Hello Dear Readers! This week Pressing Matters will take a look at a variety of subjects, which include: Stink, Stank, Stunk • June events at the Walt Disney Family Museum • Sports & the Spelling Bee • Patchwork Fair • Cinema & The Cemetery • Toys R Us meets Toy Story 3 • Lost – The DVD • D23 – A Whole New Perk • Pacific Islander Festival • Remembering Marilyn • Disneyland Through the Decades
I hope you’re not eating as you read this Dear Readers. You may want to rethink that and stop for a minute if you are, because we’re going to start off with a disgustingly stinky subject. And that would be ... the Corpse Flower.
For someone who would be right at home in the Addams family, that name has a mellifluous ring. And so, last year when I heard that Amorphophallus titanium, a.k.a. the Corpse Flower, was going to bloom at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA, I headed out there a bunch of times on what I liked to refer to as ‘Stink Watch.’
You see the corpse flower is a rare occurrence, it smells, and it’s absolutely fascinating. Call me weird, but I wanted to see (and smell) it firsthand. After several weeks of watching that giant flower grow, I missed experiencing the bloom by literally hours. Arriving late that day the flower opened up, I learned it stays open only until it gets fertilized and once that event occurs, bam! Flower closes up and the stink disappears. So I missed all the stink last year.
The Huntington Library has another corpse flower on the brink of blooming and ‘Stink Watch’ has again begun. From their website:
When it bloomed at The Huntington in 1999, the gigantic flower created international headlines. A second flowering in 2002, and a third in June 2009 were equally sensational. Now, another of the famous Corpse Flower’s offspring is getting ready to make its debut. Because nature is unpredictable, the exact date when the Corpse Flower will bloom can’t be known in advance. Experts estimate that it will occur sometime between June 5-10. The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens are located at: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108
They expect the flower to bloom this weekend. For more information, including a daily report on how much this year’s Stinky grows each day, visit this link or call: 626.405.2100
As always, the Walt Disney Family Museum has some great events going on for the month of June. Take a look at a sampling of what’s in store:
A Silly Symphonies showcase (1929-1939): Starting with The Skeleton Dance in 1929 and ending with The Ugly Ducking remake in 1939, the Silly Symphonies is a series of 75 cartoons based on musical themes. The film of the month comprises selections from the series, which feature a different cast of characters in each installment. Highlights include The Old Mill (1937), Flowers and Tress (1932), Music Land (1935) and The Three Little Pigs (1933).
Lectures include: June 19 – Innovations in Animation: Sound, Color, and Depth: Russell Merritt, professor of Film Studies at Berkeley and co-author of Walt Disney’s Silly Symphonies, will discuss Music Land, Flowers and Trees, and The Old Mill among other groundbreaking shorts. June 26 – Firsts in Animation: A Look Back and Forward: Don Hahn, Film producer (The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast) and director discusses “firsts in animation” and highlights the new technological and artistic developments in the industry.
For more information and to see the full calendar of the museum’s activities visit: www.waltdisney.org or call: 415-345-6800. The museum's also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewaltdisneyfamilymuseum and Twitter:
www.twitter.com/wdfmuseum
Do you like sports? How good are you at spelling all the athlete’s last names? Pretty good? Well then, you might want to enter this year’s Sports Spelling Bee. You’ve got to be quick though. It takes place tonight at 7 pm at Downtown Disney’s ESPN Zone. Open to competitors 18 years and older, walk-up registration will be accepted if there’s room. If not, hey, enjoy watching the spelling take place and cheer on the competitors! For all the details visit the Orange County Register’s Around Disney Blog.
I love a good craft fair and even more so when the crafts are artful and of good quality (meaning not your granny's crocheted tissue box covers). One such craft fair is taking place this weekend near Disneyland in Santa Ana — you might want to visit and have a look-see if you’re in the area. It’s a great show to pick up a gift or two (and a little something for yourself). Here are the details:
The Patchwork Show — Indie Arts & Crafts Festival is a unique event showcasing emerging crafters, delicious food, and local music. The show takes place Saturday, June 6th from 11 am to 5 pm in the Santa Ana Museum district, home to Orange County’s creative juices, and the latest in burgeoning talent. It’s located at the corner of Main & Buffalo near the Bowers Museum at 2204 N. Main, Santa Ana, CA. From more information visit: http://www.patchworkshow.com/
Summer film screenings at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery have started up again. Casablanca will be this Saturday’s film, starting at 9 pm. Tickets are $10.00 with $5.00 parking. For more information about location and gate opening times visit: http://www.cinespia.org
Toy Story 3 is almost here and I can just about feel the anticipation out there. Got your new toys to take to the movie with you yet? If you can’t get down to the Disneyland Resort to stock up on Lotso, Twitch, & Chunk, Toys R Us hopes you’ll stop in and visit them. From the press release:
To celebrate the highly anticipated theatrical release of "Toy Story 3," Toys"R"Us is helping kids worldwide reach "to infinity and beyond" by creating the ultimate "Toy Story 3" destination in all of its nearly 1,300 toy stores in 34 countries around the world. "Live the Adventure" in stores and online at dedicated "Toy Story 3" boutiques. For more information visit: http://www.Toysrus.com/ToyStory
Are you lost without Lost? I have to admit, I think I’m one of the few people in the whole western world who didn’t watch that series. With the exception of me (I could just never get into it), it was a big hit in my house. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has announced the release of both the final season and a complete series box set on home video. From the press release:
Lost: The Complete Collection, loaded with Never-Before-Seen bonus features, will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on August 24, 2010. With the release of Lost: The Complete Sixth and Final Season, audiences can relive every episode in the landmark final season, as the fate of each character and answers to long-pondered mysteries from the previous seasons, are revealed. In addition, the Blu-ray and DVD releases contain hours of never-before-seen bonus footage including deleted scenes; bloopers; a featurette where cast, crew, writers, producers and other Hollywood notables discuss ending the acclaimed series; a much-anticipated new chapter of the island's story from Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse; and much more.
For the ultimate LOST fan, a box set: Lost: The Complete Collection includes an icon-clad, secret-laden, Blu-ray and DVD box set containing every episode from all six seasons. Additionally, the set includes over 30 hours of bonus material (from every season), plus one full disc of bonus exclusive to the collection, containing an array of all-new behind-the-scenes featurettes; documentaries; and a series of unique tours of Oahu with many of the cast as they reflect anecdotes, experiences and emotions of working on the series and living on the island; and more. The exciting collectible packaging also includes: a Special Edition collectible ‘Senet’ Game as seen in Season Six, a custom LOST island replica, an exclusive episode guide, a collectible Ankh, and a black light penlight.
D23 has added another benefit for its members. From the press release:
Disney's official fan club now includes a special, limited-time offer, from Adventures by Disney, by offering $200.00 per person off of select vacations, including travel in the U.S., Europe, South Africa, South America and China. Members must book their vacations before June 21, 2010, and travel must begin before April 26, 2011. For more information on this special offer visit this link.
For Mother’s Day I was given the gift of a membership to the Aquarium of the Pacific and I’m loving it so far. This weekend the aquarium will celebrate the cultures of the Pacific Islands with the Pacific Islander Festival:
Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM discover the rich and diverse cultures of the Pacific Islands through traditional craft demonstrations, ethnic cuisine, educational programs, storytelling, and an ocean of entertainment, including music and dance performances. The festival is free with admission to the aquarium. Visit the aquarium’s website for more information and a downloadable PDF of the event’s schedule, plus a buy-one-get-one admission coupon, or call: (562) 590-3100, ext. 0
This past Tuesday was the 84th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth. She’s being remembered with a special exhibit at the Hollywood Museum which opened June 1st and will run through August 31st:
Marilyn Remembered - An Intimate Look at The Legend showcases over 200 personal and professional items from the life and career of Marilyn Monroe at The Hollywood Museum, which is located in the historic Max Factor building in Hollywood, California at 1660 N. Highland Avenue. It is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM. For more information visit: http://www.marilynmonroecollection.com/TheExhibit2008.htm
Our last item today is about a book I found while browsing through the Disneyland shops this past weekend, ‘Disneyland Through The Decades – A Photographic Celebration’ a perfect addition for the library of anyone with an attachment to Walt’s original park.
Jeff Kurtti has put together a collection of photos of Disneyland from the very beginning until the here-and-now, and what a nice collection it is. There are some great Walt photos and a whole lot of fabulous Disneyland photos. The book doesn’t aim so much as to be a history book of Disneyland – that’s been done many times before. Nope, it’s more a joyous record of what has been and what is, once you step inside that famous berm. A paragraph in Kurtti’s introduction to the book says it all:
“Disneyland Resort is one of the most-photographed locations on the earth for a reason: pictures of the resort are not only charming and beautiful; they tell evocative stories, call to mind memories, and create a genuine longing to visit the actual place – and enjoy the real experience.”
Interspersed with the gorgeous photography are excerpts from various other media, newspaper articles, other Disney books, the Disney News. To me, the book is almost like a yearbook of memories of Disneyland through the decades — photos of Walt at the Studio boarding a helicopter to head out to Disneyland, an early aerial shot of the park, Tomorrowland as it was being built, the Opera House under construction, the Disneyland Band in the early morning on the train station steps, the Frito Kid at Casa de Fritos, the Mickey Mouse Club Theater in Fantasyland, vintage Disneyland print ads, America On Parade, Party Gras, the Olympic-length pool that was briefly installed on Main Street in 2004, and on and on, right up to the concept drawings for Cars Land and World of Color.
The book does exactly what Kurtti says in his intro ... it sure recalls fond memories and it definitely makes me want to head to ‘The Park’. One of my favorite features is a chronology of attraction openings from day one right up though Toy Story Midway Mania. Next time I wonder, “Exactly when was it that opened,” I’ll know right where to look to find out.
It’s available in two versions. The regular edition is a bargain, priced at $24.95. The Deluxe Edition is a bit pricier. It’s the same book as the regular edition but it comes in a protective case, is hand-signed and numbered by Marty Sklar, includes eight collectible postcards featuring attraction posters at Disneyland (My fave? Casa de Fritos – I loved that place as a kid – Taco in a Tacup – See the Frito Kid in action!), and a reproduction of the opening day edition of the Disneyland newspaper, the Disneyland News. The Deluxe Edition is limited to 1000 and is priced at $99.95. Unfortunately at present, it's a park exclusive. Which means, darn it, if you want the book ... you’ve got to come to Disneyland to get the thing (although I’d try ordering it over the phone if I was you - Merchandise Guest Services, 800-362-4533).
Pressing Matters is now on Twitter. You never know what you’ll find there, food, museums, shopping, Disneyland! Follow me along as I search for the latest Pressing Matters: http://www.twitter.com/pressingmatterz
And that should do it for this week's... |
