Musical Monday: Feed the Birds

[snick_backup]

It is now today and not yesterday; I plead spring break for the time warp.

Today we visit one of my favoritest movies ever, Mary Poppins. There are a number of fun, rowsing numbers like "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and "Fly a Kite," but my personal favorite (and the one I learned to play on the harmonica) is this one: "Feed the Birds." Soft, eerie, with a big background orchestral sound.

Plus, today we have extra bonus Mary Poppins content! First, if you haven't seen the trailer for Mary Poppins as a horror film, then you must. Right this minute. I kind of don't get the point of traditional vidding, but this is another beast entirely, and it's superb.

And second, if you ever thought you maybe might want to ship Mary Poppins/Bert just a little bit, then you need to read Wind in the East, a Yuletide fic by DragoJustine that also ships them just a little bit. It's quiet and somewhat melancholy and very much in the spirit of the film.

Comments

[riccadonna.livejournal.com]

I was going to fight you to death because you didn't mention the chimney sweepers, but then I realize that that is more a dance than a song, so relax, we're both safe!

[snickfic]

Oh, that was my very favorite bit when I was little. Well, that and the carousel horses, because they were so pretty and each one matched its rider so well. I always thought about which one I would want to ride - I don't think I ever managed to make up my mind. :)

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

Okay, you're going to be majorly disappointed in me, but: my sister and I hated this song when we were little. We always fast-forwarded through it because it was slow and kind of creepy (or so we thought), and we couldn't wait to get past it. Of course, we also always fast-forwarded through the scene in the bank because it freaked us out. So we were very selective in what we did and didn't watch (in related news: my sister is terrified of Oompa-Loompas, so we always fast-forwarded through the scenes where they sang. Also, she's scared of squirrels. True story).

Now that I'm older, I can appreciate JA's gorgeous voice and I even like the melancholiness. But when I was young? HATED it. :)

[snickfic]

Well, since the almost-creepiness is part of what I like about it, I can hardly be disappointed in you. And I didn't mind the oompa-loompas (and hey, there ain't nothing in the Gene Wilder version that can hold a candle to the sheer disorienting insanity of the Johnny Depp version), but I couldn't deal with the ferry ride through the tunnel. In fact, I've only seen it once - it scared me so bad that when we copied the VHS, we fast-forwarded through and didn't record that part.

Also, now you really need to check the horror!Poppins link I put up there.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

THE FERRY RIDE IS TERRIFYING. I always closed my eyes at that part. Seriously, it's the greatest scary thing ever. And I personally hate Tim Burton's version. He likes to be weird for the sake of weirdness, and I hate that. It's so pretentious.

I've seen it before! I think it's brilliant! As brilliant as the one for The Shining that makes it look like a heartwarming family film!

[snickfic]

I've never seen The Shining - I'm actually not much good for horror movies. I really liked the book, though...

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it either but I thought the fake trailer was really, really funny.

I do think I'd like the book. Maybe I'll have to check it out?

[snickfic]

I have a weird relationship with Stephen King's work. He writes such excellent characters, and yet they're all so grimy. Reading his stuff make me feel like I've got dirt under my fingernails. So about once a year I'll say, "Huh, I feel like a Stephen King novel now," and I'll go find one and read it, and that'll be quite enough until the next year.

Last year, it was The Shining, which is great for the first two-thirds, which were all about psychological tension (and also had possibly the most personally terrifying portrayal of man's fallenness that I've ever read), but then really falls down for the last third, which is just about blood dripping down walls and stuff flying around and lots of supposedly suspenseful chase scenes.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

True story: never read him. But I imagine, from your description, that I would have a similar reaction.

and also had possibly the most personally terrifying portrayal of man's fallenness that I've ever read You know what to say to me to get me interested, don't you?

[snickfic]

You know what to say to me to get me interested, don't you?

Oh, it's a fascinating book that way. King's at by far his strongest when he's talking about human evil rather than supernatural evil - the supernatural is just an exaggeration or reflection of the human. The Shining takes that basic idea and dials it up to 11. The evil, haunted hotel doesn't possess the dad or make him any more evil than he already was; it only draws his basic human sinfulness out into the open and out of his control. It's not about a man who's a monster; it's about how man is a monster. (And somehow this gets done without feeling nearly as pretentious as I've just made it sound...)

Chilling, chilling stuff.

[penny-lane-42.livejournal.com]

This really is so fascinating to me. Especially within the context of it being "lower" writing--like you said: not pretentious, but from what I understand he's a really good writer, he's just chosen genre fiction to tell his stories in (btw, I've heard that his short stories are his best work: thoughts?). I respect that a lot.

[snickfic]

I feel "Eh" about his short stories. The stories that became Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption were both decent, but I have trouble comparing, since I read them after the movies. There haven't been any other shorts I've really been impressed by, but then again, I haven't read very many.

[next_to_normal]

We always fast-forwarded through it because it was slow and kind of creepy (or so we thought), and we couldn't wait to get past it.

OMG me too!

If it weren't for the squirrel thing, I'd wonder if I AM your sister. But no, fish is my phobia.

[silverusagi]

I love the horror film trailer!

[snickfic]

Isn't it great? And now suddenly it's giving me Yuletide ideas. Hmm...

[gigi-tastic.livejournal.com]

OH MY HOLY SQUEE!! I LOVE MARRY POPPINS!! i have this vintage album of the music and in it theres this little story book its awesome.guh someone must make this movie!horror poppins rocks!

[snickfic]

Isn't the trailer great? I doubt someone could cobble together an entire narrative from movie footage the way they put together the trailer, but I sure wouldn't mind seeing some fanfic about it (which, hey, gives me a great idea for Yuletide this year...).

random commenter

[rowanda380.livejournal.com]

I always loved feed the birds too, it is erie yet beautiful :0)

Re: random commenter

[snickfic]

Yes, it's the eeriness I love best, I think. Just gorgeous.

[(Anonymous)]

When I was a child, I had two thoughts on this song. 1. Why feed the birds when it contributes to bird overpopulation? 2. If you are going to do this, why pay a tuppence when you can bring some bird-feeding product from home? Obviously paying a tuppence to the scary woman is not the only option for feeding birds.

I was totally against the boy not investing his coin, although I didn't think investing a coin would bring much return.

That said, it's a pretty song.

--Ariel

[snickfic]

1. "You know what you get when you feed the birds? Fat birds."

2. It's all a scam. Mary Poppins is clearly on the take. (Actually, selling birdseed is the woman's only apparent source of income, so there's also an element of charity to it...)

But it is very pretty. :)