October, 2006

Blog - News

Jim talks about the Disney villains attraction that never was on a Creepy Kingdom podcast - http://CreepyKingdom.com & a Disney Parks Update on MiceChat - http://mousechat.net/?s=jim+hill

Featured ContentEditor In Chief

Which 1980s TV favorites almost voiced Ursula the Sea Witch for Disney's "The Little Mermaid"

Jim Hill

01-23-2015

by Jim Hill

As you read through the liner notes for Walt Disney Records ' Legacy Collection version of "The Little Mermaid" soundtrack (which is this...

How Walt Disney Animation Studios kept "Feast" from looking like a dog's dinner

Jim Hill

01-13-2015

by Jim Hill

Patrick Osborne tried something interesting back in 2012. He set up two 1 Second Everyday accounts. With one, he used this app to capture brief glimpses...
Why "Doctor Who" 's Peter Capaldi didn't make the final cut in Disney's "Maleficent"

Jim Hill

12-29-2014

by Jim Hill

Given that Nick Frost already had the beard as well as a Santa Claus-like shape, it probably didn't take all that much behind-the-scenes effort to...
Seth MacFarlane celebrates the classic Christmas albums of the 1940s & 1950s with "Holiday for Swing!"

Jim Hill

12-25-2014

by Jim Hill

So how much time does it take to craft a brand-new holiday album that has a timeless sound? To hear Joel McNeely (i.e., the Emmy Award-winning arranger...

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Jim Hill

Toon Tuesday: Remembering "Runaway Brain"

Posted 10-31-2006

by Jim Hill
- 36 Comments
Looking for a little Halloween-themed fun? Jim Hill shares some image captures from an Academy Award-nominated short which shows Mickey Mouse's more monstrous side...
Jim Hill

"High School Musical on Tour" to finally hit the road on November 30th

Posted 10-25-2006

by Jim Hill
- 29 Comments
Jim Hill shares what he knows about Disney's latest attempt to cash in on the "High School Musical" phenomenon. Which involves sending the cast of this incredibly popular TV movie on the road to perform live in 40 different arenas around the country...
Jim Hill

"Disney Dossiers" showcases some seldom-seen art from the studio's animation research library

Posted 10-25-2006

by Jim Hill
- 7 Comments
Jim Hill reviews Jeff Kurtti's latest project for Disney Editions. Which is a breezy but fun look at some of the treasures that WDFA has stashed away in its ARL...
Jim Hill

Tune Tuesday: "Sister Act" musical signals the start of a major Menken resurgence

Posted 10-23-2006

by Jim Hill
- 12 Comments
As a new Alan Menken musical gets ready for its world premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse tonight, Jim Hill looks back on the career of this award-winning composer as well as giving JHM readers a sneak preview of Alan's next few projects...
Jim Hill

Monday Mouse Watch: The Operations side of the Disney theme park equation

Posted 10-22-2006

by Jim Hill
- 37 Comments
Given all the talk that there's been lately about possible changes at the Disneyland Resort, Jim Hill decides to give the Ops staff of those two theme parks a chance to speak their mind. Offer up their opinions about the proposed changes to Tom Sawyer Island, the addition of the "Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage" ride to Disneyland's ride line-up as well as the planned revamping of DCA's Sunshine Plaza...
Jim Hill

A special which-witch-is-which edition of Why For

Posted 10-19-2006

by Jim Hill
- 26 Comments
Jim Hill's back with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim talks about Walt Disney's connection to MGM's "The Wizard of Oz," reveals who almost wound up playing Eglantine Price in "Bedknobs & Broomsticks" as well as offering an update on Monday's "Harry Potter and the Letter of Intent" story ...
Jim Hill

How long did it take to write the definitive Walt Disney biography? Would you believe seven years?!

Posted 10-18-2006

by Jim Hill
- 7 Comments
Jim Hill talks with Neal Gabler, author of "Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination." Who describes in great detail what it took to actually to make this epic book happen ...
Jim Hill

Toon Tuesday: Disney/Pixar tightens its belt while DreamWorks Animation stays the course

Posted 10-16-2006

by Jim Hill
- 30 Comments
As Hollywood starts to deal with the long-term ramifications of the CG glut, three of the top animation studios make plans for the future. Jim Hill now reports on how Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks are each handling this crisis...
Jim Hill

Monday Mouse Watch: Harry Potter and the Letter of Intent

Posted 10-15-2006

by Jim Hill
- 38 Comments
Were you wondering what Bob Iger's going to do during his second year as Disney's new CEO? How he's ever going to top that $7.4 billion acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios? Jim Hill has some news that's sure to intrigue all of you HP & LOTR fans out there...
Jim Hill

A special what-might-have-been version of Why For

Posted 10-12-2006

by Jim Hill
- 18 Comments
Jim Hill's back with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim talks about the walk-through version of the Haunted Mansion, the concept art that's on display at the Disneyland Hotel as well as sharing some photos of Epcot's proposed Mount Fuji attraction...
Jim Hill

"The Gremlins: The Lost Walt Disney Production" finally finds its way back into bookstores

Posted 10-11-2006

by Jim Hill
- 15 Comments
Jim Hill reviews Dark Horse's reprint of a 1943 Roald Dahl book, which reveals the storyline of an animated feature that Walt Disney almost made during World war II
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Jim Hill

Toon Tuesday: Recycling, Disney Feature Animation-style

Posted 10-09-2006

by Jim Hill
- 38 Comments
As word comes out of Burbank that Chris Sanders' new film may soon be undergoing a title change, Jim Hill talks about how Disney Feature Animation regularly tries to recycle characters and concepts...
Jim Hill

A special "No nudes is good news" edition of Why For

Posted 10-05-2006

by Jim Hill
- 19 Comments
Jim Hill's back with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim talks about how Disney Consumer Products tries to influence the films that the studio makes, why you weren't able to spy any naughty bits in "Mulan" 's skinny dipping scene as well as where exactly in "Chicken Little" do Disney animators make fun of "Herbie - Fully Loaded"...
Jim Hill

Toon Thursday: Animation vet helped create this past weekend's top grossing film AND this week's best selling DVD

Posted 10-04-2006

by Jim Hill
- 20 Comments
Jim Hill talks with Roger Allers about his two most recent assignments: Directing "The Little Match Girl" for Disney Feature Animation as well as co-directing "Open Season" for Sony Pictures Animation...
Jim Hill

Buena Vista Home Entertainment starts to get out of the unnecessary sequel business

Posted 10-03-2006

by Jim Hill
- 39 Comments
Jim Hill talks about some of the trailers that you'll find attached to the Platinum Edition DVD of "The Little Mermaid." More importantly, the movies that the Mouse won't be making. Now that John Lasseter is calling the shots at WDFA...