Geek-End Update, Saturday, November 14, 2009

This update covers 10/31-11/14

• TokyoMagic at Meet the World does some great reverse Theme Parkeology with some EPCOT in Anaheim.
• Disneyland Nomenclature takes a fascinating look at the etymology of the term Cast Member at Disneyland.
• Michael at Progress City, USA reviews the Sherman Brothers Songbook.
• Tony at the W.E.D. Page takes us back in time for a look at the Village Marketplace.
• DisneyShawn takes a detailed look at the Red Car.
• Kevin Kidney sahres the new Hot Car and the designs of a classic Disneyland vehicle.
• Cory Doctorow at Boing Boing looks at how the ambient sound at Walt Disney World was created.
• Daveland gives us more Studio and a Trip Report.
• Didier Ghez at Disney History points us to a great new blog.
• Paul F. Anderson at The Disney History Institute regales us with an oft-heard and admired tale.
• Samland reviews a book that I have not picked up yet, but I can't wait to read it!

Let's Visit Paradise Falls!

As part of the promotion of UP, Disney/Pixar has released 8 retro-style travel posters. Some of them are reminiscent of vintage Disneyland attraction posters and evoke the artistry of 1950's and 1960's Disney. I'm not sure if I can pick a favorite! Click on the image to see a larger view.

You can read my review of the book The Art of UP, here.

Balloon Science Fun!

Here is another Activity Sheet from Disney/Pixar that you can print out and share!

Balloon Science Fun!

• Helium has a lifting force of about 1 gram per liter.
• An average size party balloon is approximately 30cm (one foot) in diameter.
• It can hold approximately 14 liters.
• That’s 14 grams of lift power per balloon.
• Estimate and subtract the weight of the string and the latex balloon.
• Formula: 1 balloon = 10 grams of lift power.

How Many Balloons Would It Take To Lift:

Disney • Pixar’s Up Blu-ray Combo Pack?
At approximately 227 grams (or 0.5 lbs) in weight, it requires approximately 22 balloons to send the movie Up, up and away!

A Blu-ray Disc Player?
Most models weigh just over 2 kg (4.5 lbs.) which requires 200 balloons to add a whole new meaning to Blu-ray “high definition.”

Your Neighbor’s Dog?
A happy Labrador Retriever dog weighs in at about 32 kg (70 lbs). It would take approximately 3200 balloons to lift this furry friend off the ground.

The voice of Dug (the Dog) in the movie Up is actually the voice of Co-Director / Screenwriter, Bob Peterson.

A Bicycle?
The average bicycle weighs approximately 19 kilograms (or 42 lbs). You will need approximately 1,900 balloons to turn a 2-wheeler into an air-bike.

Before the Wright Brothers built their first flying airplane in 1903, they operated a small bicycle repair shop.

A Sumo Wrestler?
The average weight of a Sumo wrestler is approximately 148 kg (or 326 lbs). That means it would take about 148,000 balloons to send this guy Up.

Sumo wrestling was established as a national sport in 1909.

A Small House?
This figure can vary in terms of quantity of balloons given the size and scale of the house. Let’s say the house in Disney/Pixar ’s movie Up weighed about 46,000 kg (that’s 101,413 lbs). That means it takes approximately 4,600,000 balloons to send Carl's home Up and away!

Nearly 70 animators worked on the movie Up during peak production.

You can read my review of the book The Art of UP, here.

DVD Review: UP

Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-Ray]

I won't be posting a review of UP in this space; countless other bloggers and media outlets will be raving about it. Needless to say, if you didn't have the chance to see UP in the theaters, then you do need to see this movie!

Instead, I want to discuss the extras and why you should buy the combo pack--even if you don't own a Blu-Ray player, yet.

Dug's Secret Mission:

This is an amazing Pixar short that is, woefully, too short. It takes place right before Carl and Russell meet Dug and it ties wonderfully into the film. It will have you running around yelling "Squirrel" all day!

Partly Cloudy:

The hilarious short film that preceded screenings of Up. Everyone knows that the stork delivers babies, but where do the storks get the babies? The answer lies up in the stratosphere where the cloud Gus is a master at creating “dangerous” babies, which prove to be more than a handful for his local delivery stork Peck. Directed by Pixar story artist, animator and voice actor Peter Sohn.

Adventure is Out There:

This action-packed documentary tells the story of the filmmakers’ own trek to the tepuis mountains of South America to research the design and story of the film.

We weren't sure what to expect when we watched this documentary, but it turned out to be one of the best parts of the UP experience. The whole family mentioned that it made the tepui seem less fantastical and much more grounded in reality. We could relate to the flora and the environment of the South American scenes. Plus, it was fun to see all of the Pixar employees getting wet and how their drawings, sketches and paintings evolved into UP.

Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Download Combo Pack:

I have received review copies of the combo packs before and I absolutely love them! Basically, you get a Blu-Ray copy with all of the extras that only a Blu-Ray can provide, along with a DVD version of the movie (with some of the extras) and a digital version that you can watch on your computer or portable device. Everybody wins! You can have the DVD version for the kids' room or the car, the Blu-Ray for the good television and the digital version on the laptop so the kids can watch it on the flight to Walt Disney World. The Blu-Ray disc does contain ten additional features, behind-the scenes bonus features and games. Hours and hours of additional entertainment.

As a special bonus, here is a sheet provided by Disney/Pixar for your little adventurer (or yourself), entitled Adventures In Your Own Backyard!

Click on the image to see a larger version.

This movie will be a favorite for many generations to come and is helping to define character animation in the digital age.

SQUIRREL!

You can read my review of the book The Art of UP, here.

Book Update

I just received my copy of South of the Border With Disney: Walt Disney and the Good Neighbor Program, 1941-1948by JB Kaufman. It looks amazing and the reviews have been great.


The latest volume in the Walt's People series has arrived: Walt's People - Volume 8edited by Didier Ghez. It looks like Didier has compiled some more fantastic interviews. The print runs on Didier's works are never very large, so you should snap it up soon!

DVD Review: Walt Disney Treasures Zorro Seasons 1 & 2

• Walt Disney Treasures: Zorro - The Complete First Season
• Walt Disney Treasures: Zorro - The Complete Second Season

Out of the night,

When the full moon is bright,

Comes the horseman known as Zorro.

This bold renegade

Carves a "Z" with his blade,

A "Z" that stands for Zorro.

WOW! This is the perfect DVD set to introduce or re-acquaint yourself with Zorro. Growing up in the 1970's, I saw a few reruns of the 1957-1959 series and I knew about Zorro from the various films and pop culture references. I never had the opportunity to see them as presented on television, so I wasn't as familiar with the Disney series. When I popped in the first disc of my review copy of season one, I was hooked from the get go.

This is the first time that the entire two-season collection has been offered in its original black and white airing; previous releases were Disney Movie Club exclusives and had been colorized. I was surprised at the intelligence, warmth, humor and excitement in this 50-year old television series. You are immediately drawn into the characters and the plot lines.

Leonard Maltin introduces the set (as in all of the other Walt Disney Treasures) and he waxes poetically about the series. What caught my attention was when Maltin mentions that Zorro was a precursor to the Lone Ranger and Batman. As I watched the series unfold, I noticed the similarities: Don Diego de la Vega (Zorro) was a wealthy nobleman; he had a secret cave located under his hacienda; he had a faithful manservant that assisted his work; and he was a masked man that stood for justice. Bob Kane has said that Zorro was an early influence during the creation of Batman.

The series' writing was very comical. Don Diego's man-servant, Bernardo, was an immediate favorite. Bernado portrays himself as a deaf-mute in order to help spy for Zorro. The hapless Sergeant Garcia became as sympathetic as he was inept; it was obvious that his heart was in the right place. The following clip is a song sung by Sergeant Garcia and is a perfect example of the interaction between Don Diego, Garcia and the ancillary characters.

As expected, the series is full of swashbuckling action, daring sword fights, brazen and over-the-top villains, horse chases and beautiful senoritas.

This set is great family fun and will provide many hours of entertainment. I can't tell you how many sword fights that I have had with my sons since we started watching Zorro. Of course, we were using foam swords and I always played the evil Comandante!

This set will make a fantastic Holiday present for the Disney enthusiast in your family.

DVD Review: Mickey's Magical Christmas

Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed In at the House of Mouse November 3, 2009

Mickey's Magical Christmas is a re-release of the 2001 DVD feature. If you didn't have a chance to pick up a copy then, you can lay your gloves on this DVD treat that will become a family tradition for many years to come. I received my review copy and we waited until after Halloween to watch this one. It was a great way to start off our Christmas Holiday season!

The DVD is 65 minutes long and is filled with treasures that will delight everyone in your family.

In this full-length adventure, a huge snowstorm leaves Mickey, Minnie and many other friends stranded leading Mickey and his guests at the House of Mouse to whip up an impromptu party that includes instilling a “Humbug”-quacking Donald Duck with the holiday spirit. Everyone shares their home movies and even grumpy Donald starts to smile when they realize the “Best Christmas of All” is the one you share with friends and family.

Throughout the episode, Mickey and the gang do their best to spread holiday cheer. Lucky for us, there are some classic holiday shorts mixed in with the newer House of Mouse shorts. The highlights are the 1952 Pluto's Christmas Tree and the 24-minute 1983 version of Mickey's Christmas Carol.

The first bonus feature of the disc is the premiere episode of The House of Mouse. This is a charming look at the beginning of the series and you get a sense of the creativity and talent of this short-lived series. The second bonus is The Sounds of Christmas-a Disney Sound Effects Featurette featuring the late Wayne Allwine, voice of Mickey Mouse for over 30 years. In the featurette, Wayne retells Twas the Night Before Christmas with the help of a few children providing sound effects.

Taken purely as a DVD aimed at fans of the holiday season, you can't go wrong with this title. The animation (except for Pluto's Christmas Tree and Mickey's Christmas Carol) is decidedly "made for television" and seems quite jarring, choppy and immature next to the classic animated segments. I am glad that I was able to add it to my collection, though, and I look forward to sharing it with my kids over the next few years.

For other Disney Holiday animation, you can read my review of the Walt Disney Animation Collection Classic Short Films: Mickey's Christmas Carol.

Geek-End Update, Saturday, October 31, 2009

• Scott at Destination: Disney has scanned a 1973 Nighttime brochure for Walt Disney World.
• Matterhorn at Stuff From the Park posts an image of an early Peter Pan ride layout.
• Disney Shawn takes us through the Servant's Quarters at the Haunted Mansion.
• Comics Worth Reading looks at some favorite Disney reading.
• Congrats to Major Pepperidge at Gorilla's Don't Blog on his 1,200th post!
• Richard at Photos From the Parks offers some questions on the entrance way to Tomorrowland. He also shoots the defunct Tangaroa Terrace.
• Matterhorn at Stuff From the Park posts some pre-Fantasyland illustrations done by Bruce Bushman.
• Samland's Disney Adventure takes a peak at the Haunted Mansion LP. He also delves deeply into the Disneyland Haunted Mansion Pet Cemetery.
• 5 Kingdoms takes a look at Four Corners from around the globe!
• Cory at BoingBoing links to a Homebrew backyard railroad that recreates Disneyland.

I hope that you have been checking out the great photos from FoxxFur and PeterRabbit over at Luau Cove Marina. They post three images a week and their shots are truly unique. Foxxfur is the owner of Passport to Dream Old & New--she is one of the foremost experts in themed design and her posts are always eye-opening and intellectually inspiring.

This is one of my favorite shots from the past week:

Walt, El Grupo and North Carolina!

Michael Crawford, at the awesome Progress City, USA, has posted information about bringing the film Walt and El Grupo to North Carolina.

I have one last note, for our readers in North Carolina and southern Virginia. Some of us in the area are looking for a local theater that is willing to screen Ted Thomas’s Walt and El Grupo. So far, the closest engagements have been in Washington, D.C., but the filmmakers would love to get it in a wider release. As the best independent theatre in the area is the Carolina Theatre in Durham, we thought we’d focus our efforts there. If anyone reading this is in the region and is interested, please drop the theater a call or an email and ask them to book the film!

Call the Administrative offices at 919-560-3040.

Film suggestions should be sent to Phil Seib, the Cinema Operations Manager. Phil's e-mail address is phil@carolinatheatre.org.

Geek-End Update, Saturday, October 24, 2009

• Daveland starts a new Saturday series. Looks great so far!
• Jerry at Cartoon Brew reviews a fascinating new book by J.B. Kaufman.
• Michael Barrier looks at a familiar picture from the Disney Commissary.
• Foxxfur at Passport to Dreams Old & New discusses Fantasyland the Second.
• Michael Crawford at Progress City, USA has scanned a 1978 map of Ft. Wilderness.
• Tony at the W.E.D. Page looks at Extinct Tastes from Around the World...Beaver Tales.
• Early Amusement Parks of Orange County has some Disneyland construction photos.

DVD Review: The Legend of the Seeker

Legend of the Seeker: The Complete First Season 2009, five discs, 22 episodes.

This was a series that completely swept by me undetected last year. A friend recommended that I try it and I had it added to my Netflix queue. When I was given the opportunity to receive a review copy, I jumped on it. I am very glad that I did!

The television show was produced for syndication by ABC Studios and distributed by Disney-ABC Studios. There are some hefty names attached to the series: Sam Raimi (of Spiderman fame) produced and developed the series; Robert Tapert (Xena: Warrior Princess); and Terry Goodkind (author of the Sword of Truth series of books). The series is based on the events in the Sword of Truth book series and like most adaptations, follows the books as closely as possible. Since the show is a one-hour weekly broadcast, the producers followed the overarching storyline and did their best to stay true to the characters created by Terry Goodkind.

In the province known as Westland, a wizard reveals to ordinary woodsman Richard Cypher (played by Craig Horner) the truth: that he is a child of prophecy, the first true Seeker the world has known in a thousand years, destined to wield the powerful Sword of Truth and defeat the evil tyrant Darken Rahlan. A mysterious woman named Kahlan Amnell (played by Bridget Regan), and a wizard named Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander (played by Bruce Spence) join the Seeker on his quest.

The first two episodes feel rather awkward, but by the third one we were drawn into the series and the characters. Some of the events and characters felt rather like a cliche until the world of the Seeker expanded and we met other characters while learning the powers of the Wizard, the Confessor and the Seeker. The characters grow and you truly start to care for them and the relationships they are creating.

The action scenes during the first half of the season are all played in slow-motion, which helps tone down the gore of fighting with swords. The scenes are intense and would probably be too much for anyone under age ten. I thought the special effects were outstanding for a broadcast television show and added to the story instead of detracting from it. The show was filmed in New Zealand and takes advantage of the beautiful scenery; you never quite get the feeling that it is taking place in our world. I marveled at how the female lead (Kahlan) was able to keep her Confessor's robes so white--especially during fight scenes and running through the forests. Maybe the wizard had a great dry cleaning spell!

If you are a fan of action/fantasy shows, the Lord of the Rings movies or sci-fi/fantasy novels, then you will love this show. Terry Goodkind fans will be pleased; he has given the show his stamp of approval and is working with the writing team on each episode.

The second seasons starts on November 7!

Geek-End Update, Saturday, October 17, 2009

This update covers 10/4 to 10/16.

• Futureprobe has linked to a video with the new spiel for the TTA, er, Peoplemover.
• Kevin Kidney shares the amazing new Enchanted Tiki Room Collectibles that he and Jody Daily created. He also posts about the Giant Cell in the Upjohn Pharmacy.
• Martin's Videos has created a 47-minute video tribute to ImageWorks.
• Disneyland Postcards has a look at a great postcard from 1964.
• Richard at Photos From the Parks takes a look at the Fort Wilderness Marina.
• Didier Ghez at Disneyland History posts a review of the Walt Disney Family Museum.
• Michael Crawford at Progress City USA looks back at the Worldkey Information Systems.
• Tony at the W.E.D. Page has some great shots of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
• Scott at Destination:Disney encourages us to see Here Comes the Muppets!
• Daveland shares an interesting Casey Jr. photo and a story about Ward Kimball.
• Alian Littaye at Disney and More has posted an amazing interview he did with John Hench.
• Foxxfur and PeterRabbit have a great shot of the Contemporary and Bay Lake Tower at Luau Cove Marina.
• Have you seen the scans from the cover of the new Game Informer about Epic Mickey? I can't wait for this one.