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Did Pixar accidentally delete Toy Story 2 during production?: originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Answer by Oren Jacob, Associate Technical Director of Toy Story 2

Hi everyone, I'm the Oren Jacob in the video. Hopefully I can offer some first person color commentary about the video above that might serve to answer the questions here. Note, after 20 years at the studio I left Pixar last year to start ToyTalk (www.toytalk.com), so this answer hasn't gone through any PR filtering, it's straight from my foggy memory of those events back in the late 90's.

First, it wasn't multiple terabytes of information. Neither all the rendered frames, nor all the data necessary to render those frames in animation, model, shaders, set, and lighting data files was that size back then.

A week prior to driving across the bridge in a last ditch attempt to recover the show (depicted pretty accurately in the video above) we had restored the film from backups within 48 hours of the /bin/rm -r -f *, run some validation tests, rendered frames, somehow got good pictures back and no errors, and invited the crew back to start working. It took another several days of the entire crew working on that initial restoral to really understand that the restoral was, in fact, incomplete and corrupt. Ack. At that point, we sent everyone home again and had the come-to-Jesus meeting where we all collectively realized that our backup software wasn't dishing up errors properly (a full disk situation was masking them, if my memory serves), our validation software also wasn't dishing up errors properly (that was written very hastily, and without a clean state to start from, was missing several important error conditions), and several other factors were compounding our lack of concrete, verifiable information.

The only prospect then was to roll back about 2 months to the last full backup that we thought might work. In that meeting, Galyn mentioned she might have a copy at her house. So we went home to get that machine, and you can watch the video for how that went...

With Galyn's machine now back in the building, we dupe'd that data immediately, then set about the task of trying to verify and validate this tree, which we thought might be about 2 weeks old. We compared Galyn's restoral with a much older one (from 2 months prior) and couldn't determine a clear winner, there were too many inconsistencies. So, instead, we set about the task of assembling what effectively amounted to a new source tree, by hand, one file at a time. The total number of files involved was well into the six figures, but we'll round down to 100,000 for the sake of the rest of this discussion to make the math easier.

We identified the files that hadn't changed between the two, and took those straight away. Then there were the files that were on Galyn's but not on the older one; we took Galyn's and assumed they were new. Then there were files that were on the older one but not on Galyn's; we put those in the "hand check" pile, since it is unusual for files to be deleted within a production source tree, and we were suspicious of those deletions. Then there were the files that were different across the two backups, those also went into the "hand check" pile along with any files that were touched more recently than Galyn's version.

Given that, we had something like 70,000 files that we felt good about, and we poured those into a new source tree. For the remaining 30,000 files, it was all hands on deck.

We checked things across three partially complete, partially correct trees... the 2 month old full backup (A) , Galyn's (B, which we thought was the best one), and another cobbled together tree (C) from the stray files left around from failed renders, backup directories on animator's machines, some heads of source history that were left untouched, verbose test renders, and other random stuff we could find via NFS elsewhere in the building.

We invited a select few members of the crew back to work straight from Friday through Monday morning. We took rolling shifts to sleep and eat and kept plowing through, file by file, comparing each of the files in the "to be checked" list from A, B, and C, doing the best to verify and validate them, one at a time, by looking at them in xdiff.

In the end, human eyes scanned, read, understood, looked for weirdness, and made a decision on something like 30,000 files that weekend.

Having taken our best guesses at those suspect files, we assembled a new master of Toy Story 2. Many source histories were lost as a result, but we had the best version we could pull together. We invited the crew back, and started working again. Every shot went through a test render, and surprisingly, only a dozen or so failed.

I know full well that the following statement will likely blow people's heads up, but the truth is that more than several percentage points of the show (as measured in numbers of files) were never recovered at all. So how could Toy Story 2 work at all? We don't know. The frames were rendering (other than that dozen shots), so we just carried on, fixed those shots, and charged ahead. At that point, there was nothing more that could be done.

And then, some months later, Pixar rewrote the film from almost the ground up, and we made Toy Story 2 again. That rewritten film was the one you saw in theatres and that you can watch now on BluRay.

More questions on Quora:

Pixar Movies: How was Pixar able to feature so many brand named toys in the Toy Story series?
Toy Story 2: In Toy Story 2, were the "Woody's Roundup" marionette scenes filmed or rendered?
Conspiracy Theories: What do Pixar employees think of the Pixar theory?

Since its release, the movie American Sniper portraying the life of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle has attracted millions of Americans from coast to coast to the box office. While the movie depicts the humbling dangers and challenges our troops face during combat, it is the movie's portrayal of the very real and very serious physical and mental health issues our servicemen and servicewomen face post-deployment that has grasped much of the nation's attention.

As a Vietnam veteran, I have the unique experience to understand first-hand what veterans face when returning home from combat. However, often times, they choose to silently endure the mental health issues they are plagued with post-deployment, leaving many Americans unfamiliar to what they are experiencing.

Now, through the release of American Sniper, Americans unacquainted with the mental trials and tribulations veterans face once home can see, hear and emotionally feel just how powerful these unfortunate experiences are. They learn, through Chris Kyle's story on the big screen, just how real and raw the troubles are and how much they affect our nation's heroes.

This is a much-needed spotlight on a growing issue.

According to new analysis, which will be published in the February edition of Annals of Epidemiology, recent servicemen and servicewomen committed suicide at a far higher rate than civilians not enrolled in military service. Among the most notable statistics presented is the discouraging reality that 22 veterans take their own lives daily.

Additionally, a study released last year by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) concluded that the suicide rate among 18- to 29-year-old veterans increased by 44 percent.

In light of last year's inexcusable scandal revealing that veterans died waiting for health care, we have an even bigger obligation to work together to serve and provide timely and sufficient resources to these brave men and women. The days of veterans not being provided the proper tools and information needed to improve post-deployment must come to an end.

We also need to continue to promote resources readily available to veterans, including:

• Veterans Crisis Line
• Defense Centers of Excellence 24/7 Outreach Center
• Defense Suicide Prevention Office
• National Resource Directory
• Department of Defense Deployment Health Clinical Center (DHCC)

However, in reality, these mentioned resources are just a few of many.

There is a far greater support system offering more resources for veterans returning home. Unfortunately, veterans are often unaware of all these tools they have access to.

Therefore, it's up to the rest of us to make the links and fill in the gaps.

Veterans put their lives on the line and pushed themselves to the absolute edge of mental and physical capacity to ensure our freedom is protected. That is why I applaud the attention brought to this issue through American Sniper and call on all Americans to go out and get involved, and help us to ensure that these brave individuals are taken care of and treated properly once they come home.

---

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

For more information on mental health support for veterans, visit http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/.

The new star vehicle for Kevin Costner "Black or White" is, of course, both good and bad. The acting is generally good. The plotting and writing, generally not so much.

The film begins in a blur. This is a function of soft camera shot to ease us into the tragedy from which the film springs. But that's the last time the viewer is left with any ambiguity. We are quickly brought up to narrative speed and our viewpoint shaped by underlined character sketches and plot devices.

Eliot Anderson (Costner), a well to do lawyer, has just lost his wife Carol to a car accident. He drinks. A lot. Carol and Eliot have been raising their adorable, flawless bi-racial grandchild Eloise (Jillian Estell). Eliot needs to quickly get up to speed on his parenting skills. This means learning the mysteries of hair, tooth brushing and school drop offs. He hires tutor Duvan Araga (Mpho Koaho) whose academic brilliance provides comic relief. So it goes in middlebrow romantic comedies.

Dramatic tension is provided by the custody challenge by the African American side of Eloise family. Costner's daughter died in childbirth trying to conceal the ignominy of an out of wedlock child by an irresponsible young Black father who indeed abandons his family. Reggie (Andre Holland), Eloise' father and Costner's nemesis, drifts in and out of the story providing an inept sparring partner for Costner's drunken verbal tirades, a crack cocaine addiction symmetric to Costner's alcohol addiction and a stereotype of negligent, absentee Black fathers everywhere.

But the real alternate magnetic pole of the story is Rowena Jeffers (Octavia Spencer) Eloise paternal side grandparent. Spencer is charming, funny and knowing as a successful-against-all-odds one woman conglomerate, running half a dozen small businesses from her garage. This loving, successful matriarch is the real opposition for Costner. She (Her stereotype) offers the warmth, culture and familial balance to Costner's stiff, well-healed white alcoholism.

Anthony Mackie, the Jeffers family's other notable success and spearhead of the custody battle, delivers a crisp rendition of brilliant Black lawyer. But the film makers should have listened to their own characterization, as Mackie's stentorian dressing down of Reggie as a pathetic cliché of African American father failure measures the lack of depth they themselves too often provide. Nor do supporting cast add interest, functioning more as supernumeraries than supernovas.

As a star vehicle for Costner, we see him in virtually every frame, underlining his emotions, doubling down on the anger and re-writing the Guiness Record Book for cinematic bottle draining. So it is Spencer, even carrying the weight of caricature, who holds the movie together. The scenes with her scintillate, as she runs her family and the film like a talented point guard making everyone around her better than they have any right to appear.

She almost rescues the film from the realm of Judge Judy meets Doctor Phil. But writer/director Mike Binder (Reign On Me, The Upside of Anger - another Costner collaboration) was determined to drive this vehicle over the top and into the soft predictable familiarity of easy resolution. If you didn't see this coming, you really need to watch more television. Binder has provided us with a watchable, but uneven soap opera that pulls punches and substitutes characters who are just misunderstood for real people who live and die under the siege of a much more brutal reality.

We open with my 5 year old sitting next to me watching the makeout scenes in the preview montage before I shoo her to bed. I read to her a half hour ago, so stop judging me. Chris reposes in a meadow filled with hot air balloons, as an apt metaphor for his.... God that's too easy, any way you slice it. A blonde thinks that Santa Fe is known for being tropical and that it's out of the country. Well, maybe she's just good at math and not geography. Chris wanders around and his voiceover indicates that he is Really Serious about finding The One on This Episode.

The ladies get drunk as per usual and giggle and cavort. Kelsie, who everyone hates, has a pissy expression when Carly gets the date card, which says something like "Let's come together" in a tasteful foreshadowing of what the preview montage promised would be their later, pre-Fantasy suite hookup. Chris unsmilingly says that Carly makes him smile. She gazes at him like no woman with children ever looks at her husband again.

Carly murders grammar like Son of Sam while the two walk through the hacienda. Then there is a yogi who helps them meditate and is called a "love guru." The love guru burns some sage and waves it around Carly. I hate when this show gets too stupid for me to make fun of. Now Carly blindfolds Chris and feeds him fruit and chocolate. I note his white shirt and bemoan that he will get it stained, because I am a mom and can never be a pre-mom again. I hope the producers have Stain Stick. Carly feeds Chris chocolate with her finger and I am not even remotely aroused. Does this indicate something worse about me or about Carly and Chris? Now they are going to "derobe." Maybe this will be exciting? Is anything exciting when you're live blogging reality TV while eating oatmeal?

Carly pretends to be anxious about taking her clothes off in front of Chris but we know she's picturing the other women in the house ripping their extensions out from envy. The guru is literally making them take all their clothes off. I think the next date should just be tantric sex, coached by a porn star. Now Carly is actually uncomfortable and Chris says she doesn't have to do it, because he's a Midwestern gentleman. Also because this whole thing is extraordinarily weird and awkward. Oh wow they are now doing breathing techniques that are part of tantric sex, at least from what I remember when I used to google "tantric sex" and not "hand foot and mouth disease in toddlers."

Cut to Kelsie bragging about how awesome her marriage was before her husband died. It's hard to be an unlikable young widow but she seems to be pulling it off. She is pretty smug. She says, "A one-on-one is imperative." Britt gets the one-on-one and says, "Fireworks are going off in my soul." Those were both actual quotes, which proves that my humorous commentary on this show is not even necessary.

Carly and Chris talk about their awkward love guru encounter and how they "got through it." The tone is similar to people who have survived a natural disaster. Carly now talks about her boyfriend who never wanted to touch her, and Chris thinks, "Holy S%&* this is going to be a layup." She talks about how insecure she is and how much she wants a man to desire her, and feels that if she was with a man who found her beautiful, her insecurity about her looks would instantly dissipate. I remember thinking things like that! God, mid-20's. Such an innocent time.

Chris says his insecurity is that girls won't want a farmer from Iowa. Good point, Chris. Chris is falling for Carly because she's a unicorn: a beautiful girl who doesn't think she's beautiful. I hope he picks her. She is super innocent and cute. Like me if I were innocent, 25 years old, blonde, and a cruise ship singer. So basically we're twins. Chris says Carly has everything he wants in a woman and would be the best wife a man could ask for, which foreshadows him dumping her heartlessly.

The women and Chris go rafting, because it's time for a sport date. Kelsie says she's "a flurry of mixed emotions." The girls are all wearing spandex capri workout leggings, which I own, so that's proof that I'm fashionable. Ashley, the Pseudo-Kardashian (PK) wears neon lipstick and false eyelashes to raft. Jade fell out of the boat, and she apparently goes into hypothermia easily, so Chris rubs her feet and the other women murder her with their eyes.

Whitney says, "Only one girl is going to be standing at the end," which reminds me of my idea of crossing The Bachelor with The Hunger Games. Oh wow, now Jordan who was eliminated in round 2, has driven from Colorado to see if she could beg him shamelessly to get back on the show. Chris says in his interview that he let her go because she was drinking too much and didn't take things seriously, but of course now he's going to take her back, because he takes everyone back. He sits down with her and she says that drinking sometimes gets the best of her, which is certainly not a good sign. But, what do you know, he takes her back, and the other women are angry, to put it mildly.

Now PK tells Chris she is unhappy Jordan is back. It never goes well when contestants complain about other contestants. But obviously PK is not moving to Iowa anyway because where would she buy false eyelashes in a one horse town? Well, from Walmart. But still. All the girls talk to Chris about Jordan. PK says "we should not be nice to her" because then she could take their spots. Because that's logical. Now Whitney doesn't like PK because PK is "being mean." Drama.

We find out that Britt hasn't showered in weeks. She still looks better than I do. Hey, maybe I should stop showering! Aww, she is scared of heights and the date card says "Sky's the limit." She is crying. I feel for her. I could never do one of those bungee jumping type dates. But that is what The Bachelor is all about now, bizarrely. Now we see Chris dumping Jordan because he doesn't want to annoy the other women. Now he gives Whitney the rose and PK is upset and says she is "mindboggled." Unfortunately, this seems to be her default state.

Chris sneaks into the women's bedroom and an orgy commences. Actually, he is here to wake up Britt at 4:30am. She is sleeping with full makeup on. He shushes Carly and Carly feels hurt because Carly always feels hurt. The girls say that Britt puts on makeup before she goes to bed "just in case." Well that indicates some sort of anxiety disorder. Or savviness. Oh now we see the hot air balloons that we saw earlier in the show. All of a sudden Britt's previously debilitating fear of heights disappears like makeup usually does when people sleep.

Now Britt is in Chris's suite jumping around like a nine year old, wearing nine year old type sneakers. The girls back in the house gossip about Britt saying she doesn't want kids. And then we cut to her in the suite saying she wants "a hundred" kids. Hmmm. We see Carly crying over how Chris shushed her before. And then cut to CHRIS SHUTTING THE DOOR OF HIS SUITE! Bam, they're having sex. Or something.

Britt returns the next morning and the women machete her and parade her corpse through the streets. Or they want to. She tells them that she took a nap with Chris and everyone is mad as hell. Kelsie sneaks out to confront Chris about sleeping with Britt, or to share her story about being an awesome, strong, and not self-centered widow. She shares the story with Chris. She cries. In her interview, she says her story is "amazing. Tragic but amazing." Is she an actual sociopath? Now they're making out, as people are wont to do after discussing dead spouses. Chris seems to want to get away from Kelsie, but she keeps kissing. She says to the camera, "This is my love story too. You get to see someone who has been through tragedy grow and turn into another person." I think maybe she's just (!) a huge narcissist? Totally creepy.

The cocktail party. Kelsie is super confident, which means she's going to get dumped. Whitney starts to sense that Kelsie had extra time with Chris. Uh oh. Whoa, Chris sells out Kelsie and tells everyone that he and Kelsie had an emotional conversation that hit home. Chris starts crying. WTF. Chris Harrison appears like a magical genie and consoles Chris. Kelsie uses the word "ensued" for no reason except that she's pretentious. Kelsie is having basically a narcissistic version of a psychotic break where she says she's definitely staying.

Oh now Kelsie takes it up a notch. She is having a panic attack, probably because she thought about what a fool she would look like if she got eliminated. And now the show is over! We didn't get to see who went home! Next time, Chris seems to offend all the women at once by doing something egregious like preferring one woman to another on a competitive dating show. Till next time, I remain, The Blogapist Who Thinks Monday Nights Are The Best Nights of the Week.

For more, visit Dr. Psych Mom, or join me on Facebook or Twitter @DrPsychMom.

Shortly before his death, we interviewed Navy Seal Chris Kyle about his ten-year stint in the elite and mysterious Navy Seals. As a sniper he recorded the most career kills in US Military history. He spoke candidly about his years as a SEAL, his duties as a sniper, and the pain of war. It was one of those conversations that just lingered well after it was over.

Sadly, Chris' legendary life was tragically cut short at a shooting range in Texas by a troubled fellow soldier. His widow, Taya Kyle, joined us shortly after his death to share her personal remembrances of Chris...as a husband, father, son and friend to so many. Here's the link to our interview with Taya Kyle. We look forward to your feedback.

Listen here.

The 31st annual Sundance Film Festival wrapped on February 1 in Park City, Utah. Sundance remains one of the most competitive film festivals in the world, with only 1.5% of films accepted of the 12,166 submitted.

Latino voices were modestly represented at the festival this year, while critics observed the festival program to have been "particularly refreshing" in its diversity. The line-up featured over a dozen feature films with some presence of Latino themes. Recognizable Latino talent like Jennifer Lopez starred in the dramatic feature Lila & Eve, but there was also the exciting breakout of a few up-and-comers, such as Kitana Kiki Rodriguez (Tangerine).

What Sundance 2015 illustrated is that both nationally and internationally, Latino themes are not only for Latino filmmakers to explore; rather, Latino filmmakers are increasingly sharing universally relevant and commercially marketable themes in their movies. Additionally, Latino-themed stories are being told by filmmakers of all ethnic backgrounds. Such trends were proven by the winning Me & Earl & the Dying Girl by filmmaker Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, ever-successful writer/director Rodrigo Garcia's Ewan McGregor-starrer Last Days in the Desert and the Spanish-language short film Making it in America by Joris Debeij.

As the 2015 festival came to a close, select Sundance filmmakers reflected upon their Latino-themed films:

Primavera (Spring) by Writer/Director Tania Castillo
U.S. Premiere in Shorts category
Logline: Elba, an introverted, lonely 14-year-old, wants to bond with her sister Fernanda before she leaves home.

S.J. Main: How has your Latino background affected your way of telling stories through cinema?

Tania Castillo: I was born and raised in Mexico City. My parents come from a small town in the state of Puebla. I have grown up witnessing and being part of a society where life is rough and people have beautiful, passionate feelings. Primavera shows the context of my society, the absence of parents because of full-time jobs, the teenager friends I had, the Latin music I love. Primavera is based on a personal story. The memory of my sister teaching me how to dance "cumbia" was a moment that marked me, and that's the scene from where the idea began.

Tania Castillo is presently completing her filmmaking degree at the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica in Mexico. Filmed on location in Tuxpan, Veracruz, México.

• • •

Stop by Writer/Director Reinaldo Marcus Green
World Premiere in Shorts category
Logline: A young man's livelihood is put to the test when he is stopped by the police on his way home.

S.J. Main: How did the story for Stop originate?

Reinaldo Marcus Green: The idea came quite organically. I grew up in New York City, where people of color are subjected to profiling on a daily basis. These issues are not unique to NY, they are happening all the time, all over the country and many parts of the world. It was a combination of things, a compounding of events that started stirring the pot for the story. I asked myself the question, "What would happen to me if I was walking home at night and got stopped by the police?" And then I started to write it out, beat by beat.

S.J. Main: Would you say your ethnicity affects the stories you choose to tell as a filmmaker, and how?

Reinaldo Marcus Green: I am half Puerto Rican and half African American. We write what we know and we write who we are and where we came from, and inevitably, that is ingrained in the fabric of the types of films we make. I wanted to tackle a very controversial issue in a non-didactic way to allow viewers to think for themselves. I wanted to start a conversation, leave the audience with an emotional feeling, and create dialogue around the issue.

Stop is Reinaldo Marcus Green's first film at Sundance. He is a student at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Filmed on location in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

• • •

Cartel Land by Director/Producer/Cinematographer/Editor Matthew Heineman
Winner: Best Director & Cinematography in Feature Documentary category
Logline: In the Mexican state of Michoacán, Dr. Jose Mireles, a small-town physician known as "El Doctor" leads the Autodefensas, a citizen uprising against the violent Knights Templar drug cartel that has wreaked havoc on the region for years. Meanwhile, in Arizona's Altar Valley, Tim "Nailer" Foley, an American veteran, heads a small paramilitary group called Arizona Border Recon, whose goal is to stop Mexico's drug wars from seeping across the U.S. border.

S.J. Main: As you yourself are not Latino, how did you come to connect with Latinos or Latino themes through the production of the film Cartel Land?

Matthew Heineman: This film was a particularly immersive film, especially with the storyline of the Mexican vigilantes in Michoacán fighting back against the villainous Knights Templar Cartel. I have very complex feelings about the experience because...I fell in love with the people and landscape of Michoacán. But, on the other hand, I was there to document the lawlessness and the perpetual cycle of violence. I wanted to tell [the stories of everyday citizens] from an intimate, yet action-driven verité perspective. It took many months to gain their trust and to gain the access that I needed to tell this story.

S.J. Main: How does the story of the film manage to illuminate a significant issue that affects Latinos?

Matthew Heineman: I think it's tragic how the drug wars in Mexico have affected everyday citizens. It's estimated that over 80,000 people have been killed since 2007 and 20,000+ missing. ... I believe that the killing of the 43 students in Ayotzinapa highlighted--on the global scale--how deeply corrupt Mexico is and how blurry the lines are between cartel, government, and law enforcement. I think Cartel Land plays on those themes in a deeply personal and surprising way, and offers a unique perspective.

Matthew Heineman also directed Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, which premiered at Sundance in 2012. Filmed on location in Arizona, USA and Michoacán, Mexico.

• • •

Liveforever (Que Viva la Música) by Writer/Director Carlos Moreno
World Premiere in New Frontier category
Logline: Driven by the music and dancing that she finds along the way, a teenager leaves home willing to try everything that her provocative and tolerant city has to offer, no matter if she burns out in the process.

S.J. Main: How would you say that your movie represents Latinos uniquely, as maybe they haven't been portrayed before on film?

Carlos Moreno: This might be the first time we see a character searching for [her] identity in music and dancing, specifically from rock music to salsa music. [I]n Latin America, young people tend to discard their local music and rhythm in preference for American or European music. It's a way to fit into the global trends. But as adolescence kicks in, parties and sexuality flourish, that body contact, the sensuality of our Latin music and dancing take over.

[As filmmakers], we have lived our character's journey, we know the streets, the dance floors, we have found ourselves in this story...Latin culture is the essence of what the film is about.

Liveforever is Moreno's third Sundance title. Producer: Rodrigo Guerrero. Filmed on location in Cali, Colombia.

• • •

The Royal Road by Writer/Director Jenni Olson
World Premiere in New Frontier category
Logline: A cinematic essay set against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes, The Royal Road offers up intimate reflections on nostalgia, the pursuit of unavailable women, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo alongside a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War.

S.J. Main: How does your film explore Latino themes?

Jenni Olson: I'm not a Latino filmmaker but my film...reflects in part on Junipero Serra and his Spanish colonization of California and the history of the Mexican American War as a war that was, as Ulysses S. Grant said, "one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation."

As a white person living in California, one can't help but be aware of our state's heritage--Latino, Spanish, Native American. My film makes an effort at exploring a tiny bit of this story using our famous thoroughfare of El Camino Real as a structuring device...[T]his past also connects us to our future. In 2065, Latinos are projected to hit the 50% mark at which point they will reach a majority for the first time since the year of California's statehood in 1850.

The Royal Road is Olson's fifth film to screen at Sundance. Voiceover: Olson & Tony Kushner. Filmed on location in California, USA.

• • •

Additional Sundance 2015 films that featured Latino talent or highlighted Latino themes include:

Aloft, City of Gold, Dope, Experimenter, Fresh Dressed, The Game Maker, H., Knock Knock, Nasty Baby, Palm Rot, Papa Machete, Reversal, The Second Mother, The Stanford Prison Experiment, The Strongest Man, The Sun Like a Big Dark Animal, {THE AND} Marcela & Rock, Western, Wild Tales

Learn more about the Sundance International Film Festival.

The stereotype of Latina women that cabins her into an imagery of her beauty and sexuality and less about her intelligence and wisdom is a stereotype that exists in all professions. At the workplace this can be manifested in sexual harassment and overt discrimination at one extreme and implicit bias or indifference at the other.

Laws exist to address these abusive and hostile work environments and to ensure that employment and career decisions are based on merit.

Today there is a debate about America being a post-racial society, that is, an environment where the worst aspects of discrimination against African-Americans and Latinos are things of the past -- of a time of black-and-white TV. The successive election of President Barack Obama symbolizes this arrival to a new, sophisticated era.

But putting aside the reality that racial attacks against Latino immigrants and sexual harassment of Latina workers continues unabated in this modern era, whatever analysis of Latina stereotyping that occurs today must account for the implicit biases that exist and affect decision-making by private sector management.

It is in this vein that the recent developments concerning the actress and activist Rosie Pérez on The View have parallels in the career paths of many Latina professionals. The first obvious difference in drawing these parallels is that Rosie Pérez's work product is displayed publicly before an audience of millions of viewers.

But the attacks on her performance may still be the same. Recently, she has undergone a series of anonymous critiques by someone with access to the show's management that questions her wisdom. It is worth noting here that we speak of a highly-regarded, Oscar-nominated actress, director of documentaries, member of a presidential commission on HIV/AIDS, and a formidable activist on Puerto Rican community issues.

In other words, the anonymous attack concerns a Latina woman with significant accomplishments who broke a 14-year ceiling in becoming the first Latina to be a regular on the popular program The View.

Despite the demographic explosion of Latinos in the country there are still many glass ceilings that need to come down for them in TV and in Hollywood. For example, in 39 years of programming of Saturday Night Live, produced in the largest city in the country where the largest racial/ethnic minority is Latino, there has been at best, one Latino comedian cast in the show.

Indeed, for every milestone in Hollywood -- like last year's award for director Alfonso Cuarón -- there are multiple barriers to Latino inclusion, and many revolve around the stereotype of the Latin lover or the Latina spitfire. One study last year placed the number of roles for Latino characters at five percent at a time that the Latino proportion of movie ticket buyers stood at 25 percent.

In her book on Latinos in Hollywood, Clara Rodriguez noted that Latino roles are typically eroticized and that when they are for Latinas the roles are made to attract attention to their bodies -- not their accomplishments or their intelligence.

It is within this context of glass ceilings, implicit bias and decades of stereotypes that denigrate Latina wisdom that the treatment of Rosie Pérez merits attention and discussion.

American Sniper creates an interesting dialogue on human emotions, vitriol and arrogance when it comes to the people willing to express their opinion on the subject of war. Extolling war seems to have a deeply ingrained emotional value in the American psyche causing people to either highly praise it or highly denigrate it. The character portrayal in war movies is a facet of the experience but not the experience people are hoping to find when they watch these movies. The movies are there for excitement, intrigue and storytelling and that is being eclipsed by human political emotions in the story of Chris Kyle. This eclipsing of storytelling is being expressed by the Fly By Night Patriot and the Twitter Coward.

There is a bubble of sentiments that can be expressed in the norm of discussion, and then there are the extreme polarities causing a denigration of the film -- those that are dialogues of overly zealous ramble bots and the "coward-sphere" as witnessed by the Twitter word-salad of Michael Moore. These dialogues are full of arrogance and vitriol.

One thing must be cleared up: The vitriol and arrogance is fine. Calling members of the military "cowards" is fine. Service-members are there so that you can say these things. There is a tacit understanding many members of the military have come to and that's that you can't please everyone. But what is more insulting than seeing a man no longer living who extolled the characteristics of honor, duty and courage being called a "coward" is the people who believe they are patriots by seeing a film and expressing a pro-war mantra.

These are usually people who believe carrying a gun in a Chipotle is acceptable, beat on their chest about the Second Amendment, and have an American flag above their bed. These people are the same people that vote people in office who won't pass bills aimed at helping veterans. I have relatives like these people who believe that the gun is their predestined right to badassery.

These are the same people who believe that every military member is a conservative. Unfortunately for them, they will continue to believe in their own badassery pro-gun and pro- war mantra while they walk into a Chipotle with their guns or beg to be confronted by a cop so they can school them on the Second Amendment in front of a video camera to win the love of their brethren in badassery. These are the Fly By Night Patriots.

The Fly By Night Patriot is not helping anyone and neither is the Twitter "Coward-sphere." The vitriol is not helping anyone. Chris Kyle's story is poignant and artfully done. As shown in American Sniper, the only ones helping veterans are veterans because they know what they face. Your vitriol, The Fly By Night Patriot, and the "Coward-sphere" are a circus of delusions if you think they will help in anyway. Chris Kyle will forever be a hero to those who know the rare type of mental strength he had to have to be whom he was.

Jake Atlas, known as Thriftworks to the world, is traversing multiple musical dimensions boasting his unique sonic style. With new music pouring out of him like an unleashed dam, he has so much to share with eager eardrums. Recently releasing a three part album, Fade, Fader and Fadest, his live shows are full of sticky sounds and visceral vibrations. In this exlusive interview with Thriftworks, we discover the story behind the name, his inspirations, spirit animal and more!

Morena: Tell me about the name Thriftworks. How did it come to be?

Thriftworks: I moved out to Emeryville, CA to go to audio engineering school. I came out with very limited production gear, just a laptop, an acoustic/electric guitar, and a practice amp. I started slowly acquiring more and more studio gear from the refuse room in my apartment. I found discarded desks and furniture in the parking garage and I was assembling shelving out of scrap wood, cardboard and tape. Essentially thrifting my studio together was working out.

Morena: Your newest three part album Fade, Fader and Fadest offers a sonically diverse range of songs. Full albums, let alone three, is unique in the electronic music world. What is the story behind the journey of these albums?

Thriftworks: I had a whole grip of tracks I wanted to get out into the world. I wasn't sure exactly how so I assembled them into three different parts. In my opinion, Fade consists of slower, more syrupy and emotive songs. Fader is like a fat shmear of midtempo, bouncier cuts, and Fadest is more representative of some of my latest work. All in all the tracks span the course of 3 years. I just wanted to try a different approach to releasing and keep people stoked on a constant stream of new music over the course of a month.

Morena: Who have been some of your greatest influences, whether from music, art, literature, dead or alive, friend or family? Are there any current artists in your genre that you admire and would like to collaborate with?

Thriftworks: I started making beats when I was 16 or so, those were the days of myspace. Honestly my biggest early influence was a dude from Fresno, CA by the name of Hunchback Esquire. He made laid back instrumental hip-hop and turned me into a fiend. As of late it's people like Flying Lotus and the entire Brainfeeder crew, even just the LA beat scene in general. After moving to California though it was my friends B.Lewis and Insightful who really inspired me to push harder, I'm proud to call those schmucks my friends. As far as collaborations, I'll keep that to myself so as not to look like a fool.

Morena: If you had to choose an animal that represents the spirit of you and your music, what animal would it be (mythical creatures included)?

Thriftworks: Pterodactyl. Easy.

Morena: You hail from Pennsylvania but you have settled in Oakland, California. What brought you there?

Thriftworks: Trade school. I studied audio at Ex'pression School for Digital Arts. I was cool but more or less a goat rope.

Morena: Touring is an incredible, albeit taxing, experience for a musician. Many of the shows you attend are music festivals. What is the touring adventure like for you? What have been some of your favorite festivals and countries that you have played?

Thriftworks: I love the tour life. I love playing music for faces new and old. But mostly I love the travel aspect. Cruising down a new city or town strip with coffee in hand is my bread and butter. Meeting new people and making new connections is what it's all about. Festivals are always fun because it's usually a free-for-all in the woods with a butt-load of friends. I got the opportunity to play a small tour throughout Australia last year, it was absolute titties. Playing a private party up in the northern tropics of Cairns and eating fresh grilled fish from the Great Barrier Reef after my set is definitely and all time winner.

Morena: Do you have any goals, projects or hopes for this year? Where do you think 2015 will take you?

Thriftworks: Definitely. The general goal is always to keep making more and better music, expanding the fan base, and just growing upwards. Europe is on my mind in a big way, my team and I already have a few things in the works. Only time will tell but international is the certainly the next step.

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/thriftworks
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thriftworks
Bandcamp: http://jatlas.bandcamp.com/

The movies (variously known as cinema, film, flicks -- and I would now add television, TV, the boob tube) is an art form somewhat over a hundred years old. Not really a long time in the nearly 200,000-year history of modern humans. And an infinitesimally small molecule of time in the 13.7 billion-year history of the universe. Nevertheless, for almost everyone living today, especially in our Western culture, movies have had a huge impact on their lives -- and that culture. And by "movies" here I mean simply moving pictures of narrative fiction (this is why I've included television). I think I am safe in saying that it is unarguable that movies, in their so far short life span, have become the big elephant in our culture when it comes to art forms. They have, I believe, completely outstripped in popularity and possibly influence, the two other major (and older) forms of narrative fiction: the novel and the play -- although, being a novelist who has written one play, I am loathe to make that statement.

How did this happen? After all, movies started out as just curiosities, little tweaks of amusement projected in their cramp little storefront nickelodeons. There are probably many answers, some having to do with the power of the image, the power of the image in movement, the intimacy it gives to the art of acting, indeed the whole sensual potpourri it offers -- image, light, movement, voice, music, color (and, in the past and occasionally now, the "color" of black and white), all transporting one to worlds known and unknown.

Movies are no longer a curiosity. But being the big art elephant in our culture they are certainly worthy of our curiosity, the desire to understand how they came about, how they were made, what makes them work, and what makes them work on us. Professionally, this curiosity is the stamp of a hardy band of obsessives known as film historians. And in the best of them, that curiosity is melded with great passion and deep love for this now quite sophisticated infant art form. This is a grand thing and deserves to be celebrated.

One of the best celebrations of movies and the historians who dote on them happens on a fairly regular basis on the internet in a podcast beautifully titled The Commentary Track - Interviews with Film Historians and Filmmakers. It was created and is hosted by Frank Thompson.

A man for whom the word "genial" must have been coined. Thompson is himself a film historian with over forty books to his credit, and a particular interest in director William Wellman. He has also written contemporary accounts of the making of the films Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas and the 2004 The Alamo (he's an expert on the history of the battle at the Alamo), and even novelizations of films. He co-wrote with Clayton Moore the story of Moore's time playing the Lone Ranger on television, and he has written and directed a number of documentaries on film. The man knows his stuff and more.

The Commentary Track was named, of course, for that feature of many DVDs, where filmmakers comment on the film as you watch it. But his podcast could well be called The Conversation Track, for, although he asks good questions of his guests, what transpires is less an interview than a really good conversation between two people with a shared passion. Sparks of enthusiasm fly, gems of information sparkle, stories of love are told, laughs are generated. It is a comfortable, easy-chair podcast.

I was please to be guest on The Commentary Track last October, although bemused that Frank wanted to converse with me. But as I so enjoyed his conversations with others, I couldn't turn down the opportunity to join them on the list of his shows. Some of my favorite conversations were with Kevin Brownlow, the dean of film historians; Joe Adamson, who first declared animator Tex Avery to be a talent to revere and explained why seriously loving the Marx Brothers was a worthy emotion; Phil Proctor of the surrealist comedy group, The Firesign Theater, who debut in film acting with Orson Welles, Jack Nicholson, and Tuesday Weld (lucky man); and an old friend, Darrell Van Citters, an animator of no small talent who became an historian in order to save TV's first Christmas special, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, from obscurity. Nice company to be in.

But there is another part of The Commentary Track, a sidebar really, that I have found much pleasure in listening to. Thompson calls it Radio Movies, and here he presents radio adaptations from the 1930s and 40s of what have become classic movies.

Of course, they were not always classic movies when these radio dramas and comedies were first broadcast on such shows as The Lux Radio Theater, Academy Award Theater, The Screen Guild Theater, and others. They were made for both promotional reasons and for just the sheer entertainment value of listening to your favorite film stars in these shortened -- but shorten artfully -- versions of popular films. Indeed, I was surprised to learn that some of the adaptations were made years after the film's release. Hardly a promotional item. They are just as entertaining today -- especially if you love movies from that era. And Thompson, being the fine historian he is, gives a fun facts filled intro to each radio play that always illuminates the experience you are about to have. Of the ones I've listened to I highly recommend Bob Hope in Ghostbreakers (very funny with a fine moment when the young June Foray -- later, Rocky the Flying Squirrel -- playing old cracks Hope up with an ad lib); Ruggles of Red Gap, with Charles Laughton and Charlie Ruggles with Laughton just as moving as he was in the film (made eleven years before this broadcast); The Lady Eve with Ray Milland taking Henry Fonda's role, but with original cast members Barbara Stanwyck and Charles Coburn, and a film I was unaware of, Remember the Night, with Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray, and the wonderful Sterling Holloway of the unforgettable voice, all essaying their original roles. Now it is a movie I have to see, and I will be obsessively checking TCM's schedule until I do.

You can check out The Commentary Track and Radio Movies here. And you can subscribe to the podcasts on iTunes here. If you have an interest in movies, their stars, directors, writers, and stories, you will thank me if you do.

Steven Paul Leiva's latest book, By the Sea, a comic novel, has just been published by Crossroad Press.

There aren't many films from the past 15 years that bowled me over the way The Matrix did.

Unfortunately, the Wachowskis -- Andy and Lana -- haven't come close since then. The Matrix sequels proved that not every successful movie deserves to be a trilogy. Speed Racer was an outright disaster and, while I liked Cloud Atlas, that's a distinctly minority opinion.

But Jupiter Ascending gives cause for hope for these ambitious and imaginative filmmakers. While far from the classic that The Matrix was, it's a propulsive, adventurous sci-fi fantasy thriller that has scale and mass. If there are laughable moments, there are also scenes that will have you gripping your armrests in tension.

The Wachoskis have blended elements of several iconic tales, everything from Star Wars to The Terminator to The Matrix itself. The plot essentially has to do with a group of wealthy extraterrestrials from another galaxy, the Abrasax family (named, apparently, after a dyslexic's reading of a Santana album title). Three siblings survive the recently murdered matriarch -- and they're squabbling over who gets what.

The key issue is ownership of Earth which, it seems, was "seeded" with humans by this family eons ago. The owner of Earth gets to harvest its inhabitants: i.e., cook them down to their essence, which is consumed by the Abrasax spawn in order to live for millennia. Plural.

This review continues on my website.

Three days before Christmas this year, I opened the Times and I had to laugh. It was an incredulous laugh, more than anything else. In an article titled "Angelina Jolie's Fashion Campaign for an Oscar", NYT fashion critic Vanessa Friedman gives us a lengthy account of Angelina Jolie's fashion choices in the wake of the Academy Awards. For those of you who don't know, Angelina Jolie directed a film this year. A film based on a very brilliant book titled Unbroken, which was also written by a woman (Laura Hillenbrand, who also penned Seabiscuit.) It's no secret that it is very difficult for a woman--any woman--to secure a directing job in our beloved Hollywood (see the proof here.) Unbroken, in particular, was a big project by Hollywood standards, with big-time interest from big-name directors. Which made Jolie's involvement even more noteworthy. Whether you liked the film or not isn't the point (I for one, was so blown away by the book that I went into it knowing that nothing could compare). The point is this: how, in a world where it is immensely difficult for women to be taken seriously, and an actor-turned-director in particular, does an article written by a woman about what Angelina Jolie is wearing while "campaigning" for an Oscar even exist?

Friedman writes, "perhaps more meaningful (than the buzz around her film) is the way Ms. Jolie has been shaping her image in pursuit of her goal, edging it from look-at-me stardom to self-effacing behind-the-scenes-dom." I get it. I really do. It is Friedman's job to focus on these things. But do we see this kind of scrutiny surrounding men and their choice of suit? Suggest that what they wear is specifically chosen--and necessary--to help them find success? That their work cannot stand for itself? Friedman seems to suggest that a woman's wardrobe is essential to crafting an image in order to "sell" a product. In this approach, appearance becomes directly linked to value. Our value. "It may seem ridiculous to believe that drab colors and a lack of skin are required to convince the world of career commitment, but like it or not, in the eye of many beholders, playing into the stereotype is a shortcut to achieving the result." Friedman's words, once again.

Friedman is clearly suggesting that women should bow to stereotypes in order to convey our "seriousness of purpose." Not only that, but perhaps channel the masculine? "There is nothing like a man's white shirt, the building block of C.E.O.-style everywhere, to convey one's getting-down-to-business side." At every turn, Friedman presents notions of female professionalism that are both embarrassing and, frankly, outmoded.

And yes, fashion is cool. The designers behind our trends are cool. And talented. But should Angelina Jolie's wardrobe really have any bearing on her perceived talent and serious role as a director, or influence how her film is received by the Academy? Should we be writing articles that feed into this type of superficiality? Friedman doesn't simply state that fashion choices influence female career success: she suggests that women embrace it. Cue the crickets.

Courtesy insidemegscloset.blogspot.com

Are we talking about what Steve McQueen decided to wear in order to convince audiences that 12 Years A Slave deserved Best Picture? No. (And if so, someone please link me to it.) Would his film have won even if he had thrown caution to the wind and worn Birkenstocks to the awards ceremony? Why can't a film stand for a film, and not the face behind it? Let's face it. Jolie is a star. A big one. And, inevitably, attention will turn to her whether she is in front of the camera or behind it. But what about Redford, who has transitioned seamlessly from Hollywood heartthrob to talented producer and director? Does he need a "look" to convince the public that his films should be taken seriously?

It is disheartening that this type of article can exist in a world where less than 2 percent of directors are women. At the end of the day, is Friedman's opinion on the value of Jolie's wardrobe horrifyingly incendiary? No. Groundbreaking? Not really. But is there a more interesting topic to discuss during Angelina Jolie's Oscar quest than the "muted colors that bring out the skin tone"? Sure as hell yes.

As a general rule, I hate Hollywood remakes. There is such a dearth of originality in Hollywood, that I cringe whenever I hear that someone is going to take an old idea, that was fabulous the first time around, and update it or, sometimes just copy it, to make a quick buck with moviegoers.

But it looks like I'm not alone in holding back my judgment on the just announced all-female cast for a Ghostbusters 3 movie. Even though Tinseltown is still overwhelmingly male, there is a new moon on the rise with women of a certain age and, dare I say, feminist women of a certain age.

With the announcement, some men seem to be threatened that the childhood memories will be ruined or that a classic film will be emasculated. But there are at least 10 reasons that women will rock a remake of the 1980s classic in a demon and ghost-possessed 21st century:

1. Because women can be more than a demon cannister.

2. The Sigourney Weaver character would slap her boss, who badgers her incessantly about a dinner date, with a sexual harassment lawsuit faster than you can say "The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man."

3. "The Gatekeeper" won't have unprotected sex with "The Keymaster."

4. Ghostbusters Inc. will be a woman-owned business.

4. Because gender doesn't matter for this story. It's not a movie about men or women. It's a movie about ghosts. So please don't call it a "chick flick."

5. The girls get the more awesome visual effects.

6. Some of the dude critics are afraid their childhood dreams and memories will be crushed. GB3 will show today's girls what they can reach for -- whether it's being a ghostbuster themselves or the next wave of Hollywood producers!

7. Maybe they'll write in a cameo appearance for the new She-Thor.

8. It's no gimmick to showing our girls strong -- and funny -- female characters. Am I right Tina and Amy?

9. Because there will be a geeky woman scientist and geeky women scientists are inspiring, fabulous and hot.

10. Because Ghostbusters in any iteration is awesome!

Joanne Bamberger is an independent journalist and journalism entrepreneur who is also the author of the book Mothers of Intention: How Women and Social Media are Revolutionizing Politics in America, an Amazon.com bestseller. She is the founder and publisher of the The Broad Side, a digital magazine of the best women's commentary on the web, as well as a leadership networking/mentoring site. She is currently at work on a "surprising" Hillary Clinton project to be released later this year. You can find her on Twitter at @jlcbamberger. Also, follow The Broad Side on Twitter at @The_Broad_Side.

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Which Disney Princess best embodies feminist principles, and why?: originally appeared on Quora: The best answer to any question. Ask a question, get a great answer. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Answer by Shannon Larson

In this answer I will evaluate the degree of gender treason committed by the following seven women, who so blithely bask in the glory of the patriarchy anointing them with the empty title "princess", thereby condemning innocent little girls worldwide to a life wracked by miserable, insatiable lust for a crown, a ballgown, and a 17-inch waist:

Aurora

Snow White

Cinderella

Ariel

Jasmine

Mulan

Belle

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)
Theme song: "Once upon a Dream"
Gender treason: 5 corsets
Helpless damsel in distress

Pros:

None that I know of. Plays virtually no role in her life decisions. Does nothing to combat the oppression of the patriarchy.

Cons:

Defines her self-worth by attracting a man to such an extreme degree that she conjures up a faux man to dance with

Corrupted by an irresistible urge to adhere to traditional gender roles and spin yarn

Passive in deciding her future and, in fact, marries a man who molests her in her sleep

Gives up an idyllic life in the forest, where she is free from the oppression of the patriarchy, in order to don a sparkling pink gown

Snow White (Snow White)
Theme song: "Some Day My Prince Will Come"
Gender treason: 5 corsets
Helpless damsel in distress whose life is ruined by excellence at fulfilling the patriarchy's beauty mandate

Pros:

None that I know of. Plays virtually no role in her life decisions. Does nothing to combat the oppression of the patriarchy.

Cons:

Her entire life story is based on her exceptional conformance to patriarchy-mandated beauty standards

Revels in domesticity. Gained the "right" to live with seven strange men by cooking and cleaning for them

Yet another princess to be taken down by adhering to her patriarchy-assigned role. She is poisoned by eating what she believes is "a wishing apple" whereby "all [her] dreams will come true." Her only stated desire is to be seduced by a prince.

Passive in deciding her future and, in fact, marries a man who molests her in her sleep

Cinderella (Cinderella)
Theme song: "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes"
Gender treason: 5 corsets
Housemaid of limited ambition (marrying well) who relies entirely on others to make her dreams come true

Pros:

None that I know of. Is conscious for all of her major life decisions but plays no active role

Cons:

Accepts a life of domesticity

Grieves exclusion from the Royal Ball, a perverted spectacle wherein women are paraded before the prince to be judged according to their adherence to the beauty mandate

Relies on supernatural powers to improve her position rather than taking any personal initiative

Enraptured by trappings of of the patriarchy's beauty mandate

Defines her self-worth by attracting a man

Life is changed by a high-heeled shoe

Ariel (The Little Mermaid)
Theme Song: "Part of Your World"
Gender Treason: 4 corsets
Willful, brave, rebellious, and proactive but ultimately foolish

Pros:

Risks life and limb to satisfy her insatiable appetite for learning, which is forbidden by her oppressive father

Proactive about getting what she wants, even if that means making a pact with the devil

Cons:

Obsessed with a man

Wears a bra despite breasts' natural buoyancy in water, thereby perpetuating the sexualization of breasts and the wider commodification of the female body

Sells her soul in order to transform her body to impress a man

Belle (Beauty and the Beast)
Theme song: "Belle" (whose theme is an existence beyond this provincial life)
Gender treason: 3 corsets
Bookish misfit who rejects the superficial trappings of the patriarchy but does not break free from male oppression

Pros:

Yearns for opportunities not afforded by small town life

Reads despite mockery by the patriarchy

Rejects the patriarchal notion that a woman should marry the most "masculine" man available

Generally aloof to her innate adherence to the beauty mandate. Her favorite man in town is the elderly librarian

Doesn't cook for any suitor

Cons:

Enables the oppression of a team of cooking and cleaning workers

Persists in a relationship with an abusive man

Jasmine (Aladdin)
Theme song: "A Whole New World"
Gender treason: 2 corsets
Tries to escape the trappings of royal life but is pulled back in, where she changes the patriarchy from within.

Pros:

Rejects the notion of marriage as absolutely necessary

Asserts her right to choose who she marries

Attempts to escape the charade that is princesshood

Overthrows restrictive patriarchal tradition of limiting her marriage prospects to a prince

Takes control of her sexuality to trap a predator

Cons:

Does not persist in her attempt to leave a life of royal oppression

Legacy of sexy costumes enables the patriarchy's objectification of women

Mulan (Mulan)
Theme song: "Be a Man"
Gender treason: 1 corset
Gender bending icon.

Pros:

Did not take the patriarchy-mandated matchmaking ceremony seriously enough to memorize her lines

Was uncomfortable conforming with patriarchy-mandated beauty standards. Had to add a nonconformist personal touch before leaving the house

Deviates from the patriarchy-mandated standards of feminine beauty by cutting her hair and wearing men's clothes (including practical shoes!)

Brave, ingenious warrior who uses her intelligence to be a better soldier than men, who beat her in physical strength

Tears down gender stereotypes by dressing men in women's clothes

Overthrows patriarchal tradition in being honored by the emperor and all of China

Returns home to her family, forcing her suitor to come to her world rather than giving up her life for him

Cons:

Conforms by attending the matchmaking ceremony

Instead of acknowledging society's unfair treatment of women, grieves her inability to conform to patriarchy-mandated gender norms of subservience and propriety

Both Jasmine and Mulan succeed in being admirable role models in today's patriarchy-oppressed world (Belle falls short for staying with a violent man). The two "feminist princesses" resist the patriarchy's orders, opening new horizons for themselves and future generations of women. Can it be considered mere coincidence that they are the only two "princesses" to forego high heels, gown, and tiara?

More questions on Quora:

Hypothetical Battles: Who would win if all the Disney princesses fought, Hunger Games style?
Animation: What is it like to be an animator for Disney?
Disney Movies: What is it like being the voice of a Disney character?

As a kid, I recall going to the department stores with mom and my siblings. It seemed like a mixed blessing. On one hand, we were out of the house, and not sentenced to a day of chores. On the other hand, we were doomed to a steel wire shopping cart prison cell if she discovered our hide-'n-seek game in the clothing racks. Stores like Goldblatts and Kmart were common shopping destinations, and their toy departments never seemed to lose their shiny and mystical powers that entranced us as we fantasy sword-played or floor tested the latest Hot Wheels release.

Now, as an adult, I realize how much money we didn't have. I realize how going to those stores was more window shopping, and less product buying. Mom knew that a frozen coke at the Kmart cafeteria in the back of the store would be reward enough for us kids to feel special. I've never asked her, but I imagine a day trip to the department store had as much to do with her necessary escape from the daily home grind, as it did with letting us kids have something to do.

Each store had a customer service area in the back where, occasionally, mom would disappear for a few minutes. I never understood what that customer service desk was about until later in my adolescence, when I would find myself handling a similar transaction.

Layaway.

The concept that you can almost buy something and call it your own, but not until you've paid for it over time, is nothing new. However, in our world today, I don't know that I can say the layaway plan has affected my life outside of paying interest loans for my home and car. But, for a pair of pants, shoes, a coffee pot or anything else that a department store offered at the time, layaway was the common practice used by mom for things she wanted to buy. It was both a matter of economics and budgeting, and a great deal of restraint and patience to wait for what you were able to touch and see in your own hands.

Layaway taught us kids the value of working hard to get what you wanted over time, instead of popping out a credit card and having instant gratification -- which is the way it has happened in the 40 years since those early days of childhood.

In a lot of ways, this venture of the music industry is a great comparison to the layaway plan, or the high-interest credit card plan.

Most artists in the past 15 to 20 years who have been hooked on their passion as a result of TV reality shows, like Star Search or American Idol, have been sucked into the universe of instant gratification with little time or patience to guide them. We have witnessed equal or perceived "lesser" talented artists be discovered right before our eyes on TV.

It's like the new fabric smell of a great pair of jeans, wafting into our minds while in that department store.

"I must have these," we exclaim as they dig into their wallet for a freed-up credit card.

I will admit that having been a singer my entire life, I recognize the powerful temptation that comes with seeing semi-talented artists release songs on the radio after having appeared on a reality show. It's been like the gold rush of 1849, and Klondike-destined miners are seeking their claim to fame and riches with a pick-axe and sifter.

Sadly, many of the well-intended artists in the music industry find themselves deep in debt and realizing they spent future-assumed funds on an item that was polished and propped up, high on display in the department store, only to enjoy it for a short time. They brought it home, showed it off to friends and family, used it to fill their time and attention, but never really took the time to fully appreciate what they were investing in. The thrill-seeking high of fame and potential fortune outweighed the reality: that it takes 98 percent of hard work and calendar pages to make that high sustain.

They forgot about the layaway option.

I drove by a shoe store in my small town and saw a huge sign on their building that boasted that they offered layaway plans. I thought to myself: "It's a pair of shoes. Seriously?" I suppose I could have questioned if the shoes had gold shoelaces, and were made from God's own personal herd of cattle to require them to offer a layaway plan. But, realizing that not every consumer has enough disposable income, or a credit card, for even a $30 pair of shoes reminded me how impatient I must be for the simplest things.

I've been spoiled. Shame on me.

I recently posted a video of Spencer auditioning at age 13 for a local music competition, and found it hard to fathom that it was already five years ago. He was so young. His voice was so high tenor. His body, so little, and his cheeks so chubby. His awkward, front-tooth grin reminded me of the music journey we've taken so far.

For us, it's been a layaway plan.

We have never had the money or network of industry contacts to launch Spencer. Plus, I don't believe he would have been ready to take on the work that I now realize is involved with sustaining a career in the music business. Maybe, equally realistic is the fact that while he had talent, knowing how to apply that talent in the music industry takes time and experience. Skill is the result of that time and experience. Patience is the greatest ingredient to sustaining a career when you strip away all the pretense and hype.

A mentor of Spencer's shared a story about his days as an Executive A&R at Sony. He explained how he had literally hundreds and hundreds of highly talented artists that walked through his door, or were shared across his desk in the form of demo after demo each year. Obviously, it would be mind-numbing to listen to band after band do their best "sound-alike" of whatever was hot in the past 12 months on the radio. Occasionally, he would hear a unique sound and talent, which would raise his eyebrow and put his team into action on reaching out to them.

So, after sifting through the masses of artists, hoping for their number to be called, he would finally have a handful they'd start to develop. It was in this process where they would truly realize the ones that would make it, versus those who were just fame and fortune seekers.

He explained it like this to Spencer one day in his office in Nashville.

"It wasn't their talent or desire that was scrutinized most. It was their tenacity."

He went on.

The flashing strobes of their stage show was cool, but me and my team were always more interested in watching them over time. How did they handle sleeping in a van when they couldn't afford a hotel? How did they handle performing in a venue where four people showed up to watch? How did the react when haters made their opinions highly public? How would they react when the label rejected their most ambitious work of art on an album because it would not sell?

He continued to share the not-so-fun side of being an artist -- addressing the tenacity and character of an artist more than their talent. It was during this conversation that I witnessed Spencer's eyes sparkle in a different way. For him, he knew that he had ability and some talent. He also knew he wasn't a prodigy. For Spencer, he came to understand that this mentor was talking about the layaway plan.

He would need to make payments toward a goal of having a career in the music industry. Payments that were issued over time, over rough periods where he had to scrape together couch-coins to make an effort. Spencer would have to grasp that, like most worthwhile things in life, Rome wasn't built in a day. However painful the journey of highs and lows has been at times, the love for that pair of jeans or remote control car he put on layaway would have to be so deep inside, that he would continue to make the trip to Kmart and drop off another payment.

His mentor simply said that they looked for artists who were willing to invest and stay committed when the worst of times came at them. They were, after all, going to invest alongside them, and it was highly important to know that they wouldn't jump ship after the first bad show or broken-down vehicle infused their life with an opportunity for patience. The label is a bank, and the bank doesn't care about anything but getting their investment back, and then some.

Tom Petty, one of my personal favorite artists of all time, wrote a song where the hook is simply: "The waiting is the hardest part." I wonder if he exercised his own personal journey in the music business into a clever song that most humans can relate to.

And, while Spencer continues to plot the path to a career in this industry, the people around him continue to remind him to keep grinding and working. Even when the final payment of a layaway yields a box filled with the item you set as a goal to obtain so long ago, another new item will reveal itself, and it will require a new installment of payments to achieve.

This is the life of an artist. Always reaching, never obtaining fully that which they can become.

As I sat in the shopping cart next to mom's purse with my legs dangling through the holes, I would watch her push me past aisle after aisle of stuff. And, in the checkout lane, where merchandisers plot their evil temptation plans the best, was a shelf lined with candy and gum.

From time to time, mom would distract me while she grabbed a Reese's or pack of Chicklets and pass them to the cashier in secret for a reward for my patience. Other times, she would hush my whines for a sugar high with warnings that dinner would be served soon, and she didn't want to ruin my appetite. Mom's are clever that way.

In the end, I learned that, sometimes, your patience will be rewarded, and sometimes your impatience results in nothing.

American Sniper has ruled at the box office for the past three weekends, racking up record-breaking grosses, while also earning multiple Oscar nominations.

The film -- focused on the life and legendary Iraq War exploits of Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle -- has also stirred patriotic fervor and criticism in equal measure. Mainstream and social media continue to debate the film's accuracy, its depiction of snipers, its perspective on the U.S. military presence in Iraq, its impact on the Arab and Muslim communities and whether Kyle represents everything that is right or wrong with America today.

Amid those debates and staggeringly strong ticket sales, student journalists nationwide are weighing in with their own reviews of the film and commentaries on its political and cultural significance.

In The Spectator student newspaper, Seattle University sophomore Harrison Bucher calls the movie "an amazing true story of an American hero."

North Carolina State University student Kevin Schaefer agrees, describing it in The Technician as nothing less than "an exhilarating cinematic experience... that leaves audiences speechless."

Middle Tennessee State University student Maranda Faris is only slightly less enthused. In The Sidelines, she writes that American Sniper is "an emotional roller-coaster that will have you on the edge of your seat for 132 minutes."

University of North Texas student Dalton LaFerney is also a huge fan of the film.
"American Sniper not only deserves the applause of movie critics and the prestige of Hollywood gold, but it's also a film that should be screened in psychology classes," LaFerney contends in The North Texas Daily.

It's the kind of film that offers beautiful symbolism, bringing to life a true story. ... While many war films exploit battlefield tension, such as gunfire, massive explosions and carnage, American Sniper is more about the cerebral side of fighting. A warrior is more of a thinker, someone who has purpose not only in battle, but in life.

In The Reflector, Mississippi State University student Blake Morgan argues the key to enjoying the film is to view it on a personal -- not political -- level.

"What makes this movie so different from other American war movies, from Saving Private Ryan to Fury, is this movie is more about one man's journey through war," Morgan explains.

...The movie does not make a statement either way on America's decision to enter Iraq or to stay there for an extended period of time. 'American Sniper' hardly even approaches the subject; instead, it focuses on one man's mission to protect his friends, family and country.

University of Oregon student Chris Berg appreciates the movie's mission of displaying both the glamor and gritty underbelly of war. But, he does point out two major narrative set-ups that he sees as less-than-stellar -- a dehumanization of the "enemy," and a deification of Kyle.

"We ... see next-to-nothing that permits the audience to sympathize with Iraqi soldiers and citizens," Berg declares in The Emerald.

One of the few foreigners who does come off as something remotely human is soon revealed to be a traitor (by Kyle, no less). On the home-front, his redemption is represented in the form of returning to the traditional 'cowboy' lifestyle from which he came. His death is also never shown on screen, with the information conveyed directed to the audience through an epilogue post-script. All these elements heighten the impression that Kyle is larger than life -- a modern hero of a modern war.

University of Southern Mississippi student Noé Cugny is similarly disturbed by what he perceives as an oversimplified depiction of Iraqis. As he writes in The Student Printz:

The entire population the soldiers encountered in American Sniper is reduced to an anti-hero, similar to a comic book villain: vicious and misleading collaborators, helpless families who asked for money in exchange of information and were too foolish to understand that they needed America's help, or mere faceless terrorist minions, waiting to be shot down to the great joy of a bloodthirsty, flag-waving audience.

Cheers or jeers aside, James Madison University student Matt D'Angelo wants the public to understand one main thing: "The American Sniper isn't evil." D'Angelo is making that case in respect to not only the movie, but the autobiography on which it is based, and the real-life man behind the film's main character.

As he confirms in The Breeze:

The man experienced war firsthand. He watched horrible people do horrible things. He had to make tough ethical calls regarding who lived and who died. There should be no surprise that he hated the Iraqi insurgents he was fighting. In other words, just because he killed more than any other sniper doesn't mean he was a crazed psycho picking off civilians left and right. ... [T]his movie was not like Lone Survivor or Saving Private Ryan. It didn't glorify war and the horrendous atrocities that are committed. It simply told the raw story of how a man who confronted evil on a regular basis and had to return home and be 'normal' again.

Meanwhile, Sienna Heights University student Nate Adams argues there is nothing normal -- in a good way -- about Bradley Cooper's raw portrayal of Kyle.

As he writes in The Spectra:

Bradley Cooper is a revelation, giving, without question, the most authentic performance of the last year (and wholeheartedly earns his Oscar nom). He put on over 60 pounds of muscle, carries his southern drawl with crisp and clear diction, and gives you the true face of a man who has seen far too much -- one of the best characterizations ever.

Ultimately, audiences' characterization of American Sniper appears to depend on the prism through which they view the film.

At USM, Cugny writes:

I feel sour, even sick, when witnessing the people in a theater room cheering in front of a film that glorifies acts of violence while shamelessly simplifying extremely complex realities and unapologetically categorizing entire chunks of the world population.

By comparison, according to Schaefer at NC State:

American Sniper is a reflection of the idea of the American hero, combined with the grittiness of modern day war films. It's hard-hitting, well-acted, well-produced and, Oscar nominations aside, well-deserving of at least one viewing.

Mina Zikri is a lot like other artists, or at least he's a lot like other promising, new artists who you might not know about. When you see him perform, for example, not only is the intensity of his dedication immediately clear, but as is often true with very creative performers, there's likely to be a sense of surprise in the blend of impressions that he brings to an audience. Mina Zikri is doing something else that promising new artists sometimes manage to do. He's quietly gathering around him a group of other artists, like-minded people inspired by what he imagines, and dedicated to making what he imagines real.

As far as being a lot like other artists, though, that's about it, because Mina Zikri is unique in so many ways. His approach to his art is unique, his background is unique, and his journey from the music schools of Cairo to the classical concert halls of Chicago and the world is, and continues to be, a uniquely promising adventure. Like many gifted artists, you get the impression that everything he does is part of a coherent, reaching vision, yet even in that there's something unusual. Zikri's vision actually has a name; it's called The Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago, a group of richly talented classical performers that Zikri describes as 'youthful' rather than 'young'.

"The orchestra is very special in the sense that it's all youthful people," he explains. "I say 'youthful' because some of them are not necessarily very young, and the young ones are not going to stay young forever." Age is not especially important to Zikri. Many of the artists he admires most, artists like Daniel Barenboim and Cliff Colnot, are older than he is, but they're artists who are always ready to change, if something different is better. That's what Zikri means by 'youthful', and it offers an important insight into what he's trying to do.

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The Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago (Photo by Johnny Nevin)

Mina Zikri is a conductor, the kind of promising young conductor who could be traveling the world full-time performing with international orchestras; in August he traveled with Daniel Barenboim as the backstage and assistant conductor for Wagner's "Tristan and Isolde" on a tour that took them to Europe and South America (performing at The Salzburg Festival in Austria, at The Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, and at Buenos Aires' legendary Teatró Colón), and he returns each season to his native Egypt to guest-conduct the Cairo Symphony. He could be doing a lot more of that, but because his vision of what music can be, and what it should be, is so clear, he chooses not to. Instead, he founded the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago (originally as 'The Oistrach Symphony Orchestra', the orchestra changed its name at the end of 2014). At a time when even some of the greatest orchestras in the United States are failing under the immense pressures of financial and cultural uncertainty, Zikri believes that the future of symphony orchestras can be, should be, and must be different from what everyone seems to expect.

Zikri began studying the violin at the age of eight in his native Cairo, and by the time he was eleven, he knew that he wanted to be a classical musician; he says now of that youthful decision, "I never looked back." When Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim and Palestinian-American writer Edward Said founded the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra as a place for young musicians from all the countries of the Middle East to work together, Zikri's was one of the hundreds of audition tapes that they received from conservatory students across the region.

How to Imagine a Symphony Orchestra: Mina Zikri and The Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago from aotpr.com on Vimeo.

He joined the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra in 1999, and he continues to tour and perform with them around the world. Joining the legendary orchestra in its first year wasn't just an extraordinary opportunity, it was an exceptional set of experiences. Among the people that he met were conductor Daniel Barenboim, at that time Music Director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Chicago Civic Orchestra conductor Cliff Colnot. He was able to enroll in the School of Music at Chicago's DePaul University, first as an undergraduate, and then as a graduate student. Like young classical musicians at universities and conservatories across America, he worked with other gifted young musicians, building the beginning of a very promising career in the hopeful world of academic optimism.

Except there were problems, very real problems. "When I was graduating, there were all of these highly trained musicians," he explains, "but then they get out of school, and there is no work, no market, and nobody wants their music or their training." It's damaging, to a society that Zikri believes urgently needs music to be a part of every individual, to audiences increasingly deprived of great music, but especially, to each of those young artists. "People become bitter, it's as if someone has just crushed all of your dreams, all of what you thought your life was going to be," he continues, "and I just refused to see my dreams being crushed."

It's a reality that many people can see, but one of the things that makes Zikri and the Oistrakh Symphony so unique is the unusually thoughtful way in which they defy it. It begins with Zikri's understanding of what music is, and what it can be, and builds coherently on that understanding with insight into how musicians make music together, and what makes the best music for an audience.

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The Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago (Photo by Johnny Nevin)

"The message that the orchestra brings is that music is a necessity," he says unequivocally. "It's an essential part of life, it's part of the structure of being a person." Zikri's understanding of music, in the sense of music theory, is careful and thorough, as you would expect from an artist so rigorously trained. When you talk with him, his insight and reflections on important composers, or how different schools and styles of music have succeeded one another, often find effortless context in the conversation, but his real understanding goes deeper. He understands how people make music together.

It begins with being a professional, and notwithstanding his own high standards of professionalism, his view on that is characteristically unique. "With music, you can only be professional to a certain level," he says, "if you want to be an artist, you have to stop being a professional." At first, it's an astonishing assertion, but like so many of Zikri's precise perceptions, it's well thought out. "When you're a professional, you know your minimum, and that's not good," he goes on to explain, "because you're supposed to always be going for the maximum."

It's an insight that might be immediately relevant to an individual artist, but could anyone communicate that to a group of highly trained professionals? In a symphony orchestra, even the professional 'minimum' requires a precision of timing and tuning and technical craft that are, in themselves, substantial challenges. "When people see something they can believe in, they will give more," he says, and that may be the heart of what he brings together in the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago.

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The Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago (Photo by Johnny Nevin)

In any case, it begins to explain the remarkable rapport that is so apparent between orchestra and conductor. "I enjoy the fact that I am just one of them," Zikri says, and some of that has to do with the fact that besides conducting, Zikri continues to perform as a violinist. "I went to school with some of them, I play other gigs with some of them." When Zikri is on the podium, he strives to conduct only with what he calls a 'positive authority', because only in that way does he think a conductor can find more than traditional direction can achieve. "You're going to get what you want to some degree," he says of a more authority-based approach, "but you're not going to get the amazing, you're not going to get what's beyond special."

It's as if defying the widely shared expectation that symphony orchestras can no longer succeed is not enough to aspire to, but understanding better how to make music with others has everything to do with what Zikri is trying to bring to his audiences. By including more of the creativity and inspiration of each of the individual musicians involved in making the music, Zikri believes that you can make music that can be shared more widely, more successfully. In doing that, he hopes to accomplish something truly unique. Mina Zikri is hoping that everyone will be able to see as far beyond common expectations as he does.

This story originally appeared at aotpr.com

Whether you love the classics or you're a sucker for a Nicholas Sparks inspired-flick or you like something a little less traditionally sappy, there's probably a romantic movie out there for you somewhere. Watching one might make for a good Valentine's Day date... but recreating the iconic kiss scenes from one of the top romances is even better. Without further ado, here's how to recreate the iconic smooches from these popular films!

"Just because she likes the same bizzaro crap you do doesn't mean she's your soulmate."

500 Days of Summer: In this indie hit, Tom's favorite spot in all of Los Angeles is an overlook, Angel's Knoll, since it's a little-known area that offers views of some of LA's most historic and pretty old buildings (and yes, some parking garages too... this is LA, after all). Sadly, the overlook is closed, (as is the funicular that you can ride up) and there's no signs of it being opened any time soon -- which, in retrospect, is maybe not the worst thing since, as the narrator tells you within the first minute that the movie "is not a love story." If you still want a romantic kiss with a view in Los Angeles, may I suggest Griffith Observatory or Runyon Canyon Park?

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport."

Love Actually: The arrivals gate of any airport, preferrably London Heathrow. Be on the lookout for other happily reunited couples!

"So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you. I want all of you, forever, everyday. You and me... everyday."

The Notebook: Filmed in and around one of the most charming cities in all of America (Charleston, SC) I would dare to posit that The Notebook is the defining romance of this generation. If you want to recreate their famous kiss in the rain, wait for a good storm and then grab your Noah (or your Allie) and head out to Cypress Gardens, near Monck's Corner. It won't be exactly the same as making out with Ryan Gosling, but a girl can dream, right?

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