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From: rlp@cbosgd.UUCP (Bob Platt)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: Black Cauldron
Message-ID: <1377@cbosgd.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 7-Aug-85 21:24:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: cbosgd.1377
Posted: Wed Aug  7 21:24:06 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Aug-85 22:49:28 EDT
Reply-To: rlp@cbosgd.UUCP (Joe Knapp)
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
Lines: 51

Some random thoughts on a review by M. Leeper:

>There is a serious problem with THE BLACK CAULDRON--it has too much
>story.  SLEEPING BEAUTY and SNOW WHITE had simple short plots you could tell
>in two or three sentences.  They are ideal for animated films.  

I agree, now thatcha mention it. I was always wondering how well the main 
audience --children-- was staying with the story. The comments I've heard
from kids have been mostly about a funny line ("crunchy munchies") or a 
particularly impressive scene (graphically). 

>Look at an example.  The hero is backed up against a wall.  Evil guards are
>throwing a hail of spears at him and he's clearly in trouble.  Someone
>realizes that he (the hero) has a magic sword that cuts through metal, so
>they stop throwing spears.  Why?  This sword is not a shield.  The magic
>sword is no better than a regular sword against that sort of an attack, but
>it is a good excuse for ending the sequence and getting to the next one.
>There are several other escapes that are similarly senseless.

Easy now... it's simple: remember that the bad guys in the scene are
orc-clones. (Tolkien practically *appears* in this film.)
Such beings may have some qualities, like stamina, strength, or a 
defective kind of cunning. But unlike the good guys,
they *always* display the wrong stuff when the chips are down.
In this case, it is obvious that the Horned King's men were so frightened 
by the sword's pyrotechnics that they gave up their attack in fear. 
Not logic: fear. They screwed the pooch. In fact, the first 'orc' to 
encounter the sword in a earlier scene behaved the same way.

>Then there is a cute
>creature that looks like a miniature cross between a sheepdog and Albert
>Einstein.

Perfect! The Shaggy Absent-Minded Professor!

>In the early parts of the film it is much the usual
>Disney animation, though not as complex.  At other times, they do a sort of
>pastel impressionistic background to save painting effort. 

Occasionally, the 'skimping' *added* to a scene.
I liked the effect in the fairies' haunt where the background was dull,
gray and nebulous, but the fairies were very bright and colorful. From a
non-cynical viewpoint, I think anyone must admit that that sequence was 
very well done.

Thanks for the informative review, Mark (I read it before seeing the film).
On the whole, I agree that it is a good movie. No one should be discouraged by
the animation techno-analysts on this net. (Although I do find their comments 
interesting and educational, I wonder whether it is a good thing to be so
up on the tricks of the trade that no illusion can be maintained.)
							Joe Knapp