Breaking: Edgar Wright Is No Longer Directing Ant-Man

Shocking news just broke as it has been announced that Edgar Wright has left the director's chair for the upcoming Marvel film Ant-Man.

Marvel's statement:

Marvel and Edgar Wright jointly announced today that the studio and director have parted ways on ANT-MAN due to differences in their vision of the film. The decision to move on is amicable and does not impact the release date on July 17, 2015. A new director will be announced shortly.

This can't be good for the film.  This has been an Edgar Wright project for well, since its inception it seems and turning it over to a new director this late in the game is a little disconcerting.

I suspect we'll hear more details on the QT in a few days.

Personally, my interest in the film is now far less than it was with Wright at the helm. I guess we'll see who Marvel chooses to take over. It will be hard to match someone like Edgar Wright though.

More details to come.

Source

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Here Is Your New Star Wars Cast

Just days before the fourth, the official cast of Episode VII has been revealed.  Interesting names like Andy Serkis and Max von Sydow appear along side original trilogy stars Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher.

More interesting is that this new cast is made up of relative unknowns.  Even Adam Driver might be unfamiliar to those who are not fans of HBO's Girls.

Click the RAWR for the complete announcement.

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Holiday Guide: Movie Lovers!

We're just days away from christmas and why not give you guys some last minute gift idea for the people you might have left to shop for.

First up we have some excellent recent offerings from the fine folks over at Criterion.

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Star Wars Episode VII Is Releasing On

December 18, 2015!

A major departure from the normal May release date as the latest Star Wars film instead takes on the Holiday season.  This is apparently a compromise to give the production more time.

Click the RAWR for the official announcement.

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News: No Pixar In 2014?!

Pixar fans will have quite the wait ahead of them for the next film to hit theaters.

Next year's The Good Dinosaur has been bumped back to November 2015 and Finding Nemo sequel Finding Dora is moving to Summer 2016.

The Dinosaur delay is likely due to the director being yanked off the film and replaced.

The good news though is that 2015 will bring two Pixar films (at least at this point) with The Good Dinosaur joining Pete Doctor's Inside Out which arrives June 19, 2015.

Good and bad news I guess but at least you'l have the upcoming Monsters University blu-ray to hold you over when it comes out on October 29.

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And The New Pirates Movie Is Called

Pirates of the Caribbean:

Dead Men Tell No Tales

 The fifth entry in the Pirates franchise sails into theaters in July 2015!

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Disney Announces 2014 Diamond Edition Titles

 

Disney has announced the two latest titles to receive the illustrious "Diamond" treatment on Blu-ray next year.  The round The Jungle Book and Sleeping Beauty join previous Diamond Edition releases like The Lion King, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Peter Pan.  This will mark the Blu-ray debut of The Jungle Book.  Sleeping Beauty was previously released as a "Platinum Edition" making this a certified double dip.

Read on for the complete press release!

TWO ANIMATED CLASSICS AWAKEN TO SPECTACULAR NEW LIFE IN 2014…

THE JUNGLE BOOK & SLEEPING BEAUTY

AVAILABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER AS PART OF DISNEY’S 

PRESTIGIOUS BLU-RAY™ DIAMOND EDITION COLLECTION

Burbank, Calif., August 2, 2013 – The Walt Disney Studios is pleased to announce the addition of animated classics THE JUNGLE BOOK and SLEEPING BEAUTY to its prestigious Blu-ray™ Diamond Edition Collection. Released from the Disney vault for a limited time only, THE JUNGLE BOOK opens to colorful new life on Blu-ray Diamond Edition in February 2014, while SLEEPING BEAUTY awakens on stunning Blu-ray Diamond Edition in October 2014.

Released from the Disney vault for the first time in almost seven years, THE JUNGLE BOOK swings onto Blu-ray Diamond Edition in the U.S. on February 11, 2014. Based on Rudyard Kipling’s classic novel, this song-filled celebration of friendship, fun, and adventure was Disney's 19th animated masterpiece and the last animated feature to have Walt Disney's personal touch. Now, viewers can experience its lush and colorful world and jazzy, toe-tapping songs - including the "I Wan'na Be Like You” and Academy Award®-nominated classic "The Bare Necessities" - with the ultimate in high definition picture and sound clarity. Also featuring thrilling new bonus features, THE JUNGLE BOOK is next winter’s must-own Diamond Edition Blu-ray!

The ultimate Disney fairy tale, SLEEPING BEAUTY, once again awakens to exquisite new picture and sound on Blu-ray in the U.S. in October 2014. Heralded by audiences and critics alike, SLEEPING BEAUTY was one of the final fairy tales to be that Walt Disney himself worked on. Fully restored with revolutionary Blu-ray technology, this animated classic’s dazzling colors, spectacular action, and Academy Award®-nominated orchestration (for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture) shines brighter than ever. With wondrous new bonus features families will love, SLEEPING BEAUTY charms like never before on Blu-ray Diamond Edition!

To date, Disney has released seven Diamond Edition titles – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast, Bambi, The Lion King, Lady and the Tramp, Cinderella and Peter Pan - with The Little Mermaid scheduled for release on October 1, 2013. Each Diamond Edition title boasts the highest level of picture and sound; features groundbreaking, state-of-the-art immersive bonus content; and in some cases second screen interactivity, made possible because of Blu-ray technology.

About The Jungle Book:

Based on the Rudyard Kipling’s classic novel of the same name, The Jungle Book follows young Mowgli on a fun-filled journey with unforgettable characters, including Bagheera, the wise panther, the jazzy King Louie, the hypnotic snake Kaa and the lovable, happy-go-lucky bear Baloo, who teaches Mowgli “The Bare Necessities” of life and the true meaning of friendship.

About Sleeping Beauty:

Sleeping Beauty tells the wondrous tale of a princess cursed by an evil witch, protected by three loving fairies and, ultimately, saved by a “true love’s kiss.” Featuring the voice talents of renowned opera singer Mary Costa (as Sleeping Beauty) and Disney stalwart Eleanor Audley (as the evil fairy, Maleficent), the film’s vibrant visuals were created by a team that included Milt Kahl and Ollie Johnston, John Lounsbery, Frank Thomas and Marc Davis (of Disney’s legendary Nine Old Men), and an Academy Award® nominated score adapted from the incandescent music of Peter Tchaikovsky.

About The Walt Disney Studios:

For nearly 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Disney|Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!. For more information, please visit www.disney.com.

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Blu-Ray Review - Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph
Featuring the voices of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Mindy Kaling, Joe Lo Truglio, Ed O'Neill, Dennis Haysbert, Adam Carolla, Rachael Harris, and Edie McClurg

Special Features: Paperman Theatrical Short, Bit By Bit: Creating the Worlds of Wreck-It Ralph, Disney Intermission: The Gamer's Guide to Wreck-It Ralph, Deleted and Alternate Scenes, Video Game Commercials, DVD, Digital Copy, and 3D Version of the film

From the box:

Prepare for adventure when "the most original film in years" (Bryan Erdy, CBS-TV) that thrilled audiences of all ages drops on Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D!  From Walt Disney Animation studios comes a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping journey into Disney's Wreck-It Ralph.

For decades, Ralph has played the bad guy in his popular video game.  In a bold move, he embarks on an action-packed adventure and sets out to prove to everyone that he is a true hero with a big heart.  As he explores exciting new worlds  he teams up with some unlikely new friends including feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz.  then when an evil enemy threatens their world, Ralph realizes he holds the fate of the entire arcade in his massive hands.

Featuring an all-star voice cast and breakthrough bonus features that take you even deeper into the world of video games, Disney's Wreck-It Ralph has something for every player.  Bring home the ultimate reward on Disney Blu-ray 3D!

For a while, it seemed like Disney could not deliver anything exceptional that did not have Pixar's name on it.  Finally, it seems, they've done it with Wreck-It Ralph.  Featuring the voice talents of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jane Lynch, and Jack McBrayer (to name a few), Wreck-It Ralph is a funny, extremely clever, and fun journey into the world of video games.

By now, you probably now the story.  The gist of it is, a video villain wants to be a hero and along the way he meets all sorts of video game characters, including the super sweet and also pretty bad ass Vanellope.  Along the way we see glimpses and references to numerous old school games.  At one point, I did in fact yell out, "It's burger time!"

Ralph is strong in pretty much every aspect.  Visually stunning, marvelously acted, top notch animation, clever writing, and really pretty smart.  It's a movie for people who love video games to love and a movie that people who don't know the first thing about games to enjoy.  It's funny, exciting, and a good time for all to have.

Wreck-It Ralph delivers its message of not letting yourself be defined by what others think you should be really nicely.  It's definitely a message that needs to be heard and films like this one and ParaNorman (which I still feel is a better movie) deliver it really well. 

The blu-ray is looks amazing.  I was not able to see the 3D aspects of it because I didn't waste money on a 3D TV.  The special features are great as well with one exception.  When you pause the movie it counts down and launches the Gamer's Guide.  The feature itself is not a bad thing, but the fact that this automatically happens when you pause the movie is a bit of an annoyance.  Granted, you probably won't pause the movie very often for it to be much of a problem.  It just seemed like a strange thing to do to me.  Parents are sure to be pausing the movie often if they are watching with young kids.  I think it can be disabled as well.  Probably best had they just not done that in the first place if you ask me.

That aside, Wreck-It Ralph is a perfect movie to watch with family, with your friends, with your gamer nerds, or whoever.  Pair it with ParaNorman for a perfect evening of animation excellence!

I give Wreck-It Ralph....

9 out of 10 Joysticks!

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Check Out Some Wreck It Ralph Concept Art!

THE ARTISTRY AND INFLUENCE OF VISUAL DEVELOPMENT

Meet the visual development artists that helped conceptualize the video game worlds and gaming characters in Wreck-It Ralph. Learn about the research that went into creating the look of this film – from game playing to unexpected trips – and the unique ways these artists found to showcase their ideas. We talk to Mike Gabriel, Art Director; Ian Gooding, Co-Art Director; Lorelay Bove, Visual Development Artist; and Cory Loftis, Visual Development Artist, to bring you the lowdown…

LEVEL ONE: A GENERAL BACKGROUND TO WRECK-IT RALPH…

Art Director Mike Gabriel reveals: “Wreck-It Ralph is a completely unique film. I get the feeling it’s one of those movies that a lot of other animation studios are going to see and say, ‘Why didn’t we think of that? Why haven’t we put more than one simple, little world in a movie?’ The way that kids today click around devices and multitask, it’s seems ridiculous to think about trying to give them an hour and a half in one simple world. Why not let them jump into a new world every 20 minutes? That’s what we do with this movie. It’s a different experience for the audience, and it’s exciting.”

THE SHAPE LANGUAGE OF THE MOVIE…

Mike Gabriel continues: “There are various different game worlds in Wreck-It Ralph. There is the 8-bit world of Fix-It Felix, Jr.; there is the first-person shooter game, Hero’s Duty; and there’s the candy-kart racer game, Sugar Rush. For each game, we wanted to create a distinct world that’s different to the other worlds, so we put distinct shapes in each one. Niceland [the world of Fix It Felix, Jr.] is based on squares that make it feel very solid and rigid. In Hero’s Duty, we wanted Ralph to be scared, so he gets thrown into this violent world of diagonals with a triangular-shape language. Sugar Rush is cute, benign and childlike, so if you look closely there are circles everywhere.”

GAME ON…

Visual Development Artist Cory Loftis adds: “Before I moved to Disney, I worked at a video game company. Whenever they were trying to figure out what type of video game they were going to make next, everyone would sit around and discuss ideas. They would say, ‘We want vampires. We want a Tyrannosaurus Rex. We want a magical bear in a top hat. We want soldiers. We want princesses.’ They wanted all of these random things, but I remember asking what they all have in common? One guy said, ‘They are all awesome. That’s what they have in common.’ I think that’s very true for this movie, too. There’s such a great variety, but the unifying thread is the fact that all of the worlds and characters are awesome.”

LEVEL TWO: THE CREATION OF THE WORLD OF FIX-IT FELIX JR.

Co-Art Director Ian Gooding explains: “Fix-It Felix, Jr. is an 8-bit world from the 1980s, and at first I thought it would be simple to create, but it turned out to be very challenging – in a fun way. How do you design something that shows that real people live here but at the same time shows the technical limitations of processors in the 1980s? That was the challenge.”

LIVING IN THE 8-BIT WORLD…

Ian Gooding continues: “The one thing that John Lasseter kept rubbing in is you have to celebrate the 8-bit as much as you possibly can in this world. Whenever we didn’t jump on an opportunity, he would notice it and say, ‘That’s not right here.’ It was fun to squeeze as many square-centric, 8-bit things you can into one environment and still have it look sophisticated, believable and fun.”

A PASSION FOR FASHION…

Ian Gooding reveals: “We had a lot of fun dressing the [Niceland] characters of this world. When you take something very sophisticated and tailor it with little hats and brooches, and you put it on these funny little people, it becomes hilarious. The more serious you get with the clothing, the funnier it becomes. They dress 80s-centric because that’s their era and they think that’s really cool. Again, really cool and serious becomes funny when you scale to the people of Niceland.”

LEVEL THREE: THE CREATION OF THE WORLD OF HERO’S DUTY

Visual Development Artist Cory Loftis reveals: “For Wreck-It Ralph, I worked on the world of Hero’s Duty. In the very beginning, Mike Gabriel came into my office and he gave me some ideas to think about before I started designing. First and foremost, he explained that Hero’s Duty needed to feel like a real first-person shooter game; it needed to feel like a legitimate sci-fi shooter. I always kept that in mind when I worked on the design.”

A TRIANGULAR TECHNOLOGY…

Cory Loftis continues: “Hero’s Duty had to have that really strong triangular-shape language that Mike mentioned earlier, so I tried to pack as many triangles into the design as possible. The whole tower design is a big inverted triangle stuck into this planet. The windows are triangles; the decals are triangles; even the dust and debris that’s floating around in the air are triangles. Everything is sharp and angular.”

A WHOLE NEW WORLD…

Cory Loftis adds: “I watched a lot of sci-fi movies growing up. All of the movies I really liked had one thing in common about the design of the technology featured in them: the spaceships, robots and hi-tech things weren’t made of sleek materials. They weren’t glossy or shiny. They were rough; they were bolted and riveted together; they had hoses and vents; stuff leaked, metal rusted and paint was chipped. I tried to take this idea along with the triangular shape language to create this unique world; not just in the tower and the planet itself, but also into the props and characters that are in Hero’s Duty.”

LEVEL FOUR: THE CREATION OF THE WORLD OF SUGAR RUSH

Visual Development Artist Lorelay Bove reveals: “When we first started working on Wreck-It Ralph, we wanted to create a candy world that was new and different to anything we’d seen before. I’m originally from Spain and I’ve always loved Antoni Gaudi and his modernist architecture. When I was little, I thought his architecture was made of candy. That’s where the idea came to use this modernist architecture movement and mix it with candy to make our own world and our own style.”

SPANISH DELIGHTS…

Lorelay Bove continues: “We took a research trip to Spain to study the shapes, rhythm and patterns of the architecture of Gaudi and it seemed to fit our new world perfectly. But we did not directly copy Antoni Gaudi or the modernist architecture; we just caricatured and made it a new, distinct world. Alongside the trip to Barcelona, we also took a research trip to the world’s largest candy convention in Germany. It was like the Comic-Con of candy, and we took lots and lots of pictures for reference.”

SWEET LIKE CANDY…

Lorelay Bove adds: “If you look at the world of Sugar Rush, you’ll see the circular shape language everywhere; there are circles all over the place. Plus, everything is sugar coated; even King Candy’s castle. When it comes to the citizens of Sugar Rush, [Wreck-It Ralph director] Rich Moore had the idea of using Japanese Harajuku girls as an inspiration because they are so unique. It worked really well, especially with the Japanese candy we found along the way.” 

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Disney Buys Lucasfilm! New Star Wars in 2015?!!

In your WTF news for the day, multiple sources (including Deadline) are reporting that The Walt Disney Company is acquiring LUCASFILM and planning to release Episode 7 in 2015, plus more titles to follow.

This is either amazing news or the end of the world, depending on who you ask.

Read on for the press release:

Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas.

Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.

"Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas," said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. "This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney's unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value."

"For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next," said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. "It's now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I've always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I'm confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney's reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products."

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively popular and "evergreen" Star Wars franchise and its operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production. Disney will also acquire the substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies that have kept audiences enthralled for many years. Lucasfilm, headquartered in San Francisco, operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and the present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.

Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney's global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future.

The acquisition combines two highly compatible family entertainment brands, and strengthens the long-standing beneficial relationship between them that already includes successful integration of Star Wars content into Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo.

Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm's legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world's top product brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011. The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney's strategic priorities for continued long-term growth.

The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney's very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company's unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney's portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company's ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world's highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders.

The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm.

Note: Additional information and comments from Robert A. Iger, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company, and Jay Rasulo, senior executive vice president and CFO, The Walt Disney Company, regarding Disney's acquisition of Lucasfilm, are attached.

SOURCE

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HUGE Avengers 2 News

Joss Whedon 

WILL

WRITE and DIRECT Avengers 2!!!

SOURCE

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O Hai Maleficent!

Our friends at Nerd Reactor scored this pretty great shot of Angelina Jolie as Maleficent in the upcoming Disney prequel.

I wonder what it is she is looking at.

Suddenly, I'm a little intruiged.

Maleficent arrives 3/13/2014!

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Movie Poster: John Carter (of Mars)

It's awful red.

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Disney-ABC bring new shows to Netflix

Today Netflix and Disney have announced the continued steaming of hundreds of library episodes from ABC Studios, ABC Family and Disney Channels including new content from series and TV movies. 

The big names coming to the table today include prior seasons of current ABC content such as Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, and Private Practice. As well as of past ABC favorites like Lost, Alias and Ugly Betty. Also making the list are ABC Family shows like The Secret Life and Melissa & Joey. 

So enjoy your new streaming options courtesy of ABC, Disney and Netflix and thank them with your money. 

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Blu-ray Round Up: Four Disney Titles

We're gonna take a quick break from the horror titles we're talking about this month to cover four great titles from the House of Mouse.  Two of which are considered Disney classics and two new movies.

We'll start first with a seminal Disney classic making its debut on Blu-ray in a wonderful 70th Anniversary edition.

Dumbo
Special Features:  Digital Restoration, Disney View - Expanded Viewing Experience, Cine-explore experience, Never -Before-Seen Deleted Scene, Never-Before-Heard Deleted Song, Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo, The Magic of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage - A Heartfelt Look at Disneyland's Most Popular Ride, Audio Commentary, Featurettes, Art Galleries, Animated Shorts, Games, Trivia and more.

70 years old and Dumbo still has a strong grip on the hearts of millions of people and now with this excellent blu-ray set the film can be seen in gorgeous high definition.  Disney has really done a wonderful job with this restoration.  I'm not sure why it isn't part of their Diamond edition because it seems like they treated it like one of those releases.

The disc is jammed with special features.  Behind the scenes, pictures, games, and more deliver a wealth of supplemental material that is sure to satisfy any fan of the film.  You really get a lot of cool stuff, not the least of which are the deleted scene and song.

The digital restoration is stunning.  Disney has given us Dumbo looking and sounding better than ever.  It looks almost brand new and really makes the movie even better.

The story holds up as good as it always was.  Touching, funny, heartfelt and exciting, Dumbo delivers even better on blu-ray.

Pop Culture Beast rating:  9/10

Next up, is one of my all time favorite Disney films.  

The Lion King

Special features:  4 Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes, Never-Before-Seen Bloopers, Deleted Song, The Morning Report: Extended Song, Pride of the Lion King, the Lion King: a Memoir - Don Hahn, Disney Sing Along Mode, Interactive Blu-ray gallery, Plus classic DVD features.

The Lion King finally arrives on Blu-ray and it is glorious.  A beautiful film in both story and picture with laughs, tears, great songs and a great cast.

Disney has really releases a gorgeous set here.  The picture and sound are nothing short of stunning.  The colors are bright and the sound is crisp and deeply immersive.  It really is a beauty to watch.  The blu-ray has such a good picture that you would swear it was in 3D.  Just stunning.

The special features are good, if not a little underwhelming.  The bloopers aren't as funny as they could have been but still a clever idea.  The deleted scenes are interesting but nothing mind-blowing. It's no secret that the real star here is the film itself.  No amount of extras could really measure up to the film anyway.  Still, Disney did a decent job.  I  might have liked a little more considering this is a Diamond Edition.

Out of the four titles on this list, The Lion King is the only MUST OWN of the bunch.  Were I you, I'd be clicking HERE and buying it right about now.

The Lion King Pop Culture Beast rating 10/10.

Next up is the wildly successful sequel...

Pirates of the Caribbean:  On Stranger Tides
Special Features:  Disney Second Screen, Audio Commentary with Rob Marshall and John DeLuca, Bloopers, and a Lego Animated Short

Johnny Depp returns (and not for the last time, the 5th chapter is rumored to lens next summer) as Captain Jack Sparrow in the fourth entry of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise: On Stranger Tides. This time, Jack sets sail with a new director, Rob Marshall, and Penelope Cruz.  Plus, a completely unnecessary B story involving a mermaid and a love lorn priest, and a great but underused villain.

It didn't get the best of reviews, but I enjoyed the film.  Sure it fell short in a few places but it was nowhere near as convoluted as the previous entries.  Sure the entire plot with the priest falling in love with the mermaid was a complete waste of time and really had nothing at all to do with the plot or even brought any enjoyment whatsoever to the movie and sure Blackbeard kinda just fizzled out in the end.  It's still Johnny being Jack and we love that.

Don't waste your money on the 3D version of this.  You don't need it.  No one needs it.  It's silly and does nothing for the movie.  Which, incidentally, looks magical on blu-ray. There are a lot of dark scenes in the film and they really look great here.  No muddy at all.  I was pretty satisfied with that as I kinda thought it might get a little lost in the picture.  I am proud to say I am wrong.

Of course the sound is off the charts.  The battle scenes fill the air to the point that I was struggling to keep myself from looking behind me to see if I was missing anything.  Really crisp clear and deep sound.

Special features wise we get a little bit of the shaft.  You get the second screen option if you are into that, commentary, some bloopers that are pretty funny and a Lego animated short.   Nothing to interesting or worth writing home about.

Overall, an entertaining, if not a little underwhelming, On Stranger Tides will please most fans of the series.  Others though might find themselves wanting something with a little more dep(p)th.

Pirates of the Caribbean:  On Stranger Tides Pop Culture Beast rating 7/10.

Last but certainly not least...

Winnie The Pooh
Special features:  Exclusive featurette, Sing Along, 5 deleted scenes, "The Ballad of Nessie" theatrical short, Mini Adventures and a DVD copy of the film.

Winnie the Pooh is back in a (thankfully) 2-d animated adventure that feels just like the old classic.  It has all the heart and laughs you'd expect from a Pooh film.  There are really only two complaints about the movie.  It suffers from "wrong sounding muppet" syndrome and it is about 20 minutes too short.

You can't watch the film without noticing the voices.  They aren't bad or anything they're just not right.  Eeyore specifically, who I was convinced (wrongly) was Ed Asner.  You get used to it eventually but its still a little saddening to know that some of the original voices won't be heard again.

Another problem is the run time.  It clocks in at just over an hour.  That is a short amount of movie to justify a $25 price tag.  I was enjoying the film and could easily have enjoyed another 15 minutes or so.  I think kids watching would feel the same way.  It's just too short.

Still, it is a fun family film that all will enjoy.  The artwork is beautiful and the film is a clever little gem that really stays true to the Winnie the Pooh story.  It really looks gorgeous on blu-ray.  There aren't any major bombastic scenes to make the great sound stand out but it is a nice soundtrack,

Special features are decent enough.  There are deleted scenes that leave one wondering why they were taken out at all considering how short the movie is but still worth watching.  The features are mainly for the kids.  there are no real historical features that parents might be interested in.  Nothing really all that in depth.

In the end, Winnie The Pooh is a charming little tale that is just a bit too short that will definitely leave you wanting another trip into that magical world of the 100-Acre Wood.

Winnie The Pooh Pop Culture Beast rating 8/10


Dumbo, Pirates 4, Winnie The Pooh and The Lion King are all available now!

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Disney going 3D Re-Release crazy

Anyone who follows movies should have seen this coming. Following a smash re-release of The Lion King in 3D, which opened to a #1, $30 million, September weekend. Disney has let loose a slate of 3D re-releases coming at us over the next few years. Announced today are limited engagement 3D updates to four more Disney(and Pixar) classics. Beauty and the Beast starts things off on January 18, 2012. Followed by Finding Nemo bowing on September 14, 2012 followed by Monsters, Inc. on January 18, 2013 and finally The Little Mermaid on September 13, 2013.

So get ready for a 3D re-release of your insert-blank classic animated movie. Oh and expect every other studio to do the same, and not just with animated movies.

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Blu-ray Review: Mars Needs Moms and The Fox and the Hound Double Feature

Mars Needs Moms...and kids need better movies.  The latest, and biggest failure in terms of 3D animated films, is Disney's Mars Needs Moms.  If the title doesn't tell you what it's about, I'll give you the details.  Martians steal moms.  There you go.

This is another one of those really creepy motion capture movies that for some reason no one realizes are actually terrifying and that the only thing keeping away years of nightmares and therapy are the pretty colors.

MoCap like this just doesn't work for me.  If you want an animated film then ANIMATE it.  If you want actors that let them do their jobs.  The character designs in these movies are just plain weird looking.  The character of Milo looks like a shrunken Seth Green, which is who played him so I guess it's successful on that count, but he looks wrong.  His eyes are overly big to the point of looking almost more alien than human.  It's creepy.  The mouths don't seem to match the words either if I am being really picky. 

Aside from the mannequin like animation, Mars Needs Moms lives up to a mediocre script with lousy jokes, awful dialogue and contradictions galore.  How a guy who grows up on Mars knows what "Who Let The Dogs Out" means is beyond me.

I will give some credit where it is due.  The voice acting is pretty excellent especially from newcomer Seth Duskey and Dan Folger.  Also Joan Cusack who I love.  In everything.  The visuals of the film are pretty staggering and on blu-ray the film does look gorgeous   Really beautiful color and depth.  There is also a particular scene at the end of the film that was quite powerful.  One I wasn't expecting that really was a shining moment in an otherwise uninspired film.  If you see the movie, you'll know what I am talking about.  It's really quite an emotional moment.

As far as the blu-ray goes, it's pretty sparse.  There are a few features but nothing really to write home about. some extended and deleted scenes and a few featurettes.  Not a lot, but considering how poorly this did at the box office I'm surprised it even has that.  It seems to have effectively destroyed any chance of this kind of Motion Capture film being made, at least for a while.

Look, the bottom line is that this movie is for the kids and the kids will probably love it.  I just wish it was a little more clever.  Kids movies now a days just don't seem to have any impact.  I can't see anyone ten years from now seeing this movie on the shelf and remembering having watched it as a kid and that might be the saddest thing about the film.

Mars Needs Moms is available on DVD and Blu-ray now.

Mars Needs Moms

Pop Culture Beast Rating

5/10

The bad and now the good.  The Fox and The Hound is released finally on blu-ray in a 3-disc set that includes The Fox and the Hound 2, for those of you interested in that one,  and why would you be?

If you can possibly get through The Fox and the Hound without crying then clearly you have no soul.  The unlikely friendship between a fox and a bloodhound makes for an entertaining film that effectively tugs the heart strings and Disney has given it a decent transfer for its 30th anniversary.

Unfortunately, that's about all they've done.  The set is pretty much devoid of features and they packaged the DVDs (2 of the 3 discs are the movies on DVDs) as if they didn't care if they were trashed or kept.

This release definitely feels like a cash grab.  A barely passing transfer, one with color issues (too dark, etc) and a lousy sequel, despite it's fascinating cast.  Disney often does painstaking restorations of their films to make sure they are of top quality.  With this one, it's like they ran a comb through it and pushed it out the door.

Completists will want this on their shelf with the rest of the Disney classics.  It's worth it if you want to see a slightly better picture than the previous DVDs but overall it's a pretty big let down of a blu-ray.

The Fox and the Hound

Pop Culture Beast Rating

8/10 Movie 

2/10 Blu-ray

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Movie Poster - Brave

Wow.  Love it.

The trailer for Pixar's Brave is said to be attached to Cars 2 making one reason to see that movie.

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Movie Poster - The Muppets!

I am really probably more excited for this movie than I should be.  I really loved Muppets From Space and have been looking forward to another Muppet movie.

If the plot that I've heard is accurate...well...we might be in for something quite special.

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Blu-ray News - DUMBO!

Dumbo is coming to blu-ray! Here is the official press release!

“A film you will never forget” - The New York Times


First Time in High Definition -- As A 2-Disc Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and Movie Download

Disney’s

Dumbo

70th Anniversary Edition

The Beloved Academy Award®-Winning Animated Classic

Releases September 20, 2011

BURBANK, Calif., April 29, 2011— Walt DisneyStudios Home Entertainment invites audiences to let their spirits soar with the release of the beloved animated classic Dumbo, for the first time ever in high definition as a 70th Anniversary Edition, coming on September 20, 2011. The Academy Award®-winning (1942, Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture) favorite will take flight for the first time with a premium restoration in stunning Blu-ray™ highdefinition featuring pristine 7.1 Digital Theater System High-Def Surround Sound, allowing fans to see more, hear more, interact more and share more of this timeless adventure about believing in yourself.

Dumbo: 70th Anniversary Edition will be available for purchase as a 2-Disc Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack (with the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S./$44.99 Canada), a 1-Disc DVD (with the suggested retail price of $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada), High Definition Movie Download (for the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S./44.99 Canada) and/or Standard Definition Movie Download (for the suggested retail price of $29.99 U.S./$35.99 Canada). All versions come packed with a variety of special bonus features including such features as deleted scenes, interactive games, audio commentary, behind the scenes details and more.

Faced with the daunting task of restoring the film to its original pristine condition, the Walt Disney Studios Restoration Team turned to the US Library of Congress who store the original 70 year old nitrate camera negative in their film vaults, and for reference, to an original 1941 ‘release’ print, held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Using this rare nitrate “dye-transfer” Technicolor print for color reference, the team was able to restore Dumbo to the color settings most likely approved by Walt Disney himself, which will be seen in their full splendor for the first time in 70years, on the Blu-ray debut.

In addition, the rare film print (housed as part of the UCLA Film and Television Archives collection) proved to be the earliest surviving generation of the original audio for Dumbo which provided a unique source from which to build the new Disney Enhanced Home Theatre (DEHT) mix for the Blu-ray release.

Released theatrically in 1941, Dumbo, Walt Disney’s fourth animated film, was an immediate success with audiences and critics alike. In addition to its Academy Award® for BestMusic, Dumbo was also Oscar®-nominated for Best Song, for the haunting lullaby, “Baby Mine.” Additional songs from the film, written by renowned composer Frank Churchill and lyricist Ned Washington, have become popular standards. They include the infectious “When I See an Elephant Fly,” sung by a chorus of hip crows who befriend Dumbo and his friend, Timothy Mouse, and “Pink Elephants on Parade,” which accompanies Dumbo’s feverish dream-sequence.


Film Synopsis

In celebration of this landmark film’s 70th anniversary, experience the daring adventures of the world’s only flying elephant with a dazzling all-new digital restoration and brilliant Disney Enhanced High Definition Theatre Mix Sound. The inspirational tale of Dumbo, the courageous baby elephant who uses his sensational ears to soar to fame with the help of his clever best friend Timothy Q. Mouse, will thrill and delight audiences of all ages. And now, the award-winning music and empowering messages about friendship and belief In yourself reach new heights in this must-have Blu-ray high-definition presentation of Walt Disney’s classic Dumbo!

Bonus Features:

DVD:
· Deleted Scene – “The Mouse’s Tale”
· Deleted Song – “Are You a Man or a Mouse?”
· Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo – A journey back to the origins of the film as everybody’s favorite baby elephant takes wing.
· The Magic Of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage – Witness the excitement and magic of Disneyland’s most popular ride through the eyes of a child.
· Audio Commentary with Pete Docter, Paula Sigman and Andreas Deja
· Sound Design Excerpt from The Reluctant Dragon
· Original Walt Disney Television Introduction

Blu-ray:

Everything on the DVD plus:
· Cine-Explore
· Disney View
· “What Do You See?” Game
· “What Do You Know?” Game
· “Celebrating Dumbo” Featurette
· Animated Short: “The Flying Mouse”
· Animated Short: “Elmer Elephant”

Movie Download (Standard Definition& High Definition Versions):
· Deleted Scene – “The Mouse’s Tale”
· Deleted Song – “Are You a Man or a Mouse?”
· “Celebrating Dumbo” Featurette

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