going to last for a reported 8-9 months? My guess is that the Asian Tour is the Tour Cast and General Entertaiment should have been more clear in their write up. But still it would be cool to have a world tour of Notre Dame de Paris)))
Art by Benjamin Carré, check out his website
Ordinary Miracle is Quasimodo sweeping solo number in the Sequel. It’s akin to the “I want something more” type of songs but it focus on Quasimodo’s desire to be loved by preferably a good-looking lady. He relates people falling in love as miracle but just an ordinary everyday miracle like lightning, architecture and growing-up. I’ve read that people like this song and they think it’s powerful. I disargee though, I find it clumsy in every aspect.
The Background Music is fine, the orchestra is quite nice but the medley and lyrics really kills it. Melodically the song has three parts, Quasimodo first bit where he imagines having someone love him, the second part where he discusses the “Ordinary Miracle” and the the last bit is Quasimodo’s singing about how’s he in love. Then the song goes back to being about miracle and ends on the imagine how great it would be if someone loved him. The trouble with these parts is the don’t flow nicely into each other. The worst offender is Quasimodo singing about love and how it’s a volcano of emotion and gypsy potions can’t undo it. That part seems like it’s from a different song
That brings us to the next point; the Lyrics. Quasimodo’s references to love and being in love with someone else as a common place miracle and that for him that would be extraordinary miracle. However he says that it would that it would “extraordinary if an ordinary miracle happen to him” now I know he’s referring to love but the line is written “an ordinary miracle” meaning any of the other aforemention miracles in the song would be extraordinary. However one of those miracle has already happen to him- “A Baby starts to walk or talk one day then shockingly he’s grown and in love“, Quasimodo is adult and is in love again, so an “ordinary miracle” happen kinda weakens his arrgument. Plus he sites, a natural occurrences like Lightning and Cathedrals being Miracles. Perhaps Quasimodo needs a dictionary but since he never master the alphabet maybe a dictionary is beyond him. Lightning, Architecture, and aging are not Miracles. A Miracle is an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs or an extremely outstanding or unusual events, things, or accomplishments. Given the examples and how Quasimodo ruins his point I’d say the lyrics are weak.
Hulce does a decent job with vocals, it’s not a different song to sing but I do feel he didn’t perform to his full capability.
Is this song the worst in the movie? No, it’s not, but it’s not a good song either, it’s barely an adequate song. It’s just weak. Dare I say, Ordinary.
Next Time – I’d Stick With You