Month: February 2010

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Dizzney Quizz

I saw this on SamuraiFrog and on Cal’s Canadian Cave of Coolness, so it must be good. It’s about Disney movies.

Which Disney Princess film is your favorite?

Hmmmm…first I had to establish just what the “canonical” Disney Princess films are. For the purposes of this quiz, I’ll use the list here. And geez, this question turns out to be pretty hard. I’m going to go with Aladdin, for sentimental reasons (in college, I saw it four times with The Girlfriend (now The Wife)).

Which non-Disney Princess Disney Film is your favorite?

Peter Pan. I’ve always loved this movie, even with the awful racism of “What Makes the Red Man Red”.

Which Disney film makes you cry the most?

Hmmmm…hard to say. None of them really make me cry, actually, although Beauty and the Beast comes pretty close if I’m in the right mood.

Which Disney film makes you the happiest?

The Emperor’s New Groove. That movie is so unabashedly silly that it’s almost like the filmmakers were channeling the spirit of Chuck Jones.

Which Disney film has the best music?

In terms of songs, Beauty and the Beast — that’s when Alan Menken and Howard Ashman were at their best. In terms of score? That’s a little tougher. If we’re including the Pixar films, then Finding Nemo. Thomas Newman’s score for that film is amazing. (For the classic films, maybe Bambi.)

Which Disney film has the best love story?

I’ve always liked the bittersweet way The Hunchback of Notre Dame ends, so I’ll say that one. I haven’t seen the film in a long time.

Who is your favorite Disney Princess?

Cinderella.

Who is your favorite Disney Prince?

Who are the canonical Princes, anyway? Is Aladdin a prince? If so, that’s my guy.

Who is your favorite Disney animal sidekick?

Abu from Aladdin. And it’s not a question, but my favorite sentient inanimate object sidekick is the Magic Carpet from the same movie.

Who is your favorite Disney main character animal?

Main character animal…hmmmm…let’s go with Bernard and Miss Bianca, The Rescuers.

Who is your favorite villain?

Jafar, from Aladdin. For an animated character, he really seems to be one of those wonderful “chewing the scenery” types of film villains.

What is your favorite Disney song?

Oh boy…this is just too hard. My favorite song from all of Disney? That’s like choosing a favorite symphony. I’ll name one, just for the sake of the quiz, but I could name another tomorrow. Yes, I’m stalling.

Hmmmm….

Oh, all right. “Belle”, from Beauty and the Beast. It’s what every great musical needs: a curtain-raising ensemble number that introduces the characters.

What is your favorite Disney villian song?

Geez, these are hard! “Hellfire” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame is very chilling; Jafar’s reprise of “Prince Ali” from Aladdin is also highly effective. I’d go with either of those.

But then there’s “Gaston”…and “Poor Unfortunate Souls”….

What is your favorite Disney animal song?

Is this a song about animals, or a song sung by animals? That’s kind of tough. Hmmmm…I don’t much like The Jungle Book, but I guess “Bare Necessities” is kind of catchy. (I’d have like the movie better if it had just been about the animals, and let Mowgli get eaten by Shere Khan.)

What is your favorite Disney Princess song?

“God Help the Outcasts” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, even though I suppose Esmerelda’s not a Princess, is she? Hmmmmm.

What is your favorite Disney Prince song?

“One Song”, from Snow White.

What is your favorite Disney Prince/Princess duet song?

Mentioned above, but “A Whole New World” from Aladdin. I love the hell out of it.

What is your favorite Disney love song?

“How Do You Know?” from Enchanted. Amy Adams makes me all kinds of happy in that flick.

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Ask Me Anything!

It’s that time of year again! February is Anniversary Month here at Byzantium’s Shores, as this blog went live in that month of 2002, and my traditional way of celebrating is to resurrect this meme-thing called Ask Me Anything! It’s exactly what it says: Ask Me Anything! Silly question, serious questions, questions about food, questions about football, questions about music, whatever. Drop your questions into the comments on this post.

Ask Me Anything!!!

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Sentential Links #195

Linkage time….

:: But Obama’s real problem is not Obama or his own policies; Obama’s real problem is that in Congress, his allies are incompetent cowards and his adversaries are smug dicks. I find it genuinely appalling a Democratic president has to prod his party members in the Senate, with a 59-seat majority, to stop acting like spooked children. The lot of them need to have a stick jammed up their ass, because it’s clear they don’t have much in the way of a spine. As for the Republicans, a recent reader was distressed when I said they were “hopped-up ignorant nihilists,” but you know what, when your Senate operating strategy is “filibuster everything and let Fox News do the rest,” and the party as a whole gives it a thumbs up, guess what, you’re goddamned nihilists. There’s no actual political strategy in GOP anymore other than taking joy in defeating the Democrats. I don’t have a problem with them enjoying such a thing, but it’s not a real political philosophy, or at least shouldn’t be.

:: The way the sport works is like this: You get picked up at your hotel at about 7:30 in the morning and then driven out to a hill overlooking the city. Staff briefs you on safety procedures and suits you up in all necessary equipment. Then, around 9, you trot to the top of the lookout, where a big Scottish guy named Angus punches you in the face a hard as he can. (Sign me up!)

:: I know the comics industry is still a total sausage fest. It’s changing, for sure, but it needs a big push. And as someone on the retail end of things, I’m trying my best to help.

:: There’s one kind of robbery that’s the worst kind of all. Oh it’s sneaky, and if you’re not watching closely, you’ll lose your ass. You can often uncover the underhanded deed when you’re standing in the check out line at the store thumbing through a magazine, patiently waiting your turn. Then BAM! The covert crime jumps up, and smacks you in the face! Literally…

:: You were rude, arrogant, eccentric, reclusive — and that’s just what the people who liked you say.

:: I think it is crumby that the man who killed John Lennon gets a mention in Salinger’s obit, and I think it’s too damn bad that Salinger must have died knowing that would happen.

:: It is a dark, miserable thing to deal with this side of humanity. It must be done, and in a free society it must be done by the citizens. This time it fell to me, and to thirteen other people, all of whom displayed decency, thoughtfulness, and good will. It was an honor to serve with them.

More next week.

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