Just a few days ago some folks caught a glimpse of some great lighting effects turned on at the construction site for Skull Island: Reign of Kong at Universal's Islands of Adventure. Turns out they were filming some promotional videos to help explain what this new attraction will be all about, as well as grab some amazing photographs. Universal also confirmed that this will be "one of the longest rides of any Universal attraction", and it feature "several new firsts for Universal Orlando Resort." This attraction is scheduled to open Summer of this year. See the full ride description, new videos, and more news about the viral marketing campaign they started earlier this month called Myth Explorers: The Quest for Kong, all below. And stay tuned for more Kong news!
Tag Archives: video
Incredible Hulk Coaster Refurbishment Update – All Track Pieces Gone – With Video
All of the track pieces for The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Islands of Adventure have been completely removed as the dramatic refurbishment continues. The ride is scheduled to re-open Summer of this year, and the very first pieces of new track supports are just now going up. No word yet on whether or not the track layout will change when the ride comes back, but the ride cars and the coaster's launch system will be coming back new and improved. The queue building is being completely redesigned as well. Rumors of on-board audio for the new cars being added have also been swirling around. See the video and images below for the progress on this rehab, along with comparison pics from before and after the track was removed. Stay tuned for more theme park updates!
Universal Jumps on the Chance to Promote ‘Jurassic Park: The Ride’ with New Website and Ad Campaign
With Jurassic World now reaching one billion dollars worldwide, the Universal Parks are jumping on the opportunity to promote their existing Jurassic Park attraction. They have released a commercial for 'Jurassic Park: The Ride' at both Hollywood and Orlando, invoking the ideas of Jurassic World with the text, See The Movie, Then Dare to Ride It, mixed with images from the Jurassic World film and scenes from the Jurassic Park ride. In addition to the new ad, which we might start seeing on television immediately, there's also a new website open, devoted entirely to the Jurassic Park ride. The new website, www.jurassicparktheride.com, is currently just a portal to take you to the ride info page from either the Hollywood or Orlando version's website. While many are hoping to see new rides directly themed to Jurassic World at the parks, it's nice to at least see Universal reminding us of the great ride they already have. Check out my video of the entire Jurassic Park River Adventure ride in Orlando below.
Universal Announces First Ever NBC Sports Grill & Brew to Replace NASCAR Cafe at Universal CityWalk
Back when the NASCAR Sports Grille closed in November of last year, no one was sure what was going to replace it. Over time it became clear that a NBC Sports related restaurant and sports bar would be taking over the vacant space. In April we got our first glimpse of a possible name from a permit filed. Today, Universal Orlando has officially announced the first ever NBC Sports Grill & Brew is coming to Universal Citywalk, and it will be opening this fall! The venue will host 100 HD TV screens throughout the restaurant all showing NBC sports programming of all types. Read the full press release, see the video, and check out some of the construction progress pictures below.
Raptor Encounter Full Experience Video Plus Jurassic World Shirts Now at Islands of Adventure
The Raptor Encounter at Universal's Islands of Adventure opened to long lines over Memorial Day weekend. Guests are lining up in the hot Florida sun for the chance to come face to face with one of the two "trained" raptors in the park: Lucy and Ethel. This new meet and greet is certainly a hit. The loud raptor noises ensure everyone walking by take notice. The photos and video you'll see do not do it justice as it is very impressive in person. It may be a guy in a suit, but for a few minutes it really has you questioning how they're pulling it off. There's a "trainer" there to help make the experience feel more authentic, and her interactions with the animal really sold it for me. It's a lot of fun and I'm glad I was able to get some video and photos to share with you. Check them out below!
In addition to the Raptor Encounter I was happy to see that many new Jurassic World shirts have arrived to the park as well! They're available at both gift shops in Jurassic Park, as well as the main gift shop in Port of Entry. Check them out, along with some more new Jurassic World merchandise below. ...continue reading
Kongstruction Update: Scaffolding Comes Down and Entrance Arch Takes Shape – With Video
Since it's my first visit back to the parks after the official announcement for Skull Island: Reign of Kong was made last week, I decided to get some video in addition to my usual construction photographs. All of the scaffolding has now shifted to the right, leaving a breathtaking view of the giant temple gate. They've also started work on the attraction entrance near the pathway. From the concept art we can see it will be an arch with Kong's head shaped into it. It's very exciting to see everything taking shape, and to have concept art to compare it to! See all the photos below and check out the video here as well!
Jurassic Park River Adventure Back Open After Refurbishment – With Video
The Jurassic Park River Adventure at Universal's Islands of Adventure is back open after being down for seasonal maintenance from February 17th to March 12th! The waterfalls and rockwork are looking gorgeous and the dinosaurs skins have never looked better, with no holes or unsightly patchwork visible. And it's just great to have all those construction walls finally down around the area. I took some pictures as well as some on-ride video to show off the cleaned up attraction.
While everything looked great, I did notice a lot of the dinosaurs eyes were closed during the ride, and the gate doors did not open as the boat passed through them in the beginning. Other than those small items though, everything else was in perfect working order. Watch the video to see for yourself and check out the images below as well.
The Battery DVD Now Available in Walmart and Blu-ray/DVD Online
Our little zombie film is all grown-up! You can now purchase the DVD in most Walmart stores across the United States, and at a great price too! The DVD comes with all the same great special features you'll find on the Bluray version, including audio commentary, outtakes reel, and the 90-minute making of documentary. (See the bottom of this post for special video clips from the documentary.) You can also get your copy of the film from Amazon or straight from Scream Factory's website from the links below.
We're really proud of our film and hope everyone gets a chance to see it. It has also already been released on disc in several other countries including France, Germany, UK, and more. If you cannot find it in your area you can always purchase the digital version directly from us at http://thebatterymovie.com/.
Official Trailer Released for ‘Tools of Ignorance: The Making of The Battery’, a 90-minute Documentary
Our zombie film The Battery is being released on Blu-ray and DVD by Scream Factory September 16th in the US. The special features on the disc will include a feature commentary track, outtakes reel, music featurette, and a full-length documentary about the making of the film.
We spent over six months editing the documentary, entitled Tools of Ignorance: The Making of The Battery. It was a labor of love and we didn't really know if it was going to make it onto the disc or if it would ever be seen while we were making it. The doc utilizes behind-the-scenes footage that was shot every day on the set during shooting plus interviews with all of the filmmakers shot over a year later for perspective. It tells the whole story starting with how we got started making amateur movies back in high school to how Jeremy Gardner got the gang back together to make another movie almost twelve years later.
Watch as we struggle through all the stages of making an independent film: through writing, casting, production, post-production, and release. "It's been a total fucking dream."
Pre-Order the Disc:
In addition to the Blu-ray and DVD release in the United States on September 16th we're hoping to release the documentary as an online download for our international friends that cannot get it on a disc. Check out http://thebatterymovie.com in September for more details.
THE BATTERY Blu-ray Available for Pre-Order & Packed with Special Features
The horror distribution company Scream Factory will be releasing The Battery on Blu-ray and DVD in the USA on September 16th! The Blu-ray will be jam-packed with Special Features, including audio commentary and a full-length making-of documentary (full list below). The video case features a reversible insert with new artwork on the front and the original movie poster on the reverse. You can display it how you prefer. Pre-order the film from the links below to secure your copy today!
Pre-Order:
Bonus features:
- Audio Commentary with Writer/Producer/Director/Star Jeremy Gardner, Producer/Star Adam Cronheim and Producer/Director of Photography Christian Stella
- TOOLS OF IGNORANCE: The Making Of The Battery A feature-length documentary featuring filmmaker interviews, behind the scenes footage, and deleted scenes. (90 minutes)
- Outtakes Reel (10 minutes)
- ROCK PLAZA CENTRAL AT THE PARLOR: The Music Of The Battery Featuring acoustic performances of songs from the film. (12 minutes)
- Theatrical Trailer