Film Fest Friday - What's Opera, Doc?

Today's feature is a favorite cartoon I recently rediscovered: "What's Opera, Doc?", a classic Bugs Bunny short that also happens to be an opera.



Ta ta!
T.H. Excellence

The Whole of Disneyland

On a recent trip to Disneyland, I decided to slow down a bit and enjoy a leisurely after-dark ride on the Mark Twain. Standing on the top deck, I was treated to a sight I hadn't seen before. As the old steamboat left the dock and slowly paddled her way around the river, I received a bird's-eye view of New Orleans Square, and consequently was able to see the entire scope of that French Quarter of Disneyland. And it was quite a beautiful sight to see! All the different elements - Pirates of the Caribbean, the restaurants, even the upper levels of Tarzan's Treehouse - came together to form a breathtaking landscape.

This only served to remind of something I've given thought to on several occasions - Disneyland is one of the few, if any, theme parks that succeeds not just in parts, but in whole. Not only does Disneyland have great individual attractions, but these attractions come together in such a way that they fit beautifully into one circle of land. This is something most theme parks don't accomplish. They might succeed in part, but not in whole. Disneyland's next-door neighbor, California Adventure, is an excellent example of this. There are quite a few parts of this park that succeed, from Tower of Terror to Soarin' Over California. There are quite a few attractions in California Adventure that are very well done and draw a lot of people away from Disneyland, at least for a little bit, so they can experience these adventures. But, as a whole, California Adventure is very weak, which is true of many other theme parks. They succeed in their individual parts, sometimes very well, but as a whole, they fail.

Just one more reason to love Disneyland.
T.H. Excellence

Film Fest Friday - Geri's Games

Today's edition of Film Fest Friday is somewhat unique and calls for a different kind of introduction. As I was searching for a short film to present to you, I was reminded of "Geri's Game", a short film by Pixar that we all remember from A Bug's Life. As I searched YouTube for the short, I discovered not only the short itself, but also various spinoffs done by amateur filmmakers. And so I present to you the original Pixar short "Geri's Game" followed by a home movie spin-off "Don's Game".



And now for something a little different...



Isn't that interesting? "Don's Game" is really just one of many spin-offs of "Geri's Game". I never realized that Pixar's wonderful little short film had inspired so many people to recreate their own production of that classic film.

Now for something completely different. I recently discovered this TV ad for the new "What Will You Celebrate?" campaign at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. What's so special about it? Well, I'll share that after you watch it.



Did you see that part at the end where the boy is celebrating his birthday with the pirates? That was being filmed on one of the nights I was doing guest control for Fantasmic. I knew the shoot was for a Disneyland ad (and I guessed it was for the "Celebrations" promotion), so it's nice to see what the idea was behind what was being shot. It's also quite amazing the amount of time and effort that went into that. The set utilized quite a bit of equipment, and the crew was working all night while I was there (probably even after I left). All that for a bit in a commercial that barely lasts ten seconds.

Okay, I'm outta here.
'Bye everyone!
T.H. Excellence

Film Fest Friday - Being Human

Today's film is entitled Being Human, and tells the story of two brothers who discover that one of them has a miraculous power.



Okay, that's all for now. See ya next time!
T.H. Excellence

Film Fest Saturday - Great White Hunters

Dang, I have got to get these up a day sooner!

Okay, for your pleasure, we have a short documentary entitled Great White Hunters, focusing on three fishermen who go out and hunt great white sharks. Just for kicks, of course.



Okay, see ya all next week!
T.H. Excellence