‘America’s Got Talent: Exterme’ Starts Off Explosive New Season.
The first official season of America’s Got Talent: Extreme kicked off last week as new acts from all over the country gathered to shock and wow the judges. However, there is a reason for the new title after 16 seasons they are expanding and welcoming acts couldn’t possibly be contained in their normal space of operation.
We're just getting warmed up, baby! 😎 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UPJc0tOuRV
— America’s Got Talent (@AGT) February 28, 2022
Though that’s not the only thing that’s being shaken up, most have noticed a new lineup of judges. Of course, Simon Cowell is present, but alongside him was WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella, and X Games Gold medalist Travis Pastrana. With returning host Terry Crews the reason for this change was to shake things up a bit. With new acts never before seen on the show it makes sense that a new perspective would be helpful insight. However, that didn’t stop some fans from hoping to see judges like Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum, return in the near future.
One act from the first night has fans in a debate. That being the group Verge Aero which earned the first golden buzzer for their beautiful drone performance. Some are questioning if the group deserved it, but it was impressive nonetheless. Just like the jaw dropping performance from The Bullet, who shot himself out of a cannon going through a ring of fire!
A hole in one! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/kyLhhIZdox
— America’s Got Talent (@AGT) February 22, 2022
Now that’s what I call extreme, of course all the contestants tried their hardest to impress, though only one will be able to claim the title of champion as well as that $500,000 prize. What were your favorite acts from the first night? Are you happy with who the judges picked for their golden buzzer?
Let us know as we get hyped for the second episode which airs tonight February 28th at 8:00 PM over on NBC or will be available to stream on services like YouTube and Hulu. There are bound to be more never-before-seen acts that with hopes will wow fans and the judges alike.
25 Great Movies Inspired by Folk Tales
Alice (1988)
Channel Four Films
– Director: Jan Svankmajer
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 86 minutesThe surrealist ’80s film, “Alice,” is loosely based on the iconic tale from Lewis Carroll, “Alice in Wonderland.” According to Screen Rant, Svankmajer’s version is “the most twisted depiction of the story for years.” It mixes a live actor (Alice) with a cast of stop-motion animated characters, who all come together in a bizarre world that is not necessarily meant for children.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Warner Bros.
– Director: Andrew Dominik
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: 68
– Runtime: 160 minutes“Jesse James” is a 19th-century folk song about the real-life outlaw by the same name, and recorded in the 20th century by equally legendary artists like Woody Guthrie, Van Morrison, Johnny Cash, and Bruce Springsteen. From the lyrics of the song, this epic revisionist Western was born. The film tells the story of the murder of Jesse James by one of his gang members, Robert Ford. Like previous epic films depicting the American West, this particular film was shot in the wide open spaces of western…Canada.
Beauty and the Beast (1946)
Les Films André Paulvé
– Directors: Jean Cocteau, René Clément
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Metascore: 92
– Runtime: 93 minutesOne of Disney’s most beloved re-imaginations actually started on the screen with director Jean Cocteau. Well, technically it started on the pages with the 18th-century tale told by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve. It’s widely held that Villeneuve’s story was inspired in part by actual, historical events. This type of a tale is classified as “The Search for the Lost Husband,” a popular trope in fairy tales utilized in the Romanian story “The Enchanted Pig” or the Irish tale of “The Brown Bear of Norway.”
Cocteau’s film adaptation was the precursor to many subsequent “Beauty and the Beast” iterations and even borrows, perhaps unintentionally, from certain elements in the 1931 film “Frankenstein,” based on Mary Shelley’s book of the same name.
Black Swan (2010)
Fox Searchlight Pictures
– Director: Darren Aronofsky
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 79
– Runtime: 108 minutesDarren Aronofsky brings to life a twisted take on Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake,” heavily influenced by Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s “The Double.” “The Double” is a novella about doppelgängers, and “Black Swan” takes that idea and applies it to a ballerina and her understudy.
“Swan Lake” drew inspiration from German folk tales by Johann Karl August Musäus, “The White Duck” and “The Stolen Veil.” Swan princesses can be found throughout German and Slavic literature.
The City of Lost Children (1995)
Constellation
– Directors: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: 73
– Runtime: 112 minutesThis science fantasy film from Marc Caro and Jean-Pierre Jeunet tells the story of a dystopian society where the children are going missing. An evolved being, known as Krank, is the culprit, who is taking the children to harvest their dreams. According to Roger Ebert, the $14-million, modern-day fairy tale used more special effects at the time than any other French film in history.
Throughout the film, mindful viewers may recognize inspiration from sources as far-reaching as “The Wizard of Oz” and “Frankenstein.”
Daughters of the Dust (1991)
Geechee Girls
– Director: Julie Dash
– IMDb user rating: 6.6
– Metascore: 81
– Runtime: 113 minutesThe story of South Carolina’s folklore-rich Gullah culture is told in the film, “Daughters of the Dust.” The movie focuses on the psychic and spiritual conflicts among the women of one family in 1902 as the strong ties to this African culture struggle to survive in America. “Daughters of the Dust” draws on history and a variety of folk tales to weave its powerful narrative.
Donkey Skin (1970)
Marianne Productions
– Director: Jacques Demy
– IMDb user rating: 7.0
– Metascore: 70
– Runtime: 91 minutesBased on the Charles Perrault fairytale about a king who wants to marry his daughter, “Donkey Skin” follows the story of a princess who is forced into hiding so she can avoid a marriage proposal from her father. The Criterion Collection describes it as “perched on the border between the earnest and the satiric.” Catherine Deneuve plays the role of both the dying queen and the princess.
Excalibur (1981)
Cinema ’84
– Director: John Boorman
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 56
– Runtime: 140 minutesThe legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table has been told time and time again, based on the 15th-century story, “Le Morte d’Arthur,” by Thomas Malory. This iteration follows Merlin the wizard, who helps Arthur Pendragon excise Excalibur from the stone it is buried in and unite England. According to IMDb, actors Helen Mirren and Nicol Williamson were hesitant to work with each other after a difficult time on the set of “Macbeth.”
The Juniper Tree (1990)
Liberty International Entertainment, Inc.
– Director: Nietzchka Keene
– IMDb user rating: 6.9
– Metascore: 86
– Runtime: 78 minutesOriginally a tale from The Brothers Grimm, “The Juniper Tree” is an Icelandic film that follows two sisters who are forced from their homeland following the murder of their witchcraft-practicing mother. Icelandic native and worldwide music sensation, Björk, stars as the younger sister, making her feature film debut.
Kirikou and the Sorceress (1998)
Les Armateurs
– Directors: Michel Ocelot, Raymond Burlet
– IMDb user rating: 7.5
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 71 minutesBased on an African folk tale, “Kirikou and the Sorceress” is about a young boy, Kirikou, who was born in an African village cursed by a sorceress. Kirikou embarks on a mission to dispel the evil sorceress from the village, which takes him across Africa to discover many secrets. It was reluctantly released in the United Kingdom and the United States because of nudity.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
New Line Cinema
– Director: Peter Jackson
– IMDb user rating: 8.9
– Metascore: 94
– Runtime: 201 minutesThe final volume of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy is told in this third installment of the film series by the same name. The final movie shows the remaining members of The Fellowship as they tie together their individual adventures, destroy the cursed ring, and save Middle Earth from destruction. The Hollywood Reporter writes that Peter Jackson sticks marvelously to the plot where he can, but that certain points like the ending, which took Tolkien 100 pages to wrap up, is handled by Jackson in a mere 20 minutes.
Lord of the Rings is fantasy. Unlike fairy tales, Lord of the Rings was written primarily for an adult audience.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Python Pictures
– Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Metascore: 91
– Runtime: 91 minutesYet another rendition of the King Arthur legend, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” takes a thoroughly silly approach, as only a Monty Python spoof could. Starring John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and Michael Palin (among many others in the British comedy troupe), this rendition pokes fun at one of Britain’s greatest legends of all time. The group ran out of money for the opening credits, which is why we only see simple white text title cards over a black background, according to Mental Floss.
Nosferatu (1922)
Jofa-Atelier Berlin-Johannisthal
– Director: F.W. Murnau
– IMDb user rating: 7.9
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 94 minutesOne of the earliest film versions to ever take on the “Dracula” folk tale, “Nosferatu” tells the story of Count Orlok, and is often credited as one of the greatest horror movies ever made. The aesthetic of the movie was inspired by artist Hugo Steiner-Prag, who illustrated the novel “The Golem,” written by Gustav Meyrink.
The original “Dracula” story comes from Irish folk tales.
Onibaba (1964)
Kindai Eiga Kyokai
– Director: Kaneto Shindô
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 103 minutes“Onibaba” is an eerie, haunting Japanese film that is based on a Buddhist parable about an old woman who is fed up with her daughter-in-law who shirks her domestic duties in exchange for going to the temple to pray. The old woman is punished for impiety and is made to wear a horrible mask. Director Kaneto Shindô reimagines the story into an erotic psychological horror set in 14th-century Japan.
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Société générale des films
– Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 114 minutesIt was the only movie that Renée Maria Falconetti ever made, but her performance is often praised as one of the best to ever be captured on film. “The Passion of Joan of Arc” tells the legend of the martyr herself. Director Carl Theodore Dreyer wrote the screenplay based on the transcripts from the actual 29 cross-examinations of the real Joan of Arc back in the 15th century.
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The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Walt Disney Animation Studios
– Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
– IMDb user rating: 7.1
– Metascore: 73
– Runtime: 97 minutesDisney’s “The Princess and the Frog” tells the familiar tale of a prince-turned-frog who needs a kiss to set the spell right. Unfortunately, when our heroine, Tiana, kisses him, she turns into a frog herself. This was the first Disney animated movie with a Black heroine at its center, but The Village Voice reviewed it as a feeble attempt to bring a sense of equality to its animation empire.
The Princess Bride (1987)
Act III Communications
– Director: Rob Reiner
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 77
– Runtime: 98 minutesYou likely haven’t made it this far in life without hearing one of the many memorable quotes from “The Princess Bride”. This film adaptation, which combines elements of old-fashioned films and legendary fairy tale elements, is based on the 1973 novel of the same name by William Goldman who first told it as a story to his young daughters. The book was given to Rob Reiner when he was in his 20s and became his favorite book of all time, according to Mental Floss.
The Red Shoes (1948)
The Archers
– Directors: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 135 minutesOriginally written by Hans Christian Andersen, “The Red Shoes” is based on the tale of a girl who puts on a pair of red slippers and can’t stop dancing. The originally tale was supposedly inspired by an incident from Andersen’s own life when his shoemaker father cut up a pair of red silk and leather dancing slippers he made for a client after she complained.
The film follows the love triangle between a ballerina, her lover, and her craft. The film was expected to be a flop due to its high budget, but it has turned out to be one of the highest-producing films in British cinematic history.
Song of the Sea (2014)
Backup Media
– Director: Tomm Moore
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: 85
– Runtime: 93 minutes“Song of the Sea” is the second chapter to director Tomm Moore’s “The Secret of Kells.” The animated film follows the journey of Saoirse, a child who can transform into a seal. Along the way, she meets a young boy, Ben, and the two have adventures together. IMDb writes that much of the film is based on Moore’s childhood, including the windy, rainy weather of his Northern Ireland upbringing, and memories of his family and pets.
The film is based on the Irish legend of the selkie, or seal people: half-fish, have human creatures who functioned must like the mermaids of other cultures.
Suspiria (1977)
Frenesy Film Company
– Director: Dario Argento
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: 79
– Runtime: 92 minutesThe Italian film, “Suspiria,” is a story about witches that hide undercover in a boarding school. According to Mental Floss, the story is less based on a fairy tale and more based on a memory of co-writer Daria Nicolodi, whose grandmother was sent to a boarding school where Black Magic was allegedly practiced. Other influences include “Alice in Wonderland,” “Bluebeard,” and “Pinocchio.”
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
Studio Ghibli
– Director: Isao Takahata
– IMDb user rating: 8.0
– Metascore: 89
– Runtime: 137 minutesBased on the 10th-century Japanese folk tale “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” this film tells the story of a young girl discovered in a stalk of bamboo. As she ages, she is taken into high society, but the question of whether this is her true path rings loud and clear. The film’s budget was estimated at $49.3 million.
Ugetsu (1953)
Daiei Studios
– Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
– IMDb user rating: 8.2
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 96 minutesBased on the supernatural tales in Ueda Akinari’s 1776 book of the same name, “Ugetsu” is about family, connection, and war during the Japanese Civil Wars of the 16th century. The film instantly became a classic not only for its storyline but for its cinematography. Helmed by Kazuo Miyagawa of “Seven Samurai,” the long-take scenes and camera movement made this one of the most beautifully shot films of all time.
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)
Filmové studio Barrandov
– Director: Jaromil Jires
– IMDb user rating: 7.2
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 77 minutesThis surrealist film is primarily based on a novel by Vitizslav Nezval written in 1935 and published a decade later. But it is also a film based on “Alice in Wonderland” that weaves in themes from “Little Red Riding Hood” and underlays it with adult content and religion. Thirteen-year-old Valerie wears a pair of magic earrings and starts to see the world in a new light for this twist on a coming-of-age story.
The Virgin Spring (1960)
Svensk Filmindustri
– Director: Ingmar Bergman
– IMDb user rating: 8.1
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 89 minutesThis Academy Award-winning movie for Best Foreign Language Film is based on the 13th-century Swedish ballad, “Töres döttrar i Wänge,” which translates to “Per Tyrsson’s Daughters in Vänge.” That ballad is a retelling of a local legend that explains the back story of a 12th-century church in Kärna (in Östergötland, Sweden).
The story follows two sisters who are sent to deliver candles to a church and encounter a brutal journey along the way—and the revenge that follows. The New York Times reviewed it as being unabashedly straightforward in its themes of good versus evil, but that it was still a very difficult movie to watch because of the brutality it depicts.
Viy (1967)
Luch
– Directors: Konstantin Ershov, Georgiy Kropachyov
– IMDb user rating: 7.4
– Metascore: data not available
– Runtime: 77 minutesThe story of “Viy” is based on Nikolai Gogol’s horror story of the same name. The film follows seminary students who end up on the wrong end of a murder and now must sit with the body for three days to protect it from evil spirits. This was supposedly the first horror film made in Soviet Russia.
Despite an author’s note alluding to folklore, the title character is generally conceded to be wholly Gogol’s invention.
