“Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two” is the sequel to the Wii exclusive title “Epic Mickey.” However, this game is far more inclusive than its predecessor being available to play on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, and PC.

The game is set after the events of the first game. Wasteland is experiencing strange earthquakes which threaten to tear their world apart when the Mad Doctor (an antagonist in “Epic Mickey”) who says that he has turned over a new leaf and wants to help. Oswald decides to trust the Mad Doctor and gives him a second chance. However, his girlfriend Ortensia does not and calls upon Mickey to come and help them. Now, Mickey and Oswald must work together to save Wasteland.

As one might infer from the plot, the entire game can be played with two players with one person playing as Mickey and the other playing as Oswald. Of course, if the player doesn’t have a second friend to play along the game can be played as a single player. However, the player will have to work with the Oswald AI in order to get through the game. Fortunately, the partner AI is fairly responsive and will either automatically do the action or the player can order the AI to initiate the action. That being said, the AI is not perfect and will occasionally either not do what you want or wander around uselessly.

Two new features added to the game are voice acting and musical numbers. The voice acting is good with Bret Iwan, the current voice of Mickey Mouse, returning to the role. The ever popular Frank Welker is voicing Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Cary Elwes is voicing Gremlin Gus who offers advice to the player, and lastly Disney voice veteran Jim Cummings.

While the full voice acting, opposed to the grunts and unintelligible sounds, is certainly a welcome change, it can at times get annoying. For instance there will be times when you might be briefly stuck at various sections in the game. However, if you don’t figure out the puzzle or don’t move through the place fast enough Gus will keep giving you the same hint over and over again. The same can be said of the Oswald AI who will often be talking throughout the entire playthrough.

The musical numbers which were mentioned quite a bit before the game came out are not really musical numbers. There is only one character who sings in this game and that is the Mad Doctor voiced by Dave Wittenberg. In fact, the character doesn’t really talk at all, he just sings.

Another problem in the game is the controls, but this can mainly be applied to the other consoles and is much better on the Wii and PC. While walking, jumping, and attacking work fine on all the consoles, using the paint and thinner attacks on the other consoles that becomes much more difficult.

However, a few problems in a game might be inconvenient throughout a playthrough, but would be worth it if the game’s storyline and characters are good. For example, “Epic Mickey” had a lot of camera issues that could ruin a game for some people, however, since the characters and storyline were good the game was definitely worth playing. Does “Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two” do the same? The answer is no. The storyline is rather dull and while it attempts to be a mystery the player solves who the culprit is in no time.

The same can be said of the characters: in the previous game they were colorful and fun, now much less interesting. Throughout the game you are given different quests for various characters and if you complete them that character will get a happy ending at the end of the game. This is again taken from the first game, but whereas in the first game the player felt motivated to help the characters he or she’s grown to love, in this game the player will feel mostly indifferent.

However, there is a ton of old Disney material sprinkled throughout the game that is certain to make every Disney fan feel nostalgic. One example of this is a boss battle against an animatronic Elliot from “Pete’s Dragon” which is also a reference to the light parades done at Disneyland and Disneyworld.

Rating 2.5/5- “Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two” is a flawed game that doesn’t live up to the magic of the original, but if you are a big Disney fan and you’re playing with a friend the game might be worth checking out.

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“Wreck-It Ralph” is a heartwarming movie for all ages. With the vocal talents of John C. Reilly as Ralph, Sarah Silverman as Vanellope, Jack McBrayer as Felix, Jane Lynch as Calhoun, and Alan Tudyk as King Candy, this movie proves itself to be funny for both kids and adults. “Wreck-It Ralph” teaches kids valuable life lessons about challenging labels like “good” and “bad” while showing that each person is their own biggest judge.

“Wreck-It Ralph” was a beautifully animated movie that creatively portrayed how life might be in an arcade after the kids have gone home. Once the arcade is closed, the characters can game jump and visit one another by going through their cable chords into Grand Central Station (the power strip). In Grand Central Station, they even have security as Surge Protectors to prevent items from one game going into another, which is comically shown when Ralph tries to take the cherries from Packman back into his game. There is a Bad Guys Anonymous meeting in Packman led by Clyde, the blue ghost of Packman, where the “bad guys” get support from each other since everyone else hates them. The games themselves range from the older classics like Sonic to the newer games like the HD Hero’s Duty, which creates a very diverse gaming spectrum.

“Wreck-It Ralph” follows “bad guy” Ralph through his journey of trying to be a hero. Ralph is unappreciated and unloved within his own game, Fix-It Felix Jr., so he decides to show everyone he is a hero by winning a medal like Felix does all the time. Ralph game jumps into a first-person shooter game called Hero’s Duty to win a hero medal, but he accidentally unleashes a bug (a literal virus) into a candy-coated car racing game called Sugar Rush. In Sugar Rush, he meets Vanellope, a troublemaking “glitch,” who steals his medal so she can finally race in Sugar Rush. While grudgingly becoming friends with Vanellope, Fix-It Felix has teamed up with Calhoun from Hero’s Duty to track down Ralph before their Fix-It Felix Jr. game gets turned off and the bug/virus multiplies in Sugar Rush. The movie has some surprising twists that will keep you guessing until the very end.

“Wreck-It Ralph” has talented comedians as the main characters, brilliant graphics, creativity using the arcade as the setting, and relatable insecurities that the characters go through. However, the time line of the movie was a big drawback, in my opinion, because it all took place within one day. Ralph went on many adventures in that one day, which I feel made the storyline implausible; if the movie took place over a longer period of time would have been much more realistic.

The way the characters met and interacted also struck me as unrealistic; what are the chances that the first person Ralph meets in Sugar Rush ends up being his best friend?  And what are the chances that the first woman Fix-It Felix meets outside of his game he falls in love with?  However, these minor drawbacks do not detract completely from the brilliance of the overall message the movie shows. While challenging preconceptions of “good” and “bad,” the movie also clearly showcases the importance of true friends and appreciating those around you, which makes this a real treat for everyone.

Rating: 4/5

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New York, U.S.A. – Fusion Specialties is pleased to announce the Mannequin Design Competition for students. Design students are invited to participate in a contest exploring the world of mannequin design through the eyes of a singular brand. Winning designs will be showcased at 2013 GlobalShop in Chicago and in DDI magazine among other venues. The grand prizewinner will see his or her designs sculpted and manufactured in full size; the winning collection will be displayed in the Fusion booth at GlobalShop 2013 and also highlighted at a jcpenney store in the New York City area. Cash awards will be provided to the top five designs.

Mannequins present an opportunity to connect with the consumer on a deeply emotional level. Mannequins should be aspirational while at the same time reflecting the brand’s fit and look. In this competition, students will be challenged to explore how to meld these criteria into a mannequin collection that is innovative, exciting and reflects the designated brand appropriately.

Fusion Specialties, one of the world’s largest designer and manufacturer of custom mannequins, has designed multiple collections for jcpenney, Nike, Gap, Guess, Disney, Chico’s, and Armani A/X among others. Their approach is to personify a retailer’s brand identity through the design of custom mannequins and this particular design challenge will ask student participants to do the same. Students will be designing for some of the most popular private label brands sold at jcpenney, and will be required to understand the history, demographic and target customer for that brand. All of this must be reflected in the proposed design for the mannequins.

Prizes:

• $2500 in cash to be awarded to the Grand Prize winner along with publication in DDI magazine, actual development and production by Fusion of the winning mannequin design, showcase at 2013 GlobalShop, feature on the Fusion website, and more.
• $1000 in cash to be awarded to 2nd place winner along with designs showcased in DDI magazine, at 2013 GlobalShop, and on the Fusion website.
• $500 in cash to be awarded to the 3rd, 4th and 5th place entries with designs showcased in DDI magazine, at 2013 GlobalShop, and on the Fusion website.

Judges:

Richard Ledbetter, VP, Visual Merchandising, jcpenney. Richard is responsible for heading the unique execution of the merchandise experience in all jcpenney stores. He has led visual merchandising for many world class retailers including Chico’s, Border’s, Victoria’s Secret, Lane Bryant, and Liz Claiborne.

Tom Stempfley, VP, Visual Display, jcpenney. Tom is responsible for ensuring the flawless execution of the in-store jcpenney experience across the company’s 1,100 stores. He has directed visual presentations for many world-class retailers including Victoria’s Secret, Club Monaco, Abercrombie & Fitch and Soma Intimates.

Stacie White, Creative Director, Fusion Specialties, A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Stacie has been with Fusion for 14 years. She directs the design of all mannequins and forms. She works with a team of fine art sculptors, master artists and tooling specialists to bring a client’s vision to fruition. Clients include Nike, Gap, Chico’s, jcpenney, Ann Taylor, Armani A/X and Guess.

Ellen Johnson, VP, Business Development, Fusion Specialties, Ellen has been with Fusion for 4 years and in the visual merchandising industry for more than 15 years. She is passionate about developing and working with Fusion’s many clients, old and new, to understand their needs and help to realize them.

Alison Embrey Medina, Executive Editor, DDI Magazine. Alison Embrey Medina is the executive editor of DDI magazine, a trade publication serving the retail design industry. Through the pages of DDI, she covers and comments on retail store design, visual merchandising, architecture, marketing and branding, from luxury and specialty to discount and dollar stores.

Image Courtesy :  timoni

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‘Frankenweenie’ was an overall disappointment and is definitely not meant for children. It started out strong, but the movie quickly deteriorated with how far-fetched it was becoming and finally crashed and burned in the last scene when it becomes evident that Victor Frankenstein has not really learned anything throughout his journey.

However, the movie was slightly redeemable because of Tim Burton and the voices of the actors, in addition to the references to other horror movies. Tim Burton strikes again with stunning animations set behind a stark black and white landscape. While serious for the majority of the movie, it does have its funny parts, especially when there are references to old horror flicks and characters such as Mrs. Frankenstein, Dracula, Igor, the Invisible Man, Godzilla, and Gremlins. The main characters are voiced by the talented Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Charlie Tahan, and Winona Ryder, who all brilliantly portray their characters in the movie.

The story follows elementary school kid Victor Frankenstein trying to find the perfect science fair project when his beloved dog, Sparky, gets hit by a car. Devastated, Victor decides to try to make Sparky come back to life by harnessing electricity and using the wind and lightning storm outside to his benefit. Lo and behold, it magically works and Sparky comes back to life, to Victor’s joy. However, Victor decides to try to hide Sparky. Not surprisingly, Sparky is seen by the Igor-like classmate, who demands to be taught how to bring animals back from the dead. The spreading of this top-secret knowledge brings about chaos as the race to get the best science fair project causes the kids to make less-than-wise decisions about what they wanted to bring back to life.

While the characters are interesting and vivid, the storyline rapidly deteriorates (until the audience is tempted to just get up and leave the theater) because of the immense implausibility, not to mention the depiction of the adults. The parents, especially Victor’s, never have any idea what is going on with their own kids and hardly lift a finger to help when their kids are in mortal peril. All the parents in the movie are passive to the point of absurdity, while the elementary school kids save the day and the town.

Even though ‘Frankenweenie’ is a heartwarming story of how much a boy loves his dog, the intense emotions it portrays is inappropriate for kids. The theater was filled with crying kids when Sparky died the first time and when it looked like he was going to die again. Since the majority of kids have some sort of animal, they easily connect with Victor and how they would feel if their pet died. Since Victor was able to make Sparky come back to life, kids might believe that their pet can come back to life, too. The horror sequences at the end of the movie, when so many scary animals are being brought back to life, is too much.

There is no real lesson to learn from ‘Frankenweenie.’ Throughout the movie, it seems Victor is making progress with understanding death, but he ultimately makes little progress. He is still so obsessed with keeping his dog alive at the end of the movie that kids do not really learn how to healthily cope with the loss of a pet. While ‘Frankenweenie’ is not all bad, it is one of the movies that should be questioned as a “kid’s movie.”

Rating: 1/5

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New York, U.S.A. – The Oogieloves in The Big Balloon Adventure have almost doubled their twitter followers in the past week, approaching 1,000,000 followers and have over 13,000,000 views on YouTube and with traffic to the Oogieloves website (www.oogieloves.com) causing the site to crash three times over the past weekend.

“Like the phenomenon of Apple’s introduction of the iPhone 4s, Target’s introduction of the Missoni brand and Disney with the introduction of the Princess Dolls, The Oogieloves are finding their way to the top of pop culture,” said Kenn Viselman, Producer, The Oogieloves in The BIG Balloon Adventure. “We are humbled and delighted by the response we are receiving to our sweet and lovely film.”

The movie, which is opening nationally on August 29, is a unique, interactive experience for audience-goers. It allows children to be children, encouraging them to sing and dance with their new onscreen friends, helping “move” the adventure along through their activity. The fun and fantastic adventure follows the Oogieloves – Goobie, Zoozie and Toofie – as they set out to find five magical golden balloons in time for their good friend Schluufy’s surprise birthday party. To learn more, visit www.oogieloves.com.

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New York, U.S.A. — HGTV has collaborated with Disney to create a garden inspired by Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie,” a stop-motion animated feature film that was filmed in black and white. The event will take place at Comic-Con International, the largest comic book and popular arts convention, where the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter lawn will be transformed into a 3,500 square-foot HGTV Electrifying Garden from July 12-14. Open to visitors between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. PT, the exhibit will showcase the beauty of black and white with more than 20 dark plants growing amid low-lying fog, pet tombstones and other striking oddities in the pet cemetery-themed garden.

Guests entering the garden will be enveloped in the ultimate Tim Burton fan experience as they wander the rolling hills and pathways of the New Holland Pet Cemetery – a key location in the film. Visitors to the exhibit can learn more about the plants featured in the garden; enjoy unique photo opportunities and other interactive elements.

“Comic-Con offers a perfect setting for us to recreate the plant life and outdoor spaces in the same tone as the distinctive and visually stunning ‘Frankenweenie,’” said Denise Conroy-Galley, senior vice president, marketing and creative services, HGTV. “We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to work with Disney to develop this extraordinary experience for fans of HGTV and Tim Burton. Our presence at Comic-Con is part of our larger experiential marketing strategy aimed at targeting occasional and new HGTV fans in unexpected places, in organic ways.”

Throughout the HGTV Electrifying Garden, guests also will have the opportunity to view custom content from “Frankenweenie” and collect pins, seed packets and other premium gifts from HGTV and Disney.

About Disney’s “Frankenweenie”

From creative genius Tim Burton (“Alice in Wonderland,” The Nightmare Before Christmas”) comes “Frankenweenie,” a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

A stop-motion animated film, “Frankenweenie” was filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D. The talented voice cast includes: Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell and Winona Ryder.

Presented by Disney, “Frankenweenie” is directed by Tim Burton, produced by Tim Burton and Allison Abbate. The screenplay was written by John August, based on an original idea by Tim Burton. “Frankenweenie” releases in U.S. theaters on October 5, 2012.

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Beverly Hills, U.S.A. – Disney Media Distribution and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have extended their agreement for DMD to distribute the annual Academy Awards telecast internationally through 2020, Tom Sherak, Academy president and Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney/ABC Television Group, announced on June 29. The previous agreement had been set to expire in 2014.

“Disney Media Distribution has been successful in securing distribution around the world for the Academy Awards and we’re thrilled to extend this partnership,” said Sherak. “The Oscars are an international event beloved by a global audience. It’s a testament to the magic of Hollywood.”

“We are excited to be able to extend our agreement to deliver the world’s biggest celebration of entertainment to audiences around the globe,” said Sweeney. “We look forward to building on the foundation of our relationship with the Academy, and working together to reach new audiences on new platforms in the years ahead.”

This past February, a worldwide audience of hundreds of millions experienced the Academy Awards in more than 225 international territories via a variety of both traditional broadcast outlets and new emerging video-on-demand and online streaming platforms.

In 2011, the Academy and the ABC Television Network signed a domestic rights agreement which also extended their contract through 2020.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented on Sunday, February 24, 2013, at the Dolby Theater at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live on the ABC Television Network.

About the Academy

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards – in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners – the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

Image Courtesy of  Disney

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Kelowna, U.S.A. – Marvel mania has reached all the way to Club Penguin Island, the number one virtual world for kids, as penguins assemble for the Marvel Super Hero Takeover, an epic online event starting soon.

A meteor has hit the island of Club Penguin, powering up the dangerous Destructobot. Players can choose to suit up as one of 14 Marvel Super Heroes or Super-Villains, including Avengers characters such as Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, and Thor, as well as the mischievous Super-Villain Loki.

“Everyone wants to feel special and believe that they can do something that no one else can do. That optimism is what drives both Club Penguin and the Marvel story lines and characters,” said Lane Merrifield, co-founder of Club Penguin and executive vice president of Disney Interactive Worlds. “Club Penguin and Marvel characters are the perfect match, and I’m sure our players will love it!”

“Bringing our worlds together marks a major milestone for both Marvel and Club Penguin,” said Rob Steffens, Executive Vice President of Marvel Entertainment. “Reactions from the fans are already tremendous, and we’re thrilled that we’re able to bring Marvel and Club Penguin together for such an epic event.”

As part of The Marvel Super Hero Takeover event, players can:

• Choose to dress up as Marvel Super Heroes, Super-Villains or civilians
• Explore the island, which has been transformed to include new destinations such as a bank, jail, and a superhero headquarters
• Join teams to decide whether to defend or defeat the evil Destructobot
• Meet Aunt Arctic, the news reporter and editor-in-chief for the Penguin Times, the Club Penguin Island newspaper. She’ll be keeping a close eye on the battle of Super Heroes and Super-Villains around the island

About Club Penguin

Club Penguin is the number one virtual world for children. Club Penguin works to maintain a fun and safe online entertainment experience by using filtering technology and live moderators. The award-winning virtual world of Club Penguin contains no third-party advertising and is free to use and enjoy, however a subscription membership provides access to additional features that enhance the play experience. Club Penguin, headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, is enjoyed by children around the world, and can be played in English, German, Portuguese, French and Spanish.

Image Courtesy of  The Avengers

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The Lion King musical is based on the 1994 Walt Disney animated classic, The Lion King.  The musical is adapted from the screenplay by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton and produced by Peter Schneider and Thomas Schumacher.

This musical debuted in 1997 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has now become the seventh longest running show on Broadway and is the highest grossing Broadway show of all time, having grossed $853.8 million. The show has toured in multiple cities across the U.S. as well as around the world.  I had the opportunity to attend the show at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando, Florida on May 9.

Fans of the film will not be disappointed with the musical. It is breathtakingly beautiful, and the actors give an outstanding performance that will have audiences rising to their feet to give a standing ovation at the end of the show.

Both the film and the play are about a young lion cub named Simba who, through deception and betrayal of his jealous Uncle Scar, is wrongfully blamed for his father Mufasa’s death and runs away from his home.  He meets a meerkat named Timon and a warthog named Pumba, who are outcasts like Simba.

They become friends and live a carefree lives under the motto “hakuna matata”, which means “no worries.” Years pass, and back home, Simba’s uncle rules the kingdom and allows his allies, the hyenas, to eat as much as they like, breaking the circle of life. Now all grown up, Simba’s childhood friend, Nala, leaves the pride in search of help and finds Simba. With the help of the wise mandrill, Rafiki, Simba returns home, confronts his past, defeats Scar, and restores the balance. He finally accepts his rightful place as king, and all is well again in the pride lands.

The show opens with a bang. The Pride Rock is the setting for the first scene, as baby Simba is revealed to the rest of the kingdom as Rafiki and the Ensemble cast belt out the “Circle of Life” with “Nants’ Ingonyama.” The drummers-who are placed on both sides of the stage-closed the opening number with a resounding thump on their African drums, which brought the audience to applaud with excitement and approval for what is to come.

The show is about two hours with one fifteen-minute intermission and moves along at a balanced pace. Act One is the longer of the two acts and the better of the two as well. Act Two opens with the Ensemble cast singing “One by One”, a happy and joyous tune. This leads into Scene One which starts out with vultures hovering in the sky, representing the death and lack of food that has occurred under Scar’s reign. It is a stark contrast.

All of the actors’ performances were wonderful, but there were a few that shone brighter than the rest. Actress Buyi Zama was rightfully cast as Rafiki. Her performance was my favorite, as she made the audience laugh throughout the evening and received the most applause. J. Anthony Crane, who portrayed Scar, was memorable. He portrayed the villain excellently and even received a few boos mixed in with the applause. Finally, Mark David Kaplan, who played Mufasa’s confidant Zazu, was hilarious and provided zingers at the right times during the play.

In addition to the original tunes from the film with music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice, the show has additional music and lyrics by Lebo M. Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, and Hans Zimmer.  Out of these new tunes, the most notable was “He Lives in You,” which is first performed during the Under the Stars scene in the first act when Mufasa is disciplining Simba. There is a reprise of the song later on in the second act.

Visually, the show is strikingly beautiful with its sets and lighting which bring out the African themes quite well.

The musical features actors in animal costumes that are designed by Julie Taymor, as well as masks and puppets varying in size, also designed by her and Michael Curry. All of the costumes and puppets were colorful and magnificent. The cheetah costume was the coolest, as it featured an actor using their hands to control the front part of the cheetah’s body while their own legs were inside the hind legs of the puppet, propelling the puppet to move as though it was a real cheetah. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

The hyenas were another costume that stood out. The actors’ legs were the hyena’s hind legs, and their hands held sticks molded to look like a hyena’s front legs. Their hyena masks even had moveable mouths.

All in all, The Lion King is a worthy successor to the film. The show will finish its Orlando tour on May 13, so check your local theater to find out when the musical will be coming to your town.

Image Courtesy of   The Lion King

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Walt Disney World Resort recently announced the list of 100 high school students from across the U.S. who have been selected to attend the 2012 Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine.

Often described as the world’s most creative classroom, the four-day power-packed program hosted by Disney and renowned entertainer Steve Harvey will be held March 8-11, 2012 at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. Disney’s Dreamers Academy inspires and fuels the dreams of selected students to help them dream bigger, discover a world of possibilities and get a jump start on making those dreams come true.

Now entering its fifth year, more than 500 high school students will have participated since Disney’s Dreamers Academy opened its doors in 2008.

A celebrity panel of judges led by comedian, author, philanthropist and Disney’s Dreamers Academy Ambassador Steve Harvey reviewed more than 4,700 applications and selected the 100 students for the Class of 2012 Disney’s Dreamers Academy. Judging criteria included exhibiting curiosity, compassion and leadership skills.

During the 2012 Disney’s Dreamers Academy, students will engage in multiple activities, including interacting with a range of industry professionals and experience immersive introductions to various career paths. Disney’s Dreamers Academy students participate in workshops on a variety of subjects, including entertainment, entrepreneurship, the medical field, culinary arts and creative inspiration from Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative gurus behind Disney’s theme parks and attractions.

“We are thrilled to announce this new class of 100 unique Dreamers who will graduate from the Academy with a whole new perspective on their future,” said Tracey Walters-Powell, executive champion of the program for Disney Parks & Resorts. “We received more applications this year than any other and we have selected an amazing class for this historic fifth year anniversary of the Dreamers Academy.”

“I’ve been with Dreamers Academy from day one and each year the program gets stronger as we add new interactive and experiential components for these students, so to hit the five-year mark is quite an accomplishment,” said Steve Harvey, who has served as Ambassador of Disney’s Dreamers Academy since the program started. “Investing and re-investing in these kids each year, you can really see the pay off as they leave the Academy and start to look at their future in a much different and much brighter light.”

Essence Communications President Michelle Ebanks said, “I am not going to divulge any secrets as to what’s being planned for this important fifth anniversary, but if you know anything about Walt Disney World, you know this life-changing event is going to be a truly amazing spectacular for these students and we are proud to be a part of it.”

Proving that Disney’s Dreamers Academy graduates emerge with a new perspective on life and their career paths, two recent graduates from the Class of 2011 Disney’s Dreamers Academy – Diamond Sims of Miami and Princeton Parker of Los Angeles – were invited to share their stories on the popular blog Huffington Post.

“Disney’s Dreamers Academy was a part of my life that I will never ever forget,” said Sims, who is now a freshman at University of Florida. “I met people who are from the same place as I am. I met people from all types of professions who were willing to provide advice, guidance and encouragement. In only a few days, they helped mold me into the young woman that I am today.”

Parker,17, who just started his first year of communications studies at the University of Southern California, said: “Disney’s Dreamers Academy changed my life not only by enlarging my dreams and understanding, but also by introducing me to more than 100 other young visionaries who possess the same drive, tenacity, vigor and capacity to dream.”

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/DisneysDreamersAcademy

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D23 devotes its entire Spring issue of Disney twenty-three magazine to the remarkable legacy and influence of Disney animated films. From Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to the animated classics of tomorrow, the official Disney fan club takes readers on a fantastic journey from the drawing board to the silver screen.

Available nationwide on February 14, this special issue of Disney twenty-three magazine is an extraordinary treasure trove of fascinating stories, insights and details of Disney animation’s heritage. From pre-production to music composition, every facet of making classic Disney animated features is explored—including the transcriptions from Walt’s story meetings with his animation team as they developed such classics as Fantasia, Pinocchio and Cinderella.

Plus, especially for Gold-level members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, this all-new issue also features an inventive, breathtaking cover that incorporates a removable replica animation cell from Snow White.

“It’s often been said that animation is the heart and soul of Disney, so we knew we needed to do something truly spectacular with our magazine in this milestone year,” said Steven Clark, head of D23. “Whether you’re interested in the first Golden Age of Disney animation or you’re looking forward to the next beloved classic, there’s something in this issue for every Disney fan.”

Fittingly, the magazine’s first story examines the legacy of Walt Disney himself and the vision he set forth even before Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs hit the screen. FiIm historian and Academy-Award winner John Canemaker looks at how Disney animated films have continuously raised the bar for three quarters of a century, since audiences were first enchanted by the “fairest of them all.”  Also included in the Spring issue are:

• The Six Older Men: A revealing look at the rarely seen talented artists and illustrators who helped train Disney’s legendary “Nine Old Men”;
• Ralph’s Wrecking Crew: An early glimpse at the process of producing Wreck-It Ralph, the next feature film from Walt Disney Animation Studios;
• Ballyhoo and Buzz: A colorful look at some of Disney’s off-the-wall stunts for marketing new movies before the advent of broadcast and digital media;
• Striking the Right Chords: An exploration of the memorable music written for animated features, with insight from film historian Leonard Maltin;
• Still Soaring: A touching interview with talented artist Tyrus Wong, now 101 years old, who helped create the extraordinary look of Bambi;
• A Work of Art: An introduction to Disney’s Animation Research Library, home to 65 million individual pieces of original animation art.

There’s even more to discover—including spectacular photography and artwork—in the Spring issue of Disney twenty-three, which will be delivered directly to all Gold-level D23 Members beginning in early February with the limited-edition Snow White reproduction cel as their collectible gift.

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As millions of children get ready to open their iPhones, iPads, and other smart devices Christmas morning, SkM Consulting sent an urgent “tweet” and letter to Twitter’s CEO demanding that the popular social networking site immediately delete Twitter profiles targeting children with hard-core pornography.

Skillful Means Consulting (SkM), led by lawyer Craig Perra and his wife Michelle, discovered that pornographers are exploiting Twitter’s weak and poorly-enforced anti-porn policy and describe their findings, “Twitter is overflowing with hard-core pornography with no real restrictions to prevent child access.” Attorney Perra states, “If you have an e-mail address, Twitter gives you access to porn.”

The social networking site “supports more than 100 million active users, who fire off 250 million daily tweets,” says Laura Segall at CNNMoney in her December 19, 2011 article. “Children use the site,” says Attorney Perra, “and it is clear that pornographers know this, too. Twitter’s porn problem is prolific. It compromises future investment and advertising dollars from legitimate companies.”

“Porn peddlers tweet kid-friendly search terms like Disney, Toy Story, Bieber, Tinkerbell, along with pornography links, explicit language, and graphic pictures (#disneyporn),” says Perra, founder of vicereport.com.

Michelle Perra, Mother and Chief “WTF” Officer of SkM, explains, “Twitter searches like ‘Tinker Bell’ and ‘Disney’ produce tweets with a children’s picture then linking to extremely pornographic videos and pictures. I never imagined that I’d have to demand that a company fix its #disneyporn problem.

“I was shocked to learn that hard-core pornography was linked to kid-friendly words and that the average age of exposure to Internet porn is 11. My son is 8; the thought is horrifying. One profile picture showed a young woman with a particular bodily fluid covering her face, and another depicting a naked girl spread-eagle with duct-tape over her mouth.”

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The Year of the Dragon is a significant year in Asian tradition: the dragon is sacred and symbolizes strength, luck and new beginnings. Throughout Asia and also in the U.S., cities are preparing for this important time of year with much fanfare and celebration—this is especially true in Los Angeles’ most unique historic district, LA Chinatown. LA Chinatown hosts one of the largest New Year celebrations in the country with more than 125,000 attendees convening in the district for the weekend-long celebration.

LA Chinatown kicks off the Year of the Dragon the weekend of January 28 – 29, 2012, beginning with the 113th Annual Golden Dragon Parade. Attendees can enjoy hundreds of spectacular floats, decked-out cars, dancers and bands as they parade down the heart of Chinatown. This year’s Grand Marshals include Disney’s Mulan and Mushu and international bestselling author Lisa See whose book ‘Snow Flower and the Secret Fan’ was adapted into a movie in 2011.

The Chinese New-Year Festival gets underway following the parade with cultural performances by some of the nation’s best Chinese acts, children’s activities and hands-on cultural workshops. LA Craft Experience (LACE), LA’s premier artist’s market will feature over 40 local vendors, offering shoppers a truly unique shopping experience.

Attendees can expect to nosh on traditional Chinese cuisine offered at many Chinatown restaurants as well as non-traditional dishes offered by food vendors and some of LA’s hottest gourmet food trucks. Additionally, the wildly popular show ‘Cupcake Wars’ will be on hand with 1,000 Chinese New Year-themed cupcakes for people to enjoy.

There are two festival sites with entertainment stages at each: 727 N. Hill Street on Sat., Jan. 28 ^, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Central Plaza at 943-951 N. Broadway on Sat., Jan. 28 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sun., Jan. 29 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The 113th Annual Golden Dragon Parade is on Sat., Jan. 28 beginning at 1 p.m.

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Pixar Studios announced that the animation industry is working on two different movies that will be released in 2013 and 2014.

At the last Disney film convention, D23, held on August 20, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation chief John Lasseter disclosed the two films in active development whose titles remain unknown. Dinosaurs will be the main idea of one of the movies they are working on. Directed by Bob Peterson this movie confirms the rumors that sprang up two years ago.

In 2009, Greg Dykstra, a character sculptor at Pixar was showing his model for a young version of Carl during an Up featurette. In the interview with him, the public could see some dinosaurs’ pictures in the wall behind him. After that image the question loomed up:  Would be dinosaurs the main starring of the next Pixar film?

At the D23, Disney didn’t reveal much information about the plot. “What if that life-changing asteroid missed Earth? The hilarious tale depicts a world where dinosaurs never went extinct,” said Pixar. The movie, currently being referred to as the Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs, will arrive on November 27, 2013.

The other untitled production directed by Pete Docter, director of Monsters Inc and Up, will be about how the brain works. Described by Docter, it is a comic look at how ideas come together and the inner workings of our brains. The audience will have to wait until May 2014 for more details.

In the meantime and just few months before those two releases, Brave and Monster University movies will keep entertaining the spectators. Brave, from which a new scene was shown at the D23 featuring the suitors trying to win heroine Merida’s hand in marriage, will be on theaters August 17, 2012. Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, this movie was titled at its origin as The Bear and the Bow.

This film is the first Pixar movie directed by a woman and starring a woman. It is also based on a tale. In addition, according to the media outlet Variety, princess Merida will most likely join the Disney Princesses after this movie.

Two days after that premiere, Mike and Sulley will return for Monster University, the sequel to Monsters Inc, on August 19, 2013. The plot is about how they met at the University where they couldn’t stand each other and how that relationship changed until they became best friends.

Monsters University, brings back Billy Crystal who voices Mike, 10 years after the original was released. At a Q&A for a Hero Complex screening of City Slickers where Crystal recently participated he spoke briefly about the movie and he stated that the script was “really funny.”

Discussing Sulley, Crystal said, “John Goodman is a genius and he’s great and we’re really funny together. It’s college pranks with monsters. And I wear a retainer. Mike has a retainer.”

Planes, a spinoff of the “Cars” franchise, is another upcoming produced by DisneyToon Studios that will also hit on Spring 2013. For those who cannot wait until that date Wreck-It Ralph is the movie to go see. Voiced by John C. Reilly, this film is about an arcade game character named Wreck-It Ralph. The film will be opening in November 2012.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/harshlight/

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Pixar started out with a bang with its first feature film Toy Story in 1995.  Shattering box office records, the animation company grew into the multi-billion dollar company it is today.  Coming out with critically acclaimed film after film, Pixar showed no signs of faltering.  Recently, there have been rumors floating around that the story of our beloved toy heroes has not concluded.

Pixar has an interesting past.   It started out as an animation studio for Lucas Films Inc. in the 1970’s.  Around the 1980’s up-and-coming computer engineer and businessman, Steve Jobs bought the company who, in 2006, sold the company for 7.4 billion dollars to Disney.  Right now, it technically is part of the Disney Empire, but most of the creative control is still in the hands of the people at Pixar.

Tom Hanks, who plays Woody in the Toy Story trilogy, recently went toured around England to promote his new movie Larry Crowne.  BBC’s own Tim Muffet caught up with Hanks to talk about his new film.  However, during the interview, the topic had rapidly switched to the Toy Story franchise when Muffet asked about a Toy Story 4.

In a fast, low tone voice with a blank expression plastered upon Hanks’ face he responded, “I think there will be, yeah. Yeah, yeah, think they’re working on it now. There you go.”  When reporters reached out to Pixar for comments, they only found closed lips and closed doors.

With Pixar not saying a peep, Toy Story 4 is not really officially a movie as of yet.  With the rumor spreading, people are beginning to get up in arms about the fourth installment.  Many moviegoers who grew up with the franchise were ready for the story to end and to them it could not have ended more perfectly with the third film.

With a fourth movie they fear that the nostalgic magic that the movie gives them will be turned to dust.  Others believe this fourth piece is just a result of a money hungry production company, knowing that they will cash in on the profits.

First off, there is a very good chance this could be a nail in the coffin for Toy Story.  Three sequels are a bit much and with their first flop with Cars 2 it raises speculation on how good it could be.  Yet, to those who doubt, look at Pixar’s track record.  For over a decade and a half Pixar has not made one single flop.

They were bound to make one bad movie sooner or later.  Pixar is known for working on projects for years: Up! took more than five years to make.  So with such a high bar for the Toy Story series, and with ample time to perfect the story, Pixar creating a bad Toy Story film should be the least of people’s troubles.

With Pixar protecting their Toy Story 4 ambitions like it was the Declaration of Independence details and idea leaks are scarce to none.  So really, Toy Story 4 could be great or terrible at this point in time.  With judgments already made about the movie, people are already showing resentment but remember, anyone can be angry, but as the old saying goes, do not count your chickens before they hatch.

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Last Tuesday, Greenpeace activists made a bold announcement outside of Mattel headquarters in Los Angeles by hanging a massive sign announcing to the world that Ken was breaking up with Barbie. The sign read “Barbie, it’s over. I don’t date girls that are into deforestation.” Developed as an economic tool by Mattel, the celebrity-like relationship of the two product figureheads was used to bring attention to the presence of timber fibers found in the packaging used to distribute Barbie that can be traced to Indonesian rainforests.

Despite occupying over 1% of the Earth’s surface, Indonesia provides habitat for 12% of all mammal species, such as the Sumatran tiger, and 17% of all reptile, bird and amphibian species.

Toy companies such as Mattel, Disney, Hasbro and Lego are being implicated by Greenpeace’s investigation into Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), the packaging supplier for the companies. Mattel is the largest designer, manufacturer and marketer of toy products worldwide and Disney is the world’s largest merchandise licensor. Last Tuesday’s campaign demanded that toy companies stop doing business with Asia Pulp & Paper, which Greenpeace has previously accused on numerous occasions of destruction of the rainforest and it’s endangered species.

In their major findings, Greenpeace cited that their forensic testing showed “regular use” of mixed tropical hardwood (MTH), or rainforest fibers in major toy brand packaging, such as Mattel and Disney. Greenpeace also included in their report that MTH clearance from Indonesia’s rainforests and peat swamp forests makes up one fifth of the fiber pulped in Asia Pulp & Paper’s mills, indicating deforestation of critical land. While Greenpeace did not cite the percentage of fibers from Indonesia’s forests found in the packaging, Asia Pulp & Paper industry stated in a June 8th post on the company’s Rainforest Realities blog that they are “Happy to share the scientific analysis of our packaging materials with anyone who wants to review it.”

Asia Pulp & Paper verifies that their packaging materials contains more than 95% of recycled paper sourced from around the world, and less than two percent of the pulp in carton boxes comes from legal and sustainable Indonesia pulpwood plantations. The remainder is from Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) certified forests.

The Greenpeace statistic that one fifth of the fiber pulped in Asia Pulp & Paper’s mills is rainforest and peat comes from a 2007 report, which does not accurately reflect the current goals and production of Asia Paper & Pulp. The chain of custody which was used to trace the packaging back to China and Indonesia was possible due to the objective of certified forest management, such as the PEFC certification which Asia Pulp & Paper uses. Certification makes it possible to track any certified product back to its original source, which guarantees that wherever it came from was using a long-term sustainable forest management plan. It also guarantees the the pulp produced was done so legally, complying with the country of origin laws as well as the laws in the country where the pulp product would be imported.

Since 2007, Asia Pulp & Paper has implemented a number of changes. The last few months alone have marked what Asia P&P referred to as “the beginning of a new era of international cooperation with Indonesia”. The Indonesian President signed the official enactment of the forest moratorium earlier this year, which will put a two year hold on the issuance of new concessions on peat lands and in forests. Asia Pulp & Paper has made many demonstrations of their commitment to this moratorium and intentions to support Indonesia as it works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and preserve natural forests and wildlife while investing in economic and social development.

On April 5th Asia Pulp & Paper announced it’s expanding partnership with Carbon Conservation, an environmental and sustainability consulting firm, to help craft Vision 2020, a road map of sustainability principles across all aspects of the company’s Indonesian operations from today to the year 2020. Asia Pulp & Paper also recently laid out a series of research and development programs the company will undertake during the current two-year moratorium on the granting of new forest and peat licenses as part of Indonesia’s commitment on Reducing Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD).

Additional programs planned over the coming two years include an ambitious independent study on the impact of plantation development and greenhouse gas emissions on all soil types and enhancing key conservation areas, including creation of valuable wildlife corridors. In conversation with claims made by Greenpeace, research and pilot programs involving the protection of key Indonesian endangered species, including the Sumatran Tiger, Javan Rhino and Orangutan, will be developed as well.

The attention Greenpeace brought to Indonesia’s rainforest is of high importance due to the changes which not only the pulp and paper industry in the region is undergoing, but what is changing in Indonesia as a country. According to the Indonesian Pulp & Paper Industry, understanding that natural forest cannot sustainably supply the need of the timber and pulp and paper industry, the government has allocated around 5% of Indonesia’s landmass for the forest plantation industry on degraded forest and bare land.

The Industry is “disappointed in Greenpeace’s tactics to exploit the stereotype of backwoods loggers in developing nations who cleared entire forests with no regard for the environmental impact”, and instead say that Indonesian forestry practices are far more sophisticated. Asia Pulp & Paper deemed Greenpeace’s actions urging companies to stop doing business with Indonesia as “simply irresponsible”.

The advocacy of groups such as Greenpeace that bring worldwide attention to vital issues such as deforestation in critical areas around the globe is invaluable. However, there is often misconception associated with the shocking social tactics, such as well-known toys making environmental statements. Fueled by the social and consumer impact of mass distributed toys, such as Barbie, upon the environment, the long standing stigmas surrounding the pulp and paper industries as destroying the environment may be due for an update.

Write to Mattel’s CEO Now:

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/forests/asia-pacific/barbie/

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There was an organization that became synomomous with the idea of the ‘happily ever after’. And that organization is Disney.

Since Disney’s beginnings, from short 5-6 minute films bringing to life old folk stories, to the multi-million dollar business which has given us Disneyland, Hannah Montana, Academy Awards and fodder for many late-night SingStar sessions.

The story behind Disney’s rise to its current superpower status begins, strangely enough, with the story of the Three Little Pigs. This was Disney’s first real surprise hit, with the theme song ‘Whose Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf’ proving extremely popular with movie going public, so much so that Walt Disney was able to get funding to put forward his, and the world’s, first full-length animated film.

The film was Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, which has extremely popular since its release in 1937. On re-watching I think most of its appeal (for me at the least) lies in the almost ridiculously adorable woodland critters who worshipfully follow Snow White and assist her in her day-to-day life. I challenge anyone to watch the critters clean the Dwarves house and not want to race into the forest and kidnap squirrels to clean out the attic.

The film undoubtedly looks dated now, particularly with the CGI assistance given to the newest film, Tangled. However what Snow White does possess in the actual quality of the animation is a gentle blurring of the edges – which gives the whole film this beautifully wonderland look to it. Everything seems magical and fantastic in Snow White – she is unbelievably good and loving, the dwarves are hurtfully cute, the animals had me clawing at the screen in a desperate attempt to take them home with me and the evil step-mother seems to have been booted from Hell for being too horrible.

Disney moved onto a variety of others films after Snow White, with Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and the Little Mermaid all being hugely successful for the company. But it wasn’t until Beauty and the Beast that Disney really received major critical accolades.

Beauty and the Beast was released in 1991 and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Motion Picture. On re-watching it’s easy to see why. The film is breathtaking, both in terms of beauty of design – from the opening strains of music beginning the film, that features those images of stained glass to illustrate the story, to the joyful concluding waltz every image looks warm, real and appealing.

But it’s not just the design and the amusement afforded by this film that makes it so lasting – there are moments of profoundness that you don’t expect in a child’s film. For example during an assault upon the Beasts castle the marching villagers sing ‘We don’t like what we don’t understand, in fact it scares us and this castle is mysterious at least’.

There’s some exposition of the deep fears of the human psyche in a song, set in a magical movie about love beyond the physical appearance. This movie fell into what is referred to as the ‘Disney Renaissance’ and after watching it it’s easy to see why. The film is beautiful, moving, touching, funny, sad and sometimes enraging. And worth watching time and time again.

And how far we’ve come since then! After the end of the so-called Disney Renaissance (which ended with the Lion King) Disney released slightly less successful films like Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan, The Emperor’s New Groove, Lilo & Stitch and the Princess and the Frog.

There were also Pixar films (which is owned by Disney) at the same time – Toy Story, Wall-E and Up to name a few of the best. Pixar seemed to be taking over Disney’s territory of magical films filled with wonder and delight, and somehow adult and clever enough that adults and children alike sit through them again and again.

For a while it did seem that we would turn to Pixar for our Disney caliber films, for all those magical things which are conjured by the appearance of that magical castle at the beginning of a film. But then came Disney’s 50^th animated film – Tangled.

Tangled is a CGI film, but it manages to capture that same sense of a magical wonderland that Disney is known for. However the use of CGI, and changing social values, do mean that Disney has had to change. Today’s audiences can appreciate Snow White, we can enjoy it and see it’s value, but it does not have the same relation to us now as it did back in 1937.

Tangled is Disney’s best meshing of our desire for magical fairytales and our changing expectations for some form of realism. There are still magical creatures, that don’t help with the housework this time, but manage to be achingly funny despite it.

Tangled is the story of Rapunzel – but it makes it much more complex then the original. As Disney does best. There’s a magical flower from the sun, a wicked old woman, a swashbuckling adventurer who turns out to be lying about his name and a man the size of a brick wall who turns out to love making ceramic unicorns.

This film brings out the same childish joy in me as the Disney Renaissance films do, a sense of amusements, wonder and magic and the safe resolution of everyone living happily ever after.

Cliched? Yes. But it’s a welcome cliché.

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