Sunday, June 23, 2013

Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast...Episode 72


Welcome to Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland podcast EPISODE 72! Wow, another audio episode for your Disney enjoyment! Well, we had a lot of fun on this episode, but also....well, in our Host Chat segment, ONE of us kind of goes off on a rant (ok, it was ME - Al). Couldn't be helped. I had something to get off my chest and thought it should be shared. Ok, before you actually listen to the show, I'll put up a bit of a warning. I vent about Disney's D23 a bit because of recent events, and not so recent events. I thought long and hard before including that on our show, but I thought that it wouldn't be right if we only shared the great things about Disney (and trust us, there are a LOT of great and awesome things about Disney...) and swallowed our opinions on the things we thought don't work. That would be a huge disservice to you and to us. We may offend some, but you know what? We are all about being TRUE to ourselves and delivering an HONEST show to you. Doing anything else would be wrong, even if that means offending some folks, and ruining our chances at being included in Disney sponsored events. If lying to you and to ourselves is what it takes to be invited to those events, then I guess we'll relegate ourselves to never being included! 

California Adventure's Wold Of Color
Ok, on with the FUN stuff. On this episode, Joyce reviews one of our favorite additions to Disney California Adventure - The World Of Color. We still remember when they drained Paradise Bay and constructed the jets and things...it was awesome. Then, when they actually began testing them...well, you'll have to tune in to find THAT out! Hey, can't give away EVERYTHING, can I?? 


Then, in Food Reviews, I cover a cool out of the way place in Disneyland's Critter Country that we overlooked for YEARS! Walked past it hundreds of times and NEVER saw it...until our last visit. Suffice it to say, Harbour Galley is one of the neatest places to grab some grub that you never saw! They even have a great deck to relax on that gives you a terrific view of the Rivers Of America, where you can watch the Mark Twain and the Columbia lazily sail on by. Oh, and you'll have to tune in to hear about an AWESOME little known spot by Harbour Galley where you can watch a LOT of fun in action!
Harbour Galley

As we shared on episode 71, we've added to our Hidden Treasures segment. Instead of just sharing the awesome little gems in and around the Resort that we feel are true Hidden Treasures, we're going to start sharing lots of other things too, like audio clips, music, that sort of thing, that WE feel enhances that Disney Magic and furthers our cause to spread the Disney Love to as many as we can! Plus...we launched a new "contest" where you can win your very own copy of David W. Smith's In The Shadow Of The Matterhorn: Stories about Life, Love and Laughter at Disneyland audiobook! 
Win YOUR audiobook copy!



Hey, if YOU'RE in need of a great travel agent, why not give our sponsor, Randy Crane from Mouse Ear Vacations a holler! I bet he can make YOUR vacation a MAGICAL one! Visit Randy at www.randyc-mouseearvacations.com 

As always, If you’d like to send in comments for the show, you can send us an email to talespodcast@cox.net, leave us voicemail on the Hotline at 304-TALES23, leave us feedback in iTunes or leave comments for us on our Twitter account @talespodcast. Heck, you can even find us on FaceBook, just search for Tales From The House House - Disneyland podcast! If you'd like to listen to the show, you can find it on iTunes, on our podcast site at talescast.com, the direct episode link: Episode 72, or on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!


Thanks for making us part of your Disney experience and remember…
Nothing to do with the episode...she's just CUTE!
"Make It A Mickey Day!" ~~ Al & Joyce

Friday, June 21, 2013

Oz The Great And Powerful...





Somewhere, over the rainbow....wait...what's a rainbow? It's been so long since we've had rain in Arizona, that we've forgotten what a rainbow looks like. Well, that was until we watched the newest classic, Disney Oz The Great And Powerful! 

Let me start this by saying that I'm not what you'd call a HUGE fan of The Wizard Of Oz. I certainly like the story sure, and of course, unlike my darling wife Joyce, I'VE seen the original 1939 film starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley. A few times in fact. And even though it IS a musical, I like it. I remember as a kid, it would air on TV every year around Christmas time...Just wouldn't place it on my top-ten list. So, when we heard that Disney was making a "prequel" to the original, we weren't exactly Avengers excited about seeing it. And when it came out at the theaters, we didn't rush to the box office to purchase our tickets. But, recently we were given a copy of the Blu Ray to review and we were pleasantly surprised! 


First off, if you're a fan of the 1939 original and are expecting something along those lines, you're in for a disappointment. Although it does share a lot of theming as the original, and there are a LOT of shout-outs to the original, it's not exactly as "sugar coated" as Dorothy's Oz. And (thankfully for me) it's NOT a musical! And it is a bit of a darker story.

***WARNING, SPOILERS BELOW***

Ok, so the story of Oz The Great And Powerful is sort of an origins story (for you comic book fans out there). It starts, as the original did, in black and white, which we found pretty cool. And there is one more aspect to the opening sequences of this film that change once our "hero" finds his way to the Land Of Oz. I'll let you figure that one out for yourselves...but trust me, it's cool. Anyway, Oz starts by introducing us to Oscar Diggs (played by James Franco), a small time circus magician with, well, questionable ethics. After an altercation with the boyfriend of one of Oscar's "conquests", Oscar (or OZ as he prefers to be called) escapes via hot air balloon and heads directly in to a...TORNADO! A mysterious one at that. As his balloon plummets into the twister, Oz is hurled away from dusty black and white Kansas (a shout out to the original) to the Land of Oz - ablaze with vibrant and beautiful colors and landscapes. Of course, he figures he's hit the jackpot...no one knows him here, so he can do as he pleases. Then...he meets three witches: Theodora (played by Mila Kunis); Evanora (played by Rachael Weisz) and Glinda (played by Michelle Williams). Turns out that there's a prophecy in Oz that a great and powerful wizard (no, NOT Harry Potter) will arrive and assume the throne of king, and defeat the evil witch that is currently making everyone's life less than wonderful. Now, without going into a lot of spoilers, suffice it to say that not everything is as it seems in Oz. 
The Emerald City in the Land Of Oz

Reluctantly drawn in to a battle between good and evil, Oz encounters many interesting and awesome characters in the Land of Oz, including a talking monkey (voiced by Zach Braff)! With the help of his faithful companion (you know, the monkey), Oz must figure out just exactly WHO is good and who is evil before time runs out. By putting his circus magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity and even a bit of "real" wizardry, Oz transforms himself not only into the great wizard the Land of Oz needs, but a better man as well. 
Oz

Now, I must admit, I did have some issues with this movie. Not many, but a few. Mainly with the actual look of the film. When Oscar arrives in Oz, there are of course many "gimmicks" the filmmakers put in the movie to highlight the 3D aspect of the film (it is also a 3D adventure), and these are painfully apparent. In fact, I found myself recalling the 3D movies of the early 1980's, when they'd have the actors shove things into the camera to "shock" the audience by the "awesome realness". Also, the actual look of the Oz scenes felt very artificial to me. I know, it's a movie but still...they almost looked cartoony. Unlike Alice In Wonderland, it was a little too artificial looking to me, almost like the filmmakers wanted to impress upon us that this isn't a real land at all. And that kind of disappointed me. The 1939 Wizard Of Oz used real sets which gave a realism to the movie. In Oz The Great And Powerful everything moment drove home the fact that CGI is here forever! However, these are just nit picks. Overall, the movie is terrific!

James Franco isn't the most obvious choice to play Oz, but shortly after the film begins, it's easy to understand why they chose him. He really is perfect for this role. And believe me, I'm NOT a fan of Mila Kunis, something about her annoys me a lot BUT she did an over the top awesome job as Theodora, and once she transformed into the Wicked Witch...man, PERFECT. The voice, the cackle..everything. Just perfect for the role! 

Mila Kunis as Theodora...

...And the Wicked Witch of the West!

As usual, Zach Braff is spot on as the wise cracking monkey Finley. 
Zach Braff voices Finley

Oz The Great And Powerful has many fun bonus features, including 
  • The Magic of "Oz The Great And Powerful", an immersive Second Screen experience that details all things Oz.
  • My Journey in Oz by James Franco - A personal story produced and directed by Oz himself, James Franco
  • Mr. Elfman's Musical Concoctions - An interview with composer extraordinaire Danny Elfman
  • China Girl and the Suspension of Disbelief - Uncloaking the forms of movie magic employed to bring the character China Girl to life
  • Mila's Metamorphosis - Transforming actress Mila Kunis into....The Wicked Witch of the WEST!
  • Walt Disney And The Road To Oz - A truly wonderful documentary highlighting Walt Disney's fascination with the Land Of Oz since childhood, and his quest to bring this story to life - including a failed attempt at an early live action version! 
  • And BLOOPERS!! - These are truly awesome!
Oz The Great And Powerful is now available on:
  • Blu Ray 3D+Digital Copy which includes all of the bonus features. MSRP $44.99
  • Blu Ray+DVD+Digital Copy which includes all of the bonus features. MSRP $44.99
  • Blu Ray+Digital Copy which also includes all of the bonus features. MSPR $39.99
  • DVD+Digital Copy which includes bonus features bloopers and Walt Disney and the Road To Oz. MSPR $29.99
Follow The Yellow Brick Road!

You can find Oz The Great And Powerful just about anywhere, however, if you'd like to get a great deal on your purchase, and would like to help the Tales From The Mouse House cause...visit our Amazon Store: Tales From The Mouse House Amazon Store we'd be grateful if you did!

Running time for the movie is 130 minutes. Although we're not disappointed that we did not see this in theaters, we are glad to have seen it. It is without doubt, destined to be another Disney classic, and a must have for any Disney lovers movie collection. So, we give Disney's Oz The Great And Powerful 4 out of 5 Dumbos! (yeah, that's good). - Al

  






Sunday, June 9, 2013

Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast...Episode 71


Welcome to Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland podcast Episode 71! Hey...how you doin’? We missed ya’ll! Seriously! SO, on this fun filled action packed episode, we have a LOT of...well, fun! 

We sure appreciate you all sticking with us during our...transition to a new life period! It's been a bit of a challenge being without a "full time day job", but to be honest, it's been fun. I'm more relaxed than ever and finally doing what I want to do with my life. Now, we need to get Joyce to that stage! 

So, this was honestly a fun episode to record. I think having a little time off really did the trick, because we really just had...well...FUN recording! We share what’s going on around the old Tales house, including a face to foot meeting with one of our local desert dwellers! And, we share a juicy place to get your grub on in our Food Review and another installment of Extinct Attractions Since We’ve Been Visiting The Resort review! See? Told ya’...FUN!
Tracking Your Kids As They Grow!

And in our Tips segment, Joyce shares a terrific bonding moment you can have with your kids as they grow. 
Sorry Kenny...had to do it! 

If anyone out there is an audiobook listener, two of the books I recently narrated are now available for purchase at audible.com, iTunes and amazon.com. The first one was a fun biography on Walt Disney and his amazing contributions to the world of animation, called Legends Of Animation: Walt Disney, The Mouse That Roared, written by Jeff Lenburg. Let me tell you, I was so happy to narrate that one! 

The second book is an interesting read called The Cantor Dimension: An Astrophysical Murder Mystery, written by Sharon Delarose. THIS one...well, like I said, INTERESTING. It's one of the most original and unique science fiction/historical drama novels I've read in a very long time. If you're a fan of a great science fiction, or a fan of a great historical murder mystery, this book is something you'll want to listen to. Even Joyce (who doesn't really care a lot for Sci-Fi recommends this one!) 



Hey, if YOU'RE in need of a great travel agent, why not give our sponsor, Randy Crane from Mouse Ear Vacations a holler! I bet he can make YOUR vacation a MAGICAL one! Visit Randy at www.randyc-mouseearvacations.com 

As always, If you’d like to send in comments for the show, you can send us an email to talespodcast@cox.net, leave us voicemail on the Hotline at 304-TALES23, leave us feedback in iTunes or leave comments for us on our Twitter account @talespodcast. Heck, you can even find us on FaceBook, just search for Tales From The House House - Disneyland podcast! If you'd like to listen to the show, you can find it on iTunes, on our podcast site at talescast.com, the direct episode link: Episode 71, or on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!

AND, we're listed on Stitcher Radio now! Just visit www.stitcher.com and search for Tales From The Mouse House - Disneyland Podcast!

Thanks for making us part of your Disney experience and remember…
"Make It A Mickey Day!" ~~ Al & Joyce