Gary Baseman bringing his characters and vision to the MIMOBOT Artist Series Collection

For those of you who enjoyed my reviews of the excellent Star Wars MIMOBOT line should take a closer look at a new product line of designs done by renowned artist Gary Basemsan. Below is the full press release:

Mimoco’s version of Toby and HotChaChaCha deliver all the cuddly, curious and “quirky-naughty” noted aspects of a Gary Baseman piece. FromToby’s loveable outstretched arms and all-knowing eye to HotChaChaCha’s devil fangs, horns, and angelic halos, the MIMOBOT creations are uncanny impressions of their original forms. HotChaChaCha MIMOBOT comes in a glow-in-the-dark colorway, making it one of the few glowing characters in Mimoco’s lineup.

“Baseman is the crown prince of pervasive art and we’re thrilled to be releasing two more of his beloved characters as MIMOBOTs,” says Evan Blaustein CEO and Founder of Mimoco. “Toby and HotChaChaCha are perfect in MIMOBOT form and totally encapsulate our mission to infuse everyday technology with pop art.”

Both Toby and HotChaChaCha MIMOBOT are available for purchase today at www.mimoco.com. Each drive also comes pre-loaded with character-specific bonus content like images, wallpapers, avatars, and more.

About Gary Baseman - Pervasive Artist. Painter. TV/Movie Producer. Toy Designer. Curator. The LA Times describes his art "adorably perverse." One of the leaders of the Los Angeles underground art movement, who coined the term “pervasive art,” Mr. Baseman blurs the line between toy culture and fine art with his strong iconic images, both playful and dark, childlike and adult, id driven and thought-provoking. Mr. Baseman’s work is surreal. Innocent. Lustful. Honest. Dripping with Desire. Creamy. Gooey. Everywhere. Mr. Baseman has exhibited around the world in Rome, Los Angeles, NYC, Taipei, Barcelona, Sao Paulo, Berlin, including an installation at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, paintings and sculptures in MOCA Shanghai, and a two-man show at the Laguna Art Museum titled Pervasion. Mr. Baseman's previous incarnations include the three-time Emmy award winning creator/executive producer of the animated series and film "Teacher's Pet;" The New Yorker, Time, and Rolling Stone artist; and designer for the best selling game "Cranium." Entertainment Weekly Magazine named Baseman as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Entertainment.

"Ancient Aliens: Season One" - Blu-ray Disc Review

***SYNOPSIS***
Is it possible that intelligent life forms visited Earth thousands of years ago, bringing with them technology that drastically affected the course of history and man's own development? Presented in the 1968 bestselling book Chariots of the Gods, by Erich von Daniken, the theory of 'ancient aliens' rocked people's beliefs in mankind's progress. Ancient cave drawings of strange creatures, remains of landing strips in Peru, and Indian texts that describe the 'flying machines of the gods' were just a few of the odd archaeological artifacts cited by von Daniken as proof that ancient astronauts were well known to our ancestors. Produced with the exclusive cooperation of von Daniken himself, ANCIENT ALIENS launches all-new expeditions to seek out and evaluate this evidence, with a concentration on discoveries of the last 30 years, including unusual DNA findings on man s evolution and newly decoded artifacts from Egypt to Syria to South America. It is a balanced investigation into a theory some believe cannot be true, but many agree cannot be ignored.

Included are the following episodes:

DISC ONE The Evidence, The Visitors
DISC TWO The Mission, Closer Encounters
DISC THREE The Return, Bonus Materials



***MOVIE REVIEW***
Since 1982, after seeing "E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial" I've been fascinated with what civilizations, or creatures are living past our atmosphere. The thought that possibly some alien beings began planet Earths civilizations is a fun idea, thought one that needs to be taken with a grain of salt. The series is full of fun history facts and items, mixed with theories of aliens having a hand with this. If you've ever looked up in the sky wondering who else is out there, or looked at the Pyramids in Egypt and wondered how did humans create one of the great wonders of the world then this always interesting show is for you.8/10




***VIDEO QUALITY***
"Ancient Aliens: Season One" arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in the original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. This transfer is a collage of various sources including vintage footage, newly shot HD location footage and interviews, CG effects,etc. The HD filmed sequences exhibit nice color saturation and strong black levels. Vintage film or video footage was sometimes soft and noisy, but nothing to ruin the overall experience. A solid presentation.8/10




***AUDIO QUALITY***
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. Dialogue was crisp and clear throughout. There are some subtle pans between the front two channels. A clean if not very exciting presentation.7.5/10




***SPECIAL FEATURES***
"Chariots, Gods, and Beyond" - A 90 minute special that further explores the theories discussed during the main program.Presented in HD, 1.78:1. A nice bonus.8/10

" The World At War" - Blu-ray Disc Review

***SYNOPSIS***
More than 35 years after its initial broadcast, THE WORLD AT WAR remains the definitive visual history of World War II. Unsurpassed in depth and scope, its 26 hour-long programs feature an extraordinary collection of newsreel, propaganda, and home-movie footage drawn from the archives of 18 nations, including color close-ups of Adolf Hitler taken by his mistress, that present an unvarnished perspective of the war s pivotal events. Penetrating interviews with eyewitness participants from Hitler s secretary to Alger Hiss to ordinary citizens who stood outside the battle lines add spine-tingling, first-hand accounts to an already unforgettable viewing experience.

Informative and unbiased, THE WORLD AT WAR is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an International Emmy Award, The National Television Critics' Award for Best Documentary, and knighthood for its creator, Sir Jeremy Isaacs. Narrated by Academy Award winner Sir Laurence Olivier and painstakingly restored in 1080p high-definition (with newly-created 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks), this is epic history at its absolute best.

Included are the following episodes:


DISC ONE - A New Germany: 1933-1939/ Distant War: September 1939-May 1940/ France Falls: May-June 1940/ Alone: May 1940-May 1941

DISC TWO - Barbarossa: June-December 1941/ Banzai!: Japan 1931-1942/ On Our Way: U.S.A. 1939-1942/ The Desert: North Africa 1940-1943/ Stalingrad: June 1942-February 1943

DISC THREE - Wolf Pack: U-Boats in the Atlantic 1939-1944/ Red Star: The Soviet Union 1941-1943/ Whirlwind: Bombing Germany September 1939-April 1944/ Tough Old Gut: Italy November 1942-June 1944/ It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow: Burma 1942-1944

DISC FOUR - Home Fires: Britain 1940-1944/ Inside the Reich: Germany 1940-1944/ Morning: June-August 1944/ Occupation: Holland 1940-1944/ Pincers: August 1944-March 1945

DISC FIVE - Genocide: 1941-1945/ Nemesis: Germany February-May 1945/ Japan: 1941-1945/ Pacific: February 1942-July 1945/ The Bomb: February-September 1945

DISC SIX - Reckoning: 1945 . . . and After/ Remember/ Secretary to Hitler/ From War to Peace/ Warrior

DISC SEVEN - Hitler's Germany: The People's Community 1933-1939/ Hitler's Germany: Total War 1939-1945/ The Two Deaths of Adolf Hitler

DISC EIGHT - The Final Solution Part 1/ The Final Solution Part 2




***MOVIE REVIEW***
All the superlatives you've heard of this landmark series are true. I was astounded by the sheer overwhelming detail and ambition of the series. You truly get a sense of what life was like during those dark and unforgettable years. I would recommend this series to anyone that has even the slightest interest in war, the human condition, history, etc. Just absolute perfection.10/10




***VIDEO QUALITY***
"The World At War" arrives on Blu-ray with a 1080p transfer in a newly created widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1. First things first, YES the 1.33:1 aspect ratio was not kept intact unfortunately but the newly remastered presentation in a new widescreen version is a nice upgrade from those old VHS tapes and DVD set. The bonus features go into further detail as to why the choice was made, and I will note that the integrity of the series of the series is not marred in any way. As expected a large amount of various sources were used for footage. A mix of B&W and color footage varies from soft and a little washed out to somewhat crisp with strong colors. Black levels were very good for this vintage. Grain was noticeable but never distracting. Considering they didn't decide to keep the original aspect ratio this is still a well done remaster.6.5/10





***AUDIO QUALITY***
Audio is provided by a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The narration from the great Sir Laurence Olivier was always audible and clean. LFE is pretty much non existent and surround channels add subtle pans from time to time, but I didn't go into viewing this series expecting an aural assault. A perfectly adequate track is accompanied by a LPCM 2.0 track.7/10





***SPECIAL FEATURES***
* The Making of The World at War (50min19sec)
* Episode Summaries
* A Brief History of The World at War
* Biographies
* Episode Extras —
* Speeches and Quotes
* Footage
* Maps
* Songs and Poems
* Secretary to Hitler (24min32sec)
* From War to Peace (23min47sec)
* Warrior (52min54sec)
* Hitler’s Germany: The People’s Community (1933 — 1939) (1hr18min11sec)
* Hitler’s Germany: Total War (1939 — 1945) (1hr19min38sec)
* Making the Series: A 30th Anniversary Retrospective(2hr8min26sec)
* The Two Deaths of Adolf Hitler (49min02sec)
* The Final Solution: Auschwitz Part 1 (1hr40min36sec)
* The Final Solution: Auschwitz Part 2 (1hr32min24sec)
* Experiences of War (1hr01min19sec)
* Restoring the World at War (31min05sec)