Mel's Inktober 19 - Aurora Entranced

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I'm scheduled for a long shift at work and then I'm going to a church Halloween party with my family, so I'm posting my next Inktober entry early.

A little homage to a classic Disney scene that still gives me the creeps. Can't say I'm entirely happy with how it looks, but oh well.

Disney Musical May 25 - Once Upon a Dream

I know you
I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you
That gleam in your eyes
Is so familiar a gleam

Yet I know it's true
That visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you,
I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once
The way you did once upon a dream

My family practically worships this movie, although my older sister was scared to death of Maleficent for years. I think that had something to do with the way Dad told us the story once at bedtime, and he made Maleficent sound a little too scary.

Then there was the movie itself, where Maleficent definitely came off as unsettlingly creepy. That scene in the darkened fireplace still gives me the shivers to this day.

But overall, we all adore this movie, myself included. I got a ton of inspiration for Terence's story from Sleeping Beauty by itself.

Aurora's relationship with Philip was fair for its day, as TV Tropes would say. They take a little more time to get to know each other than Cinderella and Snow White do with their princes, although all three of them are still quite superior to the original fairy tales. In the fairy tales, Prince Charming shows up out of the pure blue, doing nothing more than standing there and looking pretty, and Cupid's arrow scores a solid bull's-eye then and there.

At the very least, the Disney movies give all the Princes a little more to do, which is nice. It makes sense that Philip gets more screentime, because the animation department was a lot more fine-tuned by then. They say it was around the 1950s that Disney "could animate anything, and beautifully."

On top of that, Sleeping Beauty was one of the first major movies driven almost purely by women. Yeah, Aurora doesn't do much (she's not called "Sleeping Beauty" for nothing) but there's still the Three Good Fairies, who easily carry the lion's share of the story by themselves, and even the villain is female. While we get a good chunk of action from Philip, he wouldn't have got that far without the Fairies' help. So, it's women who both save the day and provide the primary conflict.

You can tell they went the extra mile with the animation, too. They took the time and money to make everything look extra nice, and it shows. Despite being a financial failure, it's now heralded as one of the Disney movies. Almost everybody can find something to say in its favor.

If I had a list of top 10 favorite Disney films, this one will be on it for sure. It might even make the top 5.

My Inktober 24 - My Favorite Villains

I love Disney, and I love Disney villains. These are my top three favorite bad guys that never fail to be awesomely wicked, or wickedly awesome! 

"Inktober" Challenge - Day 23

I made it! I survived to the end of an exhausting yet rewarding work spree. Now I have the next four days all to myself, to rest and recuperate.

Just in time, too. I badly need a break. Even when you work with decent people, the deli does take a toll on you; my nerves often get fried along with the chicken and corn dogs and potato wedges. Sometimes I'm lucky to remember my own name. I have a whole new respect (and sympathy) for fast food workers. Major, major kudos to them.

So, presenting the themes for day 23! One theme is "Juicy."

Berries are Terence's favorite food in the world, especially strawberries. (I can never look at a strawberry anymore without thinking of him. Not that that's a bad thing, by any means.) But he certainly wouldn't say no to some tasty apples! He also develops a fondness for fig cakes, apple scones, and little crunchy biscuits. He doesn't care too much for meat but he will eat fish and venison, and he learns to love handheld chicken pies.

Overall, he's a certified bottomless pit; he can outeat almost anybody, and you know something's up with him when he refuses to eat.

Disney theme: "Silver Era."

Hands down, my favorite movie from this era (1950-1967). I got a great deal of inspiration from this story for my Terence story, in huge, heaping spoonfuls.

I remember my older sister used to be terrified of Maleficent. I, myself, found her kind of freaky, too, though I refrained from jumping behind the couch like my sister did. That scene in the fireplace is definitely the essence of nightmares, with the dim lights, those ominous yellow eyes shining through the shadows, and if you pay super-close attention, you can hear that high, otherworldly voice singing, "Au-ror-aaaa..."

Almost makes me want to sleep with the lights on, even now.