Musical Mondays Week 34 Alice in WonderlandThrough the Looking Glass (1985)

[Cameron H. 23786]

“Yes, but is there a way to make this story more unsettlingly?”

 

We watched:

 

 

 

[The_Triple_Lindy 2482]

“Yes, but is there a way to make this story more unsettlingly?”

 

We watched:

 

Great poster.

 

I realized while watching this that I really had no memory of anything other than the music and costumes. The dialogue is completely inane, and I know that Alice spends a lot of time talking to herself, but the exposition got tiresome. And frankly, they characterized Alice as a complete idiot, which every character points out to her face.

 

And my sister and I must have watched his a hundred times as a child. My poor parents ...

 

Plus:

... why?!

[Cam Bert 8145]

I realized while watching this that I really had no memory of anything other than the music and costumes. The dialogue is completely inane, and I know that Alice spends a lot of time talking to herself, but the exposition got tiresome. And frankly, they characterized Alice as a complete idiot, which every character points out to her face.

 

What I found is that I had no memory of the first part except the ending and lots of memories about the second part. When I first started watching the movie I was thinking that we had something else taped, but then the moment she got back to her house it started coming back to me. Then the more of the second part I watched I was like "Oh yes this, and that" Maybe I only liked part 2 and that's what I watched as a kid. I don't know. Either way, thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[Cam Bert 8145]

Also you put a Beatle in your movie and you don't make him the walrus? That's straight up goo goo g'joob!

[grudlian. 4725]

Also you put a Beatle in your movie and you don't make him the walrus? That's straight up goo goo g'joob!

I mean, he wasn't the walrus. So, it makes sense.

[Cameron H. 23786]

What I liked about the movie is that it captures the absolute insanity of the books without being a straight adaptation. Now, whether that's by design or not is another question entirely.

 

I have to say I enjoyed the first part better than Through the Looking Glass. I feel like it's a bit top heavy in that regard. Also, I spent the first anticipating Ringo.

 

Plus:

... why?!

 

All I could think during this scene - aside from how creepy is - is if they had originally intended Neil Diamond to be in this. Whatever fucking downer song The Cheshire Cat is singing sounds an awful lot like "Love on the Rocks." And honestly, that was one of my biggest complaints about this movie. None of the songs - except for maybe "I Hate Dogs and Cats" and "Old Father William" - felt very memorable, but some of the music felt downright out of place. You have two of the craziest characters in Wonderland - the Cheshire Cat and The Mad Hatter - singing incredibly depressing songs? Why? That makes no sense.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Also you put a Beatle in your movie and you don't make him the walrus? That's straight up goo goo g'joob!

I mean, he wasn't the walrus. So, it makes sense.

 

Luap saw surlaw eht.

[grudlian. 4725]

How depressing do you think it was for Donald O'Connor to be "dancing" to back up Sherman Hemsley singing?

[Cameron H. 23786]

How depressing do you think it was for Donald O'Connor to be "dancing" to back up Sherman Hemsley singing?

 

The whole thing was depressing. I feel like there was a whole lot of "Do you know who I am?" going on.

[Cam Bert 8145]

While I was watching this I was thinking what a bonkers cast this was. I mean it is a weird hodgepodge of singers, actors, and comedians. Why cast these people? Then it hit me. A lot of the actors were CBS contract players. Kojak, Dallas, Carol Burnett Show, Knots Landing, The Jeffersons, etc. were all CBS shows and stars of those shows all appear in this movie. However this theory is not completely sound because Merv Griffin, Steve Allen, Sid Caesar and others have strong ties to NBC. Also there are some Happy Days people in there which was ABC. So just when I thought I had this figured out it gets all confusing again.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

I apologize to The Triple Lindy and all but I couldn't get through the first part. She is in the March Hare's house, kicks Bill out of the chimney and shortly after something else happens. It doesn't go right (like everything else up to that point) and she says "I quit". That was a good spot for me too.

 

Up above someone mentions her portrayed as an idiot. I just saw her as a domineering brat. I know it's all absurd fantasy but I had trouble in several spots. One, kicking the guy out of the chimney. Why? He wasn't doing her any harm. (Also, just shoving your foot into the fireplace isn't likely to propel someone up and out.)

 

She went to the March Hare's house in the first place out of some sort of guilt or duty to get his gloves and fan. (Did the original March Hare have a fan? I don't remember ever seeing one in the various adaptations.) She kicks Bill out of the chimney and then leaves the house and walks off, without the gloves and fan AND in the opposiite direction from where she came in!

 

The fan itself was a problem for me too. At one point earlier she's fanning herself and starts shrinking. She deduces the fan made her shrink. Yet a short time later she's way too big and fretting how she'll get small again. She still had the fan!

 

All the exposition got to me as well, especially from Alice. All her actions were stated but had little backing. "Well, I suppose I should do this." "I need to do this now." "You're horrible for making me do this!" and so on.

 

Last one: How did the March Hare (I thought it was supposed to be the Mad Hatter?) get into the real world in the first place? As soon as Alice stepped through the blue portal she started falling. She could see the Hare/Hatter landing before her and running off. Does/did he levitate up to exit the portal into Alice's land? Seems like too big a climb to make and still have immaculate clothes and fur. (Yes, I'm aware this is a fantasy.)

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

While I was watching this I was thinking what a bonkers cast this was. I mean it is a weird hodgepodge of singers, actors, and comedians. Why cast these people? Then it hit me. A lot of the actors were CBS contract players. Kojak, Dallas, Carol Burnett Show, Knots Landing, The Jeffersons, etc. were all CBS shows and stars of those shows all appear in this movie. However this theory is not completely sound because Merv Griffin, Steve Allen, Sid Caesar and others have strong ties to NBC. Also there are some Happy Days people in there which was ABC. So just when I thought I had this figured out it gets all confusing again.

I saw Jayne Meadows' credit first and then saw the songs were by Steve Allen. It's wrong but I admit I wondered if it was a case of "I'll write the songs if you put my wife in the cast." I like her in other things I've seen. Was she any good?

[Cam Bert 8145]

I saw Jayne Meadows' credit first and then saw the songs were by Steve Allen. It's wrong but I admit I wondered if it was a case of "I'll write the songs if you put my wife in the cast." I like her in other things I've seen. Was she any good?

She was good. She was was the Queen of Hearts so a lot of the "off with their heads" shtick. I liked her more than HBC but that's just my contempt for the Tim Burton Alice movies.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

She was good. She was was the Queen of Hearts so a lot of the "off with their heads" shtick. I liked her more than HBC but that's just my contempt for the Tim Burton Alice movies.

I liked Juice Newton just fine.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Up above someone mentions her portrayed as an idiot. I just saw her as a domineering brat. I know it's all absurd fantasy but I had trouble in several spots. One, kicking the guy out of the chimney. Why? He wasn't doing her any harm. (Also, just shoving your foot into the fireplace isn't likely to propel someone up and out.)

 

I didn't have an issue with her being bratty just because I feel like that is a lot of what AiW is all about. I've always seen the story as being about the push and pull of growing up (i.e. getting big; staying small). She wants to be bigger so she can do "grown-up" things, but she struggles because she's not quite ready to give up being a kid. For example, she wants to have tea with the adults, but she doesn't want to read their boring books that don't have any pictures.

 

A lot of Alice's brattines comes from her still being a kid but trying to affect the mannerisms of a grown-up.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

 

I didn't have an issue with her being bratty just because I feel like that is a lot of what AiW is all about. I've always seen the story about the push and pull of growing up (i.e. getting big; staying small). She wants to be bigger so she can do "grown-up" things, but she struggles because she's not quite ready to give up being a kid. For example, I want to have tea with the adults, but I don't want to read their boring books that don't have any pictures.

 

A lot of Alice's brattines comes from her still being a kid but trying to affect the mannerisms of a grown-up.

THANK YOU!!! That sheds so much light on the story. Guess I should have read it at some point. :-) I wondered why the focus on growing and shrinking. She's a kind of Goldilocks, trying on different sizes and learning the benefits and perils of each, until she discovers where she is right now is "just right". Awesome description Cameron H.!

[The_Triple_Lindy 2482]

What I found is that I had no memory of the first part except the ending and lots of memories about the second part. When I first started watching the movie I was thinking that we had something else taped, but then the moment she got back to her house it started coming back to me. Then the more of the second part I watched I was like "Oh yes this, and that" Maybe I only liked part 2 and that's what I watched as a kid. I don't know. Either way, thanks for the trip down memory lane.

Just about everyone who's ever seen this remembers the Jabberwocky more than anything else, and since it doesn't show until the end of part one, it stands to reason that you'd remember that most. Although, for some reason, I remember Carol Channing most clearly, perhaps even more so than Sammy Davis, Jr.

Also you put a Beatle in your movie and you don't make him the walrus? That's straight up goo goo g'joob!

They couldn't make Ringo the Walrus because I guess they needed his magical freeze breath for the Mockturtle number.

 

While I was watching this I was thinking what a bonkers cast this was. I mean it is a weird hodgepodge of singers, actors, and comedians. Why cast these people? Then it hit me. A lot of the actors were CBS contract players. Kojak, Dallas, Carol Burnett Show, Knots Landing, The Jeffersons, etc. were all CBS shows and stars of those shows all appear in this movie. However this theory is not completely sound because Merv Griffin, Steve Allen, Sid Caesar and others have strong ties to NBC. Also there are some Happy Days people in there which was ABC. So just when I thought I had this figured out it gets all confusing again.

Dude ... I've never put that together, but of course it makes total sense.

I apologize to The Triple Lindy and all but I couldn't get through the first part. She is in the March Hare's house, kicks Bill out of the chimney and shortly after something else happens ...

No apologies, Cinco ... this movie is baffling. Although to clarify one thing: The White Rabbit is the one who needs the gloves. The March Hare is at the Mad Tea Party. So if you bailed after Alice turns giant in the house, you never got the part with the March Hare ... which is a shame because aside from the very unfunny "Laugh" song, that's probably the best scene of Part One.

[The_Triple_Lindy 2482]

Open question: Do the waterbirds straight up kill Sherman Hemsley?

[Cameron H. 23786]

Open question: Do the waterbirds straight up kill Sherman Hemsley?

 

YES! And it is extremely upsetting!

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Just about everyone who's ever seen this remembers the Jabberwocky more than anything else, and since it doesn't show until the end of part one, it stands to reason that you'd remember that most. Although, for some reason, I remember Carol Channing most clearly, perhaps even more so than Sammy Davis, Jr.

 

They couldn't make Ringo the Walrus because I guess they needed his magical freeze breath for the Mockturtle number.

 

 

Dude ... I've never put that together, but of course it makes total sense.

 

No apologies, Cinco ... this movie is baffling. Although to clarify one thing: The White Rabbit is the one who needs the gloves. The March Hare is at the Mad Tea Party. So if you bailed after Alice turns giant in the house, you never got the part with the March Hare ... which is a shame because aside from the very unfunny "Laugh" song, that's probably the best scene of Part One.

I do remember seeing part of the tea party but not specifics. I'll drop some acid and try watching it again. I was thinking this was almost like the Star Wars Christmas Special where they just pushed stars in without much thought as to their talents or how they would fit in the story.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Great poster.

 

I realized while watching this that I really had no memory of anything other than the music and costumes. The dialogue is completely inane, and I know that Alice spends a lot of time talking to herself, but the exposition got tiresome. And frankly, they characterized Alice as a complete idiot, which every character points out to her face.

 

And my sister and I must have watched his a hundred times as a child. My poor parents ...

 

Plus:

... why?!

Blofeld merged with the cat in an experiment gone wrong.

[The_Triple_Lindy 2482]

I do remember seeing part of the tea party but not specifics. I'll drop some acid and try watching it again.

Nah, not acid. Mushrooms. Obviously.

[PollyDarton 1807]

Luap saw surlaw eht.

 

I could be the walrus... I'd still have to bum rides off of people.

 

Anyhoo...I have to say one thing that really stood out to me is the use of fantastic Women Of A Certain Age. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling this would NOT be the ways of casting if this were re-done today.

[PollyDarton 1807]

Blofeld merged with the cat in an experiment gone wrong.

 

This is obviously the correct assumption - why else would the Cheshire cat be FUCKING bald.

[The_Triple_Lindy 2482]

 

This is obviously the correct assumption - why else would the Cheshire cat be FUCKING bald.

I was kinda thinking that maybe it was a teleportation accident ... like, maybe when he materialized in front of Alice, he left his hair behind by accident, or maybe he accidentally materialized just as the Queen of Hearts was bringing the blade down on someone and he got skinned.

 

"Meow, baby" is probably my second favorite line, right after King of Hearts saying, "These days, heads just don't roll like they used to. Now they just clump onto the ground and stay there."