Rediscovering (Walt) Disney

John Barry, the film composer, who won five Oscars and is best known for creating music for the James Bond movies, has died of a heart attack. He was 77 . Read the full story at The Telegraph .

The last film I worked on (very minor role; script vetting, hand acting & general office humor) was an Official Selection at this year's Sundance Festival. And they did very well for themselves too, receiving good reviews and picking up both theatrical and home video distribution deals. Synopsis: In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over a mountain, the consequences of which affect every American; it's a battle that has taken innocent lives and threatens to take more. It is a battle over protecting our health and environment from the destructive power of Big Coal. Mining and burning coal is at the epicenter of America's struggle to balance its energy needs with environmental and health concerns. Nowhere is that concern greater than in Coal River Valley, West Virginia, where a small but passionate group of ordinary citizens are trying to stop Big Coal corporations, like Massey Energy, from continuing the devastating practice of Mountain Top Removal. Dav...

Research and Design by: CarInsurance.org

Ever have a series of random thoughts through out the day? Yeah, me too. Things you shouldn't hear out of context: (Lisa to Maddy) "Boy you're getting high!" Disney's animated "Alice in Wonderland" comes out on Blu-ray February 1st. The new Spider-man (film) costume sucks. The Oscar noms were announced today. As usual I have a lot of movies to get caught up on. Cartoon Network's new Thundercats character designs look terrible. So they killed off Johnny Storm huh? How long before Franklin Richards resurrects him? 'NBC’s 'The Cape' Continues to Shed Viewers, Down 38% Since Premiere'. I am NOT surprised. Coffee. See you tomorrow!

Today is the birthday of three Sci-Fi/Action stars: Gil Gerard (68), Rutger Hauer (67), and Richard Dean Anderson (61). Gil Gerard is best known for his roll as Buck Rogers in 1979's "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," both the film and later the TV series on NBC. He has also been in other genre projects including: E.A.R.T.H. Force, Fish Police and Psycho Hillbilly Cabin Massacre! (I kid you not.) Richard Dean Anderson made two things cool in the 80's; mullets and swiss army knives. He has had a pretty prolific career but will probably be remembered best as everyman super hero/secret agent Angus MacGyver. ABC's "MacGyver" ran from 1985 to 1992 probably did more for being prepared, self-reliance and pocket knives than the Boy Scouts of America. His next big Sci-fi turn came with the role of Colonel Jack O'Neil on "Stargate SG-1," a television series sequel to the film "Stargate." SG-1 ran from 1997 to 2007 on Showtime and Sci Fi ...

No not really, but we have gone into DVR overload with all of tonight's (Thursday) new and returning shows. Now we need to decide what to watch live, in the other room or online. Here's the queue: 8:00 - The Big Bang Theory, American Idol, Community and Wipeout 9:00 - The Office and Piers Morgan Tonight 9:30 - Parks and Recreation 10:00 - The Mentalist and 30 Rock I need to sit down, my head's spinning.

And they say guys don't watch soap operas. Watch The Firefly , airing Friday at 9 p.m./8 p.m. Central, the first of six new "Fringe" episodes. Fringe on FOX

I wish we could get you to straighten out that whole "Twilight" thing.

Game of Thrones on HBO

James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader, turns 80 years old today. Other credits include: Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, The Great White Hope, Roots, Field of Dreams, The Lion King and the voice of CNN. James Earl Jones on IMDb

Bookseller Borders is on death's doorstep right now. According to The Wall Street Journal: Borders stock is tanking, as the book seller says it will shutter its distribution center in Tennessee and lay off workers, its latest move to revive its struggling business. The news comes after reports surfaced last week that one of Borders' major suppliers is temporarily halting the shipment of books to the retailer. The Wall Street Journal cited publisher Rowman & Littlefield Publishing, whose CEO told the newspaper it has stopped shipping to Borders until it has more information on its payment plans. And I read on robot6.comicbookresources.com that Diamond Distributors (Comic Books and related merch.) has stopped shipments to Borders because of suspended payments. Good thing we shop at Barnes and Noble (ya know they have a Starbucks there too!).

According to EW.com, Smallville writer-producers Miles Millar and Al Gough have been greenlit for a "Charlie's Angels" pilot for the alphabet net. EW.com

With the glut of crap-tastic alien invasion projects out there, it's a relief to see one (at least the preview of one) that might just get it right. Tense, scary action and good character intros give this piece an edge that appeals. Watch and enjoy!

R.I.P. - Peter Yates - Four time Oscar-nominated British director (Bullitt, The Deep, The Friends of Eddie Coyle) has passed away at the age of 82. See Deadline Hollywood for more.

So it's looking like 2011 is gonna be a pretty good year. Exhibit A: Apple will announce the iPhone for Verizon Wireless customers. Exhibit B: The Complete Star Wars Saga will be released on Blu-ray. Okay 2011, what else ya got? Apple/Verizon iPhone Star Wars on Blu-ray

"Southland" is back on TNT and they made some changes in the off season. And it's the best cop-opera on TV, and I don't mean in a "Cop Rock" kinda way. Not all the changes are necessarily good (smaller cast, fewer eps.), but for the most part I really (REALLY) enjoyed last night's season three premiere. It was tense, witty, action-packed, and a good preview of what we're in for during the next nine episodes. The show has been pared down from its previous large-scale ensemble, character developing, multi-storyline format, to a more streamlined version of itself. And I suspect, we will see more of the missing cast members as the season unfolds, since they are all still listed in the credits. The focus has been narrowly sharpened to showcase (my favorite show elements) Officers Ben Sherman (Benjamin McKenzie) & John Cooper (Michael Cudlitz), Detectives Nate Moretta (Kevin Alejandro), Sammy Bryant (Shawn Hatosy) and Lydia Adams (Regina King). You can...

I'm just sayin'...