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| Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs / Diamond Edition : 5 of 5 | |
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2.04.2010
6:39 AM | Link0 comments |
 I thought it was kind of appropriate that my first Blu-ray experience was the first feature-length animated movie, and even though you might think a 1937 hand-drawn film wouldn't be the best way to enjoy my new Blu-ray player, Disney really did an incredible job with this new Diamond Edition release! The film itself looks practically brand new, and when you combine the Blu-ray clarity with the smoothness and quality of animation it seems impossible that this movie is over 70 years old! I was pretty impressed with Disney View, which uses tasteful paintings to fill in the sides of a 16:9 screen (since movies were good ol' 4:3 in the 1930s), and I loved how they change to fit the scene. Of course, the bonus materials on this release are absolutely bursting at the seams thanks to Blu-ray storage capacity, most of which are contained in the fascinating Hyperion Studio feature, which allows you to wander around the original Disney studio. Each room contains several short segments that provide a wonderful education about the making of Snow White as well as the process of animation in general, combined with classic Disney shorts to illustrate key points. I loved the vocal recreations of story meetings, the funny anecdotes about working for Walt, and of course seeing interviews with all of my animation heroes, both old and new. From Don Hahn's excellent explanation of the exposure sheet, I learned how the shadow effects in Snow White were produced with complicated double exposures, and I also discovered that the voice actress for the evil queen also did the old witch, but with her teeth out! The advanced capability of Blu-ray and BD LIve allows for some cool and unexpected interactions, such as the Magic Mirror (who narrates the menus) greeting you by mentioning the time of day and even the weather in your location! The games are also pretty amazing - Jewel Jumble is as smooth as any basic arcade game, and Scene Stealer allows you to upload photos to the web which are accessed to put your face on Snow White and some of the dwarfs! The amazing Platinum Edition of Snow White from years ago was fantastic for its time, but I am thoroughly impressed with what this new technology can do and how Disney is using it!
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| Five guys hit Los Angeles | |
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1.22.2010
11:36 AM | Link0 comments |
 For the past few days I've been in Los Angeles vacationing with my pals Jonathan, Matt, Dae and Ernesto! It's pretty rare for all of us to be together, but it worked out this time since I was taking Jonathan on his first Disneyland visit, and Matt received his plane ticket to come along as a Christmas gift! Even though there was some pretty awful rain during the trip, we still had plenty of nice weather, too, and nothing could stop us from having a fantastic time.We started off by browsing the Farmers Market and having a nice breakfast, then headed to Will Rogers State Historic Park to tour the ranch house and hike up to Inspiration Point (great view of the city). After stopping on PCH for a nice sunset, the drunken debauchery began with beer, martinis at Musso & Franks (where we had a great time talking with Manny the legendary bartender), whiskey, and eventually ended up with flaming margaritas and Mexican food. The next morning we were in hangover recovery mode, but we had enough energy for a cool tour of the Egyptian, a classic movie palace that Grauman built before the famous Chinese Theater. After the tour it started raining a little, so I talked the guys into seeing Dumbo at the El Capitan (we loved the organist and of course I cried during Baby Mine). That night we gorged on incredible sushi in Little Tokyo, and we got to drive through the iconic 2nd Street Tunnel used in Blade Runner! The next day we had lunch in Pasadena at the Pie'n Burger (Ernesto's all-time favorite) and tried to see some horse racing at Santa Anita, but it was rained out. Luckily, Ernesto's sister Eileen who works at the Los Angeles Cathedral offered to give us a tour, which was a perfect thing to do on a rainy day! The cathedral was amazing (she even took us inside the organ works), and when we finished the sun was out again. Finally, we had a quick dinner and then rented a rehearsal studio for three hours of jazz jamming, using Ernesto's beautiful horn arrangements that he had written for the occasion. The last day was reserved for Disneyland, and I had lots of fun spouting trivia to enhance Jonathan's first visit. The weather was great for the morning and evening, but in the middle of the day there was a downpour that flooded Frontierland and even overflowed the Jungle Cruise. We got to ride the Matterhorn twice in a row in the rain, which is a surreal experience, and for the rest of the day, the lines were totally non-existent. I had never seen absolutely zero wait for Space Mountain before! We had an amazing Disney day ending with Filet Mignon at Blue Bayou and then drinks by the Grand Californian fireplace. It took forever to decide which of my 400 photos to share, but I think I picked a good selection in three Flickr sets. In addition, Matt has started to post lots of great shots as well (including the timer shot on this post), so enjoy!  View photos: Los Angeles 2010 View photos: Los Angeles Cathedral View photos: Disneyland 2010 View photos: Matt's Los Angeles
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| The Princess and the Frog : 5 of 5 | |
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12.08.2009
11:30 AM | Link1 comments |
 It's not often that something so anticipated meets every expectation, so I had my fingers crossed when I went to a sneak preview (thanks to Melinda, of course!) of Disney's new animated feature The Princess and the Frog. This movie is so important to the future of animation, and marks several "returns" for Disney - a return to hand-drawn animation, a return to fairy tales with a princess, a return to true musicals - so I've been hoping with all my might that this film could start a new renaissance just like The Little Mermaid did so long ago. I'm so happy to say that Disney has done it - The Princess and the Frog brings back the magic and spirit of all the classics that Disney fans love! From the moment the movie began I was tingling at seeing a true cartoon on the big screen again - there's just something about knowing human hands made this living artwork that's overwhelming to me. The animation was never disappointing, with fantastic, expressive character designs, detailed lip-sync on human characters, and hilarious variety of movement. Of course I could keep gushing about the animation (I love it that the incredible Mark Henn has another beautiful princess in his portfolio), but truthfully the most important element is the story (as any Disney fan would tell you), and directors Clements and Musker (who thankfully were willing to come back to Disney after the animation shakedown) have managed to craft an absolutely beautiful tale. Each character has a perfect fit in the plot, and everyone (not only Tiana) is allowed to grow in a wonderful way. The songs are wonderful, especially since they're influenced by New Orleans Jazz, and there are several giant music numbers that really bring the house down (think of the pizzazz of I Just Can't Wait to be King from The Lion King, then multiply it by three)! Tiana is a truly lovable and admirable character, Prince Naveen has some hilarious lines, Louis the gator is a reincarnation of Baloo from The Jungle Book (and that's a compliment!), and Dr. Facilier is a welcome addition to Disney's gallery of villains. But the character that shines with brilliance (pun intended) is Ray the Cajun firefly, who creates an emotional sob-fest that ranks right up there with Bambi's mom and Dumbo's tear (all I can say is, be prepared to cry). I absolutely cannot wait to see The Princess and the Frog again - I'm going opening day to "vote with my wallet" for the future of hand-drawn animation!
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| Christmas Toys 1975 | |
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11.30.2009
11:51 AM | Link0 comments |
 I think the toys I remembering playing with the most throughout my childhood would be my Mego 8-inch action figures, which had incredible cloth clothing and plastic accessories. I had so many of these I can’t even begin to count, including almost all of the super heroes and villains, as well as characters from Star Trek and Planet of the Apes! In fact, I loved them so much, I’ve recently been collecting reproductions of these classic toys) In 1975, Santa brought not just one, but two gigantic Mego playsets to use with my figures, starting with the USS Enterprise. This representation of the bridge included control panels and the captain’s chair, changeable view screen images, and the totally creative Transporter effect (which let you spin a figure around quickly, then press a button to make them disappear!). Next was the Batcave, which was so much fun to play with since it provided an official garage for my Batmobile. Mego worked so many details into this set, such as the Batpole and Batsignal, and there was even a collapsing road sign on the secret entrance! Santa also brought a rare and interesting piece of Disney park memorabilia that year, since I got the Haunted Mansion Board Game that so many collectors are after today. I remember really enjoying this game, and the artwork was really cool (now if I only knew where it went!). Along with other smaller toys, I also got a simple little game called Bas-Ket which let you launch ping pong balls into nets (which I just discovered can still be bought today). I remember playing this one with Dad, but the main reason it deserves mentioning is because I think it’s been buried in my parents’ garage for years, so someday I may get to play it again!
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| Netflix One-Liners 11.09 | |
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11.20.2009
8:53 AM | Link0 comments |
 Beverly Hills Chihuahua: I only watched this because I thought the trailer was hilarious and because it's a Disney movie, and I actually laughed much more than I expected, but Disney animal flicks have definitely gone downhill since That Darn Cat!Nerdcore Rising: This is a totally entertaining documentary about MC Frontalot, the performer who invented nerdcore (hip-hop rap with geeky subjects and references), and I enjoyed it so much I bought his CD as soon as the film ended! Time After Time: I remember as a kid being a fan of this science-fiction thriller, about Jack the Ripper stealing HG Wells' time machine and traveling into the far-flung 70s, so it was fun and nostalgic to see this one again. Man On Wire: I enjoyed this amazing documentary about the French acrobat who illegally strung a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center and walked across several times, especially since it's structured like an espionage plot (and it's almost unbelievable he actually did it). Superman 2: Seems like I've been re-watching lots of Superman on Watch Instantly, so I figured I should check out the original sequel again, which is by far the best with both Kryptonian villains led by General Zod and Superman getting it on with Lois. X-Men Origins / Wolverine: I never even got around to watching X-Men 2 and 3, but my pals and I felt like seeing an action-packed blockbuster, and it was cool to see Hollywood's take on Wolverine's origin story and some early X-Men (actually I rented this from iTunes on my Apple TV, but I'm including it here anyway!). Monty Python Conquers America: Even though this is a really short film, it was interesting to learn about how Monty Python's Flying Circus eventually made it to America against all odds, becoming one of those late night PBS shows that kids watch hoping for two-seconds of nudity (wow, this is the third documentary in this bunch!). And Now For Something Completely Different: After discovering this movie via the previous documentary, I thought it would be cool to watch the original Monty Python film (funded by Playboy as a way to get them into the states), and it's a nice collection of classic bits with higher budget sets and camera angles. Everyone Says I Love You: Every time I watch this Woody Allen musical, I'm always amazed at how much I enjoy the plot, the characters, and the jazz standards that come out of nowhere, along with the huge cast (this is the only movie with Julia Roberts that I ever want to see). Silent Movie: There's no one as ridiculous as Mel Brooks, and I love to watching his classics when I get the chance, so I decided to enjoy this totally silent (except for Marcel Marceau saying "No!") slapstick spoof, which has the distinction of being the movie that made my parents realize I needed glasses, since I was squinting so bad to read the dialogue! |
| Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure : 3 of 5 | |
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11.16.2009
12:18 PM | Link0 comments |
 Although I'll always be partial to the spunky, voiceless pixie from the original Peter Pan, I'm really happy that this series of CGI Tinker Bell movies has been surprisingly good! This latest adventure has a wonderful story that really focuses on Tink herself, wisely moving all the other fairies (except for her best friend Terence) into the background (but of course, they all still make appearances for continuity with the first film). The plot is pretty mystical and really creative, involving an Autumn festival where the right combination of moonlight and an ancient moonstone creates blue pixie dust, which is used to rejuvenate the "regular" pixie dust tree (which everyone in Pixie Hollow depends on!). Tink's own character flaws cause her to accidentally break the crystal, so she has to embark on a quest (complete with new costume) to find an enchanted mirror that has one wish left on it. This backstory is told in a cool theater setting with great animation, and I loved how they brought pirate lore (essential to Never Land) into the story! The animation is a little mixed, since Tink looks wonderful (especially her bobbing hair movements), but the lesser characters are a little stiff with quick bird-like actions (which could have been intentional). I really enjoyed discovering small details like all the items that Tink has used to construct assembly line machinery at the pixie dust tree (as well as the cool fireplace in her home made of a standing smoking pipe!), but my favorite moments were the homages to Peter Pan, such as Tink's face turning red with anger, or when she travels past Skull Rock (which was so cool I had to yell "Yeah!" when I saw it!). The adventure style of the story is really fun, and the way Tink seriously screws up at times deepens her character. The DVD includes some fake bloopers (pretty hilarious), but the other bonus features are a little weak. Even though I've been renting the movies in this series, I'm starting to think these are good enough to buy for my Disney collection!
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| Walt Disney's Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park / Jeff Kurtti : 5 of 5 | |
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11.11.2009
12:14 PM | Link0 comments |
 Believe it or not, this book was actually part of last year's Christmas haul, so I figured I better get down to business and read it before the new onslaught of books arrives on Santa's sleigh! Right away I need to say that this is one of the most entertaining books on Disney Imagineering that I've read (and I have a lot on my bookshelf), mainly because of its unique way of focusing on the Imagineers themselves as real people with real lives, rather than only looking at their Disney career accomplishments. Each chapter looks at a set of Imagineers organized by artistic discipline (such as mechanical, musical, or even executive management), and each person is introduced with comments about their childhood, schools they attended, and other biographical notes. By reading about each person, you really get to know their particular strengths that made them succeed in such innovative work, as well as their personalities (even when they aren't so rosy, such as Marc Davis' semi-famous attitude toward Claude Coats, both of which made the Haunted Mansion the incredible attraction it is today). I loved reading about lesser known artists such as Bill Martin, who designed the complex layouts of so many Fantasyland dark rides, or Harriet Burns, the first female Imagineer who paved her own way in this emerging world (and now I'm extra happy that I have her autograph on one of my Disney prints!). With each chapter I was more amazed at how hard these people worked during their long careers, several right up until just a few weeks before they passed away, showing their dedication to Disney entertainment as a positive force in the world. This book is deceptively long, absolutely packed with fascinating, detailed text that kept me constantly mesmerized. I could easily start reading it again the moment I finished, and I'm sure I would find something new! Walt Disney's Imagineering Legends is definitely required reading for Disney theme park fans like me.
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| Disney's A Christmas Carol : 3 of 5 | |
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11.03.2009
5:37 PM | Link1 comments |
 It's nice to start getting into a Christmas mood with holiday movies, and I was able to see this new version of the Dickens classic at a sneak preview, thanks to my pal Melinda who is always lucky with preview passes! My opinion of this movie is right down the middle - there are things I love about it, and things I hate, which puts my review solidly in the center of my rating scale. I guess I'll get the hate out of the way - I am really against motion capture CG animation and Robert Zemeckis' bizarre opinions about the future of filmmaking! Although the characters in this film look much better than they did in The Polar Express, they still constantly look cross-eyed, with no attention to eye lines (they always seem to be looking "through" things), and might as well have been marionettes in most cases. Scrooge himself looks fantastic - I think they spent all their time getting him right and just let the computer crank out everyone else with no refinement. I was also appalled at Zemeckis' showboating floating camera moves, which only please himself and drive the audience crazy like they are stuck in a video game. Besides the opening sequence (which includes goofy moves like flying through a wreath), there's one sequence with the Ghost of Christmas Past that goes nearly 15 minutes without a single cut. I don't care if he thinks it's cool - it can only be special if it's hard to do in real life, so doing it in CG is just annoying. But now for some good points! I was really pleased and surprised that they stuck to all the original Dickens dialogue (most of the time I knew the line before they even said it), which prevented Jim Carrey (whom I dislike terribly) from ad-libbing and cheapening the whole thing. As I mentioned before, Scrooge does look incredible, and his exaggerated character design is great. I also liked all of the spirits, especially the creepy way that the Ghost of Christmas Future was mostly shown as a living shadow. The final scenes of the movie when Scrooge is filled with glee on Christmas Day are really well done, with just enough happiness to kick off the Christmas spirit in anyone. Overall I enjoyed myself, but mostly because I love Christmas movies and this classic story, not because of any of the filmmaking techniques that were being paraded on the screen. I only hope that audiences will enjoy the Christmas message while realizing that films using this technique have simply got to go!
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| Walt Disney World 2009 / Days 4-5 | |
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9.28.2009
11:59 AM | Link0 comments |
 I have two more days of my recent Walt Disney World vacation to cover, so here we go! I scheduled the fourth day as a full day at the Magic Kingdom, which I thought would give Melinda and me just enough time to fit in all of the attractions. However, since we had already been to the Magic Kingdom twice already (once for Wishes and again for the Halloween party), we had already checked off several busy attractions off our list, which left this full day wide-open to enjoy lots of entertainment! Of course, we rode several rides again, and I was really impressed with the slightly longer versions of the Fantasyland dark rides, and totally blown away by the new staircase room in the Haunted Mansion. I loved watching Dream Along With Mickey (the only stage show with new technology that allows Mickey and his pals to move their mouths and blink their eyes), and right after the show we were suddenly "trapped" in the hub by the new Move it! Shake it! Celebrate it! Street Party! It was really fun to dance along with the characters, and it was cool to be in the middle of a spontaneous party in the middle of our day. We even got to watch the Celebrate a Dream Come True parade, as well as SpectroMagic at night, and somehow we lucked out into riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the exact moment that the Wishes fireworks were going off, which was a totally surreal experience!We spent the last day at Hollywood Studios, making the morning march along with everyone else in the park directly to Toy Story Midway Mania, definitely one of the best (and certainly the most popular) new attractions in quite a while! The new Pixar street area and attraction queue are fantastic, full of giant classic toys, and the ride itself is so much fun that I could ride it all day! After spending the morning gathering Fastpasses, we got to see all the shows, including Lights, Motors, Action, plus we went to the Animation building to meet Mickey, Russell and Dug from Up, and even the Incredibles (I got to request a special cool pose from Elastigirl)! After surviving the Tower of Terror and Rock N Roller Coaster (which was somehow less scary than usual - maybe after Mission: Space I can take anything!), we got great seats for Fantasmic, which was awesome as always, and then took a quick look at the One Man's Dream exhibit to end the day. I could go on and on about all of the other attractions, restaurants, snacks, and other things we saw, but I guess I've pretty much covered the trip. Every detail just magically worked out, making the whole five days simply a perfect Disney vacation for total Disney geeks like Melinda and me! View photos: WDW 2009 Days 4-5
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| Walt Disney World 2009 / Days 1-3 | |
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9.25.2009
12:28 PM | Link0 comments |
 Now that I've picked some good photos from the first three days of my Walt Disney World trip, it's time to hit some more highlights! After checking in at the resort (which was really smooth with both Disney's Magical Express as well as online resort check in!), we rode the bus to Downtown Disney, enjoyed riding the Characters in Flight balloon, and immediately got most of our essential shopping done. I had made a list of possible toys to buy myself, and I ended up getting them all at the Once Upon a Toy store (then had them conveniently delivered to the resort so I wouldn't have to carry them)! Next we rode the Monorail around and quickly visited the Contemporary, the Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian, then stopped at the Magic Kingdom for dinner at Crystal Palace. We had a great time with all the Winnie the Pooh characters, enjoyed a couple Fantasyland attractions, then had a great spot to watch the Wishes fireworks show!The next day was all Epcot, and the major event was being brave enough to join the Orange Team for Mission: Space! On the last trip, Melinda and I chickened out and joined the Green Team, but this time we were determined to feel those sustained G-forces, and it was totally incredible! The launch was awesome, and I could really feel the pressure on my cheeks and hands as I pressed buttons for the mission. I also enjoyed the changes on Spaceship Earth, including the new narration and the Apple garage scene! Moving on to World Showcase, the addition of the Three Caballeros to the Mexico pavilion was hilarious, and it was fun taking a nice stroll around the countries with a couple drinks. We had dinner at Restaurant Akershus with Belle, Jasmine, Cinderella, Ariel and Pocahontas, and the food was delicious! Of course, we ended the day with a great spot for Illuminations, close to the water, which was pretty exciting! On the next morning we headed to Animal Kingdom and rode almost every attraction before lunch! Expedition Everest was fantastic (but I think the Yeti lighting needed some adjustment), and as always I was overwhelmed by Festival of the Lion King. Our big meal for the day was at Tusker House, and I was so impressed with the variety of the buffet - I ate all kinds of interesting veggies and tofu, too! We had to leave Animal Kingdom after lunch in order to get to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, which I commented on previously. Since this was our second Magic Kingdom visit, we got to ride even more attractions, which set up the next day with lots of free time to enjoy the entertainment! By the way, if you have a chance to go to the Halloween party, don't pass it up - it's really an amazing event that had me wowed the whole time, and staying at the park until midnight was a blast! View photos: WDW 2009 Days 1-3
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| A perfect Walt Disney World adventure | |
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9.23.2009
12:43 PM | Link0 comments |
 Last week I took a fantastic vacation to Walt Disney World with my fellow Disney pro Melinda, and it was definitely a trip for the record books! Looking back over the five days, we literally experienced nearly every single attraction in all four theme parks, as well as tons of shows and entertainment! Of course, we had to get up early, stay out late, and walk our feet off (and we have the blisters to prove it), but it was worth it to have so much fun. Amazingly, even though the weather forecast said there was a 40% chance of precipitation every day, we never saw a drop of rain (maybe because of my "lucky umbrella" which makes the clouds go away!). There's a lot to mention, so I'll have to stretch this report over a few WEBmikey posts (which will give me time to select the best shots from over 1,000 photos!), but I'll get started with a few overview highlights.My resort this time was All-Star Movies, which is one of the value resorts, but it still has nice rooms and super-cool huge character displays all around the buildings. I was excited to get the Toy Story building, which was really close to the food court for breakfast, as well as the gift shop and bus stop for those early morning rides to the parks! We were lucky enough to book our trip during a great promotion that gave us the Disney Dining Plan for free, which meant we hardly spent a dime on food and still pigged out! It was always so amazing to look at a menu and realize I could get anything I wanted, and every meal came with dessert (I ate so much ice cream). Snacks were included each day as well, so I got to have all my favorites: Mickey Premium ice cream bar, Dole Whip, frozen banana, and a giant pretzel, too! Thanks to the amazing weather, we got to ride the fairly new Characters in Flight balloon ride at Downtown Disney. It was really cool to be lifted 400 feet up by a giant helium balloon, and the view was great (you could see the major icons of almost every park)! The landing was pretty exciting as the tether pulled the balloon back to the ground, too! The best entirely new experience of the trip was definitely Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! It was so cool to be part of the "special" (which means, willing to pay extra!) guests that got to stay in the Magic Kingdom from 7:00 PM until midnight, with tons of exclusive things to see and do! We got to trick or treat and munch on candy, meet tons of Disney characters in special Halloween costumes (we also saw incredibly rare occurrences like Snow White with all seven dwarfs!), and of course, visit the Haunted Mansion, where all the cast members were decked out in scary make-up. There was a special Happy HalloWishes fireworks show with awesome spooky effects, plus an incredible Halloween parade featuring fantastic Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean characters as well as the Headless Horseman (galloping on a real horse)! Finally, we saw a cool show in front of the castle with all the classic Disney villains, which topped off this huge night of Halloween fun! View photos: WDW Pals 2009
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| Bolt / Two-Disc Deluxe Edition : 4 of 5 | |
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9.15.2009
12:41 PM | Link0 comments |
 It's only appropriate that my last WEBmikey post before I head to Walt Disney World is for a Disney animated feature on DVD! As always, watching the bonus features on this disc has given me a better appreciation of the film (which I really enjoyed when I saw the sneak preview, though I certainly wouldn't call it an instant classic), and I really had a great time watching it again with a new set of eyes. Truthfully, in the theater I didn't notice how wonderful the backgrounds are, which actually have digital information removed to give them a more artistic look, so this time I hardly looked at the characters! Well, that's not totally true, since I really like Rhino the hamster, and I thought it was cool that the Disney story artist who recorded the scratch tracks for Rhino's voice was chosen for the actual role. Bolt was headed-up by two first-time directors (although they have 14 years experience at Disney!), but John Lasseter was really involved as well, and it's fun to watch the story meetings (as well as see the cool Disney offices) in the brief documentary included on the disc. By the way, even though this is a two-disc edition, the second disc only contains the digital version of the movie, which was kind of a disappointment. At least they managed to squeeze quite a bit (relatively speaking) on the feature disc, which also includes a couple nice deleted scenes (I actually preferred the Las Vegas setting for Bolt to learn he doesn't have powers) and the new short Super Rhino, which can only be described as "fully awesome"! Overall, I really enjoyed Bolt on DVD since I could really take notice of the wonderful art direction and lighting, which proves that Disney still cares about the art of animation. They still have a long way to go to match the emotional impact of a Pixar film, but at least Bolt knocks something like Chicken Little right out of the park!
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| Walt Disney World around the corner | |
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9.13.2009
8:58 AM | Link0 comments |
 Later this week I'll be heading to Walt Disney World with my pal Melinda, and I'm super excited! This will be my fourth trip to Orlando, and I've always had magical adventures with family and friends (for the record, the first was with Chris & Eliza, the second with Jonathan, the third with Mom & Dad, and the fourth with Melinda). As usual, I've been working out every detail of the itinerary for the past several weeks, using excellent sites like TourGuideMiKE and the fairly new Disney Mom's Panel. The biggest new experience for this trip will be Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom, featuring a special parade (with the Headless Horseman!), Halloween fireworks, trick or treating, and of course, the opportunity to keep riding attractions until midnight! I'm also looking forward to some great Disney eating, since our vacation package included the Disney Dining Plan for free. It's going to be an amazing adventure, so get ready for lots of tweets from the parks!
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| The Disney Villain / Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston : 3 of 5 | |
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8.24.2009
12:00 PM | Link0 comments |
 This is one of those giant hardback books that I've owned for years, but never actually got around to reading until now! Frank & Ollie were two of Disney's top animators (known as the Nine Old Men) who wrote The Illusion of Life (the best book on Disney animation ever), but in this book the focus is less on animation itself and more on the motivations and philosophy of a true villain. At times Frank & Ollie even try to make a distinction between malicious intent and simple nature (is the rampaging bear in The Fox and the Hound really a villain, since it's only acting from natural impulses?). The book begins with extremely early villains like Peg Leg Pete and then methodically looks at every animated feature, accompanied by huge pages of movie stills and illustrations (the sketches are beautiful, but there's nothing new or earth-shattering to see). I was most interested in their honest discussion of the Disney "dark years" when animation was truly floundering, and they frankly discuss the total failure of The Black Cauldron (without insulting the animators who worked so hard on it). There's lots of Katzenburg quotes that make me cringe, but I can't complain since he did help bring masterpieces like Beauty and the Beast to the big screen! I also enjoyed the comments from great modern animators such as Glen Keane and Andreas Deja (especially his design comparison of Jafar to Malificent!). The Disney Villain is a beautiful book (with a great hologram of the Queen from Snow White on the cover), but definitely not essential to anyone's animation library. But I still really enjoyed reading the thoughts of Frank & Ollie, some of the best animators who ever lived!
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| Disney Think Fast / Nintendo Wii : 3 of 5 | |
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8.11.2009
11:48 AM | Link0 comments |
 When this game first came out, I figured it would be way too easy for a Disney mega-fan like me, but I still wanted to try it out. I got the chance to play it with my pal Melinda, and even though there are definitely some super-easy questions, I was still attracted to the cool graphics and presentation, as well as some of the more obscure character challenges! I found a copy for only twenty bucks, so I figured it would be cool to sit around and play every now and then, at least until I unlocked everything (unfortunately, I discovered there are only three things to unlock, which I did after the first couple games!). Disney Think Fast has a game show format with the Genie from Aladdin as the host, and you can play as one of several popular Disney characters. You also get to choose your environment (like Ariel's undersea kingdom, or Stitch's Hawaii), which determines the guest character that will show up to ask some questions about that particular movie. Some of the rounds have general knowledge questions that are definitely geared to kids, but of course most of the game is Disney trivia. As I suspected, lots of the questions are a breeze, but there are also plenty of unexpectedly difficult ones (I always forget things like the characters from Robin Hood!). By far the most challenging round is called Observation, which shows a clip and then asks really obscure questions like "How many bells were on the string Dopey was playing?" I actually have a pretty good time trying to get a super-high score. Since some rounds are time-based and some have wrong answer penalties, it can be a challenge to squeak out a few more points to beat my last score. The overall game is a pretty cool Disney experience, and for $20 bucks it's a great diversion to keep my Disney skills sharp!
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| Wall-E / Three-Disc Special Edition : 5 of 5 | |
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7.16.2009
5:40 PM | Link0 comments |
 I can't believe it took me so long to get around to watching Wall-E at home, especially since I loved the movie so much and remember thinking to myself "I can't wait to see this on DVD!" But finally I took the time to truly enjoy this spectacular special edition DVD set, which has some wonderful bonus materials, starting with director Andrew Stanton's excellent commentary track. He's so articulate when he describes the filmmaking process (and does a nice job of commenting on the actual scene), which only proves his brilliance as a director (since communication seems to be such a huge part of the job). There are tons of great short features (selectable from cool Buy-N-Large menu screens) that taught me so much about this film, such as how hard they worked to simulate actual motion picture camera lenses to properly recreate rack-focus and other effects. They even studied with a real cinematographer to properly use lighting and other techniques to a degree never before attempted in animation. A few more cool things I enjoyed were the weird "gel" designs for humanity, the nice deleted scenes (including one fully animated masterpiece that was re-done so Wall-E and Eve could switch roles), and the in-depth look at Ben Burtt's (of Star Wars and R2-D2 fame) sound design. The bonus materials don't stop there, because the complete hour and a half documentary film The Pixar Story is also included (such a bargain!), which covers the fascinating history of the company from its origins as a division of Lucasfilm, to the purchase by Steve Jobs, and finally to the Disney merger. Every bit of this material hammers home the point that Pixar is a company who cares about creativity and simply will not compromise, and it's always shown in their work so far. It's estimated that it would take one person 442 years to create Wall-E on their own, so that should give you an idea of Pixar's commitment! Of course, the movie is fantastic and everyone should own this DVD, but for me, it's all about studying this new "golden age of animation" that's going on right now!
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| Walt Disney Treasures / Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh : 3 of 5 | |
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6.25.2009
11:58 AM | Link1 comments |
 I've finally finished watching all the DVD sets that I got for Christmas, and it's only June! This is the third set of the Walt Disney Treasures 2008 releases, and truthfully, I had never heard of this story before (even though apparently it was highly requested!). The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh was first presented as a three part series on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color in 1964, and then later it was re-cut into a feature film, and this set includes both versions (which is kind of a bummer since it's the same thing twice). After watching it (along with Walt's introductions, which are always fun), I can easily see why this was a popular story, because it's exciting, mysterious and creepy all at once! Dr. Syn is the vicar of a small English town, who becomes a kind of Robin Hood smuggler at night, dressed in a mask and using a horrifying voice! He distributes his smuggling profits to the poor to help them pay their taxes to the king (just prior to the American Revolution), as well as rescuing prisoners and other daring acts! The character of Dr. Syn, played by Patrick McGoohan before he became famous as The Prisoner, is fascinating, since he is cool and calculating like Sherlock Holmes, but almost terrifying as the Scarecrow, riding on his horse with his wicked laugh. Of course, the show has a great theme song (in the same storytelling style of Davy Crockett), and all of the costumes and sets are top-notch (the show was actually filmed on-location in England in authentic churches and castles). There are a couple short but nice documentaries on the DVD, and it was really interesting to learn why Walt made so many live action films in England (after the war, profits made in England were frozen, so he had to spend the money within the country). Besides the fact that the second DVD is kind of a repeat of the first, this is a fantastic set, and I really enjoyed getting into an awesome Disney adventure that was completely new to me!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Three Small Things 6.22.09 | |
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6.22.2009
12:24 PM | Link0 comments |
 Even though it's a giant multi-month task, I'm really enjoying reorganizing my entire photo library into iPhoto. What I like about it is that I'm forced to take at least a quick glance at every single shot I've taken since 1999, and often I find things I never knew I had! For example, during my first trip to Japan, Barron took a picture of me with a Godzilla poster. I was only a casual Godzilla fan then, but now it's so cool to know that the movie is Godzilla vs Megaguirus, which was current in the theaters at that time!I have had tremendous success with PaperBack Swap, and now I have so much to read that I don't know where to begin! I've been really lucky with posting books that people want (they are usually snatched up the moment I make them available), so it's been no problem getting credits to use. I have received about 10 books (some manga, graphic novels, and even a hardback book), and all of them were in great condition! I'm always tempted to keep browsing around the site, but I need to catch up with some reading first! I'm suffering from double vacation excitement right now, since I have two incredible trips coming up! In less than two weeks, I'm going to Anime Expo in Los Angeles for the Morning Musume concert (as well as some good times with my pals Dae and Ernesto), and just this weekend I booked a September vacation to Walt Disney World with my pal Melinda. My brain is simultaneously dreaming about the concert and thinking about all the Disney fun in store. Now I'm using every spare moment to scour the web for inside information about Morning Musume autograph sessions, as well as planning which Disney restaurants to book for reservations! Labels: disney, godzilla, morning musume, photos, small things |
| Pinocchio / Platinum Edition DVD : 5 of 5 | |
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6.18.2009
12:41 PM | Link0 comments |
 I finally got around to watching the first Disney Platinum Edition release of the year, and it’s always a joy to experience a true classic like Pinocchio again! Even though it seems silly to keep buying these movies when they are re-released on DVD, I’m always satisfied with the awesome new bonus materials that Disney includes. This time there’s a full hour-long documentary, featuring all my current animation heroes that I love to listen to, and I really learned a lot about this 1940 masterpiece that some call the “ultimate animated film”. It never occurred to me before that Pinocchio was a bridge between the shorts animators and what would soon become the Nine Old Men, so this film is just bursting with talent (and since the studio was flush with cash after the success of Snow White, they spared no expense!). Eric Larson’s animation of Figaro the cat makes him one of my favorite characters (I especially love the white dry-brush technique on his fur!), and I’m always amazed at the incredible camera angles used, such as the shot from above as Honest John, Gideon, and Pinocchio sing their way through town (just think about what it takes to accomplish that and your mind will boggle!). Of course, there are other fascinating techniques like the breakthroughs in water effects, but I also enjoyed finding new details like the Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland books (movies Disney would make in the future) in the background as Jiminy Cricket opens the film. Along with the great documentary, there’s a cool re-enactment of a “sweatbox” session (where animation is viewed and scrutinized) with an actor playing Walt in the shadows (with a pretty realistic voice), as well as lots of discussion about how live-action reference footage was used by the animators. Of course, there are huge image galleries available, but this time they also included some 360-degree rotations of original maquettes. Every scene of Pinocchio is filled with rich detail, so much that it’s estimated it would cost $100 million to create this masterpiece today. As always, I had a fantastic time watching it again, and I’m sure I’ll be watching it a few more hundred times in my lifetime!
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| Up : 5 of 5 | |
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5.28.2009
5:54 PM | Link1 comments |
 Thanks once again to lucky Melinda (who seems to my source of free sneak previews now!), I got to see Up a couple days early (and we even got press seats this time). Being the first animated feature to ever open the Cannes Film Festival, there were lots of reviews for me to read beforehand, and since all of them are so positive, I was prepared to be amazed. All I can say is that I'm completely impressed that Pixar is a studio that can totally focus on the art and storytelling of a truly great film, creating movies that can speak to everyone without compromising for Hollywood's money-making schemes. Up is so wonderful that I'm practically speechless, and it's a perfect example of Pixar's solid integrity. There won't be a lot of kids wanting to play with a 78-year old man action figure, yet Carl Fredricksen is an incredibly compelling character. Of course, animation has to include some suspension of belief (so we have to accept a house flying to South America on helium balloons), but the situations and emotions of falling in love, growing old, losing a spouse, and finding something to live for are all intensely real, and definitely intended for an adult audience. That's not to say there aren't tons of laughs to be had, because electronically-talking dogs ("Squirrel!") and great dialogue from Wilderness Explorer Russel make for some hilarious moments. Just about every detail is fantastic, from the beautiful score (which you can actually hum as you leave the theater), to the subtle use of 3D (which adds a little to the movie, but certainly isn't abused). I know I've said this before, but I'm so glad that Disney bought Pixar so their logo is on this film, because Pixar is without a doubt making the movies that Disney could have only made in the past. Up is not only a triumph of animation, but also a success in every element that makes a great film, period!
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| Earth / Disneynature : 4 of 5 | |
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4.17.2009
7:02 AM | Link1 comments |
 My pal Melinda is really lucky with getting tickets to sneak previews, and we were able to see this new Disney-distributed nature film a full two weeks before its release (it comes out on Earth Day next week)! When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I thought it was cool to see Disney associated with something similar to the old True Life Adventures series, but of course the quality of what can be accomplished now is much more spectacular. Earth is simply shot after shot of moments that make you wonder two things: first, how in the heck did they film that, and second, do I actually live on this planet? There are so many breathtaking views, including some awesome lime-lapse work, that it just seems like our big blue marble is a never-ending world of beauty, all made possible by that magical tilt of the Earth's axis. The movie is narrated by James Earl Jones (which is a nice connection to The Lion King), with just the right amount of detail - nothing is over-explained, and even though topics like global warming are mentioned, there's no preaching, which allows you to just be astounded at the life all around us (which is a better method of ecological argument than any heavy-handed documentary). The story loosely follows three families of polar bears, elephants, and whales, and does a nice job of characterizing them without getting too anthropomorphic. Of course, there has to be death scenes in a movie like this, but they are presented without much blood and in such a way that the circle of life actually becomes something natural (and there's only one shark scene that I didn't watch!). I could go on and on about incredible scenes (such as a lion attack shot in night-vision), and some of them are explained by a little behind-the-scenes footage of the filmmakers during the credits (they even suspensed a camera platform from a hot air balloon!). I'm definitely going to consider getting Earth on DVD to go along with my other True Life Adventures!
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| Character Animation Crash Course! / Eric Goldberg : 5 of 5 | |
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4.16.2009
12:42 PM | Link0 comments |
 I have lots of animation books in my collection, but very few that actually discuss the nuts and bolts of how an animator actually works. But thanks to this gift from my pal Dae, now I have one of the best books on the subject! Eric Goldberg (Disney animator best known for the Genie in Aladdin) is one of my modern animation idols, since he's always so interesting in DVD interviews, and this book is obviously his labor of love to keep the true craft of animation alive. As he states in the introduction, this is more like a collection of "class notes" than anything, since it's only loosely structured into chapters, but each and every one is completely fascinating! Because this book is mostly written for animators, I felt like I was learning a new secret code, since there's detailed information about reading exposure sheets, walk cycles, lip sync, and even gimmicks such as smear drawings. I had to keep referring to the handy glossary, but it was worth it (and now I know what cushioning is!). Reading this book as an animation fan requires some concentration and study, but if you love animation like I do, it's so much fun to figure out. Of course, there are hundreds of illustrations by Eric to help explain the concepts, but even more exciting is the included CD that contains animation files (with a brilliant Flash interface that allows for cycling and stop-frame examination, along with the exposure sheet!). This book really opened my eyes to the challenges of CG animation as well, since Eric explains how some of the freedom that hand-drawn animation allows can be difficult to achieve with CG models. I had a fantastic time devouring this book, and if I had another life to live, I would definitely be tempted to use this knowledge and spend it animating!
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| Walt Disney Treasures / The Chronological Donald Vol 4 : 5 of 5 | |
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4.12.2009
7:37 AM | Link0 comments |
 I've been finishing my Christmas DVD sets one by one, and the latest is another fantastic volume of the Walt Disney Treasures series. Disney continued to make Donald Duck theatrical shorts for years after they stopped making Mickey, Goofy and everyone else, so it's no wonder that it took eight DVDs (across four sets) to include them all! This set covers the 50s, when almost every Donald cartoon featured Chip & Dale, Huey, Duey & Louie, or some other regular character to give Donald a hard time. I really enjoyed Up a Tree, which may be the cutest Chip & Dale have ever been, as well was Donald Applecore, which I always remember watching in a pizza parlor theater, for some reason. It's fun to read the credits and see great names that went on to work on Disneyland, such as background painter Yale Gracey (famous for the Haunted Mansion) and effects animator Blaine Gibson (sculptor of animatronic faces as well the Parters statue), and I like exploring animation history with special cartoons in Cinemascope and 3D (but presented in 2D on the DVD). My favorite part of this set is the long educational cartoons, including the incredible Donald in Mathmagic Land, which I loved seeing in school and fascinated me even more today (and Paul Frees' awesome narration is icing on the cake). The bonus features include a great fantasy pitch session for a Donald cartoon that was shelved after the storyboard stage, a collection of semi-OK modern Donald TV cartoons (too many for my taste, actually), plus a few commentary tracks (which are good, although Leonard Maltin should have let Jerry Beck get some more words in!). It's been a fantastic experience to watch every Donald Duck theatrical short over in this series over the years, and this set is definitely a Disney collection essential!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Music Moments 4.09 | |
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4.09.2009
5:44 PM | Link0 comments |
 Catalina by Air / Landing on the Rock: I'll start off these quick music reviews with a couple completely biased opinions. My pals Dae and Ernesto got together to form a new music project called Catalina by Air, and their first album is now available on iTunes! Dae and Ernesto have been my friends and band mates since the Day Jobs days, and their new music has a wonderfully relaxed 20s-30s jazz feel. There are original songs by both Dae (who sings and plays guitars, as well as most other instruments) and Ernesto (who blows some sweet sax), as well as classic standards that everyone knows. I love their music, and encourage everyone to check it out!Dave Clupper / Letting Go: When in lived in Tulsa, the Cluppers were like a second family to me, and we always had fun making music together. Dave Clupper has continued to become an incredible songwriter, and now he has two albums available on iTunes! His latest is Letting Go, which features both live and studio cuts, and includes many songs that are very dear to me (since I sung them with the Cluppers so many times). Sunset Train will always be the most uplifting and comforting song about leaving this world that I'll ever hear, and the version on this album is wonderful! If you're in the mood for some Tulsa folk music, you'll love Dave Clupper. Morning Musume / Naichau Kamo: It's time to get back to the usual Jpop that I'm always listening to, which of course includes Morning Musume's latest single Naichau Kamo (which is already available on their recent full album, but I'm saving that for another review). When I first heard this song, I wasn't too happy they used a cut-time feel in a sad song, but now I'm totally into it. Everyone (including Sayumi) gets some good lines, and they all look stylish in the video (not everyone enjoys watching Jpop idols cry, but I think it's moving). I'm also super-psyched about the B-side Yowamushi, which is a Risa and Sayumi duet! Risa sounds effortlessly awesome, and Sayumi tries her best not to sound like a hamster (and mostly succeeds). Berryz Koubou / Special Best Vol 1: I haven't mentioned Berryz Koubou much on WEBmikey, but of course I listen to them (since every Morning Musume fan automatically becomes a semi-fan of all Hello! Project groups), and since I'm a sucker for compilations, I really enjoyed this album. I was excited that their recent singles are included (I love Madayade and yes, even Yuke Yuke Monkey Dance), but I can't believe that my absolute favorite Berryz song, Kokuhaku no Funsui Hiroba, is missing! High School Musical 3 / Original Soundtrack: Finally, I had to complete my High School Musical collection with the third soundtrack (which I was able to get for free as an Amazon promotion), and even though I'd rank it last among all three, I still think it's great. I don't really like the longer tracks (like the full Spring Musical, which gets a little boring), but the duets like Right Here, RIght Now and Zac's solo Scream are pretty cool songs! Labels: cds, disney, jpop, morning musume, pals |
| The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland : 3 of 5 | |
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3.18.2009
6:12 AM | Link0 comments |
 Sometimes being a Disneyland fanatic can be tough, especially when new books about the park are released. My initial reaction is to buy them all, but it's becoming more and more difficult to read anything with park facts that I haven't heard a hundred times before! But since I've already collected the other cool books in the Imagineering Field Guide series, I decided I had to have the Disneyland edition as well. As I expected, almost all of it was stuff I've already read, but of course it's still fun to get a refresher course. But I was still able to dig out a few trivia gems to add to my collection, such as the Notre Dame cathedral spire on Sleeping Beauty Castle (I always wondered why that one looked different!), and the reason Christopher Robin doesn't appear in the Winnie the Pooh ride is because it's located in Critter Country! I also didn't really know that the outside track on the Alice in Wonderland attraction wasn't added until the 1983 Fantasyland makeover, or that the ship masts on the roofs of buildings in New Orleans Square are meant to imply a port in the distance (cool stuff!). I really appreciated the up-to-date material, too, which covers the recent changes in Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, and even mentions the brand new Mark VII Monorail. Like the other books in this series, the artwork is nice, but way too small to really enjoy (there were some great Tiki Room concepts that I would love to see close-up!). If your brain isn't already stuffed with a million Disneyland facts like mine, then I would definitely buy this book right away and soak it up! But even if you're already an expert, I'd still consider the Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland just to support this nice series of books.
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| Race to Witch Mountain : 3 of 5 | |
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3.17.2009
7:35 PM | Link0 comments |
 When I was young, I completely ate up the original Witch Mountain movies, since I loved seeing kids from outer space with amazing powers, so those films have a lot of nostalgic value for me. But I didn't mind at all when I saw that Disney was going to re-invent this movie for today's audience, and I was lucky enough to get to see it at a free sneak preview with my pal Melinda! Race to Witch Mountain takes the basic idea of alien kids trying to get back to their spaceship, but that's about the only thing similar (unless you count the Winnebago, which doesn't get to fly, unfortunately), since the plot has been completely re-created as an all out action movie. But even car chases, military conspiracy and Vegas nightlife can't keep this from feeling like a Disney movie, which is a good thing, in my opinion - it's completely action-packed and light-hearted (without being stupid) at the same time. The Rock does a fine job as the taxi driver who becomes the kids' protector, and the kids themselves are excellent (even though they have to talk in contraction-less robot dialogue most of the time). The girl is especially cool - I remembered her role in Bridge to Terebithia and I think she has a nice career ahead of her. It was fun to see the actors who originally played the kids appear in small roles - I noticed their names during the opening credits and expected them to have two-second walk-ons, but I was impressed that they actually gave them some lines! I really enjoyed the special effects, too, which are mostly concentrated near the end of the movie while the kids' spaceship is actually flying (sometimes a simple saucer design is just right!). I'd recommend this movie to just about anyone, since it's a fun action story that won't put anyone to sleep. I'm glad Disney is getting some more mileage out of my childhood memories!
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| Dae & Mikey's Disneyland Day | |
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3.15.2009
3:58 PM | Link0 comments |
 I took my Kodak Zi6 that I got for Christmas with me on my recent trip to Los Angeles, so I could experiment a little with shooting in HD at Disneyland! It was super convenient to have it in my pocket ready to go, and it was really fun to think about how to compose shots in a 16:9 frame. But mostly, my pal Dae and I used it to pass the time in line for rides (even though we had such short wait times) by interviewing each other. I used my Zi6, and Dae used the movie mode on his Canon camera, and by the end of the day we had about 20 minutes of the most lame and silly video ever shot. But it was still a blast to edit them together, add a little music, insert some effects and titles, and create my first HD work in iMovie (although the clips from Dae's camera are still SD). For some reason, YouTube messed up the first five seconds (it's gray when it should be black), but it takes forever to upload so I'm just living with it. I also decided to try Vimeo since they kind of specialize in HD. There's nothing particularly funny or interesting about this video (unless you know Dae or me, which will make it kind of hilarious), but it reminded me that editing is fun and I need to do more of it! Watch video: Disneyland Day on YouTube Watch video: Disneyland Day on Vimeo
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| Mondays rule at Disneyland | |
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2.27.2009
6:25 PM | Link2 comments |
 The third day of my recent Los Angeles trip was spent at Disneyland (what a surprise)! After the great experience I had going on a Monday last year, Dae and I decided to try it again, and it was amazing how light the crowds were. In fact, the only FastPass we used was for Space Mountain, and we even rode Splash Mountain using the regular line (the first time I had ever been through that queue!). Speaking of Splash Mountain, Dae did the impossible again by getting an awesome picture of us during the 50-foot drop! We ate at the Carnation Cafe on Main Street (for the first time), discovered an animatronic fish on Big Thunder Trail, and enjoyed the new Sleeping Beauty Castle walk-through (so nostalgic). It was also fun to beat Dae on the Buzz Lightyear ride - my second victory in a row! The changes to It's a Small World seemed OK to me, as long as you think of it as the original children playing "Disney dress-up". The only thing I didn't like was the new Ariel singing solo - it was just too jarring from the rest of the soundtrack. After riding almost everything in the park (including the major rides twice!), we left the park and hit Downtown Disney for coconut mohitos - a great end to a fantastic day! The next day I had to fly home, so that was really the end of the trip. As always, the best part of visiting Los Angeles is hanging out with Dae and Ernesto, but of course Disneyland is the second best thing! View photos: Los Angeles 2009 Day 3
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| The Alchemy of Animation: Making an Animated Film in the Modern Age / Don Hahn : 3 of 5 | |
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2.11.2009
7:42 AM | Link0 comments |
 Just like every animation fan, I have tons of books about the overall process of animation in my library (many of which describe the same thing over and over), but I really wanted The Alchemy of Animation (which I got for Christmas) for a couple reasons. First, the author is Don Hahn, my favorite Disney producer and all-around interesting guy (I really enjoyed his book Dancing Corndogs in the Night), and second, this is the first book I've read to cover traditional 2D animation, CGI animation, and even stop-motion animation in one volume. Actually, this book is quite similar to his previous work Animation Magic (which I also own), but much more extensive. Don's writing is a joy to read (as expected), and he nicely weaves together the entire process from pre-production (which is often identical for all three film methods) to marketing. I really enjoyed the way he describes scheduling problems (such as figuring out how many animators are needed based on their output and time available), and he does a great job of covering the many interesting aspects of CGI animation, such as modeling, rigging, and even virtual lighting. Nothing is totally glossed over, since he even mentions the intricate scoring and other sound processes, as well as the computer guys who keep the render farm going! He also includes some nice advice for future animators (interesting to read for my fantasy life), plus a great recommended reading list and an extensive glossary that includes many terms and definitions that provide more information that isn't even in the main text. All in all, The Alchemy of Animation is a quick read, but its content (not to mention the pages of glorious artwork) is exactly what I wanted for my library. If anyone asks me to recommend a general "how to they do it" animation book, I'll definitely mention this one!
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| Walt Disney Treasures / Annette : 4 of 5 | |
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2.10.2009
11:40 AM | Link0 comments |
 I recently polished off the first of the Christmas wave of Walt Disney Treasures, the complete run of the Mickey Mouse Club serial Annette, featuring Mousketeer Annete Funicello, of course. This show was presented in 20 10-minute episodes near the end of the run of the original Mickey Mouse Club show on TV (1957-58), and it was so relaxing to watch this simple series about a farm girl living with her rich aunt and uncle and adjusting to high society, high school life! In fact, several times I found myself thinking of this show as an early version of High School Musical, since there are themes of cliques, class separation, and even some musical numbers. Lots of the other Mouseketeers have smaller roles, and the boys who played Spin and Marty star in the other main parts. All of the kids do a fine acting job, although there's not much to do except talk in cliched speech (I dare you to count the number of times you hear "I'll say!"). The girl who plays Annette's rival is really cute and sings some nice songs, but of course she's so mean that you have to root for Annette. The high school scenes were all filmed at the Walt Disney Studio in Burbank, so it's cool to see the outside of the animation buildings double as a school! While all 20 episodes are presented individually, the complete Mickey Mouse Club episodes with the first and last parts of the serial are also included, along with some nice documentaries about Annette's career, including interviews with the Sherman brothers about her music (I thought it was interesting that she always doubled her voice in recording sessions). I really had a nice time watching this slow-paced show - even though this is one of the shorter Walt Disney Treasures sets in a while, I definitely recommend it for serious Disney fans!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Three Small Things 2.6.09 | |
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2.06.2009
12:24 PM | Link0 comments |
 I finally tried out my DrumDial drum tuner that I got for Christmas, and it was really amazing and interesting to use! I tuned my rack tom and snare to the suggested tensions, and from what I can tell without playing my full kit at home, the results will be awesome (a little lower pitched than I'm used to, but so much more resonant). It was pretty fascinating to see the dial move as I tightened the rods, and it was crazy to see how off my ear-tuning was (but of course, it's tough to hear the differences at each spot on the drum head). I'm looking forward to hearing how the whole kit sounds together at my next gig!For quite a while I was addicted to Sayumi Michishige and Reina Tanaka's (of Morning Musume, of course) individual talk radio shows, and I used to download them and try to keep track of them in iTunes and on my iPhone. I really enjoy the shows, which are great for Japanese listening practice (translated transcripts are often available online), plus they feature some cool music (not to mention that Sayu's cute laugh cheers me up every time!). Anyway, I stopped listening to them since I got tired of managing the downloads, but now the awesome site Sayumin.org (which features nearly all the Hello! Project radio shows) has a special iPhone website with streaming capability! I can listen to Reina or Sayumi anytime I want without downloading a thing, which is awesome and convenient! (In fact, I listened so much during work yesterday that I totally drained my iPhone battery - I'll be more careful next time!) You might remember that I was saving up my Disney Movie Rewards points to get the exclusive Zorro DVD set, and thanks to all the DVDs I got for Christmas, I was able to finally order it! It arrived last week, and it looks like a fantastic six-DVD set - I thought it might be a little cheap since it's not sold in stores, but the artwork quality is really nice, and I'm looking forward to watching the entire series (after I finish the rest of my Christmas sets, of course). I'm sure I'll be singing the Zorro theme song for weeks in the future. Labels: disney, drums, jpop, morning musume, small things |
| Disneyland live music | |
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1.28.2009
8:07 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've still been editing old vacation video every now and then, and I've been enjoying spitting things up into "short subject" clips. It turns out I have lots of footage of the various live music at Disneyland, so I thought I'd mention my latest YouTube videos here (even though I uploaded them some time ago). I remember really enjoying the All-American College Band, which is made up each year of fantastic student musicians from across the country. Their big band arrangements of classic Disney tunes are creative and full of energy, even if their director is really silly to watch! I've only caught the Bayou Brass a couple times, but I really like their sound (and I wish I could try out that ultra-portable drum kit - the whole thing is on wheels!). The Dapper Dans are always fun to watch, and even though the audio quality of my video isn't that great, it was fun to capture someone's birthday with a great Mickey Mouse impression thrown in! I've already linked to my Royal Street Bachelors video here on WEBmikey, but I'm including it again since we're talking about Disneyland bands. I never miss the Bachelors when I visit - their guitarist has been playing there as long as I can remember, and I've even overheard him mention that he knew Walt! Watch video: All-American College Band Watch video: Bayou Brass Watch video: Dapper Dans Watch video: Royal Street Bachelors
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| Tinker Bell : 3 of 5 | |
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1.02.2009
7:34 AM | Link0 comments |
 I have to admit that I was completely skeptical about this new movie about Tinker Bell, Peter Pan's constant companion and Disneyland's official mascot, and I was pretty sure that I would have plenty of bad things to say about it. I wasn't sure Tink's transition to CG would work, and I was appalled when I first heard that Tink was going to have an actual voice, but I felt a little better when I heard John Lasseter was involved. Now that I've finally seen the DVD, I'm happy to say that Disney actually pulled it off - they made an entertaining story about a classic character, and even though Tink has been re-invented somewhat, they didn't do anything to disrespect the character (and I didn't even roll my eyes!). The best parts of this new story come at the beginning, where we get to see the "birth" of Tinker Bell (born from a baby's first laugh and awakening in Never Land), as well as other one-of-a-kind scenes like when she designs her classic outfit and puts up her hair in her signature hairdo for the first time! The world of Pixie Hollow is actually really interesting, and Disney has developed a great mythology about the different kinds of fairies and what they do (Tinker Bell is a "Tinker", of course). The story is about Tink's efforts to be a different kind of fairy so she can go to the Mainland (the real world), and there were some really funny scenes where the new fairy characters try to teach her different skills. I have to spoil the end a little bit to say that when Tink delivers the music box she repaired to a little girl who turns out to be baby Wendy, I had a little tear in my eye, which is a huge compliment from me for a direct-to-DVD feature! Animation-wise, I'm glad they got Tink's chubby cheeks right, though at times I think they slimmed her down a little too much (Tink is known for her hips!). It was a great experience to be so surprised by this DVD, and I'm really looking forward to seeing Tink's further adventures in Pixie Hollow!
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| A few Disneyland videos | |
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12.11.2008
7:26 AM | Link0 comments |
 Lately I've been spending some time editing old Disney vacation video footage and making short clips for YouTube. During my years of Disneyland trips I've shot quite a lot of stuff, and it's really fun to go over again to chop it up into parades and performances and things. This is one of those projects that I've always wanted to do, but I never made the time for it before. But since I already had the ball rolling with editing old Christmas video, it was easy to keep going! Most of these movies won't be too interesting unless you're a Disneyland fan, and I'm sure there are much better videos that capture these same things, but I like getting them off the tapes I never watch and putting them on YouTube where I might take a peek every now and then. And there's lots more to come (eventually)! If you check these out, be sure to click the Watch in high quality link below the video if it's available, since I've finally started uploading stuff with better resolution. Watch video: Disney's Parade of the Stars Watch video: Royal Street Bachelors Watch video: Winnie the Pooh Attraction Watch video: Disney's Electrical Parade
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| Disney Christmas spirit | |
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12.04.2008
8:01 AM | Link0 comments |
 Every year I like to watch my small collection of holiday DVDs, and this year I've been getting through them kind of early, thanks to a cold that's been keeping me stuck in my rocking chair for the past few nights. But blowing my nose can't keep my Christmas spirit down, especially when it comes to Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas and Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas! The first DVD was a low budget production with cheap animation quality, but I love the stories! Goofy and his son Max have some really emotional moments, and Mickey & Minnie's version of Gift of the Magi is so great that watching it made me make a donation to Toys for Tots right there on the spot! The second DVD was originally controversial since it presents the classic Disney characters in full CG, but I'm still really impressed with the results. The opening ice skating battle between Minnie & Daisy is spectacular and funny, and the story of Pluto running away (to the North Pole) and Mickey wandering the town searching for him is so dramatic. I also always watch Mickey's Magical Christmas, which is essentially a long episode of the House of Mouse TV series. Most of the DVD is pretty bad, but I still watch it since the second half includes the classic Mickey's Christmas Carol, which I always enjoy. I always laugh at the giant from Mickey and the Beanstalk playing the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the way they used all the Mr. Toad characters is pure genius. It's also cool that so many of today's star animators worked on that film when they were just getting started at Disney!
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| The Nightmare Before Christmas / Collector's Edition : 5 of 5 | |
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12.03.2008
12:07 PM | Link0 comments |
 I like to watch this movie every year, either before Halloween or Christmas, but I wasn't sure if I was going to buy this new DVD release until I heard that it included a special feature about the Haunted Mansion Holiday make-over at Disneyland! To a Disneyland fan like me, this feature alone makes it worth owning this DVD, and the coverage is even better than I expected! The complete ride-through is really professional, starting from the outside queue to the very end of the attraction, and it looks better than any fan-made video could ever be, with great lighting and angles that aren't even possible from inside the Doom Buggy. Besides the option to show a trivia subtitle track, there's also an incredible 37 minute documentary just on the creation of the ride! The rest of this DVD set includes most of the bonus features from the previous DVD release, including the wonderful Making Of feature that shows all of the incredible sets and puppets in detail. I learned a few new things this time, like how some of Zero's ghostly effects were done in-camera through the use of glass reflections. There's also an all-new commentary track, which isn't as interesting as it could be, but it was really cool listening to Danny Elfman talk about the composition process (most of the songs were written before any kind of script or final story structure existed). Finally, the movie itself was fun to watch again as always - it's really a great, original story that somehow makes both holidays more fun! If you don't already have The Nightmare Before Christmas on DVD, or if you're a Disneyland fan that loves the Haunted Mansion, then you definitely should have this DVD in your collection!
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| Brer bootleg | |
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11.26.2008
7:41 AM | Link0 comments |
 Recently I watched a bootleg of Disney's forever lost feature film Song of the South, thanks to my pals Chris and Shawn who dug it up for me! I think everyone my age remembers seeing this movie as a child, and of course we didn't think anything of the racial stereotypes (and I even had an Uncle Remus storybook that I read over and over), but I can see why Disney's too scared to re-release it, even though the animation fan community would love it. It's a weird situation, since there's a whole generation of Disney fans who know all of this stuff but have no clue where it came from! Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah is practically Disney's company theme song (next to When You Wish Upon a Star, of course), and Splash Mountain is one of the most popular rides at the parks, which is filled with Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Bear, as well as lots of other lesser-known music from Song of the South. Maybe they should just make a DVD movie called Splash Mountain with the songs and characters to give them new source material. Anyway, it was fun to see Song of the South again, and I really enjoyed the groundbreaking work in live-action/animation integration (both with live actors in an animated world and animated characters in a live-action world). Little details like Uncle Remus lighting Brer Frog's pipe were really well done, and I also found a new appreciation for some obscure songs like Sooner or Later, which has a nice bluesy feel. Maybe someday Disney will have the guts to put this on DVD, but for now, I'm glad I had the chance to see it this way!
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| Music Moments 11.08 | |
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11.25.2008
6:18 AM | Link0 comments |
 Morning Musume / Pepper Keibu & Romance: It's always exciting when a new Morning Musume single is released, and I had lots of fun watching the excellent music video over and over! This cover of the classic Pink Lady hit is really cool (especially since Sayumi finally gets a line again, plus the super-cute final "Pepper Keibu yo!"), but I was even more impressed with Romance, which has fantastic emotional lyrics and a heart-wrenching melody! I think this is definitely one of their best singles in a while, and I'm really looking forward to their complete album of cover tunes.The Brilliant Green / Complete Single Collection '97-'08: I first heard The Brilliant Green on a mix MD that my pal Matt made for me years ago, which prompted me to listen to some of their recent singles like Stand By Me and Ash Like Snow. After I heard those, I knew I had to get this CD, since their sound is full of great guitars (so unlike the usual synth-heavy Jpop). Nearly every song here is incredible, with amazing chord progressions (Hello Another Way is one of the best!), and I even bought the DVD with all of the music videos, since Tomoko always looks like she just woke up! mc chris / mc chris is dead: I've been an mc chris fan since the Aqua Teen days - even though Hip Hop and Rap are pretty far off my musical radar, Nerdcore is awesome! His latest CD has some of his coolest music yet with some really mind-blowing rhymes, even though they aren't quite as hilarious as his previous work (it seems like he's traded imaginary sexual bravado for singing about pizza and Reese's Pieces!). The title track is pretty incredible, and Hoodie Ninja is also amazing, so this CD definitely gets lots of play time in my car! Ben Folds / Way to Normal: I've been a Ben Folds fan for a long time, so I bought his latest CD without thinking twice. Although overall it's not one of the best, this is still a solid group of great songs - I'm always impressed with Ben's piano prowess and lyrical genius. Some of the tunes use intentional distortion that I find annoying, but most of the songs are really nice, with a good mix of emotion and hilariously clever lyrics. No matter how goofy it is, Bitch Went Nuts is a blast to sing in the car! High School Musical 2 / Original Soundtrack: Since I really enjoyed the first soundtrack album, I decided to get this CD to get ready for High School Musical 3! This second soundtrack isn't quite as good as the first, but it still has some great moments. I thought Bet On It was an awesome performance in the movie, and the energy still comes across on the CD. Unfortunately some of the other songs aren't so exciting (I Don't Dance is a little boring), and I'm always going to skip Sharpay's crazy Hawaiian song, but generally this CD is fun and uplifting as expected, and now I need to get the third soundtrack! Labels: cds, disney, jpop, morning musume |
| Bolt : 4 of 5 | |
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11.24.2008
7:12 AM | Link0 comments |
 I actually got to see Bolt a couple of days before the actual premiere, thanks to my pal Melinda who won tickets to a special sneak preview! I was really excited to see it, since this Disney animated feature actually had some influence from John Lasseter, I think it showed in the pacing of the story. Bolt has some really funny and heart-warming moments (though the lack of tear-jerking is what makes me give it a 4 rating), and it definitely feels like a Disney movie, much more than early CG efforts like Chicken Little. It's still missing that certain something that makes a Pixar movie so fantastic, but it's certainly the best Disney CG feature so far! The main characters of Bolt and Penny are well-acted by John Travolta and Miley Cyrus (though in Miley's case I think the animated acting definitely improved her work), but the supporting characters of Mittens the cat and Rhino the hamster (in his ball) completely steal the movie! Rhino is one of the funniest animated characters in a while, and he gets all the great lines in the film ("Fully awesome!"). The sneak preview was in 3D, which was really tastefully done with lots of depth to the backgrounds without too many things being poked at the camera. I really can't find any fault with Bolt visually, and I loved the story, but it could have used a little more emotion in there somewhere. Even though Bolt's character changes and finds his inner hero, I really didn't warm up to him as much as Rhino! I can't wait to see Disney's future animated features (hopefully in traditional 2D), and I hope they will once again learn how to get the story just right.
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| Sleeping Beauty / Platinum Edition : 5 of 5 | |
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11.09.2008
4:50 PM | Link0 comments |
 It seems like only yesterday I was enjoying the 2003 DVD release of this animation masterpiece, but I had to buy it again since the Disney Platinum Editions are definitely must-have DVDs for any Disney fan! Even though the previous DVD was widescreen, it still had some cropping that has been removed in this release, making it the first time ever the entire 70MM picture has been available, and it looks spectacular. Walt's idea of a "moving tapestry" was completely realized in a way that will simply never be accomplished again by hand-drawn animation, and I enjoyed watching every frame of it all over again. A fantastic 45-minute documentary is included with great discussions on the style and art direction of the film, as well as stories of the incredible efforts of Walt's Nine Old Men (who sometimes could only produce enough drawings to create one second of film from three days' work!). There's also a great commentary track (I love to listen to animators gush over the classics) plus a Princess Fun Facts subtitle feature that's pretty interesting (although the popups are a little huge and gaudy). But the best bonus feature of all is a CG reproduction of the original Sleeping Beauty's Castle walk-through attraction at Disneyland! My favorite Imagineer Tony Baxter narrates the journey and explains every single effect, even going over original blueprints and illustrating how it was created with a detailed architectural model. It's one of the best theme park behind-the-scenes features ever made, and I was fascinated with every detail! Sleeping Beauty is a true work of art that everyone should see, and this wonderful Platinum Edition is the way to experience it.
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| High School Musical 3 / Senior Year : 3 of 5 | |
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10.28.2008
7:17 AM | Link0 comments |
 Even though I was a little late in becoming a High School Musical fan, I've really enjoyed the first two movies and soundtracks, so of course my pal Melinda and I had to see Disney's new big screen release right away. It was nice to get away from the school itself in High School Musical 2, but for this supposedly final part of the trilogy we have to come back to the classroom, which means a lot of the numbers are reminiscent of the original movie, including a basketball song and a cafeteria production. But this time around they really take advantage of their silver screen budget, so everything is pushed to the limit! Sharpay's big song is hilarious (definitely her best of the series), and Zac and Corbin show off some high-energy moves in a junkyard as they relive their childhood adventures (and even turn into kids in one funny moment). The plot is as simple as can be, with predictable tensions about future college decisions and preparations for the big school musical, but it's a fine story for this film's audience (and it was obvious the kids in the audience were loving it). I'm in it for the songs and dancing, which is deliciously formulaic and perfect! Just watching it makes me stunned at the youth, beauty and talent of these performers - it's a fantastic feeling to step into this perfect high school world for a few hours and feel like a teenager again. High School Musical 3 tries to make it obvious that this is the end of the line, complete with a graduation ceremony and final looks into the camera from all the major characters, but of course they will all live on in endless marketing opportunities. For me, I'm looking forward to getting the soundtrack and enjoying some upbeat, cheesy songs with Troy and Gabriella!
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| Meteos: Disney Magic / Nintendo DS : 3 of 5 | |
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10.20.2008
12:11 PM | Link0 comments |
 About a year ago I was really addicted to the original Meteos, so it was an easy decision to check out this new version of the game with a Disney theme (and I got it for a nice used price!). All of the basic game play in this falling blocks game is the same as before, with one huge difference - you can move blocks left and right rather than only up and down! This was something that I always wanted to do while playing the original, but now that I've experienced it, I actually think the original method is a little more fun and challenging. I suppose this version was intended to be a little easier for Disney audiences, but to compensate for the block-moving flexibility I think they ramped up the levels a little too much, making it impossible to get anywhere without double or triple launching sometimes. But on to the Disney theme! Each level uses a classic Disney film to somehow give meaning to the falling blocks, so you have to play the game to "restore order" to the story, with Jiminy Cricket and Tinker Bell as your guides. There are some nice Disney graphics on the non-touchscreen while you play the game (but of course you don't really have time to look at them!), and working through the various stories will unlock these images in a library, which gives you something to shoot for rather than just a high score. There are tons of movies represented here (including Pixar films), and it's fun to go through the various storybooks (which were planets in the original game) for variety. But somehow, even though I love the Disney theme, the original science fiction look was a little better, or maybe I just enjoyed Meteos so much that Disney Magic can't really compare. If you were never hooked on the original game and you're a Disney fan, I would definitely recommend this version, since you'll get to enjoy a little easier game concept with all your favorite characters!Labels: disney, games, nintendo ds |
| Walt Disney's Mickey and the Gang / Classic Stories in Verse : 3 of 5 | |
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10.10.2008
7:47 AM | Link0 comments |
 With Christmas coming soon, I figured I should finally finish the last book of last year's presents! It took me so long to read this book because it's just so giant and heavy that you almost have to sit at a table and fully devote yourself to enjoying it. Mickey and the Gang reprints the beautiful Disney pages that were a popular part of Good Housekeeping magazine from 1934-44, originally started to promote the Silly Symphonies, and later the animated features and other cartoon shorts. Each reprinted page has wonderful artwork, often fully painted, along with a short version of the story in rhyming verse (which are fun and clever). I would have been happy with a book of just the Good Housekeeping pages, but this book provides so much more that it's almost overkill! Along with the artwork, each cartoon includes a full written synopsis (which I don't really need since I have all these shorts on DVD!), then a commentary on the differences (which is interesting since the magazine pages were often produced way before the cartoon was finished), and then if the same story happened to appear in a Disney comic strip, all of those newspaper reproductions are included as well! In the case of the promotion of the animated features, they have even printed the entire text of storybooks that were published at the same time. It's nice to see all of this material, and the collection is impressive, but I would rather not read a several page retelling of Snow White in the middle of a book about Disney magazine artwork. That's my only complaint, however - Mickey and the Gang is an absolutely beautiful book packed with art that can't be found anywhere else. I really enjoyed stepping back in time with these classic Disney rhymes!
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| The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning : 3 of 5 | |
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10.03.2008
12:52 PM | Link0 comments |
 Disney's latest direct-to-DVD release proves that in the case of animated features, prequels are definitely better than sequels! The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning is so much better than the mediocre Return to the Sea, not only because Disney has put so much more effort into the animation, but also because the story is just far more interesting. The movie opens in the kingdom of Atlantica, with a young King Triton and his Queen Athena (who looks a lot like a grown Ariel), along with their seven cute mermaid daughters. In no time at all, the queen dies in a terrible accident (giving some nice insight into Triton's distrust of humans in the next film), which causes Triton to banish all music from the kingdom in his sorrow. We get to see Ariel meet Flounder for the first time, and she discovers that Sebastian is the star of an underground illegal nightclub! The musical numbers in the club are absolutely fantastic, with all the creative animation of Under the Sea and just as much energy! The villains are pretty funny, too - Marina is the daughters' caretaker with big ambitions (who looks a lot like Medusa from The Rescuers), and her pal Benjamin in a big manatee with a really cool character design (unexpectedly non-Disney like, but it still works). I wasn't expecting this movie to be fantastic, but I really laughed a lot at the sisters' squabbles and the fantastic music. The animation is nice, too - there's some nice shading in spots (though I wish it were more consistent), and some beautiful close-ups of Ariel during her songs (and thankfully, Jodi Benson returns to the role). The bonus features are really short, but at least there's a short look at the direction of the film, plus a fun behind the scenes segment about the Broadway show. I really enjoyed renting this DVD, but I'd say it's worth buying if you're a Little Mermaid fanatic!
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| Studio time, selling DVDs | |
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10.02.2008
7:15 AM | Link0 comments |
 Last week was pretty much devoted to music, since I had a couple band rehearsals, played a gig, and then spent a whole day in the recording studio with Casa del Swanko! We've been putting a little money aside from each gig just for this purpose, so it was cool to be able to pay for the studio time without any additional investment, which was actually pretty easy since Brain Machine's rate is fantastic. I enjoyed playing their heavy duty drum kit with lots more toms than I normally use, which brought out a few weird fills I didn't know I had in me! The whole experience was really nice, and we were able to lay down six songs, which will be mixed this coming weekend.Since I don't have much clutter left in my life, I'm always looking for anything that I can turn into a project! The other day I realized that I would probably never re-watch some of the Disney DVD sequels that were filling up my shelf - I used to buy them all the time, but since so many of them were disappointing, I just rent them now. So, I decided to make some "just in case" copies and sell a big stack of these to Planet Replay, who paid me $80 bucks in no time flat (I'm definitely a Planet Replay fan!). Of course, I kept the good sequels like Bambi II and Return to Never Land, but it was nice to free some space on my shelf by selling those bad cheapquels! Labels: decluttering, disney, life |
| Music Moments 9.08 | |
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9.20.2008
8:43 AM | Link0 comments |
 Eisley / Room Noises: A long time ago I downloaded a free iTunes track of Telescope Eyes, a truly fantastic song that I've listened to a million times, so I finally bought the complete CD. Eisley has a really unique sound featuring three female voices that blend incredibly well, and the harmonies are so much fun to sing with. The instrumentation is cool, too, although I wish the guitars were a little heavier at times. Most of their songs have a bit of a melancholy to them, but sometimes that fits my mood exactly!Nami Tamaki / Don't Stay: I really didn't like Nami's last single Gokigendaze, but I decided I had to be a loyal fan and buy her latest album, and I'm glad I did - every other track is better than that goofy song! This CD also came with a great DVD with lots of cool videos, though I still like Nami's dance moves from when she was younger better (and has anyone noticed her adult face isn't as cute anymore?). Brightdown is such a cool track - high emotion and high energy! High King / Cinderella Complex: Of course I'm still buying CDs featuring members of Morning Musume, and Cinderella Complex is definitely a cool song with the voices of Ai-chan and Reina. I really like the pseudo-latin feel to this song - it definitely gets my drummer reflexes going! High School Musical Soundtrack: Being the Disney fan that I am, I eventually had to succumb and buy this CD. I was in the mood for some positive, upbeat music, and High School Musical definitely delivers. The production values are great on this CD, and I love the harmonies - Zac is really a pretty awesome singer (and I can say that even as a guy)! The Best Of Godzilla 1954-1975 Original Film Soundtracks: After watching so many Godzilla movies, I had to urge to hear some theme songs in my iTunes mix, so I discovered this amazing collection of all of the best music on one CD! Along with the Akira Ifukube's fantastic theme, there are plenty of sound effect tracks, and of course the awesome original Mothra song! |
| Disney stuff sold | |
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8.27.2008
7:56 AM | Link0 comments |
 I've been selling a few Disney collectibles on eBay for the past few months, and overall I'd say it was pretty fun and successful! To make it easy on myself, I only sold one item at a time, and these were all things that I won't miss, since I had bought them out of sheer Disney mania, but never actually displayed them. I learned a lot about eBay selling techniques, how to pack items and where to buy materials, and so on. Here are some random tips!It seems to be important to get the word "Disney" in the title of the item, rather than "Disneyland", since eBay's search seems to look at full words only by default. You have to set your starting bid really low (even below what you want to make, which is like gambling!) to get the ball rolling, and just hope all the watchers go nuts in the last five minutes of the auction (which they usually do). Don't buy shipping materials from office supply stores, which all suck - bubble wrap is cheapest at the grocery store (USPS brand), and peanuts are cheapest at the UPS Store (since they are most likely reused). The key to packing is to float the item in the middle of a large box, and be sure nothing rattles when you shake the box! Anyway, after selling seven items, I basically tripled my money over what I originally paid for the collectibles, so buying and selling Disney items can be a pretty good investment! I would almost consider buying things just to sell them later, but I'm so against storage and clutter now that I don't think I would ever really do that. Someday when my toy shelves get too full I'll have to rotate some things out, so maybe I'll do a little more selling in the future. Labels: decluttering, disney |
| Happy pockets | |
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8.20.2008
7:51 AM | Link0 comments |
 I haven't written about decluttering in quite a while, mainly because I've spent so much time on it that it's been tough to find more things to do! But I'm convinced there's still something out there waiting for me to change for the better, and here's a couple small things (one in each pocket) that have been making me smile lately.Several weeks ago I finally got rid of my home phone and switched to an iPhone-only life, and I'm so glad I did. Besides the savings, I love walking into my condo after being out and not having to check an answering machine! When I'm getting out of the car, my brain still starts to think "I need to see if anyone called me", and then I remember "Oh yeah, I already know since I have my iPhone with me!" And don't forget the side-benefit of receiving zero telemarketing calls! It's just one little bit of mental decluttering (plus financial decluttering) that's pretty cool. I also did some major wallet decluttering recently. I had been thinking about trying out the Slimmy, a super-thin, new-concept wallet (if you can still call it that!), for quite a while, but never got around to ordering one. But during my Disneyland visit, I experienced the wettest Splash Mountain ride ever! I had the front seat and got completely soaked (my pants were still wet in my suitcase when I got home!), which pretty much destroyed my old wallet. The cash was so wet I had to deposit it at the bank since no one would take it! Anyway, now I'm using the Slimmy, and I love it. I only need a few bills, identification, and one credit card - I don't carry all of the other crap (like discount cards) unless I know I'll be using them. The Slimmy is so nice, and now I keep it in my front pocket and never even notice it! Labels: decluttering, disney |
| Together again in LA | |
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8.13.2008
8:19 PM | Link0 comments |
 I spent last weekend in Los Angeles to visit my pals Dae & Ernesto, but this time the trip was even better than usual since Matt & Kumiko went with me! Ernesto and Dae were both spectacular tour guides, taking us all over downtown LA, Santa Monica, and everywhere inbetween. I was thrilled to visit the Bradbury Building after seeing it so many times in Blade Runner, and it was a cool feeling to be in the same place where they shot part of the film. During the weekend, Ernesto took us on a nice drive and let us get our feet wet at the beach, we all enjoyed Griffith Observatory (and the planetarium show) together, and we made it to both Little Tokyo and Little Osaka for lots of shopping (I bought some great tokusatsu toys) and real ramen! We even had time to explore Venice Beach, where we saw a crazy band called Ninja Academy. I got to take over as tour guide on Monday, since we went to Disneyland together! I had a such a great time showing off my "hometown" to my friends, plus it was Kumiko's birthday, so we got her a button at City Hall and I'd say about 40 Cast Members all said "Happy Birthday" during the day. The crowds weren't bad at all (since it was a Monday), and we got to do everything we wanted, with several repeat rides! As always, Dae took some great photos, but he really did the impossible this time by snapping his own picture during the huge Splash Mountain drop (which completely soaked us, by the way)! There's no better combination than Disneyland and amazing friends! View photos: Los Angeles Fun 2008
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| Beauty and the Beast / Zilker Summer Musical : 4 of 5 | |
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8.02.2008
6:43 AM | Link0 comments |
 One of Austin's unique attractions is the Zilker Hillside Theater, where Broadway-style musicals are performed (for free!) each summer under the stars. I've been to several of these in the past, but I usually end up taking a little wine-induced nap during the second act. Now I can say I've stayed awake during an entire production, since my pal Melinda and I went to see the Zilker production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast! I was pretty surprised when I heard about it, since I'm sure the licensing fees aren't cheap, not to mention the complex costumes need for the show. Amazingly, Zilker went all out, making this show just as great as any production you would see at a Disney park! The Beast's costume was pretty unique, showing just enough of the actor's face for emotion, but still quite different than the Broadway version. Gaston was absolutely hilarious, and the actor definitely fit the part perfectly. But the real star of the show was Belle (as it should be!), whose speaking and singing voice were so closely matched to the animated feature that it was uncanny! Basically, this was the perfect Belle - every song was fantastic and filled with Belle's warmth and kindness. The big production number Be Our Guest suffered a little because there's only so many dancing spoons and plates you can fit on a smaller stage, but the opening song Belle was really nice (and I'm always amazed that one song can setup the entire story!). The live band did a great job with some difficult music cues - there were a few bad notes, but I can't fault them when playing in 90 degree weather! The hillside was completely packed for this production, so I hope they received enough donations to cover this show's considerable expense. It was a great Disney-filled musical evening!
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| Peter and the Starcatchers / Dave Barry & Ridley Pearson : 4 of 5 | |
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7.27.2008
8:53 AM | Link0 comments |
 It's been lots of fun making the commitment to read all the unread books I have, because I can finally get around to enjoying great stories like this one! The authors decided to take on the daunting task of writing a series of prequels to explore the backstory and origins of Peter Pan, and I have to say they met the challenge and did an amazing job. The plot begins with Peter (simply an ordinary boy at this point) and his fellow orphans being sent away on a ship called the Never Land, which happens to also be carrying a mysterious chest full of treasure. The chest is full of "starstuff" (which we know as pixie dust), under the protection of a girl named Molly and her father (who are part of the Starcatchers in the title). Captain Hook is known as Black Stache (since he has both hands!), and his dialogue with Smee and the other pirates is hilarious and well written. There are some great sea battles (with interesting naval strategy explanations), but the real fun begins when everyone ends up on an island where lots of familiar components of the Peter Pan story come to life! It's fun reading about Peter learning to fly, seeing the creation of the mermaids, experiencing the actual battle where Peter cuts off Stache's hand, and finally, the creation of Tinker Bell at the very end of the book! The story moves along really quickly, especially since it's organized into super-short chapters, and although this is definitely a children's book, the action gets surprisingly bloody at times. Since this is the first book of the series, I'll probably continue reading these adventures of Peter Pan from the days before Wendy, John & Michael. It's really fascinating to read "how it all began", and if you're a Peter Pan fan, I recommend that you do the same!
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| The Mickey Mouse Treasures / Robert Tieman : 5 of 5 | |
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7.22.2008
6:55 AM | Link0 comments |
 I can't believe it took me so long to find the time to read this book! I completely enjoyed Robert Tieman's previous books, The Disney Treasures and The Disney Keepsakes (which I totally recommend!), so I definitely made sure his latest book, The Mickey Mouse Treasures, was on my Christmas list. Well, six months later I can say this book is just as wonderful as the others, and I had a fantastic time enjoying it! Just like the other books, nearly every page contains a reproduction of a priceless collectible that slips out of a pocket for you to examine and marvel over, all themed to the history of Mickey Mouse this time. There are some incredible items, many featuring Walt's own handwriting - I really enjoyed the gag payment sheet (where Walt tallied up who submitted jokes, which earned them a few extra bucks). There's also a small black & white animation cell with background, plus a sample pop-up page from a vintage Mickey book (and I learned that the term "pop-up book" was coined for a Mickey publication!). The text of the book was enlightening, too - I had never heard of the live Mickey stage show from 1931, and reading about Mickey's bizarre family tree (as established in comics and other sources) was fascinating. Studying Fred Moore's incredible sketches of Mickey in my own hands made me feel like I was in Disney's animation archives, and holding vintage Disneyland postcards was like a dream, too! The concept for these books is simply fantastic, and I certainly hope that Robert Tieman (who works in the Disney archives now, I've learned) creates more of them. The Mickey Mouse Treasures belongs on every Disney fan's bookshelf, along with the other books in the series!
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| Searching for Mickey | |
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7.07.2008
11:47 PM | Link0 comments | I always get a laugh by checking out some of the searches that bring people to WEBmikey, and since I've written a lot of Disney posts, many of those searches are for Disney topics. But the Disney search that I see the most is pretty hilarious, because it's totally based on a misspelling! Nearly everyday I see a search for "Mikey Mouse", because apparently there are lots of people who don't know how to spell "Mickey". (Of course, if you are one of these people, you may be reading this and feeling embarrassed right now!) The funny thing to me is that every Disney fan knows the words to the Mickey Mouse March, which spells M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E over and over again. I'm always glad to get more hits on my website, but if you're looking for more general Mickey Mouse info, take a moment to sing before you type! |
| WALL-E : 5 of 5 | |
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7.06.2008
8:28 AM | Link0 comments |
 There is absolutely no doubt that Pixar is the new Disney - of course, they actually are Disney, but you know what I mean. No other animation studio, including Disney's own, comes close to creating the brilliance of the Pixar films, and WALL-E is no exception! Director Andrew Stanton has definitely taken his place next to Brad Bird as one of the most amazing storytellers in the business - Finding Nemo and WALL-E are such fantastic original stories! There is so much to say about this movie that I don't know where to begin. The plot is wonderful, combining science fiction, romance and comedy into one beautiful package, and there's almost no need to even mention the animation, which is simply top-notch (the effects animation is particularly superb, rendering everything from dust storms to fire extinguishers in space perfectly). The character design is fascinating, since every robot is filled with emotion, but also seems to be mechanically feasible (no bendable metal, like in Cars)! WALL-E himself is filled with emotion, EVE is beautiful and can express so many moods, and all of the other designs are simply cool (I really want to collect some WALL-E robot toys now!). There's little voice work to comment on, but I have to say that Ben Burtt's sound design for the robot voices and sounds is fantastic (Of course, that's just what you would expect from the creator of R2-D2's language!). I only have one complaint, and this is true of most Pixar movies - I wish they had turned up the emotion just a little bit more. I really want to cry during touching scenes, and while I did let a few tears fall towards the end, the moment was cut a little too short for me. Movies like WALL-E are showing the world what a fantastic experience an animated film can be, and I'm thankful Pixar is around to do it right!
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| How to Be Like Walt / Pat Williams : 3 of 5 | |
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6.12.2008
10:07 PM | Link0 comments |
 Even though I've read so many books about Disney animation, history, and theme park details, I've never actually tackled a biography of Walt Disney. This is mainly because I've already absorbed most of the details of his life by all of the books and DVDs I've already been exposed to, and also because I'm sure it's hard to find an honest biography that isn't too harsh or too forgiving. How to Be Like Walt is much more of a biography than I expected, but it also tries to combine elements of Walt's life with self-help style lessons. The author Pat Williams (who is the president of the Orlando Magic basketball team) is a serious Walt Disney fan, and his writing makes it completely obvious that Walt is his hero (which I can certainly understand!). As I expected, there weren't many Walt facts here that I didn't already know, but there were some great anecdotes that I enjoyed reading. My favorite stories are about Walt digging through the animation department trash cans at night to recover discarded gag ideas that he thought would work, and I love Walt's technique of going to Disneyland, buying a hot dog, wandering around until he was finished, and then making sure a trash can was put on that spot! The chapter on Walt's last year was especially poignant, and reading about Chuck Jones' visiting Walt in the hospital was interesting. Each chapter sums up a particular character trait that we can learn from, such as Walt's constant love of learning or his persistence, but even though it's all good advice, the writing style was a little too motivational for my taste. My only other complaint is that this book could use a little more editing. I know that the author interviewed hundreds of people, and his love for Walt made him want to make sure everything was in the book, but there are definitely long portions that seem to ramble a little. But overall, it was fun to read a nice long timeline of Walt's life and achievements. There's no doubt he had a huge impact on this world (and certainly me) that will never die, and taking a closer look at Walt is always inspiring!
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| Please buy my stuff | |
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6.04.2008
9:35 PM | Link0 comments |
I'm not sure if it's related to my big spending recently, but I suddenly have the urge to make a little money by selling some things, and doing a little decluttering at the same time. During the 50th anniversary celebration of Disneyland, I went a little crazy buying limited edition collectibles. Most of these I have displayed around my condo, and I totally cherish them, but I also bought a few things on impulse that I've only looked at once. I bought all of the sets of pewter miniatures that were available at the time, and they are really cool, but they're kind of too small to display nicely, so I've just had them in their boxes for the past few years! Although I've bought lots of stuff on Ebay, I've haven't sold anything before, but a couple days ago I decided to give it a shot. So, I put my set of Disneyland Main Street Pewter Miniatures up for auction! Now I keep wanting to check to see if I have any bids (none so far, but hopefully someone will snag it when the auction is almost closed), and the suspense is driving me crazy. I have no idea what I'm doing or if my pricing is competitive, but I'll just try again and adjust my strategy as needed - I plan on selling my other pewter sets eventually, too. If that goes well, I'm hoping to sell a Disneyland train set that's become a really hot item! I've also decided that I need to sell my bike soon. I really loved it for a couple years, but it's been unused in my garage every single day since I moved to my current condo, so by my definition, it's just clutter now. Sometime soon I think I'll try Craigslist to sell it! Labels: decluttering, disney |
| The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian : 4 of 5 | |
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5.20.2008
8:12 AM | Link0 comments |
 I've been looking forward to the next film in the Narnia series from the moment I saw The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, so I made sure to see this movie with my pal Melinda as soon as I could! Prince Caspian is a much different movie than the first Narnia tale, since it takes place 1,300 years after the first film (of course, the Pevensie children have only aged a year back in our world), and the magical Narnians have been nearly exterminated by the Telmarines, essentially regular, non-magical humans. The four children arrive at the call of Prince Caspian, a young prince who is destined to overthrow his evil uncle and reunite Narnian magic with humanity. The movie adds quite a bit to the original book, mostly in a new castle siege battle, but this is a exciting and dramatic scene that also sets up an interesting conflict between Peter and Caspian. The children do a great acting job again and still look quite young (good thing they filmed this one quickly!), and the many CG characters are cool and lots of fun, especially the flamboyant mouse Reepicheep! The appearance of the White Witch is nice and creepy, too. Of course, the special effects are wonderful during the final tension-filled battle, but overall, this Narnia movie is missing the warm-hearted magic of the first film. Part of that is simply due to the nature of the CS Lewis story, but I also think the filmmakers purposely tried to create a much darker movie. The first movie made me cry tears of both sorrow and joy, but Prince Caspian only provided action (and quite a bit of bloodshed). Of course, I'm still a fan and enjoyed the film, but given the choice to watch either movie again, I would definitely be reaching for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on my DVD shelf.
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| 101 Dalmatians / Platinum Edition : 5 of 5 | |
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8:08 AM | Link 0 comments |
 Disney's 1961 animated feature 101 Dalmatians isn't one of my top Disney movies, since it doesn't really touch me emotionally, but I still love it for its important spot in the evolution of animation! This two-disc Platinum Edition makes a point of that fact, starting with the documentary appropriately titled Redefining the Line, since 101 Dalmatians was the first Disney feature to Xerox the animators' original drawings onto cels, essentially eliminating the inking department and giving the feature a rougher, artsy look (which Walt originally didn't like, since it was a huge departure from the perfect fantasy look of his earlier films). The documentary is only 30 minutes, but it has tons of animator interviews and covers lots of great facts - I had no idea the cars in the movie were created as paper models and shot, working much like CG models today! I'm also ashamed to say I didn't know about the Lady and the Tramp cameos until now, which are really cool. There's also a wonderful bonus feature that reenacts correspondence between Walt and the author of the original story, which is fascinating and beautifully put together! The movie itself is fantastic, of course, but even better with the popup trivia track (always a favorite feature of mine), that covers detailed information such as the director for each segment as it occurs, and pointing out the cartoon the dogs watch on TV is the 1929 Silly Symphony Springtime. I always enjoy watching 101 Dalmatians for the detail in Roger's apartment, the beautiful backgrounds, and I love the way Cruella's smoke is almost a character by itself! It was great to enjoy another fantastic Platinum Edition, and I'm looking forward to the next release!
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| I can't stop watching Disney Musume! | |
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5.09.2008
12:40 PM | Link0 comments |
 It's time for some serious fan gushing, because this morning I just discovered the incredible music video of the classic Mickey Mouse March that Morning Musume made for a recent NHK special! It features all the girls dancing around Toontown in Tokyo Disneyland, right along with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Chip & Dale! Since I'm a huge Disney fan, and a huge Morning Musume fan, I just can't get enough of this video (as ridiculous as that sounds) - my favorite things are all here like toppings on an ice cream sundae and I'm overwhelmed by the cute explosion! On the Disney side, Toontown looks great, Mickey's costume is fresh and unique, and the crazy instrumentation of the song definitely has that Disney touch. On the Morning Musume side, their matching costumes are wonderful, the kawaii-experts like Sayumi look so at home in Disneyland, and everyone's little interjections are cool (of course, I love hearing phrases like "Let's dancing!", because it makes it even more adorable!). It even has on-screen Japanese lyrics, which I have pretty much memorized already! After watching the video (over and over) on YouTube, I found some high-quality versions on the Hello!Online tracker, and now I have it on my iPhone so I can get an emergency fix anytime I want! Watch video: Morning Musume / Mickey Mouse MarchLabels: disney, jpop, morning musume |
| Disneyland Resort: Imagineering the Magic : 3 of 5 | |
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5.08.2008
7:38 AM | Link0 comments |
 This is a new two-disc DVD set available only at the Disney parks, but I was lucky enough to read about it and order it directly from Disneyland! When I first looked at the packaging, I was worried that this would be a simple rehash of the material included on the Disneyland: Secrets, Stories & Magic DVD set, but it's actually all new material organized into each of the Disneyland lands with brief Imagineer interview clips. There were no new surprising facts revealed for me here (this is kind of a "junior" look at Imagineering), but I was amazed by some vintage black & white footage that I had never seen before that was pretty spectacular! My favorites were watching test rides of Peter Pan's Flight (when it was just the seats suspended from the track), as well as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (without all the flats separating the building into rooms). My only complaint about the documentary is that several old clips are presented in the wrong aspect ratio - I guess they wanted the whole show to fill the screen on HDTVs, but I hate seeing squashed video. Besides the hour-long feature, there are some bonus segments on the second disc about new attractions (unfortunately all old news, since everything is already open, even though this is a brand new DVD!) and a ridiculously easy quiz, plus a quick look at Disney's California Adventure, which will all be irrelevant someday as they redesign the park. I really enjoyed watching this DVD (most of it with my Disney pal Melinda), so I'd definitely recommend it to Disney park maniacs just getting started on their obsession with Imagineering!
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| High School Musical 2 : 3 of 5 | |
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5.05.2008
7:38 PM | Link0 comments |
 For a Disney fan like me, it's taken way too long for me to get caught up the huge High School Musical phenomenon, but now I can say I'm ready for the third movie when it comes out! I completely forgot to review the original movie, but I promise I did rent it soon after seeing the local stage production, and I thought it was really fun - I especially loved the fact that Kenny Ortega, who worked so hard on the Disney bomb yet cult favorite Newsies, finally has a real hit on his hands. This second movie pretty much takes the plot turns you would expect - after high school, you've got to have summer vacation, and after Sharpay lost Troy to Gabriella, of course she has to spend the whole movie trying to get him back. The location for everyone's summer job is a gorgeous country club with some spectacular scenery, and the outdoor shots really have a fantastic color palette! There are some great songs this time around, such You Are the Music in Me, which is a nice ballad that gets hilariously Sharpay-ized, and I was also really impressed by Bet On It, since Zac really knows how to go all out on his performance (and if anyone can offer me his hair, I will pay out the nose). Unfortunately, there are some total dud songs, too, like I Don't Dance (singing on the baseball field just doesn't work), and the goofy Hawaiian number (apparently only available on the DVD version) is flat-out embarrasing. The whole thing is just under two full hours, which is pretty long for a Disney Channel movie (which still has the annoying pauses for commercials), but I had a great time watching the whole thing. It definitely made me want to get outside in the sun and pretend I'm one of the cool kids!
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| Glen is Billy | |
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4.30.2008
12:13 PM | Link0 comments |
 When I was growing up, I would always read the newspaper comics with my mom at breakfast, so of course I've read hundreds of goofy Family Circus panels by cartoonist Bil Keane. Recently I found out that Glen Keane, one of Disney's most talented animators and one of my heroes, is Bil Keane's son (and even appears in Family Circus as Billy)! I feel like I'm the last person to find this out (I'm sure all the other animation fans already knew this), but I thought it was pretty interesting! It's amazing that the lead animator for Ariel, the Beast, Aladdin, and Tarzan was right there in front of me while I was eating cereal!
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies : 4 of 5 | |
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4.23.2008
7:54 AM | Link0 comments |
 After enjoying The Disney Mountains recently by the same author, I decided to finally read his in-depth look at my favorite Disneyland ride! This book has been on my shelf since the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie was released, so it's about time that I got around to reading it. Similar to his Haunted Mansion book, the first section is devoted to a history of the ride's development, which is particularly fascinating in this case, since the ride transformed from a walk-through wax museum into the masterpiece it is today (I love looking over the drawings and plans for what was never built, though!). It was interesting reading that the cool caves are located in the original dug-out basement where the museum was going to be built, and the creepy fact that there were originally actual skeletons in the attraction is once again confirmed here, too! The second section is my favorite, which is a super-detailed description of every scene of the ride, highlighting the differences between the four different versions in the various Disney parks. I'm really impressed with how the entire flow was changed for Disneyland Paris, and I would love to experience it someday - I can't imagine seeing the prisoners trying to get the keys from the dog first! The final section is about the first movie, and basically reads like a bonus DVD documentary. It has some interesting anecdotes about the "concerns" raised when Johnny Depp first developed the characterization of Jack Sparrow, but other than that, I would much rather read about the attraction itself. Jason Surrell's books are a must for every Disneyland fan's library!
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| Ollie lives on | |
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4.17.2008
7:09 AM | Link0 comments |
 I thought I would mention that Ollie Johnston, the last of Disney's famous Nine Old Men, recently passed away. There are so many animation blogs that have paid tribute much better than I can, but since Disney animation is so important to me, I at least wanted to say something. Every time I watch a Disney animated feature, I always get excited to see the animators' names in the opening credits, and when some of the Nine Old Men are in the list (especially Ollie or Frank Thomas), I know I'll be seeing something special. The work that Ollie did to advance the art of animation has had profound effect on every animator today, as anyone who reads The Illusion of Life (Frank & Ollie's huge book of animation technique) will realize. Thank goodness that even during Disney's "dark days", they still had the foresight to train today's generation of animators before the Nine Old Men left the company. Everyone I admire today was personally mentored by these incredible artists! I'll always be thankful for Ollie and everyone else who truly created this form of entertainment that I enjoy so much. Now you should read Brad Bird's thoughts about Ollie, since his words are much more fascinating than mine!
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| Walt Disney Treasures / The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit : 3 of 5 | |
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4.14.2008
7:35 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've been looking forward to this Walt Disney Treasures set for quite a while, since just like every Disney fan, I've always been curious about Oswald, the character that was stolen from Walt Disney and caused the creation of Mickey Mouse. There are only 13 existing Oswald cartoons, but even that number is incredible when you consider their age from the 1920s, along with the fact that they were terribly preserved since Disney didn't own them (some of the shorts could only be found on old 16MM home movie versions!). Oswald is a funny character, acting with broad pantomime in these silent shorts, along with his cat girlfriend and his villian Putrid Pete (what a coincidence that Mickey's villain is Peg-Leg Pete!). The best short by far is Oh What a Knight, which has a hilarious sword fight where Oswald keeps running off to steal a few kisses from his girl. There's an all new documentary that covers how Oswald became a success and how he was stolen, including some nice Bob Iger interview footage explaining how he made a trade to get the character back (such an incredible move for a new CEO that really won me over). Unfortunately, the second DVD isn't as exciting, since none of the material was new to me. Since the incredible Ub Iwerks was the sole animator on many Oswald and Mickey cartoons, they included early Alice and Mickey shorts for comparison, all of which have been released already. The rest of the disc has the beautiful documentary The Hand Behind the Mouse, but this was shot in 1999 and I had already seen it, although it's still nice to have in my collection now. But even with the weak second disc, this set is still a must for Disney fans, and it was a pleasure to finally meet Oswald!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition / PS2 : 4 of 5 | |
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4.11.2008
7:44 AM | Link0 comments |
 Since a steady supply of fresh music is essential to keeping me addicted to DDR, I decided to buy this special Disney Channel version of the game, even though I haven't watched many of the featured shows (why didn't they make this back when I was a Lizzie McGuire junky?). I knew this game would have less songs than the average DDR mix, and truthfully I was expecting a simple rehash of DDR Supernova, but surprisingly, they really gave this game a distinctive look, and I like it! Of course, most of the music is from Disney Channel shows and movies, such as High School Musical, Hannah Montana, and a few other things like the Cheetah Girls, That's So Raven and Kim Possible (which is one of my favorite themes to dance to, actually!). The game comes almost totally unlocked right out of the box, so you can play Endless Mode right away! The only challenge to overcome is revealing a second outfit for each of the characters, which you can do by beating that character in a three-song battle (unfortunately, the Battle Mode makes such annoying noises that you can barely follow the music). The game itself has unique graphics, with lots of Disney Channel logos and character photos, and all of the characters are pretty well-animated with new dance moves (so rather than my old favorite DDR characters Emi or Alice, I have to dance with Miley!). To fill out the Disney songs, there are a few Konami tracks which are mostly totally new to me - I never knew a DDR tango could be so much fun. I've been enjoying this game for a few weeks now, and I have to say that all those positive lyrics eventually make me feel like I'm dancing at a Disney park!
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| Walt Disney Treasures / The Chronological Donald Vol 3 : 4 of 5 | |
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4.08.2008
7:54 PM | Link0 comments |
 Continuing with 2007's wave of Walt Disney Treasures, I really enjoyed this latest volume in the Chronological Donald series. It's amazing that there are so many Donald Duck shorts (now filling six DVDs!), especially since Donald has already been around ten years when these cartoons start in 1947. Most of the shorts on this set feature a co-starring nemesis, such as the ever-popular Chip & Dale, or more obscure characters like Bootle Beetle or the Aracuan Bird (which I've never really liked!). I always enjoy watching Chip & Dale though, since it reminds me of eating at Crystal's Pizza with Mom & Dad when I was a kid, watching Disney cartoons on their little movie screen! There are some really unique shorts in this collection, such as Donald's Dilemma, where Donald becomes a Sinatra-esque singer after getting hit with a flower pot, and Donald's Dream Voice, which a has a similar plot, but with "voice pills" this time. I also like Crazy Over Daisy, since it has the song that eventually became Meet Me Down on Main Street for Disneyland (with new lyrics, of course). The bonus features include some quick documentaries with Jerry Beck and Donald's official voice, plus a segment on a maquette sculptor, which is interesting, but doesn't have much to do with Donald at all! Even though the bonus material on Volume 3 is a little thin compared to the past two sets, the cartoons here are still essential for any Disney fan. I definitely enjoyed singing along with Donald's theme song before watching each and every one!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| The Jungle Book : 4 of 5 | |
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4.01.2008
6:55 AM | Link0 comments |
 It feels strange to be writing about the last Disney Platinum Edition DVD when a new one is already out, but I'm happy to say that this is a great presentation of the last Disney animated feature with Walt's involvement. There's a nice 45-minute documentary included (which is nice since so many recent DVDs barely squeeze out 15 minutes of information), and I learned a lot about the development of this movie! I never knew about the former "dark version" (closer to Kipling's original) written by Bill Peet, or the subsequent argument with Walt that made him leave the studio, after which Walt changed the story into what we all love today, including the girl from the man village at the end, which was originally controversial among the animators. There's plenty of animation discussion with Andreas Deja looking over some original drawings (I love that stuff!), plus conversation about the first use of "star voices" and the replacement of the original set of songs - The Bare Necessities was almost dropped! There's even footage of Louie Prima's band going nuts in their recording session, which is great stuff. Of course, the movie itself is wonderful, and has some of the best character animation on film. I always cringe a little when they repeat gags to save money (such as Ka's accordion joke which is in twice, cel for cel), but they definitely make up for it with scenes like Baloo tucking Mowgli into bed with leaves, and of course King Louie's dance is pretty awesome! The Jungle Book is really an enjoyable movie, and learning about its history and rocky development makes me appreciate it even more.
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| DVD triumph | |
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3.31.2008
8:51 PM | Link0 comments |
 I'd like to formally announce that I've finally finished watching all of the DVDs that super-generous Santa gave me for Christmas this year! I'm also proud to say that I stayed true to my new frugal goal, and I haven't bought a single new DVD this year, since I already had so many good ones waiting to watch. This is a big deal for me, since I used to buy new DVDs all the time and stay perpetually behind in watching them! Of course, now I'm free to think about buying some that I've had my eye on, but I'm going to try to stick to getting one (or two, tops!) at a time and enjoying Netflix in between.Speaking of DVDs, I had been wondering for some time if Disney was ever going to release Zorro on DVD, since I used to like watching the old episodes on the Disney Channel before they changed their format. Well, I recently discovered they already have it on DVD, but it's only available as an exclusive Disney Movie Club selection! There's no way I'm joining, since I already own 95% of their entire catalog, so that's a really bummer. But there's still a chance I can get Zorro, since I also found out you can earn it as a prize for Disney Movie Rewards points! These points come with most Disney DVDs, and I have quite a few saved up, so I hope it works out that I can earn enough to get it before Disney changes their mind or sells out. |
| Walt Disney Treasures / Disneyland: Secrets, Stories & Magic : 5 of 5 | |
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3.12.2008
6:59 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've finally watched the first of this year's Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets, and I have to say that Disneyland: Secrets, Stories & Magic may be the best set they've ever released, especially for a Disneyland nut like me! There's so much packed onto these two discs that I can barely mention it all here, but I'll give it a try. First, there's a new huge documentary shot just for this set, filled with wall-to-wall Imagineer interviews (most with the legendary Tony Baxter) and several other celebrities (including George Lucas!), as well as tons of rare footage I had never seen before, such as the Mickey Mouse Circus once held in Holidayland, and a quick look at the Submarine Voyage live mermaid try-outs. There's also a nice John Lasseter anecdote about his days as a Jungle Cruise skipper, including his favorite "headhunter" joke! Next up is the newly restored People and Places feature Disneyland USA, which is phenomenal not only for the incredible helicopter footage of the new park, but also for Winston Hibler's great narration that makes a trip to Disneyland seem like a True Life Adventure. There's also a fantastic trivia game, which I played 15 times in a row, and the questions were actually difficult! The second DVD contains three Wonderful World of Color episodes, including an entire performance of the Golden Horseshoe Revue, which is cool to see knowing that I've sat in those seats so many times. Operation Disneyland shows the crazy work ABC had to do to broadcast the opening of the park live - they couldn't even rehearse their camera moves with all the construction going on! Finally, there's some amazing bonus time-lapse footage taken from tall towers as the park was constructed, so you can watch it appear from the ground up. This DVD set is probably the most essential item a Disneyland lover could own, and I plan on watching it often before each trip!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Ratatouille : 5 of 5 | |
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3.11.2008
5:40 PM | Link0 comments |
 Still working through my Christmas DVDs, I recently spent the morning drinking coffee and enjoying this Pixar masterpiece! I love to watch the bonus features first, but unfortunately this isn't a two-disc set, so they could only fit a few things on a single disc (and there's not even a commentary track!). The only thing close to a documentary is a short conversation with a chef and Brad Bird, comparing their arts, but there's still some nice background information, and it's always fun to hear Brad's geeky way of talking. The deleted scenes are wonderful just because they animatics are so darn incredible - I would pay to see an entire movie in that style! But the best of all is Your Friend the Rat, a special short made just for this DVD, that really blew me away. Not only is it funny, but it combines 3D animation, 2D animation, and even stop-motion techniques! I loved the movie just as much as the first time, and I noticed some new details like how Ego's office is shaped like a coffin and his typewriter looks like a skull. The character design for the rats is super-expressive, but their eyes keep making me think of the Muppets! I really enjoyed the build-up to Remy and Colette's kiss as well - such a fantastic moment in the animation of human characters! I'm sure someday there will be another DVD release of Ratatouille with more of the bonus stuff I'm craving, but for now, this is a wonderful DVD that every animation fan should own.
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| Mary Poppins in the Park / PL Travers : 3 of 5 | |
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3.04.2008
8:44 PM | Link0 comments |
 This book was one of my birthday gifts from Matt & Kumiko (thanks, Amazon Wish List!), and I really enjoyed reading these additional short Mary Poppins stories (which take place sometime during Mary's previous visits with the Banks children, as explained by the author). The title refers to the fact that all of these tales take place in the park just across Cherry Tree Lane, where Mary takes Jane & Michael (and the other babies who don't appear in the Disney movie) for outings, and all kinds of bizarre wonderful things take place. My favorite story is Lucky Thursday, which focuses on Michael, who's having a bad day and makes some wishes before bedtime. The next day everything goes his way, and in the park he's suddenly carried away to a land full of talking cats! I also really liked the huge Halloween party where everyone's shadow breaks free to dance on their own in the Halloween moonlight, and the reason they're gathering is to celebrate Mary's birthday on November 1st (bet you didn't know that bit of trivia!). Many of the characters that have been introduced in Travers' other books (as well as in the movie) appear from time to time, and it's nice to see Admiral Boom and Burt show up. The Mary Poppins books are a great way to think about and expand my enjoyment of one of my favorite Disney movies of all time, but they definitely stand on their own as wonderful stories full of childhood joy!
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| Meet the Robinsons : 3 of 5 | |
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2.28.2008
8:54 PM | Link0 comments |
 It was really nice to watch this Disney CGI animated feature again, and of course, I enjoyed it more the second time around, especially after watching the bonus documentary (only 20 minutes long, but well done). I thought the discussion about the original book was interesting, and I really appreciated the director's intelligent comments about how the story became personal for him since he was an adopted child. Amazingly, this entire film was created as a story reel from start to finish to see if it would fly, and could have been shot down before actual production began! I still think the character design could have used more work (Lewis' head to body ratio really bugs me), but I noticed many more things to appreciate, such as the incredible future-world sequence after the bowler hat takes over! I also enjoyed the writing during some of the tender moments - the part when Lewis accidently says "mom" is a particularly subtle, yet touching, scene. My favorite sequence for laughs is the big Robinson food fight, with the great color palette change and all the Asian cinema cliches. I still think the frogs are ridiculous, but I suppose I can overlook them! I was really impressed with the music this time around, too - I had forgotten that Rufus Wainwright had some songs in it, and I completely forgot that Danny Elfman did the score, which is pretty spectacular (I might have to buy the soundtrack now!). Disney's CGI work will never capture the magic of traditional animation for me (and Pixar will always do it better), but Meet the Robinsons is still a fine movie that I'm glad to have in my Disney DVD collection.
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| Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End / Two-Disc Limited Edition : 4 of 5 | |
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2.21.2008
8:11 AM | Link0 comments |
 There was never a question that I had to have the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie in my DVD library, even though it was my least favorite of the trilogy. But as usual, I actually enjoyed the film much more this second time around, and I even understood many of the more subtle plot points (although I think it's hilarious that the DVD insert actually has a "Top Questions" section to explain some of the story, which is a sure sign they just made the thing too confusing!). I had kind of forgotten about the beautiful slow-motion destruction of the Endeavor, and I really appreciated the significance of the Hoist the Colors song (which is woven throughout the soundtrack if you listen for it), and it definitely gave me the urge to watch the first two movies again! Strangely, there's no commentary track at all (shameful!), but the second bonus DVD contains some nice material (though it still seems a little short for a limited edition). There's a great mini-documentary about the filming of the maelstrom scene, which included full size ships on giant gimbals in a huge studio - I had no idea it was such a spectacle! I enjoyed the Masters of Design section, which covered important props in detail, such as the rotating map and the cool pirates code book, and there's also a nice quick look at each of the pirate lords, who have interesting backgrounds. I definitely had a lot of fun experiencing this movie again and appreciating the filmmaking process, and of course I'm thrilled that my favorite ride at Disneyland inspired such a popular series of films!
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| The Gremlins / Roald Dahl : 3 of 5 | |
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2.18.2008
8:26 AM | Link0 comments |
 A few years ago when I was reading all the Roald Dahl I could find, I remember reading about this story and its Disney connection in Dahl's wonderful biographies, Boy and Going Solo. The Gremlins was one of his first works, drawn from his experiences as a World War II pilot, combined with imaginative fantasy, of course! This edition is a reproduction of a Disney-published story book, originally produced when they were planning on creating an animated feature of the tale. There's a fantastic introduction by Leonard Maltin (Disney fan extraordinaire) explaining the history of the project and Walt's connection with Dahl. It's a shame the movie was never made, but it's interesting how Disney convinced other studios to rename cartoons because of it (most notably the great Bugs Bunny short Falling Hare), since the concept of "gremlins" as creatures who make mischief for airplanes wasn't something Walt could claim as his own. The story itself is fun, though a little cruel - I don't think Dahl had found the right combination between mean and nice in his early work. It gets a little confusing keeping track of which characters are gremlins and which are human, but the excellent illustrations by Disney artists help out quite a bit. The character designs are really fun, and they actually appeared in lots of Disney marketing materials. Since I had already read the story, I mainly wanted this book because of its place in Disney history, but I'm sure any Dahl fan or Disney fan would enjoy it!
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| Tons of birthday fun | |
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2.03.2008
8:05 AM | Link0 comments |
 I've really had a great birthday this year, with plenty of surprise gifts and fun with friends! My pal Melinda bought me dinner (plus a birthday cake), and then gave me a cool Star Wars LEGO set, as well as a fantastic Mickey Mouse figurine with small snowglobes that re-creates a scene from the 1932 Disney short Mickey's Nightmare! I found the original short on my Disney Treasures DVDs so we were able to watch it right away, too (it's nice to have all those Disney DVDs in my library!). (By the way, this image is the original movie poster, and I just realized that the figurine is an exact replica of this illustration!) On Friday, Chris & Eliza hosted a little combined birthday get-together (it was Eliza's birthday recently, too), and along with a "Happy Birthday Old People" cake, there were more presents! Tom gave me a huge bottle of Grey Goose vodka, Shawn & Bernadette gave me some vintage Disney comic books, and Matt & Kumiko gave me one of the new Indiana Jones LEGO sets (I have some fun building ahead of me!). Chris & Barron went together to get me Guitar Hero for the Wii, and I had a blast playing it yesterday (the wireless guitar controller is so nice)! I'm so amazed at how incredible all of my friends are, and how lucky I am to have them. It definitely makes it easier to be a child trapped in an old man's body! It's been a busy weekend, so I haven't had time to take photos of my awesome presents, but don't worry, you can be sure I'll get around to snapping some pictures eventually!
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| Cars : 4 of 5 | |
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1.27.2008
2:06 PM | Link0 comments |
 This DVD has been available for a long time, but I was holding out in the hopes that a special two-disc edition would be released. Since that's not going to happen, I made sure to put it on my Christmas list, and it was great to finally watch this movie again. Although I would put it in last place if I had to rank the Pixar features, it's still a fantastic film, and as usual, I love it so much more after enjoying it for a second time! I was immediately blown away by all the incredible Pixar touches and details that they include in all their films, such as the cars in the racetrack audience doing "the wave" with their headlights, the funny Japanese news broadcast, and even the "Jay Limo" show. Actually, all of the TV graphics spoofs are dead-on hilarious, completely capturing the excitement and ridiculous hype! From an animation standpoint, it's pretty amazing how they applied just enough flexibility to the cars to give them expression without making them seem implausible, and I love watching Lightning race by with the feel of surfing or skateboarding. I even appreciate the story more, and I have to say, Mater is pretty darn funny (even if you don't really like hick humor). Even though is this a single DVD with minimal bonus features, the short documentary is really nice, and definitely gives you an appreciation for what the movie means to John Lasseter. Of course, I wish the segment were about four times longer, but I'll take what I can get. I'm certainly more of a Cars fan than I was before I watched this DVD, and continue to be blown away by the magic of Pixar!
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| The Disney Mountains / Imagineering at Its Peak : 4 of 5 | |
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1.24.2008
7:12 AM | Link0 comments |
 I've been a fan of Jason Surrell's amazing Disney books for a few years now, starting with his wonderful in-depth coverage of the Haunted Mansion, so I always put anything new he writes on my Christmas list (which is how I received this book!). His latest work is about the well-known Disney "mountain range" of attractions that combine awesome thrills with Disney quality and theming. Of course, every page is filled with wonderful artwork from every stage of attraction development, but while there's a lot of great information here, this is actually a pretty quick read (the text is in a much bigger font than his past books!). Of course, the Matterhorn is covered first, and I enjoyed the quotes from Imagineers like Harriet Burns and Bob Gurr. It definitely gave me an appreciation for the trail-blazing efforts of these original Imagineers - it seems impossible that these people from so many varied disciplines could actually create the first roller coaster of this kind, and I still ride it every year to this day! The coverage of Space Mountain is really nice, especially comparing the size and differences between the Walt Disney World and Disneyland versions, and the story of the development of Splash Mountain is also incredible (and I'm once again thankful for the talents of Tony Baxter and his creative ideas!). There is little coverage about Mount Prometheus in Tokyo DisneySea, but I would have loved to read more about the design of Journey to the Center of the Earth, which was my favorite ride during my trip to Japan in 2003. The largest portion of the book is devoted to Expedition Everest, which certainly deserves praise, and definitely instills admiration for Joe Rhode, one of the most detail-oriented Imagineers working today. I loved reading about the queue theming (almost more than the ride itself!), since I had no idea that many of the structures were actually built by Tibetan craftsmen! The Disney Mountains definitely deserves to be in any theme park fan's library, so don't miss it!
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| Pixar Short Films Collection / Vol 1 : 4 of 5 | |
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1.13.2008
11:14 AM | Link0 comments |
 This DVD is a collection of all of Pixar's short films, which is wonderful for animation fans, since while watching them you're able to see CGI techniques evolve right before your eyes. Although most of these shorts are available as bonus features on other Pixar DVDs, there were a few I had never seen, and the commentary included here is really fantastic (except for Mike's New Car, where they decided to let the filmmakers' kids talk, which is cute but not very enlightening!). It was great to watch favorites like Knick Knack and Geri's Game again (which are incredibly far apart because of the feature length films made in the interim), and this was my first time to see Mater and the Ghostlight, and I was amazed by the chase sequence - it's absolutely incredible to compare something like that to Tin Toy! My favorite part of this DVD is the excellent documentary that provides a brief history of Pixar, since I had nearly forgotten they used to be a hardware/software company, who happened to hire John Lasseter to produce demonstration films for graphics conferences! It's wonderful how they transitioned into a full time animation studio - certainly a unique beginning for such a groundbreaking company. I'm really fascinated with the early days of any art form, so listening to Lasseter talk about sleeping in his office and meticulously animating the way the cord ripples in Luxo Jr. is incredibly inspiring to me. Seeing this history unfold makes me so glad that Pixar is part of Disney, and that someone like Lasseter is at the animation helm!
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| Resolution report | |
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1.01.2008
8:28 AM | Link0 comments |
Happy New Year, everyone! For the past few years I've really been into thinking hard about New Year's resolutions, and I took some time over the weekend to look back on 2007 and look forward to 2008. Since I keep my thoughts written down, I really enjoy reading what I was thinking on this day last year and seeing how I did. Last year my main goal was decluttering, and I have to give myself an A+ on that one! Getting rid of all kinds of stuff and organizing everything has brought me tons of enjoyment and peace of mind, and really changed the way I think about buying new things. My next goal was to get new furniture, which I only half-finished - I bought things to help with my decluttering, but not important items like a new couch! My next goal was my biggest failure - I made almost no progress on health and fitness in 2007. I was really happy with myself in 2005, but it's been downhill since then, so that resolution really tanked! But I did much better on my next goal, which was to go to church regularly again. I had a time of church burn-out in 2006, but now I really look forward to going to Gateway each week and I've been much more spiritually-minded, and I feel great about it! Finally, my last goal was to experience more art and culture, but after a great start last year, I kind of fizzled out. Overall, I had a great year, and I'm proud of my successful goals, and not too discouraged by the ones I missed! Of course, I have another list of goals for 2008, but I'll write about those next year. Actually, they are quite similar to last year (maybe a little more defined), and I'm filled with confidence that I can make them happen! While I'm on the topic of the New Year, my pal Kumiko gave me a special set of Disney New Year postcards from Japan. This is the Year of the Rat on the Chinese Zodiac, so Mickey Mouse is the perfect symbol for 2008! Labels: decluttering, disney, life |
| Music Moments | |
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12.19.2007
8:46 AM | Link0 comments |
 It's time for five more mini music reviews, featuring a little Disney, a little Christmas, and some Jpop, of course! I'll start with Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland, which is an amazing soundtrack re-recording that's only available via iTunes. I never realized that Disney made these studio recreations, but the sound quality and arrangements are fantastic compared to the original movie score. I actually prefer Kathryn Beaumont's cute English voice over Darlene Gillespie's, but she did a fine job (I think she was the most talented classic Mouseketeer)!After finishing up every last episode of Sailor Moon recently, I really wanted to have all the cheesy songs in my collection, so I was happy to discover Sailor Moon Super Best, which includes all the themes and other numbers from all seasons of the show. Some of these are actually cool ballads in a retro kind of way, especially if you appreciate the 70's style horns and strings (so different from anime soundtracks today!). But most importantly, I'll always enjoy singing Moonlight Densetsu! Each year I always buy myself a new holiday album, and this year I was persuaded by an iTunes sale to get Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics, featuring all of the South Park characters butchering classic Christmas carols as well as other songs that simply set a new standard for holiday irreverence! This CD is totally hilarious if you have an extremely open-minded sense of humor, and I have to admit that I love singing along with everyone's favorite magical Christmas poo! Now on to Jpop! I had to buy Morning Musume's All Singles Complete collection, even though I already had all of these songs on other albums, just because the concept and packaging was so cool, and it's worth it to me to have all of these songs in order on a nice CD set (which has been playing in my car for weeks now!). The bonus DVD, where each member chooses their favorite concert performance, has some great older footage that I hadn't seen before, but why did so many of them have to pick Do It Now? Maybe they just like holding the microphones upside down for the rap! Finally, I really like Morning Musume's new single Mikan, even though it's a pretty big jump stylistically from their previous two singles, but I guess it's time for a peppy, anime theme-ish song. I definitely enjoy the lyrics and the cool little piano licks, as well as Reina's lines in the final chorus (I thought it was funny when she mentioned them on Five Stars!). The video is lots of fun, too, but I have to say that I'm not a fan of eye reflection effects, and the little squares on their eyeballs make everyone look like robots! Labels: anime, cds, disney, jpop, morning musume |
| Enchanted : 4 of 5 | |
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11.25.2007
12:49 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've been so excited to see this movie, mainly because as an animation fan, Enchanted is especially important, since it's the first 2D traditional animation from Disney on the big screen in years! Since Enchanted is designed to celebrate and spoof the "Disneyness" of classic features, I was totally in love with the opening animated sequences - all of the wonderful artwork, characters, and music was there right before my eyes, and it was so fantastic to see. But aside from keeping the animation geek in me happy, Enchanted is actually a hilariously clever film that anyone can enjoy! It's a great story about animated characters being transported to the real world, where they have to struggle with the harshness of New York, but end up showing people that fairy tales actually do have value. There are some fantastic laugh-out-loud moments, such as a pigeon eating a cockroach right after tidying up the house with it, and Prince Edward's line "Thank you for taking care of my bride, peasants" had me rolling (right when I was getting misty-eyed as Giselle was saying good bye!). Disney references are totally overflowing (such as cameos from princess voice artists, little animation details, and tons of plot moments), and I had lots of fun finding them. I really don't have anything bad to say about Enchanted, except that I thought it could have used a little more heart-tugging at the end, but I'm fine with the light-hearted tone of the story. Go see it both for a fun time at the movies, and to remember what real animation is supposed to look like!
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| Remembering Walt / Favorite Memories of Walt Disney : 4 of 5 | |
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11.22.2007
6:06 AM | Link0 comments |
 Each year my cousin Clinton gives me an early Christmas gift, and amazingly, somehow he succeeds in selecting one of the few Disney books I don't already have! This year he gave me this wonderful book on Walt Disney himself, and I enjoyed every page. Although I've read so much about Walt and know a lot about his life, I actually haven't read a true biography, but in my opinion, this book is far better than any biography could be! Remembering Walt is a collection of quotes by people who knew Walt (family members, animators, Imagineers, and many others) - their anecdotes, things he did and said, and how they felt to work with him and after he was gone. Reading Walt's impact on their lives really shows who Walt was and what he accomplished, and it's all so inspiring! Along with the quotes, there are hundreds of photos, many of which I've seen, but several I haven't (including the best shot of Annette Funicello I've ever seen, and an incredible shot of Walt in Disneyland as they were planting the famous Storybook Land letters!). This book was so interesting that I had read the whole thing before I knew it, but I could easily see myself going back to enjoy it again. Understanding how Walt saw things and looking at why he did things the way he did is really uplifting to me, and definitely makes me think about my own life!
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| The Imagineering Field Guide to Disney's Animal Kingdom : 4 of 5 | |
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11.15.2007
8:12 AM | Link0 comments |
 I'm really a fan of the Imagineering Field Guide series (even though I still wish they were larger format books), so I was especially excited to read this latest volume about Disney's Animal Kingdom, which is the park I know the least about. Although the first section of the book is yet another reprint of background terminology, the rest of the book delivers with flying colors - in fact, it's my favorite of the series so far! Thanks to Joe Rohde and his team, Animal Kingdom has some of the most complex, symbolic, and fully back-storied theming of all of the Disney parks, and this book does a great job revealing the details. I was amazed to read about the care taken to choose even the animal motifs for shops and restaurants (I had no idea each room in Pizzafari has a different animal theme, such as "spots and stripes" or even "migratory animals"). I really enjoyed learning the complete back-story of the different lands, such as the history of Harambe in Africa, and I even finally understood the reasoning behind Dinoland U.S.A. (though it's still my least favorite land by far). There's lots of discussion and photos about hidden details that really make me want to go back to the park and explore! I didn't realize before that the tiger habitat ruins are a former king's palace, or that the new temple near the water in Asia matches the outline of the Expedition Everest mountain range! I also really enjoyed the artistic philosophy about the plant life in Animal Kingdom, which will continue to grow somewhat wild and change the look of the park over the years. I'm still hooked on these Imagineering Field Guides, and I can't wait for next year's release on Disneyland!
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| High School Musical / Zach Scott Theater : 4 of 5 | |
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11.07.2007
6:50 PM | Link0 comments |
 Being a hard-core, card-carrying Disney fan, I used to feel bad that I hadn't explored all the High School Musical hype. I just never got around to watching the movie on the Disney Channel or even listening to the songs (although I had heard a few during park visits), but I knew it was my Disney duty to check it out soon! Thankfully, Zach Scott Theater gave my pal Melinda and I the opportunity to enjoy this super popular phenomenon, and I totally loved it! The stage show was my first exposure to the story and music, so I couldn't compare it to the original movie at the time, but it was still a treat to see it onstage, actually performed in a school auditorium for extra atmosphere. The young performers that Zach Scott cast were all spectacular at dancing, singing and acting, putting lots of energy into their roles. The dance numbers were pretty complex, but they somehow managed to pull them off with no mistakes, including lots of synchronized basketball dribbling on Get'cha Head in the Game! I've finally seen the original movie now, so I can comment on a few blaring differences, such as portraying Sharpay's brother Ryan as flaming as possible, which made the character much funnier on stage than in the movie (if you ignore the questionable taste). Even though this was a local production, it definitely had the Disney mark, using official logos, stage music and so on – I wonder how Disney makes sure no theaters mess up their valuable property? They definitely had nothing to worry about with Zach Scott, since this particular High School Musical was a blast!
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| Super-fun Disneyland weekend | |
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10.17.2007
7:19 AM | Link0 comments |
 Last weekend I had a fantastic time in Los Angeles with my pal Dae, the best host on the West Coast! We went to the Disneyland Resort for two days, starting with Disney's California Adventure (which I hadn't been to in over a year). We had a really leisurely time at the park, taking a long lunch break with a couple glasses of wine just before riding Monsters Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue (which was even more fun after the wine!). It's a cool little attraction with fantastic theme details in the queue, and so much better than Superstar Limo was! After riding all the major attractions, we hopped over to Disneyland the same evening to take on the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage! We had to wait about 75 minutes, but it was worth it! Just seeing the subs in action was incredible, and going through that hatch and down the spiral staircase brought back a flood of memories. Who knows, I may have been sitting on the same seat I was in around 30 years ago! The new effects on the attraction are wonderful, and I was glad the shark scenes weren't too scary. I can't wait to ride it again each time I visit the park! We also rode Space Mountain that night, so we could avoid the biggest lines the next day.The next morning we hit Disneyland right at opening, and we were amazed at the crowds - definitely more than the average October attendance! But since we're Disney pros, it didn't matter - we still got to ride everything, including Haunted Mansion Holiday twice! I really enjoyed the new Pirate's Lair theme on Tom Sawyer Island, and it was fun watching watching an excellent Jack Sparrow actor stealing kids toys, looking through women's purses, and generally being a pirate. To top off the day, I beat Dae at Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (which hardly ever happens), thanks to a tip I read earlier in the week - go for the diamond-shaped targets! Our last day was a little rainy, but we had a nice lazy day anyway. We started with hitting some golf balls at a driving range, which was fun since I'm such a novice, and then we played cards at a coffee shop. Next we shopped Toys R Us, where Dae bought an RC helicopter, which we flew (and crashed) around his condo! Next we went to the movies, and finally we had our usual "break the budget" meal at a four-star restaurant called Nico's, which was pretty incredible! As always, it was a fantastic trip, and I'm already looking forward to doing it again! View photos: Disneyland 2007 View photos: Disney Pals 2007 View photos: Los Angeles 2007
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| The Kingdom Keepers / Ridley Pearson : 3 of 5 | |
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10.15.2007
7:46 AM | Link0 comments |
 It's been quite a while since I enjoyed a novel, so it was nice to read a good long story again (even if this one is written for young adult audiences!), especially one set in Walt Disney World! The Kingdom Keepers has a pretty interesting plot revolving around the idea that when enough people believe something, it can actually become reality. Since Walt Disney World is filled with kids who believe in Disney characters, it only makes sense that they would come to life, right? It turns out Walt knew this would happen all long, and so he hid clues and riddles throughout the parks to help handle this problem, and so a group of kids (with the help of an Imagineer) work together to solve this mystery, fighting off a real-life Malificent and her minions on the way! I loved reading descriptions of places and attractions that I know so well, and it was especially cool when totally unexpected things happen, such as the children figures on It's a Small World coming to life and swimming after the boat with their mouths chomping away (actually, I was a little surprised that Disney would let the author get away with something like that)! Thinking about what it would be like to swim through Splash Mountain, or sneak around in the exhibits of One Man's Dream, really made the book a page-turner for me, but without all the Disney references the story wouldn't have grabbed me nearly as much. Still, the writing is fast-paced and descriptive, and since this book is most likely starting a series, I can forgive the lack of character development. If you've always wanted to sneak around the Magic Kingdom at night and visit attractions in a whole new way, I definitely recommend The Kingdom Keepers!
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| Single device trip | |
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10.10.2007
9:04 PM | Link0 comments | I'm off to Los Angeles tomorrow, which means visiting my pal Dae and going to Disneyland! I'm really excited about hitting the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage for the first time, and of course I'm been going nuts trying to plan my strategy, which all the fans online seems to be divided about, but I know I'm going to ride it no matter what! I'm also pretty excited that this will be my first "single device" trip! I always used to take my cell phone, my Palm, and my iPod (and sometimes my Nintendo DS) on a trip, but this time I'm only taking my iPhone! I've got plenty of video podcasts loaded up to watch, plus a half and half mix of Disney music and Jpop to keep me going. And of course, if I need to look at my schedule or contacts or make calls, it's all there, too! It's so nice to be going with only one charger as well. Disneyland, here I come! |
| Nooooooo! | |
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9.30.2007
5:20 PM | Link0 comments |
 This movie should be buried, not re-released as a Special Edition! Cinderella 2 represents everything bad about Disney DVD sequels - it's the worst of the worst! There have been so many other sequels that I really enjoyed, but nothing as bad as this one. Even Hunchback of Notre Dame 2, with its barely TV cartoon quality animation, completely kicks Cindy 2's butt. This marketing decision had to have been set in stone before John Lasseter or someone with a brain could stop it. Cinderella 3 was ten times the movie - I was hoping that it would make people forget about this one. Oh well, I know they will sell mountains of these anyway.
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| Two kinds of Disney classics | |
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8.29.2007
7:32 AM | Link0 comments |
 Last week I enjoyed two different kinds of Disney movies, and became a big fan of both of them all over again! My pal Matt and I went to see Tron on the big screen at the Paramount Theater, which was projected in spectacular 70MM (the first time in Austin). I've been a Tron fan since I saw it opening day with Mom back in 1982, but Matt could barely remember the storyline, so it was great seeing his reactions to all the funny techno-speak, as well as the entire audience's appreciation of the amazing visuals. We decided to watch the DVD documentary afterwards, and I was amazed again at the work involved to make the film!On Sunday night, Jonathan and Matt came over for the usual TV watching, but surprisingly Jonathan asked if we could watch Lady and the Tramp! Of course, I would never turn down the chance to host a Disney screening, and I had a great time introducing the film with a bunch of background and trivia (and even a discussion of the animation process), and I think it enhanced the guy's enjoyment of the movie! We even stopped a few times to admire a Claude Coats background or some Frank Thomas genius character animation. I really enjoyed it, and I hope we might take a look at some other Disney classics sometime (which is definitely easy when you have all the animated features in your DVD library!). |
| Mikey's Mansion Mania | |
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8.25.2007
7:21 AM | Link0 comments |
 Remember my Disneyland Home Movies video that suddenly became semi-popular on YouTube? Well, the views just keep on coming, and now it's been watched over 18,000 times! My dad is a pretty famous camera man now, so maybe he should get an agent or something! I also mentioned a while back that I was contacted by DoomBuggies.com (the most amazing Haunted Mansion website ever) to use part of my video that shows some vintage exterior of the Mansion (and coincidentally, shows me throwing a fit since was too scared to go in). I just discovered that my video is now on the site, and I'm so proud and happy to give something to the Disney fan community! The video appears at the end of the History section of the site, way down near the bottom of the page - Mom and I look so nice! (This image is how the video appears, so visit the site to watch it!) I can't help feeling a little web-famous now, and thinking about Disneyland is really making me excited about going again later this year!
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| Cinderella 3: A Twist in Time : 3 of 5 | |
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8.14.2007
5:34 PM | Link0 comments |
 Since Cinderella 2 has gone down in history as the worst DVD sequel ever made (I can't even believe I gave it a 2 rating!), I probably wouldn't have taken the time to watch this DVD, but my pal Melinda (who is a Cinderella fan) loaned it to me, and this sequel is actually pretty entertaining! This time around the story team realized that you just can't have a story that takes place after "happily ever after", so in this plot the evil stepmother steals Fairy Godmother's magic wand and turns back time to the day after the ball. Using the magic wand, she makes the slipper fit on Anastasia's (one of the step-sisters) big foot, and even changes the prince's memories so he thinks he was dancing with her! There are lots of exciting moments as Cinderella and the mice try to get the wand back to fix everything, and some great humor, too (right down to the clinking sound of Anastasia walking around with one glass slipper on!). The songs aren't that special, and the story has a couple weird sections (mainly the prince actually understanding the talking mice, which is bizarre to me), but overall it's a fun idea. The animation is a pretty inconsistent - some scenes really look nice (such as Cinderella's expressions while she's being banished on the ship), while others are flat and awful. Of course, there are no documentary features here, just a really long and tedious game (but I played it anyway!). Now that Disney has made major changes with DisneyToon Studios, I can't imagine we will see many more of these DVD sequels, so it's nice that this one isn't too bad!
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| Walt Disney's Legacy Collection / True Life Adventures Vol 4 : 4 of 5 | |
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8.12.2007
9:14 AM | Link0 comments |
 I've finally finished all of the True Life Adventures DVD sets, and this last set was a fantastic way to end the series! The first disc contains two feature length films, starting with Secrets of Life, which focuses mainly on flowers and bugs, so there's lots of time-lapse and incredible macro photography. There's a fantastic long sequence about bees, showing everything from gathering pollen to making wax and honey, and even two potential queens fighting it out. Speaking of fighting, there's a long ant battle that's downright terrifying! Next is the only True Life Fantasy that Disney ever made, a story about a pine squirrel named Perri. The story came from a book by the author of Bambi (a real life Bambi even makes an appearance), but everything is shot with live animals, both in the wild and on set. Disney does an incredible job of imposing emotions (such as sadness, excitement, and even a little romance) on Perri the squirrel and all the other characters, using beautiful music and even choral songs. The technique is really incredible, and it's amazing that the photographers could spend three years getting all the right shots to complete their plot! The second DVD contains Nature's Half Acre (a True Life Adventures short), as well as loads of fascinating bonus material, including lots of behind the scenes footage of the making of Perri. There's also a couple of Disney TV shows with Walt talking about True Life Adventures in general and photographic techniques, plus a nice biography of Winston Hibler, famous for being the voice of the True Life Adventures, but also master of tons of other studio jobs (he even wrote the opening speech for Disneyland!). All four of these DVD sets were a joy to watch, and I've learned a lot about nature while being entertained!
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| Ratatouille : 5 of 5 | |
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7.01.2007
1:34 PM | Link0 comments |
 Writing this short review is really a joy, since I'm always happy to report on fantastic examples of the art of animation! In this case, Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille is much more than just an incredible animated feature, since it's a wonderful film with a story and characters that literally anyone will enjoy. My pal Melinda and I loved it (of course), but it was great to hear so many adults in the theater laughing right along with their kids (and often more than their kids!). The story of a rat with a passion to be a gourmet chef in Paris is already genius, but Pixar takes that story and weaves it together with romance, family situations, and some inevitable thoughts about following your dreams (but it never gets preachy). There are too many spectacular visuals to mention - the realistic hair, the even more realistic wet hair, the truly exciting scenes following Remy as he scurries through walls (it really gives you a rat's experience!), the beauty of Paris, and once again, Pixar's magnificent character design that will always be 1,000 times better than any over-human approach. Even the food looks amazing - this is a cartoon that will make you hungry! I think my favorite scene is when the bitter food critic Anton Ego takes his first bite of Remy's ratatouille dish - he is whisked back in time to his mother's kitchen and her home cooking, and the emotion packed into that brief moment was enough to make me misty eyed in only a few seconds. Ratatouille is beautiful, brilliant, and of course, entertaining. It's definitely the kind of movie that makes me proud to be a Disney/Pixar fan!
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| Walt Disney Treasures / More Silly Symphonies : 5 of 5 | |
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6.26.2007
12:28 PM | Link0 comments |
 I've finally finished watching all of the Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets from 2006! I saved More Silly Symphonies for last, since these cartoon shorts were my favorites from the first wave of DVDs, way back in 2001. The first DVD of this new set contains all black & white cartoons, beginning in 1929 with Hell's Bells (which is a pretty unexpected name for a Disney short!). All of these follow the original Silly Symphony idea, showcasing how animation can be synchronized to music, each with some kind of theme (there's a cartoon for each of the four seasons, for example). Lots of new techniques were pioneered in these shorts, and it's fascinating to see early effects such as glowing light, used in the streetlights in The Clock Store. The second DVD has the rest of the series in beautiful color, including classics such as The Goddess of Spring (which was training ground for Snow White). I really enjoyed the Christmas shorts, the hilarious antics of the Three Blind Mousketeers, and the clever operation scene in Broken Toys. Both discs have a From the Vault section for cartoons that include some kind of politically incorrect scene, but seeing these shorts intact is a must (even if you have to listen to Leonard Maltin's warning). I was especially impressed with the bonus documentary and wealth of commentary tracks, which really made this set feel like a Warner Bros. Golden Collection (in fact, many of the same animation historians are here!). The Silly Symphonies were a landmark series, far beyond the quality of other cartoons of their era, and watching these amazing classics is sheer entertainment for any Disney fan!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney's Legacy Collection / True Life Adventures Vol 3 : 4 of 5 | |
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6.03.2007
7:07 AM | Link0 comments |
 It's time to visit the big bronze globe again with another set of Disney's spectacular nature films! This collection seemed particularly jam-packed to me, with two feature length films as well as two more shorts (that aren't so sort!). The African Lion is definitely one of the most popular True Life Adventures, featuring all of the classic safari animals that are always so fascinating. Besides the mighty lion, there's the giraffe, rhino, and elephant to learn about, as well as lots of birds and baboons. The footage of huge hippos swimming effortlessly underwater is truly amazing, and I also enjoyed watching lionesses hunting as a team with great skill (although the carcasses they end up dragging around are seriously gross). But regardless of the spectacle of The African Lion, Jungle Cat is even more exciting! The Brazilian jungle is just so much more lush and spooky than the plains of Africa, and while the focus is on the jaguar, it's the supporting animals that amazed me. I never imagined that anteaters could fight, or that sloths can barely pull themselves along the ground if they fall from their tree! Next is Bear Country and The Olympic Elk, both really entertaining, and of course there is plenty of bonus material to round out the set, including some old TV segments about the photographers, plus more Animal Kingdom features. Seeing these movies really made me think about the Disneyland attractions they inspired, such as scenes from the Jungle Cruise and the old Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland - I just love enjoying a taste of Disney adventure!
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| Pirates of the Caribbean / At World's End : 3 of 5 | |
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5.31.2007
6:42 AM | Link0 comments |
 For the most part, I really enjoyed the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie, but unfortunately I think it could have been a much better film if the story had been simplified a bit. If you thought it took a little thinking to keep track of everyone's motives in Dead Man's Chest, you will go a little crazy trying to figure out At World's End, which has as many double-crosses as the Black Pearl has holes in its sails! All of the characters have a secret agenda, many of which have little effect on the main flow of the plot, so my advice is just to enjoy the amazing visuals and exciting action, and don't worry so much about everything else (definitely not how you would normally watch a Disney movie!). On the positive side, the battles are fantastic (I really enjoyed the wedding sequence), the huge special effects sequences (like the massive waterfall and the huge whirlpool) are totally cool, and seeing scraggly old Keith Richards make his appearance was actually much cooler than I thought it would be. I only spotted one line from the Disneyland attraction, but it was great to hear it, especially as delivered by Barbossa, who in many ways out-pirates Jack! Geoffrey Rush is really fantastic, shouting his pirate dialogue with sheer gusto. Johnny Depp is fun as always, although I wasn't too fond of the multiple-Jacks idea. The ending was a big surprise to me, since it's definitely not a typical happy ending, but it definitely wipes the slate clean for the next possible film. Even though this trilogy's final chapter is my least favorite, it still makes for an amazing theater experience!
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| The Island at the Top of the World : 3 of 5 | |
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5.27.2007
6:55 AM | Link0 comments |
 I've been such a Netflix slacker lately, since I rented this DVD back in January! I wanted to see this movie since I love Disney adventure stories, and The Island at the Top of the World definitely delivered - I was actually pretty surprised at all the action! The plot is about a wealthy Englishman who hires an American professor and a French inventor to travel to the Arctic to rescue his son (and they even pick up an Eskimo on the way). They travel in a huge dirigible called the Hyperion (nice Disney insider trivia there!), and just the voyage alone is pretty exciting, since they have to navigate around icebergs and eventually suffer a thrilling crash! They end up discovering a Viking village that has existed unchanged for thousands of years, and there's a ton of convincing Norse speech without subtitles, as well as great costumes and sets. Actually, nearly every shot is turned into a masterpiece by some terrific matte painting work (many by the legendary Peter Ellenshaw) - it's wonderful how the entire film is transformed by Disney's talented artists. There's still more action to enjoy, including a close scrape with volcanic lava, an underground icicle-filled cavern, and finally a battle with killer whales! I was really impressed with this movie, even though at times the acting was a bit stiff. Unfortunately, the ending is a little abrupt and kind of a let down, but I'd still recommend this film for fans of classic Disney 1970s action.
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| Walt Disney Treasures / The Hardy Boys : 4 of 5 | |
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6:32 AM | Link 0 comments |
 I wasn't sure how much I would really get into this particular Walt Disney Treasures DVD set, but once I got started, I couldn't stop watching it! The original black & white Mickey Mouse Club ran this serial for four weeks in 1956, and each episode is almost exactly eleven and a half minutes. Disney took one the original Hardy Boys books and transformed it a bit into The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure, and the result is incredibly enjoyable and fun (as well as addictive!). After a wonderful creepy theme song about pirates and doubloons, Frank and Joe (amazing child actors Tim Considine and Tommy Kirk) take the screen to solve their case involving stolen gold, a spooky mansion, and even railroad danger! The show is really well-made, with incredibly convincing neighborhood sets all built inside the studio, and the writing is fun, too (my favorite line is when Joe says, "I'd do anything to be a detective - even arithmetic!"). In addition to the complete serial, the entire Mickey Mouse Club episode that introduced the segment is included, along with some interesting info about the Hardy Boys books (which were actually written by a syndicate of different writers using the same pen name, which I never knew). Finally, there's a nice interview with the actors today, who are still energetic and full of memories, which is nice to see. I always feel nostalgic after watching a great series like this, even though I wasn't alive to experience those times - I think that just demonstrates that Disney quality is timeless!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
| Walt Disney Treasures / The Complete Pluto Vol 2 : 3 of 5 | |
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4.19.2007
6:52 AM | Link0 comments |
 I always enjoy the cartoon short collections in the Walt Disney Treasures series, and this second set of Pluto cartoons really went by quickly! Each DVD contains around 12 cartoons, and only the first DVD has true bonus material, but what's they've included is extremely good. There are two Master Class segments where Disney animators (including Andreas Deja) provide wonderful commentary on a Pluto short, with the ability to pause and repeat key scenes! This allows them to comment directly on unusual poses, point out inside jokes, and generally give the viewer a really personal look at some of the best Pluto shorts (including the wonderful Hall of Mirrors sequence in Bone Trouble). There's also an interesting segment called Pluto's Process, which combines pencil tests, storyboards, and layouts along with the finished cartoon - this kind of feature isn't really new, but the presentation is pretty unique. The cartoons themselves are really fun (though not as good as the first DVD set), typically pairing Pluto with some other animal (such as a seal, gopher, bee, turtle, or anything else) as an annoyance or buddy. My favorite is Pluto's Sweater, where Minnie knits Pluto a silly-looking fuchsia sweater that he can't stand, and he goes crazy trying to get it off while the other neighborhood dogs laugh at him! This cartoon also features Figaro the cat, one of my favorite characters from Pinocchio, and this set actually includes several Figaro cartoons as a bonus (I didn't even know these shorts existed)!Labels: disney, dvds, walt disney treasures |
