Today marks the 184th birthday of Lewis Carroll, author of—most notably—Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Many will recognise the name, though perhaps not many know that Carroll is a pen name for Charles Lutwidge Dodgson.
As a child, one of my very favourite stories was the 1951 film version of Alice in Wonderland. We’re talking about back when it was taped on VHS (by my grandmother) and the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana inevitably started before the credits finished. It was a tape I treasured and watched until the beginning lagged in a high-pitched shrill, only attempting to sound normal as Dinah swatted at daisy petals. I can’t say for sure what made me fall in love with the tale. Maybe it was the bright colours or the catchy tunes. More likely it was the start of my love for fantasy, this strange new world Alice discovers and the unique characters living there.
You can imagine my excitement in 2010 when a Tim Burton version hit the big screen. I thrilled at the promise of a Burtonesque Underland and, while the story itself left me wanting more, the aesthetics were stunning. Of course, Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter was perfect and Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen an excellent match.
This year, the sequel to Burton’s Alice is set to release in May and it looks to be just as dazzling as the first. If you haven’t seen the trailer for Alice: Through the Looking Glass, I suggest you do so right now. The clock is ticking as May 27th edges closer… Don’t be late!
~Raven
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