Walt Disney

CHICAGO – Last week, Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” notched a couple of Academy Award nominations. Do me a favor. Don’t allow your children to only know Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the Mad Hatter when it comes to Lewis Carroll’s timeless tale.

CHICAGO – In real life, we cling to the notion that the inconceivable can happen, that magical probability can penetrate the mendacity of everyday existence, but it rarely if ever happens. That is what makes the new film “Secretariat” so appealing, that 37 years ago the impossible did happen, through the heart of a horse and his believers. Diane Lane and John Malkovich lead the charge.

CHICAGO – When the initial production of Elton John and Tim Rice’s “Aida” made its foray to the Broadway stage, following what was surely a tempestuous artistic adolescence, the public hurrah with which it was met signaled the birth of two eminent stage relations. First, that of John’s with both Broadway and West End investors, a collaboration that has far outstretched the boundaries set forth by “The Lion King”.

CHICAGO – The fantasy action epic has joined the animated film as the go-to genre for summer films.

CHICAGO – The feature animation film tradition, invented by and fostered by the Walt Disney Company for close to 70 years, gets another glorious rendition in their latest release, “The Princess and the Frog.”

CHICAGO – In his third film, “American Violet,” director Tim Disney tackles the subject of unfair incarceration laws involving a poor African-American housing project in a rural Texas town.

Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0

CHICAGO – The Blu-Ray revolution seems stuck in neutral. It’s going to take a major title to push it over the edge as a must-have technology. Some of us thought it would be “The Dark Knight,” “Iron Man,” or “The Godfather,” but the worsening economic times seem to have put the HD switch on hold.