Explaining Cannibalism to Children

[Andara Bledin]

Before devolving totally into OT, let me just say that stage parents suck.

They foist off all the neuroses of their own failure to excel onto their poor kids and ruin any chance of those kids having a normal or even fun childhood. Is it any wonder so many kid stars have drug problems once they get old enough to understand what they weren't allowed to have?

And... to OT-land!

I have a double contra flute

My middle aunt has a contrabass flute, and at least a dozen other instruments.

My entire family is musically inclined, but most aren't very inclined to play professionally. My middle aunt is the exception. In high school she played the glockenspiel loud enough to march on the field instead of stand by the conductor; believe me, that's quite a feat. Until her last birthday (she turned 60), she was in the army national guard band. She plays flutes (all ranges), piccolo, several range of saxophone, baritone, oboe and bassoon, and a few others that I can't recall off the top of my head. She's probably got as much musical experience as the rest of the family combined, and that's saying something.

When I was 6, I played accordion. I can't even fathom trying to do that now. In grade school I tried the clarinet. When that didn't really work out, I swapped over to flute in middle school and stuck with that through high school graduation. I have a fair amount of natural talent, but I've never really applied myself, so I never got very far.

I've currently got three different recorders, a 30-year-old clay flute, a blown glass flute, a nice Yamaha open-hole that replaced my old Gemeinhardt that was handed down to a cousin, an antique clarinet that needs some serious repair (I have no idea why I even have that one, as I am utterly abysmal with reeds), and a cheap ocarina. I used to noodle about with the glass flute while at faires, but haven't had it out for years.

It took me a few minutes to learn "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on the piano as a child, and I am no more a musical genius than you are.

I've always been slightly more ambitious that the typical musician, and my piece of choice for a new instrument is Ode to Joy. I can usually noodle a basic version of that out in about half an hour.

Unless it's a reed. I don't go near reeds. >_<
It's better for everyone in earshot.

Little Mermaid? Evil witch gets the boy, Mermaid dissolves.

Not so. The witch isn't evil, just nasty. The mermaid wanted the love of the prince and an immortal soul, which mermaids do not have. The mermaid traded her voice for legs and a chance to gain a soul, but the prince didn't understand who she was, and ended up marrying another. Her sisters traded their hair for a knife that would kill the prince, but give her back her tail so she could return the the sea and not become seafoam. However, since she loved the prince, she could not kill him and chose to accept her fate.

But, as she was a good person, she was allowed to join the spirits of the air, who did not have souls, either, but could earn them through good deeds.

So the story has a bittersweet, but ultimately good ending.

And the witch only got payment for what she was asked to provide and nothing more. She even told the little mermaid that what she wanted was foolish and that she would fail, but the mermaid would not be dissuaded.

Finally, the ending tells you that good children will help the air spirits (and thus, the little mermaid) gain their souls faster but bad children will make them take longer. So the whole thing is really geared to encourage children to be good so that the air spirits can gain their souls faster.

Miyazaki luff! ^_^ Not technically Disney, though since they didn't create it. Just rereleased it to an English audience. But along those lines:

My Neighbor Totoro: The mother is only in the hospital. Yay! \o/

Kiki's Delivery Service: No dad in evidence.

Porco Rosso: I'm fairly certain Fio has no mother.

Whisper of the Heart: Full parents for both kids.

The Cat Returns: Haru (the girl) has no father. The Cat Prince has no mother.

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea: Another full set of parents on both sides. (and an interesting take on The Little Mermaid tale, too)

Several of these are Studio Ghibli but not Miyazaki. Grave of the Fireflies, Whisper of the Heart, and The Cat Returns.

I wouldn't want to be a member of the Disney royality. It seems most of the true Disney Princes/Princesses lost a parent or grew up not knowing their parents.

Well, technically, most of the Disney princes/princesses aren't actually royalty of any sort, either.

And, returning to Disney, Princess Aurora's (Sleeping Beauty) parents are both alive and well through the entire movie, even if they (and the rest of the kingdom) do spend quite a bit of the story fast asleep.

And then there's Heavy Metal (1981, and it's Canadian) and Fritz the Cat (1972), the first X-rated animated film in the US.

Awww... No love for Rock & Rule (1983)? Another classic from Canada.

And if you're going to mention Fritz the Cat, then why not also mention Wizards (1977), another Bakshi animated film. He did The Lord of the Rings the next year.

Also in 1977, Rankin/Bass did The Hobbit.

And, also in 1978, a British company release the animated version of Watership Down.

... yeah... I'm a bit of an animation fan...

^-.-^

[Imogene]

Kiki's Delivery Service: No dad in evidence.

Kiki's dad gives her the radio when she leaves. He IS there. Kiki ends up working for Osona just before she gives birth, and her husband stays with her throughout... so, there, two sets of parents.

[Andara Bledin]

Kiki's dad gives her the radio when she leaves. He IS there. Kiki ends up working for Osona just before she gives birth, and her husband stays with her throughout... so, there, two sets of parents.

Ah, cool. It's been some time since I've seen it. Must mean it's time to watch it again.

^-.-^

[Imogene]

Must mean it's time to watch it again.

It's always a good time for Kiki...
In other Miyazaki news, and vaguely thread related: Princess Mononoke, no word is given of Ashitaka's parents, and the only info we get on San's is that they gave her to Moro to spare their lives.

[Merriweather]

Fritz_the_Cat_(film)"]Fritz the Cat[, the first X-rated animated film in the US.

Ah, memories - 1st X-Rated film I ever saw. On a double bill with Myra Breckenridge (Mae West was awesome, even in her 70's).

As for the original post - parents get upset over a bumbling king explaining the birds and bees (and if I remember that show correctly, it really was lots of buzzing & flying and not much about humans), yet are ok with Sweeny Todd. Doesn't surprise me. These are the same parents that when choosing movies for their little precious ones would much rather them see a dismembered body than a nude one.

And I won't go on as I'd (rightly) get booted off to fratching

[Pagan]

The original Flintstones cartoon (1960-66) was intended for an adult audience. It was cartoon take-off of the Honeymooners. It was aired in the middle of prime time. 8:30-9:00 PM.

"Aladdin" did pretty good on being for kids and adults. Of course, when you're dealing with Robin Williams, things are bound to get interesting. He's so fast.

another Bakshi animated film. He did The Lord of the Rings the next year.

Also in 1977, Rankin/Bass did The Hobbit.

And, also in 1978, a British company release the animated version of Watership Down.

... yeah... I'm a bit of an animation fan...

^-.-^

I loved the two Tolkien ones! Most people have seen the "The Hobbit", but hardly anybody remembers the "LOTR' one and they think I'm crazy. I mean, I am crazy, but not about that.

And I think I vaguely remember seeing "Watership Down". Either that, or I just created such strong images in my head when I read it that I think I've seen it.

[Andara Bledin]

And I think I vaguely remember seeing "Watership Down". Either that, or I just created such strong images in my head when I read it that I think I've seen it.

I will always remember the first time I got to watch the first half of Watership Down.

I had strep, and I had such a high fever that the light from the tv hurt, and I couldn't actually manage to keep going for the whole thing.

I've never felt even remotely that miserable at any other point in my life, although a couple of the sinus/inner ear/jaw/etc infections that have taken route in my mucus membranes have come pretty darn close.

^-.-^

[Geek King]

"I loved the two Tolkien ones! Most people have seen the "The Hobbit", but hardly anybody remembers the "LOTR' one and they think I'm crazy. I mean, I am crazy, but not about that.

Most people don't remember the LOTR movie because it really wasn't finished. The whole thing just kinda ends at the orc attack that splits the fellowship. Not even a nice little speech indicating there will be more to come like Jackson did in the live action years later. The animation studio ran out of budget at that point, so that's where it ended.

I've seen it because of a friend who is both a Tolkien fanatic and big animation fan.




Oh, and anyone remember "Fish Police" from the 90's? Oi.

[Sheldonrs]

I didn't like the LOTR Bakshi version just because they used the technique of filming live actors and then painting the animation over them on the film.

I did like the Rankin/Bass version of "The Hobbit" though. I can still remember the songs.

[Andara Bledin]

I didn't like the LOTR Bakshi version just because they used the technique of filming live actors and then painting the animation over them on the film.

It seems that Bakshi first turned to rotoscoping when his request for $50,000.00 to finish Wizards was turned down, so he went with rotoscoping the battle scenes.

Max Fleisher patented it and used it for many of his Out of the Inkwell pieces, including several of Betty Boop's dance routines. Disney used it, too, although in later films, it was used for motion study and not for the actual animation. It was also used for Heavy Metal and Titan A.E.

Oh, and anyone remember "Fish Police" from the 90's? Oi.

That show was ahead of it's time. It'd survive just fine if it came out today.

Hell, it had Tim Curry as one of the main cast! "My carrrrrd."

^-.-^

[Pagan]

Oh, and anyone remember "Fish Police" from the 90's? Oi.

That show was ahead of it's time. It'd survive just fine if it came out today.

Hell, it had Tim Curry as one of the main cast! "My carrrrrd."

I was gonna say. That was one hell of a cast!

I did like the Rankin/Bass version of "The Hobbit" though. I can still remember the songs.

I had the sound track on vinyl. I think my parent might still have it at the house.

And that had quite the cast, too. John Huston, Orson Bean, and Otto Preminger?

It was really a great script, too. This, in particular, has stuck with me to this day....
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

[Ironclad Alibi]

loved[/I] the two Tolkien ones! Most people have seen the "The Hobbit", but hardly anybody remembers the "LOTR' one and they think I'm crazy.

There was a third animated Tolkien film, The Return of the King, by Bass and Rankin Jr., who also did the Hobbit.

So that gives us:

The Hobbit by Bass and Rankin Jr.
The Lord of the Rings by Bakshi.
The Return of the King by Bass and Rankin Jr.

So the only part not animated is the second half of The Two Towers.

[Magpie]

It was really a great script, too. This, in particular, has stuck with me to this day....
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

I'm not sure you can commend the scriptwriter for a direct quote. Or is it that you're just happy that they knew which parts to take verbatim?