Relive Epcot Center's "Horizons" in an all-new restored video from RetroDisneyWorld

The good folks over at RetroDisneyWorld.com have generously uploaded another fantastic video to the public this time, taking us way back to the original and beloved Horizons attraction in the then called, Epcot Center. Horizons was officially shut-down and demolished in 1999, to make way for Mission Space which remains in the parks until today. The attraction featured elements from all over Future World, and even the characters from Disney's Carousel of Progress in Magic Kingdom.

 

Be sure to check out RetroDisneyWorld's website right here to see even more classic beloved attractions in the yesterday of Disney.

Maleficent Film Review

Mitchell Stein- We know the classic story of Sleeping Beauty, and the curse she was thrust upon as a new-born child, citing that on her sixteenth birthday, she will touch the spindle of a spinning wheel and die. The wicked fairy Maleficent cast this spell on her (for reasons unknown, but assumed at the time because she was not invited to the celebration) but Disney’s latest summer blockbuster Maleficent tells us the magnificent story we don’t know, and what you didn't think you needed to know.

The film takes us on a really exciting journey which by far was probably highly unnecessary, but entertaining regardless. The story shines much light on the wicked villainous Maleficent, giving us light on what series of events really caused her to “turn to the dark side” and become the wicked villainous person as she was seen in the events of Sleeping Beauty. I won’t go in-depth on any details in the story for this one, as there’s just an enormous amount of things to spoil in this one.

Angelina Jolie returns to the big-screen after a four year hiatus taking on the lead title role of the film, and she does an incredible job. Maleficent is by far one of the strongest villains in Disney cinematic history, so if there were any villain to deserve a film spin-off, she would win almost instantly. Jolie takes on the wicked role and plays her character so incredibly fantastic. She becomes the character you can’t decide whether you love or hate, (or both) creating such a complex character and pulling you in to find yourself actually caring for a Disney villain. Elle Fanning (Super 8) joins the cast as sixteen-year old Aurora which I thought was flawless. Aurora was a pretty boring one-dimensional character and Fanning really does a great job of playing this character a little better and what she should have been in the film. Keep in mind that this is a movie about Maleficent, and will therefore spotlight Aurora a lot less than in the 1959 film.

I found myself incredibly annoyed by Flora, Fauna and Merryweather in this film, who buzz around most scenes like a fly waiting to be swatted. In Sleeping Beauty the characters are goofy and slightly boring to watch, but in Maleficent they are just plain annoying. I really could not handle the high-pitched sounds of their voice which made them sound pretty ridiculous. There was nothing redeeming to be found in the case of the fairies, so I was pretty happy that they weren’t the main spotlight of the story.

The story is well handled. It begins with an interesting narrative that establishes some facts of the film, possibly a call-back to the 1959 film. It gives us a bit of a backstory of Maleficent’s previous history before meeting up with the events of Sleeping Beauty. There’s lots of story-changes along the way with twists on the classic story, mostly for the better sake of story and filmmaking, but I can totally see some major fans go up in arms about these changes. Don’t be fooled thinking you already know how the movie ends if you’ve seen Sleeping Beauty. There’s still a large amount of story much different from the original story and much of it was not expected.

But perhaps the most impressive feat of Maleficent was its incredible set design and cinematography. Throughout the entire film, beautiful and vibrant colors sparkle and shine, capturing every scene which had me floored the entire film. These designs are little bit reminiscent of James Cameron’s Avatar, in slight comparison, such as in the use of its lens flares and in its creatures. It doesn’t quite rank up there next to Avatar in all its filmmaking aspects, but in some of its designs.

Besides the cinematography, this film soars far above Disney previous two fairy-tale “spin-off” films, Alice in Wonderland and Oz: The Great and Powerful. Luckily, this movie manages to stay on course throughout the entire story and never falls short in its 97 minute run, which I felt can’t really be said about the former two, which felt weak to me at a certain point and they fall apart halfway through the film. If the fairy-tale remakes continue to be like this film, than I don't see myself having much of a problem with them. The trailers are extremely misleading to the movie aside from the story, but in terms of how dark this film really is and how friendly it will be for kids. It’s tamer than Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland remake/sequel, so if you felt that might be okay for your kids, I don’t think you have much to worry for this movie.

Overall, I really enjoyed Maleficent. It was a fun, exciting, and charming (and maybe a bit emotional) journey which was really well-done. I feel that this movie redeems the 1959 film which I always found to be rather boring (I’m going to get major backlash from the Disney fan community for saying that) but this is a more fresh take on the movie with better improvements to it, for the most part. I’d recommend it to most Disney fans, and especially fans of Sleeping Beauty. 

3.5/5 Spinning Wheels

Maleficent opens in North America today. Rated PG. 

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

Disney Fan Art Showcase: Brittany Myers Part 1

Today we're really excited to showcase some truly incredible pieces of artwork illustrated by the incredibly talented Disney fan artist Brittany Myers. Be sure to check out Brittany's website to see even more fantastic artwork! We'll be spotlighting Brittany's wonderful Disney artwork in a special two-part fan spotlight series. Be sure to check back soon for part two:

"Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" 

Kim Possible 

"Conceal, don't feel."

Tinker Bell Sketch 

Sally (Nightmare Before Christmas)

Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Ursula 

Be sure check back for part two of Brittany's art soon! Thanks again to Brittany for sharing her work with us!

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

Book Review: Space Mountain

Mitchell Stein- Bryan Q. Miller (Smallville, Arrow) teams up with illustrator Kelly Jones to create Disney Comics' latest graphic novel, Space Mountain, an all-new exciting novel written by Bryan Q. Miller and based on an idea by Michael Siglain.  The novel is absoloutley wonderful. It takes readers on a fantastic time-travel journey, inspired by the Tomorrowland attractions found in all of the Disney Parks.

Space Mountain is set in the year of 2125, it follows the story of two young cadets from the Magellan Science Academy who have won a free once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join a team of space explorers on a time-travel mission twenty four hours into the future.
When an unknown probe goes into launch during their exploration, they must try to find the probe lost between time and space in order to save the entire galaxy from being destroyed. Through time-travel plots and paradoxes, this book turns the iconic Tomorrowland attractions and turns them into a fun, suspenseful novel filled with action and mystery. It's an all-around great book. Probably one of the best I've read from Disney in over a year.

Although Space Mountain has the title honor, the story is rather focused more on other elements that the iconic attraction, and also briefly features cameos and mentions from other characters and attractions in the Tomorrowland area. This is in no way a bad aspect to the book, it's fully entertaining with a deep story-plot. I wouldn't be surprised if this novel is the inspiration for a Space Mountain movie a few years down the road, and I hope we can expect more books in this line of genres. Could this also quite possibly be a tie-in to Disney's 2015 film Tomorrowland? Not much is currently known about that film, except for the fans who played in Disney's summer alternate-reality-game "The Optimist" which seems to be acting as some sort of tie-in to the movie. Speculations say the story to include Nikola Tesla as a big player in the story, and Disney Publishing released Tesla's attic a month ago. At this point, anything is possible.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. It's funny, exciting, and to be honest, I'm already sold on anything that has time-travel. I'm also an especially big fan of the attraction in Walt Disney World (I'm sure to ride it at least a dozen times each visit) so that was definetley a large bonus. There's also a moment in the book which I'm sure was meant to be a reference to Disneyland Paris' Space Mountain: Mission Two. 

The novel leaves us on a rather large cliffhanger which will be continued in the next novel of the series, Return to Space Mountain, which I hope is almost ready to be released soon. Great job to Disney Comics on this one! I'm hungry for more.

Space Mountain is now available on Amazon and wherever books are sold 

Disney Animation Reviews #28 - The Little Mermaid

Disney Movie Review: 28/53 - The Little Mermaid

Ryan Dosier - I’ve finally made it through the relatively low point in Disney history that started after The Jungle Book and have come out on the other side to see The Little Mermaid (1989). This is clearly the start of a brand new animated renaissance for Disney and animation as a whole. The sheer amount of breathtaking beauty, storytelling, music, and character in The Little Mermaid makes it far and away the strongest Disney film since The Jungle Book and one of the greatest Disney animated features period.

The characters of The Little Mermaid jump off the screen in a spectacular fashion. The introductions of Sebastian the Crab, King Triton, Flounder, Ursula, and, of course, Ariel, are all incredible. Each of their first scenes immediately tells us who these characters are.

Ariel, especially, lights up the film with her electric personality, stunning animation, and outstanding voice provided by Jodi Benson. Ariel is the strongest female lead yet in a Disney feature. She is willing to give up her entire world to follow a dream that everyone calls crazy. She takes the time to fall in love with her prince and we completely root for her all the way. Ariel’s dream of a bigger and better world is what drives her and what makes her such a dynamic character for Disney.

If Ariel is not the film’s strongest character, then Sebastian certainly is. The magnificent Rastafarian crab is a crowning achievement in animation. He is completely hysterical and animated with obvious care and attention. His voice, from Samuel E. Wright, is outstanding. Sebastian is an incredible instance of voice acting prowess. Every line he delivers is better than the last. Above all, though, Sebastian cares for Ariel so much and does whatever it takes for her. He rises to be the second most important character in the film and steals every scene he’s in.

But really, all of the characters in Mermaid are magnificent. Ursula is one of my favorite Disney villains. She carries a weight and a wit with her voice and animation that makes her rise above the ranks of Disney villains. Ursula is a constant threat throughout, getting more and more evil every time she is onscreen. Ursula is theatrical and breathtaking. Then there’s Scuttle the stupid seagull with a heart of gold, or Flounder the little guppy who would do anything for Ariel, or King Triton who lets his daughter go to be happy, and even Prince Eric who is the first Disney prince to have a personality. All of the characters work and stun throughout the film.

The magic is also back with the animation of the film. Ariel is the most impressively animated character, especially during “Part of That World.” Her hair flows so beautifully underwater and she swims and dances with outstanding animated ease. Ariel is outstandingly lifelike thanks to the master animator Glen Keane, who does some of his strongest work for The Little Mermaid.

Then there’s the music. There are not enough positive adjectives to describe the songs in The Little Mermaid. Thanks to the talents of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, The Little Mermaid has maybe the best songs in any Disney feature yet. It’s not just the music or lyrics; it’s the storytelling on the screen. When Ariel sings “Part of Your World,” it is impossible not to connect with her or empathize with her plight. It is incredibly beautiful and a great story above all. “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” Ursula’s song, is a great villain song that makes Ursula even better.

Sebastian’s two songs, “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl,” are my favorites in the movie. They are the most lively, best written, and fun songs in the film. “Under the Sea” really can’t be beat in terms of sheer enjoyability. It makes you want to get up and dance and sing along. The colors and the characters in the song light it up so well.

From a storytelling angle, The Little Mermaid is outstanding. There are so many exciting sequences and moments in the beginning that you are drawn in instantly. Ariel and her supporting cast carry the film to great places. The filmmakers found a way to make you root for Ariel all the way through and cheer with her happiness or shed a tear when her dream is fulfilled at the end.

The Little Mermaid meant an exceptional amount to Disney animation when it achieved such huge success. It launched a total renaissance in animation that led to virtually everything animated that has come since. With wonderful characters, outstanding music, and magical storytelling, The Little Mermaid returned Disney animation to a place of much deserved prominence. It really is hotter under the water.

5/5 Rug-Cutting Slugs

As Dreamers Do Film Review

Jason Schlierman- Before he was a corporate icon, a Hollywood studio head, an American celebrity, Walt Disney was a simple man. The independent film As Dreamers Do focuses squarely on the early years of Walt Disney’s life, and chronicles his days growing up on a farm in Marceline, MO all the way to his days as an unsuccessful animator/business man at Laugh-O-Gram Studios. Despite being handicap at using images (like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit or Mickey Mouse) that the Walt Disney Company holds trademarks or copyrights on, the film is able to throw in a few subtle bits of classic Disney sights and sounds that should make any hard core Disney fan happy. Writer Wendy Ott clearly does her homework here to get as many of the facts depicted in the film right, a feat that is mostly accomplished.

While a lot of the acting and sound editing are a mixed bag throughout the film, lead actor Olan Rogers is spot on as a young Walt and does a fine job of carrying the film on his talent and charm. Also in fine form is narration by country music legend, Travis Tritt. However, Mr. Tritt’s inclusion as narrator often times may confuse the audience as to what kind of film they are watching: biopic or documentary? Despite that issue, Mr. Tritt does a great job of moving the story along. Families will be happy to note that the film is very family friendly as the film makers tried very hard to follow the classic Walt Disney form of storytelling. The film also is very clear in not skipping over issues that some today may or may not find controversial about Walt Disney’s early life.  Issues like Walt’s raising in a very Conservative Christian environment (to the point some may see the film as a sort of Christian film) and Walt’s discovery and application of smoking in his life. For the latter, the film is honest (unlike the Disney made ‘Mr. Banks’) is its depiction of Walt’s nasty habit; a habit that ultimately lead to his death in 1966. It almost makes one wonder why the Disney Studios doesn’t run with this reality more of what killed their founder?  It could be used in an appropriate way to show the dangers of smoking, and that no one, not even Walt Disney, can escape the nasty consequences.

Ultimately, the film is a sort of tribute and valentine to the man millions of children in the 1950’s and 60’s knew as “Uncle Walt,” and leaves the audience with a very optimistic message that hard work and determination pays off in the end. A creed that Walt himself lived by. The film also shows that it’s ok to fail. It is what you do afterwards that defines who you are. As Walt Disney himself once said, “All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” Wise words we can all learn from still. 

Final Rating: 3 ½ out of 5 Stars 

Pick up the film on DVD or Blu-ray from the official As Dreamers Do website today!

X-Men: Days of Future Past Film Review

Ryan Dosier - In our efforts to explore how the Marvel film properties are being handled outside of Disney, we'll be reviewing the latest FOX Marvel film effort, X-Men: Days of Future Past. The sixth installment in the X-Men film franchise unites the casts of the first three X-Men films and the rebooted, younger cast from 2011's X-Men: First Class in an epic time-traveling adventure. The film takes place in both 1973 and a post-apocalyptic future where mutants have been annihilated by the Sentinels. Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) and Magneto (Ian McKellen) send Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) back in time using the powers of Shadowcat (Ellen Page). In the past, Wolverine has to unite young Xavier (James McAvoy) and young Magneto (Michael Fassbender) in order to stop Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from doing something that causes the dystopian future.

The film is jam-packed with high-caliber actors in both timelines, and the cast alone is enough to make Days of Future Past soar. The returning X-Men cast members fall back into their roles extremely well. It was such a treat to see Iceman, Colossus, Shadowcat, and other familiar faces again. Halle Berry's Storm felt a little slighted on screen time, but she was fantastic with what she was given. Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are, as always, spectacular. Their friendship shows through and adds another wonderful layer to these storied characters. Their work in the film is flawless. Ellen Page is also awesome and does some great work.

Hugh Jackman probably has the most screen time, and, as always, he proves that he was born to play Wolverine. His wit and skills as both an actor and an action star are sharp as ever. He transcends both timelines extremely well and there's no better choice of character to be the connection between both worlds. His work with the fantastic James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence is great as well. All three of those actors are dynamic and deliver some of their best performances. There are so many actors in this film that I'm forgetting to mention some great ones... Nicholas Hoult as Hank McCoy/Beast is omnipresent and great, Peter Dinklage is really good as Bolivar Trask, and Quicksilver (Evan Peters) has absolutely the greatest scene in the film.

The storytelling in Days of Future Past is handled incredibly well. With such a complicated story, I was so impressed by how quickly the action moved, how all of the actors had enough to do, and how impeccable the characters were balanced. There was never a dull moment and the plot holes were minimal. Incredibly, everything worked. With a film dealing with time travel head on, that's truly surprising. The plot exposition was interesting and the explanation of the rules of the world were never confusing. The script was one of Days of Future Past's finest elements.

I was also impressed by the effects used in the film. Practical effects like Beast and Mystique's actual makeup and costuming looked great--much better than they did in First Class. All of the other mutant powers were really, really well done as well. Magneto and Quicksilver especially. But really, all of the effects worked. The Sentinels looked and moved really incredibly and you could tell that most of the stunts were actually performed by actors, not computer generated mutants. Kudos to the effects and stunt teams for their great work. When Magneto lifts an entire baseball stadium across Washington DC, I gasped.

The film also solved many problems caused by the mostly-despised X-Men: The Last Stand. I won't spoil anything, but the use of time travel explained away some of the character issues that fans had with the third X-Men film. There are some incredible cameos that come about that made the X-Men fan in me freak out. As a fan of both the comic franchise and the films, I was incredibly pleased with how the story played out by the end.

Overall, X-Men: Days of Future Past was dynamic, thrilling, and unafraid to pull any punches. It was fun, brutal, and a very fine film. It was infinitely better than The Amazing Spider-Man 2 but not quite as satisfying as Captain America: The Winter Soldier. FOX handled the X-Men very well with Days of Future Past and I'm extremely excited to see where they go from here. They may just give Disney/Marvel a run for their money.

X-Men: Days of Future Past opens nationwide today. Rated PG-13.

Muppet Blu-Ray Reviews: The Muppet Movie- The Nearly 35th Anniversary Edition

Dwayne Fletcher- For nearly 35 years the Muppet Movie has been seen in theaters, and homes fulfilling Kermit's dream that started it all, to "Make millions of people happy", and finding that rainbow connection with "the Lovers, the Dreamers and most importantly you.

Since the movie's debut in 1979 it has been released to home video, beta laser disk, and DVD over 16 times in just the United States alone, When the Walt Disney Company bought the rights to the Muppets, they to got into the act and in 2005 released not only The Muppet Movie, but also  The Great Muppet Caper, The Muppets Christmas Carol, and Muppet Treasure Island. All of these movies where relessed under a special edition banner titled "Kermit's 50th Anniversary" With this release all four movies gained at least one bonus feature entitled "Pepe's Profiles:" which would profile one of the Muppet stars.
Kermit the Frog, Mrs Piggy, The Great Gonzo, and Fozzie Bear where all featured and interviewed by Pepe, and there other friends Rizzo the Rat, Bunsan Honeydew, Beaker, Statler, Waldorf, and Sam the Eagle share there thoughts of the one being profiled.  For The Muppet Movie the 2005 release did not include the Jim Frawley's Camera Tests, which were included with Sony's release back in 2001.

Video/Audio:
The video presentation is from the 2005 relesse,which has been transformed into high definition. Before the movie was released Disney made a video showcasing how the blu-ray version would look aginst the DVD. It would appear that the DVD version had some sort of dark-ish tint to it, when done in high definition that tint is removed and a much brighter, and more colorful picture is shown. The audio does not appear to have been enhanced.

Menus: 

With this release we have new interactive menus. The artwork of the menus is felt artwork, with moving illustrations. There are three different backgrounds, all with different instrumentals from the movie. The first one starts with the sun and pans down to Kermit sitting on a log with his banjo the first musical bars of "Rainbow Connection" are played and other memorable scenes from the movie.

Bonus Features: 
The Blu-ray has a few new noteworthy bonus features that have never been released before and are Not included in the newly reissued DVD, they are as follows.

Frog-E-Oke Sing Along: This feature is a Sing a long of three songs from the movie. Rainbow Connection, Movin Right Along, and Can You Picture That each with there very own video with some new shots of Kermit, Fozzie and Animal dancing. Each video has the lyrics popping up in different ways to fit with the backgrounds. Viweres can also access this feature with Disney intermission When you pause the movie these three sing alongs will play until you start the movie again. You can also turn the intermission off by simply going to Set Up  on the main menu.

 Jim Frawley's Extended Camera Test:  The camera test has returned and is better then ever! This is an extended version then what was originally released by Sony in 2001. This is the first time that the Muppets where shot outside of a studio, and the tests where to not only see how the Muppets would look but how they would fit. In the extended sections we see more interaction with Kermit, Fozzie, and Sweetums. This feature is a must see for any Jim Henson and Frank Oz fan, as they take the Muppets out into the real world for the first time, testing how they survive outside the regular studio. The results were perfect.


Doc Hopper's Commercials: This is an extended scen that shows the full complete commercial with Doc Hopper singing and dancing in a frog suit. After watching this you can get more of an idea why Kermit though it was so terrible.


Original Trailers: There are two trailers for the movie. One is the teaser trailer, and the other is the original theater trailer. Each trailer showcase a different array of shots from the movie, with a different narration of each one.


Pepe's Profiles: Kermit - A Frog's Life This is the only feature that is inculded in the newly relessed DVD. The featuer is from the 2005 release, and it featuers Pepe the King Prawn interviwing Kermit the Frog. It also has sevral of Kermit's friends shareing there thoughts and birthday wishes.

Hidden Easter Egg Bicycle Outtakes: This feature is a rare gimps of how some of the wide shots of the Muppets riding bikes are done. We see four to five diffrent takes of Kermit riding his bike and some of the small problems that occurred to make sure that the shot would look as real and believable as possible.
To access this hidden feature on the main menu go down to Sneak Peaks Then click right and a button of Kermit on a bike will appear, hit enter and the feature will begin.

As you can see there is a good mix of new, and some not so new features. The feaatures really showcase a little bit more depth into the movie and how it was made. In the writers mind having the movie released in high definition was a bonus itself.


Final Thoughts: The Muppet Movie is a very important part of the Muppets history. it showcases the Muppets at there finest from. They where funny, sweet and charming. The movie itself is still relevant to this day, with the exception of some of the guest star cameos. This Blu-ray edition is a must have for the seasoned Muppet fan to the newest Muppet fan. If not for the bonus features but for being able to watch this movie beautiful high definition.

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

Lucasfilm and UNICEF Offer Star Wars fans to be in Episode VII

Mitchell Stein- Earlier this morning Lucasfilm revealed a new program with a special video message from director JJ Abrams from the set of Star Wars Episode VII currently filming in Abu Dubhai revealing details about an incredible new program coming from Disney/Lucasfilm and UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund). For the first time ever, Star Wars fans like you have the unbeliavable opportunity to attend and star in Episode VII which will be filmed mostly in London in Pinewood Studios. To enter all you have to do is make your donations of at least $10 on the Star Wars page on Omaze.com. Not only will you have the opportunity to attend the filming of Star Wars VII, you'll also receive rewards depending on the amount pledged. See the full list at the bottom of the page on the Omaze page right here.

 "The Star Wars fans are some of the most passionate and committed folks around the globe,” says director J.J. Abrams. “We’re thrilled to offer a chance to come behind the scenes as our VIP guests and be in Star Wars: Episode VII. We’re even more excited that by participating in this campaign, Star Wars fans will be helping children around the world through our collaboration with UNICEF Innovation Labs and projects."

Abrams made the announcement in a video which was posted online earlier this morning with a few additional details, and a sneak peek at the set in Abu Dahbi.

FULL RULES AND CONDITIONS AS RELEASED BY DISNEY:
No purchase necessary to enter or win.  Void where prohibited.  Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age or the age of majority in your domicile, to enter and a resident of Argentina, Austria, Canada, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico,Netherlands, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, USA, or the UK, and not a resident of Belgium, Italy, Malta, Singapore, or Thailand.  Residents of Australia, Brazil, China and the Republic of Korea are not prohibited from participating, but local rules and laws may restrict or prohibit the award of certain prizes or impose additional restrictions on participation.
Rewards are separate from sweepstakes prizes.  Rewards are limited in quantity. Odds of winning depend on number of entries. For free entry: (i) send post card to Sponsor at PO Box 3190, 1217 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, California 90408 by applicable mail date; or (ii) visit www.Omaze.com/StarWars.  Entrants may receive additional entries via Facebook.  Maximum number of entries: 10,000 per Entrant.  Travel and accommodations are at Sponsor’s discretion and subject to availability and change.  Winner and Guest may be required to pass a background screening or security check, to receive the prize and/or reward. Visa conditions may apply. All taxes are Winner’s responsibility. Not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook®.  Residents of certain territories may be required to successfully complete a trivia question to qualify.  For full entry requirements, details, limitations and restrictions see Official rules at www.Omaze.com/StarWars.   Sole Sponsor: Omaze, Inc., PO Box 3190, 1217 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90408.

Good luck and may the Force be with you all. 

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

GIVEAWAY: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse- Around the Clubhouse World

Once again we're super excited to unveil our next giveaway prize! This time we'll be giving away one (1) copy of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Around the Clubhouse World to one lucky winner for free! But there's a catch: All you got to do is "like" our Facebook page (Facebook.com/TheMickeyMindset) through the embedded Rafflecopter link below. Additional entries include following us on Twitter (@MickeyMindset), leaving a comment, and others. Full details can be read below:

Winner will be contacted by email on June 4th 2014, so you have almost two weeks in entries. You can enter daily by tweeting and posting about the contest through social media which will add more entries to your name and increase your winning chances.

You can also enter by posting a comment below: Let us know which one of the "Fab Five" is your favorite (Mickey, Minne, Donald, Goofy or Pluto) and let us know what you commented in the Rafflecopter link in order to be entered.

But that's not all! If you help us get to 3,000 likes on Facebook, we'll unlock two more additional prizes to giveaway as well. These prizes will only be given away when we hit three-thousand likes on Facebook, so be sure to share with your friends and help us reach our goal of 3,000 soon so you can have the opportunity to win big! (Winner may win more than once).

FULL RULES AND CONDITIONS:
No purchase necessary. Contest is open to all residents of the United States and Canada. Must be 12 years of age or older to enter. Winner will be contacted by email on June 4th 2014. Winner will have a week to respond with shipping information. If a response is not received in that time, a new winner will be chosen and will be contacted by email shortly after.

That's all. Now that you have all the rules, be sure to enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thank you to Angelica for making this giveaway possible! 

News Update: May 20th 2014

Lots of major news these past couple of weeks, it's almost impossible to keep track of it all!

Starting off the news this week was just announced by Disney On Ice earlier this morning. A brand-new show starring the cast of Frozen will go on tour starting in Orlando this summer and then moving to many other cities. You can check Disney On Ice's website for the full schedule and when it will be coming to your area.

Frozen is also coming to Disneyland California as announced by Disney Parks some days ago on their blog. A brand-new Frozen float will appear in the pre-parade before performances of Mickey's Soundsational Parade this June.

Television shows Once Upon A Time and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D both aired their season finales this week and have both been picked up for another season on ABC (with the exception of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland which was cancelled earlier this year). Also picked up for next year is Marvel's Agent Carter which will follow Agents Peggy Carter of SHIELD following the events of Captain America: The First Avenger. The series will air during the time when Agents of SHIELD is on hiatus between episodes. Read our in-depth review of the Agents of SHIELD finale! 

ONCE UPON A TIME SPOILER: 

Queen Elsa from Frozen makes a brief appearance at the end of the season three finale, teasing at what's to come next season. The story is currently unknown as what's yet to come, as OUAT tends to return to the origins of the fairy-tales as they deem necessary (rather than going according to the Disney versions) but either way, Disney is promoting this from the 2013 Frozen film, so we should expect big things to come to Storybrooke next season.

Just yesterday, Disney and Marvel released another trailer for their upcoming film Guardians of the Galaxy. Guardians stars actors Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Zoe Salanda, Bradley Cooper, John C. Reily along with others. The trailer was released yesterday on the Guardians Facebook page: 

Post by Guardians of the Galaxy.

Star Wars Episode VII has officially begun filming! JJ Abrams' company Bad Robot posted this picture on Twitter with the simple hashtag #dayone. The film is expected to hit theaters December 2015.

Disney's latest sports drama Million Dollar Arm hit theaters this weekend to unfortuantley poor box-office results up against Godzilla which opened this weekend as well. Million Dollar Arm made approx. $10 million at the box office this weekend according to Box Office Mojo. The budget was only $25 million, so it shouldn't take too long to get to that amount. Read our review of the film right here. 

Many new details on the Harry Potter expansion at Universal Orlando has been announced this week, with incredible details and photos from the new Escape from Gringotts attraction and the entire Diagon Alley expansion. Read all the details right here.

And for the final bit of news this week, Disney Parks revealed more info about the Rock Your Disney Side event, which is a 24 hour event in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland California. You can find the full schedules on Disney Parks Blog website.

That's all for now! Have a great week! 

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

Disney Animation Reviews #27 - Oliver and Company

Disney Movie Review: 27/53 - Oliver and Company

Ryan Dosier - Oliver and Company (1988) has a lot of aspects going for it that should make for a very good animated film. Unfortunately, it never succeeds at being anything but just okay. It lacks the spark and the wonder of really good films by relying too much on gritty New York City realism and trying to mix it with animated comedy. For the most part it fails.

Some big name late-80s personalities headline the film, as Billy Joel voices Dodger and Bette Midler voices Georgette. Both of their musical numbers are really electric and great, but for the rest of the film the voice acting from these two is rather lazy and disappointing. Billy Joel, as the laid back Dodger, seems especially bored.

The hilarious, manic, wonderful Dom DeLuise, who voices Fagin, provides the greatest voice in the film. DeLuise kills it in Oliver and Company, creating a fantastically fun voice for a rather lame character. DeLuise gives himself to the role in a really strong way and practically disappears into it. In fact, I didn’t realize it was DeLuise doing the voice until watching it this time, which says a lot.

The music is enjoyable but easy to forget. This is the first real musical Disney animated film since The Fox and the Hound, but not many will remember this film for its music. Oliver and Company never works as a musical because the songs are not as important as they should be. Only the song “Why Should I Worry?” is given a real headlining moment in the film. This is appropriate, since it’s the best of the bunch.

The characters are rather one-dimensional in the film, especially the titular Oliver, who is nothing more than a cute cat that wants a family. He doesn’t grow as a character at all—in fact none of the characters truly grow. By the end, Fagin is still making bets he knows he can’t pay off; Dodger is still carefree and careless. Really only Georgette grows slightly by actually returning the affections of the Chihuahua Tito. She is still a spoiled brat, but at least she learned to love the lame.

The layouts and backgrounds are incredibly detailed and beautiful. Most of them are seen from the perspective of dogs and cats, so it’s a really interesting take on New York City. The animation of the main characters is also really strong. The dogs are wonderfully drawn and animated throughout. There are even more uses of computer animation here as well, and they make for some pretty spectacular scenes.

I really do wish I enjoyed Oliver and Company better. It is a fun, well-made film, but overall it’s lacking in the things that made the other Disney features so good. Oliver and Company just isn’t my cup of tea, I suppose.

2/5 Dancing Dogs

Old Friends Who Never Met- A Jim Henson Tribute

This beautiful tribute article is written by our good pal Chase Beecher.

Chase Beecher- 24 years ago on Friday I received news when I got off the school bus. My mother sat me down on the couch and told me that I needed to act like a grown up and be tough,for the news I was about to receive was going to be hard to hear. She then sat beside me and told me that Jim Henson had died. I instantly started sobbing. I cried for Kermit and Piggy. Cookie and Grover. Gonzo and Big Bird. Wailing, with my mother by my side, we watched Peter Jennings deliver the details. 24 years later, it still feels like a gut punch. I lost my mentor, my oldest and best friend. Strange. Someone I knew, but never met. I knew all of this as a 6 year old. The older I get, the impact grows. I realize fully, that we were old friends that never met. Not in this life, anyway.

Jim just wanted to leave this world a better place than when he found it. He did. The ripples of the tides of his life are immeasurable. Imagination didn't die that day. Creativity didn't die that day. Kermit didn't die that day. Jim's life and legacy lives on like it should. People like his children Brian, Lisa, John, and even Heather carry their father with them. Frank Oz is out there, somewhere. Paul Williams will sing "Rainbow Connection" for a dollar. I kid. (Who knows, he might.) Folks like Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobson, Matt Vogel, Bill Barretta, Carroll Spinney, and the other Muppeteers create Jim's magic and carry his legacy boldly and brightly on their shoulders.

Folks like Rollie Krewson, Bonnie Erickson, Karen Falk and Craig Shemin and all the other folks at the Jim Henson Legacy and Archives are preserving the past. Jim, you are not forgot, and sorely missed. What worlds are you creating now? What would life be like if you were here with us? We may never know.

A candle blew out that day in 1990, but the light still shines. Imagination is thriving today. Creativity soars. We are all inspired. Even in little things. Jim affected everyone. Me. You. Yeah, you. So go put a sock on your hand. Build a new world. Go out and play in the sunshine. Sit under an oak tree. Talk to a frog.

And Singing chickens are still funny as ever.

Muppet Blu-Ray Reviews: Of Pirates and Pigs Collection

Dwayne Fletcher- Stop the Presses and shiver my timbers, Walt Disney Home Entertainment has released not one but two classic Muppet movies in high definition blu-ray! This release came as a surprise, and a shock to a lot of fans, due to the odd pairing of these two movies. None the less I am proud, and honored to review The Great Muppet Caper/Muppet Treasure Island: Of Pirates and Pigs Collection. This is the fourth, and fifth Muppet movie to be released on Disney Blu-ray.. The first was A Muppet Christmas Carol, followed by the 2011 movie The Muppets. Third and most recently was The Muppet Movie and now these two great movies as well. With this collection Disney has now released all of the Muppet movies that they have the rights to. Two other movies The Muppets Take Manhattan, and Muppets from Space are currently owned by Sony, and have also been
released to Blu-ray.

 Overall Presentation: 

The Of Pirates & Pigs collection presents both movies in high definition which means that both the video and audio presentation have been enhanced to a very high quality. The collection comes with a Blu ray disc and two DVD's. The DVD's however do not included any special features.

Video & Audio:    

The best part about the video, and audio for the Blu ray is the fact that they both have been enhanced to there best quality to date. The not so good part, is that for both the Blu ray, and DVD the video is presented in Pan to Scan full screen instead of a wide screen ratio. This is only a minor issue when you take into consideration how well the video, and audio look and sound compared to previous releases.


Menus: 

This collection has several different interactive menus to navigate through. The first two menus have stills from both movies. The first menu is a language select,and the second menu is the movie selection menu with both movies listed. The Muppet Treasure Island menu has several different shots from the movie and a selection of different options such as Special Features. Scene Selection, and so on. The Great Muppet Caper menu we find Kermit Fozzie and Gonzo in the red room developing pictures. There are several pictures from the movie moving around on strings and close pins for drying. The same options that are on Treasure Island are also found on this menu Both DVD's have the same menus as well.

Special Features: 

Both movies have there own special feathers, and are not included on the DVD's. They are as follows:

     The Great Muppet Caper:

•      Frog-E-Oke: “Steppin' Out With a Star”

•     Frog-E-Oke: “ Happiness Hotel” 

Like the Muppet Movie release these are fun sing along's that have different backgrounds pictures, and video from the movie.

Muppet Treasure Island: 

• Frog-E-Oke: “Cabin Fever” 

• The Tale of the Story Beyond the Tail: This is a classic feature from the 2002 release of the film.

• Audio Commentary by Gonzo, Rizzo and Brian Henson This is also from the 2002 release, however it is missing the hidden treasures portion of the commentary. Which during the commentary is odd because Gonzo and Rizzo have intros for each hidden treasure which are still included in the commentary

•   “Let The Good Shine Out” Music video This was a final musical number sung by Kermit the frog on the 1996 Muppet Treasure Island Sing along video.       

 Final Thoughts: 

Though this collection may be an odd paring of two Muppet movies, and the lack of special features. I for one could not be happier with this release. Disney could have done a little more with this release, but the fact that they have been released, and giving the care of being made into high definition has definetley made this release worth buying even if you already own both movies.    

Muppet Blu-Ray Reviews will return next week with a review of The Muppet Movie on Blu-Ray. 

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com