One of my all time favorite tales of wanderlust, surrealism and psychotropic pandemonium is about to get a stunning new interpretation. If the thought of a white rabbit, animated “inanimate” objects and Victorian curiosity makes you instinctively blurt out “Alice in Wonderland”, your right!

The Alice in Wonderland books were written by Lewis Carroll during the Victorian era, a time now remembered for its stifling propriety and constrictive morals and were an immediate success when published in 1865 . The creatures of wonderland have many arbitrary customs and their behaviors are all defensible with strange logic, but the customs are still silly or even cruel. There are obvious echoes of the Victorian world, as the animals are opinionated and have strong ideas about what constitutes appropriate behavior. The creatures’ preciousness and their arbitrary sensitivities mock the fastidiousness of the Victorian era – a true irony indeed.

The story always retains a sense of mystery and a fondness for the sinister; even the characters who aid Alice have a dark edge to them. The hints of mortality and the sense of fear in the books have only contributed to their popularity!

There have been numerous interpretations of this quintessential “tale” in various mediums including film, comics, giftware (like this teapot), theater, apparel and more. One of my favorite versions of the film is the twisted Jan Svankmajer Alice DVD, a dizzying blend of stop motion animation, puppets and live action – with a distinctely gothic tone and morose symbolism. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab has a fantastic collection of Wonderland inspired scents, on their page called: Mad Tea Party.  I’ve personally had the Alice scent, which is true to it’s components and description of milk, rose, carnation, bergamont and honey.

A related film that has yet to see the light of day is Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll, a film by Marilyn Manson. The film synopsis hints of “a haunted writer in an isolated castle is tormented by sleepless nights and visions of a girl named Alice. He finds himself becoming a symptom of his own invention.“ WiKi source

Perhaps we may have to wait a while for that one… but in the meantime….

Tim Burton steps forward with a stunning concept for the Alice genre. Set to release March 5, 2010 the new Alice in Wonderland film will be a blend of live action and CG – released in both regular screen format and 3D!

The seemingly very well suited cast includes:

• Caterpillar (Alan Rickman)
• Jabberwock (Christopher Lee)
• Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter)
• Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp)
• Alice (Mia Wasikowska)
• White Queen (Anne Hathaway)
• Knave of Hearts (Crispin Glover)

According to USA Today: “The traditional tale has been freshened with a blast of girl power, courtesy of writer Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast). Alice, 17, attends a party at a Victorian estate only to find she is about to be proposed to in front of hundreds of snooty society types. Off she runs, following a white rabbit into a hole and ending up in Wonderland, a place she visited 10 years before yet doesn’t remember.”

I leave you with this final quote:

“But I don’t want to go among mad people,” Alice remarked. “Oh, you can’t help that,” said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” “How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice. “You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”

Original photos from: http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2009-06-21-alice-in-wonderland_N.htm

Any thoughts about the upcoming film, or past favorite renditions?

Tags: alice in wonderland, film, surreal horror