**A Geek Daddy received the featured movie for free to review**
It was a cold, snowy evening when we watched LONG WAY NORTH for a family movie night which was a fitting time to view this animated adventure about a young heroine's journey to the North Pole. This isn't your run of the mill kids movie though as this French movie imported to the United States by Shout! Factory has an artistic flair to it. The artwork is more reminiscent of classic Disney animated movies than the mainstream computer generated cartoons being produced today adding to the aura of the film's setting in Russia during the late 19th century. Long Way North's distinct visual presentation combined with a compelling coming of age story resulting it winning the Grand Prize at the Tokyo Animation Festival and earned it A Geek Daddy's recommendation to give it a view. Long Way North's story revolves around Sacha, a young girl from the Russian aristocracy during the days of Tsar rule. She has known nothing but comfort and privilege during her life, but faces uncertainty about the future as her parents have orchestrated an arranged marriage to help themselves move up the societal ladder of prominence. Sacha dreams of being an explorer like her grandfather, Oloukine, a renowned scientist who has gone missing during an expedition to reach the North Pole. Anguishing over the fate of her grandfather, Sacha defies her forced marriage and runs away to embark on a quest to find Oloukine and bring him home.
Does a spoiled young girl who has always had her every need met have the strength, courage and wits to travel from a comfortable home and find her grandfather's missing ship, the Davai, in the Arctic wilderness on her own? Through perseverance, hard work, and developing new friendships, Sacha gives it a good go in a physical and emotional journey. Is there a happy ending? Does she find Oloukine and help bring the crew of the Davai home? You'll have to watch Long Way North for yourself to find out!
Print out these activity sheets courtesy of my friends at Shout! Factory for some added educational and entertainment value for children during a family movie night watching Long Way North:
Long Way North is now available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD. The two-dic Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack contains audio tracks with both the original French cast and an English version recorded for American audiences. Also included on the Combo Pack is bonus material including a conceptual pilot, interviews with director Remi Chaye and producer Henri Magalon, still galleries of concept art and character designs plus animated storyboards. Long Way North can be purchased on Blu-ray and DVD at major retailers across the USA including Best Buy, Target and Walmart. It can also be digitally downloaded from iTunes.
For more information about Long Way North, please visit shoutfactory.com
Most people young and old will be familiar with the story of a down on his luck outcast named Rudolph who wasn't allowed to play with the others in the North Pole's reindeer games or join the crew of Santa's sleigh until one foggy night where his shiny nose went from being considered a detriment to an asset that saved Christmas. The story of this beloved reindeer is mostly associated with the hit song sung by Gene Autry in 1949 or the 1964 stop-motion animation TV special which have both become iconic pop culture staples associated with celebrating Christmas. Rudolph though has more humble origins as he was born this Christmas season as a coloring book to promote holiday shopping at Montgomery Ward department stores 75 years ago.
For years Montgomery Ward had been giving out free coloring books to entice shoppers into their stores. The department store decided to create its own coloring book hoping that would be a cheaper alternative to produce and distribute than buying the product from a vendor. So in 1939, Montgomery Ward hired a copywriter named Robert May to create a Christmas themed coloring book for them. Inspired by his own lonely awkward childhood, May created the story of Reginald the Reindeer who overcame prejudice and life obstacles to become a hero. That cord struck with Depression Era audiences and his story was approved for use in Montgomery Ward's coloring book with one change, Reginald became Rudolph. The department store distributed 2.5 million Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer coloring books and a cultural icon was born. Today if you asked children what Montgomery Ward's is they probably couldn't tell you (the retailer which in the early to mid-20th Century was one of the most dominant department stores and mail order providers in the United States went out of business in 2001) but you know they will know who Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is. CLICK HERE to read Robert May's original manuscript for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
On a sad note, May's wife died while he was working on the coloring book project. He became buried in debt from his wife's medical bills and struggled as a single father. After World War II, Montgomery Ward's CEO as a charitable gesture provided Robert May with the rights to the Rudolph story. In 1944, Rudolph also made his first on screen debut with a theatrical cartoon film produced by Max Fleischer that further increased Rudolph's
popularity and opened up opportunities with book publishers for May. The Rudolph story was then published as a real book for the first time by Maxton Books and was followed up with a sequel in 1954 titled Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Shines Again. In 1958, Golden Books published an illustrated storybook written by Barbara Shook Hazen and illustrated by Richard Scarry that was an adaptation of Fleischer's cartoon short.
Rudolph really took off when May's brother-in-law Johnny Marks wrote the song Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer that was sung by Gene Autry and became a huge hit and sold 2 million records the year it was released! It was the Gene Autry song actually was the inspiration for the 1964 television special that so many people love which takes some liberties with May's original story. Reportedly the Marks and Mays families became estranged and fought over the rights to the Rudolph brand and its royalties. After both Johnny Marks and Robert Mays passed away the families agreed to come together and their heirs have agreed to share equally the ownership of anything related to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer between the families.
Here are a few other Rudolph tidbits that I found interesting:
DC Comics published a series of annual comics titled Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer from 1950 to 1962.
Robert May wrote a sequel book titled Rudolph's Second Christmas in 1947 that wasn't published until 1991 by Applewood Books.
The original Rudolph story was written as a poem in the meter of Twas the Night Before Christmas.
A live action version of Rudolph (yes including a red nose) is reported to be appearing in this year's DR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL that BBC is airing on December 25, 2014.
