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As Wicked hit theaters, it's interesting to see Disney's surprisingly long history with the Oz books!

The world of Oz is about to see a new spark in popularity. After two decades as one of the biggest musical hits in the world, Wicked is about to hit the big screen in part one of a two-part epic. It's a revisionist take on the property showing how Elphaba aka the Wicked Witch of the West, wasn't that bad a person and her friendship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.

The movie is from Universal and seems set to become a major box office hit. Yet there was a time when it looked like Disney might get their toes into the property and the history of Disney and Oz is fascinating to see!

The early Oz foray

The early days of moviemaking were tricky, yet was always interested in adapting some beloved books.

We’re sad to report that Teri Garr, the gifted actress who starred in such classic films as Tootsie, Young Frankenstein, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, has passed away at 79. According to her publicist, Heidi Schaeffer, Garr died of multiple sclerosis after struggling with health issues in recent years. She passed away on Tuesday, leaving a legacy behind that shines like she did on the silver screen.

Garr began her Hollywood journey with minor roles in Elvis Presley movies during the 1960s. She appeared in films like Viva Las Vegas and Roustabout and also in Pajama Party, which starred Annette Funicello, Tommy Kirk, and Elsa Lanchester. Garr appears in various classic TV series, such as Star Trek, Batman, That Girl, Mayberry, It Takes a Thief, Room 222, and more. Regardless of her role, Garr stood out, destined to climb the Hollywood ladder with show-stopping performances in major motion pictures around the corner.

Warning: spoilers for various kids’ movies.

Mentions of death and abuse.

Kids' movies can be surprisingly depressing, dealing with themes of death, abuse, and heartbreak, challenging the notion that they are always cheerful. Movies like Old Yeller, Pinocchio, and The NeverEnding Story address sad and tragic themes, leaving audiences with a mix of emotions. Disney movies are known for their sad moments, such as Bambi's mother's death, but there are also other heartbreaking films like A Little Princess and Watership Down.

Kids' movies are usually cheerful and have an uplifting moral message, but there are many that are actually quite depressing. Kids' movies give filmmakers a lot of creative freedom, as there are countless fairy tales and legends that can be turned into movies for a young audience, but it’s also a tricky genre. Making a successful movie for children isn’t easy, as there are different ways in...

As reported by the New York Times, on March 8, 2023, prolific B-movie filmmaker Bert I. Gordon passed away at his home in Los Angeles. He was 100 years old. 

Bert I. Gordon is a name many may not be familiar with unless they were prone to visiting drive-in theaters in the 1950s, staying up late and watching monster movies on Uhf TV in the 1980s, or were paying attention to "Mystery Science Theater 3000" in the 1990s. Gordon was the director behind such low-budget classics as 1955's "King Dinosaur," 1957's "The Amazing Colossal Man," its sequel from the next year, "War of the Colossal Beast," the 1965 outsized J.D. flick, "Village of the Giants," the 1976 H.G. Wells adaptation, "Food of the Gods," and the 1976 giant ant film "Empire of the Ants." One might note that all the films listed above involve giants of some stripe. One might also want to take note of Bert I.

With the holidays approaching, it's time to break out the tree from the attic and the Festivus pole from the crawlspace. And what better way to get Christmas enthusiasts in the holiday spirit than the selection of Christmas favorites from Disney+?

Ever prepared in their oh-so-magical way, Disney has gone right ahead and stuffed their streaming service with a selection of films and specials to sweeten the holiday season. For those looking for an extra dose of Christmas magic, look no further than Disney+'s suggestions.

Updated on November 29th, 2022, by Lynn Gibbs: Although holiday lovers will stand by networks and the spirited movies and specials they play day in and day out, there's no better streaming service come the holiday season than Disney+. From live-action to animation, there's something special about the films on Disney+. Not only are the projects family-friendly, but there's usually some kind of life-altering...

Music is a powerful force that can serve many purposes and its strongest trait is the ability to bring people together. While a favorite record or a poignant lyric is often times what ushers a newcomer into the fold of a fanbase, it’s the interpersonal connections and the shared experiences that make that person a lifelong member.

For passionate music fans, that community is most strongly felt when it comes time to descend on a live show. “I love the music, but actually it’s the friendships I’ve...

There’s something so communal about going to a Muse show. The experience has a way of inducing a unique catharsis. On the one hand, it’s hard to ignore the tremendous feeling of it all, from the hypnotizing laser light show to the rousing pyrotechnics and the otherworldly visuals.

But beneath the (literal) flash and frills lies something much more intimate. Fans are embracing, fists are pumping, and in spurts, the audience takes on the role of lead vocalist while they roar the lyrics of their favorite records. In these moments,...

Who will be included for the special “In Memoriam” segment for Sunday night’s Oscars 2022 ceremony? For almost all other Academy Awards productions since the 1990s, producers typically select 40-50 people from the various branches. The 2021 segment had close to 100 people in a particularly fast-paced three minutes that was not very well-received since many of them were only on screen for a second or two.

SEECelebrity Deaths 2022: In Memoriam Gallery

Previous Oscar winners from acting categories passing away since last year’s late April ceremony are Olympia Dukakis, William Hurt and Sidney Poitier. Past acting nominees include Ned Beatty, Sally Kellerman and Dean Stockwell.

Almost all of the dozens on the list below were Academy members, previous nominees/winners or both.

Louie Anderson (actor)

Ed Asner (actor)

Ned Beatty (actor)

Marilyn Bergman (composer)

Val Bisoglio (actor)

Robert Blalack (visual effects)

Peter Bogdanovich (director)

David Brenner (editor)

Leslie Bricusse (composer...

Sunday’s SAG Awards ceremony will return to its normal two-hour live format on TNT and TBS. One of the highlights each year is the special In Memoriam segment. It’s been a particularly rough year with over 100 deaths of prominent actors and actresses who were likely members of SAG/AFTRA. Show producers typically are able to include approximately 40-50 people in a tribute. The 2021 segment saluted 55 people because they had responsibility for 14 months instead of 12.

Among that group will certainly be previous SAG president Ed Asner, who was also a life achievement award recipient. That honorary award was also presented to Sidney Poitier and Betty White, who both died this past year.

SEECelebrity Deaths 2022: In Memoriam Gallery

Who else might be featured in the 2022 tribute? Look for Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis, Oscar nominees Ned Beatty, Peter Bogdanovich and Dean Stockwell, plus Emmy champs Louie Anderson, Michael Constantine, Charles Grodin,...

Bert I. Gordon’s career groove of shrinking and bloating various animals and people bottoms out in this trashy drive-in groaner: it’s colorful but nigh-unwatchable. The exploitation target is sci-fi and the teen musical, with incompatible helpings of pre-teen ‘cutes’ and girlie show jiggle for the raincoat crowd. The show apparently did well, but I heard mostly about resentful walkouts. Gordon’s early films have far more charm; this one mostly shows contempt for his audience. For fans that think there’s Camp value here, the Blu-ray transfer is sensationally good, as is the reproduction of Jack Nitzsche’s rock music score. The only thing to call this movie is Poor, but how can that be when I find so much to say about it?

Village of the Giants

Blu-ray

Kl Studio Classics

1965 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 81 min. / Street Date February 22, 2022 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95

Starring: Tommy Kirk, Johnny Crawford,...

Tommy Kirk, the actor known for playing Travis Coates in “Old Yeller” and several other Disney films, was found dead in his Las Vegas home Tuesday. He was 79.

Kirk’s longtime friend Paul Petersen II posted the news on Facebook, writing, “Please know that Tommy Kirk loved you, his fans.”

Kirk was born in Louisville, Ky. in 1941 and grew up in Los Angeles County. He began acting as a teenager, and appeared in a play at the Pasadena Playhouse, where he was discovered by an agent who helped him to make his screen debut in “The Last of the Old Time Shooting Sheriffs,” a 1955 episode of “TV Reader’s Digest.” From there, he appeared in episodes of several TV series including “The Loretta Young Show” and “Gunsmoke.” His profile rose when he began to play the role of Joe Hardy in the “Hardy Boys” series “The Mystery of the Applegate...

Tommy Kirk, one of Disney’s major young stars of the 1950s and early ’60s with performances in generational touchstone films such as Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog and Son of Flubber, died Tuesday at his home in Las Vegas. He was 79.

His death was announced on Facebook by friend and fellow child star Paul Petersen.

Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery

“My friend of many decades, Tommy Kirk, was found dead last night,” wrote Petersen, who has long been an advocate for child actors through his organization A Minor Consideration. “Tommy was intensely private. He lived alone in Las Vegas, close to his friend … and Ol Yeller co-star, Bev Washburn … and it was she who called me this morning. Tommy was gay and estranged from what remains of his blood-family. We in A Minor Consideration are Tommy’s family. Without apology. We will take care of this.

Tommy Kirk, whose career as a young leading man in Disney films like Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog and Son of Flubber came to an end, he said, after the studio discovered he was gay, has died. He was 79.

Kirk lived alone in Las Vegas and was found dead Tuesday, actor Paul Petersen announced on Facebook. TMZ reported that he died at home, and no foul play is suspected.

Kirk first made his mark starring as sleuth Joe Hardy in a pair of Hardy Boys TV serials, “The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure” and “The Mystery of the Ghost Farm,” offshoots of ...

Tommy Kirk, whose career as a young leading man in Disney films like Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog and Son of Flubber came to an end, he said, after the studio discovered he was gay, has died. He was 79.

Kirk lived alone in Las Vegas and was found dead Tuesday, actor Paul Petersen announced on Facebook. TMZ reported that he died at home, and no foul play is suspected.

Kirk first made his mark starring as sleuth Joe Hardy in a pair of Hardy Boys TV serials, “The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure” and “The Mystery of the Ghost Farm,” offshoots of ...

Francesco “Nino” Castelnuovo, the Italian actor who starred in the Palme D’Or winner “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” and the Best Picture Oscar winner “The English Patient,” died on Monday after a long battle with illness, his family announced. He was 84.

Born in Lombardy, Castelnuovo took on blue-collar jobs like house painting and mechanic work before traveling to Milan and enrolling in the Piccolo Teatro acting school. In 1957, he got his start as an actor as a mime on a children’s TV show and five years later, got his first taste of Hollywood via Walt Disney in “Escapade in Florence,” a mini-movie that aired on the “Disneyland” TV show starring Disney regulars Annette Funicello and Tommy Kirk.

But Castelnuovo’s big break came in 1964 with “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg,” a sung-through romantic drama directed by Jacques Demy. Castelnuovo starred alongside Catherine Deneuve as a teenage couple forced apart by the Algerian War.

Johnny Crawford, who found early fame in the 1950s as an original Mouseketeer on The Mickey Mouse Club and even more success as the son of Chuck Connors’ title character in the 1959-63 Western series The Rifleman, died Thursday two years after an Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and a recent battle with Covid-19 . He was 75.

Crawford’s death was announced on his website.

According to the Johnny Crawford Legacy website maintained by his family and friends, the “passed away peacefully” last night with wife Charlotte by his side. “Sadly, Johnny was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and he was living in a memory care residence before contracting Covid-19, then pneumonia,” the site states. “After a temporary placement at a skilled nursing facility, he was recently moved to an excellent smaller care home close to his wife.”

Born John Ernest Crawford in Los Angeles into a theatrical and musical family – his...

Al Adamson: The Masterpiece Collection

Blu ray

Severin Films

1965 – 1989 / 2841 min.

Starring Russ Tamblyn, Regina Carrol, Lon Chaney

Cinematography by Gary Graver, Vilmos Zsigmond, László Kovács

Directed by Al Adamson, David Gregory

The titles grab you by the collar like a desperate carny barker – Psycho A Go-Go, Blood of Ghastly Horror, Satan’s Sadists – then something for the raincoat crowd – Girls For Rent, Nurses For Sale, The Naughty Stewardesses. The rant turns political, incendiary: Black Heat, Mean Mother, Black Samurai. His last gasp – Cinderella 2000, Nurse Sherri, The Happy Hobo. The Happy Hobo?

Al Adamson: The Masterpiece Collection is an alarming new release from Severin Films presenting 32 of the director’s misbegotten “masterpieces” in beautifully restored transfers with enough added attractions to choke a horse. It’s the story of one man’s twenty year run in exploitation cinema that may be too exhausting for the casual viewer to contemplate. But...

Exploitation films have their mavericks, their patron saints and their bad boys: this well-researched and lovingly assembled shock-bio introduces us to a particularly talented persistent filmmaker whose sexed-up horror & action grindhouse non-epics proved commercially viable even into the video age. Then comes the Ghastly Death part, a cruelly undeserved finish for a movie guy liked and admired by his collaborators.

Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson

Blu-ray

Severin Films

2019 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 101 min. / Street Date April 21, 2020 / available through the Severin Films / 24.00

Starring: Al Adamson, Samuel M. Sherman, John ‘Bud’ Cardos, Russ Tamblyn, Stevee Ashlock, Gary Graver, Fred Olen Ray, Vilmos Zsigmond, Zandor Vorkov, Chris Poggiali, Robert Dix, John Bloom.

Cinematography: Jim Kunz

Film Editors: Michael Capone, Mark Hartley

Original Music: Mark Raskin

Motion Graphics: Michael Etoll

Produced by Jack Bennett, David Gregory, Nicole Mikuzis, Heather Buckley

Directed by David Gregory

What makes lower-echelon exploitation producer-directors so interesting?...

For those of us who grew up during the golden age of Disney live-action movies, we especially adored the House of Mouse’s stable of young stars. Most notably, there was fair-haired British import Hayley Mills, boy-next-door Tommy Kirk, who first broke out on TV in “The Hardy Boys” that aired during “The Mickey Mouse Show,” and that very definition of a Disney kid, Kevin Corcoran, who nailed the pesky pipsqueak brother archetype to a T as a character known as Moochie.

Adult performers like Dean Jones, Guy Williams, Fred MacMurray, Maureen O’Hara, Julie Andrews and even a young Sean Connery pre-Bond were happy to join in the family-friendly fun over the years. Many of these 15 kid-bait titles listed here have been remade over the years by the studio since the originals came out. But those who know there is nothing better than Og Disney fare.

SEEKurt Russell movies: 15 greatest...

For those of us who grew up during the golden age of Disney live-action movies, we especially adored the House of Mouse’s stable of young stars – most notably, fair-haired British import Hayley Mills, Tommy Kirk, who first broke out on TV in “The Hardy Boys” that aired during “The Mickey Mouse Show,” and that very definition of a Disney kid, Kevin Corcoran, who nailed the pesky pipsqueak brother archetype to a T as a character known as Moochie.

With so many of us stuck in the house because of the health crisis who are craving entertainment that can be enjoyed by all ages, you might want to check out this treasure trove of true golden oldies, courtesy of Uncle Walt and Disney’s streaming service.

By Joe Elliott

The list of 25 films added to the prestigious National Film Registry in 2019 includes the 1957 Disney classic Old Yeller, starring Tommy Kirk, Fess Parker, Dorothy McGuire, and Anthony Corcoran. The story, based on the novel by Fred Gibson, is about a young boy on the Texas frontier named Travis Coates (Kirk), who is left in charge of looking after his mother and younger brother when his father (Parker) goes away on a business trip. Travis reluctantly accepts a large yellow dog into the family circle after the stray follows his little brother (Corcoran) home one day. Despite his initial doubts, the boy comes to see the dog's value when Old Yeller, as they name him, proves himself resourceful, loyal and brave. In the course of the story, he stoutly defends Travis and the family against a series of life-threating marauders, including a bear, a ferocious pig and, most significantly,...

How to Stuff a Wild Bikini

Blu ray

Olive Films

1965 / 2.35 : 1 / 93 Min.

Starring Annette Funicello, Dwayne Hickman, Mickey Rooney

Cinematography by Floyd Crosby

Directed by William Asher

Sam Arkoff and James Nicholson, the men behind such teen-friendly drive-in fare as Reform School Girl and High School Hellcats, caught a monster wave with 1963’s Beach Party and hung on for three long years before sinking into the sunset with Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, a haunted house spoof starring Tommy Kirk and a frail Boris Karloff.

It was a wild ride sustained by Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon and a rotating cast of fun-loving deadbeats who would become as familiar to 60’s audiences as Eugene Pallette and Hugh Herbert were to depression era movie fans. As weighty as a cherry popsicle in July, the movies were aimed at high schoolers but the gags were older than dirt – vaudeville humor with that Coppertone tan.

Tommy Kirk shot to stardom as a teen for his classic Disney roles like Ernst in the "Swiss Family Robinson," Travis Coates in "Old Yeller" and Joe Hardy in 'The Hardy Boys.' Guess what he looks like now!

Unicef Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham, President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, singer, songwriter and actress Pink, actress Millie Bobby Brown, singers, songwriters and musicians Chloe x Halle, legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and Fcb and Fcb Foundation are among the many stars, leaders and organizations lending their voices to children for World Children’s Day, Unicef has announced.

“It’s a fun day with a serious point. A day for children by children to help save children’s lives, fight for their rights and help them fulfill their potential,” said Justin Forsyth, Unicef Deputy Executive Director.

The day, set for November 20, marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the mobilization of the first World Children’s Day. Children from around the world will ‘take over’ key roles in media, politics, business, sport and entertainment to help save children’s lives, fight for their rights and fulfil their potential.

(See previous post: “Gay Pride Movie Series Comes to a Close: From Heterosexual Angst to Indonesian Coup.”) Ken Russell's Valentino (1977) is notable for starring ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev as silent era icon Rudolph Valentino, whose sexual orientation, despite countless gay rumors, seems to have been, according to the available evidence, heterosexual. (Valentino's supposed affair with fellow “Latin Lover” Ramon Novarro has no basis in reality.) The female cast is also impressive: Veteran Leslie Caron (Lili, Gigi) as stage and screen star Alla Nazimova, ex-The Mamas & the Papas singer Michelle Phillips as Valentino wife and Nazimova protégée Natacha Rambova, Felicity Kendal as screenwriter/producer June Mathis (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse), and Carol Kane – lately of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt fame. Bob Fosse's Cabaret (1972) is notable as one of the greatest musicals ever made. As a 1930s Cabaret presenter – and the Spirit of Germany – Joel Grey was the year's Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner. Liza Minnelli...

Turner Classic Movies' 2017 Gay Pride film series comes to a close this evening and tomorrow morning, Thursday–Friday, June 29–30, with the presentation of seven movies, hosted by TV interviewer Dave Karger and author William J. Mann, whose books include Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines and Behind the Screen: How Gays and Lesbians Shaped Hollywood, 1910-1969. Among tonight's movies' Lgbt connections: Edward Albee, Tony Richardson, Evelyn Waugh, Tab Hunter, John Gielgud, Roddy McDowall, Linda Hunt, Harvey Fierstein, Rudolf Nureyev, Christopher Isherwood, Joel Grey, and Tommy Kirk. Update: Coincidentally, TCM's final 2017 Gay Pride celebration turned out to be held the evening before a couple of international events – and one non-event – demonstrated that despite noticeable progress in the last three decades, gay rights, even in the so-called “West,” still have a long way to go. In Texas, the state's – all-Republican – Supreme Court decided that married gays should be treated as separate and unequal. In...

Read More: Music Video Direction: Why Musicians Are Hiring Indie Filmmakers

Metallica is going all out with its new album, ‘Hardwired…to Self-Destruct,” out Friday, by releasing music videos for all 13 songs. The first video, for the track “Dream No More,” hit the web at noon on Wednesday. The band then released one more video every two hours. The video for “Dream No More,” directed by Tom Kirk, features live performance shots, computer-generated images and projected videos of the band.

Some of the directors that shot the videos include “Spun” filmmaker Jonas Åkerlund and renowned international fashion photographers Dimitri Scheblanov and Jesper Carlsen. All the videos can be found on Metallica’s YouTube page. Here’s the full list.

“Hard Wired” – Director: Colin Hakes & The Artist

“Atlas Rise – Director: Clark Eddy

“Moth Into Flame” – Director Tom Kirk

“Dream No More” – Director: Tom Kirk

“Confusion” – Director: Claire Marie Vogel

“ManUNkind” – Director:...

The music of Muse is a treat to be enjoyed all year long, but their latest performance is something special for the Halloween season in particular. Clad in black leather and featuring a woman dressed as Elvira, the band rocks out to a festive cover of The Cramps' "New Kind of Kick" in a music video that will be a perfect macabre mood-setter at your Halloween parties this weekend.

Music video details: "Performed by Muse - Matthew Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme

Engineered by Tommaso Colliva

Assisted by: Tom Bailey

Recorded at Air Studios (London, UK)

Mixed and Mastered by Rich Costey

Assistant Engineer Martin Cooke and Nicolas Fournier

Mix Assistant: Mario Borgatta

Mixed and Mastered at Sound Factory Studios. Los Angeles, CA.

Director - Tom Kirk

Production Company - Banoffee Sky

Director of Photography - Matt Hayslett

Actress - Miss Miranda

Makeup - Elle Favorule

Hair Stylist -...

Old Yeller child star Kevin Corcoran has died at the age of 66. The actor, who played the youngest son in the classic 1957 drama and went on to work as a producer on TV series such as Sons of Anarchy and The Shield, died Tuesday in Santa Monica, Calif., from complications of cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. His wife, Laura, tells THR that Corcoran passed away at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank after a five-year battle with colorectal cancer (also known as colon cancer, rectal cancer or bowel cancer). Corcoran most famous role was that of Arliss Coates, the youngest son of Jim (Fess Parker) and Katie (Dorothy McGuire) and the brother of Travis (Tommy Kirk), in the post-Civil War...

Batgirl Yvonne Craig. Batgirl Yvonne Craig dead at 78: Also featured in 'Star Trek' episode, Elvis Presley movies Yvonne Craig, best known as Batgirl in the 1960s television series Batman, died of complications from breast cancer on Monday, Aug. 17, '15, at her home in Pacific Palisades, in the Los Angeles Westside. Craig (born May 16, 1937, in Taylorville, Illinois), who had been undergoing chemotherapy for two years, was 78. Beginning (and ending) in the final season of Batman (1967-1968), Yvonne Craig played both Commissioner Gordon's librarian daughter Barbara Gordon and her alter ego, the spunky Batgirl – armed with a laser-beaming electric make-up kit “which will destroy anything.” Unlike semi-villainess Catwoman (Julie Newmar), Batgirl was wholly on the side of Righteousness, infusing new blood into the series' increasingly anemic Dynamic Duo: Batman aka Bruce Wayne (Adam West) and Boy Wonder Robin aka Bruce Wayne's beloved pal Dick Grayson (Burt Ward). “They chose...

Curious to know what movies are coming to Netflix Watch Instantly over the next few weeks? Get a head start and mark your calendars using the list below, just released to us by Netflix. Note: Listed below are just the movies, not the television shows.   Avail 11/1 Artifact (2012) First known as an actor, Jared Leto has also found success in the music industry with his band 30 Seconds to Mars. This documentary follows the band as it makes the album "This is War" while battling recording giant Emi in a pivotal lawsuit.   Babes in Toyland (1961) Ray Bolger, Tommy Sands, Annette Funicello, Ed Wynn, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, Henry Calvin Composer Victor Herbert's operetta comes delightfully to life in this 1961 fantasy...

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The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced this week that a record 83 countries had submitted an eligible film for the 2014 Foreign Language Film Oscar. A volunteer group of several hundred members now will trudge through those movies beginning Monday night with Poland’s much acclaimed Ida and wrapping up December 14 with Iceland’s Life In A Fishbowl.

In between will be numerous films, good and bad, selected by their home countries for various reasons (sometimes political). As usual, these Academy members also will be subjected to unspeakable acts of violence to human beings and, according to their levels of squeamishness, will either be repulsed, impressed or numbed by what they see (yes, American films are not the only ones with sickening bloodletting scenes).

But what about the animals? For some who sign up to see these films, not knowing a thing about them except the country from which they come,...

Still happily unmarried! Wedding bells rang at Kate Hudson's Pacific Palisades home on Saturday, Nov. 9 -- but, alas, the long-engaged Something Borrowed star wasn't the one in a white dress. Instead, Hudson, 34, and fiance Matthew Bellamy, 35, played host to the nuptials of Bellamy's pal and Muse media manager Thomas Kirk and his bride, Jaclyn Ferber. A source tells Us Weekly that the wedding -- planned by Bash, Please -- took place in the front yard of the Oscar-nominated actress' home, which had been decorated [...]...

Tommy Kirk, one of Disney's biggest child stars after Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog and The Swiss Family Robinson, takes the title role of a teenage boffin who bites off more than he can chew. Smarter than the average college kid, Merlin invents a machine that enables him to hear other people's thoughts. But his newfound powers land him in all sorts of trouble - with the law, his classmates and a clutch of unsavoury chimp-nappers.

Zac Efron will continue to try to prove that there's life after "High School Musical" by co-starring with Dennis Quaid in the family drama "At Any Price."  Exclusive Media said Monday that it has acquired international rights in all media to the feature film. Of late, the baby-faced Efron has been trying to take on more adult roles in films like Lee Daniels' upcoming sexually charged thiller "The Paperboy." In "At Any Price," the attempt to shed his Tommy Kirk-like image continues. Efron will play rebellious Dean Whipple (Efron), who wants to pursue...

The D23 Expo is fast approaching, with only days away until Disney fans experience an event they will not soon forget. FusedFilm will covering all three days of the D23 Expo, and here is what I am most excited about.

- Collectors Forum Dozens of exhibitors and fan sites will be setting up booths in this section of the Expo floor, where guests can find rare collectibles, unique gifts and also internet personalities from Disney sites that will be covering the event. At the last expo, even some famous Disney legends, such as child star Tommy Kirk, were in attendance to sign autographs. This year promises a high presence of recognizable Disney online groups – and perhaps celebrities, too. Among the more prominent sites to hold booths and post updates on Twitter will be MiceChat, Mouse Fan Travel, Wdw Radio, Orlando Attractions Magazine and Mouse Planet. Count on those folks, along with others,...

CBS’s Undercover Boss has always had it both ways. It pokes fun at egregiously overpaid executives without actually critiquing their entitlement — sort of like a reality-show version of The Office, except with each episode ending with faux uplift courtesy of a naturally benevolent corporate culture. The point of the series, if there is one, is that business leaders can only receive an honest view of their respective companies by donning a disguise and going undercover with entry-level workers—one-half of The Prince and the Pauper, with social mobility directed entirely downward. Presumably, the suits can then learn how to improve their companies.

Conan the Barbarian sounds like the ultimate beefcake action movie. But the film is actually a fascinating curio, starring a cast of non-actors and featuring one of cinema history’s great scores. The first major starring role for Arnold Schwarzenegger (who supposedly had to lose muscle mass in order to swing the sword), Conan has very little to do with Robert E. Howard’s character and everything to do with the particular obsessions of director John Milius, who mashed several different Conan stories together, sprinkled on some Nietzsche and some caveman religion, and then poured in a river of blood.

Photograph by Jesse Frohman

MIT professor Hugh Herr, 45, who lost his legs in a mountain-climbing accident, says 70% of amputees have hip and back problems. One reason: When walking, there is no "lift" or "push" forward from the prosthetic foot, which leads to a violent, uncushioned impact on the forward foot. For the able-bodied, that lift is "like the hand of God," he says. So Herr invented powered iWalk ankles (shown) that use hydraulics, pulleys, and batteries that can provide a 400-watt boost out of each step. "I don't walk my legs. My legs walk me." | Photograph by Jesse Frohman

Save your tears for Tiny Tim. A boom in sophisticated prostheses has created a most unlikely by-product: envy.

"Last year," says Carrie Davis, "I went down to a clinic and met this lady who saw what I could do with my arm, and she said, 'I want one like that.' She wanted to knit.

Rare original trade advertisement for both Flipper movies. On Thursday September 11, Turner Classic Movies (North America) will present a tribute to the great animal screen heroes beginning with Disney's Old Yeller starring Fess Parker and Tommy Kirk and continuing with several Lassie films shown back to back. There will also be a double feature showing of both 1960s Flipper films, Flipper starring Chuck Connors and Luke Halpin and Flipper's New Adventure with with Halpin and his TV dad Brian Kelly.

Q: Do you know if any of the contestants on Survivor: Samoa are going to be Glbt? I just checked out their profiles and at least three of the guys list things like "womanizer", "never been rejected", and "a woman's dream." Is CBS trying to overly heteroize the show that has been strategically won by at least two openly gay men (Todd and Hatch)? – Topher, Toronto, Canada

A: There are no gay male contestants that we know of (although it’s always possible someone hasn’t yet come out to the network).

Is CBS trying to “heteroize” the show? Although I love your coining of a new term, I’d strenuously argue that they’re not. In fact, we recently talked with Jeff Probst, and I’m convinced he doesn’t see the show in those terms at all.

“When you look at the long-term of the show, you hopefully have some diversity,...

By Tom Lisanti

To get in a warm weather mood with summer not approaching fast enough, here is a look at Hollywood surf movies from a different and albeit biased perspective. Gay men are always looking for gay subtext in movies and TV, and I am no exception. Am I reading more into these films? Probably—but it was sure a lot of fun doing the research.

The Sixties beach movie craze began with Gidget (1959) starring Sandra Dee and James Darren, a fictionalized look at teenager Kathy Kohner’s surfing escapades in Malibu during the mid-Fifties. It was groundbreaking as the movie contributed to the mass dissention of surfers on the beaches of Malibu and started a series of surf-theme films such as Gidget Goes Hawaiian and Ride the Wild Surf. The surf movie soon morphed into the beach-party film, whose heyday was from 1963 through 1965, where surfing was only used...

In this age, sports, not religion, is the arena for miracles. Think of Pete Gray, the one-armed outfielder for the 1945 St. Louis Browns. Or Dick Nen, whose only major-league hit in 1963 was a monster home run that helped propel the Los Angeles Dodgers into the World Series.

Producers Mark Ciardi, an ex-big leaguer, and Gordon Gray have turned such sports miracles into a motion picture cottage industry: First came "The Rookie", about a high school baseball coach who tried out for the expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays and wound up in the big leagues three months later, and then "Miracle", about the coach who inspired the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team's improbable victory. Now the two team with Ken Mok for "Invincible", the reasonably true story of Vince Papale, a South Philly bartender who never played college football yet tried out for his hometown Philadelphia Eagles and wound up playing wide receiver and special teams from 1976-78.

"Invincible" is a neatly packaged Walt Disney Co. picture with bone-crunching football action; a nice sense of the blue-collar, male-dominated milieu that nourishes football fanaticism; and a few too many tugs at the heartstrings. Opening on the cusp of the football season, the film will attract a male following of all age groups, so it should do moderate theatrical and video business in North America.

Mark Wahlberg plays Vince, which is a bit of a stretch physically because if you were choosing sides for tag football, he probably would not be your first choice. However, Wahlberg does get the heart-and-guts "Rocky" side of the equation.

Things are going so badly for Vince as the movie opens that in one scene, when he slouches home from the bar, the soundtrack breaks into that classic melancholy song, "One for My Baby". He has lost a job as a substitute teacher, his wife had fled with every possession, and he's broke. So why not try out for the Eagles, coming off a hideous season, and its new coach, just hired out of UCLA, Dick Vermeil (Greg Kinnear)?

Vince turns out to be a legitimate rookie, a guy whose spirit and determination make him nearly as good as the overpaid and underperforming pros. They hate him, of course, but his edge is that he still knows what it means to be hungry. Also brightening his life is a terrific-looking fellow bartender, Janet (Elizabeth Banks), whose only "character flaw" is that she is a New York Giants fan.

Writer Brad Gann and cinematographer-turned-director Ericson Core root the movie firmly in a South Philly neighborhood where jobs are scarce and strikes are under way. Initially Vince's dad Frank (Kevin Conway) isn't sure his boy should try out. Nevertheless, Frank's devotion to the Eagles is what got him through his wife's illness and early death.

The guys Vince plays sandlot football with have mixed reactions to their pal's success. Bar owner Max (Michael Rispoli), Tommy Kirk Acevedo) and Pete Michael Kelly) live vicariously through his exploits. But Johnny (Dov Davidoff) is jealous and worries about losing his pal to the bright lights, so he sulks in a corner of the bar.

The most accomplished thing about this movie is that even if Vince had been cut before the season began, there will still be a decent story here because the characters and their environment are so strongly established. Wahlberg plays the sensitive side to Vince without compromising any machismo. Banks seems to be having genuine fun as a football-addicted female hanging out in an all-male world.

The acting is solid throughout, with Michael Nouri as the club owner and, frankly, Kinnear the only weak spots. OK, so the college coach is an NFL rookie too, but Kinnear gives Vermeil too much vulnerability.

Core, acting as his own cinematographer, shoots the hard-nosed football action close to the trenches to catch all the painful hits. Costumes, sets and decor strongly evoke the '70s along with music coming from radios, while Mark Isham's score gets excited at all the right moments.

INVINCIBLE

Buena Vista Pictures

Walt Disney Pictures presents a Mayhem Pictures production

Credits:

Director/director of photography: Ericson Core

Screenwriter: Brad Gann

Based on the life story of: Vincent Papale

Producers: Gordon Gray, Mark Ciardi, Ken Mok

Executive producers: Victor H. Constantino, Nicole Reed, Ezra Swerdlow

Production designer: Sarah Knowles

Music: Mark Isham

Costumes: Susan Lyall

Editor: Jerry Greenberg

Cast:

Vince Papale: Mark Wahlberg

Dick Vermeil: Greg Kinnear

Janet: Elizabeth Banks

Frank Papale: Kevin Conway

Max: Michael Rispoli

Tommy: Kirk Acevedo

Johnny: Dov Davidoff

Pete: Michael Kelly

MPAA rating PG

Running time -- 104 minutes...

If Queen Latifah can step into Alec Guinness' Last Holiday and Steve Martin can go from Father of the Bride to Cheaper by the Dozen to The Pink Panther remakes, why shouldn't producer-actor Tim Allen take a romp as The Shaggy Dog? Director Brian Robbins, a young veteran of teen and family fare, and five writers have turned out a fast-moving Walt Disney Co. comedy that manages to sail past many of the cliches usually found in this genre while throwing together a wild story line more apt for a new millennium. Business could be brisk for the tweener crowd. DVD sales and rental figures look to be strong.

The original 1959 release was the first of scores of live-action family comedies from the Walt Disney studio, producing a lineage of teenage stars that would lead to Hayley Mills and Lindsay Lohan. Although Fred MacMurray was top-billed, that film focused on his teenage son, played by Tommy Kirk, who stumbled onto Cold War missile secrets. Back then it was Kirk's Wilby Daniels who turned (off and on) into a canine, courtesy of an ancient Borgia curse. Years later, a sequel, The Shaggy D.A., had studio regular Dean Jones stepping into the role of an adult Wilby.

The remake credits both earlier screenplays with an acknowledgment of Felix Salten's original story, The Hound of Florence, as well. About the only similarity to the first film plot-wise is Dad's dislike of dogs (though in the original, there was a valid rationale: MacMurray was a veteran postal employee). As before, the fun is in the shape-shifting between man and beast, usually at the most inopportune moments.

Like Batman Begins, The Shaggy Dog opens in Tibet. A brief prologue introduces us to a 300-year-old bearded collie living -- and praying! -- among the monks. Henchmen from an evil pharmaceuticals conglomerate, headed by an ailing Philip Baker Hall, are on a reconnaissance mission to snatch the dog. Once back at the U.S. headquarters/secret genetics lab, two young scientists try to use the collie to perfect the Fountain of Youth for greedy corporate nincompoop Robert Downey Jr. (who seems to be playing a campy Prince Hal).

The balance of the film has assistant DA Dave Douglas (Allen) prosecuting his animal-activist daughter's (Zena Grey) tree-hugging social studies teacher, when his bloodstream gets infected with the ancient serum that gradually transforms the star into a furry dog. Allen is at his comic best in these scenes, from growling at opposing counsel in the courtroom (reminiscent of his Home Improvement hyper-masculine barking shtick) to chasing his bathrobe's tail at home. Kristin Davis, almost too attractive, plays Mrs. Douglas, and Spencer Breslin (Disney's The Kid, The Santa Clause 2) is the atypical younger brother. As a four-legged animal whose "voice" is heard only by the viewer, Allen starts to see how much he had neglected his family.

The supporting cast includes Jane Curtin as the judge, Danny Glover (miscast) as the DA and Shawn Pyfrom (Desperate Housewives) as Grey's teen boyfriend. The best supporting players are the mutant creatures (a snake with a dog's tail, a bulldog-headed frog) -- real animals mixed with concoctions bred by the Stan Winston and Tippett labs -- that aid Allen in an elaborate laboratory escape.

THE SHAGGY DOG

Buena Vista Pictures

Walt Disney Pictures/Mandeville Films/Boxing Cat Films

Credits: Director: Brian Robbins; Screenwriters: The Wibberleys and Geoff Rodkey and Jack Amiel & Michael Begler; Producers: David Hoberman, Tim Allen; Executive producers: Robert Simonds, Todd Lieberman, William Fay, Matthew Carroll; Director of photography: Gabriel Beristain; Production designer: Leslie McDonald; Costume designer: Molly Maginnis; Music: Alan Menken; Editor: Ned Bastille.

Cast: Dave Douglas: Tim Allen; Rebecca Douglas: Kristin Davis; Carly Douglas: Zena Grey; Josh Douglas: Spencer Breslin; Ken Hollister: Danny Glover; Dr. Kozak: Robert Downey Jr.; Judge Claire Whittaker: Jane Curtin; Lance Strictland: Philip Baker Hall; Baxter: Craig Kilborn.

MPAA rating PG, running time 92 minutes.

If Queen Latifah can step into Alec Guinness' Last Holiday and Steve Martin can go from Father of the Bride to Cheaper by the Dozen to The Pink Panther remakes, why shouldn't producer-actor Tim Allen take a romp as The Shaggy Dog? Director Brian Robbins, a young veteran of teen and family fare, and five writers have turned out a fast-moving Walt Disney Co. comedy that manages to sail past many of the cliches usually found in this genre while throwing together a wild story line more apt for a new millennium. Business could be brisk for the tweener crowd. DVD sales and rental figures look to be strong.

The original 1959 release was the first of scores of live-action family comedies from the Walt Disney studio, producing a lineage of teenage stars that would lead to Hayley Mills and Lindsay Lohan. Although Fred MacMurray was top-billed, that film focused on his teenage son, played by Tommy Kirk, who stumbled onto Cold War missile secrets. Back then it was Kirk's Wilby Daniels who turned (off and on) into a canine, courtesy of an ancient Borgia curse. Years later, a sequel, The Shaggy D.A., had studio regular Dean Jones stepping into the role of an adult Wilby.

The remake credits both earlier screenplays with an acknowledgment of Felix Salten's original story, The Hound of Florence, as well. About the only similarity to the first film plot-wise is Dad's dislike of dogs (though in the original, there was a valid rationale: MacMurray was a veteran postal employee). As before, the fun is in the shape-shifting between man and beast, usually at the most inopportune moments.

Like Batman Begins, The Shaggy Dog opens in Tibet. A brief prologue introduces us to a 300-year-old bearded collie living -- and praying! -- among the monks. Henchmen from an evil pharmaceuticals conglomerate, headed by an ailing Philip Baker Hall, are on a reconnaissance mission to snatch the dog. Once back at the U.S. headquarters/secret genetics lab, two young scientists try to use the collie to perfect the Fountain of Youth for greedy corporate nincompoop Robert Downey Jr. (who seems to be playing a campy Prince Hal).

The balance of the film has assistant DA Dave Douglas (Allen) prosecuting his animal-activist daughter's (Zena Grey) tree-hugging social studies teacher, when his bloodstream gets infected with the ancient serum that gradually transforms the star into a furry dog. Allen is at his comic best in these scenes, from growling at opposing counsel in the courtroom (reminiscent of his Home Improvement hyper-masculine barking shtick) to chasing his bathrobe's tail at home. Kristin Davis, almost too attractive, plays Mrs. Douglas, and Spencer Breslin (Disney's The Kid, The Santa Clause 2) is the atypical younger brother. As a four-legged animal whose "voice" is heard only by the viewer, Allen starts to see how much he had neglected his family.

The supporting cast includes Jane Curtin as the judge, Danny Glover (miscast) as the DA and Shawn Pyfrom (Desperate Housewives) as Grey's teen boyfriend. The best supporting players are the mutant creatures (a snake with a dog's tail, a bulldog-headed frog) -- real animals mixed with concoctions bred by the Stan Winston and Tippett labs -- that aid Allen in an elaborate laboratory escape.

THE SHAGGY DOG

Buena Vista Pictures

Walt Disney Pictures/Mandeville Films/Boxing Cat Films

Credits: Director: Brian Robbins; Screenwriters: The Wibberleys and Geoff Rodkey and Jack Amiel & Michael Begler; Producers: David Hoberman, Tim Allen; Executive producers: Robert Simonds, Todd Lieberman, William Fay, Matthew Carroll; Director of photography: Gabriel Beristain; Production designer: Leslie McDonald; Costume designer: Molly Maginnis; Music: Alan Menken; Editor: Ned Bastille.

Cast: Dave Douglas: Tim Allen; Rebecca Douglas: Kristin Davis; Carly Douglas: Zena Grey; Josh Douglas: Spencer Breslin; Ken Hollister: Danny Glover; Dr. Kozak: Robert Downey Jr.; Judge Claire Whittaker: Jane Curtin; Lance Strictland: Philip Baker Hall; Baxter: Craig Kilborn.

MPAA rating PG, running time 92 minutes.