Blog Archives
Was McDonald’s Always Lovin’ It?
McDonald’s makes the best french fries in the world. Reaching into the bag or sitting under the golden arches and taking that first salty bite is a serene experience.
Have you ever wondered how this perfect encapsulation (and magnetism) of fast food deliciousness came to be?
The story of this revolutionary fast food restaurant highlights how an idea took off and never looked back. After visiting McDonald’s #1 courtesy of Ray Kroc outside Chicago in Des Plaines, Illinois and Hamburger University in Oak Brook, Illinois, the history of McDonald’s came alive. This is not simply a family-friendly restaurant chain, but something much more. There’s an “it” factor.
I even have an authentic Hamburger U flag to prove it!
Arriving in theaters this August, Ray Kroc’s drive and ambition can be seen as Michael Keaton, Laura Dern and Nick Offerman star in The Founder that illustrates the saga of how we’ve all come to love McDonald’s. But first, let’s see how Mr. Kroc and the McDonald brothers cleaned the grease stains that appear to have put the now multi-billion franchise in some early jeopardy.
Even if you are not a fan of McDonald’s or fast food, Ray Kroc changed the way millions upon millions of people around the world (yes, you and me) eat not just on a daily basis, but on a meal-meal and snack-to-meal basis.
Speaking of which, I wonder if there’s some golden arches near by?
Just kidding! Of course there are.
McDonald’s even has a monopoly on fast food jokes.
The Force Continues
Learn the name Felicity Jones. Her 2016 movie calendar includes Inferno in October and Star Wars in December.
The Star Wars universe has never been limited to being mere movie events, but as a way of life. The experience does not casually start and end when you leave the movie theater. Speaking of which, did you just buy Star Wars: The Force Awakens on Blu-Rey?
(No, that’s not a misspell…).
Well, get ready to head back to the theater again this December to see Storm Troopers, the Death Star and an epic operatic space battle. The first trailer for Disney’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was released this morning.
Two strong, daring female leads in the revamped Star Wars films signal a paradigm shift in the franchise’s narrative and branding strategy by appealing to a new fan base to its science-fiction adventures on the big screen. Rey was fantastic in The Force Awakens and Felicity Jones’ character is awesome in the trailer above.
Rogue One looks like one hell of a fun Star Wars story.
RD’s BFG in HD
There are no aliens, dinosaurs, sharks, artificial intelligence or adventure-prone professors (along with his trademark father-son struggle/dynamic), yet there’s new evidence that begs the question:
Has Steven Spielberg done it again with a giant that is uniquely big and friendly?
The full trailer for The BFG was released today.
As is the case for any movie that combines CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) with real actors, the challenge is to seamlessly join the two forces within one environment without interruption. This cinematic synchronization is important because suspended belief needs to be constant for the audience to maintain its fluidity in storytelling, as well as enhance the believable factor. The absence of this relationship on-screen can generate (if even temporarily) imaginative detachments for the viewer.
A couple scenes from the trailer above reveal a slight disconnect where you can distinguish the real person and the imaginary backdrop. Is this simply an unavoidable consequence of filming in such high definition? Whatever the reason, the legendary director has earned the benefit of the doubt from his fans. Audiences should see this film in its entirety to fairly judge its comprehensive visual technique and merits.
Visually, this movie has a grand, glowing feel. The famed book of the same name certainly received the movie magic treatment.
Just as BFG author Roald Dahl did with his classic books, Steven Spielberg is taking a chance venturing off into a fantasy world and, ultimately, into our imaginations.
That’s something we can all connect with this summer.
Disney’s The BFG arrives in a theater near you July 1st.
P.S. Was it a good idea to reveal The BFG in his entirety in the trailer?
Jimmy's Daily Planet 