Quote of the Day #30

"Ma chère mademoiselle. It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight. And now, we invite you to relax, let us pull up a chair, as the dining room proudly presents...your dinner"

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

The release date for the live action retelling of Beauty and the Beast has been confirmed!

 It will be out in exactly two years - March 17th 2017. 

Pop it in your diary now!

Top Ten Disney Animated Villains

Clockwise from top left: Aladdin (1992), Sleeping Beauty (1959), The Little Mermaid (1989), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), 101 Dalmatians (1961), and centre Pocahontas (1995)

Inspired by Maleficent's release last week, I thought it was time to look at some of the best Disney animated villains. My Top Ten lists have no particular ranking, but who do you think should be on top? 

Comment below or tweet @TicketStubBlog.

1. Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty (1959)

"Now you shall deal with me, O Prince - and all the powers of Hell!"

Putting a curse on a royal baby just because you weren't invited to her christening is pretty extreme. But despite her menacing and evil actions, Maleficent is one of the best loved villains in Disney's history. She is elegant and authoritative making her one of the most intimidating characters.
Take a look at her best bits in the video below:

2. Governor Ratcliffe in Pocahontas (1995)

"This is MY land and I make the laws here! And I say anyone who so much as looks at an Indian without killing him on sight, will be tried for treason and hanged!"

A greedy governor searching for gold in the New World, Ratcliffe is a selfish leader. The song 'Mine, Mine, Mine' sums this up nicely. Although he has two comical sidekicks - his pug Percy and the ever-so camp Wiggins (who is actually voiced by David Ogden Stiers who plays Ratcliffe) - the Governor is incredibly serious and violent in his claim for land and gold.
Check out Savages below:

3. Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians (1961)


"My only true love, darling. I live for furs. I worship furs! After all, is there a woman in all this wretched world who doesn't?"

Cruella has got to be one of the best dressed villains on the list. Fashion is key to her evil traits as she becomes obsessed with getting the dalmatians' spots for her designs. Her hair and outfit has become iconic - a great fancy dress idea for your next party.
I loved Glenn Close's version of Cruella in the live action movie - a great family film recommendation.

4. Claude Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

"And look what else I've caught in my net. Captain Phoebus, back from the dead. Another 'miracle', no doubt. I shall remedy that."

Frollo has got to be up there with the best worst Disney villains. I never quite realised how creepy and desperate Frollo's desire for Esmeralda is until re-watching the song Hell Fire below.
Seriously messed up stuff. 

5. Jafar in Aladdin (1992)

"You're speechless, I see. A fine quality in a wife"

I love Jafar's sarcastic comments in the film but he is most menacing when he transforms into an almighty power and giant snake. Check out the climax to the film below (here be spoilers):

6. Ursula in The Little Mermaid (1989)

"Now I am the ruler of all the ocean! The waves obey my every whim!"

Poor unfortunate Ariel...she signs Ursula's deal to be human but at a price - for her enchanting voice which originally seduces the prince, Eric. Ursula transforms herself into a human too - only to take Eric away from Ariel using her stolen vocals with the aim of ruling the sea. What a bitch. 

7. Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

"Magic Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?"

This is the original Disney animated villain. Sometimes known as Queen Grimhilde, the Evil Queen set the mark for villains in the first full length animation Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I was pretty petrified of the Evil Queen as a kid. Especially with her transformation scene into the wicked hag: 

8. Gaston in Beauty and the Beast (1991)

"We're not safe 'til his head is mounted on my wall! I say we kill the Beast!"

Gaston seems like the leading man, but he is far from it. The arrogant bachelor not only fails at getting Belle to accept his awful proposals, he tries to send Maurice into the asylum and attempts to kill the Beast with an angry mob behind him.
We'll be having none of that, thank you!

9. Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella (1950)

"After all, we did make a bargain, didn't we, Cinderella? And I never go back on my word."

Another bitchy villain to add to the list. Lady Tremaine, otherwise known as the Wicked Stepmother, will do anything to make Cinderella unhappy. Eleanor Audley, who voiced the Wicked Stepmother, went on to voice one of the previous villains on this list - Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty.

Image: disney.wikia.com

10. Scar in The Lion King (1994)

"Out of the ashes of this tragedy, we shall rise to greet the dawning of a new era...in which lion and hyena come together, in a great and glorious future!"

Possibly the most evil character on the list? Scar murders his own brother to take the throne. That's rather villainous if you ask me. Jeremy Irons has the powerfully dark voice to match Scar's scheming nature. Be Prepared is the best example of this. Especially with the striking image, reminiscent of Nazi propaganda, of the marching hyenas obeying to Scar on top of the cliff.
For me, he is the best evil Disney villain. 

Who did I miss? 

Who is your favourite?
What makes a good evil villain?

Let Ticket Stub know in the comments and on Twitter @TicketStubBlog

Top Ten Dance Sequences in a Film

From top left: Pulp Fiction (1994), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), The Artist (2011) and below (500) Days of Summer (2009)

As Strictly Come Dancing waltzes back onto our TV screens, I have been inspired to pick my top ten favourite dance sequences in a film and ask what your favourites are too...

1. Singin' in the Rain (1952)

I wish I could pick every dance sequence in this film. I was seriously struggling to choose between the crazy tap dancing Moses Supposes and the unbelievable spectacle of Broadway Melody but it has to go the most iconic scene not only of the film but in Hollywood's cinematic history. 

The title song Singin' in the Rain performed by Gene Kelly. It immediately makes me want the heavens to open so I can splash in puddles, twirl my umbrella and have not a care in the world...except the strange looks from passers by...

2. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

The climactic ballroom sequence with Pat (Bradley Cooper) and Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) is one of the big highlights in the film. The couple need to just get an average score of 5/10 so his father can win a parlay against his gambling friend. According to choreographer, Mandy Moore, Cooper had "some real natural dancing ability" whereas Lawrence described herself as "a dad at prom". The Oscar winner certainly does not look like that here in one of the most charmingly quirky dance sequences.

3. (500) Days of Summer (2009)

I love this dance sequence because it is completely unexpected. The scene takes on a whole new genre suddenly as we see Tom's character on top of the world the morning after he finally has sex with Summer. The blue bird is genius and the music by Hall & Oates fits perfectly. Plus, it has Joseph Gordon-Levitt dancing...what's not to love?

4. Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

In an attempt to save Pedro's campaign for class president, Napoleon dances to Jamiroquai's Canned Heat. Clearly, those lanky Michael Jackson-esque moves work. The entire hall gives Napoleon a standing ovation and Pedro becomes president. Could this campaigning technique be used in real politics? I definitely think we should see this in the next presidential election. No? Maybe not then...

5. Mary Poppins (1964)

Mary Poppins is the first Disney classic out of two on this list. Leaping between the rooftops of Edwardian London before descending on Mr Bank's town house, the energy of Bert and all the chimney sweeps is infectious. Also, Julie Andrew's head spins at a hypnotizing speed...

6. Pulp Fiction (1994)

It's become one of the top dance scenes: John Travolta and Uma Thurman doing the twist. Simple. Tarantino tells a very interesting story on The Graham Norton Show on how their twists came about.

7. The Artist (2011)

Harking back to the old silent cinema days, The Artist tells the story of George Valentin, a silent cinema star who's career is soon to be shattered by the 'talkies' and the rising star Peppy Miller. This dance sequence is at the very end of the movie. Sound reappears for the tap dancing number which has echoes of the great Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. In fact, the two lead actors Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo rehearsed for five months in the same studio as Kelly and Reynold's did for Singin' in the Rain. 

8. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

The best dance sequence in this childhood classic has to be Me Ol' Bamboo. Dick Van Dyke's character is running away from a very unhappy customer left with the most ridiculous haircut after his hair-cutting contraption fails at the fair. Attempting to find an escape, he manages to pass as one of the performers in a sing and dance show, trying to keep up with their intense routine. Van Dyke has said that this was the most difficult dance he ever did on screen and you can see why. Hats off to him!

9. Pride & Prejudice (2005)

From the energetic number in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, to the sedate and elegant dance found in Joe Wright's Pride & Prejudice. Lizzie Bennett and Mr Darcy's dance at the Netherfield ball is full of heat and tension despite the calm slowness of dance itself. 

10. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

The final pick and the second Disney classic. Beauty and the Beast's ballroom dance is the perfect romantic  moment, with the swooping shot from the golden chandelier to the couple below. All accompanied by the legendary Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts singing the title song. Beautiful.

I want to know what your favourite dance sequences are! 

Comment below or tweet @TicketStubBlog and you could be featured in my next post.