'Alice's Wonderland' isn't wonderful

Alice's Wonderland (1923)
Starring: Virginia Davis and Walt Disney
Director: Walt Disney
Rating: Three of Ten Stars

The night after visiting the studio where Walt Disney (Disney) and his fellow animators give life to cartoon characters, little Alice (Davis) is transported to Cartoonland as she sleeps. Here, she's treated like a superstar by the cartoon animals... except for the savage lions who want to make her their dinner!

"Alice's Wonderland" (1923) was an early effort from Walt Disney. It spawned a series that ran from 1923 through 1927, with some installments produced... although judging from what's offered in this first one it's a little surprising it even spawned one sequel. 

 
Released as part of the "Laugh-o-Gram" anthology series, each episode "Alice" merged live-action footage with animation in a similar way to what Max Fleischer had been doing with his "Out of the Inkwell" series starring Ko-Ko the Clown. Unfortunately, Fleischer's team did a much better job with this sort of thing that Disney and his cohorts were able to do. In fact, at this stage in the history of animation, and even standard filmmaking, Fleischer & Co. were far, FAR out of Disney's league.

Even at its best--when the live action footage dominates over the animated during the film's first few minutes--this film is clumsy and pedestrian when compared to even early "Out of the Inkwell" installments. From the very beginning, Fleischer attempted to seamlessly merge reality and animation, while Disney barely attempts that, instead mostly keeping the animated characters on a page, even if they are able to interact and acknowledge the "real people" beyond their two-dimensional world. There is nothing like the overlapping of animation and live footage that is commonplace in the Fleischer films.

Where "Alice's Wonderland" truly fails, though, is in the animation department. The jokes and sight gags are uninspired, the character designs are lazy, and the animation is so lazy that it makes the film unintentionally creepy: Most of the animated characters have dead, lifeless eyes and faces. The parade scene from which the still illustrating this review was taken becomes unintentionally creepy because no one blinks, no one shifts their heads to look at Alice as she passes by... they just stand there, frozen. In fact, the parade ends up feeling a bit like some sort of time loop, as the elephant-riding Alice passes the same group of onlookers, over and over, as they stand paralyzed. Alice may be oblivious to the horror of the situation, but I wasn't.

A perhaps even bigger problem is that the second half of the film is made up of sequences that go on entirely too long. Even the amusing climactic chase scene--with Alice fleeing or fighting a pack of hungry lions--goes on and on and on for long enough to become tedious.

"Alice's Wonderland" is yet another early effort from Walt Disney that makes me think he might have been far better at spotting, hiring, and managing creative talent than doing the creating himself. It's another of his early films that has moments, but the overall the bad drags down the good.

But don't just take my word for all of that. Take a few minutes to watch the film for yourself. Let us all know in the comments below if you agree or disagree with my take. (Meanwhile, I'll watch a few more entries in this series to see if they get better and more competently executed as time goes by.)

Wonder Woman Wednesday

We rounded up some more portraits of everyone's favorite Amazon, almost as effectively as she rounds up bad guys with her Lasso of Truth!

Before Bill & Ted's adventure, there was 'De Düva'

De Düva (aka "The Dove") (1968)

Starring: George Coe, Pamela Durell, Sidney Davis, Madeline Khan, Peter Turgeon, and David Zirlin

Directors: George Coe and Anthony Lover

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

In the twilight of his life, a brilliant scientist (Coe) returns to region of his youth and remembers the time he met Death (Davis).

"De Düva" is a hilarious 14-minute short film that pokes fun of the more idiosyncratic hallmarks of Ingmar Bergman's films from the 1950s and 1960s, with "The Seventh Seal" and "Wild Strawberries" being the most obvious targets of the spoof. A highlight of the film is one of the one the earliest lampoons on Bergman's famous Death character and his love of games; it's almost as goofy as what would appear in "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" some 20 years later. 

Film students and lovers of "art films" and "foreign films" will get a kick out of every moment of "De Düva". Even the blurry, worn quality of the film is there to make you smile, as it isn't the result of a copy or a copy or a worn copy, but rather originally made to look like that. The film even makes fun of how many older "lesser" films reach us lovers of cinema, even now in the age of digitization.

The cinematography and acting styles are perfect send-ups of Bergman, with the very emphatic deliveries of all lines greatly adding to the comedy. Even the subtitles have jokes, including what appears to be a mistranslation that casts the relationship of the main characters (young lovers played by George Coe and Pamela Durrell) in a very disturbing light. Although, given some of the themes in Bergman films, perhaps I am hoping that's an intended joke...

One of the things I found to be the most hilarious in the film is the language it was made in. Most of Bergman's films were made in Swedish, and, coming to this one not knowing what to expect other than a spoof, I figured it would be in Swedish, given the title. It is NOT in Swedish, however. I don't know whether you have to be a polyglot to find the made-up language spoken by the actors hilarious, but I was laughing out loud at a lot of it. (Spoiler alert: All dialogue in the film is delivered in a made-up language that kinda-sorta sounds like a cross between English and Swedish but is actually neither. It is then subtitled in English, mostly accurately.)

As the title of the embedded video below states, "De Düva" was in the running for a "Best Short Film" Academy award in 1968. That, plus the fact it marks the first film appearance by Madeline Khan and the first leading role by George Coe, makes it worth watching for those with an interest in film history. I think everyone else  will enjoy it as a goofy spoof of what film snobs find entertaining.

 

Stumbling across this little gem in the distant corners of YouTube reminded me that I've had Bergman's "Hour of the Wolf" (1968) in my To Watch pile for several years now. I need to get around to watching and reviewing it!

On this 4th of July...

... everyone here at Shades of Gray is joining all our American friends in celebrating Independence Day!

Ann Blyth is cos-playing as Lady Liberty and being very dignified ...

... Anita Page is being unsafe with fireworks ...

... and Colleen Moore is skipping all the preliminaries and going straight for the Big Bada-Boom!

Bones' Strawberry Cheesecake Chocolate Edition

In this week's coffee review, we return to the flavor-filled world of Bones Coffee!

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: 

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE CHOCOLATE EDITION

I think I am closing in on having tried and reviewed 50 different offerings from the Bones Coffee Company. I've loved most of them, and I can only remember finding one of them completely vile: the Strawberry Cheesecake blend. (If you haven't read that review, maybe you should. I refer to it quite a bit in this one.)

But a few weeks ago, I noticed that Bones was taking a second run at the blend, reformulating it and adding a "Strawberry Cheesecake Chocolate Edition" blend to their line-up. While I am not going to subject myself to the basic Strawberry Cheesecake blend again, I love chocolate enough that I am willing to give them a chance with this variant. Plus, more often than not, Bones has delivered coffees that delighted me.

Sophia Loren feels dubious about this coffee-tasting adventure.

When I opened the bag of Strawberry Cheesecake Chocolate Edition, I immediately became nervous, because the smell of strawberries that wafted up from it was every bit as powerful as it had been with the original Strawberry Cheesecake blend. When it brewed, though, the aroma wasn't quite as pervasive and overwhelming as what had permeated through my entire home when I made a pot of the original blend. What hadn't changed was that the smell was something akin to candied strawberries. This was looking more and more like a bad idea.

It turned out not to be. The Strawberry Cheesecake Chocolate Edition does not rank among my favorite blends, but it wasn't as horrifyingly terrible as the original. 

First, while it's a fruity, sweet taste is what defines this blend, it did not overwhelm the taste of coffee. When I drank it black, this was a mixed blessing, because the coffee taste was a bit more on the bitter side than I'm used to from a Bones Coffee medium roast. It wasn't terrible, but, for someone who likes their coffee mild, it was a bit much for me. On the plus side, while the sweetness wasn't quite a strawberry flavor, but it was closer than the original.

There was still a bit of a tendency for the flavor to grow stronger as you drain the cup or mug, but not to the degree that the original blend did. Although I couldn't detect much in the way of cheesecake flavor when I drank the blend hot (as it had been with the original variety), an undercurrent of chocolate was very much detectable in this reformulated variety, and a flavor of strawberries grew stronger in my mouth the more I drank. Perhaps the chocolate is what kept the horrible, cloying sweetness that made the original blend so vile in check?

When mixed with the Unsweetened Almond Milk, the bitter coffee edge of this blend seemed to become more strongly accented while the Strawberry sweetness and the chocolate faded. Maybe what I perceived as a coffee flavor was something else? Regardless, this blend didn't fare well with the almond milk, whether it was hot or room temperature.

When I tried it with the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer, the effect was pretty much reversed. The bitterness faded and the sweet strawberry flavor returned strongly, mixing with the chocolate and the creamer. It was almost like I was drinking a chocolate covered strawberry. I still did not pick up on any cheesecake, but it was very enjoyable. As this mix cooled to room temperature, I think I some cheesecake flavor finally crept in. Hot or lukewarm, this was good.

Unfortunately, the Strawberry Cheesecake Chocolate Edition blend has something of the same problem that the original version did: A strong salty flavor emerges when it is chilled and iced. It doesn't become undrinkable the way the original one did, but it tastes more like coffee with salt and sugar added than any flavors described on the bag. Adding Unsweetened Almond Milk does not alleviate the problem, but the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer brings out the chocolate a bit, and the resulting flavor is a bit like a salted caramel coffee with a fruity accent. It's an interesting flavor, but not what it should be, based on the bag. On a positive note, the chocolatey flavor does get stronger as you drain your cup while the saltiness remains constant.

But what I liked best of all about Strawberry Cheesecake Chocolate Edition? This blend didn't contaminate my coffee maker the way the original Strawberry Cheesecake blend did. Despite the aroma from the ground coffee being just as strong as the original blend, it did not leave a residue that had to be cleaned off by brewing some non-flavored coffee though it (as I discussed in the article linked at the top).

Anne Hathaway can't lap up Strawberry Cheesecake Chocolate Edition fast enough!

Given how awful the original Strawberry Cheesecake blend was, the Strawberry Cheesecake Chocolate Edition is surprisingly good. Bones Coffee has stated that it's only available for a limited time, which is  shame. This should be the standard blend, and the original should be relegated to the graveyard of failed coffee flavors. It's not perfect, but it is a vast improvement.

Happy birthday, Liv Tyler!

Today--July 1, 2022--Liv Tyler turns 45 years old.

Liv Tyler began her show business career at the age of 14, starting out as a model but turning to acting by the mid-1990s. She was catapulted to international and permanent fame in fantasy circles as Arwyn in the "Lord of the Rings" films in the early 2000s. Although she has had many prominent roles both in films and television series in the two decades since that is still the role for which is best known. Most recently, she has been starring on the police drama "911: Lone Star".

Here are some photos of her in celebration of the Big Day... and her first steps into Middle Age!

The answer to 'What came first--Koko or the egg?'

Ko-Ko Gets Egg-Cited (aka "Koko's Barnyard") (1926)
Starring: Max Fleischer
Director: Dave Fleischer
Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Ko-Ko tries to start an chicken farm that bridges the animated and physical world.

"Ko-Ko Gets Egg-Cited" is one of the most fascinating "Out of the Inkwell" installments, and it turns what passes for reality in this world where the cartoon characters cross back and forth easily between their two-dimension existence and our three-dimensional one completely on its head: Usually, it's the Animator (played by Max Fleischer) who brings Ko-Ko and his environment into existence, but here it's Ko-Ko who uses the ink pen to create the Animator (as well as the incubator which become the center of some stop-motion animation sequences in the film's second half).

The antics of Ko-Ko and his pet dog in the animated world are funny, but fairly standard for the series, but the scene where Ko-Ko woos a chicken to get her to lay eggs, and what eventually comes out of those eggs, is equal parts hilarious and horrifying. It's one of the many touches that makes this a must-see, as well as one of the most creative and wildest entries in the entire series. (I didn't think they'd be able to top destroying the world, but they did so with this one!)

Take a few minutes of your day to watch reality break down completely in this masterfully executed short film that mixes traditional animation with stop-motion animation and live-action footage.

Where have the dancers gone?

On International Dance Day 2022, the ballerinas ran off into the wild. We're trying to keep track of them, and we'll try to bring you updates on the last Wednesday of each month until International Dance Day 2023.

In recent developments, Katie got kicked out of the Louvre for dancing around the Roman statues.

Marlena freaked out the citizens of Hamelin who thought the Pied Piper was back when they saw her dancing down the side streets.

And Hannah has found a part-time gig, replacing a monument that was removed from a park after it was deemed offensive.

In Denmark, Bailey thinks she may have found something fishy.

And we think Astrid may have completely lost it.

Musical Monday with Tom Waits

Downtown Train (1985)
Starring: Tom Waits and Jake LaMotta
Director: Jean-Baptiste Mondino
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

When the moon is full, a weirdo (Waits) spends the night singing, bringing entertainment or exasperation to the residents of an inner-city neighborhood during the 1950s. (And he's lucky he doesn't live in the same neighborhood as this guy!)

 The teaser summary above is the set-up and story (such as it is) of the very creative video for "Downtown Train". The song was a single from Tom Waits' 1984 album "Rain Dogs". I can take or leave the song, but I love the video--including the odd tag at the end with Waits on the waterfront.

Fun Fact: There are no trains, downtown-bound or otherwise, in this video.

Catholic Coffee's Our Lady of Guadalupe Mexican Mocha

Today, I bring you a review of coffee from a roaster who's new to me!

CATHOLIC COFFEE: OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE MEXICAN MOCHA
Inspired (or perhaps even moved) by a Facebook ad, I decided to try one of the offerings from Catholic Coffee. And I can't tell if these people are earnest or not.

Catholic Coffee is a roastery that's been in operation for about a year (in fact, as I type these words, they are running a one-year anniversary sale on their products). It's a brand of North Carolina-based Trinity Road, LLC, which, I presume is itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Almighty & Sons. Their marketing hook is that each of their blends are associated with/inspired by a Saint (about which you can read a little bit on the side of bags). The marketing text invokes some degree of spirituality with each plug or catchphrase, implying that drinking coffee can literally be a religious experience. 

I found the tidbits about the Saints interesting (the blurbs from all the coffee bags, mini-bios of each coffee saint and the days upon which each is celebrated, and opportunities to purchase additional saint-specific merchandise can be found on Catholic Coffee's website), but the mindset it all put me in was feeling that it was either there to have fun with faith... or tacky. But, since I am not a Catholic and just a non-believing coffee lover, I am not really the target market, and there are probably some cultural things that have gone over my head. (But I am thinking if I should go to one of those firms that offer their coffee for third-party packaging and start selling Love Coffee...)

Bessie Love, the Shades of Gray Patron Saint

But, all that aside, what matters is if the coffee is any good. And I'm finally getting around to talk about what you all came here for.

When choosing what to order from Catholic Coffee, I went with a flavor that I'd tried from other roasters that I thought I would like: Our Lady of Guadalupe Mexican Mocha. (The packaging and saintly marketing tie-in of this blend is a bit off, I think. Strictly speaking, Our Lady of Guadalupe is not a saint. She is the manifestation of the Virgin Mary that showed herself to the humble peasant Juan Diego in 1531, caused a miracle that brought about mass-conversions, and ultimately led him to be elevated to Saint Juan Diego. Also, the Virgin Mary did not appear to him looking like the cloak-draped figure we're used to from nativity scenes but rather like an Aztec princess. This causes me to wonder why Our Lady of Guadalupe portrait on the package looks like Nativity Scene Mary? But I am getting off the topic of the coffee again...)

The Our Lady of Guadalupe blend is a medium roast that should have a slightly peppery, chocolate flavor, since it purports to taste like a Mexican mocha. The beans are sourced exclusively from Mexico, which is fitting with everything else that's going on with this blend. Although it's not specified anywhere, I think it's a safe assumption that the coffee here is made from Arabica beans, since that's what is almost exclusively grown in Mexico.

When I opened the bag, the strong aroma of chocolate that rose from the pre-ground beans made me hopeful that the promise of the name would be kept. That hope grew stronger as the coffee brewed and the smell of chocolate drifted through the kitchen, as well as rose from the mug as I poured it.

The promise that had wafted through the air was kept in spades. Consumed hot and black, this blend has a full-bodied flavor with a strong presence of chocolate and peppery spices. I think anyone who likes chocolate and takes their coffee black will enjoy this.

When I added Unsweetened Almond Milk to my mug, this flavored coffee leapt halfway to tasting like a full-fledged Mexican mocha... and when I tried a mug of this blend with some sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer the chocolate popped, the spiciness intensified, and the coffee flavor blended with the creaminess into a near-perfect imitation of mocha-ness! Again, I recommend this highly.

At room temperature, the blend comes across as very spicy when black, but if mixed either with Unsweetened Almond Milk or the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer the chocolate flavor came back strong. Chilled and iced, the blend was okay black, but it was absolutely spectacular when mixed either with the almond milk or the creamer. In fact, I am having a hard time imagining it being better than it was iced and with the creamer... and I think anyone who likes iced Mexican mochas will really enjoy this.

My first experience with Catholic Coffee was an absolute delight. I will have to try a few more of their blends... so look for reviews of their St. Nicholas Christmas blend (in December), their St. Valentine's blend (in January or February of next year), and their St. Patrick Irish Cream blend (in early March of next year).