Disney and Konrad

On Friday I visited IMDb.com (one of my frequently visited sites). As those who frequent the site know, and for those of you who don't let me tell you, at the top of the page they always have 3 photos side by side, and clicking on them takes you to a trailer for the movie from which the picture was taken. Well, on Friday they had something that drew my attention - a trailer for a Disney movie called "The Odd Life of Timothy Green."

I don't know what drew me to the trailer, but something about it kept whispering to me "Konrad." Now, the premise of the movie has nothing to do with Konrad (I'll explain), but let me say that the movie did look interesting, uplifting, and basically Disney-ish. Translate that into, "McClure thinks I should go see The Odd Life of Timothy Green."

That said, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about Konrad. I am willing to bet NO ONE reading this has any idea who Konrad is. Or was. Well, is, because, as a character in a book, he is immortal.

Give up? I bet even a google search won't help you here.

Konrad was a book I read in junior high. The main characters were, of course, 10 year old Konrad, and his "mother," Mrs. Bartolotti. Notice the quotes around "mother." Mrs. Bartolottoi is not Konrad's mother - nor anyone's at all. She is already past child bearing age and lives alone. She is quite an odd woman, and one day, when the door bell rings, she answers it to find a strange and unsolicited package.

Even stranger, inside the package is what my 12 year old brain stored in memory as a 'dehydrated' Konrad. I think of him like a raisin of a boy, because he pops out of the package, startling Mrs. Bartolotti, and demands she shower him with a special liquid that was delivered with him. Once showered, he rehydrates into what appears to be a normal 10 year old boy.

Except he's not normal - because he is normal to the point of boring, whereas Mrs. Bartolotti is odd, maybe even a bit batty. And then there's the fact that this package was delivered unsolicited - Mrs. Bartolotti had not ordered a 10 year old son, did not particularly feel she wanted one in her life, and worse, had no idea of how to take care of one. Of course, the contrast of his mother's eccentricities with his normalcy is what makes the book so interesting (at least to my then 12 year old mind). And, of course, eventually the factory from which Konrad was sent discovers the shipping error and wants Konrad returned. Unfortunately by that time Konrad and Mrs. Bartolotti have bonded. What's a factory boy and his reluctant middle aged eccentric mother to do?

So no, this is not an article about the lack of imagination in Hollywood. Timothy Green appears to be a very different story than Konrad. Similar enough to make my old brain remember a story from so many years before, and wonder if that book can even be obtained anymore. After a major search, I did find that Konrad was written by Christine Nöstlinger, and is available on Amazon.com.

And yes, I highly suggest reading it. :P

Why I Love Disney

Disney is the quintessential American success story. Walt started with little, but built an empire that lasted way beyond his death. He became larger than life while he lived, and left a legacy that will likely last beyond the days of Captain Picard.

I love Disney movies, and I love riding Big Thunder Mountain, or Space Mountain, or even Captain Eo's Mountain (sorry...got carried away there), but it's not just the movies or the rides...it's the whole feeling.

For excitement, I could say that Six Flags Magic Mountain is better. They have much better rides (Superman made me squeal like a school girl the first time). For entertainment, well, there are a lot of movie studios that have kept me entertained. But Disney is more than that...it is an experience.

When I go to Disney, I leave the rest of the world behind. Going to Six Flags Magic Mountain I have to pass through a metal detector and then be pat down by a security guard. Even still, once inside I have to deal with a bunch of people that look like they are fresh out of prison. Interestingly enough, if you stay past 7 PM you notice the park gets much more pleasant...I guess parolees have to be home before dark...

ANYWAY...back to Disney. I can drive to Disney and park just outside, then walk to Downtown Disney (10 minutes from my free parking) and, almost from the place where I park, I am in a totally different mindset. It's like being transported into a different world! I don't have to buy anything, not even the caramel popcorn, whose sickly sweet smell permeates about 1/4 of the downtown Disney area. Merchandising aside, Disney makes sure that, from parking lot to parking lot, you are transported into another world: The Happiest Place on Earth.

I guess that is why I will spend $300 on an annual pass to Disney, but haven't spent $70 for an annual pass to Six Flags since 2005.