Captain America: The Winter Soldier *sigh*

I got to attend another press junket a few weeks ago.

Also, it's just recently that I've started actually using the word, "junket" with regularity in coherent sentences. Mostly because I finally looked it up.

jun•ket noun

1. a sweet, custardlike food of flavored milk curdled with rennet.
2. a pleasure excursion, as a picnic or outing.
3. a trip, as by an official or legislative committee, paid out of public funds and ostensibly to obtain information.

verb (used without object)
4. to go on a junket.

verb (used with object)
5. to entertain; feast; regale.

So, there's that.

This time it was for the upcoming Marvel Studios release, 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' (win) and it was in Beverly Hills (double-win).

Of course, you know that we are all super-über-nerdy Marvel fans around here. So, getting invited to the press junket for Captain America and pre-screening put my Mom Points way off the scoreboard. (Thanks for that, Disney and Marvel!)

Cast of Captain America: The Winter Soldier -Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, and Samuel L. Jackson

I managed once again to get a front row seat to the awesome. (Charmed life, you know.) So already this junket was pretty much shaping up to be 2. a pleasure excursion, as a picnic or outing.

The thing that impressed me the most about the Q & A with the directors and cast was how much they love the franchise. Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios and producer of the film is wonderfully committed to staying true to the comic book stories and heroes, which is truly a beautiful thing.

And speaking of beautiful things, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to - The Winners of the Genetic Lotto...

From left to right, Anthony Mackie (Falcon - by far my favorite character, but that's not important right now), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier), and Chris Evans (Captain America).

I'll post a review of the film in delicious detail in a few days, but right now I'm still reeling from being in the same room with all this beauty. Oh, yeah, and Scarlett Johansson was there, too.

My favorite quote of the day came from Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury).

It’s a dream come true. You sit there and read comic books when you’re a kid and you wonder if there’s a world like that. You grow up as an actor and they start making movies like that and you wonder, “How can I get in that movie?” and the next thing you know you’re inside it going, “Yeah!”  So, it’s all plus there.

I know. I feel the same way about getting invited to this junket, Sam.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens Friday, April 4th, 2014.

Muppets Most Wanted - A Review

Speaking of the Muppets...

My family and I were delighted to attend a pre-screening of Disney's Muppets Most Wanted. Well, technically, I've already seen it twice, but that's not important right now.

The first screening took place at the Disney Studios in Burbank, which is always magical, particularly at night.

As any serious Disney fan knows, this has to be one of the coolest places to visit outside of the parks. This is the Legends Plaza which is a courtyard filled with bronze handprints of all the actors, imagineers, and anyone related to everything in the Disney Universe.

If I get invited to a screening of a Disney picture at the Studio, I will always say yes. (That, and wearing red lipstick at all times are my two unbreakable rules, but that's not important right now, either.)

I saw the Muppets Most Wanted at the studio with my daughter, Amy and a visiting friend. I hoped that the Muppets would deliver, as they usually do, and I'm glad to report, we were not disappointed.

The beginning sequence in which the Muppets are singing and dancing to the song, "They've Ordered a Sequel" was partly filmed right here on this lot, which, of course, made us feel sooo accidentally cool.

Also, being big Muppet fans, there are certain elements that we expect in their films.

Memorable Characters - the introduction of Constantine, Kermit's evil doppelganger with the telltale mole, makes me already wish for a sequel to this sequel.

Celebrity Cameos - it goes without saying that a lot of the fun of a Muppet movie is looking out for and identifying the celebrities as they pop in and out of scenes. But hands down, my favorite was Tom Hiddleston (Loki!) as the Great Escapo, trying to find yet another way out of the Siberian gulag run by Tina Fey as the Russian warden Nadya. Her accent, by the way, was wonderfully over the top.

Tongue-in-Cheekiness (<--is that a word?) - the film is obviously very entertaining for little kids, but don't underestimate the appeal for those of us who appreciate some serious smart-aleckiness. (<--is that a word?) Ty Burrell plays a French detective, paired up with America's own Sam Eagle, who tries to unravel the mystery behind a series of break-ins at museums that happen to be at the same location where the Muppets are performing. He completely satirizes all-things-European, from their tiny cars to their penchant for long lunches and holidays. He was my hands down favorite.

Goofy Musical Numbers - I hope I'm not spoiling too much by telling you that Celine Dion and Miss Piggy make a winning duet. My favorite was the Interrogation Song performed by Burrell and Sam Eagle.

Bad puns - you couldn't have a Muppet movie without them and this one delivers plenty.

I went to a second screening, this time at our local theater, taking my husband, Eric, as well as Lucy and her Beau.

I'm happy to report that they too loved the Muppets Most Wanted. We laughed and rolled our eyes at all the puns and clapped at key moments. I may or may not have teared up a bit at the end when, in classic Muppet style, the underlying message of love and loyalty to friends and family finally wins the day.

It's so appealing that it makes you want to become one of the family. See what I mean?

I recommend Disney's Muppets Most Wanted. If you're anything like me and my kids, you'll totally enjoy it. Prepare to be completely delighted. And yes, I think you might want to bring the kids, too.

Muppets Most Wanted opens everywhere on Friday, March 21st.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Last week I had the incredible pleasure of participating in the press junket for Disney's "Muppets Most Wanted," the sequel to the 2011 film, the aptly named, "The Muppets."

Here are Tina Fey, Kermit the Frog, Ricky Gervais, Constantine, Ty Burrell, and Sam Eagle.

There I sat at the beautiful Beverly Hilton Hotel as part of the group of invited journalists who were asking pertinent and pointed questions about the filmmakers, the movie making process, their inspiration, the stars talent (<--that's the cool way to refer to the people in the film) interaction with each other and all that.

There's my curly haired self as we journalists (wink, wink) are being regaled with stories from Producer Todd Lieberman, Director James Bobin, and Music Supervisor Bret McKenzie.

And there were the filmmakers and the stars talent answering those pertinent and pointed questions in a lovely conversational manner while bantering with each other about things that happened on set and their best moments on the film and all that.

The brilliance of this particular junket was that the Muppets were themselves and never broke that "fourth wall." They were very much themselves, just as you wanted them to be.

Let me just tell you why it's fun to be me at these things - because while I sat there posing as a real journalist, I was truly just a star struck über-fan. I have always loved the Muppets and faithfully watched their show even when I was a young adult, and then later I introduced my kids to them. They are part of our collective pop culture. Their sense of humor always intact.

My favorite part of the panel had to be when Sam Eagle just gushed about how he bonded with Ty Burrell in the film and howTy's accent was so good that Sam actually believed that Ty was French. (I know. It feels a little surreal writing this.) But that's what made the day so lovely. We all embraced the Muppets as the real characters they are to all of us.

Finally Sam excused himself announcing to us that he had been summoned by hotel security and was mindful of keeping all of us journalists safe. Off he went.

The vacancy in the panel was soon filled as Miss Piggy, fashionably late (of course) swished in and made a fashion statement in a gorgeous purple gown.

You can totally picture it, can't you? I know. Shut up.

I suppose I could pull some of the more memorable quotes from the film makers and stars talent, but my take-away from the day was that I was not the only über-fan. It was obvious that everyone who worked on the picture had the same reverence for Jim Henson's legacy and the very real characters people he created so many years ago.

I am a writer, of course. I have been sharing my life and thoughts right here in this space for years. But a journalist? I still have a lot to learn. I am, in fact, pretty green.

And you know what Kermit says about being green... (<--yeah. I went there.)

I'm so very grateful to Disney Pictures for allowing me to participate in this über-memorable event.

Muppets Most Wanted opens in theaters on Friday, March 21st, 2014.

Everything is Awesome - The LEGO® Movie

A few months ago when we first became aware that Warner Bros was going to be releasing The Lego® Movie, we sat up and took notice.

My husband, Eric, who is now 48 played with LEGO® bricks as a kid. As a matter of fact, he would tell you that they were his very favorite toy. He would spend hours, he says, lost in the world of bricks and his imagination.

Well, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Jonathan quickly, happily, and easily became addicted to the bricks. See here and here.

Last week we were delighted to have been invited to a preview of The LEGO® Movie.
The story is about an ordinary LEGO® minifigure, mistakenly thought to be the extraordinary Master Builder, and is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil LEGO® tyrant from gluing the universe together.

We were captivated from the start. The story, the characters, the execution - all brilliant. I don’t say that lightly. Chris Pratt is the voice of Emmet, the average, rule-following everyman.

Elizabeth Banks is Wyldstyle "Are you a DJ?," the daring and independent female lead who believes Emmet is the "Special." Her real name, by the way, is Lucy. (Yay!)

Will Ferrell starts as the voice of President Business, an uptight CEO who has a hard time balancing World Domination with micro-managing his own life (see what I mean? Already the premise is hilarious.), while Liam Neeson voices the president' powerful henchman, known as Bad Cop/Good Cop. (<--You can totally predict how this is going to happen, right Lego® Lovers?) Nick Offerman lends his voice to a craggy, swaggering pirate obsessed with revenge. And Alison Brie plays a sweet, lovable member of this unlikely dream team with a powerful secret. (What's there not to love already?)

Our favorite was Will Arnett as Batman. He delivered Batman’s lines in that choppy, deep, let’s-mock-all-the-Batman-movies-you've-ever-seen voice. Every time he spoke, we held our sides from laughing so hard.

All that to say this: The LEGO® Movie is a must see.

On the day we saw it, the theater was filled with mostly families with young children. Jon and his best friend, Nathan - the two lone 18 year olds - were the oldest. Their take was that the little kids will find it funny, but the adults will totally appreciate the sublime humor.

There are lots of fantastic voice cameos, like Channing Tatum as Superman, Jonah Hill as the Green Lantern, and Cobie Smulders as Wonder Woman. You really need to be paying attention to catch some of the nuances of the jokes.

This film was very obviously made by people who love LEGO® as much as we do. There was old-school Spaceman Benny (voiced by Charlie Day), with the space ship that so easily fell apart. Eric totally identified with that. It was clear that the film makers were all true LEGO fans. You could feel the love in every frame.

There was a nod to all the varied and extensive collectors sets. Hello, Shaquille O’Neil and the 2003 LA Lakers! Do you remember that? My guys did.

I loved that they even made a point to highlight the odds and ends that randomly find their way into the LEGO bin. I won’t spoil that, but be on the look out for the "Relics." The best homage to childhood ever.

The bottom line is that we laughed. Long and hard and out loud throughout the entire film. The first thing we said as we left the theater was “We need to see that AGAIN."

The film has very broad family appeal, not just because it has a PG rating. My family appreciated that they didn’t didn’t dumb anything down for a particular age group and totally respected how beloved the bricks are to so many generations of Would-be Master Builders. It could have easily devolved into a long commercial for the popular toy brand, but much to their credit, instead the story had us laughing out loud and rooting for the unlikely hero. The film is a total win.

The only character missing was this Coffee-drinking, Red-lipstick wearing, Curly-haired, Cuban LEGO Mama. See what I did there? (I totally crack myself up.)

Make your own LEGO® Sigfig here.

Also, as soon as we got home we downloaded the very catchy theme song by Tegan and Sara. I'm convinced that after you see this movie, you too will agree that “Everything is Awesome.”

Well played, Warner Bros. and LEGO®. Very well-played.

In theaters everywhere on February 7th, 2014.

Saving Mr. Banks - a love story

The year was 1964 and my family had just moved from Florida to California. (Obviously, we've been here ever since, but that's not important right now.) I was nine years old.

One of the very first things we did was visit Disneyland. It had captured our imaginations from early on and we were so excited to visit the iconic park. Of course, as you know we fell in love with all things Disney at that point and pretty much never looked back. (Read about my mom's special Disney wish, made the year I was born.)

Another thing that happened in 1964, was the release of Walt Disney Pictures' Mary Poppins. My older sisters took me to see it in a theater in Westwood, as I recall. I can still even remember where I was sitting. The impact on my young imagination was immediate and visceral. I have never in my life had a theater experience like that one. I was completely captivated.

Immediately, I started begging for the long play album. In stereo. *sigh* The Disney magic is quite a force to be reckoned with. I played it and played it and memorized every song and practically wore out the grooves on that LP. Good times.

Recently, Lucy and I were invited to a pre-screening of the film, Saving Mr. Banks, which was being shown in the Frank G. Wells Screening Room on the Walt Disney Studios lot.

So, to clarify...we were going to see Saving Mr. Banks, which is about the relationship between Walt Disney and the author of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers and the making of Mary Poppins on the exact same lot that both pictures were filmed. If you've seen the trailers, you already know it's a beautiful thing. (Somebody pinch me.)

Having grown up during this specific time period, I can testify to the fact that Disney got the 60's look just right. Having been a lifelong Disneyphile (<--is that a word?) I was hardly surprised by how intensely I responded to the film. Almost the same reaction I had to seeing Mary Poppins back in 1964.

My favorite part of this clip is when songwriter Richard Sherman talks about how the film makers and designers did their job so well that he felt it was like watching a home movie.

Picture me and Lucy bouncing around the studio lot (seriously - there was bouncing) going from one spot to another. "Look at this! This is where that one scene was shot! Walt's office was up there!"

We had just seen the film and our emotions were still raw and the excitement was spilling out of us.

See what we did there?

A few days later, I was invited to the press junket for Saving Mr. Banks, which made me feel sooo accidentally cool and a bit stressed at the same time. Burning question: What does one do at a press junket? And where exactly did that word come from?

So I dragged Eric along with me to the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel where I would get to ask questions of the actors and film makers.

The List of People at the junket made my head spin.

• Tom Hanks ("Walt Disney")
• Emma Thompson ("PL Travers")
• Colin Farrell ("Robert Goff Travers")
• Jason Schwartzman ("Richard Sherman")
• BJ Novak ("Robert Sherman")
• Bradley Whitford ("Don DaGradi")
• John Lee Hancock (Director - he also directed The Blind Side.)
• Kelly Marcel (Writer)
• Alison Owen (Producer)

Seriously. Somebody pinch me.

I loved being a part of this day. The cast was brilliant as they patiently answered our questions. They were also were delightfully entertaining. I especially loved this moment when Tom Hanks describes the day he took his grandaughter to Disneyland. (Please excuse the herky-jerky, grainy, potato-phone video and enjoy the story.)

When the press event was over, some of us bloggers kind of rushed Tom Hanks for photos. He was very accomodating for a few minutes, but was being called to another appointment. We are all pushing to document the moment and get on camera with Tom Hanks.

Here's how this went down...

Me: "Tom! Selfie?"

Tom Hanks (starting to lean in)

Disembodied voice: "Mr. Hanks, we have to go now."

Tom Hanks look up to respond to the voice.

Marta snaps this shot.

I lead a charmed life, don't I?

My opinion of the film? Oscar worthy. Beautiful. Iconic. Magical. Not-Enough-Superlatives.

Emma Thompson is by turns electrifying and cringe-worthy as the fussy P.L.Travers. An amazing performance. Tom Hanks is the embodiment of Walt Disney himself. Jason Schwartzman and BJ Novak are phenomenal as the legendary songwriters, Richard and Robert Sherman. Colin Farrell breaks your heart.

Full disclosure: I cried. Not just a single tear escaping the corner of my eye, but I wept. Openly and loudly. I guess you could call it "ugly" crying. Having said that, I encourage you to go see this film. Much the same way that Mary Poppins affected me back in 1964, my imagination has been captured and so has my heart.

Also, guess what's playing on a constant loop at my house right now?

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

See the film. And take tissues. You've been warned.

Disney's Saving Mr. Banks opens everywhere on December 20th, 2013.

The Book of New Zealand - The Hobbit Event

You know how seriously nerdy my family is about Tokien, right? If not, let me direct you here, here, and here. I'm about to go seriously uber-Tolkien-geeky right here. You've been warned.

Last week Lucy and I got to participate in The Hobbit Event, much to our über-Tolkien-nerdy delight. 

In partnership with Tourism New Zealand, the filmmakers of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, created a larger-than-life pop up book depicting four of the phenomenal sets that were featured in this film. So, picture this...we physically got to walk through these fantastic sets. (Jealous yet?)

But first, they served us a delicious lunch and there were prizes. Very, very cool prizes. I won a fabulous gift basket which included a ton of this year's Warner Brothers DVD and Blue Ray releases, which made me a total hero to my kids. Big Mom-win here. Thanks, Warner Brothers!

They told us in the invitation that, besides, lunch and prizes there would be "...surprises."

Were we ever surprised and ridiculously delighted by the appearance of the Dwarves, Fili and Kili. I know. Shut up!

Actually, these are the actors who play them, but when you're as seriously nerdy about this stuff as we are, you just call them by their drawf names even though, duh, we know they're only actors, but that's not important right now. Aidan Turner on the left is Kili. DeanO'Gorman (on the right) plays Fili. Or as you are more likely to recognize them, in all their Dwarf-lord glory...

See what a great day we were having?

And then it was time for a tour of The Book of New Zealand, also known as The Giant Pop-up Book of Middle Earth. Which, if I wasn't thinking about it before made me totally want to vacation in New Zealand because....hello? New Zealand.

There was the head of Thror which stands guard at the entrance to the Lonely Mountain. (Anyone else geeking out over this yet?) In real life it's Turoa on Mount Ruapehu. (Look at me, learning NZ geography!)

Could it get any better than this?

Well, yes. The next stop was walking into Beorn's house. Beorn is the shape-changing-giant-bear-man who helps the dwarves and Bilbo on part of their quest for the Lonely Mountain, but of course, you already knew that (or at least, you would if you were a Hobbit über-geek, too, but that's not important right now). Everything was giant-bear-man size kind of awesome.

Then there was Laketown, where all the death and destruction will happen once the dragon Smaug, who lives in the Lonely Mountain is awakened by Bilbo (but you didn't hear it from me). Lucy was interviewed by the crew here.

For those of us (I'm looking at you, faithful homeschooling parents) who have read and loved all the Tolkien books, this was a Tolkien fan-girl's dream come true. Although, I have to confess, I'm  a bit disappointed that Peter Jackson decided to turn a 300 page book into a trilogy of movies, but I still don't care because we über-geeks could happily lose days (or at the very least 3 hours at a time) in all things Middle Earth.

Food, prizes, Fili, Kili, and Middle Earth. A perfect Tolkien über-geek holiday.

A few days later, Amy and I went to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in Real 3D. My kids were fighting over who got to see the movie with me. "But you already took Lucy to Middle Earth!" they protested. (That just sounded cool to say.)

This second part picks up where the last film left off. And not to spoil too much, but I thought the first half took a little too long and because I'm a Tolkien purist and I struggled with what was in the film and what wasn't. The question that remains, of course, is: Is there such a thing as too much Legolas? The answer, of course, is no.

So our company of Hobbit and dwarves arrives at the Lonely Mountain. (Just like we did!)

And Bilbo came face-to-face with the you-will-totally-believe-dragons-are-really-real Smaug. This part of the film captured our imaginations like nothing else and then it became difficult to sit still from all the nervous excitement. Added bonus: Smaug the dragon is voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. I practically wept.

I'm sincerely grateful to Warner Brothers for their generosity and for letting us be a part of The Hobbit Event. For this über-nerdy Tolkien fan-girl, it has been a very rewarding adventure.

 The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug opens everywhere on December 13, 2013.

Thor: The Dark World - A movie review (and love letter)

A few nights ago, my son, Jonathan and I had the pleasure of previewing the film, Thor: The Dark World in LA.

If you don't already, please read about my great über-nerdy love of the character of Thor here.

I was so thrilled to receive the invitation from Disney Pictures to see the film. Especially because I got to share the moment with Jon.

But just before we went in...

Me (engulfed with a sudden surge of insecurity): "Jon! I'm wearing orange."

Jon: "What does that matter, Mom?"

Me: "We're in LA! Everyone knows you're supposed to wear black and attempt to look hipsterish in LA."

He smirks at me.

Jon: "Quick! What's the name of the realm where Thor lives?"

Me: "Asgard. Duh."

Jon: "What's the name of the gatekeeper of Asgard?"

Me: "Heimdall. Why?"

Jon: "Where was Loki born?"

Me: "Yodenheim. To the Frost Giants. What's your point?"

Jon: "I think you're good, Mom."

That, as any middle aged mom knows, was truly the highest praise. In we went to watch the 2nd installment of Thor: The Dark World.

In Real 3D. There's a mellower, realistic quality to Real 3D, as opposed to just regular 3D. For once, I really enjoyed it . Who knew?

Our consensus on the film: Chris Hemsworth as Thor is still magnificent as The God of Thunder. Particularly when he bursts out of nowhere and expertly wields Mjolnir. That's the name of his hammer. Pronounced: "Mee-yol-neer." (Wow. You probably had no idea I was this über-nerdy.)

Tom Hiddleston is the best good guy/bad guy ever. You hate him. You love him. You laugh at him. You root for him. You trust him. You don't trust him. He's evil. He's conflicted. He's hurt. He did what? Your mind is blown. Seriously, Marvel. Thank you for such a wonderfully watchable and complex character.

I'm not going to go through each member of the cast or spoil the movie, but when you see it (and all you über-nerds out there, you MUST!) please pay attention to Rene Russo as Frigga, Thor's mother. Her scene is one of the most brilliant and beautiful mom moments ever. (I may or may not have gasped and cried. Your interest is piqued now, isn't it?)

Thor: The Dark World is beautifully made. The story is compelling. The characters are all utterly engaging. I liked Natalie Portman as Jane! The special effects enhance the plot and move the story along which is not always the case in these days of easy CG effects (I'm looking at you, Transformers).

Best of all, I got to enjoy it and spend an über-nerdy evening with my teenage son. We talked about all the plot twists and turns all the way home. And for that gift, I'm über-grateful, Disney Pictures and Marvel.

Also, be sure to sit through all the credits until the very end. But if you're a Marvel über-nerd, you already knew that.

Thor: The Dark World opens in theaters everywhere on November 8th, 2013.

For the Love of Olaf

Remember that time I spent the day at the Disney Animation Studio in Burbank? Obviously, being an artist myself, and a techno-geek, and a lover of all-things-Disney made it a fantastically fantastic day for me. (Emphasis on the "fan" part.)

We had the priviledge of being immersed in the world of Disney's FROZEN, the latest animated feature from Disney Pictures.

Today I wanted to tell you about one of my favorite characters in the film. "It's too soon to have a favorite," you say. "The film hasn't even come out yet," you say.

I promise if you've seen any of the trailers, you too will already be in love with Olaf. He's the snowman.

 Allow me to introduce you to my new best friend, Olaf. Watch. And love.

Directed by Chris Buck ("Tarzan," "Surf's Up") and Jennifer Lee ("Wreck It Ralph"), Frozen is already shaping up to be a must-see Disney classic. And Olaf is one of the sweetest pieces of the story for me.

Kristoff and Anna face fierce weather, wolves—and a strangely familiar snowman named Olaf, who takes them—and the audience—by surprise. “When Elsa flees Arendelle,” says Lee, “she starts playing with the very magic she’s been hiding for so long. The snowman she creates comes from memories of the happy times she shared with Anna when they were young. Olaf represents that pure innocence and childhood joy. The minute we imbued him with that, he just took off. He’s funny in a way that children are funny. He’s completely unaffected by the world. He’s the one character who isn’t struggling with fear versus love. He is love.”

Remember that I got to spend a day with the Disney Animators and chat with them about the making of this film? (I know. I just wanted to say that again.) From the producer and directors to the animators to the actors who voiced the film, the consensus appears to be that Olaf is the most unique of Disney characters.

A snowman who has dreams of playing in the sun... Wait! That might have been an overshare, but that's not important right now.

There's so much more that I want to share with you, but I hope I've whetted your appetite enough that you're anxious to meet Olaf for yourself. He's a snowman after my own heart.

Disney's FROZEN opens in theaters everywhere on November 27th, 2013.

My Big, Fat, FROZEN, Cuban Family

The invitation read as follows:  

"Come experience some cool things heating up at the long lead Press Day for Disney's FROZEN."

In other words, how would I like to spend a day at the Walt Disney Animation Studios and meet the producer, directors, animation team, art directors, and tech geniuses behind the upcoming Disney animated film, FROZEN?

Umm...yes, please!

I have seen the iconic sorcerer's apprentice hat building many times while driving to Burbank. "That's the home of the Walt Disney Animation Studios." We always point it out. Always saying it in reverently hushed tones. "It must be magical in there."  Sigh.

So to be invited to spend a day here and witness the "making of" moments for an animated feature film? Seriously? Somebody pinch me.

We were treated to a sneak preview of the film, FROZEN, which is a stunning, big-screen, comedy-adventure inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen.

"Although ‘Frozen’ is inspired by Andersen’s classic tale,” says director Chris Buck ("Tarzan," "Surf's Up"), “our story is distinctly our own—fresh and new in spirit and style. It is wonderfully emotional, with plenty of action, adventure, magic and unforgettable characters.”


“A story that started as a very simple idea of the power of family has grown into something much bigger,” adds director Jennifer Lee ("Wreck It Ralph"), who wrote the screenplay. “It’s about fear versus love that’s told through a family’s journey—their struggle to overcome fear and find the true meaning of love.”

The preview did not disappoint. It has all the elements of the stuff that makes us love Disney films so much: stunning visuals, strong characters, fabulous storytelling.

We spent the day visiting with the talented folks who brought the story to life.

In the Rigging Lab with the Disney Animators. (I know. Shut up.)

My favorite part of the day was when we got to play on the computers in the Rigging Lab. "Rigging" is CG animation-speak for "giving the characters expression and really making the film come to life," but that's not important right now.

I want to stop and have you appreciate this moment with me.

I. GOT. TO. PLAY. ON. THE. COMPUTERS. WHERE. THE. DISNEY. ANIMATORS. DO. THEIR. MAGIC.

I'm obviously still geeking out just a little over this.

They created a new piece of software they call, TONIC. Tonic allows the artists to really work with hair to make it look and act like, well...hair. You can see all the strands and how they wind up together in intricate braids and hairdos. TONIC is also used for when the characters have a bad hair day. Genius.

Not only does hair have to be animated, so does clothing. So they created CLOTH. With the goal being for the cloth to not just behave like cloth, but to act in a very directed manner to enhance the performance of the characters. I know. Mind blown.

One of the sweet characters in the film is called, Olaf. He's a snowman.

“For the animation team, Olaf was like a giant toy box,” adds Buck. “He’s made up of three balls of snow that can break apart and come together in different ways. His eyes can move around, his nose can slide in and out and off. His stick arms came off. Animators could do anything with him.”

Olaf ice sculpture. And ice cream blizzards. Sooo apropo.

Producer Peter Del Vecho: “Olaf is one of the funniest characters in the movie, but he also has an innocent view of the world, which allows him to say things that go right to the heart very quickly.”

We spent the day interviewing these talented folks, visiting their creative spaces and playing with their tools. And, of course, geeking out over it all. The world of Disney FROZEN came to life for us in a beautiful and intimate way, and honestly, I'm having a hard time picking out the highlights of our day because, for me, the day was absolute perfection.

The film promises to be a true Disney technological masterpiece, with delightful characters and lots of drama and hilarity.

FUN FACT: One of Anna’s favorite phrases—“Wait, what?”—was added to the script compliments of Kristen Bell. I so love that.

Listen for the "Wait, what?" in this trailer.

We toured and played and ate and talked and spent quite the magical day immersed in all things FROZEN. There's so much more I want to tell you, but I think I'll save that post for another day.

A great big THANK YOU to the good people at Disney for including My Big, Fat, Cuban Family in your beautiful and magical FROZEN world.

Check out these 15 seconds of pure Disney-geek-wow-they-animated-this-for-ME awesomeness. Totally made my day.

It was just really cool to be a part of it all. (<--See what I did there?)

"Wait, what?"

Thanks for letting me overshare. It was truly a magical day.

 FROZEN opens in theatres everywhere on November 27th, 2013.

Hello, Outdoor Movie Nights

I know this might sound odd, but at the beginning of every summer, we make a Summer Bucket List. I may just have to blog about it soon, but today is not that day.

We've always been pretty intentional about the things we choose to participate in and the places we go. I think it's a holdover from being homeschoolers for so long. There's always a plan.

A few years back, Eric got me the Best Gift Ever. He bought me a projector and a giant screen in order to show movies in our backyard.

One of our signals that summer is really here is when we start making plans to watch movies outdoors on our big screen.

We usually invite friends and there's probably going to be dinner or dessert, or both. Sometimes we just run over to Costco and buy boxes of candy and set up a concession bar. (I'll blog about that another day, too.)

But what to show?

We determined early on that we would keep the movies family friendly. Comedies? Definitely. Musicals? Absolutely. Animation? Of course. The key is that they must be good stories and have great plots. Or maybe movies that have lots of good lines. We love movie lines.

We choose the kind of movies that we don't get tired of seeing over and over. A mix of classics, action-adventure, cheesy love stories, old-school black and whites, and frankly, they should just be fun.

This Summer Movie List is serious business around here. There's lots of talk and arguments and suggestions. Mostly arguments. Loud ones. With lots of hand gestures.

So, in order to keep from hurting each other we started a list of the ones we all agree on.

Which usurped my menu board for a few days, but that's not important right now.

Everyone has their favorites, or what they believe to be the most entertaining. Some of these will never get old.

Summer Movie List

• The Emperor's New Groove
• Galaxy Quest
• Singing in the Rain
• Megamind
• The Italian Job
• Fletch
• Damn Yankees
• What about Bob?
• Superman
• Hellboy (don't judge if you've never seen it.)
• The Sting
• Ferris Bueller's Day Off
• Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
• 17 Again
• Bringing Up Baby
• Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

We're adding to list every day. Any suggestions?

Also, this is shaping up to be a great summer.

“There is a leopard on your roof and it's my leopard and I have to get it and to get it I have to sing.” -Bringin Up Baby, 1938