Comments on: Alice in Waterland: disturbing vintage postcard from mermaid park

By: VagabondAstronomer

VagabondAstronomer — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Weeki Wachee… holy crap. Spent a week there one day back in April 1978 (spring break), when my family was having our “Hey, Let’s Spring Hop” vacation (also spent a day at Silver Springs). If they were still running this, I didn’t see it; I fell asleep during the show. I was such a jaded 15 year old…

By: yasth

yasth — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Keep in mind they had to swim in those costumes so some skimpiness is understandable. This isn’t Alice in Drowningland.

Also for a mermaid show this is hardly skimpy at all (or so I hear).

By: Nollie

Nollie — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Wow – I went to Weeki Wachee as a kid and saw the mermaid show (in the late 80s). I would have LOVED to see an Alice in Wonderland version!!!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I think this might be my favorite interpretation of alice in wonderland. certainly better than tim burton’s :P

By: Yamara

Yamara — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

When Sid & Marty Krofft hired Edvard Munch for character design on Lidsville, little did they realize…

By: Halloween Jack

Halloween Jack — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m reminded of the hardcore porn version of Alice in Wonderland that came out in the seventies or early eighties. (Yes, you read that right.)

By: peytonfarquhar

peytonfarquhar — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

What’s so disturbing about the Mad Hatter? He is *supposed* to be disturbing. The whole point of making the character “mad” was to underscore the dangerous dyes used in hat manufacturing from the time the story was written.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Mad Hatter isn’t intended as a public service announcement on the dangers of mercury poisoning for hatmakers, he’s meant to underscore the mad nonsensical nature of Wonderland. I think you’ve got the source and target of the allusion switched.

By: Lissamphibia

Lissamphibia — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Not only that — it’s also a musical! You’re thinking of Bill Osco’s Alice in Wonderland (1976). There’s a long, strange tradition of showing it at my college, and it was once even academically required viewing for a class on “Avatars of Alice.”

Here’s the Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_in_Wonderland_%281976_film%29

And here’s the trailer (not graphic): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8fDfZPN-6Y

By: dm10003

dm10003 — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

it’s just a bad version of the original crazy book illustrations.

By: Mazoola

Mazoola — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Actually, in addition to the 1976 film, available in both R- and X-rated versions, there have been a number of hardcore variations on either “Alice” or “Through the Looking-Glass.” (Hmmm… Looks like 3 were shot last year alone.) I know we had an article discussing 5 or 6 on Spectator’s editorial calendar back in 2002, but I can’t remember if it ever ran. (The only featured title I remember from it was Michael Raven’s “White Rabbit,” starring Sunset Thomas.)

Osco’s “Alice” starred Kristine DeBell — which a few years ago caused me moderate to severe cognitive dissonance the first few times I saw a reference to Kristen Bell.

By: Adam Stanhope

Adam Stanhope — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Is that a bacon towel?

By: randalll

randalll — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Are you sure this isn’t the Darling Mermaid Darlings?

By: nanuq

nanuq — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

All that’s missing is the Cheshire Cat grinning (leering?).

By: monocle

monocle — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

There was also a tie-in record album available. You can see the LP cover and hear the theme song here:

http://vintagedisneyalice.blogspot.com/2009/01/alice-in-waterland-weeki-watchee-record.html