Oswald Opines - Disney Purchases Lucasfilm

It is likely by now you have read through many news outlets that Disney acquired Lucasfilm today through a cash and stock purchase.  As a Disney fan I cannot be more excited!  Star Wars, as we first knew it was one of the first movies I remember seeing in the theater and dominated my play as a kid.  And though I walked away from serious fandom as a young adult, Star Wars was always there to entertain me when needed.  As a father I have been able to rediscover the Star Wars universe with my children.  I honestly could not be more excited about what Disney may do with the Lucasfilm properties, especially Star Wars.

Bob Iger and George Lucas Make History

The following are my first thoughts, before we know much of the details of this deal and Disney’s plans (other than to make buckets and buckets of money):

·         Feature Films: Star Wars Episode VII was revealed with the announcement of this acquisition for 2015.  And it has been confirmed what many of us initially assumed, Star Wars comes in threes!  Story treatments have already been developed for a full new trilogy.  Kathleen Kennedy will be executive producer for these new films, with George Lucas consulting.  This will effectively be the first time that canon will be developed outside of Lucas’ full creative control.  

But there are opportunities for other films.  Captain America: The First Avenger director Joe Johnston started his career at Lucasfilm.  He would like to helm a Boba Fett feature.  Fett is special to Johnston as he designed the bounty hunter’s armor.  With his success for Disney in the Avengers franchise (along with the cult favorite The Rocketeer), maybe Disney would green light this dream project.  So maybe there are other films in the hazy future. 

Of course other franchises other than Star Wars will be impacted.  The Indiana Jones property could see new films in the future.  But I believe other potential projects will be killed.  To me as a complete outsider I believe this seals that a John Carter trilogy will never happen.  Why would Disney invest in a Star Wars like franchise when they own Star Wars?   Despite the fact that the original Edgar Rice Burroughs books inspired Lucas, one of the chief complaints was critics felt the Disney film was a copy of Lucas’ franchise.

One thing I wonder about is 3D.  We got Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace last winter.  But I have really not heard any news about Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones.  At one time they talked about a yearly release plan.  Does Disney shelf this as results with the first release were good but not great.  Or do they use their experience, that includes winning the weekend war with 3D animation rereleases, and continue to give us the 3D releases? 

I also think it is important to call out that in the personal history of both Walt Disney and George Lucas is a shared thread of improving the technology of movie making.  Along with the movie franchises Disney now owns Industrial Light and Magic, Skywalker Sound and Lucasfilm’s other business holdings.  I hope the Mouse continues to respect the genius of both men and support technology improvements, which enriches our viewing experiences.

·        Theme Parks: Lucas has been working with Disney for decades to provide theme park attractions globally.  In fact he has stated he believes Star Wars should have a theme park but he lacked the finances to afford building a park on par with Disneyland and other Disney parks.  And this deal means Disney fans will see more Lucas in the parks.  I believe the park that will benefit the most in the United States will be Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando.  The area around Star Tours is ripe for a Stars War Land.  Past rumors have included the Cantina (but can you eat with Greedo) and an expanded Jedi Training Academy (which Orlando really does need).  But what other treasures could there be in store other than shopping experiences?  

At the Disneyland Park to me the possibilities are more limited.  Star Tours is there, along with a large shop.  But would anyone really want to remove Space Mountain for a Star Wars themed coaster?  Though I admit a seasonal overlay  for May 4^th would be really awesome.  Additionally, would they remove Autopia for a Pod Racer or Speeder course?  I hope not, since it’s really the only opening day attraction still there in Tomorrowland.  Innoventions would be an ideal location for something Star Wars.  But I personally would prefer to bulldoze that and put either the Stark Expo or an Iron Man coaster in its place! 

Of course, another gate would also be a possibility now.  A new theme park in Anaheim has been rumored for years, with the latest version of the rumor being Marvel Superhero Park.  I still think that has more of a possibility today, as Disney really needs to do something with their Marvel properties also. 

I also believe this means Star Wars Weekends will continue with no hitches.  I would say they would only be better in the future with Disney having contacts in house.  But honestly, the cooperation on these events has been pretty good so I do not know how they could even be done better.  But maybe, this could mean an opening for a California version of the event.  Or maybe meet in greets with Star Wars characters will happen all year round.

This acquisition will also keep the presence of Indiana Jones firmly in place in both U.S. resorts.  Indiana Jones keeps getting lost in this deal, but as good as Star Tours is Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye is just as good and for some guests better. 

Can we officially get rid of Avatarland now?  Disney owns Star Wars, can guarantee that future movies will come out and it is a better property.  Can this door be closed?

One open question I have is what does this mean for the Legoland family of parks?  They have developed Star Wars themed attractions.  Will their contracts allow them to keep them?  Will Disney?  Disney has a working relationship with Lego, liscensing for example the Pirates of the Caribbean Lego game but will this relationship continue?

·        Television:  I am a big fan of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.  But I think fans can acknowledge that it probably has only two more seasons beyond this one at the most.  The stories are simply getting closer and closer to Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.  One of my thoughts when coming to terms with this is what happens to supervising producer Dave Filoni.  Filoni is a Star Wars fan, a skilled storyteller, and one of the few to have had Master Star Wars classes with Lucas.  Disney understands story and values storytellers.  Could Filoni become a John Lasseter for Star Wars animation?  I hope so.  At the last Star Wars Celebration they showed to fans that had kids samples of a show called Young Jedi.  This program would feature Ahsoka as a mentor to younger padawans.  And it is just the sort of thing that sounds Disney!  It easily could find a home on Disney XD.  Maybe reruns of Star Wars: The Clone Wars could find a home there too, as we have seen with some Marvel animated titles.   And they have done a nice job with original animated title in Disney XD like Ultimate Spider-Man.  It is a match made in heaven! 

Of course Star Wars Detours needs a home.  Honesty Cartoon Network I did not want you to have it.  The channel may be claiming to be reviving Saturday morning cartoons.  But what I have seen in the last year is taking prime time programming like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Young Justice and hiding it.  Even my DVR is confused!  But Star Wars Detours would look fantastic on the Disney Channel playing in a block with Gravity Falls.

Then there are all the other possibilities.  Could Droids and Ewoks show up on Disney Junior?  Does ABC Family in the future have trilogy marathons?  How about a Young Indiana Jones reboot?  Now that is something that would look really good on Disney XD!  

·        Everything Else:  This is a big deal.  These are big rich companies so a lot of thoughts come to mind.  Some of the other misscelanous include such thoughts as will there be a Mickey/Pixar/Muppets/Star Wars/Marvel crossover of some type.  My guess is maybe someday but not quickly.  To date there has only been one Disney/Marvel crossover and that was the Avengers and the elves from Prep & Landing.  Will Star Wars comics return to Marvel?  Will Disney Publishing take over the Expanded Universe?  I think those two will be tied to what current contracts allow and if licensing is more profitable than full production for Disney.  It is not like Disney is recognized as a publisher of science fiction novels.   And we will get the original theatrical releases on Blu Ray?  First of all, Disney has shown willingness to listen to creative voices in the past.  And George Lucas is not just a Disney fan, he’s part owner now.  So I am guessing that until Lucas gives the green light, that would be a no! 

Honestly, I am still stunned.  This came out of nowhere, but is also something I have thought for years would be a great idea.  This may be a bigger day than Disney’s purchase of Marvel.  As one tweet I saw earlier said, Princess Leia is now a Disney Princess!     

Between Books - Who is George Lucas?

As I have mentioned before, when I was a kid it was biography that first fostered an interest in history. In that light, I have been disappointed in many Disney-related biographies that I have found for kids. They speak down or try to simplify it too much. They just don’t do what good kids' biographies should do, help create a love of history by crafting a compelling story of a real person.

Who is George Lucas? by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso and illustrated by Ted Hammond provides an unauthorized biography of the creator of Star Wars. The book tells the story of a young California boy who dreamed of something different than following in his father’s footsteps at the stationary store. As a teen, he became fascinated with cars and car culture. After he graduated, despite the fact he was not a strong student, he went to college and discovered a love of storytelling and filmmaking. Lucas’ student film, Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB caught the attention of Francis Ford Coppola who championed Lucas and helped him turn his student project into his first feature, THX 1138. While his first film was not a success, Lucas’ deal included the right to make a second film which was the hit American Graffiti built on his love of cars. Lucas bartered this success into developing a space movie, Star Wars which became an international success despite numerous doubters including his cast and studio. Lucas would follow up this success with other Star Wars films and the Indiana Jones franchise. Despite his major success, Lucas would find that his success would also take away attention from his family.

I really liked Who is George Lucas? I found that the book did not talk down to kids and was very honest about his path. The authors show us how his success and creative focus did impact his personal life. And the book was one full of challenges, with Lucas having to overcome creative obstacles to tell the story he wanted on the big screen. While the book ends with a marriage and sale of LucasFilm to Disney, even then the book notes that other adventurous await this creative force.

There are a lot of gaps that maybe kids could fill in later. The movies discussed are really his early productions, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones…the franchises that most moviegoers, kids, and Disney fans would be concerned with. A kid could fill in the gaps on projects like Radioland Murders or Howard the Duck in other biographies, but being a shorter biography for kids it’s not comprehensive.

Who is George Lucas? is the type of biography that helps foster a love of history. It is a book that gives a compelling story, of one who creatively worked to overcome challenges and doubts. It is not all success, as it makes it clear that not all progress is without personal cost. I think this is the type of biography that will lead youngsters to read more about history and George Lucas. And it’s likely the first book I would strongly endorse from the “Who Is” and “Where Is” line that I have read. 

 

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Between Books - The Adventures of Young Walt Disney

As I looked at the cover of The Adventures of Young Walt Disney and saw that the book was the Official Companion to As Dreamers Do, I got a little worried.  I had heard enough about the Walt Disney biopic that I knew that the producers admitted that some stories found in the movie could be closer to myth and legend than history, since they took Walt at his word.  And I was concerned that this book could have a similar philosophy of storytelling.  Also, with a title like this the first thing that came to mind was The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.  Which again is fiction, not fact.  

The Adventures of Young Walt Disney by William Silvester is a historical chronicle of Walt Disney's years before Hollywood.  Silvester covers Disney's early life including why his parents left Chicago, the Marceline years, Kansas City, France and back to Kansas City again.  The story that Silvester presents is the account of a driven young man who often hit on rough times.  Due to illness and a poor crop, his family left his beloved Missouri farm for opportunity in the city.  As a young businessman though he had a contract, young Walt Disney struggled to keep his studio running as he was never paid.  And when the money ran out and he could no longer afford staff, Disney lived in his Kansas City Laugh-O-Gram studio...perhaps with a mouse.  What the reader discovers is that during all of Disney's roughest moments he still had people that believed in him and his talent.  

I really enjoyed The Adventures of Young Walt Disney.  Silvester writes clearly and keeps the reader's attention by telling a fact based story.  He makes sure to point out in his text what is fact and what is legend.  And at times he makes sure to note stories which may not be true.  Therefore it works well as a historical biography.  And it has the benefit of being short!  With a page count of under 130 pages, it is a obtainable biography on Disney's pre-California years.  I am sitting next to another biography covering the same years which is twice the size and something that I could never give to a young adult or someone with a passing interest in Walt Disney. this work is an enjoyable and educational read that non-Disney fans can enjoy just by following the interesting story of young Walt Disney.

I did take the time to watch, finally, As Dreamers Do, after reading the book.  I can see how someone who  had seen the movie would want to pick up a biography like this to fill in gaps and confirm stories found in the movie.  The book and the movie do differ in some key themes, with the book being distinctly less spiritual than the movie.  As someone who saw the movie after reading the book, I did find myself comparing the film and preferring the book.  But I am a history guy who likes the printed word, so "not as good as the book" is a phrase I have used in several situations.  One should note that the movie is not based on the book, and the book is not an adaptation of the movie.  They are related in the content they cover.  While they do have some stories that overlap, each is a stand-alone experience.

I really enjoyed The Adventures of Young Walt Disney.  Sure Walt Disney was no Indiana Jones.  But both did spend time in France!  William Silvester has put together a useful and entertaining biography of Walt Disney.  And one that a young person or semi-interested history buff can enjoy just as much as the intense Disney fan. 

Review Copy Provided by Theme Park Press

Mousey Movies - Chicken Little

Have you written off Disney’s 2005 Chicken Little?  I had, I found it okay, saw it in the theater and had bought it on DVD years later at a really discounted price.  It was crazy prized, I mean I would pay that just for the Disney Movie Reward points pricing.  Yet it simply was not a film I got excited about though I do love Scrubs’ Zach Braff.  Recently my kids pulled it out and I found myself shocked by all the Disney connections especially amongst the voice talent.

·     From the very opening Chicken Little pays tribute to other Disney movies as the narrator struggles with how to properly open his tale.  In that search that audience gets sound and visual lifts directly out of Lion King.  And he asks if he should use a book to open his story, instantly taking us to princesses and in my mind Sleeping Beauty.

·     Additional video is lifted from Raiders of the Lost Ark and shown at the Oakey Oaks movie theater in full live action glory.  The scene depicts Indiana Jones fleeing from a giant bolder and helps connect Disneyland fans to Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye.

·     Talk about a Disney flashback in this voice cast.  Joan Cusack plays Ugly Duckling, Abigail Ducktail Mallard.  I cannot but think of Jessie from the Toy Story franchise every time I heard her provide a line.  Wallace Shawn voices Principal Fetchit, who is slightly less grumpy than his Gilbert Huph from The Incredibles.  Don Knotts voices Mayor Turkey Lurkey.  Amongst his long and distinguished career, I remember his turn in Disney’s live action The Apple Dumpling Gang fondly from my childhood.  But my favorite two voices give me instant smiles.  Patrick Warburton voices an alien cop.  As someone who loves Soarin’ and Soarin’ Over California, among his other contributions, his voice instantly made me check to see if I had stowed my ear hat.  And Batman’s Adam West as the Hollywood version of Chicken Little was a complete surprise and brilliant.  I loved him in Meet the Robinsons but did not realize that he had done other voices for Disney.  Yeah, this voice cast is super Mousey. 

·     Story elements have a very Disney feel to it.  In fact one of the key themes is does Chicken Little’s father trust him, in fact at one point  he yells at him, “You can’t do this!”  Instantly my mind replaced the image of a father chicken with a father clown fish and I wandered mentally to Finding Nemo.  In fact, Chicken Little like Nemo and many Disney princesses comes from a one parent home.

I am still not in love with Chicken Little.  But I am coming to enjoy it more.  In fact I just have to say can you never go wrong with more Patrick Warburton and Steve Zahn.  As Zahn’s Runt of the Little states, “Just leave me some ammo, a little water, some chips if you have them.”  With those ingredients and a Mousey Movie, you have a night of family fun out here Between Disney.        

Between Books - The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner: A Complete Organizer, Journal and Keepsake for Your Unforgettable Vacation

It’s a planner!

It’s a guidebook!

It’s an examination to the little touches that makes The Walt Disney World Resort special!

It’s a grill!

It’s a cooler!

It’s The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner: A Complete Organizer, Journal and Keepsake for Your Unforgettable Vacation, and three out of five isn’t bad. 

The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner by Susan Veness and Simon Veness is the follow up offering to Susan Veness’ The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World, a Disney fan favorite.  The first book is a land by land review of Imagineering Easter eggs and hidden history throughout the parks of the Walt Disney World Resort.  This new book does have additional “Hidden History” call outs for interested readers, but the bulk of this text falls within the traditional planning guide.  The authors provide a park by park, land by land overview of the Walt Disney World Resort and the planning experience. 

The guide opens with basic planning advice that could improve any trip to Orlando for a guest.  They provide an in-depth description of accommodations within the resort.  The authors then guide readers through each park of the Walt Disney World Resort.  From The Magic Kingdom Park to Disney’s Animal Kingdom they provide a summary of attractions, dining, shopping and special occasions for every park.  But recognizing that the resort is not parks alone, they also extend their summaries into the water parks, resort dining, Downtown Disney and the often unknown attractions within the park.  Throughout the book the authors sprinkle in tips for rookie guests and “Hidden History” providing background or history on aspects of attractions, restaurants or dining.  Each section is accompanied by blank lined pages for guests to journal or take notes of their own trips.  Chapters on each park are accompanied by simple maps (non-cluttered) of the parks.  And working as a planner there are folder pockets with each major park section to store documents or notes to help with your trip.  The book concludes with a selection of color photos, which readers are directed to as they read through the text. 

Overall, this is a very solid and useful guide.  The summaries are helpful, and would give first time guests a good idea of the experience they can anticipate without being completely spoiled.  I had to laugh when discussing the tips with the Between Wife.  I commented to her that the descriptions of Disney’s PhotoPass included all the basics, but I thought rookies needed to know that the photographers will take a picture with your camera.  Her response was, “Do you think you hit a point where you know too much about Disney?”  As always her point was made.  This book isn’t for me, it’s really directed at those first timers.  And with that in mind, the advice and guidance the Vennesses’ offer is very solid and helpful.  I mean, I could argue that Dole Whip isn’t “pineapple-flavored yogurt.”  Dole Whip is non-diary so not yogurt.  But I am a self proclaimed Dole Whip expert and for the first timer who might find Dole Whip in a yogurt shop that is probably a pretty good description. 

Now with the Dole Whip caveat out of the way I still found plenty of Hidden Magic I just did not know in The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner.  I had no idea that some of the pools have opening ceremonies, with the description of the opening of the Fuentes del Morro pool at the Caribbean Beach Resort definitely sounding like an extra special piece of magic.  I was amazed at the tricks that Imagineers have used to make guests think a Nazi swastika is present in the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! while it is not actually there.  There are plenty examples found throughout the text where Between Disney learned something new. 

I was concerned about the physical durability of the book.  It does have a spiral spine with a cover that is bigger than the pages.  I was convinced that with my lifestyle that pages would rip off the spiral rings and that the cover would be beaten up after a few days in a backpack.  So I was mean to the book, in fact I tried to destroy it through normal usage.  I have carried it in my backpack, not a happy place for books for two weeks.  I cram my bag to capacity with books and other items of odd shape.  And being a commuter I bang and bash my bag on my daily journeys.  I knew it would fall apart, not being the first book my bag defeated.  I have been defeated.  No pages have ripped out and the over sized cover seems to have helped the pages from being attacked by the random pens and highlighters floating in my bag.  And the cover is showing slight wear, with the corners bruised with a few slightly upturned.  But it has survived two weeks of book bag living!  Maybe I didn’t torture this book enough. 

So who is Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner for?  First, rookie visitors to the Walt Disney World Resort would find this book really useful.  The text includes all the basics that a first time visitor would need to know.  And the authors with their “Rookie Mistake” additions sprinkled throughout the book clearly targeted this audience.  Additionally I could see recommending this book to friends who have never visited the parks but I know would want details about the attractions that are not obvious.  The “Hidden History” for them would not be overwhelming but still provide enough to whet their curiosity.  Second, this book would serve well for folks looking to save money by not buying a separate planner, guidebook and Imagineering guide.  Here right in one text their basic needs would be met.  It’s not the biggest guidebook, but it is one that serves multiple purposes.  Second, more experienced travelers may find this book interesting as a reference; it is always handy to have a book with important telephone numbers for dining and accommodations in one easy to find location.  Third, fans of The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World will probably jump at this book with over hundred new hidden magic secrets.  I expect that the Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner will find its way into many Between Disney libraries to aid vacation planning.      

Review Copy Provided by Adams Media 


For more on the Hidden Magic Series see Between Books - The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Trivia.  

Cap's Comics - Darth Vader #3

On a quarantined world a young lady makes a desperate attempt to free a murderous robotic mind from imprisonment.  Her desperate attempt leads her into a partnership with Darth Vader, who finds himself without resources while he lacks the Emperor's favor.  Vader partners with the adventurer, rouge archaeologist Doctor Aphra, to increase his personal power through machines, starting with two assasin droids.  Aphra offers Vader even more robot power on a world that has a deep personal connection to Anakin Skywalker.

I really liked this Kieron Gillen story with Salvador Larroca art.  Though I will admit I do feel like I have seen some of this before.  There are portions of this tale that remind me of Brian Wood's Dark Horse arc "Five Days of Sith which also saw a disgraced Vader paired with a female counterpart.  And there is part of Aphra that feels like Indiana Jones...okay a big part including a reframing of a classic line!  So there will be moments where you might say, yeah I have seen this.  But the story still is very successful.

A big part of the success of Darth Vader #3 is setting up Aphra as a character.  She is clearly intelligent, adventurous and follows very questionable morals.  She has quite the dark side to her, but it is different than Vader's evil as she is talkative and what I would call adventurous bad.  I find myself liking this black hat and her love of evil robots is something that has my interest.  So I look forward to seeing what Gillen does next with this new non-Sith bad guy!

Darth Vader #3 hit all the right beats for me.  And I enjoyed yet again the introduction of an entirely new character.  Though if we have learned nothing in our Star Wars lore, standing too close to Darth Vader can get you burned! 

Dreaming Disney - Galactic Empire

How big of a Star Wars fan am I? Big enough to use my Republic credits for tickets to a metal music show where grown men cosplayed and played heavy metal versions of Star Wars theme songs and instrumental pieces! Yeah, I’m a nerd!

Galactic Empire is a five-piece band that rocks the galaxy. As noted they primarily play Star Wars themes but with a heavy rock edge. The five members dress up as their own Star Wars characters. We get Dark Vader, a Sith Lord on lead guitar. Don’t forget the Mandalorian drummer, Boba Sett. We get an alien, a bounty hunter, and a trooper to fill out the band…a band that plays the Emperor’s favorite hits!

I personally began listening to them online. They showed up in a music feed as a suggestion, a suggestion where the Force was strong! I read a lot of books with instrumentals playing in the background. When I read a Star Wars book, I play themed music. And Galactic Empire spiced up the mix from the regular orchestral John Williams themes I was playing when visiting a galaxy far far away.

I recently attended a Galactic Empire concert live. I pulled the Between Bride into this wildness who stared with awe and fear as I jammed out to “Cantina Band” a smidge more than a grown man should. I think the first question about going to a Galactic Empire concert is literally, will I fit in? I found the crowd to be nerds like me mostly! Some were Star Wars bounding, some wore Star Wars novelty shirts like me, while others were clearly metal fans. But almost everyone was really there to have a good time. It never felt as overwhelming as a convention, and reminded it most of when I saw Dick Dale playing in a grimy college bar with just a mix of open-minded fans.

Now, here’s my biggest complaint. They did move away from just Star Wars anthems. They played the “Indiana Jones Theme” which they have also released. But they also played “Main Theme” from Pirates of the Caribbean and “The Avengers Main Theme” which were true bangers, and I really want to be able to access recordings of them when reading in other genres. But perhaps, those tunes are the dark side! 

The band Galactic Empire is fun. They dress up and don’t take themselves too seriously while making some really fun music. Would I go again, yes! And I really do hope they continue to put out metal versions of some of my favorite Disney themes, including those from other galaxies. 

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