The Spirit Takes the Fifth ...

[tissandtully]

I've told you before - it's not the format, but the content you are exposed to. If we shared more in common I'd point you to some incredible 1on1 interview series... or great insight/story telling podcasts. Really good podcasts keep you yearning for the next episode like your favorite TV show but can be informative and not just entertainment. I have yet to find a disney podcast that I could stomach for more than 1-3 minutes.

Well, that's really the point of podcasts. Very targeted niches, and that's why they are awesome. I can seriously listen to people talk about any subject I want. There's also the big boys podcasting, like NPR which I can't get enough of. Unfortunately, I don't have the drive time that I used to to listen to a few podcasts every day, so I'm not listening as much as I used to

 

[culturenthrills]

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...-holmes-vice-president-of-magic-kingdom-park/

"As part of “Limited Time Magic,” we’re offering a walk in Magic Kingdom Park that’s never before been offered to guests – hosted by Phil Holmes, vice president of Magic Kingdom Park."

Wow, it doesn't get much more magical than this. Really TDO, this is an actual promotion. How pathetic. Maybe we should all sign up and pepper him with questions on why he cancels all the plussing the parks attractions where supposed to get over the years and all the cuts in entertainment.

 

[culturenthrills]

I've said that for a while. It completely crystalized during my July stay at Potofino Bay. Was reinforced during my HHN's focused October trip, which included staying at the Royal Pacific.

UNI has a better product than Disney overall. So does SW Parks.

They win on value, freshness of product, food quality for price (value again), cleanliness, maintenance, quality of workers etc ...

They don't have the Disney MAGIC, which really means the BRAND brainwashing that convinces people that things are so much better at Disney when they simply are not.

I was at UNI/IOA this past weekend and was amazed at the number of cast members who were waving and saying hello at the end of the exits to multiple rides. It was busy Sunday but not lines were not too bad. I have noticed that the Universal cast members have really improved over the last few years. They are consistently more friendly than at Disney lately.

 

[Funmeister]

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...-holmes-vice-president-of-magic-kingdom-park/

"As part of “Limited Time Magic,” we’re offering a walk in Magic Kingdom Park that’s never before been offered to guests – hosted by Phil Holmes, vice president of Magic Kingdom Park."

Wow, it doesn't get much more magical than this. Really TDO, this is an actual promotion. How pathetic. Maybe we should all sign up and pepper him with questions on why he cancels all the plussing the parks attractions where supposed to get over the years and all the cuts in entertainment.

"When in doubt, give it out" aye Phil?

 

[culturenthrills]

I am not convinced that there needs to be ANY podcasts at all. Seems like society did just fine before them. But maybe I'll give a listen one of these days.

I think the Season Pass podcast is pretty good. They had some good ones with Tony Baxter and Matt Quimet. And it isn't all Disney. Now as far as regular ones The Nerdist, Hollywood Babble On, Marc Maron(cause it censored his podcasts name) and Mohr Stories are my favorites.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Yeah, I saw it. But 737s are -- as my dearly departed grandfather would have said -- little puddlejumpers. But I am sure crazy Canadians (no, I won't tag Monty!) might find the plane MAGICal to fly to O-Town.

Try traveling with photo gear on an E-190.... In heavy weather.

 

[ford91exploder]

Try traveling with photo gear on an E-190.... In heavy weather.

Not good - but a E-190 is not fun in any weather

 

[choco choco]

Right, so Frozen...

Everybody remember how Beauty and the Beast laid out its backstory in an elegant voiceover prologue? It took all of three minutes. Get it out of the way, start the movie. Couple years later, Hunchback of Notre Dame laid out its backstory in a stunning operatic prologue. Total time: six minutes.

Frozen takes a right twelve minutes to get to its beginning (the traditional "I want" song) - 1/9th of its running time. It is so long because the movie needs to throw out a lot of info but, and here's the catch, much of it is unnecessary. It's even worse because much of this unnecessary info is also never addressed again. The trolls, for instance. They were obviously modeled after the crowd-pleasing vikings in Tangled, but the vikings had a direct consequence in the final battle, whereas the trolls have little more than an Act II cameo. Or the idea of fear as the controlling emotion of the snow queen's power. This idea is never explored again, done away with the final line of "Love can thaw a frozen heart," which has nothing to do with fear itself. Or the worst, the concept that one of the sisters had to have her memory erased. That is an interesting question! and a rich mine for drama and tension between the sisters later in the movie. But there's no further examination, so why is it there?

The movie is kind of a swing and a...solid double. The songs aren't there. The sisterly issue could have been much more. The stave church look of the castle is well done. I didn't like Wreck-It Ralph at all, so I consider this at least an improvement, but it really isn't better than Tangled or Princess and the Frog (a really underrated gem), which are Disney Animation's two peaks of recent years.

 

[tissandtully]

Right, so Frozen...

Everybody remember how Beauty and the Beast laid out its backstory in an elegant voiceover prologue? It took all of three minutes. Get it out of the way, start the movie. Couple years later, Hunchback of Notre Dame laid out its backstory in a stunning operatic prologue. Total time: six minutes.

Frozen takes a right twelve minutes to get to its beginning (the traditional "I want" song) - 1/9th of its running time. It is so long because the movie needs to throw out a lot of info but, and here's the catch, much of it is unnecessary. It's even worse because much of this unnecessary info is also never addressed again. The trolls, for instance. They were obviously modeled after the crowd-pleasing vikings in Tangled, but the vikings had a direct consequence in the final battle, whereas the trolls have little more than an Act II cameo. Or the idea of fear as the controlling emotion of the snow queen's power. This idea is never explored again, done away with the final line of "Love can thaw a frozen heart," which has nothing to do with fear itself. Or the worst, the concept that one of the sisters had to have her memory erased. That is an interesting question! and a rich mine for drama and tension between the sisters later in the movie. But there's no further examination, so why is it there?

The movie is kind of a swing and a...solid double. The songs aren't there. The sisterly issue could have been much more. The stave church look of the castle is well done. I didn't like Wreck-It Ralph at all, so I consider this at least an improvement, but it really isn't better than Tangled or Princess and the Frog (a really underrated gem), which are Disney Animation's two peaks of recent years.

Should probably put a spoiler warning on your post. Also, I agree that the movie wasn't totally fleshed out, but, it's definitely a great WDAS film, also, not sure if I can trust the opinion of someone who didn't like Wreck-it Ralph.

 

[lebeau]

Right, so Frozen...

Everybody remember how Beauty and the Beast laid out its backstory in an elegant voiceover prologue? It took all of three minutes. Get it out of the way, start the movie. Couple years later, Hunchback of Notre Dame laid out its backstory in a stunning operatic prologue. Total time: six minutes.

Frozen takes a right twelve minutes to get to its beginning (the traditional "I want" song) - 1/9th of its running time. It is so long because the movie needs to throw out a lot of info but, and here's the catch, much of it is unnecessary. It's even worse because much of this unnecessary info is also never addressed again. The trolls, for instance. They were obviously modeled after the crowd-pleasing vikings in Tangled, but the vikings had a direct consequence in the final battle, whereas the trolls have little more than an Act II cameo. Or the idea of fear as the controlling emotion of the snow queen's power. This idea is never explored again, done away with the final line of "Love can thaw a frozen heart," which has nothing to do with fear itself. Or the worst, the concept that one of the sisters had to have her memory erased. That is an interesting question! and a rich mine for drama and tension between the sisters later in the movie. But there's no further examination, so why is it there?

The movie is kind of a swing and a...solid double. The songs aren't there. The sisterly issue could have been much more. The stave church look of the castle is well done. I didn't like Wreck-It Ralph at all, so I consider this at least an improvement, but it really isn't better than Tangled or Princess and the Frog (a really underrated gem), which are Disney Animation's two peaks of recent years.

You could not be more wrong. You could try, but you would fail.

There was quite a bit of info in the opening scenes. And it ALL paid off later. Maybe it could have paid off bigger than it did.

And the songs? You're along in that opinion. Every review praises the songs as ready for Broadway.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion. The movie isn't perfect. But your particular criticisms mystify me.

Of course, Wreck It Ralph was good too. So, I suppose we just have wildly different taste in movies.

 

[tissandtully]

You could not be more wrong. You could try, but you would fail.

There was quite a bit of info in the opening scenes. And it ALL paid off later. Maybe it could have paid off bigger than it did.

And the songs? You're along in that opinion. Every review praises the songs as ready for Broadway.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion. The movie isn't perfect. But your particular criticisms mystify me.

Of course, Wreck It Ralph was good too. So, I suppose we just have wildly different taste in movies.

I agree the songs seem to be tailor-made for a big Broadway show, can definitely see that happening.

 

[JenniferS]

I agree the songs seem to be tailor-made for a big Broadway show, can definitely see that happening.

46 years old here, and I keep Youtube'ing 3 of the songs.

My teenage boys wish I would just "Let it Go".

 

[lebeau]

I agree the songs seem to be tailor-made for a big Broadway show, can definitely see that happening.

One review I read called the movie a "test run for the inevitable Broadway show". Every person I have talked to who has seen the movie - critic or not - has talked about how the songs have been stuck in their heads for days.

My kids saw the movie once and haven't heard the songs since then. I heard them both belting out "Let It Go" last night.

I suppose if you don't like Broadway tunes, the songs won't appeal. But objectively, this is the most musical Disney film since Beauty and the Beast.

 

[JenniferS]

One review I read called the movie a "test run for the inevitable Broadway show". Every person I have talked to who has seen the movie - critic or not - has talked about how the songs have been stuck in their heads for days.

My kids saw the movie once and haven't heard the songs since then. I heard them both belting out "Let It Go" last night.

I suppose if you don't like Broadway tunes, the songs won't appeal. But objectively, this is the most musical Disney film since Beauty and the Beast.

Can we agree Idina Menzel kicks Demi Lovato's butt?

 

[lebeau]

46 years old here, and I keep Youtube'ing 3 of the songs.

My teenage boys wish I would just "Let it Go".

I tried You Tubing the songs after I heard the girls singing. I was bummed I couldn't find the actual scene from the movie. Just a Disney Channel music video and montages people made over the soundtrack. If you can find the actual scene from the movie, send me a link. I'd love to show the girls.

 

[bhg469]

I wrote a lengthy piece on the Walking Dead mid-season finale. It also serves as my overall thoughts on the first half of the fourth season. Lots of comparisons between the show and the source material.

My reaction, having read the comic book, is the exact opposite of yours. I suspect it is because I knew how the story ended. To my mind, the gory finale was not the travesty. I always saw that as inevitable. The bad writing was the way they stretched a single season storyline into a season and a bloated season and a half.

The show tells the story out of sequence which completely changes the context of events. Sometimes the changes make sense and sometimes I really wonder how people who haven't read the comic book are even following things. For example, the entire sequence with "the Governor's" new family" actually occurred prior to him becoming the Governor. He met them on his way to Woodbury. Also, Penny was still alive. Meghan was invented for the show as a stand-in for Penny. armed with that knowledge, I knew she was a goner from the second she appeared on screen and wasn't remotely disappointed when that plot thread was quickly wrapped up.

The Governor greatly outlasted his welcome. This is how season 3 should have ended. I breathed a sigh of relief to be done with the prison and the Gov forever. Shame about Hershel though. He was a bit player in the comic book who wound up taking over other character's story lines on the show because he was played by such a dynamic actor. I'm less bummed about losing the character than I am about losing Scott Wilson. He will be missed.

There is still a lot of room for improvement on the show. But the first half of season 4 was a huge step up from the disater that was the last half of season 3. So, I'll take it. I'm cautiously optimistic that Gimple can do better with a clean slate in the second half of the season.

Having read the books as well, Iagree h you 100%. As far as Judith, if she is still alive i think its a cop out. Not that I would be happy about it but I feel like if they didn't kill her, that means they think the audience can't handle that. And you're right about Hershel! His character was way more to the show because the acting was so good!

 

[lebeau]

Can we agree Idina Menzel kicks Demi Lovato's butt?

Unquestionably.

 

[tissandtully]

Having read the books as well, Iagree h you 100%. As far as Judith, if she is still alive i think its a cop out. Not that I would be happy about it but I feel like if they didn't kill her, that means they think the audience can't handle that. And you're right about Hershel! His character was way more to the show because the acting was so good!

So, there are definitely different audiences between the comics and the television show. The comics are a depressing slog through the worst of humanity and when Judith dies, it's just another "Oh, really? Of course, it's the walking dead". But the TV show has been a slow burn on the morality vs survival thing and killing off the baby isn't going to go over well. But they may surprise us, who knows. I'd like to think there's a universe where an innocent child doesn't die, so, that's what I'm hoping for.

 

[lebeau]

Having read the books as well, Iagree h you 100%. As far as Judith, if she is still alive i think its a cop out. Not that I would be happy about it but I feel like if they didn't kill her, that means they think the audience can't handle that. And you're right about Hershel! His character was way more to the show because the acting was so good!

I give the show a little bit of leeway regarding the handling of Judith. She had to go because there is no way to handle a baby on the show. But audiences probably would have bolted if they had a baby get shot on national TV. Especially in the same episode as a child gets killed and an old man beheaded. So, yeah, it's a cop-out. But it's one I understand.

Anyone who thinks this episode was over the top should check out the comic book some time. Or maybe they shouldn't.

 

[JenniferS]

I tried You Tubing the songs after I heard the girls singing. I was bummed I couldn't find the actual scene from the movie. Just a Disney Channel music video and montages people made over the soundtrack. If you can find the actual scene from the movie, send me a link. I'd love to show the girls.

Only Demi's version is available in full. The IM versions are snippets from D23, Disneyland, and some bootlegged stuff. Listen to enough of them and you can satisfy your itch. Or ... settle for Demi.