Warning: Addictive Music Below!

Second Warning: There’s lots of it!

Before I got an actual Tumblr account, I would look through other Tumblr blogs, following them through Blogger.  One of my favorites was Disney With Swank.  It was while randomly scrolling through this Tumblr that I first discovered Pogo.

Who is Pogo? you ask.

His real name is Nick Bertke, and what Nick does for a living is remix movies into songs.  He does originals too, but his remixes of movie audio clips, song tracks, sound effects, etc. – he takes all those and makes them into a song – are always amazing!

[If I confused you – “His work consists of recording small sounds from a film or a specific scene, and sequencing the sounds together to form a new piece of music” (Wikipedia).]

And because I love Pogo’s mixes so well – I listen to them as I study – I figured I would share with you my favorites of his Disney-themed ones.  Obviously, he has remixes of many movies outside of Disney, but this is The Disney Freak’s Blog, after all.

Let’s start with the first one I ever heard.  And then in no particular order.

And if you start listening to them on repeat during study time like I do, it’s understandable.  I
expected you to.

Snow White: Fairest of the Remixes

Pogo’s track “Wishery” was the one I stumbled upon in Disney With Swank.  At first, I didn’t quite like it, thinking it was making fun of Snow White or something (lots of people don’t like her voice – I admit, I went through that stage once).  But then I realized the backstory to the track and began to like it.  Love the witch’s cackling at the end!

Video from YouTube.

Alice in Pogoland

Pogo’s track “Alice” was his first ever made!  Though I sometimes listen to it as I study, it’s actually one of my least favorites, mainly because of the low beat, I guess.  But I’m coming to appreciate it!  I especially enjoy how Pogo edited the video to make the movements match the music.

Video from YouTube.

Classic Remixing

Pogo’s track “Bloom” isn’t just of one movie: it’s a remix of classic Disney movies – I agree though, there is a bit of a princess-theme in there.  And I absolutely love the Cheshire Cat’s maniacal laughter towards the end.

Video from YouTube.

A Supercalafragalisticexpialadocious Remix

This is definitely one of my favorites.  I literally have the “words” memorized!  I could listen to it all day.  My absolute favorite part is…well, basically all the parts with Mr. Banks, especially his repeated 6:02 part.  Without further ado, here is Pogo’s track “Expialidocious” from Mary Poppins.

Video from YouTube.

That Doesn’t Even Rhyme!

Here is probably my favorite Pogo track.  Honestly, once I found it on YouTube over the summer, I couldn’t stop listening to it.  I’ve actually been avoiding it because I want to listen to his other tracks instead of just this one.  Simply awesome.  Here’s Pogo’s track “Uplar,” which is actually acknowledged by Disney: “He took part in a project hosted by Disney/Pixar to produce a track based on their film Up” (Wikipedia).

Video from YouTube.

White Pogo Magic

This one just makes me laugh, especially Arthur’s “Duff!” lines.  Here’s Pogo’s track “White Magic,” from The Sword and the Stone.

Video from YouTube.

It’s Aztec Gold!

Last one.  Maybe.

This one actually hasn’t been released officially yet, but someone leaked it onto YouTube, and it’s too good not to share.  I am actually listening to it on repeat right now.  My favorite part would be the repeated “You don’t know what this is, do ya? / It’s Aztec gold!”

I cannot seem to be able to put the video in the post, so here’s the link for Pogo’s “Swashbuckle.”

Two Wizards of Oz

I had to.  I just had to.  I love these two Wizard of Oz remixes too much not to share.  The second one may scar you for life, though.  I think it did for me.

Video from YouTube. The video was the winning entry in a contest for the song.

Video from YouTube. And troll faces were born.

Before you go, here’s some interesting news about a track that isn’t on YouTube: “It is suggested that ‘Ariel’, a The Little Mermaid remix, may be released by Disney to coincide with the release of the film on Blu-ray (Wikipedia).

I hope you enjoyed these tracks from Pogo!  And if you’re interested in his other works, I encourage you to just check out his YouTube channel.  He’s got a track on Cinderella, one on Monsters, Inc., and a few on the Toy Story movies, which I didn’t feature.

ttfn!  And I promise, that second Oz review post will come soon!

The Great and Powerful Oz: A Review

I’m late, I’m late for a quite important date.

Before I begin, I just have one little note.  This post is a simple review of the movie that just came out: Oz the Great and Powerful.  Later, I plan to do a second post which WILL contain SPOILERS because it will discuss in great detail what I didn’t like and why.

And so without further ado, let’s take a peek at the movie behind the curtain…

Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a carnival magician known as Oz, wants to be a great man. Not just a good man, but a great one. But when he accidently lands in Oz, he is taken to be a great Wizard who will fulfill a certain prophecy and become king. Oscar sees his chance to become the man he’s always wanted to be, complete with mountain-high piles of gold in the Royal Oz Treasury. But there’s a catch to the prophecy: he has to kill the Wicked Witch (with three possible candidates: Evanora, Theodora, and Glinda). In trying to figure out the three witches and learning to help others besides himself, Oscar learns that, though it may seem impossible, there can be something even greater than greatness itself.

The Great and Powerful

I have to hand it to the special effects team: the special effects they created are simply breathtaking and extremely realistic.  As I’ve stated before, you really do feel as if you are in the Land of Oz, an otherworldly realm where everything is bizarre and brilliant.  However, it seems sometimes that the movie was just a way for some special effects guys to show off their skills – sure, the scenery is beautiful, but did you have to focus on everything Oscar/Oz passed by as he floated along in one of Glinda’s bubble creations?

Obviously, in 1939, the special effects we have now didn’t exist, so of course everything in Oz the Great and Powerful is much more realistic than The Wizard of Oz.

Speaking of The Wizard of Oz, the new movie does try to connect itself (but not perfectly) to the classic.  As evident in the trailers, the movie moves from colorless to colorful (Technicolor), giving a nod to the classic.  There are also cameos of two of Dorothy’s beloved companions, with hints to the third’s “creators.”

There also is lots of humor in the movie, and if I remember correctly, it was all family-friendly humor, something Disney usually excels in.

The Wicked

(Note: these are my observations.  Keep in mind that I am a bit of a coward when it comes to startling movies.  It is your choice whether or not children should see this movie.)

Though the Land of Oz has its beauty, it also has its scary, and this Oz is a lot darker than the one Judy visited.

There are quite a few intense scenes as Oscar/Oz begins his search for the Wicked Witch.  And many times you hear the (off-screen) screaming of the Witch’s flying monkeys as they pass through, but you don’t see them until later in the film.  And when you do, that takes place during another intense and spooky scene in a graveyard.

Speaking of those flying monkeys, these aren’t the furry little guys you remember from Margaret Hamilton’s service.  (No, that furry little guy would be Finley, a random flying monkey who helps Oscar/Oz.)  Instead, these flying monkeys are more like really creepy flying baboons, complete with sharp teeth.

Their boss, the green Wicked Witch, is not quite as wicked or scary as Margaret Hamilton was.  In fact (and I’ll try to avoid spoilers here), the Wicked Witch of the West almost seemed over the top in this movie, especially her first (shadow) appearance.

Lastly, and this may not seem to important, but it is worth noting that Oscar/Oz is portrayed as a womanizer, and little children could be a bit confused.  It’s up to you.

Overall, I’d wait till it comes out on DVD or Blu-ray if you really want to see it.  I gave it 2/5 Mickey Mouse Heads (in place of stars – I thought it was clever!).

DD

The….Disney?

One random thing, but there is a point where one character offers another character a green apple to eat, and I did roll my eyes at the very familiar scene.

See you all real soon.  Probably not in the Land of Oz unfortunately, even though I’m in Kansas, but I think the state of Disney is a pretty awesome alternative.