27 December 2010

Alice in Wonderland Exhibition by Julia Starr

The Red Hill Gallery in Brisbane, Australia, is having a gorgeous looking exhibition of works based on Alice in Wonderland.  The artist having this solo exhibition is named Julia Starr.

The latest solo exhibition is based on the beloved fairytale Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, taking influence from the classic Disney movie.  She has also drawn upon various other iconic images and a touch of the current dark and far more sinister Tim Burton movie showing Alice as an adult.

Starr’s work shows the journey a modern woman takes as she struggles to hold on to traditional values. iPods, Facebook, Coke Cola and the Twilight phenomena are all entwined as she navigates her way through an ever changing technological world.  


Whether it be ‘Wonderland’ or Brisbane, this exhibition is brought together by the unique style, colourful imagery and creativity that can only come from one artist…. Starr.  (Red Hill Gallery)

 


07 June 2010

Alice in Wonderland already on DVD/ Blu-Ray

The time has flown so fast and 12 weeks from the opening of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland on big screens has gone by. And now we can enjoy the fascinating story on our home screens. 

The DVD and Blu-Ray discs are already available. Even the price isn't that bad at least if you get it from Amazon:  Alice in Wonderland (Three-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) 

This amazing 3 Disc Combo is only $25 and there are so many  extras which are exclusive to Blu-ray that I'm seriously contemplating on going to buy the Blu-ray player!

Bountiful extras include the creation of the Red Queen, stunts, how Alice shrank and grew, and the making of the cakes. And of course the extravagant Futterwacken Dance by the Mad Hatter.

USA TODAY's Claudia Puig gives: * * *1/2 out of four for Alice in Wonderland 2010. 

"Burton's distinctive cinematic style makes this eclectic fantasy — infused with both dark and light — a dynamic marriage of original material and modern filmmaker."

By the way, we love it!

16 March 2010

Helena Bonham Carter Reveals The Red Queen's Subtle Anger


Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland' movie has kept a top position in cinemas for 2 weeks in a row now, and it is clearly on the way of becoming the highest grossing Burton film!
 
Meanwhile Burton's partner and the villain star of Wonderland, Helena Bonham Carter has been talking about her role as the Red Queen in an interview with Ian Spelling for New York Times Syndicate. See the video:


 
This is what Bonham Carter said about her getting the role in this production.

"No, no, no, I just assume that I'm not going to be a part of it unless he [Tim Burton] asks. And he asked me quite late in the day about 'Alice in Wonderland.' I remember that he phoned up, because I was working away, I was doing 'Terminator' in New Mexico. He phoned up and wondered if I would ever possibly think I'd want to play the Red Queen."

It's very low-status, the way he asks. I'd never read the script, so I didn't know what he was talking about. Then,when I read it, I read her character description. Her name is Iracebeth of Crims
 
It said Iracebeth ie. the Red Queen enters. She has a huge, oversized head and is very, very angry. I thought, Well, that's interesting, how he sees me now.

He said, Well, I did draw you. That's what often happens is that he sort of trusts his unconscious, and he said that his early drawings of the character looked like me. I wouldn't say that it's completely me, but the drawings have definitely got my angry eyebrows.

Tim Burton gave specific instructions for Helena to capture his idea of the Red Queen: He likes, always, to have a quieter take. He doesn't like big acting. 
 
It's funny - the more outrageous you are or the more unreal, the more real he wants you to pull back.
 
He gave me two notes. He wanted me to watch 'Mommie Dearest' (1981) and Bette Davis' Elizabeth I in 'The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex' (1939) with Errol Flynn.
 
Faye Dunaway doing the hanger scene in 'Mommie Dearest' basically it's a person who's about to erupt, somebody who's on the edge of anger all the time.

It was quite hard because it was unreal. It was like with Mrs. Lovett, he said. Look, you're already singing, that's unreal, so I want you to be as small in your acting as possible.
 
Here he said:
 
"We're in Wonderland, or Underland, so you have to compensate for that."

04 March 2010

Alice In Wonderland Movie Review

I have just returned from the Underland, Tim Burton's Wonderland. I've met all the creatures, and while many of them are funny and cute, the Cheshire Cat is best of all. This vaporising feline appears suddenly, always at the right time and disappears as quickly, finally saving the day!



Alice in Wonderland is Disney's latest 3D production. Alice Kingsley (Mia Wasikowska) is a 19 year old girl in Victorian era who escapes getting engaged by following a White Rabbit through a rabbit hole to Underland. There she meets the Mad Hatter, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, March Hare and Dormouse who try to convince Alice that she is the one who will help them return the crown to the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) from the evil big-headed Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). Evidently there will be a battle scene in this plot but it is not too dark for all the family to enjoy.  Actually there is nothing dark in this Tim Burton film, except the stepping stones in the water surrounding the Castle. That is a little surprising considering Tim Burton's other movies; Edward Scissorhand, Corpse of A Bride, Sweeney Todd.

The scenery and animation is superb. It is amazing how believable the characters seem. The actual people acting with animated characters looks effortless and real. Another favorite of mine was the Caterpillar with the voice and facial features of Alan Rickman. All in all the many furry animals have such extreme personalities and they are so endearing, as you could expect from a Disney film, that there was a lot of laughter in the cinema tonight.

The music in the movie was in tune with the scenes, beautiful and exiting. Tim Burton has added many quotes to this film  from the original Lewis Carroll books. "Why is the raven like a writing desk?" is used several times; it truly points out the madness of the Hatter (Johnny Depp). But one was left missing: "We're all mad here!"

I enjoyed the film and so did my daughter who was giggling out loud half the time. I'd like to see it soon again and escape into the magic of Wonderland.

Seen the movie, now get the book:

02 March 2010

Alice In Wonderland Stars In Green Room Footage Behind The Scenes

 

"Sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!"

Alice quotes the White Queen in this behind the scenes footage. It is very interesting to see how Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowska, Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway actually work in the green room. 

Crispin Glover has an especially demanding job playing the huge Knave of Hearts since he needs to act on extended wooden legs to have a realistic look of a giant.

Only a few more days to go, and we'll be enjoying the movie event of the year! "Curiouser and curiouser!"

Read all the stories before you see the movie here> https://alice-in-wonderland-quotes.com/paperback-book/

26 February 2010

World Premiere Of Alice In Wonderland Movie In London 2010


Alice in Wonderland had its world royal premiere in London on Thursday February 25, 2010.

The stars of the film, including Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter came to the premiere in central London's Leicester Square where hundreds of fans were waiting to see them in pouring rain. 


Curiously the British movie theater chain Odeon had resolved a dispute with Walt Disney Pictures about the release date for the DVD version just in time for the world premiere. Thus the U.K. audience will see the movie in theatres in 3D!

Tim Burton told a press conference he was relieved the issue was resolved.

"I'm just glad it's resolved. We made it 3D to be shown in the 3D screens and so I'm just very happy and grateful," he said.  

"3D and Alice seem to fit," Burton told Sky News

"There's something about the trippiness of the Alice world that helps bring you into that 3D space."

All is fine in Wonderland after all, or is it?

25 February 2010

Underland In Shock - Mia Wasikowska As Alice Loses Her Dress


The habitants of Wonderland, or Underland as Tim Burton calls it, are up for a shock when Alice -Mia Wasikowska- grows to a size of a church tower and her dress is ripped off at the process. Alice hides behind tall bushes when she's discovered by the feared ruler Iracebeth, the Red Queen. 

Luckily Iracebeth notices a similarity between herself and this huge newcomer to the 'Queendom' - they both have a huge head - and she shows some compassion by ordering the servants to sew some clothes for the poor giant.
 

The White Rabbit, called McTwisp, is behind this misfortune of Alice, because he feeds Alice a cake that makes her grow - too much.

Executives at Odeon, which owns 107 cinemas in the U.K. and Ireland, have decided to boycott Burton's 3-D film after plans were announced to launch the movie on DVD just three months after it hits theaters. 

The Dutch film lovers are also going to miss out because many movie theatre owners in Holland are going to boycott Alice in Wonderland if the early release of the film to DVD goes ahead.  

Australians instead are going to get special treatment, because the film hits the movie screens early - Thursday March 4, 2010! 

Life in Wonderland isn't fair, is it?



17 February 2010

Alice in Wonderland Star Mia Wasikowska Talks About Filming With Tim Burton And Johnny Depp

Mia Wasikowska - Alice- explained her feelings about the weirdness of filming in Wonderland in an interview with Geoff Boucher.
 
She told how acting in an animated film required her to act with stickers and baseballs as her partners against a green-screen.
 
Mia Wasikowska: 
 
"It is really strange [acting on green-screen]. But Wonderland itself is bizarre and weird and comical and confusing, so it's appropriate that, we were in this green-screen environment where it doesn't always make sense to you. Things were just really odd and weird, and I suppose that was suitable to what we were working on. It put you in the right frame of mind. And it made you rely on your imagination more."

Mia Wasikowska: 

"Right from the beginning, we had a very similar view as to how Alice should be played.  He's very precise and clear and patient, and that was exactly what I needed as far as direction in this kind of film because it was so complicated. One of the most interesting things about Tim is that he does communicate visually, but he is also very precise and uses a language that people can identify with."


Mia Wasikowska: 

"He is such a cool guy. He has the humanity to keep this sense of self. He's very kind and generous and so smart. To be able to watch Johnny -- just like with Tim -- as he takes something from the page to reality and how hard he works and what he brought to it and how much he brought to it, it was amazing. It is inspiring too that he does things in a purely joyous way and has fun with it all, because so often there are people who seem disgruntled. To keep that love of what you do is so important. And watching him and Tim work together is fun. They have a very deep rapport. Watching them, it's like they speak their very own language."

Countdown until the movie Alice in Wonderland hits the big screens: 16 days!

09 February 2010

Movie Stills And Quotes From Alice In Wonderland

24 Days To Go until Alice in Wonderland hits the cinemas in the US!

Here are a few movie still to keep the anticipation up:



They look very promising, like the movie trailers we have seen.  Actually I saw the latest Alice in Wonderland trailer in 3D when I went to see Avatar.

While I loved Avatar and the 3D world in it, seeing the Alice trailer on big screen and through quality 3D glasses filled me with such excitement. It is going to be brilliant!

Anyway, here are some great movie quotations of the characters from the original Alice books.

The Mad Hatter - Johnny Depp
*****
"If you knew Time as well as I do, you wouldn't talk about wasting it." -The Mad Hatter
*****

Mallymkum, The Dormouse - Barbara Windsor
*****
 Dormouse: "You've got no right to grow here."
Alice: "Don't talk nonsense. You know you're growing too."
Dormouse: "Yes, but I grow at a reasonable pace,
not in that ridiculous fashion."
*****

Iracebeth, The Red Queen - Helena Bonham Carter
*****
Red Queen: "I don't know what you mean by YOUR way? All the
ways about here belong to ME!"
*****
 
Ilosovic Stayne, the Knave of Hearts - Crispin Clover
*****
"The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts,
All on a summer day:
The Knave of Hearts, he stole those tarts,
And took them quite away!"
*****
 
The Caterpillar - Alan Rickman
*****
Caterpillar: "Keep your temper!"
"One side will make you grow taller and the other side will make you grow shorter."
*****
 

[Image credits: The Walt Disney Company 2010] 

 

27 January 2010

Johnny Depp Talks About Being The Mad Hatter

Johnny Depp was interviewed by the Movie Surfers. He talked about the Mad Hatter and how it has been a dream come true for him to play this eccentric character.

Disney has also released a final film frame of the cheeky Cheshire Cat with the famous grin.

"Well, you see, a dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now I growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad." 

-Cheshire Cat

More Alice In Wonderland movie stills keep coming while the launch date of the movie is getting closer. Stay tuned, we are getting more video clips, trailer and still frames until March 5, 2010.

18 January 2010

Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland Movie Trailer

At last we get to preview more of the anticipated Alice in Wonderland movie!

Here is the second official movie trailer. It really gives us the feel of the movie and makes us wish the time ran faster, faster. Today there's still 46 more days until the release on the big screens on March 5, 2010. Who can wait?

Alice In Wonderland Movie Trailer

Mia Wasikowska as Alice looks so worried in most of the shots that one must wonder how is the Mad Hatter, expertly played by Johnny Depp, so certain that she is the only person capable of helping to get rid of the fearsome Jabberwocky, the guard of the Queen's castle. 

Big expectations for a tiny Alice, I'd say, but also the White Rabbit is determinned that Alice will turn over the reign of Wonderland from the cruel Red Queen (Helena Bonham-Carter) to her more peaceful sister, the White Queen, played serenely by Anne Hathaway.

Before you see the movie I would recommend that you'd read the book:

https://alice-in-wonderland-quotes.com/paperback-book/

..or the eBook:

http://1.olinbiz.pay.clickbank.net/