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Post by neferetus on Oct 23, 2007 22:41:19 GMT -5
I just got this info from Frank Thompson. So cool! I want one! To order online, go to: www.playsetmagazine.com Volume XII: At The Alamo
The Story of The Alamo told in Toys and Popular Media "
Atomics new "At The Alamo" DVD is our latest release (and this one is over 1 hour long) follows several that have featured Alamo toys, this one is all new with a stunning siege sequence starring 600 toy soldiers all in motion using techniques developed for the recent "300 movie. In this movie you'll enjoy:
- a reverent tour of the John Wayne Alamo and the Alamo Shrine;
- discussions on Davy Crockett at the Alamo playsets and TV show
- John Wayne Alamo movie & Hancock Alamo movie (favorably I might
add)
- Marx Davy Crockett Playsets of the 50's & 60's (Disney and "John Wayne" versions),
- Disney TV Davy Fad of the '50s
- Fess Parker interview (arrangements by Wm Chemerka) and a nice clip with legendary Virginia Shahan.
- Alamo dioramas including several famous and not-yet famous ones
- Topping it all off, there's a special interview appearance by Frank Thompson.
In addition there's some wonderful Alamo Dioramas, plus the Ideal Alamo playset of the '50's; glimpses of the BMC playset, CTS playset and some contemporary Alamo playsets and Alamo metal figures.
- Dimitri Tiomkin's music has been licensed and performed by Mike Boldt with a truly outstanding rendition of "The Ballad of the Alamo" and many more selections.
Bonus Chapters:
- "Travis Letter" - performed by Tony Pasqua with music by Mike Boldt, a moving performance set against the Brackettville Alamo movie set --
- and a rare, never before seen Alamo TV spot (with many surprises) (this is a parody done with toy soldiers).
- A SPECIAL CLIP WITH FESS PARKER, REGARDING "DAVY'S MOTTO"
The wide screen color presentation is over 1 hr $19.95 + $3.95 shipping
Filmed in Texas in "TODD - AOk"
This movie, produced with pride by Alamo enthusiasts at Atomic Home Video and Playset Magazine, is available now.
www.playsetmagazine.com
As always, our 100% "no questions asked" satisfaction guaranteed - Your Childhood or Your Money Back- US $19.95 + $3.95 s/h Canada $19.95 + $5.10 s/h Overseas $19.95 + $7.55 s/h |
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RebAl
Senior Member
Civil War Photographer
Posts: 296
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Post by RebAl on Oct 24, 2007 1:18:12 GMT -5
Thanks for the link I have ordered one as well.
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Post by neferetus on Oct 24, 2007 10:29:06 GMT -5
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Post by Greg C. on Oct 24, 2007 14:27:39 GMT -5
Something to add to my christmas list as I am flat broke now...
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Post by neferetus on Oct 24, 2007 16:32:46 GMT -5
Something to add to my christmas list as I am flat broke now... That's okay, it's always nice to have something to look forward to. Es verdad? |
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Post by neferetus on Oct 25, 2007 11:08:02 GMT -5
Believe it, or not, I never really had an actual Alamo playset. My good buddy and I would build an Alamo in his sandbox and then use the mansion from the Civil War playset for the chapel. Both the main gate and the chapel somehow ended up with a hump and the bent cross , ala Waynamo. As the roof of his sandbox (called the "Teahouse", because of its design) was made of bamboo slats, we'd break some off to use for a palisade.
I used frontiersmen and Confederate soldiers with round, floppy-brimmed hats for Texans, while the Confederates with kepis and all of the Yankees were Mexicans. I even added a pirate and an Indian to Crockett's company. The bagged frontiersmen had this yellow figure in buckskin and coonskin cap waving a rifle and he was a ringer for John Wayne. We even had a woman, from an old farmset, stand in for Mrs. Dickinson. Then, a neighbor boy, who'd grown too old for toy soldiers gave me 3 actual Texan and 3 Mexican figures from his old Marx Alamo playset.
Then there was that peculiar Civil War bagged set where the figures had detachable accoutrements: hats, scarves, muskets swords, etc) In no time, the accoutrements were lost, so these 'unarmed fools' would be used as Mexican cannon fodder and placed in the front ranks.
There were also the 'exchangos'. Whenever a man firing his gun was shot, we'd replace his corpse with a useless marching figure.
One of the buckskinned Texan figures from the Marx playset used to be holding a pheasant he'd shot. But, when the pheasant broke off, he was dubbed 'Chawin' Tabaccy' , the pheasants legs being his plug of tobacco. In a tight, he would spit tobacco juice in the Mexican soldiers faces.
Battles would rage all day with numerous attacks, but we never seemed to get around to a final assault.
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RebAl
Senior Member
Civil War Photographer
Posts: 296
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Post by RebAl on Oct 25, 2007 14:28:24 GMT -5
Good choice for the Mexicans!  |
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Post by neferetus on Oct 25, 2007 15:45:26 GMT -5
Good choice for the Mexicans! ;D |
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Post by Greg C. on Oct 25, 2007 16:05:30 GMT -5
Something to add to my christmas list as I am flat broke now... That's okay, it's always nice to have something to look forward to. Es verdad? Si Senor..... (I think thats the right response lol, i should know, im in my third year of spanish)   |
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RebAl
Senior Member
Civil War Photographer
Posts: 296
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Post by RebAl on Nov 5, 2007 8:57:54 GMT -5
Received my DVD and it's excellent well worth the money, enjoyed seeing the film set at Brackettsville and the interview with Fess Parker.
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Post by neferetus on Nov 10, 2007 17:01:32 GMT -5
When Playset Magazine puts out a DVD concerning Alamo-related playsets, the initial reaction might be that it is a video-commercial to promote either the magazine itself, or certain Alamo playsets.
But AT THE ALAMO is much more than a promotional gimmick for sellers of little plastic men. For it delves into the reason those playset were even made in the first place. The DVD explores the infancy of Walt Disney's first television venture, the DISNEYLAND series. In order to picque the interest of the viewing audience, Disney concocted a tv mini-series based upon the life of famous American frontiersman, Davy Crockett. Disney wanted to sell folks on his Disneyland theme park and Frontierland was just part of that park.
A recent interview with 82 year old Fess Parker, Disney's Davy Crockett, relates just how the wild popularity of the Crockett series spawned commercial tie-in products, some of those products being the Marx playsets.
For the playset lover, AT THE ALAMO ventures into the minutiea of the history of the Marx Alamo sets over the years, catergorizing the different versions by size, color, parts and accessories. But it also adds a neat "battle" sequence using Marx figures and a little CGI.
The makers of playset Magazine also go into detail on how to construct a diorama from Marx playsets.
There are teaser glimpses of other Alamo dioramas, including Kenny Pruitt's wonderful Waynamo model, as well as Tom Feeley's most recent massive effort.
The tie-in to the release of John Wayne's popular film THE ALAMO is accompanied by a visit to the place where it all happened, Alamo Village, in Brackettville, Texas, where the viewer gets treated to a video tour of not only the Alamo compound, but the village itself. A visit to the Cantina arrives just in time to both witness and hear the Village's manager and Marshal, Rich Curilla, singing his heart out over a rendition of THE BALLAD OF THE ALAMO. Too bad that the folks from Playset Magazine did not take the time to interview Mr. Curilla himself, for his knowledge of the Alamo, the village and yes, Alamo playsets would've both enlightened and intrigued them. It would've also cleared up a few glitches in AT THE ALAMO's dialogue. Rich would've informed them, for instance, that the Alamo set has gone through some drastic changes and that not all of it is original, as the DVD seems to infer. He would've also reminded them that the production company that upgraded the set was from the IMAX film ALAMO: THE PRICE OF FREEDOM and not 13 DAYS TO GLORY.
With nods to Wayne's Alamo and the 2004 version, AT THE ALAMO moves on to San Antonio.
The film's final moments are dedicated to a visit to the Alamo shrine, itself, which is only fitting, after all. For, without the historical Alamo, there would've been no films, nor playset tie-ins to those films.
Bonus features to AT THE ALAMO include interviews with Alamo historian/author/writer/producer/Alamo extra Frank Thompson and Alamo Village owner, Virgina Shahan. ( Happy Shahan's widow.) Music, including much by THE ALAMO's own Dimitri Tiomkin, is interpreted by Mike Boldt in his unique style. Some of Mr. Boldt's original Alamo musical selections, featuring Tony Pascua, are also included as bonus material. Another bonus is a longer version of the Alamo playset "battle".
So, whether you are a playset collector, or not (I'm not) AT THE ALAMO is a DVD that you will want to view again and again. (I've watched it twice, already, myself.)
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Post by neferetus on Mar 16, 2008 20:51:40 GMT -5
This just in from Immortal Alamo Frank Thompson. Notes Frank, " Hey, if my mug hadn't been in the thing, it would have won a silver, at the very least."
"AT THE ALAMO" TELLY AWARD RECIPIENT Atomic Home Video joins Warner Brothers and Discovery Channel as winners of the 2008 Telly Awards. This prestigious award was coveted this year by over 14,000 entrants submitting their best work. For Atomic, At the Alamo was their sole entry among giants of the media world. Still, it achieved the Bronze statue, made by the same people who mint the Academy Awards. “We accept this award on behalf of the collectors we serve in that it validates, once again, that the legitimacy of vintage toys, especially Marx, and the wonderful story of the Alamo , are still viable in our world,” observes producer Kathy Kern. At the Alamo features Fess Parker, the original Davy Crockett in Walt Disney’s famous television program that created a sensation in the 1950’s. In the third and final installment, Davy is compelled to help defend the Alamo with fatal results. At the Alamo follows the history, movies, TV shows, toys and vintage Marx playsets for an hour-long romp through history, pop-culture and toys. “It is a very difficult film to describe,” says director and writer Rusty Kern, “but it follows the toys along with media, such as the John Wayne movie, right up to their popularity in the present.” 12 months in the making, the producers arrived in California to film at the famous Wilderness Fort at Disneyland , at Fess Parker’s famous vineyards, then on to Orlando , Florida , and then moved down South for extensive on-location filming in Texas . Atomics new wide-screen cameras lensed at John Wayne’s Brackettville Alamo movie set with Virginia Shahan who, with her husband “insisted, sort of” that John Wayne bring his massive production to their Texas town for filming. Happy actually built the Alamo movie set featured in the Batjac production and many others, including “Two Rode Together” and, now, “At the Alamo.” Then it was on to San Antonio , site of the actual battle, to film the Alamo shrine. Following that, Chicago became the next location for the movie where interviews with author and historian, Frank Thompson were filmed. “Frank was the perfect choice to invest our film with historical perspective and gravitas,” say the Kerns. “He was among the first consultants for Disney’s 2004 big screen feature “The Alamo” and, like us, is an advocate for that film. He has written too many books to mention besides being the go-to commentary guy on John Wayne’s “Hondo” and many other DVD releases. He was the perfect, and now that I think of it, only possible choice to be the on-camera face of At The Alamo.” He has just released the book based on the hit TV series Lost, and is also revered for his four books on The Alamo Movies, The Alamo screenplays, The Alamo A Cultural History, the Alamo a novelizaation, and King Arthur, based on the recent movie. “We were honored to have Frank’s participation,” Kern wrote. But that wasn’t all. Additional months of filming were required for the Alamo toys and playset dioramas and featured in the movie. The actual siege of the Alamo is recreated using over 600 Marx vintage figures which are all in motion in this jaw-dropping segment. Mexican artillery actually fires and hundreds of troops attack. The sequence has been cited for ingenuity and unexpected spectacle. There was also the recreation of a theater in 1960 doing a first run showing of John Wayne’s “The Alamo.” And that, for the producers, was the final location for the film. One of the greatest contributions to At The Alamo is the unforgettable music of Mike Boldt. Taking Dimitri Tiompkin’s music and adapting it, AAA’s opening credits music is an updated, almost spaghetti-western styling on the famous Ballad of the Alamo sung by Marty Robbins. Other music beautifully underscores and heightens the entire movie. “Viewers may be surprised to find they become emotionally caught up in the movie, and that would be entirely creditable to Mike’s fabulous music,” says director Kern. The music CD was licensed and produced by Lee Pfeiffer’s incredible RetroMedia organization, a must on the list for any fan of cool movies and other retro stuff. After another 3 months of editing, the film was released as a 2008 production. For all of that, it is still a remarkably small budgeted movie. “More like ‘no-budget’” say the Kerns. “It’s really nice the judges were not just looking for films that had lots of money behind them, but lots of heart. We are deeply honored.” Atomic publishes Playset Magazine and produces DVDs on the subject of vintage toys, especially Marx playsets. Copies of the music can be ordered at Amazon.com or: www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/299-JOHN-WAYNES-THE-ALAMO-TRIBUTE-CD-BY-MIKE-BOLDT-IS-BACK!.html And you can visit Mike Boldt at www.mikeboldt.com/ Frank Thompson website is: www.frankthompson.tv/ Kathy Kern Editor and Subscriber Services Playset Magazine 1240 Marlstone Place Colorado Springs, CO 80904 (719) 634-7430 www.playsetmagazine.com
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