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Showing posts with label Pirates of the Caribbean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pirates of the Caribbean. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 11, 2021
The Mouse Castle Lounge 08-11-2021 - 'Jungle Cruise' Review and Scarlett Johansson vs. Disney
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
Inside The Mouse Castle 01-26-2016 - New 'Star Wars' and 'Pirates' Release Dates and Josh Gad's Surprise
By Tim Callaway
Anthony and I grab our popcorn and Red Vines and settle in for this week's edition of Inside The Mouse Castle:
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| Star Wars and Pirates get shuffled in 2017. |
Disney is juggling its movie release schedule in 2017, which means you're going to have to wait an extra seven months before you get to see Star Wars: Episode VIII. Like the massively successful The Force Awakens. Episode VIII will open during the Christmas holiday season in 2017, moving from its previously announced Memorial Day weekend release. Sailing into that prime May slot will be Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the fifth installment of Captain Jack Sparrow's epic adventures. Even with Star Wars' December shift, Disney will still have a pretty busy summer 2017 slate. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 will open on May 5 and Pixar's Cars 3 will hit the streets on June 16.
Anthony and I grab our popcorn and Red Vines and settle in for this week's edition of Inside The Mouse Castle:
- At Disneyland, you can now get an up-close look at the Disneyland Railroad trains and the old Frontierland train depot. Meanwhile, Kylo Ren has started putting in appearances at the Star Wars Launch Bay. We're also happy to learn that the Pope House, the historic former residence next to Disneyland's backstage Circle D Corral, has been preserved and relocated beyond the berm on Disney property. Its previous location will become part of Star Wars Land.
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| Are we getting a teaser trailer this week for Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast? |
- Josh Gad (Frozen) will host an episode of The Wonderful World of Disney, celebrating Disneyland's diamond anniversary. Disneyland 60 will air on February 21 at 8:00 p.m. We're also intrigued by a "surprise" Gad promised this week via Twitter.
We're really hoping it's a teaser trailer for Disney's live action Beauty and the Beast, set to open March 2017. Gad will play Gaston's (Luke Evans') loyal and dimwitted sidekick Lefou. Emma Watson (Belle) and Dan Stevens (Beast) also star in the highly-anticipated reboot of the tale as old as time.Big surprise coming this Thursday— Josh Gad (@joshgad) January 25, 2016
- Building those virtual replicas of Disney theme parks (or Universal or Six Flags) will get easier with two new roller coaster video games coming out this year. We can't wait to get our hands on Atari's Roller Coaster Tycoon World and Frontier's Planet Coaster, which both promise levels of theming and immersion never seen before in a roller coaster sim.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Inside The Mouse Castle 08-24-2015 - Jungle Cruising with Dwayne Johnson, Kind Words for Cinderella, Banksy's Dismaland
By Tim Callaway
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| Pirates with the lights on. |
Pirates of the Caribbean with the lights on, a Haunted Mansion scolding, hard root beer and coconut-flavored vodka.
And yeah, I guess Anthony and I talk about some Disney news too.
Inside The Mouse Castle this week, we revisit a few more items from the D23 Expo and Anthony's trip to Disneyland with his parents. We also imbibe a few tasty beverages as has become our habit since we started recording the show late at night. Don't judge.
Here's what else is going on:
- The long-rumored Jungle Cruise movie, at one time expected to star Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, is back on track, this time with Dwayne Johnson on board.
- John Lasseter played Jungle Cruise skipper for real last Tuesday, taking guests on a trip through the exotic waterways. And, wouldn't you know? Josh Gad was there to document it.
- Disney's live-action Cinderella comes out on Blu-ray and Digital HD on September 15th. In the spirit of the little cinder girl's upbeat philosophy, fans are encouraged to "have courage and be kind" at www.CinderellaKindness.com.
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| George Clooney in Tomorrowland. |
- Also available on video beginning October 13th is Brad Bird's Tomorrowland, starring George Clooney, Britt Robertson and Hugh Laurie. I was disappointed the first time I saw it, but not so much that I won't give it a second look.
- Japan's largest airline, ANA, is launching a fleet of Star Wars-themed airplanes (okay, four) featuring droids R2-D2 and BB-8. They'll start transporting passengers, both domestic and international, this fall.
- A federal judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed against Disney, DreamWorks and several other animation studios accusing them of collusion and wage fixing. This follows on the heels of a similar suit that was thrown out in April for falling outside the statute of limitations.
- Graffiti artist Banksy is taking a satirical shot at Disney parks with his new exhibition "Dismaland." This "bemusement park" takes up space at an old public pool in Weston-super-Mare in southwest England. Its centerpiece is a rotting, decrepit castle surrounded by a warped mermaid statue and a crashed police van. The exhibition is, of course, staffed by surly greeters and security guards. Over 50 artists from 17 countries have contributed to the project, which takes swipes, both good-natured and cynical, at not just theme parks, but at immigration laws and 21st-century activism. The exhibition will be open through September 17, 2015.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Inside The Mouse Castle 03-02-2015 - 'Cinderella' Premiere, 'DuckTales' and the Right Way to Watch 'Star Wars'
By Tim Callaway
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| (l. to r.) Kenneth Branagh, Cate Blanchett, Holliday Grainger, Lily James, Sophie McShera and Richard Madden. |
Anthony and I take you on the red carpet in Hollywood for the premiere of the new live-action version of Disney's Cinderella. This updated fairy tale stars Lily James as the titled scullery maid turned princess, Cate Blanchett as her wicked stepmother and Richard Madden as her Prince Charming. Kenneth Branagh directs the film, which is scheduled to open in the U.S. on March 13th. On Inside The Mouse Castle, Branagh talks about the challenge of staying true to the animated Cinderella while updating the story for modern audiences. James also shares why her character is not the stay-at-home-and-wait-for-her-prince kind of princess.
Also roaming the red carpet was Josh Gad, the voice of Olaf in Frozen. He's back with the whole gang in the new short film Frozen Fever, which opens for Cinderella. The film looks like it might be cute (even if it is Frozen), but we're really concerned where all those baby snowmen in the trailer come from.
Also in this edition of Inside The Mouse Castle:
- Robert Downey, Jr. and Omaze are teaming up to give you a chance to attend the world premiere of Avengers: Age of Ultron. I'm really excited at the prospect--and it's totally for a good cause--but Anthony has reservations about it. Or maybe he's just jaded and bitter.
- A fire at it's a small world caused more of an uproar on the Internet than it did at Disneyland Saturday night. The blaze, presumably caused by fireworks, did minor damage and there were no reported injuries. Reactionary people online, however--as is their custom--collectively lost their minds.
- Bob Chapek is the new chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts. He takes over for Tom Staggs, who was recently promoted to chief operating officer. Chapek has put in 22 years with Disney and was formerly president of Disney Consumer Products.
- Next to Shanghai Disney Resort, Bob's biggest new project is the completion of "Avatar-land" at Disney's Animal Kingdom, or as Anthony calls it, The Wizarding World of James Cameron. Is anyone outside of Disney actually excited about this? Because we're really skeptical. Sure, Avatar is the all-time movie box office champ, but six years after its release, is it even relevant anymore? And two years from now when it's scheduled to open, will anyone care?
- Walt Disney World has announced the dates for this year's special event holiday parties at the Magic Kingdom. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will be held on select dates from September 15th to November 1st. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party will begin a week later on select dates between November 8th and December 18th. Tickets go on sale in April. For a complete list of dates, visit disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2015/02/dates-for-magic-kingdom-special-events-tickets-on-sale-in-april.
- We're hearing that Pirates of the Caribbean at Walt Disney World will close for a major--and much needed--refurbishment this summer. It's always been the ugly sister to POTC at Disneyland. Will it finally get the update it deserves?
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| This Pirates of the Caribbean audio-animatronic sold for $129,800 over the weekend. |
- Van Eaton Galleries in Southern California concluded an epic auction of Disneyland collectibles and memorabilia over the weekend. The Story of Disneyland collection was expected to take in about $1 million. It blew right through that estimate and finished with a take of $1.7 million. Did you bid? Did you get the items you wanted?
- DuckTales is returning to Disney XD in 2017...woo-ooo!!!
- LEGO Star Wars: Droid Tales is slated to air on Disney XD before the end of the year. The series of half-hour episodes will tell the saga of both Star Wars trilogies through the eyes of C3PO and R2-D2. The awkward part is the story will be told in chronological order. Any true Star Wars fan knows the only way to tell the tale is by starting at the beginning of Episode IV.
Enjoy!
Monday, February 23, 2015
Inside The Mouse Castle 02-23-2015 - The Oscars, Rising Ticket Prices and Walking to Walt Disney World
By Tim Callaway
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| Oscar winner Big Hero 6. |
"Once upon a time, there was a freckle-faced little boy who told his mom and his dad that one day he was gonna work at Walt Disney Animation. And they did something amazing. They supported him and they believed him. And from the bottom of his heart, he thanks them."
--Big Hero 6 co-director Don Hall
It was a good night at the Oscars Sunday for Disney Animation. Big Hero 6 was named Best Animated Feature while Feast claimed the statuette for Best Animated Short Film. There were those other films too: Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Whiplash. Anthony and I cover it all in today's episode of Inside The Mouse Castle.
We cover a few other things too:
We cover a few other things too:
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales has started filming in Australia and we finally know what the story will be about. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) crosses swords with "deadly ghost pirates" led by an old nemesis (Javier Bardem). Captain Jack's only hope is to obtain the Trident of Poseidon, the key to unlocking all the powers of the sea. POTC 5 will open in the summer of 2017.
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| Kevin Costner stars in Disney's inspirational sports film McFarland, USA. |
- Kevin Costner's latest flick for Disney, McFarland, USA, opened to generally favorable reviews and pretty good box office numbers ($11.3 million) over the weekend. One day, Anthony and I might even be talked into watching it.
- Disneyland and Walt Disney World upped their ticket prices on Sunday. The world did not end.
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| Lauren Passell wins the Disney Princess Half Marathon. |
- A year ago, Lauren Passell thought she might never run again due to a broken hip. Sunday, she beat a field of over 20,000 runners to win the Disney Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World.
- The Cobb family from Houston, Texas, is on a cross-country hike from Disneyland to Walt Disney World to raise money and awareness for cancer treatment and to honor the memory of their daughter, Julia Cobb. In 2013, Julia died of Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, at the age of eight. The family's 4,000-mile journey began on August 4th last year and they are currently just past the halfway point in east Texas. To find out more about the Cobb family and how you can support their cause, visit www.jucanfoundation.org.
- Last year on Inside The Mouse Castle, we talked about the frivolous lawsuit filed by author Isabella Tanikumi, who claimed Disney stole the idea for their mega-hit Frozen from Tanikumi's autobiographical book Yearnings of the Heart. Last week, U.S. District Judge William Martini granted Disney's request to dismiss the lawsuit. In his ruling, Judge Martini wrote, "The setting, plot and characters have no close similarities. No lay person could find that Disney improperly appropriated from Yearnings of the Heart."
Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Inside The Mouse Castle 02-09-2015 - Tom Staggs, Shanghai Disneyland and Trader Sam's Grog Grotto
By Tim Callaway
Another week, another trip to Disneyland.
Anthony and I both paid a visit to the Happiest Place on Earth last week. He zoomed in for a day trip last Wednesday. I joined our friends at MiceChat over the weekend to help celebrate their 10th anniversary.
Inside The Mouse Castle this week, we talk about our trips, why it's kind of cool to fly solo at Disneyland and Anthony's strange fascination with wayward Baymax balloons.
We also touch on these fascinating and thought provoking topics:
- Business is booming at the Walt Disney Company. They reported record first quarter revenue last week and then announced the promotion of Tom Staggs to chief operating officer, making him the heir apparent to succeed Bob Iger when he retires in 2018.
- Our obsession to figure out a way to get to Shanghai Disneyland in 2016 continues, especially after seeing these crazy awesome pics from the resort's upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.
- Trader Sam's Grog Grotto will open this spring at Walt Disney World's Polynesian Village Resort. Yeah, we want to get there too.
- New for Disney Infinity 2.0: Sam Flynn and Quorra from Tron: Legacy. But they're virtual characters only, and only available in the iOS version (for now).
Enjoy!
Monday, January 26, 2015
Inside The Mouse Castle 01-26-2015 - Emma Watson is Belle, 'Strange Magic' is Bad, Disney Cruise Line is Frozen
By Tim Callaway
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| Emma Watson |
In a surprising and pretty exciting casting announcement, we learned today that Emma Watson (Harry Potter and the etc., etc.) will play Belle in the live-action movie version of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
Okay, I'm excited, but Anthony's a little skeptical.
Still, Emma Watson is going to be Belle!
Okay, I'm excited, but Anthony's a little skeptical.
Still, Emma Watson is going to be Belle!
The film, directed by Bill Condon, will start shooting later this year and likely be released in 2016. And yeah, I get that this is yet another live-action redo of classic Disney animation (see 101 Dalmatians, Cinderella and The Jungle Book), but, dude, Emma Watson is going to be BELLE!
Also in this episode of Inside The Mouse Castle:
- Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner) is hopping aboard Pirates of the Caribbean 5. The film is currently in pre-production in Australia and is looking at a July 2017 release date.
- Strange Magic crashed and burned at the box office over the weekend. The Lucasfilm release, with a story by executive producer George Lucas, was skewered by critics and took in a paltry $5.5 million.
- One story George Lucas won't get credit for is the one for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In a recent interview, Lucas said, "The [stories] that I sold to Disney, they came up to the decision that they didn't really want to do those. So they made up their own."
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| Anna, Olaf and Elsa want to take you on a sea cruise. |
- Frozen is coming to Disney Cruise Line. We knew it had to happen eventually.
- This:
- Some classic Disney comic books from the past will make a return later this year when IDW Publishing releases a series of Uncle Scrooge, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Walt Disney Comics and Stories titles.
- It's that time of year. Ticket prices at Disneyland and Walt Disney World are due to increase soon--at least that's what the rumor mill says. Let the emotional outbursts from fans begin!
Enjoy!
Monday, December 22, 2014
Inside The Mouse Castle 12-22-2014 - Christmas at Disneyland
Merry Christmas from Inside The Mouse Castle!
It was a busy, fun-filled weekend at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure as Anthony and I both enjoyed the resort's Christmas finery. In today's episode, we share our festive experiences, which means a lot of talk about Frozen Fun, which has pretty much taken over the resort. Arendelle is now a permanent part of the Storybook Land Canal Boats while Freeze the Night is a cool replacement (see what I did there?) for the Mad T Party in Hollywood Land at DCA. Meanwhile, Anna and Elsa are now holding court at their Royal Welcome meet-and-greet inside the Animation Academy. It's by appointment only, so be sure to grab a Fastpass early.
Anthony and I also offer our takes on it's a small world holiday, the Jingle Cruise, snoap, Haunted Mansion Holiday, Freeze the Night beverages and a lot of other seasonal Disney stuff. Considering it's Anthony's first holiday trip to Disneyland ever and my first Christmas trip in 15 years (how is this even possible?), we've both got a lot to cover.
We've also riff on a few other non-holiday items:
- Pixar's groundbreaking 1986 animated short Luxo Jr. was added to the Library of Congress's prestigious National Film Registry. Directed by John Lasseter, it's a sweet, silly vignette about two Luxo lamps interacting with an inflatable ball. Luxo Jr. was the first fully computer animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award. The film's characters have gone on to become iconic symbols of Pixar Animation Studios.
- The Marvel Experience debuted in Phoenix over the weekend, the first stop on a nationwide tour. It's an interactive, multimedia attraction where guests join forces with the world's greatest superheroes to battle Hydra and their evil army of Adaptoids.
- Orlando Bloom has let it be known that he's in talks with Disney to return to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as Will Turner. The fifth Pirates installment, Dead Men Tell No Tales is slated for release in Summer 2017.
Anthony and I wish you both a very happy and safe holiday season!
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Inside The Mouse Castle 10-17-2014 - 'Dr. Strange,' Deadmau5 vs. Disney and Walt's Renaissance Man
We love our rumors here at The Mouse Castle. Marvel's Dr. Strange rumors, Pirates of the Caribbean rumors, even Pete's Dragon rumors (no, really). We've got them all and more in this edition of Inside The Mouse Castle.
- DC announced a slate of new films that will go head-to-head against the Marvel Cinematic Universe at least through 2020. Will moviegoers care as much about Superman, Batman and the Justice League as they do Iron Man, Captain America and the Avengers? Or is this all superhero overkill that will soon burnout audiences?
- Deadmau5 turned up the heat in his trademark dispute with Disney. The music producer and performer otherwise known as Joel Zimmerman says Disney approached him about writing music for Star Wars Rebels and a proposed Fantasia remix album even as Disney Legal was preparing to take action against him. Deadmau5 performs wearing an oversized helmet that Disney says is way too similar in style and appearance to Mickey Mouse.
- Disney is putting their time and money behind ten start-up companies through the Disney Accelerator program. The companies, mostly in the tech and gaming sectors, just completed a 15-week mentorship program that could result in ongoing partnerships and even acquisitions by Disney.
- Flamingo Crossing, a new hotel, dining and entertainment complex, recently broke ground on the west side of Walt Disney World property. Is this finally the harbinger for a long-rumored fifth gate at the resort? Anthony and I think this is probably the same old tired rumor we've been hearing for years.
- There's nothing like getting serenaded by the Dapper Dans as you fly to Walt Disney World. Disney pulled out all the stops for passengers aboard Southwest Airlines' inaugural non-stop flight from Dallas' Love Field to Orlando.
- It's not a surprise that Hiro and Baymax will soon be doing character meet-and-greets at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, but we're very pleased to learn that the Big Hero 6 heroes will be taking up residence in space adjacent to Disneyland's under-utilized Starcade in Tomorrowland.
- We weren't certain as we were preparing the show, but now we know the new Disney Kingdoms comic book series published by Marvel will be all about Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. It's set for release next spring and it's sure to be a hit with fans of Disney Kingdoms' previous Seekers of the Weird series.
- If there is one new book to add to your Disney collection, it's Marc Davis: Walt Disney's Renaissance Man. It's an incredibly rich collection of art by the late Disney animator, who besides being one of Walt's Nine Old Man and bringing Tinker Bell, Maleficent and Cruella de Vil to life was a gifted Imagineer who lent his immense talents to the development of Pirates of the Caribbean, the Haunted Mansion, it's a small world and the Jungle Cruise. The book contains insightful essays about Davis by the likes of Don Hahn, Andreas Deja, Glen Keane, Pete Docter, Mindy Johnson and Paula Sigman Lowery. You need this.
Enjoy!
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Inside The Mouse Castle 07-25-2014 - Comic-Con, Marvel, 'Pirates of the Caribbean 5' and Disney Infinity
In this edition of Inside the Mouse Castle, Anthony and I do a lot of whining about not being in San Diego for Comic-Con. We talk about a few other things too:
- Marvel has marked release dates for 11 films through May of 2019. Most of them we don't even know the titles of yet, but there's a lot of speculation about an Avengers meets Guardians of the Galaxy crossover being one of them. We expect to find out more Saturday when Marvel has its panel at Comic-Con.
- Disney will release a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie with Johnny Depp (we assume) returning as Captain Jack Sparrow. It's set to hit theaters on July 7, 2017. Remember when a new Pirates film was something to be excited about? After On Stranger Tides, this is not one of those times.
- Steve Carell will produce and star in Brooklyn Family Robinson for Disney, a family-friendly comedy about a family that relocates from the big city to a tropical island. People seem to be more excited about this film than we expected. Are we missing something?
- Toy Story will return to TV with a new holiday special, Toy Story That Time Forgot, on December 2nd. We're just glad that Tim Allen is still finding employment.
- Disney Infinity is exceeding all expectations as Disney's biggest video game title ever. Just wait until September 23rd when Disney Infinity 2.0 comes out with a slew of Marvel characters.
- Walt Disney World is giving Downtown Disney a face lift as it expands to become Disney Springs. Looks like they finally figured out what to do with all those old Pleasure Island buildings.
- The Walt Disney Family Museum will celebrate its fifth anniversary (already?) on October 1st. Many special events are planned for the month including a members-only Tinker Bell Tea with author Mindy Johnson (Tinker Bell: An Evolution). Mindy will also do a book signing that's open to everyone.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Inside The Mouse Castle 07-22-2014 - Disneyland, Club 33, Pirates of the Caribbean and 'Guardians of the Galaxy'
Tim and Anthony talk about their recent visits to Disneyland and review the reopening of Club 33. They also discuss the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' premiere in Hollywood and guest injuries aboard Pirates of the Caribbean.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
A Second Look at Disney Second Screen
Earlier this year, I wrote about Disney Second Screen, the digital add-on to select Disney home video releases. At the time, I enjoyed the technology, but wasn't really comfortable with the experience of watching a movie and its bonus features at the same time.
After viewing Second Screen's most recent entries, however, I think I'm getting the hang of it, It really is a fun experience if you want to totally immerse yourself in the back-stories and minutiae of Disney film making.
Second Screen is available to view online at disneysecondscreen.go.com or as a free iPad app. I prefer the iPad version for its portability and ease of use. If you have a wireless network, you can sync Second Screen with your Blu-ray disc through BD Live. There's also an audio sync feature, where your iPad "listens" to the movie audio, but I found that to be a bit wonky and not as easy to sync as BD Live.
Of course, you can always skip the movie and just flip through Second Screen manually, but you do lose the context the film provides.
The Lion King
Animation seems best suited to the Second Screen format and Disney takes full advantage of it with its 1994 classic. The Lion King Second Screen app is chock-full of concept art and pencil tests that illustrate how the film developed. So, while you're watching Simba and Mufasa experience the great circle of life, you can also see how the characters evolved from early concepts to final realizations on screen. There are interesting video clips of animators at work--both in-studio and on location with live animals--and the occasional "Fun Fact" telling behind the scenes stories about the film. Sadly lacking from Second Screen, however, are any photos or video of the voice cast, which makes the experience feel somewhat incomplete. Still, it's a great compilation chronicling The Lion King's artistic development.
iPad screen shots:
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
On Facebook, my friend Becky recently observed that in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, "Almost all pirates are stupid."
I replied with, "Yeah, but British soldiers are even stupider."
Of course, in On Stranger Tides, the Spanish are smarter than the whole lot.
But, I digress.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is by far the weakest of the four Pirates films. Despite spirited performances by the cast, the film is done in by a boring story and some pretty lazy direction by Rob Marshall. With the exception of the exciting "Mermaids Attack!" scene (a terrific mix of live action and CG effects), the action sequences fall flat, making POTC 4 a long slog across the ocean and through the jungle to an anticlimactic encounter with the Fountain of Youth.
At least Second Screen offers some diversions. It has plenty of concept art, behind-the-scenes photos and trivia to keep you entertained.
More screen shots:
www.themousecastle.com
After viewing Second Screen's most recent entries, however, I think I'm getting the hang of it, It really is a fun experience if you want to totally immerse yourself in the back-stories and minutiae of Disney film making.
Second Screen is available to view online at disneysecondscreen.go.com or as a free iPad app. I prefer the iPad version for its portability and ease of use. If you have a wireless network, you can sync Second Screen with your Blu-ray disc through BD Live. There's also an audio sync feature, where your iPad "listens" to the movie audio, but I found that to be a bit wonky and not as easy to sync as BD Live.
Of course, you can always skip the movie and just flip through Second Screen manually, but you do lose the context the film provides.
The Lion King
Animation seems best suited to the Second Screen format and Disney takes full advantage of it with its 1994 classic. The Lion King Second Screen app is chock-full of concept art and pencil tests that illustrate how the film developed. So, while you're watching Simba and Mufasa experience the great circle of life, you can also see how the characters evolved from early concepts to final realizations on screen. There are interesting video clips of animators at work--both in-studio and on location with live animals--and the occasional "Fun Fact" telling behind the scenes stories about the film. Sadly lacking from Second Screen, however, are any photos or video of the voice cast, which makes the experience feel somewhat incomplete. Still, it's a great compilation chronicling The Lion King's artistic development.
iPad screen shots:
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| "Hakuna Matata" concept art. |
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| A Jeremy Irons and Andreas Deja "Fun Fact." |
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| "Morning Report" concept art. |
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| Rafiki leaves his mark. |
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
On Facebook, my friend Becky recently observed that in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, "Almost all pirates are stupid."
I replied with, "Yeah, but British soldiers are even stupider."
Of course, in On Stranger Tides, the Spanish are smarter than the whole lot.
But, I digress.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is by far the weakest of the four Pirates films. Despite spirited performances by the cast, the film is done in by a boring story and some pretty lazy direction by Rob Marshall. With the exception of the exciting "Mermaids Attack!" scene (a terrific mix of live action and CG effects), the action sequences fall flat, making POTC 4 a long slog across the ocean and through the jungle to an anticlimactic encounter with the Fountain of Youth.
At least Second Screen offers some diversions. It has plenty of concept art, behind-the-scenes photos and trivia to keep you entertained.
More screen shots:
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| Pirate adventures in London. |
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| (l. to r.) Johnny Depp, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Rob Marshall. |
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| My, what big teeth you have. Mermaid concept art. |
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| Concept of Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge. |
www.themousecastle.com
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Geoffrey Rush: A Pirate's Life
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| Geoffrey Rush as Barbossa |
Through his children.
"My kids have visited a number of sets during the filming of the various Pirates of the Caribbean movies," says Rush. "In fact, I've got a series of photographs from 2002 onwards from their various set visits. There are photos where they are up to my hips, then my chest, then my ears and no they're even taller than me. Barbossa always stays the same, but the children have grown up a lot."
Barbossa hasn't stayed exactly the same over the years. Through four Pirates movies, he's been doomed by an Aztec curse, killed in a sword fight and resurrected with voodoo magic, He's sailed into a raging maelstrom, lost a leg to the infamous Blackbeard and even joined the British navy as a privateer. He's gone from being the outright villain of The Curse of the Black Pearl to becoming an antihero every bit as popular as Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow.
Barbossa is such an indelible character it's sometimes easy to overlook Rush's other accomplishments. He's a classically trained Australian stage actor who's found great success in movies. He's been nominated for four Oscars (winning Best Actor for 1996's Shine) and won an Emmy for his 2004 portrayal of comedian Peter Sellers in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.
His diverse resume is not lost on his fans and Rush has no problem identifying where their preferences lie. He says, "If I'm out and about in public and someone makes eye contact, I can tell what movie they recognize me from. I can see them approach me and I think, 'This is going to be a House on Haunted Hill or a Pirates of the Caribbean moment.' You can pick the different demographics."
The Pirates demographic has served him well. While not always popular with critics, the four films combined have raked in over $3.7 billion in worldwide box office. Quite a feat, considering pirate films in general were long considered dead in Hollywood. "The first (Pirates) film took everyone by surprise because there had been a 50-year period where nobody had been able to crack the pirate genre," says Rush. "People had tried to reboot it in many different forms, but it just didn't capture popular imagination."
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| Johnny Depp (l.) and Geoffrey Rush in POTC 4 |
Rush's Barbossa owes more to the style of Robert Newton's Long John Silver in Disney's Treasure Island, complete with his throaty vocal delivery and the occasional ARRRRR thrown in. Every day is Talk Like a Pirate Day when you play Barbossa. There's more to getting into the character than putting on a long coat and strapping on a peg leg, though. It takes a couple of hours in makeup for Rush to transform into Barbossa. He says, "You have to rough up the skin, stick on the beard, put on the wig--and then you put on his clothes once you're ready. You slowly build up to Barbossa, which is great for getting into character. However, I always feel that the hat completes everything. Once the hat goes on, I enter into the spirit of it and I truly become Barbossa."
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides came out on home video this week. There's a pretty good chance Rush is already checking out the bonus features on it. "I love the bonus material you find on DVDs," he says. "In a funny way, the bloopers and the behind-the-scenes coverage is like a great personal home movie for me. Some actors like to photograph their experiences on a movie set. They take pictures of the friends and the mates they work with, but I never get around to it. However, I recently looked at the DVD bonus features for a movie called Elizabeth and it felt like I was watching a home movie of all of my friends. The DVD teams manage to record everything much better than I could. It's very professionally done, not like a hand-held camera."
I bet Rush got some great shots of his kids that way.
www.themousecastle.com
Monday, October 17, 2011
'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' Concept Art
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides is available on home video beginning tomorrow and we have some very cool concept art from the latest chapter in the life of Captain Jack Sparrow. Pirates and a zombies and mermaids, oh my!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' Blu-Ray Giveaway
The Mouse Castle is giving away a 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack of the 4th installment of the POTC saga to one of our loyal readers. The Combo Pack includes both a Blu-ray 2D and DVD version of the film. To enter, all you have to do is:
1. Visit The Mouse Castle Facebook page at www.facebook.com/themousecastle and become a fan (click the "Like" button, if you haven't already).
2. Find the event "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES Blu-ray Giveaway."
3. Confirm that you will be attending this event.
4. Wait for us to announce the winner, savvy?
Get your entry in no later than October 26, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific time. You must be a resident of the United States to enter. Only one entry per person, please.
Remember, you must "Like" The Mouse Castle on Facebook and RSVP for the giveaway event by clicking "I'm Attending" (mobile Facebook users may see a button labeled "Confirmed" or similar).
Sometime after the entry deadline, we will draw one winner at random. The winner's name will be posted on The Mouse Castle Facebook page.
Good Luck ye scurvy dogs!
www.facebook.com/themousecastle
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