Have yourself a merry little Christmas

All the best this Christmas from TGF:

Majel Barrett-Roddenberry Has Passed Away at Age 76

There is very sad news today in the Star Trek world. Majel Barrett-Roddenberry, widow of Gene and known to fans as Nurse Chapel, the original Number One, Lwaxana Troi, and of course the voice of just about every Federation computer in every show and movie, has passed away at age 76. She had been fighting leukemia for some years, evidently, and unfortunately died of complications from the disease early this morning in California.

Barrett-Roddenberry will be fondly remembered by Star Trek fans forever for her work, which will—fittingly, one might say—end with the upcoming reboot of the franchise, in which she one last time performed the voice of the Enterprise computer. She had reportedly just completed her voiceover work on the movie when she passed away.

Reports say that a public memorial for Barrett-Roddenberry is planned for shortly after Christmas or in early next year, and that her family has asked that donations be made to the CARE Organization or Precious Paws in lieu of flowers. Condolences can be sent via e-mail to share@roddenberry.com. I met this wonderful person in the 1990s and she was one of my favorite actors in the Trek series. She will be missed.

The Dark Knight Blu-Ray Sales Shatter All Records

Last update: 12:00 a.m. EST Dec. 17, 2008
BURBANK, Calif., Dec 17, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- --Over 1 Million Blu-ray Discs(TM) Sold in U. S. Alone

The Dark Knight took the world by storm on Blu-ray and DVD, breaking records for 2008. The blockbuster hit from acclaimed director Christopher Nolan became an instant must-own classic with Blu-ray sales of over 1.7 million units and total DVD and Blu-ray sales of 13.5 million worldwide*, including consumer sales and rental sales, in one week. Brisk consumer sales - totaling over 10 million with one week of sales reported - are expected to continue through the holiday season. The Dark Knight is the best selling Blu-ray title in history and will become the best selling 2008 title overall this week. The response to the digital copy offering included on the Blu-ray and Special Edition DVD has been remarkable with the number of consumers activating their digital copies approaching 300,000. The Dark Knight is already the number one movie for the year on the iTunes 2008 Chart.

The Dark Knight marks the first time that a major feature film has been shot in part using IMAX(R) cameras, marking a revolutionary integration of film formats. The Dark Knight Blu-ray disc takes advantage of the marriage of IMAX(R) and 35mm formats by using the hybrid master to replicate the unique theatrical experience. The IMAX scenes are also included on the 2-disc Special Edition as bonus materials.

* The Dark Knight figures included sales data from US, UK, Canada, Japan, Benelux and Australia
SOURCE: Warner Bros Home Entertainment Group

Paul Newman Dies

His career and personality speaks for itself.
Fast Eddie Felson. Hud Bannon. Cool Hand Luke. Butch Cassidy. The guy in the race car. The guy on the salad dressing bottle. The blue-eyed dreamboat. The committed public citizen. The husband of a half-century. The father of six.

According to press releases from his his charitable organizations, Newman's Own Foundation and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps, Paul Newman died Friday at age 83 at his long-time home in Westport, Connecticut, and with his passing, more has been lost than just a good and fine man.

Bond Song Performers Picked for Solace

CULVER CITY, Calif., July 29 - Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, producers of the highly anticipated 22nd James Bond adventure Quantum of Solace, announced today that multi-Grammy Award-winning and platinum selling recording artists Jack White of the rock band The White Stripes, and Alicia Keys, have recorded the theme song for the film, which will be released worldwide this November.

Their song, written and produced by Jack White, and titled “Another Way to Die,” will be the first duet in Bond soundtrack history. In addition to writing the song, Jack White is also featured as the drummer on this track. The soundtrack to Quantum of Solace will be released by J Records on October 28, 2008.

Daniel Craig reprises his role as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007 in Quantum of Solace, the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures release of EON Productions’ 22nd adventure in the longest-running film franchise in motion picture history. The film is directed by Marc Forster. The screenplay is by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade as well as Paul Haggis and the film’s score will be composed by David Arnold. Wilson and Broccoli said: “We are delighted and pleased to have two such exciting artists as Jack and Alicia, who were inspired by our film to join together their extraordinary talents in creating a unique sound for Quantum of Solace.”

One of the most enigmatic figures in music, Jack White has built a reputation as something of a modern American renaissance man. When Jack White formed The White Stripes with his big sister Meg in 1997, no one could have predicted the journey they would take. A love of early delta blues inspired him to take a minimalist approach to the music, one which included a simple drumming style by Meg as well as a red, white and black color scheme for everything from their stage clothing to their record sleeves.

As lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, Jack has steered the duo to worldwide success. The White Stripes have released 6 critically acclaimed albums and picked up 5 Grammy Awards, including 3 for “Best Alternative Album”: “Elephant” (2004), “Get Behind Me Satan” (2006) & “Icky Thump” (2008). They are also the recipients of 4 MTV Video Music Awards and 2 Brit Awards, including the 2004 award for “Best International Group”. Their hit singles include “Fell In Love with A Girl” (2001), “Seven Nation Army” (2003), and “Icky Thump” (2007). The band is hugely popular all over the world and 2007 saw them perform at arenas across the U.S. and Europe, including a sold out stop at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden.

In 2005, White formed a second band, The Raconteurs, with Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. Described as “a new band of old friends,” The Raconteurs first single, “Steady, As She Goes” was an immediate success and their debut album, “Broken Boy Soldiers,” went on to debut at #7 in the Billboard Album Charts and was nominated for 2 Grammy Awards.

The band toured the world and wound up their 2006 touring schedule playing dates across the U.S. with Bob Dylan. White and Dylan’s mutual appreciation has resulted in several guest performances together. The Raconteurs’ sophomore album, “Consolers Of The Lonely” (2008), also debuted at #7 and spawned the hit single “Salute Your Solution.” White has managed to work with both of his bands simultaneously since 2005, currently working with each on an annual rotation.

While renowned around the globe as a rock performer and songwriter, White is also an award winning record producer and mixer. He has produced all of The White Stripes and Raconteurs recordings to date (the latter with Brendan Benson) and, in 2004, helmed Loretta Lynn’s Van Lear Rose album. In addition to producing the album, White put together Lynn’s band for the recording sessions (which included the rhythm section of The Raconteurs) and appeared himself on guitar and vocals, including the duet “Portland, Oregon” which won the 2005 Grammy for “Best Country Collaboration With Vocals.” Van Lear Rose was awarded the Grammy for “Best Country Album.”

White has appeared in a handful of movie roles, including the Academy Award winning 2003 film Cold Mountain. Director Anthony Minghella cast White as Georgia Thewes on the advice of musical director T Bone Burnett. White’s role was a musical one and he performed several of the movie’s Appalachian songs. In the same year, both members of The White Stripes appeared in director Jim Jarmusch’s Coffee & Cigarettes.

Jack and Meg White played themselves in the vignette titled “Jack Shows Meg His Testla Coil.” In 2006, the duo appeared again in an episode of The Simpsons titled “Jazzy And The Pussycats.” In 2007, White made a cameo as Elvis Presley in the Judd Apatow produced comedy, Walk Hard, and in 2008, he performed on stage in New York City with The Rolling Stones for a scene in Martin Scorceses’ documentary, Shine A Light. White, along with Jimmy Page and The Edge, are featured in Davis Guggenheim’s forthcoming electric guitar documentary, It Might Get Loud, to be theatrically released later this year.

White is the head of his own record label, Third Man Records, which releases both The White Stripes and The Raconteurs around the globe.

Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist Alicia Keys has changed the face of popular music since she burst onto the scene in 2001. Keys third studio album, “As I Am,” marked another milestone recording in the young entertainer’s career with over 742,000 units sold during its first week of release. In addition, “As I Am” marks Alicia’s fourth #1 debut on the Billboard Top 200 chart and her biggest sales week to date. Upon the November 2007 release of “As I Am”, Alicia held the prestigious title as the biggest debut for a female R&B artist in SoundScan history, and the highest selling debut for a female artist since 2004. “As I Am” spawned the hit single “No One” which won two Grammy Awards in 2008 for Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Additionally, Keys received four awards at the 2008 NAACP Image Awards, was honored at the first annual BET Honors ceremony, and recently received the 2008 BET Award for Best R&B Female Artist. Enjoying one of the most successful periods in her career with over 5 million copies of “As I Am” sold worldwide, Keys kicked off the “As I Am” Tour presented by Lexus in February 2008 with sold out shows for both the European and US portions of the tour.

Keys will soon be seen opposite Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson and Queen Latifah in Fox Searchlight’s adaptation of Sue Monk Kidd’s best selling novel The Secret Life of Bees which will release on October 17th. Keys made her motion-picture debut in Joe Carnahan’s Smokin’ Aces as Georgia Sykes, a stunning street assassin. She also appeared in the big screen adaptation of the best selling book The Nanny Diaries, opposite Scarlet Johansson, Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti. Keys recently signed a multiyear first-look film production deal at Disney.

Keys first appeared on the music scene in June 2001 with her debut album, “Songs In A Minor”, on Clive Davis’ J Records. The album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 Chart, selling over 235,000 copies in its first week, and went on to sell more than 10 million units worldwide. Keys’ critically acclaimed sophomore effort, “The Diary of Alicia Keys,” was released in December 2003 and sold over 618,000 copies during its first week of release in the United States. The album is currently seven times platinum.

Throughout her career, Alicia has won eleven Grammy Awards, eleven Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards, three World Music Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, three MTV Europe Awards, three BET Awards, fourteen NAACP Image Awards, two Nickelodeon Teen Choice Awards, seven Soul Train Music Awards, two Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, one People’s Choice Award, one My VH1 Award and more.

In 2005, Keys also became a New York Times Bestselling author when she released her first published work, Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems & Lyrics by Alicia Keys.

She generously gives her time and energy as an Ambassador and spokesperson for “Keep A Child Alive,” which provides anti-viral drugs to the millions suffering from AIDS in Africa. She also works closely with “Frum Tha Ground Up,” devoted to equipping America’s youth with the tools essential for achieving success on all levels, as well as “Teens in Motion,” a non-profit organization created to offer teens the opportunity to develop their minds and bodies in a safe and secure environment. Born and raised in New York, Alicia graduated from the Professional Performance Arts School in Manhattan at age 16.

The pair will be following in the footsteps of Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, a-ha, Garbage, and most recently, Chris Cornell.

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is the Must see movie of the 2008 summer blockbuster season. It is at theaters now:

Kermit Love dies at 91

Kermit Love, the costume designer who helped puppeteer Jim Henson create Big Bird and other "Sesame Street" characters, has died. He was 91.

Love died from congestive heart failure Saturday in Poughkeepsie, near his home in Stanfordville, Love's longtime partner, Christopher Lyall, told The New York Times.

In addition to his work with Henson, Love was a designer for some of ballet's most prominent choreographers, including Twyla Tharp, Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins and George Balanchine

Love also designed costumes and puppets for film and advertising, including the Snuggle bear from the fabric softener commercials.

"Sesame Street," public television's groundbreaking effort to use TV to teach preschoolers, premiered in 1969. Henson designed the original sketches of Big Bird, and Love then built the 8-foot, 2-inch yellow-feathered costume.

It was Love's idea to add a few feathers designed to fall off, to create a more realistic feel.

"The most important thing about puppets is that they must project their imagination, and then the audience must open their eyes and imagine," he told The New York Times in 1981.

Looked like Santa, acted like the Grinch


Love also helped design costumes and puppets for Mr. Snuffleupagus, Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster, among other characters. He even appeared on the show himself as Willy, the fantasy neighborhood's resident hot dog vendor.

But Love always insisted Henson's famous frog wasn't named for him, according to The New York Times.

Caroll Spinney, who has played Big Bird since "Sesame Street" began, said he knew Love was gravely ill but didn't know he'd died until Tuesday.

Kermit Love"Kermit was definitely a totally unique person," 74-year-old Spinney said. "He looked very much like Santa Claus but was a little bit more like the Grinch."

In addition to designing the Big Bird costume, he added, "Kermit really helped me with dramatic coaching, and he was wonderful at that."

Born in 1916, Love began making puppets for a federal Works Progress Administration theater in 1935. He also designed costumes for Orson Welles' Mercury Theater. From there he began working with the New York City Ballet's costumer.

In his 2003 book, "The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch): Lessons From a Life in Feathers," Spinney recalled that after a year on "Sesame Street," he felt he couldn't live in New York on his salary.

Love told him to give it a month; the next week, Big Bird was on the cover of Time magazine and Spinney couldn't imagine leaving.

Happy Independence Day!

James Cagney film "Yankee Doodle Dandy"

James Cagney deserved the oscar he won for his role in this film. He went from playing gangsters in film for over a decade, to this. He put his whole heart into it.

To help you prepare for the 4th of July holiday season, here's famous Hollywood chef and all-around good guy GENE KELLY with a few of his favorite cooking tips, including "brush corn with Durkee's Homogenized Margarine", "sprinkle deviled eggs with Durkee's Paprika", and to be supreme, your potato salad must include Durkee's Famous Sauce, Durkee's Mayonnaise, Durkee's Whipped Salad Dressing, Durkee's Onion Salt, Durkee's Celery Seed, and... ummmm.... Well, apparently, no potatoes. Also, be sure to fold your Durkee's Napkins crisply, and use a genuine Durkee's Big-Ass Wooden Spoon for proper mixing and serving.

Hollywood's last great dancer, Cyd Charisse dead at 86

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Cyd Charisse, the long-legged Texas beauty who danced with the Ballet Russe as a teenager and starred in MGM musicals with Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, died Tuesday. She was 86.
Cyd Charisse at a gala honoring fashion icon Fred Hayman on May 28, 2007 in Los Angeles, California.

Charisse was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday after suffering an apparent heart attack, said her publicist, Gene Schwam.

She appeared in dramatic films, but her fame came from the Technicolor musicals of the 1940s and 1950s.

Classically trained, she could dance anything, from a pas de deux in 1946's "Ziegfeld Follies" to the lowdown Mickey Spillane satire of 1956's "The Band Wagon" (with Astaire).

She also forged a popular song-and-dance partnership on television and in nightclub appearances with her husband, singer Tony Martin.

Her height was 5 feet, 6 inches, but in high heels and full-length stockings, she seemed serenely tall, and she moved with extraordinary grace. Her flawless beauty and jet-black hair contributed to an aura of perfection that Astaire described in his 1959 memoir, "Steps in Time," as "beautiful dynamite."

Charisse arrived at MGM as the studio was establishing itself as the king of musicals. Three producers -- Arthur Freed, Joe Pasternak and Jack Cummings -- headed units that drew from the greatest collection of musical talent. Dancers, singers, directors, choreographers, composers, conductors and a symphony-size orchestra were under contract and available. The contract list also included the screen's two greatest male dancers: Astaire and Kelly.

Astaire, who danced with her in "The Band Wagon" and "Silk Stockings," said of Charisse in a 1983 interview: "She wasn't a tap dancer, she's just beautiful, trained, very strong in whatever we did. When we were dancing, we didn't know what time it was."

She first gained notice as a member of the famed Ballet Russe, and got her start in Hollywood when star David Lichine was hired by Columbia Pictures for a ballet sequence in a 1943 Don Ameche-Janet Blair musical, "Something to Shout About."

Although that film failed to live up to its title, its ballet sequence attracted wide notice, and Charisse (then billed as Lily Norwood) began receiving movie offers.

"I had just done that number with David as a favor to him," she said in "The Two of Us," her 1976 double autobiography with Martin. "Honestly, the idea of working movies had never once entered my head. I was a dancer, not an actress. I had no delusions about myself. I couldn't act -- I had never acted. So how could I be a movie star?"

She overcame her doubts and signed a seven-year contract at MGM. She also got a new name, the exotic "Cyd" instead of her lifelong nickname Sid, to go with her first husband's last name.

The 1952 classic "Singin' in the Rain" marked a breakthrough.

When Freed was dissatisfied with another dancer who had been cast, Charisse inherited the role and danced with Kelly in the "Broadway Melody" number that climaxed the movie. She stunned critics and audiences with her 25-foot Chinese silk scarf that floated in the air with the aid of a wind machine.

Charisse also danced with Kelly in "Brigadoon," "It's Always Fair Weather" and "Invitation to the Dance." She missed what might have been her greatest opportunity: to appear with Kelly in the 1951 Academy Award winner, "An American in Paris." She was pregnant, and Leslie Caron was cast in the role.

In 1996, Charisse recalled her reaction on entering the movies: "Ballet is a closed world and very rigid; MGM was a fairyland. You'd walk down the lot, seeing all these fabulous movies being made with the greatest talent in the world sitting there. It was a dream to walk through that lot."

Her first assignment was a "Ziegfeld Follies" sequence in which she was one of the female dancers "flitting around Astaire as he danced."

Like most young MGM contract players, she was schooled in drama and voice, and diction lessons eliminated her Texas accent. The singing lessons didn't take, however, and the songs in her musicals were dubbed.

She graduated to featured dancer in sequences for such films as "Till the Clouds Roll By," "Fiesta," "On an Island with You" and "Words and Music." She also appeared in such dramatic films as "East Side, West Side," "Tension" and "Mark of the Renegade."

"Silk Stockings" in 1957 marked the end of her dancing career in films, as well as the twilight of the movie musical. With the film business suffering from the onslaught of television, MGM dismantled its great collection of talent. Musicals were too expensive, and foreign audiences had soured on them.

Charisse continued with dramatic films, several of them made in Europe. She and Martin took their musical act to Las Vegas and elsewhere. In 1992 she finally made her Broadway debut, taking over the starring role as the unhappy ballerina in the musicalized "Grand Hotel." The musical had premiered in 1989 with Liliane Montevecchi in the role.

"I've done about everything in show business except to play on Broadway," Charisse said in a 1992 Associated Press interview. "I always hoped that I would one day. It's the World Series of show business. If anybody tells you they're not intimidated, they're lying."

In 1974, Charisse returned to MGM for a TV drama. Gazing over the half-filled commissary at lunchtime, she mused: "You never realize that good things are going to be over sometime. It all seemed so natural then: Clark Gable and Robert Taylor lunching at one table. Lana Turner would be lunching at a table in the corner. Ava Gardner, too.

"I grew up at this studio, and it didn't seem unusual to see all those stars. Nowadays, you'd never find so many names in one commissary. In fact, there aren't that many stars."

Her name was Tula Ellice Finklea when she was born in Amarillo, Texas, on March 8, 1922. From her earliest years she was called Sid, because her older brother couldn't say "sister." She was a sickly girl who started dancing lessons to build up her strength after a bout with polio.

"I was so frail they were afraid to touch me," she recalled in that 1996 interview.

At 14 she auditioned for the head of the famed Ballet Russe, and became part of the corps de ballet and toured the U.S. and Europe. To appear with the nearly all-Russian company, she was first billed as Celia Siderova, than as Maria Istromena.

At one point during the European tour, she met up again with Nico Charisse, a handsome young dancer she had studied with for a time in Los Angeles. They married in Paris in 1939.

The Ballet Russe disbanded after the war broke out, and the newlyweds returned to Hollywood. In 1942, a son, Nicky, was born.

In 1948, the year after she and Nico divorced, Charisse married Martin. Her second son, Tony Jr., was born in 1950.

Here is Gene Kelly & Cyd Charisse - from Singin' in the Rain:

All Time High: 'Octopussy' Celebrates 25 Years

Octopussy, the film marketed as James Bond’s all time high, celebrates its 25th anniversary this month. Debuting at London’s Odeon Leicester Square on Monday, 6 June 1983, Roger Moore’s penultimate 007 adventure featured a little bit of everything including the return of a Bond girl, exotic locations in India, Tarzan yells, clown suits and more.

Opening in the US a few days later on the 10th of June, Octopussy eventually proved to be another winner for the Bond series at the box office. With a final worldwide gross of $183.7 million dollars, it took the top spot in the famous ‘battle of the Bonds’ with Sean Connery’s unofficial Never Say Never Again, released later that year.

Happy Birthday Judy!

In 1922 singer-actress Judy Garland was born Frances Gumm in Grand Rapids, Minn.
We plan to feature Judy Garland in an upcoming story on this blog. Stay Tuned for more information on this great actress.

New Bond Movie Coming!

Universal Pictures Burns, Historic Sets and Film Vault Lost

We are sad to report that this morning one of Hollywood's largest movie studios starred in a disastrous sequel as a fire ripped through a lot at Universal Studios, destroying a set from "Back to the Future," a King Kong exhibit and a streetscape seen frequently in movies and TV shows.

It was the second fire at the historic site in nearly two decades, leveling facades, hollowing out buildings and creating the kind of catastrophe filmmakers relish re-creating. This time around, thousands of videos chronicling Universal's movie and TV shows were destroyed in the blaze.

But Universal officials said that they were thankful no one was seriously injured at the theme park and that the damaged footage can be replaced.

"We have duplicates of everything," said Ron Meyer, NBC Universal president and chief operating officer. "Nothing is lost forever."

As someone who works with permanent records, I can tell you that you should always have a backup copy off site. Many businesses fail to do this.

The blaze broke out on a sound stage featuring New York brownstone facades around 4:30 a.m. at the 400-acre property, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Michael Freeman said. The fire was contained to the lot but burned for more than 12 hours before the final flames were extinguished. I first saw this in the morning on MSNBC. Watching it live. It was a sad site to see.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage was expected to be in the millions of dollars.

The iconic courthouse square from "Back to the Future" was destroyed, and the famous clock tower that enabled Michael J. Fox's character to travel through time was damaged, fire officials said. Two mock New York and New England streets used both for movie-making and as tourist displays were a total loss, Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Darryl Jacobs said.

An exhibit housing a mechanically animated King Kong that bellows at visitors on a tram also was destroyed. We visited this area of Universal a few months ago while touring the studios.

All three sites were either damaged or destroyed during another fire at Universal Studios in November 1990. That fire caused $25 million in damage and was started by a security guard who was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to arson.

Hundreds of visitors who had waited for hours outside the park gates were turned away after officials decided not to open the area. On a typical weekend day, about 25,000 people visit Universal Studios. NBC Universal said in a statement that the park would reopen Monday morning.

Universal CityWalk, a shopping promenade, was also closed. The MTV Movie Awards, broadcasting live Sunday night from the adjacent Gibson Amphitheater, went on as planned.

Mike Herrick of San Diego watched the fire on television from his hotel Sunday afternoon before deciding to return to Universal Studios for a second day with his wife.

"By gosh, we're going to go and get whatever we can out of it," Herrick said. On Saturday, Herrick had ridden the tram that winds around the studio lot, snapping photos of the King Kong attraction, among other sights.

The fire broke out along New York Street, where firefighting helicopters swept in for drops and cranes dumped water on the flames. A thick column of smoke rose thousands of feet into the air and could be seen for miles.

"It looked like a disaster film," said Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge.

Several firefighters suffered minor injuries. One firefighter and a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy were slightly hurt when a pressurized cylinder exploded inside the building housing the videos.

The streetscape that burned recently served as a backdrop in such films as "Bruce Almighty" and television shows including "Monk," "Crossing Jordan" and "House," said NBC Universal spokeswoman Cindy Gardner.

Meyer estimated there were 40,000 to 50,000 videos and film reels in a vault that burned but said duplicates were stored in a different location. Firefighters managed to recover hundreds of titles.

The videos included every film that Universal has produced and footage from television series including "Miami Vice" and "I Love Lucy."

Universal Studios, nine miles north of downtown Los Angeles, has thrill rides and a back lot where movies and television shows are filmed, including scenes from "War of the Worlds," "When Harry Met Sally" and "Scrubs."

In one of its curious and vaguely morbid capacities, YouTube now functions as a de facto memorial to Universal Studios' lost rides and buildings. Shaky tourist videos from the theme park, that would otherwise be of little interest, have been transformed into (still shaky) historical artifacts.

Since some or most of the areas burned in the fire are unlikely to be rebuilt exactly as they were before (and when you see the cheesy but beloved old King Kong ride below, you'll see why), these videos are the closest we're likely to come to riding them again.



Here's some cell phone footage of the Hill Valley Courthouse from "Back to the Future," now firmly part of the past. The building also appeared in "To Kill a Mockingbird," "War of the Worlds," and "Bye Bye Birdie," among others.


The 'New York Street' area was used, as the tour guide in the (very shaky) video says, for "Spider Man 2," the "Transformers," "Ghost Whisperer," "Crossing Jordan" and many more.

BBC Radio 4's Ian Fleming Centenary Celebrations Begin

Ian Fleming turns 100 and BBC Radio 4 is planning to celebrate the centenary of Ian Fleming with an array of different 007-themed programmes in the next few days

Beginning tomorrow, ‘The Bond Correspondence’ will kick things off at 10:30am. Here, Lucy Fleming embarks upon a quest to discover more about her mysterious uncle and creator of James Bond—Ian Fleming.

The second programme (also scheduled for the 24th of May) is an all-star dramatisation of Fleming’s Doctor No. Toby Stephens stars as 007 and David Suchet is the villainous Dr. No in the first ever full radio adaptation of Fleming’s 1958 novel.

The third, scheduled at 8:00pm on 26 May is ‘James Bond, The Last Englishmen’. Here, Professor David Cannadine argues that the Bond novels are a fantastic response to the moment when Britain lost an Empire but was still struggling to find a role in the new world.

To keep track of these upcoming programmes, visit the special Ian Fleming section on the Radio 4 website.

Further details on the Bond programmes follow below:

Ian Fleming

‘The Bond Correspondence’

Saturday 24 May 2008
10:30-11:00 (Radio 4 FM)

Lucy Fleming embarks upon a quest to discover more about her mysterious uncle Ian, creator of James Bond. Archive letters and conversations with people who knew him, including his wartime girlfriend and stepdaughter, reveal a rather different character to the image portrayed in the press. Roger Moore plays Ian Fleming’s voice.

‘Doctor No’

Saturday 24 May 2008
2:30 (Radio 4 FM)

By Ian Fleming, dramatised by Hugh Whitemore

A celebration of Ian Fleming’s centenary with this ‘radio movie’ of his 1958 novel.

Bond is sent to investigate a strange disappearance on the island of Jamaica, and discovers that the heart of the mystery lies with a sinister recluse known as ‘Dr No’.

• ‘M’ …… John Standing
• Moneypenny …… Janie Dee
• James Bond ……Toby Stephens
• The Armourer …… Peter Capaldi
• Chief of Staff …… Nicky Henson
• Airport Announcer/Receptionist/Inika …… Leigh Wright
• Airport Official/Pus-Feller/Henchman …… Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
• Quarrel …… Clarke Peters
• Miss Chung/ Sister Lily …… Kosha Engler
• Pleydell Smith …… Samuel West
• Miss Taro/Telephonist/ Sister May/Tennis girl …… Jordanna Tin
• Librarian …… Lucy Fleming
• Honey Rider …… Lisa Dillon
• Guard/Henchman/Crane Driver …… Jon David Yu
• Dr No …… David Suchet
• Acting Governor of Jamaica …… Simon Williams
• Voice of Ian Fleming …… Martin Jarvis

Music by Mark Holden and Samuel Barbour; producer Rosalind Ayres; director Martin Jarvis.

James Bond, The Last Englishman

Monday 26 May 2008
20:00-20:30 (Radio 4 FM)

As part of the Ian Fleming centenary, Prof David Cannadine sets James Bond and his creator in their historical context. He suggests that Bond was popular not just because he was sexy and suave - he was seen as a consoling fantasy for a country that had lost an Empire but not yet found a role in the world.

'Chronicles of Narnia' tops 'Iron Man'

"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," finished at No. 1 this weekend with an estimated $56.6 million in sales over three days, according to Box Office Mojo.

But by comparison, the first Narnia movie, "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe," took in $65.5 million in its first weekend in 2005. I am now hearing rumors that this will be the last Narnia film because of the low box office draw. Lets hope not.

The surprise hit "Iron Man," which fell to No. 2, generated $31.2 million in estimated ticket sales, bringing its three-week total to more than $222 million. The movie was produced by Marvel Entertainment, the comic book company.

Indiana Jones Gets Rave Reviews at Cannes

From the times...
The first press audience to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in Cannes this afternoon greeted the final credits with sustained applause after whooping and hollering throughout.

Make no mistake, there is no danger of this film tanking. Harrison Ford is back to his athletic, wise-cracking, combative best as Dr Jones in Steven Spielberg's fourth episode of the series, and new side-kick Shia LaBeouf is a revelation, in more ways than one.

Everything about this Indiana Jones is bigger and more spectacular than previous instalments. The movie is effectively one long chase, from it's opening scenes in the New Mexico desert to a climactic ending deep in the Amazonian jungle.

Ford is greyer than before, but otherwise looks and acts much as in the misleadingly titled Last Crusade 19 years ago. He has his usual quota of punch-ups, chases and hair-raising getaways, including a frankly implausible escape from a nuclear explosion where he's blasted to safety inside a lead-lined refrigerator. More can be read here: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/cannes/article3957628.ece

Blink

Steven Moffat has tonight been awarded the British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) for Best Writer, for the script of his 2007 Doctor Who episode "Blink". The Award was presented at the annual BAFTA Craft Awards ceremony, which honours those who work behind-the-scenes in the industry. Moffat won the award ahead of Jimmy McGovern (for "The Street"), Tony Marchant (for "The Mark of Cain") and Heidi Thomas (for "Cranford"). Full details can be found on the BAFTA website.

One of the highest accolades available to a British scriptwriter, it is Moffat's second BAFTA Award in recent weeks, having also won the BAFTA Cymru (Welsh BAFTAs) scriptwriting category, again for "Blink". Congrats from Tower Grove Films on this much deserved honor.

Criterion Collection to release on Blu-Ray

In a move that is sure to warm the hearts of film lovers and Blu-ray fans the world over, The Criterion Collection today announced a slate of Blu-ray releases for later this year. Set to debut in October, this selection of film classics and critical favorites will mark Criterion's first efforts into the high definition marketplace. While specifications are a little on the light side, Criterion promises "high definition picture and sound" on all of their Blu-ray releases as well as all of the special features from the standard definition versions. Criterion has also promised to market these Blu-ray titles at a price equivalent to that of their standard definition counterparts.

Criterion confirmed the following titles for Blu-ray release:

The Third Man
Bottle Rocket
Chungking Express
The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Last Emperor
El Norte
The 400 Blows
Gimme Shelter
The Complete Monterey Pop
Contempt
Walkabout
For All Mankind
The Wages of Fear

$100 Million Dollar Iron Man

The Summer Blockbuster season is out of the gate with a vengenance. Take that, Batman, Superman and just about every other kind of costume-wearing man.

Iron Man grossed $100.8 million, per studio estimates compiled Sunday by Exhibitor Relations Co., a number that makes the Robert Downey Jr. film second only to Spider-Man for comic book movie debuts.

The estimate does not include the movie's Thursday night sneaks. If it did, it'd be $3.5 million higher.

The estimate also doesn't include overseas ticket sales. If it did, it'd be nearly $100 million higher.

In all, by the close of business tonight, Iron Man is predicted to have taken in $104.3 million domestically and $201 million worldwide, or more than the entire global runs of Daredevil and Catwoman. Give it a few days or so, and it'll move past Batman & Robin and Ghost Rider on the all-time comic book movie list, as compiled by Box Office Mojo.

Already, Iron Man is in heavyweight company. Its opening was bigger than those of Batman Begins ($48.7 million), Superman Returns ($52.5 million), the first two X-Men movies and Spider-Man 2 ($88.2 million).

Not bad for a character that's considered B-list to the Spider-Man-, Batman-, Superman-populated A-list.

Among non-comic-book movie sequels, only the original Spider-Man topped $90 million in its opening weekend. (The 2002 film grossed a phenomenal $114.8 million.)

Among any kind of movie, Iron Man posted the 10th biggest opening ever.

The best news of all for Marvel, the comics giant that footed the bill for the film: The $186 million it reputedly sank into the production has already been covered.

According to Box Office Mojo, the movie opened up with $35.1 million on Friday, moved up to $37.5 million on Saturday, and is projected to make $28.1 million today.

Among the weekend's top 12 movies, it accounted for more than 65 percent of all business, which was not exactly great news for Patrick Dempsey and Made of Honor (second place, $15.5 million).

Also, it now seems clear Iron Man will be the biggest opener, by about $80 million, of Jeff Bridges' career. In the movie, Bridges plays the evil-doing Iron Monger to Downey's good-doing Iron Man.

Actually, given the movie's performance, better make that Downey's solid-gold Iron Man.

Elsewhere:

• Iron Man or no, overall business was still down—15 percent—from the same weekend last year. That's because as big as the armored movie was, Spider-Man 3, which opened on the first weekend in May 2007, was even bigger, grossing $151.1 million.
• Iron Man, by the way, is now only the second movie of 2008 to break the $100 million mark.
• The spin on Made of Honor is that it did what its studio thought it was going to do, and that for a $40 million movie, its debut was pretty good. The stats tend to agree. Among recent romantic comedies, Made of Honor opened bigger than Leatherheads but smaller, although not hugely smaller, than 27 Dresses and Fool's Gold.
• All things considered, last weekend's champ, Baby Mama (third place, $10.3 million; $32.3 million overall), had a decent weekend, with ticket revenue down "only" 41 percent.
• Forgetting Sarah Marshall (fourth place, $6.1 million; $44.8 million) is hanging in there.
• Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! ($1.4 million; $149.8 million overall), the year's reigning box-office champ, at least until Iron Man and the other summer movies pass it, fell out of the Top 10 after a seven-weekend run.
• Deception ($865,000; $4 million overall) was bounced from the Top 10 after just one weekend.
• Filmmaker Harmony Korine's first feature in nearly 10 years, the celebrity-impersonator-inhabited Mister Lonely, was the star of the art-house circuit, grossing $19,100 at one theater.
• Other limited-release standouts: The British coming-of-age comedy Son of Rambow and Redbelt ($68,600 at six theaters, per Box Office Mojo).
• One last Iron Man thing: Sometimes the smaller movies actually outdo the big movies when it comes to filling their respective theaters. Not this time. No movie did more business per screen—$24,543—than the biggest movie of the weekend.

Here's a recap of the top-grossing weekend films based on Friday-Sunday estimates compiled by Exhibitor Relations:

1. Iron Man, $100.8 million
2. Made of Honor, $15.5 million
3. Baby Mama, $10.3 million
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, $6.1 million
5. Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, $6 million
6. The Forbidden Kingdom, $4.2 million
7. Nim's Island, $2.8 million
8. Prom Night, $2.5 million
9. 21, $2.1 million
10. 88 Minutes, $1.6 million

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in theaters May 22nd

I cant wait for this film to arrive! I have been waiting 20 years for this!! I just hope that its good.

Casey Kasem to celebrate birthday

Happy 76th birthday to Casey Kasem, whom we all know not only as Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, but also as Robin the Boy Wonder from The Superfriends. He was also Cliffjumper and Bluestreak from the original TransFormers in addition to Alexander Cabot III from Josie & the Pussycats, Groovey from the Cattanooga Cats and Mr. Creeply from Laff-a-lympics, among his many roles. He's also hosted both American Top 40 and Casey's Top 40 on radio for many years and America's Top 10 on TV for a long time, but aside from hosting radio countdown shows and weekly top 10 on TV, clearly the roles of a lifetime for him are in animation, as Shaggy and Robin the Boy Wonder. Happy birthday to radio and television legend, Casey Kasem("Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars").

Paramount unveils initial Blu-ray slate

April 29, 2008, 07:57 PM

(Hollywood Reporter) Paramount Home Entertainment is getting ready to re-enter the Blu-ray Disc business it abandoned last year just before "Transformers," with an initial slate of catalog titles it will begin rolling out May 20.

Arriving in stores that day are Blu-ray Disc versions of "Face/Off," "Next" and "Bee Movie," a DreamWorks Animation title that was initially supposed to be released in March on HD DVD, the same day as the standard DVD. But when Toshiba threw in the towel on HD DVD in February, those plans were scrapped and "Bee Movie" came out only on DVD.

Two more recent theatrical hits will be released on Blu-ray Disc on June 3, "Cloverfield" and "There Will Be Blood."

Then, on June 24, Paramount will issue its first day-and-date Blu-ray Disc release, "The Spiderwick Chronicles." The film, which grossed $70.6 million in U.S. theaters, will be rolled out on Blu-ray Disc in key international markets, as well, beginning in July.

Also slated for international-market release are "Cloverfield" and "No Country for Old Men," beginning in August.

More titles will follow as the year progresses, said Paramount Pictures worldwide home entertainment president Kelley Avery.

"We will have a strong slate of titles for Blu-ray release throughout the year, worldwide, and are enthusiastic about expanding the format's offerings for a broad consumer audience while delivering an experience that goes beyond what viewers love about DVD," she said.

Paramount initially was one of two studios, along with Warner Home Video, supportive of both next-generation, high-definition optical disc formats. But in August, Paramount became HD DVD-exclusive, reportedly after a $50 million payment from the HD DVD camp.

Universal is Blu-Ray

Universal Unveils Inaugural Slate of Film and TV Offerings Coming to Blu-ray(TM) Disc Day and Date With DVD

Heroes: Season Two Will Mark the Studio's First Global Event Release

Lineup to Include Summer 2008's Most Anticipated Films From Universal Pictures: THE INCREDIBLE HULK, Wanted, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Mamma Mia! and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, As Well as Some of the Studio's Other Biggest Titles

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Studios Home Entertainment revealed its initial lineup of film and television properties arriving later this year on Blu-ray(TM) Disc, day and date with DVD, it was announced today by Craig Kornblau, President, Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures Digital Platforms. Marking the rollout of the studio's first global release on Blu-ray(TM) will be the "Heroes: Season Two," which will debut beginning August 26, 2008.

The highly anticipated premier of the sophomore season of NBC's "Heroes" will be buoyed by the simultaneous debut of "Heroes Season One" on Blu-ray(TM). Later in the year and in time for the holidays, five of the year's most promising feature films will arrive in high definition: THE INCREDIBLE HULK, the action-packed new chapter of one of the most popular Super Hero sagas of all time that stars Edward Norton, William Hurt and Liv Tyler; Wanted, the action-thriller from stunning visualist director Timur Bekmambetov that stars Morgan Freeman, James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie; Hellboy II: The Golden Army, the epic vision of imagination from acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro; Mamma Mia!, the musical romantic comedy in which Meryl Streep leads an all-star cast in the adaptation of the beloved musical; and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, the next installment in The Mummy franchise in which Jet Li, Maria Bello, Michelle Yeoh and newcomer Luke Ford join the returning Brendan Fraser and John Hannah for a supernatural adventure that shifts the series to the Far East.

"We are thrilled that our preliminary slate of Blu-ray(TM) offerings comprises such a brilliant collection of high-def centric fare," said Mr. Kornblau. "As awareness for Blu-ray(TM) continues to grow, consumers will learn to rely on the superior quality picture, sound, interactivity and connectivity that only high-definition home entertainment delivers."

The first wave of Universal Blu-ray(TM) releases, which hits U.S. stores July 22nd, gives fans of The Mummy franchise a chance to relive the iconic blockbuster films' thrilling beginnings in crystal-clear high-definition. The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, starring Brendan Fraser, and the hugely successful action-packed spin-off The Scorpion King, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, all will be released on Blu-ray(TM) for the first time that day.

The first of Universal's new theatrical Blu-ray(TM) releases hitting store shelves this summer day and date with its DVD counterpart is the apocalyptic thrill-ride DOOMSDAY, starring Rhona Mitra, Malcolm McDowell and Bob Hoskins. Other titles on deck for 2008 include American Gangster, Knocked Up, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Miami Vice, End of Days, U-571 and Land of the Dead, among others.

Furthering Universal's aggressive rollout of Blu-ray(TM) product globally, Universal Pictures International Entertainment, the company's international home entertainment arm, is concurrently announcing its initial slate of Blu-ray(TM) releases for the international marketplace today.

Universal Studios Home Entertainment is a unit of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios (http://www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is a part of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80%-owned by General Electric, with 20% owned by Vivendi.

Walt Disney Company Speaks About Ollie's Death

LEGENDARY DISNEY ANIMATOR OLLIE JOHNSTON,
LAST OF WALT DISNEY’S “NINE OLD MEN”, DIES AT AGE 95

PIONEERING FILMMAKER/AUTHOR BROUGHT THE ILLUSION OF LIFE
TO SUCH DISNEY CLASSICS AS SNOW WHITE, PINOCCHIO,
PETER PAN AND THE JUNGLE BOOK OVER 43-YEAR CAREER

Ollie Johnston, one of the greatest animators/directing animators in animation history and the last surviving member of Walt Disney’s elite group of animation pioneers known affectionately as the Nine Old Men, passed away from natural causes at a long term care facility in Sequim, Washington on Monday April 14th. He was 95 years old. During his stellar 43-year career at The Walt Disney Studios, he contributed inspired animation and direction to such classic films as Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Song Of The South, Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady And The Tramp, Sleeping Beauty, Sword In The Stone, Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Robin Hood, The Rescuers, and The Fox And The Hound.

In addition to his achievements as an animator and directing animator, Johnston (in collaboration with his lifelong friend and colleague Frank Thomas) authored four landmark books: Disney Animation: The Illusion Of Life, Too Funny For Words, Bambi: The Story And The Film, and The Disney Villain. Johnston and Thomas were also the title subjects of a heartfelt 1995 feature-length documentary entitled Frank And Ollie, written and directed by Frank’s son, Theodore (Ted) Thomas. In November 2005, Johnston became the first animator to be honored with the National Medal of Arts at a White House ceremony.

Behind every great animated character is a great animator and in the case of some of Disney’s best-loved creations, it was Johnston who served as the actor with the pencil. Some examples include Thumper’s riotous recitation (in Bambi) about “eating greens” or Pinocchio’s nose growing as he lies to the Blue Fairy, and the musical antics of Mowgli and Baloo as they sang The Bear Necessities in The Jungle Book. Johnston had his hand in all of these and worked on such other favorites as Brer Rabbit, Mr. Smee, the fairies in Sleeping Beauty, the centaurettes in Fantasia, Prince John and Sir Hiss (Robin Hood), Orville the albatross (The Rescuers), and more than a few of the One Hundred And One Dalmatians.

Roy E. Disney, director emeritus and consultant for The Walt Disney Company, said, “Ollie was part of an amazing generation of artists, one of the real pioneers of our art, one of the major participants in the blossoming of animation into the art form we know today. One of Ollie’s strongest beliefs was that his characters should think first, then act…and they all did. He brought warmth and wit and sly humor and a wonderful gentleness to every character he animated. He brought all those same qualities to his life, and to all of our lives who knew him. We will miss him greatly, but we were all enormously enriched by him.”

John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and a longtime friend to Johnston, added, “Ollie had such a huge heart and it came through in all of his animation, which is why his work is some of the best ever done. Aside from being one of the greatest animators of all time, he and Frank (Thomas) were so incredibly giving and spent so much time creating the bible of animation – Disney Animation: The Illusion Of Life – which has had such a huge impact on so many animators over the years. Ollie was a great teacher and mentor to all of us. His door at the Studio was always open to young animators, and I can’t imagine what animation would be like today without him passing on all of the knowledge and principles that the ‘nine old men’ and Walt Disney developed. He taught me to always be aware of what a character is thinking, and we continue to make sure that every character we create at Pixar and Disney has a thought process and emotion that makes them come alive.”

Glen Keane, one of Disney’s top supervising animators and director of the upcoming feature Rapunzel, observed, “Ollie Johnston was the kind of teacher who made you believe in yourself through his genuine encouragement and patient guidance. He carried the torch of Disney animation and passed it on to another generation. May his torch continue to be passed on for generations to come.”

Andreas Deja, another of today’s most acclaimed and influential animators paid tribute to his friend and mentor in this way, “I always thought that Ollie Johnston so immersed himself into the characters he animated, that whenever you watched Bambi, Pinocchio, Smee or Rufus the cat, you saw Ollie on the screen. His kind and humorous personality came through in every scene he animated. I will never forget my many stimulating conversations with him over the years, his words of wisdom and encouragement. ‘Don’t animate drawings, animate feelings,’ he would say. What fantastic and important advice! He was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, and it was an honor and joy to have known him.”

John Canemaker, Academy Award-winning animator/director, and author of the book, Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men & The Art Of Animation, noted, “”Ollie Johnston believed in the emotional power of having ‘two pencil drawings touch each other.’ His drawings had a big emotional impact on audiences, that’s for sure - when Mowgli and Baloo hug in The Jungle Book; when Pongo gives his mate Perdita a comforting lick in One Hundred And One Dalmatians; when an elderly cat rubs against an orphan girl in The Rescuers - Ollie Johnston, one of the greatest animators who ever lived, deeply touched our hearts.”

Born in Palo Alto, California on October 31, 1912, Johnston attended grammar school at the Stanford University campus where his father taught as a professor of the romance languages. His artistic abilities became increasingly evident while attending Palo Alto High School and later as an art major at Stanford University. During his senior year in college, Johnston came to Los Angeles to study under Pruett Carter at the Chouinard Art Institute. It was during this time that he was approached by Disney and, after only one week of training, joined the fledgling studio in 1935. The young artist immediately became captivated by the Disney spirit and discovered that he could uniquely express himself through this new art form.

At Disney, Johnston’s first assignment was as an in-betweener on the cartoon short Mickey’s Garden. The following year, he was promoted to apprentice animator, where he worked under Fred Moore on such cartoon shorts as Pluto’s Judgement Day and Mickey’s Rival. Johnston got his first crack at animating on a feature film with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Following that, he worked on Pinocchio and virtually every one of Disney’s animated classics that followed. One of his proudest accomplishments was on the 1942 feature Bambi, which pushed the art form to new heights in portraying animal realism. Johnston was one of four supervising animators to work on that film.

For his next feature assignment, Song of the South (1946), Johnston became a directing animator and served in that capacity on nearly every film that followed. After completing some early animation and character development on The Fox and the Hound, the veteran animator officially retired in January 1978, to devote full time to writing, lecturing and consulting. His first book, Disney Animation: The Illusion Of Life, written with Frank Thomas, was published in 1981 and ranks as the definitive tome on the Disney approach to entertainment and animation. In 1987, his second book, Too Funny For Words, was published and offered additional insights into the studio’s unique style of visual humor. A detailed visual and anecdotal account of the making of Bambi, Walt Disney’s Bambi: The Story And The Film, the third collaboration for Thomas and Johnston, was published in 1990. The Disney Villains, a fascinating inside look at the characters audiences love to hate, was written by the duo in 1993.

In addition to being one of the foremost animators in Disney history, Johnston was also considered one of the world’s leading train enthusiasts. The backyard of his home in Flintridge, California, boasted one of the finest hand-built miniature railroads. Even more impressive was the full-size antique locomotive he ran for many years at his former vacation home in Julian, near San Diego. Johnston had a final opportunity to ride his train at a special ceremony held in his honor at Disneyland in May 2005.

The pioneering animator was honored by the Studio in 1989 with a Disney Legends Award. In 2003, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences held a special tribute to him (and Frank Thomas), Frank And Ollie: Drawn Together, in Beverly Hills. Johnston and Thomas were lovingly caricatured, and even provided the voices, in two animated features directed by Brad Bird, The Iron Giant, and Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles.

Johnston moved from his California residence to a care facility in Sequim, Washington in March 2006 to be near his family. He is survived by his two sons: Ken Johnston and his wife Carolyn, and Rick Johnston and his wife Teya Priest Johnston. His beloved wife of 63 years, Marie, passed away in May 2005. Funeral plans will be private. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations can be made to CalArts, the World Wildlife Fund, or National Resources Defense Council. The Studio is planning a life celebration with details to be announced shortly.

Legendary Disney animator Ollie Johnston dies

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Ollie Johnston, the last of the "Nine Old Men" who animated "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Fantasia," "Bambi" and other classic Walt Disney films, died Monday. He was 95.

Johnston died of natural causes at a long-term care facility in Sequim, Washington, Walt Disney Studios Vice President Howard Green said Tuesday.

"Ollie was part of an amazing generation of artists, one of the real pioneers of our art, one of the major participants in the blossoming of animation into the art form we know today," Roy E. Disney, nephew of Walt Disney and director emeritus of the Walt Disney Co., said in a statement.

Walt Disney lightheartedly dubbed his team of crack animators his "Nine Old Men," borrowing the phrase from President Franklin D. Roosevelt's description of the U.S. Supreme Court's members, who had angered the president by quashing many of his Depression-era New Deal programs.

Although most of Disney's men were in their 20s at the time, the name stuck with them for the rest of their lives.

Perhaps the two most accomplished of the nine were Johnston and his close friend Frank Thomas, who died in 2004 at age 92. The pair, who met as art students at Stanford University in the 1930s, were hired by Disney for $17 a week at a time when he was expanding the studio to produce full-length feature films. Both worked on the first of those features, 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

Johnston and Thomas and their families became neighbors in the Los Angeles suburb of Flintridge, and during their 45-minute drive to the Disney Studios each day, they would devise fresh ideas for work.

Johnston worked as an assistant animator on "Snow White" and became an animation supervisor on "Fantasia" and "Bambi" and animator on "Pinocchio."

He was especially proud of his work on "Bambi" and its classic scenes, including one depicting the heartbreaking death of Bambi's mother at the hands of a hunter. That scene has brought tears to the eyes of generations of young and old viewers.

"The mother's death showed how convincing we could be at presenting really strong emotion," he remarked in 1999.

Johnston's other credits included "Cinderella," "Alice in Wonderland," "Peter Pan," "Lady and the Tramp," "Sleeping Beauty," "101 Dalmatians," "Mary Poppins," "The Jungle Book," "The Aristocats," "Robin Hood" and "The Rescuers."

"[People] know his work. They know his characters. They've seen him act without realizing it," film historian Leonard Maltin said. "He was one of the pillars, one of the key contributors to the golden age of Disney animation."

After Johnston and Thomas retired in 1978, they lectured at schools and film festivals in the United States and Europe. They also co-authored the books "Bambi: The Story and the Film," "Too Funny for Words," "The Disney Villains" and the epic "Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life." They were the subjects of the 1995 documentary "Frank and Ollie," produced by Thomas' son Ted.

The pair's guide to animation is considered "the bible" among animators, said John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar animation studios and Johnston's longtime friend.

Oliver Martin Johnston Jr. was born October 31, 1912, in Palo Alto, California, where his father was a professor at Stanford. He once noted that he and Thomas "were bound to be thrown together" at the university, as they were two of only six students in its art department at the time. When not in class, they painted landscapes and sold them at a local speakeasy for meal money.

Johnston had planned on becoming a magazine illustrator but fell in love with animation.

"I wanted to paint pictures full of emotion that would make people want to read the stories," he once said. "But I found that [in animation] was something that was full of life and movement and action, and it showed all those feelings."

Johnston was honored with a Disney Legends Award in 1989, and in 2005, he was the first animator honored with the National Medal of Arts at a White House ceremony.

He was also a major train enthusiast. The backyard of his Flintridge home boasted a hand-built miniature railroad, and Johnston restored and ran a full-size antique locomotive at a former vacation home in Julian, California.

Johnston's wife of 63 years, Marie Worthey, died in 2005. Johnston is survived by sons Ken and Rick and daughters-in-law Carolyn Johnston and Teya Priest Johnston. The Walt Disney Studios is planning a life celebration for Johnston. Funeral services will be private.

A peek at Future Disney and Pixar

The front page of last Wednesday's Variety featured a detailed breakdown of Disney and Pixar's theatrical feature plans for the foreseeable future. For the first time The Powers That Be are getting specific about some previously unconfirmed release dates ...

Here's a (very) brief list of the upcoming titles.

• Summer 2008: Pixar's Wall-E, directed by Andrew Stanton.
• Thanksgiving 2008*: Disney's Bolt, formerly American Dog, directed by Chris Williams & Byron Howard.
• May 29, 2009: Pixar's Up, directed by Pete Docter, which as was reported here yesterday will be their first 3-D title.
• Christmas 2009: Disney's The Princess and the Frog, directed by John Musker and Ron Clements.
• June 28, 2010: Pixar's Toy Story 3, directed by Lee Unkrich.
• Christmas 2010: Disney's Rapunzel, directed by Glen Keane and Dean Wellins.
• 2011: Pixar's newt, directed by Gary Rydstrom.
• 2011: Pixar's The Bear and the Bow, directed by Brenda Chapman, breaking Pixar's glass ceiling for what Variety refers to as "femme helmers".
• Summer 2012: Pixar's Cars 2, directed by Brad Lewis.
• Christmas 2012: Disney's King of the Elves, directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker.

*rumors to the contrary ...

Note: New Site Banner

You probably notice that we have updated our Site Banner. I would like to give a big THANK YOU to Mark for the design. It reflects what we are doing here at Tower Grove Films. His time and effort are very much appreciated!

Hallelujah: First Major Film With All Black Cast

This Classic Masterpiece, Made in 1929, is an artifact of no small historical significance: the first major studio movie with an all-black cast and a white director (the esteemed King Vidor), it was also one of the earliest "talkies" after the silent film era. But it also has considerable artistic merit; simply put, Hallelujah is damned entertaining. Sure, the story isn't exactly subtle, a morality tale. Warner Brothers prior to the film issues a disclaimer apologizing for racial stereotypes depicted in "Hallelujah" that could be potentially offensive to modern audiences. I cannot pretend to speak for the African-American community but I cannot imagine anybody being offended by King Vidor's film which affirms the sanctity of faith, fidelity, and family. This film chronicles the tribulations of Zeke (Daniel L. Haynes), a poor cotton farmer who, succumbing to the carnal charms of the sexy Chick (Nina Mae McKinney, who was sometimes known as "the black Garbo"), finds himself caught up in a soul-scarring cycle of sin and salvation. There's also some painful dialogue of the "Where is you gwine?" and "Honey, I likes anything you's got!" variety. But the major themes presented here--temptation and transgression, redemption and repentance--are pure and universal, the dancing and singing (including two songs by Irving Berlin) are marvelous, and there are several scenes of extraordinary intensity. Those include Zeke's family's weeping, wailing response to the tragic death of his younger brother, followed by the repentant Zeke's turning to God, a sequence in which he's transformed into a latter day Martin Luther King, Jr., preaching with rhythms and cadences of hypnotic power.

Lifetime runs off with 'Project Runway'

Lifetime has scored one of the biggest coups in cable history, announcing this week that it has snagged "Project Runway" away from Bravo.

At least for now.

Bravo owner NBC Universal, understandably unhappy to lose the top-rated reality show on cable, is planning legal action to void the deal.

We'll leave it to the courts to sort it all out, but the short-term outcome for viewers will be a "Project Runway" extravaganza.

Bravo is set to air season five this summer. Lifetime plans to launch season six in the fall. That means almost non-stop "Runway" from July through February.

William Shatner on Star Trek and Retirement

William Shatner is too busy to retire, with book and television projects to keep him busy for some time to come.

As reported by AOL, Shatner sees no reason to retire. "I don't know what to retire to," he admitted. At seventy-seven, he has had plenty of irons in the fire, ranging from his role of Denny Crane on Boston Legal and filming commercials for Priceline and Worlds of Warcraft, to working on Star Trek fiction and his new autobiography Up Till Now.

Shatner would have liked to have been offered a part in Star Trek XI and was disappointed when that was not forthcoming. "It's a shame," he said. "...I would have liked to have been a part of it, but the people doing it, for some reason or other, thought otherwise, and so I'm not."

Star Trek XI's success might translate into renewed interest in Shatner's fiction books. Collision Course was Shatner's last Star Trek book and while he doesn't plan on writing another, he left the door slightly ajar. "The publishing company was very negligent on this last one," he explained. "I think they may have given up on it, so I would think that would be the last novel from me. Whether J.J. Abrams is capable of reigniting the franchise remains to be seen, and if he does, then perchance it won't be the last."

In the meanwhile, he will continue to stay busy, with a new talk show to air on the Biography network of A&E. "It'll be a weekly, half-hour show," he said. "I'll be talking to people, in the beginning, celebrities, so that people will tune in, but eventually it'll be someone's raw nerve that I might be able to talk about. That's the title: 'Raw Nerve."

Batman the Movie Coming to Blu-Ray!!!

Can't wait for this release just in time for the new Batman movie coming this Summer!

**20th Century Fox** has announced a July 1st release date for the Blu-Ray debut of Batman: The Movie - Special Edition. Tons of bonus features will be part of this Hi-Def DVD including some new Hi-Def featurettes. Details below.


The four greatest super-criminals of The United Underworld - The Catwoman, The Joker, The Riddler and The Penguin – combine forces to dispose of Batman and Robin as they launch their fantastic plot to control the entire world. Can the dynamic duo stop The United Underworld before it’s too late?

BONUS FEATURES:

• Commentary by actors Adam West and Burt Ward
• Commentary by screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr.
• Isolated Score Track 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio (Lossless)
• All-new high-definition featurettes:
  • Batman: A Dynamic Legacy
  • Caped Crusaders: A Heroes Tribute
  • Gotham City’s Most Wanted
• 35th Anniversary Piece Featuring Interviews with Adam West and Burt Ward
• The Batmobile Revealed with George Barris
• The Batmobile Interactive Tour
• A 360 Degree Navigational Tour
• Batman on Location: Mapping the Movie
• Holy Pop-Up Trivia Track, Batman!
• Original Teaser and Theatrical Trailers
• Galleries:
  • From the Vaults of Adam West
    
  • Interactive Pressbook
    
  • Posters
    
  • Production Stills
    
  • Behind the Scenes
    
  • Premiere

Bette Davis turns 100

Often referred to as "The First Lady of the American Screen," Bette Davis created a new kind of screen heroine. She was a liberated woman in an industry dominated by men. She was known as an actress that could play a variety of difficult and powerful roles, and because of this she set a new standard for women on the big screen. Independent off-screen as well, her battles with studio bigwigs were legendary. With a career spanning six decades, few in the history of film rival her longevity and appeal. Bette Davis was born Ruth Davis on April 5, 1908 in Lowell, Massachusetts. Just before her tenth birthday, Bette's father, Harlow, left the family. Although she had little money, her mother, Ruthie, sent Bette and her sister to boarding school. Upon graduating Cushing Academy, Bette enrolled in John Murray Anderson's Dramatic School. In 1929, she made her Broadway debut in "Broken Dishes." She also landed a role in "Solid South." In 1930, she moved to Hollywood to screen test for Universal. Six small films later, Bette's contract with Universal was not renewed. She wanted to go back to Broadway, but a phone call from Warner Brothers quickly changed her mind. In 1932, she signed a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers. The film "The Man Who Played God" (1932) landed Bette on the path to stardom. She was a smash when she was lent out to RKO for the role of Mildred in "Of Human Bondage" (1934), her first critically acclaimed hit. Her role in "Dangerous" (1935) led to her nomination for a Best Actress Oscar. She became the first Warner Brothers actress to win the coveted award. Despite her success, Warner Brothers continued to offer Bette unsatisfactory roles. In 1936, she challenged the studio by going to England to make pictures. Jack Warner sued her, and she was forced to honor her contract. Upon her return, however, Bette was offered a new contract and better roles. In 1939, Bette won her second Oscar for "Jezebel" (1938). She also received Oscar nominations the next five years in a row. Although she earned a reputation for being difficult to work with, Bette set a new precedent for women. By 1942, she was the highest paid woman in America. Bette contributed to the war effort by helping to organize the Hollywood Canteen during World War II for soldiers passing through Los Angeles. Inspired by New York's Stage Door Canteen, Bette transformed a once-abandoned nightclub into an inspiring entertainment facility. "There are few accomplishments in my life that I am sincerely proud of. The Hollywood Canteen is one of them," Bette later commented. In 1980, she was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, the Defense Department's highest civilian award, for running the Hollywood Canteen. Bette made a roaring comeback with her role as Margo Channing in "All About Eve" (1950), and she received her eighth Academy Award nomination. Her career was resuscitated again in 1962 with "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" Soon after, Bette began her second career as a horror maven and continued to welcome new opportunities with television appearances. In 1987, Bette played a blind woman in "The Whales of August," co-starring Lillian Gish. Davis's personal life was as dramatic as her acting. She was married four times. She had a daughter, B.D., with her third husband, William Grant Sherry. She adopted two children, Margot and Michael, while married to her fourth husband, Gary Merrill. With a career total of more than 100 films, Bette changed the way Hollywood looked at actresses. In 1977, she was the first woman to be honored with the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also the first woman to be president of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. At the age of 75, Bette had a mastectomy due to breast cancer. Nine days later, she suffered a stroke. Despite her failing health, she continued to act until her death. Bette passed away October 6, 1989 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. Michael Merrill, Bette's son, and Kathryn Sermak, Bette's personal assistant and friend, are now the executors of her estate. In her memory, they have created The Bette Davis Foundation, which provides financial assistance to promising young actors and actresses. Meryl Streep received the first Bette Davis Lifetime Achievement Award at Boston University in 1998.

Bette Davis would have turned 100 yesterday. This clip, in which Bette Davis sings "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?," is from the December 20, 1962, episode of The Andy Williams Show.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? was released that year, earning Davis her tenth — and last — Academy Award nomination. She won two Oscars, for Dangerous (1935) and Jezebel (1938).

The beginning of the song, without the lyrics, can be heard on the radio right before the film’s grand finale.