High School Musical tells the story of an idealized dream high school. This tells you the story of all three parts of the musical. Because all characters are clichés, the stories are as well. You name it you get it. No surprises, but then no bad surprise either. It's definitely a pretty little filmlet with pretty stars that sing prettily pretty little songs. That's it. It all reminded me of the 1970s touring show Up With People, nice songs, nice people, nice show, otherwise utterly not memorable. Even the style of the song material was the same in the show as it is now in the musical.

But then, what can you expect from a film called High School Musical which, like its two prequels, tells the story of a high school musical that should be performed? But now comes the turn-around you didn't expect. I've seen all three of them and I liked them.

The films are utterly enjoyable, because you need absolutely no brains to follow. You even might walk out for 30 minutes and come back and won't be lost in the story, the plot is so predictable. The music doesn't offend or excite, you may read a book with it and never even notice it is playing. The acting is just good enough for high school, so nothing to complain there either. It's a pure Disney product in a fantasy world high school. But time and again I was reminded of my own high school. So all in all, it's good value for the money. Just don't expect any depth in story or acting.

The newest Disney product has been selling millions of DVDs and CDs in the United States and millions more worldwide. No wonder it went movie, the merchandizing potential is enormous. It is just surprising that such nondescript music is selling like that. But probably it's also because of Zac Efron who has become the load stone of many crushes.

Zac Efron and his girl friend and co-star Vanessa Hudgens have presented themselves as very likeable and clean young actors in London; as Britney Spears did when she was employed by Disney. They both seem to be mother-in-law's dream matches and as squeaky clean as the movie they just played in. It is to be hoped they remain that way.

Being such inoffensive persons, it beats the imagination why they were attacked during a night out in London. It is quite unutterable, what spite can do to a person. Another unsavoury side link were topless photographs of Zac showering offered on eBay by a user zerimarr. That's just plainly tasteless, and probably Photoshop; and eBay took ages to clean these bids out, as usual. It is time that people started to respect the right to private life again, even if somebody is a star. The film is a good start to instruct your children about that as well.

Two young lovers, played by Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. Troy is the captain of the high school basketball team who discovers his love for music and Gabriella. Gabriella is an A-Student who excels in science. She is raised by a single mother who moves a lot for her job. She too, falls in love with Troy. In both films, they have to overcome many barriers. Both movies ended with huge duets.

Sharpay and Ryan

Sharpay is the villain in the HSM fairy tale. Played by the hilarious Ashley Tisdale, a Disney veteran, Sharpay is a rich, spoiled, mean, drama queen. She wants Troy but for all the wrong reasons. She is a brat in pink who needs constant attention with the spotlight on her.

Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) is Sharpay's brother and is almost as evil as her in the first HSM. But in HSM2 he makes peace with Troy and reveals himself as an excellent baseball player and choreographer.

Chad and Taylor

Chad (Corbin Bleu) is Troy's best friend. He is all about basketball. Taylor (Monique Coleman) is a whiz kid and is all about academics. She is also Gabriella's best friend.

Kelsi and Martha

Kelsi (Olesya Rulin) is the composer of the group but finds herself dominated by Sharpay who grabs all her good songs for herself. Martha (KayCee Stroh) was an outsider in the first HSM. Her small part became big when she performed a great song in the first HSM. In the second film, she is part of the crowd.

I think the movie was a romanticized rendition of Pocahontas' life because the movie seems to be off in historical fact In the movie the real events that took place are out of order and not very accurate. The movie to me seems to focus on more of the Romantic aspect of the real-life happenings instead of the other crucial ideas, for example it doesn't really focus on the fact that Pocahontas and John Smiths' love also brought peace to the two Nations for a little while.

When I see Pocahontas and her people I think of them to be more of a Noble Savage then an Exotic Other. These Indians to me seem more like a Noble Savage because they are uncorrupted by the influences of civilization. Also these people live with the land and not against it. They treat all living things with respect. A good example of this is in the movie when John Smith and Pocahontas first meet Pocahontas shows John that if you treat the land with respect it will give you great rewards.

When Aladdin climbs up on Jasmine's roof, her pet tiger attacks Aladdin. There is when he mumbles what they say is either "Take off you clothes"  or "Good teenagers, take off your clothes". The Disney Company says it's false ... and that's what media says. But, I happen to believe that there is something there.

The Little Mermaid

The priest seems to be a little too happy to be at this wedding. It seems he gets an erection.

There's also another Little Mermaid taboo on the cover of the film:

Some believe that part of the kingdom on the cover is a phallace, drawn by a disgruntled artist.

The Rescuers

In the scene when Bianca and Bernard are taking off on the back of their friend, Wilbur,  there's a very naughty image in the background. The Disney company doesn't deny this one, actually; they recalled the movie in the '70s because of it.

The Lion King

We should know that even the greatest, most awesome movies from Disney are gonna be criticized. I say this, because The Lion King is my favorite movie from Disney. Well, in one scene when Simba lays down and a bunch of dust comes flying up, some say the word sex  is spelled in it. To this day, it's still undetermined.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

(The scene is approximately 2:45 into the clip)

If you look close enough, Belle makes a cameo appearance ... reading  a book of course. Also, you can see a guy shaking out the carpet from Aladdin, and 2 guys carrying Pumba. Some say you can see a satellite dish on the roof, which is also true if you look to the very left of the screen.

As September ends and October begins teens and adults are retrogressing back to 1993 the year Tim Burton's classic stop-motion fantasy film The Nightmare Before Christmas was released. Not only was the movie re-released last year but now it is back on the big screen for the holidays in 3-D.

The movie starts in a town where Halloween is celebrated everyday. The magical world is made up of monsters, goblins, vampires and other creepy crawly stereotype Halloween things. The ruler of this town is Jack Skellington aka The Pumpkin King who one year grows bored with celebrating Halloween year after year. While out on a stroll through his pumpkin patch he wonders into a strange wooded area in which he finds a door to there neighboring world of Christmas Town. Amazed at such a change he returns home and convinces his town to try to make there own Christmas.

While trying to create his own Merry Christmas Jack runs into many problems like Oogie Boogie the bogeyman who wants to do “Sandy Klaws” in. Along the way he finds the true meaning of Christmas and falls in love with his long time friend Sally the rag doll in this cult classic holiday movie.

Since the movie first came out it has had a major fan fallowing along with every type of merchandise imaginable. Action figures, T-shirts, Clocks, Posters, Dolls, Costumes, and Calendars still fill the shelves of stores world wide. Disney Land California even fixes there Haunted Mansion ride for the holidays in a Nightmare Before Christmas seasonal ride. The Nightmare also has its own level in the popular Disney/Square Enix games Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts 2. It also stared in a small game line that included The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogies Revenge and The Pumpkin King although they weren't a big success.

Along with all the new versions of the film there is also a new CD that found itself on store shelves on September 30th. The new CD Nightmare Revisited is the complete soundtrack made up strictly of covers by today's popular artists such as Marilyn Manson, Korn, Amy Lee, Shiny Toy Guns, Flyleaf, and The All American Rejects. All though it will never be as popular as the original soundtrack composed by Danny Elfman it still a must have for any Nightmare fan.

As the holidays approach you might want to go ahead a watch the classic for old time sake or if you haven't seen it you should pick up a copy. Maybe even go see it remade in Disney Digital 3-D at select movie theaters. In a discussion about a sequel to Nightmare Burton clearly stated quote “I was always very protective of [Nightmare], not to do sequels or things of that kind. You know, "Jack visits Thanksgiving world" or other kinds of things, just because I felt the movie had a purity to it and the people that like it," Burton said. "Because it's not a mass-market kind of thing, it was important to kind of keep that purity of it. I try to respect people and keep the purity of the project as much as possible." And that is simply what The Nightmare Before Christmas is a pure masterpiece.

You either grew up watching these beautiful princesses or you watched them come out when animation had barely hit the entertainment industry. Either way, you loved these Disney Princesses, you just never told anyone. It’s a fact that every person must accept - these princesses are hot! Check out the countdown.

12. Snow White 

She is the epitome of classic. She made her debut in the first full length animated film… well Snow White. However I find here style a little old for me maybe if she tanned a little bit and dyed her hair a different color than charcoal black I’d reconsider, but for now she is stuck at number 12.

11. Alice

This little girl is very curious, a very loveable attribute. However, the main issue is in the prior statement. She is a little girl, calling her anything more than a cute nice little blonde girl could get me some nice shiny cuffs and a bible for a lesson on moral decency. She is a little young for me; I wonder how long if she has grown up since she made her last film?

10. Wendy

Wonderful girl who knows how to take charge and is a natural leader. Again, there seems to be an issue with age though. I think of Wendy as nothing more than a kid who wants to be a grown up, or seems like an overbearing “I’m more mature than you kind of girl” - Pretty much a turn off. Plus I want a girl who’s not going to fly off on me in the middle of the night with some guy dressed up in a green pajama suit and a bunch of boys who have just seen Bambi for the first time.

9. Mulan

Have you ever said to yourself? “Man, I want a girl that could just beat the crap out of me if she wanted to.” Well, she got it. This girl has a lot to offer, her wisdom is off the charts and her beliefs are respectable. The lizard thing here would be the issue. Can anyone say privacy? That blasted lizard is all up in Mulan’s business; tell him to go find some other girl along the family lines to stalk.

8. Aurora

This woman has it made. Beautiful, rich, tall, and blonde, with flocks of forest animals giving her that constant invitational feeling of nature, Perfect! The issue here would be longevity; I’m thinking my woman would be able to handle more than some enchanted prick on the finger before going down. Ya, I think that I’m definitely going to add that to my checklist. I don’t want to have to go through no dragon to get to her either, that’s a lot of effort. You feel me?

7. Cinderella

I find this girl to be totally awesome. Again beautiful blonde, with a fairy god mother to boot, plus she got them glass slippers. I wonder how much those would go for on eBay. She is the perfect diamond in the rough girl with a great personality. So why is she in the middle of the pack? This selection can be summed up using two words… Rat Infestation! Moving on.

6. Megara

Miss Independent, with that long brown hair. She has this charisma about her. Plus I’m just a sucker for brunettes so you’ll find that my top selections are mostly brunette, sorry to all the blondes, they seem to be more eye catching but I can’t trust them as much, plus there is that dumb blonde stereo type… anyway back to Meg, I can just see this girl making a deal behind my back that I would have to clean up. We can’t all be gods like Mr. Muscles. She also is too outgoing, I like the shy girls.

5. Jasmine

She definitely has one of the best bodies of the princesses and is also in the top two for least amount of clothing. I would have the time of my life with her pet tiger if I wasn’t scared to death that it would suddenly slash my throat and I would die a painful, bloody death. Her father is rich so that’s a plus and she is very beautiful and apparently a fast learner. She doesn’t quite rank as high however because her ability to take care of herself is limited to acting like she is in love with a guy and randomly kissing him while forgetting to take off her crown. Nobody makes out with a hat on… do they? She did have a trilogy though so snaps for Jasmine.

4. Ariel

Finally a red head. This princess I think has the best face of all of them; its just so small and round and… well gorgeous. She also ranks the highest on the lack of clothing meter for all those perverts who care about that stuff. She is never afraid to follow her dreams. Sacrifice which is very important and a demonstration of that has already been made when she gave up her life in the sea for her true love. She can sing like none other too which makes being around while she is taking a shower that much nicer. Why not number one? Her best friend is a fish. I’m sorry that just really bothers me.

3. Pocahontas

What a woman. Free-spirited, strong-willed, wise, and understanding, one can’t ask for a lot more. Beautiful, just beautiful, as well as having great athleticism and being at one with nature; she has it all. She also being Native American would make life lots easier, helping start up that casino I’ve always wanted to cheat everyone out on their money with and help her kids get into college. Let’s face it we screwed them over big time. She got plenty to offer which is why she makes the top three.

2. Jane Porter

This girl never ceases to amaze. She is very intellectual and patient, I mean try and teach Tarzan how to talk and act human. Stressful I’m sure. She is super pretty, brunette (again) and nice body. Her dad seems pretty cool and she has that awesome British heritage that is always so very sexy. Very compatible which slides her into the number two spot.

1. Belle

Finally the number one. Surprised? Probably, but if you knew me you wouldn’t be that surprised. She is beautiful and brunette, shy, intelligent, caring, everything a family guy like me could ask for. Therefore she is flipping hot! She loves to read which really is not my thing, but it’s definitely a turn on. I just like the passion. She’s not out to flaunt her stuff either which is why I gave Jasmine and Ariel the heave. Plus she has the guts and patience to deal with the Beast. She just got it all in my eyes. She has this one hands down.

So,  the guys over at Disney have drawn up some pretty nice animations for us over the years however I don’t think this was the kind of image they were looking for. Oh well. I just care to look at things a little differently. How would you rank your top twelve?

Let's take for example Walt Disney's movie “Chicken Little”. This classic children's story is redone to fit modern times and is full of modern day issues that we all experienced as kids to one degree or another. Chicken Little is put into the box as a complete dork and feels that there is no way out. He is constantly ridiculed for his beliefs and likes and his only survival tools are the few friends that he has that are also outcasts. Chicken's father is overly critical of him and has made him feel that he can never measure up to his far reaching standard's or his past accomplishments. Daddy is living in the past glory of his High School athletic standouts and is disappointed that Chicken Little is nothing like him. This in turn constantly sets poor Chicken up for failure in his father's eyes. Does any of this sound or feel familure to anyone?

Next we have Foxy Loxy who is the typical “mean girl” of Chicken Little's class. She is the girl who picks at anyone with a weakness just to make herself feel better. Foxy is the ringleader to Goosy Loosy, who in turn is such a follower, so desperate to be liked, and so afraid to be on the receiving end of Foxy's taunts, that she will do the fox's bidding at will. Foxy is the thorn in Chicken's world and the epitome of insecurity. Once again, we all either knew a Foxy or we were Foxy.

Now, Chicken Little breaks out of his constraints and proves that he is “somebody”. The little guy wins the baseball game, saves the town from destruction, finally has approval, but more importantly an apology and affection, from his father, AND gets the girl all in the course of about 60 minutes. Foxy changes her ways and becomes kind and caring from fear of her life. Goosy Loosy doesn't change and is zapped from the planet.

What you may ask do we learn from all of this? Well, if you are a “chicken little” bust open the box you were placed in and be free to be yourself. The first rule of acceptance from others is self acceptance first. So what if you were considered a nerd in school, we are all adults now and should be on a level playing field. Besides, embrace the dorkiness inside of you, for nerds rule the world, jocks reminisce. Leave the parent issues behind if you can. The issues were always theirs in the first place and they pushed them on you, so push them back to the rightful owner and move on. If you were or are a “foxy” then take the quote “today is a changing day” to heart and change! You might be surprised at the happiness that life has in store for you when you change not only your behavior, but your everyday outlook. If changing is not on your agenda, then be prepared to be “zapped” from people's lives as they grow and evolve and don't want your toxic behavior in their lives. Lastly, if you were a victim of a “foxy”, try to forgive and forget and hope that the “mean girl” grew up to be a “nice and kind girl”---if she didn't, just give her a zap!

Always remember that today is indeed a changing day and we can all make the world a better place if we just remember to stop a moment and see through the eyes of our children.

Basketball

My four year old didn't like watching movies that are not cartoons because he gets bored easily but when he saw the HSM 1 video's opening scene, where Troy was playing basket ball with his dad, he sat with me on the bed and started to watch it with me.It was really a start of something new.

Attractive Dance Numbers

One of his favorites was when the Wild Cats were having their basketball practice and they where moving to the beat of Get'cha Head in the Game.

Beautiful Songs

Breaking Free and Get'cha Head in the Game were two of his favorite songs that made him sing along with the cast.

You Can Count on Your friends

My son saw how important it was to have friends who will be supportive and even said he also wanted to have many friends to have them say We're all in these together.

I also bought him HSM 2 and my next post might be about his reasons for enjoying part 2.

This is not to say that all computer-animated films are entirely without merit. Movies that opened the door to the 3D world (such as “Toy Story” and “Finding Nemo”) have earned their places in the heart of the great multitude. But what makes these and most 2D films worthy of such recognition? The two solutions I offer are simple: plot and music. Allow me to elaborate.

Unlike the dime-a-dozen computer animated films that have been plaguing theaters as of late, the early films had a storyline that mattered. There were intricacies between the characters, and a wider variety of personalities to interact with. Plots contained more subplots and morals. Of course, being they were intended for a younger audience, they cannot be considered to be brimming with the aforementioned qualities. However, they most certainly demonstrated them, where more recent films are sorely lacking.

The other formidable detriment is the lack of a customized score. In a pathetic attempt to “connect” with the audience, recent films have relied heavily, if not entirely, on popular music. Since this music is not made specifically for the film, how can it hope to be as effective as a score written to invoke emotions specific to the scene? Who can forget the powerful, awe-inspiring music accompanying Mufasa’s celestial visit with Simba in “The Lion King”? I challenge the reader to select a song from pop culture that could compare.

Yet a spark of hope remains for those who value the 2D movies of yesteryear. Disnet has announced that a new princess story is underway and scheduled for release in 2009. This new movies, "The Frog Princess", will be Disney's first traditionally animated film since "Home on the Range" back in 2004 (excluding sequels.) While there is not yet information enough to draw any solid conclusions from, the teaser looks promising. Will Disney pull the industry standard back where it belongs: creating quality films for the next generation?

The irony is that capitalism is ashamed of its own materialist measures, so its stories always add an extra layer to cover the economic drive. Robin Wood calls this surplus “the Rosebud syndrome” (2004, p. 719), a reference to Orson Welles's famous movie Citizen Kane. After a lifelong pursuit of power and wealth, Kane, on his deathbed, longs for Rosebud, his childhood sled. Disney's Rosebud may be best represented by the kite of the unemployed father at the end of Mary Poppins: it symbolizes the sentiment of family love-one can be poor and happy at the same time.

In a traditional patriarchal American family, the father is the protector and breadwinner, and the mother is the nurturer and caregiver. Consequently, classic Disney male heroes fight for survival and success, while the female protagonist is preoccupied with love and marriage. If she has a job, it is usually babysitting or teaching. This division explains the gender distinction between Dumbo's flight and Cinderella's fantasy. Beneath Cinderella is the domestication of women-girls being socialized by their stories to wait in their tower, like Rapunzel for Prince Charming.

That which is rarely represented or altogether hidden can also be ideological. Whitemale centered, Disney classics rarely feature other races and cultures. If they are represented, they are often stereotyped: the blacks sit by the railway to sing while foreign or aboriginal cultures are locked in their past, romanticized or demonized. For example, the crows in Dumbo are one notable representation of African Americans. Seemingly uneducated and unemployed, they nonetheless are happy (Rosebud syndrome). Similarly, homosexual relations are taboo. Critics like Eleanor Byrne and Martin McQuillan argue that the “brotherhood” of the Merrie Men in The Story of Robin Hood and the “friendship” of the Seven Dwarfs project “homosocial desire” (1999, p. 137), but such interpretation may be overdriven by the political scope of the critics.

Nevertheless, the difficulty in connecting Disney classics to homosexual themes proves that Disney has a schema of compulsory heterosexuality. Even today, when the issue of gay and lesbian relationships has become an open social discourse, Disney's representation of non-heterosexual orientation remains in the dark, with only an occasional portrait of a womanly man (such as Hannah Montana's stylist) or a comic moment of gender transgression (such as the cross-dressing scene in Mulan).