Monthly Archives: July 2019

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios

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Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios

By Erin

I love all things Halloween and for the first time ever, Sony Pictures’ classic film, Ghostbusters, is coming to “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort – bringing the most memorable scenes, characters and supernatural spirits from one of pop culture’s most iconic films to life in immersive mazes based off the 1984 classic at the nation’s premier Halloween events, starting this September.

Ghostbusters has entertained generations with its comedic yet frightening tale of four paranormal investigators on their quest to eradicate supernatural threats from creating chaos throughout New York City. As the film marks its milestone 35th anniversary, guests will have the unique opportunity to live the action and terrifying scares they have seen in the hit film when it comes to life at Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights” in Hollywood and Orlando.

In each maze, guests will follow in the footsteps of the Ghostbusters – Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston – as they venture through artfully recreated scenes from the film, including the firehouse, New York Public Library and the Temple of Gozer, as an army of ghoulish spirits, hideous specters and ectoplasm-dripping phantasms attack from every corner.  As they delve deeper into the maze, guests will come face-to-face with an array of paranormal creatures, from the voracious Slimer to the all-powerful Gozer the Gozerian and in its ultimate destructor form – the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, to brave the demonic spirits and survive the night.

Universal Studios’ “Halloween Horror Nights” is the ultimate Halloween event and one of my favorites in Southern California! For more than 25 years, guests from around the world have visited “Halloween Horror Nights” to become victims inside their own horror film.  Multiple movie-quality mazes based on iconic horror television shows, films and original stories come to life season after season. And, the streets of each park’s event are transformed into highly-themed scare zones where menacing scare-actors lunge from every darkened corner.

“Halloween Horror Nights” begins Friday, September 6 in Orlando and on Friday, September 13 in Hollywood. Additional details about the events will be revealed soon. For more information about “Halloween Horror Nights” and to purchase select tickets at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com.

Updates on “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood are available online at Hollywood.HalloweenHorrorNights.com and on Facebook at: “Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood,” Instagram at @HorrorNights and Twitter at @HorrorNights as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Watch videos on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube and join the conversation using #UniversalHHN

The Incredible Cast of The Lion King

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The Incredible Cast of The Lion King

By Ella Barone

All new, Disney’s The Lion King lives up to all of the hype around it. The film is beautifully composed with jaw-dropping performances from actors and singers like Donald Glover, Beyonce, Seth Rogan, Billy Eichner and more. Recently I had the opportunity to listen to some of these talented people at the 2019 press junket that took place in Los Angeles. The cast that was there included, Donald Glover (Simba), Seth Rogan (Pumba), Billy Eichner (Timon), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Scar), Alfre Woodard (Sarabi), Keegan-Michael Key (Kamari), Florence Kasumba (Shenzi),  Eric Andre (Azizi), John Kani (Rafiki), JD McCrary (Young Simba), Shahadi Wright Joseph (Young Nala), Director Jon Favreau, Composer Hans Zimmer, and Lebo M.

We were treated to a very special performance of “The Circle of Life” before the start of the junket. Once everyone took their seats on stage, the moderator opened with a question directed at Jon Favreau. She asked him what he figured out when making the movie Jungle Book and how it helped him with this film. Favreau answered by telling her and the audience that, “these are handmade films. There is animators working on every shot, every environment that you see in the film other than actually, there’s one shot that’s a real photographic shot, but everything else is built from scratch by artists.”

Every scene you see in the masterfully created film looks as if you can reach out to the screen and be in the environment with the animals. Everything seemed incredibly real as if you were watching a film that was shot in the wild with the wild animals.

The next actor to speak was Donald Glover, and he talked about how Simba was different in this adaptation and the things he wanted to bring to the table. He told us that “I really feel that it’s good to make movies that are global and metropolitan in the sense of the citizens of the world.’

With Simba, he portrayed this philosophy. Throughout the film, there is the classic tale of The Lion King, but there are also some messages that people all over the world can take out of it.

Now to talk about the epic duo between Pumba and Timon. People wanted to know what it was like and how Rogan and Eichner accomplished the perfect chemistry for the two characters. Rogan started by telling us, “I think you can really tell that we’re playing off of each other. It’s an incredibly naturalistic feeling.’ Eichner then answered to the question by joking around and telling us, ‘Yeah. I wish I was as cute in real life as I am in the movie. The Timon they designed is so adorable.’

The two continued to joke around with each other while giving us the perfect Pumba and Timon vibe. 

Next, the press conference took the direction of the authenticity of the film by asking Dr. Kani to talk about his role as Rafiki. He talked about is his relation to Rafiki, ‘We are both over 75. So we both lived. We both walked through that forest. We both created those footpaths and intertwined with the little rabbits, and the animals go through. And we’ve seen experience life.’

One of the last questions that was asked to wrap up the press conference was to the young Shahadi. She has been a part of both the Broadway performances of The Lion King and now the all-new film, so she was asked what it was like doing both. ‘It was amazing doing both. It was such an honor doing the stage play on Broadway and also doing it in the all new Lion King. And one thing that I really saw the difference was was that on Broadway, everything is a little bit more structured.’

With that closing note, the press conference ended after a few jokes made between Seth Rogan and Jon Favreau.

Be sure to check out all of the adorable merchandise for The Lion King too. You will want it all, and you can help save real lions with every special edition plush purchase!

Lots of fun and playful Lion King shirts!

Go see this incredible cast in The Lion King out in theaters July 19, 2019. This classic retold story will take your breath away and leaving you singing the traditional songs in your head for the rest of the day.

Like THE LION KING on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyTheLionKing/

Follow THE LION KING on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DisneyLionKing

Follow THE LION KING on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LionKing/

THE LION KING arrives in theatres everywhere on July 19th!

The Cunard Story Opens on Queen Mary

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The Cunard Story Opens on Queen Mary

By Erin

The Queen Mary’s new exhibit, The Cunard Story, is officially open! There was a special presentation with Cunard, City Officials, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by Cunard’s first woman Captain, Inger Thorhauge. If you love history, The Queen Mary, Cunard or Long Beach, you will want to check this exhibit out.

In partnership with luxury cruise line, Cunard, the iconic RMS Queen Mary has unveiled her new, permanent exhibition, ‘The Cunard Story,’ on July 5th in Long Beach, CA. The exhibition showcases Cunard’s remarkable 179-year history, its relationship with The Queen Mary, its founder’s vision, the ships it inspired and continues to bring forward, and their influence on immigration, global maritime policies and technological innovation. ‘The Cunard Story’ showcases the company’s legacy through artifacts, photographs and film, and will also feature an ‘immigration salon’ that allows visitors to digitally explore ancestry databases. Through the offerings, visitors can experience ancestor arrival dates and specific ships that carried them, allowing for a deeply personal experience.

The Queen Mary alone transported thousands of passengers during her Cunard service; and approximately one in five immigrants sailed to the U.S. on a Cunard ship at the height of the immigration period during the latter part of the 19th century and early 10th century.

The list of companies having enjoyed a century of success is short. Cunard, the revered maritime icon began its voyage to success 179 years ago in Halifax, Canada. For nearly two hundred years the company has forged a reputation for sea-going leadership, competence, vision and service to the world-at-large. Cunard ships have been legends in their own time; the best in their class – holding records of achievement for speed, comfort, engineering breakthroughs and more. Lusitania was a Cunarder. Perhaps the line’s most recognized  ship was the original RMS Queen Mary. Indeed, the Queen Mary still reigns supreme; she is the only ship of her class and prominence to have survived eight decades on the public stage. Like the company responsible for her advanced technologies, uncompromising grace and head-turning style, the Queen Mary epitomizes Cunard’s legacy of excellence.  

“This partnership between Cunard and the Queen Mary has allowed two icons of maritime pioneering to curate an immersive experience that illustrates their remarkable history, offering guests a deeper understanding of the impactful setting and creation of the Queen Mary within the Cunard legacy” said Chris Wilmoth, Director of Marketing, The Queen Mary.

Such are the histories of Cunard and Queen Mary – together they influenced culture, economies, strategic alliances, gave hope and security to the oppressed and set the ultimate standards for elegance, romance and the allure of ocean voyaging at its zenith. Their partnership is thoughtfully presented as the Queen Mary dedicates the ‘Cunard Story’ – the dramatic story of a great company and its remarkable ships.

“The exhibit beautifully presents Cunard in its historical sense and does equal justice to our modern luxury fleet and today’s Cunard experience. We are proud of our legacy, and thrilled to have partnered with The Queen Mary to bring this exhibition to life,” Leibowitz stated.

Soon celebrating her 85th Jubilee Year the Queen Mary represents all that Cunard stands for. Retired from service in the 1960s, the ship remains known world-wide and attracts over 1.5 million visitors each year.                 

About the Queen Mary

Located in the Port of Long Beach, the Queen Mary, an Urban Commons property, features a rich maritime history, authentic Art Deco décor, and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and Long Beach city skyline. At the time of her maiden voyage in May of 1936, she was considered the grandest ocean liner ever built. The Queen Mary’s signature restaurants include Sir Winston’s, Chelsea Chowder House, Promenade Café, Observation Bar, as well as, a weekly award-winning Royal Sunday Brunch served in the ship’s Grand Salon. History buffs enjoy the ship’s museum with various daily tours, and currently the ship is featuring their newest exhibition, Their Finest Hours: Winston Churchill and the Queen Mary. The Queen Mary features 35,000 square feet of event space in 13 remarkable Art Deco salons as well as a tri-level, 45,000-square- foot Exhibit Hall. The Queen Mary boasts 347 staterooms including nine suites. For more information or for reservations, visit www.queenmary.com or call (800) 437-2934. The Queen Mary is located at 1126 Queens Highway in Long Beach.

About Cunard

Cunard is the operator of luxury cruise ships Queen Mary 2 ® , Queen Victoria ® and Queen Elizabeth ® . Renowned for impeccable White Star Service, gourmet dining and world-class entertainment, all three Queens offer luxury accommodations in Britannia, Britannia Club, Princess Grill Suite and Queens Grill Suite staterooms. Cunard is the only line to offer regularly scheduled Transatlantic service between New York and London, and it continues to celebrate the freedom of travel on exciting World Voyage and Grand Voyage itineraries that visit Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.