Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Harryhausen...the Man, the Myth the Restaurant!

Harryhausen...the Man, the Myth the Restaurant!
by Andrew Taylor

In the spirit of Ray Harryhausen's 90th birthday, we would like to pay tribute to two of the great monster men of film, Ray Harryhausen and Tim Burton.

One of Burton's most recognizable films, The Nightmare Before Christmas, is a stop animation classic he first dreamed up during his tenure as a Disney artist. Garnering an Academy Award nomination for special effects in 1994 (and getting eaten whole by Jurassic Park), the more recent digital 3-D release expands on the wow factor of the original in spades. Now if they could only make the music 3-D....

Burton sites Ray Harryhausen as one of his greatest influences, as do Spielberg and Lucas. Harryhausen was a monster man through and through, creating such classics as Clash of the Titans and Jason and the Argonauts.

The skeleton fight scene from Harryhausen's 1963 stop animation goldmine Jason and the Argonauts is mind blowing for the technology available at the time (Think Matrix-1963). Trust me....click on the link and watch the scene. Keep reminding yourself this was done in 1963!

Those of you truly well versed in Monstrology will note the nod to Harryhausen in Monsters Inc. If you don't know what I mean, just ask Googly Bear. Happy Halloween too you and yours. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to post some pics of Disney Geeks in Training, Lil' Mickey Mouse and Ariel.




Friday, June 25, 2010

Geek-End Update, Saturday, June 26, 2010

Monday, June 21, 2010

A 2619 Hyperion Bibliography: Walt Disney World History

UPDATE! New titles added.

A frequent request we receive at 2719 is for books about the history of Walt Disney World. While there isn't one book that covers it completely, there are several titles you can digest that will give you a very good picture. There are a lot of titles available and they come from different sources; check out the ones that look most interesting.

The definition of a bibliography is:
a complete or selective list of works compiled upon some common principle, as authorship, subject, place of publication, or printer.
--http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bibliography
This bibliography is by no means a complete list of books available on Walt Disney World; I have only added books that I own. Feel free to leave a comment if I have missed something good!

You can always keep up with the Walt Disney World-related titles we have reviewed by clicking here.


General Interest
The books included in this set focus on more than just Walt Disney World. I consider each title an essential part of any Disney enthusiast's library.



History
The following titles are specific to Walt Disney World and cover more than just an attraction. The Kurtti, Koenig and Beard titles are a must!

  • Beard, Richard F. Walt Disney's Epcot Center: Creating the New World of Tomorrow. 1982. This is the book that every fan of Epcot should own. An amazing amount of conceptual artwork and photos of the park during its first few months. In-depth information on the pavilions and anecdotes from the Imagineers. There are three editions: a pre-opening, post-opening and a short version. The difference in the post- and pre- is whether some of the pictures are in-park photos or close-ups of models.

  • Emerson, Chad. Project Future: The Inside Story Behind the Creation of Disney World. 2009. Emerson takes an in-depth and straightforward look at the creation of Walt Disney World. It covers the purchase of the land and the political machinations tat took place. It includes a great timeline and listing of key players. You can read my review here.
  • Gordon, Bruce; Kurtti, Jeff. Walt Disney World Then, Now, and Forever. 2008. Theme Park Exclusive. Gordon and Kurtti have written a history/souvenir guide for Walt Disney World. It does act more like a family scrapbook than a history book, until you delve into its pages. You can read my review here.
  • Mannheim, Steven.Walt Disney and the Quest for Community. 2003. This book could almost be considered a biography of the Epcot that could have been. Mannheim writes a very through-provoking and enjoyable work on Walt Disney's plans for EPCOT Center and how they germinated and became reality (or didn't, in some cases). You can read my review here.
  • The Story of Walt Disney World, Commemorative Edition. Various Years (1971, 1973, 1976). An official publication that looks at the first few years of Walt Disney World. It focuses on the building of the Magic Kingdom, the resorts and the rest of the vacation kingdomBulleted List. It has a great stylized map and lots of pictures.
Attraction Specific

Artwork
There would be no Walt Disney World without these artists.


Miscellaneous
Detailed-inspired travel guides, academic treatises and amazing photographic titles. Usually more of a time-capsule than a history title.


Wednesday, June 16, 2010

World Pup Soccer!



Air Bud: World Pup Special Edition DVD

My oldest son is a huge fan of the Air Bud series. He promised to write a small review for Imaginerding. After his daily Xbox 360 time, he sat down to pen a few thoughts:

Personally, I'd recommend this movie to families, sports fans, Disney fans and dog lovers across the world. The Air Bud movie#1 started off as a single sport then depending on the sports time calender they make a movie out of it. Such as they made the first one during the NBA championship and made it basketball themed. The second was made during the Super Bowl and was football themed. This one was made during the World
Pup!Oh! Sorry! World Cup and it was soccer themed. It is completely amazing and definitely worth the MOOLAH. With a cute sense of romance and laughs this movie definitely takes place on Ruff grass. From the wicked villains to the charming dogs. This is a sure keeper.


The whole family will get a kick out of the spectacular Special Edition of Disney's timeless canine adventure AIR BUD: WORLD PUP, including the all-new exclusive bonus, The Buddies' Sports Channel: Soccer Edition – and including a free limited edition sports bag to continue the fun after the film is done!

The world's most talented pooch is back in a heartwarming and hilarious sports adventure. When Buddy meets Molly and they have puppies, the hotshot hound is in for an all-new challenge, but the fun is just  beginning. This exciting family favorite features Buddy joining his teenage owner Josh on the field in pursuit of the state soccer championship. From the creators of Santa Buddies and Space Buddies, the new AIR BUD: WORLD PUP SPECIAL EDITION will give audiences of all ages something to cheer about!

Bonus Features:
  • All-New: The Buddies Sports Channel: Soccer Edition: Join Rosebud in the broadcasting booth as she and the rest of the Buddies, B-Dawg, Mudbud, Buddha and Budderball, review the instant replay on the amazing soccer career of their dad, Air Bud. Using on-camera footage and voiceover, the Buddies check out highlights from AIR BUD WORLD PUP
  • Making Of Air Bud World Pup Production Featurette (from the original release)
  • Exclusive In-Pack “Air Bud” Sport Cinch Bag – a cool collectible sports bag, branded with the AIR BUD logo, to carry the fun from the family room to the playing field






Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Book Update

Whether you are a fan of modern architecture or a fan of Disney buildings (and architecture), these volumes will satisfy you. Both architects created major projects for Disney (Team Disney, Yacht & Beach Club, etc.) and you are presented with gorgeous exterior and interior photographs, artwork and layouts of the projects.

Both volumes present a fascinating look at some of today's most celebrated architectural design.








Friday, June 11, 2010

Geek-End Update, Saturday, June 12, 2010


Don't forget about the 2719 Hyperion Sweatbox this Saturday night in Archdale, NC. Everyone is welcome! Doors open at 6:00 pm. Our theme is Hooray for Hollywood! We will do a live Theme Parkeology of the Disney Hollywood Studios and screen four classic animated shorts.

The Foxxy Cornucopia
I featured some great articles by Michael Crawford of Progress City, USA a few weeks ago. Not wanting to slight Foxxfur from Passport2Dreams, I compiled some of my favorite Passport Posts to share with you:

    Wednesday, June 9, 2010

    Book Review: Queens In the Kingdom

    From the Archives:
    Recently, Jennifer, from Broke Hoedown, posted a podcast episode (Those Darn Cats) about Gay Days at Walt Disney World. Two years ago, she posted this review on Imaginerding and I chose to dust it off and present it again. Unfortunately, it has not been updated since 2007, but there is a Kindleversion.

    Enjoy!

    Jennifer, from the entertaining, insightful and often irreverent site Broke Hoedown, agreed to do our latest Be Our Guest Post. Instead of a regular article or post, I asked Jennifer to review Queens in the Kingdom,a gay and lesbian travel guide to Disney. Jennifer describes her blog:

    She’s also noticed that most Disney fan sites require participants to keep everything PG at all times. Jennifer herself is rated NC-17, and while she can keep it in check when she needs to, why bother in her own personal blog? She hopes that a few people here and there might enjoy her blog, but doesn’t promise that it’ll always be appropriate reading for children. She’s also not the type to keep her political opinions to herself, so they’ll show up here too.
    I have been a fan of Broke Hoedown since we started Imaginerding. Jennifer has been blogging for a long time! She is also one half of Those Darn Cats, a semi-weekly podcast that, in their own words, rambles. But it is always a lot of fun!


    I saw this book when it first came out, but didn’t pick up a copy until after I’d heard the authors on one of my favorite podcasts, WDW Today. I figured, hey, I don’t need a queer guide to the Disney Parks. I know how to tour the parks, Disney’s a fairly gay-welcoming destination, what do these guys have to tell me?

    Well, as it turns out, they’ve got plenty to tell me, and you might just be interested in a bit of this yourself, regardless of your personal sexual orientation. Queens in the Kingdom should really be required reading for any irreverent Disney fan, for those of us with a slightly offbeat aesthetic. Obsessive Disney trip planners won’t find it a likely replacement for books such as The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World (my personal fave basic text for WDW trip planning), but should instead consider it a companion piece, for when you just need a bit more fabulous, a slightly less mainstream look at our beloved parks.

    Queens in the Kingdom is an overview of Disney Parks worldwide, plus the Disney Cruise Line. Predictably, the Orlando and Anaheim locations comprise the vast majority of the content, with brief teasers about Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. There are also brief reviews of other nearby attractions in Southern California and Orlando. Most Walt Disney World and Disneyland attractions are reviewed, as are many resorts and restaurants, with “Fairy Facts” dispersed liberally throughout the guide. Were it not for this guide, I might never have known that the Indiana Jones figure in the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction has nipples, and perhaps the world is a richer place because they have shared this information with us all.

    On a sadder note, this guide is also where I learned that a group of (presumably gay) men were harassed by other Guests at my default Disney resort, Pop Century. I of course am hoping that this was an isolated incident. It does though provide a reminder that there are special travel considerations for same-sex couples (and individuals who are perceived as queer, regardless of their actual orientation), and this guide does provide those tips. Scattered throughout the book are tips about quiet places where one might have the privacy to hold hands or even share a quick smooch with one’s sweetie. While these tips may be appreciated even by the heterosexually-inclined, they’re more important for those for whom any publicly-displayed affection might trigger harassing or even violent reactions from other Guests.

    The back pages of the book include a “Compare and Contrast” of the attractions located at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. It’s a brief section, and Lord knows plenty of us have mentally constructed such lists ourselves, but the authors’ aesthetic provides welcome humor. The difference between Disneyland’s Astro Orbitor and Walt Disney World’s Astro Orbiter? One vowel, they tell us, and leave the rest open to debate.

    Bottom Line: Important resources for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Disney travelers. An amusing and irreverent read for everybody. Hipster Disneyphiles, this should be in your bookcase!









    Thanks, Jennifer! Be sure to stop by Broke Hoedown and leave her some Disney Geek love!

    Monday, June 7, 2010

    Hooray for Hollywood!

    The Next 2719 Hyperion Sweatbox is scheduled for this Saturday at the Archdale Public Library!

    Check out the Facebook page for more details.
    We will be featuring our very first live Theme Parkeology lecture, featuring an up-close examination of Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World.  Discover the real Hollywood behind the theme park incarnation as presented by 2719 Parkeologists Jeff Pepper, George Taylor and Andrew Taylor.

    We will also be presenting our very first Sweatbox Cartoon Exposition, showcasing classic Disney animation.  Our Hooray for Hollywood! program will include:

    • Mickey's Gala Premiere
    • Mickey's PoloTeam
    • The Autograph Hound
    • Mother Goose Goes Hollywood


    We have received a few Waking Sleeping Beauty giveaways from Don Hahn, the film's director.

    Bloggers and podcasters from all over the Carolinas will be in attendance. Don't miss the chance to learn more about Disney's Hollywood Studios and view classic Disney animated shorts.

    Friday, June 4, 2010

    Geek-End Update, Saturday, June 5, 2010


    Not Disney-related, but cool anyway:

      Tuesday, June 1, 2010

      Oraculum

      One of the more visually stunning pieces of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderlandis the Oraculum. It is used to help push the film forward and as a way of keeping the story flowing from character to character and from scene to scene. The artist behind the Oraculum is Dermot Powers. Tim Burton hired him in 2009 to do post-production work on the film. One of his tasks was designing the pages of the Oraculum, which are also being used as the BD Live menus on the Blu-ray copy of the film.

      Disney provided the following images and I wanted to share them with everyone.


      Alice views the Oraculum with the Dormous.