The Ghost and the Darkness (1996)

This is one of my favorites movies. Based on true events. And one of Val Kilmer's best performances. Not to mention a beautiful landscape in Africa.

The Ghost and the Darkness are the names given to the lions that attacked. It was 1898 when bridge builder Col. John Patterson joined a team in Tsavo, Africa to build a bridge between Kenya and Uganda. During building, lions were attacking at night, killing hundreds of workers in a matter of weeks. It was making the men too afraid to stay and work. As the killings became more frequent, Patterson requested reinforcements but was quickly denied by his superior in England. One of Patterson's workers called for his own reinforcement, in known huntsman Charles Remington. Patterson and Remington fight off the lions side by side. They learn there are two lions in particular that are hunting together. Lions are independent hunters. "These lions, are not like lions." Together, Patterson and Remington are on a mission to keep their workers safe, and end the terror the lions bring.

The two maneless lions that attacked were shot and killed by John Patterson. It took more than 6 months to build the bridge, than the 4 months originally scheduled. Patterson documents these events in his book The Man-Eaters of Tsavo. Now the lions are on display at The Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. I don't know about you, but I've never seen "maneless" male lions before. In the film they were lions with manes, which I think makes them a little scarier.

I love this film because it's thrilling, suspenseful, with a touch of humor, with some of the greatest actors to portray the legend from 100 years ago.

The real lions

Shrek, The Musical (2013)

It's fortunate for me that live stage shows are now becoming available on netflix. Shrek is a family friendly show. There is something in it for every age! Really fun script similar to the film, with all of our beloved characters. Puss in Boots even makes a cameo!

Shrek The Musical is slightly different from the original film. In the stage version, we get a better understanding of Shrek's background, and even Fiona's time in the tower.

The complex story begins when Shrek's parents think it's time for him to have his own life. In the land of Far Far Away, Shrek finds he doesn't fit in with everyone else, since he is the only ogre among humans and fairy tale creatures. Shrek finds a swamp to call home and lives there, alone. One day all of the fairy tale characters flood Shrek's swamp. Shrek gets upset, finds out that Lord Farquaad has banished them to the forest, and decides to pay Farguaad a visit to get his swamp back. Donkey, becomes Shrek's side kick against Shrek's wishes. Then we learn that Lord Farquaad wants to be King, which means he needs to marry a princess. The other princesses didn't appeal to him, but he set his sights on particular princess, Fiona. She's trapped in a tower, with a dragon guarding her. After meeting Shrek, Lord Farquaad makes a deal with him. Shrek gets his swamp, after rescuing the princess. The journey begins.

Lord Farguaad was portrayed excellently! Sort of a miniature, overly confident Liberace character. He would even address the audience with a more mature sense of humor. Donkey was toned down a little for the younger audience. He becomes an emotional guide for Shrek. Fiona was a more developed character in this portrayal. There is a song she sings in her tower called, "I Know It's Today." It begins when she is a little girl. The little girl sings about her prince arriving today, rescuing her so she can begin her life. The next Fiona is a teenager. Reading fairy tales, still believing her prince will come, today. The next version we see is adult Fiona. She is optimistic yet frustrated. A very funny, charming, and honest young woman in Fiona.

Pinocchio is opinionated and passionate as a sort of leader for the fairy tale characters. The Wolf from Little Red Riding Hood is one of my personal favorites. He makes a really funny cross dressing wolf! The Ginger Bread Man is great to watch, and is as spicy as his original film version. The play also gives a nod to The Cow That Jumped Over The Moon, and Broadway's The Lion King! Very funny!

This play is for youngsters and families. It's for the youthful minded. I enjoyed it, but personally I prefer a more mature, dramatic play. I'm glad I saw Shrek, but once was enough for me.