Disney's Live Action Remakes in a Nutshell

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[@CircleToonsHD]

do you like the real ass fish or not like the real ass fish

[@theincelrobot2247]

I like it

[@jefre21]

Fishe

[@Brighty587]

Real af!!

[@mr.stawmp]

Fish

[@raulpurdy8388]

I don’t like it lol

[@theonlyzanny]

need the Cars live action remake

[@FTChomp9980]

That is gonna be nightmare fuel.

[@Grunt_Incorporated]

NO STOP IT GET SOME HELP

[@MrBahumut]

Hey they may get some transformers to help make it look better =D

[@ArDeeMee]

YES.

[@starkillersneed]

They straight-up film a bunch of normal cars and make all dialog engine noises with subtitles

[@HeisenbergFam]

Disney's ability to disappoint people is a talent, a timeless classic

[@gef_dysk5426]

They have the marvellous superpower of turning gold into shit

[@noskalborg723]

Y E S

[@chillbizz74]

Yeah the Disney sequels were disasters

[@chillbizz74]

@LlPop-gs4zw beep off you waste of code made by a guy who has no women

[@remcrimson2750]

I swear if this dude becomes the new Just Some Guy Without A Mustache / Justin Y. I might just take a break from the KZbin comments section.

[@AngryLittleAmericans]

Circle's art skilss are amazing. The details on that deer would put Disney to shame

[@fluffyflufffox1385]

@Oppp Lol about what?

[@Starannify]

@@fluffyflufffox1385 It's a bot, report it as spam.

[@metazoxan2]

Disney should hire him to do their movies. Maybe then I'd actually watch it.

[@PauTheDeo]

​@@Starannify transalate this comment

[@Voltaic_Fire]

Even Disney shames Disney at this point.

[@driedskull1927]

That Bambi twist was more shocking than anything Disney's made in the last 5 years.

[@joshuabautch8936]

TBH I knew that the Deer was meant to be Bambi... but DAYMN I didnt expect it to specifically be BAMBI'S MOTHER

[@edmg7]

I didn't realize old Disney was all that shocking to begin with.

[@Tortferngatr]

@@edmg7 To be fair, Disney did pioneer a LOT of principles of making quality animation that are still utilized today-it’s not shocking because now they’re used basically everywhere. 2D animation, 3D animation, game animations, even CGI to some extent uses them. If you want more info, look up the 12 principles of animation-the only one that doesn’t hold up today is solid drawing, and that’s more because art styles that ignore it completely also work than because it’s bad to use. According to one anecdote, even making Bambi’s mom’s death not on camera (and only leaving it to be implied by the gunshot and Bambi’s/dad’s actions and grieved looks) was Walt’s idea, which MIGHT be a deep cut reference here but not sure.

[@edmg7]

@@Tortferngatr.. .I actually knew most of that, but I'm not sure what any of that has to do with being shocking.

[@Tortferngatr]

@@edmg7 Technically it would mean old Disney would have been at least novel, if not shocking.

[@Cloudwolf785]

Flounder is one thing, but the species of crab they decided to use for Sebastian apparently can't even breathe under water. Of all the crabs they could choose, they went with the one that would drown if it was actually Sebastian.

[@kyltredragmire4939]

Wait, I thought Sebastien was a lobster? 🦞

[@FatherCorn]

​​@Kyltrè Dragmire you thought wrong I'm afraid

[@majorgnu]

Carcinisation strikes again!

[@joehearts1850]

​@@kyltredragmire4939 he IS a lobster. Disney turned him into a crab!

[@longwlenguyen4214]

@@joehearts1850That is so dumb on so many levels is like Disney not even try anymore.

[@billie-ve_in_yourself6464]

In the original bambi, they brought in an actual live deer into the studio for the animators to study. They worked so hard to make the deer movement realistic and life like. Imagine your boss bringing in a living deer for you to draw. Snow White was made using a video of a woman acting out all her movements, then the animators drew over that video to get realistic movement and proportions. Up and Brave had their animators fly overseas to the location where the film took place so they could accurately draw the background and scenes. Modern Disney feels like a joke compared to that old level of dedication.

[@skootergirl22]

They also done that with the lion King

[@Sonichero151]

@@skootergirl22 and Brother bear. They literally had a live bear cube in the studio to just waddle around and they studied its movements

[@arilawless7911]

​@@Sonichero151A bear cube that is disgusting

[@suki2591]

@@arilawless7911 They meant a bear trapezoid

[@Femaiden]

it was called rotoscoping. masters of the universe used rotoscoping as well

[@guymcperson9300]

I just can't understand how these live action remakes continue to be financial successes. It's insane.

[@_Stormfather]

Do they? I mean the Lion King was, but aside from that I thought they've mostly been flops

[@TheEpicGalaxy21]

Nostalgia mainly. That or just "Reliability", where consumers just watch something they already know/ recognize. So they know it's gotta be good. New stuff? No way! That's a huge risk! Let's just keep making marvel movies or something! People know marvel, so it'll still make big bucks. People know cinderella, so it'll still make money! But Owl House? Never heard of that before, *CAN'T BE TRUSTED!*

[@guymcperson9300]

@@_Stormfather they've all grossed at least one billion worldwide. The profits just keep increasing with each successive live action film. I don't get it lol

[@Quetzal00358]

I remember when the “controversy” about Ariel being black in the Little Mermaid live action was going on, my first thought was “ok it’s not like the live action remake is gonna be good anyways.”

[@_Stormfather]

@@TheEpicGalaxy21 while I agree with you in principle, I disagree with the example of Owl House lol. It was an interesting premise, but the first episode is basically telling antisocial kids that it's OK to be a loner and have no friends, because a magic portal will take you to another dimension where everything will be fine. It fails to address the main character's _actual_ character flaws that caused her not to have any friends in the first place

[@BarokaiRein]

The hunter who shot Bambi's mom is actually going to be a deep and complicated character who's just trying to provide for his family ever since his wife got killed by a male deer who gutted her with his antlers. At least, assuming Cruella, a movie where they tried to make someone who's very enthusiastic about massacerin puppies and literally called Cruel Devil, a relatable villain is anything to go by.

[@Cyclobomber]

Yeah that and Maleficent were extremely stupid ideas.

[@morganicsmoothie964]

The Cruella movie is stupid as fuck and I hate it. They're so terrified of making anything original that they just borrowed the character without even making her personality and motivation accurate at all.

[@TacoRemixx]

He also has a singing part about standing up for what you believe in and equal opportunity

[@withercraft7627]

​@@Cyclobomber I'm gonna be real with you I respectfully but very much disagree with you. It's been some time since I've seen Maleficent but if memory serves me correctly that movie was actually really good and is one of the few exceptions to live action Disney remakes being really bad. It took an iconic movie's well designed but ultimately not that interesting villain that not to many people cared about, and did a heartfelt Else-World's/Alternate Universe retelling of it that also doesn't really mess with or affect the original. Plus this was before Disney just did a bunch of cash grab remakes and when they actually still at least somewhat tried with the live action adaptations. Also I should mention that I agree that the overwhelming majority of Disney's live action remakes/adaptations suck and are lifeless and insulting, I just don't think this one is. Also I should clarify that I don't necessarily have a problem with basic and or purely evil villains that can be ok/even amazing sometimes. And some purely evil villains are very vibrant and interesting like Angelus from Buffy although a purely evil villain doesn't necessarily have to be vibrant/interesting. And from what I can tell Maleficent being basic in the original worked fine so that's not really an issue. I just don't think that the basic idea behind Maleficent or Cruella are inherently stupid, although either definitely could be with botched execution. I just from memory really don't think that Maleficent botched it. It's totally fine if you disagree with me though so long as it's respectful. And I hope that this response has come across as calm respectful and not at all aggressive or accusatory or like I'm looking to fight/just tell you your wrong. Because that's not at all what I'm trying to do and I don't like it when other people do that. I just wanted to potentially add to the conversation and offer a different perspective. Anyways Thank You for reading my response Rafalgahr/any whose read this and God Bless You! :)

[@Cyclobomber]

@@withercraft7627 I get your point, if it's set in an alternate universe and not as a "canon prequel" then I have nothing to say and it's good you enjoyed it.

[@Kirpy_471]

"YOU SHOT IT!" "HAHA I know right? We're filming Bambi!" I was NOT expecting that.

[@imaginationave3687]

R/whoosh. It took you that long.

[@thesanss4671]

@@imaginationave3687 How is that an r/wooosh? He got the joke, didn't he? He just took a little long

[@imaginationave3687]

@@thesanss4671 That's the point. The fact that it took him a long time.

[@thesanss4671]

@@imaginationave3687 r/wooosh is for when they don't get the joke, ever. Here's an example. "YOU SHOULDN'T SHOOT THE DEER, THAT'S ANIMAL CRUELTY, HOW COULD ANYONE EVER FIND THAT FUNNY!!!"

[@Baburun-Sama]

[Unexpectancy starts Playing]

[@birdie6359]

Disney be like: “live action remake = more of the almighty dollar for us”

[@ArshadZahid_nohandleideas]

“more of the Megidoughlaon for us”

[@noskalborg723]

That reminds me "the LOVE OF money is the root of all evil". Also money =/= wealth.

[@WL-bs4nc]

@ArshadZahid_nohandleideas Did… did you just make a SMT/Persona reference involving money? You sir, are a genius!

[@comixproviderftw_02]

“Making something cute in a drawing doesn’t make it look cute in real life.” -Nostalgia Critic, 2013 (Cat in the Hat review) Say what you will about the man, but he’s not wrong on that.

[@repulser93]

Broken clocks, and all that.

[@_chishika_]

wait fill me in on who nostalgia critic is and why he isn’t reliable source of info, i’ve only heard of him in passing convos but no idea what his negative rep is for

[@frownyclowny6955]

I think about that line from that video one every few years

[@benito1620]

@@_chishika_ Doug Walker, the Nostalgia critic a popular movie reviewer and skit "comedian" basically ran his review website into the ground, he was pretty popular in the 2000s but wasn't able or willing to adapt to the times and his stuff got stale, and became progressively more cringe and unfunny, most of the people he hosted on his website jumped ship to become independent and his reviews, skit comedies, and general takes have declined in quality year by year until he ended up being a borderline-lulcow.

[@Cyclobomber]

@@benito1620 HIs "homage" to the wall is probably the most tone-deaf, misguided homage I've ever seen.

[@evanyoutuber]

Disney: “We’re an equal opportunity employer” Also Disney: *shoots the deer they hired*

[@_Stormfather]

They didn't say they were an equal opportunity killer

[@rwberger6]

They also threatened to fire any of their writers who join the strike.

[@arran4285]

@@rwberger6 Wait they have writers because i thought they just used AI to write the films

[@skootergirl22]

Because it isn't a black deer

[@seventeenseventythirteen7465]

@@skootergirl22 That deer was brown, kinda racist.

[@StickMaster500]

A Live Action Toy Story movie will probably give children nightmares

[@FTChomp9980]

A Live Action Toy Story will be probably look like CATS 2019 just picturing it gives me the creeps.

[@wariodude128]

There's already a live action Toy Story movie. You can find it here somewhere. It's pretty good, especially when Woody says "So play nice".

[@cocacola4blood365]

Not as many as the AI generated clips of one. I've seen them. I haven't been the same since.

[@hugoc.m.7727]

Puppet Master 12 coming soon

[@CallMeJoy_wastaken]

Disney is impressive, they have managed to disappoint me more than I had to my dad.

[@ThePuzzled1]

Disney: Do you know what would make this magical world of fantasy and color better? Realism.

[@locodesert2]

It honesty feels like Disney is allergic on making actual original stories.

[@devinbuettgenbach2941]

That's always been the case. Even Song of the South was an adaptation.

[@locodesert2]

@@devinbuettgenbach2941 like hell even back then they at least tried to put a spin on stories. Now it’s just remake after remake with soulless passion.

[@melanoc3tusii205]

@@locodesert2 It's just the good ol' cycle - a company starts up, and gains a reputation for high quality - the company becomes successful and grows to market saturation - now auxiliary measures must be taken to increase profits - conveniently, the founder and whatever standards they might have had are probably dead by this point - solution: reduce operational expenses to achieve a greater net profit - now substandard product can continue to rake in profits off past reputation, until people cotton on, and until someone else manages to break in and repeat step one

[@derekhandson351]

Let's hope Wish turns out well!

[@TRAIN110ValleyProductions]

@@derekhandson351 here we are after wish released

[@octosalias5785]

Imagine you have been dreaming of working for an iconic animation studio, THE animation studio, with the most successful marketable character design for singing animals and just Just throwing it out. Throwing out those designs.

[@WasatchWind]

The fact that this video making fun of Disney is animated in 2d makes it all the better.

[@decker1208]

Disney at this point is digging its own grave

[@sebastianromero3393]

I saw the Bambi joke a mile away but it didn’t stop me from laughing when he straight up shot it.

[@Png_gaming]

It’s amazing how well you’re able to animate a stock image of a deer.

[@TheRealW.S.Foster]

This video will be all the more poignant when Disney does eventually remake Bambi into a live action film.

[@MT-jd8pc]

It’s already in the works

[@GooberInternet]

​@@MT-jd8pc Hopefully we'll get an onscreen death with Bambi's mom!

[@MT-jd8pc]

@@GooberInternet NOOOOOOOOOO

[@Naokarma]

Hey, anyone else see Mufasa's death scene for The Lion King? It's just gonna be a CGI deer falling over and "Bambi" running away screaming "Nooooooo!" or whatever. Or worse, they'll cut that scene entirely and just imply the death happened offscreen like they have been doing a lot since like 2015

[@harryshum4139]

@@Naokarma So? Offscreen deaths are not new. They give out a sense of tragedy and seriousness in certain scenes.

[@CoolLookinPea]

“Isn’t this the same movie we made decades ago?” “Of course, because it makes money”

[@pradeepdungdung4379]

at this point I'm just eagerly waiting for Mickey to come in public domain and I'll be waiting waiting with my popcorn to witness EVERYTHING

[@metazoxan2]

Before I'd have said they'll probably extend that thing forever ... but given their erroding public good will and the war they're fighting with Florida they might loose the leverage they've been using to keep Mickey out of the public domain.

[@pradeepdungdung4379]

@@metazoxan2 it's Mickey Mouse we're talking about... Disney have gone to extreme lengths to stop him from public domain so I won't be surprised to see them try their everything again even if it means demolishing copyright system further

[@RenegadeLK]

I thought the deer was going to play Bambi not the mom.😭🤣

[@micahphilson]

That deer's animation was so perfect, I love it! Pretty much exactly how real dear act!

[@ViolacTrough]

Can’t wait for the live-action remake of Robin Hood so I can finally see what a photo realistic bear stealing coins with his cleavage looks like.

[@HarmonyBunny]

Bambi live action remake looking good

[@tyronecrossman5014]

I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE A BAMBI REFERENCE AND IT STILL STARTED ME AAAAAAA-

[@victoriouswinner7745]

i love how the deer getting shot alone is enough to give him stacks of cash within seconds

[@ivanbluecool]

If only they made more Winnie the Pooh live action movies rather than the hollow live actions they do. That one was a sequel to the og story and worked perfectly

[@BigDerp21]

They won't make any more Winnie the Pooh. It's banned in china

[@Sonichero151]

They can't cause Pooh is now a horror character and the demographic wants nothing to do with him

[@ivanbluecool]

@@Sonichero151 I can tell people missed my entire point. I'll break it down. The way the Pooh live action was done had better storytelling due to it being a sequel rather than a remake of the og works. Plus Mulan was a bigger misfire than Pooh anyways as they pandered hard and cn hated it before it was shown

[@JamesTDG]

​@@ivanbluecool I'm still pissed there's no mushu!

[@ivanbluecool]

@@JamesTDG everyone was

[@btchplease9758]

At this point, at least Bambi is still a brown deer.

[@joewilliams-un8vu]

“*Shoots deer* meh, Bambi’s mother’s death wasn’t dramatic enough” “Bring in another Deer”

[@IzzySarru]

Part of me wonders how much money they'd make if they just...re-released classics into theaters. How many of us missed out on watching some of those movies in a theater experience as kids and only saw them on VHS or DVD later on and would LOVE a theater experience?

[@_Stormfather]

Yeah but see, if they did that, they wouldn't be able to "update the story for the modern audience"

[@dr.robertnick9599]

Literaly just AI upscale it and put it on the big screen. Very low effort and risk. Modern Adults would probably like to go to their favorite child hood movie with their kids together.

[@IzzySarru]

@@dr.robertnick9599 Wouldn't even need to AI upscale it, most things were ALREADY pretty damn HD back then, just the most readily available formats for selling to consumers were shit.

[@noskalborg723]

I expected "we're filming Bambi", but not 🔫. 😂

[@hafezali860]

I was just talking with my dad about Disney’s live action remakes and the main point I was trying to drive home is that they’re only low-effort cash grabs trying to capitalize on people’s nostalgia, what a coincidence!

[@TheEclecticDyslexic]

Only partly related... during the making of the original Bambi there actually was a live deer that was brought into Disney for animation reference.

[@aurawarrior1367]

“Do I look like an idiot to you?!” “I’d rather not answer that”

[@rahn45]

Disney was so preoccupied with if they could do it... They never asked if they should do it.

[@metazoxan2]

THey weren't so preoccupied to ask ... they just don't care enough about their own work to bother asking. THey just care about money and politics. I wouldn't even call Disney an entertainment company anymore.

[@CamsEyeView]

Well, considering now that they have just announced a bambi remake...this is more accurate than a joke now.

[@thematiasmadness7010]

They could show bambis mom being shot on screen and then slowly rotting in the remake and I would still feel absolutely nothing compared to the original

[@snowset675]

I predicted that twist from a mile away. Doesn’t make it any less hilarious

[@plsdontbanmeagainyoulibtards]

can't wait for circletoons to produce live action remakes of his KZbin animations. Seeing live action 'The Life of a Speedrunner' or 'When You're Max Level in an RPG' would have me emptying my wallet out of excitement and nostalgia.

[@Renderstone]

Comedy at its finest

[@Minohorse]

I wonder what Walt Disney himself would think of the current situation.

[@FTChomp9980]

He would be rightfully pissed off especially how his Company has gone downhill.

[@samcochran8203]

He would vomit over Bob iger and then throw him out the window into the moat around Disney castle

[@seventeenseventythirteen7465]

He'd be angry that minorities are in his movies now.

[@wabbit-sz9gm]

This is pretty accurate

[@KeebeThePlush]

I’m just waiting for them to remake their direct to dvd sequels since they already are making a Moana live adaptation in the works

[@Quetzal00358]

Wait really? That movie came out seven years ago and they’re already doing one?

[@tatersalad76]

​@@Quetzal00358 Dwayne Johnson apparently demanded that they do a live action Moana with him as Maui. Dude's ego is somehow bigger than his muscles

[@ReaIHuman]

I would expect nothing less from Disney.

[@gregorsamsa79420]

I miss the old Disney.

[@harryshum4139]

Better get used the new Disney then.

[@theshepdawg6809]

Great work! 54 seconds that are still infinitely more enjoyable than every single live-action remake.

[@user-tx9ff4pf1b]

It took me all the way till the end to realize the deer was for Bambi 😂😂

[@DuskNeko]

This is so funny bc if i remember correctly they brought real lions to the studio for the Lion King remake so the animators could "get the cgi right" or something

[@WasatchWind]

And they will keep on doing it. It doesn't matter whether the films succeed or fail, they will keep making them. They will make them until they run out of movies, and then they will remake the remakes.

[@rwberger6]

They've already breached into the 00s and plan on doing a live action of a movie that's less than a decade old.

[@WasatchWind]

@@rwberger6 The fact that they are making prequels to their remakes already signals the point of desperation they're at.

[@luckyahmadtawakkal7130]

The way the deer moved and acted make me smile! 😂😂😂

[@itsjustme6018]

People be like "why are they still making live action remakes?" My brother in Christ causes your still going to see them.

[@makisky4495]

"I think id rather not answer that." Lmao 😂great video

[@dizavo]

this is why mickey wants to be in the public domain, he can't take disneys shit anymore

[@swaginton1180]

“Hey I’ll have you know this dear was directly recommended from twitch! They were even a moderator for them at one point!”

[@thomastalbot2450]

Beautifal cinematography and even better casting

[@elecmagpulse7385]

“Animation is for little babies; it can go to hell, live action is the superior art form.” -Disney, probably

[@timthrasher8697]

The thought of a cars live action remake to me is the funniest idea but scares me that is actually possible

[@Erebus_the_trustworthy]

Can't wait for them to start making animated adaptations to the live actions...

[@GabrielleZ]

Make sure that scene where Bambi gets shot is in slow motion (and maybe it should be in 3D). 😆

[@wealthybone2990]

Wasn't expecting that end but that was hilarious and sad.

[@Beeimeem]

"Yeah, I know, right? We're filming Bambi-"

[@ZombiesAteMyChannel]

"Your favorite animated childhood classics, now in live action so it's socially acceptable for adults to watch it!" -probably how the live-action remakes were pitched.

[@blueredingreen]

"My name is Bam Bitoya. You killed my mother. Prepare to die."

[@atlasprime6193]

Thank God the Writer Strikes are up again. This should make Disney think twice once it’s over.

[@some_guy117]

I was more mad about Sebatians casting if anything, he’s not even a sea crab

[@RafaTheBeat]

The moment i saw that deer, i instantly knew what the joke was

[@wisesquirrel4986]

Great audio in particular. Thanks for the video!

[@HobbesHobbiton]

I hate how Hollywood cancels genuinely great original content and then regurgitates the same slop over and over again

[@sousukesagara193]

You were supposed to shoot the deer on set, now we have to get another deer

[@VampireA1056]

We need to protect The Hunchback Of Notre Dame with our lives.

[@dukefrank8864]

"HaHaHa, WeRe FlImGiNg BaMbI!" That got me 💀

[@X-SPONGED]

I was already expecting a dead mother joke after the deer first came on screen. I gotta say, the punchline did not disappoint

[@Frost-tw4qd]

"Sir we've ran out of things to make into live action what do we do now? "WE REMAKE THE LIVE ACTION REMAKES!!"

[@CuriousMisterG]

The ending MY GOD!!! Had a verbal reaction to it, HILARIOUS!

[@Nipplehound]

I won't be able to handle a live action fox and the hound

[@nintendosoft97]

I saw that Bambi joke coming as soon as I saw that deer.

[@amezaiku-san]

We're filming Bambi- I can't- LMAO!

[@FancyBreadSticks]

" where did you get that deer? " " Its the same one that walt brought into the studio when we made the original! "

[@eatmanyzoos]

you do more for traditional animation in every video, than disney has done in the past 20 years

[@Foreststrike]

They can't come up with anything new with all the studio's they've bought out, which means they are collectively and creatively bankrupt.

[@sinofsanity6593]

"do I look like an idiot to you?" "I think I'd rather not answer that" pretty much every workplace

[@02ninjaman]

As soon as he shot the deer i knew it was about bambi.

[@Blackskulled500]

That end gag was completely unacceptable and thus it was the highlight of this brilliant video. Well done good sir, I shall now seek therapy.

[@tea-man1386]

We're filming bambi that caught me off guard 😂😂😂😂

[@Tokey0h808]

Love the vids man

[@thehappychuleta]

That Bambi joke was dark dude😂

[@Ic3h0rnEt14]

"We're filming Bambi." lmao Smart. Saves money. 2 deer for the price of 1.

[@jackcarraway4707]

Imagine if Disney did a live action remake of Home on the Range.

[@fl00f94]

i knew it was over for the poor deer the moment i first saw it...

[@blakearius]

Just so you know they used an actual dead deer when animating the original Bambi as a reference. Taking layer by layer off until the smell became to much. So yeh if anything disney ain't killing enough deer, their dedication is gone.

[@minecrafteribrahim5260]

HOLY SHIT THIS AGED LIKE WINE

[@maxpowr90]

At least it's not the live action remake of Mickey and Goofy spitroasting Minnie.

[@chadgorosaurus4898]

This is too accurate

[@stitches4714]

I don't know how. But somehow, just somehow, they are gonna make it so bambi's mom lives in the end. If Pinocchio can't drink beer, are we really gonna see an on-screen death of a baby deers mom

[@Music_Finderr]

Grass is the common name for the Gramineae family of plants. With more than 9,000 known species, this family is one of the largest on Earth. Grass is extremely important to most people's lives, whether they know it or not. For one thing, grass is a major food source all over the world. Rice, corn and oats come from grass plants, for example, and most livestock animals feed primarily on grasses. In some parts of the world, people use grass plants in construction (bamboo is a grass, for example), and wherever it grows, grass plays a vital role in curbing erosion. Grass is also used to make sugar, liquor, bread and plastics, among many other things. Grasses have a very simple structure, and a very simple way of life. You can better grasp what grass needs when you understand how it actually functions in the world. At the base of the grass plant, roots grow down into the earth. Typically, grass roots are fibrous, or threadlike. They extend into the soil like fingers, collecting nutrients, soaking up water and securing the plant to the ground. Grass stems, called culms, grow up from the base of the plant (the crown). In most grass species, the culms are hollow and rigid, except at the nodes -- joints that join stem segments together. Narrow leaves extend out from the culms, above each node. The leaves alternate in direction. That is, if the first leaf on a culm grows to the right, the second leaf will grow to left and the third leaf will grow to the right and so on. The lower part of the leaf is called the sheath, and the upper part is called the blade. In most grasses, a ligule surrounds the connection between the sheath and the blade. A ligule can take the form of a thin membrane or a fringe of hair-like projections. Like the leaves on a tree, grass leaves serve to collect energy from sunlight through photosynthesis. The photosynthesizing chlorophyll in the leaf gives grass its green color. There are two major methods of reproduction in grasses. Some grasses have additional stems that grow sideways, either below ground or just above it. Stems that creep along the ground are called stolons, and stems that grow below ground are called rhizomes. Grasses use stolons and rhizomes to reach out and establish new grass culms. The stoleon or rhizome nurtures the new plant until it is strong enough to survive on its own. Grasses also have flowers. The small flowers in most grass species are known as florets. Florets grow together in small groups called spikelets, which collectively form inflorescences. Flowers produce the spores that pollinate other flowers, which produce seeds. With any luck, some of the seeds will grow new healthy grass plants. (This site explains grass reproduction in detail.) In some grasses, such as corn, the stem and the flowering part of the plant are obvious. But in lawn grasses, the long thin leaves overshadow the other elements of the plant. Unless you're up close, all you see is green stalks.