More Cinderella from a Slightly Obsessed Fan ;)

Any of you who have read my blog for a while now might have picked up that I tend to obsess about things.  Just a little. :}

I don't know what it is, but especially when it comes to Disney movies, the little girl in me gets all goofy and bubbly and excited, and I feel like I'm ten again. ;)

So I suppose it's no surprise that I'm getting REALLY excited about the live-action version of Cinderella releasing next month.  Maleficent didn't interest me all that much (I liked parts of it), and Alice in Wonderland was okay (Tim Burton stuff kind of creeps me out), but Cinderella seems "just right" (to quote Goldilocks...or would that be Blondie Lockes?). ;)  The fact that Kenneth Branagh is directing it and Patrick Doyle is composing the music makes me all the more eager to watch the movie. :)

Part of this week's excitement was Wednesday's release of the newest trailer, which you can see HERE.

Some of my excitement also came from the fact that I found the junior novelization AND the beautiful storybook version of the film earlier this week while running errands:

I love the covers of both! :)

The junior novelization is a sweetly-written summary of the film, condensed (I'm assuming) for younger readers.  My favorite aspect of this version is that it's told by the Fairy Godmother, who inserts her own parenthetical notes throughout the story.  (You can just picture Helena Bonham Carter reading them to you.) ;)  I also like the pretty butterflies in black and white tones that grace the borders of each page.  My only complaint is that the book makes several references to Cinderella's blue eyes, when in this version of the movie she has very pretty brown eyes.  It's the prince who has the gorgeous blue ones. ;)  This version was $5.99 at Walmart.

The back cover

There are several pages of stills from the film inside.

The regular book, which has a hardcover binding that is smooth to the touch, features full-color illustrations.  It appears to be the whole movie in book form, as it includes much more detail than the junior novelization.  (Again, this is an assumption, as I haven't seen the film yet.)  I haven't finished the whole thing, but I'm enjoying the writing so far.  I do wish the illustrations were a little less stylized, but that's just a matter of personal preference.  They're beautifully done, but they don't always capture the look of the people playing the roles in the film.  Still, it's a lovely book overall and I'm thrilled to have a copy in my collection.  This version was $12.99 at Target and $11.04 at Walmart.

Back cover

A couple of illustrations: 

So obviously, for those of you who are not into spoilers, you're going to want to wait to read these until after you've seen the movie.  (Sorry, Mimi, I couldn't resist the temptation!) ;)  I'm wondering if they'll release nice storybook copies of all of the live-action movies they're making?  I'd love to have a Beauty and the Beast one for my collection, although I'm still trying to picture Emma Watson as Belle, to be honest. :}  I'm naturally a little more nervous about a live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast since it's my personal favorite.  Cinderella was never as special to me, so I'm not as freaked out about every little change or by the cast members. ;)

I also thought I'd link to some excellent pictures of the Mattel and Disney Store Cinderella dolls from drj1828 on Flickr.  Drj1828 is my go-to source for new Disney Store releases.  You'll find a plethora of pictures full of amazing, up-close detail in drj1828's photostream.  I always find this incredibly helpful when thinking about a future purchase.

I'm still not 100% sold on the Disney Store Cinderella faces, especially since they're so somber, but I do prefer the Disney Store hair and dresses.  I also think I like the Disney Store Lady Tremaine and Fairy Godmother better than the Mattel versions.  When it comes to the Cinderella dolls themselves, even though the Mattel faces are more of a stylized version of Lily James (the actress who plays Cinderella), I find them more pleasing and better proportioned.  Maybe I should get one of the Mattel Cinderellas and dress her in the Disney Store clothing. ;)

Anyway, here are a few specific pictures I thought I'd link to:

Wedding Cinderella Dolls (still boxed, DS and Mattel)

Cinderella Dolls (deboxed, DS and Mattel, Wedding and Ball versions)

Wedding Cinderella Faces (deboxed, DS and Mattel)

Blue Gown Cinderella Faces (deboxed, DS and Mattel)

Be sure to check drj1928's photostream for many more pictures of the Cinderella dolls and more!

We'll be leaving later today for our yearly birthday trip for my three daughters, and the Disney Store will definitely be one of our stops.  I'll have to let you know whether I succumb to any of the Cinderella dolls when I see them in person. ;)

Are any of you getting excited about this movie, too? ;)