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Archive for the 'Disney' Category

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It only took Jacko’s death to make Disney dust off ‘Captain EO’

November 17th, 2009, 9:20 pm by Jayson Peters

eoIt’s a relic from a time when Michael Jackson was trusted to entertain children, and now it looks like Captain EO is about to ride back to the big screen on the coattails of the documentary This Is It.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the short musical film produced by George Lucas and directed by Francis Ford Coppola will soon play again at Disneyland, where it ran in glorious 3-D from 1986-94. The unofficial Disney Blog reports that the park showed the space opera recently to Jackson family members — including the megastar’s children, who had never seen it.

After EO left Disneyland, it was replaced by another 3-D experience: Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.

See also: The King of Pop’s forgotten pop culture empire

Posted in: Deaths • Disney • Movies • Music • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • • | 1 Comment »

‘Star Wars’ scoop: Anthony Daniels on board for ‘Star Tours II’

September 15th, 2009, 12:04 am by Jayson Peters
Anthony Daniels photo by Jayson Peters, East Valley Tribune, Sept. 14, 2009

Anthony Daniels (Photo: Jayson Peters/TRIBUNE)

Anthony Daniels, the man behind the voice and sometimes the metal of Star Wars droid C-3PO, confirmed Monday that he has been working with Disney to record new material for its theme parks’ “Star Tours” attraction.

“I’ve been working on it for a while,” said the British actor, who was visiting the Valley to promote “Star Wars in Concert” Oct. 4 at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale.

Daniels was reluctant to discuss Star Tours, due to both the secrecy surrounding the project and his excitement about the concert — but he did allow the briefest of detours into Disney territory. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Disney • Events • Music • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • Star Wars • • | 1 Comment »

D23 Expo: Star Tours II, Fantasyland expansion

September 12th, 2009, 10:17 pm by Jayson Peters

More news from the D23 Expo in Anaheim:

Star Tours II has been confirmed at last, and here’s a “teaser trailer” for the ride. The Star Speeder 3000 may never get to Endor, but the podraces on Tatooine? No problem!

YouTube Preview Image

According to guest correspondent “CactusCarl” Jimenez, who’s been tweeting the highlights from D23, the ride will close in 2010 and reopen in 2011 as a 3-D experience — the first major update to the Star Wars-themed spaceflight simulator since it opened in 1987. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Disney • Star Wars • | Post a Comment »

BIG Disney news from D23 Expo: ‘Pirates 4′ in 2011 with Depp

September 11th, 2009, 3:11 pm by Jayson Peters

pirates4Disney announced that Capt. Jack Sparrow will return in 2011 in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The news comes out of the inaugural D23 Expo in Anaheim, where Johnny Depp was there in person on a giant pirate ship — and our guest correspondent CactusCarl is dealing with strict mobile device restrictions. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Business • Conventions • Disney • Events • Movies • Pirates • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • • • • | 1 Comment »

Disney D23 Expo: Say hello to CactusCarl!

September 9th, 2009, 12:05 pm by Jayson Peters

cactuscarl_twittearsThe “ultimate Disney fan experience” is about to begin, and while we’re not going to the D23 Expo, Sept. 10-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, we’re still giving you a glimpse of all the action.

We’re welcoming a new voice to Nerdvana: “Cactus Carl” Jimenez. He goes by “CactusCarl” on Twitter, and he was part of the team that worked on opening MGM Studios in Florida. After that he spent several years working for Radio Disney here in the Valley.

Carl is currently the special events manager for the Children’s Museum of Phoenix — but this week, he’s just a guy on vacation who’s agreed to “cover” the D23 Expo in Anaheim for us via his Twitter feed. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Conventions • Disney • Events • • | Post a Comment »

Huge team-up for tiny hero?

September 7th, 2009, 11:26 pm by Chris "KeL" Adams

ant-manCould Disney’s recent four billion dollar acquisition of Marvel be bearing fruit already? That’s the latest rumor spurred on by a line in the most recent issue of “Entertainment Weekly.” In it, EW writes “Pixar is said to already be eyeballing an Ant-Man movie.”

With the right to so many of Marvel’s higher profile franchises tied up by other studios, it makes sense that some second-tier heroes would seriously considered at for their own films. And an “Ant-Man” movie has been in the works for a while now, with writer/director Edgar Wright wrapping up a second pass on the screenplay. While hardly strong evidence either way, this is more than enough to get fans buzzing (or whatever noise ants make).

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Comics • Disney • Movies • Pixar • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • • | Post a Comment »

Marvel and the Mouse

August 31st, 2009, 7:15 am by Jayson Peters

disneymarvelThe Walt Disney Co. announced Monday it is buying Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, adding 5,000 beloved comic-book characters to its ranks and gaining an instant foothold in the key demographic of young American men, who are inexplicably unimpressed with Disney Channel faire like Wizards of Waverly Place and JONAS.

It’s also worth noting this brings Disney into direct competition with Warner Bros. in the comics-to-movie arena and opens up a world of possibilities with the Marvel Island attraction at Universal Orlando. As one blogger put it:

Wonder when the license agreement runs out on that (Aside: Can you say fifth gate Walt Disney World fans? WDW might finally get its thrill park. Let that sink in.)

Posted in: Business • Comics • Disney • Movies • | Post a Comment »

LEGO goes to infinity and beyond!

July 25th, 2009, 10:12 pm by Jayson Peters

The Disney Blog (not an official Disney blog, but a darn good one) talks a bit about the LEGO Toy Story Mini Figures that debuted this week at San Diego Comic-Con.

What caught my eye was the Army Men — complete with a rifle:

ts-gam-sm

Is LEGO further easing their stance against weapons in the hands of its MiniFigs that led to the rise of third-party accessories from companies like BrickArms? Or was the money to be had in an alliance with Disney-Pixar just too good to pass up?

Posted in: Business • Collecting • Disney • LEGO • Movies • Pixar • Toons • • • | Post a Comment »

Walt Disney — the geek?

July 1st, 2009, 12:06 am by Jayson Peters
Associated Press file

Associated Press file

The LA Times notes that Walt Disney was as much a techno-geek as he was an imagineer or businessman:

The geeky side of Disney is one of the elements that will be on display at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco when it opens in October.

See also:

Posted in: Disney • Technology • This and That | Post a Comment »

Weekend Reading

June 28th, 2009, 12:08 am by Jayson Peters

Infographic: Inside the Disneyland Matterhorn (on the occasion of its 50th birthday) — Orange County Register, via Cool Infographics

Remembering Michael Jackson as Tomorrowland’s Captain EO – Around Disney blog at OCRegister.com (What little I can remember is here.) Plus: Hidden treaures at Disneyland

Same ‘Bat’ channel? io9 has an interesting look at the state of the various Batman comics in the wake of “Batman R.I.P.” and the ensuing “Battle for the Cowl.” Things seem to be settling down … or are they????

traitorboxVamp stamp: What happens when Buffy meets Edward? The shirt will tell: J!NX

Game time: Trying to find time to test out a review copy of Looney Labs’ Are You the Traitor? It’s described as “a deception party game from the makers of Fluxx.” More soon!

Book in hand (or on nightstand): The Legend Of Sigurd And Gudrún by J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien. It’s an epic poem in alliterative work retelling the Norse legend of Sigurd and the fall of the Niflungs.

Posted in: Disney • Gaming • Sci-Fi & Fantasy • This and That • Weekend Reading • • • | Post a Comment »

The King of Pop’s forgotten pop culture empire

June 25th, 2009, 10:07 pm by Jayson Peters

Michael Jackson was so much more than music videos, money troubles and legal problems.

moonwalker1

Remember this?

Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker rocked arcades and home video game consoles in 1990. The game, a tie-in to the Moonwalker film, features Michael going after kidnapped children with the help of Bubbles the chimp (who gave him the ability to turn into a robot) and the magical power of dance, baby.

It’s one of the first games I can remember having the odd but cool 3/4 perspective that was also used in the popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Deaths • Disney • Gaming • Movies • Toons • • • • • • • • | Post a Comment »

The most ‘Up’-lifting story of them all?

June 21st, 2009, 12:01 am by Jayson Peters

Parents — and I am one of them — are more aware today than ever of the power Hollywood has over our habits, our time and our money. They say movie studios are heartless corporations only looking to make a buck.

Colby Curtin Disney Pixar Up Orange County Register

Colby Curtin

For once “they” are wrong — and so am I.

On Thursday, The Orange County Register, the flagship publication of my employer, Freedom Communications, published a story about a 10-year-old Huntington Beach, Calif., girl named Colby Curtin. Like many people of many different ages, Colby was enchanted with the Disney-Pixar film Up ever since she saw it advertised.

But Colby was dying of vascular cancer. She would not make it to a movie theater. A family friend contacted Pixar, and the CGI animation company actually sent a representative to the Curtin home with a DVD of the movie for a private viewing. He even brought gifts: Up merchandise such as plush toys and a poster, and an “adventure book” like the one seen in the movie.

By the time of the special screening, Colby was in so much pain she could no longer open her eyes — but the miracle would not be denied. Colby’s mother described the action for her, as if it were a bedtime story.

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Deaths • Disney • Movies • Pixar • Toons • • • • | Post a Comment »

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