tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-388703852024-03-05T12:07:29.118-08:00The Animation EmpireOur Studio stuff plus Pixar, Disney, and Dreamworks news and reviewsEd Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.comBlogger798125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-22813044020378813002014-04-29T23:44:00.000-07:002014-09-24T20:31:16.601-07:00Top Super Hero Movies of All TimeTop Super Hero Movies of All Time (based on world-wide box office take):<br />
<ol>
<li>Marvel's The Avengers (Disney) 2012 - $1.52 B</li>
<li>Iron Man 3 (Disney) 2013 - $1.22 B</li>
<li>Spider-Man 3 (Sony) 2007 - $891 M</li>
<li>Spider-Man (Sony) 2002 - $822 M</li>
<li>Spider-Man 2 (Sony) 2004 - $784 M</li>
<li>The Amazing Spider-Man (Sony) 2012 - $758 M</li>
<li>X-Men 5: Days of Future Past (Fox) 2014 - $746 M</li>
<li>Captain America 2: The Winter Soldier (Disney) 2014 - $714 M</li>
<li>The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Fox) 2014 - $709 M</li>
<li>Thor 2: The Dark World (Disney) 2013 - $645 M</li>
<li>Guardians of the Galaxy (Disney) 2014 - $633 M</li>
<li>Iron Man 2 (Par) 2010 - $624 M</li>
<li>Iron Man (Par) 2008 - $585 M</li>
<li>X-Men 3: The Last Stand (Fox) 2006 - $459 M</li>
<li>Thor (Par) 2011 - $449 M</li>
<li>The Wolverine 2 (Fox) 2013 - $415 M</li>
<li>X2: X-Men United (Fox) 2003 - $408 M</li>
<li>X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Fox) 2009 - $373 M</li>
<li>Captain America: The First Avenger (Par) 2011 - $371 M</li>
<li>X-Men 4: First Class (Fox) 2011 - $354 M</li>
<li>Fantastic Four (Fox) 2005 - $331 M</li>
<li>X-Men (Fox) 200 - </li>
</ol>
All Super Hero Movies by Date:<br />
<ol>
<li></li>
</ol>
Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-61528563935967976962014-02-20T05:10:00.002-08:002014-04-19T00:39:25.578-07:00Top Animated Films of All TimeWhat's Coming in the world of animated films:<br />
<ol>
<li><strong>4/11/14 - Rio 2</strong> (BlueSky) - Rio 1 launched in 2011 and made $485 M. It's hard to make sequels as interesting as the original. <u><strong>Positives</strong></u>: Carlos Santana returns as director (Ice Age, IA2, IA3, Rio). His only ding was Robots (4/5 ain't bad). The story adds kids (didn't work for Shrek 3 or 4), but it introduces the father in law (worked very well for Shrek 2, Meet the Parents, and Meet the Fockers). <u><strong>Prediction</strong></u>: We'll see a slight improvement, due to the expertise of Santana and the father-in-law human interest bit... plus it looks like <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOQSuhU-Lxc" target="_blank">Santana is pulling a lot more humor from the villain</a>. I give it $575 M, with a decent chance that they can give the film big heart and break $600 M.</li>
<li><strong>5/9/14 - Legend of Oz: Dorothy's Return</strong> (Clarius) - Not a sequel, though it plays off of what we know of Oz, like the James Franco Oz film. The director of Road to Eldorado and Home on the Range (Finn) teams with the director of Everyone's Hero (St. Pierre). From a studio that hasn't created its own film (they helped produce the Tinker Bell films) and a brand new Distributor (Clarius). Interestingly, it's based on a children's book by Roger Baum, the great-grandson of Oz-creator, Frank Baum. The Writers are from TV and bring no big successes to the table. <u><strong>Positives</strong></u>: Good art style on most all the characters (a few poorly made models). So it looks up to par from first glance, as expected from two film veterans (the directors). <u><strong>Prediction</strong></u>: These directors have never connected. They are 0 for 3 and moving into a new studio, with a new distributor, writers without hits, and a $70 M budget (hard to make that up). So they have everything stacked against them. To make it worse, they cast the movie for older parents (young grandparents)... Patrick Stewart, Martin Short, Dan Aykroyd, Kelsey Grammar, Bernadette Peters, James Belushi, and Oliver Platt. Finn and St. Pierre don't have DW or Disney backing them anymore. Everyone's Hero made $17 M in 2006, Free Birds made $109 M in 2013 but cast much smarter, The Nut Job made $63 M in 2014 but also cast smarter, Escape from Planet Earth made $57 M in 2013 but also cast smarter. You can see a correlation from these independent animated films and how smartly they are cast, but that casting also ties directly into those stories. So I'm guestimating this to make $52 M, much more than Everyone's Hero, but still less than the better-cast films. You never know if they can inject the heart and story to push it over $100 M, but I'm guessing that with this team and the lack of fresh comedians, that they can't deliver on it and lose money from their $70 M investment.</li>
<li><strong>6/3/14 - How to Train Your Dragon 2</strong> (DW) - 4 years later, we get the sequel! <u>Prediction</u>: The original made $495 M. The first film was a Dean DeBlois project that DW added Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch) on when he fell out with Lasseter (over the film that became Bolt). Sanders went on to direct Croods and is working on Croods 2. Meanwhile, they give DeBlois the solo director job. DeBlois directed Lilo & Stitch and How to Train Your Dragon. <u><strong>Positive</strong></u>: A total revamp of the questionable art style! It looks beautiful! But the danger is that the more realistic it looks, the more you could lose the fun... ala Epic and Guardians. But I still count it a positive! <u><strong>Prediction</strong></u>: This is the first time DeBlois has directed on his own, and as a writer, he also wrote Mulan (which I loved). But the story is kind of the same as the first one... humans and dragons teaming together to save themselves from... wait for it... humans and dragons. So the story can't really drive them very far, but if it's got strong heart (like the first one did), and they figure out how to mix it up a bit, then it will do better simply from fandom and momentum, plus continued smart casting. My prediction is $585 M.</li>
<li><strong>7/18/14 - Planes 2: Fire & Rescue</strong> (DisneyToons) - Why is Disney giving us a sequel to a film from last year that only made $220 M? Because it was a budget film intended to be direct-to-DVD and thus only cost $50 M, 1/3rd of the usual price tag. Plus I love where they're headed... we've seen the racer culture in Cars 1, Cars 2, and Planes 1; it's time to give us a new premise, and Planes 2 delivers! They give us a new director, Gannaway, the director of Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings. Seems like a good choice, since a film director isn't going to take a chance on this. <strong><u>Positives</u></strong>: Good director choice and great story premise. <strong><u>Prediction</u></strong>: I was hoping they'd take this sequel to inject fresh-blooded comedians and names, but they missed their big opportunity. Dane Cook is your headliner, but with the main name cast as Fred Willard, Jerry Stiller, Ed Harris, and Erik Estrada... this is a direct-to-DVD cast. Still, the story and director should get a BO boost; I'm predicting $235 M, not a huge bump because the story and video momentum is evened out by the fact that they don't have the newness factor of the characters or the cool racing story. So if they keep it low budget, then it should still be worth it.</li>
<li> <strong>8/27/14 - Underdogs </strong>(Wein) - This is a bit odd. You have a martials arts B movie actor, Philip Rhee, who directed a few of his films and convinces Weinstein to let him write, direct, and act in his own animated film, that's likely also about Martial Arts. This could be interesting, whether it's about animated dogs or humans, but he's a new animation director and the casting is not going to cut it. <strong><u>Positive</u></strong>: A martials arts dogs film could be funny. <strong><u>Prediction</u></strong>: $19 M. Loss.</li>
<li><strong>9/26/14 - Boxtrolls</strong> (Focus)</li>
<li><strong>10/3/14 - Hero of Color City</strong> (Magn)</li>
<li><strong>10/17/14 - Book of Life</strong> (Fox) - Whoa! Good casting around a Day of the Dead story, and they're looking at getting a pre-emptive strike on Lee Unkrich's (dir of Toy Story 3) next film on Day of the Dead at Pixar. This is a fully-funded film from Fox, taking a big chance on the director, Gutierrez, a fantastic animator but an unexperienced director. Looks like Fox is giving Reel FX, an effects studio, a chance to do animated films like they did with Blue Sky. Plus they're distributing DW animated films (took the honor from Paramount), so they're locking in the animated-film industry, behind Disney.</li>
<li><strong>11/7/14 - Big Hero 6</strong> (Disney) - Ever since Disney bought Marvel, Iger (CEO) has been asking Lasseter to make a Marvel animated film. Of course, this has "bad idea" written all over it, so Lasseter was looking for a topic that isn't well known as being a Marvel brand. And he found the right idea. It looks amazing and a lot of fun, and it helps give Disney a film this year, since there were lots of schedule slips, including Pixar's Good Dinosaur. So we don't get a Pixar film this year. But Frozen carried over, Planes 2 is coming, and Big Hero 6... are all helping put Disney back on the map. Meanwhile, with this film, the comic creators also created Ben 10. The director Chris Williams came from Bolt and is teamed with Don Hall from Winnie the Pooh. Both are great films, but Bolt didn't do great and Winnie was a flop. So here's their chance to redeem themselves, and I think they will nail it was some fantastic material with a great chance for Disney to nail the heart of this story (newbie super heroes teaming together to save their city)! No casting news yet. The danger is that this idea of an action animation just flops, time and time again. The closest we've seen to success was The Incredibles, which was very stylized with the Pixar look and feel, and it focused on the family relationships. Can the audience connect with the visual style to enjoy the heart that this film will have? I think so. <strong><u>Positive</u></strong>: Beautiful film with a great story potential. <strong><u>Prediction</u></strong>: Williams and Hall are hungry. This is the last stand for both directors. They're going to do everything in their power to connect with an emotional and fun story. But the action feel and realistic look is going to weigh it down a bit (like how the Halo elements weighed Wreck-It Ralph down with its Mommy audience)... $535 M.</li>
<li><strong>11/26/14 - Home</strong> (DW) - Aliens hide on Earth, from this DreamWorks film from a book, The True Meaning of Smekday, renamed to Happy Smekday, Smekday, and now Home. This is our 3rd DW film this year (Mr Peabody, Train Your Dragon 2). Aliens didn't seem to work super well for Monsters VS Aliens (also DW), Megamind (DW), Mars Needs Moms (Disney), Escape from Planet Earth, Jimmy Neutron, or Planet 51. But that doesn't mean it's not possible! =^) -- The casting is good, but not great. From the original DW director, Tim Johnson, the director of Antz, Sinbad, and Over the Hedge. He's getting another shot at it. </li>
</ol>
<br />
Here are the top animated films of all time! The box office amount is the international amount, because let's face it, who cares which country the money came from? I want to know which film sold the most tickets around the world!<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Frozen (Disney) - $1.113 B (2013)</li>
<li>Toy Story 3 (Pixar) - $1.063 B (2010)</li>
<li>The Lion King (Disney) - $988 M (1994)</li>
<li>Despicable Me 2 (Illum) - $971M (2013)</li>
<li>Finding Nemo (Pixar) - $937 M (2003)</li>
<li>Shrek 2 (DW) - $920 M (2004)</li>
<li>Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (BlueSky) - $887 M (2009)</li>
<li>Ice Age 4: Continental Drift (BlueSky) - $877 M (2012)</li>
<li>Shrek the Third (DW) - $798 M (2007)</li>
<li>Shrek Forever After (DW) - $753 M (2010)</li>
<li>Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (DW) - $747 M (2012)</li>
<li>Monsters University (Pixar) - $744 M (2013)</li>
<li>Up (Pixar) - $731 M (2009)</li>
<li>Kung Fu Panda 2 (DW) - $666 M (2011)</li>
<li>Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (BlueSky) - $655 M (2006)</li>
<li>Kung Fu Panda (DW) - $632 M (2008)</li>
<li>Incredibles (Pixar) - $631 M (2004)</li>
<li>Ratatouille (Pixar) - $624 M (2007)</li>
<li>Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (DW) - $604 M (2008)</li>
<li>Tangled (Disney) - $592 M (2010)</li>
<li>The Croods (DW) - $587 M (2013)</li>
<li>Monsters, Inc. (Pixar) - $563 M (2001)</li>
<li>Cars 2 (Pixar) - $560 M (2011)</li>
<li>Puss in Boots (DW) - $555 M (2011)</li>
<li>Despicable Me (Illum) - $543 M (2010)</li>
<li>Brave (Pixar) - $539 M (2012)</li>
<li>Madagascar (DW) - $533 M (2005)</li>
<li>Simpsons Movie (Fox) - $527 M (2007)</li>
<li>Wall-E (Pixar) - $521 M (2008)</li>
<li>Aladdin (Disney) - $504 M (1992)</li>
<li>How to Train Your Dragon (DW) - $495 M (2010)</li>
<li>Toy Story 2 (Pixar) - $485 M (1999)</li>
<li>Rio (BlueSky) - $485 M (2011)</li>
<li>Shrek (DW) - $484 M (2001)</li>
<li>Wreck-It Ralph (Disney) - $471 M (2012)</li>
<li>Cars (Pixar) - $462 M (2006)</li>
<li>Tarzan (Disney) - $448 M (1999)</li>
<li>Beauty & the Beast (Disney) - $425 M (1991)</li>
<li>The LEGO Movie (WB) - $425 M (2014)</li>
<li>Happy Feet (WB) - $384 M (2006)</li>
<li>Ice Age (BlueSky) - $383 M (2002)</li>
<li>Monsters VS. Aliens (DW) - $382 M (2009)</li>
<li>The Adventures of Tintin (Par) - $374 M (2011)</li>
<li>Shark Tale (DW) - $367 M (2004)</li>
<li>A Bug's Life (Pixar) - $363 M (1998)</li>
<li>Toy Story (Pixar) - $362 M (1995)</li>
<li>Hotel Transylvania (Sony) - $358 M (2012)</li>
<li>Dinosaur (Disney) - $350 M (2000)</li>
<li>The Lorax (Illum) - $349 M (2012)</li>
<li>Pocahontas (Disney) - $346 M (1995)</li>
<li>Over the Hedge (DW) - $336 M (2006)</li>
<li>Lilo & Stitch (Disney) - $273 M (2002)</li>
<li>The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney) - $325 M (1996)</li>
<li>A Christmas Carol (Disney) - $325 M (2009)</li>
<li>Mega Mind (DW) - $322 M (2010)</li>
<li>Chicken Little (Disney) - $314 M (2005)</li>
<li>Bolt (Disney) - $310 M (2008)</li>
<li>The Polar Express (WB) - $308 M (2004)</li>
<li>Rise of the Guardians (DW) - $307 M (2012)</li>
<li>Mulan (Disney) - $304 M (1998)</li>
<li>Horton Hears a Who (BlueSky) - $297 M (2008)</li>
<li>Bee Movie (DW) - $288 M (2007)</li>
<li>Turbo (DW) - $283 M (2013)</li>
<li>Spirited Away (Ghibli) - $275 M (2002)</li>
<li>Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (Sony) - $272 M (2013)</li>
<li>Epic (BlueSky) - $268 M (2013)</li>
<li>The Princess and the Frog (Disney) - $267 M (2009)</li>
<li>Robots (BlueSky) - $261 M (2005)</li>
<li>Hercules (Disney) - $253 M (1997)</li>
<li>Brother Bear (Disney) - $250 M (2003)</li>
<li>Mr. Peabody & Sherman (DW) - $249 M (2014)</li>
<li>Rango (Par) - $246 M (2011)</li>
<li>Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Sony) - $243 M (2009)</li>
<li>Chicken Run (DW) - $225 M (2000)</li>
<li>Planes (Disney) - $220 M (2013)</li>
<li>The Prince of Egypt (DW) - $219 M (1998)</li>
<li>The Little Mermaid (Disney) - $211 M (1989)</li>
<li>Ponyo (Ghibli) - $202 M (2009)</li>
<li>Open Season (Sony) - $197 M (2006)</li>
<li>Beowulf (Par) - $196 M (2007)</li>
<li>Gnomeo & Juliet (Disney) - $194 M (2011)</li>
<li>Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (DW) - $193 M (2005)</li>
<li>Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Disney) - $186 M (2001)</li>
<li>Flushed Away (DW) - $178 M (2006)</li>
<li>Rio 2 (BlueSky) - $177 M (2014)</li>
<li>Antz (DW) - $172 M (1998)</li>
<li>The Emperor's New Groove (Disney) - $169 M (2000)</li>
<li>Meet the Robinsons (Disney) - $169 M (2007)</li>
<li>Pokémon: The First Movie (WB) - $164 M (1999)</li>
<li>Happy Feet Two (WB) - $150 M (2011)</li>
<li>Surf's Up (Sony) - $149 M (2007)</li>
<li>Arthur Christmas (Sony) - $147 M (2011)</li>
<li>The Secret World of Arrietty (Ghibli) - $146 M (2012)</li>
<li>The Rugrats Movie (Par) - $141 M (1998)</li>
<li>Anastasia (Fox) - $140 M (1997)</li>
<li>Owls of Ga'Hoole (WB) - $140 M (2010)</li>
<li>The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (Par) - $140 M (2004)</li>
<li>The Jungle Book 2 (Disney) - $136 M (2003)</li>
<li>Pokémon: The Movie 2000 (WB) - $134 M (2000)</li>
<li>Coraline (Focus) - $125 M (2009)</li>
<li>Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (DW) - $123 M (2002)</li>
<li>The Pirates: Band of Misfits (Sony) - $123 M (2012)</li>
<li>Corpse Bride (WB) - $117 M (2005)</li>
<li>Treasure Planet (Disney) - $110 M (2002)</li>
<li>Return to Neverland (Disney) - $110 M (2002)</li>
<li>Hoodwinked (Wein) - $110 M (2005)</li>
<li>ParaNorman (Focus) - $107 M (2012)</li>
<li>Planet 51 (Sony) - $106 M (2009)</li>
<li>Home on the Range (Disney) - $104 M (2004)</li>
<li>Jimmy Neutron (Par) - $103 M (2001)</li>
<li>The Wild (Disney) - $102 M (2006)</li>
<li>Free Birds (Relativity) - $101 M (2013)</li>
<li>The Tigger Movie (Disney) - $96 M (2000)</li>
<li>TMNT (WB) - $96 M (2007)</li>
<li>The Tale of Despereaux (Univ) - $87 M (2008)</li>
<li>An American Tale (Univ) - $85 M (1986)</li>
<li>Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (Sony) - $85 M (2001)</li>
<li>The Land Before Time (Univ) - $84 M (1988)</li>
<li>South Park - Bigger, Longer, Uncut (Par) - $83 M (1999)</li>
<li>Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (DW) - $81 M (2003)</li>
<li>Frankenweinie (Disney) - $81 M (2012)</li>
<li>The Road to El Dorado (DW) - $76 M (2000)</li>
<li>The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney) - $75 M (1993)</li>
<li>Oliver & Company (Disney) - $74 M (1988)</li>
<li>Escape from Planet Earth (Wein) - $72 M (2013)</li>
<li>Curious George (Univ) - $70 M (2006)</li>
<li>Pokémon 3: The Movie (WB) - $68 M (2001)</li>
<li>The Nut Job (Open Road) - $67 M (2014)</li>
<li>Space Chimps (Fox) - $65 M (2008)</li>
<li>The Fox and the Hound (Disney) - $63 M (1981)</li>
<li>Valiant (Disney) - $62 M (2005)</li>
<li>Fantasia 2000 (Disney) - $61 M (2000)</li>
<li>The Wild Thornberries (Par) - $61 M (2002)</li>
<li>Rugrats Go Wild (Par) - $59 M (2003)</li>
<li>The Ant Bully (WB) - $55 M (2006)</li>
<li>Pooh's Heffalump Movie (Disney) - $53 M (2005)</li>
<li>Alpha and Omega (Lion) - $51 M (2010)</li>
<li>9 (Focus) - $48 M (2009)</li>
<li>Recess: School's Out (Disney) - $44 M (2001)</li>
<li>An American Tale: Fievel Goes West (Univ) - $41 M (1991)</li>
<li>Astro Boy (Summit) - $40 M (2009)</li>
<li>The Great Mouse Detective (Disney) - $39 M (1986)</li>
<li>Mars Needs Moms (Disney) - $39 M (2011)</li>
<li>Happily N'Ever After (Lion) - $38 M (2007)</li>
<li>Titan A.E. (Fox) - $37 M (2000)</li>
<li>Winnie the Pooh (Disney) - $33 M (2011)</li>
<li>Ferngully the Last Rainforest (Fox) - $33 M (1992)</li>
<li>Igor (MGM) - $31 M (2008)</li>
<li>James and the Giant Peach (Disney) - $29 M (1996)</li>
<li>The Rescuers Down Under (Disney) - $28 M (1990)</li>
<li>Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie (Artisan) - $26 M</li>
<li>The Black Cauldron (Disney) - $21 M (1981)</li>
</ol>
Now let's just look at the 2D Animations and Stop-Motion Animations (excluding the modern CG Animations):<br />
<ol>
<li>The Lion King (Disney) - $987 M (1994)</li>
<li>Simpsons Movie (Fox) - $527 M (2007)</li>
<li>Aladdin (Disney) - $504 M (1992)</li>
<li>Tarzan (Disney) - $448 M (1999)</li>
<li>Beauty & the Beast (Disney) - $425 M (1991)</li>
<li>Pocahontas (Disney) - $346 M (1995)</li>
<li>The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney) - $325 M (1996)</li>
<li>Mulan (Disney) - $304 M (1998)</li>
<li>Spirited Away (Ghibli) - $275 M (2002)</li>
<li>Lilo & Stitch (Disney) - $273 M (2002)</li>
<li>The Princess and the Frog (Disney) - $267 M (2009)</li>
<li>Hercules (Disney) - $253 M (1997)</li>
<li>Brother Bear (Disney) - $250 M (2003)</li>
<li>Chicken Run (DW) - $225 M (2000)</li>
<li>The Prince of Egypt (DW) - $219 M (1998)</li>
<li>The Little Mermaid (Disney) - $211 M (1989)</li>
<li>Ponyo (Ghibli) - $202 M (2009)</li>
<li>Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit (DW) - $193 M (2005)</li>
<li>Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Disney) - $186 M (2001)</li>
<li>The Emperor's New Groove (Disney) - $169 M (2000)</li>
<li>Pokémon: The First Movie (WB) - $164 M (1999)</li>
<li>The Secret World of Arrietty (Ghibli) - $146 M (2012)</li>
<li>The Rugrats Movie (Par) - $141 M (1998)</li>
<li>Anastasia (Fox) - $140 M (1997)</li>
<li>The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (Par) - $140 M (2004)</li>
<li>The Jungle Book 2 (Disney) - $136 M (2003)</li>
<li>Pokémon: The Movie 2000 (WB) - $134 M (2000)</li>
<li>Coraline (Focus) - $125 M (2009)</li>
<li>Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (DW) - $123 M (2002)</li>
<li>The Pirates: Band of Misfits (Sony) - $123 M (2012)</li>
<li>Corpse Bride (WB) - $117 M (2005)</li>
<li>Treasure Planet (Disney) - $110 M (2002)</li>
<li>Return to Neverland (Disney) - $110 M (2002)</li>
<li>ParaNorman (Focus) - $107 M (2012)</li>
<li>Home on the Range (Disney) - $104 M (2004)</li>
<li>The Tigger Movie (Disney) - $96 M (2000)</li>
<li>An American Tale (Univ) - $85 M (1986)</li>
<li>The Land Before Time (Univ) - $84 M (1988)</li>
<li>South Park - Bigger, Longer, Uncut (Par) - $83 M (1999)</li>
<li>Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (DW) - $81 M (2003)</li>
<li>Frankenweinie (Disney) - $81 M (2012)</li>
<li>The Road to El Dorado (DW) - $76 M (2000)</li>
<li>The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney) - $75 M (1993)</li>
<li>Oliver & Company (Disney) - $74 M (1988)</li>
<li>Curious George (Univ) - $70 M (2006)</li>
<li>Pokémon 3: The Movie (WB) - $68 M (2001)</li>
<li>The Fox and the Hound (Disney) - $63 M (1981)</li>
<li>Piglet's Big Movie (Disney) - $63 M (2003)</li>
<li>Fantasia 2000 (Disney) - $61 M (2000)</li>
<li>The Wild Thornberries (Par) - $61 M (2002)</li>
<li>Rugrats Go Wild (Par) - $59 M (2003)</li>
<li>Pooh's Heffalump Movie (Disney) - $53 M (2005)</li>
<li>Recess: School's Out (Disney) - $44 M (2001)</li>
<li>The Great Mouse Detective (Disney) - $39 M (1986)</li>
<li>Titan A.E. (Fox) - $37 M (2000)</li>
<li>Winnie the Pooh (Disney) - $33 M (2011)</li>
<li>Ferngully the Last Rainforest (Fox) - $33 M (1992)</li>
<li>James and the Giant Peach (Disney) - $29 M (1996)</li>
<li>The Rescuers Down Under (Disney) - $28 M (1990)</li>
<li>The Black Cauldron (Disney) - $21 M (1981)</li>
</ol>
<br />
<ol>
</ol>
Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-46419354032227125122013-10-12T23:47:00.003-07:002013-10-13T01:50:57.933-07:00Walt Disney Animated Films and Pixar Box Office and Video Grosses<div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">Right, so I own a video of most of these films. Anyway, there's no good list on the Internetzes that gives you the worldwide box office grosses (who cares about just domestic? Money is $), the costses, and the DVD/Vid/Rentage grosses of all the Disney animated films and all the Pixar films on one page. So enjoy! Sources include The Numbers, Box Office Mojo, Wikipedia, IMDB, and various interviews.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #999999;">Gray are Pixar films.</span><span style="color: #666666;"> </span>The first number is the world-wide box office gross, in millions. It includes every release (if it's been re-released). For example, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, and Sleeping Beauty all lost money in the theaters. But Walt re-released most of those films every 7 years or so, and they made up their costs. (They didn't think they could re-release Alice until the psycho 70s hit, and it became a hit.) Nothing is adjusted for inflation. I might update this in the future because you can't calculate inflation when the gross includes multiple releases. So that's something I can clarify in the future (room to grow).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 15px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">The second number, the one in (parenthesis), is the cost of the film. After that is the DVD gross (if I could find one). But that also includes all video (VHS, Blue Ray, etc) and video rentals. </span></span><br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
</ul>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1937
– Snow White & the 7 Dwarves $416M (1.5M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1940
– Pinocchio $ 84M (2.3M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1940
– Fantasia $ 83M (2.3M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1941
– The Reluctant Dragon $ - (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1941
– Dumbo $ 1.6M (950K) DVD - 61M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1942
– Bambi $268
M (1.7M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1942
– Saludos Amigos $ - (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1944
– The Three Caballeros $ - (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1946
– Make Mine Music $ - (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1947
– Fun & Fancy Free $ - (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1948
– Melody Time $ - (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1949
– Adv of Ichabod & Mr. Toad $ - (-) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1950
– Cinderella $ 85 M ($ 3M) DVD
- 64M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1951
– <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Alice</st1:city></st1:place> in
Wonderland $ - ($
3M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1953
– Peter Pan $ 87 M ($ 4M) DVD
- 93M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1955
– Lady and the Tramp $ 94 M ($ 4M) DVD-121M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1959
– Sleeping Beauty $ 52 M ($ 6M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1961
– 101 Dalmatians $216
M (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1963
– Sword in the Stone $ 22 M (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1967
– Jungle Book $206
M ($ 4M) DVD - 73M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1970
– Aristocats $ 35 M (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1973
– Robin Hood $ - (-) DVD - 38M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1977
– Many Adv. of Winnie the Pooh $ - (-) DVD - 16M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1977
– The Rescuers $ 71 M (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1981
– The Fox and the Hound $ 63 M (-) DVD
- 39M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1985
– The Black Cauldron $ 21 M ($25M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1986
– The Great Mouse Detective $ 39 M ($14M) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1988
– Who Framed Roger Rabbit $351
M ($70M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1988
– Oliver & Company $ 74 M (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1989
– The Little Mermaid $222
M ($28M) DVD-109M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1990
– The Rescuers Down Under $ 47 M (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1991
– Beauty and the Beast $451
M ($20M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1992
– Aladdin $504
M ($28M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1994
– Lion King $953
M ($79M) DVD - 1.5B <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1995
– Pocahontas $347
M ($55M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1995 – Toy Story $362
M ($30M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1996
– Hunchback of Notre Dame $326
M (100M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1997
– Hercules $252
M ($70M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1998
– Mulan $304
M ($90M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1998 – A Bug’s Life $363
M ($45M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1999
– Tarzan $448
M (145M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">1999 – Toy Story 2 $511
M ($90M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2000
– Fantasia 2000 $ 61 M ($80M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2000
– Dinosaur $356
M (128M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2000
– Emperor’s New Groove $169
M (100M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2001
– Atlantis $186
M ($90M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2001 – Monsters, Inc. $560
M (115M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2002
– Lilo & Stitch $273
M ($80M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2002
– Treasure Planet $110
M (140M) DVD - 64M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2003 – Finding Nemo $906
M ($94M) DVD-300M <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2003
– Brother Bear $250
M (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2004
– Home on the Range $104
M (110M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2004 – The Incredibles $632
M ($92M) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2005
– Chicken Little $314
M ($60M) DVD-142M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2006 – Cars $462
M ($70M) DVD-252M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2007
– Meet the Robinsons $171
M (-) DVD - 79M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2007 – Ratatouille $627
M (150M) DVD-190M <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2008 – Wall-E $533
M (180M) DVD-144M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2008
– Bolt $314
M (150M) DVD - 85M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2009 – Up $732
M (175M) DVD-186M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2009
– Princess & the Frog $267
M (105M) DVD - 76M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2010 – Toy Story 3 $1.06
B (200M) DVD-187M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2010
– Tangled $591
M (260M) DVD-106M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2011 – Cars 2 $560
M (200M) DVD - 82M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2011
– Winnie the Pooh $ 36 M ($30M) DVD - 12M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2012 – Brave $555
M (185M) DVD-110M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2012
– Wreck It Ralph $473
M (165M) DVD - 52M<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2013 – <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Monsters</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place> $737
M (-)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2013
– Planes $180
M ($50M)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2013
– Frozen <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2014
– Planes 2: Fire & Rescue <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2014
– Big Hero 6<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2015 – Inside Out<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2015 – The Good Dinosaur <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2016 – Finding Dory<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2016
– Zootopia <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2017 – Dia De Los Muertos?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2017
– Giants? (Jack & the Beanstalk)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2018
– Moana? (Tiki Room)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">2019
– Teenage Space Race?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;">§<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: grey; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Also from Pixar: Toy Story 4, Incredibles 2</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 15px; text-indent: -0.25in;">§</span><span style="color: grey; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;">Also
from Disney: King of Elves, Mickey Mouse </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; mso-list: l0 level3 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
One reason why I did this is so that you can see what this films were making in the 70s and 80s and then starting with the Disney Renaissance with The Little Mermaid, when the films started taking off again.<br />
<br />
Also, when John Lasseter took over as the Chief Creative Officer of Disney animated films in 2006-ish, you can see how awesome the Pixar movies were doing in the box office and how the Disney films were struggling to get up there. As you can see, Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, and Princess & the Frog weren't getting it done (compared to Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Incredibles, Cars, Ratatouille, Wall-E, Up, and Toy Story 3). It wasn't until Tangled when he had a Disney hit that made more than $500 million like the Pixar movies were (except Cars, which more than made it up in DVD and Merchandise). So he's got two "sequels" to Tangled in the works... <b>Frozen </b>(he brought back the director of Tarzan) and <b>Giants </b>(a Jack in the Beanstalk tale from the director of Tangled).<br />
<br />
But you can see that Lasseter's still in experimental mode (even after Tangled), with <b>Winnie the Pooh </b>(they tried to recreate the 70s shorts; it's fun and great, but a not the right idea for a film), <b>Wreck-It Ralph</b> (Up but with videogames; amazing film, but it lost the mommy market with the Halo stuff), a <b>Planes </b>series (low budget Cars spin-off with a good profit so far), <b>Big Hero 6 </b>(Disney CEO Iger insisted they do an animated film with the Marvel brand, so they found a Japanese hero team that know one knew about), <b>Zootopia </b>(a quirky Madagascar?), <b>Moana </b>(giving Clements and Musker another chance, so they're taking the Tiki Room idea, combining it with the animation style of the Paper Man short, and stirring in a girl character ala Spirited Away... but Lasseter better give them some major talent to help, because Clements and Musker pulled off Aladdin and Littler Mermaid, but they also directed Great Mouse Detective, Hercules, Treasure Planet, and Princess & the Frog... so they need some help to dig out of a three-film funk), and <b>Teenage Space Race</b> (this didn't work so well with Final Fantasy, Titan AE (that put Don Bluth out of business), Atlantis, Treasure Planet, TMNT, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Rise of the Guardians, Epic, or unfortunately even Wreck-It Ralph, so they better have a mission to win over the mommy market more than those films did, or it's going to be another "sorry son, let's wait for DVD" kind of film).<br />
<br />
<b>King of the Elves</b> and a return for <b>Mickey Mouse</b> are on hold for now. I'm not voting for King of the Elves (it's a short story that doesn't seem it would lend itself well to a feature film), but a Mickey film might be interesting (although their Winnie the Pooh attempt fell flat). Meanwhile Pixar's still on a role, and I expect good things from Disney's Fairy Tale series that Tangled started (the series formula includes <b>Tangled</b>, <b>Frozen</b>, and <b>Giants</b>... this formula is similar to what Little Mermaid started... Aladdin, Beauty & the Beast, Lion King, Pocahontas, Hunchback, Hercules, Mulan, and Tarzan).<br />
<br />
Leave a comment if you have more info on box office takes, film costs, and video grosses, and please include a link to the source! Thanks!<br />
<br />
- The EmperorEd Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-26322093155163644292013-07-16T22:54:00.000-07:002013-10-13T01:49:37.280-07:00Who made Disney successful in the late 80s and early 90s?<b><i>UDPATE 7/16/13</i></b>: New images.<br />
<em><strong>11/22/12</strong></em>: I updated some images, dug deeper on narratives around Eisner, Iger, and Ashman, added Bruckheimer as the current #4 contributor, and updated the notes about the Pixar crew.<br />
<em><strong>12/7/10</strong></em>: I added some notes about the rest of the Pixar crew at the end. Lasseter couldn't have done it without them. We also added Tangled and other newer stuff.<br />
<em><b>1/15/10</b></em>: Originally posted.<br />
=====================<br />
<br />
I've been reading "DisneyWar." If you haven't read it, go read it. Even if you speed read through all the parts that don't deal with animation, it's still worth it. It tells the story of Michael Eisner and Roy Disney almost like you're reading a novel (but it does get slightly boring at times later in the book because new executives and products come in and out of Eisner and Roy's lives). <br />
<br />
<img src="http://ethix.org/files/2006/06/47-Disney-War.png" width="150" /><br />
<br />
<b>So who made Disney successful in the late 80s? </b><br />
<br />
Hard to tell, really. You'll have to read this long story to get to the answer at the bottom (it will be worth it, so don't cheat).<br />
<br />
Roy Disney Jr. hired Michael Eisner as the Disney CEO (who was successful at Paramount and ABC) and Wells as President. Then Eisner hired Jeffrey Katzenberg (who he promoted at Paramount, and who was a hard, efficient worker) as the head of all Disney films. <br />
<br />
Jeffrey Katzenberg:<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://img.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/jeffrey-katzenberg-says-moves-suck__oPt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://img.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/jeffrey-katzenberg-says-moves-suck__oPt.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
As soon as Eisner and Katzenberg were in charge at Disney, they wanted to <b>shut down the entire animation department</b>. Why? Because (1) they had no experience with animation (they wanted to concentrate on the live-action films), (2) animations hadn't been successful or valuable since Walt's death, and (3) they didn't think they could do Walt's memory justice if they kept making bad animations.<br />
<br />
Roy Disney:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://jimbuie.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/roy_disney2.jpg" /><br />
<br />
There was one thing that saved Walt Disney animation: Roy Disney, Walt's nephew and the son of Walt's business partner, Roy Disney Sr. (Walt and Roy Sr. were actually 50/50 business partners; Roy Sr. ran the business and Walt ran the creative side. We only hear about Walt because he was the face of the company.)<br />
<br />
Eisner put Katzenberg in charge of all the film studios (including animation), while Roy was head of animation. So it was hard at first, they (led by Katzenberg, but supported by Roy) tried to cut out all the dark parts of The Black Cauldron. Of course, it was all dark, so they had to settle.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.80sreborn.com/images/black-cauldron-5.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Then Eisner and Katzenberg pushed to make the animated films cheaper and faster.<br />
<br />
That fell on new directors Ron Clements and John Musker. This is what wikipedia says about Ron Clements:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>
Clements began his career as an animator for Hanna-Barbera... After that, he served a two year apprenticeship with famed animator Frank Thomas, [one of the most famous Disney animators], [as] a supervising animator in classic Disney films such as Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955) and The Aristocats (1970).<br />
<br />
Clements made his feature debut as a character animator on The Rescuers (1977) and Pete's Dragon (1977). In 1981, he became the supervising animator on The Fox and the Hound. Future partner John Musker worked as a character animator under him. Clements later teamed up with Musker as story artists on the ambitious animated flop The Black Cauldron (1985).</blockquote>
<br />
So Ron had made a short about "Basil of Baker Street," a 1958 children's book that spawned a series of books. He then pitched it as a film. When Eisner and Katzenberg came on board, Clements and Musker were putting the film together (The Great Mouse Detective).<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.ascully.com/images/dvd/greatmousedetective/cover.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<br />
<b>1. The Great Mouse Detective</b> - So they wanted it faster and cheaper. The result was a low-quality animated film that left Clements, Musker, and Roy frustrated. However, it actually turned a profit, so Katzenberg and Eisner weren't going to shut down animation. They actually realized that they might need to go with the higher quality instead.<br />
<br />
Here is where Eisner comes in. Michael Eisner (the new Disney Chairman and CEO) gets everybody together to throw out some ideas. A young animator, Jim Cox, threw down the idea of "Oliver Twist with dogs." Katzenberg loved it because he had been trying to a live action Oliver Twist, and so he pretty much claimed the idea as his own, even though the idea came from Jim Cox (who wrote the film and went on to write for Rescuers 2 & Ferngully).<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.laughingplace.com/files/columns/Toon20020514/pic3.jpg" width="200" /> <br />
<br />
<b>2. Oliver and Company</b> - Also of note is that James Mangold was also a writer on the Oliver Twist film, which was named "Oliver & Company." Katzenberg wanted it to be a broadway musical, which is why it ended up with so many popular names doing the songs and voices (very unlike Disney of the past).<br />
<br />
(James Mangold was frustrated from the Disney experience. Oliver & Company was the first movie he wrote for. So after the film he went back to film school for his Masters, and came out as an acclaimed live-action director and writer, having gone on to direct Cop Land, Girl Interrupted, Kate & Leopold, Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma, and Knight and Day.)<br />
<br />
So Disney put a little more time and money into Oliver & Company. It was a success. It eventually made $73 million in the US, which was a lot back then, making it the #1 Disney animated film in quite awhile. So Disney was willing to back animations.<br />
<br />
Now back to that Eisner pitch meeting. Another idea was thrown down. This idea was from Ron Clements: The Little Mermaid. A classic Disney fairytale, where they made the ending happy, just like Walt always did (for example, the step sisters don't cut off their toes in Cinderella). <br />
<br />
At first, Eisner and Katzenberg hated the idea (they bonged it, which means they did thumbs down and declared it a horrible idea). They thought it was too similar to Splash (a live action Disney hit under the Touchstone Pictures brand that was made before Eisner and Katzenberg got there). <br />
<br />
However, Roy loved the idea and Katzenberg warmed up on it. By the time they were ready to make it (Roy and Ron Clements kept pushing it on Katzenberg after Oliver & Company was in development), Splash was long forgotten so Eisner no longer had a problem with it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/movie/movie_poster/the-little-mermaid-1989/large_ivdzLXCVgPUyjphKbbB40z8FQp8.jpg" width="200" />
<br />
<b>3. The Little Mermaid</b> - So Clements and Musker directed their second Disney film, The Little Mermaid. It was also made great because Katzenberg followed his drive to make animations into Broadway musicals. That brought on Howard Ashman, who in addition to doing the lyrics for Alan Menken, and Ashman really brought the characters to life, giving direction on their personalities and details (the details, like giving Sebastian the Jamacian flair and musical style). He did that for The Little Mermaid (especially Sebastian and Ursula). <br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXM1gcu5SOvoAfUFQLJ1zjym2jzeN9viyTIsEgOqkqNccAImR4OasNRLXZ8uVSaCpqiFbT2ePaueF5ELes83_IBJ97tSihChyphenhyphenTB_0UFthWGOgyPsS3zahXUsqmd2AVC_FVCSvl/s1600/beauty-and-the-beast-poster.jpg" width="200" />
<br />
<b>4. Beauty and the Beast</b> - And then he did it again for Beauty and the Beast (especially suggesting the furniture comes alive, which is actually something Disney did a few times with the Sorcerer's Apprentice and Sword in the Stone). (Note that this detail of the furniture coming alive was vital, because they were lacking a reason why it was an animation up to that point.) Clements and Musker also helped provide some direction and supervision for that one (especially given their passion for fairy tales). <br />
<br />
(The director of Beauty and the Beast, Gary Trousdale, was a writer for Oliver & Company, and he went on to write for Lion King and direct Hunchback of Notre Dame, Atlantis, and then he moved to Dreamworks where he wasn't given any more big shots.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.isimon.co.za/jbox/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Aladdin-Movie-Poster.jpg" width="200" />
<br />
<b>5. Aladdin</b> - Next was Aladdin. Clements and Musker struck again as the writers and directors (it was another passion project of theirs; although Walt never touched it, Ub Iwerks did an animated movie of it on his own in 1934). Ashman had also helped get the ball rolling (he died of AIDS before it really took off in production), Menken came back in (after his success on Little Mermaid and Beauty & the Beast), and they brought on two amazing writers (Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio, who went on to write Shrek, the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, Zorro, and more). Aladdin was even a bigger hit.<br />
<br />
Next they did something strange. Katzenberg wanted to tell the coming of age story of him having grown up in Africa. And so it somehow morphed into lions and the story of Hamlet (but with a happy ending). He brought on a new music talent, including a traditional movie composer, Hans Zimmer. <br />
<br />
(Hans Zimmer did Cool Runnings, The Rock, Black Hawk Down, MI2, Gladiator, Pearl Harbor, The Pirates movies, The Ring, Batman Begins, Dark Knight, Simpsons Movie, and Sherlock Holmes; and Katzenberg brought Hans to DreamWorks with him, which is why Hans didn't do more Disney animations, and Hans worked on almost every single DreamWorks animation, including the better ones, Antz, Prince of Egypt, Shark Tale, Madagascar, and Kung-Fu Panda.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/108/MPW-54063" width="300" />
<br />
<b>6. The Lion King</b> - So Katzenberg brought on different talent other than the successful Menken, Clements, and Musker, and The Lion King was even more successful than the rest (though the influence and momentum of Clements and Ashman continued on in this film). Then Katzenberg got fired (next time, if your boss wants you to invite him to your creative meetings, you should invite him). So he went off and formed DreamWorks with his pals Steven Spielberg and David Geffen. And he eventually sued Disney to get the hundreds of millions that they owed him off his contract.<br />
<br />
Bottom line: If Eisner found a way to collaborate with Katzenberg and keep him, then Shrek, Kung-Fu Panda, and Madagascar would all be Disney films. Maybe not, but Katzenberg would have brought Disney over to successful 3D animations a good decade before Lassetter ended up doing it (and I still think Dreamworks animations are more successful than Lassetter's Disney animations are, but obviously not more successful than Lassetter's Pixar animations).<br />
<br />
<b>Anway, other than Katzenberg and Zimmer, here are other reasons why Lion King did so well... </b><br />
<br />
(1) One of the directors was Roger Allers (he was a writer on Oliver & Company, Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, and went on to write the original story of Emperor's New Groove, direct The Little Match Girl, and then left Disney to direct Open Season). <br />
<br />
(2) The other director was Rob Minkoff (he had directed the two Roger Rabbit shorts, and he went on to direct Stuart Little 1 & 2, Haunted Mansion, and Forbidden Kingdom). <br />
<br />
(3) Brenda Chapman supervised the story (she wrote for Beauty & the Beast, Hunchback, Fantasia 2000, Chicken Run, Cars, Katzenberg tapped her to become the first woman animation director with Prince of Egypt, and now Lasseter has brought her over to Pixar as the writer of Brave/Bear and the Bow and Cars). <br />
<br />
(4) Gary Trousdale contributed to the story (mentioned him already, he directed Beauty & the Beast, Hunchback, and Atlantis).<br />
<br />
(5) Chris Sanders contributed to the story and production (he wrote for Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, Mulan, and directed Lilo & Stitch; he left Disney after a fall-out with Lasseter on Bolt, and now he's at DreamWorks, directing How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods, a caveman animation). <br />
<br />
<b>So, what happened after Lion King, that resulted in a mess of films?</b> <br />
<br />
Well... <br />
<br />
(1) Katzenberg had pushed out Eisner, so Eisner couldn't help anymore (but his help was growing less useful because he was stretching himself thin). <br />
<br />
(2) Disney struck gold four times in a row (Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, and Lion King), but they were running out of ideas and running their imaginations thin. They were itching to try new things, and unfortunately, most of those spelled disaster.<br />
<br />
(3) Katzenberg was fired, and while Katzenberg had a few animated disasters of his own over at DreamWorks (Road to El Dorado, Spirit, and Sinbad), we know he would have steered Disney well because he knew when to quit and try 3D animations like Pixar (Disney still hadn't figured out how to do that right until Tangled). <br />
<br />
(4) Clements wasn't into it anymore. His Hercules movie was cute, but it didn't capture the audience and Treasure Planet was a bad idea (mommies own the movie tickets; we all should know that by now). He came back (Lasseter's wishes) with Princess and the Frog, which ends up demonic, too scary, and mostly about a couple of frogs running (not the most entertaining concept in the world). <br />
<br />
(5) Roy Jr. was dealing with corporate board politics, and he was concentrating too much on Fantasia 2000 (as a monument to Walt).<br />
<br />
(6) Ashman was dead. Ashman had a huge impact, especially on the first three films, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin.<br />
<br />
(7) Chris Sanders stopped writing for the films. He wrote for Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, and Lion King. Then the next Disney film he wrote for was Mulan (which was a great film). Then the next one was Lilo & Stitch (which he directed). After that he fell out with Lassetter over Bolt and went to DreamWorks to direct How to Train Your Dragon (an amazing film). So Sanders slowed down his writing contributions and then left altogether.<br />
<br />
(8) Basically Disney let the successful directors (who stuck around) have more freedom to do what they wanted instead of making sure the projects were best for Disney like they did for the first four films (Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, and Lion King). So then Gary Trousdale got to do Hunchback of Notre Dame and Atlantis. Ron Clements did Hercules and Treasure Planet. Disney brought on the great Cats Don't Dance director from WB to do Emperor's New Groove and Chicken Little (again films that make sense for the director and not for Disney, although Disney probably still made profit on them; they just weren't huge box-office hits, and they strayed from the successful Disney formulas).<br />
<br />
<b>After Lion King...</b><br />
<br />
What resulted was a mess... <br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q246/U8B/Pocahontas/pocahontas-39.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<br />
(1) <b>Pocahontas </b>(A little preachy, but not bad. Director Mike Gabriel had done Rescuers Down Under. Both directors worked on Fantasia 2000 and then stopped directing. Now they both focuses on animation and visual design at Disney. ). <br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.mouseplanet.com/hometheater/hunchII.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<br />
(2) <b>Hunchback of Notre Dame</b> (Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise follow up Beauty and the Beast with a religious tragedy written to stir political conventions in adults; WHY??? This is proof that the directors started doing whatever they wanted, not what was best for Disney. Trousdale and Wise went on to direct Atlantis. After Atalantis, Trousdale then went to DreamWorks where he stopped directing films. Wise then worked on other Disney projects like Spirited Away and DisneyNature's Oceans.) <br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/3490454.gif" width="150" /><br />
<br />
(3) <b>Hercules</b> (Clements and Musker had a great concept, taken from Walt's Fantasia, but they turned into a light song and dance routine that lacked the substance and character of Little Mermaid and Aladdin. Again the directors were doing what they wanted, and not what was best for Disney.)<br />
<br />
Next I'm going to skip Mulan (I liked this one; I'll come back to it) and Tarzan (also liked it, so I'll mention it later). <br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://thecia.com.au/reviews/f/images/fantasia-2000-1.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<br />
(4) <b>Fantasia 2000 </b>(Roy Jr's folly; it is enjoyable, but it is very inconsistent, no thanks to Eisner, who insisted on including Pomp & Circumstance. Mostly it's more of a monument to Roy's memory of his uncle Walt than it was a good idea for Disney. Even the original Fantasia lost a ton of money at first, which is why Walt abandoned his sequel ideas.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/dinosaur.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<br />
(5) <b>Dinosaur</b> (Beautiful and enjoyable, but the story and humor were too weak to make back the huge expenses. For this film, they teamed up Ralph Zondag, the director of Universal/Spielberg's We're Back, and Eric Leighton, the supervising animator of Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach. Then quickly split and stopped directing; Ralph went on to work on story and art for Spielberg and Disney animations, and Eric supervised the animation of King Kong, Charlotte's Web, Coraline, and Legend of Guardians: Owls.) <br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://thefilmstage.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/emperors-new-groove-03.jpg" width="300" /><br />
<br />
(6) <b>The Emperor's New Groove </b>(Hilarious and I love the director Mark Dindall, who also did Cats Don't Dance for WB and Chicken Little for Disney; I hope the movie made money back through audiences realizing how funny it is and buying DVDs and through the spinoff TV show. However, an animated comedy without romance or adventure doesn't appeal to mommies, who own the family movie ticket. Also, this started out as an animation about Incans and was originally intended to be a Disney fairy tale about The Emperor's New Clothes, but Mark pretty much muddled it down into a comedy that mommies wouldn't pay for. I still loved it though, but it's obvious why it wasn't a hit.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://fly.hiwaay.net/~tfharris/pulpculture/columns/010531b.jpg" /><br />
<br />
(7) <b>Atlantis the Lost Empire</b> (A boys' cartoon that belongs on TV. Because it was good and had a decent dose of romance, mommies took their kids, but it didn't have enough Disney qualities to have made it a hit. This was Gary Trousdale's follow up to Hunchback. He was obviously doing what he wanted and not what was best for Disney.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.pudgybunny.com/images/stitchbig.gif" width="200" /><br />
<br />
(8) <b>Lilo & Stitch</b> (A modest commercial success, but I certainly wouldn't want it to ever be compared to Pinnochio or Peter Pan, so it goes on this list of messes. Chris Sanders first directed film, and he later left Disney to DreamWorks to direct the great How to Train a Dragon, and currently The Croods.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://wp.artemi.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/treasure-planet-original.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<br />
(9) <b>Treasure Planet</b> (Finally Clements gets his sci-fi action movie (he also pitched this one with Little Mermaid back in the late 80s), and it's a huge flop. What mommy wants to see this? If her son wants to see it, she'll let him wait for the DVD, which is what all the mommies did.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/images/upload/Brother-Bear-Poster-web.jpg" width="250" /><br />
<br />
(10) <b>Brother Bear</b> (Okay, turning a human into an animal and going on an adveture might seem like a good idea, but... scratch that, it seems like a horrible idea. Plus it is now 2003, which means these 2D animations are competing with Finding Nemo and Shrek 2. If you stay with 2D, you need more firepower than a bear flick. New directors Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker animated for Disney for over a decade before this film, but they left the animation business behind after working on this film. )<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.mpimages.net/mp/compressed/promotional/home_on_the_range1.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<br />
(11) <b>Home on the Range</b> (And let's follow up the bears with some cows. Great. Somebody needs a medal of honor or something for horrible decision-making. Also, this was 2004, so this film was competing with Incredibles, Shrek 2, Polar Express, and Shark Tale. They teamed up John Sanford, a Disney writer who mostly stopped working after this one, with Will Finn, a long-time Disney animator who directed Road to El Dorado. So Will was also out of directing after two unsuccessful films. Will has gone on to storyboard for various animations, mostly for DreamWorks.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://disney-clipart.com/Chicken-Little/Disney-Chicken-Little.jpg" width="150" /><br />
<br />
(12) <b>Chicken Little </b>(A fun little film, 3D, and a modest success. However, I couldn't help but feel that they drew the story out, stretching it thin, which you pretty much have to do with a short story like this, and it seemed a little too weird and offbeat for a Disney movie. That's probably the director Mark Dindall, the Emperor's New Groove guy, trying to make it a little more adventurous and less like his straight comedies. This also seemed to be the last film from the director, which is a crying shame).<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2007/03/29/Robinsons_070329093448275_wideweb__300x375.jpg" width="150" /><br />
<br />
(13) <b>Meet the Robinsons </b>(Enjoyable, and Lasseter helped save it, but it wasn't a successful movie, probably because it's about boy humans who time travel. Again, probably not what a mom wants to see. On the plus side, the director, Stephen J. Anderson, went with Lasseter's changes and he's being rewarded by directing the upcoming Winnie the Pooh film).<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.dogguide.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/2-bolt-disney-1199347095.jpg" width="250" /><br />
<br />
(14) <b>Bolt</b> (Enjoyable and a modest success. It's not my favorite, because I just see it as The Incredible Journey / Homeward Bound with a moviestar complex. However, Lasseter knocked out Chris Sanders to make it good, and he brought on Chris Williams, the director of the great Glago's Guest short, and Byron Howard, who also directed Rapunzel).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
(15) <b>The Princess and the Frog </b>(The mess continues. So Clements and Musker are back and they're trying to appeal to girls again, but they end up giving us demons that are too scary for kids, killing a main character, which should be done early so that we can heal or not at all, and the majority of the picture is about two frogs running, and it features former humans that became frogs, like we didn't learn not to do that with Brother Bear. So it was enjoyable, except for the demons and death, and it actually had a story and good music. But the flaws were enough to keep it from being a success).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
(16) <b>Tangled </b>(Wow. We did a <a href="http://theanimationempire.blogspot.com/2010/12/tangled-theanimationempire-movie-review.html">full, long review on Tangled here</a>. In short, the film has great characters, story, visuals, and is a ton of fun. However, it never breaths, it only has one amazing musical number, it doesn't use the animation medium very well (to build characters), and you only get to know one of the great characters (Rapunzel) as much as you want to, leaving you wanting more backstory and history of another 5 or so great characters. It's a step in the right direction, but it doesn't look like it's a box office success along the lines of Pixar and the Disney films of the early 90s). It wasn't exactly a mess though. It's an amazing film.<br />
<br />
=====================<br />
<br />
I think there were two successes during the "mess" that were successful in the box office and worthy films of the Disney name (sorry but I can't really claim Atlantis, Brother Bear, Lilo & Stitch, Chicken Little, and Bolt to be worthy of being in the same category as Lady & the Tramp, Dumbo, or Jungle Book, even if they were modest hits). Here are those two films that were worthy during those 15 or so years:<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51c9hJVDUCL.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<br />
(1) <b>Mulan</b> (It was a success in the box office, and it was a worthy musical. It has a heartening story and memorable characters (Eddie Murphy brought Mushu to life before he turned to the competition and became Donkey). The two directors on this film both split and left Disney. One's working on a Paul Bunyan film and one is working on Arthur Christmas for Sony and Aardman.)<br />
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<br />
<img src="http://mutantreviewers.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/tarzan_poster_disney.jpg" width="200" />
<br />
(2) <b>Tarzan</b> (Although it wasn't a musical, they still injected Disney music. The movie was a hit, and I think it is definitely worthy to be a Disney film in any collection. It was also a great idea because Walt Disney was considering it. The author, Edgar Rice Burroughs, approached Walt and asked him to make it into an animated film (Disney was mulling it over and trying to figure out how to make it). The director of Tarzan was Chris Buck, who left Disney to direct the inventive Surf's Up, and now he's coming back to direct Disney's The Snow Queen (Lasseter scores again), which is said to be a 2D animation, though I have trouble believing that Chris would go from 2D to 3D and then back to 2D. The other Tarzan director, Kevin Lima, went on to direct live-action Disney films like 102 Dalmations and Enchanted.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.firstshowing.net/img/Rapunzel-FL-01.jpg" width="150" /><br />
<br />
(3) <b>Tangled </b>(Again, check out our review here: <a href="http://theanimationempire.blogspot.com/2010/12/tangled-theanimationempire-movie-review.html">http://theanimationempire.blogspot.com/2010/12/tangled-theanimationempire-movie-review.html</a>. Tangled/Rapunzel is from Bolt director, Byron Howard and Nathan Greno, the director of the Super Rhino short for Bolt.<br />
<br />
Next up are Winnie the Pooh (from Meet the Robinsons' director, Stephen J. Anderson), King of the Elves (from Bolt director, Chris Williams), Reboot Ralph (about a videogame character), and hopefully still the Snow Queen fairy tale (from Tarzan and Surf's Up director, Chris Buck). So Lasseter has Disney continuing to tap fairy tales, more recent adventurous books, and even making use of the characters that Disney owns (like Winnie the Pooh or the great direct-to-video Tinker Bell series). So let's hope it works. <br />
<br />
I'm hoping King of the Elves makes it happen (since Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, Princess and the Frog, and Tangled didn't get Disney up to DreamWorks and Pixar, and I doubt Whinnie the Pooh in 2D can do it. <br />
<br />
In the meantime, we're confident that Lassetter and Andrew Stanton will keep giving us Pixar hits (Andrew is the director of Finding Nemo, Toy Story, and Wall-E and is now running Pixar in Lassetter's absence). Their next films are Toy Story 3 (from Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc, and Finding Nemo co-director, Lee Unkrich), Cars 2 (John Lassetter teams with Brad Lewis, the producer of Antz & Ratatouille), Brave (a Scottish princess story, written by Brenda Chapman who directed Prince of Egypt, and directed by Mark Andrews, the director of Pixar shorts One Man Band and Violet), and Monster's Inc. 2 (from Pete Doctor, who gave us Monster's Inc. and Up).<br />
But that brings us back to the question... who made Disney so successful? To fairly answer the question, we also need to look at what Eisner did right...<br />
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===============================<br />
<br />
<h2>
What Eisner did right</h2>
<br />
<img src="http://frederatorblogs.com/channel_frederator/files/2008/04/060207_disneyeisnerqa_hsmallwidec8645.jpg" width="150" /><br />
<br />
(1) He raised the theme park ticket prices. Sort of a "duh" thing, but it greatly increased the Disney revenue.<br />
<br />
(2) He pushed merchandise hard (in Disney stores and retail stores).<br />
<br />
(3) He helped Disney get the "singles and doubles" live-action film hits it needed to keep the studios profitable. This was mostly just in the mid to late 80s. Then he was pushed out by Katzenberg and spread himself too thin to do this well.<br />
<br />
(4) He started the Disney Stores. Well, he promoted an executive who did it, but still. <br />
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(5) He got the Disney home video machine going. They started releasing all the classics, and they've never stopped. It became a huge boom of cash for the company (much more valuable than re-releasing the films in theaters). This business is still thriving today with DVDs, BlueRay, and Disney Download.<br />
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(6) He got the Internet strategy going (overshot it actually, trying to compete with Yahoo), but it was good because it set up the framework for the current games they do online (Pixie Hollow, Pirates, Club Penguin, etc.).<br />
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(7) He expanded the theme parks. He kind of overshot this too, bringing about the EuroDisney failure (French people don't like you, Mickey Mouse) and Disney's California Adventure (I've got a great idea; let's make a new theme park and not use our characters). But still, it brought the company's income up.<br />
<br />
(8) He acquired ABC and later Fox Family. It seemed like a good idea, and it was good for several reasons, but it just thinned out Eisner's focus and gave Disney a huge problem to deal with (and he got a bad deal on Fox Family). The good point of this is that it made Disney larger, harder to buy out, and gave them more synergy to work with (like Power Rangers on Disney channels and in Disney parks). (But later they sold back Power Rangers; why???)<br />
<br />
(9) He put Disney into the hotel business, building hotels around the theme parks, and those soon became huge profit centers.<br />
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======================<br />
<br />
<h2>
It's all about John</h2>
<br />
All that said, it really wasn't Eisner who made Disney successful. Think about it. All the value at Disney is spurred on by the animated films. And sure Brukheimer brought Disney some huge live-action hits (such as the Pirates movies), and Disney found a few good live-action family movies (The Santa Clause, Mighty Ducks, 101 Dalmations, Flubber, etc.), but all those did was counter the costs of their live action flops. It was really the animations of the early 90s that brought Disney back as a key player (and then the Pixar movies from 96 on).<br />
<br />
The animations provided the content that fueled the merchandise, Disney Stores, theme parks, home videos, the Internet, and even TV. Walt knew this. The animations always came first. That's why Bob Iger bought Pixar and put Lasseter in charge (Bob Iger took over as Disney CEO in 2005). I just hope Lasseter can do it, because he hasn't had a Disney animation hit yet (but to be fair, Robinsons, Bolt, and Tangled were salvage projects, and so Princess and the Frog was his first real attempt; and he's making great progress in improving the Disney parks, saving Disney's California Adventure, and revolutionizing Tinker Bell with the direct-to-video series). Update: Looks like Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, and Frozen are his first three hits, but it took some time (Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, Princess and the Frog, & Winnie the Pooh). <br />
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John Lasseter:<br />
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<img src="http://www.maxschoenherr.de/radio/radioCurrent/JohnLasseter_CARS/John_Lasseter_Cars.Schoenherr.jpg" width="250" /><br />
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So since we know Lasseter can save Disney's direct-to-video efforts, its theme parks, and can make Pixar into what it currently is, I think he'll get the Disney animated films right too (it's just taking him a lot longer than I thought it would).<br />
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===================================<br />
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Once again, let's go back to the question I keep dodging...<br />
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<h2>
Who made Disney successful in the late 80s?</h2>
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<img src="http://www.tribute.ca/tribute_objects/images/directors/ron_clements.jpg" /><br />
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(1) <b>Ron Clements</b>: Ron gets the top spot for this one. It was Ron's idea to go back to fairy tales. He pushed the fairy tales hard, and it resonated through Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, and Aladdin. Specifically, he and Musker wrote and directed the Great Mouse Detective (which Katzenberg and Eisner forced to be worse than it could have been by lowering the animation quality via the budget and time resourced to it), The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin. (Side note that Katzenberg was finally willing to make quality animations starting with "Oliver and Company", because that was a project he was passionate about... and because it was successful, they continued the quality after that.) Ron also helped push the vision for Beauty and the Beast to align with his idea of going back to romantic fairy tales (Walt's top two successes were Snow White and Cinderella). I think the formula even spilled out onto The Lion King a little, even if that film was an original idea by Katzenberg (based on Hamlet and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimba_the_White_Lion" target="_blank">Kimba</a>). Ron's failures were that he started doing what he wanted to do (making Hercules too light, making Treasure Planet for boys, and pulling Princess and the Frog too far from the original story and making it too dark; also he let Randy Newman do the music). He lost the checks and balances that he had earlier on (those people left Disney, got fired by Eisner, like Katzenberg and Roy Disney, or died as in Ashman's case below). Special mention goes to Ron's directing partner, John Musker.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/HowardAshman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/HowardAshman.jpg" /></a></div>
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(2) <b>Howard Ashman</b>: Ashman was the lyricist in Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, and Aladdin, and he was the executive producer of The Little Mermaid and "Beauty and the Beast" (because he died before Aladdin made it to full production). I give Howard the #2 spot. Katzenberg had the idea of bringing in the talent of Broadway producers, but it was Howard who played the Walt Disney role, making the characters come alive in Little Mermaid, Beauty in the Beast, and the preproduction of Aladdin. For example, it was Ashman who said that Sebastian could be a Jamaican Rastafarian crab (which changed all the music that Sebastian directed) rather than Clarence, the English butler crab. And he based Ursula on a full-figured Broadway diva. Plus I think his magic spilled out a little and influenced The Lion King. Howard is the only one on this list without any failures or mistakes. His only mistake is that he got AIDS, and he died (a tragedy; reminds me of Walt dying from smoking and getting lung cancer; also happened too early in his career).<br />
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<img src="http://images.forbes.com/media/lists/10/2006/RJ9O.jpg" width="150" /><br />
<br />
(3) <b>Roy Disney</b>: Although Roy wasn't the most most creative person, he had some good ideas for the details. And most importantly, he was the only executive who knew that the future of Disney was in the animated films. He always knew that. And so he pressed it hard. He saved Disney and animation. Roy's faults were that he wasn't creative enough to keep the Disney animated hits coming, and he invested too much in the flop, Fantasia 2000, in an attempt to honor his memory of Walt Disney, his uncle. Roy has since passed on.<br />
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<img src="http://cache.boston.com/resize/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2007/10/30/1193796655_3510/410w.jpg" width="200" /><br />
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(4) <b>Jeffrey Katzenberg</b>: So why isn't Katzenberg #1 on this list? He would probably put himself there. Why? Because it was Katzenberg who championed and who took control of Oliver & Company (a modest success) and The Lion King (Disney's biggest animation blockbuster). The Lion King was his idea, based on his own story. He made the decision for Disney to make Toy Story with Pixar, and he told John Lasseter to watch some buddy comedies in order to breathe life into the Toy Story... story. Also, Katzenberg championed the idea that Disney should be making musicals, and so they should go to Broadway to get talent. <br />
However, I don't think he should be #1. For starters, he and Eisner wanted to close down the animation studio (he's lucky to be on here after that heresy). Second, the best idea for Disney animations was to return to the adventure and romance stories and fairy tales. Those weren't his ideas either. Those came from Ron Clements. Katzenberg originally cut the costs and pushed on making The Great Mouse Detective lower quality, and he originally vetoed The Little Mermaid (he said it was too much like the Tom Hanks comedy, Splash). Also, he put Pocahontas and the others in production, so the hits would have stopped for a little while anyway (even if he hadn't left). He also fought with Roy and most of the animators merely tolerated him (they didn't like him; there's a huge collection of drawings they made to make fun of him). They called him a tyrant. He admitted it (even outright told Lasseter he was a tyrant, but after he said that he'd add that he's always right). It's a little strange that he thinks he's always right (he is often though), especially because he wanted to stop animations and cut the quality of them. And he didn't think they should make The Little Mermaid. That doesn't sound like "always" to me.<br />
That said, if Eisner had kept Katzenberg on board, Disney would have had a few failures, but Katzenberg would have steered Disney Animation toward the Pixar formula 12 years earlier, which he used (combining with his knowledge of live-action films) to make movies like Shrek, Madagascar, Kung-Fu Panda, and How to Train a Dragon. (Note that we first see a hint of Disney Animation moving toward the Pixar formula with "Wreck-It Ralph".) Katzenberg's first CG film, Antz, was in 1998. Shrek was in 2001. Although Katzenberg was #4 in bringing Disney to where it is today, he would have kept it alive had he stayed. (So I believe Katzenberg would be #1 or #2 on the current list if he never left Disney. However, in Katzenberg's defense, Eisner fired Katzenberg. So it's really Eisner's fault that DreamWorks exists. It wouldn't exist if Eisner would have found a way to promote and keep Katzenberg instead of firing him. Imagine, Shrek would be a Disney film!)<br />
<br />
<br />
So that's it. It was a team effort, but the top players were Clements, Ashman, Roy, and Katzenberg. Originally, I had thought that it was Katzenberg's idea to go back to Disney's fairy tale and romantic stories. But it was Clements who had that idea (and why the first thing Lasseter did when he took over as Disney Chief Creative Officer was to find Clements and ask him to do another fairy tale, which became Princess and the Frog... Lasseter knew that Clements was the fairy tales guru), and Ashman actually channeled Walt Disney the best out of any of the crew. Katzenberg was also involved, but the best parts came from Clements and Ashman.<br />
<br />
Plus Roy saved the Disney company several times. First, by bringing on Michael Eisner and pushing out his brother in law, Ron Miller (Walt Disney's son in law, who Walt thought would take over, but Ron wasn't as creative and lacked the degree of business sense of Eisner). Second, by taking control of the animation department so that Eisner and Katzenberg couldn't shut it down (because Roy got Eisner in power, Eisner offered Roy anything he wanted, and Roy asked to take over animation). And third, and most recently, Roy saved Disney by getting Eisner off the board, which brought on Robert Iger as the new Disney CEO in 2005. <br />
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<b>Robert Iger:</b><br />
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<img src="http://www.marketingshift.com/resources/robert_iger.jpg" width="150" /><br />
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Then, everybody gasped in amazement as Iger revealed his true self: competent. That's right, they all thought he was Eisner's stooge and therefore would act just like Eisner (Eisner overpayed for Internet assets, tried to compete with Yahoo online and failed, funded the EuroDisney disaster where they made a real castle and built a lot of hotels that weren't being used, bought a couple of sports teams, built the Disney California Adventure failure, overpaid for Fox Family Channel, fired Katzenberg, fired Roy Disney and Stanley Gold, was about to lose the contract with Pixar, and then to cut costs and make up for his mistakes, he pulled back on costumed characters in the parks and pulled back on park maintenance, resulting in a death on Thunder Mountain)... so a lot of people feared another Eisner since Bob Iger was Eisner's right-hand man. However, Iger was befriending Eisner for his own good (and because he's a nice guy and a hard worker); Iger got the top spot, and he's made golden decisions since then:<br />
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(1) <strong>Bought Pixar in 2006</strong>. Put Lasseter in charge of creativity. Put Steve Jobs on the Disney board.<br />
(2) <strong>Brought Oswald the Lucky Rabbit back to Disney in 2006</strong>. He promised Walt's daughter, Diane Disney Miller that he'd do this. Walt had thought he owned Oswald, and felt like he got Oswald stolen from him when Mintz stole his Oswald contract in 1928. The first real use of Oswald has been to co-star in the Epic Mickey games.<br />
(3) <strong>Bought Marvel in 2009</strong>. Holy cow. When's the first Marvel theme park opening? (Disney is starting to inject Marvel cartoons into the Disney XD channel now. Marvel is integrated with Disney merchandise sales now. Disney Animation is working on Big Hero 6, a Marvel super hero team that's based in Japan.)<br />
(4) <strong>Bought Lucas enterprises in 2012</strong>: Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Industrial Light and Magic, Skywalker Sound, LucasArts games... the whole deal. This is a little ironic, since Pixar was originally a small branch of Lucas' enterprises. But it makes sense because the parks have helped keep the Star Wars and Indiana Jones brands alive. Apparently George was getting sick of fanboys complaining about his new vision for Star Wars, and he wanted to cash out when Obama was starting his second term (and putting the clamps down on big corporations). And here was Bob Iger asking to buy Star Wars. First movie under Disney is expected in 2015.<br />
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So sorry to Eisner and Iger, but you guys didn't make the list for who made Disney successful in the late 80s and early 90s. Sure, Eisner, you hired Katzenberg and helped with some creative discussions in the early 80s (and good early business decisions for the company), but that also led to Oliver & Company and Rescuers Down Under. Plus you wanted to shut down the animation studio, which is pretty much heresy. Sure, you did all those great things I listed (Disney home videos, Disney theme parks, Disney merchandise, and Disney live-action movies), but those are mostly common sense and business sense. They aren't the creativity that revitalized Disney (it was the animated fairy tales and Pixar that did that). Plus, as I already mentioned earlier, the animations fueled the content that made the synergy, merchandise, home videos, and theme parks so successful. When the animated films aren't great, the company's bottom line isn't as great. So you don't make the list, even though you cast yourself to take Walt's place on The Wonderful World of Disney (Roy Jr. turned it down, but he wouldn't have turned it down if he'd known that the alternative was Eisner doing it). (Also, Eisner, you did crazy things like bought the Angels, started the Mighty Ducks, spent a ton of money on the EuroDisney fiasco, bought the Fox Family Channel for 3 times what it was worth, wasted money on online endeavors, fired the best people, etc.)<br />
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That also brings me to one last thought. Since Eisner and his stooges brought the company down to another crash, who is it that is making Disney successful now? <br />
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Well, because Disney owns Pixar, they are using the Pixar movies like crazy. But I still want to see Disney animated films become successful before this is truly a "done" list below. (And Disney's Tangled is a step in that direction.)<br />
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But here we go...<br />
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<br />
<h2>
Who is making Disney successful currently?</h2>
<br />
<img src="http://features.cgsociety.org/stories/2003_7/finding_nemo/creative_team.jpg" width="200" /><br />
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(1) <b>John Lasseter</b>: You can't argue with that. He's had 10 animated Pixar films, and all 10 are hits and all did better than the most successful post-Lion King movies that Disney has had. Pixar basically picked up in 95 where Lion King left off in 94. When Iger had Disney buy Pixar, Iger had John come on board as the Chief Creative Officer. Although he has yet to give Disney an animated hit (Tangled is currently dropping too quickly), he already revitalized the low-quality direct-to-video market with the Tinker Bell films (and now the Plane films), he has been adding some sweet Pixar rides into the theme parks (might as well be Pixar, since those are the biggest Disney hits since Lion King), and he's revitalized Disney's California Adventure, including a new Cars Land, Wonderful World of Color, elecTRONic, Toy Story Midway Mania, and he's also giving Goofy and The Little Mermaid their own rides (so he's not selfishly sticking to Pixar characters only). <br />
Special thanks to Katzenberg here though. Jeffrey Katzenberg (when he ran the Disney movies) tried to get Lasseter to leave Pixar and make a Disney animation. But Lasseter gave Katzenberg a counter-proposal (for Disney to work with Pixar). Katzenberg finally settled for Disney to co-produce Toy Story with Pixar instead. And it was Katzenberg who helped Lasseter learn what story-telling was like, and he told Lasseter that he was making a buddy film with Toy Story (and handed him 48 Hours and other buddy comedies to study).<br />
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<br />
<img src="http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd10/tagblog/igerpooh.jpg" width="200" /><br />
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(2) <b>Robert Iger</b>: The man who helped put ABC on top, and then Eisner bought ABC (he was the president of ABC, poised to become the CEO of ABC, and came into the new company and had to "start over" and work his way up to become the Disney President/COO and then CEO), and he struggled to get ABC back on top. Finally he did it briefly with Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which was long enough to get the coveted Disney President and COO positions. He followed Eisner loyally, and he was rewarded by it when Eisner named him the successor. As everybody was on the edge of their seats to see what Iger did next, he suddenly showed common sense. He bought Pixar, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Marvel, and Star Wars. He's concentrated on acquiring characters rather than new businesses that were a departure for Disney. He put Lasseter in creative control. In short, he made key strategic moves that saved the Disney company. Robert Iger is the John Adams of Disney (there's an American history lesson/metaphor for you) - he's pulling all the strings, elevating the right people, and making the big decisions, but everyone else gets the credit (like Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Hamilton -- tying back to the American history reference), in this case meaning Lassetter and Bruckheimer get more of the credit, since their names are in the credits (literally).<br />
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<br />
<img src="http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/190/1163599401.jpg" width="150" /><br />
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(3) <b>Roy Disney</b>: Once again, Roy makes the list (the only one to make it twice). He noticed that Eisner wasn't successful, and he began the long battle against Eisner while his friends (like Stanley Gold) also got chewed up in the process. Finally he won, yet again, this time dethroning Eisner (who he put there in the first place). This was vital, because without Roy doing this, Pixar would have left Disney and the company would have continued to languish creatively. Iger then gave Roy a job back and put him back on the board. Roy died a few years later in 2009 (at age 79). So even though Roy's dead now, he's still one of the biggest key contributors to Disney's success. Without him, we might not have Lasseter, Iger, and others in control.<br />
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<img src="http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Profiles/B/Jerry-Bruckheimer-9229272-1-402.jpg" width="150" />
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(4) <strong>Jerry Bruckheimer</strong>: Jerry started doing action movies for Disney's Touchstone label, and he's never stopped. He's revitalized Disney's live action movie business with Pirates of the Caribbean and National Treasure. So some kudos are deserved. <br />
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Disney has been wanting to get in the boy merchandise business for awhile (they already cornered the girls merchandise with Disney Princesses and Disney Fairies). Bruckheimer contributed Pirates of the Caribbean, Lasseter contributed Cars (which allowed Disney to compete with Hot Wheels and Tonka, two very difficult markets to get into), and Iger contributed by acquiring Marvel and Star Wars. Now Disney has a firm handle on boy merchandise with Pirates of the Caribbean, Cars, Marvel, and Star Wars.<br />
<br />
<br />
So I just have the four of them. I didn't put <b>Steve Jobs </b>here, because all he did was bought Pixar from George Lucas and not try to stop Lasseter from doing animations (which is more than Lucas did; Lucas tried to stop Lasseter, convinced it was a hardware and software company). Jobs also originally thought Pixar was a hardware and software company, but then Lasseter showed Jobs that he had bought an entertainment company. So while that is admirable of Jobs to purchase Pixar, Jobs certainly didn't have the vision that he was turning Disney around in the future (and Lasseter led the creative treck at the studio). (Plus Jobs is doing stupid things at Disney like he sometimes does at Apple; for example, Jobs had Disney pull out of McDonalds deals because McD's isn't healthy enough. Grrrr.)<br />
<br />
Oh, and the "runner ups" here include the guys that I call the "Pixar crew." Pixar has kept Disney alive from 1995 to present despite Michael Eisner, and Lasseter couldn't have done it without his support structure of creative talent. John Lasseter's greatest strength is finding and empowering talent (but he hasn't been able to pull that off as well in Disney animation yet... he's getting closer). However, at Pixar, Lasseter nailed it (very similar to Walt was able to do). Lasseter's Pixar crew includes <b>Andrew Stanton </b>(currently running Pixar under Lasseter; Stanton won two Academy Awards for directing Finding Nemo and Wall-E, he's been involved in all the early hits, and Finding Nemo is the #2 most successful Pixar film; Stanton left to direct John Carter, but he's back to do Finding Nemo 2), <b>Brad Bird </b>(also won two Academy Awards for directing The Incredibles and Ratatouille; left to direct MI4, but he might return for Incredibles 2), <b>Pete Docter </b>(directed Monster's Inc. and Up, won an Academy Award for Up, co-wrote many of the classics; UP was the #3 most successful Pixar film in the box office, and he's currently directing an "Inside the Mind" Pixar film), and the latest whiz kid, <b>Lee Unkrich </b>(he co-directed Toy Story 2, Monster's Inc., and Finding Nemo, and now he directed Toy Story 3, which is the #1 animation of all time; he won an Academy Award for directing Toy Story 3). <br />
John Lasseter has two Academy Awards... Best Short for Tin Toy and a special achievement award for Toy Story. The first Pixar generation of directors were John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Brad Bird (two Academy Awards each). The new crew of achievers are Pete Docter and Lee Unkrich (one Academy Award each). Plus new Pixar directors are getting shots (Dan Scanlon's Monsters University & Bob Peterson's The Good Dinosaur), and past directors are following up (Pete Docter's Inside the Mind, Andrew Stanton's Finding Nemo 2, Lee Unkrich's Dia de Los Muertos). Also Toy Story 4 and Incredibles 2 are said to be in production, but we're not sure who the directors are yet.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Time will tell what happens next. Disney obviously needs some hit animations from their own studio, not just from Pixar (Tangled was the first hit, and Winnie the Pooh was a flop; it's looking like Wreck-It Ralph might be another hit; and Frozen looks promising). So maybe that list isn't complete quite yet, but there's a good chance that Lasseter will be the one who orchestrates that come back.<br />
<br />
- The EmperorEd Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-51617116061889072452012-09-22T23:57:00.003-07:002013-10-13T01:52:55.840-07:00All the Wreck-It Ralph Cameos and Inside JokesNobody has all the references listed with images, and I just can't take it anymore! So I won't. Here you go.<br />
<br />
My passion is for animations and videogames. If you combine them, I get overloaded in passion.<br />
<br />
Disney's starting to market their rich references:<br />
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<img src="http://nerdreactor.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Wreck-It-Ralph-poster-street-fighter-sonic-404x600.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
Before we dig into each reference, here's the trailer...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/87E6N7ToCxs" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
The Teaser Trailer had a similar structure, but a few different shots: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPSQOomMWro" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPSQOomMWro</a>
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<br />
Next we'll run through the cameos tied to the trailer (both trailers), and I'll toss in other released images as we go...<br />
<br />
<h2>
Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Space Invaders cabinets
</h2>
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/01-pacman-spaceinvaders-610x254.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
The trailer opens with a shot of the Fix-It Felix Jr machine in an arcade. Next to it are the arcade versions of Pac-Man and Space Invaders. Pac-Man is licensed from Namco and Space Invaders from Taito. That's... <br />
<br />
Namco = 1 License so far. <br />
<br />
Taito = 1 License. <br />
<br />
And Nintendo = 1 Reference so far.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/arcade-cabinets-610x354.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The Fix-It Felix Jr game is a spoof of Donkey Kong, and as such the arcade cabinet art is based on the art on the Donkey Kong machine. <br />
<br />
Taito is most known for Space Invaders and another arcade hit, Bubble Bobble. It would be sweet if those Bubble Bobble dinosaurs show up in the film! I think it would be a good fit, since it's arcade (that's the main goal, although exceptions are made, like Sonic, Bowser, Dr. Eggman, Shining Force, etc.), cute (seems to work well for this film), and they were obviously already talking to Taito in order to get the Space Invaders license. But there's also a decent chance that no one at Disney or Taito specifically thought of it or thought of a good way to include them (there were a ton of moving parts to put all this together). The director has explicitly said that there were more unused reference ideas than used reference ideas, and he's hoping the interest generates more ideas and better ideas. That way, if the film is as successful as I/he thinks it will be, then a sequel would continue those great ideas and expand on some. That's similar to what Toy Story did on a smaller scale. In Toy Story 2, they brought on Mrs. Potato Head and Barbie. In Toy Story 3, they found a way to make Barbie and Ken central (and hilarious) characters. So they went "bigger and better" each time. Now expand that to the entire videogame kingdom and it the potential is overwhelming.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Fix It Felix Jr. ~ Donkey Kong</h2>
Not only is the cabinet similar. The game is very similar as well. Not only are you running around and climbing up ladders while avoiding barrels and critters, but now you also need to fix the windows. And instead of stealing Pauline, Ralph has held the tenants captive to his madness (so you're rescuing them, similarly). And when you beat the game, Ralph falls to the ground, similar to when you beat Donkey Kong. The tennants yell, "Fix it, Felix!" Pauline yells, "Help!" Little Marios on the top tell you how many lives you have (similar to Pac-Man before it). Little Felix heads on the top tell you how many lives you have. Ralph basically has the same physical proportions as Donkey Kong. Felix and Mario both wear hats and swing hammers. When you get to the top of both screens, DK/Ralph climbs up higher, until you get to the top of the building.<br />
<br />
Fix It Felix, Jr.:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2012/06/ico_gam_wir_fixitfelixjr_750x500-300x200.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
Donkey Kong:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://odysseedupixel.fr/wp-content/uploads/Donkey%20Kong.jpg" width="450" />
<br />
<br />
Nintendo = 2 References so far.<br />
<br />
If you think about it, this is the third time Disney's done this... create their own characters in a film and use it to tie in related existing characters... (1) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (all the animation studios were in), (2) Toy Story (they kept adding more toy licenses as they went), and (3) Wreck-It Ralph. So Disney, being the clever marketer that it is, created their own videogame that you can play right now for Fix It Felix, Jr. (I beat it once; it's incredibly addictive): <span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://disney.go.com/wreck-it-ralph/#/games/fix-it-felix" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">http://disney.go.com/wreck-it-ralph/#/games/fix-it-felix</span></a>
</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Fix It Felix, Jr. ~ Rampage</h2>
So the other game that Fix It Felix Jr. is based off of is Rampage:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5d/Rampage_flyer.png" />
<br />
<br />
In this game, you climb buildings and smash windows, exactly what Ralph is doing. Only in Fix It Felix, Jr., you play the Mario-like character who fixes the damage. The original game:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.buzzbinmagazine.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/rampage.png" />
<br />
<br />
Midway owned this license and created the original game, but they lost it when they went bankrupt. Warner Bros bought the license.<br />
<br />
So Warner Bros = 1 Reference.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Donkey Kong's Mario Death</h2>
Since Fix-It Felix is the hero of this Donkey Kong spoof, that means he’s playing the role of Mario back in his Jumpman days. As if there was any doubt this was the case, a scene in the trailer proves it when the roof caves in and lands on Felix’s head, causing him to perform the weird cartwheeling death animation Mario does in Donkey Kong. <br />
<br />
That's Nintendo = 3 references so far.<br />
<br />
In the trailer:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/02-mario-610x254.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
The references are creative right off the bat. In Donkey Kong:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/mario-death-610x252.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Cyril the Zombie (House of the Dead)</h2>
That brings us to the scene of the video game bad guys affirming each other in a Double A meeting for villains. Here's a decent map (but it's missing names for Mishaela, the blue chick on the left, Diablo on the right/middle, and Smoke to his right. More about them later. Here's the room:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://royalflushmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/WreckItRalph.jpg" width="550" />
<br />
<br />
First, this guy was featured the most/best in the teaser trailer...<br />
<br />
It’s the zombie known as “Cyril” from the original House of the Dead. In the film, he's called Zombie, probably because they don't want to link it to a horror game too much, but hey, look at this, same clothes, hair, and he's wielding two axes! The HotD fans just call this the "Axe Zombie", but his official name is Cyril:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/hotd-600x352.jpg" /><br />
<br />
As you can probably start to tell, Sega pretty much handed over the keys to their characters (most popular and mostly forgotten). <br />
<br />
<img src="http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2012/06/Wreck-it-Ralph-1.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
That's Sega = 1 license so far. <br />
<br />
Sega immediately recognized the bonuses of doing this, and they might have even talked some of their more obscure characters into the film (working with Disney to find ones that fit with the scenes). <br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Lord Neff (Altered Beast)</h2>
Next is the evil demon lord Neff from Altered Beast. Sega strikes again in the same villain scene with another license. <br />
<br />
That's Sega = 2 licenses so far. <br />
<br />
Sega pulls into the lead!<br />
<br />
<img src="http://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rhino-600x294.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Neff even gets his own promo poster! Sweet!
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.comicbookmovie.com/images/uploads/Wreck-It_Ralph_Neff_BS_v4.0_Online2-610x889.jpg" width="500" />
<br />
<br />
And we also see Clyde from Pac-Man, Coily from Q*bert, and the original character, Fix-It Felix Jr. Felix is in a poster with a bunch of baddies!<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Saw Hand (Cyborg Justice)</h2>
Whether this character is a direct license or incredibly inspired by it, I don't know. But I do know that this is too close for coincidence. The yellow robot looks like it's from the 1993 Novotrade developed Genesis game Cyborg
Justice. It looks like the yellow cyborg with elements of the
game’s other cyborgs, such as the buzzsaw hand and the helmet from the purple cyborg:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/cyborg-600x327.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Now add to that it's a Sega owned title (see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyborg_Justice" target="_blank">Cyborg Justice on Wikipedia</a>), and it's definitely being pushed through by Sega. <br />
<br />
Sega = 3 Licenses so far. Sega's in the lead! <br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Mishaela (Shining Force)</h2>
Sega strikes yet again in this room with Mishaela from Shining Force, yet another obscure Sega villain. <br />
<br />
That's Sega = 4 Licenses now.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.shiningforcecentral.com/content/artwork/files/ss/ss_book1_mishaela.jpg" width="160" /><img src="http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/7/4/e/gfs_50040_2_16.jpg" width="380" /><br />
<br />
Another theory is that this is Elizabeth Barley from Castlevania Bloodlines...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.gamelib.com.br/static/uploads/assets/junho-2012/elizabeth.jpg" /><br />
<br />
So on the left (in the pic above), we have the villain from "Wreck-It Ralph" and on the right is Elizabeth from Castlevania. But that doesn't explain the blue skin, blue hair, and pointy ears. Mishaela has all those. Plus Mishaela is a Sega license, and Konami hasn't shown any licenses in "Wreck-It Ralph" yet. So that's another reason that makes it Mishaela.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Beholder (Dungeons & Dragons)</h2>
Looks like they decided to give it a crown a few changes to make it generic enough (tentacle legs instead of floating and it's green) to not be a licensed character, but it's definitely based on the Beholder...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b286/hyoushin/wir-beholder.jpg" /><br />
<img src="http://di1-2.shoppingshadow.com/images/pi/49/7f/be/23675727-450x400-0-0_Eye+Of+The+Beholder+SN.jpg" /><br />
And this is a blue one from the cartoon:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.badmovies.org/tvshows/dundragon/beholder/beholder_cap3.jpg" width="400" />
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.gamelib.com.br/static/uploads/assets/junho-2012/beholder.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
And here's another shot of Beholder from the film:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1fE4dKmNly1Pn_GYud1SUnvmzucEoFeZbndvKAtqb8IBr8Fwhm7i-YcZxS8tgwHI-Pa4cikxAz9dZS9iG3-OSNU99gfkY-EK7Plx-QOj7fhWhJwgdLClBF70fG34jxUXheYSKw/s1600/WreckItRalph_Kano.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1fE4dKmNly1Pn_GYud1SUnvmzucEoFeZbndvKAtqb8IBr8Fwhm7i-YcZxS8tgwHI-Pa4cikxAz9dZS9iG3-OSNU99gfkY-EK7Plx-QOj7fhWhJwgdLClBF70fG34jxUXheYSKw/s1600/WreckItRalph_Kano.PNG" /></a><br />
<br />
Although "Eye of the Beholder" is a Capcom game (who we know is licensing Street Fighter characters already), D&D is owned by Wizards of the Coast, which is owned by Hasbro. =^)<br />
<br />
So Hasbro = 1 Reference.<br />
<br />
Disney confirmed it's not a license and is an "original character." That means it's a reference. =^)<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Zangief (Street Fighter)</h2>
Here's an obvious one. He's called by name in the trailer and is a major talking in the trailer of these villains. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.daniel4d.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Bowser_dr_eggman_zangief_wreck-it_ralph.png" width="500" />
<br />
<br />
One critic made the observation that Zangief isn't really a villain. True, but he's got a fun voice, and they were able to get him to give funny lines the best. So it's a strategic move. Here we see Zangief getting promoted with Sonic and an original character, Sgt. Calhoun:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/wreck-it-ralph-poster-zangief-sonic-570x831.jpg" width="450" /> <br />
<br />
Plus we later get a glimpse of Zangief walking with another Street Fighter:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://images.wikia.com/streetfighter/images/9/98/Chun_li_and_zangief_in_wreck_it_ralph_by_cellamare-d52q9cy.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
So that's Capcom = 1 License so far (and obviously we know who's coming later).<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Bowser (Super Mario Brothers)</h2>
Apparently Bowser spews fire when you suprise him. Note to self: Don't sneak up on him and don't throw him surprise parties. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/03-bowser-zangief-eggman-610x254.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Oh no, don't make him laugh!...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.infendo.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/wreckitgroupsession.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
We've got an official Nintendo license now, and the third Nintendo reference. <br />
<br />
So Nintendo = 4 References, and Nintendo = 1 License. <br />
<br />
I have to admit that it's a shame that this is Nintendo's only official license here. Nintendo is so ingrained in the videogame world that the film is dropping all sorts of Nintendo references without licenses simply because most videogame references circle back to Nintendo somehow. The shame is that Nintendo wasn't as proactive about engaging with Disney as Gottlieb (Q*bert) and Sega (Sonic, and so many lesser known characters) were. The two official reasons I heard was that Nintendo was asking for too much for the licensing of their characters (so Disney was selective and just landed on using Bowser because they knew it would be a solid value in this story). The other reason I've heard was that they were focusing on only using characters that made sense in furthering the story or adding a little humor without derailing the project. So I think both answers are true. Who Framed Roger Rabbit managed to have Bugs and Mickey falling and then Donald and Daffy playing piano and fighting, and both scenes seemed to have been well received. So the truth is a combination of budget/license and story. So I think they would have figured out how to put Mario and Luigi in the right way if the licenses made more sense... similar to how they're including Sonic and Q*bert. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2012/06/bowser-147x150.jpg" /><br />
<br />
All that said, an entire movie could made with similar inside jokes and storylines involving ONLY Nintendo characters. The number and popularity of their characters are almost similar to all the licenses of all the other videogame companies combined. I mean, even the videogame that this movie is based on is essentially Donkey Kong. There's no way around it.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Disneyfied Diablo</h2>
So, similar to Beholder, they couldn't put the real thing in there. So this is a Disney-fied version:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.gamelib.com.br/static/uploads/assets/junho-2012/diabao.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
That guy above looks way too happy! LOL<br />
<br />
Here are the Diablo game images...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.levelupvideogames.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/diablo-3-demon-hunter.jpg" width="350" />
<img src="http://us.blizzard.com/_images/games/d2/wallpapers/wall2/wall2-1680x1050.jpg" width="350" />
<img src="http://diablohq.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/diablo-2.jpg" width="350" />
<br />
<br />
So again you see that the character is basically a Disney-fied form of how Diablo looks.
<br />
<br />
So that's Blizzard = 1 Reference.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Dr. Eggman (Sonic)</h2>
So this guy used to be called Dr. Robotnik (a much better name). He even had his own game, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine. But they just ended up using his Japanese name instead.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.gamelib.com.br/static/uploads/assets/junho-2012/robotnik.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
Sega = 5 Licenses now. Sega's on a roll!<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Kano (Mortal Kombat)</h2>
Kano is balder than he's often depicted, but it's definitely him. On the right is the CG Mortal Kombat version (left is from Wreck-It Ralph):<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.gamelib.com.br/static/uploads/assets/junho-2012/kanon.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
Midway died in 2009. It cut up the licenses and assets to pay of debtors. Warner Bros ended up with the Mortal Kombat license. Wikipedia: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_Games" target="_blank">Midway</a>. So that means...<br />
<br />
Warner Bros = 2 References (1 License). <br />
<br />
Here's a better shot of Kano from the film:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1fE4dKmNly1Pn_GYud1SUnvmzucEoFeZbndvKAtqb8IBr8Fwhm7i-YcZxS8tgwHI-Pa4cikxAz9dZS9iG3-OSNU99gfkY-EK7Plx-QOj7fhWhJwgdLClBF70fG34jxUXheYSKw/s1600/WreckItRalph_Kano.PNG" imageanchor="1"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1fE4dKmNly1Pn_GYud1SUnvmzucEoFeZbndvKAtqb8IBr8Fwhm7i-YcZxS8tgwHI-Pa4cikxAz9dZS9iG3-OSNU99gfkY-EK7Plx-QOj7fhWhJwgdLClBF70fG34jxUXheYSKw/s1600/WreckItRalph_Kano.PNG" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI1fE4dKmNly1Pn_GYud1SUnvmzucEoFeZbndvKAtqb8IBr8Fwhm7i-YcZxS8tgwHI-Pa4cikxAz9dZS9iG3-OSNU99gfkY-EK7Plx-QOj7fhWhJwgdLClBF70fG34jxUXheYSKw/s1600/WreckItRalph_Kano.PNG" imageanchor="1">
</a>
<h2>
M. Bison (Street Fighter)</h2>
While Zangief’s inclusion as an enemy is a controversial one, there should be no arguments that the evil M. Bison, the final enemy in Street Fighter II, should be in there. For some people attending the bad guy group is one of the most important moments of their lives, but for Bison it’s on Tuesdays.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.gamelib.com.br/static/uploads/assets/junho-2012/robotnik.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Capcom = 2 Licenses now. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.flix66.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Wreck-It-Ralph-teaser-poster-3.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Now that's an interesting mix. We've got M. Bison, Dr. Eggman, Q*bert, and an original (Vanellope). Also notice that they gave Bison no pupils for the poster, although in the film he clearly has pupils. Maybe the poster photo shoot triggered his "evil mode" or they handed out cool contact lenses at the shoot. =^)<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Clyde (Pac-Man)</h2>
Clyde is one of the four ghosts from Pac-Man. Clyde is the slowest of the ghosts in the game, which probably explains why he feels he needs help while his chums Inky, Blinky and Pinky don’t.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/04-ghost-bison-610x254.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
In fact, we later see Inky, Blinky, and Pinky going through the game stadium without Clyde.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.gamelib.com.br/static/uploads/assets/junho-2012/clyde.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
Currently, it's Namco = 2 Licenses.<br />
<br />
At first I thought they weren't using Pac-Man because it's hard to think of what he'd look like in 3D, but Namco has updated him so much that it isn't an issue:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/28/Pac-Man_character_art_-_The_Adventure_Begins.png" />
<br />
<br />
So either they're saving him for a suprise, the license cost was too high (doubtful), or they simply didn't have a funny/clever way to include him in this run. I think it's the latter. With a name like Pac-Man, you've got to make sure you're incredibly clever if you use him.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Shinobi/Joe Musashi (Shinobi)</h2>
So more people think this is actually Smoke from Mortal Kombat, but first I think it looks more like Shinobi, second, Sega has worked hard to get their older characters integrated, and third, why would they use Smoke over Scorpion? <br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.gamelib.com.br/static/uploads/assets/junho-2012/shinobismoke.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
By the way, look at those arm wraps and legs of the character from Wreck-It Ralph. Those look more like a traditional Shinobi ninja than what Smoke wears. Could also be Ninja Gaiden (Ryu Hayabusa) from Tecmo, but Sega's been so prolific. <br />
<br />
Sega = 6 Licenses now.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Bonus: Dr. Wiley (Megaman)</h2>
So this one's a bonus because they had Dr. Wiley in this villains scene and then removed him. We're not sure if it was licensing issues, or if they wanted to save him for later. Maybe they felt like it was too much. Here he is to the left of Bowser:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://j.i.uol.com.br/jogos/2012/02/20/wreck-it-ralph---zangief-e-viloes-dos-games-1329758233393_200x285.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
Personally I think he doesn't look enough like I remember him from Captain N and those Mega Man cartoons:<br />
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b5/Dr._Wily.png/200px-Dr._Wily.png" />
<br />
<br />
Nobody knows why they pulled Dr. Wiley. It could be as simple as Disney and Capcom not agreeing on how he was presented or Disney feeling like they already had too many known villains in the room, or a budget hammer coming down and removing a license for a Mega Man character seemed to help the budget (especially if they already had a rooom full of sweet villains). Capcom had already licensed the Street Fighter characters, so we know some negotiations worked out fine.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Q*bert, Coily, Ugg, Sam, and Slick (Q*bert)</h2>
I used to love Q*bert. I even watched the brief cartoon. As far as heroes of actual games go, the film seems to feature Q*bert the most. It's kind of sweet because the cute characters fit right in, they're no longer popular, but back in the day they were as popular as Donkey Kong. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.gamelib.com.br/static/uploads/assets/junho-2012/qbert.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
The purple piggy on the left is Ugg. Click seems to have a broken lense. Coily is the snake. The baddies not show are Sam (like Slick but without glasses) and Wrong Way (purple, but more like Sam with a nose). <br />
<br />
In a non-trailer scene, they're seen with Sam as well (leaning against Coily):<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/09-qbert-610x254.jpg" width="550" />
<br />
<br />
Apparently Sam's a smaller/chubbier version of Slick.<br />
<br />
Here's Ugg:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5768/576684-ww_thumb.jpg" /> <img src="http://cdn.wikimg.net/strategywiki/images/c/c4/QB_Ugg.png" /> <img src="http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/31/11579-ugg_large.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
Uh oh. Time to confess my Q*bert fandom. I actually have this figurine from the 80s (Slick with Q*bert):<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/5768/576614-slick1_large.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
So the question I asked was, "Who owns Q*bert?" The short answer is that I'm pretty sure it's still Gottlieb. Basically, Gottlieb (the pinball maker who made a few arcade attempts, including Q*bert) got bought by Columbia Pictures in 77, which was bought by Coke, which closed down Gottlieb in 84. They fought back, and eventually the company Premiere Technology was created to keep the pinball business going. You can see the craziness on Wikipedia: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottlieb" target="_blank">Gottlieb</a>. However, it shows that Premiere Technology eventually sold out all the pieces of Gottlieb, which resulted in one company that still runs, Gottlieb Development, LLC, which is ran/owned by the Mondial Group. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/94858660@N00/2965577849/" target="_blank">More info</a> (strange that this is on flickr). So the bottom line is "still Gottlieb" but a different owner/strategy than the last one and after a few different corporate morphs. <a href="http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/83125-13-bert-intellectual-property" target="_blank">This forum thread here</a> led me to Mondial. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/qbert-610x289.jpg" width="550" />
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Bottom line: Disney approaches Mondial, who's mostly trying to sell old Gottlieb machines and licenses, and says, "Hey can we help make Q*bert popular again?" Then they aren't going to say, "What? Only if you pay a huge licensing fee," like Nintendo did with its characters (and I'm sure others did as well). <br />
<br />
So Gottlieb = 1 License.<br />
<br />
It will be the only one, but it is well used and marketed through the film. I wouldn't be surprised if Sony or Hasbro approaches Mondial again about making a new Q*bert platformer, based on this popularity shift. (Sony and Hasbro have been recent Q*bert publishers.)<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Chun-Li (Street Fighter)</h2>
When we get a shot of Q*bert in his miserable state, we can spot these two on the right. Chun-Li is hanging out with Zangief. Here's an obvious one.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://images.wikia.com/streetfighter/images/9/98/Chun_li_and_zangief_in_wreck_it_ralph_by_cellamare-d52q9cy.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The context is that Ralph is offering Q*bert and crew some giant cherries from Pac-Man:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.inquisitr.com/wp-content/2012/06/wreck-it-ralph.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
Capcom = 3 Licenses now.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Paperboy</h2>
<img src="http://www.noe-v.com/images/articles/wreckitcameo02.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
Paperboy is seen at least twice in passing, and he apparently falls off his bike in surprise once.<br />
<br />
He was originally an Atari game, but all those assets were aquired by Midway. Similar to the Mortal Kombat instance, Midway went bankrupt and sold mostly to Warner Bros (we know Mortal Kombat, Joust, and Spy Hunter went there). But then THQ bought the San Diego location, which apparently included the Gauntlet license ("everything except the TNA wrestling rights"). It's fairly cryptic, but my best guess is that Paperboy went with the larger license bulk over to Warner Bros. See Wikipedia: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midway_Games" target="_blank">Midway</a>. So that's a second license from Warner.<br />
<br />
Paperboy is a little more alarmed here:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/07-paperboy-610x254.jpg" width="550" /><br />
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So that's now Warner Bros = 3 References (2 Licenses).<br />
<br />
Also, check out in the right/middle of the screen. To the upper right of the Roman soldiers and the knight. You'll see Paperboy riding his bike across the floor.<br />
<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FjllW0pD0axQGivuqJIEJW5Ff3cd3pA4pp7xAJfkZ_3YAQenDTGO_-Q0AZ6xaCjBmKlWwXAi4YSyib4Ih74WZJlCN52xKp-7GOHoCnsWcVjGY6_YsV1f5jlo3s63ZoP3cJVRrQ/s620/WreckItRalph_PaperBoy.PNG" /><br />
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<br />
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
Giant Cherries (Pac-Man)</h2>
And now seems the right time to write about the giant cherries.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i.usatoday.net/life/_photos/2012/06/04/Sneak-peek-Wreck-It-Ralph-is-powering-up-FD1JT07K-x-large.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img4/WreckitRalphCherryEatingBentsr5.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Score another one for Pac-Man.<br />
<br />
Namco = 3 Licenses.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Dinosaur from Meet the Robinsons (or Karnov?)</h2>
Well, the dinosaur CG model seems to have been pulled from Meet the Robinsons. Good just be a reference to that film (and not an actual game)...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.noe-v.com/images/articles/wreckitcameo03.jpg" />
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<br />
Disney = 1 Reference.<br />
<br />
Another shot with the dinosaur (a little closer):<br />
<br />
<img src="http://postmediaedmonton.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/wreck-it-ralph.jpg" width="500" /><br />
<br />
And this shot is a little better of the dino on the left:<br />
<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FjllW0pD0axQGivuqJIEJW5Ff3cd3pA4pp7xAJfkZ_3YAQenDTGO_-Q0AZ6xaCjBmKlWwXAi4YSyib4Ih74WZJlCN52xKp-7GOHoCnsWcVjGY6_YsV1f5jlo3s63ZoP3cJVRrQ/s620/WreckItRalph_PaperBoy.PNG" />
<br />
<br />
But... it seems like it might be Karnov's dinosaur boss villain:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i769.photobucket.com/albums/xx334/Elkovsky/NES%20pics/nes20karnov.jpg" width="250" /><br />
<br />
Karnov is from 1987 (Arcade first), and comes from Data East. Data East went bankrupt and sold its assets, mostly to G-mode. But Karnov went to Paon. See Wikipedia: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_East" target="_blank">Data East</a>.<br />
<br />
So Data East/Paon = 1 Reference.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Maximus from Tangled</h2>
It makes the Meet the Robinsons dino cameo more likely, because we think we've found Maximus with the captain riding him:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5951fA56O1qlxe68.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
Maximus is on the left and the dinosaur is on our right. So why is Maximus trotting into Pac-Man??? <a href="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/05-virtuacop.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see it better.<br />
<br />
In this shot, he's going into Frogger (not Pac-Man):<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/05-virtuacop-610x254.jpg" width="550" />
<br />
<br />
So that's Disney = 2 References. <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Inky, Blinky, and Pinky (Pac-Man)</h2>
So we've got Clyde featured as a videogame villain, but here we see the other three (Blinky, Inky, and Pinky) moving across the floor:<br />
<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FjllW0pD0axQGivuqJIEJW5Ff3cd3pA4pp7xAJfkZ_3YAQenDTGO_-Q0AZ6xaCjBmKlWwXAi4YSyib4Ih74WZJlCN52xKp-7GOHoCnsWcVjGY6_YsV1f5jlo3s63ZoP3cJVRrQ/s620/WreckItRalph_PaperBoy.PNG" /><br />
<br />
Namco = 4 Licenses so far.<br />
<br />
Check this out. The "Character" column is basically their NPC behavior:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/Pacman_title_na.png" />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Virtua Cop Game Station</h2>
The world of Wreck-It Ralph centres around Game Central Station, a huge terminal where video game characters hang around while waiting for work. This terminal has hundreds of tunnels, each leading to different games. When a game begins and it’s time for them to star, they jump on a train which leads them through the appropriate tunnel. While some of the tunnels are based on the made-up games in the movie (Fix-It Felix Jr, Hero’s Duty, Sugar Rush), many are real arcade games. Very briefly in the trailer, over to the left you can spot a tunnel leading to Virtua Cop, Sega’s much-loved lightgun shooter. It's the second from the left:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/05-virtuacop-610x254.jpg" width="550" /><br />
<br />
<a href="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/05-virtuacop.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to see it better.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/virtua.jpg" width="400" /><br />
<br />
Sega = 7 Licenses.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Unknown</h2>
Does anyone know this blue dragon on the right? He's not part of Q*bert's world (I think). And he's not Spyro or from Bust-a-Move:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://postmediaedmonton.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/wreck-it-ralph.jpg" width="500" />\<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Dig Dug</h2>
Check out Dig Dug (or Taizo Hori, if you want to be a proper nerd and give him his real name). Dig Dug is owned by Namco (the creators of Pac-Man). Here Dig Dug runs away from Ralph in his most natural way... digging into the ground:<br />
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<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/06-digdug-frogger-610x254.jpg" />
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<br />
Now you can see how faithful they were to the original:
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<br />
<img src="http://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/users/81/screenshots/7945/Dig-Dug.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Now Namco = 5 Licenses.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Frogger</h2>
Also in the trailer is Frogger, the classic Konami arcade game that’s seen countless spin-offs and sequels since its 1981 release. Frogger stares in shock at Ralph (because he's a villain) as they see him eating cherries from the Pac-Man game. Frogger hops away:<br />
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<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/06-digdug-frogger-610x254.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Here's how he looked in the original game:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://phr0663r.fr/images/Frogger.jpg" width="550" />
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<br />
Konami sold Frogger to Hasbro, so...<br />
<br />
Hasbro = 2 References (1 License).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Sonic the Hedgehog</h2>
A character who needs no introduction, Sonic appears as a helpful video advertisement in Game Central Station. Explaining what happens to characters if they die inside their own video game, Sonic’s message is one of warning – and considering he’s spent his entire gaming career spilling a vault's worth of golden rings every time he takes a hit, he should know. His first game:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/sonic-610x232.jpg" width="550" />
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<br />
The teaser didn't show Sonic, but now they're full-on marketing Sonic:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/wreck-it-ralph-poster-zangief-sonic-570x831.jpg" width="450" /><br />
<br />
And here's a shot from the trailer:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/08-sonic-610x254.jpg" width="550" />
<br />
<br />
So that's Sega = 8 Licenses.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Bartender (Tapper)</h2>
This is the barman from the classic arcade gem Tapper, sponsored by Budwiser (later renamed Root Beer Tapper to remove any alcoholic connotations). Tapper was an insanely addictive game in which you had to serve beer to customers while also collecting empty glasses they threw back at you. If you threw too many beers or failed to collect any empties they’d crash to the ground and the shame of a thousand nations would crash down on your shoulders. More or less.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/12-tapper-610x254.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
He might be serving root beer in the film, but this is definitely the bartender from Tapper. The bartender from Root Beer Tapper was dressed like a soda clerk. I love the way they make the Bartender move in the film... all jerky and computer like. Just like the game. They put way too much thought into this film. =^)<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tapper-610x263.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
Now who owns Tapper? It was originally another Midway game. Which means it's currently owned by...<br />
<br />
Warner Bros = 4 References (3 Licenses).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Atari Controller Graffiti</h2>
We're going all out, even with the small references.<br />
<br />
There’s a brief clip in the trailer where Fix-It Felix Jr and Sergeant Calhoun from Hero’s Duty speed off to the Sugar Rush karting game, no doubt to help Ralph (Felix almost falls off the hoverboard). On the wall is video game-related graffiti making various in-jokes and the like. For starters there’s a stencil of an Atari 2600 joystick.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/11-graffiti-610x254.jpg" width="550" />
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<br />
Looks like this:<br />
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<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/joystick2.jpg" width="250" />
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<br />
Atari = 1 Reference.<br />
<br />
It's sad, really. Atari lost licenses like Paperboy to Midway and then to Warner Bros. But the Atari assets like the controller were bought by Infogrames, which changed its name to Atari.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Iwatana Graffiti</h2>
As Fix-It Felix Jr and Sergeant Calhoun from Hero’s Duty speed off, on the wall, next to graffiti that says “no campers” (a reference to first-person shooter players who spend whole multiplayer games hiding in one area for a tactical advantage), you'll also see one simply saying “Iwatani” (a reference to Toru Iwatani, the creator of Pac-Man). Chock one more up for Pac-Man. What are we up to for Namco?<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/11-graffiti-610x254.jpg" width="550" /><br />
<br />
Namco = 6 References (5 Licneses)<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Jenkins Graffiti</h2>
As Fix-It Felix Jr and Sergeant Calhoun from Hero’s Duty speed off, on the wall, below "Iwatani", is graffiti that says “Jenkins”, referring to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkCNJRfSZBU" target="_blank" title="Leeroy Jenkins">the infamous World Of Warcraft video</a> in which a chap called Leeroy Jenkins ruins his group’s tactical preparations by running headfirst into a room of danger and getting everyone killed.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media.nintendo-gamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/11-graffiti-610x254.jpg" width="550" /><br />
<br />
Blizzard = 2 References.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Hero's Duty ~ Halo + Gears of War</h2>
Hero's Duty is basically a combination of two of Microsoft's top games.<br />
<br />
It's filled with Halo-like holograms and marines:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img4/wreckitralph-herosduty-hologram-xlarge.jpg" width="550" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://progresscityusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/HerosDutyPressImage_FINAL_web.jpg" width="550" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.adventuresbydaddy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/08.0_040.70_RGB.jpg" width="550" /><br />
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The medals remind me more of unlocking achievements during the game, but there's also some military fanfare like this involved.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://img.kapook.com/u/pailin/Movie%201/1738543007_n.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://thedisneyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/FPS_momentScreen-med.jpg" width="550" /><br />
<br />
Definitely some Halo influence going on.<br />
<br />
That's Microsoft = 1 Reference.<br />
<br />
Now to Gears of War.<br />
<br />
Sgt. Calhoun is a cross between Anya Stroud of Gears of War and Samus Aran from Nintendo's Metroid Prime. Here's a comparison between Calhoun and Stroud from GoW:<br />
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<img src="http://www.esperino.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/WreckItRalph_Gears.jpg" width="550" /><br />
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Now that's Microsoft = 2 References.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Srgt. Calhoun ~ Samus Aran</h2>
A female space marine with armor and with her helmet off? Now that's Samus Aran! So even if the look of the character came from Gears of War, the core inspiration is Samus Aran. Here's Sergeant Calhoun:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://imagehost.thaibuzz.com/iw/wreckitralph4585x350300x179.jpg" />
<br />
<br />
And here's Samus Aran:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.tentaclearmada.com/images/figures/samus-aran/samus-aran-01.jpg" width="450" />/><br />
<br />
<img src="http://mocktendo.multiverseworks.com/cctomsgames/image/samusaran.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqErdXC5uSXZv3nIIpmmBMl8_ldpBBgo5HSUZSjQkxzBVo2ejsVg7fUog0h-OctaIBo_t8S3YIxujw2bTW0vhuo7UEvMRVc71Snv2F8QPFiI__MQw64b9X_yOPnslsJk3-s4By/s1600/unmasked.jpg" width="450" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://darkdiamond.net/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/samus_aran_tn.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100909223354/metroid/images/0/0f/Samus_Aran_CA.jpg" width="550" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://ubermenschbydebord.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/metroid-prime-3-corruption1.jpg" width="550" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://iphonewallpaperclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Samus-Aran-Metroid-Prime-iPhone-Wallpaper-Download.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://cdn.ology.com/bundles/ologysocial/up/img/embedded/embedded_4f5ada78ebea07.99570593.png" />
<br />
<br />
So that's Nintendo = 5 References (1 License)<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
BONUS: Vanellope & the Chipmunks?</h2>
Does anyone else think that Vanellope was inspired by Alvin and the Chipmunks? Observe...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/9760/unled4444.jpg" width="500" />
<br />
<h2>
</h2>
<h2>
Characters I would expect to see</h2>
What are the characters I'm keeping an eye out for?<br />
<br />
<strong>Alex Kidd</strong> - Sega's previous mascot in the 80s before Sonic. Alex was only a mascott for the Master System (never made it to the Genesis). Now he appears in the Sonic games (Tennis and Racing) as an unlockable character.<br />
Why would I expect to see him? Because Sega's digging up old characters and doing a better job of working with Disney than others and getting them in the film. Alex was popular once upon a time. His look fits in with the film's world. And the second Alex Kidd game (The Lost Stars) was in the arcades (and released for the Master System).<br />
<br />
Before: <br />
<br />
<img src="http://shirtoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/alex-kidd.jpg" width="250" /><br />
Now:<br />
<img src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/9/98/Alex-Kidd-3.png" width="300" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Virtua Fighters</strong>: First released as an arcade game and the first 3D/CG fighter (93), so far ahead of its time that Sega teamed up with Lockheed Martin to develop the technology.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.lukiegames.com/assets/images/Saturn/SAT_VIRTUA_FIGHTER.jpg" width="400" />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>AiAi (Monkey Ball):</strong> The original Monkey Ball was an arcade game. How hilarious would it be to see a monkey rolling by in a ball? =^) <br />
<img src="http://theregoesdave.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/monkeyball.jpg" width="200" />
<img src="http://freelicensegames.com/Super-monkey-ball-big.jpg" width="350" />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Samba de Amigo:</strong> Another monkey game from Sega. This one was also released as an arcade game first, where you shook your maracas on beat.<br />
<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiieXTfNLoaqpBWKVgV5gPb73sb0bAp16PyJ9mUp8rUlei1_tH6sw84RQnjMjCfUCC78Nso4_JlV4__K_zC6A6YtArKAbzI1wheJf5AleP3Tx8S974R-5_5hdb1Md2fQyZYc1Cm-Q/s1600/samba_de_amigo_wii_impressi.jpg" width="350" />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Crazy Taxi:</strong> Another Sega title that started in arcades. You race around an open world to pick people up and get them to their destination on time. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivohhx6lFnvdiPvxElTZIVwvZ6ot94CbLEdp1DuLhBV_fOpEzC1aX9R0KymtM954rreWpMVZaPxyVbSlYeGxSypv4TDzDGaDoIYQoUQdIw9gDHkzgAS8V_K8_KrVCerGicEELO/s1600/crazytaxipcfullversionrg6.jpg" width="300" />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Bolt or Dr. Calico:</strong> Here's what I'm thinking. They've got all these videogame characters walking around in the background, and we've already seen hidden references... Dinosaur from "Meet the Robinsons" and Maximus from Tangled. Similar to how Belle walks through town reading a book at the beginning of Hunchback (and I believe Aladdin and Jasmine fly through the clouds). Well if they did 2 of the Disney CG films since Lasseter took over, why not more? They'd want to make sure they blend in somehow and aren't super obvious. They might pick other Bolt characters (they'd likely pick the cat, Mittens, but I picked two I thought would be memorable...<br />
<img src="http://images.wikia.com/bolt/es/images/4/40/Bolt_2.jpg" width="200" />
<img src="http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110915221628/disney/images/9/9d/Un-wallpaper-di-dr-calico-per-pubblicizzare-l-uscita-in-dvd-e-blu-ray-del-film-bolt-118563.jpg" width="300" />
<br />
<br />
But for some reason, I think the two known Disney references were accidental references. In other words, they had so many models that they wanted to reuse what they had to help fill backgrounds, so they grabbed the dinosaur from Robinsons and a white horse from Tangled.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Double Dragon:</strong> It originated as an arcade game. The license is currently held by Million (formerly American Technos). See Wikipedia: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techn%C5%8Ds_Japan" target="_blank">Technos Japan</a>. So this would have been a less likely license to grab (since they'd have to go after it individually). Here's the original arcade version: <br />
<br />
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b0/DDArcade.png" />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Bubble Bobble/Bust-a-Move/Puzzle Bobble</strong>: These twin dinosarus are well known for some sweet arcade puzzle action. It was originally released in the arcade in 94, and it was actually based on a platform arcade game from 86, Bubble Bobble (featuring these two characters, Bub and Bob). Taito is already licensing Space Invaders (via the arcade cabinet) to this film, so this could be an obvious choice.<br />
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<img src="http://www.arcade-games-web.com/galleries/bubble_bobble/bubble_bobble_ad_or_cover.jpg" width="250" />
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<strong>Pac-Man</strong>: At first I thought they weren't using Pac-Man because it's hard to think of what he'd look like in 3D, but Namco has updated him so much that it isn't an issue:<br />
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<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/28/Pac-Man_character_art_-_The_Adventure_Begins.png" width="250" /><br />
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So either they're saving him for a suprise, the license cost was too high (doubtful), or they simply didn't have a funny/clever way to include him in this run. I think it's the latter. With a big name like Pac-Man, you've got to make sure you're incredibly clever if you use him.<br />
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<h2>
Still to do...</h2>
- Burger Time Game Station<br />
- Dance Revolution Game Station<br />
- Burger Time - Hot Dog cop at end of trailer (similar)<br />
- Sugar Rush candy balls (similar to Lolo & Lola)<br />
- Sugar Rush (similar to Mario Kart + Candy Land)<br />
- Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter<br />
- Cammy from Street Fighter<br />
- Knight from Joust<br />
- Paddle 1 and Paddle 2 from Pong<br />
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<h2>
Final Tally for Game Companies with References</h2>
The way this works is simple. The most reference gets the top spot. This is a work in progress. "~" means "is similar to".<br />
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<strong>1. Sega</strong> = 8 Licenses<br />
- Sonic the Hedgehog<br />
- Dr. Eggman (Sonic)<br />
- Cyril (House of the Dead)<br />
- Neff (Altered Beast)<br />
- Saw Hand (Cyborg Justice)<br />
- Mishaela (Shining Force)<br />
- Shinobi <br />
- Virtua Cop Game Station (title only)<br />
<strong>2. Nintendo</strong> = 7 References (1 License)<br />
- Fix it Felix, Jr. game ~ Donkey Kong<br />
- Fix it Felix, Jr. arcade cabinet ~ Donkey Kong cabinet<br />
- Felix's death and pop back up to life ~ Mario/Jumpman's death/resurrection<br />
- Bowser (the only official license)<br />
- Sugar Rush ~ Super Mario Kart<br />
- Sugar Rush candy balls ~ Lolo & Lola<br />
- Sgt. Calhoun ~ Samus Aran<br />
<strong>3. Namco</strong> = 6 References (5 Licenses)<br />
- Pac-Man arcade cabinet<br />
- Clyde (Pac-Man)<br />
- Other ghosts in passing: Blinky, Inky, and Pinky (Pac-Man)<br />
- Giant cherries (Pac-Man)<br />
- Dig Dug<br />
- "Iwatani" graffiti<br />
<strong>4A. Capcom</strong> = 5 Licenses <br />
- Zangief (Street Fighter)<br />
- M. Bison (Street Fighter)<br />
- Chun-Li in passing (Street Fighter)<br />
- Ken and Ryu (Street Fighter)<br />
- Cammy (Street Fighter)<br />
<strong>4B. Gottlieb</strong> = 5 Licenses<br />
- Q*bert, Slick, Sam, Coily, Ugg (Q*bert)<br />
<strong>4C. Warner Bros</strong> = 5 References (4 Licenses)<br />
- Kano (Street Fighter)<br />
- Paperboy<br />
- Fix it Felix Jr. game ~ Rampage<br />
- Bartender (Tapper)<br />
- Knight (Joust)<br />
<strong>5. Hasbro</strong> = 3 References (1 License) <br />
- Beholder (D&D's Eye of the Beholder)<br />
- Sugar Rush ~ Candy Land (Milton Bradley/Hasbro board game)<br />
- Frogger (Konami sold to Hasbro; the only official license)<br />
<strong>6A. Data East/G-mode</strong> = 2 References (1 License)<br />
- Burger Time Game Station (official license; title only)<br />
- Sugar Rush characters ~ BurgerTime hotdog <br />
<strong>6B. Microsoft</strong> = 2 References<br />
- Hero's Duty ~ Halo<br />
- Hero's Duty ~ Gears of War<br />
<strong>6C. Disney</strong> = 2 References<br />
- Dinosaur (Meet the Robinsons)<br />
- Maximus (Tangled)<br />
<strong>6D. Blizzard </strong>= 2 References<br />
- Disneyfied Diablo<br />
- "Leeroy Jenkins" World of Warcraft reference<br />
<strong>7A. Taito</strong> = 1 License<br />
- Space Invaders arcade cabinet<br />
<strong>7B. Atari</strong> = 1 Reference<br />
- Atari controller graffiti <br />
<strong>7C. Data East/Paon </strong>= 1 Reference<br />
- Dinosaur (Karnov)<br />
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Leave a comment if I missed anything. <br />
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This is a work in progress, so I have plenty more that I plan to add (see "Still to do" above). <br />
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- The EmperorEd Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-33766703083787751382012-06-02T00:21:00.000-07:002013-06-08T01:29:32.659-07:00BO Clout: Top Box Office StarsThis is a list of the top box office stars, as of 6/8/13. It's important to note that they are ranked by how many hits they have had and how many of those hits have become blockbusters (for tie breakers). This way we can see which stars consistently made money for studios over time. The reason why I'm using this method to rank them is because if you add up their total box office draw, then you might just have actors who do a lot of movies, who are in less hits that make a ton of money (like Samuel L Jackson), and who get involved in small roles of hit movies. But it isn't the small roles that sell the movies. So by measuring how many hits they have we can guage their box office clout and how successful they are at picking and making hit films. We start with the overall top box office actors (who's had the most hits over their whole careers), then their momentum (who's had the most hits in the last 10 years), and then we look at the same for the ladies.<br />
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Who's on the rise in the last year: Bruce Willis, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Liam Neeson, Robin Williams, Denzel Washington, Nicolas Cage, Owen Wilson, Leonardo DiCaprio, The Rock, <br />
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We separated the male and female actors into two lists.<br />
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<b><u>Definitions</u></b>:<br />
<strong>Hit</strong> = $100 million worldwide or more<br />
<strong>Blockbuster</strong> = $200 million worldwide or more<br />
<strong>Gold</strong> = $500 million worldwide or more<br />
<strong>Platinum</strong> = $1 billion worldwide or more<br />
<strong>Top Streak</strong> = Personal record for most hits in a row<br />
<strong>Current Streak</strong> = Currently how many hits in a row<br />
<strong>Total Hits</strong> = Counts all films that scored $100 million or more<br />
<strong>What's Next</strong> = Films that the actor has lined up to make next<br />
<strong>Missed</strong> = A film that did not Hit<br />
<strong>Momentum</strong> = How many hits they've had in the last 10 years<br />
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NOTE: This is a work in progress. I'm currently at #20, Owen Wilson. Leave a comment if something needs to be updated.<br />
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<b>TOP BOX OFFICE ACTORS (10 or more hits)</b><br />
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<b><u>#1 Tom Cruise</u></b>: 26 Total Hits, 16 Blockbusters, 3 Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 2 (Jack Reacher, Oblivion)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 8 (MI2, Vanilla Sky, Space Station, Minority Report, Last Samurai, Collateral, War of the Worlds, MI3)<br />
<i><strong>Gold ($500M+)</strong></i>: Mission Impossible 2, The War of the Worlds, MI4: Ghost Protocol<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters ($200M+)</strong></i>: Top Gun, Rain Man, A Few Good Men, The Firm, Interview with the Vampire, Mission Impossible, Jerry Mcguire, Vanilla Sky, Minority Report, The Last Samurai, Collateral, Mission Impossible 3, Knight and Day, Valkyrie, Jack Reacher, Oblivion<br />
<i><strong>Hits ($100M+)</strong></i>: Cocktail, Born on the 4th of July, Days of Thunder, Far and Away, Eyes Wide Shut, Space Station, Tropic Thunder<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Hardy Men, Top Gun 2, Adventurer's Club<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Tom Cruise started off making dramas, but he has slowly increased his focus on suspenseful films. You can see from his top hits that he tries to also find blockbuster-style films that are likely hits (such as Minority Report, Mission Impossible, War of the Worlds), and he wants to dabble in comedies if he thinks they'll hit (Knight and Day, Tropic Thunder) or epic dramas/thrillers (A Few Good Men, The Firm, Jerry Mcguire, Vanilla Sky, The Last Samurai, etc.). What's truly remarkable about Tom Cruise is that he has a fantastic nose for hits, and this has been evident as a young actor in the 80s (Top Gun, Rain Man, Cocktail, Born on the 4th of July) all the way to current films, whether it's a comedy, drama, or action adventure (granted that it's mostly back and forth between drama/thrillers and action adventures).<br />
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<b><u>#2 Bruce Willis</u></b>: 22 Total Hits, 11 Blockbusters, 2 Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 2 (Die Hard 5, G.I. Joe 2)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 3 (Armageddon, Siege, Sixth Sense)<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Armageddon, The Sixth Sense<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Look Who's Talking, Die Hard 2, Pulp Fiction, Die Hard 3: with a Vengeance, The Fifth Element, Unbreakable, Over the Hedge, Live Free or Die Hard 4, Expendables 2, A Good Day to Die Hard 5, G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Die Hard, Death Becomes Her, Twelve Monkeys, The Jackal, The Siege, Sin City, Surrogates, Red, Looper<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Kane & Lynch, Red 2<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Bruce Willis got his start on Moonlighting, and his first hit was Die Hard, when he/we realized that he's action gold. He tried drama and comedy, but he mostly missed with them. So he focused on action, which peaked with Armageddon. He then wanted to pull back and try drama and comedy again, but he mostly missed with that. He's been focusing more on action lately, and he's had some success with it (Die Hard 4, Surrogates, Red, Looper, Expendables 2, Die Hard 5, and G.I. Joe 2). He really needs to get Michael Bay back on his team! <br />
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<b><u>#3 Tom Hanks</u></b>: 21 Total Hits, 13 Blockbusters, 2 Gold, 1 Platinum<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 1 (Cloud Atlas)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 7 (Saving Private Ryan, You've Got Mail, Toy Story 2, Green Mile, Castaway, Road to Perdition, Catch Me if You Can)<br />
<i><strong>Platinum</strong></i>: Toy Story 3<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Forrest Gump, The DaVinci Code<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia, Apollo 13, Toy Story, Saving Private Ryan, You've Got Mail, Toy Story 2, The Green Mile, Castaway, Catch Me if You Can, The Terminal, Polar Express, Angels and Demons<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Big, A League of Their Own, The Road to Perdition, Charlie Wilson's War, Cloud Atlas<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Boone's Lick, Jungle Cruise, Toy Story 4<br />
<strong><em>Commentary</em></strong>: Tom Hanks started as a comedian (after being on Bosom Buddies on TV), but then Big hit (got nominated for an Academy Award), and after League of Their Own, he was able to steer his choices more toward drama and hit comedies (or dramadies). He has also dabbled in suspense a little, but he's unique because none of his hits have been conventional blockbusters that rely on action and effects (no giant robots, machine guns, sci fi, or aliens in his films). Hanks barely edges out for the #1 spot because he's had a Platinum hit.<br />
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<b><u>#4 Brad Pitt</u></b>: 21 Total Hits, 10 Blockbusters<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0 (Killing Them Softly missed)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 5 (Troy, Ocean's Twelve, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Babel, Ocean's Thirteen)<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Interview with the Vampire, Se7en, Ocean's Eleven, Troy, Ocean's Twelve, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Ocean's Thirteen, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Inglorious Basterds, Megamind<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Twelve Monkeys, Sleepers, The Devil's Own, Seven Years in Tibet, Fight Club, The Mexican, Spy Game, Babel, Burn After Reading, Moneyball, Happy Feet Two<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Cogan's Trade, World War Z, The Odyssey, The Zombie Survival Guide, The Counselor, Twelve Years a Slave, Fury<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Brad Pitt started out with dramatic roles, which got more and more intense. Before long he was pumping out hits and proving his acting chops. <br />
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<b><u>#5 Sylvester Stallone</u></b>: 21 Total Hits, 7 Blockbusters<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0 <br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 4 (see above)<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Rocky, Rocky 2, Rambo First Blood 2, Rocky 4, Cliffhanger, The Expendables, Expendables 2<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Rocky 3, First Blood, Staying Alive, Rambo 3, Rocky 5, Demolition Man, The Specialist, Judge Dredd, Daylight, Antz, Spy Kids 3-D, Rocky Balboa, Rambo, Zookeeper<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Death Wish, Escape Plan, Grudge Match<br />
<strong><em>Commentary</em></strong>: Sylvester Stallone is unique in that he might not be the best actor in the world, but he's a great writer, a good director, and he understands the business of synergy. When his acting jobs aren't lining up or aren't great roles, then you can see the points in his career when he wrote movies for himself to act in. When his career seemed all dried up in 1997 - 2005, he came back in 2006 by writing, directing, and starring in Rocky Balboa, Rambo, and The Expendables (the latter was a Blockbuster film that Stallone stacked with action stars... Stallone, Arnold, Bruce Willis, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Terry Crews, Randy Couture (a UFC star), Dolph Lundgren (who starred with Stallon in Rocky 4), Steve Austin, and Mickey Rourke). As Stallone expected, the momentum of those three hit films revitalized his career, and Stallone went back to acting (including the future Expendables 2) while others write and direct for him. So if you're wondering how he got so many hits and stayed around for so long, it's because he understands how to write and direct films and how valuable it is to use those abilities as synergy (the best examples of that are Clint Eastwood and Ron Howard, who are more successful as directors than actors). <br />
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<b><u>#6 Morgan Freeman</u></b>: 20 Total Hits, 8 Blockbusters, 1 Gold, 2 Platinum<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0 (last was Now You See Me)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 5 (Bucket List, Wanted, Dark Knight, Invictus, Red)<br />
<strong><em>Platinum</em></strong>: The Dark Knight, Dark Knight Rises<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: War of the Worlds<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, Se7en, Deep Impact, Bruce Almighty, Million Dollar Baby, Batman Begins, Wanted, Oblivion<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Driving Miss Daisy, Unforgiven, Along Came a Spider, Sum of All Fears, March of the Penguins, Evan Almighty, The Bucket List, Invictus, Red, Olympus Has Fallen, <br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Last Vegas<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: After acting for awhile, he caught his break doing the drama "Driving Miss Daisy" in 89. He followed it up with Robin Hood in 91, and since then he's managed to get into many successful films. He developed an important relationship with director Clint Eastwood, which led to several of his hits (Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Invictus). So he found most of his success much later in life.<br />
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<b><u>#7 Eddie Murphy</u></b>: 20 Total Hits, 8 Blockbusters, 3 Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0 (Thousand Words missed)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 6 (Daddy Day Care, Haunted Mansion, Shrek 2, Dreamgirls, Norbit, Shrek 3)<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, Shrek Forever After<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Beverly Hills Cop, Beverly Hills Cop 2, Coming to America, The Nutty Professor, Mulan, Doctor Dolittle, Nutty Professor 2, Shrek <br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Another 48 Hours, Boomerang, Beverly Hills Cop 3, Doctor Dolittle 2, Daddy Day Care, The Haunted Mansion, Dreamgirls, Norbit, Tower Heist<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Beverly Hills Cop 4, Hong Kong Phooey<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: After becoming a star on SNL, Murphy took his comedy to film, and he's stayed in comedy ever since (with a brief turn in the drama, Dreamgirls). Murphy keeps working on redefining his career after picking up a few stinkers for the cash. So it's almost as if he takes whatever's paying and then once the stinkers add up to result in him getting worse offers (both in pay and quality), then he knuckles down and molds a hit (for example: Beverly Hills Cop, Nutty Professor, and Norbit).<br />
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<b><u>#8 Matt Damon</u></b>: 20 Total Hits, 10 Blockbusters<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0 <br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 3 (Hereafter, True Grit, Adjustment Bureau)<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Good Will Hunting, Saving Private Ryan, Ocean's Eleven, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, Ocean's Twelve, The Departed, Ocean's Thirteen, The Bourne Ultimatum, True Grit<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Courage Under Fire, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Spirit, The Brothers Grimm, Invictus, Hereafter, The Adjustment Bureau, Contagion, Happy Feet Two, We Bought a Zoo<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Liberace, All In, Elysium, Monuments Men<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Stuck in small roles, Damon decided to team up with friend Ben Affleck to write themselves into starring roles, and Good Will Hunting was the result. Damon has since ridden the momentum and has had the most success with the Ocean's Eleven and Bourne Identity series of 6 films (3 each). While Damon is #7 overall, he is #1 in the Momentum list below (he's had the most hits in the last 10 years). Damon isn't doing the numbers that some of the others on this list are, but he's been pumping out two or three films most years, which means he has more opportunities to get more hits out in the last 10 years.<br />
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<b><u>#9 Liam Neeson</u></b>: 18 Total Hits, 9 Blockbusters, 3 Gold, 1 Platinum<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 3 (Wrath of the Titans, Battleship, Taken 2)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 3 (see above)<br />
<strong><em>Platinum</em></strong>: Star Wars 1: Phantom Menace<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Narnia 1: Lion Witch & Wardrobe, Battleship, Taken 2<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Shindler's List, Love Actually, Kingdom of Heaven, Batman Begins, Narnia 2: Prince Caspian, Taken, Clash of the Titans, Narnia 3: Voyage of Dawn Treader, Wrath of the Titans <br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Everest, Haunting, Gangs of New York, A-Team, Unknown<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Butler, Nut Job, Million Ways to Die in the West<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Liam lept on the scene with Shindler's List in 93. Then he had the usual supporting roles in great films. His career got a new, fresh jolt with Taken in 2009. After that he was cast as a gritty action hero in A-Team, Unknown, The Grey, and Taken 2. During that time, he still kept the supporting roles coming with the Narnia films, Battleship, and more.<br />
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<b><u>#10 Robin Williams</u></b>: 18 Total Hits, 10 Blockbusters, 2 Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0 <br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 2 (Happy Feet, Night at the the Museum)<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Aladdin, Night at the Museum<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Dead Poet's Society, Hook, Mrs. Doubtfire, Jumanji, Good Will Hunting, Patch Adams, Artificial Intelligence, Robots, Happy Feet, Night at the Museum 2<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Good Morning Vietnam, Nine Months, The Birdcage, Flubber, Insomnia, Happy Feet Two<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: The Butler, Face of Love<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Robin Williams got his start on Mork and Mindy (after proving his chops in stand up and on the short-lived Richard Pryor show). Oddly, he didn't do well in comedies (which he started with Popeye in 80), and his first hit was the drama, Good Morning Vietnam in 87, which led to several hit dramas. But he also scored his first hit adventure with Hook in 91, his first animated hit Aladdin in 92 (with Happy Feet, Robots, and Happy Feet 2 to follow), and his first hit comedy with Mrs. Doubtfire in 93. Then he scored about a hit a year from 91 to 2006, but lately he hasn't been pumping out as many films and hasn't had as many hits (with his last being 2009's Night at the Museum).<br />
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<b><u>#11 Denzel Washington</u></b>: 18 Total Hits, 3 Blockbusters<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 5 (Taking of Pelham 123, Book of Eli, Unstoppable, Safe House, Flight)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 5 (see above)<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Philadelphia, American Gangster, Safe House<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: The Pelican Brief, Crimson Tide, Courage Under Fire, The Siege, The Bone Collector, Remember the Titans, Training Day, John Q, Man on Fire, Inside Man, Deja Vu, Taking of Pelham 123, Book of Eli, Unstoppable, Flight<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: 2 Guns<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Denzel Washington knows drama. He started out early in his career with an Oscar nomination for Cry Freedom, a win for Glory, and then nominations for Malcolm X, Hurricane, and Training Day. He's translated his ability for intensity to make thrillers and intense dramas. Those haven't landed him many blockbusters, but it brought him 14 hits that made between $100 million and $200 million world-wide. So he's consistent.<br />
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<b><u>#12 Jim Carrey</u></b>: 17 Total Hits, 13 Blockbusters<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0 <br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 8 (Ace Ventura 1, The Mask, Dumb & Dumber, Batman Forever, Ace Ventura 2, Cable Guy, Liar Liar, Truman Show)<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: The Mask, Dumb & Dumber, Batman Forever, Ace Ventura 2, Liar Liar, Truman Show, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Bruce Almighty, Series of Unfortunate Events, Fun with Dick and Jane, Horton Hears a Who, Yes Man, A Christmas Carol<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Ace Ventura 1, Cable Guy, Me Myself & Irene, Mr. Popper's Penguins<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Ripley's Believe it or Not, Popeye<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Jim Carrey was hot off of In Living Color and came out to films with a bang, starring in 8 hit films in a row! However, as he branched out to more dramatic roles, securing the hits has become a little challenging for him, but he has still been very successful.<br />
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<b><u>#13 Harrison Ford</u></b>: 17 Total Hits, 8 Blockbusters, 4 Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0 <br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 3 (Devil's Own, Air Force One, Six Days Seven Nights)<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Star Wars 4: A New Hope, Star Wars 5: Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars 6: Return of the Jedi, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Presumed Innocent, The Fugitive, Clear and Present Danger, Air Force One, What Lies Beneath<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: American Graffiti, Patriot Games, The Devil's Own, Six Days Seven Nights, Cowboys and Aliens<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Indiana Jones 5, Anchorman 2, Ender's Game, Paranoia<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Ford got his break with George Lucas, which led to American Graffiti, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones. In between those films, he's had the most success with intense thrillers (Fugitive, Clear and Present Danger, Air Force One, and What Lies Beneath).<br />
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<b><u>#14 Nicolas Cage</u></b>: 17 Total Hits, 9 Blockbusters, 1 Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 1 (Croods)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 5 (The Rock, Con Air, Face Off, City of Angels, Snake Eyes)<br />
<strong><em>Gold</em></strong>: The Croods<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: The Rock, Con Air, Face Off, Gone in 60 Seconds, National Treasure, Ghost Rider, National Treasure 2, G-Force, Sorcerer's Apprentice<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: City of Angels, Snake Eyes, Family Man, World Trade Center, Knowing, Kick-A, Ghost Rider 2<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: National Treasure 3<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Nicolas Cage got started as a comedic actor and first made it big with Moonstruck in 87. After a string of comedies, he barely kept his career alive until his Oscar winning performance in Leaving Las Vegas (95). He used that momentum to line up The Rock and his 5-hit streak. He has since been hit and miss, but he has enough sense in him to get a hit in every third movie or so. It helps that he stars in 2 or 3 movies a year, which increases his odds and gives him a hit about every two years. He has been able to turn a few dramas into hits, but most of hits rely on action adventures.<br />
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<b><u>#15 Mel Gibson</u></b>: 17 Total Hits, 10 Blockbusters<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0 (The Beaver was a miss)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 5 (Lethal Weapon 4, Payback, Chicken Run, Patriot, What Women Want)<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Leathal Weapon 2, Lethal Weapon 3, Braveheart, Pocahontas, Ransom, Lethal Weapon 4, Chicken Run, The Patriot, What Women Want, Signs<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Lethal Weapon, Bird on a Wire, Forever Young, Maverick, Conspiracy Theory, Payback, We Were Soldiers<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Under and Alone, Machete Kills, Sam and George<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Mel grew up in Australia and got his start making films there (including the Mad Max series). Lethal Weapon was his breakout film, and he had an impressive string of hits from 84 to 02. He hasn't had a hit since 2002. He better hurry up and find some, because the youngsters are gaining ground!<br />
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<b><u>#16 John Travolta</u></b>: 17 Total Hits, 8 Blockbusters<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0 <br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 4 (Broken Arrow, Phenomenon, Michael, Face/Off)<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Look Who's Talking, Pulp Fiction, Face/Off, Wild Hogs, Hairspray, Bolt<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Staying Alive, Get Shorty, Broken Arrow, Phenomenon, Michael, The General's Daughter, Swordfish, Ladder 49, Taking of Pelham 123<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: ? <br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: After Carrie, Travolta was a musical heart throb with Saturday Night Fever, Grease, and Staying Alive in the late 70s and early 80s. Look Who's Talking was a brief comeback in 1989, but it wasn't until 1994 when Pulp Fiction put him on the map and gave him the chance to be a star, and he lined them up with Get Shorty, Broken Arrow, Phenomenon, Michael, and Face/Off in 95-97. However, he was then hit and miss, scoring General's Daughter in 99, Swordfish in 2001, Ladder 49 in 04, and then a nice line up with Wild Hogs, Hairspray, Bolt, and Pelham 123 in 07-09. His last two films have been misses (Old Dogs and From Paris with Love), but he's obviously trying to line up hits and be a heavy hitter who can do action and drama hits (sort of like Tom Cruise).<br />
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<b><u>#17 Robert De Niro</u></b>: 17 Total Hits, 3 Blockbusters, 1 Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0 (last was Being Flynn)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 3 (Shark Tale, Meet the Fockers, Hide and Seek)<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Meet the Fockers<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Meet the Parents, Shark Tale, Little Fockers<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Backdraft, Cape Fear, Frankenstein, Casino, Heat, Sleepers, Analyze This, The Score, Hide and Seek, Arthur and the Invisibles, Stardust, Limitless, New Year's Eve<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Grudge Match, The Big Wedding, Red Lights, Last Vegas<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Interestingly, Robert De Niro didn't have a hit until 91 (Backdraft), after 22 films. He was doing gritty dramas and focusing on the character films, including several Scorsese films (Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, New York New York, Raging Bull, King of Comedy, and Goodfellas) and other, similar gritty dramas (Godfather 2, Deer Hunter, Untouchables). Eventually he figured out the formula for hits and used his momentum and producing to line some up.<br />
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<b><u>#18 Will Smith</u></b>: 16 Total Hits, 8 Blockbusters, 5 Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 10 (MIB 2, Bad Boys 2, I Robot, Shark Tale, Hitch, Pursuit of Happyness, I Am Legend, Hancock, Seven Pounds, MIB 3)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 10 (see above)<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Independence Day, Men in Black, I Am Legend, Hancock, MIB 3<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Enemy of the State, Wild Wild West, Men in Black 2, Bad Boys 2, I Robot, Shark Tale, Hitch, The Pursuit of Happyness<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Made in America, Bad Boys, Seven Pounds<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Time Share, Overboard, Amulet, Monster Hunter, Last Pharaoh, Independence Day 2, Independence Day 3, Bad Boys 3, I Robot 2, After Earth<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: The only actor who started out in the music business, then scored with a hit TV comedy (Fresh Prince of Bel Air), and then went on to be a box office superstar. Will is hit and miss with dramas, but he's the #1 sci-fi and action star on this list, and he knows how to line them up. He also has the least amount of misses, the most golds, and he's currently in his hottest streak, so he's catching up!<br />
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<b><u>#19 Johnny Depp</u></b>: 16 Total Hits, 6 Blockbusters, 2 Gold, 3 Platinum<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 1 (Dark Shadows)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 4 (Alice in Wonderland, The Tourist, Rango, Pirates 4)<br />
<i><strong>Platinum</strong></i>: Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest, Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Pirates of the Caribbean 1: Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Sleepy Hallow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Public Enemies, The Tourist, Rango, Dark Shadows<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Platoon, Chocolat, Finding Neverland, The Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Shantarum, Lone Ranger, Pirates 5, Ginger Man, Thin Man, Paul Revere, Transcendence<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Depp started out in the TV show, 21 Jump Street. After languishing in dramas, Burton tried him out for his own quirky ends with Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, and Sleepy Hallow. Sleepy Hallow was Depp's first starring hit, and then when Depp delivered Captain Jack Sparrow, he began to become more choosey and focus on the quirky characters that got him there... thus Pirates films, Sweeney Todd, Mad Hatter, and Willie Wonka. Now Depp has seemed to line up hits with Tim Burton films (Sleepy Hallow, Charlie, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd, Alice, Dark Shadows), Pirates films, and the director of the first 3 Pirates films, Gore Verbinski (also directed Rango and currently slated for Lone Ranger). Depp also has the most Platinum hits of anyone on this list. He has caught up quickly. <br />
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<b><u>#20 Owen Wilson</u></b>: 16 Total Hits, 6 Blockbusters, 4 Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 5 (Meet the Fockers, Wedding Crashers, Cars, You Me & Dupree, Night at the Museum)<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Armageddon, Meet the Fockers, Night at the Museum, Cars 2<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, Cars, Marley & Me, Night at the Museum 2, Little Fockers<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: The Cable Guy, Anaconda, The Haunting, Starsky & Hutch, You Me & Dupree, Midnight in Paris<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: The Internship, Free Birds<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: After the successful indy film, Bottle Rockets, Owen became sought after and slowly proved himself as a comedian. <br />
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<b><u>#21 Adam Sandler</u></b>: 16 Total Hits, 7 Blockbusters<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 1 (Hotel Transylvania)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 4 (Grown Ups, Just Go with It, Zookeeper, Jack and Jill)<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Big Daddy, Click, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Betime Stories, Grown Ups, Just Go with It, Hotel Transylvania<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: The Wedding Singer, The Waterboy, Mr. Deeds, Anger Management, 50 First Dates, The Longest Yard, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Zookeeper, Jack and Jill<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Take Me to Your Leader, Fat Man, Golddigging 101, Valet Guys, Grown Ups 2, Blended<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Like Eddie Murphy, Adam was at the top of SNL in his days, and he left to become a star (he was lovingly pushed). After a successful comedy album, Sandler basically put together his own movies and hired all his friends. When Adam and his writing partner, Tim Herlihy, presented Billy Madison to SNL's Lorne Michaels, Lorne said, "That will never work." Thus Lorne never produced any of Sandler's movies. Sandler has successfully kept a continued momentum of hits since Wedding Singer (on the films that he produces and puts together). With one missed attempt at the action genre (Bulletproof) and several misses in drama (including Funny People), Sandler is clearly a comedy star who can't cross over. However, he's the most consistent comedy star at pumping out hits.<br />
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<b><u>#22 Ben Stiller</u></b>: 15 Total Hits, 4 Blockbusters, 5 Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 5 (Night at the Museum, Heartbreak Kid, Tropic Thunder, Madagascar 2, and Night at the Museum 2)<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Meet the Fockers, Madagascar, Night at the Museum, Madagascar 2, Madagascar 3<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: There's Something About Mary, Meet the Parents, Night at the Museum 2, Little Fockers<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Along Came Polly, Starsky & Hutch, Dodgeball, Heartbreak Kid, Tropic Thunder, Tower Heist <br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: The Hardy Men, Night at the Museum 3, Secret Life of Walter Smitty, Penguins of Madagascar, While We're Young, Zoolander 2<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: He went from a short stint on SNL (he got noticed with his Tom Cruise impression in the short, "The Color of Money") to his own show (won an Emmy for writing) to a comedic career in films. But his career was floundering until There's Something About Mary (98), and even then he didn't have the hit films ready to line up until Meet the Parents (2000), and a few Frat Pack films (Zoolander, Royal Tenenbaums), a little more floundering, and then he had the formula down starting with Along Came Polly in 2004. I'm looking forward to Hardy Men (with Tom Cruise as the other brother) and Zoolander 2. Personally I think he should ruin more old shows/books like he did with Starsky & Hutch and is doing with Hardy Men. Even Jonah Hill's butchering of 21 Jump Streets was hilarious (but I hated the butchering of Dukes of Hazard). Anyway, Ben has mastered the slow burn and the "everything goes wrong" sense of comedy.<br />
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<b><u>#23 Dustin Hoffman</u></b>: 14 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#24 Leonardo DiCaprio</u></b>: 14 Total Hits, 6 Blockbusters, 1 Gold, 1 Platinum<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 2 (Django Unchained, Great Gatsby)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 7 (The Beach, Gangs of New York, Catch Me If You Can, Aviator, Departed, Blood Diamond, Body of Lies)<br />
<strong><em>Platinum</em></strong>: Titanic<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Inception<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Catch Me if You Can, Aviator, Departed, Shutter Island, Django Unchained, Great Gatsby<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Romeo + Juliet, The Man in the Iron Mask, The Beach, Gangs of New York, Blood Diamond, Body of Lies<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Wolf of Wall Street<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: The promising boy who did a lot of drama (This Boy's Life, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Basketball Diaries, Marvin's Room) seems to have gotten lucky (or wise) by falling in with fantastic directors early in his career (Quick and the Dead's Sam Raimi, Baz Lurmann's Romeo + Juliet), and then he seemed to have gotten very lucky (and was thought of as overrated) with the megahit Titanic ($2.1 billion+) from James Cameron. So that's three great directors earlier in his career. The question was, what was he going to do then? Well he did the wisest thing possible -- he leveraged his successful film to hand pick (and get picked by) more great directors... Randall Wallace (Man in the Iron Mask, $183M), Woody Allen (Celebrity, $5M), Danny Boyle (The Beach; $144M; who later did Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours), and then he hit gold with Martin Scorsese (starting with Gangs of New York; $193M). That's also when we truly saw that Leonardo could act and could play crazy personalities that we love to watch collapse on themselves. He continued the fantastic directors with Steven Spielberg (Catch Me If You Can; $352M), and back to Scorsese for two films (Aviator; $213M; and Departed; $289M). After Edward Zwick's Blood Diamond ($171M), he moved on to Ridley Scott's Body of Lies ($115M). Not the box office he was hoping with Ridley (known for Gladiator), but still a hit. Next was Sam Mendes' Revolutionary Road ($75M), which didn't pan out as well as Mendes' Skyfall (over $1B), American Beauty, and Road to Perdition. After RR, DiCaprio returned to Scorsese a fourth time with the successful Shutter Island ($294M). Then the great directors continued with Christopher Nolan's Inception ($825M), Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar ($84M), Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained ($424M), and a second film with Baz Lurmann, The Great Gatsby. Next up is a fifth Scorsese film, Wolf of Wall Street. So a recap of directors... Sam Raimi, Baz Lurmann (2 films), James Cameron, Danny Boyle, Martin Scorsese (4 films), Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Sam Mendes, Christopher Nolan, Clint Eastwood, and Quentin Tarantino. That's an impressive list of directors! Seeing how Leonardo returned to Baz Lurmann, I hope he also returns to Sam Raimi, James Cameron, Danny Boyle, Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Sam Mendes, and Christopher Nolan. I think Sam Raimi, Danny Boyle, Ridley Scott, Clint Eastwood, and Sam Mendes are all wiser now and would have a better idea of what to do with Leonardo DiCaprio in a film. None of them gave their best film with Leonardo, and all of them should try again!<br />
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<b><u>#25 Samuel L. Jackson</u></b>: 13 Total Hits, 6 Blockbusters, 2 Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 0 <br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 2 (Shaft, Unbreakable)<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Jurassic Park, The Incredibles <br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: Pulp Fiction, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Unbreakable, xXx, SWAT, Jumper<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Patriot Games, A Time to Kill, Deep Blue Sea, Shaft, 1408<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: The Avengers, Nick Fury, xXx 3, Afro Samurai, The Last Dragon, Django Unchained<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: Samuel L Jackson actually has the largest box office total (over 10 billion) and the most total hits (23). However, 3 of those were cameos in Star Wars movies, 4 were cameos in Marvel hero movies (as Nick Fury), and 3 were cameos in other hits (The Other Guys, Coming to America, and Kill Bill). So we're only giving him 13 for this list, since it's about how well the actor can sell a film. But he has at least two coming films where he'll play larger rolls as Nick Fury, so there's hope! Jackson is also unique because he focuses more on supporting rolls and cranks out 3-5 films a year! <br />
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<b><u>#26 Dwayne Johnson (the Rock)</u></b>: 13 Total Hits, 3 Blockbusters, 1 Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: 1 (Fast & Furious 6)<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: 5 (Get Smart, Race to Witch Mountain, Planet 51, Tooth Fairy, The Other Guys)<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: Fast Five<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: The Mummy Returns, Get Smart, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation, Fast & Furious 6<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: Scorpion King, Game Plan, Race to Witch Mountain, Planet 51, The Tooth Fairy, The Other Guys<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: Hercules: Thracian Wars, Shazam, Ciudad, Lore, Arabian Nights, Miami Athletes, Fast & Furious 7, Journey 3: From the Earth to the Moon, Spy Hunter<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: I must admit that I was a huge fan of The Rock on WWF (now WWE). There are only two times when I was into wrestling. One was as a kid watching Hulk Hogan. Then later in college watching Hulk leave WWF and go to WCW with the NWO. WWF suffered under that wave of interesting attitude going on over there. That's when WWF found it's own attitude with Stone Cold Steve Austin and the Undertaker. The Rock slowly showed his style and kept the momentum, managing to be hilarious and full of attitude. It led him to be the new face of all wrestling. So when he starred in his first two movies as big budget action Universal films (Mummy Returns and Scorpion King) it felt like the first few movies of another professional athlete performer (Hercules in New York, Conan the Barbarian, Conan the Destroyer, Red Sonja). Arnold Schwarzenegger had proven himself as the world's champion in Body Building (having won the record for Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia), and he rode that into Hollywood, wanting to star in a Hercules film (that was the pattern that the world champion body builders get offered parts in Hercules films). And here we had The Rock in similar starting films (like The Scorpion King). Also note that the Rock broke records for getting paid the most in a first starring role... $5.5 million. Since those first few films, The Rock was, well, Rocky, with misses and Sleepers like Rundown, Walking Tall, Be Cool, Doom, and Gridiron Gang. Then he proved his comedy chops by alternating hit comedies and comedy adventures with Disney's Game Plan ($147M), Get Smart, Race to Witch Mountain, Planet 51, Tooth Fairy, and the Other Guys. After a brief stall with another gritty action film (Faster, 2010, $35M), the Rock proved two unusual things. First, he broke into the blockbuster action adventures, but he was also brought on to help breathe new life into three different film series! First, he was brought onto Fast Five to give further momentum to the successful resurrection of Fast and Furious 4. And Fast Five went gold ($628M). Next he was brought in to replace Brendan Frasier in Journey 2: Mysterious Island. That also worked; the box office take went up (with $240M in part 1 to $325M for part 2). And a third time with G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation (which brought it up from $302M with poor reviews to $325M with far better reviews). And then those are now including sequels to the revitalization projects with Fast & Furious 6 ($492M), and the upcoming Fast & Furious 7 and Journey 3: From the Earth to the Moon (plus I suspect we'll see a G.I. Joe 3). And to top it all off, he's also working on a Hercules movie, which is a throwback to a period piece like Scorpion King and a likely accidental reference/parallelism to Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose first film was a Hercules movie. The only thing that would make that circle complete would be to do a Conan film (it would be far better than the blip of a reboot they recently tried). But I have to say that the film I'm crossing my fingers for the most (hoping it happens) is Shazam. I would love that film with any cast, but I know the Rock would help give it humor. (I think that's what was missing from G.I. Joe 2; it was all business, with only Bruce Willis to make you smile.) Oh, and Spy Hunter. I loved the game with the car that turns into a boat... guns, speed, transforming machines, and special effects... perfect film for the Rock (yes I refuse to call him Dwayne Johnson).<br />
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<b><u>#27 Arnold Schwarzenegger</u></b>: 13 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#26 Jack Black</u></b>: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#27 Tommy Lee Jones</u></b>: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#28 Jack Nicholson</u></b>: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#29 Ralph Fiennes</u></b>: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#30 Patrick Stewart</u></b>: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#31 Alan Rickman</u></b>: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#32 Danny DeVito</u></b>: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#33 Sean Connery</u></b>: 12 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#34 Seth Rogen</u></b>: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#35 Hugh Jackman</u></b>: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#36 Antonio Banderas</u></b>: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
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<b><u>#37 Anthony Hopkins</u></b>: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#38 Keanu Reeves</u></b>: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#39 Ian McKellan</u></b>: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#40 Christopher Walken</u></b>: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#41 Alec Baldwin</u></b>: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#42 Hugo Weaving</u></b>: 11 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#44 Shia LeBeouf</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#45 Steve Carell</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#46 Jamie Foxx</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#47 Bill Murray</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#48 Geoffrey Rush</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#49 Sean William Scott</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#50 Hugh Grant</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#51 Pierce Brosnan</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#52 Rob Schneider</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#53 Michael Douglas</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#54 Gene Hackman</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#55 Richard Gere</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#56 Stanley Tucci</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#57 Danny Glover</u></b>: 10 Total Hits, - Blockbusters, - Gold<br />
<i><strong>Current Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Top Streak</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Gold</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Blockbusters</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Hits</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>What's Next</strong></i>: -<br />
<i><strong>Commentary</strong></i>: -<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Now let's talk Momentum. Momentum is how many hits the actors have had in the last 10 years. This helps tell us how likely they are to get a box office hit, since it removes the factor that their box office favor could have been over a decade old.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>BOX OFFICE MOMENTUM - ACTORS (6 or more)</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Matt Damon</u></b>: 13 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Johnny Depp</u></b>: 12 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Brad Pitt</u></b>: 12 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Morgan Freeman</u></b>: 12 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Ben Stiller</u></b>: 11 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Adam Sandler</u></b>: 11 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Seth Rogen</u></b>: 11 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Tom Cruise</u></b>: 10 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Owen Wilson</u></b>: 10 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Shia LaBeouf</u></b>: 10 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Steve Carell</u></b>: 10 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Liam Neeson</u></b>: 10 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Alec Baldwin</u></b>: 10 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Will Smith</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Denzel Washington</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Hugh Jackman</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Eddie Murphy</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Jamie Foxx</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Geoffrey Rush</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Bradley Cooper</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Jack Black</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Ralph Fiennes</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Orlando Bloom</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Ian McKellan</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Stanley Tucci</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Alan Rickman</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Hugo Weaving</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Leonardo DiCaprio</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Will Ferrell</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Tom Hanks</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Nicholas Cage</u></b>: 8 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Jason Bateman</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Robert De Niro</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Ewan McGregor</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Gerard Butler</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Jude Law</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Michael Cain</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Justin Long</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>John Tuturro</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Jon Favreau</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Christian Bale</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Vince Vaughn</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Samuel L. Jackson</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Daniel Craig</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Jim Carrey</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Vin Diesel</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Mark Wahlberg</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>James Franco</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Kevin James</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Dustin Hoffman</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Jonah Hill</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Sean William Scott</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Antonio Banderas</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Chris Rock</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Collin Firth</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>John C. Reilly</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Rob Schneider</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Josh Hutcherson</u></strong>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Robert Downey, Jr.</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Russell Crowe</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Ashton Kutcher</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Zach Galifianakis</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>George Clooney</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Colin Farrell</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Anthony Hopkins</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>John Travolta</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Robin Williams</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Matthew McConaughey</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Keanu Reeves</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Hugh Grant</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Patrick Stewart</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>John Goodman</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Tobey Maguire</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Christopher Walken</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Nick Nolte</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>No Momentum </b>(despite having many box office hits over their careers, they have 5 or less hits in the last 10 years):<br />
- Arnold Schwarzenegger<br />
- Ben Affleck<br />
- Bill Murray<br />
- Bill Pullman<br />
- Billy Bob Thornton<br />
- Brendan Fraser<br />
- Bruce Willis<br />
- Cary Elwes<br />
- Charlie Sheen<br />
- Chevy Chase<br />
- Chris Evans<br />
- Chris Pine<br />
- Clint Eastwood<br />
- Clive Owen<br />
- Craig T. Nelson<br />
- Cuba Gooding, Jr.<br />
- Dan Aykroyd<br />
- Danny DeVito<br />
- Danny Glover<br />
- David Spade<br />
- Edward Norton<br />
- Elijah Wood<br />
- Emilio Estevez<br />
- Eric Bana<br />
- Freddie Prinze, Jr.<br />
- Gene Hackman<br />
- Greg Kinnear<br />
- Guy Pearce<br />
- Haley Joel Osment<br />
- Harrison Ford<br />
- Jack Nicholson<br />
- Jake Gyllenhaal<br />
- Jason Segel<br />
- Jeff Bridges<br />
- Jim Belushi<br />
- Joaquin Phoenix <br />
- Joe Pesci<br />
- John Belushi (deceased)<br />
- John Candy (deceased)<br />
- John Cusack<br />
- Josh Duhamel<br />
- Jusin Timberlake<br />
- Kevin Bacon<br />
- Kevin Costner<br />
- Kevin Kline<br />
- Kevin Spacey<br />
- Kiefer Sutherland<br />
- Luke Wilson<br />
- Martin Lawrence<br />
- Martin Sheen<br />
- Martin Short<br />
- Mel Gibson<br />
- Michael Douglas<br />
- Michael Keaton<br />
- Patrick Dempsey<br />
- Paul Giamatti<br />
- Paul Newman<br />
- Paul Rudd<br />
- Paul Walker<br />
- Pierce Brosnan<br />
- Richard Dreyfuss<br />
- Richard Gere<br />
- Richard Pryor<br />
- Ricky Gervais<br />
- Rob Schneider<br />
- Robert Duvall<br />
- Robert Pattinson<br />
- Robert Redford<br />
- Russell Brand<br />
- Ryan Reynolds<br />
- Sean Connery (retired)<br />
- Steve Martin<br />
- Sylvester Stallone<br />
- Thomas Haden Church<br />
- Tyrese Gibson<br />
- Val Kilmer<br />
- Willem Dafoe<br />
- William H. Macy<br />
- Zac Efron<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
And onto women (7 or more hits)...<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>TOP BOX OFFICE ACTRESSES (7 or more hits)</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#1 Julia Roberts</u></b>: 20 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#2 Cameron Diaz</u></b>: 17 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#3 Angelina Jolie</u></b>: 14 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#4 Sandra Bullock</u></b>: 13 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#5 Nicole Kidman</u></b>: 12 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#6 Kathy Bates</u></b>: 12 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#7 Natalie Portman</u></b>: 11 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#8 Anne Hathaway</u></b>: 11 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#9 Meryl Streep</u></b>: 11 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#10 Catherine Zeta-Jones</u></b>: 10 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#11 Sigourney Weaver</u></b>: 10 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#12 Michelle Monoghan</u></b>: 10 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#13 Julie Andrews</u></b>: 10 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#14 Drew Barrymore</u></b>: 9 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#15 Renee Zellweger</u></b>: 9 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#16 Anna Faris</u></b>: 9 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#17 Queen Latifah</u></b>: 9 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#18 Halle Berry</u></b>: 9 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#19 Jennifer Aniston</u></b>: 8 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#20 Reese Witherspoon</u></b>: 8 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#21 Cate Blanchett</u></b>: 8 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#22 Michelle Pfeiffer</u></b>: 8 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#23 Rosario Dawson</u></b>: 8 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#24 Scarlett Johansson</u></b>: 7 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#25 Glenn Close</u></b>: 7 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#26 Amy Adams</u></b>: 7 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#27 Dakota Fanning</u></b>: 7 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#28 Joan Cusack</u></b>: 7 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#29 Keira Knightley</u></b>: 7 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#30 Jennifer Garner</u></b>: 7 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>#31 Whoopi Goldberg</u></b>: 7 Total Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>BOX OFFICE MOMENTUM - ACTRESSES (4 or more in the last 10 years)</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Angelina Jolie</u></b>: 12 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Cameron Diaz</u></b>: 12 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Anne Hathaway</u></b>: 11 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Julia Roberts</u></b>: 10 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Nicole Kidman</u></b>: 10 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Michelle Monaghan</u></b>: 10 Momentum Hits<br />
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<b><u>Meryl Streep</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Kathy Bates</u></b>: 9 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Natalie Portman</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Jennifer Aniston</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Reese Witherspoon</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Anna Faris</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Queen Latifah</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Julie Andrews</u></b>: 8 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Renee Zellweger</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Cate Blanchett</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Amy Adams</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Dakota Fanning</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Keira Knightley</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Jennifer Garner</u></b>: 7 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
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<b><u>Scarlett Johansson</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
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<b><u>Catherine Zeta-Jones</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
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<b><u>Jessica Biel</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Michelle Rodriguez</u></b>: 6 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Sandra Bullock</u></b>: 5 Momentum Hits<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Drew Barrymore</u></b>: 5 Momentum Hits<br />
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<b><u>Bryce Dallas Howard</u></b>: 5 Momentum Hits<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Halle Berry</u></b>: 5 Momentum Hits<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Kate Beckinsale</u></b>: 5 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Diane Kruger</u></b>: 5 Momentum Hits<br />
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<br />
<b><u>Jennifer Connelly</u></b>: 5 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Abigail Breslin</u></b>: 5 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Zoe Saldana</u></b>: 5 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Brittany Murphy</u></b>: 5 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Kristen Stewart</u></b>: 4 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Katherine Heigl</u></b>: 4 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Joan Cusack</u></b>: 4 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Kate Hudson</u></b>: 4 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Rachel McAdams</u></b>: 4 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Kate Winslet</u></b>: 4 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Sigourney Weaver</u></b>: 4 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Mila Kunis</u></b>: 4 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Kristen Wiig</u></b>: 4 Momentum Hits<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Liv Tyler</u></b>: 4 Momentum Hits<br />
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<b><u>Kirsten Dunst</u></b>: 4 Momentum Hits<br />
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<br />
<br />
<b>No Momentum </b>(these lady actresses have had some hits, but they had 3 or less in the last 10 years):<br />
- Amanda Bynes<br />
- Amanda Peet<br />
- Anna Paquin<br />
- Annette Bening<br />
- Ashley Judd<br />
- Barbra Streisand<br />
- Bette Midler<br />
- Betty White<br />
- Charlize Theron<br />
- Claire Danes<br />
- Cybill Shepherd <br />
- Debra Winger<br />
- Diane Keaton<br />
- Ellen Page<br />
- Emma Stone<br />
- Frances McDormand<br />
- Glenn Close<br />
- Goldie Hawn<br />
- Gwyneth Paltrow<br />
- Hayden Panettiere<br />
- Helen Hunt<br />
- Jamie Lee Curtis<br />
- Jane Fonda<br />
- Jennifer Lopez<br />
- Jennifer Love Hewitt<br />
- Jodie Foster<br />
- Kate Bosworth<br />
- Katie Holmes<br />
- Kristen Bell<br />
- Lindsay Lohan<br />
- Marisa Tomei<br />
- Mary Stuart Masterson<br />
- Meg Ryan<br />
- Melanie Griffith<br />
- Michelle Pfeiffer<br />
- Michelle Williams<br />
- Miley Cyrus<br />
- Minnie Driver<br />
- Rashida Jones<br />
- Rosie O'Donnell<br />
- Sally Field<br />
- Salma Hayek<br />
- Sarah Jessica Parker<br />
- Sarah Michelle Gellar<br />
- Shirley MacLaine<br />
- Sissy Spacek<br />
- Uma Thurman<br />
- Whoopi GoldbergEd Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-58568654578198124792012-02-05T09:48:00.000-08:002012-02-05T09:48:00.639-08:00A113 - CalArts alumni's joke in Pixar films<iframe height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Z4JstOCb2WQ?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="480" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br />
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<br />
A 113 is an inside joke present as an Easter egg in animated films created by alumni of CalArts, referring to the animation classroom number at the CalArts that was used by Pixar directors including John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Pete Docter, Andrew stanton.<br />
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I wonder if Tim Burton has ever put it in one of his movies?<br />
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Enjoy!Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-80693135391771691492012-02-01T09:44:00.000-08:002012-02-01T09:44:00.044-08:00Tim Burton's CalArts short (1978) - King and Octopus<iframe height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F93fTXGKjhg?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="459" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br />
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Legendary Director - Tim Burton's CalArts short film, which he made at California Institue of the Art (CalArts) , founded by Walt Disney. 1979, Tim Burton was hired by Disney studio on the strength of his CalArts short - Stalk of the Celery Monster.<br />
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This short is called "King and Octopus." I would love to see this as a full film!<br />
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Enjoy!Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-45380505971137354412012-01-27T09:41:00.000-08:002012-01-27T09:41:00.149-08:00Tim Burton's CalArts short 1979 - Stalk of the Celery Monster<iframe height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/x4JJBqI_yls?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="459" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br />
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Legendary Director Tim Burton's CalArts short film, which he made at California Institue of the Art (CalArts) , founded by Walt Disney. 1979, Tim Burton was hired by Disney studio on the strength of his CalArts short -Stalk of the Celery Monster-<br />
<br />
Enjoy!Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-25712092451398660492012-01-25T22:43:00.000-08:002012-11-22T02:18:47.520-08:00The Complete History and Videos of Walt Disney's Animated Shorts: Part 1 (1922-1924)<strong>Update</strong>: I'm slowly adding more videos and images. Today I added images and more info about the Little Red Riding Hood Laugh-O-Gram short. That includes images from Disney's second (and last) use of Red Riding Hood, 1934's <em>The Big Bad Wolf</em>. This blog post was originally written back in 2008.<br />
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<br />
We're going to show a video and info (whatever we can find) for every single Walt Disney animated short. We'll take it one year at a time (or three years at a time in this case; we also might take it six months at a time if Disney was busy that year). Have patience with us. It will take awhile. Post a comment if you find more/better videos or info. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />
<br />
<h2>
The History and Videos of Walt Disney's Animated Shorts</h2>
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<h3>
Part 1: 1922-1924</h3>
<strong><br />
1922</strong><br />
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<em><b>1) Laugh-o-grams</b>: Newman Laugh-o-grams - 1922 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
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This montage includes one of his Newman Laugh-o-grams, "Kansas City Clean Up" (it's near the end):<br />
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Named after the fact that they were released in the Newman Theater. Walt Disney was working at a design firm that did a few flyers for a local movie theater. That led to Disney doing some stills and really short animations for the theater, lampooning local politics and news. Titles included "Cleaning Up!!?", "Kansas City Girls are Rolling Their Own Now", "Take a Ride Over Kansas City Streets" and "Kansas City's Spring Cleanup." Disney based his subject matter, and won over the Kansas City audience, on problems and corruption within the local government.<br />
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That led to his first series, the Laugh-o-gram shorts. Walt's first series was about what he loved... fairy tales.<br />
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<em><b>2) Laugh-o-grams 1</b>: Little Red Riding Hood - July 29, 1922 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Hz31ZQOASno" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<b>Color process:</b> Black and white <br />
<b>Running time: </b>6 minutes 12 seconds <br />
<b>Country:</b> United States <br />
<b>Preceded by</b> Kansas City’s Spring Cleanup <br />
<b>Followed by</b> The Four Musicians of Bremen <br />
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<br />
This is a contemporary setting for Disney's first take on Little Red Riding Hood (his second stab at this tale was in the 1934 sequel to The Three Little Pigs--see Note #1 below).<br />
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In this Laugh-O-Gram, Little Red Riding Hood is on her way to deliver some doughnuts when Disney's first villain (ever) attacks her (we'll call him the Wolf, but he's a man). Her cat fetches a man in a helicopter who rescues her. <br />
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Animation by Walt and Rudolph Ising.<br />
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Based on the story by the Brothers Grimm. <br />
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<img src="http://www.animated-divots.net/images/littleredridinghood-disney.jpg" width="550" /><br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrai_ICRYFsTIf5cnqKRFCsX9WyKmhq3O8u6szbJJ4iPsglajzDajWIMnGT3cAQj2c9585jIC2PSNICmhhIEN-4ZbNPPoPNNFqEytFKMA94-k4g2ksU17-Q6qcyoYuleJjp5reg/s400/littleredridinghood3.jpg" /><br />
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Original poster:<br />
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<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/29/Little_Red_Riding_Hood_%28Disney%29.jpg" /><br />
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NOTES: <br />
(1) His second attempt at this story was in the Silly Symphony, <i>The Big Bad Wolf</i> in 1934 (that played off the popularity of The Three Little Pigs). Basically Walt needed a sequel to his biggest hit since Steamboat Willie. So he brought Red back!<br />
In <em>The Big Bad Wolf</em>, Red accompanies Fiddler Pig and Piper Pig through a forest to deliver food to her sick grandmother. The three meet "Goldilocks the Fairy Queen", who turns out to be the Big Bad Wolf in disguise. She escapes, but the wolf reaches her grandmother's house before her. When Little Red Riding Hood and the pigs reach the house, the wolf tries to eat them, but fortunately she finds refuge in a closet long enough for the other pigs to fetch their brother Practical Pig who rescues her. Here is Red from <em>The Big Bad Wolf</em>:<br />
<img src="http://images.wikia.com/disney/images/d/dd/Littleredridinghood.jpg" /><br />
Red Riding Hood celebrating with her Grandma and The Three Pigs:<br />
<img src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111001002730/disney/images/thumb/1/1f/Redridinghood.jpg/185px-Redridinghood.jpg" /><br />
In <em>Who Framed Roger Rabbit</em>, Red made a cameo around the end of the film with other toons. <br />
In the episode "Big Bad Wolf Daddy" from <em>House of Mouse</em> (TV cartoon), when the wolf is introduced to perform, Red quickly demands her check in fear. Here she is from House of Mouse:<br />
<img src="http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111102001839/disney/images/thumb/0/0f/Char_29369.jpg/162px-Char_29369.jpg" /><br />
(2) The plane antics are revisited in Mickey Mouse's first cartoon, <em>Plane Crazy</em>, in 1928. <br />
(3) Walt had a heavy hand in producing this film (although he animated it with Rudolph Ising). The look compared to the Laugh-O-Gram slides and political cartoons is very similar, with sparse backgrounds and clean lines. <br />
(4) What's interesting, is that this is a linear story. Cartoons at the time mostly just featured gags with some situations tying them together. But this was the most complicated story in a cartoon at that time.<br />
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NOTABLE GAGS: (1) In the scene with the cat shooting holes through the doughnuts, what makes it surreal is the old bearded man in the corner of the room that is leaning through in a picture frame. (2) Red's car is powered by a dog that is being drawn forward with sausages dangled on a stick behind the car. (3) She has a flat tire and blows up one of the donuts to fix it, which, based on the cat dying, is probably better than eating it.<br />
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VIOLENCE: (1) A mother is making donuts by throwing pastry into the air, while her cat shoots a hole through the pastry, and then landing the whole mess in a frying pan. (2) The cat eats one of the donuts, then dies (maybe by lead poisoning for shooting the doughnuts), and his nine lives fly out of him as a counter in the bottom right of the screen keeps track. (3) Some people who have watched it think the Wolf is raping Red. But it was probably not intended to be that extreme.<br />
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<em><b>3) Laugh-o-grams 2</b>: The Four Musicians of Bremen - August 1922 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
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All these laugh-o-grams are set in present times, the 1920s. The idea was that they were looney modern updates of classic fairy tales. Animation by Walt and Rudy Ising.<br />
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This short is based off The Bremen Town Musicians by the Brothers Grim. <a href="http://www.disneyshorts.org/sources/brementownmusicians.html" target="_blank">Read more about it here</a>.<br />
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<img src="http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1922/images/fourmusiciansofbremen/fourmusiciansofbremen05thumb.jpg" /><br />
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NOTES: (1) Walt never revisited this classic fairy tale. I don't know why not. It would have made a perfect Silly Symphony, since music is already the theme (and it's obviously too short of a story for a longer film). (2) They used painted backgrounds in this short, as Walt was trying to save money by creating lush backgrounds that he could reuse. It works fine here, as many of the scenes take place over a generic landscape. (3) The cat is very much like the cat in Little Red Riding Hood, and he is the star of this short. The cat also seems to become Julius, the main animated character from the Alice Comedies that Walt started one year later (scroll below to see those).<br />
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VIOLENCE: (1) The cat swims up after the fish, but runs into a swordfish that has removed it’s sword and is sharpening it. Right before the cat and the stray fish arrive, the swordfish tests out his new sword by cutting a fish in half ruthlessly. (2) The criminals attack the animals with swords and cannonballs.<br />
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<em><b>4) Laugh-o-grams 3</b>: Jack and the Beanstalk - September 1922 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
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No video. <br />
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Based on a story collected by the Brothers Grimm, "<a href="http://www.disneyshorts.org/sources/jackandthebeanstalk.html" target="_blank">Jack and the Beanstalk</a>." <br />
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Animation by Walt Disney, Rudolph Ising, Hugh Harman, Carman "Max" Maxwell, Lorey Tague, and Otto Walliman.<br />
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The only image we have is the poster, which I don't usually post because the art style doesn't reflect the actual film:<br />
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<img src="http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1922/images/jackandthebeanstalk/jackandthebeanstalk_poster.jpg" /><br />
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NOTES: (1) Disney later revisited this story twice with Mickey Mouse. The second version was in the 1933 Mickey short, Giant Land. (Mickey battled a giant again in The Brave Little Tailor in 1938.) Disney's third take on this tale was with Mickey and the Beanstalk, which was part of the film, Fun and Fancy Free from 1947. So basically, Walt visited this tale once a decade for three decades in a row (1922, 1933, and 1947). (2) Although it didn't originate from Disney, the Disney Channel showed this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FO52WQd4iI" target="_blank">Japanese anime version of Jack and the Beanstalk </a>in the 80s (and the kids voice is the same voice as in Super Book). (3) Walt's first laugh-o-gram with a full animation crew.<br />
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(4) When Walt created Little Red Riding Hood, he was still doing it in his spare time in his father’s garage. That film was for training for himself, but would later be released. The Four Musicians of Bremen was the first short intended for release. Based on those two films, Walt secured a contract to produce four more films (which is why his crew grew), after his boss at the Kansas City Slide Company (later Kansas City Film Ad Company) passed on the fairy tales. The four films included "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Goldie Locks and the Three Bears", "Puss In Boots" and "Cinderella." <br />
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Also, here's a 1933 telling of Jack and the Beanstalk from Ub Iwerks. Ub was the top animator at Walt's studio, but he was convinced to leave Disney and start his own studio. He featured Flip the Frog and these ComiColor cartoons. Take a look. This was arguably as good or better than Walt's 1933 cartoons:<br />
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<em><b>5) Laugh-o-grams 4</b>: Goldie Locks and the Three Bears - October 1922 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
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No video.<br />
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Based on a story collected by the Brothers Grimm, "Goldie Locks and the Three Bears."<br />
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Animation by Walt Disney, Rudolph Ising, Hugh Harman, Carman "Max" Maxwell, Lorey Tague, and Otto Walliman.<br />
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NOTES: (1) Disney revisted the Goldilocks story with the 1924 Alice Comedy, <em>Alice and the Three Bears</em>. This is the only other time that Disney has revisited this story. (2) In 1936, a version of the Three Bears was proposed as a Disney Silly Symphony with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other stock Disney characters in the familiar roles, but the film was never made. I think it should have been a Silly Sympohny instead.<br />
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<em><b>6) Laugh-o-grams 5</b>: Puss in Boots - November 1922 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
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In a split from the original story, the titled cat helps the young boy win the heart of the Princess by enlisting him in a bullfight. <br />
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Based on a story by Charles Perrault, "<a href="http://www.disneyshorts.org/sources/pussinboots.html" target="_blank">Puss in Boots</a>." <br />
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Animation by Walt Disney, Rudolph Ising, Hugh Harman, Carman "Max" Maxwell, Lorey Tague, and Otto Walliman.<br />
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<img src="http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1922/images/pussinboots/pussinboots07thumb.jpg" /><br />
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NOTES: (1) Most of these shorts featured a black cat that greatly resembled Felix the cat. Walt Disney would make this into a regular character, Julius, in his next series, the Alice Comedies. (2) Disney revisited this story once with the 1935 Silly Symphony, <i>Robber Kitten</i>. That short was a very scaled down version of the Puss in Boots story. (3) Disney has slacked on this character and allowed DreamWorks to claim it through the Shrek storyline (the first Disney character that DreamWorks managed to spoof and then claim for their own because people don't think of Boots as a Disney character). This will become abundantly clear when DreamWorks releases their Puss N Boots movie. (4) Probably the earliest Disney inside joke; when the boy and the cat are standing outside of a movie theater, one of the posters features "Cinderella," a Laugh-o-Gram then still in production. Pixar is the most notorious for doing this. <br />
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(5) The four main characters in this film, a boy, a girl, the cat and a dog are in the new title card for Laugh-O-Gram Films, so this short must have been one that was produced early on. (6) The King is played by the old man in the picture frame from Little Red Riding Hood. (7) The production value is also much higher here. The backgrounds are very detailed, with the crowd renderings in the bullfight scene deserving particular notice. (8) Walt revisits the bullfight theme in 1925 with <i>Alice the Toreador</i> and again in 1929 with the Silly Symphony, <i>The Terrible Toreador</i>.<br />
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NOTABLE GAGS: (1) The movie theatre is another great sight gag, with one poster showing an ad for “Rudolph Vaselino,” an obvious play off of Rudolph Valentino. (2) The other poster shows an ad for “Cinderella” by Laugh-O-Grams Films. Neat little product placement. (3) The sign advertises "$5 Boots now $4.99." (4) The cat is a classic cartoon character in that he can do surrealistic things in a realistic world, like remove his tail and make a question mark as he does after the king throws them out. (This gag was already done by Felix the Cat. So obviously Walt was inspired and copying some gags.) <br />
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<em><b>7) Laugh-o-grams 6</b>: Cinderella - December 1922 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
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The traditional story with Cinderella as a 1920's flapper. <br />
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Animation by Walt Disney, Ub Iwerks, Rudolph Ising, Hugh Harman, Carman "Max" Maxwell, Lorey Tague, and Otto Walliman.<br />
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Based on a story by Charles Perrault in 1697, "<a href="http://www.disneyshorts.org/sources/cinderella.html" target="_blank">Cinderella</a>." The Brothers Grimm also told this tale, but they didn't include the Fairy Godmother.<br />
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<img src="http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1922/images/cinderella/cinderella05thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
NOTES: (1) Walt Disney only revisited this story one other time, in the 1950 feature-length film, <i>Cinderella</i>. (2) This was the first animation that also included Walt's friend, Ub Iwerks (friends since 1919, working together at the Pesman Art Studio in Kansas City; then they started their ill-fated partnership together, a commercial art business; Ub was the first animator to move to LA with Walt in 1923). (3) Features the same characters from <i>Puss N Boots</i>. I have a feeling that if this series was a success, then these characters would have been the main ones. (4) Disney puts animals into the story once again. The reason is because you need animals or something magical in a cartoon. Otherwise, why not do it in live action instead? (5) This is the last laugh-o-gram fairy tale.<br />
<br />
VIOLENCE: (1) Prince shoots the bear in the bottom. (2) The dog hops on a bike to deliver the invitations like a paper boy. He hits a rock and tumbles down a hill, emerging from a cloud of dust with a bandaged head and a crutch. (3) A bystander comes by and says via word balloon “Are you hurt?” The dog simply looks at him, then bashes the man over the head with his crutch. <br />
<br />
<br />
<em><b>8) Tommy Tucker's Tooth</b> - December 6, 1922 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
An excerpt from the short:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJcp9L-R6iw" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJcp9L-R6iw</a><br />
<br />
Camera: Walt Pfeiffer <br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1922/images/tommytuckerstooth/tommytuckerstooth01thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.disneyshorts.org/years/1922/images/tommytuckerstooth/tommytuckerstooth08thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
NOTES: (1) This was the first of two shorts that Walt Disney made for a local dentist to pay his bills ($500). You'll notice that he was light on shorts in 1923. He was scraping by that year. People have said that he pretty much lived out of the Laugh-o-gram studio, above a restaurant. He mostly ate out of cans, and he ate at the restaurant out of charity from the restaurant and in change for drawing portraits for the owner. This was perhaps the darkest year of Disney's life, but he kept at it. (2) This short was his first released short to combine live-action and animation, which naturally led him to his first series, the Alice Comedies. (Which later led to masterpieces like Mary Poppins. So it can be argued that if he hadn't taken on this job, he might have never experimented with combinations of live-action and animation.) (3) Back in the early 20's, teachers showed this film on proper dental care to grade students (so it was decently popular). (4) The name Tommy Tucker originated from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Tommy_Tucker" target="_blank">this nursery rhyme</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><b>Other 1922-1923 shorts.</b></i><br />
<br />
Disney also made a few 300 foot shorts from 1922-1923 called "Laffets" that combined live action and animation. They included "Golf in Slow Motion," "Descha's Tryst with the Moon," "Aesthetic Camping," "Reuben's Big Day," "Rescued," "A Star Pitcher," "The Woodland Potter," and "A Pirate for a Day." <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>1923</strong><br />
<br />
<em><b>1) Alice Comedies 1</b>: Alice's Wonderland - 1923 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
The Fleischer brothers had already achieved some moderate success with their "Out of the Inkwell" series in which a cartoon character would jump into and interact with the real world. Disney envisioned a series where a live actor would be put into a cartoon world. <br />
<br />
The full short:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H58meqbp5Ps" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H58meqbp5Ps</a><br />
<br />
This home video montage includes excerpts of Alice's Wonderland:<br />
<br />
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<br />
Animators: Ub Iwerks, Rudolph Ising <br />
<br />
Technical Direction: Hugh Harman, Carmen Maxwell <br />
<br />
Live Actors: Virginia Davis (Alice), Margaret Davis (Alice's mother ... Virginia Davis' mother in real life), Walt Disney (animator), Ub Iwerks (animator), Hugh Harman (animator), Rudolph Ising (animator) <br />
<br />
Of course Disney revisited Alice famously with his 1951 feature-length adaption, which Tim Burton recently made a sequel to. Here's the Unbirthday song (which will annoy you if you're around the Teacup ride for an extended period at Disneyland):<br />
<br />
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/InSn2BLDwfQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Walt meets Julius:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1923/images/aliceswonderland/aliceswonderland05thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1923/images/aliceswonderland/aliceswonderland06thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1923/images/aliceswonderland/aliceswonderland07thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1923/images/aliceswonderland/aliceswonderland08thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
NOTES: (1) Alice (Virginia Davis) interacts directly with Walt Disney. You also see the birth of the Julius cat character, who stars in the Alice Comedies series alongside Alice. (2) Also, at the Laugh-o-gram studios, Disney reportedly had a friend that was a mouse. This started him thinking about mice in the Alice Comedies and planted the first seeds for Mickey Mouse. (3) This is a good chance to take a look at Walt (without mustache) and his first animators. (4) It's interesting, because Walt had built a good group of animators here, and it was years before he got up to having a group as trained as this one, even though he was head-long in his successful Alice Comedies. Life is ironic like that. (5) Walt Disney scraped together his change (and the money made from Tommy Tucker's Tooth) to finish this short, a mix between live-action and animation and to buy a train ticket to California. Armed with this short (and his Laugh-o-grams), Disney got a distribution deal with Winkler productions, the company that distributed the Felix shorts and most of the other major shorts at the time. So this is basically an unaired pilot. <br />
<br />
(6) Because Alice actually enters the world, which is the premise of the Alice Comedies, we are calling this the first episode of the Alice Comedies. (7) One of the cartoon scenes features a group of animated mice. Some interpreters have seen precursors of the character that was to become Mickey Mouse in this scene. (8) Some of the interaction between the live action and animation was so tricky that Alice's movements were at times composed of animated still photos, a process that was continued at times throughout the series. (9) With the concept of Walt hosting this short, you can't help but foresee his hosting the package films of the 40's and the Disneyland TV Show (and Wonderful World of Disney) from 1954 until his death in 1966. (10) The film's sudden ending before the actress wakes up (Alice jumps off the cliff when being chased by lions) is believed to be because Walt ran out of time and money, but it still works. (11) Using this film, Walt and Roy were able to secure the contract for Alice's Comedies and start their new company, the Disney Brothers Studio. (12) It wasn't originally shown in theaters, but it is believed to have been released as "Alice In Slumberland" on Sept. 29, 1926. Makes sense. The show was popular enough then. Might as well release this short in the series. (13) Virginia Davis was only four years old. Wow, she was good.<br />
<br />
NOTABLE GAGS: (1) Note the rubbery train. That was an uncommon style, and the style would get used more by Walt and Ub later on, and it would make Walt famous. (2) A rabbit and Alice jump into a rabbit hole. I can't resist. This is too perfect. This of course is a gag and reference to the book, which Walt later made into a feature-length film (1951). Here's the Rabbit scene from the film:<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<em><b>2) Martha </b>- 1923 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
This was a Sing-a-Long reel released in 1923 for the song "Martha: Just a Plain Old Fashioned Name."<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>1924</strong><br />
<br />
<em><b>1) Alice Comedies 2</b>: Alice's Day at the Sea - March 1, 1924 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
Part 1, Dutch titles:<br />
<br />
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<br />
Part 2, Dutch titles:<br />
<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MoAHDabVwcw&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MoAHDabVwcw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Animation: Walt Disney <br />
<br />
Live Action Camera: Roy Disney <br />
<br />
Live Action Actors: Virginia Davis, Walt Disney, and Peggy, the Dog <br />
<br />
Here Walt plays Reggie. It starts with a bit about a dog in bed. Looks like some early inspiration for Pluto!!! The dog wakes up Alice and gets the car ready. (Wow, it looks like Burton's Frankenweanie and Pee Wee's Big Adventure were greatly inspired by this.) The animation here is mostly silliness just to help the story along, until her underwater dream sequence. That's where the live-action girl goes into the 2D animated world. It really reminds me of the clam story in the full-length Disney Alice in Wonderland movie, made in 1951. Here's the clam scene from the film:<br />
<br />
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Nql1_RKwQt0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
The catfish looks like Felix the Cat! LOL. Observe:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicesdayatsea/alicesdayatsea07thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Oh, and a sealion. Classic:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicesdayatsea/alicesdayatsea08thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The original poster:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicesdayatsea/alicesdayatsea_poster.jpg" /><br />
<br />
NOTES: (1) You'll notice that it took Walt Disney until March to get this distribution deal off the ground. Disney then insisted to have Virginia Davis move on down to California to continue her role as Alice in the Alice Comedies. (2) I'm calling Alice's Wonderland Alice Comedies 1, even though it officially isn't (it was later released as Alice in Slumberland). The reason, though, is that these aren't numbered by anyone otherwise, so I'm not bucking any known system. I'd rather have the 1923 pilot accounted for than to have it slip by in obscurity. (3) Walt signed a contract with Winkler calling for twelve more films (this was the first), whose option could be dropped after the first six if they proved unsatisfactory. (4) Disney moved into a small space at 4651 Kingswell Avenue. (Later that year, they would move into more spacious studios next door at 4649 Kingswell.) (5) For the first few shorts, Walt did all of the animation, and his brother Roy did all of the live-camera work. (6) Walt also recruited child actors from neighborhood children to provide Alice with others to play against in the live-action scenes. <br />
<br />
<br />
<em><b>2) Alice Comedies 3</b>: Alice's Spooky Adventure - April 1, 1924 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
Alice enters an abandoned house to retrieve a lost baseball and is knocked out. She dreams she is visiting a town called "Spookville" where she is chased by ghosts. <br />
<br />
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/laho5lV6FSQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Animation: Walt Disney, Rollin "Ham" Hamilton <br />
<br />
Live Action Camera: Roy Disney <br />
<br />
Live Action Actors: Virginia Davis, Leon Holmes, & "Spec" O'Donnell <br />
<br />
The show continued with the live-action, present-time premise. Her imagination gets the best of her, and she's whisked away into her cartoon imaginary world. Later on, she would already start in that world at the beginning of the shorts, and the shorts would rely more on the cartoon hijinks.<br />
<br />
This short seems to have inspired two of Walt's later and more famous shorts, the first Silly Symphony, Skeleton Dance (1929):<br />
<br />
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h03QBNVwX8Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
... And Mickey's Haunted House, which came right right after (also in 1929; it borrowed animation from the Skeleton Dance and proved more popular):<br />
<br />
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<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LNuq5v7INeo&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Back to the Alice animation...<br />
<br />
NOTES: (1) Finally a ghost runs up to Alice and asks her to “Take it off!” The ghost is referring to the sheet, but this is a little riskee the way it is said. (2) Under the sheet, is the cat, Julius, who is the continual refinement of the cat character found in the laugh-o-grams and since the first Alice's Wonderland short. (3) This is the first animation where Rollin "Ham" Hamilton joins Walt in animation. You'd think Ham would be loyal since he'd been around so long. But, nope, it's believed that Ham took off with most of Disney's animators when Mintz power-played Walt and stole Oswald. Ham seemed to have mostly worked for Lantz post Disney, working on the Bosko series and others. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358135/" target="_blank">His IMDB</a>. (4) Alice comes across a black cartoon cat in this short. He was missing in the next short (Wild West Show), as Disney never intended for him to be a regular character, but Margaret Winkler asked Disney to bring him back.<br />
<br />
NOTABLE GAGS: (1) The cat removes his tail to use as a bat, and then passes it off to Alice to use.<br />
<br />
<br />
<em><b>3) Alice Comedies 4</b>: Alice's Wild West Show - May 1, 1924 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
Alice and her friends put on a Wild West Show for the neighborhood kids where she regales the audience with her tales of cowboys and Indians.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Edited down. Titles are in English. Includes music (added later). Most of the animation is edited out. Some at 1:24. Wow, Alice gets that bully in the end!<br />
<br />
Animation: Walt Disney, Rollin "Ham" Hamilton <br />
<br />
Live Action Actors: Virginia Davis, Tommy Hicks <br />
<br />
Here are some images from the cartoon parts...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/aliceswildwestshow/aliceswildwestshow05thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/aliceswildwestshow/aliceswildwestshow07thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/aliceswildwestshow/aliceswildwestshow08thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Alice in the cartoon...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/aliceswildwestshow/aliceswildwestshow09thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
NOTES: (1) Alice faces the Indians down inside a cave, where we can’t see the action. This was a common trick in Walt’s cartoons, as he used it in nearly all the Laugh-O-Grams. (2) When Wild Bill Hiccup escapes, Alice and our friend the dog from the Laugh-O-Gram days chase him down. So it's notable that Walt is using the laugh-o-gram characters. (3) Virginia Davis' acting gets up a notch in this short. She is much more animated, especially in her face.<br />
<br />
NOTABLE GAGS: (1) The safe reads “Mfg. by the Unsafe Safe Co.” (2) The short ends with Alice chasing him away and turning to the camera to grin, as we see her two front teeth missing. <br />
<br />
<br />
<em><b>4) Alice Comedies 5</b>: Alice's Fishy Story - June 1, 1924 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
Alice steals away from piano practice to go fishing and tells her friends a tale about fishing at the North Pole. <br />
<br />
Part 1:<br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HCVq_RI02FY&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HCVq_RI02FY&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Part 2:<br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4lrOdNQIwG0&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4lrOdNQIwG0&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Animation: Walt Disney, Rollin "Ham" Hamilton <br />
<br />
Live Action Actors: Virginia Davis, Leon Holmes, Tommy Hicks, Walt Disney, Peggy the Dog <br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicesfishystory/alicesfishystory05thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Here's Julius:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicesfishystory/alicesfishystory08thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicesfishystory/alicesfishystory09thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
NOTES: (1) The animated portion of the short opens with Julius the cat, who has not yet been named as such, but we know that is what he will soon be called. (2) Walt drew the cat character in "Alice's Spooky Adventure," and the cat didn't appear in Wild West Show. Margaret Winkler (the distributor) asked Walt to bring the cat back for this short. (3) As the year went on, more artists were added to the staff. One of the more important additions was a girl who was hired to ink and paint cels, Lillian Bounds, who was eventually to become Mrs. Walt Disney. (4) One gag has Julius luring fish to the top of the ice with tobacco and then clubbing them when they come up. It was reused by Goofy in the 1935 short, "On Ice." Observe:<br />
<br />
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<br />
NOTABLE GAGS: (1) Alice manages to trick her mother by training the dog to play piano while she sneaks out the window. (2) Alice and Julius feed the Eskimos like seals. <br />
<br />
<br />
<em><b>5) Alice Comedies 6</b>: Alice and the Dog Catcher - July 1, 1924 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
Alice presides over a secret club which proposes to rid the town of dog catchers and free the dogs! <br />
<br />
Part 1, Dutch titles:<br />
<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/q33_qsKyd9g&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/q33_qsKyd9g&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Part 2, Dutch titles:<br />
<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CztLVuIBHok&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CztLVuIBHok&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Animation: Walt Disney, Rollin "Ham" Hamilton <br />
<br />
Live Action Camera: Harry Forbes <br />
<br />
Live Action Actors: Virginia Davis, Leon Holmes, Tommy Hicks, Joe Allen, Peggy the Dog <br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/aliceandthedogcatcher/aliceandthedogcatcher05thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Wow the dogcatcher is huge:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/aliceandthedogcatcher/aliceandthedogcatcher08thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
VIOLENCE: (1) It's kind of funny that Alice frees the dogs by blowing up the pound with TNT (it rains dogs). (2) Tubby nearly drives the stolen dogcatcher car into a guy on the street. (3) The kids laugh at the dogcatcher in the car going over a cliff at the end.<br />
<br />
RACISM NOTES: Although it wasn't intended to be racist at the time... (1) Alice leads a meeting of the Klik Klak Klub, an unfortunate name in light of the later associations for KKK. (2) All the kids are wearing bags over their heads, reminiscent of hoods. (3) The one African-American kid is included almost as a servant of the other kids. (4) The black member wears a bag with blackface on it (supposed to be a joke).<br />
<br />
<br />
<em><b>6) Alice Comedies 7</b>: Alice the Peacemaker - August 1, 1924 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
No video.<br />
<br />
Alice tries to break up a fight between two newsboys by telling them a story of a feuding cat and mouse. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicethepeacemaker/alicethepeacemaker_poster.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Characters: Alice, Ike the Mouse, Mike the Cat <br />
<br />
Animation: Rollin "Ham" Hamilton, Ub Iwerks<br />
<br />
Live Action Camera: Harry Forbes <br />
<br />
Live Action Actors: Virginia Davis, Leon Holmes, "Spec" O'Donnell <br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicethepeacemaker/alicethepeacemaker07thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicethepeacemaker/alicethepeacemaker08thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
NOTES: (1) The cat's name is Mike here, but he is later known as Julius. (2) This is Ub Iwerks' first Alice Comedy (other than Alice's Wonderland), and it shows. The animation is much more fluid and enjoyable, with smarter gags. (3) Also due to Ub's influence, this mouse looks a lot like what Mickey Mouse will look. (4) For the first time, because Ub is there, the quality of the animation is back up to the level of the Laugh-o-gram shorts. Walt knew it too, because he was using animation less and less. This short relies heavily on the animation.<br />
<br />
NOTABLE GAGS: (1) The cat and mouse hang a sheet in front of a horse’s rear, paint their pictures on it, and watch as the dog attacks the sheet, gets kicked by the horse and goes sailing through the air. (2) The cat’s tail is used as a paintbrush. (3) Then the horse giggles after kicking the dog. =^)<br />
<br />
<br />
<em><b>7) Alice Comedies 8</b>: Alice Gets in Dutch - November 1, 1924 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
Alice misbehaves in school and is forced to sit in the corner. She falls asleep and dreams, but schoolwork intrudes even into her dreams. <br />
<br />
<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/MoAHDabVwcw&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/MoAHDabVwcw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Director: Walt Disney <br />
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Animation: Ub Iwerks, Rollin "Ham" Hamilton <br />
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Live Action Camera: Harry Forbes <br />
<br />
Live Action Actors: Virginia Davis, "Spec" O'Donnell, David F. Hollander, Marjorie Sewell, Mrs. Hunt (?), Peggy the Dog <br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicegetsindutch/alicegetsindutch_poster.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The cat is prominently featured in the title card:<br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicegetsindutch/alicegetsindutch01thumb.jpg" /><br />
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<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicegetsindutch/alicegetsindutch08thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicegetsindutch/alicegetsindutch10thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
NOTES: (1) It's interesting that the cartoon animals are the dog, cat, and donkey. These are three of the four Musicians of Bremen characters from the Laugh-o-gram in 1922. (2) The technique of combining live action and drawings is suffering in this short; at some scenes Alice is rendered so light, she's almost invisible. <br />
<br />
NOTABLE GAGS: (1) The not-yet-named Julius fires a pepper cannon that makes the teacher and the books sneeze. (2) The teacher grows horns at one point.(3) The teacher sneezes her hair off, and the books sneeze all their pages off, ending their threat. (4) Julius sneezes his face off. (5) They sneeze a hole into the ground, which the animals jump into to get away from the teacher.<br />
<br />
VIOLENCE: (1) The teacher and books pull out cannons and start firing them at Alice and her animal friends. (2) The teacher chases down Alice with a sword and pokes her.<br />
<br />
<br />
<em><b>8) Alice Comedies 9</b>: Alice Hunting in Africa - November 15, 1924 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
No video.<br />
<br />
Alice and Julius hunt wild game in Africa with differing results. <br />
<br />
Animation: Walt Disney; touched up by Ub Iwerks, "Ham" Hamilton, and Thurston Harper<br />
<br />
Live Action Camera: Roy Disney <br />
<br />
Live Action Actors: Virginia Davis <br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/alicehuntinginafrica/alicehuntinginafrica_poster.jpg" /><br />
<br />
NOTES: (1) Even though it was the third Alice short made, it was not released until this time (November) because of Margaret Winkler's dissatisfaction with it (she's the distributor). For this official release, parts of the animation were redone by Ub Iwerks, "Ham" Hamilton, and Thurston Harper. (2) The animation still wasn't very good, and so the live action footage was reused later in 1925's "Alice in the Jungle." (In other words, they remade it with new animation so that it was a better, finished piece.) (3) Alice becomes animation, in places where the live action Alice would not show up. <br />
<br />
VIOLENCE: (1) Alice is chasing a bear with a shotgun. (2) The elephant launches a cannonball from it's trunk that knocks a hole in a sleeping hippo. (3) Julius shoots the spots off a cheetah.<br />
<br />
<br />
<em><b>9) Alice Comedies 10</b>: Alice and the Three Bears - December 1, 1924 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
In a twist on the traditional story, Alice comes across three bears operating a still, and she and Julius have to fight their way free.<br />
<br />
<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tqc5yR2agrU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tqc5yR2agrU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />
<br />
Director: Walt Disney <br />
<br />
Animation: Ub Iwerks, Rollin "Ham" Hamilton <br />
<br />
Live Action Actors: Virginia Davis<br />
<br />
This is Walt's second and last take on the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears (his first was the 1922 Laugh-o-gram fairy tale). Walt was thinking of doing a Mickey Mouse short on this tale, but it never happened.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/aliceandthethreebears/aliceandthethreebears05thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/aliceandthethreebears/aliceandthethreebears06thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="http://disneyshorts.org/years/1924/images/aliceandthethreebears/aliceandthethreebears10thumb.jpg" /><br />
<br />
NOTES: (1) The bears start in a still, making beer. (2) This is the first short to completely take place in the animation world. They don't even bother setting up the cartoon dream sequence. <br />
<br />
NOTABLE GAGS: (1) To get more hops for the beer, the baby bear chases a frog and nets the word "Hop" as the frog hops away. (2) Julius summons his nine lives to attack the bears. (3) Julius gives his ninth life beer/moonshine, which gives it the strength to beat the bears.<br />
<br />
<br />
<em><b>10) Alice Comedies 11</b>: Alice the Piper - December 15, 1924 - Dir. by Walt Disney</em><br />
<br />
No video.<br />
<br />
A take on the story of "The Pied Piper on Hamelin" as Alice and Julius are hired to rid the town of rats. <br />
<br />
Animation: Ub Iwerks, Rollin "Ham" Hamilton, Thurston Harper <br />
<br />
Live Action Actors: Virginia Davis <br />
<br />
Disney later revisited the Pied Piper story in the Silly Symphony, "The Pied Piper," in 1933. In that version, the rats are led off to a rat utopia (and not drowned in the river) and the children are led off into a special child utopia dimension in the mountain side that is closed off (and a child throws away his crutches as he enters; kind of like heaven for kids).<br />
<br />
NOTES: (1) You'll notice that the cameraman isn't credited anymore because the only live action is Alice now. (2) Recent showings on The Disney Channel (1998) omit the final scene showing Alice and Julius vacuuming up the King after finding out their reward was less than they expected. This is probably not a deliberate cut, but the result of Disney having to use the only print available to them.<br />
<br />
NOTABLE GAGS: (1) The king posts a reward sign, offering $5.00 (five dollars) to anyone who can rid the kingdom of the rats. The mischievous rats, meanwhile, change the sign to read $5,000 reward. This is a clever setup to how the Pied Piper (Alice and Julius) get stiffed. The king gives them $5.00 and not the $5,000 they expected. (2) Since the music isn't working, they use a vacuum cleaner.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://theanimationempire.blogspot.com/2008/12/complete-history-and-videos-of-walt.html">Click here for Part 2 of this series, 1925-1927</a>.<br />
<br />
- TAEEd Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-75765333079152053492012-01-24T09:38:00.000-08:002012-01-24T09:38:00.541-08:00Tim Burton's first Short after CalArts - Vincent<iframe height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lkU5mUnNrFM?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="459" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
Tim Burton studied at CalArts 1976 - 1979 and was hired by Walt Disney studios. Vincent is the first short film, Tim Burton made after he graduated CalArts (California Institute of the art), founded by Walt Disney.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-43806272218023473152011-12-02T07:36:00.000-08:002011-12-02T07:36:42.593-08:00Disney Pixar Panel: Famous Grads of CalArts<iframe height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/hhahcrvfeQU?fs=1" frameborder="0" width="480" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br />Director John Musker points out some of his fellow famous animation classmates at CalArts: John Lasseter and Brad Bird. No Tim Burton in this photo.<br /><br />Enjoy!Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-27982248346572333642011-10-21T11:15:00.000-07:002011-10-21T11:15:00.068-07:00Pi ReceiptIt was the perfect amount, and someone took advantage of that...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/294757_10150351423113360_290539813359_7986956_898844956_n.jpg" /><br />
<br />
The sad thing here is they left an 11% tip.<br />
<br />
Hopefully the joke helped a little.<br />
<br />
Enjoy!Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-55029037377450436872011-10-18T10:29:00.000-07:002011-10-18T10:29:00.435-07:00In honor of Steve Jobs<img src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/293455_10100917742787913_2247119_66664256_1331264971_n.jpg" /><br />
<br />
I'm not sure if this is messed up or incredibly clever, but either way... enjoy!<br />
<br />
- TAEEd Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-68338006225247431792011-10-15T09:30:00.000-07:002011-10-15T09:30:00.514-07:00Battle of the Snow Whites: Julia Roberts VS Charlize TheronJulia Roberts vs. Charlize Theron: Showdown With The Casts Of The Snow White Projects<br />
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<img src="http://static.igossip.com/photos_2/december_2010/snow_white_julia_roberts_charlize_theron.jpg" width="530" /><br />
<br />
Author: Eric Eisenberg<br />
<br />
One of the biggest battles of 2012 will be between Universal Studios and Relativity Media... both film companies have their own takes on the Snow White fairy tale coming out during the 12 month stretch. We’ve already seen the studios butt heads over release dates – Relativity pushing Tarsem Singh’s Untitled Snow White project up to March 16th while Universal has Rupert Sanders’ Snow White and the Huntsman dated for June 1st – but what if the characters themselves went head to head? <br />
<br />
Early this morning the first images from Singh’s version of the Grimm fairy tale came online and when looking at the Snow White and the Huntsman images from Comic Con, I got to thinking: how would Kristen Stewart’s princess do against Lily Collins’? Could Armie Hammer kick Chris Hemsworth’s ass? What would be the result of a battle between Charlize Theron and Julia Roberts? Below you will find my complete breakdown. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.cinemablend.com/images/news/27201/Julia_Roberts_Charlize_Theron_Showdown_With_The_Casts_The_Snow_White_Projects_1317972688.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<b>Battle of the Snow Whites: Kristen Stewart vs. Lily Collins</b>Looking at these two images, I know exactly what you’re thinking: “Eric, one of these young ladies is wielding a sword and shield while the other is sitting pretty in a fluffy blue dress. This is a no brainer.” To that I say not so fast. Stewart may have the equipment (the sword is actually below the picture), but Collins has the numbers. Stewart looks all sad and alone in that photo because she has no friends, meanwhile the bright and shiny, happy-looking princess is surrounded by seven dwarfs that are clearly a little off kilter. Hell, Mickey from Seinfeld has a battle helmet on and one of the dudes in the back clearly murdered and decided to wear a ferocious beast. Plus, that big fluffy dress would be pretty damn hard to stab. <br />
<br />
<b>WINNER: LILY COLLINS</b><b><br />
</b><br />
<b> </b><img src="http://www.cinemablend.com/images/news/27201/Julia_Roberts_Charlize_Theron_Showdown_With_The_Casts_The_Snow_White_Projects_1317972695.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<b>Battle of the Dashing Hero: Chris Hemsworth vs. Armie Hammer</b><b><br />
</b>Now things are getting a little interesting. These are both strapping young men wielding hardcore weapons that could easily kill a man. But let’s do a little bit of body language analysis, shall we? First let’s take a gander at Hemsworth. His hair is straggly and looks like it hasn’t been washed in weeks, he has a beard (which is a +1 in any fight), his eyes suggest that he’s not too happy with the way you’re looking at him, and the axe is slung over his shoulder like it’s no big deal. Now let’s move over to Hammer. Yes, his sword is thrust forward, but he seems to be leaning back a bit taking a defensive stance. His coat is nice and shiny and I polar bears would be envious of how white that shirt is. If these characters were to actually fight, Hemsworth would probably be okay with getting stabbed a few times provided it got him close enough to chop off Hammer’s head. But let’s be real, this was over the second I noticed the beard. <br />
<br />
<b>WINNER: CHRIS HEMSWORTH</b><b><br />
</b><br />
<b> </b><img src="http://www.cinemablend.com/images/news/27201/Julia_Roberts_Charlize_Theron_Showdown_With_The_Casts_The_Snow_White_Projects_1317972701.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<b>Battle of the Evil Queen: Charlize Theron vs. Julia Roberts</b>This is a much different kind of battle than the last two. Neither of these characters are inclined to do any physical labor themselves, so they definitely aren’t going to be picking up arms against each other. No, this is a battle of malevolence; a war that is won by the queen that simply wants it more. Ignoring the dagger in Theron’s hands (that’s clearly for show, come on), the high-collar and black dress looks so damn evil that Osama bin Laden would have thought it was a bit too much. Then there’s Roberts relaxing deep in her chair and wearing a dress so big that even if she were to try and stand she probably wouldn’t be able to find the floor. She looks so damn relaxed that you could Photoshop a remote control into her right hand and nobody would blink an eye. The choice is simple: one of these ladies simply wanted it more. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://cmagz.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Julia-Roberts-and-Charlize-Theron-as-the-Evil-Queen-in-snow-white.jpg" width="530" /><br />
<br />
<b>WINNER: CHARLIZE THERON</b><b><br />
</b><br />
<b> </b><img src="http://www.cinemablend.com/images/news/27201/Julia_Roberts_Charlize_Theron_Showdown_With_The_Casts_The_Snow_White_Projects_1317972708.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<b>BONUS ROUND - Battle of the Other Guys: Sam Claflin vs. Nathan Lane</b><br />
<br />
Seriously? Come on. It’s in the eyes. <br />
<br />
<b>WINNER: SAM CLAFLIN</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>FINAL ANALYSIS</b>: By a final score of 3-1, the winner of this contest is Snow White and the Huntsman, but the war is from over. To learn more about both films be sure to check out each one’s individual pages in our Blend Film Database HERE and HERE. With that I’ll throw it to you: <br />
<br />
Which do you think will be the better Snow White movie? <br />
<br />
Snow White and the Huntsman - 71% <br />
Tarsem Singh's Snow White Project - 29% <br />
<br />
From:<br />
<a href="http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Julia-Roberts-Charlize-Theron-Showdown-With-Casts-Snow-White-Projects-27201.html" target="_blank">http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Julia-Roberts-Charlize-Theron-Showdown-With-Casts-Snow-White-Projects-27201.html</a><br />
=================<br />
<br />
This is funny, because I was just thinking how much better the Tarsem Singh project (Untitled Snow White) was going to be than the Rupert Sanders one (Snow White and the Huntsman).<br />
<br />
Sure the Sanders one has more names... Charlize Theron (Hancock, Italian Job, Monster), Kristen Stewart (Twilight), Chris Hemsworth (Thor, Star Trek, and the upcoming Avengers and Red Dawn)... all of which have headlined hit films (that's three A-List actors in the top roles). Plus add to it the dwarfs are CGI'd pro full-size actors with names like Ian McShane (Blackbeard in Pirates 4), Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), Ray Winstone (Beowulf), and Bob Hoskins (Who Framed Roger Rabbit).<br />
<br />
Why didn't they team up Bob Hoskins to battle Nathan Lane instead? That would have seemed more fair. =^)<br />
<br />
Anyway, compare those names to a great cast where your only A-List star name is Julia Roberts (Valentine's Day, Ocean's Eleven, Erin Brokovich, Runaway Bride, Notting Hill, My Best Friend's Wedding, Hook, Pretty Woman). And then the other names are Nathan Lane (Timon in Lion King), Sean Bean (006 in Goldeneye, Lord of the Rings, National Treasure, Troy, Percy Jackson), Lily Collins as Snow White (Blind Side, Abduction). <br />
<br />
There's no comparison in star power between the films, and yes, the grittier photos from the Sanders' Huntsman would make all their characters win in a fight. However, there are a few elements to consider that actors aren't going to give you.<br />
<br />
First is the director. Tarsem's big film debut was one of the most beautiful and visually compelling films of all time... 2000's The Cell... which was also a big flop, a huge stumbling block for Jennifer Lopez's career, and it certainly didn't help Vince Vaughn get to his hit comedies any faster. Simply put, the story and concept weren't appealing to the mass audience.<br />
<br />
However, Tarsem's not a writer, and he's been hard at work banking on good writers. His next/third film will prove that... The Immortals (coming November 2011), which is probably the freshest big budget film to star no A-List actors in a long time (just Mickey Rourke, John Hurt, and Stephen Dorff in supporting roles). <br />
<br />
And that film will show that Tarsem's been looking for good writing. That's where his Untitled Snow White has the edge. <br />
<br />
Plus this is Rupert's first film. Not his first film he's directed. His first film period. He hasn't made a name for himself directing music videos, commercials, or anything else. Nothing. He's a noob... albeit a noob with a gritty film and an impressive quiver full of star power.<br />
<br />
Now listen to the stories. Here's Rupert's Hunstman:<br />
<br />
"In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen."<br />
<br />
Sounds cool. Right? They seemed to have turned it into a Medieval film (feels like a Braveheart-style revenge quest). They named the dwarves after Roman caesars (Ian McShane is the leader/Doc... Caesar). <br />
<br />
It's obviously a love triangle where Snow White (Kristen Stewart) ends up picking the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) over Prince Charmant (Sam Claflin). Especially since the love triangle thing worked so well for her in Twilight. This time she's going to go for the underdog (instead of the bigger/popular hero like she did in Twilight; sorry Jacob). You can always tell because they tend to cast the A-List actor in the role where the guy gets the girl (why pay money to disappoint fans?). <br />
<br />
So you've got this love triangle, gritty medieval time where, surprise, Snow White gets the Huntsman instead. However, Charlize Theron does have us excited.<br />
<br />
Now compare that to this...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://entertainista.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Lily_Collins_Snow-White.jpg" width="530" /><br />
<br />
"A dark twist on the classic fairy tale, in which Snow White and the seven dwarfs look to reclaim their destroyed kingdom."<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img3/SnowWhiteTarsem-JRobsFLfullEW04.jpg" width="530" /><br />
<br />
And I can't help but be more excited by the film that seems closer to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland than the one that seems closer to Gladiator. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img3/SnowWhiteTarsem-JRobsFLfullYh05.jpg" width="530" /><br />
<br />
Snow is a "delicate princess trying to overthrow her wicked stepmother with the aid of seven dwarfs, who bedevil the kingdom as woodland bandits." They take her in an train her in different skills to fight. Tarsem says of Collins, who may look delicate, "Surprisingly, from the first day she came in, she's very physical."<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img3/SnowWhiteTarsem-JRobsFLfullEW03.jpg" width="530" /><br />
<br />
Lily reminds me of Aubrey Hepburn. <br />
<br />
In this version of Snow White, which will stay truer to the original Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Julia Roberts plays the Evil Queen, Sean Bean her husband, the King, and Armie Hammer as the prince. Collins goes on to explain: "She's a naive innocent young girl who turns into a woman and really finds herself". <br />
<br />
<img src="http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img3/SnowWhiteTarsem-JRobsFLfullEW02.jpg" width="530" /><br />
<br />
In comparison to the dainty Snow White we all know, this won't be the same. "She's very much that fairy tale princess we’ve all read about in books. She's been modernized in a way that she becomes a fighter in the end." Relativity will be bringing Tarsem's Snow White to theaters March 16th, 2012.<br />
<br />
And look at the majesty of this...<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img3/SnowWhiteTarsem-JRobsFLfullYh06.jpg" width="530" /><br />
<br />
"I wanted a person who is just schizophrenic. She's a person who would just do all the evil she needs to do to stay in power," Tarsem says. Time to be introduced to the new Evil Queen, the talented Julia Roberts in Tarsem Singh & Relativity's Snow White movie, based on The Brothers Grimm tale, yet is still untitled. Entrainment Weekly has unveiled a big first look, with photos of Roberts in her elaborate, sparkly dresses, designed by Eiko Ishioka (Bram Stoker's Dracula), as well as a few of pics of Lily Collins as Snow White, and her seven dwarfs. Plus a shot of Armie Hammer. Suffice it to say, I have no excitement for this at all.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img3/SnowWhiteTarsem-JRobsFLfullYh07.jpg" width="530" /><br />
<br />
"She's the cat that ate the canary," Tarsem tells EW of the Evil Queen in his story. "I decided for the evil queen, this is going to be a person who sees her [good] self — but there's a mirror personality." I've added a few of the better photos below, but you can see the entire gallery here or read the full EW piece on Tarsem's Snow White, which needs a damn title already considering it's supposed to be out in March. So take a look!<br />
<br />
The interviews are from:<br />
<a href="http://www.firstshowing.net/2011/first-look-julia-roberts-as-queen-more-from-tarsems-snow-white/" target=_blank>http://www.firstshowing.net/2011/first-look-julia-roberts-as-queen-more-from-tarsems-snow-white/</a><br />
<br />
=======================<br />
<br />
And most people don't know this, but both pictures typically win when they release similar films in the same year (that's why they do it). Or at least one film does better than it otherwise would. Examples... Braveheart and Rob Roy, Armageddon and The Core, Twister and Dante's Peak, and the success of Alvin and the Chipmunks and Scooby Doo gave us Garfield, Yogi Bear, and Smurfs.<br />
<br />
But the question is... with all of these fantastic live-action remakes to Snow White (including Julia Roberts), where's Disney?<br />
<br />
The same place they were with Hook (also starring Julia Roberts)... behind the game.<br />
<br />
So Julia Roberts seems to be doing live-action remakes to Disney films that aren't being produced by Disney (Hook and now Snow White)! Disney better get on the ball! <br />
<br />
Disney won with Glen Close's Cruella in 101 Dalmatians and Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland (which made over a billion dollars), but they dropped the ball with Hook and now Snow White. Get on the ball, Disney!<br />
<br />
What other Disney animated films will be made into live-action, big-budget films?<br />
- Pinnochio<br />
- Aladdin<br />
- Beauty and the Beast<br />
- The Little Mermaid<br />
- Winnie the Pooh<br />
- Peter Pan (again; two attempts were made so far)<br />
- Cinderella (Drew Barrymore's wasn't "big")<br />
- Sleeping Beauty<br />
- Rapunzel/Tangled<br />
- Dumbo<br />
- The Rescuers<br />
- Princess and the Frog<br />
- Pocahontas<br />
- Atlantis<br />
- Mulan<br />
- Lilo & Stitch<br />
- Jungle Book (again, but "bigger")<br />
- Fantasia (with Mickey instead of Jay Baruchel)<br />
- Brother Bear<br />
- Jack and the Beanstalk (non-Disney in the works)<br />
- Bambi<br />
- Black Cauldron<br />
- Lady & the Tramp<br />
- Hercules<br />
- Aristocats<br />
- Sword in the Stone<br />
- Fox and the Hound<br />
- Treasure Planet<br />
- Great Mouse Detective<br />
- Lion King<br />
- Robin Hood (with animals)<br />
- Oliver and Company<br />
- Emperor's New Groove<br />
- Hunchback of Notre Dame<br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
- TAEEd Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-1248543884450122722011-10-12T09:08:00.000-07:002011-10-12T09:08:14.694-07:00Phil Hartman as Michael Eisner - Come to Disney World (SNL)NBC/SNL released this older clip of Phil Hartman.<br />
<br />
Michael Eisner tries to explain that families will have a better time in northern Florida.<br />
<br />
<object width="512" height="288"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/4-yxnM2HyfrOT-hIZxAvjA"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/4-yxnM2HyfrOT-hIZxAvjA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="288" allowFullScreen="true"></embed></object><br />
<br />
It's only one joke, but it's good to see Phil again. This aired on SNL on 10/2/93. Phil was nominated for an Emmy for his work on SNL during that same season (93-94). (Being nominated for an Emmy for acting on SNL is quite an honor, and it has only happened for 18 folks.)<br />
<br />
Enjoy!Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-91967986138520669802011-10-09T09:31:00.000-07:002011-10-09T09:31:00.269-07:00TV Teaches Girls To FightBeyond Catfights: TV That's Good for Girls <br />
<br />
<img src=http://cdn2-www.ec.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/whats_new_post/whats-new-post/csm-whats-new/tv-0012-positive-role-model-girls.jpg><br />
<br />
Do you remember when you were a kid, about 9 or 10, and your best friend was everything to you? You'd stay up late during sleepovers, play silly games, and concoct crazy stories about your future? And then one day, you grew up, and you threw a glass of champagne in her face for calling your sequined cocktail dress ugly. Wait ... what?<br />
<br />
If we believe the stories that so many TV shows tell us about female friendship, this scenario would seem wholly realistic. From America's Next Top Model and Bad Girls Club to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, girls are portrayed as competitive, backstabbing rivals who overreact to every perceived slight.<br />
<br />
And it's not just reality shows that reinforce the stereotype that women can't get along. Scripted teen favorites like Gossip Girl and 90210 regularly pit so-called friends against each other. Most of us grown-ups can see through the hype of TV shows that amp up the drama -- shows that egg on the competition, poking the camera into the melee, just hoping for the perfect catfight. But what kind of message is this girl-fight mentality sending to young women who are still trying to figure out their place in the world?<br />
<br />
[Editor's note: Even Disney Channel shows like Hannah Montanna, Suite Life, Wizards of Waverly Place, and the latest batch... all have the theme of deception and rivalry among girls, siblings, and friends.]<br />
<br />
It's an unsettling message, that's for sure, one that undermines the support that real female friendships can provide.<br />
<br />
And while networks pump up the drama to attract viewers, there are lots of shows that don't wallow in the negative. You can counteract iffy messages by reminding kids and teens what friends can achieve together. Also, point out when shows go for cheap entertainment with tired stereotypes. And finally, choose entertainment that sends a better message to your kids. Here are our favorite weapons against girl hate.<br />
<br />
<b>SciGirls</b>, 7+ (PBS) -- This science-oriented educational show highlights girls working together to construct or develop experiments to learn about the world around them. Girls encourage and have fun together while modeling enthusiasm for science.<br />
<br />
<b>iCarly</b>, 8+ (Nickelodeon) -- This hugely popular tween sitcom might not be the most realistic, but Carly and Sam are good friends, even though their relationship isn't always perfect. Though they do sometimes compete with each other, they also stand up for each other, and some touching moments highlight how valuable female friendships can be.<br />
<br />
<b>Picker Sisters</b>, 10+ (Lifetime) -- These interior designers travel the country looking for odd junk that they can transform into boutique-friendly best-sellers while demonstrating how well two women can work together. Their enthusiasm for each other and their work is infectious and positive.<br />
<br />
<b>Born to Dance</b>, 12+ (BET) -- Yes, it's a dance competition, but the contestants are supportive of each other, and host Laurieann Gibson is as encouraging of the losers as the winners. A great example of how women can seek excellence for themselves without demeaning others.<br />
<br />
<b>Tia & Tamera</b>, 13+ (Style) -- Real-life sisters go through ups and downs as they navigate different stages of their lives, but in the end they're always there for each other.<br />
<br />
<b>Buffy the Vampire Slayer</b>, 13+ (DVD) -- This is an oldie but goodie that never fell victim to silly stereotypes about female friendships. Buffy and Willow are best friends through thick and thin, and even Buffy's female rivals don't fight her over a man -- but rather over the survival of the world.<br />
<br />
<b>2 Broke Girls</b>, 14+ (CBS) -- The latest girl-buddy show (aimed at adults, but OK for mature teens) trades a few barbs between the female leads, but ultimately this odd couple shows that being different doesn't mean being rivals.<br />
<br />
<b>Parks and Recreation</b>, 14+ (NBC) -- Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones are hilarious and realistic as friends/co-workers who encounter all sorts of wacky scenarios. Their friendship shows that they can stand by each other, even if they sometimes disagree. That's what real friendship is, right?<br />
<br />
From:<br />
<a href="http://www.commonsensemedia.org/new/beyond-catfights-tv-thats-good-girls?utm_source=newsletter09.22.11" target=_blank>http://www.commonsensemedia.org/new/beyond-catfights-tv-thats-good-girls?utm_source=newsletter09.22.11</a><br />
<br />
<b>ANT Farm</b>, 8+ (Disney Channel) -- [Editor's Note: I'm adding this one to the list.] This team of genius friends do a great job of breaking racial boundaries and being kind to each other. <br />
<br />
Enjoy!Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-41371314074713926082011-10-06T09:35:00.000-07:002011-10-06T09:35:00.359-07:00Movie Review - Robin Hood (with Russell Crowe)<i>By Alex Popp </i><br />
<br />
The untold story behind the legend.<br />
<br />
<img src=http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1157207100431&id=875cd88201e9f19986d52f54f2c7151c&url=http%3a%2f%2fclarkkent81.files.wordpress.com%2f2010%2f09%2frobin-hood-horizontal.jpg><br />
<br />
Following King Richard's death in France, archer Robin Longstride (played by Russell Crowe), along with Will Scarlett, Alan-a-Dale and Little John, returns to England in "Robin Hood", directed by Ridley Scott. <br />
<br />
They encounter the dying Robert of Locksley, whose party was ambushed by treacherous Godfrey, who hopes to facilitate a French invasion of England. Robin promises the dying knight he will return his sword to his father Walter in Nottingham. Here Walter encourages him to impersonate the dead man to prevent his land being confiscated by the crown, and he finds himself with Marian, a ready-made wife. Hoping to stir baronial opposition to weak King John and allow an easy French take-over, Godfrey worms his way into the king's service as Earl Marshal of England and brutally invades towns under the pretext of collecting Royal taxes.<br />
<br />
This premise may sound intriguing, but I saw it with my dad, who is an expert on the Medieval ages, and we both noticed different flaws and errors. With this sort of semi-historical movie, you have to be willing to suspend reality in the distortions of history. For example, while "Braveheart" was a fantastic film in all respects, the liberties taken with historical accuracy are legion. This film takes liberties as well (it must since Robin Hood is considered fiction), but it lacks the quality and luster of its predecessors. <br />
<br />
First, I have to say that Russell Crowe, who is a major draw in historical epics, is clearly too old for the lead character. As the premise suggests, the movie is supposed to be a prequel to the average Robin Hood story, meaning that in this story, Robin Hood would be 25 at eldest. Russell Crowe is going on 50 and no one could imagine him being a young man. Cate Blanchett is much the same as Marion, though not as bad. <br />
<br />
As for the performances themselves, this was, by far, not Crowe's best. Blanchett is lovely and handles her strong character well, but as a women who is willing to wear armor and fight in battle, it is far too trite for Crowe to have to rescue her at the end. I groaned when she had to recite the line "Walter, this one's for you". I think the writers could have done far better. Von Sydow is a joy to watch as his performance is the best in the film. Friar Tuck is obviously intended to be comedy relief, but this falls flat. Robin's battle companions seem present only to give tie-ins to the common Robin Hood tales. They remain on the fringes of the film, are uninteresting, and it is difficult to care much about them. I wouldn't fault the actors in this film; they seemed to have done the best of what was given to them, but the problem was the screenplay.<br />
<br />
The action sequences are typical Ridley Scott, but after so many of his films, the quick-action, close-up shots are growing tiresome. It has reached the point were the quick-cut photography now makes it too hard to determine exactly what is happening on the battlefield. <br />
<br />
Another thing my dad noticed were the weapons which were clearly all leftovers from another Ridley Scott film: "Kingdom of Heaven", one of my dad's favorite movies. The shields are so poorly repainted that you can see large areas of chipping around the edges. And one of the things I noticed was that there were war scars on every warrior's face. Really?<br />
<br />
By far, biggest disappointment with the movie was the appearance of the invading French soldiers in wooden "LSTs" (landing ship transports). In the year 1199 troop transports were seldom more than commandeered trade ships. No Navy in the history of the world ever built such a thing out of lumber. Do you know how when you go to a movie in the theater, you kind of forget that you're there and feel in the movie? When you notice this obvious anachronism, you're back in the theater, and you can no longer buy in to the story. What were the writers thinking??<br />
<br />
Overall, it is apparent that this was something the moviemakers saw as something they could just slap together with Russell Crowe, and really weren't trying.<br />
<br />
Rated PG-13 for intense war sequences and some sexual content.<br />
<br />
Two stars (out of four) for "Robin Hood," one of the worst fims of 2010.<br />
<br />
<i>Written by Alex Popp for the Animation Empire blog.</i><br />
<br />
===================<br />
<br />
From the Emperor...<br />
<br />
Hmmm. I think this review shows details as negatives... details that you might not care about. Overall, it's a fun and interesting tale that I recommend, but "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" is more fun and interesting than this version. So if you're looking for a more gritty and less silly film than that classic, then this is it. <br />
<br />
Of course, if you want to get even sillier than "Prince of Thieves," then there's always the classicer "Robin Hood: Men in Tights". <br />
<br />
And you have to check out the classicest Disney animated version (you know, with the foxes and animals; which is also the only Disney animated film where the animals are anthropomorphized in a world without humans).<br />
<br />
- The EmperorEd Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-18130133035544533022011-10-03T09:19:00.000-07:002011-10-03T09:19:00.045-07:00Music Review - Chris Young: The Man I Want To Be<i>By Alex Popp</i><br />
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The second studio album from American Country Singer Chris Young.<br />
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<img src="http://www.lyricsgather.com/image.php?id=51AIqfJgojL.jpg" width="400" /><br />
<br />
CONTENTS/DESCRIPTION:<br />
<br />
The first track, "That Makes Me", tells us that this guy is natural in terms of country. It asserts "I don't swear in front of no woman," even though the song uses h---. Oh no, what if a woman is listening to the song? Although, he does claim "I answer yes, sir to my old man." Okay, that's good. But still, the very next line is "I drink my liquor with a side of nothin'." These things don't make a very good him. However...<br />
<br />
Whatever he does, he hears "Voices." These include his father encouraging him to work hard and his mother telling him to give money to church and say a prayer every night. Even when he disagrees with these wishes, he always respects them ("Sometimes I try to ignore 'em/But I thank God for 'em/'Cause they made me who I am").<br />
<br />
On "The Dashboard," before a brother goes off to war, he tells Chris to take care of his Ford. He says that it will be his if he doesn't return. But when he does, he gives it to him anyway. The song's okay, but has a suggestive line in the chorus: "It's seen a lot of tan legs, got a kick-a-- radio."<br />
<br />
In "Gettin' You Home" the singer says that he doesn't care about an evening dance because the only thing on his mind is going home with her afterwards for a night of sex. This song would be better if he was talking to his wife.<br />
<br />
Sexual immorality also creates a problem on "It Takes a Man," which is about an unexpected pregnancy that was his fault.<br />
<br />
He comes across "The Shoebox" that he packed with memories that he cherishes. For the first time since he died, he opens the pocketknife that was given to him from his grandfather. This is a really good song. In fact, my dad said it was one that he'd have bought the whole CD for.<br />
<br />
In the 80s song, "Rose in Paradise," (here a duet with Willie Nelson) a banker leaves town hiring a man to tend to his girlfriend. When he comes back, they were both gone, apparently married, and the banker grows old without her.<br />
<br />
"Twenty-One Candles" is about two parents trying to calm their over-confident eighteen-year-old who is on the verge of moving out.<br />
<br />
"God, I want to be Your man and I want to be her man." Regretting selfish love that not only doomed a romance but made him a wretch as he says, he turns to God<br />
for a second chance and prays that He'd change him into "The Man I Want To Be."-a great song!<br />
<br />
The album concludes with a special rendition of the 60s classic "Rainy Night In Georgia."<br />
<br />
RESPONSE/RATING:<br />
<br />
Chris Young seems to be of everyday country music; mostly upbeat, but bushwhacked by some unfortunate alcohol and sex abuse and occasional mild profanities. I bought the CD for the title track. That song means a lot to me because I heard it after I gave my life to God praying that he'd change me into "The Man I Want To Be." This song definitely makes up for the previous miscues. "Voices," "The Shoebox," and "Rainy Night in Georgia" also make good additions to this album. I recommend this album for the most part. Just skip 4 and 5.<br />
<br />
72/100 <br />
<br />
<i>Written by Alex Popp for the Animation Empire blog.</i>Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-16379670537857104962011-09-30T09:04:00.000-07:002011-09-30T09:04:00.664-07:00Music Review - Jesse McCartney: Beautiful Soul<em>By Alex Popp</em><br />
<br />
<br />
The debut album from "J-Mac"<br />
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<img src="http://image.lyricspond.com/image/j/artist-jesse-mccartney/album-beautiful-soul/cd-cover.jpg" /><br />
<br />
CONTENTS/DESCRIPTION<br />
<br />
With a fast-paced beat (he was on a caffeine buzz when he wrote it), "She's No You" was written for a girlfriend who had a tendency of being jealous of supermodels on TV and other girls on music videos. Jesse lets her know that she's more than beautiful to him and no "picture on a magazine" could steal away his love for her.<br />
<br />
The title track has similar meaning. "I don't want another pretty face/I don't want just anyone to hold/I don't want my love to go to waste/I want you and your beautiful soul." It's, like, the best song ever written!<br />
<br />
"Get Your Shine On": A Michael Jackson style party song that invites everyone to show what moves they've got.<br />
<br />
After a break-up, rather than responding with anger, McCartney tells her "Take Your Sweet Time", assuring her "I will never stand in your way/Wherever your heart may lead you, I will love you the same." He speaks with such a soft heart that I wouldn't be surprised if the girl didn't hesitate to come back to him.<br />
<br />
"Without U" is probably the worst song on the CD. It simply says "I don't want to be without u/dream without u/walk without u/talk without u". It goes on. There's also a mildly suggestive line at the beginning: "I like when you whisper softly/Things only I should hear that lead me on." But then there's...<br />
<br />
"Why Don't You Kiss Her?"-A beautiful song. With slow, quiet guitar music, McCartney lies in bed, thinking of his best friend. He can't help but think about when the time is to express his feelings toward her, "Cause she'll never know/if you never show/the way you feel inside".<br />
<br />
In "That Was Then" he assures someone that he has changed and promises to work harder at his relationship if he could be given a second chance.<br />
<br />
He offers a girl to "Come To Me" after she had her heart badly broken by her last boyfriend.<br />
<br />
"What's Your Name?": The only other song I don't care for on the album. He sees a girl with all her friends here and there, dying to ask her those three words, because he's convinced that "I'm the one you need."<br />
<br />
In "Because You Live," something tragic happens and he is "Staring out at the rain with a heavy heart". But just the thought of her being alive is enough to heal him.<br />
<br />
"Why Is Love So Hard To Find?": The third "question title" on the CD. Love is vital to everyone and "we can't go on without it", right? But he's seen that there's tension in his house that's gone on for too long. How can we possibly go on when love is that hard to find? This song has related to me, lately.<br />
<br />
We all make mistakes sometimes. But he assures a loved one that all "The Stupid Things" he does have no reflection on her.<br />
<br />
RESPONSE/RATING<br />
<br />
With lyrics that are easy to understand and a remarkable voice, Jesse McCartney has a lot of songs for both guys and girls. Of course, back in his days, about 95% of his fans were female and he was the talk of the town; Justin Bieber has taken that place (yet another reason why he stinks). I'm not afraid to say I'm a fan and I love this album. "Beautiful Soul" and "Why Don't You Kiss Her?" are the top two highlights of it.<br />
<br />
91/100<br />
<br />
<em>Review by Alex Popp for The Animation Empire blog. </em>Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-63131675098696495842011-09-27T09:29:00.000-07:002011-09-27T09:29:00.869-07:00Cars Land is coming to Disney's California Adventure - watch the video!<iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CXyBdnc3HJ4?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe> <br />
<br />
Walt Disney Imagineer, Kathy Mangum, gives you a peek at the vehicle testing for Radiator Springs Racers. This thrilling new attraction is set to open in 2012 with the debut of Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park. <br />
<br />
<iframe width="480" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zl1WlidWePU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <br />
<br />
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6E0gIB16hdI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <br />
<br />
Enjoy!Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-24154922104896541172011-09-23T09:30:00.000-07:002011-09-23T09:30:14.701-07:00Moms don't need "Mars Needs Moms" - TheAnimationEmpire Movie ReviewAfter the good success of Polar Express, the okay results of Monster House, and the bust of Beowulf, for some reason Disney bought/invested in Robert Zemeckis' Image Movers.<br />
<br />
Disney thought the company could line up Polar Express-like hits for their studio. Really? <br />
<br />
Well after a successful take on "A Christmas Carol" where Jim Carrey filled the need that Tom Hanks provided in Polar Express, Disney kept at it. And Image Movers' next project did not fare so well. Zemeckis directed Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol himself, but he did not direct...<br />
<br />
<b>Mars Needs Moms<br />
</b><br />
We always ask the simple question, "Who is this for?"<br />
<br />
Watch the trailer and ask yourself that.<br />
<br />
It's a great film. It's jaw dropping at moments and a nice sentimental story (which in theory would appeal to mothers). But aliens kidnapping moms? In a movie starring immature guys? With a visual style of a John Carpenter sci-fi horror flick? Really?<br />
<br />
So it doesn't appeal to moms, obviously. You could get that just from the title ("Cowboys Versus Aliens" strikes again).<br />
<br />
So who does Mars Needs Moms appeal to then? How about to the immature boys who can identify with the humor of the primary characters? Well, let's see, would teenage and 20 something guys prefer to watch this animation or Hangover Part 2? <br />
<br />
No, they're definitely not the audience. Not unless Austin Powers is in this movie (which he's not).<br />
<br />
So who's the audience? Girls? Why would girls be interested in a film that looks like a sci-fi horror flick?<br />
<br />
What about older men? Well, it's their visual style, but I don't think they really want this family message, humor, and theme.<br />
<br />
Then who was it for?<br />
<br />
Well enough random people to make about x dollars. However, this hyper-realistic style of 3D animation that Image Movers is pushing forward is really just waiting for a failure (like Final Fantasy was) to put itself out of business. These films are way too expensive, and that puts more pressure on for each to be a hit or else they don't make profit. <br />
<br />
Mars Needs Moms cost $ to make. If it cost $ to the theaters and another $20 million in Marketing, then this is a huge loss.<br />
<br />
And, as predicted, it did put the Image Movers studio out of business. Zemeckis green lit the film but didn't direct it, and it's the one that sank the studio.<br />
<br />
However, Robert Zemeckis is striking back! He struck a deal with X to fund his next grossly expensive animation, Yellow Submarine, based on the Beatles animated short. <br />
<br />
But will The Beatles appeal more to adults than children (and then only a niche of adults)?<br />
<br />
Will it be able to survive? The only clear hits Zemeckis had (Polar Express and A Christmas Carol) were family/kids films based on the concept of hiring a capable and successful actor to headline the film and make it his own (much like Carrey also did for "A Series of Unfortunate Events"). <br />
<br />
And Yellow Submarine doesn't fit that mold (instead the focus is on getting actors to recreate the voices and mannerisms of the Beatles). So perhaps Disney wisely pulled the plug?<br />
<br />
Anyway, let's talk more about Mars Needs Moms...<br />
<br />
It's a great film! =^)<br />
<br />
We highly recommend it. It's a little scary (also makes you wonder why moms would want their kids to watch that), it's good fun, adventurous, and it has a nice emotional message about the importance of family and listening to parents. And the acting is almost as great as the visuals.<br />
<br />
However, it took me a looooong time of hearing Joan Cusack's voice before I stopped getting pulled out of the movie and visualizing Joan Cusack. (Maybe it's because she was more "in character" in Toy Story 2 and 3 and less herself as she is in "Mars Needs Moms".)<br />
<br />
I'm not sure why Mars Needs Moms was made or how they convinced Disney to green light it, but it was. So go enjoy it on DVD!<br />
<br />
- TAEEd Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-71701296343103363202011-09-18T08:31:00.000-07:002011-09-18T08:31:00.210-07:00What's Next for Pixar? (Pixar and Disney animation schedule for 2012 and beyond)At Disney’s annual D23 expo in Anaheim, Pixar officially announced two new films coming to theaters in November 2013 and May 2014, plus a few new looks at the rest of Disney’s animated slate.<br />
<br />
The first is an untitled movie about dinosaurs set on an alternate version of Earth, in a reality where an asteroid did not wipe out the prehistoric creatures. Presumably, it involves how dinos and humans co-exist in a modern world, but no further details were given. Bob Peterson, who co-directed Pixar’s Up, is directing the feature. Here is the tongue-in-cheek logo from the expo from PixarTimes (via /Film):<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.newsinfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/untitled-pixar-dinosaurs.jpg" width="480" /><br />
<br />
The other is even more vague. It’s an animated, untitled family film directed by the other Up co-director, Pete Docter, set in the human mind. The story will take audiences inside the head where we’ll find out “how we forget, why certain songs get stuck in our heads.” The Playlist has learned that Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3) is writing the script about “the formation of ideas.”<br />
<br />
At the same expo, Disney touted its June 2012 release, Brave, the story of an unruly princess and accomplished archer named Merida (voiced by “Boardwalk Empire” star Kelly Macdonald) who defies a sacred custom and inadvertently brings turmoil to the kingdom... The teaser trailer was gorgeous and reactions to the introductory footage shown at D23 were of genuine excitement, so watch that:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tYg0VgPy6Uk" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
Brenda Chapman wrote this. She also wrote for Lion King, Chicken Run, and Cars, and she directed Prince of Egypt. Apparently Pixar replaced her on Brave, its first female director back in 2010, and she (Brenda Chapman) left the Pixar studio (this has happened before with Jan Pinkava on Ratatouille and Chris Wedge on Bolt). However, IMDB says Brenda is a co-director, so we're remaining hopeful: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1217209/" target="_blank">http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1217209/</a> <br />
<br />
Additionally, Disney rolled out a first look at Pixar’s Monsters University, the June 2013 prequel to Monsters Inc. directed by Dan Scanlon (writer on Cars) that details how Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sulley (John Goodman) met in college and became rivals… then friends. Nothing new to see, unfortunately, other than a slightly slimmer Sulley and greener Mike.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.newsinfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/monsters-university.jpg" width="480" /><br />
<br />
Finally, Disney provided an in-depth look at Wreck-It Ralph, their other non-Pixar, animated feature set for November 2012. John C. Reilly voices the title character, an 8-bit video game villain in the vein of old-school games Rampage and Donkey Kong. But Ralph wants to be good and goes on a quest through other arcade games to reinvent himself. The movie will feature familiar characters from arcade favorites like Pac-Man and Q*bert, plus voicework from Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://www.newsinfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/wreck-it-ralph.jpg" /><br />
<br />
As for other Pixar favorites, no word on the oft-rumored Toy Story 4. Though Woody and Buzz Lightyear will be back in theaters this November in a short film titled “Small Fry” accompanying Disney’s throwback family movie The Muppets. The characters were also in the short “Hawaiian Vacation” before this summer’s lackluster Cars 2.<br />
<br />
From:<br />
<a href="http://www.newsinfilm.com/2011/08/24/pixar-officially-announces-two-new-movies/" target="_blank">http://www.newsinfilm.com/2011/08/24/pixar-officially-announces-two-new-movies/</a><br />
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NOTE FROM EDITOR: Cars 2 only made about $180 million stateside -- the second lowest Pixar performance ever -- but it made it up in international sales and totaled $521 million worldwide, so it actually performed better than Cars 1, Wall-E, and the older Pixar films. Not too shabby. Plus they opened up the Cars toy line to a lot of cool-looking sportscars and international cars... so it was hardly a bust.<br />
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Especially when you compare that to this year's Winnie the Pooh. Now that was a bust! <br />
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Really Lasseter? Just because it worked in 1977 with Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh doesn't mean it's going to work again in 2011 with some computer effects thrown in.<br />
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Anyway, here is the lineup for Disney and Pixar animated films...<br />
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<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e7/Karigurashi_no_Arrietty_poster.png/215px-Karigurashi_no_Arrietty_poster.png" /><br />
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1. <b>Arrietty </b>(Studio Ghibli) - February 17, 2012 <br />
<i>Sure you probably don't go see these Ghibli films (Disney has a deal to bring them stateside from Japan and put American voice actors over them, but they really don't do that well). However, Disney wants you to see them and they're released into theaters by Disney, so I'll list them. This one is based on The Borrowers (tiny people who steal our things). Voices include Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett, and Will Arnett.</i><br />
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</i><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/db/Brave_Teaser_Poster.jpg/220px-Brave_Teaser_Poster.jpg" /><br />
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2. <b>Brave </b>(Pixar) - June 22, 2012 <br />
<i>Brave (previously titled The Bear and the Bow) was written by Brenda Chapman and Irene Mecchi and directed Chapman and Mark Andrews. It's an original Scottish fairy tale about how young Princess Merida rebels, gets the Lords mad at her, and she turns to an eccentric old Witch (Julie Walters) for help. Merida then must discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late. Sounds like fun! Voices include Emma Thompson, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane, and John Ratzenberger (wouldn't be Pixar without him).</i><br />
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</i><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0e/Frankenweenie_2012_film_logo.jpg/220px-Frankenweenie_2012_film_logo.jpg" /><br />
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3. <b>Frankenweenie </b>(Burton) - October 5, 2012 <br />
<i>Frankenweenie is an upcoming 3D black and white stop motion film and remake of the 1984 short film of the same name. Tim Burton directed that live-action short film (a Frankenstein dog) and this remake as well. Story: A young boy who makes monster movies tries to bring his dog Sparky back to life after he has been hit by a car. This is Burton's third trip back to Disney (where he started from), and we thoroughly enjoyed Nightmare Before Christmas and Alice in Wonderland. Voices include Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Landau, and Martin Short.</i><br />
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</i><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fa/Wreck-It_Ralph_logo.jpg/220px-Wreck-It_Ralph_logo.jpg" /><br />
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4. <b>Wreck-It Ralph </b>(Disney) - November 2, 2012 <br />
<i>Wreck-It Ralph is directed by Emmy-winner Rich Moore, a former animation director of The Simpsons and Futurama. Its working titles were Joe Jump and Reboot Ralph. The film will feature the voices of John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch and Sarah Silverman. The film tells the story of Wreck-It Ralph (Reilly), an arcade game bad guy, who is determined to prove he can be a good guy. The 8-bit video game character struggles with the complex question: ‘isn't there more to life than the role I've been assigned?’ In his quest for the answer, we journey with our hero through three visually distinct video game worlds. </i><br />
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</i><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/07/Kokurikozaka_kara_film_poster.jpg/220px-Kokurikozaka_kara_film_poster.jpg" /><br />
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5. <b>From up on Poppy Hill </b>(Studio Ghibli) - Probably early 2013 <br />
<i>A girl struggles to keep the old history of a building while people are destroying old buildings and rebuilding to prepare for the Olympics.</i><br />
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</i><img src="http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1033941363451&id=6cf8383ee02a820549dee891bf78d003&url=http%3a%2f%2fimages3.wikia.nocookie.net%2f__cb20110403155004%2fpixar%2fimages%2ff%2ffd%2fMonsters_University_poster.jpg" /><br />
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6. <b>Monsters University </b>(Pixar) - June 21, 2013 <br />
<i>Monsters, Inc. 2 is going to be a prequel which focuses on Sulley and Mike's studies at the University of Fear, where they start off as rivals but soon become best friends. It's directed by Dan Scanlon (who directed Mater and the Ghostlight). Voices include John Goodman, Billy Crystal, Steve Buscemi, Dave Foley, and Julia Sweeney.</i><br />
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</i><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Henry_Selick_2009_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-Henry_Selick_2009_%28cropped%29.jpg" /><br />
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7. <b>Untitled Stop-Motion Film </b>(Henry Selick) - October 4, 2013 <br />
<i>They aren't telling us what it's about, but basically Disney made a deal for Henry to make his own stop-motion movies for Disney without Tim Burton (since Tim split and directs his own animations now). Henry previously directed Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, Monkeybone, Life Aquatic (the animated sequences), and Coraline. I find it interesting that Disney's investing here, because DreamWorks just pulled out with Aardman after Wallace & Gromit didn't sell so well (but it did win the Academy Award for animated feature). </i><br />
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</i><img src="http://www.newsinfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/untitled-pixar-dinosaurs.jpg" width="250" /><br />
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8. <b>Untitled Movie About Dinosaurs </b>(Pixar) - November 27, 2013 <br />
<i>All we know is that it takes place where dinosaurs and humans live together in modern times. Should be interesting. Bob Peterson, who co-directed Pixar’s Up, is directing the feature.</i><br />
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</i><img src="http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1051122669999&id=8629e5583e27b754175f18fd75079a27&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.flickscribe.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2008%2f04%2fdisney-kingofelves.jpg" /><br />
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9. <b>King of the Elves </b>(Disney) - Holiday 2013 <i>Based on a fantasy story by Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Minority Report), it is being directed by Chris Williams, director of Bolt. Likely either this one or the Dinosaur Pixar film will slide to 2014.</i><br />
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</i><img src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1041836095152&id=ac12752b71e5acce56153e816f233fd3&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.hollywoodreporter.com%2fhr%2fphotos%2fstylus%2f129388-oscar_show_docter_win_large.jpg" /><br />
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10. <b>Untitled Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind </b>(Pixar) - May 30, 2014 <br />
<i>It’s directed by the Academy Award winning primary Up and Monsters Inc. director, Pete Docter (see image above), and it is set in the human mind. The story will take audiences inside the head where we’ll find out “how we forget, why certain songs get stuck in our heads.” Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3) is writing the script about “the formation of ideas.”</i><br />
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There you go! Previous films that have been removed from the Disney animation slate include:<br />
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<img src="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1068131030709&id=503c96fe4e6d83b845739fc3dfb1d969&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.bsckids.com%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2010%2f09%2fDisney-Pixar-Newt-3.jpg" /><br />
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<b>1. Newt</b><br />
<img src="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1204125311137&id=3bac6664a425fc18854d8db905c0a95c&url=http%3a%2f%2f4.bp.blogspot.com%2f_dS9o2xQUbsU%2fS-ngeCvA8rI%2fAAAAAAAAERQ%2fgoWZ-3DvsDs%2fs1600%2fNewt_cancelled_1.jpg" /><br />
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<em>It was the story of a newt from a lab who, um, had to mate with the female and populate the world. Wow, talk about a difficult story to navigate. Maybe the lack of a clear or compelling story is why Lasseter pulled the plug.</em><br />
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<img src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1058833639796&id=c0bcfafeed4e2fb4ba2a9252664601cf&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.deviantart.com%2fdownload%2f124381571%2fWhat_if_Disney___Snow_Queen__by_TRALLT.jpg" /><br />
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<strong>2. Snow Queen</strong><br />
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<i>The Snow Queen has been put on hold, though even tabled projects can make triumphant returns, like the years-in-development Beauty and the Beast for example. In other words, Lasseter is probably having trouble seeing a compelling story come out of this idea. So hopefully they'll sit on it for awhile and dig a great story out of it.</i><br />
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<img src="http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1176934745551&id=f0353da16a33d3f8f0b2c0ddd08251f5&url=http%3a%2f%2fanimationreview.files.wordpress.com%2f2010%2f05%2fgiantland-c2a9-walt-disney.jpg" /><br />
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<b>3. Jack and the Beanstalk</b><br />
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<i>Similar to the Snow Queen, this project has taken off either. I think Lasseter and Catmull were a little disappointed with Tangled and Princess and the Frog. Well, I think the problem is that they aren't experienced making those films. Heck it took Walt Disney's personal team to do them right. And in the late 80s / early 90s Disney luckily had the right combination of people to make them. However, that combination quickly dwindled away (two died and Eisner foolishly fired two), and Lion King was the last one made with all the key players on the team (and after that it became a disjointed team). So, yeah, Lasseter and Catmull aren't just going to walk into Disney and figure out the fairy tale formula. It doesn't work that way. Tangled and Frog didn't do poorly because the market "run a course" (<a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/21/entertainment/la-et-1121-tangled-20101121" target="_blank">as Catmull says here</a>). It was because you didn't make them to be as magical as Little Mermaid and the other films were. Look at Tangled... the songs weren't creative or all that fun (still good though), there wasn't any Genie-like character (Rafiki, Timon, Pumbaa, Lumiere, Fairy Godmother, Cinderella's mice, Dopey, Sebastian... take your pick). It was a great movie, but the filmmakers don't know the fairy tale formula. <br />
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In fact, the directors of Little Mermaid and Aladdin (who also directed Hercules, Treasure Planet, and Princess and the Frog) also don't know the formula... they know their part in the formula. But they relied on other people (Ashman, Roy Disney Jr, Katzenberg, and a few others) to fill the rest of the team in order to make the magic. Lasseter does this today with his style of animated film, but fairy tales are completely different. You have to build the dream team to understand them... just like Disney did and just like Katzenberg did in the late 80s (Katzenberg is the one who brought the broadway people in and pushed the conversations forward). He's now performing his magic tricks at DreamWorks (he's the Lasseter of DreamWorks).<br />
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So, anyway, Lasseter and Catmull are a little frustrated and deflated by fairy tales, so they put Jack and the Snow Queen on the back burner while they try other genres.</i><br />
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<img src="http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1041062376751&id=d36227f930b857f3e35c24fe843c3a6c&url=http%3a%2f%2ffc04.deviantart.net%2ffs70%2fi%2f2010%2f116%2f9%2f8%2fYellow_Submarine_3D_Poster_by_EspioArtwork31.jpg" /><br />
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<b>4. Yellow Submarine </b><br />
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<i>Disney humorously purchased Image Movers from Robert Zemeckis (which Zemeckis built for Polar Express, Monster House, and Beowulf). They then used it for some gain to make Christmas Carol and lost a ton on Mars Needs Moms. That's when they pulled the plug on future projects, including Yellow Submarine, which was a remake of the Beatles animation (a much longer and robust version). The problem with Image Movers was that it just cost way too much to make the more realistic style of animation. It just isn't practical, and it only takes one miss to sink the whole boat (thus they got shut down). </i><br />
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<i>That said, Zemeckis is directing Yellow Submarine himself, so he took Image Movers to Universal to continue production. Apparently Cary Elwes has a good Harrison impression. Can't wait to see it! Interestingly, Zemeckis directed Polar Express, Beowulf, and A Christmas Carol himself, but he passed on Mars Needs Moms. Should have been a sign!</i><br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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- TAEEd Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-56932679781373978932011-09-16T09:08:00.000-07:002011-09-16T09:08:00.178-07:00Movie Review - Megamind<i>By Alex Popp</i><br />
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Will Ferrell voices a wannabe super-villain in "Megamind."<br />
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<img src="http://www.dream-wallpaper.com/free-wallpaper/movie-wallpaper/megamind-wallpaper/1440x900/free-wallpaper-2.jpg" width="480" /><br />
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After Megamind kills his good-guy nemesis, Metro Man (voiced by Brad Pitt), he becomes bored since there is no one left to fight. He creates a new foe, Titan (voiced by Jonah Hill), who, instead of using his powers for good, sets out to destroy the world, positioning Megamind to save the day for the first time in his life. <br />
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One problem with the movie is that all of the funniest scenes and lines were shown in trailers; the ones you see 70 million times and then when you see the movie, you're like "Yeah, yeah, let's get to the stuff we haven't seen, please", but then there's no better humor. But there are still some other laughs. But the thing I liked the most about "Megamind" was the redeeming qualities. We all have learned that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but those words take new and unexpected meaning in this film. Some of the superhero abilities and specifications may seem like they were taken from "The Incredibles," but it still has some excitement leading to satisfaction at the end.<br />
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Rated PG for sequences of animated sci-fi action.<br />
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"Megamind" may not be mega-ingenius, but it is good enough for two and a half stars (out of 4).<br />
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<i>Written by Alex Popp for the Animation Empire blog.</i><br />
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Emperor's take...<br />
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I enjoyed it more than Despicable Me, which seemed to be a sappy display of minions and adoption emotions (although Despicable Me was marketed better to mommies and kids as a result). <br />
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Megamind had a fresh story with a slight twist or two in it, and the comedic cast nailed it. Though I agree that most of the funny is in the trailer, it's still enjoyable throughout.<br />
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You also actually get to like the villain/hero and feel sorry for him and understand him, so the turn is completed successfully. In contrast, the Despicable Me character doesn't seem to change much at all, other than starting to like kids more and wanting to be nicer.<br />
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Interestingly, the scriptwriters originally wrote this wanting to cast Will Ferrell in it as a live-action comedy. It went around forever, and it became more of a portfolio piece to get them more gigs. It was finally picked up by DreamWorks Animation, much to their surprise. Ben Stiller picked it up and talked to DreamWorks. Of course, the writers were then happy to see Will Ferrell cast as the main character (as they intended, but they were thinking live action).<br />
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- The EmperorEd Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38870385.post-61223794653510229852011-09-14T09:47:00.000-07:002011-09-14T09:47:00.091-07:00John Lasseter - A Day in a Life - Full Length Documentary<iframe width="480" height="295" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/m5HN3-l_f-U?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen=""></iframe> <br />
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So this takes 25 minutes to watch, but you'll learn a lot about Pixar and Lasseter if you do! You get to tour his house and watch Lasseter work on Cars 2!<br />
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Enjoy! <br />
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Ed Pricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12739362351104757313noreply@blogger.com0