Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving , America !



It's Thanksgiving today in the U.S, and i wish to all my American readers a great Thanksgiving party.

I've found for you some artwork - inspired by a famous Norman Rockwell painting - which seems to be the right artwork for this memorable day!

Here is the original Norman Rockwell painting which inspired this "Disney" version.
And, again, have all a great and peaceful Thanksgiving!



Artwork: copyright Disney and Norman Rockwell foundation

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

A special Jungle Cruise photo, artwork and video tribute



When Disneyland open in 1955, the Jungle Cruise attraction was there. Probably the oldest beloved "E" ticket in the park, it deserves a real tribute and, that's what we will do today!

Above, an attraction poster for Adventureland and the Jungle Cruise.
Below, Walt show the model of the Jungle Cruise boat.



Five different artwork for the attraction.







Two pictures of the WDI Jungle Cruise model.




Walt discussing with Harper Goff, show designer of the attraction on a Jungle Cruise boat.



Walt with the Jungle Cruise audio-animatronics animals during the construction, and the hippos, below.




An overview shot of the Jungle Cruise in 1955



All aboard !



Different scenes of the attraction from old picture and postcards , circa 1955, and one picture of Walt firing at the hippos!









Walt Disney and Nehru, at that time India's prime minister: all aboard for the Jungle Cruise!



A recent picture of the Jungle Cruise boat, after the boats were re-designed.



Probably the two best Jungle Cruise merchandise items: The great miniaturist Robert Olszewski did a fantastic miniature of the Jungle Cruise attraction, still available at the park.




And let's not forget the great Jungle Cruise boat replica done by Kevin Kidney and Jody Dailey for Disney shopping, out of stock now, but often available on e bay.



But before you go, don't miss this old video with Walt himself presenting the attraction to you and former India's legendary prime minister Nehru.




All my thanks to freedogshampoo for this Youtube video

All photos and artwork: copyright Disney

Video: copyright Disney

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Editor's Note: I'm back with my regular Ad about my Disneyland Paris book but this time i have a special message for those of you who wish to order it for a Christmas gift.
If you already own the book, scroll down to read new topics about TRON.

Looking for a great Christmas gift ? The Disneyland Paris book is the perfect gift for any Disney fan !



If you're looking for a great gift to offer to anyone you love - including you! - my "Disneyland Paris, From Sketch to Reality" book with its 320 pages and 750 pictures - including 250 renderings from Walt Disney Imagineering - would be a GREAT gift for any Disney fan!

I still have copies of the book, and, as i am one of the two authors of the book, each copy will be sign specially for you or anyone you wish. Of course, don't forget to tell me the name to whom you wish i dedicate the book.

An important note before i go further: If you're not in a rush to get the book, choose the flat shipping option (also indicated below) which usually takes between 3 to 6 weeks delivery (depending if you're living in Europe or in the U.S) and is also much less expensive.

And now, here is a description of the book and everything you need to know to order one of the last signed copy of this beautiful book. Please note that NO re-printing of the book is scheduled, and these last available copies may be the REAL last one!


IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR THE ENGLISH EDITION OF THE BOOK WITH THE TEXT IN ENGLISH:

Price for one copy of the english updated edition is 87 Euros

About the shipping:

IF YOU'RE NOT IN A HURRY TO GET THE BOOK: Flat shipping (4-5 weeks delivery) is 15 euros.

IF YOU'RE IN A HURRY TO GET THE BOOK: Air-mail shipping (2 weeks delivery) is 38 Euros.

If you have a Paypal account you can proceed to the payment by paypal - paypal payment including your choice of shipping must be sent to the email adress: lawrence55@wanadoo.fr

Important: Note that the price is in Euros, not in U.S $, so you have to choose the "euro" currency when you do the paypal payment.

If you don't have a Paypal account, a bank wire transfert is possible, just let me know.

And, of course, thanks to confirm me your order and payment AND the shipping adress by email at the email adress: lawrence55@wanadoo.fr


PLEASE NOTE THAT FOR NOW I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE COPIES OF THE FRENCH EDITION, SORRY. IF YOU STILL WISH A FRENCH COPY? PLEASE LET ME KNOW? I'LL TRY TO FIND A COPY FOR YOU.

As i am the one who designed the book, i'm not really at the good place to send compliments about it, but if you are a reader who already own the book, please leave a comment at the end of the article to let other readers know what you think about it.
Previous comments can be read at the bottom of this page where the article below was previously posted.

So, here is a little description of the book, now - See below some pictures of the book pages - click on each of them to see the photo-montage pictures in big size.



The book is a gorgeous "coffee table book" with 320 pages and 750 pictures - of which 500 are park and attractions photos and 250 are Walt Disney Imagineering renderings!

The size is 9 x 12 inches, all pages are in color and it's hardbound with a glossy dust jacket. The text (by Disney historian Didier Ghez), was written after more than 75 interviews he conducted with all the Imagineers who created the park. He goes into just about everything you wanted to know about this unique place that many describe as the best "Magic Kingdom" ever created by WDI.

It took five years to create the book, but it was worth all the time we spent on it, and the book looks just as good as we had hoped for at the beginning - in fact Imagineer Bruce Gordon told us that it was "probably the best book ever done on a Disney theme park". Coming from Bruce who did with David Mumford the great "Disneyland, The Nickel Tour" book, it was more than a compliment.

The first chapter about Main Street has 52 pages and introduces the reader to the "legend" of Main Street, USA. You'll learn all about the Disneyland Paris Railroad, the unique "Discovery" and "Liberty" Arcades; find out about the architecture, the restaurants (like "Walt's," a tribute to Walt Disney, but also inspired by Club 33 in Anaheim) and the shops; with dozens of photos, renderings, models, and reproduced for the first time here, all the "cities of the future" posters located in "Discovery Arcade."



The second chapter on Frontierland discusses the park's western side with extensive sections about its major attractions, "Big Thunder Mountain" and "Phantom Manor." In fact the book has the longest sections ever put together in a book on all the major attractions. The Pirates of Caribbean section in the Adventureland chapter is 26 pages, Phantom Manor has 16 pages devoted to it, as does Space Mountain, it's a small world, etc. The photo material was so great that we kept adding more pages to the book, which was supposed to have only 240 pages when we started... we ended up with 320 upon completion!



The Frontierland chapter also covers the Mark Twain, the River Rogue Keelboats, Fort Comstock, all the restaurants, the shops and Cottonwood Creek Ranch.and featuring stunning photos of Disneyland Paris from the air by Yann Arthus Bertrand, author of The Earth from Above that make spectacular "double-pages," and allow the reader to discover the park from a whole different angle.



The Adventureland chapter is even more interesting, as many elements of the land exist only in Paris - such as the Bazaar and Aladdin to Africa and the ex-"Explorer's Club." Plus there's a long section about "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril," "Adventure Isle" and "The Swiss Robinson Treehouse" and, of course, "Pirates of Caribbean" the land's major attraction and featuring its amazing Audio-Animatronics! All in all there are 56 full pages about Adventureland, and as in the previous chapters, there are dozens of photos, lots of concept art, and many shots of Imagineers at work. There's even a great bonus here, with the Marc Davis artwork for "Pirates" also included.



56 full pages are also dedicated to Fantasyland. There's an extensive look at Sleeping Beauty Castle, sections on all the dark rides (Snow White, Peter Pan and Pinocchio), as well as a look at "Alice's Curious Labyrinth," the "Mad Hatter's Tea Cups," "Storybookland," and "Casey Jr." There are even 14 pages about "it's a small world" with stunning photos of nearly all the scenes in it. Here the reader can discover a new attraction that exists only at Disneyland Paris, with a great view from above of Alice's Labyrinth.

Discoveryland also gets 52 pages of special treatment, with sections on the Visionarium, the Nautilus, Star Tours, Space Mountain, and everything you wanted to know about the other attractions in this land – Autopia and Orbitron. In fact the Nautilus chapter takes you on a visit with photos of every room of this detailed walk-through and two double page photo spreads, one which makes you feel you're inside Captain Nemo's grand salon, and the other showing you a unique view of Discoveyland featuring the Nautilus and Space Mountain in a kind of "CinemaScope" view.



When the book was released in early 2002, the Walt Disney Studios didn't exist, so you won't see them in the book. But there's still one last chapter about the hotels of the park, and Disney Village too, with the great Buffalo Bill Wild West show that entertains hundreds each evening.

And because every day in a Magic Kingdom should end with a parade and fireworks, we have the Main Street Electrical Parade that close the book, with an Herb Ryman gorgeous painting!



Pictures: copyright Disney

Talented TRON fan creates new TRON trailer



Sometime fans are not only fans, they also have a lot of talent. That's the case of Chris Drew, a TRON super-fan. Recently Chris created a brand new trailer of the first TRON movie, with a kind of editing that we can see now in modern trailers. Have a look at it, it worth the two and half minutes it'll take you to watch it!

Tron Trailer 1982 from chris drew on Vimeo.



Video: copyright Disney - Editing: Chris Drew

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Incredible TRON: LEGACY Motorcycle Suits



If you're a Disney fan who also have a motorbike you should enjoy this incredible TRON Legacy leather motorcycle Suits created by UD Replicas who did previously an incredibly perfect Batman - Dark Knight costume replica.

Developed for both male and female Fans, TRON: LEGACY
 Motorcycle Suits will celebrate the film’s debut this december. UD Replicas takes motorcycle riders and movie fans into the world of TRON: LEGACY in which Flynn and other TRON characters ride spectacular lightcyles, and the rules of reality don’t apply, with its magnificently detailed TRON: LEGACY “Movie Replica” Motorcycle Suits, which are now available for purchase online at www.UDReplicas.com.

Designed under license from Disney Consumer Products and painstakingly handcrafted from leather, the TRON: LEGACY Motorcycle Suits replicate the awe-inspiring look of the costumes worn on screen by heroic Sam Flynn and Quorra. The TRON: LEGACY Motorcycle Suits mark the first time UD Replicas has offered designs for both men and women.

“Our designers have worked closely with Disney to ensure that we capture the absolutely incredible look of TRON: LEGACY,” said UD Replicas owner David Pea. “The reaction we got to these suits at Comic-Con was overwhelming, and we’re very excited to be able to deliver them to fans before this amazing film opens in theaters.”



Each TRON: LEGACY Motorcycle Suit is created from hand-crafted leather that features a silicone hexagonal print that matches the highly detailed designs seen in the film. To protect wearers, all TRON: LEGACY Motorcycle Suits incorporate removable CE-approved body armor in the forearm and elbow, shoulder, along the back spine, and in the knee, shin and thighs areas. The suits also feature extremely light sensitive-reflective accents to create the ethereal, computer-generated glow so closely identified with the world of TRON.

UD Replicas has also designed a leather-encased “identity disc” that is molded into the back of each TRON: LEGACY Motorcycle Suit. All suits feature heavy-duty stretch Spandex inserts and intricate leather detailing, while the female Quorra suit jacket offers design features that enhance the female form. Both the Sam Flynn and Quorra TRON: LEGACY Motorcycle Suits will be limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide.



UD Replicas, the officially licensed division of Universal Designs, is offering its TRON: LEGACY Motorcycle Suits exclusively online. The TRON: LEGACY jacket, pants, gloves and boots can be purchased separately or as a complete set for $995 (U.S.) for the male version and $899 for the female version. Payment may be split into three equal installments by following ordering instructions at www.udreplicas.com.

Pictures: copyright UD Replica - Disney

Friday, November 19, 2010

2011 Movies update : The Year of the Aliens



Let's have a little look at upcoming 2011 movies. It seems that it'll be "the year of the aliens" as there is currently in production several movies on that theme. The first one below is not an "Earth vs Aliens" movie but the DC Comics superhero - Green Lantern - takes his power from extra-terrestrials as you will see in the HD trailer below. It looks better than i thought and here is the official synopsis:

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan. Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax...he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.








Next, "Battle: Los Angeles". This one is a typical "Earth vs Aliens" and L.A seems to be the battleground! Here is the synopsis and the HD trailer:

For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world - Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world's great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It's up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they've ever encountered before.








Last but not least "Cowboys & Aliens". Yep, that's right, the action is in 1873, in the old wild west! I know that a fight between aliens and cowboys seems a bit hard to swallow but it's an adaptation of a successful graphic novel, it's a Dreamworks production, Steven Spielberg himself is the producer, it's directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man's director) and Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde and Sam Rockwell are playing in it. That's right, Harrison Ford is playing in a movie where 19th century cowboys are fighting aliens! So, with all this it can be that bad, right? Here is the synopsis and the first HD trailer:

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Daniel Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents--townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors--all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.



Pictures and videos: copyright Dreamworks, Universal, Warner Bros, Columbia Pictures