Lyle, Lyle Crocodile is one of this year’s better comic strip/children’s storybook adaptations to grace the movie screen. After a different effort by another studio with a certain comic strip, Marmaduke did not sit. If people missed catching this flick because of the limited screenings, then they can thank Sony for the digital edition that’s now available.
Alternatively, the home video release is next week; the extras that come with it will certainly get me dancing and perhaps singing to Broadway too. I loved the musical presentation, and I’m eager to see music videos and featurettes to detail the production. On the list are:
Even though the transition of 20th Century Fox’s Night at the Museum franchise to a Disney animated work may sound like a bad idea, I’m rather glad it continues from where the trilogy left off. To say Kahmunrah Rises Again shows this film is picking up from where the second climaxed at. The trailer isn’t saying how it connects with the third movie. Had it have been, we would have Ahkmenrah involved in this narrative more.
From the press release, the people from the house of the mouse believe, “The Original Movie is about the mischief that takes place every night at the American Museum of Natural History when the sun goes down. Nick Daley’s summer gig as night watchman at the museum is a challenging job for a high school student, but he is following in his father’s footsteps and is determined not to let him down. Luckily, he is familiar with the museum’s ancient tablet that brings everything to life when the sun goes down and is happy to see his old friends, including Jedediah, Octavius, and Sacagawea, when he arrives. But when the maniacal ruler Kahmunrah escapes with plans to unlock the Egyptian underworld and free its Army of the Dead, it is up to Nick to stop the demented overlord and save the museum once and for all.”
Immortal Guitar Axes is a perfect and heavy coffee-table book that’s sure to be an eye pleaser.It not only puts a lot of these beauties in the forefront, but also each instrument has a story too! Lisa S. Johnson‘s love for the six-string is very clear in the prose, and I suspect she did a lot of fieldwork to find out where some of them have disappeared to. Some were lost to history for one reason or another, and others thought destroyed.
For example, just when Peter Frampton (who played with many talents, ranging from David Bowie to Ringo Starr) thought he lost his beloved after the cargo plane crashed over Venezuela, it survived! Although not every guitar has a story like this one, what’s recounted is a look back about where it was either bought or made. Many artists’ instruments are profiled here, and while we already know everything about some axes, namely Brian May’s Red Special, others aren’t as widely known. I really appreciate the chapter about Suzi Quatro since it’s her music which got me to love that classic rock n’ roll all over again ever since I saw her on Happy Days.
Disney Animation Studio‘s Strange World is visually gorgeous, but something is missing to make it a film worth remembering. I believe that’s because it’s not as true to those dime novels using ancient mythology to define where the adventure is at. Some pulps involve taking adventage of the era’s current interest in some archaeological dig or is simply high fantasy. Other publications offer sci-fi adventure.
Unfortunately, the Jules Verne influence in this motion film was not to my liking becuase the trailers suggested an Edgar Rice Burroughs direction. Had I been able to yell at the top of my lungs like Tarzan, I’d be happy. But instead, what we have here is a story about Searcher Clade (Jake Gyllenhaal) ecstatic about discovering an energy-producing plant, and Jaeger, his father (Dennis Quaid), has gone off the deep end. Well, sort of. The elder believes there’s more to find in the unexplored regions of this world. But without any acknowledgment about why they like to explore, part of this film’s concept falls on deaf ears.
Röckët Stähr’sDeath of a Rockstar has redefined what a concept album can look like as an animated movie experience. There’s honestly not enough material in this specific subgenre for fans to enjoy (the other is Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Metalocalypse: The Doomstar Requiem), and I love them all! The throwback animation style may not be for everyone, and I find parts of it very nostalgic. It felt like watching a Fleischer Studios cartoon with classic rock and roll music added on top.
Here, we’re presented with a story about the fate of a four-armed frontman (Stähr) as his show comes to a finale. After this band delivers a rousing performance to a packed house, someone in the crowd fires a gun, and the title card is displayed–he’s presumably killed. As this dying musician vibes back to his rise, what’s shown shows his success didn’t come easy. Also, there are even some moments which remind me of Nelvana’s Rock n’ Rule, as this star sings his heart away. One detail I love is the lyrics rendering in real time like a karaoke video! Usually, this option is rarely offered until a work gets offered as a sing-along to an anniversary celebration.
What we hear are songs recounting his life. The flashbacks include his creation, which is almost straight out of Frankenstein. He’s created by a mad scientist, Creigh A. Tor whose goal is to spur a movement to free the world from C. Czar’s oppressive regime. Röcky’s birth is no different from any other creation myth, and he’s lucky to not live an existence in excess. In regard to what he learns and expresses via song deserves attention. Continue reading →
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