#fit in the boat scene with Wonka

[wortverlust]

uh, first thing's fucking first; your pfp... i'm like, trying to breathe over here can you like, stop stealing it? my air pls? like i need that shit. stop taking my breath please i would like to keep it in my LUNGS

second things second, my knowledge of dragons is anything BUT cool. pls, the fucking drawings on my wall are a testament to that, which will NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY EVER AGAIN pls don't go looking i don't think i could ever live that down–

if you sketched a dragon i think i would like, idk, simply game over. like i would just stop working. i think.

...WAIT IS THE RECURRING DREAM THAT YOU HAVE PICKLES FOR LEGS???? it could be that moving forward in a certain aspect of your life was difficult for you, and it was going to be a slow learning process. don't ask me wtf the pickles mean, maybe you just had a really specific craving???? but it also depends like, which way you were trying to walk, whether you were trying to support yourself by holding onto like, idk a banister or some shit, if anyone was with you at the time, whether they were dill pickles or sour pickles or pickled gherkins idk why i have such expansive knowledge on PICKLES–

i mean, personally, methinks you should take care of your good leg whether your dreams are telling you to or not. ngl if a dream was telling my to cut off my good shoulder... i'm probably not gonna do that or maybe i would just to see what would happen...

i'm curious now–

i understand the struggle, many a time have i been tempted by the squirrels of tinder, but you must say NAY, NAY SQUIRRELS, YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT ME THIS DAY

that film was horrifying the music to the boat sequence is now stuck in my head thank you -_- (but you could never be a bad nut <3)

NOW TAKE GOOD GODDAMN CARE OF YOURSELF YA HEAR ME?

also moj says to look after yourself so now you have to

ESSA!!! YOU IMPRESS ME WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE DIFFERENT KIND OF PICKLES!!! A- AND WHAAAT?! PLEASE NOOO!!! IT'S FREAKIN' COOL!!! I MEAN DRAGONS?! HELLO?! D-DRAGONS ON YOUR WALL!!! DRAGON DRAWINGS!!! EHFOWHFOEHOFHEH wanna.see.them.so.badly…efhwehhie (I once painted a dragon on my wall. like a BIG one…so I just could finish his head O_o)

A-A-AND MOOJOO!!! HIII!!! G O D… I want to pat him so badly?! Like SERIOUSLY!!! SO BEAUTIFUL!!!

Yeah, It's a dream I get once in a while -the pickle leg dream. So definitely recurring and a dream where I lose all my teeth (NOT IN A COOL OR GOOD WAY SO I WON'T GET INTO DETAIL ...not gonna lie, I have a lot of fucked up dreams ^^;;) AND NO!!! YA HAVE TO KEEP YOUR SHOULDER… AND ARM…AND HAND!!!! Ya need them, for typing (:

[longitudinalwaveme]

Theater Stories: Our Costume Designer

My brother, my sister, and I are all involved in the theater, to varying degrees. Though we got a bit of a late start (I was 15 in my first official production), we had done plenty of unofficial playacting with my grandparents (the scripts being provided mainly by me), and, as such, we adjusted quite well to official stage performances. 

Most of our shows are produced by a local theater group called The Schoolhouse of Music. It’s mostly children’s theater (the “mostly” being because college kids like me, who started acting there earlier, can still participate if they want to do so.) In spite of this fact, we have an amazing costume designer, whose name is Ms. Combs. 

Here’s the plays that at least one of us has done with Schoolhouse of Music so far:

The Wizard of Oz (my sister as the Doorkeeper in Oz)

The Addams Family (all three of us as ghosts, and my sister as one of three five-foot-tall female soprano Lurches)

Shrek (my sister as the Dragon and my brother as Lord Farquad)

Beauty and the Beast (me as the Enchantress, my sister as the Wardrobe, and my brother as Gaston)

Grease (my brother as Eugene and my sister as Cha-Cha)

101 Dalmatians Jr. (my brother as either Horace or Jasper-can’t remember which)

Miracle on 34th Street (my brother and I were in the ensemble; I was also a nurse, a mom, and the Baliff for the courtroom scenes) 

The Jungle Book (my brother as Baloo) 

Les Miserables (my brother as Thenadier) 

Mary Poppins (my brother as Burt) 

The Lion King Jr. (my brother as Mufasa) 

Into the Woods (my brother as Cinderella’s Prince) 

Newsies (my brother as Crutchie) 

Peter Pan (my brother as Captain Hook) 

Descendants (my sister as Mal, my brother as Jay and Jafar, and me as Maleficent and Belle) 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Sam as Bob, me as Helen Armstrong) 

Ms. Combs’ costuming has been excellent for all of them. 

Sam and I are also currently rehearsing for Willy Wonka Jr. I’m Ms. Teavee, and he’s Willy Wonka. I don’t know what the costumes for it are going to look like yet. 

Anyway, one of the things that makes Ms. Combs’ costuming so good is her surprising fidelity to historical accuracy in terms of costumes, accessories, hair, and even makeup. Here’s a rundown of the plays I’ve been in. 

The Addams Family: Most of the costumes for this one weren’t super interesting, since Lurch just wears a suit and we were ensemble members the rest of the time. My costume was a Medieval-style Halloween costume in black and red, but treated in such a way that all the colors were washed out (to make me look more like a ghost), and she added some lace to the bottom of the dress to make it look longer (and tattered, since I was a ghost). I also had a flower headband. Really, the most complicated part of my costume was the makeup (my hands and face had to be white, and my eyes had to have black circles around them) and my hair (we had to use hairspray to make it look white). My brother, whose costume was basically white clothing and a sailor hat (since he was a sailor ghost), was in a similar boat. My sister, who, in addition playing Lurch, was also a Flapper Ghost, had the same make-up requirements, wore a flapper-style dress that might have been a Halloween costume....and actual 1920s period gloves! That was pretty cool. 

Beauty and the Beast: Obviously, since it’s a Disney play, historical accuracy wasn’t as big a deal for this one, but Ms. Combs still did good work. My brother, being Gaston, basically wore the same costume throughout (it was close to what Gaston wore in the movie). For some reason he never wore a wig, though, resulting in a Gaston with short, blonde hair. My sister, who was the wardrobe, had a 18th-century style wig, a huge dress with a hoop skirt, and then had to wear the wardrobe piece on top of that. It was so big that she actually got stuck backstage at one point during rehearsels. While I had a very nice costume as one of the Villagers in the ensemble, the more interesting costume I wore was as the Enchantress. 

When I went onstage as the Enchantress, I was wearing, in order: my theater changing clothes, the skirt I wore as the Villager (since I had to change into that costume really fast), a long red dress, a black-and-white overlayer that was really heavy (since it had rhinestones on it), and a black cape that was used when the Enchantress was disguising herself as an old lady. It was a little hard to move around in, but it looked REALLY cool. 

Miracle on 34th Street: This play is set in the 1940s, so for much of the play I was wearing a black-and-white checked dress that I really liked (it was what I wore in my speaking part as a child’s mother). I also wore a nurse’s uniform (for my scene as a nurse), and put a black jacket on over the dress when I played the bailiff. I don’t really remember Sam’s part much at all, mainly because his main song got cut and so he didn’t get to do much. What I do remember is tripping over Santa’s sleigh backstage.

Descendants: My sister was Mal, and she had a number of costumes. The leather jacket was the coolest one though, especially since it really looked like the one in the movie. She also had to wear a purple wig. Sam’s Jay and Jafar costumes were a little similar looking, but they both looked good, too. He didn’t have to wear a wig, meaning we had a strangely blonde Jay. As Belle, I had three yellow dresses, with the one at the end being my favorite since it looked exactly like the one she wore in the ballroom scene from Beauty and the Beast. I also had two crowns. As Maleficent, I wore a purple dress with long sleeves under what appeared to be a Maleficient Halloween costume (based on her appearance in Sleeping Beauty). Ms. Combs also added some feathers at the neck and wrists. I also got to wear horns that seemed to be based on the ones from the 2014 Maleficent movie, and I got makeup that actually made me look a lot like Maleficent (just wearing glasses). It was a really cool costume (even if the horns of the headpiece kept getting caught on things). 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: This play is set in 1960, so Ms. Combs leaned heavily into the designs from the era. My brother, who wore a suit for most of the play as Bob, the husband of the lead character, slicked his hair back in the 1950s style. (He also wore a bathrobe for the pageant itself). I played Mrs. Armstrong (functionally the main antagonist), and I had three outfits: a blue one, with a corresponding blue hat, a gown (which I wore in the scenes where I was in the hospital), and a red dress (with a corresponding red hat). I loved all three of these outfits. The hats were actually from the 1950s, as was the jewelry I wore, and when the costume gloves that the other older girls were wearing were too big for me, she also gave me period gloves (which did fit, because I have tiny hands). It made me really nervous, but it was really cool. She also styled my hair (as well as the other high school girls’ and college women’s hair) in 1950s styles, and even made sure that we wore our makeup in the way that women did in the 1950s. There’s a reason Ms. Combs’ costuming is one of the best parts of our performances .

Thank you, Ms. Combs.

[hellhautecouture]

Hello, it's Xue again, this time bringing you a dreamboat all the way from London...except the boat is the boat from the Willy Wonka tunnel scene, Jean-Luc Besson!

Jean is the new designer and head of tailor for The Jaw Breaking Tailors, so don't hesitate to get over there and order some snazzy new gear or a pretty garb for your next special event, and he'll get it done and delivered as fast as he can. He's also open to any types of connections and relationships, so do message me if you have anything in mind with this passion for fashion of a man! His bio is below!

Jean-Luc Besson grew up with his single mother in London who made costumes for theater. He grew up backstage in many productions, and, as soon as he learned how to do it, helped his mother with the outfits, becoming accustomed and in love with the flashier, wilder side of fashion because of so. He knew he wanted to do something with clothes, but not for theater, and attended fashion school but found it boring, graduating and working for Vivienne Westwood and finding out actually working in the fashion world is not as easy...or even as fun as it seems...

...until one day, he clicked and found a job application for a costume designer for NJPW.

Having absolutely no clue on wrestling whatsoever but relying on his gut instincts, he flew off to Japan, and within ten years became well-known as the master behind some of the craziest gears for some of the most famous wrestlers. Jean has an eye for what fits who, and can particularly visualize the outfit as his client explains it to him, which turned out to be a gift that helped him climb his way up to the top, becoming a teacher to future tailors for the business, and happily married to a wife...

...and then he found her cheating with the top star of the company.

Unable to describe his feelings even until today, Jean filed the divorce papers and flew to America, wishing to get away from the place he once thought was where he belonged. A few of his friends from NJPW who has moved over to the companies on Stateside insisted after a month of him watching RuPaul's Drag Race and eating an unholy amount of ice cream that they could recommend him to WWE, and, despite still having a hole in his heart from the ugly end to his marriage involving wrestlers, sent his portfolio in. He was hired immediately, to no one's surprise.

While a master at his craft, the once chatty and cheerful Jean is now rather broody and moody compared to his past self, although he is trying his best to fix that. He currently resides in an apartment alone, and intends to keep it that way for a while, same as making sure no one else is at the back seat of his motorcycle when he needs a quick drive to clear his mind off things.

[takottais-oc-askblog]

Oc bullshittery pt.4

--------------------------------------------

Poppet: You shouldn't have come here deedra thomas...What is your business on my domain?

Diel: I was on my way to the kitchen for snacks, and I got lost.

Poppet: You ended up on the 12th plain of torment...on your way to the kitchen...

Diel: Yeah, I will admit, I am not the smartest woman.

--------------------------------------------

Poppet: why?

Quinncie: [shrugs]

--------------------------------------------

Elliott: WHO ATE MY FRIES?!?! I WILL FUCKING KI-

Rico: I did...

Elliott: -kiss you on the forehead and ask you if you want more. You haven’t been eating enough punk.

--------------------------------------------

Camie brown, holding up Charlie's cat potluck: stinky.

Charlie: no!! don’t be mean!!!

Camie brown, swaying him back and forth in the air: stinky bastard man.

Charlie: No!!!!!!!!

Bei, not even looking up from polishing their knives: naughty boy. bastard cat.

Charlie, distraught: NOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

--------------------------------------------

Therapist: What do we say when we get anxious?

Quinncie: My anxiety is chronic, but my ass is iconic.

Therapist: No.

--------------------------------------------

Peak Lilly to Coccoh: You deserve all the love that can fit in the ocean!

Coccoh: Aww babe!

Amy to K.l: Wh-hy can't y-you say something l-like that t-to me?

K.l: ... I would love it if you were in the ocean?

--------------------------------------------

Peach: •́ ‿ ,•̀

Cake: aww, turn that frown upside down!

Peach: …

Peach: (༎ຶ ෴ ༎ຶ)

Cake: listen here you little shit—

--------------------------------------------

[ Elliott on a day to day basis, to everyone]

Elliott: If you kiss me I'll cut your fucking tongue out!

Elliott: Hug me and your arms will be ripped off, just like a Barbie doll that just got ran over by an 18-wheeler!

Elliott: I want you to suffer, like the son of a bitch you are!

[when he's around rico]

Rico: [trips, falls and scrapes his knee]

Elliott: [immediately smothering/ babying him, till Rico gets fed up and shoves him off]

--------------------------------------------

Poppet: I AM EVIL, I AM THE DARKNESS, I AM YOUR GREATEST NIGHTMARE!!

Rico:...but don't you still sleep with stuffed animals?

Poppet: [whips around at high speed pointing at Rico] THAT HAS NO SAY IN THIS, CHILD!!

--------------------------------------------

[Chii smiling into a camera]

Chii: oh yeah, I love my kids.

[flashback to this morning~]

Chii: Rico sit your ass down, and buckle up; I don't give a fuck if you're a grown adult your in my car! I'm not going to be pulled over because of your dumbass actions!!

Chii: Cami what the fuck have I said about smoking weed in my apartment, do you want me to go to jail?!?!

Chii: quinncie I swear to God, I will leave you at Peak Lilly's house and never pick you back up if you don't stop bringing other hoes into my home!! You and dax are the ONLY hoes allowed in here!!

[end of flashback~]

Chii: [still smiling] yeah I just love my kids so much, they are my whole world!

--------------------------------------------

Diel: [goes off on bei so hard she has to reread the text messages]

Bei: [somewhere looking at their own phone] damn, did deedra really have to snap that hard tho..?

--------------------------------------------

Quinncie: Elliott could literally spit on my face and I’d be like yes sir, thank you sir!

--------------------------------------------

Charlie: okay, so what scared you the most when you were like 13 years old?

Bei: quicksand. snakes. that boat scene from Willy Wonka.

Charlie: and what scares you now?

Bei: being alone. dying alone…that boat scene from Willy Wonka.

Charlie: okay i’m sensing a pattern here, go on child, spill the tea.

Bei: [sighing] it all began when I was little. Cake said, Hey let’s watch a movie guys....so we did…

Charlie: let me guess..

Bei: ...

Charlie: [starts singing oompa loompa theme song]

Bei: I’m having flashbacks here Charlie

Charlie: sorry. continue

--------------------------------------------

Peak Lilly: Lonely people take longer, hotter showers or baths to replace the warmth their lacking socially or emotionally.

Camie brown: okay I wasn’t expecting to be attacked like that!

--------------------------------------------

[door slams open]

Quinncie: [jeans unbuckled] …hello Mr.Crow, sir. how is your night going so far ? Quite in the direction of positivity I would hope so

Rico: [mumbling] shut the fuck up!

Elliott: I already had dax sneaking into fucking paston's room half an hour ago, and now I find another! It’s like a damn invasion!

Rico: would it be more acceptable of quinncie to stay if i were to put a shirt on and he were to close his pants?

Elliott:....

Elliott: sometimes I wonder just how the blood soaked hell I end up in these situations!

--------------------------------------------

Peach: i want a tattoo.

Cake: psft, how the fuck are you gonna get a tat when you cant even find the commitment to stick a sticker somewhere?

Peach: ...

Peach: fuck you. i’m a bad bitch.

Cake: noted. want some cookies ya bad bitch?

Peach: and milk you mediocre ho!

Cake : [slams milk down] okay listen here mother fucker—

--------------------------------------------

Camie brown: okay, who the fuck took my cheesecake!

Coccoh: Camie language!

Camie brown: right, right, whomst the fuck took my cheesecake!

Peak Lilly: that's....somehow even worse..

--------------------------------------------

Dax: FuCk Me jeRRy!!

Poppet: [heavily distorted moan]

Paston: [loud snort] wtf, oh holy shit!!

--------------------------------------------

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #128 - The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Spoilers below.

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes.

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: No.

Format: Blu-ray

1) This film is a classic of American cinema. If you ever want to learn how to tell a slick story, watch this film. Because outside of one or two musical numbers, there is nothing in here that doesn’t need to be. It is all entertaining and slick.

2) Judy Garland’s iconic performance as Dorothy Gale.

In the original tale Dorothy was a pre-adolescent eight year old, where as Garland was 16 upon playing Dorothy. They had to have her in a tight corset to keep her boobs under wraps. Now that I’ve said that fun anecdote...

Garland is pretty great as Dorothy. She is able to perfectly capture her childlike wonder, heart, and innocence in a way which makes the audience feel like a kid. It brings us into this world of youth and fairytales through a compelling and fun character. Dorothy comes off as compassionate and loyal, and while a bit of a damsel towards the end we understand that she is just a child who is thrust into this world and desperately is trying to get back home. Garland is perfect in the role and the film needs her to be as iconic as it is.

3) The decision to have various characters and lines (“Well your head ain’t made of straw you know!”) be echoed in Oz gives the film a sense of magical realism (a literary genre or style associated especially with Latin America that incorporates fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction). I would not go far enough to call the film an example of that genre, but it definitely has some of those elements.

4) “Over the Rainbow”

Without a doubt THE most iconic song in the film. In my opinion there are two songs from cinema which perfectly capture a child’s imagination: “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and “Over the Rainbow” from this film. The song was almost cut from the film, with studio heads fearing it would bore kids! Can you even imagine? The film’s light melody and childlike innocence is what truly carries it. It connects with anyone who has ever longed for someplace better, for a far off land filled with adventure and intrigue. Garland’s vocals do the beautiful composition amazing justice, making the two inseparable. Honestly, it’s THE moment from the film and the movie hasn’t even gone to color yet!

5) The relationship with Dorothy and Toto is wonderfully strong. I wonder if there’s a backstory to that. Like maybe Toto was a gift to her from her late parents or something like that. Either way, any dog lover will appreciate it.

6) The fact that Professor Marvel (played by Frank Morgan, who later plays the titular Wizard) is a total phony doesn’t have so much weight the first time you watch this film. It does however become wildly important after the film’s end. Also the fact that Dorothy is so quick to believe speaks wildly to her youthful innocence.

7) It took me a while to realize why Dorothy is so desperate to return home when she has a whole song about wanting to be elsewhere, and only recently did I realize why. She thinks her Auntie Em is sick! Professor Marvel told her that her running away made her sick and heartbroken, and it is this belief and love for her family which drives her through the rest of the film.

8) Dorothy looking out the window in the middle of the twister has some wonderful sight gags.

9) The transition from a sepia tone world to a color one is remarkably seamless. Credit to the director, cinematographer, and editor(s?) who worked on this film for that. Bravo.

10) One of the reasons the film is such a classic is largely because of its wonderful imagery. All of Oz is wonderful fantasy, using the brightness of technicolor to its full advantage and creating a storybook world that appeals to the eyes of children and adults everywhere. The entire color palette is like that of a rainbow, something very fitting considering the main song of this film.

11)

Glinda [upon meeting Dorothy]: “Are you a good which, or a bad witch?”

Oh, if only it were that simple.

12)

Glinda [after she hears Dorothy’s opinion that all witches are ugly]: “Only bad witches are ugly.”

Beauty’s in the eye of the beholder, dude.

13) While watching this film I kinda thought Glinda was being a little TOO chipper, and that the ready celebration of death was a bit odd. Then I remembered a fan theory which painted the supposed Good Witch of the North as the villain. Read at your own risk of childhood ruining.

14) I don’t love this film as much as others, although I do admit its pretty damn great. So it’s at risk of offending the purists out there that I say I think the whole Munchkinland song goes on a little too long. Also some of the Munchkins - probably because of their costumes - freak me out. Mainly the Lollipop Guild.

15) THE WICKED WITCH OF THE WEST!!!!

She’s so freaking evil, I love it! The Wicked Witch of the West is one of the most iconic film villains of all time, possibly even more iconic than some legends as Darth Vader. Margaret Hamilton plays the Witch with DELIGHTFUL villainy! You can tell she’s having a lot of fun in the part and we as the audience are having fun because of it. The Witch is simultaneously both in line with the stories we hear as children while at times being truly threatening. Even as an adult there are times I go, “holy cow, this woman is EVIL!!!!!!” That is amazing to me. Hamilton was a fan of the books and was delighted to hear she was being considered for a part, and that enthusiasm just infects ever green skin cell of this baddie. Some stories are only as good as their villain, and The Wizard of Oz has an INCREDIBLE villain.

16) The Ruby Slippers.

In the original story the slippers were silver, but the filmmakers changed it to ruby in order to take full advantage of the technicolor process. These days the ruby slippers are such an iconic piece of film that there’s a pair in the Smithsonian institute. Just like everything else in Oz, it captures our imaginations totally and completely.

17) Follow the Yellow Brick Road.

Okay, but what happens if you follow the Red Brick Road? Am I the only one curious about that? Where does the Red Brick Road lead? Wonderland? Neverland? Cleveland? CAN WE GET A SPINOFF ANSWERING THIS QUESTION PLEASE!?!?!?

18) The Scarecrow.

(Let’s all take a moment to realize how relevant and awesome that line is in 2017.)

Out of the trio, the Scarecrow may well be my favorite. He is just so sweet and kind, despite of (or because of?) his naivety. Some fun slapstick comes about from his character, and...I don’t know what else. For some undefinable reason he’s just my favorite of the bunch!

19) This film does have some nice humor.

Dorothy [after interpreting the rusted Tin Man’s words]: “He said oil can.”

Scarecrow: “Oil can what?”

20) According to IMDb:

Ray Bolger was originally cast as the Tin Man. However, he insisted that he would rather play the Scarecrow--his childhood idol Fred Stone had originated that role on stage in 1902. Buddy Ebsen had been cast as the Scarecrow, and now switched roles with Bolger. Unbeknownst to him, however, the make-up for the Tin Man contained aluminum dust, which ended up coating Ebsen's lungs. He also had an allergic reaction to it. One day he was physically unable to breathe and had to be rushed to hospital. The part was immediately recast and MGM gave no public reason why Ebsen was being replaced. The actor considered this the biggest humiliation he ever endured and a personal affront. When Jack Haley took over the part of the Tin Man, he wasn't told why Ebsen had dropped out (and in the meantime, the Tin Man make-up was changed from aluminum dust to aluminum paste as one of its key components). However, his vocals remain whenever the song "We're off to see the Wizard" is played. Jack Haley's vocals were never used during the song, but were used for "If I Only Had a Heart" and "If I Only Had the Nerve." Ebsen's vocals are also heard in the extended version of "If I were King of the Forest," though the spoken segment has Jack Haley. Although no Ebsen footage from the film has ever been released, surviving still photos show him taking part in the Wicked Witch's castle sequence.

21) The various reprises of “If I Only Had _____” (A Brain/A Heart/The Nerve) are some of my favorite songs in the film. Not only is the tune itself sweet and memorable, but they each serve as slick simple introductions to each character’s core conflict.

22) Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! I don’t have anything to say about that line I just wanted to include it in my recap post.

23) Although the Scarecrow is probably my favorite of the trio, the Cowardly Lion is the funniest I think.

The idea of his cowardice allows for a great amount of physical humor and humor in his dialogue. He’s the comic relief in an already very funny and sweet cast.

24) Apparently the actors playing the trio of characters would often show boat and try to steal the scenes from one another, to the point where the director (or whichever director was working that day, as this film had a lot) had to shout at them to let Judy Garland be the star because it was her story.

25) Man, these guys get to the poppy field WAY sooner than I remember!

I also didn’t remember that it got resolved by “Deus Ex Glinda” just casting a magical spell to kill all the poppies with snow. Which is weird considering it should be one of the most memorable scenes in the film.

26) Frank Morgan - the actor who played The Wizard and Professor Marvel - also plays the sentry in Emerald City, the coach driver in the city, and a third guard in the city. Now that we know of The Wizard’s tricky ways, I wonder if all three of these are not meant to be the same character.

27) There are parts in the Emerald City sequence I find a little on the lengthy side, a little superfluous. The songs where all of Dorothy’s squad is getting treated well is fine, it’s short enough. But I totally forget about the entire “King of the Forrest” number any time I watch the film and honestly don’t think the film needs it. But that’s just me.

28) I think part of the Witch’s truly threatening nature is through the strong visuals this film uses. “Surrender Dorothy” is a particularly memorable sight, as black ash fills the sky of an otherwise happy place.

29) I will say though, even though I find the whole “King of the Forrest” song a bit pointless, it does have this nice bit:

Lion: What makes a king out of a slave? Courage! What makes the flag on the mast to wave? Courage! What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk? What makes the muskrat guard his musk? Courage! What makes the sphinx the seventh wonder? Courage!

30) Probably the time the Lion is at his funniest is when the group is approaching The Wizard.

Also The Wizard is kind of a jerk.

31) Dude, there’s a door just a few feet away. You DON’T need to go through the window!

32) Where the heck did the Scarecrow get a gun? Where’d the Tin Man get a giant wrench?

This movie is weird. I love that.

33) The Flying Monkeys!

Another example of incredible imaginative imagery.

34) Okay so...why does the Witch want the slippers? I mean we have theories in all OTHER forms of Wizard of Oz media. They belonged to her sister, they have the power to jump worlds, she wants a little color in her wardrobe, but the film itself never gives a reason. She just WANTS them.

35) I always really appreciated the devotion the three friends had when going to rescue Dorothy. I don’t know, it just sort of moves me the friendship they were able to craft in such a short time.

36) So this scene with the guards singing:

I did a production of Our Town YEARS ago and there was this girl in the cast who said she grew up thinking these guys were chanting, “Oreo! O-RE-o!” Which, you know, makes sense. That was funny enough on it’s own. Then Wreck-It Ralph came out...

37) For some reason “Night on Bald Mountain” plays as Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Man go to rescue Dorothy from the which. Because why not, I guess.

38) The fact that water melts the witch - while iconic - sort of comes from nowhere. Was there something earlier in the film that was supposed to foreshadow this? It’s very Deus Ex Machina.

39) The Wizard revealed!

A for effort dude.

40) The scene where The Wizard is handing out the gifts for everyone (a diploma for Scarecrow which works as a brain, the “heart” for Tin Man, a medal for lion) is very funny. Frank Morgan benefits from his fast talking yet sincere nature.

Scarecrow [after receiving his gift]: “How can I ever thank you enough?”

The Wizard: “Well, you can’t.”

And then I love this too.

Dorothy [after The Wizard talks about getting here in a runaway hot air balloon]: “Weren’t you frightened?”

The Wizard: “Frightened? Child, you're talking to a man who's laughed in the face of death, sneered at doom, and chuckled at catastrophe... I was petrified.”

41) I either don’t understand the lesson here or I do and I dislike it. Dorothy has this line of how if she ever wants something again, she’ll just look in her backyard because “there’s no place like home.” While I appreciate the sentiment of, “There’s no place like home,” the idea of home is not defined by the place you grow up in. It’s the place where you feel the most safe, the most comfortable, the place you miss when you’re not there. It’s usually defined by people, not location. Good people who treat you well. So while Dorothy does have that back in Kansas, the line about her backyard throws me.

The Wizard of Oz is a classic and for good reason. It’s colorful and vibrant imagery will stick with children of all ages, and through all its parts combined it just captures the imagination of childhood perfectly. It’s mostly pure, innocent, but not in a naive or babyish way. It’s an entertaining treat everyone should see at least once.

[captaincoldxwhitecanary]

Camp Superflarrow Map

Waterski - The Ski Dock is home base to our fleet of 4 Mastercraft Pro Star Ski Boats. Campers love our ski program:  Waterskiing, wakeboarding, skurfing, slalom, trick and even barefoot with our experienced staff.

Swimming - Crystal clear Echo Lake is home to our American Red Cross swim program. A hard-sand bottom and expansive dock system provides a natural area for swim lessons, snorkeling and a full recreational aquatics program.

Small Crafts - Our fleet of more than 50 sailboats, windsurfers, canoes and kayaks eagerly awaits water-enthusiasts. From Hobie 16s to Vanguard 420s, Sunfish and more….our small crafts staff of 18 keeps close watch on our campers and our fleet.

Camp Owner House - The home of camp owner Joe West.

Dining Hall - One of Superflarrow’s original buildings, our Dining Hall sits at the base of camp, overlooking Echo Lake. Campers enjoy great camp dining in a beautiful atmosphere. Our chefs are proud of their homemade entrees, fresh fruit and salad bars and desserts.

Discovery - Rabbits, frogs, snakes, turtles and other small animals await you at Discovery, located in an original camp building on the shore of the lake. Make your own ice cream, identify birds and plants and learn about different ecosystems on our 150 acres.

Cove - The Cove is a camp gathering area where campers and counselors convene each morning and evening for announcements, birthday songs, intercamp scores and in-camp news-of-the-day. It’s a great place for our camp family to unite after breakfast and dinner. We sing songs and recognize the accomplishments and strides all campers are making.

Archery - Ready…aim…fire!   Our archers learn the skills of the bow & arrow at our Archery range overlooking Echo Lake.

S’Mores Site - A great camp-out area in the woods on Laurel’s grounds. The perfect place to learn about camping… just steps from your own cabin.

All Camp Campfire - Weekly campfires are a wonderful Superflarrow tradition. Whether as a campus or as one camp family, we tell stories, sing songs and enjoy campfire folklore…a camp tradition since our founding in 1949. Superflarrow Family… you’re pretty good company!

Acadia Girls - Our campus for girls having completed 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade.

Long Creek Girls - Our expanded campus for girls having completed 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade.

Metalsmithing/Woodworking - A growing and ever-popular camp program. Metalsmithing includes the design and crafting of bracelets, belt buckles, earrings, key chains and more in our Metals Studio. Real silver and copper come to life through campers’ creativity.

Ceramics/Arts and Crafts/Studio Arts - A popular camp activity. Join our talented team of potters at Ceramics to learn to throw, build, paint, glaze and fire your clay projects. Our new Arts and Crafts center is a hot-bed of all things related to sculptures, molds, weaves, tie-dyes, balsa wood airplanes, friendship bracelets, wax-resist paintings, paper-mache masks and much more. Join us down at the Crafts Center. Painting, drawing and pastels await you in our beautiful Studio Art facility at the top of camp. Come here to illustrate, draw, paint, use charcoal, and try your hand at Comic Book Illustration.

The Grove - A beautiful spot near the Dining Hall for outdoor lunches and birthday celebrations. Our Acadia and Apache campers eat lunch at a cabin-specific table in this area. It is also a place where siblings can eat together and visit at lunch.

Health Center - Our modern, fully-equipped Health Center staffed by a Nurse Practitioner and EMT.

Moosetracks - Each night after evening activity and before bedtime, campers meet at Moosetracks for a quick "Nite-Bite."  Fresh fruit is available each evening…or a snack like milk and cookies.

Kennebeck Girls - Our campus for girls having completed the 7th, 8th and 9th grade.

Apache Boys - Our campus for boys having completed  the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade.

Kennebago Boys - Our campus for boys having completed the 7th, 8th and 9th grade.

Sequoia Boys - Our campus for boys having completed the 5th and 6th grade.

Basketball Courts - Camp Superflarrow has 30 glass basketball goals, spread out over 5 regulation courts, 2 of which are lit.

Baxter Girls - Our campus for girls having completed the 5th and 6th grade.

Gaga - Campers love our two turf Gaga complexes with mini-stadium seating.

Basketball Courts - Camp Superflarrow has 30 glass basketball goals, spread out over 5 regulation courts, 2 of which are lit.

Gaga - Campers love our two turf Gaga complexes with mini-stadium seating.

Hockey - Our full-size, lighted arena for Street and Roller Hockey. Also home to the famous Sequoia Hockey League. Professional cages, penalty boxes, lights…we have it all for the hockey enthusiast.

Equestrian Center - The Superflarrow Equestrian Center is home to our 22 camp horses, 2 barns, instructional rings, paddocks and 3-acre pasture.  A program well-equipped for the beginner to advanced rider.

Soccer - Another signature Superflarrow sports program. Our two regulation fields are lit and home to soccer players of all abilities. Everyone who wants to play, plays soccer at Superflarrow… in age, gender and skill appropriate groups.

Climbing Towers - Our Climbing Center features two Climbing Towers, connected by a wire bridge more than 50 feet in the air. Our bouldering pavilion is perfect for beginners, intermediate and expert climbers.

Tennis - A signature program at Superflarrow.  15 all-weather courts and an electronic wall and backboard complement our program.

Tennis - A signature program at Superflarrow.  15 all-weather courts and an electronic wall and backboard complement our program.

Handball – A regulation Handball court nestled between the tennis courts for use by all campers

Theatre – Superflarrow Theatre hums with activity. Campers may participate on stage in one of our musical productions (Grease, Annie, Bye Bye Birdie, Oliver, Willy Wonka, High School Musical… to name a few over the past few years) or work backstage. Lighting board operators, sound engineers, costuming, stage make-up, stage managers…we have it all in our professional theatre.

Chef Camp - The Chef Camp facility is home to our extensive culinary arts program. Superflarrow is known for one of the most comprehensive cooking programs of any camp in the northeast.

Dance & Fitness Center - Our brand new Fitness center features all current equipment for a complete workout. Fitness is one of Superflarrow’s most popular programs. The Fitness Center boasts a Cardio and Strength Studio, tailored for campers from 2nd through 10th grades. Specialty Fitness programs for campers include, running, weight training, Superflarrow Abs, yoga, triathlon and the Camp SuperflarrowFit Trail. Our General Fitness and Junior Fitness programs provide an introduction to the "world" of health and fitness for all ages. Our brand new Dance Center with moveable walls feature two separate mirrored studios and hardwood flooring. Campers love practicing their hip-hop, jazz, ballet, modern and tap routines.

Fieldhouse - Ten glass basketball goals, a full court basketball court, professional indoor volleyball court and automatic bleacher seating for 500 make the Superflarrow Fieldhouse the place-to-be. It is the perfect rainy day activity center and all-weather building for hoops, volleyball, ga-ga and group games. It is also home to our big-screen movie center. The Fieldhouse also hosts many of our traditional all-camp events including College Days Closing Ceremony, Dance and Talent Shows & The Quest…to name a few.

Gymnastics - Our beautiful Gymnastics Building sits toward the top of camp. A full springboard floor and modern equipment make our 4000 square foot facility inviting for all levels, from beginner to advanced.

Library - A quiet area for camp meetings.

Camp Office - Behind the scenes, where our wonderful office administrators & staff make it all happen.

Log Cabin - Our authentic Log Cabin is where our teenagers (Bec and Bago campers) enjoy snacks and a little recreational time (ping pong, foosball, pop-a-shot) at the end of a busy day. For you former campers, it’s like a "Canteen." A supervised place for our teens to hang out at night.

Tennis - A signature program at Superflarrow.  15 all-weather courts and an electronic wall and backboard complement our program.

Tennis - A signature program at Superflarrow.  15 all-weather courts and an electronic wall and backboard complement our program.

Basketball Courts - Camp Superflarrow has 30 glass basketball goals, spread out over 5 regulation courts, 2 of which are lit.

Basketball Courts - Camp Superflarrow has 30 glass basketball goals, spread out over 5 regulation courts, 2 of which are lit.

Soccer - Another signature Superflarrow sports program. Our two regulation fields are lit and home to soccer players of all abilities. Everyone who wants to play, plays soccer at Superflarrow… in age, gender and skill appropriate groups.

Volleyball - A regulation lighted beach volleyball court is a favorite camp spot.

Baseball - Our regulation Little League Fields are busy with baseball and softball players all day. Batting cages and clinics complement our program. Under our head of baseball, our instructional staff of 5 exposes every camper to baseball (boys) or softball (girls). An exciting intercamp program awaits those desiring a competitive element to the game.

Lacrosse & Football - Our full size lacrosse and football fields are busy with action all day long. Great lax and flag football instruction, games, Sports Night Football under the lights and intercamps highlight these active programs.

Camp Entrance - Welcome to Camp Laurel! Enjoy your tour around our facilities, and call us with any questions.

Ropes Course – Multi-Level ropes courses and towers for adventure seakers of all skill levels.

Camp Owner House - The summer home of camp co-owner Harrison Wells.

[kieransmusicblog]

Here is my instrumental task for week 7 as part of my Songwriting and Context module! 

Here I have created an instrumental song and the video I used was the inspiration the track. 

I decided to use the boat ride scene from Willy Wonka as my theme and reflected what was being shown in the music. 

The tempo of this piece was very important when creating this song, I wanted to create the sense of the tempo changing to fit with the pace of the boat throughout the tunnel, also the harmonically I wanted to create a fairly dark and atmospheric tone with the music to emphasise what was being depicted throughout their journey as it is fairly creepy. 

The sense of tempo was most important in the very beginning as I start with an open high hat providing the groove to the synth line and then as the boat starts to pick up pace in the video, the guitars come in and the drums change to a more hectic rhythm to sync up with he guitars and bass. 

I also used some techniques from our research task to go together with this such as the Economy and Hybrid picking, more detail on these in my previous blog post. 

I do not own any rights to the video, only the music. 

[alicesadventuresintherye]

When you think you've clocked in an intense 90 minute work out but at some point your FitBit died during it. This is my equivalent of the boat scene in Willy Wonka. #makingchanges #fitbit #fitbitcharge2 #fitness #commitment #health #healthyliving #weightloss #youcandoit #motivated #stepgoal #personal #fitbitfran #proudofmyself #stronger #exercise #workout #motivation #fitbitstats #fitbitfam #fitfam #willywonka