Blu-Ray Review: Toy Story That Time Forgot

The Toy Story gang is back in an all-new made-for-tv special that is now on blu-ray for you to enjoy at home. Originally airing on ABC on December 2, 2014, the gang is back and it is Christmastime. Bonnie has some new toys and along with her old ones, are off on a play date with her friend Mason. Mason made out like a bandit this holiday season and got an awesome new video game system complete with virtual reality headgear and seat. Bonnie goes to join Mason in playing video games and leaves her toys in his room. The toys explore on their own and run into the Battlesaurs, a group of warrior dinosaurs. What starts out as fun and games quickly turns into a real battle for survival. It's up to our gang to convince the Battlesaurs that they are toys as well.

In the end, the kids find that playing with the toys is what brings them true happiness and for the toys it is being played with by the kids that brings them true happiness.

Video Quality

For a made-for-tv special, they quality is feature film perfect.  The 1080p transfer is what you expect from Disney. The colors are rich and vibrant as are the details such as textures.

Audio Quality

The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 soundtrack is solid for a tv special. The center channel dialogue is crystal clear and the surround channels bring a fantastic level of immersion.

Bonus Features:

• Reptillus! (1080p, 10:51): A great look at creating the backstory for the characters, their design, animation as well as a look at the voice acting.  
• Toy Story Goes to Comic-Con (1080p, 3:39): A great look at the Toy Story That Time Forgot panel at San Diego Comic-Con.
• Karaoke: My Unexpected Friend (1080p, 3:59): Choose between: Reptillus Sings and You Sing where the first one is performed by Reptilius and the second has no lyrics so you can sing without accompaniment.
• Battlesaurs -- Animated Opening (1080p, 0:50): A mock-up opening sequence for the fictitious Battlesaurs cartoon show!  Just one of those great additional details that makes Pixar so great!
• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Battlesaurs Christmas (3:06), Prisoners of Bone (1:22), SOS (1:07), Trixie's Proposal (1:55), and Light of Play (1:51). With Director Steve Purcell introductions.
• Audio Commentary: Director Steve Purcell and Head of Story Derek Thompson offer a fantastic audio track on the creation, themes, influences, characters, designs and more for the special. 
• Sneak Peeks (1080p): Previews for Disney Movie Rewards, The Good Dinosaur, and Inside Out.

Toy Story That Time Forgot is a wonderful addition to the Toy Story universe. A story that you would expect from Toy Story, funny, at times a sense of peril and of course a lot of heart. The video and audio quality are top notch and there is a great amount of bonus material that makes this a welcomed additional to your blu-ray collection. 

The Good Dinosaur Reacts to the Halloween Asteroid

Asteroid TB145’s near miss this morning showcases how Pixar Animation Studios filmmakers root movies in reality.

An asteroid just passed by Earth today, it was a near miss—if you consider 300,000 miles away a near miss (the moon is 238,900 miles from Earth). According to NASA, the asteroid, TB145, is estimated to be 2,000 feet wide and traveling at 78,000 miles per hour. The object could actually be a dead comet.

Peter Sohn, director of Disney•Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur,” says the event reminds filmmakers of the idea that launched the film, which hits theaters—so to speak—on Nov. 25, 2015.  Says Sohn, “This whole thing started off with the idea: What if the asteroid that theoretically wiped out all the dinosaurs 65 million years ago missed? What would have happened? We had a lot of fun evolving the dinosaurs. Herbivores became farmers; carnivores became ranchers.”

Vehicle Review: 2015 Hyundai Genesis with a Visit to The Walt Disney Studios and 5 days at Disneyland!

Time to review the gorgeous 2015 Hyundai Genesis which I was able to drive in Arizona last year at a media event with Hyundai! I could not wait to spend a week with the Genesis and take it to visit The Walt Disney Studios and of course The Disneyland Resort for 5 days with my friend Charlotte visiting from Australia! We will be riding in luxury for this trip!

The comfortable leather seats would be my home for the next week! I couldn't think of a better way to spend a week! The air cooled seats were also most welcomed with the hot weather we were having in Southern California. The seats are also heated if it ever decides to finally cool off here. But it was time to hop into the seats and head to The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank!

The powerful 3.8L DOHC V6 GDI engine easily helped us cruise through the freeways of Los Angeles. The comfortable cockpit could have kept us inside for hours of just driving around. With 311 HP there were no problems moving around that Los Angeles and Orange County traffic. The Genesis averages 22 MPG combined with 18 in the city and 29 on the highway.

A light rain on the way to the studios didn't hamper us or the Genesis with its rain-sensing wipers and auto defogging windshield. Even the dual power outside mirrors are heated.

The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank is one of my favorite places to visit. This was my surprise for Charlotte and she loved her time spent on the studio lot. This is the iconic corner of Dopey Drive and Mickey Avenue with the original Animation building in the background.

Please note that you have to know someone who works here to be allowed onto the studio lot. But if you ever get a chance to visit, it is definitely worth your time to be surrounded by the rich history of The Walt Disney Company.

The famed Team Disney Burbank building that is being supported by all seven dwarfs. In the front is the large sculpture of the Disney Legends award. This award is given to those who have made great contributions to the company. Their hand prints are immortalized in Legends Plaza in front of the Team Disney Burbank building.

Later that same day we are off to Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland! Charlotte was Honey Lemon and I was Hiro from Big Hero 6! Check out my awesome Baymax candy bucket!

Mickey's Halloween Party is an amazing evening! There are treat stations throughout the park, special character meet and greets, special entertainment and pretty much all of the attractions open to enjoy! Here is some of the 15 pounds of candy that came home with us! The vent is a separate ticket event and sells out every year! Make sure to get your tickets as soon as they are available.

The large 9.2 inch high definition touch screen navigation with SiriusXM is bright and clear even in direct sunlight. We chose to listen to Siriusly Sinatra as we held our own Dapper Day to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Disneyland. The Lexicon 17-speaker discrete logic 7 audio system is impressive and made it seem like old blue-eyes was singing live.

Here we are in the pilot house of the Mark Twain. Charlotte made her dress and my Hawaiian style shirt. The diamond pattern was perfect for the Diamond Celebration at Disneyland. The pilot house is a special request you can make with the Cast Members at the Mark Twain. Just ask and maybe you can get up to the pilot house to "steer" the big boat around the Rivers of America. Please keep in mind that the Cast Member chooses who gets to go with them to the pilot house and that the River of America goes down for a massive rehab starting January 10th, 2016 to make way for Star Wars Land. The Rivers of America should return sometime in 2017.

Another favorite reason for visiting The Disneyland Resort is the food! My favorite thing is that there is a great emphasis on seasonal food items to keep you coming back for more! One of my favorite seasonal items from last year came back and it's the apple pie funnel cake! It's massive and Charlotte and I could not finish it!

And since it is the 60th Anniversary of Disneyland, the resort has these great photo locations in both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure! There are three in Disneyland and another three in Disney California Adventure! Such a fun way to remember the 60th and have some fun photos as well!

Another day and it's time to show off the awesome 18-inch alloy wheels of the Genesis! These large tires really grip the road! There are other great safety features including lane departure warning and lane keep assist, front and rear parking assistance system, smart cruise control, electronic parking brake with automatic vehicle hold with the Tech Package. You get the HID headlights with auto-dimming outside mirrors, blind spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert, and parking guidelines with the Signature Package.

And today's Disneyland Resort adventure takes us to one of my favorite lands, Cars Land in Disney California Adventure! The Imagineers really out did themselves here and created a land that looked like it came right out of the movie!

We also stopped by the Hyperion Theater to see the Aladdin show! The musical leaves in January of next year so make sure you see it before it goes away on January 10th, 2016! Replacing it will be a Frozen musical in summer of 2016!

After watching Aladdin we then headed to one of my favorite buildings, the Disney Animation building! My favorite thing to do in here is to draw with the artists at the Animation Academy! You get a drawing board, a piece of paper and a pencil! They supply the instructions and it is really a lot of fun! Zero is one of the newest characters that they are teaching how to draw! At the end you get to keep your drawing! So you have a free souvenir!

Five days at Disneyland have come and gone way too fast! Thank goodness for beautiful days like this! The power tilt-and-slide panoramic sunroof of the Hyundai Genesis is open and taking in the blue skies and white puffy clouds of another gorgeous Southern California day! Time to hit the parks one last time! If the sun is too bright then the Genesis also has power rear sunshade as well as manual rear side sunshades with the Signature Package.

A picture perfect day in the park! One of my favorite things to take a photo of while in Disneyland! I'm sure that Sleeping Beauty Castle is one of the most photographed places on the planet.

A perfect day calls for a perfect snack! The dole whip float is perfect on a warm day!

Heading over to Tomorrowland we can see the first signs of the Star Wars Launch Bay opening November 16th of this year! I cannot wait to see the new Star Wars offerings that begin that day! A new destination for Star Tours, a Star Wars layover to Space Mountain called Hyperspace Mountain, a new Jedi Academy, the Galactic Grill for Star Wars themed food offerings and Star Wars Launch Bay!

A practically perfect way to end our 5 days at The Disneyland Resort with Mary Poppins!

Now it's time to say goodbye to not only my lovely friend Charlotte but to the 2015 Hyundai Genesis as well! Thanks for a fun week and hope you enjoyed the review and our adventures with all things Disney!

The stunning 2016 Hyundai Genesis was amazing to drive, with a powerful engine and great handling.  Fantastic safety features will keep you and your family safe while enjoying the lap or luxury. The stunning lines are eye catching and let people know that you have arrived.

The 2015 Hyundai Genesis RWD 3.8 as reviewed came in at $49.950.00.

Introducing the Voice Cast for Disney's Zootopia!

Walt Disney Animation Studios revealed the roster of voice talent tapped to help bring a voice, snort and a roar to the animal residents of the modern-day mammal metropolis of “Zootopia,” which opens in theaters March 4, 2016. “We had so much fun casting this film,” said director Byron Howard. “‘Zootopia’ features such a large and diverse range of characters—one of our biggest casts ever for a Disney Animation film. We needed talented actors who could help bring these animals to life.”

Adds director Rich Moore, “Everyone in this incredible cast is bringing something special, something unexpected to their characters, which really takes our story to a whole new level.” 

Joining Ginnifer Goodwin, who provides the voice of Zootopia’s first bunny officer Judy Hopps; Jason Bateman, who lends his voice to con-artist fox Nick Wilde; and Shakira, who voices international superstar Gazelle, are the following members of the “Zootopia” voice cast.

·      Idris Elba (Netflix’s “Beasts of No Nation,” BBC’s “Luther”) provides the voice of CHIEF BOGO, head of the Zootopia Police Department. A tough cape buffalo with 2,000 lbs of attitude, Bogo is reluctant to add Judy Hopps, Zootopia’s first bunny cop, to his squad of hardened rhinos, elephants and hippos.

·      J.K. Simmons (“Juno,” Oscar® winner for “Whiplash”) lends his voice to MAYOR LEODORE LIONHEART, the noble leader of Zootopia, who coined the city’s mantra that Judy Hopps lives by: “In Zootopia, anyone can be anything.”

·      Nate Torrence (HBO’s “Hello Ladies,” Fox’s “Weird Loners”) lends his voice to the Zootopia Police Department’s most charming cheetah, BENJAMIN CLAWHAUSER. Clawhauser loves two things: pop star Gazelle and donuts. From his reception desk, he greets everyone with a warm smile and a helpful paw—covered in sprinkles.

·      Jenny Slate (“Obvious Child,” “Marcel the Shell”) provides the voice of ASSISTANT MAYOR BELLWETHER, a sweet sheep with a little voice and a lot of wool, who constantly  finds herself under foot of the larger-than-life Mayor Lionheart.

·      Tommy Chong (“Up in Smoke,” “That ’70s Show”) lends his iconic voice to YAX THE YAK, the most enlightened, laid-back bovine in Zootopia. When Judy Hopps is on a case, Yax is full of revealing insights.   

·      Octavia Spencer (“Insurgent,” Oscar® winner for “The Help”) voices MRS. OTTERTON, a desperate otter who turns to Officer Judy Hopps for help in solving her husband’s mysterious disappearance.

·      Bonnie Hunt (“Return to Me,” “Jerry Maguire”) provides the voice of BONNIE HOPPS, mother of Judy—and her 275 brothers and sisters. Mrs. Hopps loves and supports her daughter, but is a hare nervous about Judy moving to Zootopia to become a big-city police officer.  

·      Don Lake (“Dumb and Dumber To,” “The Bonnie Hunt Show”) voices Judy’s father, STU HOPPS, a carrot farmer from Bunnyburrow. Along with Mrs. Hopps, he is worried about Judy moving to Zootopia and the untrustworthy big-city mammals who live there—especially foxes. 

·      Alan Tudyk (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Trumbo”) returns to Disney Animation’s recording studio for his fourth feature in a row as the voice of DUKE WEASELTON, a small-time weasel crook with a big-time weasel mouth, who tries to give Judy the slip during a police chase.

·      Tommy “Tiny” Lister (“Friday,” “The Fifth Element”) voices FINNICK, a fennec fox with a big chip on his adorable shoulder. 

·      Raymond Persi (“Wreck-It Ralph,” WDAS story artist) voices FLASH, the fastest sloth working at the DMV—the Department of Mammal Vehicles.

·      Katie Lowes (ABC’s “Scandal,” “Big Hero 6”) lends her voice to DR. MADGE HONEY BADGER, who heads up all of City Hall’s most pressing medical cases. 

·      Jesse Corti (“Frozen,” “Beauty and the Beast”) is the voice of the jaguar MANCHAS, a highly regarded chauffeur who works for the biggest—and shadiest—limo company in town. 

·      John DiMaggio (Fox’s “Futurama,” Cartoon Network’s “Adventure Time”) voices JERRY JUMBEAUX JR., the easily annoyed owner of Jumbeaux’s Café, his elephant ice cream parlor.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when rookie Officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman), to solve the mystery. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia,” a comedy-adventure directed by Byron Howard (“Tangled,” “Bolt”) and Rich Moore (“Wreck-It Ralph,” “The Simpsons”), and produced by Clark Spencer (“Wreck-It Ralph,” “Lilo & Stitch”) opens in theaters on March 4, 2016.

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE: PHASE TWO COLLECTION Available December 8th Exclusively on Amazon

Marvel’s Ant-Man releasing on Blu-ray December 8th marks the end of MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE: PHASE TWO.  Fans can now celebrate with this action-packed 13-disc collector’s set.   The limited-edition, 13-Disc Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two Collection invites you to hold the greatest power in the cosmos in your grasp – an orb containing one of the legendary Infinity Stones! Plus Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™ and Digital Copies of all Phase 2 films, in collectible packaging designed by artist Matt Ferguson. This set overflows with stunning Marvel memorabilia, including a gold-foiled page from the book of Dark Elves, an ancient drawing from the Morag vault, Avengers and S.T.R.I.K.E. uniform patches, a replica of the Tony Stark tattoo from Iron Man 3 and much more!

Unleash The Power Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe
In This Action-Packed 13-Disc Collector’s Set

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE:

PHASE TWO

The Collector’s Edition Available December 8^th Exclusively on Amazon

This Marvel fan’s dream features Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, Digital Copy of each Phase 2 film,

specially designed disc holders, and exclusive Marvel memorabilia!

SYNOPSIS: The limited edition, 13-Disc Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two Collection invites you to hold the greatest power in the cosmos in your grasp – an orb containing one of the legendary Infinity Stones! Plus Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™ and Digital Copies of all Phase 2 films, in collectible packaging designed by artist Matt Ferguson. This set overflows with stunning Marvel memorabilia, including a gold-foiled page from the book of Dark Elves, an ancient drawing from the Morag vault, Avengers and S.T.R.I.K.E. uniform patches, a replica of the Tony Stark Tattoo from Marvel’s Iron Man 3, and much more!

Pre-order now, only at Amazon: http://amzn.to/1LJ9Rie

CONTENT:                  Marvel’s Iron Man 3 (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Copy)

                                    Marvel’s Thor: The Dark World (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Copy) 

                                    Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital                           Copy) 

                                    Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Copy)

                                    Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Copy) 

                                    Marvel’s Ant-Man (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Copy) 

                                    1:1 Prop Replica of the Orb

PLUS an Exclusive Bonus Content Disc with 166 minutes of  bonus material and more!

BONUS FEATURES:        From Here To Infinity: Phases 2 & 3 Of The M.C.U.

Journey back through Marvel’s Phase 2 films, from its launch in Iron Man 3 through its fulfillment in Ant-Man, to see how individual characters grow and change, how their relationships with each other evolve over time, and how the universe itself expands with each story. Listen to filmmakers discuss the first set of Phase 3 films– Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, Marvel’s Doctor Strange, and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy 2 – and discover there are no limits to the adventure! 

                                    Phase 2 Tag Scenes: A Making-Of

Learn the story behind the post-credit sequence in Marvel’s Phase 1 and 2 movies, and explore how the scenes connect and unify the far-flung characters and worlds of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Marvel One-Shot: The Consultant w/Audio Commentary By Clark Gregg

Marvel One-Shot: A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Thor’s Hammer With Audio Commentary By Clark Gregg

Marvel One-Shot: Item 47 With Audio Commentary By Louis D’Esposito, Max Hernandez, Titus Welliver And Jesse Bradford

Marvel One-Shot: Agent Carter With Audio Commentary By Louis D’Esposito And Hayley Atwell

Marvel One-Shot: All Hail The King With Audio Commentary By Drew Pearce And Ben Kingsley

Iron Man 3: Deleted Scenes

Iron Man 3: Preproduction Creative

Thor: The Dark World: Deleted Scenes

Thor: The Dark World Preproduction Creative

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Deleted Scene With Audio Commentary By Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

Captain America: The Winter Soldier – Preproduction Creative

Guardians of The Galaxy: Deleted Scenes

Guardians of The Galaxy: Preproduction Creative

Avengers: Age Of Ultron: Deleted Scenes

Avengers: Age Of Ultron: Preproduction Creative: Hulk vs. Hulkbuster

Ant-Man: Deleted Scenes

Ant-Man: Preproduction Creative

RELEASE DATE:                December 8, 2015

PRODUCTS:  Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and Digital HD

AUDIO: Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, Digital HD = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, French-Canadian 5.1 Dolby Digital, Latin Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital

LANGUAGES:                       English & Spanish, French

                                                     

SUBTITLES:                         English, French & Spanish

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook                                Avengers: https://www.facebook.com/Avengers

                                                      Marvel: https://www.facebook.com/Marvel

                                                      Iron Man: https://www.facebook.com/IronMan

                                                      Captain America: https://www.facebook.com/CaptainAmerica

                                                      Thor: https://www.facebook.com/Thor

                                                      Hulk: https://www.facebook.com/Hulk

                                                      Ant-Man https://www.facebook.com/antman?fref=ts

      Disney Movies Anywhere: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyMoviesAnywhere

                 

Twitter                                     @Avengers: https://twitter.com/Avengers

                                                      @Marvel: https://twitter.com/Marvel

                                                      @Iron_Man: https://twitter.com/Iron_Man

                                                      @CaptainAmerica: https://twitter.com/CaptainAmerica

                                                      @ThorMovies: https://twitter.com/ThorMovies

                                                      @Ant-Man: https://twitter.com/search?q=antman&src=typd&lang=en

      @DisneyAnywhere: https://twitter.com/DisneyAnywhere

Tumblr                                    Marvel: http://marvelentertainment.tumblr.com

                                                      DMA: http://disneymoviesanywhere.tumblr.com

Instagram                               https://instagram.com/marvel/

                                                      https://instagram.com/therealagentm

YouTube                                 https://www.youtube.com/user/MARVEL

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy-five years.  Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing.  For more information visit marvel.com.  © 2015 MARVEL

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:

For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

Pixar's The Good Dinosaur - 20 Years of Friendship Featurette

A single friendship can change everything. From Toy Story to The Good Dinosaur, join us in celebrating 20 years of friendship from Pixar Animation Studios.

THE GOOD DINOSAUR opens in theatres November 25, 2015! 

"The Good Dinosaur" asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? Pixar Animation Studios takes you on an epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.

First Look at Pixar's Latest Short "Sanjay's Super Team"

In “Sanjay's Super Team,” the new short film from Pixar Animation Studios, accomplished artist Sanjay Patel uses his own experience to tell the story of a young, first-generation Indian-American boy whose love for western pop culture comes into conflict with his father’s traditions. Sanjay is absorbed in the world of cartoons and comics, while his father tries to draw him into the traditions of his Hindu practice. Tedium and reluctance quickly turn into an awe-inspiring adventure as the boy embarks on a journey he never imagined, returning with a new perspective that they can both embrace. 

“Sanjay’s Super Team” opens in theaters, in front of Disney•Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur.”

Giveaway: BB-8 Talking Figure

Enter to win this awesome BB-8 Talking Figure that is exclusive to The Disney Store! Bring home my favorite new character from the upcoming The Force Awakens!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Full Poster and Trailer!

Take a look at the official full poster for Star Wars: The Force Awakens! And below is the full trailer for the movie! I cannot wait to watch this! I made my own lightsaber at Disneyland! I bought tickets to the marathon event at The El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood! December 18th will be a day long remembered! Who has their tickets? Anyone seeing a marathon?  Leave your comments in the comment section below! May The Force Be With You!

Bridge of Spies Movie Review

The Fall brings my favorite time of movie watching, the award contenders. Enter Bridge of Spies directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Hanks and a script written by the Coen Brothers. How is this Cold War thriller? Well let's take a look.

The story opens in 1957, when the FBI arrest Rudolph Abel (Mark Rylance) for spying on the United States.

Enter Jim Donovan (Tom Hanks), a successful insurance lawyer, who was given the task of defending Abel. While everyone is ready to throw Abel under the bus and make an example out of him, Donovan believes that everyone is entitled to a fair and just trial.

In another part of the country, the CIA has brought in several young Air Force pilots to be part of a new program to fly a state of the art spy plane.

The Abel trial has ended and to no surprise, Abel is found guilty. Donovan kept Abel away from the death penalty.

It was a lucky turn of events that Donovan was able to keep Abel away from the death penalty as Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell) is shot down out of the sky above Russia and is facing a stiff prison sentence of his own.

Donovan finds himself as the man who is going to be sent to try to negotiate the release of Powers for Abel. While Donovan is sent overseas, he also discovers another young American, Fredric Pryor (Will Rogers), who was detained after finding himself on the wrong side of the newly built Berlin Wall.

A powerful film that captures the hysteria and paranoia of the Cold War. The two most powerful moments are when Powers U2 spy plane is shot down and when we see the building of the Berlin Wall. It's the first time I can remember seeing the wall being built in a movie.

I highly recommend Bridge of Spies. Watch an every man do the right thing even when doing the right thing is not the popular choice. Watch his struggle with the country, the world and worst of all his own family. Let the movie award season begin here.

Portola Coffee Labs - Theorem Celebrates OctoberFest with Beer Styled Coffee Drinks!

Theorem, the walk-up bar that is part of Portola Coffee Lab, continues to push the envelope of what coffee is and what coffee can be. The menu offering for October 2015 is no exception as the baristas have chosen to create beer styled coffee drinks! The drinks are non-alcoholic but take on the flavors of the beers they are named after!

A flight is $15 and you get to try all four drinks. Take a look at the colors on the flight! It looks like actual beer! But how would it taste?

First up is the Pilsner. The biscuit malt notes gave it a floury taste but it was still nice and refreshing.

The IPA had really nice citrus notes! Easily a favorite of mine!

Next up was the Stout, which I thought was going to be my favorite but it proved to be a little too gritty for me.

My favorite was the Sour. This completely surprised me since I am not a sour beer fan at all. The blueberry and lime combined perfectly and is based off an actual beer in the area.

The entire experience was quite enjoyable and I cannot wait to try some of these coffee drinks again before the month is over!

Portola Coffee Lab

The OC Mart Mix
3313 Hyland Ave
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

(949) 284-0596