Disney's John Carter adaptation goes back to the future of film

With suited-up actors playing 12-foot Martians in locations based on Earth's natural sights, this is a triumph for old-style film-making that could make its competitors look prehistoric


Every time I write about John Carter, I find myself wanting to sell it to you. Usually, writing this blog requires a careful suppression of my naturally benevolent attitude towards fantasy fare in the knowledge that most of these movies don't end up being half as great as we expect them to be. But Disney's adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs's John Carter of Mars books is such a preposterous proposition – the opener to a mega-budget franchise, directed by a first-time live-action film-maker, set on a Mars that doesn't remotely resemble the real red planet and based on a series of books from a weird outdated genre which hardly anyone has read – that I can't help rooting for it.   Read More...

Disney Adds More Streaming

Rivals Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. unveiled separate deals with Walt Disney Co. to offer ABC and Disney Channel shows over the Internet.



The deals are the latest efforts by the streaming-video providers to build their libraries and attract subscribers. For content owners like Disney, the new deals are part of a gold rush as they look to cash in on what they see as a new marketplace for selling older TV shows and movies, even as other revenue sources like DVDs recede.



Amazon's subscription-based, unlimited streaming service has closed in on Netflix of late, adding more than 11,000 titles from companies such as CBS Corp. since February.  Read More...

Disney Gives Princesses The Boot

At the end of last year, just before the holidays, Disney announced that they would cease making princess movies. Women around the world took in a collective gasp, some of relief and others of horror. The era of the Disney princess was drawing to a close.

The actual statement made by Disney executives says fairy tale movies, but since the majority of Disney’s fairy tale movies have revolved around princesses, it means practically the same thing. Especially when you read further and learn the reason they are putting princesses aside: Boys won’t see movies with icky girls in them, and Disney does not want to risk alienating any boys.

I don't understand this move at all.  Disney has been Princess centered for years, they have been to some extent alienating boys for years, and they have made billions of dollars.  Why stop making princess movies?  Did I miss something, wasn't Tangled a box office hit?

Instead, why doesn't  Disney just add more boy centered movies and shows.  Disney should be able to make girl movies and boy movies at the same time. 

Disney, Pirates and Legos.... Awesome

Some things are just awesome - pirates and LEGO are two such beasts. And when their powers combine, they make the awesomest news we've heard all week.




Traveller's Tales, the developers of the much-loved LEGO series of games, which combine relatively simple platforming, adorable LEGO characters and a good dose of slapstick humour for great measure, have yesterday announced that the next franchise to get the LEGO treatment (following in the footsteps of Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Harry Potter) would be Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, in a partnership we're sure no-one saw coming.


Washing up on the Wii, DS and Xbox 360 in May 2011, to coincide with the release of the new film, 'On Stranger Tides', the game won't just contain levels from the new film, with the three previous films 'Curse of the Black Pearl', 'Dead Man's Chest' and 'At World's End' all getting a digital plastic recreation in the 20+ levels in the game, along with more than 70 different playable characters (I want that angry little monkey). The LEGO standard 2 player co-op is still intact with this game too, which is good news.  Read more here...

The First "Prom" Trailer

"Prom" portrays the precarious passage from high school to independence as some relationships unravel and others ignite. For Nova Prescott, it's a battle of wills as she finds herself drawn to the guy who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Fellow seniors Mei and Tyler harbor secrets, while others face all the insecurity and anticipation that surrounds one of high school's most seminal events.






The movie has cast ensemble consisting of young stars like "Friday Night Lights" actress Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, Yin Chang, De'Vaughn Nixon and many others. Directed by Joe Nussbaum ("Sleepover", "Sydney White") and written by Katie Wech ("The Dead Zone"), the drama comedy is slated for April 29, 2011 release in the U.S.