A Disney Salute to Space Shuttle Endeavor

Space Shuttle Endeavor Flies Over Disney Studios - Burbank

Last Friday we here in California were given a treat as the now retired space shuttle Endeavor flew over some of our most scenic cities and landmarks on its way to its final home of the California Science Museum in Los Angeles. Disney wasn't forgotten as the massive jumbo jet carrying its historic passenger made its way over both Disneyland and the Disney Studios in Burbank.

Endeavor was the last of the 5 space shuttles constructed (as a replacement for the Challenger which tragically exploded during lift-off) and made its first flight in 1992 and the last of its 5 flights in May 2011. In all, the orbiting space craft spent 299 days in space and traveled over 122,000,000 miles.

Below is a Disney video of the Endeavor and its flight over Disneyland that was posted to YouTube. What a treat for the park visitors that day.

Here are a couple of more photos from last Friday's flight taken over the Golden Gate Bridge in my hometown of San Francisco and flying over the State Capitol at where I currently live near Sacramento.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of (Darkness)

Forgive me for continuing to explore the Indiana Jones character in a Disney blog but I can connect the dots. Even though Indiana Jones is NOT a Disney character (I believe our friend George Lucas is the rightful owner and maybe Paramount Pictures a little bit), the Indiana Jones Adventure - Temple of the Forbidden Eye ride continues to rank near the top of the favorite attractions when talking about Disneyland. When it runs, it is a great, great ride. It breaks down a lot and as mentioned earlier, several features inside the ride are not operational - hence it goes down for refurbishment on Tuesday and will not open until it is almost time for Santa Claus to come to town.

In the meantime, Raiders of the Lost Ark is set to hit a one week run on IMAX screens beginning next weekend and this is right ahead of the release of the Indiana Jones movies in high definition blu-ray on September 18. Of course, they make you buy all 4 Indiana Jones movies not giving the consumer the opportunity to pick and choose. So yes, in order to be able to watch Raiders of the Lost Ark in blu-ray at home, you will have had to also buy Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom along with it - two movies in that series that are not looked upon very fondly by many. (We'll give the third movie - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade a pass since Indy goes back to his Raiders roots and fights the Nazis and it has Sean Connery in it)

Yesterday, Sports Guy Bill Simmon's Grantland magazine (somehow connected to the Disney owned ESPN) published an article written by Bryan Curtis that explored the darkness of the second Indiana Jones movie - The Temple of Doom. It is a very interesting read on what was going on in the lives of George Lucas and director Steven Spielberg at that time. You can read the article from the link below.

Exploring Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - Grantland

I'm not sure I am buying into all the doom and gloom aspects of the article. Granted, Temple of Doom did have a few disturbing scenes and a long period of the movie is spent in underground caves but I thought the movie was entertaining enough (though certainly not up to the standards set in Raiders of the Lost Ark). Anyway, it is an interesting article written about an interesting movie made by some interesting men. Memo to self: Go watch Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom again.

The Dark Knight (Tragically) Rises

This is a Disney blog. The Dark Knight Rises is not a Disney, Marvel, or Pixar movie or in any way connected with Disney or Disney movies. What occurred last night in Aurora, Colorado at a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises is nothing short of an utterly senseless tragedy, the worst shooting spree in American history.

The Dark Knight Rises as a movie is not responsible for a gunman, who identified himself as The Joker to authorities, to go on a a shooting spree which to this point has killed 12 people and injured 58 others. The tragic act of violence belongs squarely with the killer.

Except.

I haven't seen The Dark Knight Rises. After last night's tragedy I don't plan to - in a theater anyway. It has nothing to do with being afraid of being in a captive movie theater audience. I just wouldn't feel right about seeing The Dark Knight Rises knowing the suffering and sadness of countless people who are left reeling in the wake of a random act of violence, all for just seeing a movie

Violence.

I did see The Dark Knight film from a few years ago, the second in this trilogy series of Batman films. It was a riveting, well crafted film. It was also quite dark and disturbing. It was also unrelentingly violent. Why it didn't get an 'R' rating, I don't know. There was nothing "nice" about The Dark Knight. It was a film consumed by one violent act after another.

When I was a boy, I read comic books. They were escapist entertainment for youth who wanted to see good conquer bad. Comic books were read - at arms length. Watching The Avengers and The Amazing Spiderman movies this year, I thought that these were movie adventures that could be safely watched from a distance, never once taking them seriously. There was a sense of fun about them and a bit of humor in both of them. The current Batman / Dark Knight series doesn't do that at all. It pulls you into a world that no one would want to be part of - gritty, dirty, and depressing. Out of this world, warped thinking could fester. It just did.

The Disneyland Traveler sends thoughts and prayers to the many victims of this tragedy, the dead, the injured, and all of the families and friends of those who had to be part of this sad, sad, event. Kind of makes you sick.

A Pause to Remember Levon Helm

I promise not to stop the endless Disney babble that comes out of this blog very often but every once in awhile, I need to pause and remember something/someone that isn't about Disney.  A few days ago legendary drummer and principal vocalist for The Band passed away after a long battle with cancer.  Though 4 of the members of The Band were from Canada, Levon Helm was from Arkansas and his scratchy voice with a southern twang can only be described as uniquely American. No one was able to present a sense of place and beat down emotion through the sound of a voice above the music like Levon Helm.

I actually can make a Disneyland connection if I do make a bit of a stretch.  As readers of this blog know, I am a huge fan of Great Moments of Mr. Lincoln.  Before the appearance of the great president himself there is a stirring pre-show highlighting the countryman vs. countryman, brother vs. brother tragedy that was a huge part of the Civil War.  If the pre-show takes a slightly pro Union bias  the counter to that would be Levon singing The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down.  That song is never far from my mind after a viewing of Lincoln.

As I wander up Main St. on one of those rare quiet mornings in Disneyland, grabbing a cup of coffee  at the Market House, I may head over to a nearby bench to grab a seat to enjoy the morning.  If I had already been at Disneyland for a few days, the bench is a welcome site to take a load off for awhile.  A load off?  Not far from memory I'll hear Levon's voice wearily singing The Weight (below).

The people I grew up watching, listening to are dying off.  Dick Clark died this past week.  Most people think of him as the guy who brought in New Years Eve on TV.  I remember when he was a game show host and before that, bringing music into the homes of American teenagers through his American Bandstand.  What does it all mean? Life grows shorter each day, for some of us, its a little bit shorter than the rest.

Rest in Peace Levon Helm and thanks.