Rediscovering (Walt) Disney

[This missive is being re-posted for those that may not have seen it on FILM+TV, 6/16/10] I recently read an article on HBO's new series " Game of Thrones " that's premiering in 2011. That simple announcement woke a sleeping geek that has been dormant for a while now. The Sword & Sorcery Geek . (The SSG, also know as the D&D Geek, or that poor guy Mintz-Plasse played in "Role Models.) Early on in my geek days I was a total superhero nut - JLA, Spiderman, Legion of Super-heroes - reaching it's zenith with the Byrne & Claremont Uncanny X-men era. Next came Blasters and Lightsabers (Of course!). Then, for a brief shining moment in the 80's, I fell in love with the realm of fantasy. I had (unsucessfully) tried my hand at D&D when I was in high school. And fantasy was always on the perifery of my geekdar but I had not been sucked in yet. That is until 1981 and the release of three movies that would alter the course of history! (Not really, but ...

So I finally finished "A Feast for Crows", the fourth book of A Song of Fire and Ice , and I have never been less enthused to read a book before. That's not to say it isn't a good book (it is) and that the entire series isn't good (it is), but it has been TEN years since the author said we would see book five! And now HBO is making a television series based on these books and the story isn't even finished yet!!! Granted the author, George R. R. Martin, is a producer on the series and that will allow them to proceed according to his overall vision. But I don't want him to NOT write the rest of the series because he's distracted be the TV show. Will I watch the series? Heck yeah! I can't wait to see these characters in the flesh. It really is a well written, exciting, violent, mystical yet realistic world full of intrigue, back-stabbing, honor, betrayal and even love. Check out the teasers and the first trailer below, then follow the link to the offi...

Next weekend I'll be headed back to New York for more research and to conduct an interview with Bob Conahan Jr. and his sister. They are the son and daughter of Robert C. Conahan who built the Mayfair Drive-In Theatre in Slingerlands. Yeah so? Well let me tell you this is pretty exciting for our project to land this interview. To date I have been able to find almost ZERO information, photos or memorabilia for this theater. Its like it never existed. Mr. Conahan Jr. admits that he and his family didn't save any photos (or anything else) from the theater. Mr. Conahan Sr. died two weeks before the theater opened in 1957, and the family sold the business after the '58 season ended. The Mayfair never reopened after that and the land changed hand several times. Currently home to a professional building it is being further developed for apartments. And if time allows I'll swing by the Voorheesville Public Library and the Albany Public Library to do research and look at some m...

I saw this article in the latest issue of Post magazine... IVC Uses DaVinci Systems to Restore “Planet of the Apes” By Sean McKee, Director of Restoration, IVC. We recently finished restoring “Planet of the Apes” for 20th Century Fox, the classic 1968 sci-fi adventure film starring Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall. The film, which won several awards and was nominated for two Academy Awards, tells the story of a futuristic world where apes view themselves as the dominant species and enslave the humans. The film was so popular that it spawned a television series and several remakes. You can read the entire article at Blackmagic-design.com . Needless to say I am VERY excited to add this Sci-fi classic to my Blu-ray wish list. A good friend of mine and I made our own ape costumes for Halloween one year (I was a gorilla, he was chimp). I do own the massive "Planet of the Apes" - The Ultimate DVD Collection (see image below) and I'm sort of interested in the new prequel bei...

Cowboys & Aliens on Yahoo!

Pixar on YouTube

Walt Disney Animation Studios returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with "Winnie the Pooh," the first big-screen Pooh adventure from Disney animation in more than 35 years. With the charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical "bear of very little brain" and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Kanga, Roo—and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail. Hooray for the silly ol' bear! As much as I enjoyed "Bolt" and am looking forward to "Tangled", its a relief to see Disney still employing traditional, hand-drawn animation for feature films. I thought "The Princess and the Frog" was a beautiful movie and can't wait to see "Pooh" and hopefully " King of the Elves " will be along for its projected 2012 release. disney.com/pooh

On November 30th Disney will release three new documentaries on DVD. For the casual fan or the serious Disneyphile this is a great way to discover some of the great stories from behind the scenes at Walt Disney Studios. Having purchased " Magic Kingdom Imagineering the Magic " while down in WDW in October I'm really looking forward to adding these three DVD's to our collection as well. Here are the official synopses of each movie and the trailers for you to watch as well... It was 1941, a critical time for the world and for the Walt Disney Studio. When the U.S. Government asked Disney to be a cultural ambassador to South America, the stage was set for Walt's very own real-life adventure. With a group of handpicked artists, later called 'El Grupo,' Disney's WWII road trip achieved the impossible: goodwill. And in the process paved the way for two classic Disney films, "Saludos Amigos" and "The Three Caballeros". Brought to life throu...

Today is a good day for Disney/Pixar fans. We get both "Toy Story 3" and "Cars Toon: Mater's Tall Tales" on Blu-ray Combo Pack & DVD. Since we did not get to the theater to see TS3, I can't wait until Lisa gets home so we can sit down with Maddy and enjoy the latest from Buzz, Woody and the rest of the toy gang. But Maddy and I will dive right into Mater's Tall Tales as soon as she gets home from school - Dadgum! And included with the other DVD inserts is a 'Coming Soon/Available Now' flyer. And (you know it) my favorite Disney/Pixar movie will be released on Blu-ray Spring of 2011. WOOHOO! " The Incredibles " in all its glorious digital beauty presented in dazzling Blu-ray High Definition!!! But that's not all, there will be a new 60th Anniversary Edition of "Alice in Wonderland" on Blu-ray (Spring 2011) and this month (Nov. 30th) we'll get the "Fantasia" 2-Movie Collection on Blu-ray. I'll gladly ...

More "TRON: Legacy" video goodness... TRON: Legacy on YouTube