Attendees at Comic-Con got the first look at this new video for the fictitious ‘dating site’ Singlebrooke. It’s meant as a fun bit of viral marketing for ABC’s hit show ‘Once Upon A Time’ video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player Of course, the people at ABC… Read More »Singlebrooke – Once Upon A Time goes Viral at Comic-Com
Looking for more stories from the world of Tinker Bell and her Disney Fairies friends? Disney has your pixie dust right here. “Secret of the Wings” is an all-new, original full-length CG-animated feature film, that will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on October 23, 2012 but you can pre-order it today. The first trailer for the film reveals a magical secret … Tinker Bell has a sister – Periwinkle!
Periwinkle (aka Peri) is a sparkling winter fairy, voiced by Lucy Hale (ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars”). She joins Tinker Bell (voiced by Mae Whitman of TV’s ‘Parenthood’), one of Disney’s most beloved and iconic characters, on an amazing journey of discovery, into the forbidden Winter Woods.
A magical fairy adventure for the whole family, “Secret of the Wings” features a spectacular voice cast, also including Academy Award®-Winner Anjelica Huston (TV’s ‘Smash’), Timothy Dalton (TV’s ‘Chuck’, The Living Daylights), Lucy Liu (TV’s ‘Southland’, Charlie’s Angels), Raven-Symoné (TV’s ‘That’s So Raven’), Megan Hilty (TV’s ‘Smash’), Pamela Adlon (TV’s ‘Californication’), Matt Lanter (TV’s ‘90210’) and Debby Ryan (TV’s ‘Jesse’).
A DisneyToon Studios production, the film is directed by Peggy Holmes, co-directed by Bobs Gannaway, and produced by Michael Wigert. John Lasseter serves as Executive Producer.
Are you a fan of the Tinker Bell DVD series? Would you like to see even more films?
There’s a clip from the movie below the jump
The Perry Files is a Phineas and Ferb compilation DVD that was released on June 5th. It features 7 full-length episodes with a heavy focus on everyone’s favorite crime fighting mammal. For anyone who is new to the series, here is a quick synopsis of the… Read More »The Perry Files Review: “Curse You Perry the Platypus!”
Although I thought the movie itself was nearly unwatchable, I’ve enjoyed nearly other element about the latest Muppet revival. One of the strengths of the recent movie release was the viral marketing. That trend has continued as Disney prepared to release the DVD to UK audiences. Here’s a hilarious video from Kermit and Pepe The King Prawn on The London Eye.
All the need now is a TV show with the same level of humor … who’s with me?
Update: Pepe also took questions from Twitter and recorded a series of video answers. Head below the cut to get started:
Read More »Kermit and Pepe The King Prawn Visit The London Eye
I excitedly picked up the John Carter Blu-ray combo pack last week, popped it into my player, and then fell asleep about 40 minutes into the film. Suddenly, a week went by and I realized I didn’t really have the urge to finish the film. Not a good sign. But, you know, I owed it to myself, and to the creative team (who I like!), to finish the film and then develop an opinion.
John Carter, based on the novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs and directed by Wall-E’s Andrew Stanton, is a befuddling work. It’s ambitious, chock full of characters, special effects, and a fairly dense plot, but in so many ways it just doesn’t work. The civil war between Helium and Zodanga is convoluted right from the first scene; both forces wear nearly the same uniforms, save a batch of blue or red here and there to distinguish them. Carter’s motivations and acceptance of his status on Mars seems all too convenient. Odd edits, especially during Dejah’s first “damsel in distress” moment (I mean, really, how many times did Carter need to catch her while falling in this movie?), make following the action difficult. The acting, especially from lead Taylor Kitsch, is adequate but far from the kind of engaging you need to launch the kind of franchise Disney was looking for here.
Unfortunately, the biggest sin against the film is its lack of emotion, which is surprising, given Stanton’s (not to mention his fellow screenwriters, who include Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon) pedigree. The romance between Carter and Dejah just sort of happens, since it’s supposed to, and the objectives for other characters, like Dominic West’s Sab Than or William Defoe’s Tars Tarkus, are barely addressed. If you were unfamiliar with Burrough’s stories, as I was, you probably aren’t going to find yourself invested in these characters.
I really wanted to like this movie. I disregarded a lot of the negative buzz, which had more to do with the film’s financial failures than its creative ones. I suppose that’s why, once I finally got around to finishing it, I was ultimately disappointed. It’s clear that John Carter had a lot of ambition and there are elements to like, like the Tharks, Dejah, and some of the less cumbersome mythology, but the film is weighed down by its many flaws.
Though films like Cinderella, Pocahontas and The Rescuers received the bulk of the attention when Disney revealed their impending major home video push—more than 30 Disney films will be released for the first time on Blu-ray in 2012—several more obscure titles will be hitting store shelves soon.
Probably the most relevant of these upcoming releases is the 20th anniversary edition of Newsies (in stores June 19 or pre-order today). The cult-favorite is the basis for the current Broadway musical hit of the same name. Newsies The Musical won two Tony Awards this past Sunday, including Best Original Score for Alan Menken and Jack Feldman.
Oft-maligned Disney animated films Treasure Planet and Home on the Range will be released next month on July 3rd. If you’ve never seen these films–up until John Carter, Treasure Planet was considered one of Disney’s biggest flops—they’re worth a second look. I can’t speak to these releases’ specs, but the films themselves have a lot of worthwhile aspects. Treasure Planet, in particular, is filled with clever design work and gorgeous backgrounds. Home on the Range and Treasure Planet are available July 3rd.
Aside from the Diamond Edition of Cinderella, other fall releases include Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Brother Bear, Hocus Pocus and a trilogy set of The Santa Clause films. The Great Mouse Detective, a personal favorite, is scheduled for Blu-ray release on September 18th.
For a complete run-down of what will be available from Walt Disney Home Entertainment for the rest of the year, checkout below the jump:
If you want to lock in what will most likely be the lowest price on a slew of upcoming Walt Disney Home Entertainment releases, act fast. Amazon has revealed $5-$8 coupons for seven upcoming Disney Blu-ray releases, including Finding Nemo (December 4, 2012), The Avengers… Read More »Pre-Order Disney Blu-Ray DVDs And Save Big, Deal Ends Soon
John Carter may have failed at the domestic box office, but I don’t believe the final tally reflects the true potential of the film. The movie has just been released on DVD and is a worthy addition to your collection. Director Andrew Stanton did a great job translating a book that is a bit foreign to modern audiences into a live action film. We have a new interview with Stanton below and a chance for you to win a copy of the Blu-ray DVD.
If you missed it in the theater, the epic tale of John Carter is a sweeping action-adventure based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic, A Princess Of Mars. Set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom [aka Mars], the movie is an inspirational adventure filled with stunning special effects, jaw-dropping action sequences and unforgettable characters.
The movie’s lead character, John Carter [played by Taylor Kitsch], is a war-weary, former military captain who’s inexplicably transported to Barsoom and reluctantly becomes embroiled in an epic conflict. It’s a world on the brink of collapse, and Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes the survival of planet and its people rests in his hands.
We catch up with director Andrew Stanton in this interview:
How did the fact that you were a huge fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom book series affect your work on John Carter?
Once I got the job, I knew that as a writer I had to stop being a fan because it can blind you. You have to do that with your own work, too; even when you have your own original ideas because you can fall in love with them and they can blind you from the adjustments that you’ve got to make in order for the project to work. That’s the reason I like to work with other writers; it helps keep the objectivity alive because other writers will tell you if they don’t think an idea is right.
Read More »John Carter – DVD Contest and Andrew Stanton Interview