Dear Horrible Fans, Hammer Groupies, Penny-Savers, Bad Ponies, Fake Thomas Jefferson’s Axe of Congress and of course the Towelettes,
It has been brought to our attention that some of you have been using your powers for good. This we can not forgive! Your fierce and effluvia-removing punishment can only be forestalled by quick and decisive action: Vote for Dr. Horrible on the People’s Choice awards site (under “Favorite Online Sensation”). Every day. This is the kind of exposure that will allow the doctor to continue his reign of hummable terror. The time is now! Actually, the time is always now. Like, right now — still now. Hmmm. Neat.
Meet Bolt: dashing superdog, loyal companion, and star of a hit television show. When he learns the shocking truth -- that this charmed life has been a lie -- Bolt embarks on a cross-country adventure and discovers along the way that he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero.
The Art of Bolt by Mark Cotta Vaz is the trusty sidekick guide to Bolt — the latest film from Walt Disney Animation Studios — and the newest volume in Chronicle Books’ line of Pixar/Disney animation art books, following The Art of WALL-E. The Art of Bolt documents the evolution of a movie whose “creators built from scratch an ingenious animation process that blurs the line between hand-painted and computer-generated filmmaking.”
Packed with vivid conceptual art “that functioned as beautiful building blocks for the unique look of the film,” The Art of Bolt has the feel of a travel journal filled with sketches and paintings done on a cross-country road trip of urban and rural America, paused for lengthier rest stops in New York, Ohio, Las Vegas, and Hollywood. The bulk of the art consists of scenery studies that show off the expert use of light effects in the film, with sketches of Bolt, his friends Mittens the cat and Rhino the hamster, and the humans they interact with — “physiologically accurate yet perfectly caricatured at the same time” — sprinkled throughout like thumbnails of interesting people seen and met on the journey.
The Art of Bolt is printed on heavy, art-quality paper, and presents a selection of preliminary sketches, character studies, storyboards, colorscripts, and full-color images, along with material from the Disney archives that illustrates how the Bolt creative team sought to return to Disney’s animation roots in their development of the film’s “painterly” look, a blending of classic 2D and modern 3D animation styles. The art is interspersed with quotes, interviews, and essays from the director, producer, designers, artists, and others involved in the production of Bolt, all of which open a fascinating window into the making of this underdog tale.
The many faces of evil are on display, all with the visage of General Grievous, in "Lair of Grievous," an all-new episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars premiering at 9 p.m. ET/PT Friday, Dec. 12, on Cartoon Network
Jedi Master Kit Fisto steps from the shadows of the live-action films and into a Separatist trap in “Lair of Grievous,” an all-new episode of the hit animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, premiering at 9 p.m. ET/PT Friday, Dec. 12, on Cartoon Network.
In the episode, General Grievous must prove himself worthy of the Separatists after repeatedly being defeated by the Jedi. As a test for his cyborg subordinate, Count Dooku lures Jedi Master Kit Fisto and Fisto’s former Padawan, Nahdar Vebb, to Grievous’ enclave as deadly sport for the Separatist general.
Episode writer Henry Gilroy says he’s always been intrigued by the concept of “where evil actually lives,” and this tale of attempted redemption for General Grievous presented the perfect opportunity to explore the idea.
“I went back to the old serials of the 1930s and looked at the terrible old places they used to create for the villains,” Gilroy says. “They were houses full of booby traps and monsters, with eyes knocked out of the paintings so the villain could look through and spy. It was fun to explore the home of the bad guy, to create a place so terrible that even the hero doesn’t want to be in there.
“It’s a great set-up because when the Jedi arrive, they’re expecting to find Nute Gunray — they don’t realize they’re in the lair of Grievous. From that point on, once they’re inside and realize they can’t get out, it’s basically a struggle to survive.”
The episode also provided the perfect vehicle for the series introduction of Kit Fisto, a popular Jedi Master who appears in both Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Like many other Jedi, his character was relegated to the background in the films — but is now more deeply realized through animation in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
“Kit isn’t one of the most serious Jedi. He tends to be more jovial,” Gilroy says. “To put him in a dire, life-or-death situation makes for a fun adventure because he tends to look on the more positive, naturally humorous side. Dread kind of rolls off him.”
“Kit is great for this episode,” says supervising director Dave Filoni. “He has an excellent fight with Grievous, and the episode is brilliantly directed by Atsushi Takeuchi. While we had quite the challenge deciding what Kit Fisto’s voice would actually sound like, once it was determined he would have a bit of a Jamaican accent, Phil LaMarr really made it his own.”
I’ve been keeping an eye on the Star Trek website, looking for new content, news, spoilers and photos. I hadn’t been there lately, so I stopped in today to look around and was thrilled to see the site has been pepped up. It’s interactive now, so you can walk through the halls of the USS Enterprise.
In addition to a gallery of images and downloads, you’ll find a new trailer featuring James T. Kirk as a car-thieving child in one scene, and in another scene we find out if he’s a boxers or briefs kind of guy while he locks lips with a woman in his bed who appears to be Uhura. Sex in Star Trek? Yep. Will and Deanna, eat your heart out. Kirk finally gets some real on-screen action. Sure, it was always implied that Kirk made the rounds, but little appears to be left to the imagination this time around.
Check out the new trailer, download some images and look for Easter eggs at startrekmovie.com.
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog: Soundtrack from the Motion Picture
The soundtrack to the hit musical from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator Joss Whedon. Original cast recording featuring Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Nathan Fillion (Firefly), and Felicia Day (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).
Track Listing
1 – Horrible Theme
2 – My Freeze Ray
3 – Bad Horse Chorus
4 – Caring Hands
5 – A Man’s Gotta Do
6 – My Eyes
7 – Bad Horse Chorus (Reprise)
8 – Penny’s Song
9 – Brand New Day
10 – So They Say
11 – Everyone’s a Hero
12 – Slipping
13 – Everything You Ever
14 – Horrible Credits
It’s Monty Python Fluxx — the card game where it’s fun to make your brain hurt.
Get a shrubbery for the knights who say NI! Build a giant wooden rabbit! And since it’s Fluxx, you can expect the rules to constantly change… but don’t expect the Spanish Inquisition!
Monty Python Fluxx is based mainly on Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but squeezes in a number of fan-favourite references from Flying Circus and the other movies. There are 100 cards in the set, laden with colourful illustrations of such iconic Monty Python jokes as the Coconut-Laden Swallow, the Finger of God, the Ex-Parrot, the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, and the Legendary Black Beast of Aaarrghh. (Sadly, Spam and Fish Slapping cards are absent.) Most entertaining of all are the “What is Your Quote?” and “I Want to Sing!” cards, which turn a player’s trivial ability to quote lines and sing songs from Monty Python into a game-winning asset.
“The random and chaotic nature of the Fluxx engine makes it a perfect vehicle for the crazy world of Monty Python!” enthuses Looney Labs. “Fluxx is the perfect medium for the group that brought us Something Completely Different at every turn.” The company further says, “Yes, that crazy card game where the rules keep changing has joined forces with Monty Python to create the Looneyest card game ever! Help King Arthur and his Knights find the Holy Grail. Bring a Shrubbery to the Knights Who Say Ni! Lob the Holy Hand Grenade at the Killer Rabbit with Nasty Big Teeth! Just do it quick, before the Goal changes again!” This is clearly a game that no Monty Python fan should be without.
In addition to the game, Looney Labs offers a poster that’s “an awesome composite of the cover art and other elements from Monty Python Fluxx, including the catapult, the cow, and the Trojan Rabbit.” The 11×17 inch poster was included free with games pre-ordered directly from Looney Labs, but is now available for anyone to purchase through Looney Labs’ Web Store.
Monty Python Fluxx supports 2-6 players, ages 8 and up. Game length: 10–40 minutes.
Or order directly through the Looney Labs website.
Monty Python Fluxx is distributed by Looney Labs, published under license with Toy Vault & Monty Python. For more information on Monty Python Fluxx, visit the official product page at Monty Python Fluxx.
And for all you international folks — we have not forgotten about you! The disc is region-free! Whee!
We hope you love “Commentary! The Musical” as much as we loved creating it — exhausting as it was. Of course, there’s more to the special features — ELE applications, making-of’s, regular commentary, an egg lying around here and there…
Our pre-order page launched last Friday and we sky-rocketed to the top 50 sales rank in the TV & Movie DVD category. A million thank you’s would never be enough. Your support has us all overwhelmed and it makes us especially cheery this holiday season.
Check out a note from the man himself… re: the DVD.
We’ve got a lot more in store for you. A CD. More shirts. Be excited because we are! Check out drhorrible.com for the most up to date information.
Again, thank you, thank you, thank you to you! Our fans! This literally would not have been possible without you. And because of you, there is more to come…
Well, my turkey (or, in some cases, tofurkey) stuffed friends, we literally just put the finishing touches on the disc. Is it worth fifteen hard-earned dollars? Absolutely. In fact, I can say without reservation that the Dr. Horrible DVD is worth $15.23 EASILY. More, if your dollars weren’t the hard-earned kind, just the kind you have lying around in your mom’s purse. God knows WE’VE worked hard to earn ’em. “Commentary! The Musical” is the most painstaking and exhausting piece of whimsey I have ever mistaken for a good idea. It has nearly twice as much music as Dr. Horrible itself — since you can’t really talk that much during a commentary musical or it sounds like a regular commentary. (Which we also have, with the stars and writers, plus making-of’s, ELE applications, and a few items left lying around by a notorious Bunny…) I can say without hesitation that I hesitate to say it’s great. And by great I mean ridiculous. It’s sophmoric, solopsistic, silly and the most fun I’ve had being exhausted since the fabled Mushortio itself. And everyone sings beautifullly. Which enrages me. I a little bit hate my friends now.
The listed street date is, by the way, a little later than we’d expected — I’m hoping Amazon is just playing it safe and we can beat that date. More on that as we learn it. Expect a twittering sensation.
Finally, I just want to say “thank you” to everybody who has supported this venture. We’ve been able to pay our crew and all our bills, which means a lot. What means more is proving that completely independent ventures can muscle their way through the blizzard of big-budget behemoths. (A blizzard of behemoths? Back to writing school, alliteration-junkie!) All that rhetoric about the future of entertainment that flew about during the Strike is still entirely true. We need to find our own way of producing entertainment. A lot of people are watching Dr. Horrible to see if it’s any kind of model — way more people than I expected — and it means everything to me to help pave the way for artists to start working and making a living from the ground up. There are a couple of real pioneers in this that I know personally: Felicia Day, I’m thrilled to say, and choreographer Chris Elam are both looking far ahead in terms of monetization and interactivity. Me, I’m more like Jimmy Stewart in “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance”, but at least I’m out there. Thanks, he finally summed up, to you.
My story has become tiresome! But wait till you hear the songs.
WALL-E, the #1 animated film of the year from Disney-Pixar, is released on DVD today, November 18!
The highly acclaimed director of Finding Nemo and the creative storytellers behind Cars and Ratatouille transport you to a galaxy not so far away for a new cosmic comedy adventure about a determined robot named WALL-E.
After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, the curious and lovable WALL-E discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. Join them and a hilarious cast of characters on a fantastic journey across the universe.
Transport yourself to a fascinating new world with Disney-Pixar’s latest adventure, now even more astonishing on DVD and loaded with bonus features, including the exclusive animated short film BURN-E. WALL-E is a film your family will want to enjoy over and over again.
Bonus Features (Single-Disc Standard Edition):
BURN-E — Hilarious, All-New Animated Short, “Bringing Light to the Galaxy… Eventual-E”
Sneak Peek: WALL-E’s Tour of the Universe — WALL-E Takes You on a Real Ride Through Space
Animation Sound Design: Building Worlds from the Sound Up — Legendary Sound Designer Ben Burtt Shares Secrets of Creating the Sounds of WALL-E
Audio Commentary with Director Andrew Stanton
And More!
Feature Running Time: Approx. 98 Minutes/Colour/Digitally Mastered. Rated G. Earth (and Space) Friendly Eco-Packaging: “Get into Environmentalit-E. Join Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment as we strive to develop and utilize the most environmentally responsible business practices. For this release of WALL-E, we developed a 100% recyclable DVD package. Find out how you can help WALL-E reduce waste and recycle. Visit Disney.com/gogreen.”
For more WALL-E information, visit the official WALL-E website and Amazon’s WALL-E page, and pick up a copy of the companion book to the film, The Art of WALL-E.
