Saturday, March 29, 2014

Disney Feels the Force Years Before the Lucasfilm Acquisition - Disney Snapshot of the Day

Disney may have bought Lucasfilm in 2012, but the Force has been strong with the Mouse for a long time. Today's snapshot, taken in 2009, hints a universe where Disney and Star Wars are one...a universe we all live in today.

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"Everything that has transpired has done so according to the Mouse's design..."


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Thursday, March 27, 2014

Disney Snapshot of the Day - The Sleeping Monk from Spaceship Earth

Copying the Bible can tire a monk out. So every now and then, even an animatronic monk needs to take a nap. Today's snapshot is a glimpse of a scene from Spaceship Earth, an Epcot original that has entertained countless guests in it's thirty-two year run. In this scene of the attraction, which chronicles humankind's journey through the development of communication, a Gregorian monk hand-copies a Bible in the hopes of preserving the sacred text for generations to come. 

On Spaceship Earth, guests journey along with the human race as they progress from primitive cave drawings to the internet on a quest to reach new and better ways to communicate and share information with one another. This amazing dark ride is housed in the most unique ride building in the world, a geodesic sphere. 

I can still remember the first time I rode this attraction, whose cars passed only a few feet from these amazing audio animatronic figures, which seemed so lifelike that you could not help stare at them in amazement. Back then, in 1986, it was a much simpler time and audio animatronics were a wonder to behold. Fast forward twenty-eight years and although computer technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, Spaceship Earth is still a marvel of technology inside and out. Click the links below for more on Spaceship Earth. 

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This Monk Has Been Sleeping for Thirty-two Years
Spaceship Earth: A Technical Marvel Inside and Out Part I




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Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Disney Announces "The Incredibles 2" and "Cars 3" at Annual Shareholders Meeting

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Big News from Disney CEO Bob Iger

Last Tuesday, during a shareholder’s meeting, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that sequels to two of Pixar’s heaviest hitters are planned for the future. After ten years, a sequel to The Incredibles 2 has been greenlit, bringing the superhero family back to the big screen.  Also announced by Iger was the return of the Radiator Springs crew in a third installment of Cars. Should The Incredibles tread the thin ice of the sequel world? Do we need a third Cars film? darthmaz314 weighs in.

The Incredibles is a shining example of Pixar’s masterful
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model for storytelling in the modern world. This model has at its core, the creation of a great story, which acts as the foundation for all that follows in the development of the film. Pixar attempts to create a story that engages people; not just young people or parents, or people who buy toys, or people who like animation. All of the best Pixar films are driven by stories that allow the audience to relate to real-life situations. The Incredibles does this in so many ways, although you may not recognize it because, as a viewer, you are having too much fun following the story, or enjoying the great dialog, or the actors’ fine voice performances, or the amazing way that Pixar artists have recreated life in stunning detail from a collection of millions of triangular pixels in a computer.

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One Big, Happy, Incredible Family

On the surface, The Incredibles is very entertaining film. But it is also much more than this. The Incredibles is an animated superhero film that deals with the issues of mid-life crisis, a married couple’s struggle to keep their relationship afloat amidst stagnation and doubt, a child’s rejection by a larger than life role model and the damage that does not only to the child, but to the world, and our society’s obsession with tearing down heros…just to mention a few. Are you kidding me? How many live action films manage to tackle all that emotional baggage and not come off as a preachy piece that tugs way too hard at your heartstrings in search of Oscar votes? 

The Incredibles takes it all on, while telling an animated action-adventure tale, which is ultimately marketed for children. Do I want to see a sequel? Absolutely, but only if the sequel can come close to the original in terms of story, character development, and the ability to connect to the audience. That may be a tall order, but if anyone can do it, Pixar can. They did is last year.

Aside from the Toy Story trilogy, in which each sequel
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"Cars 3, really?"
actually trumped its predecessor, Monsters University is the best example of Pixar successfully bringing back the magic of one of its blockbusters in a sequel. Initially, I was not wildly impressed by Monsters University. The first film had earned such a special place in my heart, that any sequel would almost definitely be a letdown. In fact, I considered the sequel just that after I had seen it in the theater. However, after seeing it a few more times on Blu-ray, I came to appreciate it more and more. It was then that I began to appreciate how this story, perhaps even more than the original, had taken fictitious monsters made of computer pixels and infused them with more emotion and humanity than most of the characters portrayed by human beings in live action films. This coupled with the stunning recreation of reality displayed in the visuals of the film catapulted near the top of my Pixar list.  

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Incredibles sequel? Bring it on. Another Cars? I am not so sure. I loved Cars as much as the next Disney fan. It too is one of my favorite Pixar films. However, the sequel is the one misstep in what has otherwise been a truly phenomenal run by the animation giant. Is Cars 2 a complete disaster devoid of any entertainment value? Not by any means. Does it stand toe to toe with some of the other classic titles Pixar has produced? Not by any means.

One problem with evaluating Cars 2 stems from the fact that the film is held to an undeniably high standard.  Pixar set the bar so high and really never had to lower it. The Pixar audience grew so used to excellence and came to expect it year after year. Cars 2 is no worse than Turbo or How to Train Your Dragon, but when you hold it up against the original Cars, Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles, it pales in comparison.


It is even difficult to pinpoint why I did not enjoy Cars 2 was much as the original. It did have elements of humor and sentimentality and it was entertaining enough to keep your interest. Yet the story was not up to par with the usual Pixar film. Cars 2 seems to skim the surface rather than dig in deep and force the audience to invest in the story. As an adult, it made you feel that you were too old to be watching it, whereas with other Pixar films, you almost feel bad that the kids don't get the more mature references and jokes.

My opinion aside, (because who really reads this anyway?)
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Cars 2 also failed to garner much critical acclaim. It is widely regarded as a sub-par Pixar film, although it did gross more at the world box office than its predecessor ($560 million compared to $462 for Cars.) Considering the box office numbers, it is easy to see why Disney would greenlight another Cars film. Couple this with the fact that Carsland in Anaheim’s Disney California Adventure park has been a huge success, revitalizing that park and prompting rumors that an east coast version is destined for Walt Disney World. In addition, the merchandising of the Cars brand has been a virtual printing press of cash for Disney. For all these reasons, Cars 3 makes perfect sense. We will all have to place our faith that Pixar can bring back the magic and charm of the original in the second sequel. 

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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Flaming Stuntman From Lights Motors Action Extreme Stunt Show - Disney Snapshot of the Day

Think you're having a bad day? You could be this guy. Today's snapshot features a moment from the "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Prior to this moment in the show, the stuntman pictured wipes out on his motorcycle and skids across the pavement for about twenty feet and then through a line of flames before being almost instantly ignited as you see him here. He then spends the next thirty or more seconds flailing around engulfed in flames until he drops to the ground and is blasted with fire extinguishers to douse the raging fire. He does this three times a day. And you thought your job sucked.....

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Imagine This Being Your Job
photo courtesy darthmaz314.com


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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Idina Menzel Performs "Let It Go" on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and the Roots

Idina Menzel stopped by the New York studio of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon earlier this month. There, in the "Tonight Show Music Room" she performed the Oscar winning hit song "Let It Go" from the Disney blockbuster film "Frozen" with Jimmy and The Roots. darthmaz314.com brings it to you here, courtesy of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon's YouTube channel.




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Por Favor Mantengase Alejado De Las Puertas - Disney Snapshot of the Day

Today's snapshot features an item of Disney merchandise that is truly a classic...a hat that only someone who has taken a ride on the world famous Walt Disney World Monorail can truly appreciate. If you are one of those people, then you have surely heard these famous words...


"Please stand clear of the doors."

"Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas."

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Por favor mantengase alejado de las puertas

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