On Saturday, February 10th, 2018 at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 11th, 2018 at 2:00pm the Riverside Philharmonic Presents “Animatus Eventus” – an all animation program with live musical accompaniment by the Riverside Philharmonic. It will feature the premiere of Mark Watters’ original score for a newly restored Walt Disney’s silent short, Alice’s Little Parade (1926). […]
Posts Tagged ‘Disney’
90th Anniversary of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Celebrated in Definitive New Book
August 28th, 2017 
Dave Bossert Before there was a mouse, there was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit . But just how important this character is to the legacy of The Walt Disney Company has never been fully understood—until now. From David A. Bossert, an acclaimed 32-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company, and award-winning artist, filmmaker, and author, comes an exclusive […]
BLU-RAY REVIEW: Disney’s “Pinocchio” Signature Collection
February 2nd, 2017 Greg Ehrbar No less than three of this year’s Oscar- and Annie-nominated animated features boast spectacular action sequences set upon roaring oceans: Moana, The Red Turtle and Kubo and the Two Strings. Astonishing as those sequences are, a look at the Monstro sequence on the new “Signature Collection” Blu-ray still takes one’s breath away over 75 years […]
Tyrus Wong 1910-2016
December 31st, 2016 Jerry Beck Tyrus Wong, a Hollywood production artist and designer, most notable for his delicate work that inspired Walt Disney’s Bambi (1942), has passed away at age 106. A Disney inspirational sketch artist from 1938 through 41 – and later a career film production illustrator for Warner Bros. from 1942 through 1968 – Wong’s work establishing the […]
Disney Begins Production on New “Muppet Babies” Series for 2018
October 26th, 2016 Jerry Beck Disney has begun production on a reimagined Muppet Babies television series, which chronicles the playroom antics of the beloved Kermit the Frog, Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal and Miss Nanny. A co-production between Disney Junior, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media’s (DCPI) Content & Media group, and The Muppets Studio, the CG-animated series is slated […]
Taschen’s Disney Book: “The Walt Disney Film Archives. The Animated Movies 1921–1968”
October 12th, 2016 Jerry Beck This isn’t a review – but an unabashed plug for one of the most exciting animation book releases of the year. The Walt Disney Film Archives. The Animated Movies 1921–1968 is the first volume in Taschen’s illustrated history of Disney animation. Having some 1,500 images and essays by eminent Disney experts (including our own Charles […]
The Voice of Beauty, PAIGE O’HARA: On 25 years of being Belle
September 19th, 2016 Leslie Combemale This Tuesday, September 20th, the 25th anniversary edition of the classic from the new golden age of animation Beauty and the Beast is being released anew on blu-ray. Many know it won two Academy Awards, one for best song, the other for best original score, and was also the first animated feature to get nominated […]
On The Manufactured Rivalry Between Disney And Pixar
June 23rd, 2016 Charles Kenny Ever since both animation studios were joined under the same corporate umbrella, there has been a fair degree of rampant speculation over which studio has been the ‘better’ of the two. The existence of a rivalry between the two may be real, but the extent to which it is pedaled borders on the obscene. In […]
Directors Byron Howard & Rich Moore Talk “Zootopia” On Blu-Ray
June 15th, 2016 Greg Ehrbar If you didn’t know that Byron Howard (Tangled, Bolt) and Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph, The Simpsons) were directors of one of this year’s biggest movie hits, you might think they were a successful comedy team. The chemistry between the two is evident in the bonus features on the new Zootopia Blu-ray (on sale now) and […]
The Academy’s 25th Anniversary Screening of Disney’s “Beauty And The Beast”
April 28th, 2016 Jerry Beck Eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken and three-time Oscar nominee and Honorary Academy Award recipient Angela Lansbury will join voice actors Paige O’Hara, Richard White and Robby Benson, supervising animators Andreas Deja, Mark Henn and Glen Keane, key story artist Brenda Chapman, Oscar-nominated producer Don Hahn, and director Gary Trousdale onstage for a 25th anniversary celebration […]
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Tags: Beauty and the Beast, Disney 
Comments Off on The Academy’s 25th Anniversary Screening of Disney’s “Beauty And The Beast” An Open Letter From Mary Costa (The Voice of Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty”)
April 4th, 2016 Jerry Beck On behalf of Mary Costa – the legendary voice of Princess Aurora in Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty (1959) – I am posting this open-letter to her many fans and friends. Please join us in granting this very special birthday gift to Ms. Costa. We wish her our very best – and may she enjoy many more years of […]
When Was the Last Time a Western Animated Film Explored Interpersonal Relationships?
This just popped into my head earlier today: Western films tend to reflect the struggle of the individual. Eastern films in contrast are more likely to use interpersonal relationships as a foundation for the story. There’s a marked difference, and its one that could really enliven western animated filmmaking. There’s no doubt that many western […]