One Of The Most Frightening Animated Images, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   Take a good look at this picture, girls!!!!!!!!!!!  Do you know what that is????????
That is Pleasure Island, from Disney's 1940 film, "Pinocchio."  When I first saw the film as a child, the imagery of this place seduced me, wired in my head with the childhood magic of Asbury Park and Point Pleasant.  Like the boys on the coach ride, I, too, wanted to go to Pleasure Island for non-stop fun.  The subsequent transformation of the boys into donkeys meant nothing to me--at the time!  That had nothing to do with ME!  That wasn't going to happen to ME!  Or so I thought!

                                    No, I am not a donkey.  But, about twenty five years later, I saw the film again, as an adult, and honey, what a different take.  If you look closely at the drawing you can see evil in the clown's face; the way the image is drawn and lit speaks of Disney's hidden trademark as a sadistic kiddy moralist!!!!!!!  And when Lampwick, during his donkey transformation, grows hooves and plaintively screeches out, "Mama!  Mama!," you feel a sense of genuine terror, as you realize this toughie was

actually a vulnerable child, who will never see that parent again, and who has sacrificed his human life for a non-human one.

                                   Proving there are two sides to things.  No wonder, in latter day horror films, amusement parks become settings of terror.

                                    Take a look at "Pinocchio," if you haven't recently, darlings!  I guarantee you will NOT want to go to Pleasure Island this time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      Better the House Of Dior!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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