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Growing up in the 1980s, Halloween was always a big deal, and we didn’t have all the streaming options we do now. Holiday specials were always something kids looked forward to, and A Disney Halloween was one I especially loved.

A Disney Halloween debuted on October 1, 1983, and ran until the 1999s. The 90-minute special is the most known of the Halloween offerings. It combined aspects of Disney’s Halloween Treat (1982) and Disney’s Greatest Villains (1977.)

It’s hard to find a clean version of A Disney Halloween special

While not as hard to find as Disney’s Halloween Treat, a clear version of A Disney Halloween hasn’t always been easy to pull up on places like YouTube. But Joshua L. Harris from Jlh Omnimedia has taken the time to reconstruct the special as much as he could in HD.

I got to ask him a few questions about...

Some perceive Peter Pan as evil, with a theory suggesting he murders his Lost Boys. The narrative paints Captain Hook in a more sympathetic light as Peter Pan's former friend turned resistive enemy. Disney embraced the evil Peter Pan theory in their ripoff-centered movie Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers.

One particularly dark Peter Pan theory asks, "is Peter Pan evil?" suggesting that the beloved Disney character may be a murderous villain. Peter Pan has been delighting Disney fans for generations since its initial release in 1953 and the story—originally written by J.M. Barrie—has been adapted numerous times. In practically every incarnation, Peter Pan is the hero of the story, and the recognized villain is almost always Peter's sworn enemy, the feared pirate Captain Hook. The story of Disney's Peter Pan is more child-friendly than Barrie's original story, but the general premise remains the same.

A popular theory...

Corey Burton was initially nervous about getting into voice acting due to his shyness, but has since become one of the most well-known and recognizable voices in the industry. He got his start with Disney at the age of seventeen, where he performed a near-perfect imitation of Hans Conried, who voiced Captain Hook in Peter Pan (1953). This led to him studying radio acting under the tutelage of legends like Paul Frees and Daws Butler, which only expanded his impressive vocal range.

A Complete Guide to the Best Grinch Movies and TV Shows Out There(Photo Credit –IMDb)

The grumpy Grinch, known for his dislike of all things Christmas, has always been a staple of mainstream media during the holidays, thanks to Dr. Suess’s children’s book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” But it’s the young adults of this generation that relate to this green goblin more than children do. He’s a mean-spirited, cynical, and sarcastic creature who just does not get the appeal of Christmas. He doesn’t enjoy the racket that Christmas causes and prefers to be in a quiet, peaceful place instead. But when the folks of Whoville go too far with their festivities, he vows to destroy Christmas once and for all.

The Grinch is undeniably fascinating. There have been multiple adaptations of him across the film industry centering around the premise of him trying to ruin Christmas.

There are many ways to tell a story like Peter Pan. Perhaps most importantly, there are many ways to finish a story like Peter Pan. In his original 1911 novel, J.M. Barrie ended the adventure of the boy who wouldn’t grow up by having Peter return alone to a Never Land free of Captain Hook. The pirate captain ends the book being eaten by the crocodile that hunted and haunted him for years on end. In the 1953 classic animated Disney film, Peter Pan (Bobby Driscoll) returns to Never Land with his Lost Boys. Hook (Hans Conried) is chased off by the crocodile. It is unclear whether he survives. Now, in the newest live-action Disney remake, Peter Pan & Wendy, Peter (Alexander Molony) leaves the Lost Boys with the Darlings and goes back to Never Land to rescue Hook (Jude Law) after sinking his ship.

Spoilers for "Wish" follow.

The villains from Walt Disney Animation's feature films have traditionally been so striking and scary that the company has thought to separate them into their own brand. The brand tends to focus on Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) from 1959's "Sleeping Beauty," Cruella de Vil (Betty Lou Gerson) from 1961's "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," Ursula the Sea Witch (Pat Caroll) from 1989's "The Little Mermaid," the Evil Queen (Lucille La Verne) from 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Captain Hook (Hans Conreid) from 1953's "Peter Pan," Hades (James Woods) from 1997's "Hercules," and Dr. Facilier (Keith David) from 2009's "The Princess and the Frog." 

Occasionally, one might find Gaston (Richard White) from 1991's "Beauty and the Beast" in the mix or Chernabog from 1940's "Fantasia." These characters are all memorable for their scary designs, their misguided lust for power or destruction, their resentment, their hatred of the world,...

On Friday nights — and special occasions! — IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.

Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.

The Pitch: It’s a Wonderful Night for Eyebrows!

Don’t tell the Seventh-day Adventists, but Halloween and Christmas are inextricably linked.

Film lovers can thank Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” for the holidays’ most popular narrative connection — but slasher Santas and Yuletide ghosts existed way before Jack Skellington hit Christmas Town. The connection makes sense. The Western world’s two biggest holidays are contrasting yet complementary: theatrical celebrations of excess and society-wide make-believe that tickle our imaginations, feed our appetites, and provide pseudo-intellectuals with the perfect excuse to misunderstand Pagan tradition.

Futurama and The Simpsons share a number of voice actors, with Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Jan Hooks, Hank Azaria, Kevin Michael Richardson, Tress MacNeille, Frank Welker, and Maurice Lamarche all contributing to both shows. Several cast members from The Simpsons have made guest appearances on Futurama, including Dan Castellaneta as The Robot Devil, Nancy Cartwright as a Bart Simpson doll, and Jan Hooks as both Manjula and Angleyne. The crossover between the two shows goes beyond voice actors, with numerous guest stars appearing as themselves on both Futurama and The Simpsons, and even some fictional characters from The Simpsons being depicted on Futurama.

When Matt Groening launched Futurama in 1999, it was very much viewed as his follow-up to The Simpsons. The show opted to stay away from comparisons to The Simpsons in some ways such as avoiding Halloween specials and embracing a new animation style that would enhance its hand-drawn...

Leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter and nearly everything on TV is getting spookier. Halloween is fast approaching, and with it, a slew of scary movies and other frightful diversions for fans of the macabre. But what about the little ones? Where can parents find entertainment that'll get their kids into the Halloween spirit without inducing nightmares?

Halloween is generally considered a children's holiday. So, despite the plethora of horror films that come to the fore every October, there are always other options to get the trick-or-treaters excited about the 31st. Television networks have been making Halloween specials for kids since the 1960s, and that means there are plenty of great options to choose from.

Related: The 10 Best TV Witches

The Halloween Tree

Originally conceived by sci-fi author Ray Bradbury and animator Chuck Jones in 1967, The Halloween Tree was intended as a rebuttal to lighter fare produced the previous year.

The following contains spoilers for Peter Pan & Wendy, now streaming on Disney+.

Disney's new version of Peter Pan & Wendy endeavors to update the time-worn story for a new era. Though heavily based on the classic animated 1953 version that remains one of the company's evergreens, it makes several alterations to the story. Some come from the original stage play by J.M. Barrie, where the story began, while others are purely the creation of this production.

In the process, it breaks with a long-standing tradition for Peter Pan adaptations: casting the same actor to play both Captain Hook and Wendy's father, George Darling. Jude Law stars as Hook, and versatile actor Alan Tudyk plays Mr. Darling, which separates the two thematically as well as literally. The production does so with great deliberation. Simply put, the casting change better suits some of the things it wants to do with the story, leaving...

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Peter Pan & WendyDisney's new live-action Peter Pan & Wendy gives Captain Hook a completely new backstory. The iconic pirate villain of J.M. Barrie's original Peter and Wendy, named Captain James Hook, is bent on killing Peter Pan because Peter cut off his hand and fed it to the crocodile. Barrie also says Hook worked for Blackbeard and was the only man Long John Silver was afraid of. In the play, it's implied Hook went to Eton College and Balliol College.

Many Peter Pan adaptations don't explain Hook's history beyond his feud with Peter. Peter Pan & Wendy decided to not only ignore Hook's supposed connections to famous pirates and colleges, but contradict them entirely. In so doing, it gives Captain Hook a backstory that further explains why he hates Peter Pan.

Related: Is The Peter Pan & Wendy Movie Suitable For Children?

Captain Hook's Peter Pan & Wendy...

For Jude Law, getting to play Captain Hook has been a long time coming — and has a special significance for the Oscar-nominated star.

Law walked the carpet at the premiere of his new film, “Peter Pan & Wendy”, at the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City on Tuesday, and he spoke with Et about why playing Hook will have a unique meaning for his eldest son, 26-year-old Rafferty Law.

“I used to play as Hook opposite my son my eldest son, when he was a little boy,” Law recalled fondly. “So we’d kind of already been there together. And for him, it’ll be a really, really special experience, I think, seeing me actually as Hook.”

Law said that, in general, when it comes to choosing parts, “I tend to do the parts for myself, and what I find interesting.”

“But it is definitely a bonus that...

In a new clip from Peter Pan & Wendy, an unfortunate crewmate gets on the wrong side of Jude Law's Captain Hook. The upcoming live-action adaptation of Disney's beloved 1953 animated movie, Peter Pan, sees Law face off against Alexander Maloney and Ever Anderson's titular heroes. The first live-action Disney remake set to release in 2023, Peter Pan & Wendy will debut on Disney+ on April 28.

Ahead of Peter Pan & Wendy's release, Walt Disney Studios has released a new clip from director David Lowery's upcoming movie, giving audiences a new glimpse at the villainous temper of Law's Captain Hook.

In the clip above, a member of Hook's crew finds himself the victim of his Captain's foul mood, as the pirate shoots his quarters' door off its hinges after the shipmate mentions his sworn enemy. As Hook steps out onto the deck, walking over his crushed underling, he...

Disney's latest live-action riff on a classic is "Peter Pan & Wendy," a new adaptation of the classic "Peter Pan" story. Ever since first taking center stage in J.M. Barrie's 1904 stage play, Peter Pan and the magical land of Neverland have captured imaginations all over the world. The whimsical story with a hint of darkness has inspired plenty of movies, plays, and books over the years, each with a slightly different take on the Boy Who Never Grew Up. Here's a brief look back at all of the notable movie adaptations and how they each made the Neverland mythos their own.

"Peter Pan" (1924)

The first authorized movie adaptation of "Peter Pan" was this silent film version, starring Betty Bronson as Peter Pan, Ernest Torrence as Captain Hook, Mary Brian as Wendy Darling, and Virginia Brown Faire as Tinker Bell. J.M. Barrie personally worked on a screenplay for this one,...

Glee star Matthew Morrison is going green for the holidays this year, as the Tony-nominated performer will lead a new TV musical special based on the classic Dr. Seuss book How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Dubbed Dr. Seuss' the Grinch Musical, the special will air on NBC on Dec. 9. Morrison will star as the titular Christmas-stealer, and the show will also co-star Tony winner Denis O'Hare (Big Little Lies) as old Max, Booboo Stewart (Descendents 3) as young Max, and Amelia Minto (The Lost Girls) as Cindy-Lou Who.

"While the pandemic presents some challenges in bringing the stage musical to life, we are putting together a really special show with some crazy, fun, imaginative things going on," Matthew Morrison said of the upcoming musical this week on The Today Show.

"Dr. Seuss is an indelible part of all of our lives and we're thrilled to bring a stage production of The Grinch Musical!

Alongside remakes of The Little Mermaid, Robin Hood, and Hercules, Disney is also planning to bring Neverland into the world of live-action with Peter Pan and Wendy. Now sources claim that the studio is locking down Jude Law as Captain Hook, originally voiced by the iconic Hans Conried in the 1953 animated classic.

The Peter Pan remake is set to be directed by David Lowery, whose previous credits include Pete's Dragon, A Ghost Story, and The Old Man & The Gun starring Robert Redford. Lowery co-wrote the script with Toby Halbrooks, and Jim Whitaker will be producing. Jude Law as Captain Hook is the first casting that has been announced, though Disney hasn't officially confirmed he's signed just yet.

Sources have also said that the release is expected to be theatrical and will not go straight to the Disney+ streaming route, unlike some of the recent live-action remakes.

This will of...

There are so many categories for the Emmy Awards that the Television Academy hands out the statuettes during three very long ceremonies. But that wasn’t the case with the first Emmy Awards on Jan. 25, 1949. In fact, there were less than a million TV sets in the U.S. at the time.

The Emmys took place at the Hollywood Athletic Club. Rudy Vallee was slated to host the event but had to leave town. So, radio star Walter O’Keefe emceed the proceedings. Tickets were $5. Six awards were handed out including a special award for Louis McManus who designed the Emmy. The ceremony was broadcast on the local L.A. station Ktsl, which is now Kcbs. -TV.

Back in 1998 I talked to three of the winners of the 1st Emmy Awards for the L.A. Times.

Then 22-year-old ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale — who appeared on Ktla with her puppet Judy Splinters-she...

John Wayne! Janet Leigh! Nifty jet-age flying sequences! Goofy, bad-taste sex jokes! Hans Conreid as a chortling Russian army officer! Howard Hughes’ personal fun project took seven years to make while he played games with the aerial footage. It’s a highly-polished absurd joke, but it’s certainly entertaining. See Hughes try to do for Janet Leigh what he did for Jane Russell — I assume Ms. Leigh was too shrewd to sign any long-term contracts! This German disc has excellent widescreen image and audio.

Jet Pilot

Blu-ray

Explosive Media GmbH

1957 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 113 min. / Düsenjäger / Street Date June 14 2018, 2019 / 12.99 euros

Starring: John Wayne, Janet Leigh, Jay C. Flippen, Paul Fix, Richard Rober, Roland Winters, Hans Conried, Ivan Triesault, Hall Bartlett, Gregg Barton, Gene Evans, Paul Frees, Harry Lauter, Nelson Leigh, Denver Pyle, Gene Roth, Kenneth Tobey, Mamie Van Doren, Carleton Young.

Cinematography: Winton C. Hoch

Aerial Stunts: Chuck Yeager

Original Music:...

I don’t know if Garland fans still go around chanting ‘Judy Judy Judy’ at her every appearance, but they do have a timeless song ‘n’ dance number to celebrate here. Her last MGM movie is only a so-so vehicle but Gene Kelly and the studio’s top music & dance talent work hard to put it over the top. Garland’s lack of stability is still an issue. For much of the movie she looks visibly overweight, yet in the showstopper ‘Get Happy’ she suddenly slims down to the best — maybe not the healthiest — look of her career.

Summer Stock

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1950 / Color / 1:37 flat Academy / 109 min. / Street Date April 30, 2019 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Eddie Bracken, Gloria DeHaven, Marjorie Main, Phil Silvers, Ray Collins, Nita Bieber, Carleton Carpenter, Hans Conried, Jeanne Coyne, Carol Haney, Almira Sessions.

Cinematography: Robert H. Planck

Film Editor: Albert Akst...

Nick Aldwinckle Sep 4, 2017

Our latest round-up of horror and genre DVDs and Blu-rays...

So: with season two of Stranger Things fast approaching, a remake of Stephen King’s It set to mildly trouble a whole new generation and, erm, the on-going threat of nuclear armageddon, it seems everything eighties is 'in' at the moment. And, you know what? That surely must include Dennis Quaid, right? Well, maybe not, unless you count this year’s canine reincarnation/multiple hound-homicide horror A Dog’s Purpose, which we don’t in these parts. Anyway, Quaid’s back in Blu-ray form with the recent repackaging of his 1984 quirky fantasy thriller Dreamscape.

Nicely sandwiched between the release of Jaws 3-D and Enemy Mine, surely two of the most Quaidessential (sorry) films of the decade, Dreamscape sees our hero take on the mantle of a cheaper Harrison Ford, burdened with psychic powers that he must use...

When the mood strikes, there’s nothing better than an Atomic Age Monster Movie (B Division). Glorious black & white, damsels in distress, iron willed heroes and rubberized villains never fail to hit all the pleasure centers. The Monster that Challenged the World (1957) is one such film, and better made than most of the era. As the tagline says, “A New Kind of Terror to Numb the Nerves!” Well, you may just feel a tingle, but it’s a blast nevertheless.

Released by United Artists in the States in June and rolled out to the rest of the world in ’58, Monster was produced for $250,000; a fair chunk of change for Gramercy Pictures, run by producers Arthur Gardner, Jules V. Levy and director Arnold Laven - they also produced the same year’s The Vampire (read my Dust Off here). And the price tag shows too; Monster is as polished looking as...

Face front, true believers! Class is in session! Let’s call this “Doctor Strange 101”, an introduction to the newest member of the “Marvel movie-verse”, although, as you’ll soon learn, the sorcerer supreme is one of the oldest heroes. So, to get you up to speed before heading to the multiplex, we’re giving you a top ten list of facts about the “master of mystic arts”. First, a look at his lineage….

1. Doctor Strange Has Lots Of “Magic Hero” Predecessors Let’s go back over a 100 years, when magicians where a popular part of live entertainment. Many real-life stage performers like Houdini and Blackstone branched out into the printed page, starring in fictional exploits via booklets called “penny dreadfuls” which became the lurid pulp novels. In 1931 a radio show presented the adventures of the mysterious “Chandu the Magician” (one big fan was young Stan Lee). Edmund Lowe battled master...

Rko's morale-building wartime thriller adds an element of sexual perversion to its story of Nazi crimes against children, thus creating one of the studio's all-time biggest hits. Bonita Granville is the victim Tim Holt her Nazi-youth heartthrob, and Otto Kruger provides the perverted sneers. Hitler's Children DVD-r The Warner Archive Collection 1943 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 82 min. / Street Date December 1, 2015 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Tim Holt, Bonita Granville, Kent Smith, Otto Kruger, H.B. Warner, Lloyd Corrigan, Erford Gage, Hans Conried, Gavin Muir, Nancy Gates, Egon Brecher, Peter van Eyck, Edward Van Sloan. Cinematography Russell Metty Film Editor Joseph Noriega Original Music Roy Webb Written by Emmet Lavery from the book Education for Death by Gregor Ziemer Produced by Edward A. Golden Directed by Edward Dmytryk

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

Perhaps the most popular anti-Nazi info-propaganda thriller of the war, Hitler's Children is a very well made shocker that...

Michael Curtiz's wartime tale of Devil's Island convict Humphrey Bogart fighting to get back and defend France has a still-controversial scene of violence. The convoluted storyline nests enough flashbacks-within-flashbacks to confuse any viewer, and packs the screen with every actor on the Warner lot who can handle a foreign accent. With Claude Rains, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, George Tobias, and Michèle Morgan. Passage to Marseille Blu-ray Warner Archive Collection 1944 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 109 min. / Street Date November 10, 2015 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains, Michèle Morgan, Philip Dorn, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, George Tobias, Helmut Dantine, John Loder, Victor Francen, Vladimir Sokoloff, Eduardo Ciannelli. Cinematography James Wong Howe Art Direction Carl Julius Weyl Film Editor Owen Marks Original Music Max Steiner Written by Casey Robinson, Jock Moffitt from a novel by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall Produced by Jack L. Warner Directed by Michael Curtiz...

We spend years viewing the world through the eyes of a child before abandoning it. Not the world, that is—but we grow into players in the game of Life, rub our heavy eyelids, and take to ever-trippy existence from a heightened perspective in which our formative fears and fantasies are filtered through a scope less blurry, unadulterated. And then in doing so we leave a little something behind. For a grown-up to be considered “childish” comes with more negative connotations than posi, but to retain one’s inner child is a paramount strength. So what is the difference?Theodore Geisel, also known under the pseudonym Dr. Seuss, authored the most celebrated children’s literature of his time. He presented generations upon generations whimsical visions which, in proper auteur style, require just a single glance to recognize as work of his. Geisel’s simply-worded fables were praised for encouraging youth...

Welcome to a special Blu-ray edition of the horror round-up! This time we're taking a look at three upcoming home media releases of horror films featuring killers of the monstrous, human, and vampiric variety. This spring will see special two-disc Collector's Edition Blu-ray releases of Jesús Franco's Vampyros Lesbos and She Killed in Ecstasy, and fans of Arnold Laven's creature feature, The Monster That Challenged the World, should be pleased to know that the film will hit home media in high-definition in August from Kino Lorber (special features have yet to be revealed for all three releases).

Vampyros Lesbos (April 14th Blu-ray release): Directed by Jesús Franco, Vampyros Lesbos stars Soledad Miranda, Dennis Price, and Ewa Strömberg.

Synopsis: "Countess Nadine Carody, a vampire with an insatiable thirst for female blood, lures women to her isolated island to love...then kill...her victims! Linda Westinghouse comes to the...

Tim here. It’s Independence Day weekend here in the States, which means that most of you undoubtedly have something better to do than read about old cartoons. But if I promise to keep things short, hopefully you’ll indulge me in chatting up an odd little animated short perfectly timed to the holiday.

I have in mind Ben and Me, one of the oddest one-offs in the history of Walt Disney Productions. Released in November, 1953, it was the studio’s first two-reel animated short, and one of the initial releases under Disney’s own Buena Vista Distribution label, part of a package deal with the nature documentary The Living Desert. But more to the point, for our present purposes, it’s about how a mouse helps Benjamin Franklin write the preamble to the Declaration of Independence. We can wait a minute if you want to process all the ways...

Let me see your fingers, lad! Are they limber? Are they happy?

The Thing With Two Heads, Danger Diabolik, Gator Bait, and Tarantula are a few of the movies they’ve screened in the past at Webster University’s Strange Brew cult film series. Always the first Wednesday evening of every month, the fun happens at Schlafly Bottleworks Restaurant and Bar in Maplewood (7260 Southwest Ave.- at Manchester – Maplewood, Mo 63143). This week, on Wednesday February 5th at 8pm, they’re venturing it’s sheer ’50s madness with the amazing The 5,000 Fingers Of Dr. T.

Admission is only $4!

Dr. Suess once said: “Adults are just obsolete children and the hell with them.” I wish Dr. Suess had been involved in more movies, but for most of his career, Theodore Geisel was reluctant to have his characters marketed in contexts outside of his own books. The one exception (aside from a few...

This weekend at D23, Tom Hiddleston was revealed to be the latest in a long line of greats to portray the famous villain Captain James Hook, in The Pirate Fairy. The next day, he took the stage again, promoting the Thor sequel, in which he will play trickster and hellion Loki for the third time.

Hiddleston is, as a man, easygoing and thoughtful. He is quick to smile and kind to strangers — so why is he so drawn to playing bad guys?

“I think villains, really great villains, are always the most complex,” Hiddleston told EW. “Because in their heart,...

Paul Henreid: Hollow Triumph aka The Scar tonight Turner Classic Movies’ Paul Henreid film series continues this Tuesday evening, July 16, 2013. Of tonight’s movies, the most interesting offering is Hollow Triumph / The Scar, a 1948 B thriller adapted by Daniel Fuchs (Panic in the Streets, Love Me or Leave Me) from Murray Forbes’ novel, and in which the gentlemanly Henreid was cast against type: a crook who, in an attempt to escape from other (and more dangerous) crooks, impersonates a psychiatrist with a scar on his chin. Joan Bennett, mostly wasted in a non-role, is Henreid’s leading lady. (See also: “One Paul Henreid, Two Cigarettes, Four Bette Davis-es.”) The thriller’s director is Hungarian import Steve Sekely, whose Hollywood career consisted chiefly of minor B fare. In fact, though hardly a great effort, Hollow Triumph was probably the apex of Sekely’s cinematic output in terms of prestige...

By Todd Garbarini

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Walt Disney Studios graciously provided me with the opportunity recently to discuss Peter Pan with two of the film’s stars: Kathryn Beaumont, who provided the voice of Wendy, and Paul Collins, who provided the voice of John Darling.

Kathryn Beaumont

Todd Garbarini: Thank you for speaking with me about Peter Pan.

Kathryn Beaumont: Thank you, it’s my pleasure!

Tg: I am a big fan of the Disney cartoons as I spent the better part of my childhood seeing them.

Kb: I'm so glad! They really are special, aren't they? The Disney cartoons really stand the test of time.

Tg: These are some of the earliest movies I ever saw in both movie theaters and drive-ins. I really miss the drive-ins. There are so few of them left.

Kb: I know! I miss the drive-ins, too!

Tg: I...

Of all the classic animated films, Peter Pan may be the one that has spread its influence furthest. From James Kirk’s reference to the second star on the right to Michael Jackson’s compound being called Neverland, the enduring story of the boy who didn’t want to grow up resonates with us all. Walt Disney has shined its latest crown jewel to a brilliant luster in the Diamond Edition release of Peter Pan, a combo pack featuring Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital copy (along with a Storybook app for tablets). Said to be one of Disney’s favorite stories, he intended it to be among his earliest releases but circumstances delayed it from being completed until its 1953 release. As a result, some of the lush rotoscoping we saw in Snow White is replaced with complete hand-drawn animation, but it also means some of the figures, from Smee to the...

Blu-ray Review

Peter Pan

Directed by: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske

Cast: Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried

Running Time: 1 hr 16 mins

Rating: G

Due Out: February 5, 2013

Plot: Wendy and her brothers are whisked away to the magical world of Neverland with the hero of their stories, Peter Pan.

Who’S It For? Everyone knows the story of Peter Pan, but perhaps you haven’t seen it for a while. This review will clue you in if your child is ready.

Movie:

Since we all know the basic concept of the film, but are perhaps years (or decades) removed from seeing it, I’ve decided to do a running diary review of Peter Pan. I hope you enjoy.

“All of this happened before, and it will happen again.” That’s where we start, which I guess is referring to history repeating itself, but with other children, as opposed to...

Cinelinx has a wonderful thought after watching the Peter Pan: Diamond Edition Blu-ray!

The Set-up

Three British children are transported to Neverland, where a young boy named Peter and his band of Lost Boys do battle with the nefarious pirate Captain Hook. Based on the classic children's novel by Sir James Barrie.

The Delivery

Sir James M. Barrie's classic children's novel about the boy who never grew up has seen a number of incarnations, from the original story to a number of silent film and stage adaptations. Walt Disney's animated version, released in 1953, keeps some of the elements of the original story, with a good amount of Disneyfication (for lack of a better term) thrown in.

The fact that Disney softened some of the darker elements, added musical numbers, and changed a few things is hardly a drawback. In fact, it gives this version just the right personality and distinction.

Kathryn Beaumont, the voice of Wendy Darling, talks Peter Pan, debuting on Diamond Editon Blu-ray February 5

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has delved into its vault to bring back another one of their most cherished films for a whole new generation to enjoy. The studio is releasing the Diamond Edition version of Peter Pan on three-disc Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and Blu-ray/DVD for the first time, to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of this animated classic on February 5.

I recently had the privilege of speaking with actress Kathryn Beaumont, who provides both the voice of Wendy Darling and served as the live action model for the character. Take a look at what she had to say about this timeless animated adventure for the whole family.

This came right after Alice in Wonderland, and you provided both the voice and live-action reference for that as well. Did the experience from Alice in Wonderland lead right into Peter Pan?...

Welcome to another weekly preview of upcoming Blu-Ray releases! In this week’s edition, Flight makes a good case for taking the train to your next vacation destination, Here Comes the Boom hits store shelves with a – well with a boom I guess, and a beloved family classic finally gets a Blu-Ray release.

Ready for this week’s Blu-Ray releases? Then read on.

Flight

Starring: Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Don Cheadle, Kelly Reilly, Bruce Greenwood, and Melissa Leo.

Director: Robert Zemeckis

An American drama film from Academy Award-winning director Robert Zemeckis. It was well received by critics and was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Actor (for the film’s star Denzel Washington) and Best Original Screenplay.

Plot: An airline pilot saves a flight from crashing, but an investigation into the malfunction reveals something troubling.

My Thoughts: I haven’t watched it yet, but I’m looking forward to it.

On Tuesday (February 5), The Walt Disney Studios celebrates the 60th Anniversary release of Walt Disney’s classic, “Peter Pan,” as it soars to all-new heights – with a new digital restoration and high definition picture and sound – for the first time on Blu-ray™. The classic tale that taught us all “to believe” and first introduced us to the Darling children – Wendy, John and Michael – as they flew with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell past the second star to the right and straight on ‘till morning to the enchanted world of Never Land. Rediscover the magical adventure and relive childhood memories of this great bedtime story. In anticipation of the upcoming release of the 60th Anniversary Edition of Peter Pan, check out the slideshow featuring 1950s Live Action Reference photographs from Walt Disney Studio’s Vault!

The “Peter Pan” Diamond Edition Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy & Storybook App) is a...

Dante gives us the details of TCM’s June 23rd back-to-back-to-back double-features.

Another week in June means that TCM — possibly the best channel on any cable box anywhere — is back with another Thursday night chock full of monstrous mayhem. This week they’re turning their attention to something near and dear to our very hearts: underwater fiends.

Here’s Joe (and company) with the rundown:

June 23

It Came From Beneath The Sea - The top half of what Bill Warren has called the greatest double bill of the 50s (withCreature with the Atom Brain), this Harryhausen classic benefits from its newsreelish location shooting. Ernest Dickerson appreciates it here.

The Monster That Challenged The World – A surprisingly well produced cheapie with a cool, if immobile, monster by Augie Lohman that takes place on the Salton Sea. It’s a far cry from The Magnificent Ambersons, but a bulky Tim Holt makes...

Turner Classic Movies celebrates the brilliance in movies as recognized by the Academy starting February 1

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will be hosting yet another annual 31 Days of Oscar festival starting February 1st. The 2011 edition of the month-long event will feature more than 340 Academy Award-nominated and winning movies, scheduled in trivia-inspired marathons. In addition, each night will feature a Best Picture Oscar winner at 10 p.m. (Et).

TCM host Robert Osborne will host 31 Days of Oscar, which will mark its 17th year on Turner Classic Movies. The 2011 edition will feature several high-profile films making their debuts on TCM, including three Best Picture winners: Cavalcade (1933), Amadeus (1984) and Forrest Gump (1994). The month also includes the TCM debuts of the blockbusters Pretty Woman (1990) and Thelma & Louise (1991), as well as outstanding dramas like Hugh Hudson's Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984), Hector Babenco's Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), Spike Lee...

If you have Netflix and are a horror fan in need of something to watch this Labor Day weekend, one look at this gargantuan list I compiled of the new terror titles Netflix has added for instant streaming in just the first three days of this month should keep you busy until Labor Day next year. You'll find something for everyone, from older titles to recent releases, famous to obscure, classic to not-so-classic, monsters to maniacs - you name it.

For the record, I considered compiling this list in alphabetical order or by year of the film's release, but then I realized I had already spent well over an hour just sorting through the massive catalogue of titles Netflix has now made available for instant streaming and realized Labor Day would be over by the time I finished arranging this list in any kind of order. Ready? Here you go.

The Blu-ray conversion process continued throughout the year and there’s something for everyone. As the hours dwindle towards Santa’s arrival, here’s a trio of family-friendly Blu-ray offerings that are perfect – as long as you don’t have these on standard DVD. Warner Home Video wisely released A Charlie Brown Christmas and Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas some weeks back, completing the hat trick with the Blu-ray debut of Horton Hears a Who!

These are basically the standard DVDs upgraded to Blu-ray so everything looks and sounds marvelous. All the standard DVD extras are still here so there’s little to compel you to upgrade, especially since the prices treat these like the full-length feature films when the reality is, these were thirty minute television specials.

None of the above robs the trio from their power to entertain. The Charlie Brown special, which has been collected in multiple DVD sets,...

When I feel a little blue, there are a few movie moments that are guaranteed to lift my spirits with a straight shot to the serotonin. At the top of the list is the "Do-Mi-Do Duds" song from the bizarro kids' flick The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (video after the jump).

I first saw this 1953 film on TV as a small child, and I was utterly freaked out by it. For years I didn't know the name -- I'd ask random people if they remembered a movie with a kid playing the piano while wearing a rubber hand on his head, and I'd get blank, puzzled stares. Eventually, it was released on home video, and I discovered that there's something of a cult following for 5,000 Fingers among folks like me who had their brains bent by it at an early age.

If you've never seen the movie, you've missed out...

The saying goes that the hero of your story is only as great as your villain, On podcast #124 I made a bold statement that the key difference between classic Disney movies and Pixar films is their villains. I love Pixar films, but in my mind classic Disney movies like The Jungle Book and The Lion King are still superior films, principally because they all have the missing ingredient Pixar lacks; iconic, classic and memorable villains. Pixar films are anything but weak, some credit must go towards the heroic characters who inspire courage, hope and charm their ways into our hears, but the same can't be said about the Pixar characters whose job it is to create havoc and fear with their malicious deeds. Whether you love or hate Disney, it cannot be denied that they have come up with some greatest on screen villains in movie-making history. Here is my...