L is for Last (Unicorn)

"Am I really the last?" spoke the Unicorn at the edge of her forest.

An iconic moment for the most beautiful movie I have ever seen, The Last Unicorn is book and movie that capture the essence of what fantasy really means with a hero's journey, love, and battle. The book is written by Peter S. Beagle, the movie follows the book quite literally in parts.

It is the story of the last unicorn in the world. She discovers from two hunters that are hunting in her forest that she is the last; later the butterfly tell her about the red bull of King Haggard has taken the unicorns. The unicorn plan to leave her home to search for her kin, while leaving her forest (and the animals within) unprotected from her magic. While traveling the unicorn learns that men cannot see her for what she is and is soon captured by Mommy Fortuna, a wandering carnival owner, who wants to exploit her. But there is help hidden Mommy Fortuna's Midnight Carnival in form of the bumbling magician, Schmendrik. He frees the unicorn, who in turn frees all of the other miserable beasts of the midnight carnival, including one angry harpy.

Then the unicorn and Schmendrik travel into the forest where they meet Captain Cully, his band of rogues, and Molly Grue. There Schmendrik conjures up real magic and distracts Cully and his men, only Mollie isn't to be distracted and joins up with them. Once they get to King Haggard's kingdom, which is a miserable and forsaken land, they encounter the bull and Schmendrik uses real magic. They enter into the castle in plain sight, while they are force to work for Haggard as well as look for the missing unicorns. A romance later, a conversation with a cat, and a snarky skull lead them to the bull and the unicorn must face it, and make a choice.

I don't want to give a lot of spoilers, because this movie is best watched fresh and new, with as little preconceived notions, if possible. Sneaky, well maybe, but the story is really beautiful that it needs to be experienced. You can pick whichever version to prefer to, book or movie, but I leave you with this, "No unicorn was ever born with regret, but I do, I regret. And I thank you for that one..."

Many people have watched the movie growing up, which is where I first encountered The Last Unicorn. Later I read the book, and fell in love all over again. Seriously, go and check it out...

Oh, and for you graphic novel fans, The Last Unicorn was made into a graphic novel in April 2010. Also, amazingly beautiful.

Peter S. Beagle has written a number of other novels and short stories that are also wonderful, the short story collection The Line Between is a favourite.

What are your favourite fantasy, or sci-fi fantasy, or sci-fi stories, novels, movies? I have the top four (five): Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, The Princess Bride, The Neverending Story, and Stardust.

Now for the pantoum, Dear Readers.

Mission Unknown

Standing alone, along the edge

where she sees all, but  doesn't speak

there is no one to speak to

"Am I really the last?"

Where she sees all, but doesn't speak

this is her domain, but man has intruded

"Am I really the last?"

she asked in an echo to the men.

This is her domain, but man has intruded

speaking of red bulls and lost unicorns

she asked in an echo to the men

though they could not hear.

Speaking of red bulls and lost unicorns,

she asked the butterfly what he knew

though they could not hear

the questions that she asked.

She asked the butterfly what he knew

about the missing unicorns

the question that she asked

were left unanswered in fanciful song.

About the missing unicorns,

seek out King Haggard by the sea, but others

were left unanswered in fanciful song

One, Two, Three O'Leary...

Seek out King Haggard by the sea, but others

will find you in your travels

One, Two, Three O'Leary...

and away she goes into Man's Realm.

Will find you in your travels,

speak with the skull, My Dear,
and away she goes into Man's Realm

to the distant sea and the unknown.

Speak with the skull, My Dear.

There is no one to speak to

to the distant sea and the unknown,

standing alone, along the edge.

From the movie, The Last Unicorn

Book to Movie Reviews: The Last Unicorn

I have a name for my review month. October is Book to Movie Reviews! It's a little late, but October has begun.

Since I started reviewing movies that were based on children’s stories, I have found that many of these movies are clearly not as good as the book. Often this is a give. Looking deeper some were terrible, that would be Wrinkle in Time (a mini-series) or The Seeker (movie); while other were actually pretty good as stand alone movies. Last year, out of my four October young adult fiction reviews, or Eragon and The Seeker (The Dark is Rising) reviews, I only found one that was better than the source material. Yeah, only one! Surprised? Not me. I am picky about the stories that I hold dear

The Charlotte’s Web live action remake won out over the original cartoon movie and the book. It took enough of the story and used the actors to create a thoroughly complete and honest version. And I love both novel and the original cartoon movie. So it is possible to make a movie out of a book and get it right.

Today, we travel once again to the nostalgia of books and movies from childhood. Movies that I watched as a kid; and books I read and re-read as an adult. In some cases it was the other way around. Which ever way you look at it, if you read, watch movies, or both, then you probably have compared movies to books. It’s hard not to, especially when you love a story so much. This week’s story is no different, and I find that I am hard to pick a side in this battle. The Last Unicorn is a story that is so lovingly written by the author. How can it be bad in movie form?

I first watched this movie on television when I was home from school, sick. Back then I was awestruck with the Unicorn. I remember wanting to be the Unicorn, then again what little girl doesn't? Okay, so the story is about a unicorn , the last and she’s looking for the others. It features magic. I was in love. My seven year old mind didn’t know about Peter S. Beagle’s novel yet. I was only aware that this movie was awesome. The unicorn was the focal point. I was rooting for her, feeling sad when she was changed into a human, and super excited to see all unicorns race from the sea into the world. There was also the title track, sung by America, which was formed in England by three American army lads on an American army base. When the lead singer would sing “I’m Alive….I’m ALIIIIIVE!” I got chills! Man, I still get chills. There is so much I could say about the movie, but that is not the only reason we are here.

There was a book first!

This book, once I grew up a bit and discovered the joys of reading, I read a lot. There was a greater magic that came with books. It’s a natural feeling that I discovered. I found this book at a used bookstore and remembering the movie. Curiosity happened and I read it. I was floored. It wasn’t because the book’s dialogue mirrored the movies (in most respects that is), but the screenplay was also written by the author, Peter S. Beagle. It is a rich and beautiful story. The characters based on common fantasy tropes, the Hero(s), Heroine, the Comedic Relief, the Voice of Reason, and the Villain(s). On my second reading, the characters were aware of the outside world, talking of stories greater than themselves.

This makes my job as a reviewer difficult. I LOVE the movie. I love the book! I grew up on the movie, it’s ingrained. But, the book is sooooo good! How could I rip apart something of my childhood? How could I rip apart a beautiful story?

Let us begin. Which is better?

The book, as usual has much more. There are greater back stories on some of the characters such as Schmendrick, Haggard, Lir, and even Brave Captain Cully. But in the movie some of these character’s tones changed or shifted. If you never read the book you wouldn’t know that Schmendrick was granted immortality in order to learn magic by his mentor. It’s not even by his choice. He cannot die until he gains TRUE magic; the magic that rules the universe. In both versions we are introduced to an inept magician. A bumbling trickster who entertains the guest of Mommy Fortuna’s Midnight Carnival who can barely do the tricks asked of him. In the book you are told throughout the story that prior in the story Schmendrick is made to live forever by his teacher/mentor, Nikos. It is his quest and part of that drive the Unicorn’s quest. In the effort to save the Unicorn, Schmendrick saves the Unicorn, twice, with TRUE magic. He comes of as more of an asshole in the story than the movie, but with a purpose. You know he is an asshole, while in the movie you just think he’s a none too bright magician, while the movie portrays him as just a bumbling magician.

Then there is the Unicorn herself. There are many legends and stories of unicorns, from all across history, but here is the core of the legends. Beagle uses these to enhance the Unicorn’s character, but not all of them are transferable into the movie, which sometimes leaves the unicorn looking cold-hearted. Unicorn, as far as the book goes are vain, solitary, and highly magical. They also do not know what human emotions are. They interact with their world with a vague indifference, but also as a Caretaker or a King might do, watching over their forest (realms). Think of a king, he rules over villages, lords, ladies, and peasants. He cannot have too much emotion, as he would be awfully bias in rulings. So it is with the Unicorn, being immortal there is no call for emotions. Another point is that unicorns are attracted to pure females or males. Men, it seems are not be able to lay hands upon unicorns. The book talks about how Molly Grue can touch the Unicorn, but Schmendrick cannot, nor can Lir. It’s a little thing, but during the courtship of Lir and Amalthea it’s crucial to know that Lir is not able to touch her, this whole time he hasn't even touch his beloved.

I know what you’re thinking, but Cindy, it’s a kids movie. It certainly doesn't need all this subtle subtext and back story. Yes, you are right. But, when I set them side by side, I saw that made the movie version weaker without having something of these points includes. Maybe I am too literate as of late, but it seems to me that Schmendrick and the Unicorn could have done with the inclusion of these elements.

Another point was the rushing of the story. You do not get an idea of how long the Unicorn has traveled to get to Mommy Fortuna, Captain Cully, and Haggard’s realm. Heck, it’s a good year that the Unicorn, Molly Grue, and Schmendrick spend at Haggard’s castle looking for the unicorns. Did you know that? You do get background scene changes as she is traveling during the Man’s Road number, but it’s not the same. The hard hitting fact is the Unicorn is away from her forest, my realm for at least two, if not three years. One of those years is as a human in Haggard’s kingdom. The movie pushes the story on, and shoves you into two montages to get the point across. It feels weak.

 

This is not to say that the movie isn't good. The artwork is done by the anime studio Topcraft, the same studio that brought you Doctor Snuggles, The Adventures of the Little Koala, and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Topcraft became Studio Ghibli. My point is that this movie is fantastic. There is also the music, written and composed by Jimmy Webb, and three of the songs were performed by America (The Last Unicorn, Man’s Road, In the Sea). Who doesn't love the song The Last Unicorn? Right?

As a children’s movie, The Last Unicorn is vastly different from other children’s movies and has a strong story, and much of the original novel is included. The scenes that were taken out do not necessarily make the story any weaker. I mean, you don’t know about the witch’s curse on Haggard’s castle or Hagsgate in the movie, but it isn't important to that story. What is, is the Unicorn is looking for her kin, taken by the Red Bull for King Haggard. The Red Bull whom is in Haggard’s keeping, and the Unicorn must stand up to the Red Bull to release the unicorns. The village of Hagsgate, while a crucial part of the novel’s story is not the focus of the movie. It is expendable. I would have preferred to include it, but the movie’s story doesn't need it, while the book does. You also don’t get the subtly of captain Cully’s and his men in Greenwood. They are the antithesis of Robin Hood’s men--they are free men who have to pay for the right to be free, but again it is not needed.

I do feel that what the movie suffers from is Mia Farrow singing, her song Now That I’m a Woman is truly horrendous, although I think the duet version with Prince Lir’s, That’s All I Have to Say is a bit better having another’s vocal: confirmed via IMDB.com, Katie Irving is the vocal in the duet. Also, the rushed pace of the movie I think hurts the flow. Either than that, the point of the story is not just about the Unicorn’s search for the other unicorns, but the journey that is undertaken.

In the end, I have enjoyed both versions and probably enjoy both until the books are written by rabbits (Schmendrick’s words). Beagle’s story is inspiring and touching. An often watched and quoted movie, I think it is safe to say that Last Unicorn will last forever. It is interesting to note that at one time a live action version was in the works. It has been stalled since 1999; see Peter S. Beagle’s tumblr for details. Also there’s a rumours of a The Last Unicorn musical, again I found nothing to indicate it has progress further than talk of it.

But…either would be epically awesome, if done right.

Note: The graphic novel of The Last Unicorn is pretty stellar and keeps to the original source material. A must read for the die hard fan.

AROW80: Round 3 Closing

This week does not feel like the end of Round 3. Last week, that felt like the end of Round 3. Last week I had such a  great week. While this week feels a bit lack luster in comparison. One must sojourn on, through bogs of eternal stench or deadly deserts. :-)

But....I will not let that deter my writing, choices, or attitudes. I got this!!! I can do this. I just had a rough few days and trying to recover. The Day Job has been a bit zooey and with this and that deciding to go wrong, or not quite right, I get a little thrown off. This is proof why I don't like talking on the phone, as that is 95% of my job. But, I like my job and it pays the bills.

So, what have I been up to? Well, prepping for OctPoWriMo and my Book to Movie adaptation month. Last year I looked at Charlotte's Web, Wizard of OZ, The Dark is Rising, and Wrinkle in Time. It was quite the time, both re-reading these stories and watching the movies. I have my 4 of the month. Wanna know what I am working on? Well, you gotta come back to see. Okay, that's not fair, I will tell you that I am reviewing The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle. That will be the first week of October.

So, Poetry and Movie/Book Reviews. Yup! It's a return to  my roots at the beginning The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is gearing up, as is the Historical Ghost Walk for the Falls Harvest Fest and Halloween Improv shows next month. So many things to prep and be in charge of! I am plugging along.
of this blog. And lots of Theatre Goodness in the coming months.

I am excited though. Maybe a little crazy. It comes with the territory.


Onto the AROW80 goals:
      *Reading: started Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie. This is a fun and easy read. I love Miss American Gods by Neil Gaiman. His is a thicker text, but the characters are interesting and the story is engaging thus far. I think I am on page 92 of 588 pages. Yeah, got a bit to go. Will probably read either Stardust or The Graveyard Book next.
Christie's work. there is something relatable about her stories and characters. I am almost halfway through the book. Also working on
      *Editing: I have edited more this week than written. To be honest. Trying to go through a new round of revisions on Crying Mascara. It's a good story, but I feel it's getting hung up on the little stuff when submit it. Trying to get it  published. Nothing yet. Have had a few good comments and criticisms about it. Am determined to make it better, but am a little impatient. That is the new thing I am working on, trying to not be impatient when submitting a work for publication. I have discovered that f I keep revising, I won't stop. Is this something other writers go through?
      *Visiting: I am proud to say that I am sticking with visiting other blogs everyday, between 3 to 4 blogs and commenting on them. Also using social media to connect with fellow writers. I can always use it more to the productive means than the procrastination, but it's all about balance. Some days there is so much crap to shift through. Also, I try to put out as good as my followers and readers would want to read on a blog, twitter, or newsfeed.
       *Submissions: I submitted to one journal. I discovered over last weekend that some of my pantoums really work. Of course, it helps that I could read them aloud. This I think is why pantoums work as poetry and why you need to read them out loud. Anyway. One down, two to go for submission this week. 
     
 Fell short this week:
      *Blogging: I have not blogged this week. My heart wasn't in it Monday or Tuesday Also, I didn't have an idea what what I wanted to blog about. I am looking to take time tomorrow to blog to make up for the slack.
      *Writing: Did not write a lot in the last few days. Feeling less inspired and distracted by the theatre projects. Need to change that.

To work on:
      *Writing
      *Editing
      *Blogging (The normal stuffs)

Planning on hitting Round 4 pretty hard, what with OctPoWriMo in October and NaNoWriMo in November. After yesterday's revelation, I am more determined to try harder to make my writing publishable material, keep this blog interesting while gaining new readers, and generally making good trouble in the world. Fall has kick in overdrive in the Twin Tiers with the swatches of reds, yellows, and oranges. What is your favourite part of fall/autumn, Dear Readers? I love the colour change and the crisp mornings. Oh, and pumpkin spice coffee too!

Go and check out the Blog Hop for the last of Round 3 ROW80-ers! Have a great rest of the week. See what I have to say about The Last Unicorn.

What is it about Flawed Characters?

What makes a character flawed? Why are character such as The Doctor, Harry Potter, and Macbeth so interesting and intriguing? They are flawed and in all but one lovable. How can that be?

I have read a number of books and plays over the years, also watched a number of TV shows with rather extensive plots and well defined character. The ones that I empathize with, or that I enjoy watching/reading the most are the characters with the most flaws, or more than enough flaws. Any good story has characters, excellant stories have flawed characters that grow with the story, and truly awesome stories have characters who despite being flawed and clearly make mistakes, yet can grow throughout the story. These characters are so flawed that the reader not only empathizes with the character, but sometimes learns with the character.

That is part of why I want to tell stories, write, and also read awesome stories. I want to write the awesome stories. When I look at my bookshelves, I see very excellent and awesome stories (the strictly good or terrible end up going to the Salvo down the street). Naturally, I am drawn to stories with excellent awesome stories, characters, concepts; such as "The Dark is Rising Sequence" (Susan Cooper), "The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica" (James A. Owen), or anything written by Anne (Todd) McCaffrey. I have discussed these books/series before and what I want to talk about today will feature some others. I also see what books are on the bookshelves, everything from the Divergent series, Hunger Games, City of Bones, I want to be able to share my stories with the world, inspire others, make people laugh or cry.

When I read a book or more specifically a series, I want to travel with the characters, to live in their world for the duration of the story. After all most books/series involve travel of some sorts, or at least a mental journey. Sometimes the character travel from The Shire to Mount Doom to drop off a ring, learning, growing, and changing. Flawed characters are like any other character, but usually they have something else to overcome. Frodo Baggins, a flawed character that grows throughout the "Lord of the Rings" fighting off Orcs and Riders, dealing with the One Ring, friends, betrayal, and death.

There are others that recent have come to my attention, and the reason for today's blog. Strap your seatbelts on, its all about Flawed characters!

As an avid (sometimes fanatical) fan of Doctor Who, Sherlock, Torchwood, even Firefly, I have come into contact with a slew of flaw to extremely flawed characters and I simply love them. Take Torchwood, with Captain Jack Harkness, Gwen Cooper, Owen Harper, Toshiko Sato, and Ianto Jones, they are all really messed up, either in love with each other, sleeping with each other, choosing the wrong side, or doing things that one wouldn't suspect them doing, because they, with their flaw think it's the right thing to do. It makes for interesting stories when you see Gwen fighting between her Torchwood self and shagging Owen to wanting to make a life in the outside world with Rhys. Might not always be a happy fuzzy world, but it's emits a truth that exists in the real world. People are flawed, whether good or bad; that people feel this way and struggle to do the right thing and be good people. Sometimes people are not good. It's a truth I can see.

After having finished "The Hunger Games", I am left to digest my thoughts on Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Finnick, Plutarch, President Snow, President Coin, etc. First off, what a world to create, (claps slowly and than increase in strength to Suzanne Collins). A real world(?), present time story about struggle, politics, personal strife, love, and  torture. [Not giving spoilers here]. Katniss is the most flawed in the whole of the series. It's her story and her struggle. She is well defined in her personality and also in her flaws. The first book is riveting in its portrayal of Panem and the Games. It's an interesting concept and reminds of 1984,  Brave New World, or We with this utopian/dystopian society. Scaring stuff, because the world could end that way if not careful. But, it's set in the real time world, with barely a hint of the time frame in which it's set, could be right now, or in 100 or 200 hundred years.

The second book ("Catching Fire") I struggled with, because it reads like two separate stories not one book. Usually the second book, most often in a three book series, will often have something like a 'sophomore slump', where it struggles to keep the pace just right, yet still advance the plot. Katniss struggles, sometimes a lot, with life after the Games, but you are still rooting for her. She learns, and then sometimes has to re-evaluate her knowledge of the people around her. Then she is thrown the curve ball, a new Games, the Quarter Quell. Also riveting, even with the mid section slump. In reality, when you look at Katniss and Peeta you can see why they are the way they are and that make you want to root for them and you can understand why they are flawed. Their environment made them flaw, yet they are trying to move past it. 
 
By the time of "Mockingjay" you see that she is trying, even with the crazy plot driven war going, trying to move forward in her life. She was very much a child in "The Hunger Games", while "Catching Fire" she was a and awkward teenager/young adult Victor dealing with the truth of the world, and then "Mockingjay" she is now and adult, in a new role and trying to bring peace to Panem and herself. The last chapter is the most potent, giving us the chance to see Katniss grow. The last chapter, it's usually when the Hero/Heroine has to make that final choice. With Katniss it is no less easy, but you have traveled  with her and can see (ultimately) what needs to be done. I enjoyed the whole series. I even understand why some people did not like the book, but I understand the motives, even though I didn't see it coming. It's something different and to be experienced.

Then, I started thinking about other stories with extremely flawed characters that I have read or watching,
some I have mentioned above.
*Harry Potter, the boy who live, he is also very flawed and yet still comes out of top and the story is pretty freaking great too!
*There's the Unicorn, from Peter S. Beagle's "The Last Unicorn" a shy and naive unicorn that goes seeking others of her kind. She is transformed in something mortal, learns to love, and now regrets. A stellar story and one, you, Dear Readers should read, or re-read or re-re-read.
*There's Macbeth, the tortured Thane of Glamis, who kills and lies, only to end up beheaded at the end. A less happy ending, but not all story have happy endings. Shakespeare, was very masterful at creating a world of tragedy; where flawed characters ran amok through England or Scotland. Macbeth is one of the most flawed characters in literature, so much so that by the end of the play pretty much all are dead. But it beg the question, why do we love these wed characters?

Speaking for myself, I can connected to a character when I know what they are experiencing. The real emotions of a betrayal, the loss of love, death. These things are real, even if the circumstances are not even close to that which we live and breath on a day to day basis. Just knowing that Katniss suffers loss, so much so that it blind her to the world around her. That is a VERY real thing. There are people who have experienced that, still do. Those are the things that connected us to characters in books, movies, TV show and when done well often helps us to understand our own world. When you meet someone who has been hurt by a close friend, has felt betrayed, and has trouble building trust, for example. You suddenly have a chance to build a friendship and maybe, just maybe find your own healing in that friendship. I know I have experienced that same thing as mentioned above and have learned to put my trust issues aside, because I found someone who experienced something similar and together we helped sort out feelings and thoughts. That, ironically, led to helping yet another friend to work through some trust issues. It's not always a guarantee, but often by finding these connections, we can find out solutions.

So, Dear Readers, what stories do you find therapeutic in nature, what stories draw you in. Maybe a favourite flawed character? Favourite book/TV series featuring a flawed character(s)? Leave me some LOVE below. I hope you enjoyed my little foray into flawed characters and what makes them fascinating.

Today's Music: