Mike Bastoli considers himself a lifelong Disney fan and total nerd. He first joined The Disney Blog as a guest writer in 2009. From 2007 to 2011, he covered Pixar Animation Studios on his website The Pixar Blog, which quickly became one of the most popular on the Web dedicated to news about the studio. (The New York Times named it the “definitive unofficial chronicler of the animation powerhouse".) In 2011, Mike renamed his site Big Screen Animation and expanded his coverage to capture the broader world of animated feature films. He retired Big Screen Animation in 2014 to focus on his brick-and-mortar family business and other pursuits. Mike resides near Toronto with his wife, Janice.
Update: Amazon has a sale on MP3 ($4.99) or CD ($6.99). Thank you to many readers for pointing this out. The Muppets original soundtrack finally went on sale today from Walt Disney Records. It’s available on CD and iTunes for only $9.99. Get it and I… Read More »‘Muppets’ Soundtrack Album Available Today
The Oscars are in freaking disarray this year. Producer Bret Ratner and host Eddie Murphy are both out with less than four months to go till the show. But with crisis comes opportunity. It’s time to bring in the Muppets! I’m not even a huge fan (the… Read More »Oscar, It’s Time to Meet the Muppets
It’s a question that regrettably must be asked.
For five years prior to his death, Steve Jobs served as Pixar’s voice on the Walt Disney Company board of directors and provided valuable insight (must read) in other areas as well. Who succeeds him will have significant implications for both Disney and Pixar.
Ahead of its Blu-ray/Blu-ray 3D debut on October 4, The Lion King will once again roar into theaters beginning tomorrow for a two-week run in digital 3D. A few weeks ago I caught a screening and came away with decidedly mixed feelings. Some scenes are, as… Read More »Thoughts on The Lion King in 3D
Winnie the Pooh, Disney’s latest excursion in the Hundred Acre Wood opens in North American theatres tomorrow, after a modest run overseas earlier this year. Based on the characters created by A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard, Pooh is a straight up animated film… Read More »Winnie the Pooh Perfect for Audiences Young and Old
Earlier this week, I had the chance to take in Disneynature’s latest “True Life Adventure”, African Cats, which opens on the big screen tomorrow. This film shows the lives of these two fascinating species—lion and cheetah—and the majestic place where they live in breathtaking, nearly-epic… Read More »Disneynature reaches its potential with African Cats
You’ve read one Pixar Blu-ray review, you’ve read them all. And they read like thesaurus entries for amazing, awesome, unbelievable, and… incredible! The Incredibles is exactly that in its Blu-ray high definition debut. The 1080p picture and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio knocked my socks off.… Read More »The Incredibles Blu-ray review
Disney’s Diamond Collection continues to grow with the addition of Walt Disney’s Bambi. Like its predecessors in the collection, Bambi is being sold in a combo pack that includes the film on both Blu-ray Disc (BD) and DVD. I’m going to have to stop writing… Read More »Bambi Diamond Edition Blu-ray