Friday, July 2, 2010

The Black Cauldron 9"/3" Combo Vinylmation

The team and I arrived around 5:15am for this particular release. Disney secuirty had kicked everyone out of the parking lot so a fleet of collectors made our way down to the local Denny's restaurant on Katella Avenue. We all made our way back to the Downtown Disney paring lot around 5:45am and lined up at the Rainforest Cafe.
At about 6am, a Disney cast member escorts the line from the Rainforest Cafe to the front entrance of D Street. And there we wait for 4 hours until the store opens! Fun, fun!
Finally, once in the store I get a (blurry) shot of all the Black Cauldron sets behind the register. There's even some condiments series left.
Once home, I get to bask in the glory of my latest additions to my collection. Including the Have-A-Laugh series! (Thanks to Miss Abbie!!!)
The Black Cauldron is a 1985 animated feature produced by Walt Disney Pictures and originally released to theatres on July 24, 1985. The twenty-fifth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, the film is based on Lloyd Alexander's Chronicles of Prydain book series, which is in turn based on Welsh mythology.

The film centers around the evil Horned King who attempts to secure the Black Cauldron in order to rule the world. The Horned King is opposed by the heroes Taran, Princess Eilonwy, Fflewddur Fflam, and a creature named Gurgi.
Gurgi:
Exactly what Gurgi is supposed to be is never clearly stated. He is described as being some sort of cross between man and beast (although lacking the learning of one and the wisdom of the other, respectively), having long arms, covered with fur and leaves, and ever hungry but really just a sort of a, kind of a thing. His manner of speech is filled with rhymed pairs of words ("crunchings and munchings", "boatings and floatings", "sneakings and peekings"), and redundant phrases ("see with lookings!"); he refers to himself in the third person. Gurgi is humble and loyal toward his human companions, at first submitting even to Taran as a "noble lord".
The Horned King:
In the animated Disney film The Black Cauldron the Horned King is the movie's prime antagonist. He looks quite different in the movie then from the books; the antlers remain, but he wears a red hooded robe. Instead of a normal human, he appears to be an undead, skeletal creature whose eyes glow red upon being angered or excited and is more on par with a sorcerer.

In the movie, the Horned King searches for the title object, seeking to use its power to bring to life an army of undead soldiers and conquer the world. Deploying his servant, Creeper, the dragon-like Gwythaints and human soldiers, the King seeks out the pig Hen Wen to aid in his quest. He eventually accomplishes his goal, but is thwarted some time later, when Gurgi throws himself into the Cauldron. When he attempts to cast Taran into the Cauldron as well, he ends up being consumed by the Cauldron's power and destroyed.