It's as gender-neutral as a story revolving around a princess, a matriarch, and a number of song and dance routines can be. The only male role in the movie that isn't cartoonishly bulky and intimidating is the dashing-rogue-turned-hero achetype. Similar to Aladdin, but in a more traditional fairy tale setting.

It's still fairly gender neutral though. Girls will like the story, boys would like some of the action sequences and whatnot.

As far as marketing goes, I'm sure they spent that much effort marketing it to boys as well because Disney wants these princess films to have as much mass appeal as possible, for reasons including commercial success (bring the whole family, not just the girls), a Holiday-season release date, and possible franchise exploitation (maybe Tangled 2 get a greenlight after a great B.O. performance?).

I'm disappointed Disney chose to produce a CGI film. I felt that the movie would have worked better if Disney continued their much hyped return to traditional animation. Unfortunately, "The Princess and the Frog." being only moderately successful may have something to do with it. Though I'd say it's unfair to blame the animation for that. We just love that fancy CGI stuff. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

Tangled (Nov 24, 2010)
Opening Weekend: $48,767,052 (#2)
Production Budget: $260 million
Domestic:     $161,325,000       57.8%
+ Foreign:     $118,000,000       42.2%
= Worldwide:     $279,325,000
In Release:     38 days / 5.4 weeks

The Princess and the Frog (Nov 25, 2009)
Opening Weekend: $24,208,916 (#1)
Production Budget: $105 million
Domestic:     $104,400,899       39.1%
+ Foreign:     $162,644,857      60.9%
= Worldwide:     $267,045,756    
In Release:     128 days / 18.3 weeks (11/25/2009- 4/1/2010)

Tangled cost twice as much to make as TPatF, but has made more money in 1/3rd of the time, even without any hype, controversy, and nostalgia regarding traditional animation. 60% of the money TPatF made from ticket sales came from foreign countries, while the opposite has been true for Tangled (so far). However, Traditional animation remains surprisingly cost-effective.

TL;DR CGI blows hand drawn out of the water these days as far as ticket sales go.

edit: statistics: my anti-hangover

The only Christmas album I actually like:
A Charlie Brown Christmas by The Vince Guaraldi Trio (1965!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw6h4mZO1oU

performed by this badass mustachioed man right here:

Cracker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n8rfFRvIH0
The 90's were wonderful. No, they actually were. That's not nostalgia. I was only 6 when this came out, and I was 22 when I heard it for the first time. It's not a relic. It's still great. What the world needs now / is a New Frank Sinatra / so I can get you in bed!


Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHlhOgQ36m8
In my opinion this song is fantastic but best listened to minimized. The video is an awful Coyote Ugly-style mess and completely misses the band's appeal: that Grace Potter is a talented multi-instrumentalist with serious blues/funk chops. You have a 20-something legitimately channeling Janis Joplin, Stevie Nix, and Bonnie Raitt, but you show her playing an instrument for only 10 seconds, and spend most of the time zooming in on a bunch of fucking Can Can Girls? And the editing! Oh my god. Using cheapshit mirror after-effects is not edgy, it's not cool, it's not professional. It's what 16 year olds do in Windows Movie Maker. What a disaster.

I guess this is the proper thread to post this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muc0kaQtCMU

Cee-Lo Green's new album is amazing! It's part Motown, part James Bond Theme Music, and part Funk. It's like it's taking the best of the last several decades and mashing it up.

NPR is streaming the entire album until it's released this week.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130913191&sc=fb&cc=fmp
I'm sure you have all heard "Fuck You" by now, so here's another sample:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUAuZ2qWvsk

Remixes and Trip hop!

Sigur Ros + Nuajabes = Emanicaptor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVEwemk-TRU&feature=fvw


Like that? Check out The Quiett, remixing Nas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke_sVICB51A


Saul Williams (NOT a rapper) "Telegram" remixed by God's Other Devil. Heavy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgzcg31tjOU


Massive Attack's 1998 album Mezzanine is one of the greatest music albums ever recorded. The long-awaited Atlas Air, coming November 1st, is Mezzanine's spiritual successor.
http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/musicvideo/9902-massive-attack-atlas-air-virgin/

L'Illusionniste
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZElAeVdDCDs
Soon... soon.




In anticipation, re-watching Triplets of Belleville.

Also, I can't wait for the Coen Brothers' adaptation of True Grit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVi5J8Vzk5g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=344OpaQCAQI

Two Gentlemen of Lebowski- A dramatic reading.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRNLrCoPzbs

[THE KNAVE's house. Enter THE KNAVE, carrying parcels, and two THUGS. They fight]

BLANCHE
Whither the money, Lebowski? Faith, we are servants of Bonnie; promised by the lady good that thou in turn were good for’t.

WOO
Bound in honour, we must have our bond; cursed be our tribe if we forgive thee.

BLANCHE
Let us soak him in the commode, so as to turn his head.

WOO
Aye, and see what vapourises; then he will see what is foul.

[They insert his head into the commode]

BLANCHE
What dreadful noise of waters in thine ears! Thou hast cooled thine head; think now upon drier matters.

WOO
Speak now on ducats else again we’ll thee duckest; whither the money, Lebowski?

THE KNAVE
Faith, it awaits down there someplace; prithee let me glimpse again.

WOO
What, thou rash egg! Thus will we drown thine exclamations.

[They again insert his head into the commode]

BLANCHE
Trifle not with the fury of two desperate men. Long has thy wife sealed a bond with Jaques Treehorn; as blood is to blood, surely thou owest to Jaques Treehorn in recompense.

WOO
Rise, and speak wisely, man—but hark;
I see thy rug, as woven i’the Orient,
A treasure from abroad. I like it not.
I’ll stain it thus; ever thus to deadbeats.

[He stains the rug]

THE KNAVE
Sir, prithee nay!

BLANCHE
Now thou seest what happens, Lebowski, when the agreements of honourable business stand compromised. If thou wouldst treat money as water, flowing as the gentle rain from heaven, why, then thou knowest water begets water; it will be a watery grave your rug, drowned in the weeping brook. Pray remember, Lebowski.

THE KNAVE
Thou err’st; no man calls me Lebowski. Yet thou art man; neither spirit damned nor wandering shadow, thou art solid flesh, man of woman born. Hear rightly, man!—for thou hast got the wrong man. I am the Knave, man; Knave in nature as in name.

BLANCHE
Thy name is Lebowski. Thy wife is Bonnie.

#depression era
#1930
#1940
#old photographs
#early 20th century America
#poverty
#dam
#construction
#portraits
#family
Rare (and beautiful) color photographs from 1939 to 1943
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2010/07/26/captured-america-in-color-from-1939-1943/2363/

note: these photos come from a collection of 1,600+ just released by the Library of Congress from government offices like the Office of War Information and the Farm Security Information.
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/search/?q=&sp=1&sb=&st=list&co=fsac&fi=all&op=AND&va=all&c=20

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71hNl_skTZQ

jeez, it seems I cannot do anything right