5 Important Life Lessons we've learned from Watching Disney films

5 Important Life Lessons we’ve learned from Watching Disney films

By: Brian Cotnoir

You know, I must admit that I was quite resentful towards Disney for the longest time.  For the longest time I wrote them off as repetitive and overrated...Then I became an Uncle, and started watching Disney animated movies with my little niece, and then I began watching Disney movies on my own too, and next thing I knew I started writing Top 5’s about the Best & Worst Disney Characters on Asylum for Nerds.  So today I am going to tell you 5 Important Lessons that we’ve all learned from watching Disney films.

1.) Losing a Parent is tough, but time heals all wounds (especially if you have family and friends to help you through)

It's okay, Bambi.  You shall overcome

So many people claim that “Disney is anti-family”, because a number of their animated film stories that feature a death of one of or both parents.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.  I ask you to look at it this way:  growing up how many of your friends lived with both parents?  Off the top of my head I can only name 4 friends who parents didn’t get divorced when they were kids.  Now true, Disney parent absenteeism is more attributed to death than divorce or abandonment, but still losing a parent as scary know matter how you look at it.  Take Simba from “The Lion King” for example, he blames himself for the death of his father, and runs away from home and just wants to be left alone.  He is found by Timon and Pumbaa who take him under their wing and show him that life isn’t always easy and you can’t linger on the past, and they raise him like he was one of their own.  It’s a wonderful life lesson for kids going through tough times.

2.) Not all Monsters are bad.

Early on Disney studios had a very distinctive way of portraying characters.  The character design was as basic as you can get: you have the one young attractive character as the protagonist and then you have the older ugly character as the antagonist.  However, Disney has progressed over the years to show the “You can’t always judge a book by its cover” style, and it all started with the Beast from “Beauty and the Beast”; here you have a creature who is more creature than man as the love interest, while the villain is played by a muscular and  attractive Adonis, and yet Belle recognizes that the Beast truly has inner beauty and that Gaston is shallow and may be beautiful on the outside, but on the inside he is a hideous beast.  Then you have Quasimodo from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” where so many characters make such a big deal out of his physical appearance, when it should be the content of his character that should matter.  Even their more recent films like “Wreck It Ralph” and “Monsters Inc.” have an emphasis that looks can be deceiving.  Just because a person looks scary or mean on the outside doesn’t mean that they are a bad person on the inside.  This is an important life lesson to learn at an early age, and every now and then it’s nice to have this helpful reminder.

3.) Parents, your kids are going to make mistakes and that’s okay

You said it, Marlon

How many Disney films are there out there where the main character is told by their parents, don’t journey far from here because the world is scary and dangerous? I mean this is a subject that is brought in films like “Pinocchio” “The Little Mermaid”, “Aladdin”, and “Finding Nemo”, just to name a few.  Then what typically happens is the main character wanders off on their own, they run into some trouble, and they have to turn back to their parents for help, the parents say “I tried to warn you”, but the main character decides to give it another try and with the help of their parents face the challenges head on and they overcome their fears together. This is an important life lesson for not only kids, but adults.  So many parents are so afraid to let their children grow up because they know of dangers in the world that their kids don’t, and they want to protect them and keep them away from danger and trouble.  However, whenever the parents do this all it does is cause their kids to feel anxious, repressed, and rebellious, and drives them to take big dangerous risks.  Princess Jasmine ran away because all she’s ever seen and known in life is the inside of a palace, and she wanted to see the World (and avoid being forced to marry a man she didn’t love)  And what about Nemo?  He wanted to get away from his overprotective father Marlon and explore the big, blue ocean, and he got in to trouble, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing because it teaches another—equally important lesson—; actions have consequences.

4.) The Importance of exploring

Weeeeeee, Adventures in books! :)

Another important life lesson taught from Disney is exploring?  What’s the point of life if you don’t get a chance to explore, I mean look at the songs in Disney Films about wanting to see the world and want more from life like “Part of your World” from “The Little Mermaid” and “The First Time in Forever” from “Frozen” are two of the most iconic Disney Songs about wanting to explore.  And everyone from Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Princess Aurora, Rapunzel, and Princess Anna all expressed their desires to explore and see the world.  Life’s too short to stay cooped up in a palace for your entire life, so go out and see the world, and have adventures and make new friends.

5.) Life’s got you down?  Well then sing your freaking heart out! J

Are you upset because you feel like you let down your family and just want to be left alone to feel sorry for yourself?  Well there’s Disney a song for that...

Are you upset because you’re father wants you to be content with your life and forbids you from exploring??  Well there’s a Disney Song for that...

Have you ever been given a task to complete that seems utterly impossible?  Well there’s a Disney Song for that...

Have you ever felt like an outcast who will never find anyone who understands you?  Yes, there is a Disney Song for that too!

Disney is known for not only making some of the Best and Most Memorable films of All-Time, but they have also composed and performed some of the Best and Most Well Known songs of All-Time.  What person hasn’t taken Timon & Pumbaa’s “Hakuna Matata” philosophy to heart on those days where you just want to say f*ck it to everything?  And since 2013, there hasn’t been a woman between the age of 4-24 that hasn’t just randomly belted out that song for the hell of it!  This is probably the Best Advice Disney has ever given people; when life gets you down, don’t just sit there and sulk; get up, and sing your heart out until you feel better!

5 Reasons why King Candy from "Wreck-It Ralph" is the Worst Disney Villain

Character Analysis: Otis B. Driftwood

Character Analysis: Otis B. Driftwood

By: Brian Cotnoir

     Oh My.  It has been ages since I’ve done a Character Analysis.  I guess I should do something about it and do one on one of my Favorite Film Characters of All-Time.  I find that when it comes to the Horror films directed by musician Rob Zombie people either love them or they hate; there is no middle ground.  I happen to be a fan of all things pertaining to Rob Zombie.  And I think the most creative and interesting thing he’s created was the character Otis B. Driftwood.   

CHARACTER: Otis B Driftwood from “The House of 1000 Corpses” (2003) and “The Devil’s Rejects” (2005).

    

Otis in "The House of 1000 Corpses"

Otis B. Driftwood is an American serial killer who lives in the small fictional town of Ruggsville, Texas.  He is named after a character Groucho Marx film “A Night at the Opera” (1935).  There is no confirmation as to whether or not Otis B. Driftwood is his actual birth name or whether it is a nickname/alias.  He lives with a group of people called “The Firefly” family (also named after characters from the Marx Brothers Films) however Otis shares no blood relation to any members of the Firefly family.  His is a man who is sadistic in nature and enjoys kidnapping people and submitting them to many horrible and disgusting forms of torture.  The first time we meet Otis he is up in the attic with 5 High School cheerleaders that he kidnapped.  He is furious that he can’t come up with a great idea of what to do with them.  He later takes 4 travelers that Baby and Rufus Firefly bait and trap.  Otis turns one of them—a man named Bill—into a half-man, half fish creation (who he decided to name “Fish Boy”) for Captain Spaulding’s museum.     

Otis in "The Devils Rejects"

    Since he is an albino, it would make sense that he works best at night and in isolation because that way he can protect his pale skin from the hot Texas sun.  Otis is most handy with knives.  He is a master skinner and in both films he manages to successfully skin off the faces of a man he killed and then wears their face as a mask. Otis also has a short temper and is constantly arguing with all members of the Firefly family.  His temper usually turns into extreme acts of violence including stabbings, maiming’s, beatings, burnings, rape, necrophilia, and murder.  Most amazingly enough is how he overcame his birth defect albinism (...somehow?) in the 10 months between the ending of the first film and the beginning of the second film.

THE ACTOR:

Actor Bill Moseley

Otis B. Driftwood is played by veteran actor Bill Mosely in both films.  Most today recognize Moseley since he appeared in “The House of 1000 Corpses” and “The Devils Rejects”.  Bill Moseley just does a fantastic job in this role; he completely makes Otis his own character.  Even though he’s a supporting character in “The House of 1000 Corpses” he is without a doubt the most recognizable and memorable supporting cast member.  He was so popular and beloved in the “The House of 1000 Corpses” that he was upgraded to a main character in “The Devils Rejects”.  You can usually see Bill Moseley front and center in most of the advertisement and merchandise for “The Devils Rejects”.  What’s great about Mosely’s portrayal is how little he changes Otis’s personality between films.  While characters like Captain Spaulding and Baby Firefly go from being funny and ditsy to tough, angry, and ruthless, Moseley makes no changes to Otis’s personality:  he is still angry, he is still violent, and he is still a complete f*cking sociopath.

When I met Bill Moseley back in 2012

and he pretended to be interested in a story

that I was telling him.  It was GREAT day :)

CHARACTER IS SIMILAR TO OR INSPIRED BY:

     I looked up scenes with Otis B. Driftwood from Groucho Marx’s “A Night at the Opera” to see if there were any similarities between Groucho’s Otis and Bill Moseley’s Otis and in the few scenes I found on-line, the only similarity I found between the characters was the name.  Otis’s personality is clearly inspired by notorious American Serial Killer Charles Manson.  Some of Otis’s lines in the films are direct lines taken from interviews of Charles Manson.  Otis even looks similar to Manson.  As for his fetish with experimenting on human bodies and the necrophilia, well that sounds like another American Serial Killer, Ed Gein, to me.                          

    Now as for other fictional characters in film that Otis is similar to, I’m going to say he’s pretty much identical to Luigi Largo from “Repo! The Genetic Opera” (2008); another role done by actor Bill Moseley.  Just from watching Moseley as Luigi in Repo you can clearly tell he brought some of Otis’s character traits to the role like the violent temper and enjoyment of stabbing and skinning people for the fun of it.  However, Luigi leaves the wearing of other people’s skin to his brother Pavi.

THIS

+ THIS

=THIS :)

FATE OF THE CHARACTER:

Otis don't care.

Otis along with Captain Spaulding and Baby Firefly were captured by Sheriff John Quincey Wydell, he takes them back to the Firefly ranch to personally torture and punish them for their crimes and avenge the death of his brother George (who was executed by Mother Firefly in “The House of a 1000 Corpses”).  Before Wydell can finish his brutal and savage execution the family he is killed by Baby’s brother Tiny.  Tiny rescues and sets Otis, Captain Spaulding, and Baby free.  As they three continue with they’re run away journey they run into a heavily armed police barricade.  Rather than surrender, Otis and the others decided to go out in a blaze of glory and gun fire.  The three of them race towards the police barricade exchanging gun fire with the cops.  All though, the film does not show Otis or the others dying on screen in the film, it is heavily suggested that all 3 were killed by the police during the shootout.  And that is the sad end to the life of Otis B. Driftwood.

Character Analysis: Vukmir Vukmir

Character Analysis: Vukmir Vukmir

By: A. Aleister Sirrat

     Few films in the world have gained as much notoriety or infamy as the 2010 Psychological Gore Film “A Serbian Film”.  The Film has been banned from playing in theaters in countries around the world.  You can usually find this film on a list of “Most Controversial Films of All-Time” or “List of Banned Films” along with other titles such as “Cannibal Holocaust” or “Salo, the 120 Days of Sodom”.  Despite my attempts to avoid this film at all costs, my friend Das Film Junkie has convinced me to finally see this film this week, and I have to say...it’s not that bad.  Don’t get me wrong this film is graphic and towards the end is just horrifying image after horrifying image, but I do agree with him that it’s probably not the worst or most graphic film I’ve ever seen.  So to honor the milestone of me finally seeing “A Serbian Film” without losing my sanity, I have decided to do a Character Analysis on the films antagonist Vukmir Vukmir

CHARACTER: Vukmir Vukmir from “A Serbian Film” (2010)

Vukmir Vukmir is a former Child Psychologist (and former Government Worker who produced Children’s Television shows for the Serbian Government) turned Independent pornographer.  Vukmir has a dream of starting an “Artistic Porn Revolution” in Serbia.  Vukmir recruits Milos, a famous retired Serbian adult film start to appear in his films.  Milos is reluctant to join at first, but Vukmir promises Milos that if he does this film then he and his family will be set financially for the rest of their lives.  Every day Vukmir sends a mysterious bald driver who wears sunglasses to pick up Milos, and as soon as Milos arrives on set he is given an ear piece and tells Milos everything he wants to do in the film.  At first things appear to be pretty typical on set, but then Vukmir starts encouraging Milos to do things that go against his beliefs and desires, such as physically assaulting a woman on set, and allowing a young girl to watch him have sexual acts performed on him.  Vukmir pushes Milos over the edge and drives him to quit when he shows him a video he made of the driver sexually assaulting a newborn baby.  However, Vukmir isn’t going to let Milos leave that easily and has him secretly drugged with something that he describes as “Viagra for bulls”.  The use of this drug distorts Milos perception on reality and makes him susceptible to anything Vukmir tells him.

THE ACTOR

     Vukmir is played by Serbian Actor Sergej Trifunovic.  I wish I could tell you more about Trifunvovic as an actor, but I’m afraid, I couldn’t find that much about him.  Most of his work in film and television is in his native Serbia, but has had some small parts in American films; most recently had a small part playing a sailor in the 2012 “The Raven” with John Cusack.  I think Trifunovic, was absolutely wonderful in this role providing the right amount of fear and determination for this character, and Vukmir is probably one of the Most Underrated Villains in Film of the past decade.

Character is Similar to or Inspired By

Off the top of my head I would say that Vukmir is similar to the Jigsaw Killer from the “Saw” franchise, however Vukmir doesn’t hide behind a mask (or dummy I should say).  Like Jigsaw, Vukmir has a desire to control other people and make them do things against their will, like murder other people.  I would also say he’s like Dr. Hannibal Lecter: both have backgrounds in psychiatry and use their superior intelligence to get into the minds of their victims and manipulate them. Only Vukmir doesn’t kill his victims; he has other victims do that for him.  I think it’s also safe to say that Vukmir has a God Complex.  He has a need and desire to control people’s lives and that is made apparent when he has Milos and his film crew wear an ear piece so he can feed them instructions.

Jigsaw Killer from "Saw"

Vukmir with Milos from "A Serbian Film"

Dr. Hannibal Lecter from "Silence of the Lambs"

FATE OF THE CHARACTER

You got what you deserved you sick-o!

Vukmir takes his control over Milos to the extreme.  Milos finds a tape and discovers that when Vukmir and his film crew drugged him they also filmed him being sexually assaulted by members of Vukmir’s crew, forced him to decapitate and rape a woman, and forced him to perform in a scene where Milos brother sexually assaulted his wife while he forced to sexually assault his son.  Upon realizing the awful things that Vukmir forced Milos to endure over the past three days, Milos launches into a blinding rage and beats Vukmir’s head against the floor.  In his final moments of life, Vukmir smiles and claims that he believes his film has achieved beauty and perfection.  It was a violent and gruesome end to a truly violent and psychotic individual.

5 Songs that were Popular in the 90's that you never hear on the Radio Anymore (PART II)

5 Songs that were popular in the 90’s that you never hear on the Radio Anymore (Part II)

By: Brian Cotnoir

5.)  How Bizarre by OMC

     There was hardly an episode of the Rosie O’Donnell Show that went by where she didn’t burst into this song.  This song by New Zealander group OMC (short for Otara Millionaires Club) found success in 1997, and had the whole word saying “How Bizarre/How Bizarre/How Bizarre”.

4.)  I Swear by All-4-One

All-4-One was a Fantastic R&B group from Glendale, California.  They were at their most popular when the airwaves were being dominated by groups and artists such as Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey.  The groups most popular hit was “I Swear” a powerful and soulful love ballad.  The song was so popular that it earned the group a Grammy Award in 1995.  A little known fact is that this is actually a cover song.  The song “I swear” was originally covered by Country Musician John Michael Montgomery.  Montgomery’s version of “I Swear” reached #1 on the Country charts in the U.S. and Canada.  However, I still prefer All-4-One’s cover, it’s a shame this track is played more on Hip-Hop and R&B stations.

3.)  Smooth by Carlos Santana ft. Rob Thomas

     Guitar legend Carlos Santana teamed up with Matchbox 20 front man Rob Thomas in 1999 on his album Supernatural.  This song was everywhere in 1999, it was almost impossible to turn to a radio station and not hear “Smooth” playing.  The songs popularity helped earn Carlos Santana 2-of-his-8 Grammys in 2000.

2.)  Tubthumping by Chumbawamba

All though I am not surprised that the band Chumbawamba failed miserably as a commercial act:  They were an Anarcho-Punk act from England, and their mission was not to be a commercial success.  This track—somehow—just became a massive success for the band.  With the easy to remember and repetitive lyrics “I get knocked down/but I get up again and you’re never going to keep me down!”.  Well when you write a song with lyrics that simple, it’s d@mn catchy and almost impossible to not sing-a-long too.  Not only am I surprised that you don’t here “Tubthumping” on the radio anymore, but seriously when is the last time you’ve heard this song played in a pub or a karaoke bar?  This song seems like it should be a staple in both of those establishments

1.)  One of Us by Joan Osborne

Now, I’m not a religious person—by any stretch of the imagination—but there’s no denying this is a great song.  A song that asks many great questions like: “What if God was one of us?”  This song was popular in the 90’s—it earned 3 Grammy Nominations—but it also received many complaints and criticisms from people who claimed the lyrics were “Anti-Christian” and “Offensive to the Church”.  I personally, don’t hear any of those kinds of messages in songwriter/guitarist Eric Bazillian’s lyrics.  I also don’t believe that anyone other than Joan Osborne could sing this song as well or better.  She really does take the song to the next level. It baffles me to no end that this song is not played on the radio anymore.  When you consider that you can still hear similar sounding and equally as great songs like Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be” still being played then it begs the question, why not Joan Osborne’s “One of Us”?

5 Songs that were Popular in the 90's that you never hear on the Radio Anymore (Part I)

5 Other Great Songs by One-Hit Wonders

5 Other Great Songs by One-Hit Wonders

By: Brian Cotnoir

     The term “One-Hit Wonder” is used to describe a band or artist that had only one hit song. However, I always thought that term dumb term, because just because a band only recorded and released one song that had any mainstream success doesn’t mean that all their other songs weren’t good.  Many bands and musical artists may only be known for one or two songs in the mainstream, but a lot of them are still playing, recording, and even touring today.  So today we take a look at the bands and artist dubbed “One-Hit Wonders” by the media and introduce you to some of their lesser known—but just as good—tracks.

1.) “Superman’s Song” by the Crash Test Dummies

YOU KNOW THEM FOR:

 

 

YOU SHOULD ALSO CHECK OUT:

     Many people remember or know of the Canadian Alternative Rock band, The Crash Test Dummies from their 1993 song “MMMM MMMMM MMMMM”, but two years before the release of that song they had some moderate success in the U.S. with the track “Superman’s Song” from their album The Ghosts that Haunt Me.  It is soft mournful track eulogizing the loss of Clark Kent/Superman.  It’s a track that’s just as good as “MMMM MMMMM MMMM”.

 

2.)  “Good Times” by Marcy Playground

YOU KNOW THEM FOR:

 

 YOU SHOULD ALSO CHECK OUT:

 

Is there anyone out who doesn’t like Marcy Playground’s droney Alternative Rock Hit, “Sex & Candy”?  After the release of “Sex & Candy” in 1997, it spent a then-record 15 weeks as the #1 song on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks.  However, their failure to obtain further success in the mainstream wasn’t because their other songs weren’t as good, but more because they were one of those imageless bands; they were the kind of band that you could be standing next to in line at a bus stop and you wouldn’t know who the hell they were.  They had other great songs on their self-titled debut album such as “Shadow of Seattle”, “Poppies”, and “St. Joe on the School bus”.  However, the track I’m going to recommend for you is one of their more recent songs.  “Good Times” was released off their 2009 album Leaving Wonderland...in a Fit of Rage. It’s an upbeat song, about not letting the small things in life get you down and always remembering the good times in life.  It’s a track, I think most people can relate too.

 

3.)  House of Pain Anthem by The House of Pain

YOU KNOW THEM FOR:

 

 

YOU SHOULD ALSO CHECK OUT:

Everlast, Danny Boy, and DJ Lethal—better known as the House of Pain—rose to popularity in 1992 with their hit “Jump Around”, a track that’s still popular at house parties and sports arenas around the world.  However, in the beginning of the Music Video to “Jump Around” there is a sampling from another track off the same album “House of Pain Anthem”.  It has more of a Gangsta-Rap vibe, and a catchy chorus, and tough sounding lyrics.  

 

    

 

4.)  Digging the Grave by Faith No More

YOU KNOW THEM FOR:

YOU SHOULD ALSO CHECK OUT:

San Francisco based Funk-Metal band Faith No More rose to prominence with their 1989 hit “Epic”.  “Epic” is a track that gained even more popularity when it was featured on the popular music-based video game Rock Band.  Although is a great track, I feel like it was just the beginning for Faith No More.  Their follow up albums Angel Dust and King for a Day...Fool for a Lifetime are also packed with wonderful singles that display singer Mike Patton’s wide vocal range and prove he really is “Mr. One Thousand Voices”; tracks such as “Be Aggressive”, “Ugly in the Morning”, and “Digging the Grave”.

YOU SHOULD ALSO CHECK OUT:

 

 

5.)  Three Point One Four by The Bloodhound Gang

 

YOU KNOW THEM FOR:

 

YOU SHOULD ALSO CHECK OUT:

 

Who doesn’t know The Bloodhound Gang’s hilariously epic 1998 smash hit “Bad Touch”.  Who doesn’t enjoy the chorus “You and me baby aint nothing but mammals/so let’s do it like they do on the discovery channel”.  However, the Bloodhound Gang has recorded equally as offensive songs with sexualized lyrics such as “Kiss me where it smells funny”, “Screwing you on the Beach at Night”, and “Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo”.  However, it is another track from their Hooray for Boobies album that has probably its most offensive and raunchiest song, “Three Point One Four”.  But don’t let the tame title of the song fool you, it’s actually a song with obscene and comedic lyrics.

 

 

Character Analysis: Thackery Binx

Character Analysis: Thackery Binx

By: Brian Cotnoir

     There’s no doubt about it: When you think Disney, you think animation.  However, Disney Film Studios have actually had a great deal of success with their live action films.  The “Pirates of the Caribbean” films have grossed over 4 billion dollars worldwide!  And yet, they are still known primarily as a animation film studio.  Well, there’s one live action film that Disney released that is very near and dear to the hearts of many from my generation, and every fall I see more and more people break out their copy to watch it for Halloween. I of course am talking about “Hocus Pocus”.  “Hocus Pocus” has some sentimental value to me.  Not only was it a film that was made and released during my childhood, but its set in my home state of Massachusetts, and parts of it were actually filmed in Salem, MA.  When I was in college my friends and I would go into Salem on Halloween, and I just got a feeling of sweet nostalgia every time we went.  It is an amazing film that’s filled with interesting and memorable characters, and I’m going to do a Character Analysis on one of the films characters, Thackery Binx.

CHARACTER: Thackery Binx from “Hocus Pocus” (1993)

Thackery Binx from "Hocus Pocus" (1993)

Thackery Binx is a young farm boy from 1693, who lives in Salem, Massachusetts.  One morning Thackery notices that his little sister Emily has been spirited away by the evil Sanderson Sisters, who are alleged witches.  The Sanderson Sisters lure the children of Salem out into their cottage in the woods in order to feed them a special potion that allows them to drain out the child’s life force so they can remain young and beautiful forever.  Thackery tries to rescue his sister, but his heroic plans are thwarted by the 3 sisters and he is transformed into a black cat.  The Sanderson Sister’s drain the life force of Emily, but are soon caught in the act by the Binx family and the residents of Salem.  Thackery’s family is completely unaware that their son has been transformed into a cat; a form in which is unfortunately doomed to spend the rest of his life in, until the curse is broken.  He is immortal and nothing—not time, disease, or even being run over by a car—can kill him.                  

Heeeeere kitty-kitty

    Flash forward 300 years to Halloween night and teenager Max Dennison (who just so happens to also be a virgin) lights the black flame candle in brings the Sanderson sisters back from the dead.  Max, his little sister Dani, and his friend Allison are now being pursued by the Sanderson Sisters and the only person who can help them is Thackery Binx.  Fortunately for Max and the others Thackery has the ability to communicate with them (which brings up the question, how come Max, Dani, and Allison can communicate with him, but Thackery’s parents were unable to talk to him 300 years ago?).

THE ACTORS:

One unique thing about Thackery Binx is that he is portrayed by two different actors.  In the opening and closing scene Thackery is played by actor Sean Murray.  However, the voice of Thackery is done by voice actor Jason Marsden, and not just when he’s Binx the Cat, he also voices all over of Sean Murray’s lines too.  I have no idea why they did that?  I have done my research and couldn’t find any reason why they chose to cast Thackery like that. I can’t understand they wouldn’t just have Sean Murray read the lines for Binx the cat or why they wouldn’t have had Jason Marsden play Thackery in the live action scenes.  To be perfectly, honest I would have preferred it if they would have had Jason Marsden play Thackery and be the voice of Binx the Cat.

Sean Murray, the actor who played Thackery Binx

 

Jason Marsden the voice of Thackery and Binx the Cat

CHARACTER IS SIMILAR TO OR INSPIRED BY:

     Thackery is similar to the character Salem Saberhagen from the Television series “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” (the 1^st episode of which came 3 years after “Hocus Pocus”).  Both are men who were transformed into black cats.  However, their similarities stop there.  Thackery was transformed into one for trying to stop the Sanderson Sisters from killing his sister.  Salem was transformed into a cat for trying to “take over the world”.  Thackery’s story and personality is more tragic and brooding, while Salem’s story and personality is more comedic.

Salem from "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" (1996)

 

FATE OF THE CHARACTER:

     The Curse on Thackery is broken after Max, Dani, Allison, and Billy Butcher (a resurrected zombie) vanquish the Sanderson sisters, by exposing them to the sun light the day after Halloween.  Binx is now dead, and his spirit is scene in the graveyard.  He thanks Max, Dani, and Allison for their help setting him free from the curse that was put on him over three centuries ago.  The last we see of Thackery is walking off into the sunrise with the spirit of his long deceased sister Emily, to happily spend eternity together in the afterlife.

Robin Williams Tribute

                

                   I drew that at work this morning for all to see. I wanted to see what people would do/say. Mostly people didn't talk much about the tragedy, instead it roused a few smiles! You see, people remember Robin Williams and smile because that is what he did! He made us smile. We all grew up with him in one way or another, I saw him most in his films, others can recite his stand-ups without hesitation. His death is a great loss for everyone who loved him and the world is just a bit darker without him.
                  One coworker of mine recalled her tears the night before. She said how she wondered why she was crying when she didn't know him. I told her we all knew him, in a way. Robin was an artist; and as an artist he showed everyone who he was. He let us all know him, in a way. 
                  Through his acting we saw his heart, his passion for theater and he always gave it his all. No matter what the script, comedy or drama, one can just tell that he loved to tell stories, wether it be as a character in one or alone on a stage speaking to an audience. Through his stand up we saw his mind, he imbued his comedy with his experiences and stories he had lived and relayed how he thought about subjects like the president and gun control ("The National Rifle Association says you have the rights to own armor piercing rounds if you're a hunter. WHY? How many deer wear bulletproof vests?!")
                  After hearing the news I immediately lit a candle and went to my dvds to find Mrs. Doubtfire, which is apparently the first film of his that comes to mind for me. Not finding it I went to netflix and began watching Hook. About half way through I realized how many times I had seen the film and went off to find one of my favorites: Bicentennial Man. This movie brought me to tears when I first saw it and I had been meaning to see it again. It still makes me cry. I watched that, and his stand up Weapons of Self Destruction until the candle went out (a tiny tea light). Getting into bed, still watching his stand ups I realized the irony in the fact that I was laughing at the man to get over his demise. 
                   That's what makes him great. Great comedy can make us laugh no matter what the situation. Another reason he was great is that it seemed that he was always on. Even when he wasn't on stage or a set, in interviews, on the red carpet, it seemed he love to make others laugh, and he was brave enough to do things to get those laughs that most others would not. 
                   I spoke to him. My vivid imagination could conjure a ghost of him, standing in my apartment. I told him through tears he was going to live forever. The films he was in, his stand up, they will be watched for generations to come, and remembered long after that. We live for as long as our memories are held dear and what better way to be remembered than making people smile?
                   So many people have posted tributes, condolences, and good-byes (the one quoted in my drawing brought me to tears again after I thought I was done!). I am no different. I cannot find a new way to say this that has not been said countless time in the past 24 hours. There is only one way to say farewell to the huge talent the Robin Williams was: Cry, watch his films and stand-ups, and promise to help him live on by showing them to others. I hope I never need to hear someone ask "Who is Robin Williams?" That's up to us. Generations to come need to see this man, because he is great, and he is an inspiration.
                   In his Inside the Actor's Studio interview he said that he hopes that there is laughter in heaven. Well, Mr. Williams, if there wasn't any before, there certainly is now!
                   But here in life the man was an artist, a genius of comedy who makes us laugh even in the wake of his death. Through that art, through our laughter, he will live forever.

1. July 21, 1951-August 11, 2014

RIP Robin Williams

One of the best. One of the greats!