The Black Cauldron (DVD)

Based on the novel by Lloyd Alexander comes Disney's The Black Cauldron, a creepy offering if there ever was one. 

Despite the lighthearted beginning, which shows singing birds and a big-eyed piglet who gives new meaning to cute (pure Disney fluff), this film turns very dark very quickly. The piggie, who is psychic, is intrusted to teenage Taran because she (the pig) is the only one who can show the whereabouts of the legendary and infamous Black Cauldron. The Cauldron can give whoever possesses it the power to create an army of unstoppable undead minions. Taran must take his swine charge someplace safe... but she gets abducted by some very evil looking dragons and taken to the palace of the evil Horned King, who desires the Cauldron and its powers. Why? Because he's evil and wants Power, I suppose (the motives were never very clear). Taran follows and ends up in the dungeon, where he is rescued by a Princess Eilonwy and her magical color-changing bubble. The pair, along with an aging musician, escape. They are joined by the furry, but cowardly Gurgi, who latches onto Taran. They encounter a trio of cauldron-hording witches and trade a magic sword Taran swiped from the dungeon for the Cauldron....which the Horned King quickly steals. Everyone but Gurgi (who runs away and hides) is dragged away by hulking soldiers. The undead army is created, but is stopped even before it crosses the drawbridge when Girgi, in a fit of serious angst, hurls himself into the Cauldron, stopping it's powers. The Horned King is destroyed, the Cauldron is no more, and the land is saved. Huzzah!

History lesson: The Black Cauldron was Disney's first animated film to receive a PG rating because of some scary scenes, some seriously depressing stuff (OMG! Gurgi's "I have No Friends/Nobody Loves Me" speech preceding the cauldron dive), and intense action. And I guess it was even creepier and darker, originally, having been heavily edited before it hit the theaters. 

The Verdict: The story was pretty entertaining, although the movie was more Don Bluth than Disney (if I didn't know it was Disney, I'd never have guessed). The animation style, the choice of story/plot... I don't know. It just wasn't Disney style. Also, the fact that it was edited extensively showed: A minor detail here, but I kept wondering what the heck happened to Eilonwy's magic bubble companion. It was with her throughout the entire dungeon scene, and seemed an important thing, but vanished after the escape. It appeared briefly in the witches' cottage, but then disappeared again. (Guess a bubble--even a magic one--isn't a very cool sidekick. Unless you're SpongeBob Squarepants. Still, being a librarian, I'm a stickler for consistency).   

If you're planning to rent this film, don't do so expecting catchy tunes, talking animals, or, really, anything stereotypically Disney. The Black Cauldron is a different thing entirely. But sometimes different is a good thing. If the Horned King had broken into song, he'd totlly have lost all bad-guy credibility. --AJB

p.s. For more creeptastic Disney stuff, rent The Watcher in the Woods.

p.p.s. What the heck is Gurgi supposed to be?  

2015 Battle of the Books Winners

Winning team Insert Cool Name Here!

Congratulations to INSERT COOL NAME HERE, winners of the 2015 Oxford Middle School Battle of the Books! 

INSERT COOL NAME HERE won the Battle following a three-way tiebreaker, which included last year's winning team. They beat out 11 other teams for the championship. 

Congratulations to INSERT COOL NAME HERE, and great job to everyone who participated. You all worked very hard at reading and getting to know the assigned books, and the results showed. And thank you to the OMS teachers, parents, and administrators for encourageing the teen readers and for continuing to make Battle of the Books a success!

Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver

Life for Samantha Kingston is pretty much fantastic-one of the most popular girls in school, dating the most popular boy, beautiful, and a great group of friends to add to the mix. On the best day of the school year, Cupid's Day, Sam knows it's going to be even more prefect day than the rest. With more roses than anyone else, a cute (and handsome date), and an invitation to a great party how could it not be?

Sam finds out seven times.

Her night does not go as she plans after being involved in a car crash. Sam wakes up to find that it's Cupid's Day all over again. Each day she realizes the differences she makes impacts those around her in tremendous ways. Deep down she knows her life may be over but maybe there is something she can do to save the ones around her.

Even though Sam lives the same day seven times Before I Fall does not loose its reader's attention. I know this for a fact because I was unable to but down the book (and the longer chapters does not help when you say to yourself "I'll put it down when this chapter is over".) Fair warning, the first fifty pages are tough to make it through. Frilly tank tops, frappuccinos, and ways to kiss a boy are the main topics of discussion. If you make it through this the entire tone of Before I Fall changes and Sam gain some true personality that readers will love.

If you enjoy drama and a good tear-jerker, this is a book that you need to pick up and try! Enjoy!

Age Disclaimer: Before I Fall is recommended for older teens due to some content and discussions that the characters have.

-JAC

Half A Chance, by Cynthia Lord

I remember really liking Cynthia Lord's tween book Rules, which I read for Battle of the Books a few years back, so when I stumbled upon a review for her latest book, Half A Chance, I knew I had to read it.

Lucy's family has moved all over the country. Her photographer father tends to get restless staying in one place so, as soon as he feels like he's photographed everything there is to photograph in one place, he packs his family up and embarks on the quest for the next great photo. Unfortunately for Lucy, 12, this arrangement doesn't work so well. She's never had the chance to make any real, lasting friendships, and she doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere. But what Lucy wants more than anything is to connect with her father, who is away from home quite a bit and aloof and distracted when he is around. Opportunity knocks when Lucy learns about a photography contest her father is judging. She feels that if she can take the Perfect Photo and win the contest, she will win her father's attention and approval. So she decides to enter anonymously.

Much of the story revolves around Lucy's journey to find that Perfect Photo and the people she meets along the way: Particularly neighbor boy Nate and his grandmother, whose rapidly failig health is keeping her from doing the things she loves most. Lucy does take a winning picture, but when entering it involves an ethical delimma (she plans to do so using Nate's name), Lucy must make a very important choice about what is really important.

As with Rules, Half A Chance is awesome! Characters are well-rounded and real, and the plot is paced so it never gets dull. Although the story was probably written with girls in mind (the cover is very beachy), girls and boys alike will find something to relate to in this lovely story. 

Half A Chance can currently be found in OPL's Youth Area. Recommended for ages 10-14. --AJB

I'm Glad I Did by Cynthia Weil

In this story, a sixteen year old, J.J. Green graduated from high school and wants to be a songwriter in 1960's New York, but she comes from a background where all Green family members must be lawyers. When she lands a 3 month summer job as a writer and assistant at a music company, she makes a deal with her mom and embarks on the beginning of everything she ever wanted until murder gets in the way.

I think this was a nice, clean mystery with lots of interesting complications and characters. It is a book about family, secrets, and lies. I loved the setting and the way that the author incorporated the civil rights movement gently into a story about the musical world where race had already begun to be problematic. It was an easy and fast read, and had a little of everything -- romance, mystery, history. Themes of finding your voice, learning to forgive, and reaching for your dreams add a nice depth. The language and situations are completely appropriate for all ages. *JK*

Interstellar (Movie)

Have you ever gazed at the stars at night and wondered what is it like to travel through space and if there is life on another planet or in another galaxy? The movie Interstellar, lets you experience an exciting adventure led by the NASA team. The movie is fun and has incredible suspense but before you watch this movie, you might want to understand some of the scientific concepts, such as: Spinning black holes, singularity, wormholes, artificial gravity, gravitational time dilation, and five dimensional reality. The movie also has an emotional side which focuses on a paternal bond between a father and daughter, which remains a constant presence across the film.

So here's the summary. The Earth's future has been riddled by disasters, famines, and droughts. There is only one way to ensure mankind's survival: Interstellar travel. A newly discovered wormhole in the far reaches of our solar system allows a team of astronauts to go where no man has gone before, a planet that may have the right environment to sustain human life.

Cooper, an ex-science engineer and pilot, is tied to his farming land with his daughter Murph and son Tom. As devastating sandstorms ravage Earth's crops, the people of Earth realize their life here is coming to an end as food begins to run out. Eventually stumbling upon a NASA base near Cooper's home, he is asked to go on a daring mission with a few other scientists into a wormhole because of Cooper's scientific intellect and ability to pilot aircraft unlike the other crew members. In order to find a new home while Earth decays, Cooper must decide to either stay, or risk never seeing his children again in order to save the human race by finding another habitable planet.

If you like science fiction movies, this is definitely a great movie to watch! *JK*

The Jungle Book (movie)

Continuing with Throwback Week, I give you Disney's The Jungle Book.

Very loosely based on writings by Rudyard Kipling, this story, set in the jungles of India, follows the life of Mowgli, the boy raised by wolves. When word reaches the pack that the dreaded tiger Shere Kahn is returning to the area, they decide they must return Mowgli to the nearest man village as soon as possible. Shere Kahn hates humans because they're hunters/animal killers (honestly, can you blame him for feeling that way?) and will surely kill Mowgli on sight. Not to mention endanger the pack. The wolves recruit a prissy panther to escort Mowgli to his destination, but the kid soon befriends Baloo, a bumbling and somewhat clueless bear with an "hakuna matata" approach to life (though it will be decades before Disney uses this term to refer to a carefree attitude). Before finally arriving at the man village and being charmed away from his jungle friends by a girl who, I felt, was much MUCH too flirty for her age, Mowgli has a run-in with a fire-obsessed orangutan, a sneaky snake, a heard of goofy elephants, and a quartet of silly birds of prey with Beatles haircuts and accents. And, of course, he meets up with Shere Kahn...and defeats the poor kitty much too easily by tying a burning branch to his tail (am I the only one who felt sorry for the tiger?). 

Although I was pretty much raised on Disney films, I somehow missed out on this one as a child. Of course I knew Baloo the Bear from Tailspin, but never saw The Jungle Book until my husband, shocked at this disclosure, recommended I watch it. 

The Verdict:

I was NOT impressed. At all. The events that made up the story were far too random, and I didn't much care for any of the characters. Also, Disney's placing of animals in NON-native regions tripped my common sense meter far too often for me to even enjoy the so-called plot. It's obvious the story is set in the jungles of India, where you'll find tigers, monkeys, elephants, and dangerous snakes. Of course I'd have to double check this, but I'm pretty sure there are NO wolf packs in this area of the world. Ditto for the sort of bear Baloo seems to be. Also, at one point Shere Kahn is hunting what appears to be the sort of deer you'd find in the forests (and crossing the roads) of Michigan. Dear Disney. You get an F in zoology.

I realize this is Disney, and Disney has been known to take quite a lot of liberties with their animated films: Changing storylines completely, talking/singing animals, people with magical powers, etc. This has never bugged me before, but for some reason those liberties taken with The Jungle Book really irked me almost to the point of "I can't watch this." I saw it through, but overall, the film left a bad taste in my mouth. 

All I know is I'm going to have to watch Lilo and Stitch at least 10 times on repeat (and maybe a couple showings of Frozen) to get the ick of The Jungle Book out of my head. That is one movie I wish I'd never watched. --AJB