Watch Ever After (1998) with us!
Continue reading
After our episode chalk-full of different versions of Cinderella, the hosts are slightly disappointed that the new live-action Disney version is twist-less. On the other-hand, they can’t deny that is was a gorgeous film, that it answered some questions they’d been asking and that Helena Bonham Carter can do no wrong.
Our team geared up for the new live-action Cinderella by reading and watching an insanely large amount of versions of the classic tale, from the 7 BC Egyptian Rhodopis to the 2011 A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song. We get into themes of beauty and it’s worth, social status and neglect as well as why there are just SO many birds.
Make sure you let us know in the comments if there are any other versions we should pick up!
There’s no doubt that fairy tales are getting modern twists nowadays—particularly in the form of the heroines. From TV shows (Once Upon a Time), to books (Cinder, The Stepsister Scheme), to movies (Snow White and the Huntsman), the heroines who were once so familiarly—and annoyingly—docile have been completely revamped. They have shown us that Snow White can kick butt just as thoroughly as Prince Charming.
Simply put, being a “fairy tale princess” doesn’t mean what it used to.
The visual novel Cinders reportedly puts the changing heroine archetype to the test—no easy feat, considering the popularity of the story. In my experience, Cinderella is probably the most retold tale of them all. Sure, we’ve seen an influx of Snow White this past year, what with the two new movies that have come out just in the last few months. But in general? Cinderella seems to be the popular tale to tell—and I think I’ve seen every possible take on her character. She was docile in the 1950 Disney version, feisty in Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted, and even a mixture of both in The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines—not to mention slightly OCD.
However, what sounds particularly interesting about this newest take on the Cinderella tale is that the player is given the choice to make the character into what they want her to be. Created by indie developer MoaCube, this ‘game’ turns the often-told Cinderella story into a virtual version of a Choose Your Own Adventure book, giving all of us fairy tale fans the opportunity to write the story our own way. Whether you want to follow the original fairy tale or you prefer to stage an intense Cinderella-rebellion, this game offers options for everyone and anyone.
And after you’ve written your ‘happily ever after’, you could reboot your own character and explore the path(s) left untraveled. The options seem endless, and I can’t wait to test them all!
As for you, what would you choose? Leave your thoughts below!
Update: Check out this awesome promo video for the game!
Adaptation Podcast 