Bonjour! 

So today I want to talk about my favorite movie: "Beauty and the Beast."

I am an extremely big fan. Extreme. For example: I once sang to my nephew the entire "Belle" song while he was eating. You know, the "Little town… It's a quiet village" one. Yes, it included dancing and voice imitations. 

"There is the great lesson of "Beauty and the Beast" that a thing must be loved before it is lovable." ~G.K Chesterton 

I think there's a reason why we get a little struck when we hear "For who could ever love a beast?" Is it because it is harder to see the beauty within, but so easy to recognize the beast? The beast of anger, of bitterness, of lashing out because we're hurt.  There is a sense of hope for us all, then, when the Beast transforms because of true love. And that is why I deeply adore this movie… The hope and life that real love brings. 

~Happy Anniversary!~

When I heard that 2016 (September 20th, to be exact) was the 25th anniversary of "Beauty and the Beast," I was beyond ecstatic! Needless to say, I have reveled in all it's glory in just about every way possible. 

For starters, in April my parents and I went to Cincinnati to watch the Broadway version, a dream I have had for years! I laughed. I cried. I marveled at the beautiful sights and songs that came to life on stage. It was an experience I'll never forget!

This year, my sister landed the dream job of becoming a Disney travel agent, who offers free quotes and free planning services (check her Facebook page out here!) To help promote her business during a few days of a festival, I dressed up as Belle and had the time of my life! (Told you I reveled in it's glory every way possible!)

This year also brought to us the teaser trailer for next year's live action version of "Beauty and the Beast," starring a host of amazing actors! When I saw the teaser, I flipped! (And by "flipped" I mean I have watched it probably about 20 times by now… tearing up each time, of course.). You bet that I'll be the first one to buy tickets, the first one in the theater, and the last one to leave.

So September 20th was the official 25th anniversary. I promptly went to the store after work, marched straight to the "New Release"section, picked up a copy, grabbed a few things for my "Grey Stuff" recipe (listed below!), and went straight home to watch it with my mom. Of course, I have both a DVD and VHS copy, but this was the 25th addition with extra bonus features and a Blu-Ray copy…I couldn't pass it up. After I made the "Grey Stuff,"I promptly popped in the disc and fell in love all over again with the beautiful story. There is too many reasons why I love this movie… For starters, the music is gorgeous. The artistry is also beautiful and incredibly detailed. But it's the storyline that gets me. I relate to Belle's adoration of books and her longing for "adventure in the great wide somewhere!" Her kind but bold spirit is also something to be admired. She sees each character based on what is within their heart; aka not judging the book by it's cover. This is a wonderful reminder for children and grownups alike to practice.

 All the characters are fantastic, though! From dastardly Gaston to dashing Lumiere, they add just the right amount of thrills and fun to the overall romantic theme. But the Beast has to be my favorite of the entire movie. His character arc is incredible, and goes to show that love can truly change us. If for no other reason, he gave Belle a gigantic library as a gift. You can't get any better than that. 

This masterpiece will always be a beloved favorite of mine. "Beauty and the Beast" is truly a wonderful classic, and will forever be a "Tale as Old as Time."

Try the "Grey Stuff" It's Delicious! 

Grey Stuff: 

Ingredients: 

-3.4 oz box of instant vanilla pudding

-1 1/2 Cups of milk

-15 crushed (regular) Oreos

-8 oz cool whip

-1 TBSP instant chocolate pudding mix

Whisk box of instant vanilla pudding mix with the 1 1/2 cups of milk.

Set in refrigerator while either crushing 15 Oreos or pulsing in a food processor. 

Set the vanilla pudding mixture back out and mix in crushed Oreos. 

Add in Cool Whip and 1 TBSP of instant chocolate pudding mix. 

Mix thoroughly together, and then chill to thicken. Then, Viola! You have your "Grey Stuff" from the song "Be Our Guest" ("Try the Grey Stuff, it's delicious! Don't believe me, ask the dishes!") I hope you enjoy this delicious treat and be sure to take time to sit back and fall in love all over again with "Beauty and the Beast." 

-The End-

Honesty, I just feel like typing "The Jungle Book was awesome. The end." Really, there is too much to say about this movie! First of all, if you have yet to see it and are remotely a fan of Disney or the original cartoon movie (or even the book!)… See it. If you are into action and awesome special effects, see it. I can keep giving you reasons to see it, but how about I just describe my favorite parts and give you all just a real review?

As I've said before, and I'm sure I'll say again in the near future, I am a huge fan of Disney. Huge. When I first saw the teaser trailer for "The Jungle Book," I got chills. It was the one where Kaa (portrayed by the ever talented Scarlett Johansson) was "reassuring" Mowgli in her husky, transfixing voice. From that point on I was hooked and knew the movie would be epic. And it was.



"All By Myself" 
To fully appreciate this movie, let's start from scratch. The main actor Neel Sethi, (who at the time couldn't be more than ten or eleven years old), acted completely by himself. Sure, there were puppets and little props to help him have a visual, but the kid did it without a single other actor around. Kudos. Because that takes some skill.

Same,Yet Different 

Next, I love that this was it's own story without still being too far from the beloved cartoon. We obviously have the same characters (some with more recognition than others due to slightly different story line). We have the same basic plot line of scary Shere Kahn hunting down man-cub Mowgli. Shoot, we even get to have a little taste of the original songs ('Bare Necessities,' 'I Wanna Be Like You,' and if you hang around long enough, a chilling rendition of 'Trust In Me' during the credits). But this version is definitely more intense and more action-packed, with stunning visual effects that make you feel right at home in the jungle. 

Snakes, Tigers, Bears… Oh my! 

I have to admit, I could almost care less about the story line. I was so enamored by the animals (especially the 'bad' ones!) that I was always anticipating the next scene and what new characters to look forward to. Kaa and King Louie were my two favorite 'bad characters,' if you will. I was a little freaked out by their enormity, but I honestly think that was one reason I was drawn to their characters. Trussssst in me when is say that I love the cartoon characters from Disney's original, but there's something particularly intriguing with bigger depictions that seem to have a new breath of life in them. 

Kaa gave me the most creeps. His/Her (male in original, female in 2016 version) was horribly long in length and scarily reassuring with a slightly echoing voice. 

King Louie is my next favorite. His imposing size and the fact that it's Christopher Walken makes his scene so fun (yet a mite frightening!) to watch! You get to see his enormous size in comparison to Mowgli after a smidgen of ominous waiting, and I couldn't help but wonder what type of steroid-infused mango did he eat? It was captivating to watch his chase with Mowgli through the temple ruins and even get to hear Walken sing a snippet of "I Wanna Be Like You."

I simply adored Bagheera and Baloo. Hats off to the casting choices of Ben Kingsly and Bill Murray because they hit their parts spot on. I've always found Bagheera's calm, soldier-like demeanor enticing for some reason. The creators of this 2016 film drew from that of the serious countenance of the cartoon version, and refined it to a 'T." His sleek black coat and bright yellow eyes look so life like and his friendship with Mowgli was sweet, considering their opposing personalities.

Baloo, on the other hand, was the amazing comedic relief. Not to mention, he was simply adorable. I couldn't get enough of his little funny jibs and sayings. He was a slight reflection of the cartoon version, but I feel like Bill Murray shaped him a little differently. In a good way, though. Baloo seemed more dependent on Mowgli than vice versa, something I recall from the cartoon (how Baloo teaches Mowgli what to eat and how to live in the "Bare Necessities" song comes to mind). In the 2016 version, Mowgli helps Baloo collect food. Namely, honey. But their friendship was just as endearing and definitely a bright spot in the dark tone of the film.

I suppose I have to make mention of Shere Kahn, the biggest threat to Mowgli in the whole movie. While cartoon version had a little more charm and even witty side to him, do not expect that from 2016 Shere Kahn. He is mean, vicious, and extremely intimidating. I have a miniature version of him in my cat, Mitsi. (Just kidding, Mits, I love you!)

With incredible special effects, superb casting and acting, "The Jungle Book" is a winner in my eyes! The movie is now out on DVD and Blue-ray and I'm sure will be coming out to Redbox soon. Check it out! I'm sure you'll love it!