DVDizzy.com

I only know she was on American Idol at the time when I sometimes watched that show, and yup, Enchanted.

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I watched Cinderella on Blu-ray today and most of the bonus features. It looked much better than I expected. I think I've built my hatred of the restorations / color alterations to Cinderella up in my head so much that I was surprised it mostly didn't bother me when I watched it? Her hair still looks orange in most shots and the dress still looks silver pretty often.

Anyway, the mice stuff is so morning cartoon hour, but it's worth it all for Lucifer. He's just so funny. You know, I'm over-analyzing things here, but I couldn't help wondering how he got into Cinderella's tower to block the mice when it's clearly shown the door was shut at the bottom of the stairs? I suppose Lady Tremaine could've put him in there to keep him out of the way while the Duke visited. (Even then, how does Bruno get in?) Regardless, I had the funny thought that in a way he acts like the dragon guarding the princess in the tower here. Maybe that was an intentional joke since early in the film they zoom on him opening his maw like he's some monstrous beast.

I've always wondered about the Lady Tremaine eye close-up and whether she figured out Cinderella was the one at the ball or not. When I was watching the film this time, it occurred to me simply that she could've assumed Cinderella was about to attempt the same trap-a-prince scheme she was just preparing her own daughters to do. Evil people tend to think everyone else thinks the same way they do; she already clearly resents Cinderella's superiority to her own daughters, so she could've thought Cinderella was about to lie her way out of her domestic enslavement by pretending the slipper was hers. There is the part at the ball when Tremaine says the girl is familiar which could be a hint setup for this moment that the audience should take it as she's finally realized the girl was Cinderella, but then she looks utterly shocked Cinderella was really the girl when she pulls out the other slipper at the end.

Btw, has anyone else always felt the moment in which Cinderella is riding away from the castle is kind of a dark scene? Maybe it's just me, but those guards come across pretty dark and threatening for a King / monarchy that is supposed to be seen as "good".... The colors used are similar to the Headless Horseman.

Overall, I think this has one of the most satisfying endings among Disney films. I mean, the "Cinderella" story is beloved for its rags-to-riches aspect anyway, but I'm talking more about the execution in this particular adaptation of the story. Cinderella coming down the stairs, Tremaine breaking the slipper, Cinderella pulling out the other, Tremaine's face, then Cinderella coming out of the church and kissing the King, and finally we get to see Bruno with a golden collar and her horse leading the royal carriage. It's always satisfying to see the character escape and take all her friends along with her. I always love when endings are tied together into a bow without even needing any dialogue to make it all hit you in the heart.

Watching this and SB back-to-back, of course Sleeping Beauty is the prettier film overall because of the amount of detail. But the style of Cinderella is just more beautiful to me even if Mary Blair wasn't allowed to make the whole film fit around her style as Earle was with SB. The backgrounds here are hands down my favorite in any Disney film, no contest. In the making of, they showed two concept images. One was of Cinderella crying on the bench between two trees and the other was her dancing with the prince at the ball--both had a green / silver coloring to them. They were so, so, so pretty. An entire film that looked like this top to bottom would've blown SB out of the water, jmo.

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Listening to most often lately:
Utada Hikaru ~ "Don't Think Twice"
Utada Hikaru ~ "Simple and Clean"
Ariana Grande ~ "test drive"

I think Lady Tremaine may have had the thought, "What if Cinderella was able to get to the ball," but didn't fully believe it until she saw the proof at home, right?

I like when Cinderella kisses her dad-in-law; really, they are helping to make each other's dream come true.

I enjoy the mice, but I do enjoy Lucifer a lot as well.

I recently watched the film but didn't think the guards looked to dark, but next time I watch it hopefully I'll look out for that and see.

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Bruno got on the tower stairs by the birds bringing him through a tower window.

When I was a kid I was never sure if Lady Tremaine knew Cinderella was at the ball, but as an adult I think she heard that Cinderella was humming music from the ball and realized she must have been the girl the prince wants. Lady Tremaine says, "Quiet!" to hear what Cinderella is humming, then you see realization in her eyes. Then I think Lady Tremaine's shock is from Cinderella thinking of using the other slipper to win over her. It is possible Lady Tremaine does not know for sure Cinderella was the one, and the shock is that she really was the one. Plus, that "Cinderella will be try to be crafty and get the prince like we will" is a good one. But I think what makes the most sense is "She was the one who lost the slipper!" and then "Oh, I forgot about the other slipper! Crafty use of it, stepdaughter! Didn't expect that!"

I know he blocks me so he probably won't see this unless someone quotes me, but I love hearing someone who hated me like Disney's Divinity say this film hits them in the heart. Especially when my depression makes it hard for even this, my most beloved film, to do that, at least all the time.

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This is one of the best movies ever made !

That, and him blushing makes me laugh. It makes you feel life will be much easier for the Duke with Cinderella around, since the King is already impressed with her.

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Listening to most often lately:
Utada Hikaru ~ "Don't Think Twice"
Utada Hikaru ~ "Simple and Clean"
Ariana Grande ~ "test drive"

It is pretty clear to me that she knew that she was the princess from the ball. The orchestra was playing "So this is love" and that's what Cinderella was humming when she was going back to her room. Also, she did say that the princess looked familiar.

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www.instagram.com/redadoodles

100% agree Redadoodles!

Something I have realized about Cinderella is it is structured so well. Or at least, a lot of it is. The storybook opens, we see the chateau and Cinderella with her father, a man she loves, and then it all comes alive and we are taken to Cinderella starting her day in her attic. There's a bunch of cat and mice stuff, but then we get to a scene in the palace, the king gets violent with a duke and issues a decree, we go from Cinderella at the bottom of her chateau stairs to a scene upstairs with her stepfamily, Cinderella goes to her attic in happiness that is nearly ruined for a while with her stepfamily's orders, there are scenes of the mice helping Cinderella out, complete with a battle with Lucifer, and eventually we get to Cinderella getting her pink dress, and she comes down from her tower to the chateau foyer to have her chance at happiness. Her stepmother causes her dress to get destroyed (indirectly), but Cinderella gets her fairy godmother and her ballgown and it's off to happiness, even for just a night. The transformation and ball are part of the second act, and it doesn't have an earlier equivalent except Cinderella getting dressed, really, but the third act and ending mirror the beginning and first act so well. The day after the ball sees the king get violent with the duke and issue a decree, the stepmother and Cinderella go from the bottom of the chateau stairs to a scene upstairs with the stepfamily, Cinderella goes to her attic in happiness that is ruined for a while by her stepmother, there are scenes of the mice helping Cindrella out, complete with a battle with Lucifer, Cinderella is freed and comes down from her tower to the chateau foyer for a chance at happiness (which will be longer lasting than one night this time!), the stepmother causes yet another thing belonging to Cinderella to get destroyed (indirectly!), but then Cinderella, of all people, sort of saves herself with her second slipper idea, and she goes to the palace, gets a fancy gown, she's with the man she loves, and the story turns back into storybook illustrations, and the book closes.

See, the movie's first and third acts have so many parallels, with pretty much just the magic and ball scenes in between, the whole film's structured rather perfectly!

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I agree, Disney Duster. I also give Cinderella the honorary of being Disney's first "serialized" film, meaning that every scene leads to the next one and every moment has a consequence. Not that I don't like the 40's but they are more episodic.

Thanks so much for saying that! And yeah, you're right about the serialization thing!

I also wanna let people know, in the book The Disney Villain, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston suggest the glass slippers are left transformed purposely by the Fairy Godmother to save Cinderella, from what I remember them saying.

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What an unusual Cinderella spin-off.



Source: https://books.disney.com/book/delphine- ... er-needle/

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Thanks Sotiris. I had seen that before. I don't think I will read it but you never know, I may cave if people say it's good. I love the cover.

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Ooh, that piques my interest!!! Thanks for posting that. I wonder if Jacques, Gus, Perla, or Suzy will be in the book...or even Lucifer or Cinderella.

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More info!!

Interview: “Delphine and the Silver Needle” Author Alyssa Moon
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/article ... yssa-moon/

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Thank you, Amy! Interesting that the book will have a sequel. If I hear the books are good I may read them.

Hey, if I'm not allowed to post this, remove it, but did anyone see this from Borat's sequel?:
https://youtu.be/OYt52i5MRjc

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