For those of you who read the blog, you know I like Final Fantasy. I have been playing the franchise’s second MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV; A Realm Reborn. FF14 has a lot of references to a lot of things for titles of quests. I was doing a quest to level up one of my classes  and the quest was called Topsy-Turvy Time. For the quest you just have to gather scaffolding logs, hence the name.

 Topsy-Turvy Final Fantasy XIV; A Realm Reborn picture image

Topsy-Turvy Time Levequest

I don’t know about you but when I hear the words “Topsy-Turvy” I go to the Disney song right away. Is it a direct reference to Hunchback? Only the localization team knows for certain but I think it is and that all that matters.

There could be more references to Hunchback in game but I’m sure there are more Disney ones.

Naomi Scott picture image

Naomi Scott

A while back someone suggested Naomi Scott for the role of Esmeralda and after researching her a little I would agree.

Naomi Scott picture image

Naomi Scott

Scott is part Gujarati and part English giving her a nice look for Esmeralda, pending her backstory, though novel Esmeralda does have dark hair and black eyes so actresses with these features have an edge. She also has lovely yet innocence look to her which I think is lacking trait from the majority of actresses who play Esmeralda. Scott also has an advantage in that she can sing which Esmeralda does a lot but it is rather showcased in movies.

Naomi Scott as Mo from Lemonade Mouth picture image

Naomi Scott as Mo from Lemonade Mouth

As far as acting goes I have only seen her in Disney’s made for Tv movie Lemonade Mouth , which is not my kind of movie, a teen band movie where the lovable underdogs rise above the popular jocks and cheerleaders, yeah not my thing. However I didn’t loath the movie has much as I thought but to be frank a made for TV live-action Disney movie is not really a place to judge someone on acting. However like I have said, at Esmeralda’s core basic characterization, it’s an easy role to play and I think Scott would pull it off nicely.

Naomi Scott picture image

Naomi Scott

What do you think? Would Naomi Scott make a good Esmeralda?

Because rumor has it, it’s too beautiful. I obtain this book  though secret covert maneuvers.

Hunchback Watch Book Disney  picture image

A new Hunchback book with Disney Illustarion?

The cover is really pretty,  but let’s take a look on this inside.

Hunchback Watch Book Disney picture image

A watch!

 

What sort of devilry is this? A Watch?

Hunchback Watch Book Disney picture image

It’s a very nice hunchback watch

I actually got this as a gift from a friend of my family. The watch is very nice with a leach wrist band and the book box is very nice. There are  a lot of Hunchback watches out there. You can find this on eBay along with lots of others. There is one hunchback watch on Amazon which is of Quasimodo and Esmeralda, The Hunchback of Notre Dame Collectible Plastic Watch in Blisterpack.

Sorry for the less than stellar pictures, I took them very quickly.

Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas  picture image

Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas

Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas isn’t a sequel to Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas but it follows the same short story with lessons about giving and shit. Some of the stories are ok and some are teeth-grinding abysmal but what makes this video in-terminal are the CGs, they reek of sour poo.

Pluto, Mickey, Minnie, Scrooge, Daisy, and Donald Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas  picture image

Pluto, Mickey, Minnie, Scrooge, Daisy, and Donald

The first story is about Minnie and Daisy having a contrived feud for attention on ice with the Hippos and the Alligators from Fantasia. It was ok, I just wished it was not a story but purely about the visuals and the music. I’m not even sure why they were mad at each other either.

The second story is Huey, Dewy and Louie break in to Santa’s workshop to put their names on the good list being they are hellions apparently. They then ruin Christmas, then fix it and they put Uncle Scrooge’s name on the list since that is the only this he were wanted that he couldn’t buy with money. In doing so the boys get on the list. This story is the worst one as the duck boys are just really insincere and I don’t recall them being such selfish jerks in DuckTales. I mean they are still selfish twits in the end.

The third story is Max is brings a girl home for Christmas and fears being embarrassed by Goofy. I thought I was going to HATE this one since that is pretty much a rehash of the Goofy movies, Max being embarrassed by Goofy, but it was all told in like a music video. The song was stupid but it wasn’t that bad as a whole.

The fourth story was Donald just wants to spend some quiet time at home with hot cocoa but fuck that, that is selfish behavior so Donald has to go to a mall with Daisy and the boys. Donald is tormented by the song We wish you a Merry Christmas, so he goes a little crazy and Daisy and boys get mad at him. So he gets their forgiveness by having a sing-song of the song. This one was dumb, I side with grumpy Donald. I really hate it when people tell me how I should feel about Christmas, it just makes me want to act grumpy.

The fifth and final story is Mickey getting mad at Pluto for accidentally wrecking his decorations. Pluto runs away and hangs out with Santa’s reindeer. Mickey I guess learns some lesson about decorations don’t mean anything when to comes to friends. It was just sort of tacted on, not a bad story though.

Donald, Daisy, Minnie and Mickey  Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas  picture image

Donald, Daisy, Minnie and Mickey

The thing that struck me about this video from the on-set was that this wished it was a Fantasia. All the stories had a musical component and I have to say wouldn’t a Holiday Fantasia movie be awesome? They should make that for some Christmas.

Daisy, Huey, Dewy, Louie and Donald Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas  picture image

Daisy, Huey, Dewy, Louie and Donald

This video should be harmless but the very plastic ugly CG made it hard to watch. Of course it begs the question which is worst, Bad seemingly hand-drawn animation or ugly competent CG stuff? It’s a tough question. Call me old but there is a heart  that even in the bad hand drawn stuff has that is harder to get in CG animation, CG animation often looks cold. It’s getting better but this video is just cold and artificial feeling.

Also the jokes are so dull and predictable especially in the second story with Huey, Dewy and Louie.

Mickey with Santa Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas  picture image

Mickey with Santa

In all the Disney Christmas videos I have watched this month this one was the hardest to watch. I think if Disney had just loose up with the lessons and had more fun stories it would have been fine but the trite lessons and those CGs just make for a cringe-induceing viewing experience
Also in the Huey, Dewy and Louie story did anyone else think it was ironic that Srooge would say there is more to life than money? It’s a direct-to -video Disney movie, making money is its reason for existing.

Mickey's Magical Christmas:  Snowed in at the House of Mouse

Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse

I admit it I’m a little stumped on Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse. It’s very much all over the place. Some of it is good and some of it just confounding. This video was released in 2001.

Minnie and Ludwig in The Nutcracker  Mickey's Magical Christmas:  Snowed in at the House of Mouse  picture image

Minnie and Ludwig in The Nutcracker

The basic plot is that all the, or most of the Disney characters are snowed in at the House of Mouse and Donald is being a grump, so Mickey uses clips and shorts to try and cheer him up. Which doesn’t work since it’s only when Mickey asks him to put the star on the tree that he lightens up.

The first story is called Donald on Ice. It’s Donald skating and failing a lot. But the ending is cute. Donald runs in to an abominable snowman who wins a snow man contest and wins skate, that was cute.

The second story is Pluto’s Christmas Tree from 1952. Where Mickey cuts down tree with Chip and Dale inside. Pluto barks at them and havoc happens. It’s cute enough.

The third story is The Nutcracker with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Ludwig. It was fun enough. I enjoyed the narrator.

The fourth story is the 1983 Mickey’s Christmas Carol which is a classic.

Scrooge in Mickey's Christmas Carol  Mickey's Magical Christmas:  Snowed in at the House of Mouse  picture image

Scrooge in Mickey’s Christmas Carol

One of the big problems is the leaps in animation quality. The House of Mouse parts are really poorly animated which is jarring with the 1952 and 1983 compared to the 1999-2001 animation. The older stuff is just so much richer.

Minnie, Goofy, with Jafar, Pain, Tigger, and Pooh Mickey's Magical Christmas:  Snowed in at the House of Mouse  picture image

Minnie, Goofy, with Jafar, Pain , Tigger, and Pooh

The House of Mouse parts are the weakest parts but some of the quips from the characters were a little silly but the whole Donald is grumpy is a weak premise and unnecassary. The only thing that was enjoyable about it was a reaction from Grumpy. Did I mention that the animation in those parts are REALY bad?

Donald with Daisy and Goofy Mickey's Magical Christmas:  Snowed in at the House of Mouse  picture image

Donald with Daisy and Goofy

So I’m a little stumped most of Mickey’s Magical Christmas:  Snowed in at the House of Mouse is alright and some of it bad and pointless. I would recommend just going to bathroom or getting a snack for the House of Mouse parts or just watching the clips on there own.

Also the wikipedia page said Victor and Hugo from Hunchback were in this but I didn’t seem them and I found it so weird that Belle doesn’t get a line, she sings but Beast says the lines.

So the La Jolla production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame musical is in full swing and the Papermill playhouse show is on the horizon. The La Jolla veriosn is considered to be the American debut of the German musical Der Glockner von Notre Dame which was based on the Disney movie. But you know it was not the first time the musical was adapted in English.

Esmeralda and Quasimodo singing On Top of the World King's  Academy Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda and Quasimodo singing On Top of the World 

In 2013 the musical was performed at King’s Academy in Palm Beach County Florida which is private catholic high school. The musical was done in collaboration with the school and Disney. However it has some differences with the Glockner version that warrant discussing.

As I have already discussed the Disney version and the Glockner version before and I hope to discuss the musical more in future (hint hint) I’m not going to spread too long talking about it and as the performers are high school students (or at least were), I’m going to go easy them in terms of acting and singing.

So for the next five weeks, we will look at this version.

Also please note, the whole thing was on youtube a few weeks ago and I did watch it  but now most of it not available but I won’t let that stop me, Gwahahahahahaaa.

Prince Wu Legend of Korra season 4 episode 3 picture image

Prince Wu, Legend of Korra

In Episode 3 of the fourth season of Legend of Korra, Prince Wu is talking about his cornation having aerobatic bell ringers.  Now be honest, when you hear Aerobatic Bell Ringers who do you think of? Quasimodo!

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Really there is no other Aerobatic Bell Ringer.

At its core the Hunchback of Notre Dame is a drama but that  hasn’t stop people from making it into a  happy children story about an ugly ducking, social commentary, a comedy and it was almost was a jazzy action-adventure (prove me wrong Brolin and make it).

But what other genres could a Hunchback version be and how would the story have to change to satisfy the genre tropes.

Moodiness Esmeralda (Maureen O'Hara) 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Moodiness Esmeralda (Maureen O’Hara) 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Horror– This one is so easy, I’m more than surprise no one has bother to make a more horror-y or at least creepy version since the hallmark film is a “monster’ movie.

There is a movie called the Hunchback of the Morgue which has elements in common with Hunchback and Frankenstein but I haven’t  seen it as of yet.  It sounds terrible,  also I’m fan of gory films.

 

Phoebus Rallies the People Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Phoebus Rallies the People Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Action-Adventure– I know I mention this one already, but it could work I think. The plot would have to changed a lot though. I think the only method to make this genre work is some kind of treasure hidden in Notre Dame which kind of was done but not really. Notre Dame’s treasure that was Frollo’s motivation in the Secret of the Hunchback but it wasn’t an action-adventure movie, it hardly a movie.

But Hunchback isn’t devoid of action so they could just amp that up and looting the cathedral was part of allure of the attack of it by the Court of Miracles. So it could really work.

Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame picture image

Danielle Dumont as Fleur de Lys, 1956 Hunchback of Notre dame

Romanic Comedy– Groans. Hunchback as a chick flick might be a tough sell but  maybe. I dunno. It would have be very light hearted and almost  parody. Maybe Hunchback should stay clear of this one.

Garou as Quasimodo Notre Dame de Paris picture image

Garou as Quasimodo from Notre Dame de Paris

Musical – Well there have been musical versions but not one from a stage show. I personally love the idea of a Notre Dame de Paris film version but I’m sure it would get messed up.

Maybe they could Jukebox musical, those are easy and people like them enough. Can’t you just see Quasimodo singing “I would do anything for love,” the thing writes itself.

Melody, a.k.a Not Esmeralda in Jail awaiting death, Enchanted Tales, Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Melody, a.k.a Not Esmeralda in Jail awaiting death

Fantasy – Just add magic and stilted dialogue, easy.

Phoebus and Esmeralda get comfortable (Maureen O'Hara, Alan Marshal) 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Phoebus and Esmeralda, Maureen O’Hara, Alan Marshal 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame

Film Noir– Everyone seem to want to overly sexualize Esmeralda anyway so just go for it and make her a full-on Femme Fatal, you know you want to Hollywood.

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo singing Heaven’s Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Kaiju– No, No, No but the image of 100 foot Quasimodo destroying Tokyo is very silly probably too silly.

 

Do you have any suggestions for different genres for Hunchback? Leave it in the comments along with how to change Hunchback to fit the genre.

Book 8, Chapter 4, Lasciate Ogni Speranza

Helene Segara as Esmerada & Daniel Lavoie as Frollo, un matin tu dansais  from Notre Dame de Paris   picture image

Helene Segara as Esmerada & Daniel Lavoie as Frollo, un matin tu dansais from Notre Dame de Paris

This is my favorite chapter in the whole book. This is where Frollo confesses his twisted love to Esmeralda and she rejects him. Pretty much everything so far as boiled down to this chapter. It just such a rich quotable monologue for Frollo and I do like how Esmeralda doesn’t pity him and doesn’t except his “love.”

I love quote, “tis madness to halt midway in the monstrous,My version of the hunchback is a slight variation of this but I still remember this wording from the first time I read the book.

So things of interest, Esmeralda was in that cell for a while, in fact in book 8 chapter 6, it says that her execution is in May but the crime was in March, so pending on the trial this makes her jail time at least a good month.

Also Frollo clearly says that she wore blue when he first saw her dancing. To my knowledge, black and white versions aside, Esmeralda has only been depicted in blue once in a movie. And you know what that version was, freaking Secret of the Hunchback! She also wore a little teal accent in the Disney but it was mostly purple which is better than red. Oh, wait, she wore blue in the 1982 version in the first half, then again 1982 Esmeralda is timid and hates dancing so not a strong character depiction there.

I don’t mean to harp on the color of Esmeralda’s costumes, after all I wrote a long post on the matter two years ago, which you can read here, but it’s right there filmmakers. Then agin, filmmakers tends to gloss over this scene which makes me sad.

No film version has ever given this scene the depiction I think it deserve, some come close but of the versions I have seen, I think Notre Dame de Paris
is best.

The opera La Esmeralda does this scene well but libertto was written but Hugo himself and it hasn’t performed as an full opera since like 1836, people didn’t like it. I also know Der Glockner von Notre Dame had this scene in it but I have seen it and I can’t recall the script that I read ages ago.

I hope there is some adaptation someday that will do this scene right because it would be amazing.

Book 8, Chapter 5, The Mother

Sister Gudule (Gladys Brockwell) Hunchback Notre Dame 1923 picture image

Sister Gudule (Gladys Brockwell) Hunchback Notre Dame 1923

This is another Sister Gudule focus chapter. It’s her lamenting her daughter and learning of Esmeralda’s impending death, which makes her happy.

Now this chapter may seem trivial but it’s not. In this chapter she asks god to let her see her daughter if only for a moment. It’s a case of be careful of word choice. The larger implications of this chapter will come up later.

It’s really a shame only like two versions have touched on Gudule and one didn’t handle it well at all (the 1923 version) and they one is really, really badly done (the dingo version).

Book 8, Chapter 6, Three Men’s Hearts, Differently Constituted

Quasimodo declares Sanctuary for Esmeralda Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image

Quasimodo declares Sanctuary for Esmeralda

This chapter is the big one for many of a film, Esmeralda execution and recuse by Quasimodo. What we really see in this chapter is Phoebus, Frollo, and Quasimodo’s true feeling about Esmeralda as indicated by the title.

Phoebus is done with her and believes she bewitched him, his stance is I don’t care. Frollo cares but he would rather have her die if she won’t be his alone, his is selfish lust. Quasimodo saves her for no other reason than he doesn’t want her to die, his unselfish love.

This is an epic scene, no question, especially at the end. Although Quasimodo never swings down from Notre Dame and recuse Esmeralda from giblet only to swing back up on to Notre Dame.

Instead he climbs down while Esmeralda is in front of Notre Dame and grabs her and run into the cathedral. Some version opt for the impossible feat of swinging down off the church and swinging back, makes it more epic for a film. These version include the Disney version, the 1939, the 1986 and the 1997. The 1923 and the 1956 do the drop down in front of Notre Dame and run in. The 1982 is a mixture, as Quasimodo swings down but runs into Notre Dame. And the 1977 version has Quasimodo walk up to the pillory, save her and runs back.

The scene ends with Quasimodo declaring sanctuary for Esmeralda and showing off his rescues to the happy crowd. Many versions do this, some don’t which is a little weird. Or in the case of the 1956 version, they should have either cut it or not have had that awkward fade. Because it really shoehorned in.