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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

• Wicked, warped “Eastwick” adds some adult fun to ABC’s 2009 – 2010 line-up

  Jim Hill reviews this new nighttime drama from Warner Bros. Television. Which draws its inspiration from John Updike’s book as well as George Miller’s 1987 movie Read More... Posted Wednesday, September 23, 2009 12:00 AM | 0 Comments Filed under: book, TV, ABC, Desperate Housewives, television, Jay Leno, movie, 2009, television program, TV show, ABC Inc, July , Warner Bros. , 2010, Comic-Con , Comic-Con International, television show , Wicked, TV series, Charmed, Stars Hollow, Gilmore Girls, Eastwick, pilot, John Updike, George Miller, Rebecca Romijn, Roxie Torcoletti, Lindsay Price, Joanna Frankel, Kat Gardener, Jamie Ray Newman, Jon Bernthal, Paul Gross, Darryl Van Horne, Raymond, Bun, Veronica Cartwright, fire ants, lightning, coma, Penny Higgins, Sara Rue, Warner Bros. Television, warped, 1987

• Just because a behind-the-scenes story is fun to tell doesn't mean that it's actually true

  Jim Hill uses Michael Sragow’s new book, “Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master,” as an excuse to debunk a famous Hollywood myth. Which alleges that – back in 1930 -- MGM passed on the opportunity to distribute Disney’s “Mickey Mouse” cartoons because Louis B. Mayer was afraid of mice Read More... Posted Wednesday, April 29, 2009 12:00 AM | 2 Comments Filed under: book, Walt Disney, Disney-MGM Studios theme park, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Mickey Mouse, Hollywood, film, movie, Disney-MGM Studios, MGM, cartoons, hardcover, shorts

• 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

• "The Pixar Touch" shares seldom-told tales about the early days of this animation studio

  Jim Hill talks with author David A. Price about how he went about writing this unauthorized history of Pixar Animation Studios Read More... Posted Thursday, May 15, 2008 12:00 AM | 4 Comments Filed under: book, movies, Pixar, John Lasseter, Leslie Iwerks, Pixar Animation Studios, Emeryville, The Pixar Story, To Infinity and Beyond: The Story of Pixar Animation Studios, Karen Paik, Steve Jobs, movie, animated feature, 1980s, Chronicle Books, coffee table book, Lucasfilm, short, Tin Toy, shorts, David A Price, SEC, The Pixar Touch : The Making of a Company, Microsoft, Hallmark, Knopf, authorized history, Alvy Ray Smith, revisionist history, 1985, 1986, Shogakukan, Pixar archives, Pixar saga, Japanese legend, browser, Hollywood gossip

• National Treasure 3 & 4 ?! Big Thunder Mountain ... The Movie ?!

  Why For returns with answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim Hill talks about the company's plans to expand its "National Treasure" franchise as well as reveals the studio's next theme park-based film. WARNING ! There be spoilers ahead ! Read More... Posted Friday, February 01, 2008 12:00 AM | 20 Comments Filed under: book, attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean, Imagineering, Jerry Bruckheimer, Walt Disney Pictures, The Jungle Cruise, Disney Press, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, Big Thunder Mountain, Jack Sparrow, WDI, Imagineer, Walt Disney Imagineering, writers' strike, movie, WGA, theme park attraction, the Writer's Strike , books, National Treasure, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, National Treasure 3, National Treasure 4, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Lone Ranger, Big Thunder Mountain: The Movie, The Jungle Cruise: Heart of Darkness, The Jungle Cruise: The Movie, Nicholas Cage, John Turtletaub, Midnight Ride, Changing Tide, National Treasure book series, Aqua de Vita, The Water of Life, Water of Life, Fountain of Youth, Atlantis, The Fountain of Youth, Captain Jack Sparrow, Barbossa, Captain Hector Barbossa, The Black Pearl, Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Pirates 4, AVP, Alien vs Predator, Captain Barbossa, Benjamin Gates, Ponce de León, Page 47, National Treasure theme park attraction, The Gates Family, Gates Family, Gates Family Mystery, Gates Family Mysteries

• "Anything Can Happen If You Let It" chronicles Mary Poppins' journey from page to stage

  Jim Hill reviews Brian Sibley & Michael Lassell's great new making-of book. Which -- through a trio of artfully designed books -- covers the history of this much beloved character Read More... Posted Wednesday, December 19, 2007 12:00 AM | 2 Comments Filed under: book, Broadway, musical, Walt Disney, Disney Theatrical, Disney Editions, Chicago, Disneyana, Walt Disney Archives, Walt Disney Studios, Academy Award, film, movie, stage version, 2008, 2009, show, Thomas Schumacher, Broadway production, Brian Sibley, Michael Lassell, Bert, Cameron Mackintosh , scenic designer , 17 Cherry Tree Lane , Cherry Tree Lane , nursery, touring version , Plymouth , North American tour , Jolly Holiday, Bob Crowley, design folio , Mary Poppins, costume concept, Guardsmen, Busby, Mary Poppins: Anything Can Happen If You Let It, PL Travers, Gregory Wakabayashi , Clark Wakabayashi

• The Pixar TV special you never got to see, "A Tin Toy Christmas"

  Jim Hill shares what he's learned about this abandoned project. Which (in a roundabout way) provided the inspiration for Pixar Animation Studios' first feature-length production, "Toy Story" Read More... Posted Friday, December 14, 2007 12:00 AM | 3 Comments Filed under: book, Disney, Pixar, John Lasseter, Disney Press, Pixar Animation Studios, Toy Story, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, Tim Burton, Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs, Jack Skellington, movie, Walt Disney Feature Animation, SIGGRAPH, short, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Luxo Jr, Red's Dream, Tin Toy, A Tin Toy Christmas, Joe Ranft, Peter Schneider, Pixar Image Computer, Batman

• 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

• "To Infinity and Beyond!" is an entertaining look back at Pixar's first two decades

  Jim Hill reviews Karen Paik's inspired (more importantly, inspiring) new history of Pixar Animation Studios. Which offers a lot of insight about how John Lasseter became the Big Kahuna of the CG world Read More... Posted Thursday, November 29, 2007 12:00 AM | 4 Comments Filed under: animation, book, Disney, movies, Pixar, computer animation, CG, John Lasseter, John Musker, Cars, Ratatouille, Leslie Iwerks, Brad Bird, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Ron Miller, Toy Story, Toy Story 2, WDAS, featurette, Monsters Inc., The Pixar Story, To Infinity and Beyond: The Story of Pixar Animation Studios, Karen Paik, Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney Studios, film, movie, Mouse, Disney / Pixar, 2007, Tis the season, feature film , Chronicle Books, The Art of Animation, Bob Thomas, cartoons, epiphany, coffee table book, hardcover, church, pew, gourd, sermon, pencil, pencil time, award, The Headless Horseman, The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr Toad, station wagon, Casper the Friendly Ghost, California Institute of the Arts, CalArts, character animation, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Disney Feature Animation, calcified, middle management, The Fox and the Hound, old guard, Tom Wilhite, Maurice Sendak, picture book, Where the Wild Things Are, Thomas M Disch, The Brave Little Toaster, banners, Lucasfilm, The Adventures of Andre & Wally B, SIGGRAPH, animated short, short, character comedy, cutting-edge technology, money pit, Jane Eisner, Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach, human costs, keyboard, repetitive-stress injury, The Art of Ratatouille, aspiring animator, holiday shopping list

• Steve Martin's "Born Standing Up" is an outstanding show business memoir

  Jim Hill reviews this Disney Legend's latest book, which traces the beginnings of Martin's comedy career back to the days Steve spent at Disneyland selling guidebooks to tourists Read More... Posted Thursday, November 22, 2007 12:00 AM | 5 Comments Filed under: book, Disneyland, Disney Legend, Sleeping Beauty Castle, Los Angeles, Fantasyland, Steve Martin, movie, stand-up, comic , three-piece suit , Disney Online, 1970s , arena , dime trick, Roxanne , The Jerk , Mexican cat juggling, Picasso at the Lapin Agile , The Underpants, Shopgirl , Pleasure of My Company, Pure Drivel, Kenny Sultan, Scribner , guidebook , Pepsi Cola , Golden Horseshoe , Frontierland, Wally Boag, comedian , gags , gun twirling , wig , balloon animals , magic act , Merlin's Magic Shop, Jim Barlow, Bird Cage Theater, Knott's Berry Farm , behind-the-scenes stories , 1950s