Author Archives: Mike Bastoli

About Mike Bastoli

Mike Bastoli covers the world of animation on Big Screen Animation. From 2007 to 2011, he covered Pixar Animation Studios exclusively on The Pixar Blog. His blog became one of the most popular on the Web dedicated to Pixar news. In 2009, The New York Times online called it the “definitive unofficial chronicler of the animation powerhouse.” Besides Disney and Pixar, Mike is an avid fan of Apple and The Beatles. His favorite non-animated films include Forrest Gump, Father of the Bride (I &II), Jurassic Park, and Good Night and Good Luck. Mike is active on Twitter @BigScreenToons. He resides near Toronto.

“Where’s My Water” Toys and More Announced

Disney Mobile and Disney Consumer Products announced earlier today a major new line of merchandise based on Where’s My Water?, Disney’s hit game for iOS and other mobile platforms. Available now at the Disney Store (in store and online) are … Continue reading

Posted in Games, Mobile | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Disappointing Blu-ray Treatment for ‘Father of the Bride’

Say what you will: For years, I have consistently ranked 1991′s Father of the Bride and its sequel, 1995′s Father of the Bride-Part II, as two of my favorite films of all time. These movies are singularly responsible for making … Continue reading

Posted in DVD | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

‘Chimpanzee’: Resist the Urge to Hug the Screen

Over the past few years, the Toronto International Film Festival, which now hosts programming year-round, has been host to some memorable Disney film experiences; i.e. the world premieres of Waking Sleeping Beauty and Pixar’s Hawaiian Vacation. The trend continued this past Friday as … Continue reading

Posted in disneynature | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Review: War Horse is Traditional, Sentimental

“I, Albert Narracott, do solemnly swear that we shall be together again.” War Horse easily ranks as one of my most anticipated films this year. Since reading the book by Michael Morpurgo back in February, I looked forward to seeing … Continue reading

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

‘Muppets’ Deserves Best Picture Nomination

The Muppets is currently the best reviewed wide-release film of 2011 and with good reason: it’s a comic and musical tour de force. (John and I will agree to disagree.) At 98% “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes with 132 reviews counted, three unfavourable—“Rotten”—reviews are all stand … Continue reading

Posted in Muppets | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments