Tagged: Disney

Writer’s Guild Nominates Best Writing

  • News
  • December 14, 2008

fringe-2-4265107Genre vets Marc Guggenheim (Eli Stone), Drew Goddard, Brian K. Vaughan (Lost), Marti Noxon, Zack Whedon, and Danny Strong (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) have been nominated by their peers. The Writers Guild of America, West and the Writers Guild of America, East announced their nominees for outstanding achievement in television, radio, news, promotional writing, and graphic animation during the 2008 season to be honored at the upcoming 2009 Writers Guild Awards on February 7, 2009, in Los Angeles and New York.

TELEVISION NOMINEES

DRAMATIC SERIES

Dexter, Written by Scott Buck, Daniel Cerone, Charles H. Eglee, Adam E. Fiero, Lauren Gussis, Clyde Phillips, Scott Reynolds, Melissa Rosenberg, Tim Schlattmann; Showtime
Friday Night Lights, Written by Bridget Carpenter, Kerry Ehrin, Brent Fletcher, Jason Gavin, Carter Harris, Elizabeth Heldens, David Hudgins, Jason Katims, Patrick Massett, Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, John Zinman; NBC
Lost, Written by Carlton Cuse, Drew Goddard, Adam Horowitz, Christina M. Kim, Edward Kitsis, Damon L. Lindelof, Greggory Nations, Kyle Pennington, Elizabeth Sarnoff, Brian K. Vaughan; ABC
Mad Men, Written by Lisa Albert, Jane Anderson, Rick Cleveland, David Isaacs, Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Marti Noxon, Robin Veith, Matthew Weiner; AMC
The Wire, Written by Ed Burns, Chris Collins, David Mills, David Simon, William F. Zorzi, Richard Price, Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos; HBO

COMEDY SERIES

30 Rock, Written by Jack Burditt, Kay Cannon, Robert Carlock, Tina Fey, Donald Glover, Andrew Guest, Matt Hubbard, Jon Pollack, John Riggi, Tami Sagher, Ron Weiner; NBC
Entourage, Written by Doug Ellin, Jeremy Miller, Ally Musika, Steve Pink, Rob Weiss; HBO

The Office, Written by Steve Carell, Jennifer Celotta, Greg Daniels, Lee Eisenberg, Brent Forrester, Dan Goor, Charlie Grandy, Mindy Kaling, Ryan Koh, Lester Lewis, Paul Lieberstein, Warren Lieberstein, B.J. Novak, Michael Schur, Aaron Shure, Justin Spitzer, Gene Stupnitsky, Halsted Sullivan; NBC
The Simpsons, Written by J. Stewart Burns, Daniel Chun, Joel H. Cohen, Kevin Curran, John Frink, Tom Gammill, Stephanie Gillis, Dan Greaney, Reid Harrison, Al Jean, Billy Kimball, Tim Long, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Bill Odenkirk, Carolyn Omine, Don Payne, Michael Price, Max Pross, Mike Reiss, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, Matt Warburton, Jeff Westbrook, Marc Wilmore, William Wright; Fox
 Weeds, Written by Roberto Benabib, Mark A. Burley, Ron Fitzgerald, David Holstein, Rolin Jones, Brendan Kelly, Jenji Kohan, Victoria Morrow, Matthew Salsberg; Showtime

NEW SERIES

Breaking Bad, Written by Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Patty Lin, George Mastras; AMC
Fringe, Written by JJ Abrams, Jason Cahill, Julia Cho, David H. Goodman, Felicia Henderson, Brad Caleb Kane, Alex Kurtzman, Darin Morgan, J.R. Orci, Roberto Orci, Jeff Pinkner, Zack Whedon; Fox
In Treatment, Written by Rodrigo Garcia, Bryan Goluboff, Davey Holmes, William Meritt Johnson, Amy Lippman, Sarah Treem; HBO
Life on Mars, Written by Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, Scott Rosenberg, Becky Hartman Edwards, David Wilcox, Adele Lim, Bryan Oh, Tracy McMillan, Sonny Postiglione, Phil M. Rosenberg, Meredith Averill; ABC
True Blood, Written by Alan Ball, Brian Buckner, Raelle Tucker, Alexander Woo, Nancy Oliver, Chris Offutt; HBO

(more…)

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2009 Toy of the Year Award Nominees Names

  • News
  • December 4, 2008

barbie340x300-4403872The Toy Industry Association nominees for the 2009 Toy of the Year Awards  were announced this week.  The 9th annual TOTY Awards will be held at Chelsea Piers in NYC, on Sunday, February 15, kicking off Toy Fair Week. 

Property Of The Year

Barbie – Mattel
Fancy Nancy – Harper Collins
Star Wars The Clone Wars – LucasArts Entertainment
Disney Fairies – Disney
Disney’s Handy Manny – Disney
Bakugan – Cartoon Network
Yo Gabba Gabba – Wild Brain

Most Innovative Toy Of The Year

The Pieceless Puzzle – Ceaco
Fisher Price Imaginext Spike, the Ultra Dinosaur – Fisher-Price, Inc.
Kota the Triceratops – Hasbro
EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles – Jakks Pacific
Sprig Adventure Series Discover Rig – Sprig Toys
Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro – Spin Master
Bakugan Battle Brawlers Battle Pack Series 1 Spheres – Spin Master

Game Of The Year

Bananagrams LLC – Bananagrams
Haunted Ruins 3-D Adventures Pop-Up Board Game – Basic Concepts
The Cat in the Hat, I Can Do That! – I Can Do That! Games
Monopoly Here & Now: The World Edition – Hasbro Games
Pictureka! – Hasbro Games
Rush Hour -ThinkFun Inc.
Zingo! -ThinkFun Inc.

Activity Toy Of the Year

Crayola Color Wonder Magic Brush – Crayola
Clipo Creativity Table – Hasbro
Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker – Jakks Pacific
Star Wars AT-TE Walker – LEGO Systems, Inc.
Circus Ring – Playmobil USA, Inc.
Pixos Super Studio- Spin Master
KidiArt Studio – Vtech

Educational Toy Of The Year

Computer Cool School – Fisher-Price, Inc.
Idbids Eco-friendly Starter Kit – Idbids LLC
LeapFrog TAG Reading System – LeapFrog
Zillions Touch Screen ATM – Summit Products, LLC
V-Motion Active Learning System – Vtech
Discovery Kids Smart Animals Scanopedia – Jakks Pacific
EyeClops BioniCam – Jakks Pacific

Thanksiving Good for the Box Office

  • News
  • November 30, 2008

four-christmasesThe Thanksgiving weekend gave Hollywood plenty to be thankful for as the top dozen films took in $223.7 million from Wednesday to Sunday, the second best holiday weekend in history according to the Associated Press.

Twilight did not manage to stay atop the charts during its second week but actually saw a rather steep drop of 62.1%, taking in just $26,370,000 for a total of $119,688,000.  Without merchandise revenue, the film is already profitable more than justifying the sequel but clearly the tween audiences have seen it often enough.

The top film proved to be Four Christmases with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon.  The Warner Bros, comedy, the only holiday-themed film currently in release, nabbed $31,680,000.  In second place was Disney’s Bolt, the well-received animated tale, taking in $26,596,000.

Fourth place belonged to Quantum of Solace, dropping another 27% and showing $142,056,000 after three weeks in domestic release.

Baz Luhrman’s Australia pleased crowds more than critics, roping  $14,815,000 and a solid per screen average of $5,607 and taking fifth place.

The new film in wide release did less well with Lionsgate’s Transporter 3 taking in $12,330,000. Milk is in limited release had a terrific per screen average of $38,361.

Slumdog Millionaire, made on a miniscule budget, has gained word of mouth cred and has seen its audience grow, with total revenues of  $3,565,000 while still in limited release. Other films saw varying drop offs with Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa dipping a low 7.4% and totaling  $159,511,000 after four weeks. The other big drop went to Universal’s Changeling which fell another 55.2% and is rapidly running out time to make a connection for Oscar consideration.

ComicMix Radio: Comic Shops Stuffed This Week

Good thing you have a little time off this week, there are plenty of things to enjoy coming from the comics & DVD shelves, plus:

  • Catch up with Spawn on MySpace
  • Disney’s 3-D Plans Grow
  • Obama Back To Press

See – we did it all with no turkey jokes. You owe us – so go on and  Press the Button!
 

And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via badgeitunes61x15dark-3349290 or RSS!

 

Jeffrey Katzenberg Sees the Future in 3-D

  • News
  • November 21, 2008

Jeffrey Katzenberg firmly believes in 3-D and told the audience at the inaugural 3DX Film and Entertainment Technology Festival, "In five to seven years, all films, regardless of budgets or type, will be made in 3-D."

As seen this year and reported yesterday, more and more animated films and concert films are being shot for 3-D using improved technology.  Katzenberg, according to The Hollywood Reporter, continued to say, "3-D is how we see, how we take things in. It’s natural. This is not a gimmick; it’s an opportunity to immerse the audience, to heighten the experience."

The DreamWorks co-founder and former Disney executive foresees a day when 3-D technology will be available on mobile phones and laptops. "This is not my father’s 3-D," he said. "There’s no ghosting, no eye strain and best of all, you don’t throw up. Throwing up is not good for anyone’s business."

Producer John Landau added that 3-D would "do for cinema what stereo did for the audio industry." He says the immediate challenge is to get movie audiences to see 3-D as something other than a gimmick from B-films and the 1950s. Once accepted, he says the sky’s the limit.

"Consumers clearly prefer 3-D if they have a choice," Katzenberg said. 3-D films are estimated as being able to earn two to three times the business of a standard 2-D release.

Disney leads the pack with eleven films currently scheduled for release between 2009 and 2010. DreamWorks’ next 3-D offering will be March’s Monsters vs. Aliens and Katzenberg estimates nearly 40% of the ticket sales will come from 3-D fans. He predicts the percentage will jump to over 80 for Shrek 4 in 2010.

Stressing the technical advances that made the latest incarnation of 3-D different from past efforts, Katzenberg said 3-D "will bring people back to the movies who have stopped going."

‘Beauty and the Beast’ gets 3-D Makeover

  • News
  • November 20, 2008

beauty-and-the-beast-002-61231363-D is all the rage and Disney is jumping on the fad with both mouse-sized feet. Yesterday, they announced that their classic Beauty and the Beast will receive the three-dimensional treatment. The existing film will be put through Disney Digital 3-D technology according to Variety and joins a crowded 2010 schedule.

The nine month process will be overseen by the original filmmaking team: producer Don Hahn and co-directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale.

"By going back to the original animation files, which have been carefully archived for 17 years, and using the separate background, effects and character animation elements, we’re able to come up with a fun and unique 3-D experience for existing and new fans of the film," Hahn said.

With Bolt opening up in 3-D this weekend, the future looks packed. In 2009, fans can expect the Jonas Brothers 3-D Concert Movie, Pixar’s Up, Jerry Bruckheimer’s G-Force, and Robert Zemeckis’ Disney’s A Christmas Carol. Toy Story and Toy Story 2 will be re-released in 3-D as well.

Beauty joins a 2010 schedule that already includes Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, Toy Story 3, Rapunzel, and Step Up 3.
 

Review: ‘Wall*E’

Pixar movies are the kind of family movie you can enjoy without the family.  There’s something there for the adults and the themes tend to be universal ones. Pixar’s creators understand how to think and laugh like a kid and tailor their movies for the broadest possible audience without feeling the need to dumb down the content or characterization.  Instead, their movies are smart and funny and usually heartwarming.

For the first time, a socially responsible theme became a focal point in [[[Wall*E]]] and it’s a welcome one. The movie, out on DVD today, tells of an Earth where consumerism has ruined the planet, making it uninhabitable.

The Wall*E units tried to keep up with the trash but failed, until one is left.  Humanity is long gone, mostly relocated to a pleasure yacht voyaging amongst the stars.  Wall*E has gained an unusual degree of artificial intelligence and as a result has wistful thoughts about being with others, hence his repeated watching of [[[Hello, Dolly]]] on a battered video tape.  His longing to hold another’s hand is heartbreaking.

His years of solitary toil end when an exploratory craft comes and dispatches an EVE unit to seek evidence of organic life symbolizing the planet being ready for repopulating. Wall*E is, of course, smitten with the sleek, rounded object.  Slowly, she exerts her own individuality and budding friendship forms.

Wall*E follows her back to the ship and by then, the beeps and clicks are supplemented with other sounds including human voices.  We meet the last remnants of humanity, soft, obese forms that had mechanical support in every aspect of their lives.  When Wall* E arrives, several are woken up to learn there are other ways to live.

As Wall*E pursues EVE, the ship’s captain is fascinated about returning to earth and what that would mean.  He comes into conflict with the ship’s Auto Pilot who is fulfilling its final commands from the original designers: Earth is dead, you cannot come home.

The struggle to exert free will is the overall theme of the film but told in such a delightful way that you don’t realize until you sit to write the review. Watching the 98 film, you laugh at the winks and nods to other SF classic movies and the patented Pixar humor. There’s little doubt they succeeded given its universal praise and steep box office receipts.

The three DVD set comes complete with a digital copy disc along with bonuses galore. “Presto”, the de rigueur Pixar short that opened with Wall* E is here and is a salute to Loony Tunes.  A new short focuses on Burn*E, a repair robot and is cleverly intertwined with the film’s events so you can see how frustrating it is to fix a light pole when Wall* E is around.

There are some legitimate deleted scenes along with director Andrew Stanton’s commentary.

The second disc is replete with the usual Disney assortment of background pieces including “[[[The Pixar Story]]]”, additional deleted scenes (yes, they should have all been on one disc) and Making Of featurettes. For the youngsters, there an interactive storybook. Al together, this is a must have item and certainly should find its way under many a Christmas tree this season.

George Perez, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee Added as NY Comic-Con Guests of Honor

  • News
  • November 16, 2008

nycc09-logo-ff-7082884Two more notable comic book celebrities will be joining the festivities at New York Comic Con (NYCC) this year as Guests of Honor. Affording thousands of fans the opportunity to meet them in person, Geoff Johns, who is well-known as a comic book writer of a number of DC Comics characters, including Superman, Green  Lantern and the Flash as well as for his work as a screenwriter; and superstar artist Jim Lee, known for his acclaimed artistic runs on titles including BATMAN, ALL STAR BATMAN and WILDCATS, will be attending NYCC to help launch the new Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing game, DC Universe Online (DCUO), produced by Sony Online Entertainment for PLAYSTATION 3 in collaboration with DC Comics and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. 

Both Johns and Lee will be signing autographs and they will conduct a large DC Universe Online event on Saturday, February 7, 2009.  New York Comic Con will take place at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York City, February 6 – 8, 2009.  

“Having both Jim Lee and Geoff Johns at our show is a great ‘get’ under any circumstance, but it’s especially cool to have them here to as part of DC Universe Online,” notes Lance Fensterman, Vice President and Con Manager for NYCC. “They will do a fabulous job entertaining our fans and I know that they will attract huge crowds, not only for autographs but also for their demonstration.  I am enormously grateful to them for participating in New York Comic Con and we’re pleased to have them as Guests of Honor.” 

“Jim and Geoff represent two of the top talents in comics, so it only makes sense that they’d transfer those skills to the gaming world,” said Dan DiDio, SVP and Executive Editor for DC Comics. “It’s a perfect fit to have them named Guests of Honor at New York Comic Con.”

(more…)

Meet Burn-E, Wall-E’s Nemesis

  • News
  • November 16, 2008

Disney and Pixar have added a short subject spotlighting Burn-E, the one robot not charmed by Wall-E in the summer blockbuster film.  The short will be included on the DVD of Wall-E coming to stores on Tuesday in a single disc, three-disc collector’s edition, and Blu-ray.

Jerry Bruckheimer Updates ‘Pirates’, ‘Lone Ranger’, ‘National Treasure’

  • News
  • November 5, 2008

Jerry Bruckheimer updated Coming Soon on the status of various film projects, debunking some rumors and providing timetables.

"We’re doing another National Treasure so we’re working on that, we’re preparing Sorcerer’s Apprentice right now—it’s going to be shot in New York—we have another picture that’s in post-production that we’re finishing called Confessions of a Shopaholic with Isla Fischer and Hugh Dancy, so that comes out in February," he told a gaggle of reporters on the set of Prince of Persia, due out next year.

National Treasure: The third film in the Nicholas Cage series is having a script written.

Lone Ranger: The new adaptation of Fran Striker’s radio hero is having a screenplay written.  Since the film was announced by Disney in September, people have swooned at the notion of who would play the Ranger opposite Johnny Depp’s Tonto. Bruckheimer debunked the most frequent suspicion that George Clooney would wear the black mask. "We haven’t decided who is going to play the Lone Ranger yet. Get a director first and then figure it out."

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: Again, a script is being conceived and it’s little surprise that all three films are being written by the team of Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio who have written most of Bruckheimer’s blockbusters. He speculated about shooting the next installment in IMAX, saying, "Absolutely. I’d love to do it, so let’s just see if we can work it through the production schedule with everything else.

"I think they’re pushing towards 2012. Hopefully we can make it we’ll see."

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