Monday, August 23, 2010

DC AIDS Walk

On Saturday, October 2nd, 2010, I will join thousands of other people in the 24th annual AIDS Walk Washington.  This event is a 5K fundraising walk and timed run, benefiting and produced by Whitman-Walker Clinic.

I would greatly appreciate your support for this worthwhile cause.  My personal fundraising goal is $100  Would you please visit my personal AIDS Walk Washington website and make a donation today?


If you have any questions about AIDS Walk Washington or Whitman-Walker Clinic, please don’t hesitate to contact me or visit AIDS Walk Washington for more information. 

Thank you so much for your support and generosity.

Every little bit helps, me reach my goal. 

Follow This Link to visit my personal web page and help me in my efforts to support Whitman-Walker Clinic

Thanks a lot,
Future World











Thursday, August 19, 2010

Pixar Animation Studios: Part 1: Toy Story

Series Intro: In my purposeful retrospective of WDAS I couldn’t ignore it’s younger sister: PIXAR. This is Part 1 in the retrospective of PIXAR

Official Title: Toy Story
Release: November 22, 1995
Running Time: 81 minutes
Estimated Cost: $30 million ($25 million less than Pocahontas which was released by WDAS earlier in ’95).
Estimated Revenue: $361.99 million
Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Plot Summary
Andy is having a birthday, when he receives a new toy: Buzz. All of Andy’s other toys are happy about Buzz, except Woody. Woody is being replaced as Andy’s favorite and is not happy about it.

After Buzz and Woody are held hostage by a toy destroying creep – Sid – they become best friends and work together to make Andy happy (and the rest of the toys trust Woody again).

Songs:

Unlike WDAS, PIXAR does not create musicals, so this section will no longer be used.

Plot Rating: 4 stars out of 5

What do toys do when you are not playing with them? Where do they go when you can’t find them? This movie “answers” all the questions children might have about the fabulous world of toys. It has heart breaking scenes and high comedy and sight gags in the tradition of hand drawn animation.

Animation Rating: 5 out of 5

Completely ground breaking, a fully computer animated movie! Walt himself would have been proud. With nothing before it to compare to, I must only compare to the use of CG in traditional animation. Of course this was obviously CG! In former WDAS endevours they would try to disguise the CG in a more traditional style, however it hasn’t worked yet. But Toy Story doesn’t try to mask the effects and just goes all out in an ubber cartoon style. The eyes and bright colors hearken back to Snow White.

The Test of Time:

A second sequel was released 15 years later to become the highest grossing animated feature of all time! Right there, it proves it’s test of time.

Toy Story has inspired theme park attractions (Toy Story Mania in WDW’s Hollywood Studio and Disneyland’s California Adventure; and many other) and entire lands (Toy Story Playland in Disneyland Paris and Disneyland Hong Kong). Buzz has even had his own TV series.

Final Thoughts
Toy Story was a huge success when it first came out, and truly opened the door to some great animation and animation techniques (although I know these words will bite me when WDAS starts creating CGI movies).

I saw this movie three times in theatres. It was the first of only 3 movies I seen that many times in theatres.

Next Up:
A Bug’s Life



Sunday, August 8, 2010

Walt Disney Animation Studios Part 33: Pocahontas

Series Intro: This is Part 33 of a multi-part retrospective of Walt Disney Animation Studios' endeavors.

Official Title: Pocahontas
Release: June 16, 1995
Running Time: 81 minutes
Estimated Cost: $55 million
Estimated Revenue: $346.07 million
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Plot Summary: Abridged
John Smith, Ratcliff and the crew for the Virginia Company set sail for the new world for gold. Pocahontas, the daughter of the Powhatan Chief, in an arranged marriage with Kocoum, asks her guardian spirit – Grandmother Willow – for guidance. Afterwards, she meets Smith and shows him how wonderful nature can be, without hurting it. Pocahontas and Smith begin to fall in love, and he is captured while kissing her and is sentenced to death for accidentally killing Kocoum.

Ratcliff uses the situation of Smith’s capture to begin a war with the Powhatans. On the day of the execution/battle, Pocahontas prevents Smith’s beheading, and Smith takes an gunshot from Ratcliff that was meant for the Powhatan Chief. Smith has to return to the old world, to seek medical attention, he offers for Pocahontas to return with him, but she says with her family!

Songs:

"The Virginia Company"
“Steady As the Beating Drum
"Just Around the Riverbend" - Judy Kuhn
"Listen With Your Heart I"
"Mine, Mine,
"Listen With Your Heart II
"Colors of the Wind
"Savages (Part 1)”
"Savages (Part 2)”

These songs are the most epic yet! They truly behave like musical theatre, and honestly push the plot along (much more that Lion King).

Plot Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The story was so moving! It had great elements of a Broadway play, with characters that were the most human of all the Disney characters.

Animation Rating: 5 out of 5

The animation was unparallel. Throughout the entire movie, I just kept saying to myself how impressed I was. The style was reminiscent of Native American art while still portrayed everything in a believable setting. The richness of the backdrops and characters have not been seen since Sleeping Beauty.

The Test of Time:

I don’t think this movie has stood the test of time. There isn’t much push to include Pocahontas in the “princess” line. Most (if not all) of the stage show in Disney parks are closed. I don’t remember ever seeing young children dressed up as her on Halloween (at least not in the past ten years).

I did see this movie in theatres. I bought the VHS (as I was thoroughly in my “collection” by now, but only watched it once! I did not like this movie as a child, as was so surprised that I liked it so much as an adult. And I think that was this movie’s problem, why it did so poorly in box office. It was very adult: characters die from guns! Also, there weren’t any lovable characters (Flit, Meeko and Percy might fit this, but they aren’t as relatable as say Timon and Pumba).

Through the Modern Lens

This was the first Disney film based on historical events. It totally romanticized the events of the settlers coming to America (which is what Disney does to all of its movies – did the Evil Queen have to dance on hot coals with metal boots until she died? No. Disney takes sad/horrific events and turns them into happy endings). Does this mean I am happy about the way the movie glosses over the true relationship Smith had with Poca? No, I wish WDAS would have been able to find some middle ground between the horrific truth and the “Disney-fied” version we got.

I do have to applaud WDAS’s choice to make Poca stay with her family! This strange turn of events (the opposite of Ariel’s) was probably the most bittersweet moment of the movie and in fact, touched me more that any other part. WDAS finally broke their pattern after several decades of the love conquers all philosophy!

Next Up:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame