Disney Villains have a following that rivals the ever profitable Disney Princess model. For these drawn to a darker, edgier aesthetic and among the greatest songs within the Disney canon, the Disney Villain model is a welcome reduction from the saccharine remainder of the official Disney lineups.
However it’s robust out right here for Disney Villain followers. Latest Disney animated motion pictures have lacked true villains, choosing extra metaphorical and thematic antagonists on the expense of snazzy character designs and showstopping musical numbers. And lots of live-action remakes have put sympathetic spins on even the cruelest villains (don’t blame Cruella de Vil for eager to pores and skin canine — her mother was killed by a pack of Dalmatians).
The properly of Disney Villains has run so dry that it’d depart one pining for the good unhealthy good outdated days, with nothing to amuse aside from unhealthy guys you’ve already watched one million instances earlier than. Immediately, the one actual technique to really expertise that beloved macabre theatricality anew is to dive into an period largely forgotten and latch onto the weirdest, strangest Disney villain of all: Maestro Forte, the sentient pipe organ tormenting Belle in Magnificence and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas.
Magnificence and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas is a product of Disney’s direct-to-video period, the place the Home of Mouse pumped out cheaply made sequels, prequels, and midquels from 1994 to 2008. Clearly, I’ve watched each single one in every of them. Enchanted Christmas is a midquel, going down someday within the occasions of Magnificence and the Beast, so the Beast remains to be a beast and the remainder of the fortress workers remains to be furnishings. The film asks a burning query everybody watching the unique Magnificence and the Beast positively had on their thoughts: Will Belle efficiently throw an enormous Christmas celebration for the entire fortress and defy the Beast (who, after all, hates the vacation)?
What does this should do with a pipe organ? Properly, with Gaston presumably off on a Christmas hunt in some fancy lodge, the film wants a villain. And that villain is Maestro Forte (as voiced by Tim Curry), a depressing pipe organ who is maybe the one piece of furnishings in all the fortress who completely loves being an object.
The organ’s complete deal is that he really doesn’t need Belle to interrupt the curse on the Beast. Why? As Prince Adam’s private musician, Forte was by no means appreciated for his darkish and dreary rearrangements of in style songs. Nevertheless, as a result of the Beast is so angsty and grumpy, he enjoys somber music! Forte lastly looks like he’s getting the popularity he deserves. Overlook Jack Skellington, emo children and goths — this pipe organ must be your new idol.
So, whereas the remainder of the Beast’s loyal servants simply need to be human once more, Forte thinks being a pipe organ is the best shit that’s ever occurred to him. Not solely is all his music inherently darkish and dreary, it is usually very loud and may actually deliver the home down (to not spoil the film). He’s thriving. He desires nothing greater than to be a pipe organ for the remainder of time. (Sidebar: Can the servants die of outdated age in furnishings kind? Or is it a case of when your object is worn past restore, your consciousness goes together with it? What if Chip the cup had siblings that acquired smashed?!)
All of those direct-to-video motion pictures had considerably decrease budgets than their theatrical counterparts. In Magnificence and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, evidently 80% of the cash was put into rendering Forte in CG. He’s the one character completed this manner, which makes his well-sculpted luscious lips and closely hooded but completely empty eyes all of the extra disconcertingly terrifying.
With Tim Curry bringing his A-game to the function, Forte is essentially the most memorable a part of this complete film — and maybe essentially the most memorable villain of the direct-to-video period. Most of the villains on this time had been easy offshoots of the unhealthy guys in the principle motion pictures — or the unhealthy guys themselves got here again to be… kinda disappointing and lame. Ursula’s sister swears revenge on Ariel within the Little Mermaid sequel, whereas Scar’s most loyal devotee comes for Simba within the second Lion King. Jafar returns in The Return of Jafar (surprising!) and because of quasi-historical accuracy, Ratcliffe is again in Pocahontas 2. However The Enchanted Christmas has its personal batshit villain, separate from Gaston, together with his personal unhinged mission, design, and motives. The bar is low, however generally, in a world the place Cruella is now a girlboss and Maleficent is an antihero, you simply want a really emo pipe organ.