Monthly Archives: April 2016

The Jungle Book : Movie Review | #JungleBook

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The Jungle Book

By Erin

THE JUNGLE BOOK - (L-R) MOWGLI and BAGHEERA. ©2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

THE JUNGLE BOOK – (L-R) MOWGLI and BAGHEERA. ©2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Visually stunning and adrenaline pumping, “The Jungle Book” is Disney’s newest live-action movie and it is amazing. You will leave the theater humming or singing some old favorite songs that have been redone for this new version of the film. In this re-told classic epic adventure, we follow Mowgli(newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves, and now finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle. The Fearsome tiger Shere Khan(voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Man does not belong in the jungle, and Shere Khan wants to take his revenge out on Mowgli. Forced to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by his panther mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray), who will have you laughing with his antics. On this thrilling journey, Mowgli meets jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, like Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub. Then you have other creatures like King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to talk Mowgli into sharing the deadly secret on how to create the red flower: fire, which only man knows how to do. “The Jungle Book” is based off of Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s beloved classic animated film. “We embrace the mythic qualities of Kipling in the more intense tonal aspects of the film,” says director Jon Favreau, “but we left room for what we remember from the ’67 film, and sought to maintain those charming Disneyesque aspects.” Only the latest technology was used to tell the story in a fresh, contemporary and immersive way, combining live-action performances with stunning CG environments and extraordinary photo-real animal characters that artists stylized to elevate the storytelling.

THE JUNGLE BOOK - (Pictured) MOWGLI and BALOO. ©2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

THE JUNGLE BOOK – (Pictured) MOWGLI and BALOO. ©2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

“‘The Jungle Book” is a universal coming-of-age story that everyone can relate to,” says producer Brigham Taylor. “Walt told the story through traditional cell animation and now we have the technology to actually bring these characters to life, make them photo-real and put a real kid into the environment in a seamless, believable way. The opportunity to be able to show that with today’s technology was irresistible.” According to Favreau, story is king. “I think films have to offer an emotional experience for the audience,” says the director. “The spectacle won’t mean anything if they’re not engaged emotionally with the characters. Every story needs humanity, emotion and 2 character development, as well as humor—presented in a way that doesn’t betray the stakes of the film. There are white-knuckle moments in the movie when you wonder, ‘what’s going to happen to this kid?'”

THE JUNGLE BOOK - (Pictured) MOWGLI and KING LOUIE ©2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

THE JUNGLE BOOK – (Pictured) MOWGLI and KING LOUIE ©2015 Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Full of the latest in CGI spectacle, “The Jungle Book” has a special charm and playful manner about it. The film can go to some dark places at times and can get a bit intense. Without giving anything away, there are some scenes with Shere Khan, Kaa, and King Louie that can get a little hairy, leaving Mowgli in some sticky situations and might be a little scary for some of the younger ones. Neel Sethi makes for the perfect Mowgli, and he truly makes the fantasy come alive and seem so real.

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Meet the Cast of The Jungle Book: Roaring Into Theaters April 15th! #JungleBook @TheJungleBook

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Meet the Cast of  The Jungle Book!

By Erin

*I was invited as a guest of Disney to the press junket for purposes of this post. All thoughts & Opinions remain my own*

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“Many strange tales are told of this Jungle. But none so strange as the tale of the cub we called Mowgli …” ~ Bagheera

Can you believe that it has already been 100 years since the original book and 50 years from the first movie being produced? That’s how classic and lovable this movie is and soon you will be able to experience this hit story in a whole new way! A little more than a week ago, Disney held the press junket for Jungle Book, which is the latest soon-to-be-released live action movie. In attendance were the cast, director and producer who joined us to answer questions and to let us in on what it was like to be a part of Disney’s remake of the original animated movie. An entire world and all the animal characters were created entirely as CGI. None of the jungle or the animals you see in this film are real. No matter how hard that may be to believe, it’s true. So what did we learn at the junket? Here’s who was there:

·         Jon Favreau (Director)  

·         Neel Sethi (“Mowgli”)

·         Sir Ben Kingsley (voice of “Bagheera”)

·         Lupita Nyong’o (voice of “Raksha”)

·         Giancarlo Esposito (voice of “Akela”)

·         Brigham Taylor (Producer)

Jungle-Book-Cast-Directors

As everyone stepped onto the stage, Lupita’s dress stole everyone’s attention. Look at the snake, those sparkles and the shoes to match! So unique and just perfect for the Jungle Book. Here are some of the fun facts that were discussed during this press conference.

*This was Lupita’s first voice over roll and she was attracted to it because Raksha is the eternal mother and she chooses to take care of this creature who is not one of her own, yet takes care of him as though we was.

*Giancarlo read the book as a child, which really made a difference to him. “It allowed me to dream and dream big. To have courage. To have connection. After seeing the movie, it allowed me to understand how we create relationships with each other. And how those relationships are things that we can hold onto. Not much that’s material that we can really hold onto.”

Jungle-Book-Junket

*Favreau shared about his enthusiasm to create this film as he was asked why this movie at this time. “I was compelled with the idea of what can be done with visual effects now, I was also very impressed with films like Planet of the Apes, Avatar, Life of Pi and specifically what was done in Gravity, where the principle photography was treated like an element of an effects piece. It became a big puzzle and after thinking about it, I had a take on it, and when we all discussed it, everyone thought it sounded really cool. 100 years ago was the book, 50 years ago was the animated film, and now it’s time to update this joy for a new generation.”

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Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ Now Open at Main Place Mall in Santa Ana #LucillesBBQ @LucillesBBQ

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Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ Now Open in Santa Ana

By Erin

*I was invited to come and try the new Lucille’s. All thoughts and opinions remain my own*Lucille's-Smokehouse-BBQ

A few weeks ago I went with a few good friends to go try the NEW Lucille’s Smokehouse Barbeque in Santa Ana. This brand new location is in a prime spot at the Santa Ana Main Place Mall. Lucille’s offers delicious home-style smoked and barbeque dishes to satisfy the hungriest of appetites. A beautifully decorated location with lots of color, large comfy bar stools and lots of booth seating all throughout. The tables are larger than you will usually find which is great for larger parties (or if you’re like us, just to fit all the food we order). Large flat screen TV’s can be seen throughout so you can catch all the latest sporting events her while enjoying some great food and drinks. The atmosphere is very warm and welcoming, and the staff will make you feel like you’re right at home.

Beer-Flight-Lucille's

We were here on a Sunday afternoon, so we all started off with some drinks. A couple of my friends chose the Beer Flight. Choose between the Hop Lover’s Beer Flight featuring 4 Pale & IPA brews or try the BBQ Beer Flight which features 4 select ales & lagers that pair beautifully with the hickory smoked BBQ. They drank it all up, so I think to it’s safe to say it’s very enjoyable!

Drinks-Lucilles

I chose to have the Sweet Georgia Peach, which consists of Absolut Peach Vodka, Peach Schnapps and Peach Lemonade. Served in a 22 oz mug and topped with white ale. This was a very refreshing choice, and very yummy.  

Appetizer Platter Lucilles

We needed something to go with our drinks and we could not decide what we should try first so we just went and got a little of everything with this one! The Lucille’s Appetizer Platter is perfect for folks like us who can’t decide! A huge platter of their most popular items: Pork rib tips, fried dill pickles, sweet potato fries, fried green tomatoes, Dixie egg rolls, fried okra, chicken strips and spicy hot links. This was the perfect choice for us. We got to try a little of everything and it was amazing! I loved the fried okra!

Gumbo-Soup Lucilles

Next, we tried a little bit of the New Orleans Gumbo. It was pretty good and it’s very filling!

Back Porch Strawberry Lemonade Lucilles

Before we got our meals, I ordered one more drink. The Back Porch Strawberry Lemonade: Skyy Infusions Wild Strawberry Vodka, Hiram Walker Triple Sec, Lucille’s Fresh Strawberry Lemonade and a splash of soda. Served over ice in a 22 oz. mug.  This is a perfect Sunday afternoon drink to sip and savor.

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