Tag Archives: Disney

Iron Man 2 – Century 20 @ Bella Terra, Huntington Beach, CA

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Freaking amazing. The entire cast and crew do a fantastic job.

Does Disney even exist in the Marvel universe? Was that an awkward moment at the Disney-buys-Marvel-negotiations? “Um yeah…Howard Stark replaces Walt Disney in our universe”

RICHARD SHERMAN WROTE THE JINGLE USED IN THE ARCHIVED STARK EXPO FOOTAGE (it’s called “Make Way for Tomorrow Today”). EEEEE!

Jon Favreau must really love AC/DC as he features them very prominently in both Iron Man movies so far.

Sam Rockwell ALWAYS seems so sleazy to me.

I know the strawberry vendor! He was in Torrance Cultural Arts Center’s summer production South Pacific (circa 2002) as Stewpot! Ha! It’s always fun to pick him out in movies. He was in one of the Fast and The Furious trailers as the truck driver who’s rig is being dismantled while he’s driving it.

Having read some reviews, my language/opinions have been slightly tainted/biased, but there are still some things worth saying. In comic book movies, the antagonist plays almost as important a role as the protagonist. That being said, Sam Rockwell’s character mucked up the works a bit in terms of antagonist just like in the first film you had the leader of the 10 Rings being one of the antagonists. Whiplash (expertly played by Mickey Rourke) was a pretty awesome antagonist though…shame Sam Rockwell had to steal his thunder.

The thing I love the very most about both Iron Man movies is the holographic/3-D tech (AKA Jarvis). It’s very fun to imagine such an interactive computing experience when right now we’re just goofing around with tech akin to the dummy robot that keeps futzing about (to great one-liners from Robert Downey, Jr.).

The Princess And The Frog – AMC 12 Downtown Disney, Anaheim, CA

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YES! That’s what sums up this movie at the end of the day for me – it was such a wonderful experience to watch that I can barely express it! I mean it’s New Orleans jazz! It’s Goliath the Gargoyle singing, dancing and casting voodoo spells! It’s got Jim Cummings as an adorable, endearing Cajun firefly – reusing his Jambalaya Jake from Darkwing Duck voice! It’s got a story that rips your heart out, stomps it all over the floor, laughs at you, and then perfectly sews it back up and makes you laugh with joy!

Rule Number One of the bayou – never ask directions from a gator. I got confused by the typography, geography…choreography!

Gator down!

Look in the gumbo!

I’ve been looking for you all morning! What a coincidence! I’ve been avoiding you all morning!

Disney is doing a decent and amazingly fun thing by tying in the movie at their theme park (at least Disneyland) with Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee, but watching the movie I couldn’t help but do some armchair Imagineering – I listened to the firefly’s warming up for “Gonna Take You There” and I could just picture a New Orleans style Country Critter Jamboree. I looked at Mama Odie’s boat-in-a-tree-house and I saw a revamp of Tarzan’s Treehouse.

I’m pretty sure Muskers and Clement gave themselves cameos again (as bead tossers during the Mardi Gras finale).

In Tiana’s restaurant, the featured band is Firefly Five Plus Lou, which is a direct reference to the Disneyland band Firehouse Five Plus Two that was composed entirely of Disney animators including Ward Kimball and Frank Thomas! :-D

Amazing string of A-list celebrities in bit parts! Oprah Winfrey as Tiana’s mother Eudora (the best seamstress in New Orleans). Terrence Howard as Tiana’s hard working father. John Goodman as ‘Big Daddy’ La Bouff [any relation Shia? ;-) ]. Emeril Lagasse as…a gator?

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC BY RANDY NEWMAN! AND HE DIDN’T MAKE ME CRINGE BY SINGING ANY OF THE SONGS! YAY! Sorry that’s my own personal bias – he’s a great composer/performer, but his singing makes me cringe. Pretty, pretty New Orleans jazz!

Let Disney know that John Lasseter isn’t crazy with all this 2-D animation nonsense the only way a lot of Disney executives understand – by buying a ticket and seeing this adorable movie! You won’t regret it!

Mary Poppins – Ahmanson Theatre

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Wow…Ashley Brown AND Gavin Lee! Absolutely amazing performances!

I love how Bert is completely in control of the set and lighting – at least when Mary lets him.

During “Jolly Holliday”, a couple in the chorus were wearing the film version costumes! Well at least Dick Van Dyke’s costume…Julie Andrews’ costume was trimmed down (at best). I really like Mary and Bert’s costumes (pink dress and purple tux – but not pimpish…English).

She actually said supercalifragilisticexpialidocious backwards! And so did Bert! And then they spelled it out! To be fair I’m quite fond of Ms. Andrews’ recitation and Mr. Van Dyke’s “indubitably”.

No loving to laugh? No man with a wooden leg named Smith? Sure I’m satisfied with the show’s conclusion, I just love that song. Similar fate for the Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, Grubbs, Fidelity Fiduciary Bank and Stay Awake. I like the replacement …I just miss it.

OMG!!! Step In Time! Gavin Lee should you tire of Bert (not that we want that or anything), can you do a Fred Astaire musical? Or is it really Cameron Macintosh’s flair? I don’t care…it’s beautiful!!!

What kind of crowds attend the theatre? As we exited the theatre we noticed lots of litter as well as several empty beer bottles scattered about the theatre. But everybody dressed up for the theatre! It was so confusing! And we had the guy in front of us humming along to the songs from the movie (about half the songs in the show were adapted into fuller musical numbers with elements from the books).

A musical that’s practically perfect in every way!

Up – Century 20 @ Bella Terra, Huntington Beach, CA

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A fitting 10th film for Pixar, Up is a delightful and charming story with action, adventure, suspense and vistas to knock your socks off! The 3-D experience (while not granting us a viewing of the new short Partly Cloudy…at least not at the midnight, 3-D showing) was extremely well worth the extra cash. It creates more depth and realism in the film…big action sequences look even bigger and tender moments are revitalized with a deeper clarity.

I wasn’t very excited by the trailers before this film…I mean Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs looked fun the first time, but 3-D didn’t really add anything to it…I’m bored by the Ice Age 3 teaser with Scrat…but I can’t complain too much. Can’t be too much of a wet blanket because the trailers are only 20 minutes out of a two hour presentation. Oh yeah! And especially since they gave us a 3-D teaser for Toy Story 3. I mean, I knew Toy Story 3 was coming (despite all the politics of Disney v. Pixar), but this teaser makes me very excited!

Features the voice talents of Ed Asner (Carl Frederickson), Christopher Plummer (Muntz), Delroy Lindo (Beta the Dog) and co-director/storyman Bob Peterson as Dug (SQUIRREL!) AND Alpha! So exciting!

3-D is SOOOO pretty! It was especially cool with the Disney logo and seeing all the additional detail in the background. And the Pixar logo is incredible!!! It could be described as a simple camera rotation, but it’s eye-popping in 3-D!

The music is once again phenomenally orchestrated by Michael Giacchino. Not to say that there’s anything wrong with Randy or Thomas Newman, but Giacchino’s work is a perfect fit for this adventure. The soundtrack takes you on a highlight tour of the film and you can see it in your head…it’s just beautiful!

Pixar has done it again!

Life isn’t a destination, it’s the journey.

Disneyland

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As we went through the bag checking line, one of them announced, “Please have your-happy birthday-bags open and ready for inspection”. When I got to him, I complied, but slyly threw in that I didn’t have any happy birthday bags and he chuckled. Yay!

Really great host for the last Tiki Room show of the day..when we cheered loudly, he replied, “That makes the Tiki gods smile!”. Awesome!

Great tram announcer on our way out…asked about birthdays and anniversaries (coincidentally it was our 17 month anniversary) and engagements and congratulated the birthdays and anniversarys but for engagements he said good luck! Tee hee!

Walt Disney World Vacation

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8 days in Florida – August 23rd – August 30th

August 23rd – Saturday – Flight to Orlando via Phoenix and New Orleans

Wendy’s drive through

Elaborate presentation to hook us on to a timeshare/condo presentation

Wendy’s and The Full Monty

August 24th – Sunday – Relax

Day off – no theme parks, just a timeshare/condo presentation sale + free breakfast + discounted Arabian Nights tickets (Medieval Times with more horses)

Exploration, gather our wits, buy supplies, watch movies (Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day)

We also (?) headed to the Grand Floridian to discover the magic of “Self Parking” where-in you can park your car just a short walk from the Grand Floridian Hotel’s Monorail station which can take you to the Magic Kingdom or the Ticket and Transportation Center, where you can catch another monorail to EPCOT or buses to any of the theme parks, water parks, shopping districts and hotels encompassed by the Disney World title.

The Crab House for dinner

August 25th – Monday – Disney’s Hollywood Studio – worst park ever award despite awesome vintage buildings

Parked in Self Parking, took the monorail from the Grand Floridian to the TTC and hopped on the bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studio (formerly Disney’s MGM Studios, but they lost the right to the name…c’est la vie…). Along the way, Laura discovers there’s a Disney pin stuck in her shoe (“Good Girl” Daisy).  Luckily it didn’t stab her foot.  We pulled it out, added it to our collection and headed on our way.

First stop was the gift shop right at the entrance to purchase a pack of 5 pin backings for only 4 bucks! Great deal and now we don’t feel bad about executing a pin trade!

Toy Story Mania fast passes and Pixarland Photos

Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian

  • It was really good – the cast member portraying Prince Caspian was really close to Ben Barnes and was in character the whole time.

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

  • Ariel wouldn’t sing along with the track damn it. I know you’ve gotta have monitors on stage….can you hear that you’re half a note behind the track?

Lights, Motors, Action 11 am show for Monday only is a misprint

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular 11am

  • After Indy got hit by the giant boulder, random people who had been in the tech booth ran onto the stage to make sure Indy was ok. For a moment (to unitiated viewers like Laura), it was unclear whether something had gone genuinely wrong with the performance or that this was part of the performance.

Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage 11:45 am

  • Sucked much more than Voyage of the Little Mermaid for mostly the same reasons….that and the silly wave-the-magic-carpet-and-POOF! “special effects”

Tried to eat at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre Restaurant, but it was too long a wait, so we had our sandwiches outside the ABC Commissary

Star Tours Fast Passes

The Great Movie Ride

  • Fun ride

Star Tours

  • Every single ride shunted us into a gift shop.

Dessert (it’s hot) at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre

Toy Story Midway Mania

  • The queue is amazing! AND they get Potato Head! What the deuce Imagineers?
  • We got to the next level in the scoring system (moved up from Beaver to Cat) and Laura won again (but only by 600 points)

Gift Shop wandering

Muppet Vision 3-D

  • Wow – the same thing in California – sure it’s the original…but it’s still the same bloody thing

Lights, Motors, Action – 4:30pm

  • Or in our case, Lights, Motors, Inaction since it got canceled halfway through…apparently the hero car sprung a leak and covered the asphalt with oil, making it unsafe to continue the performance. Now we both understood that it’s a stunt show and that safety ALWAYS comes first, but the way in which the cast handled the canceled show was of a non-Disney caliber (it completely lacked the Disney touch we’ve come to expect). Let me explain. Due to miscommunication, the second stunt was not executed properly, but they showed us video of what was supposed to happen. Then as they start to set up for the next stunt (including introducing a stuntman up on top of a building), they announce that they have to delay the execution of the next stunt while they do…something. After 15-20 minutes of just sitting and waiting, they announce that due to the oil leak, they have to cancel the rest of the performance. No video of the rest of the stunt, no consolation prize of the stuntman jumping off the building…just a complete cancellation. Needless to say we were very upset.  To be continued…

Studio Backlot Tour

  • While waiting in line for the water tank, I dashed out of line and got nuts and soda, making it back just in time
  • The water tank was merely a demonstration and not an interactive one (with no explanation given)
  • Catastrophe Canyon bore a striking resemblance to Universal Studios Backlot Tour (big rig catches on fire, slides towards you and then a giant flood)

RAIN! Yay! We hadn’t packed our rain jackets that day, but luckily we had packed an umbrella – so we shielded the electronics in my backpack and went for a stroll in the rain! We both enjoyed it very much regardless of our wetness.

  • Quite a few people huddled under overhangs smiled at us as we had fun in the rain

Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream

  • Ducked in for a brief respite from the rain.  Although it’s the same video they brought to California Adventure to commemorate Walt’s 100th birthday, its Julie Andrews doing the dialogue instead of Michael Eisner (HUGE improvement). And the even better part is that it wasn’t just the movie as it was in DCA….there were 2 hallways chock full of exhibits and memorabilia from Walt’s life before the film. We were disappointed that we had to go watch the movie it was so incredible…especially since the Cast Member on site didn’t emphasize that the movie plays continuously and was just trying to shuffle people through the exhibit.

The Magic of Disney Animation

  • Instead of just shuffling into the attraction like everybody, I pulled Laura aside and led her through the beautiful queue the Imagineers had put together (which was chained off and unused – and is unused a large portion of the time). It was chock full of concept art from the Disney Animated cannon.
  • Then we went inside for the Mushu show from DCA + a trailer for Bolt (irony thy name is Chris Sanders). The post-show area mimics the animation building in DCA. Nice display on WALL-E.

Veto Playhouse Disney – Live On Stage!

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 7:30 pm

Talk with Fantasmic cast member about possible cancelation

  • Apparently the big concern isn’t rain, but the thunder and lighting that was prevalent throughout most of the storm…it wasn’t that close to the park, but it was still very dramatic and exciting.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Fast Passes

Sounds Dangerous – Starring Drew Carey

Fantasmic 8:30 pm

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster 9:45 pm

  • Brilliant music merge of Love In An Elevator and Walk This Way.  Wander about the gift shop trying to find the soundtrack, but all they offer is Aerosmith CD’s.

Tune-In Lounge (inside 50’s Prime Time Café) for dinner

At the end of the day, we headed into the Guest Services Area to lodge our complaint about Lights, Motors, (In)Action.  After explaining everything (we know it’s a stunt show, safety first, less than Disney quality), the Cast Member offered us free re-admission later on in the week so we can see it again (since we didn’t buy Park Hopper tickets, only 1-day, 1-park tickets)!  Yay Disney!

August 26th – Tuesday -Disney’s Animal Kingdom (celebrating its 10th year by doing nothing)

Parked in Self Parking, took the monorail from the Grand Floridian to the TTC, made our way to the bus depot and hopped on the bus to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

First objective: Kilimanjaro Safari

  • Detour at store outside of security check – purchase cool-looking, Walt Disney World straw hat and execute Laura’s first pin trade (“Good Girl” Daisy for Pirate Lord Jack Sparrow’s Flag)
  • Security check/Front gate
  • Dawdle at shopping cart to left of main entrance
  • Get selected for test of GPS navigation system programmed for the park
  • Forge ahead to Africa and Kilimanjaro Safari
  • 20 minute standby line and all aboard

After the Safari, wander through the Pangani Trail and discuss our differing views of zoo goggling

Wander towards Asia

Photopass on backside of Tree of Life (baby Simba)

Catch Flights of Wonder bird show

Expedition Everest Fast Passes for 12:25

Finding Nemo musical – phenomenal

Wander back to Asia to check out Kali River Rapids – shutdown, no forecast on re-opening

Purchase awesome China hat (it looks like the one Kiera Knightly wears in PotC3) and Indian Chai Tea, Laura puts her Cap’t Jack pirate flag pin on her hat

Purchase liquidation and enjoy our packed lunch

Wander over to Dinoland U.S.A.

Dinosaur – Countdown to Extinction

  • Ride photo doesn’t go on Photopass discussion with cast member

Primeval Whirl

Expedition Everest (third time we’ve wandered back to Asia)

Kali River Rapids open again – we go down the falls backwards and get completely drenched

Maharaja Jungle Trek – oooh a tiger….and a kid making convincing monkey sounds

Fake argument with Dream Team Cast Member after passing him a second time at the Jungle Trek about not getting my dream twice

Purchase Chai Freeze (AMAZING!) and wander to Discovery Island

Run into Ken (he blessed my sneeze) who gave us GPS and give him two recommendations

1. Slightly larger cover for unit so that it doesn’t just flip open

2. Ability to clear “directions” once location is reached

More photopass from front of Tree of Life

Wander into Camp Minnie Mickey

Ask Cast Member about Festival of Lion King – more like the musical than the puppet show that Mickey’s Philharmagic replaced

Laura steals GPS and navigates us to a gift shop on the way out

  • Discovery of INCREDIBLE shot glass in gift shop – GPS starts beeping that it’s being stolen if Laura moves near the register

Turn GPS in outside Guest Relations

Stand in line at Guest Relations to say that Nemo was incredible, but cast member says just e-mail the company (was willing to accept cast member compliment, but not general compliment)

Walk out to the bus stop

Grand Floridian Dancing

Navigate to Arabian Nights

  • Get inside and redeem the free booze coupons while the preshow magician breaks out of a straightjacket and makes lots of racially and sexually charged jokes
  • An interesting show about an Arabian Princess and an evil villain, gypsies, cowboys, etc. Look at all the pretty horses!

August 27th – Wednesday – Epcot – Future World

Self-Parking, monorail to TTC, another monorail to Epcot…whoo!

Test Track Fastpass

Coffee + Cast Member John

Ellen’s Energy Adventure

Mission: SPACE (Green Team)

Test Track

International Gateway to Hollywood Studios

  • We figured we could interupt this day most easily as Epcot Future World isn’t as large (individually) as any of the other parks at the resort.  So we walked through Canada and UK and grabbed a boat to Disney’s Hollywood Studios!  Stand in line at Guest Services, get our re-admission tickets and in we go!

Lights, Motor, Action

  • Wow!  The show’s really impressive when everything works!  ;)

Rock’n’Roller Coaster

  • Lindy Bomb!
  • I was less impressed with the music selection this time because apparently it’s randomized!  That was quite a revelation to me, but explains why there’s no singular soundtrack to the ride and giving it incredible re-rideability.

One Man’s Dream

  • Finish wandering about the exhibit, then walk into the theatre and push open the doors (temporarily blinding patrons of the theatre and washing out the screen, but we weren’t going to wait…)

Boat to Swan and Dolphin hotel, walk to Boardwalk

  • Investigate Atlantic Dance Hall – no swing anymore, but there’s Jelly Roll’s Dueling Pianos across the way…
  • Go into Boardwalk Hotel to ask about dancing – no swing anymore
  • Crappy Boardwalk photos, the stupid photo booth lied
  • Walk back to Epcot

Journey Into Imagination

Leapfrog fountains

Strawberry Lemonades

The Land Pavillion

Soarin’ Fastpasses

Timon and Pumbaa movie

Boat Tour

Soarin’

The Seas

  • Mr. Ray’s Pop Quiz

Spaceship Earth

  • By the time we got off the ride and to a computer to send our photo, we had already missed our chance. No fair! But it’s late and we’re too tired to talk to a cast member about it.

Monorail to TTC, Monorail to Grand Floridian, live music!, drive home

August 28th – Thursday – Epcot – World Showcase

Self-Parking, monorail to TTC, another monorail to Epcot…whoo!

Initially tried to drink our way around the world, but ended up very short of that goal.

Mexico

  • Explore Mexican figure exhibit
  • Excellent boat ride utilizing the Three Caballeros
  • Margarita slushes (free one for Laura’s first visit)

Norway

  • Swing dancing! There was a Norwegian band playing local music and it was totally danceable so we busted a move. At the end of the song, they acknowledged us and they knew swing dancing! They played “O Lady Be Good”!
  • Traditional Norway food (lefse) – kind of the European churro (goes great with margarita slushes)
  • Explore Norwegian church and exhibit on Viking leaders
  • Maelstrom boat ride and video on Norway

China

  • Exhibit with terra cotta warriors
  • Reflections of China video
  • Green Tea Alcohol Slushie

African outpost thing

  • Examine world pins

Germany

  • Lunch
  • Shopping

Italy

  • Window shopping

America

  • Disney World Soundtrack
  • American Adventure

Japan

  • Tin Toy exhibit
  • Window shopping

Morocco

  • Explore
  • Alcohol

France

  • Tried talking to a waiter about getting food to go and she was so stand-offish that I was afraid to ask more questions
  • Impressions de France
  • Laura grabbed some Tartine (French pizza) while I went back to Impressions de France to film our vivacious host, she found the servers to fit the rude, snooty French stereotype

Grand Floridian Dancing

We missed the Canadian band! Damn!

United Kingdom

  • Visit the pub for a pint
  • Window shopping

Canada

  • Window Shopping
  • O Canada!

 

August 29th – Friday – Magic Kingdom

Swiss Family Treehouse

Magic Carpets of Aladdin

Jungle Cruise

The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management

Pirates of the Caribbean

Big Thunder Mountain Fastpass

Splash Mountain

Big Thunder Mountain

Tom Sawyer Island

Country Bear Jamboree

Peter Pan’s Flight Fastpass

Mickey’s Philharmagic

It’s A Small World

The Haunted Mansion

Liberty Square Riverboat

The Hall of Presidents

Peter Pan’s Flight

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh Fastpass

Walkthrough – Mickey’s Toontown Fair

Pooh’s Playful Spot – Pin trade with Dream Team Cast Member

Mad Tea Party

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm

Space Mountain Fastpass

Stitch’s Great Escape

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

Tomorrowland Transit Authority (PEOPLEMOVER!!!)

Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor

Snow White’s Scary Adventures

Dream Along With Mickey

Space Mountain

Mickey’s Philharmagic

Wishes

 

August 30th – Saturday – Flight Home

Jersey Boys, Across the Universe, Misbehavin’ Nightly, Pajama Game and Enchanted (i.e. The Past Three Weeks In Entertainment)

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Jersey Boys
The show is a lot of fun. The story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, it’s definitely rated R (they’re from f*ckin’ Jersey after all), but a lot of fun. It’s a biopic musical! Well then again, all biopics about music stars are musicals…I just don’t think I’ve seen the jukebox musical format applied as a biopic and I love it!

Across the Universe
Wow, two jukebox musicals in one week? You’d think I’d be sick of it, but I’m actually having a heck of a time. Across the Universe is the jukebox movie-musical (has that been done before?) starring the Beatles and an incredibly talented cast (definitely triple threats). Directed by Julie Taymor (the “person” responsible for The Lion King musical), the movie is very enjoyable and taught me a lot of Beatles music. The soundtrack is amazing! It’s chock full of musical goodies and I’ve had a 7-song playlist on loop for days of my favorites (I’ve Just Seen A Face, I Am The Walrus, I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends, Hey Jude, Dear Prudence, All You Need Is Love and Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite) and it hasn’t gotten old yet!

Misbehavin’ Nightly feat. The Pacific Symphony Pops and Byron Stripling
It’s Flat Foot FLOOGIE, not flujie. Aside from that, Byron is an incredibly talented musician. About the only sad parts about this performance was that:
a) I couldn’t dance to any of the tunes (even though I brought my dance partner) because it’s a concert hall and that isn’t “appropriate”
b) I actually bothered the people in the seat next to me with my boisterous attitude (they didn’t come back after intermission – at least not to their assigned seats…)
Other than that I had an incredibly enjoyable time. Lots of incredible music.

Duke Ellington The Essential Ellington
Various Sounds of New Orleans
Rodney Red Arrow
Delange/Alter Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans
Handy St. Louis Blues
Pinkard Sweet Georgia Brown
Duke Ellington Caravan
Irving Berlin Alexander’s Ragtime Band
Cab Calloway Minnie The Moocher (not listed in program)
Fats Waller Honeysuckle Rose (actually a two-song melody with a mystery song and Honeysuckle Rose)
Brooks Ain’t Misbehavin’
Slim Gaillard Flat Foot Floogie
Various Louis Armstrong Tribute

Pajama Game
Featuring the choreographic style that later became known as “Fosse, Fosse, Fosse”, the music of Adler and Ross (Damn Yankees) under the supervision of Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls, How To Succeed) and a very talented cast, this musical actually reminds me of Urinetown if I think hard enough…because it focuses on one big issue rather than a lot of little things (the audience is happier that way). It’s about a labor contention in a pajama factory. The music is very fun and quirky, the story is good and the performance was very enjoyable. Oh – and I HATE Hernando’s Hideaway (olé). The lyrics just annoy me because I recognize the music as something more classical and I’m just pissy about it. Meh.

Enchanted
This is a phenomenal movie. It is the ultimate Disney geek-out (featuring 3 Disney “princesses” cameos – Jodi Benson/Ariel, Paige O’Hara/Belle and Judy Kuhn/Pocahontas) with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.

[sidebar src="Walden Media"]
The Walden Media production company is behind The Chronicles of Narnia movies, but they forced Disney to push Prince Caspian to a Summer 2008 release so that it wouldn’t compete with Waterhorse this Christmas.
[/sidebar]

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End – The World Premiere and The Midnight Showing

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Pictures. So last Saturday I went to Disneyland at 6 in the morning. Why? Not to sit and wait all day to see celebrities – to take advantage of an empty Disneyland at 6:30 in the morning. I got several great shots of New Orleans completely empty and had an entire Splash Mountain log to myself (probably the only time I’ve ever walked onto that attraction and had the offer of staying on for a 2nd ride). After that I went to Swing Team Rehearsal with the intention of joining some friends later that day in Disneyland for the Red Carpet walk-by’s. But not before going into Jamba Juice and watching Orlando Bloom walk through Downtown Disney incognitos with a little girl (not his daughter…maybe his niece? No idea).
I came back around 5 pm and I’m on the hub right across from Tomorrowland. Unfortunately, by the time the celebrities get to us, most of them were hurrying past because Main Street was a real chore (as can be seen from this excellent review on MiceAge.com by Sue Kruse, or at Mouseplanet…or at Visions Fantastic).

In the category of rushed past waving
Geoffrey Rush w/ Monkey Jack and trainer
Kevin McNally – Joshamee Gibbs
Johnny Depp
Orlando Bloom
John Voight
Jonathon Pryce – Governor Weatherby Swan
Arnold Schwarzenegger – not on red carpet – walked out of Tomorrowland and across the carpet
Bill Nighy
Keith Richards
David Baillie – Cotton

In the category of walked by waving or sacrificed even more time to sign even more autographs
Lee Arenberg – Pintel (not the wooden eye guy, the other one)
Gore Verbinski
Martin Landau
Chow Yun Fat
Terry Rosio (he threw me 2 hacky sacks!)
Joey Fatone
Christy Carlson Romano
Wilmer Valderrama (aside from Johnny and Orlando, he was the biggest thing on the red carpet…I think it was because he kept signing autographs…half an hour after he passed, he was still working the crowd on the other side of the hub…people would be screaming and you could say, “Oh it’s just Wilmer”)

So after Johnny walked slowly past, I hurried over the DCA for swing dancing and that was my Saturday.

Last night I went to the midnight showing at Big Newport. I got there around 5 to stake my place in line (I was roughly the 5th group in line) but had to leave at 8 for rehearsal…saved my place with an umbrella…and by letting the people around me know. Got back around 11:15 and the line had not only grown length wise, but breadth wise. The best way to describe it like this: every person in line was already saving a place for 10 people, but each of those 10 people showed up with 10 friends. It was ridiculously crowded. And when they opened the doors to the theatre, the line just disappeared in the mad rush for the door. It was ridiculous. Then when we got into the theatre, there were people throwing tortillas…disgusting. Someone dressed up as Jack Sparrow made an announcement about checking under your seat for a medallion for a prize. I didn’t get anything, he didn’t project very well, but it was a very nice costume.

Finally the movie started. I was actually a little disappointed in this midnight crowd. They were rowdier during the trailers than they were during the movie (Transformers, Christian Bale and Steve Zahn as Vietnam POW’s, Live Free or Die Hard, Evan Almighty). But maybe that can happen with a less complex movie like Spiderman 3 and not with Pirates. The movie was absolutely phenomenal. Everything that was promised to us in Dead Man’s Chest was delivered one-hundred-fold. Learn Barbossa’s first name. Meet the 9 pirate lords. See the pirate code (and it’s guitar-pickin’ keeper). Discover Davy Jones’ true love.
The music was really good. The Davy Jones theme (the locket song) was weaved in and out of just about every theme because it plays so heavily into one of the core stories of the movie (the other core stories being Elizabeth, Will and Jack). That core story really ties a heavy element of mythology into the movie which I just love (I’m a HUGE fan of mythology, always have been, though I don’t know why…maybe I really am a fantasy fan). But what a lot of reviews are suggesting is that this makes the 3-hour epic into two movies: Elizabeth, Will, Jack, Barbossa and all the pirate-y fun in one movie and the mythological back story in the other. While this makes sense, I can’t really find a reason to disagree with the decision to make the film 3 hours long and have both stories in there. Although maybe it takes away from what people claimed to enjoy so much about the first film (the piratical banter between the major characters).
Regardless of all of that, the true glory for the movie goes to it’s truly epic final battle. This battle will be remembered long after the pirate phenomenon has faded from memory. I mean you get a small tease of the sheer scale from the trailer, but when you see the Flying Dutchman and the Black Pearl charging into the maelstrom at each other and hear Barbossa laughing maniacally as he turns the Black Pearl deeper into the deadly whirlpool…I was utterly speechless. It was just gorgeous.
All in all this was a really great film that I can’t wait to see again.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

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Where is the line between Bill Nighy’s live performance and the CGI effects? That was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever seen…reminded me of the whole debate that went into the foam suit for Ben Grimm (The Thing) in Fantastic Four…live versus animated. Those had to be his eyes and I think maybe his cheeks (with makeup)…but those tentacles…maybe half were animatronics (the ones that flop about or puff steam) and half CG…absolutely incredible.

As the credits roll (9 minutes total…seems kind of tame for a film with such gorgeous CG), I scream at the screen when they say “Soundtrack available on Walt Disney Records”…the soundtrack doesn’t come out until July 27th…bastards! I mean…that’s what everyone told me Leave it to me to never do independent research…it’s available now…damn it!

I love the new Walt Disney Pictures logo…but why now? Celebrating the 50th? That was the only logic people could suggest to me. The logo is all about the castle, and the first castle is celebrating it’s 50th…and of course with that I do a little business query and go: what does John Lasseter (as the new creative king of Disney) have to say about all this? Did he have anything to do with it at all as this was all set up by the previous regime?

God bless Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot…they have a masterful story here and they weave so many mythological concepts together while keeping it plausible and well explained. Although Tia Dalma’s (Naomi Harris) incredible accent was a little difficult to follow at times and they gave her a lot of the exposition…if ever there was a time for subtitles.

How do the changes to the ride affect what is going on with the story? Jerry Bruckheimer denied Disney the right to change the Wicked Wench to the Black Pearl…clue or non-sequitur? Barbossa is the captain of the Wicked Wench and he is searching for Jack Sparrow…is he searching for Jack in the context of the first film or in the context of the second and third? Why search in the context of the first film AND weave Davy Jones into the introduction of the ride?