Category Archives: Features

The "Disney View" of "Pinocchio"

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pinocchiodvdLegendary Disney artist Toby Bluth explains the process of “Disney View,” which enhances the BluRay experience of the 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition of “Pinocchio.”

BY KEVIN CARR

Over the years, the Walt Disney Company has treasured its classic animated films, bringing them out of the vault periodically for limited releases on home video. Once digital home entertainment took hold with the public, Disney has given its most revered films for releases in Platinum Editions, which feature multi-disc releases and restored footage and sound, plus plenty of bonus features.

Now that the BluRay hi-def format is widely available, Disney is moving their Platinum releases to this new superior format. The most recent Platinum Edition is the 1940 classic “Pinocchio,” which is getting a 70th anniversary release on March 10, 2009.
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A Look at “LOST”

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alookatlost

BY KEVIN CARR

In preparation for the release of “LOST: The Complete Fourth Season,” producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse took some time this past week to answer some questions about the past, present and future of the show. Here’s some of the things they had to say regarding…
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A Look at "LOST"

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alookatlost

BY KEVIN CARR

In preparation for the release of “LOST: The Complete Fourth Season,” producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse took some time this past week to answer some questions about the past, present and future of the show. Here’s some of the things they had to say regarding…
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Sara Duran-Singer Interview

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Slepping Beauty - Platinum EditionA Look at the Restoration of “Sleeping Beauty”

BY KEVIN CARR

Sara Duran-Singer is the Senior VP of Post Production at Walt Disney Studios and the Executive Sponsor In-Charge of restoration and preservation. She oversaw how Walt Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” was restored for the Platinum-Edition DVD and BluRay release.

Ever since DVDs became the home video standard, the Walt Disney Company has provided fans with incredible releases in the form of Platinum Editions. The platinum treatment is reserved for only the classic in the Disney library, and with each release, technology has allowed them to restore the film even more.
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Mary Costa Interview

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sleepingbeautyA Conversation with Mary Costa of “Sleeping Beauty”

BY KEVIN CARR

This week, the Walt Disney Company is releasing the 2-disc Platinum Edition of Sleeping Beauty to commemorate the movie’s upcoming 50th anniversary. It’s also available for the first time on BluRay in a 3-disc set (which includes hi-def versions of the first two discs, along with a bonus standard DVD of the film).

Mary Costa, who provided the voice for Princess Aurora, as well as a life-action reference for the animator, saw the film this September in high definition at the El Capitan theater.

“I was absolutely enveloped in what I thought was a perfect film,” she said. “I’ve seen it through the years, and I thought Walt Disney must be smiling because he was a perfectionist, and for the first time, it was perfection.”
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Disney Letters 101

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dodiesmithBY KEVIN CARR

On a visit to the Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, I had a chance to see – and touch – a part of Disney history. Resident Disney historian David Smith gave the press a peek at some of the correspondence between Walt Disney and Dodie Smith, the author of the original book “The One Hundred and One Dalmatians.”

While the letters from Walt Disney were carbon copies from 1961 (as the originals are with Mrs. Smith’s estate in England), the letters to Disney are the originals.
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Cruella De Vil 101

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cruella101A look into Disney history with never-before-seen cells of Cruella De Vil.”

BY KEVIN CARR

During an interview with Alice Davis, the widow of legendary Disney animator Marc Davis, she was kind enough to pull out a piece of Disney history. In addition to designing characters like Maleficent and Tinkerbell, Marc Davis was also in charge of designing the classic Disney villain Cruella De Vil for “101 Dalmatians.”

Due to the fact that “101 Dalmatians” used a new, innovative technology to strike the cells from the original artists’ renderings, Davis was in charge of animated the entire character for the film. Because of this, Davis did not need to create reference sheets of Cruella De Vil for other animators. However, he did a number of sketches and drawings for his own reference.
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Dalmatian Art 101

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art101BY KEVIN CARR

Kevin Carr takes an art class at Walt Disney Studios in preparation for the Platinum Edition DVD release of “101 Dalmatians.”

A childhood dream of mine came true this month at the Walt Disney Studios. I had a chance to sit in with an art class at Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim and at the Animation Studios in Burbank, California. Master animator Andreas Deja, who is responsible for designing such classic villains as Scar from “The Lion King” and Jafar from “Aladdin,” led a class of journalists from around the world.

We got a chance to follow a piece of art from a pencil sketch, through the Xerox photographic process, onto an animated cell and through the ink-and-paint department.
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Jeannine Russo and Brad Raymond Interview

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Tinker Bell - Behind The LeafA Q&A with “TinkerBell” Filmmakers

BY KEVIN CARR

After being shut down in June of 2007, the “TinkerBell” movie is back in gear. After showing advanced clips of the film to press in February 2008, producer Jeannine Russo and director Brad Raymond were on hand to answer some questions about the film.

Q: What was it like bringing TinkerBell alive in 3D?
BRADLEY RAYMOND: Well, it was definitely a challenge because Tinker Bell is such great character, her design. Marc Davis designed her in such a perfect design. And to be able to capture the essence of Tinker Bell to put her into a 3-D believable world was a challenge. We wanted to capture the essence but there’s all kinds of things like the hair and making sure her hair looks like that same silhouette that you see in Marc’s great drawings and interpret it.
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‘TinkerBell’ Preview and the Tao of John Lasseter

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Tinker Bell - Behind The LeafThe press gets a sneak peek at the new “TinkerBell” movie, and some explanation of what happened behind the scenes

BY KEVIN CARR

Anyone who follows movie news – and particularly what’s been going on with Disney and Pixar – has heard the story of John Lasseter shutting down production of the direct-to-DVD “The TinkerBell Movie” last June. Recently, I was fortunate enough to get an inside peek at what has happened to the TinkerBell property.

The “TinkerBell” movie was in full swing, and the studio was even dropping ads on the head of some of their DVDs. However, when Disney acquired Pixar, “Toy Story” director John Lasseter was put in charge of the new animation department. After looking at the already in-progress project, Lasseter shut it down. The official word is that he didn’t feel the story was up to snuff.
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'TinkerBell' Preview and the Tao of John Lasseter

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Tinker Bell - Behind The LeafThe press gets a sneak peek at the new “TinkerBell” movie, and some explanation of what happened behind the scenes

BY KEVIN CARR

Anyone who follows movie news – and particularly what’s been going on with Disney and Pixar – has heard the story of John Lasseter shutting down production of the direct-to-DVD “The TinkerBell Movie” last June. Recently, I was fortunate enough to get an inside peek at what has happened to the TinkerBell property.

The “TinkerBell” movie was in full swing, and the studio was even dropping ads on the head of some of their DVDs. However, when Disney acquired Pixar, “Toy Story” director John Lasseter was put in charge of the new animation department. After looking at the already in-progress project, Lasseter shut it down. The official word is that he didn’t feel the story was up to snuff.
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Richard Sherman Interview

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aristocatsA Conversation with Richard Sherman, Disney composer from “The Aristocats”

BY KEVIN CARR

Anyone who has seen the classic Disney films understands the importance of music in these movies. While it seems to be disappearing from the standard feature, the classic films have songs that are equally – or even more – famous than the movies themselves.

Songwriter Richard Sherman became a staff songwriter for Walt Disney in 1960. Along with his brother Robert, he was responsible for a large portion of the Disney vault of songs. From the infuriatingly infectious “It’s a Small World” to the tunes of “Mary Poppins,” the Sherman brothers helped write the songs that made the Disney films famous.
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John Caparulo Interview

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johncaparuloA Conversation with John Caparulo from “Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show”

BY KEVIN CARR

A few years back, Hollywood star Vince Vaughn decided to do a good thing for a group of friends he had met while hanging out in the comedy clubs of Los Angeles. He spearheaded a cross-country comedy show featuring four up-and-coming comics. The show, dubbed “Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show,” hit 30 cities in 30 days, selling out across the country.

One of the comics featured in the show was Ohio-born John Caparulo, who was born in East Liverpool, Ohio (which can be found in the no-mans-land where Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia meet). Of course, few people outside of Ohio (and frankly, few people inside Ohio) know where East Liverpool is, so Caparulo generally calls himself a Cleveland boy.
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Bob Clendenin and Kirsten Gronfield Interview

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bobkirstenA Conversation with Bob Clendenin and Kirsten Gronfield of “10 Items or Less”

BY KEVIN CARR

Hear the entire interview…

Ever since the groundbreaking show “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” a popular trend of comedy is the improvised show. One of the latest creations in this genre is TBS’s late-night show “10 Items or Less.” Filmed in a working grocery store in the San Fernando Valley, yet set in Ohio, the show highlights the dysfunction and struggles of the working stiff.

Bob Clendenin plays the quiet stock boy Carl, and Kirsten Gronfield plays the quirky but explosive clerk Ingrid. I had a chance to sit down with the pair to talk about how the show works and what can be expected in its second season.
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Michael Katleman Interview

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primevaldvdA discussion of the release of “Primeval” on DVD, including an interview with director Michael Katleman.

BY KEVIN CARR

Over the past few years, horror movies have not been systematically cordoned off into the Halloween season. With “Black Christmas” and “Wolf Creek” opening on the past two Christmas Days, it seems that no release date is off limit for scary movies.

This January saw the release of the thriller “Primeval.” The film, billed as a serial killer movie but featuring the murderous exploits of a giant African crocodile, scared up a little more than $10 million on its domestic haul.

Still, a movie like this is primed (pardon the pun) for a new life on DVD. After all, what jittery high school teenager doesn’t want to watch a scary movie with his or her friends on a Friday night? That was a staple of my childhood. (Sure, I wasn’t much of a party-goer, but horror movies always played well with the girls.)
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