Welcome back to the drill!! Sorry for the lack of updates again this week. If its not one thing, its another. Its been a slow week as far as interesting stuff goes, but lets see what we've got today.
X-Men: The Last Stand
Earlier this week, the synopsis for the now confirmed "FINAL" X-Men movie was released. It sounds pretty interesting:
In X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, the final chapter in the "X-Men" motion picture trilogy, a "cure" for mutancy threatens to alter the course of history. For the first time, mutants have a choice: retain their uniqueness, though it isolates and alienates them, or give up their powers and become human. The opposing viewpoints of mutant leaders Charles Xavier, who preaches tolerance, and Magneto, who believes in the survival of the fittest, are put to the ultimate test - triggering the war to end all wars.
I'm looking forward to huge fight scenes and explosions and what not. Mark your calendar for May 26th!
Welcome, Foolish Mortals..to the (new)Haunted Mansion...
Big news coming out of Disneyland this week. Apparently "Pirates of the Caribbean" isnt the only ride being spruced up. Word broke this week that The Haunted Mansion would also be undergoing a transformation. Or as the ghost host would call it "A disquieting metamorphisis" ;-) The following is from Al Lutz's Mice Age column and it describes in detail the changes coming to the Mansion:
In the séance scene, some of the cornier special effects created in the '60s will be replaced with more modern effects.
As Madame Leota continues her eternal incantations, ghostly apparitions will fade in and out as if they were struggling to cross over from the spirit world by Madame Leota's invitation. Those faces will become more important later in the ride, as they'll show up again.
The biggest changes will be coming to the attic scene, as that's where the new plotline will be most evident. As it is now, the attic scene is simply a cluttered and dusty place with a ghost inexplicably dressed like a bride with that spooky beating heart.
But when the additions are all installed, the bride will become a much more sinister character who has apparently been killing off all of her previous husbands. As the doombuggies pass through the attic, riders will see portraits of several dashing young gentlemen, with each portrait piled next to "the loot" that the man brought in to the marriage.
Those portraits will look familiar as they'll be the same faces that were just beginning to appear in ghost form back in the séance circle. But a new special effect will allow the heads of these gentleman to suddenly disappear from the portrait, as if they had been decapitated in a grisly murder. And when riders arrive at the exit of the attic scene, the bride will still be there, this time in a new location and clutching a bouquet of wedding flowers that magically turns into a blood stained axe as each vehicle passes by. Fans of the Haunted Mansion will instantly realize how this alters the attraction, as it is now implied that the house belongs to this bride and she has been luring rich husband after husband who meet a headless demise shortly after they take their vows. The entire backstory of "Master Gracey" and his lovely young bride that became so popular in the last 10 years, mostly via the Internet, will be rendered obsolete.
More changes are still to come at the end of the ride, but these are likely to be far less controversial. The iconic "Hitch Hiking Ghosts" who appear in your doom buggy via those magic mirrors will make the jump to the 21st century. Instead of the extremely simple figures that barely nod their head as they appear in your car because they are literally mannequins on sticks attached to a turntable behind the two-way mirrors, more advanced and animated figures will now join you. They'll be able to move their arms and hands and really be expressive as they appear to interact with you in the vehicle. This is all part of Bob Iger's stated desire to use the latest technology to improve Disney's classic storytelling, and that's why the funding didn't get approved fast enough to install these changes before the ride reopens next week. But by the busy Easter Vacation period, these additions should all be installed and switched on
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Pretty cool, I must say. There were rumors going around that the infamous "Hatbox Ghost" was going to be making a return. But so far those rumors have turned out to be false.
Whats that? You dont know who the "Hatbox Ghost" is? Well let me enlighten you.
The Hatbox Ghost was there when the ride opened back in 1969. It was supposed to be the "groom" of the bride in the attic. The trick with the ghost was that it held a hotbox in its hands. As riders went by, the ghost's head would disappear and reappear in the box with each beat of his brides heart.
Unfortunately, the trick didnt work as well as they had hoped. And after about a month of toying with it and trying to fix it, they decided to just remove the figure.
It lives in legend now and nobody really knows for sure what happened to the animatronic figure. Maybe, now that technology is far more advanced, they can bring it back from the "dead".
ITS TIME FOR DODGERS BASEBALL
Well, the long winter is over and after months of turmoil and renewed optimism, the Dodgers opened their Grapefruit League today.
It was a sloppy game with very little offense, but in the end the Dodgers pulled off a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves
OK, sorry for the short update. Hope you are all doing well. And no, I havent forgotten about my long promised/delayed "Superman vs Batman" script review. It'll be soon. :-)
Til the next time
DQ
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