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Princess And The Frog Fun Facts

Saturday, March 13th, 2010

To Celebrate the DVD and Blu-ray release of The Princess & The Frog March 16, 2010. Here are some fun facts about the movie



  • FROG FUN — Animators and visual development artists invited a host of real frogs into the studio in order to truly appreciate what makes frogs frogs.
  • DISNEY’S NINTH PRINCESS – Disney’s newest princess, Tiana, joins ranks with Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, Pocahontas, Jasmine and Mulan. The Princess and the Frog is Disney’s first princess film since Mulan, which was released in June 1998.
  • PAYING HOMAGE – During “Down in New Orleans” early in the film, the carpet from Aladdin is being shaken up on a wrought-iron balcony. Mama Odie comes across the lamp from Aladdin during “Dig a Little Deeper.” A Mardi Gras parade float is modeled after King Triton from The Little Mermaid—on it are caricatured versions of directors John Musker and Ron Clements (who also directed The Little Mermaid, Louis realizes his dream of playing with a jazz band and the band is called the Firefly Five Plus Lou after a Disney Animation ragtime band from the 1940s-50s known as the Firehouse Five Plus Two (the film’s piano player is even modeled after Disney Legend Frank Thomas was the piano player for the Firehouse Five Plus Two).
  • ALL IN GOOD TIME — It took about 20 minutes for an animator to create one drawing for The Princess and the Frog. It took animators 20-40 hours to create the basis of an individual scene in The Princess and the Frog. That same scene then took another two–three months in the production pipeline before becoming a final scene in color.
  • ALL THAT RAIN — Ron Clements was at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival when he got caught in a downpour and took cover under a table. Clements later added the scene in the bayou in which Tiana and Prince Naveen get caught in the rain.
  • LATER GATOR — The well-known chef Emeril Lagasse voiced the part of Marlon the Gator.
  • BLOWING HIS OWN HORN — Terrence Blanchard, who is a native New Orleans jazz legend and trumpet player, played all of alligator Louis’ trumpet parts in the film. He also voiced the role of Earl the bandleader in the riverboat band.
  • PICTURE THIS — Filmmakers took more than 50,000 photos of local iconic images to use as reference and inspiration including places like the buildings, restaurants and the garden district.
  • EVERYBODY LOVES A PARADE – Filmmakers were invited to participate in Mardi Gras aboard a float. At the end of the film, there are caricatures of the directors throwing beads off the float during the wedding parade.
  • A GOOD CAUSE – During their time in New Orleans, directors Ron Clements and John Musker, and producer Peter Del Vecho volunteered for Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild New Orleans.
  • ALL IN THE FAMILY — Some of the background characters were based on members of the production crew. The man with the horse in the opening sequence was based on supervising animator Eric Goldberg. Producer Peter Del Vecho’s likeness can be seen doing the tango across the dance floor at the Masquerade Ball. The girls swooning after Prince Naveen are all based on members of the production team. Marlon West (EFX supervisor) and Bruce Smith (supervising animator) inspired Tiana’s friends in the café, and writer Rob Edwards’ likeness is part of the band. Head of story Don Hall voices the character of Darnell. Storyboard artist Paul Briggs voices the character of Two Fingers.
  • LOCAL TALENT — “Trombone Shorty,” a well-known local musician, played on “Down in New Orleans.” Al Hebron who was the filmmakers’ local tour guide was tapped to provide the voice of the riverboat captain.
  • MULTI-TALENTED – Terence Simeon, Grammy Award®-winning local musician, played the accordion, rub board, triangle and squeezebox on the Zydeco song “Gonna Take You There.”
  • ALL LIT UP INSIDE — Randy Newman provides the voice of firefly cousin Randy, who is a caricature of the composer. Newman was actually cast to voice several characters in the film—a raccoon, a turtle—but only the firefly made the final cut.
  • PLAY IT AGAIN — One of the most thrilling moments for director Ron Clements was when he got a personal performance from Randy Newman. Clements arrived early to the session at Newman’s house and the Oscar®-winning composer played the first song he wrote for the film.
  • MUSIC TO MY EARS — Music plays such an integral part of New Orleans lifestyle that filmmakers felt it important to reflect that diversity in the film. Oscar®-winning composer Randy Newman (Cars, Monsters, Inc., Toy Story) created an all-new score for the feature in a range of styles, including jazz, blues, gospel and zydeco; and featuring seven new songs.
  • ANIMAL BEHAVIOR — Directors John Musker and Ron Clements visited the New Orleans Audubon Zoo for inspiration. They saw indigenous alligators, which inspired the film’s trumpet playing alligator, and spoon-billed birds, which influenced the birds in Mama Odie’s gospel song “Dig A Little Deeper.”
  • NOW HEAR THIS — Sound designer Oden Benitez went to Jackson Square in New Orleans to record the sounds of the church bell and streetcar.
  • LEGENDS — One of the most thrilling trips to New Orleans for directors Ron Clements and John Musker was when they recorded Dr. John and Randy Newman at the local recording studio The Music Shed (which looked like a corrugated steel shed). The Gospel Choir was also recorded in the studio, where artists such as Robert Plant, Fats Domino and Norah Jones have all recorded. Both Dr. John and Newman have strong connections to New Orleans.
  • INDEPTH RESEARCH — Filmmakers took the Nanchez Riverboat tour to ensure the authenticity of the riverboat scenes. They also took a private tour of the streetcar system in New Orleans.

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    DVD and Blu-ray Releases March 9, 2010

    Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

    PRECIOUS



    Precious: Based on the novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, one of the year’s most critically acclaimed films, arrives on DVD, Blu-ray Disc and as a digital download from Lionsgate. Starring Mo’Nique (Shadowboxer) and Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe (film debut) in “Oscar-worthy” (New York Post) performances, the film is a vibrant, honest and resoundingly hopeful story about the human capacity to grow and overcome. The film, directed by Lee Daniels (Producer of Monster’s Ball) from a screenplay by Geoffrey Fletcher, based on the book ‘Push’; a novel by Sapphire, also stars Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Sherri Shepherd and musician Lenny Kravitz. Precious Jones, an inner-city high school girl, is illiterate, overweight, and pregnant… again. Naïve and abused, she responds to a glimmer of hope when a door is opened by an alternative-school teacher. She is faced with the choice to follow opportunity and test her own boundaries. 

    Release Date: March 9, 2010

    DVD DETAILS
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    PLANET 51



    When Chuck the astronaut (Dwayne Johnson) lands on a distant planet filled with little green people, he is surprised to discover that we are not alone in the galaxy. But he gets the shock of his life when the residents of Planet 51 mistakenly believe that his presence is the start of an alien invasion of the human kind! Luckily, an alien teenager named Lem (Justin Long) quickly realizes that Chuck is friendly and the two blast off on an adventure to try and return Chuck safely to his space ship!

    Release Date: March 9, 2010

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    OLD DOGS BLU-RAY



    Dan (Robin Williams) and his best friend and business partner Charlie (John Travolta) are on the verge of the biggest deal in the history of their sports marketing firm when their lives are turned upside down by a surprise visit from Dan’s ex-wife Vicki (Kelly
    Preston). Vicki has big news for Dan—their ever-so-brief liaison produced twins Zach (Conner Rayburn) and Emily (Ella Bleu Travolta), now seven-years-old and in need of a dad to keep an eye on them for two weeks. With only high-living playboy Charlie for support, Dan’s bumbling attempts at “on the job training” in fatherhood result in a series of disastrously funny exploits that lead him to a new understanding of what really matters in life. Featuring an extraordinary cast of comedy purebreds including Seth Green, Matt Dillon and Lori Loughlin, Old Dogs will have audiences rolling over and begging for
    more.

    Release Date: March 9, 2010

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    THE STONING OF SORAYA M



    When a journalist (Caviezel) is stranded in a remote Iranian village, he meets a bold woman named Zahra (Aghdashloo) who takes a big chance to reveal what the villagers will stop at nothing to hide. Thus begins the story of Soraya (Mozhan Marnò), a kind woman whose cruel, divorce-seeking husband trumps up false charges of infidelity against her, which carry an unimaginable penalty. Soraya and Zahra attempt to navigate the villagers’ scheming, lies and deceit to prove her innocence. But when all else fails, Zahra must risk everything to use the only weapon she has left – her voice – to share Soraya’s shocking story with the world.

    Release Date: March 9, 2010

    DVD DETAILS
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    ALSO

    UP IN THE AIR
    POSSESSION

    DVD RELEASE SCHEDULE

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    Old Dogs DVD Clips

    Sunday, March 7th, 2010

    To celebrate the release of OLD DOGS on DVD and Blu-ray March 9, 2010, here are a few DVD clips.

    Enjoy!

    BLOOPERS

    FEATURETTE: QUESTIONS

    GOING APE

    SIDE EFFECTS

    PRISON RULES

    DADDY

    TRAILER

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    The Stoning Of Soraya M Trailer

    Saturday, March 6th, 2010

    To celebrate the DVD and Blu-ray release of “THE STONING OF SORAYA M” this March 9, here is the trailer of the film.

    Enjoy!


    When a journalist (Caviezel) is stranded in a remote Iranian village, he meets a bold woman named Zahra (Aghdashloo) who takes a big chance to reveal what the villagers will stop at nothing to hide. Thus begins the story of Soraya (Mozhan Marnò), a kind woman whose cruel, divorce-seeking husband trumps up false charges of infidelity against her, which carry an unimaginable penalty. Soraya and Zahra attempt to navigate the villagers’ scheming, lies and deceit to prove her innocence. But when all else fails, Zahra must risk everything to use the only weapon she has left – her voice – to share Soraya’s shocking story with the world.

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    Leap Year DVD and Blu-ray Release Date

    Friday, March 5th, 2010

    Amy Adams (Julie & Julia, Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Doubt) and Matthew Goode
    (Watchmen, A Single Man) star in Leap Year, a charming romantic comedy that arrives on Blu-ray Hi-DefTM, DVD and Digital Download on May 4, 2010 from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. An old Irish tradition leads Anna (Amy Adams) to breathtaking Ireland to propose to her boyfriend on Leap Day, despite what fate has in store for her. Also starring Adam Scott (Step Brothers, Knocked Up) and John Lithgow (“Dexter,” Kinsey), Leap Year is the “ridiculously romantic” (Argelia Atilano, Univision) Mother’s Day gift you’ll want to watch again and again!


    BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO BLU-RAYTM HI-DEF:
    • BD-LIVE™
    • pocket BLU™
    • social BLU™

    BONUS FEATURES (BLU-RAY™ HI-DEF AND DVD):
    • DELETED SCENES

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