http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:lordakiyama&section=today deviantART RSS for by:lordakiyama en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:17:30 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/17696452/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/17696452/ Sat, 05 Apr 2008 09:34:19 PDT
Lou began with a quick overview of his art career. He spent two years at CalArts between 1990-1992 before becoming an intern at Turner Entertainment, working in effects on "The Pagemaster" and "Cats Don't Dance." He would then be among those merging into Warner Bros. Animation, where he met Brad Bird in 1995. While most other animators aspired to work in character animation, Lou was more interested in design and visual development. He showed off an example of this through a personal piece inspired by Greek mythology, Poseidon in particular. After doing work on the shelved "Ray Gun" project, Lou would get to know Brad a little more while doing work on "The Iron Giant."

Lou would leave Warner Bros. and manage to get work at Pixar for the first time, taking part on one of the company's many failed attempts at in-house game development. Pete Docter saw what he liked and enlisted Lou to work on visual development for his film "Monsters, Inc." He would work on the project for six months and when he was done moved down to Los Angeles. He took part in doing storyboard art and background color design for "Dexter's Laboratory" and "The Powerpuff Girls."

In 1998, Brad Bird began to develop the idea for what would become "The Incredibles" and enlisted Lou to be on the project. Lou would end up becoming the film's production designer as he was already heavily involved in the project. It was at this point that Lou would spend the most of his presentation on in showing off the designs he did for the film.

He began showing off the early designs of the character who would become Mr. Incredible, looking at the different ways his mundane appearance would look. Among them was one where the character was very bald, glasses, a mustache, and grandpa socks. This would lead into a series of designs that would explain the color contrast between the mundane world and the world of the amazing. How the mundane would look cold and boring while the amazing was filled with brightness and excitement.

On explaining his method of doing a finished piece after a series of roughs: "Crystalize the idea."

Being a designer, Lou explained that his illustrations would be loose and rough while being clear enough to project the idea he was going for. From there, he showed designs of the early stages of a proposed antagonist. The various creatures were named Moltar, Arachnis, Black Saber and Crustaciss. He then explained that Brad would ultimate decide upon basing the character more on the actor Klaus Kinski, showing a picture to further show the idea was going.

After a series of designs of the villain that would later be shelved, he showed off the various ideas for the logo. Among them included one Brad Bird did on a notepad he got while working at Warner Bros. Lou explained the major design idea for the world the characters would live in was based in the 60's and 70's. "The peek in modern design," he explained as he showed off what were recognized as the four iconic production pieces.

Lou then showed a series of "Bob at work" designs to show off the bleakness of the mundane world that Mr. Incredible longs to escape. He managed to sneak in a design he said was done by renounded production design Ken Adam, showing the simplicity of the shapes. A picture of Edith Head would lead into a series of designs for the character said to have been one of the more difficult to create, Edna Mode.

Through the craziness and the zaniness, among them including the idea that she would have two pet dogs, he moved into a series of photos of an employee whose hair was used to model for Violet. From there were a couple of shots from the art reviews they would conduct, the shots shown showcasing their study of a Violet maquette. Lou then showed off color scripts, production designs that would set the tone for the look of the entire film from scene to scene. He then compared the designs to the scene from the film that closely resembles as well as shots from various films like "Oliver!" for examples of the color palette to use.

Lou would near the end of his presentation, showing off a series of designs that were used for lighting studies. The comparison to the closest resembling film frame were shown before he ended the whole slide show on a rather humorous note. Designs for Jack-Jack. He explained that one of the original ideas was for Jack-Jack to morph into ooze, but the animation was not working so they had to come up with new ideas. The last image shown was of the whole family with Jack-Jack in monster form towering over... ]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/15222140/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/15222140/ Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:08:36 PDT
I eventually got out to the car sometime at around two. Nothing unusual. Hopped about a couple of stores like Wal-Mart and Target, looking at the DVDs along the way to see if there was anything to add to the collection. Made a mental note about a title that I wanted to get that was on sale this week. Next, look to see if there was a buffet around that could eat at for my sole meal of the day. It was when I hit the always packed Home Town Buffet on Palomar and just off the I-5 when I noticed it. Tiny pieces of ash were falling. Guess some place was on fire. Would have to look into it. Went to the Godfather's Pizza on Broadway and Oxford. Nothing on the TVs mentioned anything about a fire, so I didn't think too much of it.

Didn't think too much of it the rest of the day and when I went to bed.

It was when I woke up Monday morning and turned on the TV did the fires really take shape. In San Diego, the two main fires at the time were Witch Creek and Harris. Harris was just due east of Chula Vista. The eastern portion of Chula Vista was made up of the Eastlake community. I lived in Eastlake Shores. So you could tell which fire I was paying attention to. My mom, who lives in Hawaii, called to see what was up. She also mentioned that dad was already in San Diego, which was news to me. Dad eventually called me up and we had dinner at the grandparents place while keeping tabs on the fires. I got back and started filling up the car with as much stuff as I could, ready to go in case I needed to evacuate.

I turned off the lights and looked to go to bed at midnight. Then I noticed that there was an orange glow outside my window. I opened the blinds and saw Mount San Miguel on fire. Oh boy. Mount San Miguel was not that far away from Eastlake. Eastlake Shores in particular. This didn't look good. I kept the TV on and was paying attention to the ABC affiliate, since they were the only ones who didn't shift away from the news for the night. I eventually feel asleep as my body required it.

Woke up Tuesday morning. Was not sure whether or not I was going to work, and since I was part of opening shift I really didn't know. I was getting ready to head out the door when the boss called to tell me work was closed for the day. So I stayed glued to the television, at this point the CBS affiliate since they were covering the Harris Fire more than the others at this point. A couple hours later, I watched as a line of fire was beginning to approach a neighborhood between Mount San Miguel and Eastlake Shores. I was prepared to bolt the second any sort of announcement would be made requiring me to evacuate.

Fortunately, no such message came. Instead, the television showed me helicopters beginning to make their water drops on the Harris Fire that began threatening the Eastlake areas. It was later noted that the costal winds came a lot earlier than previously forecasted and it allowed the choppers to make their runs. Fortunate smiled upon the eastern area of Chula Vista, thereby preventing the fire from touching any of the local neighborhoods. So another dinner was planned with my dad and my grandparents. We were going to the Mexican place near my place, but they closed for the day because of the fire so we went way down to the one just off the I-5. Once I got back, spent a great deal emptying my car. Once everything was out by midnight, I was sweating badly.

Wednesday wasn't all that fun in that my body ached, I had a huge headache, and I was closing shift that night. In fear of coming down with a fever, I made a run to grab some Advil. Thank God it helped at the very least eliminate the body aches and calm the headache before I started my shift. Because we closed on Tuesday, we knocked a vast majority of the late fees. I was supposed to be the only lead closing that night, but the boss dropped by because he had to fix up Monday's paperwork and set it apart from Wednesday. Aside from the more than usual customers, a normal Wednesday night.

And so, that's my story of the Harris Fire threat I faced. Didn't seem all that much, but believe me when I say my heart was racing that Monday night watching how much bigger the orange glow seemed to be getting at times. The packing of my stuff into the car and then having to take them out, while a pain physically, allowed me a chance to fix my room. Still working on it as I write this.... ]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/10320218/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/10320218/ Sun, 08 Oct 2006 00:08:47 PDT
Has it really been that long?

Dunno why, but some of my earliest memories end in a fog.

It seems that time goes fast, and then it seems that time goes slow.

At least I have yet to be some regular Joe.

Growing and learning along the way.

I am no longer a dependent, or so my parents say.

Hoping to one day land a position in life that will satisfy

Now if only those damn interviews can start coming in on the fly.

Perhaps you've noticed by now my inability to write poems.

But that doesn't matter, because neither one of you are gems.

You all will bow and worship me.

For today is a Happy Birthday to precious me.

Now gimme some money or you will all die!

---

I just noticed I'm less than a 100 views away from reaching the fabled 10,000 page views. I'm willing to go out on a limb and do a special piece specifically for the person who helps me achieve that mark. Of course, you need to send me photographic proof that you are the 10,000th viewer. Send that in to me and if I deem your's is real, I'll let you pick any character to appear in my 10,000 view piece. If no one wants to participate, then oh well. I just feel 10,000 page views is pretty big for me, considering I don't get that many as it is, and I wanna share it with y'all.

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]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/9872058/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/9872058/ Sun, 27 Aug 2006 10:58:02 PDT
[link]

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]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/8817742/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/8817742/ Fri, 19 May 2006 15:18:48 PDT
It's a three second clip, with sound, and I give extra points for those who figure out where the quote comes from. Comments and critiques are welcomed, although if you just simply say, "It sucks" and nothing more you will be vaporized.

[link]

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]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/7901351/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/7901351/ Tue, 14 Feb 2006 21:38:51 PST
Even still, do not be surprised if I decide to take down a lot, maybe all, of my work and having most of them transfer over to my web page, which I've also been in the midst of sproosing up. I dunno when, but these changes will take place very soon.

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]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/6625754/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/6625754/ Wed, 28 Sep 2005 13:47:05 PDT
So, is Advent Children worth the wait? Should fans be pissing their pants with impatience?

In many ways, the answer to both questions is "Yes!"

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is a beautifully crafted follow-up to one of the greatest video games of all-time. Now before you go on saying, "You were just caught up in all the fucking hype," hang left for a second. I'm not saying Advent Children is perfect. All I'm saying is that, in my personal opinion, I believe this is a great feature. With that being said, you would need to have played and beaten Final Fantasy VII as well as expose yourself to this single chapter's universe if you are going to better understand some of the action that takes place for the most part.

Let's begin this review with the story. Without spoiling or revealing too much about what happens, I'll just summerize the plot as best as possible. Two years after the events of the game, a disease known as geostigma has began to spread especially amongst the youths inhabiting Midgar. While somewhat working on finding a cure, the secluded Cloud is attacked by three mysterious men who believe that he is hiding their "mother." It kinda takes a while to understand what the hell is going on until maybe a third into the film. By then, it becomes more clear and helps add more dramatic tension to the already heart-stopping action that kicks up at the half-way point.

Now to examine the visuals. Quite frankly, this is among the most beautifully stunning and breathtaking images ever seen on screen to ever be developed by Square. Easily among the most beautiful CG films ever created, if not at the top. If you look at the stills, you start to wonder they they tried for the realistic look. Once they start moving, it's no longer a problem. Sure there are times when the characters look stiff and they seem to lack any life, but it's pretty easily overlooked by just how powerful and emotional the action and the storytelling becomes. And when they do look more alive than humanly possible, it's simply magic. This is especially so from a particular female who plays a rather vital role in the film.

The voicing acting is great. True it is in Japanese, but I prefer my Japanese animation that way. My copy included an excellent subtitle work, and helped keep the storytelling true. Nobuo Uematsu's music continues to fill the heart with the right emotion and the right power that just leaves you exhausted with awe. Granted some of the tracks were rescored themes from the game, the originals hold their own and then some in the continued support of bringing the images to life.

Simply put, Square has put together a winner with Advent Children. Learning from the mistakes and the failure of their 2001 feature The Spirits Within, Square has crafted together one of the most beautiful films around. I was very impressed with the overall presentation and will easily recommend Advent Children to all who eagerly await.

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... ]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/6506417/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/6506417/ Wed, 14 Sep 2005 19:35:02 PDT
During the Labor Day Weekend, I went up to Los Angeles and attended my first wrestling event in nine years. Because it was a two day event, it gave me some time to hang out with and we spent a good couple hours on Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (I love that game).

Any way, back to the wrestling. You'd have to be a die-hard wrestling fan, not just WWE, to know some of the biggest independent wrestling names that participated at the show. The promotion is called Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and the event was "The Battle of Los Angeles," a two-night 16-man single elimination tournament to determine "The King of Los Angeles." Those who competed include Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, Jack Evans, James Gibson, The American Dragon, and Frankie Kazarian. Samoa Joe showed up on the second day to compete in a non-tournament tag team match and Chris Sabin wrestled in two six-man tag team matches, one for each night.

The event was top to bottom awesome, vastly superior to the lame shit WWE (*coughRawcough*) has been putting on lately and I even sent in a report to PWInsider, as well as compiled my photos that I took during the event. There's some great shots, in addition to me hanging out with some of the wrestlers. If you're interested, check them out.

Oh, and the infamous Jonny Fairplay of Survivor and aspiring wrestler was among those who regularly attend the shows.

Two page report:
[link]=1

Pictures:
[link]

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]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/6266718/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/6266718/ Thu, 18 Aug 2005 23:36:49 PDT
On Tuesday, August 16, one of the finest and most precious personalities in animation was tragically killed in a car accident in Mendocino, California. One of the key people and among the many hearts of Pixar, Joe Ranft, had passed away. He was only 45-years-old.

Joe was head of story on "Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life" as well as voicing the characters of Heimlich in "A Bug's Life," Wheezy in "Toy Story 2," and Jacques in "Finding Nemo." Ranft also previously worked on Disney features such as "Beauty and the Beast", "The Lion King" and "The Nightmare Before Christmas." He was serving as head of story on the up-coming Pixar feature "Cars" before his passing.

The following is the how the event transpired as reported in The Hollywood Reporter:

A spokeswoman for the Mendocino County Sheriff-Coroner's Office confirmed Wednesday that Ranft was one of two people who died when the 2004 Honda Element they were traveling in veered off the road while heading north on Highway 1.

The California Highway Patrol said the crash occurred at about 3 p.m. Tuesday as the driver tried to regain control of the car after swerving when he headed into a tight left curve. The car fell 130 feet over the side of the road, overturning twice before it landed in the water near the mouth of the Navarro River where it meets the Pacific Ocean, the CHP said.

The driver, identified by the Coroner's Office as Elegba Earl, 32, of Los Angeles, also was killed in the crash. The third person in the car, whom the CHP identified as Eric Frierson, 39, of Los Angeles, survived by climbing through the sun roof. He was hospitalized with moderate injuries at Mendocino Coast Hospital, according to officer Robert Simas of the CHP office in Ukiah.

Cartoon Brew has running updates with news and responses to Ranft's passing.

In a statement released Wednesday, Pixar said, "Joe was an important and beloved member of the Pixar family, and his loss is of great sorrow to all of us and to the animation industry as a whole." A Pixar spokesman added, "Joe was a big part of Pixar's soul".

Ranft is survived by his wife, Su, and two children, Jordy, 13, and Sophia 9. A memorial service for family, friends and close associates is planned for Sunday in Mill Valley, California. Pixar is planning a memorial for fans at a date to be determined.

We're gonna miss you Joe. You gave us a bundle of great memories through your creativity as a writer and as a vocal talent. Thank you for all that you've done to make animation just that much better.




















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http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/6129917/ Thu, 11 Aug 2005 17:17:31 PDT [link]

Well folks, I've decided to give this whole art trade thingy a shot. But here's the deal. For this, I will be working exclusively with Illustrator. This means that you either have to supply me with an image that identifies the placements of lighting and shadows or the request has to be something that is within what I can do, which right now is only people. I will not do nudity pics, unless the private areas are tastefully covered. And I will be very picky on whether or not it is. Also, be mindful of what you ask for. If you want me to do a character is a specific pose and clothing and the image you supply me is very different, I'll probably consider not going forward with the piece. The differences include different clothing, pose, and look that might not be able to help me create the character. This is a lot to ask for, I know, but you have to remember that I'm still working with Illustrator and there are things I haven't figured out.

To recap, I've opened up being able to do art trades. I will be working exclusively with Illustrator. You need to eitehr supply me with an iamge that identifies the placements of lighting and shadows or request be something within what I can do. As of right now, I'm more efficient in illustrating people. No nudity unless the private areas are tastefully done, and I will be very picky on whether or not it is. Be mindful of what you ask for, such as make sure I am able to illustrate the character in the pose and clothing you want so don't supply me with an image the shows differently.

Because it usually takes me hours to work on a piece and it will be getting to the point where I don't have a lot of time on my hands, you will have to be really patient with me if I don't reply to your message and/or request to proceed with the piece. And when I do accept, you have to be just as patient before I finish it.

So if you want to do an art trade with me, send me a note or e-mail me and we'll see what we can do.


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]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/6092938/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/6092938/ Sun, 31 Jul 2005 19:38:21 PDT [link]

Okay, I have to admit that I am in the dark over the whole situation, so I am not going to comment much on it. All I know that he was fired and not everyone is really happy about it. In the end, I'm gonna go with on this one and support

[link]

That's all I can say about it for the time being.


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]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/6012513/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/6012513/ Sat, 23 Jul 2005 11:42:41 PDT
[link]

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]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/5985121/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/5985121/ Sat, 23 Jul 2005 11:40:54 PDT
To view the pictures I've taken, click here: [link]

Wednesday

Immediately after class, I stay on the 94 going west and arrive into downtown San Diego. I was pretty surprised to find a parking lot just a few blocks away from the Convention Center in which parking is $5 from 5 pm to 2 am. I just happened to arrive at 5 pm. Lucky me. After a good ten to twenty minute walk, I arrived at the Convention Center and picked up my badge and the Comic Con grab bag with the program schedule. I also dropped by the freebie table and picked up the free issue of “Animation Nation Magazine” as well as a “Zanthura” movie poster. Not bad considering the party hadn’t even started. Skipping Preview Night in the Exhibit Hall, I headed for the van and picked up some Wendy’s for me and mom before returning home. After a good several hours on the computer, I began to plan out what I hoped to do at this year’s event. At around 1:30 am, I turned in for the night.

Thursday

The alarm went off at 7 am and I was out of bed. After a shave and a shower, I dressed up and began looking for things I wanted to bring for the day. Mom began to tell me I should wear something nice for the “Dear Friends…: Music from Final Fantasy” symphony concert. I tried to explain that it was immediately after the Comic-Con and that it was outdoors, but she would have none of it. So now I was forced to wear jeans and bring a nice shirt for me to wear later. That shirt would turn out to be both necessary and unnecessary. By 7:45 am, I was out the door. I was on my way to the trolley station when I realized I forgot both my “Artists Sketch Book” and my copy of “If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-Movie Actor” by Bruce Campbell. With no time to turn around and retrieve them, I kept going and arrived in the trolley station and got by 4-Day Tripper just in time to jump to trolley car as it was about to leave. At the 12th Street stop, I drop into the mini-mart and bought a huge water bottle and a can of ranch flavored Pringles for $5 before getting on the trolley headed straight for the Convention Center. At 8:35 am, I call GoblinQueeen on her cell letting her know that I had arrived and moments later joined her and her friends in the Professionals line. They took a look at the program schedule I had and we chat for a bit until 9:30 am when the line began to move. We promised to meet up later as I exit the line and headed for the Exhibit Hall lobby. Only to find that there would be changes to how people would enter this year. And boy did it suck. We now had to go up the escalators and go around the 20-33 rooms through the back and form a line. And when the doors to the Exhibit Hall opened, we then would go down the escalators in front of Hall H and then we could enter. Oh well, at least I got inside and that’s what matters.

Almost immediately, I made my way to the THQ booth for information about the tickets for the free Bruce Campbell signing on Saturday. They told me to return by 11 am for the giveaway. After a quick touring of a third of the Exhibit Hall, I returned to the booth and got in line for the giveaway. The tickets are among many prizes to be given out for free, but you could only choose one item. The choice was too easy for me. In hand I had secured a guarantee in getting a free autograph from “The Man” himself, which would accomplish the primary goal I had set out to achieve this year. I continued to pass through the Exhibit Hall and made my way to the Sony Playstation booth where I played a demo of “Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves.” All I had to say was that I am more than confident that when the game is release it will be just as good as the previous games in the awesome series.

I stopped by the Dark Horse booth for information on the free Bruce Campbell signing for that night, because you never know how lucky I could get, and sure enough they passed out a raffle ticket in which I would have to return later to see if I got in. As I waited, I headed over to one of the dealer booths and picked up the June 2005 Issue of “Stuff Magazine” to be used later in the weekend. At 1 pm, I made my way upstairs to take a rest in the hallways, finishing off the chips in the process. Thirty minutes later, I went inside Room 3 to check out the “Marc Kausler: ‘It’s the Cat’” panel presented by ASIFA-Hollywood. The three-minute short inspired by the black and white animated shorts of the 20s and 30s is wonderfully crafted and among the few, if any, that was an ink and paint piece. Marc was present to present the film and discussed its making, as well as what would lie ahead in the future for him.... ]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/5652339/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/5652339/ Wed, 15 Jun 2005 03:02:57 PDT
Although I have fun watching the very first Batman movie by Tim Burton, I kinda had this nagging feeling that something was wrong with it but I just couldn't put my finger upon it. After seeing Batman Begins by Christopher Nolan, I finally understood what was wrong with the first. It wasn't about Bruce Wayne and who he was. It was about Batman and The Joker.

Batman Begins is, what I believe, the definitive Batman movie. It not only explores Bruce Wayne for who he is, but also Gotham City for what it has become. The masterful story by Nolan and veteran comic and screen writer David S. Goyer perfectly tells this. And Nolan's wonderful craftsmanship as a film director is more than displayed.

Christian Bale is awesome as both Bruce Wayne and Batman, two different identities masked within the same person. The way he presents himself is such that we feel whatever Bruce (or Bats) is feeling. Michael Caine is great as the ever faithful Alfred and Liam Neeson is wonderful as Henri Ducard, a mentor who teaches Bruce to become what he needs to become. Kudos also to Gary Oldman as Jim Gordan and Cillian Murphy as Jonathan Crane. Those guys did great in presenting believable characters who brought realism to something that might eitherwise wouldn't.

The music score by Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard is haunting and dramtic. And I must say that when you get two of the finest composers together to create melodies that just breath life to the scene, it heavily dwarfs Danny Elfman's all so familiar tunes. And that's a bold statement to make.

Christopher Nolan succeeded with what Joel Schumacher failed at with the last two Batman flicks and what Tim Burton implied upon in the first two. He underscores the very heart of the character and the stories that is told about him. Practically everything is dark and gritty, even under the sunlight. It is scary and fun. That is what makes a Batman story. And that is how to make a Batman movie.

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]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/5404339/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/5404339/ Thu, 19 May 2005 16:33:32 PDT
I am perhaps one of the few people on this planet to have liked "The Phantom Menace" a lot more than "Attack of the Clones." With "The Phantom Menace," I had fun in watching what I saw on the screen. The experience was amazing and completely in my-face from start to finish.

"Attack of the Clones" is a different story. Perhaps the hatred of Jar-Jar Binks clouded the judgment of everyone else in ranking Episode II over Episode I, but that is purly speculation. Because I found two-thirds of "Attack of the Clones" extremely dull, thanks in part to the film's focus on dialogue. And dialogue has very rarely been a strong suite in the "Star Wars" mythos. I'm just glad it wasn't as dull as "The Thin Red Line" was, and that film nearly put me to sleep. Thank god for the final act when Mace Windu leads an army of Jedi into battle against Count Dooku and his droid armies.

And then there's the "Clone Wars" animated series by Genndy Tartakovsky. I mentioned earlier that it was brilliant, and that was no lie. Pure action that is filled with excitement and suspense worthy of being part of the actual "Star Wars" timeline as opposed to being an Extended Universe series. We got to see Mace Windu and Shaak Ti at their best and the introduction of one of my favorite "Star Wars" villains, General Grevious. It is from here that we enter the final chapter in the prelude trilogy.

It has pretty much become a majority consensus that "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" is the best "Star Wars" film since "The Empire Strikes Back," and I am in complete and utter agreement. In fact, I will go as far as to say that "Revenge of the Sith" just might be better than "The Empire Strikes Back" in ranking just behind "A New Hope" as the best of the series. Thank you for finally bringing the series back to its roots, George. It's been a long time coming.

Before I get any more happy about what I just saw, let me begin the review by addressing the film's few negativies. Okay, I'll skip the dialogue, which is a huge improvement over Episode II thanks in large part to a brilliant performance by Ian McDiarmid. Don't be surprised if he gets an Oscar nomination, Alec Guinness did for "A New Hope." I guess you can say that only thing bothered me with Episode III. A few actors only appear two seconds and receive some top billing. Sure they're pretty big actors, but come on. And one of the characters is a pretty big role that for reasons beyond me was cut extremely short. I'm probably bothered by it moreso than I should, but then it didn't really harm the quality of the film.

And now the positives. "Revenge of the Sith" wonderfully ties just about everything together as it bridges into "A New Hope" with a well-told story. The visual effects pay off to bolster what had to have been Lucas' hardest film to write as expectations must have become a much heavier burden than normal. And Lucas succeeds in crafting the story. The drama is intense and sometimes shocking, especially when it comes to one particular scene in the sequence when the Sith-turned Anakin Skywalker leads an army of Stormtroopers into the Jedi Temple. People in the theater literally gasped in horror, that's for sure.

The battle scenes were well choreographed, especially the finale involving two spectacular lightsabor duels. In regards to the battle scenes, I'm very happy Lucas at least gave those who didn't watch the "Clone Wars" animated series a taste of what they were missing when it comes to just how wicked awesome General Grevious is as a villain. But then, everything was leading up to the duels between Obi-Wan and Anakin as well as Yoda and Sidious. Visually, the duels are among the most stunning I've ever seen in a film. Sword master Nick Gillard is to be highly commended. By the way, am I the only one who thinks that John Williams really pushed himself in scoring the music?

In other words, "Revenge of the Sith" is one of the best movies this year, second only to "Sin City." It is imparative that if you haven't already done so see this movie now. You will not be disappointed.

Clubs:
~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/4789448/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/4789448/ Fri, 11 Mar 2005 21:03:55 PST
10. X-Men Legends Vol. 2: The Dark Phoenix Saga
by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin
A common, and sometimes abused, theme of comic books has always been power. And no story truly explored power with emotion and depth than Claremont and Byrne's gripping and carefully crafted tale of Jean Grey and the power that awakens within, transforming her into The Dark Phoenix. This is the most defining X-Men story you will ever find, and one of those tragic tales that always cause tears to form.

9. Superman: The Man of Steel Vol. 1
by John Byrne and Dick Giordano
To recreate the story of Superman is no easy task. Enter comic book legend John Byrne, who does just that for a post-Crisis universe with grace and style. A master storyteller both as a writer and as an artist, John pieces together a wonderful origin tale with so much heart that you truly believe this is how The Man of Steel really began his life from Smallville kid to the icon by which all other superheroes follow.

8. Death: The High Cost of Living
by Neil Gaiman, Chris Bachalo, Mark Buckingham and Dave McKean
When a kid is ready to commit suicide, he runs into a happy go-lucky goth chick who just happens to be Death. The most beloved of The Endless gets her first series as Gaiman and company wonderfully piece together a moving tale about life in general and just how good it feels. Throw in a cute little public message Death makes about safe sex after the initial tale and you have the most feel good comic book.

7. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson
When all was said and done, everything you had previously known about who Batman was died and never to be reborn. Not only did Frank successfully return Batman to his roots with this edgy and masterfully crafted story of an elder Bruce Wayne busting out of retirement like a shotgun, he reinvented him to the point that you couldn't writer him any other way. The best superhero action you'll ever find.

6. Watchmen
by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
After DC Comics published all twelve issues to Watchmen, comic books as a whole changed forever. Alan's brilliant sense of storytelling combined with Dave's unique and often realistic illustrations resulted in a gripping, edge-of-your-seat tale of conspiracy and how heroes would truly exist in the real world. It's a frightening, yet remarkable adventure that revolutionized the way stories were to be created forever.

5. Maus: A Survivor's Tale
by Art Spiegelman
The Holocaust is always a subject that brings forth sarrow from even the reader, a reminder of just how evil a human being can be. Just another reason Art wanted to adapted his father's account of surviving the horrors brought about from World War II. In addition to the amazing courage of his parents' survival, Art also explores the declining relationship he has with dad. An emotional and rather epic masterpiece.

4. Sin City: That Yellow Bastard
by Frank Miller
There is a reason why That Yellow Bastard has been highly regarded as the best of the Sin City tales. Pure human and emotional drama from start to finish. Frank Miller takes us deep into the very soul of one of the few, if any, honest cops left as he goes the distance to save the puriest body in all of Sin City, Nancy Callahan. Gripping, edgy and truly astonishing, I claim this to be Miller's defining comic story.

3. Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1
by Bill Jemas, Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley and Art Thibert
This hardcover collects the first fourteen issues of one of the most outstanding comic book series created. It reinvents the Spider-man mythos with a 21st century spin, thanks to Bendis' incredible craftsmanship of storytelling. Along with some of the best work Bagley has ever conceived for Marvel, Ultimate Spider-Man is the ultimate comic book spin readers of ever... ]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/4510680/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/4510680/ Sun, 06 Feb 2005 22:18:04 PST !

So any way, pretty much on the Monday after beating the game, I sent Naughty Dog an e-mail letting them know that I personally found this unacceptable and demanded an explination. It's February and guess what finally arrived in my e-mail account? The following is the exact word-for-word reply sent to me by Naughty Dog.

Thanks for your support and being a fan of Naughty Dog and our games.

Thanks for playing!

...

...

...

WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!

Where the hell is the explination I demanded?! Is there really something fishy going on over there at Naughty Dog? Do they even have an explination?

*sigh*

One of these days I'm going to find one of the story guys, corner him, and demand to know what the hell was up with Jak 3. And then I'm gonna make my cough up the reason behind the e-mail response before giving him a wedgy!

Clubs:
]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/4219823/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/4219823/ Sun, 02 Jan 2005 11:01:16 PST
Director Joel Schumacher succeeded in the one thing he wanted to do in adapting the popular Andrew Lloyd Webber play. Glorify the setting. It is the 1870s and after a series of accidents and mishaps, a chorus girl named Christine has been placed as the lead in a new opera and brings down the house. She rekindles a love with childhood friend Raoul, until she finally meets the mysterious voice that trained and taught her.

Schumacher admits having not seen the musical before making the film and Webber let this fly, believing that Joel will bring something original to the film. The result is one of the most beautiful production and costume designs, by Anthony Pratt and Alexandra Byrne respectively, in films thus far. Its majestic splendar and wonder, especially the Phantom's lair, gives the viewers a lot more than just the right mood. It literally is looking at a painting when you see how beautiful it looks.

The music score is nothing short of Webber brilliance. Each note is just right and Schumacher, along with editor Terry Rawlings, masterfully match the right camera shots, movements, moments, and moods to the music. To watch is to discover more than just a musical. The songs themselves, however, are hit and miss. You probably have to be a serious fan of the musical to enjoy all the songs as two or three were pleasant hearing for me. The actors do a fine job playing to their characters, with Minnie Driver being a riot, as usual, playing the primadonna Carlotta. Although I do think Gerard Butler was too young, and too handsome, for the role of The Phantom even though he pulls off the singing and acting very well.

Serious Phantom fans will no doubt love this film. Everyone else, like myself, will sit in awe at the visual beauty of the film from start to finish. Schumacher has redeemed himself from making Batman & Robin, that is for sure. I recommend checking it out whenever it is available in your area.

Clubs:
]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/3872164/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/3872164/ Wed, 01 Dec 2004 17:12:41 PST
The first time I laid eyes on Texas Hold 'Em was when ESPN started airing the main event of 2003's World Series of Poker. It's not easy, but play it enough times it becomes addicting. Just ask my mom who wanted me to tape these "tips" that were airing on TV days before poker night.

What is it about this game that has everyone hooked. I watch TV and they talk about how the airing of last year's main event caused so many to start playing the game, to the point that this year's World Series saw an increase in participants and there will be even more next year. The Matt Damon-Edward Norton starred "Rounders" earned a special edition that aspiring poker players are taking to heart.

It's a strange thing, this Texas Hold 'Em game.

Clubs:
]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/3816807/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/3816807/ Fri, 12 Nov 2004 10:38:35 PST
Let's start with the visuals. Naughty Dog continues to input quality visuals that astounding the eye. The ingame design is among the best in town and the cinematics are epic and breathtaking. The transition from game to cinematics sometimes are as seemless as the previous games, but its still short enough not to require a load screen. I still hate the damn goatee, but that's just a personal nitpick.

The audio is wonderful. I have to go on a limb and say that this is some of the absolute best music in a video game ever. If Naughty Dog ever decided to release a soundtrack for this game, I'd buy it in a flash. Especially in many of the cinematics the music is beautiful. The sound effects are loud and still wicked. Bringing a smile to your face when you blow something up. And the voice acting is still among the best in the biz, though I have to wonder why Tara Strong (Raven on Teen Titans) is voicing Keira and not the original VA. Oh, Keira will be involved in a nitpicking I have in a minute.

Story has played a big factor in how the previous two games were shaped. The first didn't seem like it had a lot of story, but it was enough to put together an amazing adventure. The story in the second was powerful enough to make one suffer through the game's hellish difficulty. I have to say that while the main focus of the third story in terms of who the precusors are is dramatic and wonderful, a lot of the subplots were either cliched or questionable and confusing. Samos and Keira's roles in this game has been utterly downsized, which really bugs the hell outta me. Samos, of course, has always been essential in Jak's previous two adventures and Keira played a vital role, albeit minor, in helping her friend. And it's the involvement, or rather lack there of, of Keira in another plot problem (which is a spoiler so I won't mention) that Naughty Dog goofed in a disappointing manner. Even still, that big surprise they kept talking about... well, it was a surprise to me and I love it to death as I'm sure many of you Jak fans will, too.

Now to gameplay. Let me just say that Naughty Dog must have listened to everyone's cries about the frustrating difficulty of the second game and tweeked it enough for the adventure to be played on a satisfying difficulty. It's not too easy, but it's not anger indusing hard either. It's just right. We see the return of riding on an animals that has some temporary hover abilities, but the big deal is using the dark and light Eco powers. The Light powers will have you smiling with glee with how awesome it is. Driving is a little easier this time around, but the dum-buggies sure are a bitch to steer and sometimes studily control. One problem I do have is the increase in the number of enemies that litter the screen to attack you at certain points that it's sometimes hard to fight them off. However, that's just a gripe and nothing too series.

Extras are rewarding as they set up a buying system each with its own number of precursor orbs to purchase. Say you wanna increase the ammo capacity of a gun. Cost you 4 orbs. You complete the first act and you wanna watch the cinematics. 2 orbs. You can even purchase the gun course from Ratchet and Clank!

This is a fine finale to a wonderful trilogy. I have problems with some of the subplots, one of them causing me great concern and disappointment, but that doesn't mean this game is fun.

Score: 8.5

Positive Side:
+Beautiful visuals and cinematics
+Top notch sound and music
+Awesome gameplay

Negative Side:
-Driving tough to control
-Subplots that concern and disappoint

Clubs:
http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/3558283/ Wed, 10 Nov 2004 22:26:59 PST
Val Kilmer plays Moses.

... again.

Those in animation know that Val voiced Moses in DreamWorks' The Prince of Egypt. With that in mind, not to mentioning the tickets were reasonably priced, we decided to check it out for my birthday weekend (me birthday was the eighth, we would watch the play on the ninth). I asked if she wanted to tag along and she said sure.

I have to say, I was very impressed with the show. Val, once again, pulled off a great performance as the biblical figure and the rest of the cast was great, especially Kevin Earley as Ramses, Luba Mason as Bithia, Nita Whitaker as Zipporah and Alisan Porter as Miriam. The costumes, by Max Azria, were wonderfully beautiful and the sets, by Giantito Burchiellaro, were well constructed. They used video screens for scene assistance at times and for the most part it worked, not to mention some wonderful special visual effects by Robert Rang. I actually thought the songs, written by Maribeth Cerry and composed by Patrick Leonard, were pretty good and wouldn't mind headhunting for the cast recording.

Overall, this is pretty darn good show and one that I'm glad I was able to see during its run up there in LA. If you're in the area during its run and you've got the money, I recommend checking it out.

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]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2967911/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2967911/ Sun, 25 Jul 2004 21:47:23 PDT
Over all, it was a darn good show where I got to meet a lot of great people, especially in the animation field. I was able to get some insight that will no doubt help me as I am about to enter my first year at a new college that provides the education that will get me into the door. I'm thankful for the autographs, the pictures and the sketches they gave me along with the knowledge that I will no doubt take with me.

Though there were a couple bumps involving poor planning in terms of certain autograph sessions, this turned out to be one of the better years at the Comic-Con for me. And I didn't end up spending all my money (I still have ten bucks left in my bank account XD). The panels were fun and the sneak previews were awesome (especially on Saturday). I purchased a variety of items and I feel that I've spent my money well. We'll see what next year will have instore for me.

Favorite Moments:
1. Stephen Silver and Chris Bailey. Meeting them in person and getting some insight from them about their work. I also purchased their items (artbook from Stephen, comic from Chris) in exchange for sketches from their most popular animated series work Kim Possible.
2. Ron Clements. Co-director of some of Disney's best features was kind enough to chat with me about where he and John are in their careers after listening to him and others explain the whole writing process in animation. And it was nice of him to sign my Treasure Planet DVD cover and artbook.
3. Cree Summers. A big surprise for me was discovering that Cree was in the house. Even better was when she was glowing over the fact that someone was an Atlantis fan. We got to chat a bit and got my picture taken with her. A wonderful person and truly someone I'd like to meet again someday.
4. Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher. The coolest animated short I've seen and I got to chat with director Alexander Woo and co-creator Bill Presing a little bit at their booth the day after showing off their short. Really cool guys and a definate boost in that no matter how young you are you can still pull off something great in animation.
5. Star Wars. This was perhaps the biggest year for Star Wars fans as they revealed some great things for Episode III and got to meet nearly every one of their favorite actors from the original trilogy. I'll let Gob explain how her artwork more than impressed the likes of author Timothy Zahn and Mara Jade model Shannon McRandle, while I get to say that I'm thankful for getting a chance to at least shake hands with Carrie Fisher.

Now to get my pictures developed... XD

Clubs:
http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2960702/ Sat, 24 Jul 2004 22:46:37 PDT
Any way, I went over to the Writing for Animation panel which included Ron Clements (co-writer and co-director of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin), Terry Russio (co-writer of Shrek and Pirates of the Caribbean) and Dean DeBlois (co-writer and co-director of Lilo & Stitch). They essentially explained the entire process of writing for an animated feature and how it differs greatly from live-action writing. Afterward, I was able to chat it up with Ron Clements and he explained to me that he and John Musker were still with Disney, just not under any exclusive deals as they are doing work outside the company. I was able to get Ron to sign my artbook and the DVD cover for Treasure Planet.

I quickly made my way over to the day's Star Wars panel, a real delight believe me. After a peek at what will be on the DVD package for the original trilogy, they showed off one of the video games (everyone's favorite part is that you get to shoot and kill the ewoks) and designs for the Wookie homeworld in Episode III. They then brought in Princess Leia herself Carrie Fisher to talk a little bit about her experience about the movies and the up-coming DVD package (not to mention the toys xD). They then introduced producer Rick McCallum who showed off the best video piece of the night. The clip, showed in slow motion with March of the Empire playing, saw Hayden Christianson put on the Vader costume for a scene in Episode III. Whent he clip ended, Hayden himself unexpectedly appeared on stage and immediately everyone asked him about wearing the Vader costume and the big Obi-Wan vs. Anakin fight, though everyone wanted more about the Vader costume. After a look at the Episode III video game, the panel was capped off with the announcement of the title for Episode III:

Star Wars: Episode III - REVENGE OF THE SITH

I plan to buy the shirt tomorrow.

(Note: The title makes a lot of sense and really works on a parallel type. Consider this, the original trilogy's third title was Return of the Jedi. The third title for the new trilogy is Revenge of the Sith.)

I stayed in the room for the Sin City panel, headed up by directors Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez and stars Jamie Keen, Rosario Dawson and Jessica Alba. Robert informed us that he made the opening sequence (complete that includes Josh Hartnett) and it was either going to be a test film incase Miller said no to making the film or it was going to be the opening in case Miller said yes. We saw the opening as well as a collection of great scenes in the film and I'm completely hyped and can't wait to see it.

They said that there would be a Sin City signing and I rushed over to the Dark Horse booth to learn that the tickets had been given out. As I'm walking back to my brother's booth, I saw a familiar face at the Drawn Together booth. After dropping most of my stuff, I went over and met Cree Summers (voice of Kida in Atlantis, Number Five in Codename: Kids Next Door). Summers voices one of the characters in the show, as I'll explain later. I got up to her and gently placed my Atlantis Illustrated Script on the table. She gasped and went, "OH MY GOD! You like Atlantis! This is great!" She was just glowing with excitement that someone at the Con was an Atlantis fan and recognized her as voicing a character. I chatted up with Cree about Atlantis for a bit and got my picture taken with her.

About ten minutes after I go looking for a place to hang out when I noticed a line was forming for a booth near by. I asked the guy holding the "End of Line" sign who this was for. He said Princess Leia. I assumed it was paying to get her autograph, although why Carrie Fisher wasn't doing that as Lucas Pavilion I didn't know. He said no and that it was a free signing to begin in an hour. I immediately jumped in and waited an hour. I got meself a signature from her and I went back to my brother's booth happy.

Despite not getting to the Sin City signing in time, this was a wonderful day full of great surprises (especially on the autograph front) and great people. Truly one of the best days I've had at the Comic-Con, and that's a great thing considering that this was the Saturday of the Con. As soon as I get the film developed and I scan all the stuff, I'll show you later.

See you tomorrow.

Clubs:
~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2952982/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2952982/ Fri, 23 Jul 2004 21:02:30 PDT
Afterward, I headed off to the heavily crowded Warner Bros. panel which features those working on Batman Begins as Constatine (better known in comics as Hellblazer). They didn't show any preview of Batman Begins for some reason, though writer David S. Goyer filled us in on how this could be the Batman film we've been waiting to have again since Burton's films. 28 Days Later star Cillian Murphy was also on hand as he will be playing Scarecrow. Constatine panel included director Francis Lawrence, stars Djimon Honsou and playing the title character... Keanu Reeves. Yep, Keanu showed up at the Comic-Con. He was pretty down to earth and responded well to the fans.

Next I quickly made my way up to an awesome panel for The Incredibles. Director Brad Bird filled us in on his transition from 2D to 3D and how the story came to be before showing off two scenes from the film and both ran five to ten minutes and they were both excellent. I was able to ask Brad Bird about the rumors of Pixar opening a 2D division with him as the head and he said that he hasn't heard anything about it so far. In addition, they had a teaser of next year's Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It was when they gave us tickets to pick up the grab bags that things became complicated. Not only was Brad's signing immediately after the panel, but the swarm of people trying to get the grab bag made it almost impossible to make it back before the line cut. In the end, I didn't get a signing though one person nearly got into a fight with security because of how messed up the planning was.

I was able to watch Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher and lemme tell you, YOU HAVE TO BUY THE DVD BECAUSE THIS BABY IS AWESOME!!! A great animated short that deserved the unexpected attention it got via Ain't It Cool News and the gang were awesome to talk to. I'll be buying the DVD later in the weekend.

With the exception of the terrible planning for the Brad Bird signing, it was a pretty eventful day. Though yesterday seemed a little more fulfilling since I got to chat it up with Stephen Silver.

See you tomorrow.

Clubs:
]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2945957/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2945957/ Thu, 22 Jul 2004 23:08:58 PDT
Shego sketch by character designer Stephen Silver (cut and paste link): [link]

The other big animated event I attended was the panel for Comedy Central's up-coming series Drawn Together, which is a major spoof of reality shows (especially The Real World) when they place eight cartoon characters (parodied based on sterotype) in a house to live in. Very funny stuff, I'll tell you more at another time.

So far, a pretty good day. Tomorrow, I plan to attend a panel for The Incredibles with director Brad Bird showing up and signing autographs afterward. In addition, I also plan to see the popular short Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher.

Note: I couldn't get any pictures because I forgot me camera. Luckily since both have booths I should be able to get follow up pics. XD See you tomorrow.

Clubs:
]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2889191/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2889191/ Thu, 15 Jul 2004 13:52:44 PDT [link]

I'll report back with some cool things. Hopefully I'll add lots more to my Artists Sketchbook this year. XD

Clubs:
]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2757001/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2757001/ Mon, 28 Jun 2004 20:36:38 PDT
[link]

Update: If you also want to check out the Scar sketch Andreas Deja did for me at the Lion King 10th Anniversary Reunion, you can cut and paste this link (or rather right click and copy shortcut):
[link]

Clubs:
]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2666144/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2666144/ Tue, 15 Jun 2004 18:18:22 PDT
LK story artist Tim Sito was the head of the panel and introduced the guest speakers Jeffrey Katzenberg, producer Don Hahn, directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, co-writer Irene Mecchi, Scar supervising animator Andreas Deja, Pumbaa supervising animator Tony Bancroft, and creator of the CGI wildebeest stampede Scott Johnston. Timon supervising animator Michael Surrey was scheduled to appear but didn't come, I guess a conflicting work scheduled prevented his coming so Hahn took his place. Members of the crew were also in the audience including one of the supervising animators of the hyenas Alex Kupershmidt.

They engaged in discussing how Lion King came about and a great deal of stories that went with it, including Rob talikng about him crying over passing up co-directing Beauty and the Beast and in tears when he watched Don Hahn, Kirk Wise, and others at the Oscars when he got a phone call asking if he wanted to co-direct Lion King.

Highlights:
-Lion King and Pocahontas were the first two films under the feature animation department to be made at the same time, thus the first batch in which the animation department was literally split in two.

-Andreas originally wanted to do a different character and not the villain, but when he heard Jeremy Irons was voicing Scar he jumped on very quickly. He also discuss where the scar would be and eventually went to being above his eye in which Rob and Roger joked, "Mufasa gave that to him by accident as kids. They were playing around."

-Andreas: It was interesting watching Jeremy do voice sessions because sometimes he would smoke during the recordings.
Rob Minkoff: Sometimes? He was smoking even when he was singing! *impersonates Jeremy smoking* BE PRE-PAAAAAAAAAAAAAARED!!! *impersonates smoking again*
This got a huge roar of laughter from the audience (including me )

-Jeff made mention to them having problems with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight". Those who have the DVD have probably seen the rough of Timon and Pumbaa singing the whole song. After that, they made a normal cut in which kids ran out of the theater the minute the verse "Can you feel" was heard. Rob joked with, "They saw the waterfall and needed to go to the bathroom really bad." Jeff continued saying the song actually got cut and was driving on the Golden Gate bridge when Elton called him on the phone and screamed at him. It was within Elton's rant that Jeff got the articulated message that they needed to fix Simba and Nala's relationship. After those were boarded and restructured, the song fit into the film.

-Rob and Roger recounted the Mufasa song they originally had when he was showing Simba the Pride Lands. They even sang the few lyrics they remembered in the rhythm it was in.

-In addition to the Hawaiian War Chant, Don mentioned that they considered Timon singing "Stayin' Alive" to distract the hyenas. Irene wrote the lyrics to the War Chant and everyone started singing the last few lines after she just spoke out "Are you achin for some bacon".

-The serious tone of the movie largely fell into place once Chris Sanders put together a reel of the storyboards for the scene where Mufasa's ghost appears to Simba and set it to music from Ennio Morricone's soundtrack for The Mission (starring Jeremy Irons). The thing was Brenda told Rob, Roger and Don about how awesome Chris' boards were that instead of a normal pitch to Jeff, they put it into a reel and got James Earl Jones to do a demo voice. After the pitch, Jeff said, "This is what we will be working towards through out the movie."

-Roger mentioned the "big boom" sound that occurs at the end of the opening Circle of Life sequence and Jeff said, "And it's been used in every movie ever since." Roger then said that when James Earl Jones saw the sequence he said that a "big boom" like that actually is an African tribal tradition used to call people to attention.

-During the Q&A segment, a question was posed asking if there was any truth to the rumor that The Lion King was in any way plagiarizing Osamu Tezuka's Kimba the White Lion. The question itself got a big laugh from the audience and with nothing to hide co-directo... ]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2509488/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2509488/ Wed, 09 Jun 2004 18:19:54 PDT
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]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2469237/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2469237/ Thu, 20 May 2004 11:25:00 PDT

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]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2461751/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2461751/ Wed, 19 May 2004 09:59:28 PDT
When DVD was first introduced, Disney was very careful on how to approach this new product so they produced a test wave in their Limited Issue titles. Gold Collection stepped it up and then Disney went ahead an produced some of the best DVDs around in their Platinum Series, Pirates of the Caribbean, whatever Pixar films they produced, the Disney Treasures, and much more.

I just needed to get that out into the open, that's all.

Clubs:
]]> ~lordakiyama http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2382995/ http://lordakiyama.deviantart.com/journal/2382995/ Sat, 08 May 2004 01:14:04 PDT
Now I don't wanna go on a rant here, but... no wait, I will go on a rant here. I want to rant about a match that was so filled with emotion and drama. A match that showcased two men in their prime at their absolute best. A match that lived up to the hype surrounding it and beyond. A match that has been highly regarded as the best match in a WrestleMania. A match that has been argued as the greatest single wrestling match of all-time. A match that I was so fortunate to have attanded in person.

I told my dad that the next WrestleMania will be taking place at Anaheim. It was very casual and asked him if we could consider ordering it on pay-per-view. He said that he'd think about it. A few days later, he asked me how much tickets would cost. I was stunned. We both went into research and dad said that we would both be able to go after scoring tickets. $75 for each, and I must say that it was well worth it. I will never be able to repay my dad for this. For coughing up $150 for the both of us to attend WrestleMania. To witness the greatest match of all-time.

I watched on television as Bret and Shawn explained their preparations for the match. One would think that this was just a series of promos, but in truth they really were training. Much of what was seen was what they were doing to prepare themselves physically and mentally. Both men even took bumps on various house shows leading up to the event including, and not limited to, Tombstone Piledrivers from The Undertaker and Jacknife Powerbombs from Kevin Nash. They were going into Anaheim to wrestle one another for one hour. And it couldn't have been any sweeter.

The match was an Iron Man Match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. Both men must wrestle for one hour. Any time a pinfalls, submission, countout or disqulification took place, it would count as a fall to whomever the ref awards it to. At the end of the hour, whom ever has the most falls would be the winner and the WWF World Heavyweight Champion.

From the opening bell, everyone in the arena practically stayed seated through out. They were afraid that if they went even for a quick bathroom break that they'd miss something. That was the mentality and they were right. Shawn and Bret kept one another in pretty long holds, true, but it was the idea of how it would be countered and what would follow. The pressure picked up forty-five minutes into the match when no one scored a single fall yet. Everyone was at the edge of their seat.

It was breath taking to watch these two duke it out and continue to out wrestle one another. The fans cheered and gasped whenever a major impact move was performed. Ten minutes in, everyon begins to whisper when a fall might take place while keeping their eyes on the action. Five minutes in, everyone is sweating just as hard as Bret and Shawn were. Nervousness took hold and everyone couldn't wait to see what would happen. Two minutes in, Shawn performs a beautiful moonsault on Bret. Everyone is beginning to stand on their feet. Forty seconds in, Bret catches Shawn and applies his finishing move The Sharpshooter. The entire arena is not sitting. They are standing and they are screaming. Will Shawn give up? The bell rings. Shawn never gave up. But the time limit has expired. Everyone drops into their chairs and gasp as if they were in the match itself. It is announced that they were going into overtime. For another five minutes, Bret and Shawn battle it out. This is longer than anyone could of anticipated. Shawn connects his Superkick. Everyone is back on their feet. One... Two... THREE! The arena explodes. Shawn Michaels has won the match.

This is the kind of intensity that can only happen during a WretleMania. This is the kind of intensity that can only happening in a match that defines greatness. Combine the two, and you have the greatest wrestling match of all-time. I nearly lose my own voice as I'm screaming at the top of my lungs with excitement. I high-five some of the guys sitting around me. This was an awesome match. It was more than awesome. It was fucking out-of-this-world. This is the definitive wrestling match. And I was there.

Today, when the mood gets to me, I'll pop in the From the Vault: Shawn... ]]> ~lordakiyama