Editorial: Bob Iger Steps Down from Disney

Breaking News (Somewhat): Bob Iger steps down as Disney's CEO.

Henry Cavill Calls it Quits? Advice to DC

According to an article from Comicbook.com, it seems DC may have to recast Superman in addition to possibly recasting Batman. Due to his obligation in Netflix's adaptation of The Witcher and negotiations for a cameo in Shazam falling through, Henry Cavill could be hanging up his cape and leaving the role of Superman in the DC Extended Universe. In my personal opinion, I would not blame him for wanting to leave the role; however, I do see potential as Justice League was a step in the right direction for the character. There is so much Cavill could do with this version of Superman that has not been previously explored, such as teaming up with their own version of Supergirl and a significant amount of lore pertaining to Krypton. Perhaps this will cause DC to realize their Cinematic Universe is an absolute mess due to the decisions they made, such as rushing into the team ups without establishing the major players first (cameos in the team ups to not count, by the way). If their previous actions had not ended in absolute disaster, then maybe Cavill would have stayed and we would have seen more of his Superman. Their best course of action is to simply keep the remaining DCEU cast and do a full reboot with Wonder Woman 1984 and Matt Reeves' The Batman. Additionally, DC needs to make their film franchises more standalone instead of interconnected like Marvel.

UPDATE (09/12/18 11:38 AM CST): According to another article from Comicbook.com, Ben Affleck is also on his way out as Superman. Maybe it is time to completely reboot, DC.

UPDATE (09/13/18 11:03 AM CST): It seems the source's report is merely speculation at this point, as nothing has been made completely official. However, they have not confirmed or denied Cavill's departure from the Superman role, stating that Cavill "still keeps the cape in his closet".

No Animal Characters in Aladdin's Remake?!

Based on various articles floating around the internet, it seems director Guy Ritchie is wanting to replace the iconic animal characters Rajah, Iago, and possibly Abu with human characters his reboot of Aladdin. 

              For Rajah, it seems the tiger is being replaced with a handmaiden known as Mara. Based on these developments, it seems Mara is based on the handmaidens from the stage musical, as well as a deleted character from earlier drafts of the original film. I do not mind the change, (as first of all) it shows Guy Ritchie is attempting to bring in more elements of Howard Ashman’s intended vision of the film by repurposing these deleted characters. Also, Rajah was a very minor character in the original film; he did not contribute anything to the story and if he is indeed omitted from the reboot, it would not impact the film at all. However, Iago is another situation entirely.

              Iago made a significant contribution in the original movie’s storyline and was a member of the main cast. If Ritchie wanted to eliminate the parrot from his adaptation, he could have made the character human like in the stage musical. Unfortunately, it seems Ritchie plans to give the bird “le boot” and replace him with another character known as “Hakim”. Surprisingly, Hakim will be an amalgamation of the original film’s Razoul and the aforementioned Iago. In my opinion, I am disappointed in the change, but I can understand why the character was omitted. If Iago were to remain in his current state, it would take away from the “grounded” and “street-level” vision Guy Ritchie has for the film. However, as I stated before, Iago could have worked if he was turned into a human character like in the stage adaptation of Aladdin. If they plan to axe Rajah and Iago, then it is extremely likely the monkey known as Abu will also be eliminated from this version.

              While I am somewhat disappointed about the possibility of Abu being eliminated from the upcoming film, I am also optimistic about what characters they could put in his place. Since it seems Ritchie wants to evoke more of Ashman’s original “grounded and realistic” vision for the film, this brings up the possibility of him incorporating deleted characters Babkak, Omar, and Kassim to serve as Aladdin’s sidekicks. For those unaware, the three aforementioned characters were written into Howard Ashman’s original 1988 treatment of Aladdin and served as his sidekicks; think of them as prototypes of the monkey. However, when the movie went into production, the three were amalgamated into a singular entity. If these three characters are brought back into the fold, it would also raise the possibilities of three cut Aladdin songs being restored as well; Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim, How Quick They Forget, and the iconic High Adventure. I know wishing for the trio to be resurrected for this film is like grasping for straws, and they are probably going to give Aladdin a single sidekick like everybody else. However, Disney has surprised us before, so I am cautiously optimistic about this.

              Do you think any other characters will be eliminated or brought back from the cutting room floor? If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below and get some sort of discussion going!

R.I.P. June Foray

(June Foray, September 18th, 1917-July 27, 2017)

Today is truly a saddening day in the animation industry. Unfortunately, the last of the voice actors from animation's "Golden Age" has passed away. June Foray died in her California home less than two months before her one-hundredth birthday. For those unaware, Foray was known as the voice actress for characters such as Rocket J. Squirrel in Rocky and Bullwinkle (a role she would later reprise for the live action adaptation and in other works), Granny and various additional voices for Looney Tunes, and Magica de Spell in Ducktales. In her life as a voice actress, she was considered a female counterpart to voice actor Mel Blanc, as she was known to do many voices throughout her career. I think it would have been amazing to see her live to be one-hundred (a feat people have rarely achieved), but unfortunately a higher power wanted her voicing characters in the great beyond. She will be forever loved by family, friends, and fans such as myself, and she will be forever immortalized by her work! Thank you so much for everything, Miss Foray, and I hope you find peace in your eternal rest.

Reviews and Retrospectives Editorial: Farewell, Old Chum...

A video version of the previous post. #RIPAdamWest

A Heartfelt tribute to a Legend...

(Adam West, September 19, 1928-June 9, 2017)

This morning we have lost a legend in the entertainment industry; a man known to make us laugh, cry, and keep coming back at the same time on the same channel. Of course, I am referring to the legend known as Adam West; best known for playing the campy television Batman in the latter half of the 1960s, the younger MermaidMan in Spongebob Squarepants, as well as an exaggerated, fictionalized version of himself on Family Guy.

West passed away at 88 years old after fighting leukemia. According to a statement from his family (show the quote onscreen), “Our dad always saw himself as The Bright Knight and aspired to make a positive impact on his fans' lives. He was and always will be our hero.” West was survived by his wife, six children, five grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Julie Newmar, who starred opposite West in the Batman tv series, also stated in response to his passing; (put quote onscreen) “ Stellar, exemplar, a king to the end… He was bright, witty and fun to work with. I will miss him in the physical world and savor him always in the world of imagination and creativity. He meant so much to people.”

Even though I did not grow up with his portrayal of Batman (I primarily grew up with Kevin Conroy’s instead); I definitely enjoyed watching reruns of his version while on break from working at Walmart, in the evenings after school, and in moments of downtime with my mother and grandfather. I also got a laugh or two out of his exaggerated self in Family Guy, despite not being a big fan of the show. As for MermaidMan; sad to say, it took me a while to realize it was him (I deeply apologize, Mr. West).

To conclude; I would just like to say, “farewell, old chum”. You will be missed dearly by the fans, family, and friends whose hearts you have touched with your talent. I do not mean to get religious (as I know many people have various beliefs), but a higher power has summoned you to the big batcave in the sky.

Updates on Future Projects (05/28/2016)

Hi all,

I deeply apologize for not keeping the blog and YouTube channel updated as much as I usually do. I have had some things in my personal life come up that I needed to tend to. For starters, I had to move to a new location. Second, I have been given more hours at my job which has also been taking up a significant amount of my time (I work as a Desk Assistant for a university's Residential Life Office). Finally, I have been preparing for a friend's wedding on June 3rd. As for projects pertaining to the blog, here is a small rundown of what is in the pipeline as of May 28th, 2017:

• Anastasia episode of Reviews and Retrospectives
• Script has been completed, and it will be posted on the blog as I know my readers prefer the written word over the videos
• Video will be posted on YouTube
• Dialogue is being recorded
• Images and movie clips are being collected 

• The Art of Austin: Someday Kinetic Typography
• 1/3 has been fully animated
• Sneak Peek of animation coming in the next 48 hours 

•  Tips for Success #3-#1
• #3 is completed
•  #2 and #1 are being written as I am writing this post 

• The History of Beauty and the Beast Chapter 3
• The research is almost completed
• Script has not been written yet   I look forward to releasing these posts and videos at a later date, and I cannot wait to hear your reactions on them. If you have any suggestions for future reviews, feel free to email me at austinmmyers@yahoo.com or post a suggestion in the comments below. 

A "Q and A" on the Blog's New Format

Hello all,
I bet you have all been wondering what has been going on with the blog. Overall, some changes are being made to accommodate a new format, such as making the transition into video reviews (similar to Lewis "Lovhaug" Linkara in the early days of Atop the Fourth Wall). To put everyone's minds at ease, I have written a quick "Q and A" post so everybody is on the same page.

Q: Will you still do written posts even though you are doing video reviews?

A: Of course I will! I am going to attempt to balance the written and video posts, as I know both are popular. I could never give up the written posts, as I know visitors of the site love them.

Q: What happened to The Art of Austin?

A: Due to low viewership; the blog has been deleted. However, any posts related to artwork will be posted using the deceased blog's former name.

Q: When will the next video review/written review be released?

A: The video reviews (as well as any review on this site) do not have a set schedule at the moment. I would love to do blogging and video-making full time, but due to my busy personal life that is currently impossible.

Do you have any other questions that need to be answered? If so, please leave them in the comments below and I will do my best to reply.

Reviews and Retrospectives Editorial: The Casting Choice for Genie...

In this mini episode of Reviews and Retrospectives, we will be discussing Disney's polarizing casting choice for the live action version of Aladdin's Genie. I do not own any of the music and images used in this video. All that I do own is my opinion and the dialogue I recorded. The usage of the images, footages and music is protected under fair use.

New Editorial Announcement!

Due to new revelations in the film industry pertaining to casting of a certain film, there will be an editorial posted on here and on YouTube sometime tomorrow. Feel free to check it out when it comes!

Delay

I really hate to do this, but due to being busy in my personal life; the next review will be delayed. I have been sick, I have major assignments to do in my classes, and I am waiting to hear back on a job. That does not mean the review is not coming; I will try to have it ready by the 29th.

Next Review Hints and Release Date...

"When there's trouble, you know who to call..."

The name of a biblical figure is in the title...

Coming April 14th...

Update on History of Beauty and the Beast Chapter Three and Upcoming Review

Hello everyone,

I am just writing this post to give a few updates. First, the next episode of History of Beauty and the Beast will be delayed a bit due to unforseen circumstances. However, a review of the recently released remake is in the works, so be sure to be on the lookout for that! I am slowly transitioning into doing more video reviews to get myself more acquainted with Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects for editing. Also, I have wanted to do video reviews since this blog first went live.

I cannot wait to see what you think of the upcoming review once it is uploaded!

Take care and have a good one!

-Austin Myers-

Update on History of Beauty and the Beast Chapter 2

Hello all,

I am typing this post to give everybody an update on the second and third chapters of The History of Beauty and the Beast. At the time of this post, Chapter 2 is currently being rendered in Adobe Premiere. Chapter 3 is currently being written and will cover the film's production up to being shown at the New York Film Festival. The former should be uploaded later tonight, or tomorrow morning. The purpose of this retrospective is to serve as a "lead in" to the 2017 remake, and to slowly transition into video reviews.

Take care!

-Austin Myers

Coming Soon...

A sneak peek at an upcoming Disney Retrospective

"Spinoff" Art Blog!

Good Evening,
For a while, I have wanted to showcase my artwork. However, I feel it would not fit the purpose of Reviews and Retrospectives if I were to showcase my work on here. To alleviate the problem, I have created an art blog, http://ausartwork.reviewsandretrospectives.com/. Feel free to follow this blog for future updates.

Merry Christmas!

Hello everybody,

I am making this quick post to wish you all a Merry Christmas! I hope your holidays are safe and pleasant, and once 2017 rolls around I will be back up with more reviews!

"Have a good one", as Danger Dolan of Planet Dolan would say!

News Update (12/18/2016)

Hello everyone,

 I am sending out this update to let you all know what to expect in the blog's future. To start, the next episode of The Last of Us' walkthrough is being uploaded, however technical issues are preventing YouTube from uploading completely. Next, I am trying to decide another Disney-related post. I do know it will pertain to the villains of Disney's long line of animated films. I would like to know what villain-related topics you would like me to discuss, so if you have a suggestion, feel free to comment below or tweet me at @austinmmyers19. Finally, I would like to thank you all for your support in my work, both written and visual. It means so much to me and I cannot thank you all enough! This blog has been an exciting hobby for me since the summer of 2012, and I am honored to share my opinions with my readers and viewers. This year has been a year of many milestones, such as reaching view milestones of 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000. That is simply impressive and I could not have done it without all of you! 2017 is going to be a big year for this blog, bigger than 2017 was. I am considering starting video reviews, but I am wondering if you all would like to see them or if I should stick to written reviews right now. Once again, all comments are encouraged, and I wish you all a Happy Holidays!

(Note: If you would like to support my work, feel free to check out my art shop at austinmmyers1994.deviantart.com)

Upcoming Reviews after History of Aladdin

(Blogger's Note: Reviews are subject to change. The list is tentative)

Tentative Reviews for 2016 (Release Dates TBD)

-Batman: The Killing Joke (1989 Graphic Novel by Alan Moore)
-Little Shop of Horrors (1986 film by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Frank Oz)
-The Last: Naruto the Movie (2014 animated film by Studio Pierrot and Masashi Kishimoto)
-Pokemon: Origins (2013 Miniseries based on Pokemon Red and Blue by OLM and The Pokemon Company)



Tentative Reviews for 2017 (Again, release dates are TBD)
 -Uncharted (2009-2016 Video Game Series by Naughty Dog)
-Pokemon Sun and Moon (2016 Video Game by Nintendo and The Pokemon Company)
-Ace Attorney anime adaptation (2016 Anime series by Capcom and A-1 Pictures)
-Beauty and the Beast (2017 Remake of 1991 Animated film by Walt Disney Studios)
-Power Rangers (2017 Reboot film of 1993 Television Series)
-Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017 Film by Marvel Studios)
-The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (2017 Video Game by Nintendo)*

The End of Ash Ketchum's Journey?

(Warning: This post will contain massive spoilers about the current arc of the Pokemon anime. Please read at your own risk and enjoy!)

As many fans of Pokemon may know, protagonist Ash Ketchum has at last made it to the final round of a Pokemon League tournament as of the current arc in the anime. His opponent being his rival in the Kalos league, Alain. For almost twenty years, he has fought in various league tournaments and the farthest he has gone before was the Semi-finals in Sinnoh. Though fictional, I am proud of this kid and am rooting for him as I look at Serebii and Bulbapedia as I wake up tomorrow. I have been a huge fan of this character since I was a small child and have been wanting him to win a league tournament and wanted him to become a Pokemon Master.

Go Ash, and godspeed! Kick Alain to the ground!

Update: Unfortunately Ash did not win, however second place is better than not winning at all. It is certainly a huge milestone nonetheless.