Home » Uncategories » Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night Soundtrack

Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night Soundtrack

A 1987 animated feature released by New World Pictures and made by Filmation.

One year after becoming a real boy, Geppetto feels Pinocchio's prepare to accept on some responsibility, and so entrusts him with a delivery task: take a manus-crafted gem box to the Mayor. Unfortunately, he instead trades the box abroad to a pair of con artists he meets on the road, in exchange for a large, shiny — and fake — ruby. Geppetto, upon finding out, is somewhat less than pleased.

That dark, a guilt-ridden Pinocchio runs away from domicile to join the mysterious funfair that sprung up overnight. It's run by a totally upright, trustworthy, not-creepy-in-the-least puppetmaster (named Puppetino) who tempts Pinocchio into a dance with Twinkle, "The Most Cute Puppet In The Globe"... if he shows him what he can practice beginning. What follows tin can just be described as an exercise in creepy, every bit Pinocchio is forced to dance as he watches himself plough back into a puppet.

If the viewer hasn't been scared into shutting the movie off yet, the Blue Fairy comes in and makes everything meliorate, after a brief but stern reminder about "The Ability Of Choice" and an amusing callback to the original tale as he tries to explicate merely how he got into that predicament in the first place. Pinocchio, now mankind-and-blood again, immediately decides to evidence his newfound sense of responsibility... by going out to get the jewel box dorsum.

A serial of hijinks (and a Wacky Wayside Tribe for his sidekick Gee Whillikers, a wooden problems brought to life) subsequently, Pinocchio finds himself in the ominous Empire of the Dark, being tempted onto a gondola by a mysterious figure. Once more, Pinocchio'southward excellent judgment shines through equally he decides to make a pit cease in "The Country Where Dreams Come True" — a specially acidic Disney Acid Sequence. Despite the strangeness of the place, Pinocchio finds all his wishes are granted... the opportunity to take fun with no rules, an unlimited supply of toys, and fame and fortune. But of class, in that location's a price...

The moving picture is ostensibly a sequel to the classic tale, but it's more of a Mockbuster of the Disney version than that: It has Funny Animal con artists, a Jiminy Cricket-esque conscience figure, a sadistic puppetmaster, a identify where kids are gratuitous to do whatever they like for a price, a titanic battle on the high seas, and a few musical numbers. Disney noticed and sued Filmation for copyright infringement; they lost, as the original Pinocchio story was written by Carlo Collodi and out of copyright.

The picture opened on Christmas Day 1987 and was a commercial failure — it price $eight to $10 million to make, simply just earned $3.3 million domestically. Nonetheless, it retains a pocket-size but loyal cult post-obit; fans of the movie will signal out many differences betwixt the two films, i of which is this film'due south Aesop about the power of selection, and the theme of temptation as a form of captivity. They'll as well cite the Darker and Edgier nature of the opposition; in particular, Puppetino's transformation of Pinocchio and the appearance of the eponymous Emperor of the Night are unique, impressive, and terrifying to this day.

Encounter also two sister Filmation productions: Journeying Back to Oz , a sequel to The Magician of Oz , and Happily Ever After , a sequel to Snowfall White and the Seven Dwarfs produced at the same time equally this movie (and which Disney had more success in driving into obscurity).

This film contains examples of:

Adult Fearfulness:
- Listen to the scene where Puppetino turns Pinocchio dorsum into a boob with your optics closed.
- A more subtle form, but listen very closely to the song "Do What Makes You Happy", which sings about the joys or abandoning abode to pursue the life of a dominion-snubbing vagabond. How many kids and teenagers have ran away from loving homes only for a gustation of liberty? And how many have afterwards come to regret information technology? "No one to scold you/No one to hold yous"...
- A parent gets upwards the morning after an argument with their child to find that the child has run away from home.
Aesop Amnesia: The movie pretty much runs off this, in regards to Pinocchio forgetting every single lesson he learned in the original story!
Animation Bump: While the blitheness is noticeably above the usual effort put forth by Filmation, there's instances where the blitheness is far more fluid and expressive than others, such equally the musical numbers and the Emperor'due south death.
And I Must Scream: While Pinocchio is being turned back into a puppet, the camera cuts several times to closeups of Twinkle watching, implying that her original human self is yet witting, just trapped inside her now-puppet body — and she's aware of what's happening.
Award-Bait Song: "Love Is a Lite (Inside Your Eye)".
Beware the Nice Ones: Pinocchio, of all people. He doesn't actually throw any punches, but he all the same gets surprisingly badass during the film's climax.
Large Bad: Puppetino seems to exist this for the first half of the film, but then the Emperor of the Dark comes in for the 2nd.
Big Skilful: The Bluish Fairy, naturally.
Big "WHAT?!": "You did what?! " from Geppetto when Pinocchio tells him he traded abroad the precious stone box for a blood-red that turned out to exist fake.
Breathy Lies: Pinocchio's explanation to the Skillful Fairy for how he came to be Puppetino's prisoner. Invoked later on when he deliberately tells lies in order to make his olfactory organ longer so he can apply it to open a very high lock.
Brick Joke: In Scalawag and Igor's introductory scene and Establishing Character Moment, Scalawag yells out that the sky is falling to distract their customers from the con. During the climax, as the Emperor of the Dark'due south dimension starts crumbling effectually them, Scalawag yells out that the heaven is falling once again. This fourth dimension, Igor points out that information technology's no trick.
Captain Ersatz: Most of the film'south characters for characters from the original volume, especially as they were presented in the Disney adaptation. Gee Willikers is Jiminy Cricket given Pinocchio's origin story, Scalawag and Igor are Honest John and Gideon with redeeming characteristics, Puppetino is Stromboli with magical powers, and the Emperor of the Night is an even scarier version of the Coachman. The giant transport turning out to have a magical underworld within it combines the Pleasure Isle locale and Monstro the whale.
Circus of Fear: With shades of Something Wicked This Mode Comes .
Contrived Coincidence. When Igor and Scalawag shoot themselves out of the cannon to escape the angry mob, they simply happen to crash into Pinocchio. The plot ensues.
Creepy Child: The child in the cowboy chapeau that encourages Pinocchio to beverage what's unsaid to be booze. He turns out to exist ane of the Emperor's disguised forms.
Trip the light fantastic toe Party Ending: Well, at to the lowest degree Geppetto, Twinkle, and Pinocchio trip the light fantastic toe before heading off into the sunrise. Comes this close to being a "YEAH!" Shot ending.
Deal with the Devil: The Emperor tries this on Pinocchio, and information technology nearly works every bit he willingly forfeits his complimentary-will over to guarantee his family and friends' rubber. Just the Emperor screws up, equally he fails to live up to his terminate of the deal, triggering Pinocchio's wrath -- and vow to leave by force.
Disney Owns This Trope: Disney certainly thought and then, and sued Filmation for copyright infringement. A judge disagreed, on the grounds that Carlo Collodi'southward original Pinocchio story was out of copyright, and Disney lost the arrange.
The Dragon: Puppetino, it turns out. While very effective at get-go, particularly in using temptation to go Pinocchio to make his Deal with the Devil, past the end he proves to exist next to useless, cowering like a random Mook, and when the shit hits the fan is a Dirty Coward. Even his powers seem to be a souvenir from the Emperor, if his ultimate fate besides implies a stripping of those powers, thus rendering even his before crowning moments rather lackluster in retrospect. His fear of his boss, however, was likely due to fright of You Have Failed Me (and he was right to worry).
Evil Puppeteer: Puppetino fits this role to a T. He has the ability to plow Pinocchio back into a puppet, and has already washed that with Twinkle before him. Which makes you wonder if his other puppets are also children and people he transformed.
Evil Sounds Deep: Evil sounds like James Earl Jones!
Exposition Fairy: Gee Whillikers, taking the Jiminy Cricket function for this motion-picture show.
Expy: Information technology's painfully obvious that Scalawag and Igor are meant to be stand-ins for Foulfellow and Gideon. Nevertheless, because raccoons are cute, chubby, and cuddly, and these ii terminate upwards proving their inner heroism past swallowing their cowardice, doing a Heel–Face Turn, and helping Pinocchio out in the end—if simply by getting him to the empire and and so continuing past him when it counted.
- Besides those two, we have ~~Jiminy Cricket~~ Gee Willikers, a small insect named subsequently an interjection who tries to keep Pinocchio on the straight and narrow, and a painfully obvious expy of Lampwick in the ~~Pleasure Island~~ Neon Cabaret scene. And similar Monstro, the Emperor's ship swallows their boat whole and provides the backdrop for Pinocchio's final boxing.
- Also, let's be honest with ourselves here: "Emperor of the Dark" is a fancy way of proverb "Satan" without parents losing their shit — because, clearly, by whatever logical criteria, the Emperor is Satan.
Four-Fingered Easily: It'southward painfully obvious that virtually of the characters have this. The simply exception is the Emperor of the Night himself.
Friend or Idol Decision: The Emperor of the Night pulls one of these on Pinocchio, trying to make him choose between Geppetto, Twinkle, and his friends on the one mitt versus his freedom. Pinocchio decides to Take a Third Selection. Things end poorly for the villain.
Glamour Failure: The glowing cerise eyes on all of the Emperor'due south diverse incarnations.
Skilful Hurts Evil: Or at least, the purity of Pinocchio's Heroic Cede and The Power of Dearest does. Both lampshaded and foreshadowed by the Blueish Fairy's pep-talk Aesop song.
Heel–Confront Turn: Scalawag and Igor, though they were fairly Lovable Rogues in the showtime place.
Heel Realization: Scalawag's moment in prison, when he realizes that all of them had succumbed to the power of their own dark desires, which allowed the Emperor to manipulate, corrupt, and ultimately ensnare them.
Hidden Depths: From Scalawag and Igor no less, who give a Residuum Between Practiced and Evil explanation to Pinocchio, about the Emperor'southward and Blue Fairy'south diametrically opposed motives and goals apropos free volition.
Holy Burns Evil: Neither Emperor nor Empire of the Night can stand up up to Pinocchio'south brandish of gratuitous will, love and sacrifice for his loved ones.
Honest John'due south Dealership: Scalawag and Igor'south carnival shell game.
Horrible Judge of Character: Pinocchio, again.
Humanoid Abomination: The Emperor of the Night is a monstrosity; he has four artillery but lacks a whole trunk, seeming to be part-darkness.
Idiot Hero: Almost all of the bad things that happen in the moving picture are the direct result of Pinocchio not only completely disregarding mutual sense, merely ignoring the shrieking bug telling him that what he's doing is a bad idea.
I Lied: The Emperor pulls this trope after Pinocchio agrees to give away his liberty in substitution for Geppetto, Twinkle, Scalawag, and Igor existence released. Big fault.
Irony: The Emperor wants Pinocchio to take no pick, this ends up going badly for him as Pinocchio, having no choice, sacrifices himself to save his father.
Jerk with a Heart of Aureate: Scalawag, in the end. (Natch, considering his VA.)
Bound Scare: The Emperor gives a particularly nasty one to the younger viewer, when his fingers transform into screeching demons, emphasizing that his empire can of a sudden switch without warning from a dream to a nightmare.
Karma Houdini: Technically, everything that happens in the movie is the error of Scalawag and Igor for taking the music box from Pinocchio, yet because in the cease they modify sides and stand by him, they're given free passes, everyone walks off as friends, and this is never really brought up again. Justified, maybe, in that different Foulfellow and Gideon, they were thieves and con men for fun and profit, not out of malice, they clearly regretted their mistakes, and they genuinely exercise redeem themselves.
Large Ham: James Earl Jones as the Emperor lingers over every syllable of every line here, clearly having a blast with the role.
Laser-Guided Karma: Puppetino's fate. What isn't clear is whether this is but the Emperor inflicting a particularly delicious and ironic punishment, or if he was restoring him to what he used to exist.
Lions And Tigers And Humans -- Oh, My!
Lotus-Eater Machine: "The State Where Dreams Come True."
Malignant Plot Tumor: Gee Willikers and Lieutenant Grumblebee enlist the aid of bugs everywhere past visiting "Bugzburg" and fight off... a frog. The side-story has picayune issue, consumes a lot of time, and nigh derails the plot of the entire picture! Considering the film was supposed to get a spin-off based around the town (which came very shut to a Autumn 1989 debut, but scrapped due to L'Oreal disposing of the studio with their purchase of information technology), it comes off more as a poorly bearded Backstairs Pilot than anything else.
Mood Whiplash: It happens several times in this film - a charming moment plays out with a upbeat song, only to be followed by a nightmarish scene.
Puppet Permutation: What Puppetino dishes out to Pinocchio (and before him, Twinkle and endless others), and what the Emperor of the Night in plow does to him.
Quintessential British Admirer: Lieutenant Grumblebee is an anthropomorphic animal version of this. He has an I Am Very British accent and is something of an Upper-Class Twit in his pomposity, and is also the bug world's equivalent of a Globe War I or II fighter airplane pilot (i.e. the character of Biggles).
Satellite Love Interest: Twinkle exists pretty much to tempt Pinocchio and be a Living MacGuffin for the second half of the flick.
That Reminds Me of a Song: The set-up for the Honor-Allurement Song listed above probably qualifies as this, particularly since it existed solely to evidence off the talents of Rickie Lee Jones. Nonetheless, the song in question is crucial to the Aesop as well as the climax of the flick, and while never mentioned explicitly again an instrumental version of information technology does play as part of the soundtrack during said climax. Lacking in subtlety, simply still effective.
This Is Something He'southward Got to Practice Himself: Pinocchio's determination to become the jewel box back and thus prove his responsibility and trustworthiness, whatever the toll. He means well, only information technology does come across equally a scrap of Lawful Stupid behavior.
Those Two Guys: Scalawag and Igor are e'er together when they announced in the pic.
Toy Transmutation: The Emperor of the Night does that to kids equally a Deal with the Devil to strengthen himself and weaken the Blueish Fairy. His main goal is to exercise that to Pinocchio himself, since turning back the only doll to ever Get a Real Boy is jump to shift the residuum in his favor a lot.
Vaudeville Hook: Scalawag and Igor try to dance on stage to snap Pinocchio out of his fame-and-fortune illusion, but they stop up getting yanked offstage by 1 of these.
Wacky Wayside Tribe: Bugzburg.
Wholesome Crossdresser: Scalawag and Igor, as a distraction to snap Pinocchio out of his fame-and-fortune illusion.