disney

Thursday, October 8, 2009

101 Dalmatians: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack (1996 Version)

Customer Review: Michael Kamen's Dalmatians
Michael Kamen created one of his feel-good scores with "101 Dalmatians". He obviously had some fun when he wrote the themes for Pongo and his clan of dalmatian puppies, funny and heroic sometimes. The theme for Cruella De Vil has some traces from the original music for the animated film. Dr. John's version of the Cruella song is quite good and catchy. This may not be Kamen's best work, but it will surely make you feel relaxed, excited, and happy.

Prince and the Pauper (Disney/Book and Cassette)
Customer Review: Timeless tale: good vs evil & being happy with your life
This beautiful book is a full color adaptation from the disney movie of the same name. The illustrations captured my child's attention and made for great story time. Timeless tale of good vs. evil, and also about being happy with your lot in life no matter how grand or how simple! A great read for any generation!

Disney Princess Tea Party: Cheyenne

Personalized for Cheyenne

Hear the Disney Princesses sing and speak to Cheyenne over 60 times throughout this one of a kind CD. It will be an instant hit with Cheyenne that she will listen to over and over. Watch her face light up as she hears her name sung and spoken by the original Disney Princess cast. Cheyenne will join each of the Disney Princesses as they prepare for a Princess Tea Party. Each princess will personally coach Cheyenne through getting dressed and using proper etiquette, and Cheyenne will receive a personal invitation to the castle to join all the Disney Princesses at their Princess Tea Party!

ABC Disney: Anniversary Edition

ABC Disney: Anniversary Edition
Robert Sabuda brings his genius paper engineering, as well as his unique art style, to this fun romp through the ABC's. With each letter accompanied by an elaborate pop-up character, readers learn their ABC's with their favorite Disney friends: A for Ariel, C for Cinderella, P for Pinocchio, S for Snow White, to name a few. This anniversary edition of the 1998 version will feature a newly designed cover.

What Will You Do Today? / Que vas a hacer hoy?: What Will You Do Today/"qu Vas A Hacer Hoy? (Baby's First Disney Books (Bilingual-Spanish)) (Spanish Edition)

Big news: Baby's First Disney Books are now bilingual! It's easier, and more fun, than ever for the adorable Disney Babies characters to teach your baby about shapes, colors, letters, and other important early-learning concepts.

Filled with fun Disney adventures, the bright, colorful board books are simply irresistible to baby. Each one features short, simple sentences that are repeated in both English and Spanish to help make learning easier. Plus, the sturdy pages with rounded corners help keep your little one safe!

Spanish title: Que vas a hacer hoy?

Una gran noticia: ahora los libros de los bebes de Disney son bilingues! Es mas facil y mas divertido que nunca que tu bebe aprenda con los adorables bebes de Disney acerca de los colores, las formas, las letras y otros conceptos importantes. Repletos de aventuras divertidas de Disney, estos coloridos libros de carton son irresistibles. Cada uno tiene oraciones simples tanto en ingles como en espanol para que el aprendizaje sea muy facil. Ademas, las paginas de carton y las esquinas redondeadas aseguran que los chicos no se hagan dano!

Walt Disney World Resort: Magic Kingdom

Disney Presents the Return of Jafar

The legend continues in Disney's ALADDIN: THE RETURN OF JAFAR, the second movie in Aladdin's magical saga! When Jafar's last wish was granted, he became the most powerful genie of all. But it came with a price -- entrapment in a magic lamp! Now he has escaped and he has only one thing on his mind: revenge against Aladdin! A thrilling new adventure begins as everyone teams up against this evil sorcerer. From battling thieves on flying horses to dodging flames inside an exploding lava pit, it is up to Aladdin -- with Princess Jasmine, Abu, Carpet, and Genie by his side -- to save the kingdom once and for all! Get ready to share all the magic, music, and mystery of ALADDIN: THE RETURN OF JAFAR -- with five showstopping songs and exciting new bonus features!
Customer Review: Stupidly Stupendous!
Jafar was an awesome villain, but would he REALLY choose to come back for a sequel if he knew he was going to look like a silly, fanged phantom who disguises himself as Jasmine, sings showtunes and says things like: "I'll say goodbye to your boyfriend, Princesssss!" I'm guessing not. Although Jafar is still smashing, he's scripted badly. Jonathan Freeman is an extremely talented voice actor, particularly with this psychotic sorcerer, but Jafar was never a goof. And "granny's gonna grab ya!" just doesn't seem like something he'd say. So with Jafar, acting all strange, one must look to the other characters in the movie. Aladdin still lies, and is still obnoxious. Jasmine is stupid. She is portrayed as very, VERY submissive and idiotic. Genie is dumb. In the first movie, he was cheesy in a good way, but here, he tries to steal everyone's shine and just comes off as a buffoon. You end up feeling sorry for all of these characters who you loved so much in the last film. Iago (voiced by Gilbert Gottfried) is the only shining thing, really. I mean, he stayed in character. He is bitter, rude, crass, and hilarious-- every bit as hilarious as he was in the first movie. Abis Mal, the thief (voiced by Jason Alexander), is pretty dang funny, too, sometimes, 'cause he's such a schmo. But the movie just isn't good quality. There are several obvious mistakes, some inking errors, and more than a few misplaced lines. There are continuity errors- Aladdin is still in his street clothes, Genie still wears his restraints... And there are a few head-scratchers, like, why everyone is so enraged that Iago is back, and how he is such a traitor.. I mean, he is a parrot. "Return" takes "Aladdin" too seriously, and the insanity was one of the reasons why "A" was so much fun. Watch, but don't expect great things.
Customer Review: Really Like the Songs
The story line is okay, but I really like the music better than the original Aladdin.

Walt's People - Volume 2: Talking Disney with the Artists who Knew Him

The Walt's People series, edited by Didier Ghez, is a collection of the best interviews ever conducted with Disney artists. Contributors to the series include noted Disney experts Robin Allan, Paul F. Anderson, Michael Barrier, J.B. Kaufman, Jim Korkis,

Manny's Toolbox (Disney Handy Manny)

Now you can take Manny's tools with you wherever you go! This fun new toolbox book features removeable character board books on each page. Each removable book ismade from sturdy cardboard andshaped to be a working tool. Preschoolers will be able to remove and use the right tool for the job, no matter what the situation. This new novelty format is sure to be a hit with on-the-go Handy Manny fans.

Handy Manny features the humorous adventures of Manny Garcia, the best darn handyman in his diverse community. Manny and his eclectic group of talking tools work together to fix objects, help neighbors, and show preschoolers how to conquer everyday problems.

Poohs Best Day / El mejor dia de Pooh (Disney Bil) (Spanish Edition)

Big news: Babyâ€™s First Disney Books are now bilingual! Itâ€™s easier, and more fun, than ever for the adorable Disney Babies characters to teach your baby about shapes, colors, letters and other important early-learning concepts.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Disney: The Mouse Betrayed

The dark shadow of America's entertainment giant.
Customer Review: Scary. A MUST READ for Parents Considering a Disney Trip.
Forget the political propaganda some posters are trying to attach to this book. It isn't only for Conservatives or "right-wingers". Truth has no political ties. Everyone should know of the horrors Disney has been covering up for years. These facts aren't gained from one source, nor are they a product of the author's imagination. Schweizer dug deeply into Disney's hidden secrets, talking with a ton of employees, many who weren't afraid to be named. He includes dozens of documents that Disney tried to hide - documents that expose the child molesters Disney hired to entertain your children. Though Disney knows about unsafe conditions in their amusement park they do nothing to correct them. The pending lawsuits from deaths or serious injury are cheaper to deal with than the cost of repairing the dangers. It's all about profit and greed. If only half of this book is true it's a frightful read. You and your children may be at serious physical and emotional risk. If you go to Disney World and get hurt, don't sign anything. Don't let the older kids wander off by themselves, not even for a second. Read the book and judge for yourself the presented facts .
Customer Review: Poisonous
I bought this as an impulse buy, confusing it for Stewart's "Disney War." It took me about a page and a half to figure out it was actually right-wing propaganda written with the intent of furthering a Christian-based agenda to tear down the Disney empire for having had the audacity to get "too big." I worked at the Disney studios of the 90's as well as the theme park of the 80's. I was like many a mystified "Disnoid," having been raised to believe that if you wish upon a star you could get anything you wanted, and that you were always the star of the movie. Working at the parks deconstructed my concept of a world of "magic" and working for the studio instructed me on the ways and means of big corporations. Growth usually comes with pain but it's necessary. There's nothing less attractive than a grown adult stubbornly refusing to leave the world of childhood fantasy. I was bitter and cynical for a long time after my experiences and would have written a book similar in (initial) intent as the Schweizers, had I not grown up. Reading this book actually made me re-examine my bitterness and take the side of the Disney corporation. It is just a business after all. The Schweizers will try to convince you that Disney is "bad," using a bar for measuring badness that they assume their readers share. It's interesting to read about the things they criticize from a different perspective. An example--I had an accident while working at the park in the 80's and was amazed at the efficient way the company handled it. As a guest I would not have wanted to see someone stumbling around with a bloody head waiting for an ambulance, nor did I have any right to sue, as might have happened today. They whisked me away to a hospital and compensated me fairly, one time, for something that should not have happened but was, after all, an accident. Would the Schweizers be happier if everything stopped while stretchers were paraded through the park every time something happened? Of course much of the book is concerned with perversion, much of it centering on the "obvious" shared traits of pedophiles and the "gay mafia" that had a stronger presence in the Disney corporation than it currently holds. The ideas the Schweizers are trying to sell--something along the lines of if you go to Disneyland you're likely to be sodomized--would be disturbing if they weren't so ridiculous (quote: "some cross-dressers even tried to hold their OWN parade down Main Street, but it never got fully organized," ha ha). And the presentation--there's even a warning at the beginning of one of the chapters--is done in that "can you BELIEVE this?" style that makes Michael Moore's films so inflammatory. I found these chapters almost enjoyable on a salacious level--the Schweizers seem to take great glee in discussing the grittier, "naughty" topics, presenting just enough detail to entice the reader but withholding as much to make the reader curious, a good advertisement for the very thing they would condemn: "Just how bad ARE Larry Clark's movies/photos? I MUST know for MYSELF." Of course, in the Schweizer world the worst thing you can possibly do is be a man who loves other men. To quote the film "Victor/Victoria": "Kill him but mustn't kiss him." There's rampant misinformation as the Schweizers bend facts to further their agenda, making these authors the ultimate hypocrites since the point of their book is to point out that this is what the Disney Corporation is doing. I know at least two of the people quoted in the book and their comments were not solicited; they were taken from public resources and quoted completely out of context. Hardly surprising since the foundation of many a Christian's religious belief system is based on this process. I know very few Christians who have slogged through the bible, even less who have taken the time and energy to research the meaning behind the book. With that in mind I did my best to give "Disney: The Mouse Betrayed" a thorough, unbiased and fair reading. There are sections that are well researched and present indisputable truths; ten years on the world has become more than aware that there was a lot of money-grubbing, greed, and deceit involved in the "Eisner" years of Disney. No one is really surprised anymore that big corporations deal in this sort of excess, even if they are organizations founded on providing family entertainment. However, I find it interesting to note that Disney is still doing fairly well for all of that (and for better or worse) and that the Schweizers' book has faded into obscurity (it can be had for a buck twenty-five on this very page). Their would-be poisonous diatribe against The Mighty Goliath failed; the antidote, much like the cure for the obsessions of Christian fantaticism in general, was education and rationality.