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One Year Later, I Still Miss Robin Williams

It was August 11, 2014. The theater was full with an advance screening of The Giver starring Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep. The red carpet event was live-streamed prior to the showing as stars from the film flooded in and entered the New York City party while we, in Knoxville, Tenn., gazed at the screen. …

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Disney is making a live-action prequel to ‘Aladdin’

The unending need to make live-action versions of every animated Disney film ever continues. The Hollywood Reporter revealed news yesterday that a live-action Aladdin movie, a prequel focusing on the origin of the Genie, is in development. Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (who both wrote Freddy vs. Jason and the Friday the 13th remake together) are already tapped by Disney to …

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Robin Williams: A Man of a Million Voices

Yesterday we ran a story on some of Robin Williams’ most under appreciated performances. But as the remembrances keep rolling in and as new, gruesome details about his suicide become apparent, it became clear that Williams didn’t just have depth in his filmography; he was an actor and performer who displayed worlds of expression and moved so …

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Robin Williams passes away at 63

In a heartbreaking turn of events, iconic actor of both TV and film Robin Williams has passed away today at the age of 63. The Hollywood Reporter states that the shocking death may have unfortunately been a result of suicide. Variety quotes his wife Susan Schneider’s statement, “I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin’s …

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‘Fantasia 2000,’ and Why It Should Be Considered Part of the Disney Renaissance

“I think we’re all glad that they changed the name to Fantasia,” states Steve Martin dryly during his introduction of Fantasia 2000 regarding the film’s predecessor, which was originally called The Concert Feature. (Fantasia may be a slightly cooler-sounding title, but it’s not much more inviting to the average audience member than The Concert Feature.) …

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‘The Jungle Book’ and Racism in Disney’s Animated Features

The release of The Jungle Book on Blu-ray today has become, as when Saving Mr. Banks was unveiled a couple months ago, an unplanned forum on a most thorny issue for the Disney uber-fan: was Walt Disney a racist/sexist/anti-Semite, and if so, was he a super-racist/sexist/anti-Semite, or just your average, garden-variety racist/sexist/anti-Semite? Even though the …

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