CHICAGO – Excelsior! Comic book legend Stan Lee’s famous exclamation puts a fine point on the third and final play of Mark Pracht’s FOUR COLOR TRILOGY, “The House of Ideas,” presented by and staged at City Lit Theater in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood. For tickets/details, click HOUSE OF IDEAS.
Disney
DVD Review: Disney Releases Trio of Informative Documentaries
Submitted by BrianTT on December 13, 2010 - 5:43pmCHICAGO – Walt Disney Home Video isn’t all about “Hannah Montana” or “Toy Story 3.” At the end of last month, they released a trio of informative documentaries about the fascinating history of their own company. None of the three are must-see viewing, but they do combine to offer a glimpse at the incredibly legacy of one of the most important American companies in history.
Blu-Ray Review: Gorgeous Edition of Disney’s Timeless ‘Fantasia’
Submitted by BrianTT on December 7, 2010 - 5:43pmCHICAGO – Disney has been slowly opening their vault doors to the world of Blu-ray with amazing releases for “Sleeping Beauty,” “Pinocchio,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” and “Beauty & The Beast.” The slow release pattern is about to become more of a steady flow as “Fantasia,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Bambi” all hit HD in just over three months. “Fantasia” is the first and it’s another beauty.
HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: 5 Blu-Ray, DVD Combo Packs to ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ With Nicholas Cage
Submitted by HollywoodChicago.com on November 30, 2010 - 2:40amCHICAGO – In our latest Blu-ray and DVD combo pack edition of the HollywoodChicago.com Hookup, we have 5 Blu-ray and DVD combo packs up for grabs to Disney’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” with Nicolas Cage and Jay Baruchel!
Blu-Ray Review: Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ With Jim Carrey Annoys Instead of Captivates
Submitted by BrianTT on November 18, 2010 - 11:04amCHICAGO – Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” is a loud, annoying mess, a film that reimagines the Charles Dickens’ classic in ways that the author never intended, turning a morality lesson into an effects-heavy action extravaganza. Having said that, the Blu-ray release is typically-strong for one of the best companies in the world when it comes to family product. Disney can turn even a bad film into a solid Blu-ray.
Blu-Ray Review: Pixar’s Spectacular ‘Toy Story 3’ With Tom Hanks Given Amazing Blu-Ray Release
Submitted by BrianTT on November 2, 2010 - 1:45pmCHICAGO – It’s always wonderful to see Blu-ray karma turn out the way it should. Blu-ray critics often see great releases with perfect HD and interesting special features for awful movies. Conversely, it’s not uncommon for great films to be given lackluster home releases. “Toy Story 3” is not only one of the best films of 2010, it’s one of the best Blu-rays as well.
Blu-Ray Review: Disney Nature’s ‘Oceans,’ ‘The Crimson Wing’
Submitted by BrianTT on November 2, 2010 - 11:11amCHICAGO – Nature films used to be much more common in the days before basic cable. Believe it or not young ones, there was a time before the interwebs and Discover Health when you couldn’t see nature at work outside of museums or a trip to the Antarctic. Rebooting the genre has been a remarkably profitable endeavor for Disney Nature as 2009’s “Earth” made $107 million worldwide and 2010’s “Oceans,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD followed with $68 million.
Video Game, DVD Review: World of Disney’s ‘Phineas and Ferb’ Expands
Submitted by BrianTT on October 13, 2010 - 9:52pmCHICAGO – As often happens with programs aimed at children, Disney’s “Phineas and Ferb” is becoming way more than “just a TV show.” It’s becoming an industry in itself, recently releasing a Christmas DVD called “Phineas and Ferb: A Very Perry Christmas” and a Nintendo DS video game called “Phineas and Ferb Ride Again.” Are these just attempts by the Mouse House to make a few more dimes off one of their successful properties or are they worthwhile on their own?
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Dazzles in HD Release
Submitted by BrianTT on October 11, 2010 - 3:07pmCHICAGO – If you still know anyone who doubts the quality difference between Blu-ray and standard DVD, show them the stunning transfer of Disney’s Best Picture-nominated “Beauty and the Beast,” one of the rare animated films that actually plays even better two decades after its release than it did when it began its cultural domination. With one of the best animated HD transfers yet produced, this is a must-own.
DVD Review: ‘The Black Cauldron: 25th Anniversary Edition’
Submitted by BrianTT on September 16, 2010 - 12:18pmCHICAGO – Disney has been such a leader in the transition from standard DVD to High Definition Blu-ray that it almost makes their DVD-only releases even more lackluster than they might otherwise be. Take for example the 25th Anniversary Edition of “The Black Cauldron,” one of the least-successful films in the Mouse House canon given a truly disappointing home release.
Blu-Ray Review: ‘Toy Story’ Films Released in Advance of ‘Toy Story 3’
Submitted by BrianTT on March 25, 2010 - 4:46pmCHICAGO – If you don’t at least like the “Toy Story” movies, you’re probably kind of a jerk. Personally, I adore them both and have seen them multiple times on DVD; the standard go-to when babysitting nieces and nephews. And yet watching them again in glorious Disney HD, they still felt new. I’m blinded by love for Pixar, but these are must-owns for anyone with a Blu-ray player.