Friday, September 21, 2007

Cars Lightning McQueen Animated Character Phone

I recently bought the aformentioned phone for use as a VoIP phone on my desk. I must say, Lightning looks right at home sitting there in front of my monitor and beside my PDA.

The USP of the phone is that instead of simply ringing when a call is received (Though that is an option), Lightning vibratesas if limbering up to race and delivers phrases from the film.

Phrases like "Kachow, kachow, kachow", "I am faster than fast", "Speed, I am speed" and "Now that's what I'm talking about".

There are five in total and a press of the Demo button, located by the handset cable port, plays all of them including some vibration.

The handset itself is the top of Lightning. The area from his bonnet (Hood) back to his spoiler comes away as the handset. On it are the obligatory 1-9-0 # * as well as Redial, Recall and Mute buttons plus a volume High/Low switch and a Cars logo.

The handset is surprisingly comfortable to hold and the buttons all have nice feels and are easily readable - even the corresponding letters on numbers which have these.

The phone looks very neat, most likely a result of it being a compact phone with a unique form factor. It's also a surprising accurate model of Lightning, including - as far as I can tell - all of his sponsor stickers, matching is body shape exactly and basically just looking, for want of a better word, right.

I'll update later with pictures and details on how good it is as a phone.

Jens Out

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Vanessa could still stay

Disney have said that they are "sticking by Vanessa" over the issue, but have not confirmed her involvement in High School Musical 3, as they are still involved in negotiations with talent for that release.

This is looking good, but I for one am keeping my eye on things. Vanessa needs to be confirmed for High School Musical 3 at least before I'll stop watching things closely.

Friday, September 7, 2007

Vanessa Anne Hudgens

Below is an open letter from me and anyone else who wishes to sign it in the Comments to The Walt Disney Company regarding news that they may drop Vanessa Anne Hudgens from future High School Musical productions.

Dear Board of Directors, Management of The Walt Disney Company/Disney Channel Worldwide and all other involved parties,

I have heard the news about a nude picture of Vanessa Anne Hudgens surfacing on the internet and that as a result, Disney is considering dropping Vanessa from future productions in the High School Musical franchise.

I would like to emphatically suggest you show leniancy in this case. Vanessa has said that the picture was a private matter and that she did not wish for it to appear in public. I for one believe her and you should too.

And either way, Vanessa is a fantastic role model and a very down-to-earth, nice person. She has earned her good name and Disney should do everything to help her maintain it - not help soil it.

Besides which, dropping Vanessa would be a huge mistake. High School Musical is a global cultural phenomenon. And Vanessa is a central part of that. There is no question over whether future High School Musical productions will be as successful if Vanessa is replaced. They will not. So financially, it's a mistake.

And that's not to mention the public outcry Disney would surely face.

Dropping Vanessa is neither justifiable or clever. As a die hard Disney Fan through-and-through, I would hate to see Disney make the huge mistake of ending Vanessa's involvement in the High School Musical Franchise.

And who's to say the cast would go along with this move? If Vanessa goes, one could imagine Zac Efron walking. Ashley Tisdale might be next and what is there to guarantee Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman would stay?

And without the whole set, there's no franchise to continue. No record-breaking profits. Nothing.

Disney has chucked away profits before - refusing a potentially lucrative deal with Hilary Duff over a slightly late response, turning down hits like Survivor and CSI, but we're past such monumental mistakes and into a time of wisdom. Like buying Pixar or allowing movies and TV shows to be bought from iTunes. Let's not make dropping Vanessa Anne Hudgens the crowning screw-up of this renewed era for Disney.

Vanessa Must Stay.

Sincerely,
Paul Douglas

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Welcome to All Your Disney

Welcome to All Your Disney, my new blog dedicated to all things The Walt Disney Company and it's related subsidiaries and owned brands.

As some of you will know, I am a huge Disney fan and would like very much to be a Cast Member. On this blog, I will chronicle both my dealings with Disney and my thoughts on its products and so on.

Anyway, to kick things off here is a reprint of my recent preview of the music of High School Musical 2, first showing on Disney Channel September 21st here in the UK.

I simply must get Disney Channel by then...

I recently previewed the music from the sequel to Disney's smash hit High School Musical. High School Musical 2's not showing until next month over here, but it's alreadys et records Stateside.

Anyway, the music. I gotta say, I loved the music of the original, but I felt it was artificialy bolstered by a reprisal and the Album by a couple of "alternative versions". The music in this sequel is almost all the equal of the best of the original. And there's more of it.

From the upbeat "What time is it?", a catch number as good as or better than the original's "Stick to the Status Quo" and "Breaking Free" to the spectacularly fun "You Are the Music in Me", High School Musical 2 is full of hits.

But it's not just the "catchy" numbers that are fantastic, "Gotta Go My Own Way" is superb, better than "When there was Me and You" from the original in every way.

Another standout is "All For One", a number similar in content to the original's "We're all in this together". It is equally as fun and catchy as its predecessor.

To summarise, whatever you thought of High School Musical (I myself thought it was delightful), High School Musical 2 is both its musical superior and a standout musical in modern times.

At least give it a try.

Jens Out