Month in Review {January}

As we sit here on the last day of the first month of the year, I was reflecting back on 1) where the days went, 2) how they went so fast, 3) how I actually stuck to my “evaluate” resolution (y’all, I went to Homegoods this week and bought NOTHING!), and 4) how I’ve done nothing but make Disney books for the last two weeks and thus have no new projects to share, I thought I’d highlight the top five of posts of January based on your page views!

Honey Does: DIY Flat Screen TV Cabinet

 

100 Days of School {Free Printable}

 

The Boys Bath Before & After

 

I Love {House Portraits}

 

Dixie Delights Disney World

 

Speaking of Disney World, this is the last day to get your personalized Disney Signature Books if you’re going in February.  I’ll definitely list them again for those going later in the year! 

I’d say the year is off to a pretty perfect start!

xoxo

Module 14: Past, Present, and Future of Animation

This last module was a bit of an odds and ends thing, which I guess it's fitting because it was listed as like an epilogue. It had three topics: the first was on television animation, from its introduction in the 1950s to the heydays of the 1960s including Rocky and Bullwinkle into the 1980s. Next it went into the art of the film title. Finally it ended with a look at some subversive animation, ones that explored either societal norms or pushed the boundaries of decency. I kind of procrastinated on this module, writing my discussion post the day it was due, so I don't feel like it was as strong as it could be, but eh. I got it done.

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Disney's 'Paperman' now available online.

Today, Disney's Black & white animated short 'Paperman' premiered online. The short that recently received a nomination for an Academy Award ran with Disney's latest animated feature 'Wreck-it-Ralph', but has now been made available online.

'Paperman' fuses 2D and 3D animation together like never before, using a new technology called 'Meander', developed by Disney Senior software engineer Brian Whited. The new technique called 'Final Line Advection' gives traditional 2D animators more control over the CG and allows them to make changes according their own sense of design. The animation was created by a small team and directed by John Kahrs. Have fun watching 'Paperman' below. For best quality I suggest watching it in 1080p HD.

A Few Gems from the Doctor

I feel like a trip to the doctor with two children is some sort of nefarious parenting test – one where doctors and nurses secretly conspire to see how the unsuspecting and likely harried mom handles her offspring while locked in a germ laden three-by-three cube with nothing but a spinning stool with wheels and a bench from which a fall would be catastrophic.  They probably sit back and watch our every move on surveillance cameras and write notations in cryptic shorthand on their strange little tablet devices as we try to tame our beasts in our nicest possible mean voice.  I really should ask my childhood pediatrician friend KRB about all this…

As for yesterday, the littles’ seemingly innocuous annual trip to the doctor ended with me not knowing whether to laugh or cry.  They were clearly out to rattle and shame me.  Here are a few gems from our visit:

When the nurse tells the boys to strip down to their undies John yells “OH  NOOOOO!” I’m thinking he is just embarrassed for her to see.  But no, he continues “I think I’ve had these same undies on like all week.  Definitely all week and they haven’t even been washed.”  I assure you this is not the case.  I mean, y’all know me.  Well, not really know me, but surely you know me well enough to know that I bathe my children and wash their clothes.  We put on clean undies and clean clothes every.single.day.  I mean, unless it’s PJ day.  But six out of seven days the child has on clean underwear.  Cross my heart.

And it just got better from there.  Like when John claimed he didn’t know his age or grade in school (I duly professed his brilliance as only a mother can) and when the baby danced Gangem style when asked to hop on one leg (I feigned ignorance.) 

Oh… I also loved when Dr H asked the baby about his favorite activity in school – W: centers; DR: which one?; W: legos; DR: what do you build?; W: GUNS!!! (and he proceeds to pretend shoot the doctor)

Much to my surprise and relief, Dr H proclaimed them “normal and healthy based on everything seen today.” (Which leads me to believe he must see some truly bewildering creatures in his day.)

To top it all off, the baby was due for vaccinations.   Is it just me, or do you hate having to hold your child down and look into their eyes as a nurse just out of their line of sight sticks them in the leg with an insane number of shots?!?!  It has always broken my heart and I dread it every year.  This year, the baby screamed out in sheer terror “I WANT MY MOMMY!!!!” and he jerked his head up looking startled to find ME there holding him down.  He asked me countless times after why I hurt him so bad.  Bless his heart. 

Just like that I forgave them for acting like complete dolts and promised the baby anything he wanted for supper.  He chose hot dogs and s’mores roasted on the porch and, once again, all was well with the W family :-).







Next year I’m totally going to rehearse before we go and pay for good honest answers…thank the lord this is a once yearly event.  :-)
xoxo

DC releases 'The Dark Knight Returns' II.

DC Comics released their 15th animated movie today, concluding their 'Dark Knight returns' storyline, based on the groundshifting 1986 limited comic series by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson.

Continuing Miller's comic book story where part I left off, the animation of course feels more dramatic this time around, with a compelling, epic climax. The story is split in two halfs, the first I would say, focuses on The Joker's release from the asylum and his revenge on Batman, where as the final part shifts gear and shows us Gotham City after the detonation of a Nuclear Missile and the events following an E.M.P. (elctomagnetic pulse) after the Soviets launched a 'coldbringer', disabling most electronic devices in the States, paving the way for mass lootings and the declaration of Marshall Law by the US Government. Yes, this story is set during the 1980's while Ronald Reagan was president of the US.

After Batman defeated their leader in part 1, the mutant gang splits off into two groups, one of them calling themselves 'The sons of Batman'. Police commissioner James Gordon has retired following the previous events and Ellen Yindel has taken his job. Branding Batman a murderer and a public menaces she's determined to capture him, so Bruce Wayne has to hide.

Above: Bruce Wayne disguised as an old tramp who wants his liquor. 

Above: Bruce Wayne disguised as Lieutenant O'Halloran of the 6th precinct.

Above: Bruce Wayne disguised as... well... Batman!

When the joker is allowed to leave his asylum to appear on a popular talkshow, he manages to escape, leaving the public and it's host dying from a nerve gas. Not to soon after, Batman and Robin enter the scene, defying Yindel and half of Gotham's police force while trying to catch him.

Above: I guess after burning your bra for woman's rights in the 1960's this is the next step. Straight from the mind of Frank Miller, Batman and Robin fight female nazi villains.

Too bad DC decided to use this scene for the cover artwork (see top), because I feel there are far better scenes, allowing for a more iconic shot. For me, it's the scene where Batman rides on a horse, after a total black out of the city from the EMP. The city is in total chaos, returned to the dark ages as all electricity is gone and the gangs are fighting. Batman enters, riding a horse, his cape flying, a real menace indeed. His appearance manages to unite everybody, take control of the city and save it's people. The police let him, he's too big. It's an epic scene, pretty dark, exactly like Miller's comic.

'These are the weapons of cowards'.

Hot on the pursuit of the Joker, who's about to blow up an amusement park, the two finally meet face to face for a climactic scene where the Joker justifies all of Obama's reasons for gun control as he starts shooting randomly at innocent bystanders, killing them one by one. A truly daring scene, where DC decided not to cut too much of Miller's story, even though the terms 'Batman' and 'public massacre' don't go well these days. Later in the story, after Batman faces the fighting gangs, he takes their guns and yells 'Tonight I am going to maintain order in Gotham City. You are going to help me, but not with these. These are loud and clumsy. These are the weapons of cowards'.

Reagan zombified.

For the next section, I would like to add a 'spoiler alert', but I guess most of you have read Miller's comic books anyway. This sub-plot involves the US government going to war with the Soviets over a tiny island in the middle of nowhere. the cold war of the Eighties, captured in Miller's dark and twisted tale is reflected in the animated movie as if the 'evil empire' hadn't collapsed. Althought I guessed that zombifying your main characters was something only Marvel did for certain titles, I think DC did a pretty good job on their former president here, as he's looking pretty freaky.

After US troops take control over the island, the president appears on TV confirming the public's safety (from the moon that is!). When the Soviets launch a nuclear missile, it is succesfully intercepted by Superman and detonated far from it's target. The blast, however still reaches the US and causes a nuclear winter. When Batman remains a problem, the President asks Superman to take him out. A fight between DC's main attractions follows and when the dust settles, Batman dies, leaving Wayne manor, with all it's secrets, to be destroyed in a fire by Albert (Bruce's butler), who dies of a fatal heart attack. The end resembles much or less the final of Chris Nolan's recent 'The Dark Knight rises'. Bruce Wayne's double identity now no longer a secret, his alter ego erased from existence, but in reality, Bruce is secretly still very much alive.

Great animation and voice acting, and as I said before, a great score by Christopher Drake. Voices by Peter Weller, Ariel Winter and Michael Emmerson with Mark Valley as Superman/Clark Kent. LA Times Herocomplex has a great article for more on Valley and some videos on his voice acting. Check Here for my thoughts on TDKR1.

M&M’s Around the World + Last Call Disney Books

The PCP has been learning the seven continents and five oceans in school and his teacher sent home a darling game to reinforce their studies at home.  So, after supper the other night I doled out m&m’s and we challenged each other’s luck and geography for dessert! 

You’ll need:
- 12 markers (we used mini m&m’s) for each player
- a dice
- a copy of the world map for each player (the one we used is here)



Each number rolled matches a part of the map:
1 – South America or North America
2 – Europe or Asia
3 – Africa, Antarctica or Australia
4 – Atlantic Ocean or Pacific Ocean
5 – Arctic Ocean or Southern Ocean
6 – Indian Ocean




Honey and I both acted a little ignorant so that the PCP could help us figure out what was what on the map :-)

And while the PCP won by covering up all twelve points before anyone else, we all had a sweet treat at the end of the game!!
  


LAST CALL I'm only taking orders for the personalized Disney Signature Books through the 31st so order now if you know you're going to Disney!!  I will try to do another offer at least once a month from here on out but I'm not sure when that will be in February.



We're off to the doctor this afternoon for annual checkups.  Wish me luck... these visits always seem to go haywire :-)
xoxo

Visions of Tomorrow

It looks like more details about the legendary animation director's next live action project have been revealed...

Brad Bird's next feature film was originally announced as 1952, a title which puzzled me because the Incredibles director was also attached to a Warner Bros. project titled 1906, a film about the San Francisco earthquake. That film doesn't seem to be getting off the ground anytime soon, though I suspect it will after this film is completed. Now, Disney D23 has announced that the film's title is not 1952; it is titled Tomorrowland. Tons of questions ensue...

Some are suggesting that it could be about Walt Disney and the creation of Disneyland, given the working title, the actual title and the photos of the mysterious box that were unveiled a few days ago. I hope it isn't, we already have a film coming out from Disney that features a portrayal of Walt Disney (Saving Mr. Banks) and it just doesn't fit the whole "original sci-fi" description from the announcements. I'm doubting it will be anyways, the box could just be another marketing trick. After all, Damon Lindelof is co-writing the screenplay with Bird.

Perhaps the title is only a reference to Tomorrowland, since it seemed like this project would be a retro-futuristic 1950s sci-fi story. Perhaps Tomorrowland and the visions of the future in the 1950s are the main inspirations behind this mysterious project. Disney hasn't taken on this sort of approach to marketing or announcements to their upcoming films, so it'll be exciting to see the mystery of this cryptic project unfold.

Tomorrowland stars George Clooney; it opens in theaters on December 19, 2014.

Medieval Times Atlanta

Last night we donned our armor and carried our swords off to experience the pageantry and thrills of Medieval Times inside the King’s impressive 11th century Atlanta castle (that just so happens to be attached to a very 21st century mall, but I digress). 




From the get go, the littles were completely awestruck.  In royal fashion, we were welcomed to the castle by the King and Princess themselves.



 
We were delighted to be transported back to the middle ages once inside the castle.  We received our crowns and knight color (blue) and then bee-lined straight for the impressive fire to secure a table right at the hearth .










While waiting to be ushered into the arena, we enjoyed watching the knighting ceremonies, visiting with the owl, moseying around the gift shop and exploring the castle. 

      
Finally, it was time for the King’s noble guests to be escorted in for the dinner and tournament!!




We were beyond thrilled to find ourselves assigned to the front row of the blue knight’s fans!



And before we knew it, maids and wenches were bringing our four course feast and the show had commenced!  The fare was plentiful (and surprisingly okay) and the littles thoroughly enjoyed gobbling it up with nothing but their hands.  After all, there were no forks or spoons in Medieval times!

 





As the six armor clad knights and their valiant horses galloped into the arena the littles eyes grew wide and I knew we were in for a memorable evening.  We faithfully cheered for our knight as he competed in thrilling games on horseback and engaged in combat of lance and shield…all on a noble quest to become CHAMPION!

     
        

 
I won’t be a wench and spoil your show by telling you which night became champion.  But the blue knight won me over with a pink carnation and was a veritable hero in the littles eyes :-)





If you go:

• We attended a 5pm Sunday show and it was only about half full.  The castle doors open at 3:45 and when we arrived at about 3:40 there was already a line.  Unless you pay for VIP seating (we did not), you will want to be there as early as possible since tables are assigned on a first come first serve basis.
• Front row seats generally require a VIP upgrade but they will fill them with other guests if not sold out.  We knew this before hand which is why we booked a Sunday show and were there when the doors opened.  And it completely paid off when we were ushered to the front row!!!
• There is not a bad seat in the stadium-style arena.  I read online that some seats in some castles were partially blocked with columns, but this didn’t seem to be a problem in the Atlanta castle. 
• If you arrive early you’ll have about an hour to wait before the show.  We secured a table by the fire and then took turns exploring with the littles.  There aren’t a ton of tables, so we were happy to have one early on.
• Once inside, there are loads of little gift type things that the littles will want – we purchased our armor and shields at the Dollar Tree for $1 a piece.  They were selling lots of light up things at the castle, so you might want to throw a few glow sticks in your buggy at Dollar Tree as well.
• It’s pretty hard to get out of your seats once in the arena.  Make sure to take the littles to the potty before the show.
• My crew gobbled up the food and loved eating with their hands.  They give you one napkin and one wipe.
• They only serve water, sweet tea and Pepsi (barf-o-rama) with dinner.  They come in large mugs filled to the brim and we had to drink half of the baby’s down before he could wield it on his own.  If you have a little one you might consider bringing a sippy cup or juice box or only having the mug half filled. 
• After the show the knights line up against the bar for pictures and autographs. 

It was an outing made for boys and I’m SO glad Santa gave us the tickets for Christmas :-)
xoxo