Trailer Tuesday: Into the Woods (2014)

Image: teaser-trailer.com

Not gonna lie, I'm pretty excited for this one. 

The new Into the Woods trailer was released last week and it looks magical.

Into the Woods is Stephen Sondheim's musical take on the Brothers Grimm fairy-tales. Winning Tony Awards and Oliviers for both its original productions and revivals, the musical is highly popular and adored across the world. Fans, including myself, have been eagerly anticipating a first glimpse of the film. 

Directed by Chicago (2002) director, Rob Marshall, the movie has one of the best ever casts: Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine (looking very charming indeed), James Corden, Emily Blunt, Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp.  

The set design and special effects certainly look impressive. Above all though, I'm excited to see the songs and story brought to the screen. It's ticking all the right boxes, so hopefully it will live up to the hype and expectation.

Into the Woods will be released in the UK at Christmas.

Check out the trailer below:

What do you make of Into the Woods?

Seen any other great trailers that you think Ticket Stub should share?

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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? 

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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

Trailer Tuesday: Frozen (2013)

Image: freefever.com

With the lead up to Christmas in its final week, Ticket Stub has gone all festive to celebrate. So wrap up warm, grab those mince pies, get a glass of mulled wine and enjoy all of Ticket Stub's recommended holiday films.

The first feature this week is Trailer Tuesday. Although this film has been out since the 6^th December, I wanted to pick a wonderfully wintery movie to get us all in the mood for Christmas. 

Therefore, the Trailer Tuesday choice is Frozen.

The new Disney movie, tells the story of princess sisters Elsa and Anna. After their parents die, Elsa becomes queen yet her frosty magical powers hold her back from bonding with her sister and interacting with the people in the kingdom. As Elsa accidentally sparks an eternal freeze across the kingdom, Anna has to persuade her sister to stop the bitter winter so Elsa can return as queen. With help from a hilarious snowman, Olaf, an adventerous hero named Kristoff and his trusty reindeer, Sven, Anna has a big quest on her hands.

I saw the film just over a week ago and loved it. The songs are brilliant, particularly the comical In Summer and Let It Go – which has been nominated for a Golden Globe. The film stars one of my favourite musical theatre actresses, Idina Menzel – who you may also recognise from Disney’s 2009 film Enchanted. Kristen Bell voices Elsa and Glee's Jonathan Groff also stars. 

Another thing I loved is the portrayal of the two sisters. They are both quirky and awkward which I certainly related to and it reminded me of my relationship with my siblings – particularly with the song Do You Want To Build a Snowman? However, I do wish there was at least some variation in the appearance of the recent Disney princesses. Both have a very similar aesthetic to Rapunzel in Tangled (2010). A recent article in the Guardian also picked up on this issue and mentions a marketing campaign after Brave's release which had an illustration of Merida conforming to the typical Disney princess look: big eyes and thin as a stick figure.

This is only one set back. I was thoroughly entertained and I liked the way in which Disney mocks itself.

Not only is the film magical, but the short film beforehand is a treat in itself with a 1920s Mickey and his friends bursting through the cinema screen.

Frozen is out NOW.

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Soundtrack Saturday: Mary Poppins (1964)

Image: sun.co.uk

With yesterday's release of Saving Mr. Banks, I thought it would be appropriate to listen back to the wonderful Mary Poppins soundtrack.

If you do not know the story, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? Go watch it now! 

But if you are otherwise engaged, Mary Poppins is about the magical nanny who ends up working for the Banks family, looking after the children Jane and Michael. Combining live action and animation, Mary (Julie Andrews) opens the eyes of the Banks family and brings them closer together. Chimney sweep, Bert (Dick Van Dyke), adds plenty of comedy, least because of Van Dyke's infamous 'cockney' accent but we will ignore this! 

How can you not love these songs? Listening to the orchestral overture immediately captures the charm and magic of the film. If you grew up watching Mary Poppins, a grand wave of nostalgia comes with listening to this soundtrack. 

Remember these tunes?

A Spoonful of Sugar

Jolly Holiday

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

And what about these musical gems?

Stay Awake

Chim Chim Cher-Ee

Let's Go Fly a Kite

There are so many highlights, nearly every song is a treat. The Step In Time sequence has been featured several times on Ticket Stub - for the dance sequence and for the fireworks effects. However, my personal favourite song has to be Feed the Birds:

The Sherman Brothers certainly created one of the best loved motion picture soundtracks. I urge you to listen again to truly appreciate their genius. 

It is practically perfect in every way! 

Best Track? How could I possibly pick? Let's go for the Overture - it captures every favourite tune.

 (See below)

Available on Spotify? Yes

What's your Soundtrack Saturday? 

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Trailer Tuesday: Escape from Tomorrow (2013)

Image: radiotimes.com

Trailer Tuesday is here and today I am sharing the rather fascinating Escape from Tomorrow.

Walt Disney World Resort is the setting of this film. Now, I know what you’re thinking...

A film at Disney World? It’s going to be squeaky clean and intensely annoying, full of sugar hyped kids running around with those stupidly annoying tunes like ‘It’s A Small World’ repeatedly circling around in my head. 

Well, no. I think this may be quite different...

Escape from Tomorrow is a fantasy-horror film written and directed by Randy Moore. The film follows the last day of a family’s vacation at the Disney World Resort when things are not quite what they appear to be in the theme park.

The trailer makes me laugh as it is rather ridiculous but I am curious to see the film, particularly as the cast and crew used guerrilla filmmaking techniques to dodge getting permission to film from the big corporate giant that is Disney. The black and white cinematography certainly adds a sinister tone to the film which is perfect for its horror nature.

The movie was shown at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and is out for a limited release on October 11^th 2013 in the US. The UK release date has not been confirmed, so we shall have to keep an eye out. Check out the trailer below and let me know what you think. 

Have you seen any recent trailers that Ticket Stub should check out? 

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Trailer Tuesday: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Image: businessdirect.com

I have wonderful memories from watching Mary Poppins when I was growing up. Especially with the opening overture up in the clouds as the credits begin and the unforgettable chimney sweep scene on the rooftops of London. (We’ll ignore Dick Van Dyke’s infamous “cockney” accent though). So why is this relevant to Trailer Tuesday? Is there going to be a sequel to this classic?

Thank God, no there isn’t a sequel. Saving Mr. Banks stars Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers (the author of the magical nanny) and Tom Hanks as Walt Disney. The film is the back story to how Mary Poppins was made or how it nearly wasn’t, since Travers objected to nearly everything that Disney suggested as he tried desperately to get the rights. But there is a reason why Travers is so protective over her character and Walt has to seek out what it is to understand her story and make one of the most treasured films in history.  

This trailer is charming and hearing the songs on the piano instantly makes me want to reach for the DVD and watch Mary Poppins all over again. Tom Hanks is a genius piece of casting and I am a massive fan of Emma Thompson’s work. I expect it will be rather cheesy – hey, that’s Disney – but if the film is as delightful as the trailer then I’m sure it will be thoroughly enjoyable.

There’s certainly a positive buzz and the word ‘Oscar’ has been associated with this movie – I suspect for Tom Hank’s performance. Saving Mr. Banks will be closing the London Film Festival in October but won’t be released in the UK until 17^th January 2014.

Seen any exciting trailers that you think I should check out? 

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