Maleficent and Other Sleeping Beauty Tales

Angelina Jolie stars in this week’s “Maleficent,” the Sleeping Beauty story told from the perspective of the jealous and angry fairy who curses the baby princess to prick her finger and fall into a permanent sleep. The original story exists both in French and German versions and has formed the basis for different versions in books, paintings, ballet, and film.

The Maleficent character is based on the villain in one of Disney’s best-loved animated features, the 1959 Sleeping Beauty, with gorgeous music based on Tchaikovsky’s ballet version of the classic fairy tale.  The ballet is also available on DVD/Blu-Ray in more than one version.

There’s also a a live action version starring Casper van Dien and Catherine Oxenberg and Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre did a charming version starring Bernadette Peters and Christopher Reeve.