Jim Hill

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Jim Hill

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Monday Mouse Watch: What to make of Mickey’s mixed signals

Jim Hill talks about all of the recent changes at the Mouse House. More importantly, what Bob Iger will be looking for from Rich Ross, the new Chairman of Walt Disney Studios Read More...

Posted Monday, October 05, 2009 12:00 AM | 8 Comments

Filed under: D23, D23 EXPO, 5th Avenue, soundtrack, cell phone, cell phone user, cell phone users, Pixar, Pixar Animation Studios, Pixar campus, Pixar expansion plans, plan, prestige picture, prestige pictures, production slate, fiscal year, flagship store, World of Disney, WDI, WDW, virtual world , tradition, Tim Burton, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, The Queen, The Walt Disney Company, superhero, superheroes, taking it in the shorts, stable of characters, Rich Ross , quality content, music, Nancy Lasseter, Marvel, Marvel Entertainment, long term, long term strategy, Lasseter Family Winery, HSM3, Inc., High School Musical 3, High School Musical 3: Senior Year, Hannah Montana , Fall, Fantasyland, Emeryville, Emeryville campus, Enchanted Adventures Parade, division, divisions, Disney Channel, Disney Channels Worldwide, Disney Double Dare You, Dick Cook, content, corporate headquarters, Chairman, Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, Camp Rock , Andrew Stanton, animated feature, animated features, animated film, animated films, acquisition, 2009, 2010, 2011, Tom Staggs, Jerry Bruckheimer, John Carter of Mars, John Lasseter, Utah, Vancouver, Verizon, TV show, TV shows, instant-messaging, Steven Spielberg, storefront, strategy, Robert Zemeckis, live action, live-action, Magic Kingdom, business initiative, business initiatives, Disney, DVD, DVD sales, Blu-ray, Bob Iger, heritage, High School Musical, Mouse House, The English Patient, Shakespeare in Love, Shanghai, Shanghai Disneyland, Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney Studios, Disney Mobile, Disney Music Group, Disney Theatrical, widget, widgets, Miramax, Miramax Films , mobile, mobile storefront

How sometimes being in the wrong place is the right thing to do

In this week's "Why For" column, Jim Hill shares a story that Wally Boag once told him. Which explains how -- thanks to being accidentally upstaged by Steve Martin -- this Disney Legend wound up appearing on "The Muppet Show" Read More...

Posted Friday, October 31, 2008 12:00 AM | 1 Comments

Filed under: The Muppet Show, Dan Ackroyd, Golden Horseshoe Revue, 80% of success is showing up, A Wild and Crazy Guy, special guest, special guests, Pecos Bill, first class, Woody Allen , wrong place, YouTube, Wally Boag, Universal Amphitheater, Universal Studios Hollywood , The Blues Brothers, opportunity, Muppet Show, Muppets, Jack Nicholson, Jake, Jake and Elwood, Jake Blues, Hollywood, Golden Horseshoe , Ellen Boag, Elwood, Elwood Blues, Disneyland, Bernadette Peters, audience, Anaheim, Adam, 1978, Jim Henson, John Belushi, vaudeville, vaudevillian, vaudevillians, Steve Martin, Steven Spielberg, Saturday Night Live, Mexican, right place, London, dressing room, backstage, apology, Hollywood crowd, Hollywood party, Hollywood royalty, Blues Brothers, engagement, The Golden Horseshoe Revue, opening night, Disney Legend, Wild and Crazy Guy, comfort zone

Universal Studios Hollywood freshens up for the Fall

During a recent trip to Southern California, Jim dropped by USH and discovered that lots of changes have been made to both the Upper & Lower Lot Read More...

Posted Friday, September 12, 2008 12:00 AM | 6 Comments

Filed under: Curious George, soundstage , source material , Southern California, special event, special events, kiddie play area, King Kong , Labor Day, cartoon series, Castle Theatre, full-length animated feature, press release , The Adventures of Curious George, park, PBS Kids, Fear Factor Live, fire, Visual Effects, V-Rex, walk-through attraction , Universal, Universal City, Universal City Plaza, Universal Studios, Universal Studios Hollywood , tourists, tram , Tram Tour, theme parks, The Simpsons, The Simpsons Ride, The Universal Experience, studio insiders , studio theme park, Summer, Spring , stagecraft, Simpsons, slow season, screenplay, remake, replacement, poster , Peter Jackson, original, newish, Nickelodeon Blast Zone, November, movies, musical, Naomi Watts , Los Angeles, Lower Lot , Lucille Ball, Lucy, Lucy: A Tribute, June , Jaws, Imagine Entertainment , Hollywood, guest experience, Halloween Horror Nights, Fall, Creature from the Black Lagoon -- The Musical, Collapsing Bridge, Carl Laemmle, Brad Bird, attendance levels, attraction, attractions, audience participation, Audio Animatronics, Autumn , animated feature, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1986, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, Upper Lot , USH, 1915 , 1933, 1955, interactive, Steven Spielberg, storyline , choreography, ride, ride designer, ride designers , rides, ride-thru attraction , Robert A Mattey , Little Shop of Horrors, maquette , March, battle sequence , animatronic , archives , horror film , blockbuster, blueprints , Bob Gurr , exhibit, movie, show, shows, October, New York Street

The Towers live on ... in movies & television, that is

On the seventh anniversary of 9/11, Jim Hill looks at some cinematic depictions of the World Trade Center from the past 30+ years Read More...

Posted Thursday, September 11, 2008 12:00 AM | 6 Comments

Filed under: 9/11, 911, A.I., Sosuke, King Kong , piece of entertainment , principal location, television, television program, television programs, television show , Woody Allen , World Trade Center, Towers, the real world, the test of time, The Towers, standing tall, Snake Plissken, Ronald Neame, sacrilege, remake, next Ice Age, movies, Jay Sherman, imposing structure, glider, Deep Impact, animated feature, action sequence, 1976, 1981, 1988, 2001, 2008, Tommy Emmanuel, John Carpenter, tsunami , TV, Twin Towers, Steven Spielberg, still standing, still standing tall, media maven , Meteor, Manhattan, Dino De Laurentiis, Disney, DVD, Escape from New York, movie, The Critic, reality intrudes, NYC, old New York, Oliver & Company, The World Trade Center , national tragedy, natural lives, New Hampshire, New York, New York City, New York skyline, montage , motion picture

Indiana Jones and the lost action sequence

As a special Memorial Day treat, Jim Hill shares a scene that was cut out of Lawrence Kasdan's original screenplay for "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Where Indy battled samurai as well as a machine-gun toting warlord Read More...

Posted Friday, May 23, 2008 12:00 AM | 1 Comments

Filed under: film, film franchise, screenplay, screenwriter, script, Raiders of the Lost Ark, movies, Lawrence Kasdan, Indiana Jones , Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Marion Ravenwood, movie, Shanghai

Are you Jonesing for a good time at the movies? Then go see “Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”

Jim Hill shares his thoughts on the new Indiana Jones film. WARNING ! This review does contain some spoilers Read More...

Posted Monday, May 19, 2008 12:00 AM | 9 Comments

Filed under: A Tin Toy Christmas, Paramount , Paramount Pictures, film, film franchise, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, George Lucas, 1980s, Steven Spielberg

Indiana Jones and the ... JHM Podcast ?!

Mouseketrips presents Jim Hill & Max Schilling , as they discuss perky but annoying Disney theme park hosts, attractions that desperately need updating as well as various other Mouse-related topics Read More...

Posted Saturday, May 10, 2008 12:00 AM | 12 Comments

Filed under: cast member, cast members, WDW, podcast, perky cast member, Max Schilling, Indiana Jones , Indiana Jones Adventure, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, George Lucas, Disney-MGM Studios, Disney-MGM Studios theme park, 1989, 2009, JHM, JHM podcast, Jim Hill Media, Steven Spielberg, Stitch's Great Escape, Magical Definition, Magical Definition Podcast, Magical Mountain, MagicalMountain, Disney, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World, Nathan Rose

Monday Mouse Watch: Will MGM's upcoming name change really allow the Universal Orlando Resort to nudge Disney out of the spotlight?

Jim Hill shares what he's heard about Universal's bold new plan to reposition that Central Florida Resort. He also offers up additional information about that after-hours Halloween party that's now in the works for Disney's Hollywood Studios. And would you believe "Holidays at Hogwarts" ? Read More...

Posted Monday, November 19, 2007 12:00 AM | 36 Comments

Filed under: The Magic Kingdom, The Nightmare Before Christmas, 5th Dimension, Central Florida, Alfred E Newman, television, The 5th Dimension, Florida, WDW, Weasley family, Walt Disney, Universal, Universal Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios, Universal Studios Escape, Universal Studios Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Orlando, Toy Story Mania, Toy Story Midway Mania, theme park guest, theme park visitor, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, The Great Hall, The Hulk, The Blockbuster Capital of the World, studio theme park, Halloween, Halloween at Hogwarts, Halloween Horror Nights, Disney-MGM Studios, Disney-MGM Studios theme park, Disney-Pixar Studios, California, 1976, 1998, 2008, 2009, Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, TV commercials, Steven Spielberg, Christmas, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Feature Attraction, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Orlando Studios, Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, The Weasley family, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, theme park, What, what me worry

WDI's X-Scream Makeover of WDW's Haunted Mansion: Part 5

Jim Hill concludes his series on this Magic Kingdom favorite by first talking about that state-of-the-art image capture system that was installed at this dark ride but never really turned on, then by discussing the exit area gift shop that will eventually be added to this attraction Read More...

Posted Friday, October 26, 2007 12:00 AM | 16 Comments