 |
DVD Reviews: CAMP ROCK & HANNAH MONTANA 3-D CONCERT
Those of us who grew up with phenomenon of The Monkees can smile with recognition at the Tiger Beat-fueled frenzy surrounding today tween sensations. Not long ago it was Lizzie McGuire. Now a young girl barely knows who that is. Most recently it's been the powerhouse that is Hannah Montana, a franchise very much like The Monkees in that the records and the TV series nurture each other.
Miley Cyrus is remarkably talented and self-assured in her performances. Despite some bumps in the road in the last year, we can only hope she can weather the challenges ahead. She's maturing as a "product" and is approaching a crossroads. According to my daughter and her tween crowd, she's being eclipsed by the Jonas Brothers (or just "Jonas Brothers" as they are insistently called in official and scripted material).
These two DVD packages capture both entities at two very different career points. Miley "Hannah" period seems to have reached its fever pitch with the theatrical 3-D Best of Both Worlds Concert. Tickets sold out and histrionics ensued, both around her live concert tour and the movie. The whole thing was brilliantly orchestrated from a marketing point of view.
The second DVD disc in the "2-Disc Extended Edition" package contains the 3-D version of the movie. Four sets of 3-D glasses are included along with a way to order more if necessary (I usually keep all my various 3-D glasses for handy re-use). The effect on TV is not nearly as impressive as in the film because the polarization technique cannot be done on TV, as far as I know, so this uses the old red-and-blue lens trick. It's still fun.
The first disc has the concert film in 2-D and some extra features like a sing-along, extra Jonas songs and a nice little "Ultimate Personal Tour" similar to the backstage footage in the film, and perhaps culled from the same footage. It's interesting to see Miley talk about shoes and shopping like a typical teen rather than a corporate entity.
Camp Rock was so long anticipated for its Disney Channel premiere that, as far as the local kids were concerned, the world stopped turning that evening. Though it's sort of being sold as a Jonas movie, it's really a vehicle for up-and-coming young star Demi Lovato and "ouch he's sooooooo keee-uwww-te!" Joe Jonas. His brothers have marginal roles, reportedly due to Joe's insistence they be included. Demi has that Sally Field winsomeness down pat -- ABC should have no trouble recasting if they ever bring back The Flying Nun. (Seriously, which Saint can I pray to for that? I loved that show.)
The movie follows the garden-variety teen formula, where the nice girl learns to be true to her mom and her friends and herself and the mean girl is told off (with perhaps the greatest line in the history of teen movies: "B-T-W, your lip gloss is soooo not glossy anymore!")
Even though Camp Rock's DVD includes one disc; there are comparatively more extras, like songs, videos and the like. What really impressed me was, believe it or not, "How to Be a Rock Star," a series of mini-docs currently being promoted on the Disney Channel. What I like is that they balance material like Demi giving the impression that she's having a constant ball making the movie. That may be true, but it could also give young, impressionable kids the idea that it's a nonstop laugh-filled party to be a showbiz kid.
However, as the "Rock Star" segments continue, the more refreshingly straightforward they become, and the less public relations-driven they seem. Kids need to hear how much practice, school, dedication, discipline and hard, hard work all of the cast must commit to in order to make any kind of success.
It's a message rarely shown with any degree of emphasis on today’s various entertainment magazine shows. Kids often see either the extreme of fun and glamour or the extreme of dysfunction. In between there are lots of people who earn what they get because they work hard. Someone actually says, "None of these kids has any of this handed to them."
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Aug 20 2008
WHY "THE TIME TUNNEL" IS STILL COOL
After seeing the Titanic attraction at the Orlando Science Center, I decided to introduce the kids to the classic 1966 Irwin Allen series, The Time Tunnel. The first episode not only introduces and sets up the premise (two scientists, lost in time, finding themselves in historic and/or fictional past and future adventures. The second episode takes place in ---ooooohh -- 1978!!!
Yes, the show had that overwrought, kinda cheesy Irwin Allen style, but it's also got one of the most incredible sets ever created for television or movies: the Time Tunnel itself. I read in TV Guide that it actually extends about 26 feet into another stage, but to see it on screen literally inspires imagination.
And here's a bit of a Disney connection: one of the art directors for the show was three time Oscar winner Jack Martin Smith, who worked on a huge number of notable Hollywood films -- and for Disney, including Pete's Dragon. His son Charles appeared in American Graffiti and Disney's Never Cry Wolf.
You can still see one of Jack Martin Smith paintings, with his signature, on the first floor inside The American Adventure at Epcot.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Aug 17 2008
TIM & GREG TOGETHER AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Tim Hollis and I have never been interviewed together before, with the exception of a podcast almost two years ago, so it's kind of an event that we will be both on the same show at the same time!
Next Wednesday, August 20 at 7:00 pm EDT, click here or visit www.shokusradio.com. When you see the home page, all you do is click "enter here," and you're connected to the most comprehensive classic TV radio station in the world.
We're going to be on "Stu's Show" for two hours, but you'll want to check out the other programming, like The TV Soundtrack Show, Baby Boomer Favorites, Funny is Money, Crazy College and many more. They play the shows more than once, so you can catch them at your convenience by using this schedule as a guide.
If you can't sit by your computer to listen but want to hear the shows whenever you want, you can download a program like Audio Hijack, which has a timer you can set kind of like a VCR for your computer.
We'd love to know what you think of the Stu's Show interview and all the cool stuff we'll be playing, and if you would like to hear future shows like it. Please email me with your comments.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Aug 14 2008
Time-Life is selling GET SMART SEASON TWO separately
I just went into the Time-Life video website to pre-order The Smothers Brothers Show DVD when I was delighted to find that they are now selling the original GET SMART TV series Season Two on its own. You can now get Seasons One and Two, or the complete series -- but my finances would rather I take it one season at a time.
The Time-Life website versions apparently include the bonus features, while the ones they sell in retail do not -- at least that's the case with Season One, which will soon be in stores without the bonus features. (BTW, be wary the "Get Smart - The Complete Series" DVD set that is also being widely sold - it's the questionable revival version that costarred Andy Dick.)
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Aug 07 2008
Journey to the CARTOON of the Earth
The new 3-D version of Journey to the Center of the Earth has received mixed reviews, but we saw it and enjoyed it as an old-fashioned summer adventure in the Harryhausen tradition. The piranha were especially scary, but since I've actually eaten one, I wasn't as intimidated as I might have been (the piranha I dined on still had its teeth and it was fun to make them go chomp-chomp).
The story has been filmed several times, the best known version being the Fox one with James Mason, Pat Boone and a sheep. But I also remember the cartoons, like the series that Filmation did for ABC (Ted Knight was one of the voice actors):
and the Australian hour special that they used to run during the holidays as part of the Kenner "Famous Classic Tales" series:
These specials, one of which featured Orson Bean as the voice of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Sure the animation was not lavish, but it was part of the anticipation of the holiday season when these shows started running along with their commercials for the Snoopy Toothbrush and Sit 'n Spin. The shows were produced by a company called API, which I believe became Hanna-Barbera Pty. They also did a comical animated series for NBC based on Around the World in 80 Days.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Aug 06 2008
Disney 2009 Record Cover Calendar
They were selling these at the Disney Studio Store -- it's a mini-calendar with images of these classic Disney records:
Selections from Fantasia
Sleeping Beauty
More Jungle Book
Pinocchio
Bambi & Thumper (45 rpm)
Lady and the Tramp
Cinderella
Dumbo
Jiminy Cricket's Mouse Club Songs (78 rpm)
Snow White
Alice in Wonderland
Walt Disney's Christmas Concert
Amazon is selling used copies here.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Aug 02 2008
BARBARA WALTERS' BOOK: Did you know?
Just started listening to "Audition," and though I'm only a third through, I wonder if the media attention to its more peccadillo-oriented aspects are shortchanging what a fascinating and self-effacing read it is. So far, it's much more than a kiss-and-tell.
Extremely interesting is Walters' father Lou, whose Latin Quarter nightclubs were all the rage in the 40s and early 50s. Did you know that Lou Walters, a highly respected and much beloved impressario, discovered radio comedy giant Fred Allen (above) and Jack Haley?
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Jul 31 2008
WHAT HAPPENED IN HOLLYWOOD
This is Sharon Baird, Cubby O'Brien and Karen Pendleton of the original Mickey Mouse Club. They were my table neighbors at the Hollywood Collectors Show.
Legendary star Celeste Holm is now 91, and at the show she seemed somewhat distant and perhaps a bit tired. However, when I approached to tell her that my children loved watching Disney's Polly, the TV musical version of Pollyanna in which she played Miss Snow, she lit up with fond recognition.
A few nights later, she had just left the Sleeping Beauty screening at the Academy Theater and was entering a restaurant, so I held the door for her and her companions, singing the first lines from "Hannibal Mo-Zouree" from Tom Sawyer. Could not resist. She was pleased.
The following weekend, the same hotel hosted the Dark Shadows Convention and I said hello to Lara Parker, who played the scary Angeligue....
('way to hold in the gut, Greg!)
...and I finally met in person the lovely Kathryn Leigh Scott, whom I had known through phone and letter (she played Maggie and Josette)...
Jonathan Frid (the original Barnabas Collins) speak and recite. At one point he fell during the presentation, to which there was a horrified gasp from all of us in the audience! He was fine, though, and danced around a bit to reassure the now-cheering crowd.
Someone asked Mr. Frid if he had any comment about the planned Dark Shadows feature and he had no knowledge of Johnny Depp nor any recent film or TV. He said he lives a very quiet life in Canada and seldom goes to movies. The last one he saw was Titanic.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Jul 29 2008
Stan Freberg and SLEEPING BEAUTY
Living 3,000 miles from California, I'm always missing out on cool Disney/cartoon/TV/etc. events (though I did shake hands with TV's Skipper Chuck and Scrubby once in Miami, so there) but as luck would have it, I able to be in LA for the Motion Picture Academy screening of the restored wide screen version of Walt Disney's Sleeping Beauty. It's not like I'm some kind of VIP or something -- it only cost five bucks.
The film naturally was impressive. It's the only way to see Sleeping Beauty as it was meant to be seen (there's another screening at Hollywood's El Capitan in a few weeks). I've always thought Princess Aurora resembled Donna Reed, but none of my friends share the opinion, though they nod politely. It was followed by a panel discussion hosted by Leonard Maltin/ Animation giant Andreas Deja showed development art, including a character design clean-up sketch of Aurora by the great Iwao Takamoto, who designed countless characters for Hanna-Barbera -- and Aurora really does have a HB look. Actually much of the entire film seems to have influenced the HB house style of the mid-60s to mid-70s, since so many Disney artists emigrated there.
I can die happy because I was able to give a copy of Mouse Tracks to the one and only Stan Freberg, who was in attendance along with a lot of industry notables. He mentioned that we had him to thank for the music in Sleeping Beauty because he got musical director George Bruns his job at Disney. He said that George, having composed the uberhit "The Ballad of Davy Crockett," was concerned that he would be remembered only for writing such a big standard, but clearly that was not the case, since he did so much more throughout the next two decades.
The upcoming Sleeping Beauty DVD is reportedly going to have quite a few new bonus features, including a new audio commentary (yabba dabba doo)!
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Jul 20 2008
HOBNOBBING WITH THE STARS
Well, sort of. Sometimes there is a nominal fee. But it's worth it.
If you've never been to the Hollywood Collector's Show, it's kind of like a Disneyana show and sale or a Star Trek convention, or any kind of specialized enthusiast gathering in which a large convention area is filled with tables containing celebtrities, collectibles and fans
At this show, you can walk up to banquet tables and talk to legends like Hugh O'Brian, TV casts from shows like "Here Come the Brides" or "Welcome Back Kotter," or movies like "Grease,' chat a few mintues, get an autograph (for $10-20), special merchandise or a photo (some charge for photos, some don't).
I had the privilege of sitting next to three original Mouseketeers: Karen Pendleton, Cubby O'Brien and Sharon Baird. I also met and/or got autographs from Celeste Holm, Rod McKuen, Keith "Little Ricky" Thibodeaux, Erin Gray and Brad "voice of Charlie Brown" Kesten. I also met the talented Hanna-Barbera and Warner Brothers artist Scott Awley, who has a fine Partridge Family site.
Jeff Conaway was even there, standing, with Vicki, "the girlfriend." Several Munchkins attended, along with Margaret O'Brien and many others.
They have these three times a year, so if you're ever in the Burbank area, it's lots of fun.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Jul 14 2008
Thank you, Gary Powell!
The immensely talented Gary Powell was kind enough to mention MOUSE TRACKS on his website. Gary is responsible for countless musical contributions to Disney records, and thus his work has delighted generations. It's a pleasure to shed as much light as possible on folks who offer so much to our entertainment experiences -- and Disney music legacy.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Jul 09 2008
VIDEO: Backstage at The Muppet Show
Click here to see rare behind the scenes footage from The Muppet Show, from the new Season Three DVD.
This clip was was originally seen in the documentary "Of Muppets and Men." You'll see Jim Henson stumbling over his lines at a script reading, plus appeances by Dave Goelz, Frank Oz, Bill Barretta, Steve Whitmire (who currently performs Kermit), Kevin Clash and of course, Raquel Welch.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: May 22 2008
The First, the Last & The Middle Chipmunks
Good ol' iTunes. Until now, three important original Liberty albums by David Seville and The Chipmunks (one also guest starring the great June Foray) have been released so you can have them digitally -- and they sound fantastic.
The first one, LET'S ALL SING WITH THE CHIPMUNKS, was the first LP by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. and his speeded-up creations. This was the original cover:
but when the TV series THE ALVIN SHOW premiered, it was redesigned like this:
Another album, THE CHIPMUNK SONGBOOK, which was never reissued in its entirety until now, contained fourteen actual soundtrack songs from the show, with June Foray playing three characters:
And the very last Chimpunk LP in the original Liberty series, THE CHIPMUNKS GO THE MOVIES, contains songs from sixities family films like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book.
Ross Sr. passed away three years after this release and it wasn't until the early 80's when Ross Jr. and his wife Janice Karman brought the group back with Chipmunk Punk.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: May 10 2008
SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! Hard cover books with DUST JACKETS!
There are a limited amount of HARD COVER editions of MOUSE TRACKS available WITH A DUST JACKET at a special bargain price! It also includes a free Walt Disney Records mini poster.
$39.95
plus $5 shipping
The published hardcover of Mouse Tracks did not have a dust jacket, so one has been specially printed.
If you already have the hard cover edition and would like a dust jacket on its own, it's $9.95 plus $3 shipping.
To order, visit paypal.com, request the amount send along with the item selected, and have it sent to wonderproductions@hotmail.com.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Apr 01 2008
Behind the Scenes at the Golden Age of Filmation
 There hasn't been much attention given to the quiet but significant wave of DVD sets featuring the animated and live-action work of the Filmation studios. Likely it's because Filmation is kind of polarizing among animation fans; their cartoons use recycled animation and some of their later work is on some "worst of" lists.
However, the influence of this studio cannot be denied and that's probably why Filmation cofounder Lou Scheimer was given the Windsor McCay award for lifetime acheivement (which also raised a hue and cry in some circles. The facts are that Filmation employed domestic artists as long as they could hold out during a time when others were outsourcing, gave many industry leaders their first chance in the business and created several iconic series including The Archies, Star Trek, Isis, Groovie Goolies, He-Man and Fat Albert.
Anyway, you can find a surprising quantity of these on DVD, and often the bonus material is worth the price alone. Mission: Magic" contains a 30-minute documentary called "The Magic of Filmation" that chronicles the history, including the Abbbott and Costello-style way they faked having a thriving studio to get the Superman series, with numerous interviews of such animation and TV veterans as Tim Sito and J. Michael Straczyniski.
The Journey Back to Oz DVD has a fascinating commentary that reveals the strange way the film was funded, the Sinatra connection and how Journey was the film upon which the empire was built (who knew?).
And those of us who sighed over the visage of lovely JoAnna Cameron (above), guiding troubled teens to the straight and narrow as the mighty fine Isis will love the complete series, chock a block fill of extras and special footage. It really brought me back to those sugary cereal Saturday mornings of long past!
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Mar 13 2008
SINGING VOICE OF DISNEY'S DUCHESS FINALLY OFFICIALLY ACKNOWLEDGED
Back when acclaimed writer/producer Les Perkins told us he was preparing a wonderful new Disney DVD bonus feature that acknowledged Robie Lester as the singing voice of Duchess, we had our fingers crossed, hoping nothing would prevent it. Fortunately, when you see the "Deleted Song" Bonus Feature on the new THE ARISTOCATS SPECIAL EDITION DVD released today, you and world will see the great Richard Sherman host a seven-minute segment telling, for the first time, the story behind the song, "She Never Felt Alone."
In the finished film, Duchess -- with the speaking voice of Eva Gabor -- recites a few lines of the song's lyrics. But originally it was a full-fledged song, performed by our beloved Disneyland Story Reader, the late Robie Lester.
 Robie in 1965
Even we have never heard the snippet of studio chat, as well as the song demo, that is heard in this new segment. Of course, Robie can be heard in the finished film singing "Scales and Arpeggios" and the solo with the harp during "Ev'ry body Wants to Be a Cat." She later also sang "Rescue Aid Society" for Bianca in The Rescuers.
Disneyland Records' fully-orchestrated version of "She Never Felt Alone," sung by Robie and produced by Camarata, was released on CD a few years ago on an abbreviated disc called Songs from The Aristocats.
Robie in 2001
But the big news is that Robie Lester is finally being publicly acknowledged on the new DVD by Disney for her contributions to two animated features. Her husband Geoff was delighted to hear the news and to share it all with her daughter and grandchildren.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Feb 05 2008
MY FAVORITE MARTIAN & THE AVENGERS soundtrack albums FINALLY released!
There's never been an original soundtrack album of the 1960's TV fantasy classic MY FAVORITE MARTIAN until now, but it's here on a limited release CD. There are lots of interesting facts about the show in the accompanying liner notes, too.
There's also never really been a soundtrack album of another 60's TV classic, THE AVENGERS, though the theme song has popped up on various complilations. Apparently this one is only available as part of a three-disc set saluting composer Laurie Johnson.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Jan 31 2008
CLASSIC DISNEY ALBUMS ADDED TO iTUNES!
Randy Thornton of Walt Disney Records is pleased to announce that:
Uploading for release on January 29th are the following albums...
NEW RELEASES
Italiannette (BV 3304)
Annette Sings Anka (BV 3302)
Westward Ho the Wagons (WDL 3041)
Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House
(DQ 1257; the original 1964 release, narrated by Laura Olsher)
PLUS THESE TITLES, PREVIOUSLY ONLY AVAILABLE AT DISNEY THEME PARKS:
Meet Me Down On Main Street
A Musical Tour of France with Maurice Chevalier
Songs from Lady and the Tramp
The Disney Afternoon
Country Bear Jamboree
PLUS A VERY SPECIAL TITLE -- THE FIRST CLASSIC DISNEY SOUNDTRACK PREMIERE ON iTUNES.
Walt Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (an album 10 years in the making)!
 Beginning January 29, visit your iTunes store and search for each of these by title to locate each album.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Jan 19 2008
THE GREAT CHIPMUNK DEBATE
Apparently the big controversy nowadays isn't about Iowa caucases or Hillary, Barack, Rudy and Mitt. It's about Alvin, Simon, Theodore and Dave.
The runaway smash success of the Alvin and the Chipmunks feature has set animation fans and insiders ablaze with strong opinions about the relative strength or weakness of this film, the earlier feature, both TV series, and the records that started it all. The animation web site Cartoon Brew has the comment thread here (some explicit language; parental discretion advised).
The fact that what appears to some to be a mere novelty gimmick has actually had such a cultural impact is well worth noting. Perhaps Clyde Crashcup's assistant Leonardo espressed it best when he said, "Mwsserpishwssswrrssurruhswss..."
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Jan 06 2008
WHERE WERE YOU ON NEW YEAR'S EVE?
On New Year's Eve, I spent five and a half hours directing Epcot guests to step to their right and proceed over this lovely bridge to and from the France and United Kingdom pavilions. I waved one of those lighted wand things that air traffic controllers use in the movies.
This is a phenomenon among Disney salaried Cast Members known as "Cross-U" (cross utilization), in which we're asked very nicely to help out in the Parks during especially popular times.
I've done this many many times over the years, at Crystal Palace, Pecos Bill's Pinocchio Village Haus, The Haunted Mansion, The Hall of Presidents, Odyssey Restaurant, Main Street Emporium, Mouse Gear and others. It's kind of fun and it really helps me realize how many hard working, dedicated Cast Members work extremely hard all year. I like to cross-u because I get a chance to meet guests, who really do see Cast Members as "Disney" personified.
Anyway, sometimes when I didn't have a lighted rod to wave, I used one of those lighted cocktail cubes. It was red and as long as I waved it around, no one realized how humble it was -- some guests got a big kick of it if they realized it was a little cube! And we laughed and laughed.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Jan 02 2008
WIN FREE PRIZES, PLAY IN YOUR SOCKS!
ANYONE CAN PLAY, is just that. It's a radio game show where anyone, even you, can answer trivia questions and win nice board games and DVD games.
All you have to do it register here. Then they email you with the dates when they call you and you're a contestant. You don't have to dress up; you can lie down on the couch in your comfy socks and play.
You can listen to this and other TV-related shows on your computer at Shokus Internet Radio.
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Dec 30 2007
"HOW INTERESTING! I NEVER KNEW THAT."
That's what Leonard Maltin, an expert himself, says on the audio commentary for the new DISNEYLAND SECRETS, STORIES & MAGIC Walt Disney Treasures DVD.
Leonard is reacting to this factoid made by master Imagineer Tony Baxter, who is on the DVD commentary for the theatrical featurette, Disneyland, U.S.A., with him:
"People think of the Disney characters--Mickey and the gang--that they meet at Disneyland, but in the early 50's, when we first opened, the characters weren't allowed.
"You see a few on the opening day. Those were loaned from the Ice Capades, but from that opening until the late 50's, like '59 or '60, Mickey and the gang didn't appear. So [streetmosphere-type] characters like "Trinidad," the fellow that was sweeping the streets there, became very, very important in kind of giving that sense of people "living" in Disneyland. So you see boat captains and saloon girls and native american dancers and everything that really made this place come to life because there were no characters."
Posted By: Greg, Date of Post: Dec 29 2007
|
 |
|
