Cinderella? More like Seen-it-derella!

This weekend, we welcome the latest in a long series of Cinderella movies: Disney's Cinderella, a live-action adaptation of the 1950 Disney film of the same name. Like most film adaptations of this classic tale, this newest Cinderella boasts an impressive cast and a substantial budget. Also, like most adaptations, it exists for no reason.

The tale of Cinderella has been told and retold countless times through generations, passing through oral tradition and written word for centuries. The story shifts and changes depending on who is telling it (and what message they want to impart), with the Brothers Grimm favoring a three three-day ball, a magical tree, and feet mutilation and Perrault favoring a glass slipper and fairy godmother. The core of the story is about a young girl being misunderstood, abused, and unwanted despite her many attempts to be anything but, and the prince who finally sees her for who she really is. It's a pretty simple tale, which makes it easy to adapt. Need to make it a morality play about the joys of being dutiful and subservient? Cinderella's got you covered. Want it to be a story about making your own decisions and self-empowerment? Cinderella's your gal. 

So many movies have been made with Cinderella at the center, but which adaptation is the best?  Let's take a look. For this incredibly scientific study, I'll be focusing on Disney's Cinderella (1950), Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997), Ever After (1998), A Cinderella Story (2004), Ella Enchanted (2004), and Sondheim's Into the Woods (2014), because they're the ones I like. Sorry, CinderFella.

Quvenzhané Wallis Cast in Annie Remake!

The Sun'll Come Out... in 2014

This news is a few days old, but I just heard that Quvenzhané Wallis is going to be orphan Annie in the new film version of the classic musical (which itself is based on a comic strip) Annie.

I loved Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Annie seems like a natural extension of her previous work. She's already really good at playing damaged youths with father issues.

The original Annie film came out in 1982, and it starred some of my favorite people, including: Carol Burnett, Albert Finney, Tim Curry, Edward Hermann, and Bernadette Peters. Since it’s been over 30 years since the movie came out, it’s not exactly as if the remake would be stepping on the heels of the previous film.

The film is being produced by Will Smith and Jay-Z, and the director attached is Will Gluck.  Gluck directed Easy A, a film that my father didn't like but that I was a big fan of. With a screenplay by Emma Thompson, this all seems to be undeniably good news!