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Tuesday, April 19, 2016

US Flag in the Princess Diaries 2001

The US flag with starry canton appears in vivid detail crossed with the flag of the fictional Kingdom of Genovia.  Often times fate steps in and turns a persons world upside down.  In this film a local less than popular girl from San Francisco, becomes the de-facto heir to Genovia when her father unexpectedly passes away.

The US flag makes three appearances in The Princess Diaries 2001.  In the opening sequence at the high school it can be seen on the left side of the screen.  However only the lower stripes appear. 





The US flag also appears during the after school filming of the local cable tv news that only reaches a dozen people.  It appears behind the student camera-woman.


Flags in the Graduate 1967

The US flag appears in the Graduate 1967 when Benjamin Braddock, played by Dustin Hoffman, waits by a fountain at Berkley University.  This is the 50 starred modern space age flag.  Note that this film was created at the opening seasons of the 1960s, when this decade was in transition from the 1950s.  Much of the 1960s were exactly like the 1950s, say about til' 1966.

Also note several international flags appear in the film.  Half the flag of South Vietnam is visible, as yet the Vietnam War was just heating up.  Also visible is the flag of Nepal, Costa Rica, Netherlands, Libya, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria, El Salvador, Australia, Jamaica, Ecuador and two hard to recognize others.

Also note the Anglo-Saxon Cultural revolution was really picking up momentum in the United States and the United Kingdom.  The roles of women and men were shifting personally and in the media.  Likewise the African Americans and African nations were fighting for equity and independence. 
 The most unique flag in the movie belongs to a fraternity - Theta, Delta, Chi.  When Ben runs into the Frat House, the flag can be seen.  It is a tri-bar of navy blue, white, and blue.  On the navy blue hoist part is a white Greek letter Theta.  In the middle white portion is a blue Greek letter Delta.  Finally a Greek letter Chi is on the fly-ward blue part. 
The letter Theta is not visible on the flag, but once inside, there is shot of the Fraternities letters framed in the dining room.

Monday, April 18, 2016

North Face Flag and Ski Gate Marker Vexilloids in Better Off Dead 1985

A North Face Flag appears in the 1980s teenage classic Better Off Dead 1985.  It has the North Face logo in green on a white background.  Another important vexilloid are the skiing gate markers.  In this case our hero Lane, played by John Cusack, is skiing through them.  

Better Off Dead was perfect 1980s cult classic loaded with campy quotable jokes.  It straddled the line of zany 80s comedy yet grounded itself with serious real tough to tackle life issues.  Cusack was not a part of the 1980s brat pack, but he surely carried his own weight living on making movies, up into the modern cell phone I-phone age.



The School Colours in Better Off Dead 1985


Better Off Dead 1985 stars John Cusack.  In this underdog hero story John deals with high school life in the middle of the 1980s.

The High School is Gale High whose school colours are navy blue and yellow.  In the bedroom of his x-girlfriend a high school pennant of Gale High can barely be seen.  It has navy blue letters on a field of yellow.  The colours can be best seen during a lunch scene with when a cheerleader sits near Lane.




Sunday, April 17, 2016

Live with Lilly Banner from the Princess Diaries 2001


Before youtube, access to broadcasting local videos was extremely limited.  The show Live With Lilly is sponsored by the school - Grove High School.  With a modest budget, basic hand made banners can be seen.  The title of this segment is called Shutup And Listen.  

School Colours/Livery of Grove High - The Princess Diaries 2001


School colours or livery are official colours to represent a specific entitiy.  In this case the colours of Grove High School in San Fransico are yellow, baby blue, and white. 

The cheer leaders are holding pom poms with the school colours.  In the right hand of the front cheerleader is a long trailing flag .

Genovia National Seal for Flag


Princesses are real. And when one thinks of Disney Princesses, usually animated princess pop up in ones imagination.  However in 2001 a real life princess was released into Disney folklore - The Princess of Genovia in the film The Princess Diaries 2001.  This real life flesh and blood, un-animated princess of from fantasia is played by Anne Hathaway.

Disney has yet to make a Princess of Genovia doll, certainly one is overdue.  Unlike the other animated princess stories, the fictional Princess of Genovia does not use magic, witches, or fairy god-mothers to solver her problems.  This princess deals with reality like a normal human would.

The national seal for Genovia slightly differs for the royal arms.  The primary difference is the missing letter 'G'.  It can be found on the royal badge, but as for the national flag the arms are missing the special 'G'.