Bless My Soul, Herc Was On A Roll: Hercules

Oh boy, this is one I've been really looking forward to. When I mentioned in past posts about being on a Disney kick the past couple months, it was all because of this movie. Once I saw this movie back in January, it opened up the floodgates and revived my interest in Disney movies and this takes the spot as my all-time favorite Disney movie.I don't know how to describe why I like this movie so much. Granted, as an adult, I can appreciate the technical work that went into the production better than I ever could as a kid. I love the animation, the art direction, the music, and it may just be because it was the first traditionally drawn Disney movie I've seen in years and reminded me of the studio's quality of the time.

Much like Aladdin, I remember occasionally watching reruns of the TV show on Toon Disney, but I only saw the movie as an adult. Other than that, the only exposure I had to the movie was the occasional reference to Hades in Disney World or House of Mouse, jokes and screenshots posted online, and a scene or two we watched in sixth grade when we studied Greek mythology.

Overall though, this movie is fairly underrepresented when it comes to Disney films. While it may not be outright ignored like The Hunchback of Notre Dame or any of the movies from the dark ages, it certainly seems to be low ranking in terms of the company's roster of movies. In a sense, that may be another reason why I like it. It doesn't have as much exposure as some of the other movies nowadays and that sort of makes it more special to those who really do like it.

Summary

Hercules is very, very, loosely based on the myth of the ancient Greek demigod Heracles, but takes on a largely different story.

As a baby, Hercules is kidnapped and turned mortal under the order of Hades, the god of the dead, who wants to take over Mount Olympus for himself. After Hades' minions fail to kill him, Hercules is adopted and raised on Earth but struggles to fit in because he has superhuman strength. After learning about his true parentage, Hercules begins a quest to restore his godhood by becoming a "true hero", with the help of his flying horse, Pegasus, and trainer Philoctetes.

On his journey towards becoming a hero, Hercules, Phil and Pegasus travel to Thebes and meet a beautiful young woman named Megara along the way, who is revealed to be reluctantly working for Hades. After defeating the hydra, Hercules becomes a celebrity in Thebes, defeating every monster Hades sends his way.

As Hades gets closer to implement his plan to take over Olympus, he uses Hercules' attraction to Meg against him, however, Meg comes to fall for him as well. Phil overhears Meg and Hades talk, but when he tries to warn Hercules, Hercules refuses to listen and the get in an argument, which ends with Phil leaving.

When she refuses to assist him further, Hades takes Meg hostage and coerces Hercules into giving up his powers for her safety. Hercules gives up his powers, and is immediately crushed when Hades reveals Meg was working with him all along. Hades then leaves and frees the Titans to help him take over Olympus, and sends a giant cyclops to kill Hercules. Unable to convince him to fight, Meg gets Phil to help motivate him, but is fatally injured when Hercules defeats the cyclops, breaking Hades' deal. With his strenght restored, Hercules is able to save Mount Olympus, but Meg dies before he can return to her.

Hercules travels down to the underworld and offers to take her place in the sea of the dead if he can reach her. As he saves her, he becomes immortal because he sacrificed himself, and can return to Olympus. However, Hercules realizes he will have to leave Meg behind and instead gives up his godhood to live on Earth with her.

My Thoughts

When I first sat down to watch this movie, I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I was curious about some of the scenes I had seen online and I recognized Hades as a popular villain, but I finally sat down to watch it in January 2016. 

It had been a long time since I had seen a traditionally animated Disney movie and I think seeing this and the quality of the animation really is what sparked my revived interest in Disney films. I was used to limited animation and cheaper television animation so when I saw the fluidity and fantastic flow and movement of the movie, it blew me away. One thing that astounded me was the attention to detail in how the characters moved. Even if a character wasn't doing anything, they still would shift their weight slight naturally and actually seem like a living person. In limited animation, it a character doesn't need to move, they don't. The animators will animate whatever parts that need to move like an arm or eyes, but little more. With this animation, the characters actually feel like they are alive, only two dimensional. Another thing I love about the animation is that it was a break from the typical Disney design. By hiring Gerald Scarfe as production designer and incorporating ancient Greek influences, the art has a distinct personality that would not only set it apart from other Renaissance movies, but also open the door to more abstract designs in future films. I don't even know how to describe the nature of the art direction. Many objects and characters are filled with flowing swirls and angular, rigid points.

Certain characters also highlight certain animation styles. Hercules (who was animated by Andreas Deja, responsible for Jafar from Aladdin, Scar from The Lion King, and Gaston in Beauty and the Beast) has by far the best action animation, obviously. In scenes like the Hydra scene or when he is still high from his date with Meg, we see wild, yet believable animation that is beautifully detailed and fluid.

Meg's animation can emphasize her sex appeal in how she moves, her animation really shines in the more subtle moments, especially in her face. This can be seen when Hades implies he wants to use her to find Hercules' weakness, where she is both shocked and insulted. Another example can be seen when they are on their date, both when she is annoyed by Pain and Panic nagging her as well as the heartfelt gaze she gives when Hercules says she's the greatest person "with weak ankles" he's ever met.

Hades, meanwhile... I don't know how to describe it. His animation and motion just seems to fit James Woods's portrayal so well. He talks like a smarmy used car salesman and he's got the animation to pull it off.

One more comment I have about the animation I have is regarding the Hydra scene. One of my favorite shots in the entire movie is the shot where Hercules is holding onto the monster's teeth as it tries to eat him and he struggles to keep it from biting down. This is due to how well the the traditional and computer animation interact together and look believable, which is a challenging task. I can't even begin to imagine how much time went simply into that shot.

Another thing I enjoy is the story. Before anybody says anything, I am fully aware this movie is unfaithful to the mythology. If anything, I view this movie as Ancient Greek fanfiction. However, that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it. The biggest thing about this story that I love is the love story. I admit it. I am a total sucker for the romance plot between Hercules and Meg and I find the kiss at the end to be extremely sweet.

Another thing is that even though the movie conflicts with the myth, it's evident Ron Clements and John Musker did their research in writing. Even if it's not part of the story, there are several allusions to the 12 Labors Hercules has to accomplish in the original story as well as parts from other myths. It's obvious artistic liberties were taken several times for the sake of the movie being entertaining, but at the same time, if it didn't Hercules wouldn't be a family friendly G-rated musical comedy. It would also be called Heracles.

One other thing I love about this movie is the music, because it is such an odd choice. The Little Mermaid has songs with tropical elements, Aladdin's soundtrack incorporates Middle Eastern influences, and Hercules... has a soundtrack inspired by '60s gospel and soul. The anachronistic nature of the soundtrack adds to the overall oddball nature of the film. It helps that the songs are also insanely catchy. Much like Aladdin, I was familiar with some of the songs long before I saw the movie. The song, "Zero to Hero" would go on to be the intro theme for the animated series, while "Go The Distance" would be used in the Wishes fireworks show in Walt Disney World.

Aside from the reasons already listed, I think the reason why I love Hercules is because it sticks out from so many of the other Disney movies at the time. Aside from Aladdin, Hercules is probably the most comedic films from the Disney Renaissance era, which made it really contrast with the more dramatic movies it came out in between like The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame or Tarzan. One observation I have seen that I agree with is that it was one of, if not the first Disney movies where over-the-top humor wasn't really relegated to sidekicks. Instead, basically every character can get their own comedic moment. In terms of slapstick, Hercules is clobbered a couple times, Phil takes a heavy dose of physical abuse through the movie, and even Meg gets tossed around a couple times. Another thing I like is that most of the characters are smart-asses, with Hades and Meg both providing some good quips.

Another reason I love it is probably just because it doesn't get as much attention as some of the others from its time. Everybody loves the Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, but how many people say Hercules or the Hunchback are their favorites? They're not as common. No doubt it was a financial hit at the time and Disney probably did an intense marketing campaign like they always do, but that is definitely not the case anymore. You may see Hades lumped in with all the other acclaimed Disney villains, but Hercules gets little to no recognition commercially anymore. So it always seems extra special when Disney actually DOES reference it.

The way I see it, based on the quality of Disney movies, you can name almost any of their movies as your favorite and it can be acceptable. And while Hercules may come across as a middling/average Disney movie, there are certain parts to it that really bring it out on top for me, personally.

Hercules: Zero to Hero

Once I saw the original Hercules, I was obsessed. I was not just hooked, I was literally obsessed with it for several weeks. In that timeframe, my obsession and my need for completion led me to actually track down and buy a copy of Hercules: Zero to Hero. I even made sure I had a working tape player to ensure I could watch it. It's not that it's particularly good, because it's not. But I loved the movie so much that I wanted the complete experience.

Synopsis

Set after the events of the original movie, we see Hercules and Meg, now married and moving into a new house. During the move in process, Meg comes across some of Hercules' old high school stuff. In a panic, Hercules sends the stuff back to Phil's island. Curious, Meg sneaks out to find Phil and see what the big fuss was about. This leads into the first segment.

The first segment is about Hercules on his first day of school. Once there, he quickly establishes himself as a loser, and becomes friends with fellow outcasts, Icarus and Cassandra. He also gets humiliated by the school's bully, Adonis. Hoping to boost his popularity, Hercules decides to beat a two headed cyclops who are more interested in attacking and eating more prominent students, leading to problems back at school.

Back on Phil's Island, Hercules finds Meg at Phil's island and tells her another story from high school. The second story features Hercules coming across a new student at school who moonlights as a vigilante known as the Grim Avenger. Together, the two team up to defeat the Minotaur, who has been destroying temples recently.

The last story is about Hercules getting into an argument with his father Zeus after Hercules is picked on in school by Adonis. After the dispute, Zeus turns himself into a mortal teenager to show how easy it is to be a teenager and is quickly disproven. Meanwhile, Hades catches wind of this, and tries to take advantage of this, and Hercules and Zeus must work together to stop him.

Once again on Phil's island, Meg reassures Hercules that she'd love him regardless of who he was in high school, and Hercules responds by telling her he found her high school memorabilia, much to her chagrin.

My Thoughts

Overall... this is really not that great. All this video release is is a compilation of four episodes of the TV show: "Hercules and the First Day of School", "Hercules and the Grim Avenger", and "Hercules and the Visit from Zeus", with the clipshow episode, "Hercules and the Yearbook" being re-edited to serve as a segue between episodes. I mean, for a Saturday Morning TV series, it wasn't bad, but it is not all that great when you compare it to the movie as a full length release. The animation is cheap, the songs are either cheesy or forgettable and the writing isn't as strong as it is in the movie. The one thing this has really going for it is the return of most of the main voice actors, most importantly Tate Donovan as Hercules and James Woods as Hades.

Again, it was originally a TV show, which on its own, is not all that bad. If anything, I give it more of a pass because of that as opposed to being an intentional straight to video release (*COUGH* Hunchback of Notre Dame II *COUGH*). Honestly though, I only bought the VHS because I'm a compulsive collector. If you really wanted to see these episodes for whatever reason, I know they are on YouTube, and they're not anything particularly special. Overall, I'd say this video was not that good, but I still sort of enjoy it through its mediocrity simply because I love the original movie so much.

Conclusion

While it may not be most people's first choice, Hercules is easily MY favorite Disney movie. It's kind of a weird movie when you compare it to some of the other latter day renaissance movies, but I think that makes it more endearing to me. I love the animation, the music is some of my favorite from a Disney movie, and I like the overall mood and atmosphere the film casts. It's a shame Disney doesn't do a whole lot with this movie anymore. At most, they may make a reference to Hades or make a post from the movie on their social media sites, but it seems to have largely fallen by the wayside since the end of the Disney Renaissance. However, this is not the only one, and the I plan on writing about another movie that has since been forgotten since the '90s in my next Disney post.

If I Can't Change Your Mind Then No One Will: Bob Mould and Sugar

As I was writing my Hüsker Dü entry, I could tell that it was going to be an excruciatingly long post if I wrote about them as well as Bob Mould's later work in the same entry. As a result, I decided to split it in two: this time around, I will be writing about Bob Mould's '90s band, Sugar, as well as his solo career. While I would write about Grant Hart's work as a companion piece, not only does he not have as prolific a career as Mould, but I only own a copy of his first solo album, Intolerance.

When I was first introduced to Hüsker Dü, I was not particularly impressed. Granted, the only albums I had access to at the time were their latter day albums, Candy Apple Grey and Warehouse: Songs and Stories, which are not considered their prime. Instead, I slowly got into their work through Sugar. I remember the first song I really liked by them was "Helpless" off of Copper Blue. I then grew to like "If I Can't Change Your Mind" as well as "Gee Angel" from their second album, File Under: Easy Listening. Then, on my 16th birthday, I got a copy of Copper Blue on CD and loved it. That following April was when I bought Hüsker Dü's Flip Your Wig and New Day Rising. While Husker Du was always the group people acclaimed, I always held Sugar in a special regard, probably because it was what got me into Bob Mould's material in the first place. Unfortunately, the group didn't last long, but even then, their weaker works are still pretty enjoyable.

For the longest time, I had an aversion to solo albums. I don't know why. I guess I expected that when a member of a band I liked made a solo album, it was going to intentionally break away and forge a different sound. However, when I got into Bob Mould's solo material, I was delighted to find the music is more or less built off of the same sound he crafted when in Hüsker Dü, only with more experience and refinement. This consistency translates also in quality as well. As I listen to Bob Mould's various solo albums, even some of his more experimental albums, there is a consistency to his work. While Mould would play with certain elements such as acoustics or electronic sounds, his songs are still Bob Mould songs. This is especially evident as I was listening to his new album, Patch the Sky, which fits right in with his previous two albums, Silver Age and Beauty and Ruin, as well as others such as Body of Song or The Last Dog and Pony Show.

Bob Mould would begin his post-Hüsker Dü career with his first two solo albums. Upon work for his third solo album, he began to gel better with two new instrumentalists, David Barbe and Malcolm Travis and the project went from a solo act with backing instrumentalists to a full fledged band. After a couple years, the group disbanded and Mould made his third solo album by himself. After this, he made one more album in the mid-late 90s which would serve as a swan song for his guitar heavy rock. During this hiatus, Mould took this time to embrace electronic music. By the early 2000s, this interest heavily influenced his 2002 album, Modulate, which polarizes fans to this day. After Modulate, Mould eased up on the electronic influences on his two following albums and brought back the predominant guitar sounds he was known for. By the 2010s, Mould's music had reverted back to the guitar heavy pop rock in the vein of Sugar and Hüsker Dü.

Going over his entire discography, I can say Bob Mould is probably one of the key reasons I got through high school. Throughout his career, he was able to craft beautiful, soaring melodies that I loved and came to associate them with several high points from my teenage years. It's a shame a lot of people don't recognize him or his music, even when he has been recognized by several big name people and publications for years.

 Breakdown of My Discography

Sugar

1. Copper Blue (1992, CD, Cassette) - This was my first CD by any of Bob Mould's projects and I still think of it as one of his best. When people look at Bob Mould's overall work, this album frequently comes up as one of his greatest achievements, up there with Workbook, New Day Rising, Flip Your Wig and Zen Arcade. In fact, to me, this album has Mould perfecting the sound he was developing when Husker Du was at their peak, mixing in the right amount of guitar heavy rock with infectious pop melodies, with a strong backing band to fill out the songs. I have fond memories of listening to it while my friends and I played Halo: Reach online back in high school. While that may be an odd association, it goes to show those were two of the most notable elements I can remember about my sophomore and junior years of high school. I don't listen to this album a whole lot anymore, just because Bob Mould has such a prolific career, but whenever I come back to this one, I always remember why I love it.
Highlights: "Changes", "Helpless", "If I Can't Change Your Mind", "Fortune Teller"

2. Beaster EP (1993, CD) - This EP was recorded at the same time as Copper Blue, but released separately because the material on it had much darker feel. This can be heard in several places, such as the tense punk intro to "Tilted", the organ based "Walking Away", as well as the darker, Biblical lyricism. However, Mould's characteristic melodies still shine through and make this a neat companion to Copper Blue.
Highlights: "Tilted", "Feeling Better"

3. File Under: Easy Listening (1994, CD) - The second and final full-length studio album by Sugar, the album has some good cuts, but most people think it falls short when compared to its predecessors. As I look back at this album, I find there are several songs that I had forgotten about, but loved once I heard them again. However, I would go for Copper Blue first.
Highlights: "Gift", "Gee Angel", "Your Favorite Thing", Believe What You're Saying"

4. Besides (1995, CD) - As the name implies, this is a compilation of various b-sides, outtakes and live tracks the band did in its short existence. To me, the highlights are obviously the ones that were cuts recorded during the Copper Blue and FU:EL sessions, but it is also interesting to hear some of the contributions bassist David Barbe made that didn't make the albums.
Highlights: "Needle Hits E", "Mind is an Island", "Going Home", "And You Tell Me"

Overall, Sugar was a fruitful, albeit short endeavor Mould took in the nineties, that while it contributed songs that are still in his setlist today, was really something of a detour in his solo career, which makes up the most of his post-Hüsker Dü output.

Solo Albums

1. Workbook (1989, CD, Vinyl) - Bob Mould's first album after Hüsker Dü's implosion was one of reinvention and is still one of, if not the best, of his solo albums. He hid away in a farmhouse up in New York where he began writing material with a much more somber, stripped down approach. The album relies much more on acoustic instruments, with very little of the loud guitar that defined his work in Hüsker Dü. For whatever reason, I avoided this album. I didn't want to hear folk influenced music. I wanted to hear songs like "Makes No Sense At All", but when I started to sit down and listen to it, I realized this has some of his strongest material, no matter what musical lens it is played through. Since then I have come to love this album. I highly recommend it.

Highlights: "Wishing Well", "See A Little Light", "Compositions for the Young and Old", "Poison Years", "Lonely Afternoon"

2. Black Sheets of Rain (1990, CD) - After the more mellow, folk inspired work of Workbook, Mould returns to the loud guitar work of his earlier material. I don't listen to this album much, but it's not bad by any means. It's certainly angrier and more cathartic than Workbook, but it doesn't have as many songs that stand out to me.

Highlights: "Stop Your Crying", "It's Too Late", "Sacrifice/Let There Be Peace"

3. Bob Mould (1996, CD) - Once Sugar dissolved, Bob Mould took a step back from the concept of working with a band for his music and instead made this album by himself with a four track tape recorder and a drum machine, giving it a distinct sound among his albums. I'm conflicted on this one. It has several very good songs that I could consider some of his highlights, but there are others that are among my least favorite out of his entire discography. When I bought this album, I actually ordered a used copy and the version I got included a maxi-single for the song "Egoverride" as well, which was neat.

Highlight: "Anymore Time Between", "Fort Knox, King Solomon", "The Next Time That You Leave", "I Hate Alternative Rock", "Egoverride", "Art Crisis", "Deep Karma Canyon", "Roll Over and Die"

4. Egoverride Single (1996, CD) - This came with the self-titled album and has some interesting songs that were left off of the album. It's not essential, but it is a neat listen.

Highlights: "Egoverride", "Wanted Was"

5. The Last Dog and Pony Show (1998, CD) - When this album was coming out, Bob Mould was on the verge of a hiatus. As the title implied, this was going to be the last album and tour he did before retiring from rock music. Musically, it is not the most distinct album he has done, when you can listen to New Day Rising or Copper Blue, but it is one of my favorites for some reason. I think it's just because of some of the songs that stand out to me that make me love it so much. This album also foreshadows some of his later interests in the experimental track, "Megamaniac", which is less of a song and more of a collage of samples. My copy of this included a second disc that had an interview with Mould, which, while it is not as interesting as a single, is still a nice surprise.

Highlights: "New #1", "Moving Trucks", "Who Was Around", "Vaporub", "Skintrade", "Sweet Serene"

6. Modulate (2002, CD) - After several years, Bob Mould came back to music with Modulate, which, to this day, is by far the most polarizing album in his output. While some of the songs are still distinctly Bob Mould songs, they are played through an electronic lens, with synthesizers and samples strewn throughout the album. While many people revile this album, I actually really like it. Once you get past the strange production, the songs themselves are very strong and are frequent ones I listen to. One thing that I want to note also, is that the song, "Trade", actually has roots as a Hüsker Dü song, and I know there is a recording of them playing it live back in 1988, which I would recommend checking out if you like the album version.

Highlights: "Slay/Sway", "The Receipt", "Soundonsound", "Trade"

7. Body of Song (2005, CD) - After the overtly electronic sound of Modulate, Bob Mould begins to move back towards guitar based music on this album. However, his interest in electronic music and soundscapes are not gone and it sometimes seeps into the music. The album is not a bad album by any means, but it is one I don't spend a whole lot of time listening to.

Highlights: "Circles", "Paralyzed", "Beating Heart the Prize", "Days of Rain"

8. District Line (2008, CD) - This album basically continues the sound Bob Mould plays on Body of Song, mixing his typical sound with electronic work. I don't dislike this album, but I rarely listen to it. However, the song "Stupid Now" was the first solo song I heard by him and was what got me interested in his solo work altogether.

Highlights: "Stupid Now", "The Silence Between Us", "Miniature Parade"

9. Life and Times (2009, Digital Download) - With this album, Mould begins moving away from the electronic influences and goes back towards the sound heard on The Last Dog and Pony Show. While I tend to forget about this album, anytime I go back to it, I remember it has several good songs on it.

Highlights: "Life and Times", "Spiraling Down", "MM17", "I'm Sorry Baby, But You Can't Stand in My Light Anymore"

10. Silver Age (2012, CD, Vinyl) - Around the time this album came out, Mould's autobiography was also coming out and it was the 20th anniversary of Copper Blue. With that in mind, Bob Mould decided to go back to that sound, focusing almost entirely on thick guitar-heavy pop rock songs that one could find in Sugar's output. With bassist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster in tow, it almost feels like a spiritual successor to Sugar. This album almost seems to be the beginning of a renaissance for Mould, as his following albums continue in this vein are and are just as consistently good.

Highlights: "Star Machine", "Silver Age", "The Descent", "Angels Rearrange", "Round the City Square"

11. Beauty and Ruin (2014, CD, Vinyl) - This album basically continues the sound Mould picked back up on Silver Age. For some reason, I never really listened to this album much or at least paid much attention to it until the follow up, Patch the Sky came out. But once I did, I loved it.

Highlights: "I Don't Know You Anymore", "Nemeses are Laughing", "Forgiveness", "Hey, Mr. Grey", "Fix It"

12. Patch the Sky (2016, Vinyl) - For whatever reason, I didn't preorder this album when I heard about it, even though I did with the two previous albums. However, one night when I was at Barnes and Noble, I noticed a copy of this album, which included an autographed poster inside, and I bought it without question. I now love this album and it makes for a great trilogy with its two predecessors. Actually, I was inspired to continue writing this entry because of this album. If you find a copy, check it out.

Highlights: "The End of Things", "Hold On", "Daddy's Favorite", "Black Confetti"

My yellow vinyl copy of Beauty and Ruin

Since I first fell in love with earliest Sugar songs, Bob Mould has become my all time favorite singer songwriter. His songs have a character that is distinct to him. They can be either extremely loud and cathartic or soft and restrained and they still sound like him. That's just how much range he has. If you want straightforward, catchy rock music, you can't really go wrong with Bob Mould's material, whether it is Husker Du, Sugar or his solo stuff. That character transcends projects and shines through all of them.