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Progress City Home Theater: Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009)

The third of the new documentary releases we’re reviewing, Waking Sleeping Beauty looks at the animation renaissance that occurred at Disney in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Directed by longtime Disney producer Don Hahn, the film is an absolute cannot-miss must-see treat for any fan of animation. The quality of the film itself […]

Let’s Laugh At The Naïveté Of The Past

Someone posted this chestnut from 1990 on a message board today, and I thought it was good for a chuckle or two. Or, you know, tears. Lots of tears.

Counting generously, I have them at zero-for-seven on those announcements. That’s a hitting percentage of… .000. Nice. Although I guess you could be super generous, and […]

At The Cinema – Waking Sleeping Beauty

Waking Sleeping Beauty is a film that, by all rights, shouldn’t exist.

After all, at its core it’s the story of massive egos maneuvering for control and credit in the wake of one of the Disney company’s most successful artistic and financial periods since Walt’s death in 1966. Getting any of the parties involved […]

The Great Discovery Island Logo Contest of ’93

Once upon a time, ibis-crazed visitors to Walt Disney World could visit Discovery Island – a relaxing tropical hideaway in the center of Bay Lake. It was a pleasant little zoological park; the kind of subdued but atmospheric attraction that is rarely seen today.

In 1993, Discovery Island was looking for a new logo. Disney […]

Oh, Eisner – 1987 Edition

Previously, on As the Eisner Turns…

Ambitious young Michael Eisner and his boon companion Frank Wells took over control of Walt Disney Productions, which was struggling to make its way in the modern film industry. Disney began to cash in on underexploited assets, and the eyes of management shifted from theme parks to film and […]