Hello Dear Readers! It kind of feels like a slow week to me, there doesn’t seem to be much happening to tell you about. I guess everyone’s gearing up for Harry Potter on Friday and Disneyland’s 56th birthday on Sunday and beyond that there’s nothing left to discuss.
What’s that you say? It’s probably more like Carmageddon? Oh, that — I’ll be so glad when the freeway shut-down/bridge demolition is done and over with and I don’t have to hear about it any more. Stick to Orange County and you won’t have to deal with that mess (providing you’re in the OC to start with).
I’m trying to keep most of our topics away from that nasty traffic nightmare, so here’s what we’ll be discussing today:
D23 Merch Dreams • Phineas & Ferb — The Music
• OC Fair • Attention Summer Shoppers
• La Fête Nationale • Artifacts From The Krell • Real Up House
Slowly but surely D23 is releasing little tidbits about their upcoming Expo. A few details about the D23 Dream Store merchandise is up on the Disneyland Blog:
Over the next few weeks, be among the first to see some of the newest debuts from Disney Theme Park Merchandise, including the release of the much anticipated limited edition TRON Monorail and Disneyland Monorail play sets, as well as some of the latest releases from Disney licensees and artists including Precious Moments, Robert Olszewski and more.
You can read the full post here at this link. Now, that blog post doesn’t really tell a whole lot and I, for one, get tired of the whole, you-are-going-to-be-blown-away-with-what’s-coming hyperbole. If you really want to see more of the D23 Expo merchandise, then have a look at what’s being offered now via Random Selection Process only to the folks who chose to fork out the big bucks for the Sorcerer ($1000) and Premiere ($500) packages to attend the D23 Expo: At this link and also at this link.
The rest of us will have to wait till the expo to see if we can snag some of this merch, that is, if any of it’s left after the Sorcerer and Premiere folks get their fill. As for me, that won’t be a problem. I see nothing much that’ll tempt me to open my pocketbook – pins, t-shirts, mugs, mouse ears. Meh, same old same old. Can’t they design more imaginative stuff than this? Really, anyone heading to the D23 Expo is most probably a die-hard Disney fan with a desire for unique items, so t-shirts, pins, and a few random pieces with Walt’s image splashed on them is the best Disney could come up with? Meh, redux.
Okay moving on, the Phineas and Ferb Rockin’ Rollin’ Dance Party made its debut this past weekend over at California Adventure. By all reports this one’s mainly for the little kiddies in the crowd. If your kiddy is a Phineas and Ferb fan you’re going to want to get their latest music so your kiddy can dance all around the house. Walt Disney Records will be releasing Phineas and Ferb: Across The 1st and 2nd Dimensions on August 2nd:
The album features 7 new songs "Everything's Better With Perry," "Brand New Best Friend," "Summer (Where Do We Begin?)," "Taking Care Of Things," "Mysterious Force," "Robot Riot" and the end credit track "Kick It Up a Notch," the Phineas and Ferb collaboration with legendary guitarist Slash. The soundtrack also includes 15 songs from the hit animated series.
Slash explains his involvement with the animated series, "I'm a big fan of 'Phineas and Ferb.' I watch a lot of cartoons and I think it's one of the best shows. It's well-written, very original and the characters are great. This whole experience has been surreal because I'm a big Disney fan. To be involved in this movie and having written some music for it is pretty exciting. It's an honor to actually be animated in the 'Kick It Up a Notch' music video." The video opens with a live-action segment of Slash plugging his Gibson Les Paul guitar into an amp. An electric current travels through the wire and Slash becomes animated and is joined on stage by Phineas and Ferb.
The video will debut July 22nd on the Disney Channel. The Disney Channel Original Movie "Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension" is set to premiere on Friday, August 5th on the Disney Channel — Check your local listings for times.
It’s fair time in the OC once again — The Orange County Fair opens tomorrow, July 15th (and runs through August 14th). If you’re not planning on sitting in a movie theatre all day watching the end of the Harry Potter saga, head on down to the fairgrounds and check out the latest in fried food (what will they come up with this year???). This year’s theme is “Let’s Eat” so there’s bound to be something tasty to be had.
The OC Fair & Event Center is located at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa, California 92626. Opening day, Friday July 15th, admission and parking are free from noon to 1 PM. For details on promotions, daily schedules, and admission info, visit this link.
Summer shoppers looking for a bargain — Save the Date! The World of Disney in Downtown Disney will be holding a sale on July 23rd:
On July 23, 2011, from 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM, Disneyland Resort Passholders, Disney Vacation Club Members, D23 Members, and Club 33 Members can enjoy an early shopping opportunity with discounts of up to 50% off select merchandise items, special doorbusters, surprise markdowns and more at the World of Disney Store in the Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort.
For more information, visit this link.
Okay, now we’re gonna venture into Carmageddon territory, if you’re brave enough that is.
Every July 14th, the city of Paris celebrates Bastille Day (which in French is La Fête Nationale). The celebration marks the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 and the first major event of the French Revolution of 1789. So ... today is Bastille Day but does LA party it up today? Non, LA celebrates Fête Nationale this weekend. Grab your macarons, your baguettes, your pain au chocolat, and head out to Elysian Park et amusez-vous:
On Sunday, July 17th, 2011, Angelenos will celebrate the tenth annual official Bastille Day LA Festival in the heart of Los Angeles — Elysian Park, Monticello Old Lodge (next to the Dodgers Stadium) corner of Stadium Way and Scott Avenue. -- with French gastronomic delicacies and spectacular live entertainment. Entertainment includes:
• A true Provencal Petanque Tournament under the pine trees
• A Parisian Waiters Race • French Market vendors
• Famous French food, wines and gastronomic delights!
Event Hours are from Noon to 9PM. Entrance Fee is $5.00 & free for children under 13. For more information, visit this link.
Our next Carmageddon-territory event is one hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, an exhibition entitled, Forbidden Planet: Artifacts from the Krell:
One of the first science fiction films set entirely in space, “Forbidden Planet” employed a variety of special effects techniques, which garnered the film an Academy Award nomination for A. Arnold Gillespie (special effects supervisor), Irving G. Ries (special effects cinematographer) and Wesley C. Miller (recording supervisor). The team, along with Joshua Meador (an animator borrowed from Walt Disney Productions) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s special effects artists, used animation effects, matte paintings and miniatures to create the forbidden world of the Krell.
The display will illustrate the complexity of the film’s production methods and will include the “id monster” concept art, miniatures used in the movie including the United Planets Cruiser C-57D flying saucer and Krell ventilator shaft miniature, a hand blaster, and one of the film’s most memorable characters: Robby the Robot. The exhibit will also include the original recording equipment used by Louis and Bebe Barron in creating the film’s all-electronic musical score.
Forbidden Planet: Artifacts from the Krell runs July 17th through August 7th in the foyer of the Linwood Dunn Theater, which is located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood, CA. Admission to the exhibit is free and public viewing hours are Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 6 PM, and whenever Academy public programs are hosted at the Linwood Dunn Theater.
For more information, visit this link. Or call (310) 247-3600.
We’ll end today’s column with a little something I spotted on Gizmodo that I think is quite charming and I know you will too. Carl & Ellie’s house — a real-life version:
Bangerter Homes, the developer, sought out permission from Disney before building the 2,800 square foot Up! House replica and just recently finished the exterior. The interior still needs some work but they'll be following the movie's blueprints, if you saw it in the movie, you'll probably see it in this house. The developers are being mindful of every little detail—the weathervane, the garden hose, everything.
It's at this link.
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I’ll leave you and say goodbye until next week when we meet again to discuss more... |
