Pixar's Super Bowl Up Ad is Up...

Looks like the Mouse has released their Super Bowl Up commercial on Disney.com just a bit early to give you a tease...

Take a look at Carl and Russell in the worlds first senior citizen action-adventure film!

The Panda Wins The Fight With The Robot For The Annie...

At this years Annie Awards, "Kung Fu Panda" beat out "Wall-E" in every category that they were up against each other...

You can't really blame it on the little guy. After all, he was designed to collect garbage and that Panda, well he was trained to kick butt by an all out Kung Fu master! It was my favorite animated film this year on the Blue Sky Disney Top Ten list, but I love both films so I'm in no way upset by this, but I now have to wonder about the Oscars...

Are You Ready For The Weekend?

Wanna know more?

A Fox Takes The Lion From The Mouse...

It appears that the Mouse's decision to no longer make Narnia films is the Fox's gain...

Twentieth Century Fox that is. Fox will now co-produce with Walden Media on future Narnia movies now that Walt Disney Pictures has chosen to not renue their relationship.

So now “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” will be coming with the Fox logo instead of that lovely castle.

Developing...

A 200,000,000 Dog...

It's taken longer to get there and is still a disappointment more than Lasseter and the Suits at the Mouse would like to admit, but "Bolt" passed the two hundred million dollar mark yesterday(that's 200,000,000 for you UCLA graduates!).

The film has had a steady growth rate overseas and will wind up a modest hit, but a hit none the less. The little white dog is a step in the right direction for Disney animation and those that didn't go and see it in theaters will have a chance to realize they made a mistake in March. This was the beginning of Disney rebuilding its reputation and that takes time... part two will be the DVD release and the next step will be that little animated film coming out on Christmas day...

Artwork by Brooks Campbell.

This Christmas Prepare To Go Back In Time...

When you leave the theater after seeing Disney's new animated release this Christmas, the first thing you're going to do is come home and start looking through your DVD collection. You're going to swear that you've seen this before... in a good way, I mean. It's going to seem like a wonderful film that you could have sworn must have been nestled between "The Lion King" and "Pocahontas" that just happened to get lost in the marketing. Perhaps you were out of the country during its release or perhaps you weren't interested in Disney films back then and must have forgotten about it.

That's the feeling you'll get.

Or at least that's what I'm getting the vibe for with all the feedback I'm getting. I've been hearing a lot of great things coming out about "The Princess and the Frog," the first hand drawn animated movie from the Mouse in over half a decade. The overwhelming amount of compliments that it gets is that it feels like a throwback to the 90's. In terms of feel, the animation quality and most of all... the story.

There's a lot riding on this film. While "Bolt" was the first film to have Lasseter's complete attention since the Mouse purchased the Lamp, it's this film that will have critics and audiences alike taking a much closer look at Disney's animated future. And we're not just talking animation, but what types of animation... as in CG or hand drawn. The Suits up in Burbank are going to be watching this one closely and if you love hand drawn, then you'd better go see it a lot. Over and over... cause this one is the test case. This one is the one that's supposed to prove hand drawn has merit. Five years after Eisner released the last 2D animated film from the Disney Studio comes an example of what can be done if you don't have bean counters deciding plot details. This time there will be no excuse. The film will live or die based on the appeal of how good the story is. I have no doubt that the art and design will be top notch. The story will be what animation fans will judge and if it's good they'll go and see it again and again... and if you like it, then that's what I suggest you do. Because if you want Disney to have another hand drawn film in 2012 or 2013 then that's what it'll take.

So come Christmas, when you come out from seeing this little throwback to the 90's... if you like it then get back in line. Let's all show Eisner how wrong he was for closing shop on hand drawn animation and selling all those wonderful animation desks.

Now that would be a good story...

No... (Part Three)

No...

Ok, now it was never my intention to turn my worry about Disney screwing up classics into a mini-series, but that's what appears to be happening...

And again, this doesn't mean I'm against a remake/prequel/sequel or anything else. In fact, I understand the concept that their working from and can see how it could be a great film if done right. That's the key...

If. Done. Right.

And I'm not dead set against McG, even if I've never been a fan of anything he's done. The guy clearly has an eye for visuals, I just don't think he's had a script worth using as toilette paper so far. And from the sounds of IESB's review of the script by Bill Marsilli, this isn't exactly a sterling example of how to do it right. And I'm not trying to rag on Marsilli, I happened to have really liked Deja Vu. It doesn't sound totally bad, in fact, several parts of it sound like they could be interesting. I really do "get" what they're trying to do with this project. I do.

They're trying for a grand adventure and that's something I love. My favorite kind of films are those(Raiders of the Lost Ark). My favorite parts of Disneyland are those(Adventureland, NOS, Frontierland). They want something that is epic and can continue in a series of films. From the review of this script they've gotten a lot of it right and wrong. And I agree with the reviewer that you can go oh so wrong with too many montages. He's correct when he says that if you have to have so many flashback/montages to explain what's going on then there's a problem. A couple are fine. Three would be pushing it. But something like ten? Do the Suits know how confusing that will be for an audience? Actually, I think so... At least I hope so. I've heard that the project is out to other writers. It sounds like they have some interesting ideas, but the script needs another pass. How about John Logan, David Benioff or Mark Protosevich? Better yet, go with Disney's gold team when it comes to remaking something: Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio.

But Will Smith? Come on...

I believe that since Captain Nemo is an Indian, how about go with a dynamic lesser known actor? Someone like Sendhil Ramamurthy, Adrian Grenier or some other actor that fits the part? I know Hollywood Suits want as much risk aversion as possible when ponying up millions of dollars for a film, which is why a name like Smith's is being mentioned. But, "The Fresh Prince" doesn't look Indian and his persona will distract from the character, not add to it. How about some of that global marketing that Iger was talking about when it comes to Disney in markets like China and India? You know, India? Where Nemo is from... how about attaching an actor that would appeal to them? Just another thought from someone who Suits don't have to listen to and don't want to... but that's my two cents.

I really do want this project to succeed and not be another sterling example of Hollywood's ability to take something with potential and send it crashing to the ground in a blazing ball of fire. Let's hope that whoever does the rewrite does it right this time... oh, and then let's suggest someone give McG a nice smack across the face to knock some sense into him regarding casting...

Blue Sky Buzz (Tokyo): The Sun Also Rises In The East...

Let me tell you a story...

A Toy Story.

Yes, the rumors you've all heard are true. At least somewhat true. Let me unpack that for you...

The Oriental Land Company has decided that the next attraction that Tokyo DisneySEA will be getting is going to be a variation of DCA's Toy Story Midway Mania. Boy was that a mouthful! And yes, it will be going into the American Waterfront port of the park, but it appears to not be going where some people have thought. Most thought that it would be wedged somewhere in the Victorian themed New York area of this section, when it will most likely be placed in the nostalgic and decidedly more rural Cape Cod section. Again, this is still in the early stages, so things could change. For those of you that have seen the area, the American Waterfront section was really without any attraction(read: ride) until the expansion that brought the Tower of Terror to the park. That still left the Cape Cod area a beautiful, but attractionless area of the park. No more. Or at least soon it will be no more. Planning is underway to have this be the next ride that is announced. WDI is/has been designing the area in which this attraction will go and should everything go according to plan, you should expect an announcement about it later this year.

I know many of you are fretting over the loss of the "Soarin' Over the Med" type of attraction that was being planned for the Mediterranean Harbor section. Unfortunately the cost of that attraction as well as a couple other factors killed that idea for the time being. Like many other projects though, it's not as if it will never happen. There is a place planned and carved out for it in that section and nothing is going in there as of now, the Imagineers still plan on installing this project in the park once OLC Suits give them the go ahead sometime in the near future. From what I hear, and it's not written in stone, but I'd say a good time line would be around the 30th anniversary of the Resort. But in the meantime there's plenty to keep them busy.

Sadly, the UEC that was supposed to be built in another part of country didn't meet the OLC's feasibility reports and with the slowdown in the economy it practically killed WDI's attempt at using Japan as a launching pad for an entirely new experimentation in themed parks. It wasn't on the grand scale that you would have expected from something like Tokyo DisneySEA, but it was on that level as far as quality goes. It appears Jay Rasulo and his colleagues at TeamDisney Burbank will have to look elsewhere for this new endeavor. And it won't be in Shanghai because that will be a Disney Park, Old School. Well, with a dash of really cool tech, but that'll be announced soon enough. Maybe Singapore then? We'll see...

There are some plans that the Resort is working on for the Tenth Anniversary of the park, but those are still very fluid. The final working model for the celebration should be done by summer and we should have some surprising announcements by fall. Hopefully the economy doesn't throw any monkey wrenches into the situation. I'll have more to follow on the upcoming events at Disney's only franchised parks in a few weeks, give or take a few weeks...

TTFN.

Going Back To "Old School" Mars...

Or why I loooove Andrew Stanton...

Not in that way. Shaadup!

Andrew Stanton spoke during a writers panel held at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and as has been the case lately, John Carter came up.

Here's the cliff notes:

It will be live-action, but it's not going to be a stylized version. Almost as if you dropped in a National Geographic documentary film crew on the red planet and discovered a long, lost civilization.

The project is huge and is a great challenge for him.

It will be a Walt Disney Picture(as we mentioned before) not a Pixar film, but being as Pixar is now Disney that shouldn't even need to be mentioned.

No plans for 3D, but Disney will probably pressure him(and they will, I'm sure).

The second draft of the script is done and casting will begin soon.

And my favorite bit of news is John Carter will be a Civil War soldier, which means if you know your Edgar Rice Burroughs, then you'll understand that Stanton is keeping it a faithful adaption. I've read a few adaptions of this and everyone tried to make it a "modern" John Carter set in present day events. They just didn't get it... and Andrew Stanton does. Which is why I loooove him.

Shaadup!

Hat Tip to Ain't It Cool News.

Up Poster Up...

Yahoo! Movies has put up the new "Up" poster from the Lamp's 2009 release...

I like it.

It's much better than the "Bolt" posters that were just character shots, this at least conveys something of what the movie will be like.

Go over and give it a looksie...

Oscar Likes Animals & Robots...

It appears that a Robot, A Dog and a Panda will compete for the Best Animated Picture Award at the Oscars this year...

Good odds for the Mouse.

And naturally, a Bat was shut out because it was just too popular, I guess. If you missed the rundown on what was nominated for what, here are the main nominations:

Best Picture:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Frost/Nixon

Milk

The Reader

Slumdog Millionaire *


Best Director:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - David Fincher

Frost/Nixon - Ron Howard

Milk - Gus Van Sant

The Reader - Stephen Daldry

Slumdog Millionaire - Danny Boyle *


Best Animated Picture:

Bolt

Kung Fu Panda

Wall-E *


Best Animated Short Film

La Maison de Petits Cubes - Kunio Kato

Lavatory - Lovestory - Konstantin Bronzit

Oktapodi - Emud Mokhberi, Thierry Marchand

Presto - Doug Sweetland *

This Way Up - Alan Smith, Adam Foulkes


Best Original Screenplay:

Frozen River - Courtney Hunt

Happy-Go-Lucky - Mike Leigh

In Bruges - Martin McDonagh

Milk - Dustin Lance Black

Wall-E - Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Pete Docter *


Best Adapted Screenplay:

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Eric Roth, Robin Swicord

Doubt - John Patrick Shanley

Frost/Nixon - Peter Morgan

The Reader - David Hare

Slumdog Millionaire - Simon Beaufoy *


Best Actor:

Richard Jenkins - The Visitor

Frank Langella - Frost/Nixon

Sean Penn - Milk

Brad Pitt - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Mickey Rourke - The Wrestler *


Best Supporting Actor:

Josh Brolin - Milk

Robert Downey Jr. - Tropic Thunder

Phillip Seymour Hoffman - Doubt

Heath Ledger - The Dark Knight *

Michael Shannon - Revolutionary Road


Best Actress:

Anne Hathaway - Rachel Getting Married

Angelina Jolie - Changeling

Melissa Leo - Frozen River

Meryl Streep - Doubt

Kate Winslet - The Reader *


Best Supporting Actress:

Amy Adams - Doubt

Penelope Cruz - Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Viola Davis - Doubt

Taraji P Henson - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Marisa Tomei - The Wrestler *


* Honor's pick for what will/should win the Academy Award.

The Competition In 2009: Dream Marketing...

Yahoo! Movies has a bunch of great shots from Dreamworks Animation's "Monster's Vs. Aliens" film that comes out in March...







I'm fond of these particular one-sheet posters of the characters. I like the marketing campaign Katzenberg and company are using and the rumbles I'm hearing make it look as though this film will be on the "Kung Fu Panda" side of things and not the "Bee Movie" side of things...





Hat Tip to Animated News.

Without Tights...

It came to my attention when posting about the Mouse's new line up over at Toon Disney, errr Disney XD, that a lot of their line up are super-heroes. Superheroes that don't belong to Disney and it represented a huge hole in their catalog of films that have come out in the past or are scheduled for release in the future...

Perhaps you've seen the news about Warner Bros. halting all comic book related productions last week? I certainly hope this doesn't screw up the next big production they have coming out, "Green Lantern" but rather is more of a refocusing of the company's strategy on guys running around in tights. It seems the common notion among brainiac Suits right now is that Superheroes have become a genre just like Action, Adveneture, Thrillers, Horror, Sci-Fi and others. I guess when Warner looked at the profits they'd made this year they noticed those silly comic book characters generated close to 15% of their income. So now they seem to think it's no longer just a "kid" thing. These guys could have talked to me and saved a whole lot of times and money... sheesh!

Of course, this doesn't mean they totally get it now that "The Dark Knight" has given them a stiff shot of pop-culture reality. Jeff Robinov, the head of production at Warner happened to mention that now all their properties were going to be brooding and dark. He still didn't get it. Dark Knight succeeded because it was a great adaption, but were they to do the same to Supes I don't think the success would be replicated. A brooding Man of Steel would more than likely turn off the comic book fans as well as general audiences. As I've stated before, if you want a great Superman film then get Brad Bird to write and direct it and then just get out of his way... but they ain't listening to me. Trust me, I know having been in pitch meetings with some of these guys.



Anyway... it seems that Warner now realizes what a gold mine it was buying National Periodicals/DC Comics back in the early 70's. A bargain today, really. And well, Marvel has their own studio practically and a distribution deal primarily through Paramount for the foreseeable future. So where does that leave the Mouse?



I mean, the number one and two comic book companies are taken. So it's not likely there will be anything coming from them. But there are genuine characters and stories that are not owned by the Big Two that they could purchase. I mean, even small independent comic companies have produced comics that have been great at the box office or great critically. Everything from "Men in Black" to "Road to Perdition" have come from small companies with big talent. So the idea would be, if the Disney Suits want to pursue a few characters/comics that they can turn into cash cow franchises then this is the route. But what characters and what comics? Well, Blue Sky Disney has compiled a list of ten properties in the world of comics that would be ripe for the rodents in TeamDisney to pick.

Some of these properties are in development at other studios right now while others are lying in the dark waiting to be discovered. Someone should make these stories into films and if Disney is smart, they'll be the ones to do it...

In no particular order:








The Umbrella Academy - The 2008 Eisner Award winner for Best Limited Series from Dark Horse Comics, written by Gerald Way and illustrated by Gabriel Ba is about a group of superheroes that gather together after the death of their adoptive father, who was a rich, eccentric millionaire that was in reality an alien from another planet. He gathered these super-powered beings together to save the world from an unknown menace. This could be Disney's "Hellboy". The comic it's closest to is "Doom Patrol." Hopefully Universal won't exercise the option it has with Dark Horse and the Mouse can step in...









The Bozz Chronicles - Written by David Michelinie and illustrated by Bret Blevins, this is an old and little known one from the 80's(1986 to be exact)... Released only as a six issue mini-series from Epic Comics, "Bozz" tells the story of an alien that crash lands on Earth in turn of the century Victorian London, he's depressed, constantly contemplating suicide due to being stranded here amongst what he deems to be dim-witted savages. A prostitute named Mandy,convinces him to become a private detective and solve crimes to keep his superior intellect occupied. Think of this as the "X-Files" meets "Moonlighting" by way of "The Night Stalker" only told from an alien's point of view or an alien Sherlock Holmes versus the paranormal. A truly fun read that was lost along the way. It's just waiting to be discovered(Robert Zemeckis is now at Disney, perhaps he should go back and revisit this like he did a couple years ago)...









Deathblow - Written and illustrated by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi, this story is sort of like Marvel's "The Punisher" with the regenerative powers of "Wolverine" and some of the psionic powers of "Kitty Pride" with religious overtones. This would more than likely be released through Touchstone Pictures as the tone is uber-violent. The rights to this one are murky, because Lee sold the Wildstorm company to DC several years ago and it's unknown if he sold all the characters to them as well. That said, it'd be a really cool adventure with Deathblow or even his former Navy Seal buds known as "Team 7."














Criminal Macabre - Follows a character named Cal McDonald, created by Steve Niles that's a sort of Philip Marlowe for the paranormal. This character would be closest to "Constantine" in the comic book universe. The stories are deeply graphic and very dark so Touchstone Pictures would have to be the ones releasing it, but if you like Horror-Noir then this would be right up your alleyway.

















Mr. Monster - Michael T. Gilbert's darkly comic tale of the worlds greatest monster hunter. A wonderfully pulp superhero that seems drawn from the pages of "Doc Savage," "The Spider" or "The Shadow," Dr. Strongfort Stearnis is the world's greatest expert in the occult. When he puts on his superhero tights he becomes a champion of justice against the world of the dark... Monsters beware.













Youngblood - Created by Rob Liefeld, the group known as Youngblood is a very high-profile team of superheroes that are sanctioned, administrated and marketed by a branch of the American Government. Unlike "Watchmen" which also takes a view of "What if" super powered beings actually existed, Youngblood takes a more positive approach where these heroes are treated like superstars and professional athletes. The comic this is primarily like is "The New Teen Titans" series by George Perez and Marv Wolfman, which is ironically what inspired Liefeld to create it in the first place. The characters would make a great film adaption and possibly give Disney its own X-Men(though younger and more representative of the Titans).















Danger Girl - This comic book created by J. Scott Campbell and Andy Hartnell is a tongue in cheek satire of the spy genre. Imagine it as the Bond Girls meets Charlie's Angels and Charlie is kind of like 007 himself or at least he looks a heck of a lot like Sean Connery. The series is full of action and outrageous villains wrapped in over the top adventures. It would be a very fun romp through the world of spies and spiettes.












Alien Legion - This title is an old one from the early days of Epic Comics created by Carl Potts and Alan Zelenetz with the amazing art of Frank Cirocco, it follow a military unit called Force Nomad, comprised of the worst of the worst losers in the universe, essentially an outer space version of the French Foreign Legion. This title would be a marketing bonanza for the Mouse with franchise and merchandising possibilities beyond measure... oh, and did I mention the stories were good too? For the little boy that wanted to travel the stars with his jetpack and shoot his raygun, this one is for you.














Fathom - I know that this looks like it's just a bunch of cheesecake, but don't let those beautiful girls on the covers fool you. Created by writer/artist Michael Turner, Fathom tells the story of a young girl with amnesia named Aspen, who turns up on board a cruise ship that vanished for ten years, in a story that is one part "The Abyss," one part "Man From Atlantis" and another part mystery soap opera, we follow Aspen and those around her as she finds out about her past and our world's future. The plot is incredibly intricate and extremely detailed, click on the link if you want to know all the details. This is a project I could see James Cameron working on, because it's so heavily influenced by his style of film making. Who knows, if it works out you might see an attraction in Tokyo DisneySEA after it's released...












100 Bullets - A gritty crime drama written by Brian Azzarello and illustrated by Eduardo Risso, it's like "Road to Perdition" or "A History of Violence" and would be one of those more "mature" adaptions. There are no men in tights walking around in this comic. Perhaps the closest other comic to this is "Sin City" as both follow the noble and bad in doing what is often ugly and sometimes good. Disney needs to get the rights to these Film Noir graphic novels and then call Michael Mann to adapt them. Did you hear me, Dick Cook?

Reflecting On A Princess...

The Walt Disney Company's 2008 Annual Report is out and throughout the mash of numbers and corporate governance there are a few teases for Disney Fans/Geeks, but the best one of all is this scene from the hand drawn animated film that is featured as the back cover. Christmas surely isn't that far away...

Enjoy.

I Have A...

10 Years Later: The Magic's Gone...

Tonight Saturday Night Live had a parody of what would have happened to Aladdin and Jasmin ten years after "Aladdin" and it's pretty funny...

Have a look, but remember it's a little racy.

Bring This Dog Home...

It appears that Disney has announced the release date for the DVD/Blu-Ray of "Bolt" according to UltimateDisney...

March 24th.

Both the DVD and Blu-Ray will include the new short we mentioned a while back and it now has a name: "Super Rhino."

I wonder who it could be about?

The First American...

On this date, three hundred and three years ago a genius and revolutionary man was born...

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Josiah Franklin and Abiah Folger. He would go on to create or discover many things and become a celebrity of that age. Kind of if you mixed Steve Jobs with Bono(but not really). He helped found this nation and helped define what it is to be American.

Walt Disney knew the worth of men such as these in instilling the values that made this country what it is. Just like the "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" attraction at Disneyland or the American folklore of Johnny Appleseed, John Henry and others, Walt believed in educating as well as entertaining.

So in 1953, Disney adapted the children's book by Robert Lawson into the animated short "Ben and Me." I remember watching it on the "Wonderful World of Disney" as a kid and it helped spark my interest in history and my love of American history. For that I thank Walt...

Oh, and Happy Birthday Ben.

One Phat Cat...

Baller, Shotcaller and CEO...

If you're going to govern something known as a Kingdom, you might as well be a king.

Indiana Jones And What Came Before (Part Two)...

Sorry for taking so long, I know I promised more of these but as always, the real world tends to pull one away...

As last time, a warning... if you don't want to know the stories and a large amount of details about these adventures then read no further. This isn't a review, it isn't a synopsis, it's more of an example of what's known as a scriptment. I will try to tell the story the screenwriter wrote as detailed and quickly(or not) as possible.

SPOILERS WILL BE TOLD.

Still want to know? Alright...

George Lucas has commissioned several drafts for an Indy film over the last decade and a half. This is a script that Lucas commissioned back in the mid-90's.

Indiana Jones and the Sword of Arthur by Jeffrey Boam




Our story begins on an island, 1238. It's known as Enigma Island to be specific. We go down a cave and find two knights fighting, battling to the death. Finally one kills the other and picks up an object wrapped in a cloth... glowing. He uncovers it and the glow keeps us from seeing what it is as he holds it to the ceiling of the cave. Lightning and power shoots out causing the roof to collapse.

Cut to the same island years later, 1456. A Spanish Galleon is anchored off the shore. Some Spaniards are in the cave now being led by a man that seems a bit mad or drunk or a bit of both. They find the dead corpse of the knight from earlier. Through a large boulder they see a glow. They peer between the cracks, their faces all aglow and we...

Cut to a Museum. College students roaming around. They walk with their professor looking up at Indiana Jones. They walk outside and we notice we're in Arizona, 1950. They're waiting by their bus. The driver asks Indy if they should go and he tells him to wait another ten minutes. He's clearly waiting for something. He tells a student to take over and walks back into the museum. Three thugs and a small dude are watching him from a nearby cafe.

Inside the museum, Indy goes up to a man and they make a package trade as they walk by one another. He opens it as he gets around the corner. Gold, Persian relic. The man Indy got the package from leaves nodding to the thugs. Indy is on a payphone telling Anthony it went well. One of the thugs comes up behind Indy and sticks a gun into his back.

Outside, Indy, the three thugs and small man walk past the bus. The students wonder where he's going and the Bus Driver throws a fit as to why they aren't going yet. Indy tells him to take them to the train station without him.

A warehouse a little later. Indy's tied to a crate. The usual banter about "My employer wondered where his property ended up" commences. Indy banters and then runs into the thugs. He beats them all up, is about to go when one of the thugs pulls a machine gun that's fallen next to him. He bolts from the place, runs into the street and gets a guy to drive him him off as they're chased by the thugs car. Car chase. Machine gun fire. A bike race ahead. Swerves and misses. Cop cars join the chase. Thugs run directly into one of the cop cars.

Cut to the train getting ready to leave the station. Indy gets out and sees a motorcycle with a greaser talking to a girl. Pushes him off and takes the motorcycle. He heads for the moving train. He's not got long though as their is a gorge up ahead. He jumps to the porch railing of the train as the motorbike flies off the cliff exploding. Inside the car a conductor is taking tickets and comes to a dirty, dusty Indy who has just sat down in his seat. He punches his ticket.

Indy in his classroom. He's giving another archeology speech. Yada, yada. Talks about the island we seen earlier. Anthony Brody, son of Indy's old pal watches the speech. They all leave and the two start talking as they walk to Indy's office. Knock on the door. A hot women, early 40's named Arianna Smith, she's a former foil/lover(?). He punches her. She gets up they banter as a guy comes off screen, Seabastion Collins. He and Indy shake hands, he's a former student. They both tell him of a relic they were hunting. A torn piece of parchment is handed to Indy. They talk of the mad Spaniard we saw earlier. They tell of how this could lead to Enigma Island which no one seems to be able to find. They want Indy to go with them to a castle in France to obtain the rest of this parchment so they can figure where this island is.

Back at Indy's house. Night. he's packing and arguing with Anthony. "Excalibur is a myth!" stuff like that. Indy tells Brody that the castle is run by a bunch of ex-Nazis bent on world domination. Yada, yada.

Cut to the airport. Indy Arianna and Collins wait to get on board. They get on board and we cut to a flashback.

An archaeological dig, 1925. Workers digging. A young Indy on his first professional dig. He meets, banters with a young Arianna. A younger, just as obnoxious Belloq is screaming at workers. Indy tells them to take a breather and he and they argue. Abner Ravenwood walks up and greets Indy. He and Ravenwood exit leaving Belloq angry. Indy and Arianna talk, they help one another, attraction starts to take hold and we...

Cut to French castle. The three tourist(Indy, Arianna and Collins) move about the castle. They follow a tour guide and banter/argue. They leave the tourist behind and head down another hallway. They enter an ornate room. Table in the center opens up revealing a secret passageway. Come to a stone door. Indy opens it and hey enter a vast depository of books, art, armor and tons of other stuff. Indy begins looking through books. He finds one with a page missing. Puts the parchment next to it. They match. Congratulations all around, then... Collins pulls a gun. Machine gun totting thugs come in. Big guy named Lugor comes from the darkened shadows. Arguing, betrayal. Yada, yada.

Indy and Arianna are tied back to back. swinging over a pit forty feet deep with spikes. Collins knocks out Indy. A torch slowly burns through the rope holding them up. The thugs close the door and wait outside as Collins departs the castle with Lugo. He tells them to make sure of their deaths or the Dark Knights won't be pleased(wait, Dark Knights? Keep reading). Collins and Lago head for the airport in their Dark Knight Car(Boam's word, not mine). Arianna is swinging the rope around toward an opening above. She swings them both up, but falls back toward the spikes. Indy with his whip lashed out and holds her suspended over the spikes. They escape. A group of cars outside. they shoot the tires of all but one car. Indy and Arianna steal the remaining one and head off away from the castle as we...

Cut to another flashback, 1925. Indy, Arianna and Ravenwood walking along a beach. Indy's telling Ravenwood about the location to some pirate treasure. Arianna leaves while Ravenwood and Indy talk. Abner Ravenwood's daughter, Marion Ravenwood age 15, walks up She's got a crush on Indy you can tell. Ravenwood warns him to keep away from her. He nods and the flashback ends.

Castle Birkenshire lies over the English coastline. Collins shows up. An aide tells him that Indy escaped. He tells Lugor to take care of it and heads down a hall filled with purple, red and black banners. Guards in black armor carrying rifles stand guard in the hall. Into a room with a round table are seated a group of Dark Knights wearing purple, red and black robes. The head lord, Markote talks to Collins. Another Lord, Benneth, who is skeptical of Collins also pipes in. Yada, yada. They argue. Benneth has no faith in him. Collins holds up the book and tells them the sword will be ours again.

Indy and Arianna are walking the streets of London. They head for a library, arguing all the way. Indy recognized a symbol(the Dark Knight symbol) on one of the guards and wants to research it. In the library, searching, searching... Arianna finds it. Indy reads what she's discovered. It turns out to be a Dark Ages Sect known as the Knights of Mordred. More explanation, more banter, more argument. Finally we hear this sect died out around the time of the Black Plague. About this time, Arianna looks up and sees Lugor walking through looking for them. They leave and several cars race toward them. Indy and Arianna get on board an empty double-decker bus and take off. A new car chase begins. We get the standard Indy-speak with terms like "trust me" and all. Cars follow, traffic darts and turns. Thugs shoot machine guns. Some climb on the bus. Gunfire, fights, crashes. Finally they get rid of all the bad guys only to crash into a building. As they exit they find police officers waiting for them.

Cut to Collins in the castle trying to decipher the code to the location of the island in the book. See, he's an ok archaeologist, but he's not as good as his teacher Indy and he's having great difficulty obviously. The Lords are becoming impatient. He tells them he'll have it decoded by tomorrow(he hopes).

Indy and Arianna at the American Embassy. They're walking away and she's asking Indy how he did it. He tells her he has friends. As they exit the embassy there are two cars near the street with flags similar to the Dark Knight symbol. One opens and a guy named Miller gets out. He asks them to get inside and all answers will be provided. They get in. From here they're transported to...

Castle Avalon. The opposite of Castle Birkenshire. This one is located in the English countryside. Large and open, not dark and oppressive like the other English castle. People move about in a hustle. Cartographers, researcher, technicians all work around the place. Indy and Arianna are taken by Miller to a man around another large, round table. The leader of this group is Oliver. He talks to them about Collins and tells them he is the leader of the "Society of the Round Table" and they are the decedents of Aurthur. They are the sworn enemies of the Dark Knights. He tells them of a thousand year old power struggle between these two groups for control of the sword known as Excalibur. He asks them to leave and not pursue this quest for the sword or the island. He says they will handle it. Indy agrees and asks to rest so they can leave tomorrow.

Benneth informs Collins that Jones is still alive. He believes Collins is a fool and has bungled the death of Jones and now has little faith he'll decipher the code to the island. Collins sends him away saying he'll have the coordinates soon enough.

Back at Castle Avalon. More argument, banter. Indy tells Arianna he's still going after Collins. This shuts her up momentarily. You can see he's warmed to her... just a bit. And we go into another flashback.

Workers are digging in pits along the beach we saw in the earlier flashback. Snide remarks between Belloq and Indy. They're all competing to be Ravenwoods assistant. He, Belloq and Arianna. Only one will win the job. Somehow he teams with Arianna to foil Belloq and they both go about finding the prize. They both find the gold medallion. The one we saw in Raiders. They are both carried out of the pit by the workers as they cheer and we leave the flashback.

Indy and Arianna sneak down from a hilltop overlooking Castle Birkenshire. A large ship by the shore his being loaded with supplies and men. They sneak down and enter a crate that is going to be put on board. Collins and Benneth are arguing again. The ship sets sail. Inside the cargo hold, Indy and Arianna exit the crate. Arianna and Indy split up. She goes for Collins cabin to find the book and Indy goes to the bridge to find their course. Then they'll radio the American or British Navies. Arianna goes into his cabin and starts looking through the mess for the book. Indy knocks a sailor unconscious and hides inside a locker. Collins and Benneth argue just outside. The guard awakens, moaning. Collins and Lugor hear this and open the locker catching Indy. Arianna gets captured as well. They begin to torture Indy to get Arianna to decipher the book. She relents when she can take it no more.

After she finishes decoding the book they put her back in with Indy. After a while one of the Dark Knights enters, they think it's their time. It's a spy, one of the Society of the Round Table that's been able to sneak on board. He rescues them and is about to put them into a boat when they're spotted. The Spy gets killed as the boat falls into the water. Collins leaves it because he thinks when the sun comes up they'll die in the beating sun. While in the boat, Indiana and Arianna talk, argue and get what's been brewing through the whole script out of the way. An airplane flies over. It lands in the water and drifts over to the boat. The pilot, a knight named Sir Gilliam picks them up.

Cut to Enigma island with the Dark Knight's ship anchored in the shallow water. Knights in armor riding horseback head for the cave. Once in the cave they start digging and eventually find Excalibur floating above the ground. A knight tries to grab the blade and his hand melts away. Collins opens up a black box that they've brought with them. A Dark Gauntlet is inside, the Gauntlet of Mordred. Collins grabs the sword with the Gauntlet on and it doesn't burn him. Collins takes the sword and kills Benneth. They leave the cave and notice men on horseback in the distance. They all get on their horses and ride toward them discovering a small castle and village with a group of people that don't even know they're there.

The plane flown by Gilliam with Indy and Arianna lands on the island and find the castle and village destroyed. The people are dead. Four knights greet them. Palin, Idle, Graham and Cleese(if you don't get the joke, I'm not going to tell you...). Collins, Lugor and the other Dark Knights are on the coast headed for the ship. The plane flies over with Idle and Graham on the wings dropping grenades. A battle ensues between Indy, Arianna, the knights in the plane and those on the ground versus the Dark Knights. Collins tries to destroy the plane with blasts of lightning from Excalibur. Big battle. Fights. Deaths. Arianna gets captured by Collins as he says she'll make a excellent sacrifice. Collins gets in a boat and heads for the ship. Indy tries to save her before he gets on board the ship, but fails.

Later at Castle Birkenshire. Collins presents the sword to Markote. He then proceeds to kill him and all the other Dark Lords, taking control saying that there can be only one king. We cut to another flashback. Arianna argues with Indy while he drinks whiskey. They argue over the fact that Ravenwood chose her instead of him. Shots of Indy telling Ravenwood he was leaving. And the flashback ends... The plane carrying Indy and the remaining Knights flies toward Birkenshire.

Meanwhile, at the castle Collins is performing a ceremony with the Dark Knights around him. He's going to transform Excalibur into a weapon of darkness. Big, long winded speech about "knowing what society needs" and "saving the world from itself." He plans on sacrificing Arianna right as Gilliam's plane crashes through the skylight. The Knight of Arthur versus the Dark Knights of Mordred do battle. A large fight with the remaining forces of good and those baddies in the castle. Indy is looking to save the girl. Arianna fights with Collins and she knocks Excalibur free. She does a good job smacking him around until another Dark Knight shows up behind her and knocks her out. Collins and the Dark Knight are starting to leave and he realizes he doesn't have the sword. He turns to see Indy with his hand wrapped up, holding Excalibur bathed in warm, glowing light. Indy starts to take out Dark Knights as fire and lightning bolts fly. Good is slowly triumphing. Indy looks for Arianna, where is she?

Collins is aboard the Dark Knights plane with Arianna in tow. The plane starts to take off. A storm is coming. Collins talks about how Indy will come after her and Excalibur will come to him. Yada, yada. Indy runs after the plane on foot down the runway. He grabs a chain and uses it like a whip, latching onto the tail of the plane as it gets airborne. Indy gets onboard the plane and finds Collins holding her with a gunn pressed to her side. He tells Collins to give the girl up and he can have the sword. A shot is heard. The two remaining Dark Knights are shot dead by the pilot... who now lifts his goggles to reveal that it's Sir Gilliam. The storm outside worsens. Collins hands over Arianna. Indy starts to hand Collins Excalibur blade first as it cuts into his hand, then suddenly flips the sword around and slams it down on Collins' Gauntlet. It shatters into many pieces... Indy puts the sword in Collins' hand along with some torn banner he wraps around him so he can't remove it and Collins screams. Indy kicks him out of the plane. His body disappears into vapor and the sword plummets toward the Atlantic Ocean. Right before it hits the waves the Lady of the Lake rises and takes it with her hand. Indy falls back into the plane from exhaustion...

Cut to Indy teaching a class. Brody and Arianna walks in. Final chatter. Yada, yada. Some corny dialog about one kind of adventure he hasn't done: relationships. They kiss. The boys in class cheer, the girls are disappointed. Indiana Jones and Arianna walk off the campus as the Raiders theme comes up and the credits roll.

THE END...


Would this have been better than Crystal Skull?

You be the judge.



Previous entry: Part One.

No... (Part Two)

Ahhh, just when I think I can take a break, sit on my back porch watching the waves crash and drink my iced tea while reading my latest copy of "How to Ruin A Film Before It's Even Shot," I get drawn back into it... Even when I try and cut McG some slack.

"Wild Wild West 2" anyone?

Illuminating The Lamp...

For those with a love for the Lamp...

You can pre-order "The Art of Pixar Short Films" by Cartoon Brew co-founder Amid Amidi, with a foreword by the Mousetro himself, John Lasseter. It includes essays and interviews with the artists and storytellers involved and more than 250 pastels pencil sketches, storyboards and final rendered frames of all those shorts that audiences have loved viewing before each and every Pixar film.

A great collection for that empty coffee table, if ya ask me...

No Longer On The Island...

It seems another great actor from the past has left us as well...

Ricardo Montalbán, known mainly as the mysterious Mr. Roarke on ABC's "Fantasy Island" and the villainous baddie, Khan Noonien Singh in the 60's "Star Trek" television show and "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" has beamed out, left the island.

He will forever remain a part of my childhood on TV and film. My thoughts and prayers go out to the hearts of friends and families of the only man that could say the word "Corinthian" and make it sound oh, so desirable...

Discovering Mars...

Sci-Fi Wire spoke with Andrew Stanton at the Los Angeles Film Critics Association award ceremony last night and got some juicy info...

The pic will not be released through Pixar, but Disney. It appears that the Lamp is too family friendly, but the Mouse isn't... I won't even address the irony in that statement, but the other big news is that he confirmed it'll be live-action. Or at least a good deal of it. Although I'm sure the Martian landscape of Barsoom will have plenty of CG creatures... 2012 can't get here quick enough.

There goes that year again...

The Scarecrow Was No Number...

"Mel Gibson will always be Mad Max, and me, I will always be a Number"

- Patrick McGoohan

Patrick McGoohan, whom most Disney fans will remember from "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh" has passed away at the age of 80...

While I first got my glimpse of him as the Scarecrow, I later came to know him from his 60's television show "The Prisoner," arguably is best known and greatest work. He also stared in such memorable shows as Secret Agent/Danger Man and played the brooding King in "Braveheart." He was a man's man, an actor of uncompromising character and he let everyone know it. Much to his own demise, career wise.

He will be missed...

The Beauty In All Things Tangible (Part One)...

There a lot of things one can collect if they're into Disney...

There is an art sometimes to just packaging. A sculpture sometimes says more than just what it's trying to convey or a DVD collection can be just a thing of beauty. Let's take a look at some of the interesting things that can come from a Mouse....

On video or DVD or Laserdisc even...


























Or the lovely way you can showcase music...







Or even the packages that hold the packages...





And speaking of music, check out these maracas from the very talented designer Kevin Kidney...



Or if you wanted to listen to music in the 30's/40's and loved Disney, how about these nice Emerson radios...





Then there's the lovely tomes that are available, even if they're not your cup of tea...







And some that you might find interesting if you, like me, enjoy pirates...



Or these fantastic recreations from Disney classics by Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily...









And if you're looking at these when it starts getting dark you may need a little light. How about this lantern inspired by the "Song of the South" film?



Or if you have a large house, a mansion if you will, then perhaps this table lamp recreation from a prop in the Haunted Mansion...



Me? I prefer this very Arts and Crafts style lamp that focuses on Bambi...



How about a game? Let's play an old classic themed to Disney love...



Perhaps a game of cards...



Into a little nostalgia? How about a replica of the old Hyperion sign from Disney Studios...



And if you're getting a little tired curl up on your bed with one of these Mary Blair art inspired pillows...



Or this beautiful glasswork based on the famous poster from 20K that Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily did...






And you all know how much I love posters, like this one about the Tiki Room is very cool and interesting...





Now if you've got a dog that you know happens to love Disney then these are waiting to be placed around his neck...





And if you're running late you might want to carry one of these...





Sometimes you need to carry that Disney artwork with you and it just won't fit. That's when a themed thumb drive like this comes in handy...





And while we're talking about technology, if you want to carry those Disney tunes around this might make a swell thing to do it with...




I've never been a big lanyard person, but if I were this would be the first thing on my list...




Also there are those really rare or expensive specialty items...





Or for those of you that want to be like John Lasseter there is this...




And if watching the latest Disney film makes you cry, I've got the solution...




Wouldn't you have liked to have had these to send just a few weeks ago...




And lastly, we can't forget the stamps...



TTFN...

In Memorium: Marc Davis (1913-2000)

On this date nine years ago...

Disney lost a giant in animation and Imagineering when Marc Fraser Davis passed away. He was a legend, not just a Disney Legend.

One of a very few that would cross the path from being a Disney Animator to a Disney Imagineer. He worked in both worlds that Walt created: film and parks. He animated some of Disney's most memorable characters: "Maleficent," "Tinker Bell,"Cruella De Vil" and many more.

Then he went on to fill our lives with great attractions at Walt's little experiment down in Anaheim. By the late 60's he left a mark(no pun intended) designing many unforgettable characters on the most popular attractions in the park: "The Enchanted Tiki Room," "The Jungle Cruise," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the one that got away "Western River Expedition."

His talent was immeasurable and his fingerprints are all over everything we Disney Geeks/Fans love about Disneyland and all Disney parks. The world lost a true original that day... one that will never be replaced. But he'll forever be admired for the magic he helped create.

In the parks and in our hearts...

Wall-E Is Golden...

The magic of the Lamp continues...

Wall-E won the Golden Globe award for "Best Animated Film" tonight. Let's hope all this luck rubs off on the Mouse over the next few years, eh?

Congrats go out to Stanton, Lasseter and all those lucky bums in Emeryville!

Frog Pic Drops In...

The Los Angeles Times' entertainment section has a bunch of pics up in the Movie Sneaks section and one of them is this one from Disney's "The Princess and the Frog," which will be out December 25...

I can't wait to see this film, but I'm not in a hurry to have X-Mas be here anytime soon.

Touring The Stars, A Long, Long Time Ago...

Twenty-two years ago today, the Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm opened up their first collaborative effort, "Star Tours" at Disneyland in California...



The attraction has been cloned(Hehe...) in Orlando, Paris and Tokyo. The ride was the first time Disney had built an attraction based on the works of someone outside the Disney company.



It seems appropriate that that someone was considered a modern Walt Disney. George Lucas and the Mouse have had a few other successful projects as well, most notably the Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye in California, the Indiana Jones stunt show in Orlando, the Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril(French for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril) in Paris and the Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull in Tokyo(not to be confused with the mediocre film). While Disney lost out on getting the "Clone Wars" animated series, the creative relationship continues to this day with the possibility of a few more additions in the not too distant future...



It's hard for many a child that enters the parks today to disassociate Star Wars or Indy from Disney and that's something I not only like, but encourage.



May the Force be with us, always...

Competitors Poster Revealed: Transformers - Revenge Of The Fallen

The teaser poster for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is up now...

I must say, it looks purty swanky. As much as I've been critical of Michael Bay, I will admit that I liked "Transformers" quite a bit. It did what a summer movie should do. I hope that the sequel is as good or better than the original...

Hat Tip to Ain't It Cool News.

Happy About Being Blu...

This morning when Sony had it's keynote at the CES, the audience got a nice surprise when out walked John Lasseter...

He was there to praise the virtues of Blu-Ray, which Sony created. Rather nice in this cutthroat business when competitors can congratulate one another for doing good, eh?

UPDATE:

Engadget has a whole bunch of photos from Sir Howard Stringer's Sony Keynote at the CES(including a couple of John Lasseter)...

Target Aquired...

Tween boys beware...

The Mouse is coming for you. Disney's rebranded "Toon Disney" now known as "Disney XD" launches on February 13.

Instead of girlie "Hannah Montana" type shows I take it the testosterone factor is going to be ampt up to attract the younger males of the human species...

Here's the press release:
___________________________________________________________

Disney will launch Disney XD, a boy-focused, girl inclusive entertainment brand for kids age 6-14, with a 24-hour, ad-supported basic cable network as its centerpiece, on Friday, February 13 (12 midnight, ET/PT).

The Disney XD brand premieres with Disney's hit comedy series PHINEAS AND FERB, the #1 animated series among Tweens 9-14 for 2008, and is highlighted by the debut of AARON STONE (7 p.m., ET/PT), an original action-adventure series about a champion video game player who, in a popular game called HERO RISING, uses a crime-fighting avatar named Aaron Stone -- at least until the game's billionaire creator asks him to become the real-life Aaron Stone.

Currently Toon Disney, Disney XD content will have themes of adventure, accomplishment, gaming, music and sports (developed with ESPN).

Also debuting in February is the immersive online and mobile game experience, Disney XD.com, a new entertainment choice with numerous games, exclusive video, fan pages, community elements and a unique personalization feature through which users can create a 3D avatar (complete with "personalities" and "emotions") that represents them across the site.

The rollout of the Disney XD basic channel will include a Disney Channel simulcast of AARON STONE. The series will also be available online at DisneyXD.com, and its first episode will be available via Video-on-Demand (through Verizon Fios and Comcast, among others) and Mobile platforms. Previews of the first episode will be available via Xbox 360 and the iTunes Store.

In addition to AARON STONE, a production of Shaftesbury Services II, Inc., the launch schedule includes the new animated series, KID VS. KAT, from Studio B Productions in Vancouver, and JIMMY TWO SHOES, from Breakthrough Animation and Teletoon in Toronto, and two short-form series, ROBODZ, a 3D, CG animated and live-action comedy produced by Disney and Toei Animation in Japan, and BRUNO THE GREAT, an animated series produced by Studio Bozzetto & Co SRL in Italy.

In addition to new episodes of PHINEAS AND FERB, 2008's top animated series among Tweens 9-14, the Disney XD programming schedule will feature new episodes of the animated comedy YIN YANG YO!. Both series are productions of Walt Disney Television Animation.

Upcoming new series are the live action skateboarding adventure comedy, ZEKE & LUTHER, from Turtle Rock Productions, Inc., and KID KNIEVEL, a 2D animated comedy from Walt Disney Television Animation. Premiere dates for these series will be announced shortly.

Joining the Disney XD schedule in spring 2009 will be THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN, based on Marvel Ent.'s popular superhero and produced by Culver Ent., a Sony Pictures Television Company. It will be joining BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, SUPERMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, SPIDER-MAN and IRON MAN on the schedule.
___________________________________________________________

I can't help but notice a lot of Super-Hero properties in that line up. A lot of properties not owned by Disney...

Perhaps their establishment of Kingdom Comics will help generate some characters of their own or maybe they should outright buy certain characters.

Just a thought...

First Sign Of Christmas...

It appears that Market Saw 3D got their hands on the first pic of this Disney poster for Robert Zemeckis' "A Christmas Carol" which is coming out ironically, around Christmas...

Hat Tip to Animated News.

UPDATE: If you want to see a high-res pic of Jim Carrey as ole' Ebenezer then go here.

When I Dream...

Ok, I thought I'd step back for a second...

I don't want to seem like I'm rooting for the remake/prequel of 20K to fail, because I wouldn't want that. And as I mentioned here and the last post, it isn't a sequel or remake so much as an original tale about what led up to the book/film. So it could be good, it might be great. But I just am not a big fan of McG because he seems to be Michael Bay without the substance... and if you know where I'm coming from then you understand that statement. If you don't understand it, then may I suggest a quick course in Geek 101. I've heard he's toned the flash down for his new "Terminator Salvation" film and I'll reserve judgement on that film till I've seen it. I just don't want the visuals to overwhelm the story and if he decides to make a slick, fast cutting, edgy version of the Jules Verne classic I'll hate it. I pray he's got a great script from which to work and I hope he adheres to it.

After posting about it last night, I got to thinking. What Disney movies would I like to see? I mean, I've posted about what movies have been made that could/should have been Disney films, but...

What films haven't been made that I'd like to see? And by that, I divided them up in three categories. Remakes/Sequels/Adaptions.

So here are my "Dream Disney Films."

Remakes:

The Black Hole - remake directed by Danny Boyle and written by John Hodge, Simon Beaufoy and Alex Garland.

Davy Crockett - reinterpretation written and directed by Michael Mann starring Russell Crowe.

The Island at the Top of the World - remake written by John Logan and directed by Ridley Scott.

The Gremlins - live-action adaption of the Roald Dahl story done for Walt in the 40's.

Dungeons & Dragons - a more faithful remake than the horrible adaptions that have been done by other studios that don't know what to do with this property. And I'd get an excellent screenwriter and director for it. My choice would be Joss Whedon.

The Haunted Mansion - an actual "good" version of this attraction. Specifically, the one based on the idea Terry Rossio wanted to do and while we're at it, get Gore Verbinski to direct it as well. The tone of his "The Ring" would be perfect...


Sequels:

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea - an actual sequel to the classic Disney film written and directed by Brad Bird.

Roger Rabbit - a sequel to the 1988 film, not necessarily the one that was supposed to star Tom Cruise, but one that continues the adventures of that crazy rabbit directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Michael Chabon.

Mary Poppins - a sequel, not a reimagined or prequel. There's been talk going around that Disney wanted to do something with this and although I know many would be opposed to this, I have no problem "if" it's done right because it's based on a series of books, not just one story. But that said, it's a big IF...

Star Wars - it goes without saying that I'd like to see any Star Wars film with the Disney logo in front of it. Just not by Lucas... let a new breed work in his world. My choice, Peter Jackson on Dark Forces, Zach Synder on Knights of the Old Republic or David Fincher on Episode Seven, ect.


Adaptions:

The Chronicles of Prydain - a faithful adaption of the books "The Black Cauldron" was based upon. Perhaps the one that Guillermo del Toro had been in talks with the Mouse about doing?

The Thief of Always - an adaption of Clive Barker's "The Thief of Always" directed by Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz, they seem to work much better together than apart... This would be a great family film.

Ender's Game - an adaption of the great book by Orson Scott Card written and directed by James Cameron.

Huckleberry Finn - an adaption of Mark Twain's pentacle of storytelling directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by David Mamet and David Koepp.

The Graveyard Book - a film version of Neil Gaiman's mesmerising book with a screenplay by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary to be directed by Tim Burton.

Where the Sidewalk Ends - a live-action adaption of Shel Silverstein's classic children's story directed by Kevin Lima.

The Adventures of Calvin and Hobbes - a hand-drawn animated film version of Bill Watterson's award winning cartoon strip. I'll let Lasseter pic whoever he wants for this, but I'd have Watterson write the script and Chris Williams direct it... the funny pages in the papers have been bland ever since it ended. And I know he wouldn't let anyone adapt his work, but hey, it's my wish list.

Artemis Fowl - an adaption of Eoin Colfer's classic book series. Never read it? Think of it in the authors own words: "Die Hard with Fairies." Could be the Harry Potter franchise that Disney's been looking for, although it's more like "Sinister Johnny Quest meets magic" to me...

Hiawatha - I've always thought an animated version of Hiawatha the Native American myth would make a great adaption. Kind of like an American Indian version of Disney's Hercules film.

And this is just what I've come up with off the top of my head... so there you go Disney. Take from it if you will. Of course, if you need any help in making them then give my agent a call...

I work for a wee bit less that McG.

Kingdom Come...

I told you the annoucement about Shanghai Disneyland would come early in 2009, but I guess it's starting to appear sooner than I expected... Here's Reuters article and here's Forbes article.

Commentary to follow later...

No...

McG is going to direct a remake of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" with a script by Bill Marsilli...

Uhmm. No.

No. No. No. No. No! NO! I almost said a bad word there... sigh, but no. Anyone whose name sounds like an Irish cousin of Kenny G should not be directing a remake of this classic...

That being said, I'll try and keep an open mind. After all, I haven't seen Terminator Salvation yet and it is going to be an origin story, not the actual classic book by Jules Verne.

No... sigh. Just, no.

Meet Tron...

The lead role in "Tron," which is now the official name of TR2N or TZN or whatever they were calling it is now the same name as the original... wait a minute. What was I talking about? Oh, casting. Well, Garrett Hedlund will play the lead role in the pop-cultural cinematic feast that will cost over $150 million American...

Don't know about you but this is starting to sound really, really cool. Can't wait to get set reports when they start filming this spring.

Developing...

Shopping In Foreign Countries...

Here's copy of an international poster for Touchstone Pictures' "Confessions of a Shopaholic."

I always love seeing how films are marketed overseas...

Sometimes the best poster art is found elsewhere. Sometimes not, but either way it's fun to look at...

The Turn...

THX-1138 posted that little walk down my childhood's memory lane the other day and happened to mention "The Turn" that I keep talking about. He's right... I have tended to mention it a few times, so I guess it was time I explained it.

Now first off, a little disclaimer. For those of you that think I don't like George Lucas, that I hate on him, that I'm entirely too negative toward him and Star Wars...

You're wrong.

I have the utmost respect for Lucas and for Star Wars. Just as I love Disney and am critical of some things that they do, I do so out of my love for what has been created and those that did the creating. I have been hard on Lucas the last few years, ok... since "The Phantom Menace," but even before that the signs were there. But I am critical, not because I wish any ill will toward GL, but because I see a man that is responsible for a good deal of my childhood making turns that I believe are wrong. Not just for him but Lucasfilm and the fans as well. Now, will he listen to me? Nope, he has no idea I even exist I'm sure. Although he did speak(along with Steven Spielberg) at my commencement at USC some years ago. My best friend met him and Spielberg and totally dissed Lucas without intending to, but that's another story.

It's my firm belief that no matter what George does, good or bad, Star Wars is just too big and has grown so large that he really can't control it anymore. Not like he used to. And it's taken on a life of it's own. Like that "A Long Time Ago" post I did earlier in the year, I feel that there is a future for the Star Wars Universe that doesn't involve Lucas. That too, is another story for another day. But I digress...

As the posters in THX's post showed, George Lucas has had an amazing list of film accomplishments throughout his life, but that collection of posters showed you a powerful group of films that most film makers only dream of coming close to. From his opening film, "THX-1138" to "Body Heat" there was no question about the depth and breath of scope as to what his creative hand touched. He was a golden boy along with the wunderkind that was Spielberg. His contributions to the movie going experience will be forever remembered. His instrumental place in the creation of the Avid, his development of a superior sound system known as THX, even his creation of a little computer division that he eventually sold off during his divorce to Steve Jobs will be part of the tapestry of film for eternity.

And then the first tarnish appeared. When "Return of the Jedi" landed in theaters we got our first sign that the man who could do no wrong, could finally do wrong. It wasn't a horrible film... not at all. There is much in it to like. But the beginnings of what fans would start to see creep into other films and stories appeared here. But it was the first we saw of it and it was minor. After all, look at all that came before? We may have gotten the Ewoks, but there was that great battle between Luke and Vader, right? We may have had to suffer through a horrible dance number, but we saw a much more epic space battle than we did before? Right? We may have had to have the first films story rehashed with another Death Star, but we got to see the Emperor in all his evil splendor, Right?

But then came "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" the following year. Sure it also had a great deal of cool stuff in it. The fight in Shanghai at the Club Obi Wan was something. The darker tone was nice, interesting, but Short Round? Ok, I can tolerate him. He was kind of amusing. I'd rather have had more Sallah, but it was ok. But Kate Capshaw? With all respect to Spielberg, she ain't no Karen Allen. I loved that Indy had this connection to a strong woman with a good deal of spunk. She could take care of her own. Capshaw's character was a whinny annoying pain in the rear that I could see no way for Indy to fall in love with. And yet he did. I enjoyed the film, but it wasn't near the beauty that was Raiders. It's darker tone is something that Spielberg had argued against and I understand his reasons. I don't mind the tone, but I believe the tone came from the darker elements that were happening in George Lucas' life at the time. His marriage was falling apart and he was having to build his Skywalker Ranch while working on these films. It was probably a lot. Add to that the weight of all this fame and fortune on a very shy man and somehow it's going to take a toll. Part of that toll showed up in "Return" with the way the characters were. They didn't seem exactly like they were in the first two films. There was a human vulnerability that was missing. It was like they were caricatures of the original characters. They were super-heroes that you knew could not be harmed. The little touches that took place in the first two films seemed to have been brushed aside. And broad attempts at forced humor and plot regurgitation had taken the place of what we had seen before. Lucas seemed to be going into unknown territory with the characters and seemed unsure. The film seemed directionless in search of a finale where everyone was happy and the bad guys were gone.

After these films, we would get others of disappointment as well. The watered down, Lord of the Rings-lite that was Willow. The Nevana animated television shows, "Droids" and "Ewoks." There were others, but nothing was the hit that Star Wars or Indy was. Everything was a letdown. Let's face it... "Howard the Duck?" I didn't know what to think after watching that. It seemed somewhere between 1980 and 1981 it was all down hill. Nothing he made looked like anything he had made before. A pale imitation of what had come before and what we expected from the future...

And yet we waited for a future.

One in which Star Wars was. We waited for that day when a new Star Wars film would come out. Would it be Chapter 7 and the further adventures of Luke? Or would it be the telling of the Republic and how the Empire came to be? Some waited maybe for a continuation of our childhood, others for something to make up for the ending of the last trilogy. I mean, it can't be as bad as Return. Can it? Really, could Lucas create anything as annoying as the Ewoks? I doubt it... or so I did. We all did. And we all were wrong...

The first warning should have been the "Special Editions." He remade classics. They may have had flaws, but they were masterworks. Did we really need to see Jabba running around talking to Han? It seemed to slow the story down to me. I know he didn't have access to this kind of technology back in the 70's, but that was a good thing. It made him be creative. It made him make decisions about what he could choose and what he couldn't. Even creative genius must be restrained sometimes so that it is focused. I remember in an art class one time the teacher talked about a law that was put in place in France. It was to forbid an artist from messing with their work after it was sold to another. This was done because a certain artist would go into the galleries and start painting on works that he had sold because he just didn't feel they were done. We needed a law like this for Lucas... But we didn't have it and the "new, improved" versions of our childhood were created. Only this time they weren't as idealized. They weren't as good. And so we waited for the prequels...

I remember hearing all the negative buzz. But my friends and I were too excited. George couldn't have made a bad film. This Jar Jar couldn't be as bad as the Ewoks, could he? Watching the screen craw come across that screen was truly a mind numbing moment. Then it began and you were seeing a young Obi-Wan. But the moment they ran into Jar Jar, the train wreck began. With each scene. Each embarrassingly awkward, bad scene. Instead of a roaring adventure pulled from the pulp inspired 30's Flash Gordon, like Star Wars was, we got long, boring passages of atrocious dialog that sounded like lessons in metaphysical healing. We saw Anakin Skywalker as a really bad child actor. We got the cute nickname "Anni..." That's what I always wanted to hear right? We got the Force explained to us in the most boring way possible. We saw him violate the original films even. Did he not rewatch them before sitting down with a pencil and notepade? Obi-Wan meet Anakin as a pilot NOT as a boy, Yoda trained Obi-Wan NOT Qui-Gon Jinn, ect. Sometimes less is more. Sometimes you want to be kept in the dark... when it's all revealed it can only turn into a letdown. The X-Files was good at this. You had to know we were never really gonna find the truth. It couldn't measure up. George Lucas forgot this...

Having kids might have changed him as well. Perhaps they're the reason he wanted Anakin to be a small boy? Maybe he saw that when he looked into the eyes of his son? I'm not sure, but his focus on the first film wasn't on the first film. And he wasn't helped by all the Yes Men around him. Lucas had gotten so big by this time he was no longer a film maker, he was an industry. And in this case, the film maker lost out. Where is Gary Kurtz when you need him?

Then the sequel, "Attack of the Clones" came out. It was better than the first. I've told friends that if Lucas would have started with this it would've been easier to forgive him. This one had much more of what the fans expected. But it also had more of what they feared. Those romance scenes between Anakin and Padme have dialog that a greeting card company would fire people over. Again, less would have been more appropriate. All he had to do was show them falling in love. We didn't have to hear all those painfully awkward words. The images would have told the story.

Lastly, "Revenge of the Sith" came out and we finally got the Star Wars film we wanted originally. Was it perfect? Nooooo. But it had what most of the others lacked. True heart. An action story that flowed and didn't get bogged down by clunky, romantic dialogue. Sure, Anakin turns too quickly and Lucas still forced those bad Harlequin Romance card packed scenes between our two doomed lovers, but it mostly worked.

We've suffered through A horrid CG "Clone Wars" film earlier in the year that only added to the pile of disappointment, but the series has actually turned out good for the most part. Some of it quite good actually... But clearly the damage is done. Lucas is in the process of getting out all his ideas that he's talked about filming over the last twenty years. Sort of like cleaning house and getting rid of what you don't want anymore. He says when he's through with all these things in about a year or so he's going to go back to making esoteric films like he did in college. I'll believe it when I see it. He's become more of a businessman than a film maker over the past two decades it seems. More concerned with toys and product lines and running the machine that is Lucasfilm than creating more of the mythic creations he gave us in his youth. When he does go back to these films, when he returns to being a true film maker, I hope he hands Lucasfilm and Star Wars and Indy off to someone with some perspective. Perhaps he will sell it to Fox or Disney or someone else. Perhaps he'll license them. I think he's spent too much time with these characters. It's best that they each go their separate ways and maybe, just maybe they'll find themselves again.

Now that would be a welcomed turn...

Counting Down...

Click Me.

Hmmm...

The Last Keynote...

Tomorrow at nine in the morning, a little piece of geek history comes to an end...

When Phil Schiller takes the stage at the Moscone Center, it'll be the last Macworld that Apple attends. It'll be the last one they introduce new products that I and other Apple enthusiast will lust over. It'll be the last chance to here the phrase: "One More Thing..." And if it's said, it won't be by Steve Jobs, which makes it doubly bittersweet. There are rumors that Steve will make one last appearance. He'll show up as a surprise to let the faithful see him spin his reality distortion field one more time.

I tend to be an optimist... And while I hope that does occur, I don't hold out for it. The best I can expect is that Phil shocks the world with something "Insanely Great," but that probably won't even happen. Somehow I feel it'll all end quietly or with a slight whimper...

But for two decades now, Apple has wowed audiences at these events. Granted, they only started to get really exciting after the Fruit Company bought NeXT Computers and in walked Jobs to make it all official... But there's something sad to knowing that next January there'll be no getting excited about what could be.

Only the sad feeling of what was...

The Propheteer...

There's a really nice article over at Fortune/CNN Money about Bob Iger and how his stewardship of the Mouse has led to much better times and profits after the dark, last days of Monsieur Ei$ner...

Give it a read.

Honor's Top Ten Of 2008...

Since everyone seems to be compiling "Best Of" lists I figured I'd join in. Honor Hunter is nothing if not a sheepish slave to conformity. Or so some commentors would say...

It was a great year for film...

Despite the fact that Disney didn't have a great year, there were a lot of very good films for Movie Buffs/Film Geeks to go out and see not made by the Mouse. Without further ado, here are my favorite ten of the year:


Number 10: Valkyrie

More a caper film than a war movie. An extremely well crafted film featuring an all-star cast led by Mr. Box Office himself. The only flaw was in not having Cruise do an accent, which at times took you out of the film to realize you were watching a Tom Cruise. Brian Singer does a great job of making you root for these men to succeed in killing Hitler and ending the war. Although we know it didn't succeed, you feel that there is a possibility it will. Again, a great film.


Number 9:The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

David Fincher continues to make amazing films. This telling of a man who grows younger as he grows older is pure Hollywood. Many actors would love to be able to do this, btw... Brad Pitt does a great job of being the muse to Fincher's song, so to speak. This film is the anti-Gump film with a much more bittersweet screenplay by Eric Roth(Forrest Gump). If you love sweeping epics and seeing why Hollywood invented the Oscar then this film is for you.


Number 8:Wall-E

The guys at Pixar did in again by bringing a piece of metal to life and making you care for it. Although I feel the first act is the strongest, this film is filled with genuine heart and strong storytelling by Andrew Stanton. If the Lamp has done anything right over the past decade it's been to populate their films with memorable characters and the little robot has plenty of them to share screen time with. John Lasseter and his crew still know how to show the other guys how to make a film, not that they're listening when you see some of what gets made.


Number 7:The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke is nothing short of astounding in this gut wrenching tale of a has-been wrestler whose best days are behind him. He tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter and strike up a romance with a has-been stripper played by Marisa Tomei. A heart wrenching portrait of a man who abandoned his past and has no future. Not for the timid, but worth seeing none-the-less...


Number 6:Forgetting Sarah Marshall

This acidically innocent romantic comedy produced by Judd Apatow and staring its writer Jason Segel as a television music composer who gets dumped by his more successful TV star girlfriend is just fun. Fun in all the right ways. It's message of love is truly crude and naive all at once. Some have said this film is this years "40 Year Old Virgin" because of the Judd Apatow association, but I'd say it's more akin to this decade's "Something About Mary" than any other film.


Number 5:Iron Man

Robert Downey Jr. was the one Jon Favreau fought for in this adaption of the Marvel Comic character and I'm so glad he got his way. This film would have lost so much had Downey not been in the role. This was a great, faithful adaption of the super-hero with demons in his past that the casting gets so right. Not as somber or bleak as a film like "The Dark Knight," but an extremely entertaining one. I look forward to the sequel and Favreau being able to paint Tony Stark's world on broader canvas.


Number 4:Kung Fu Panda

My favorite animated film comes not from Disney or Pixar this year, but from the hit and miss studio of Jeffrey Katzenberg's Dreamworks. I love, love, love "Kung Fu Panda." I had heard good buzz going in so I expected it to be a nice film. I was stunned. This tale of a Karate loving, overweight Panda is so spot on in its humor and the homage to 70's Hong Kong films. If Dreamworks starts doing more films like this there's going to be a lot of sweating going on the Disney lot in Burbank. I can't recommend this film enough...


Number 3:Quantum of Solace

While not as good as "Casino Royale," this James Bond film is a great sequel that feels like the second part of a mini-series we've waited two years for the conclusion of. Daniel Craig returns as the less refined 007 that's on a mission for country and conscious. I love that we get to see him slowly evolve into the character audiences have come to love for over forty years. Some want the next one to continue right after this one like Solace did with Royale, but once you get to the end you know that can't happen. Craig's Bond is finally becoming the Bond we love. By the closing credits you know he's ready to order that Martini shaken, not stirred.


Number 2:Slumdog Millionaire

Wow. What can I say about this film, but that it's truly a parable of life. A fairy tale of love that transcends race and culture. I had to grapple with whether or not this was better than "The Dark Knight." Chris Nolan's film won out... barely. This film is an astounding achievement that I thought couldn't happen. Boyle's "Trainspotting" has always been his best achievement until now. He topped it with this amazing cinematic experience. If there is one film on this list that you should see, it's this one. I can't wait to get the Blu-Ray for this one to show my friends that don't live near a theater showing it. But the home experience doesn't do it justice. If you have the opportunity, go and see this film in a theater...


Number 1:The Dark Knight

Ever once and a while a pop-culture film moves beyond being a money machine and achieves that rare form of art. This is such a film. It works on so many subtle levels. Everything from the acting to the directing to the script is perfect. I know that some of the performances have been overshadowed by Heath Ledger's performance/passing, but everyone in this film deserves to be acknowledged for the great work they did. This is the opus of all comic book films. While it is faithful to the comic book character, it evolves into something far more resonate. If ever a comic book movie could show Suits the potential of these things to be true art and truly profitable, this was that film.

Honor(able) mention:

There were a lot of films that were very good, but didn't make it into the top ten. Of special note are "Bolt," "Hellboy II: The Golden Army," "Tropic Thunder," "Burn After Reading" and "The Incredible Hulk" which just missed getting in...

The Pooh Born Voice...

On this day, one hundred and four years ago a silly ole' bear was born...

Or at least his voice and the voice of many more Disney characters. Wherever you are in the Hundred Acre Woods, Sterling Holloway...

Happy birthday.

Raiders Of Lost Art...

The Marketing and Art Departments of the Mouse have created a great deal of art design from posters, title cards, promotions and such for the films, parks and various products that Disney tries to get the public to contribute much coinage.

Sometimes this art seeps through the cracks and others it just gets forgotten. I thought we'd take the opportunity to look as several pieces that may not be the most known works, but are visually striking, compelling and do the job that's intended of getting noticed...

I've did several post on posters before, but on this one I wanted to focus on posters that are rare and unique.

Some designs are simplistic, with little or no need for text...



Others are icon posters with striking designs, even if the movies aren't...



Then there are the ones that reflect the spirit of the times like this reissue poster...



Or amazing banners for films that show the sheer power of an image...



Some images are just sweet and simple...



And yet some modern posters tend to employ a retro look that reflects design we've seen before and yet never...





Perhaps a striking, yet simple billboards are another example...



And some shorts as well...





But films and shorts are not the only place where these rare designs can be found. When Walt Disney designed attractions for the New York World's Fair, they needed to be advertised,..



Or this poster for the inaugural voyage of the Disney Cruise Line's Magic...



And the parks are not left out either...







Some from attractions the Mouse wouldn't like to be reminded of...



And others from attractions that reflected Walt's own patriotism...



Or simple love of America...



Or artwork from Euro Disneyland's take on classic Disney attractions...



And lastly, a look at a poster for an attraction that all Disney Fans/Geeks miss...



TTFN...

Ordering Up...

Amazon now has "The Art of Up" available for pre order...

Wanna see what film maker Pete Docter has in store for you this coming May? Reserve your copy today...

Swanky cool cover, ain't it?

Felix Sit Annus Novus...

Happy New Year!

Here's to a better, brighter world in 2009...

May your year start out good and only get better.


From the Staff of Blue Sky Disney.