"Monsters Inc." Stars Among 2013 Disney Legends Honorees

2013 Disney Legends Award Honorees to Be Celebrated During D23 Expo in Anaheim

Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Jobs, Dick Clark and Other Talented Contributors To Disney History To Be Honored At A Ceremony On Saturday, August 10

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Monsters Inc. and Monsters University stars Billy Crystal and John Goodman, technology visionary Steve Jobs, television icon Dick Clark and other beloved contributors to the Disney legacy will be named and honored as official Disney Legends during the D23 Expo 2013 at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 10, in the D23 Expo Arena at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The Disney Legends Awards program is a 26-year tradition of The Walt Disney Company. The three-day D23 Expo provides a rare opportunity for the public to be a part of the always touching and memorable presentation, hosted by noted television personality Tom Bergeron (host of ABC’s "Dancing with the Stars" and "America’s Funniest Home Videos").

“The Disney Legend Award is our highest and most coveted honor,” said Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger. “It’s reserved for the extraordinary visionaries and artists behind the Disney magic, the men and women who push the limits of innovation and creativity to ensure Disney remains truly special. The eight Legends we honor this year helped create some of our most beloved characters along with exciting new worlds and thrilling attractions. They also entertained millions of people and expanded our definition of what’s possible. They are all indelible parts of our legacy, and we are proud to recognize them as true Disney Legends.”

The 2013 Disney Legends Award honorees (listed alphabetically) are: 

TONY BAXTER has developed beloved Disney attractions including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Journey Into Imagination, Splash Mountain, and countless more over the course of his 43-year career with Walt Disney Imagineering. Revered by Disney fans, he is best known for his commitment to storytelling, attention to detail, and ability to develop new ideas and attractions by combining time-tested design practices with modern technology.

COLLIN CAMPBELL touched almost every part of the Walt Disney Company, from animated classics to legendary theme park attractions, with stints in live action film and television. Collin’s work with Walt Disney Imagineering includes the development of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as concept illustrations of Magic Kingdom Park and Epcot Center.

DICK CLARK brought rock and roll to 40 million homes across the country with the national debut of American Bandstand on ABC in 1958. He went on to produce game shows, award shows including the Golden Globes® and the Academy of Country Music Awards, comedy specials, movies, and other popular television specials. Dick might best be remembered, however, as the host of ABC’s annual Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve from 1973 until 2011.

BILLY CRYSTAL is an acclaimed actor who lends his voice to Mike Wazowski, the frenetic, green cyclopean monster from Monsters Inc. and Monsters University. Best known for his memorable roles in When Harry Met Sally…, The Princess Bride, and City Slickers, Billy, who has won six Emmy Awards and one Tony Award, has also been a fixture on ABC television, where he hosted the Academy Awards® broadcast nine times and found his breakthrough role as Jodie Dallas on Soap from 1977-81.

JOHN GOODMAN is a celebrated actor of stage and screen, and the voice behind James P. Sullivan, better known as “Sully,” from Monsters Inc. and Monsters University. Among John’s notable film appearances are The Big Lebowski, The Flintstones, and most recently Argo and Flight. John’s appearances in Disney-produced films include the Hollywood Pictures films Arachnophobia and Born Yesterday, as well as Touchstone Pictures’ Stella, Coyote Ugly, O Brother, Where Art Thou, and Confessions of a Shopaholic.

STEVE JOBS changed the world of consumer electronics as the founder of Apple, and was known throughout the world for his visionary attitude and penchant for innovation. He was an early investor and chief executive of Pixar, and became the Walt Disney Company’s largest shareholder overnight when it acquired Pixar Animation Studios in 2006. That same year, he joined the Disney board of directors, and remained a valuable sounding board and advisor to the company until his passing in 2011.

GLEN KEANE has brought to life many of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ most popular characters. Since becoming a Disney animator in 1974, he has animated classic Disney characters such as Penny in The Rescuers, Elliott in Pete’s Dragon, Ratigan in The Great Mouse Detective, the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, and the titular characters in The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and Tarzan. In 2010, Glen served as Executive Producer and Animation Supervisor for Tangled, a story he developed for more than ten years.

ED WYNN, a comedian whose career began on Broadway in the early 1900s, appeared in numerous Disney classics of the 1960s, including Mary Poppins, Babes in Toyland, That Darn Cat, The Absent-Minded Professor, and Son of Flubber. Fans of Disney animation know him as the manic and distinctive voice of the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland.

Each honoree receives a two-foot-tall bronze Disney Legends sculpture that signifies the imagination, creativity and magic they have brought to the Company. Disney Legends Award recipients also participate in a handprint ceremony, and their bronzed prints will be displayed in the Disney Legends Plaza at the Company’s Burbank headquarters.

Admission to the ceremony will be on a first-come, first-served basis and is included in the price of a ticket to the D23 Expo. In addition to the 4,000-seat D23 Expo Arena, the ceremony will be simulcast into a 2,000-seat overflow theater inside the Convention Center.

The first Disney Legend, actor Fred MacMurray (The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor, The Happiest Millionaire), was named in 1987. Including this year’s honorees, a total of 237 Disney Legends have been named. Past Disney Legends include Tim Allen, Robin Williams, Julie Andrews, Howard Ashman, Regis Philbin, Annette Funicello, Peter Jennings, Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, Alan Menken, Hayley Mills, Fess Parker, Sir Tim Rice, Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Walters. At the inaugural D23 Expo in 2009, the Legends Awards ceremony, which honored Robin Williams, Beatrice Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McLanahan, Betty White, Tony Anselmo, Bill Farmer, Harry Archinal, Don Iwerks and Leota Toombs Thomas, was presented to thousands of Disney fans for the first time.

Tickets and pricing information for D23 Expo 2013 are available at D23Expo.com Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 Expo and can be purchased for single days or for the full three days of festivities. Members of D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans will receive a discount on admission, as well as early entry to each day of the D23 Expo for themselves and their guests. More details about D23 Expo entertainment, events, and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can keep up with all the news by visiting D23Expo.com or by following "DisneyD23" on Twitter and Facebook.

About D23 Expo 2013
The D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing attendees with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, and theme parks. For the latest D23 Expo 2013 news, visit D23Expo.com. To be part of the D23 Expo conversation, make sure to follow @DisneyD23 and tag your tweets with #D23Expo.

About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s nearly 90-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication Disney twenty-three; a rich website with members-only content at D23.com; member-exclusive discounts and special events for D23 Members throughout the year, highlighted by the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, August 9–11, 2013. Fans can join for free at D23.com.

Fans can join D23 at D23.com and at www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow us @DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Nicolas Cage on "The Frozen Ground" August 2013

Lionsgate presents

THE FROZEN GROUND

A Film by Scott Walker

Starring: Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens, AND 50 Cent

THE FROZEN GROUND Opens in Theaters and On Demand August 23, 2013

THE FROZEN GROUND is inspired by the incredible true story that follows Alaskan State Trooper Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage) as he sets out to end the murderous rampage of Robert Hansen (John Cusack), a serial killer who has gone unnoticed for 13 years. As the bodies of street girls start to pile up in Anchorage, fear strikes a chord with the public. Risking his life, Halcombe goes on a personal manhunt to find the killer before the next body surfaces. When a seventeen year old escapee (Vanessa Hudgens) reveals key information about the case, Halcombe is finally on the trail of the killer. But will he catch him in time to save the next victim?

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_V40je3kiU

Rated: R
Run Time: 104 Minutes

New Bumblebee for "Transformers 4"

Trumpets please…


Bumblebee, a 2014 Concept Camaro . . . the final jewel in the Transformers 4 crown.

OFFICIAL SITE: WWW.TRANSFORMERSMOVIE.COM

Review: Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 103 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux


Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003) – animated film
Running time: 86 minutes (1 hour, 26 minutes)
MPAA – PG for adventure action, some mild sensuality and brief language
DIRECTORS: Patrick Gilmore and Tim Johnson
WRITER: John Logan
PRODUCERS: Jeffrey Katzenberg and Mireille Soria
EDITOR: Tom Finan
COMPOSER: Harry Gregson-Williams

ANIMATION/FANTASY/ADVENTURE/FAMILY with elements of comedy and romance

Starring: (voices) Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, Joseph Fiennes, Dennis Haysbert, and Jim Cummings with Frank Welker

The subject of this movie review is Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, the 2003 animated swashbuckling fantasy and adventure film from DreamWorks Animation. While this film is technically a Sinbad movie, the character is taken out of its traditional Arabic context and moved to a Greek setting. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas finds the sailor of legend framed by a goddess for the theft of a magical book and forced to save the life of a childhood friend.

Doesn’t Hollywood make great adventure films like Raiders of the Lost Ark anymore, or how about one that’s just good? I suspect that Dreamworks’ Jeffrey Katzenberg was attempting to make a “great” animated adventure film when his company took on the task of creating Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas. Visually the film rocks the boat as hard as any other adventure film, but in the end, it lacks the heart of the great American animated films. The film also lacks the show-stopping performances that leave us wanting more, like Raiders did.

Sinbad (Brad Pitt), the Arabian playboy sailor is set to steal The Book of Peace from a galley when he discovers that the book is under the protection of a boyhood friend, Proteus (Joseph Fiennes). Later, a shape-shifting goddess, Eris (Michelle Pfeiffer), makes a deal with Sinbad for him to make another attempt at theft, but she betrays him, steals the book, and frames Sinbad.

The theft is punishable by death, but Proteus offers his life as ransom so that Sinbad will be free to find the book before the date of execution. Proteus believes that only a sea captain of Sinbad’s skill can make the arduous journey across the oceans to retrieve the sacred tome. To make sure that Sinbad keeps his end of the bargain, Proteus’ betrothed Marina (Catherine Zeta-Jones) follows Sinbad and his crew to Eris’s dark kingdom of Tartarus.

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas seems a little lost in the current movie marketplace. It’s a boys adventure animated film, and both Fox (with Titan A.E.) and Disney (with Treasure Planet) have suffered spectacular box office flops with boys oriented animation. Computer animated films like Finding Nemo and Monster’s Inc. appeal to both the kiddies and the adults with their broad humor and tales of families and friendships fighting adversary.

What does Legend of the Seven Seas have going for it? It has striking, traditional cel animation in rich beautiful colors and 3-D computer modeling of spectacular and awe-inspiring cityscapes. The filmmakers use computer animation to create large scale crowd scenes and to unleash some of the most impressive, monstrous creatures you’ll see in animation for a long time. The story is rather simple-minded, but the fast-paced script by John Logan (a co-scriptwriter on Best Picture winner Gladiator) keeps the film story bouncing off the walls like a madly-inspired pulp novel. The score by Harry Gregson-Williams is the kind of stunningly grand and opulent affair usually reserved for serious, live action epics, so it makes Sinbad seem more serious than it is.

The voice acting is mostly bad, and I mean really bad. Brad Pitt is atrocious. Let’s face it, and he needs to be seen as well as heard. He’s a package deal – a good actor with a good face and body. If they aren’t together, all you have is slop. Catherine Zeta-Jones, whose voice I find so distinct, is so nondescript that if not for her name on the marquee, we’d never know who it was. Dennis Haysbert’s sonorous tones are wasted on the hideous dialogue Logan (or whoever rewrote this) gave him. Listening to the film’s stilted dialogue is torture, and in the end, it’s the major misfire that does in this movie.

Most of the time, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas is gorgeous to look at, but with the deep pockets of American film studios, how can animators not at least make an animated film look good? Other than that, there’s nothing to make this film stand out. The story is just so matter-of-fact; even the prize to be obtained, The Book of Peace, lacks resonance. It doesn’t seem important, and the script really isn’t clear on why it should be important; the book might as well have been a gold-encrusted jack-in-the box.

A really good animated film can have a simple story, but it must reach the audience’s (children and adults) hearts and as well as appeal to their minds. Dreamworks certainly has the power to make beautiful animated films of an epic scope, but this is ultimately only a show of force i.e. we (Dreamworks) can compete with Disney. Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas simply lacks heart. Finding Nemo’s story of a grieving father’s desperate search for his only child really touched a large number of viewers. A cast of witty and talented voice actors who can keep up the banter and make their characters’ emotions and moods seem real just endears itself to viewers.

For all the thunder and lightening Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas has, it’s mostly a disposable adventure film. It is certainly an entertaining adventure film, but there’s nothing to make it stand out. I don’t think kids are going to buy it because there’s nothing in the film to endear them to it. Lovers of adventures films will have a good time, but they’ll almost certainly forget Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, if not by the time they walk out the theatre, then certainly by the time they reach the first stop light.

5 of 10
B-

Updated: Friday, July 05, 2013

"Disney's Planes" to Screen at D23

The Walt Disney Studios to Present Disney’s Planes, a High-Flying, Big-Screen Comedy Adventure

D23 Expo Attendees to Be Among the First to See the Film in 3D with Special Appearances from Select Filmmakers and Stars

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Official Disney Fan Club reveals plans for a special 3D screening of the high-flying big-screen adventure Disney’s Planes at the D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.

D23 Expo attendees will be among the first to see Disney’s Planes on its opening day. An action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure from Disneytoon Studios, Disney's Planes will take flight in theaters nationwide August 9, but D23 Expo guests will see this special 3D presentation featuring an introduction by some very special guests. Dusty Crophopper dreams of competing as a high-flying racer, but he’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps him train to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.

Directed by lifelong aviation enthusiast Klay Hall (King of the Hill, The Simpsons), and produced by Traci Balthazor-Flynn, Disney’s Planes features the voices of Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Priyanka Chopra, John Cleese, Cedric the Entertainer, Carlos Alazraqui, Roger Craig Smith, Anthony Edwards, Val Kilmer, Sinbad, Gabriel Iglesias, Brent Musburger, Colin Cowherd, Danny Mann, Oliver Kalkofe, and John Ratzenberger.

The screening is slated for Friday, August 9, 2013, at 3 p.m. at the Arena inside the Anaheim Convention Center. For more information about the movie, check out Disney.com/Planes, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyPlanes and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DisneyPictures.

DISNEYTOON STUDIOS, a division of The Walt Disney Studios, is home to a vibrant group of filmmakers, artists, and production teams who produce original high-quality series-based stories for in-home and theatrical audiences, including Disney’s Planes, which hits the big screen Aug. 9, and the popular Disney’s Fairies franchise, starring Tinker Bell and her Pixie Hollow friends.

About D23 Expo 2013
The D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing attendees with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, and theme parks. For the latest D23 Expo 2013 news, visit www.D23Expo.com. To be part of the D23 Expo conversation, make sure to follow @DisneyD23 and tag your tweets with #D23Expo.

About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s nearly 90-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com; and member-exclusive discounts and special events for D23 Members throughout the year, highlighted by the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, August 9–11, 2013.

Fans can join D23 at www.D23.com and at www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow us @DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube.

Review: "Derailed" Seems Unnecessarily Dark (Happy B'day, RZA)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 98 (of 2006) by Leroy Douresseaux

Derailed (2005)
Running time: 108 minutes (1 hour, 48 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong disturbing violence, language, and some sexuality
DIRECTOR: Mikael Håfström
WRITER: Stuart Beattie (based upon the book by James Siegel)
PRODUCER: Lorezno di Bonaventura
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Biziou
EDITOR: Peter Boyle
COMPOSER: Edward Shearmur

CRIME/DRAMA/THRILLER

Starring: Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, Vincent Cassel, Melissa George, Addison Timlin, RZA, Tom Conti, Giancarlo Esposito, Denis O’Hare, and Xzibit

The subject of this movie review is Derailed, a 2005 British-American thriller and crime drama. The film is based on the 2003 novel, Derailed, from author James Siegel. Derailed the movie focuses on a married business executive and his mistress who are being blackmailed by a violent criminal.

Successful advertising executive Charles Schine (Clive Owen) misses his commuter train one day, which lead to a chance encounter with Lucinda Harris (Jennifer Aniston), a seductive financial advisor, on a later train. Charles is having trouble at home. He and his wife, Deanna (Melissa George), are a bit at odds, and their daughter, Amy’s (Addison Timlin), Type-1 diabetes puts a tremendous strain on their finances and marriage. Thus, Charles is responsive to Lucinda’s magnetic attraction, and before long cocktails and lunches turn into an impromptu romp at a seedy hotel.

However, a brutal criminal, Philippe LaRoche (Vincent Cassel), breaks into their hotel room and derails their fun, and the illicit liaison becomes a nightmare world more violent and dangerous than Charles could ever have imagined. Unable to confide in his wife and friends or speak to the police, Charles must battle the violence, deception, blackmail, and crime as the life he once knew becomes something unimaginable.

Derailed starts off so slowly and dully that I thought the movie would never recover, but the film’s second half is a kick in the gut. It’s an old-fashioned hard-boiled, noir-ish, romantic, crime thriller, in the vein of Against All Odds. The film isn’t as well written or directed as such A-list romance and crime movies as Fatal Attraction or Basic Instinct, nor will Jennifer Anniston’s performance be as well remembered (if its remembered at all) as the actresses in the aforementioned films.

Owen and Aniston have zero screen chemistry. Owen is a decent actor, but doesn’t quite seem to fit inside the skin of this role; he’s better as a “heavy” or dark type. He doesn’t at all come across as a vulnerable businessman type (an ad exec of all things), but he does fit the part for the second half of the film. Aniston is a small screen actress. It’s clear to me (at least) that she is one of the luckiest actresses alive. She’s not an incredible beauty, and she is a one-note actress – at best – and thus getting parts way beyond her skill. In fact, Aniston don’t have strong dramatic chops, and as it stands she can’t carry a lead role in a drama. This screen pairing nearly kills Derailed.

However, Vincent Cassel as the supernaturally deceptive and wicked LaRoche is fantastic. Now, he is an actor, and he gives this film a superb lift, turning a disastrous movie about an unlikely affair into an edgy crime thriller that keeps surprising the viewer with its nastiness. Rappers RZA (the Wu-Tang Clan) and Xzibit also add some spicy malevolence and grittiness that seems right off mean streets of big city America. If not for Cassel, RZA, and Xzibit, Derailed would have died on the vine simply by the hands of its director, writer, and stars.

5 of 10
B-

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Updated: Friday, July 05, 2013

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Disney Acquires Marvel Films from Paramount

Disney Acquires Distribution Rights to Four Marvel Films from Paramount

Deal covers Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Walt Disney Studios, Paramount Pictures and Marvel Studios announced they have reached an agreement under which Disney has acquired all of the distribution rights previously held by Paramount for Marvel Studios’ Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America: The First Avenger. Under terms of the deal effective June 30, 2013, Paramount was paid for the transfer of the distribution rights. Paramount will continue to honor and service existing distribution commitments. All other distribution activities will be transitioned to Disney over the next several months.

The Walt Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment in 2009, purchasing the worldwide marketing and distribution rights for Marvel’s The Avengers and Marvel's Iron Man 3 from Paramount the following year.


About The Walt Disney Studios
For nearly 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. The Walt Disney Studios encompasses the creation, production, promotion, sales, acquisition and domestic and international distribution of live-action and animated motion pictures, home entertainment releases, music and soundtrack recordings, and live stage plays. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney; Walt Disney Animation Studios; Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; 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.

About Marvel
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel's strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. For more information, visit www.marvel.com.

About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.