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• “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” serves up quality holiday schmaltz

  It’s a two-fer today as Jim Hill reviews Robert Zemeckis’ latest movie as well as the new making-of book that Diana Landau wrote about this ImageMovers Digital production Read More... Posted Wednesday, November 18, 2009 12:00 AM | 3 Comments Filed under: book, Disney, A Christmas Carol, Walt Disney Pictures, Robert Zemeckis, Jim Carrey, Disney Editions, ImageMoversDigital, Christmas, film, movie, holiday season , holiday classic, London, Disney Digital 3D, seasonal run , performance capture, Charles Dickens, holiday, holidays, ImageMovers

• Monday Mouse Watch: Will Dick Cook’s exit trip up “Pirates 4” as well as the Muppets’ big-screen return?

  Jim Hill shares what he’s heard about the sudden resignation of the Chairman of Walt Disney Studios. In particular the impact that this management change may have on the various pictures that Cook had personally put into development Read More... Posted Monday, September 21, 2009 12:00 AM | 10 Comments Filed under: Pirates of the Caribbean, Bob Iger, Johnny Depp, Walt Disney Pictures, Dick Cook, Anaheim Convention Center, Oren Aviv, Los Angeles, Walt Disney Studios, film, D23, 2009, Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Pirates 4, 2011, Chairman, development pipeline, Pirates of the Caribbean films, Pirates of the Caribbean franchise , Development , Capt. Jack Sparrow, D23 EXPO, films

• “Ponyo” celebrates childhood, magic, the beauty of nature and … oh, yeah … ham

  Jim Hill reviews Hayao Miyazaki’s latest. Which Walt Disney Pictures has done a superb job of readying for its North American theatrical release Read More... Posted Friday, August 14, 2009 12:00 AM | 1 Comments Filed under: Walt Disney Pictures, E.T., Fujimoto, film, movie, 2008, 2009, seas, animated feature, Hans Christian Andersen, Lily Tomlin, Betty White, Noah Cyrus, Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, goldfish, motion picture, North America , 1988, Sosuke, Ponyo, The Little Mermaid, Cloris Leachman, ocean, sea, Frankie Jonas, Melissa Mathison, ham, My Neighbor Totoro, Liam Neeson

• The John Hughes / ABC / Walt Disney Company connection

  In honor of the passing of this talented filmmaker, Jim Hill shares a few anecdotes that reflect on the times that Hughes worked for the Mouse Read More... Posted Friday, August 07, 2009 12:00 AM | 3 Comments Filed under: Disney, movies, Universal Studios, Walt Disney, ABC, Walt Disney Pictures, Michael Eisner, Hollywood Pictures, Disneyland, 101 Dalmatians, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Walt Disney Productions, The Walt Disney Company, Ron Miller, television, Harold Ramis, Jim Belushi, Walt Disney Studios, Home Alone, film, movie, Vacation '58, Mouse House, Walley World, 1950s, TV show, 1997, Mickey, The Absent-Minded Professor, film title, Spaceballs III: The Search for Spaceballs II, writer , The Breakfast Club, 1996 , Robin Williams, Great Oaks Entertainment, Jackie Chan, Warner Bros. , John Hughes, director , Pretty in Pink, National Lampoon, National Lampoon's Animal House, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, vacation, cross country trip , Michelle Pfieffer, The Bee, Flubber, Faber College, slapstick, family vacation, screenplay, script, Curly Sue, motion picture, Jaws 3 People 0, 1990, television show , Ricardo Mestres, 1990s, 1991, films, producer, 1979, Delta House, National Lampoon's Vacation, TV series, Sixteen Candles, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Disneyland Park, Eddie Bracken

• Do eye-popping effects & an emotional thru-line really hold the key to audiences connecting with “Alice” ?

  Jim Hill shares what Tim Burton said at Comic-Con last month while this acclaimed filmmaker was talking up Disney’s new Digital 3D version of “Alice in Wonderland” Read More... Posted Wednesday, August 05, 2009 12:00 AM | 3 Comments Filed under: Disney, Johnny Depp, Walt Disney Pictures, Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton, Walt Disney Studios, film, movie, 2009, animated feature, London, 3D, Disney Digital 3D, 3D film , 2010, Pretty in Pink, 3D movie, San Diego, Comic-Con , Comic-Con International, live action, Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland

• Will showing selected scenes from “The Princess and the Frog” finally silence this film’s critics?

  Jim Hill writes about the new tack that Walt Disney Animation Studios is taking with the promotion of its new hand-drawn animated feature. Which involves screening footage from “The Princess and the Frog” at events that will be attended by African-American opinion makers Read More... Posted Monday, August 03, 2009 12:00 AM | 10 Comments Filed under: Disney, Walt Disney Pictures, Ron Clements, John Musker, Walt Disney Animation Studios, The Walt Disney Company, New York City, Los Angeles, NYC, LA, film, movie, 2009, animated feature, November, Tampa, film festival, New York, Aladdin, The Princess and the Frog, The Little Mermaid, The Great Mouse Detective

• Want the full picture when it comes to Disney's "Morning Light" ? Then see the movie AND pick up its companion book

  Jim Hill reviews this new true-life documentary from Walt Disney Pictures. Which -- to be honest -- could have used some of the stories that Jeff Kurtti included in "What the Sea Teaches Us: The Crew of the Morning Star" Read More... Posted Wednesday, October 22, 2008 12:00 AM | 0 Comments Filed under: book, Disney, Walt Disney Pictures, Roy E. Disney, Long Beach, Jeff Kurtti, Disney Editions, Hawaii, film, movie, 2008, 2007, New England, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, motion picture, the real world, Morning Light, What the Sea Teaches Us: The Crew of the Morning Light, documentary, buoy, Diamond Head, yacht, Transpac, Transpacific Yacht Race, Real World Hawaii, MTV, Leslie DeMeuse, companion book, Hingham, MA, South Shore, limited release, true-life documentary, 1954, catamaran, off-shore, the Cheyenne, Cheyenne, The Morning Light, Jeremy Wilmot, open ocean, ocean, sea, Kay, The New Avengers

• Will "Senior Year" re-energize Disney's "High School Musical" franchise ?

  Jim Hill talks about the many ways that the Mouse's marketing department is now getting the word out about HSM3. He also shares what he knows about "High School Musical 4" 's proposed plotline Read More... Posted Thursday, September 25, 2008 12:00 AM | 19 Comments Filed under: Disney, High School Musical, Disney Channel, Walt Disney Pictures, promotion, High School Musical 2, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, marketing, Vanessa Hudgens, High School Musical 3, High School Musical 4, High School Musical franchise, Zac Efron, High School Musical 2: Extended Edition, DVD, film, movie, 2008, franchise, Ashley Tisdale , Disney franchise, 2010, CD, High School Musical: Get in the Picture, East High, Jemma McKenzie-Brown, High School Musical 2: School's Out! , motion picture

• Toon Thursday: GAME OVER for TRON's first director

  Jim Hill's back with even more news about this eagerly awaited sequel. Including who's replaced Steve Lisberger as the new creative lead on the "TR2N" project Read More... Posted Thursday, July 31, 2008 12:00 AM | 20 Comments Filed under: Disney, Pixar, John Lasseter, Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Productions, Toy Story, film, movie, Disney / Pixar, 2010, Toy Story 3, motion picture, TR2N, Tron , 1982, Tron 2, Steve Lisberger, Tron Sequel

• Remembering Charlton Heston (1924 - 2008)

  Jim Hill looks back on the career of this 83-year-old Academy Award winner and his rather unique ties to the Walt Disney Company Read More... Posted Monday, April 07, 2008 12:00 AM | 18 Comments Filed under: Disney, Walt Disney Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Walt Disney Productions, The Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney Studios, film, Academy Award winner

• As Disney begins to get nervous about "Narnia," Pixar now sets its sights on "Mars"

  Jim Hill brings you the latest buzz from Burbank. Which suggests that -- unless "Prince Caspian" does huge business when it's released to theaters in May -- Disney may opt to pull the plug on the "Narnia" series. Replacing that film franchise with a trio of Pixar-produced "John Carter of Mars" movies Read More... Posted Monday, March 17, 2008 12:00 AM | 87 Comments Filed under: Disney, Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures, promotion, Ratatouille, Brad Bird, The Incredibles, Mark Andrews, Pixar Animation Studios, marketing, John Carter of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, 1906, Walden Media, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, film, movie, 2008, Disney / Pixar, film franchises, Andrew Stanton, nomination , nominee, Oscar, 2011, 2010, Jim Morris

• Animation fans prematurely shoot off their mouths about "Bolt"

  Jim Hill points out the parallels between what WDAS's next release is now going through and "Beauty & the Beast" & "The Lion King" 's troubled productions Read More... Posted Wednesday, January 02, 2008 12:00 AM | 18 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, movies, Pixar, DreamWorks, computer animation, John Lasseter, Walt Disney Pictures, Beauty and the Beast, John Musker, Ratatouille, Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, DreamWorks Animation, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Toy Story, WDAS, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, WDI, Ed Catmull, Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney Studios, Bolt, Academy Award, film, movie, 2008, animated feature, Richard Purdum , Cranium Command, Kirk Wise, Gary Trousdale, award, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Disney Feature Animation, The Emperor's New Groove, Kingdom of the Sun, Kiskaloo, blind men and the elephant, Indian fable, pre-release image, teaser poster, November 2008, gadget tray, Mittens the cat, Rhino the hamster, Chris Williams, American Dog, Chris Sanders, quirkiness, Jan Pinkava, George Scribner, Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers, S Gross, lemons into lemonade, November 28

• Will the writer's strike force production of "High School Musical 3" & "The Hannah Montana Movie" to be postponed ?

  Jim Hill shares the grim news coming out of Burbank. Which suggests that -- unless the WGA returns to work early in 2008 -- Walt Disney Pictures may have no choice but to push back production of the big screen versions of these two Disney Channel favorites Read More... Posted Thursday, December 20, 2007 12:00 AM | 17 Comments Filed under: Disney, Disney Channel, Walt Disney Pictures, High School Musical 3, High School Musical franchise, television, Miley Cyrus, The Hannah Montana Movie, Burbank, Walt Disney Studios, writers' strike, film, movie, 2008, television program, tween, WGA

• Suffering from "Pirates" withdrawal? Then treat yourself to a peek at "The Secret Files of the East India Trading Company"

  Jim Hill reviews this entertaining new interactive volume from brecker&mayer! LLC. Which brings the world of Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" to life right in your hands Read More... Posted Wednesday, December 12, 2007 12:00 AM | 7 Comments Filed under: book, Disney, Pirates of the Caribbean, Walt Disney Pictures, Disney Press, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, film, movie

• Could you please have the Rat whip me up some crow?

  Here (finally) is the JHM column that Pixar fans have been waiting for. Where Jim Hill talks about how well "Ratatouille" has been doing overseas ... as well as other Disney-related matters Read More... Posted Friday, November 23, 2007 12:00 AM | 31 Comments Filed under: Disney, movies, TV, Visual Effects, Gore Verbinski, Walt Disney Pictures, Ratatouille, Brad Bird, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Pixar Animation Studios, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, television, The Game Plan, Hollywood, WDSHE, DVD, box office, film, movie, Thanksgiving, leftovers, seas, international, worldwide box office, Disney / Pixar, animated feature, production costs, release date, stateside, exhibitors, ticket sales, top selling, FX, effects, The Michael Eisner building, Michael Eisner building, character-based merchandise, 2007, Wild Hogs, Wild Hogs 2, titles, floss, promotional costs, The Best Reviewed Film of the Year, domestic performance, The Ivy, opening weekend grosses, opening weekend, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, strip-mining, wild-assed guess, Magic 8 Ball, television program, TV show, television programs, TV shows, The Hollywood Reporter, The Nielsen ratings, Nielsen ratings, domestic box office numbers, entertainment industry, initial domestic run, evergreen title, franchise, film franchise, film franchises, merch, nuturing, long term profit potential, long term profitability