I just got done putting together a train table for Ben’s Christmas. One of the boards under the center of the table split when being screwed together I don’t think it is a terribly load barring board, so I’m just going to call the company (Toys ‘R Us’ Imaginarium line) to get a replacement part. On the whole, I don’t think any of the train table brands are that well made, but hopefully this one will work for him. Now, I have to see how the train track (also Imaginarium) will work and likely add some pieces from the Thomas the Tank Engine universe.
While putting everything together, I watched “The Pixar Story” documentary on the 2nd WALL-E Blu-ray disc. I’ve been wanting to see this film for a couple of years now and I must say it didn’t disappoint. It’s not a hard hitting look nor a is it a puff piece. Presented in HD where available, it’s an exciting look into Pixar’s history from before any of the principal’s joined together to when it was a division under Lucas to the eventual sale to Steve Jobs. I loved all of the behind the scenes informal video and I think if I had more mathematical or artist talent I would have loved heading down that path. Oh…to have life in front of me again as Ben does today…
I only hope that I can adequately introduce him to my love of art, technology, animation, and all things Disney/Pixar.
So, I took Ben to see Beverly Hills Chihuahua today. This wouldn’t have been my flick of choice, but he’s loved the trailer since I first showed it to him. I think he enjoyed the movie, but I can’t say it was that great. Basically, think spoiled rich girl thrown out of her element who then comes into her own with the help of average people, but … with dogs. Jamie Lee Curtis and Piper Perabo (the live action cast) definitely phoned their performances in, but the voice cast (Drew Barrymore, Andy Garcia, Cheech Marin, etc.) did a decent job with the script. Honestly, it was a rather dull film that I never really connected with, but the dogs are cute and it kept Ben entertained for almost 1 hour.
At that point, he started tossing popcorn on the floor, impatiently getting up, messing with the seats and so on. We ended up missing about 15 minutes of the end of the film due to leaving the showing with Ben and then caught the last two or three minutes.
I think at this age, you really need two parents to easily keep him under control and I should have gotten some desserts to distract him for a bit longer. We’re going to try seeing Bolt over the Thanksgiving holiday.
I can’t wait till Ben is really asking to go see films with me and enjoying the whole show!
Oooohhh…Fox has announced Office Space will be hitting Blu-ray on February 3, 2009. This will be a MUST BUY for me as I love this movie. I’ve owner 2 copies on DVD (original and special edition) and now I will buy it again!
A sad day…acting legend Paul Newman has passed away. I’ve mentioned his health a couple of times in the past as he has been fighting a battle with lung cancer.
Here is a small selection of my favorites from his huge filmography (81 credited TV shows/films as an actor):
Great excerpts from an interview with Jon Favreau about Iron Man, Iron Man 2, and beyond. He really drops some interesting tidbits about where his head is and what he’s considering doing in the future. This really does just confirm for me that between Favreau on Iron Man and Nolan on the Batman series, we have the two best guys keeping things fun for those of us who love the superhero genre…
Looks like Maguire and Raimi are back for more Spider-Man in the 4th and 5th film of the series. Kirsten Dunst has yet to sign on, but seems likely. There’s even a possibility for a unified schedule where both are filmed at the same time (a la Lord of the Rings). Now, the real nagging question is will these be better than the 3rd film? I somewhat like the 3rd entry, but hated the emo-Parker scenes and in general it simply didn’t size up to the previous two. I hope they do more than collect a paycheck on these next two and really bring us back to that original magic…
So, the Dark Knight has dethroned Star Wars as the number two highest grossing movie of all time. It is now closing in on Titanic in the number one spot. It took 14-15 weeks for Titanic to surpass $500m and only 6-7 for the Dark Knight. Will it surpass Titanic and if so, how much longer will it take?
I for one am glad that a much better movie than Titanic (and yes, it really is) is on its way towards the top spot. I would even say that from a “film” perspective, the Dark Knight is much better than Star Wars. However, I can’t hazard a guess as to whether it will stand the test of time as Star Wars has…
Additional information/statistics available at Box Office Mojo.
As always, remember this information is presented in dollars at the time and I don’t believe these numbers have been adjusted for inflation.
Disney has announced a slate of movies to build out its Platinum Blu-ray line: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Fantasia 2000, Pinocchio, and Beauty and the Beast. Also, the Pixar film Finding Nemo will be released in 2009 (it was originally to come out this fall). They didn’t announce a schedule or an order that the films will arrive, but as a whole, the group looks good.
It has been revealed that Jodi Benson will be returning to voice the part of Tour Guide Barbie in Toy Story 3. In slightly more interesting news, Michael Keaton will be the voice of a Ken doll in this third installment of Toy Story. I’m sure he’ll do a good job as he was great as Chick Hicks in Cars. Unfortunately, we have to wait until 2010 to see how it all comes out…
Unfortunately, Cars 2 has lost the talent of George Carlin and Joe Ranft due to their passing. It is also believed that Paul Newman will be unable to reprise his voice work due to lung cancer. This sad news was discussed previously. This one is scheduled to come out in mid-2012.
On a side note, Ben and I began watching Toy Story for the first time and I had totally forgotten that the brand “Dinoco” shows up in both Toy Story and Cars…
Yeah! Justice League the movie is dead for the time being. Good riddance. Unless you’re going to bring out the current stars, such as Brandon Routh and Christian Bale I think this is a doomed concept. No one wants multiple timelines of DC super heros going on in the theaters at the same time except the truest fan boys who just want to see all the heros together no matter how crappy it is.
On a more interesting note, DC may be considering going the same route as Marvel meaning that they would produce the films and then only team up with the Hollywood studios to distribute them. I think it would be an excellent plan, but only time will tell. Maybe this would have prevented the horror that was Catwoman
I don’t think it is a terribly load barring board, so I’m just going to call the company (Toys ‘R Us’ Imaginarium line) to get a replacement part. On the whole, I don’t think any of the train table brands are that well made, but hopefully this one will work for him. Now, I have to see how the train track (also Imaginarium) will work and likely add some pieces from the Thomas the Tank Engine universe.
Posted by Waking Badger
Posted by Waking Badger
Posted by Waking Badger
A sad day…acting legend 
FAVREAU TALKS THE FUTURE OF IRON MAN
IESB.net - Raimi and Maguire Locked for Spidey 4 & 5
Unfortunately, 
