Sony Pictures Animation Celebrates "Hotel Transylvania" Release on Blu-ray and DVD With a Special Screening!
Recording Artist, Becky G, and Director, Genndy Tartakovsky, Talk About the Music Video and New Short Appearing on Home Release Editions in Stores Tuesday, January 29!
by: David DePerro
Teens, kids, and parents laughed and screamed alongside Sony Animation filmmakers as "Count Dracula" and goth girl, "Mavis," worked through their father-daughter issues on-screen in a showing of "Hotel Transylvania." Sunday's event at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, California, celebrated the Blu-Ray 3D, Blu-Ray, and DVD release of the film, that hits shelves on Tuesday, January 29.
Becky G, whose music video appears on all the film's home release editions, said after the screening that she identified with Mavis the most. "She's becoming an adult, in vampire years--118 years old!" Becky said. "Having that relationship with her dad, he's overbearing at first, but it's because he has good intentions and he cares for her so much." "Mavis" is voiced by Selena Gomez, and her father, "Dracula," by Adam Sandler.
See the trailer for the film below:
"And the whole falling in love thing and guy crush," added Becky G, only made her relate to Mavis more. Mavis's crush is voiced by Andy Samberg.
The teens and kids at the screening had their caricatures drawn by Sony animators and artists. They also snapped photos taken with "Mavis" and "Drac" (Count Dracula), characters in costume who roamed the theater.
Also taking questions after the movie, the director and producer each talked about the 10-year process of making the film and their favorite parts of the movie. "It's a fun movie," said director, Genndy Tartakovsky. "It's fun to look at, and silly." His favorite scene in the film is Mavis's dance-themed birthday party, which he said ties together everything that happens in the movie.
Twenty years of TV experience brought Tartakovsky to his first feature directing role. "I've made thousands of mistakes and did things the wrong way, [so now] I really feel I know the right way to do it." He said that in his work on Hotel Transylvania he focused on the story. "I have three hundred people helping me. I don't know how to do computer animation personally." So keeping the team moving toward a single goal was most important.
However, after wrapping the feature, he took the same characters and hand-drew a short film himself, "Goodnight Mr. Foot," which appears on the home release and played at the screening. "I'm an animator at heart," he said.
That short film--and the announcement of a full-length sequel to the feature--show how strong the concept and characters of the movie are, said producer Michelle Murdocca. "There were so many stories that could be told with these amazing characters," Murdocca continued. Her favorite part of the feature was Mavis's first exploration outside her father's hotel fortress. "She's so excited to be out there!"
Added Becky G, "The main thing if I was planning a trip like [Mavis's] would be food--to try all the different kinds of food," she said. "I'm such a food freak. I will try anything and everything!" She did not mention whether that included Mavis's monster-food favorite--worm cakes, which in the film are pancakes with crawly worms instead of the customary human choice, blueberries.
The artist might be game for monster food! In her single for the movie, Becky G does repeat the mantra, "I'm a monster!" When the filmmakers needed a theme song, she thought, "Monsters are problems!" So she remixed her single "Problem" for the movie. "I turned 'Problem' into Monster and it just happened!" She originally started working with artist Will.i.am the day after they met at a studio. "He just popped in," she explained. "The next day, we got in the studio and started recording!" Will.i.am also appears with Becky G in the music video of "Problem (Monster Remix)" for "Hotel Transylvania" and in the behind-the-scenes short about the music video. "Will.i.am is so creative," she praises. "The way he talks, I think he literally sees a cartoon."
Check out Becky G's video here:
After the question and answer session, Becky G stayed for snapshots with all comers, and screening attendees received a movie poster signed by the singer. They also received a cuddly Mavis bat.
Said producer Murdocca, who shepherded the film into reality over ten years, "When we finally landed on the idea of it being Dracula's story, that's when it really all started to come together." According to Sony Pictures, the film made more than $270 million in theatrical release.
Sony hosted the late-morning release party in Santa Monica for the public, press, and Sony employees. The outdoor lines for the theater and food trucks, fortunately, were rain-free all day even though the threat loomed throughout the weekend.
Inside before the movie, more than a dozen young children approached the stage to give their best monster impressions at the microphone. On iPads, many kids and teens tried out the Monster Party app, Monsterize Me app, GoldRun app for taking your own picture with a film character, and Facebook-based app for creating your own Hotel Transylvania. The apps can be reached from iTunes Store, Facebook, or a link on the special features menu of each home release edition.
The Hotel Transylvania Blu-Ray 3D, Blu-Ray and DVD releases are due to hit the stores on January 29. In addition to the feature film, look for the short movie "Goodnight Mr. Foot," the music video "Problem (Monster Remix)," music video behind-the-scenes, deleted scenes, commentary from the filmmakers, and links to the apps and games. The Blu-Ray combo pack adds two featurettes and three progression reels. A special Wal-Mart edition contains some extra bonus features.
Order your Blu-ray copy of Hotel Transylvania here:
Get a DVD copy of Hotel Transylvania here:
Visit the official site here: www.hotelt-movie.net/