Award-Winning Composer scores the action-adventure film
 
(Hollywood, CA) February 27, 2017 -- Composer Henry Jackman delivers a powerful score in the upcoming blockbuster Kong: Skull Island. The film is a reboot of the King Kong franchise and will serve as the second film in Legendary's MonsterVerse, and as a prequel to the 2014 film Godzilla. This is the first collaboration between Henry Jackman and director Jordan Vogt-Roberts. Jackman states, "It was an amazing experience to work on a movie whose main character [King Kong] had such a rich Hollywood heritage. Bringing that character into the 21st century meant we were able to use the symphony orchestra one would expect from a Kong film, whilst simultaneously involving guitars and modern electronic elements. Working with Jordan was great - he brought his own unique take on an already established story."
 
When a scientific expedition to an uncharted island awakens titanic forces of nature, a mission of discovery becomes an explosive war between monster and man. Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, John Goodman and John C. Reilly star in a thrilling and original new adventure that reveals the untold story of how Kong became King. The film is distributed by Warner Bros. and opens in theaters March 10th. WaterTower Music is releasing the score soundtrack album, both digitally and physically, which is available March 10th.
 
Please take a listen here.
 
Henry Jackman’s diverse educational background compliments his musical diversity that has underlined the complexity of his musical creations. Aside from the electronic music he began to produce in his early years, he assumed classical training at St. Paul's Cathedral Choir School, Eton College and Oxford University. Shortly after graduating, Jackman was invited to join Hans Zimmer’s team at Remote Control Studios. Jackman won an Annie Award for Wreck-It Ralph, and was nominated for Discovery of the Year by the World Soundtrack Awards. 2013 marked a phenomenal year for Jackman as his scoring credits were attached to films grossing in excess of $1 billion. The geo-political music Jackman created for Paul Greengrass' Captain Phillips earned him a Hollywood Music in Media Award for best score as well as a BAFTA nomination. In addition, Henry Jackman's music for DreamWorks Animation's “Turbo” was recognized with a 2014 Annie Award nomination in the best score category.
 
Recent projects include the Tom Cruise-led action thriller film Jack Reacher: Never Go Back as well as the American period drama, Birth of a Nation, which was based on the story of Nat Turner, the enslaved man who led a slave rebellion in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1831.
 
Upcoming projects for Jackman include the untitled sequel to Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph, as well as Kingsman: The Golden Circle, starring Jeff Bridges and Channing Tatum, which will be released in theaters later this year.

​Keep watching our Facebook page for special events, contests, and more! Upcoming events include:

• Ghost in the Shell preview- Tuesday February 28th at Harkins Arizona Mills
• Geeks Night Out- Thursday March 2nd at the Tempe Public Library*
• Run to Fight- Charity run for pediatric cancer- March 11th at Grand Canyon University campus
• Arizona Renaissance Festival- March 11th & 12th in Apache Junction
  

​*Blue Ribbon Army co-sponsored event.

​Join Phoenix Comicon for a chance to win prizes, giveaway from some of our partners, and even complimentary passes to Phoenix Comicon. We can wait to see you there!

Mobile Action RPG Celebrates 20-Million-Worldwide-Download Milestone with In-Game Bonus Giveaways

​LOS ANGELES (Feb. 23, 2017) – Today, SQUARE ENIX® released the first major version update for the critically acclaimed free-to-play FINAL FANTASY® mobile RPG adventure FINAL FANTASY® BRAVE EXVIUS®. The title’s largest update yet features a new story arc, a new Esper and gameplay improvements that will benefit both new and veteran players.
 
Since the game’s launch, FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS has been downloaded by more than 20 million players around the world. To commemorate this milestone, all players will have the chance to recruit rare characters by partaking in a free 11-summon draw – the largest reward ever given to players in the game’s history.

The version 2.0 update features a number of updates and changes that bring new content and enhance gameplay and accessibility:

• New Story and Esper: Continue the deep narrative as the heroes of the game adventure further into the world of Lapis and reunite with old friends and allies. Additionally, players can obtain a new Esper, Odin, by completing a side quest.
• Gameplay Enhancements: Additional feature updates include an improved summon function, a newly renovated quest menu and guides to aid players when gathering crafting materials. The home screen has also been revamped to allow even quicker access to menus and allow for a better play experience.

FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS is available now as a free-to-play app (with in-app purchases) through the App Store, Google Play and on theAmazon AppStore.

The Flavorful Celebration Will Feature a New Mouthwatering Food Lineup of Boysenberry Inspired Dishes and Entertainment For all Ages.
 
Buena Park, CA (Feb 2017) – This spring, join Knott's as it celebrates the flavorful berry that started it all, the boysenberry, during the much anticipated Knott's Boysenberry Festival. For the first time ever, the mouthwatering festival is expanding to three weeks, April 1–April 23, with delectable food and drinks, and festive live entertainment. The 23-day food festival features over 70 one-of-a-kind boysenberry inspired dishes, drinks and more, plus foot-stompin' entertainment, Wine and Craft Brew Tasting Garden, featuring boysenberry and wine, and family fun that everyone will love!  For festival goers with a hankerin' for some live entertainment, the options are endless with live music throughout the park, a nighttime dance party, and brand new shows like, Snoopy's Boysenberry Jamboree at the Calico Mine Stage. Calico Park in Ghost Town is home to a good ol' fashion hootenanny featuring pie eating contests, line dancing and country fair festivities with the local Ghost Town townsfolk. The limited-time festival is included with admission to Knott's Berry Farm.
           
The year was 1920 when Walter and Cordelia Knott moved to the community of Buena Park Calif. to farm 20 acres of rented land which included harvesting, and selling the first boysenberry, a cross between a loganberry, red raspberry and blackberry, and named the new berry after its originator, Rudolph Boysen. Today, all boysenberries in the world can trace their roots back to Knott's Berry Farm.
 
For 2017, the mouthwatering line-up of boysenberry inspired dishes will feature irresistible boysenberry pizza made with arugula and goat cheese, the unforgettable and delicious new ravioli dish packed with boysenberry flavors, freshly-baked boysenberry fry bread and lip-smacking corn on the cob with boysenberry butter and mayo, each dish will leave guests wanting for more.  Other must try items include crispy deep fried alligator bites paired with farm-made zesty boysenberry aioli, finger-lickin boysenberry BBQ wings, savory boysenberry meatballs, sweet boysenberry cream soda, creamy chocolate covered boysenberry cheesecake on a stick and many more delicious treats. Additional fee for tastings. Guests who want to take home the exquisite Boysenberry BBQ sauce, Boysenberry Butter, Boysenberry Dressing and Boysenberry Chipotle Sauce can do so by stopping by the Berry Market located in the California MarketPlace and General Store located in Ghost Town. Select items are available on the online Berry Market store.
 
Guests can purchase boysenberry inspired products throughout the winding streets of the Old West at the Crafts Fair. This year's boysenberry products include boysenberry soap, lip balm and the devilishly good rock candy. Festivalgoers can also watch special demonstrations including a chainsaw wood sculpting, glass blowing and blacksmithing.  From day to night, Ghost Town has never looked so lively.
 
This year, in honor of the famous berry, Ghost Town's Town Hall will feature a fascinating film which shares the story of how Walter and Cordelia Knott settled here in Buena Park and helped the world discover the amazing boysenberry. Guests can pull up a seat and catch a 10-minute showing of the historic film offered exclusively during the festival.
 
The Knott's Boysenberry Festival also features an extensive line up of live entertainment. Join Snoopy, Charlie and the entire Peanuts gang as they present an all new interactive, musical revue called Snoopy's Boysenberry Jamboree! at the Calico Mine Stage. This new show will have families singing, dancing, and playing along with the beloved Peanuts characters and talented performers during the whimsical, high energy celebration of springtime. Country music and the aroma of deliciously good food will fill the air as the Ghost Town Miners take the stage in a fun, musical performance at the Firemen's BBQ stage. Just across the Fireman's stage, the Legendary Bird Cage Theatre pays tribute to Knott's past; for the first time in over 20 years, the theatre will be the home of musical comedy melodrama, with a special presentation of the Old Time Melodrama. America's longest running Melodrama returns with an original, interactive, comedy with asurprising boysenberry twist! In the evening, a group of krazy talented performers will have guests kicking up their heels with vine dancing, a down home jug band and dueling fiddlers and banjos!  At the Wagon Camp stage, get krazy when Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies mount their toe tappin', knee-slappin', gut-bustin' country comedy show that will have audiences clamoring for more! 
 
The fun continues with new additions exclusively for the Boysenberry Festival. Brand new this season, The Old MacDonald Petting Zoo pays tribute to one of Knott's original attractions. Young ones and young at heart are invited to cozy up to the cutest critters on the farm including horses, sheep, goats and other furry friends.
 
Springtime fun has also taken root in Camp Snoopy and Fiesta Village. During the limited-time event, the whole family can meet the Easter Beagle at his Camp Snoopy home, blooming with colorful springtime décor. The meet and greet location is the perfect place for shareable moments with the boisterous beagle and his friends – Charlie Brown, Lucy, Sally, and Linus. Camp Snoopy Theatre will showcase the PEANUTS pals singing, dancing, and sharing stories for all to enjoy. Everyone in the family can join in the Camp Snoopy activities.  The theater will be filled with the sweet sound of little ones as they singing-along to the cheerful tunes! Guests don't have to be experts at dancing to enjoy a nighttime Fiesta with DJ Cruz in Fiesta Village. The night comes alive with music and dance as everyone will be sure to take to the floor and dance to the rhythmic beat of popular music.
 
The Boysenberry Festival is included with admission to Knott's Berry Farm, additional cost for food tasting experiences within the event, which also offers a full day of thrilling coasters and family fun rides.  Knott's will have extended hours, 10am to 10pm, from April 1 –  April 23, allowing guests extra time to take advantage of all of the limited-time offerings.
 
Join the conversation and share your day of boysenberry fun by using #BoysenberryFestival on Twitter and Instagram. For information about the day you plan to visit and available discounts, visit www.knotts.com, or download the newly updated Knott's Berry Farm mobile app for your smartphone.

As part of its 50th Anniversary "Zoo-LAbration," the Los Angeles Zoo launches the Sustainable Wine+Dinner Series to celebrate a continued commitment to conservation, with three evenings on Thursday, March 16, Thursday, April 27 and Thursday, May 11, 2017, 6 to 9 pm, at the Zoo, with others to come.  The series spotlights sustainability – from agriculture to food and wine production to wildlife conservation – and each evening focuses on a different topic and features conversations with a curator or keeper, up-close animal encounters, and wine introductions by representatives from a local winery or vineyard that shares the Zoo's commitment to sustainable living.  Guests enjoy a seasonally inspired, five-course, farm-to-table dinner created by the Zoo's executive chef, Brad Robertson, where each course is paired with wines from the evening's featured winery.  Limited to 50 guests per dinner, the intimate evenings are open to guests ages 21 and older.  

"The series is a chance to showcase Southern Californian bounty in wine and food from fantastic local producers in a amazing night out in a unique and unforgettable date-night environment — and a lot of fun," says Robertson.  "I'm personally a transplant to this region, and many people take their good fortune for granted when it comes to the produce and the beautiful wines produced within driving distance of their front doors.  This partnership is meant to share the many occasions when the missions of the chefs, Zoo educators, and now winemakers converge in a truly remarkable evening."

"Chilling Out" is the theme for the Thursday, March 16 Sustainable Wine+Dinner event, held in the Cambodia viewing area of the L.A. Zoo's magnificent Elephants of Asia habitat and featuring Sta. Rita Hills' Sanford Winery & Vineyards.  For over 40 years now, this iconic vineyard has set the standard for quality in the region and is also home to the oldest Pinot Noir vines in the county.  Located 10 miles inland, Sanford benefits from its central position within the east-west traversing Santa Ynez Valley, which provides a unique pathway to the Pacific Ocean that allows cool, moist air to be drawn inland and creates perfect conditions for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  Like many amphibians, wine grape varieties can display different qualities depending upon the climate in which they're grown, adapting to and flourishing in both warm and cool climates.  During the reception, Ian Recchio, the L.A. Zoo's Curator of Reptiles, provides fascinating details about how cold-blooded animals thrive in a range of temperatures.  At the dinner, Steve Fennell, Winemaker and General Manager of Sanford Winery introduces each wine selection and discusses Sanford's cool-climate wines along with its other sustainable initiatives.

The Thursday, April 27 Sustainable Wine+Dinner evening, themed "Happy Trails," is set on the terraces of the L.A. Zoo's Mahale Mountains and features Los Angeles' own Malibu Family Wines.  The Santa Monica Mountains, home to Malibu Wines' Saddlerock Ranch, is also an important wildlife habitat.  Griffith Park's celebrity mountain lion, P-22, originated in the Santa Monica Mountains, and his story has brought much attention to the issues of habitat fragmentation and wildlife corridors.  Guests at the evening enjoy wines of this biodiverse region while learning about the importance of protected migration paths for its native wildlife from conservation biologist and wildlife ecologist Anthony J. Giordano, founder and director of S.P.E.C.I.E.S., The Society for the Conservation of Endangered Carnivores.

"Birds of a Feather," held inside the Amazonian stilt house of the L.A. Zoo's Rainforest of the Americas on Thursday, May 11, features Temecula's Palumbo Family Vineyards and Winery.  One of the Palumbo Family Vineyards' many commitments to sustainability is its use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices.  This strategy involves creating conditions that promote beneficial microbes, insects, and other organisms to reduce the need for conventional chemical pest and weed control.  An important part of IPM is the presence of raptors such as owls and hawks that naturally control rodents.  This special dinner experience includes a presentation by a representative of the winery and a talk by Mike Maxcy, the L.A. Zoo's Curator of Birds, about sustainable farming practices and the importance of animals such as raptors—with an appearance by some the Zoo's feathered residents.

Additional Sustainable Wine Dinner dates will be announced.  Programs and dinner locations subject to change.

The Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens marks its 50th anniversary with a yearlong "ZooLAbration" of its November 28, 1966, opening that spotlights not only its key role as a world-class destination and an important community asset but also its critical successes in conservation, quality of life and premier care for animals.  Having recently completed a $172 million Master Plan that significantly improved the Zoo facility, the 50th anniversary coincides with the early planning stages of a new Master Plan for the future.  The landmark L.A. Zoo, drawing nearly 1.8 million visitors each year, is home to a diverse collection of 1,100 animals representing 250 different species, many of which are rare or endangered, as well as a botanical collection comprising over 800 different plant species with approximately 7,000 individual plants.  Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), whose members meet rigorous professional standards for animal welfare, the Zoo has achieved renown as an international leader in the preservation of endangered species and a conservation center for the care and study of wildlife.  The L.A. Zoo's lush grounds on 113 acres feature Rainforest of the Americas, an extraordinary collection of endangered and exotic mammals, reptiles, fish and amphibians living in spaces that exemplify their natural habitat in the rainforest biosphere; Chimpanzees of Mahale Mountains, home to one of the largest troops of chimpanzees in the United States; Red Ape Rain Forest, where visitors can walk among orangutans; the LAIR (Living Amphibians, Invertebrates, and Reptiles); Elephants of Asia; Campo Gorilla Reserve; and one of the largest flocks of flamingos in any zoo in the world.  Among other highlights are an extraordinary, hands-on Hippo Encounter; the Winnick Family Children's Zoo and Muriel's Ranch animal contact area; the Tom Mankiewicz Conservation Carousel; a variety of daily opportunities to learn more about animals, including close-up visits, special feedings and intriguing talks; and much more.  The private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), which has supported the Zoo in partnership with the City of Los Angeles for more than five decades and provides funding for and operates seven essential Zoo departments, has 60,000 member households representing more than 240,000 adults and children.  As evidence of the Zoo's popularity, GLAZA attracts one of the largest membership bases of any cultural organization in Los Angeles. 

Tickets to each evening in the series are $150 per person/$130 per GLAZA member.  Seating is limited, and reservations are required.  The event is open to adults age 21 and older.

The Los Angeles Zoo is located in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways.  5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA  90027.  Free parking is available.  For tickets, call 866-949-8007 or visit http://www.lazoo.org/sustainablewinedinners/

Scene-Stealing Superhero to Headline The LEGO® Batman™ Movie Days Feb. 25-26

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CARLSBAD, Calif. (Feb. 22, 2017) – Calling All Caped Crusaders! LEGOLAND® California Resort is inviting guests out to celebrate the Dark Knight of Gotham City this weekend during the family theme park's The LEGO® Batman™ Movie Days on February 25-26.
During The LEGO Batman Movie Days, guests will get a chance to meet LEGO Batman, search for villains during a scavenger hunt in Miniland U.S.A., build their own batmobile to race against other guests, test their inner model builder skills by helping create a life-size LEGO Batman and LEGO Robin and help build a special mystery mosaic mural inspired by the film. The LEGO Batman Movie Days activities are included in the price of admission to LEGOLAND California Resort.

Campaign Defines the Universal Theme Park Experience 
 
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ORLANDO, Florida and HOLLYWOOD, California (February 21, 2017) – Your kids are growing up and it’s suddenly time for a different kind of family vacation. Your family is ready for more excitement, exhilaration and adventure.  It’s time to just let loose and have fun - together.
 
Universal’s theme parks in Orlando and Hollywood offer exactly the kind of vacation your family craves – bringing together popular culture’s most compelling stories, characters and adventures to create some of the world’s most innovative and entertaining attraction experiences.  These are immersive, next-level, adventures such as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, outrageously fun attractions such as Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and highly themed, authentic experiences based on cutting-edge television, such as The Walking Dead Attraction and Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon.
 
Universal Parks & Resorts is showcasing these experiences as part of a national brand campaign set to launch today.  It will be the first time Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood speak to consumers with one voice.
 
Called, “I’m Ready,” the campaign will show how Universal theme parks take family vacations to an entirely new level.  It comes after years of transformational growth at both Universal theme park destinations – growth that has reinvented theme park entertainment itself.  The campaign includes a national television advertisement, digital advertising placements, a joint Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood web landing page where guests can go to get more information – and more. 
 
“Universal Parks & Resorts provides world-class entertainment destinations with signature theme parks in both Orlando and Hollywood that create unparalleled entertainment for the whole family,” said Alice Norsworthy, Executive Vice President of Marketing for Universal Parks and Resorts. “This new campaign speaks to the needs of families as the evolve – and it invites them to vacation on a whole new level.”