Nearly four decades ago, NBC brought Babes in Toyland back to life with an all-star cast.
The holiday project was based on the 1903 operetta, which features Victor Herbert’s score — including Christmas staple “Toyland” — and a libretto from Glen MacDonough that draws together numerous Mother Goose characters. It followed such previous adaptations as a 1934 Laurel and Hardy film, a 1960 Shirley Temple-led TV version and a 1961 Disney movie starring Annette Funicello.
Filmmaker Clive Donner — whose 1965 comedy What’s New Pussycat? marked Woody Allen’s first produced screenplay — directed Babes in Toyland from a script by Paul Zindel (Mame).
Shot in Munich, it starred 11-year-old Drew Barrymore as Lisa, who has no interest in toys until she gets magically transported to Toyland on Christmas Eve, where she teams up with the Toymaster (Pat Morita, fresh off The Karate Kid Part II) to stop the villainous Barnaby Barnicle (Richard Mulligan) from taking over the realm.
The holiday project was based on the 1903 operetta, which features Victor Herbert’s score — including Christmas staple “Toyland” — and a libretto from Glen MacDonough that draws together numerous Mother Goose characters. It followed such previous adaptations as a 1934 Laurel and Hardy film, a 1960 Shirley Temple-led TV version and a 1961 Disney movie starring Annette Funicello.
Filmmaker Clive Donner — whose 1965 comedy What’s New Pussycat? marked Woody Allen’s first produced screenplay — directed Babes in Toyland from a script by Paul Zindel (Mame).
Shot in Munich, it starred 11-year-old Drew Barrymore as Lisa, who has no interest in toys until she gets magically transported to Toyland on Christmas Eve, where she teams up with the Toymaster (Pat Morita, fresh off The Karate Kid Part II) to stop the villainous Barnaby Barnicle (Richard Mulligan) from taking over the realm.
- 12/16/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Questlove, Black Thought, bass great Pino Palladino and more have partnered with pianist-producer Ray Angry and artist Katherine McMahon for a new rendition of the Christmas standard, “Toyland.”
“#Toyland” is part of Angry and McMahon’s ongoing Public Domain project, which has found the pair — and a revolving door of collaborators — creating new versions of old songs that are no longer beholden to copyright protections. The original “Toyland” was penned by Victor Herbert and Glen MacDonough in 1903 for their holiday operetta Babes in Toyland; the new Public Domain version also features Marcus King,...
“#Toyland” is part of Angry and McMahon’s ongoing Public Domain project, which has found the pair — and a revolving door of collaborators — creating new versions of old songs that are no longer beholden to copyright protections. The original “Toyland” was penned by Victor Herbert and Glen MacDonough in 1903 for their holiday operetta Babes in Toyland; the new Public Domain version also features Marcus King,...
- 12/15/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
We’ve heard all about Kingpin and Daredevil returning to the MCU, but what about The Punisher? Jon Bernthal weighs in on Frank Castle’s potential revival.
“It’s been nearly 3 years since Netflix canceled The Punisher, along with its entire Marvel slate of programming. And while some Netflix characters, like Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, are being reincorporated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, others are unlikely to join the family-friendly Disney/Marvel brand.”
Read more at The Mary Sue
1917 star George Mackay transforms himself into a wild animal for one of the year’s craziest thrillers called Wolf.
“It’s a Sunday afternoon, and the acclaimed British actor is hunched over in his seat, modeling the stance of a wolf crouched down to lap water from a stream — or at least giving it his best effort. Elbows back, wrists curled, fingers bent, back arched, head lowered,...
“It’s been nearly 3 years since Netflix canceled The Punisher, along with its entire Marvel slate of programming. And while some Netflix characters, like Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, are being reincorporated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, others are unlikely to join the family-friendly Disney/Marvel brand.”
Read more at The Mary Sue
1917 star George Mackay transforms himself into a wild animal for one of the year’s craziest thrillers called Wolf.
“It’s a Sunday afternoon, and the acclaimed British actor is hunched over in his seat, modeling the stance of a wolf crouched down to lap water from a stream — or at least giving it his best effort. Elbows back, wrists curled, fingers bent, back arched, head lowered,...
- 12/6/2021
- by Lee Parham
- Den of Geek
Jessica Chastain has a question for New York City mayor Bill de Blasio and New York governor Andrew Cuomo: Where are all the statues of women in Central Park? In a viral video posted to her Twitter page, the Oscar-nominated actress goes hunting in Central Park to find a statue of a woman but comes up hilariously and horrifyingly short.
Here are just some of the statues Chastain discovers in Central Park: The poet Fitz-Green Halleck, writer Friedrich Schiller, composer Victor Herbert, a group of hawks eating a ram, and an oversized wolf. Yes, the number of animal statues is far greater than the number of women statues.
In fact, there is only one statue of a woman in Central Park and that’s Alice of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.” As Chastain observes, the one woman statue is of “a fictional character that a man wrote.” The...
Here are just some of the statues Chastain discovers in Central Park: The poet Fitz-Green Halleck, writer Friedrich Schiller, composer Victor Herbert, a group of hawks eating a ram, and an oversized wolf. Yes, the number of animal statues is far greater than the number of women statues.
In fact, there is only one statue of a woman in Central Park and that’s Alice of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland.” As Chastain observes, the one woman statue is of “a fictional character that a man wrote.” The...
- 7/1/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
[Editor’s Note: Spoilers for “Star Trek: Discovery” Season 1 Episode 9, “Into the Forest I Go,” follow.]
“Star Trek: Discovery” fans thrown off guard by the midseason finale’s ending, guess what? That was the plan. According to showrunners Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, that’s exactly what they wanted.
“Every couple of episodes, right around the time the audience feels like, ‘Oh, I know what you’re doing,’ we switch it up,” Berg told IndieWire. “It became a natural rhythm for the show, and it makes it really fun for us, the writers, everybody, really. Because it’s a way to keep it lively.”
The final moments of Episode 9, “Into the Forest I Go,” find the Discovery lost in unknown territory following a massive malfunction with the ship’s spore drive. “It felt like a great place to end the first half of the season, too,” Harberts said. “We had a lot of fun tracking the debate that the fans are having about where they think...
“Star Trek: Discovery” fans thrown off guard by the midseason finale’s ending, guess what? That was the plan. According to showrunners Gretchen Berg and Aaron Harberts, that’s exactly what they wanted.
“Every couple of episodes, right around the time the audience feels like, ‘Oh, I know what you’re doing,’ we switch it up,” Berg told IndieWire. “It became a natural rhythm for the show, and it makes it really fun for us, the writers, everybody, really. Because it’s a way to keep it lively.”
The final moments of Episode 9, “Into the Forest I Go,” find the Discovery lost in unknown territory following a massive malfunction with the ship’s spore drive. “It felt like a great place to end the first half of the season, too,” Harberts said. “We had a lot of fun tracking the debate that the fans are having about where they think...
- 11/13/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
SundanceTV has released the full-length trailer for “Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders,” Joe Berlinger’s docuseries about the crime that inspired Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.” That nonfiction novel (a phrase Capote coined) was adapted by Richard Brooks into an acclaimed drama starring Robert Blake and Scott Wilson, and Philip Seymour Hoffman won an Oscar for portraying its author in “Capote.”
Read More:Zac Efron Slated to Play Serial Killer Ted Bundy In Indie From Joe Berlinger
The quadruple murder took place in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. Two men, Richard “Dick” Hickock and Perry Smith, entered the home of their victims in the belief that Herbert Clutter, the family patriarch, kept as much as $10,000 in his safe; there was less than $50 in the house. Clutter, his wife, and their two young children were all killed after being bound and gagged.
Read More:‘Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru...
Read More:Zac Efron Slated to Play Serial Killer Ted Bundy In Indie From Joe Berlinger
The quadruple murder took place in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. Two men, Richard “Dick” Hickock and Perry Smith, entered the home of their victims in the belief that Herbert Clutter, the family patriarch, kept as much as $10,000 in his safe; there was less than $50 in the house. Clutter, his wife, and their two young children were all killed after being bound and gagged.
Read More:‘Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru...
- 10/23/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
During their 3rd annual Valiant Summit, Valiant Entertainment once again gave us an amazing line up of books that will be released throughout this year, starting with last months launch of X-o Manowar and concluding with December's release of Quantum and Woody. It is important to note that Valiant Entertainment has only been around since their relaunch in 2012. They had such an impact that they won the award of Comic Publisher of the Year from Diamond Comic Distributors that same year. Now they are on the verge of bigger and better things including a YouTube series called Ninjak Vs. The Valiant Universe, a multi-movie deal with Sony which includes a Bloodshot movie and a Quantum and Woody television show that will be made by the Russo brothers, who are currently working on the next Avengers film.
They were very excited about their line up as their first title X-o Manowar #1 has already sold over 90,000 copies,...
They were very excited about their line up as their first title X-o Manowar #1 has already sold over 90,000 copies,...
- 4/18/2017
- by Emmanuel Gomez
- LRMonline.com
All images in this post are taken from the DVD from this Arrow Video Release.
The Movie
Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator is one of the greatest ‘80s horror movies of all time. No other horror flick up until that point successfully combined gore, horror, and humor quite like that movie did. There were horror movies that were intentionally funny (like Motel Hell for example), but what made Re-Animator special and original is that it took the fear of death and poked fun at it. Blood and guts are now funny thanks to director Stuart Gordon. The idea that something disturbing like a severed limb or a dead body could actually be funny still fascinates me. I have Re-Animator to thank for that.
Bride of Re-Animator has a cult fan base; if it didn’t, Arrow Video would not have wasted their time releasing it on Blu-ray. Unfortunately, the movie isn’t as good as the first. This is typical among most horror sequels. The thing that bugs me the most about Bride is the number of plot holes the filmmakers didn’t even try filling. What the sequel gets right is the gory goods that definitely deliver. What the sequel gets wrong is the story details.
Eight months after the events that took place in the previous movie, Herbert West (played by Jeffrey Combs) and Dan Cain (played by Bruce Abbott who now has a mid-90s Bruce Campbell styled haircut) are now doctors at the Miskatonic University Hospital where they are secretly still doing reanimation experiments. How both men are now employed as doctors at the same hospital in the previous movie makes no sense to me after everything that happened, not to mention Herbert West’s death scene. Both men (especially Herbert) are now more focused on reanimating body parts stolen from the Hospital’s morgue and combining these parts to create living freaks.
Dr. Hill (whose head is clearly seen crushed to the size of a grapefruit in the previous movie) is now back and reanimated to get his revenge on Herbert and Dan while they are in the process of completing a huge experiment. Using the body parts from the morgue and Dan’s dead girlfriend’s heart, Herbert and Dan create a whole living female. Other complications take place that jeopardize the experiment such as a detective who becomes suspicious of the missing body parts and Dan’s 2 love interests.
Not every movie needs a sequel. Re-Animator is perfect the way it is. If you feel you absolutely must see these characters again for one more movie, then here it is. Not everything about the movie is disappointing however. The special make-up effects from Knb Efx Group and Screaming Mad George (just to name a few) make up for the plot holes and are definitely worth checking out. I really feel that Bride of Re-animator is a success as a gory FX freak show, but a failure as a story. Sorry horror fans.
Audio/Video
Arrow Video brings Bride of Re-Animator to Blu-ray for the very first time in America, and the results are satisfying. For this 3 Disc Limited Edition release, both R-rated and Unrated cuts of the film are offered in 1080p with a 1:78:1 Aspect Ratio. The transfers for both cuts look identical except the brief scenes added in the Unrated cut take a bit of a noticeable dip in quality. Added shots in the Unrated cut appear darker than the rest of the movie and show much less detail. The rest of the image however looks great and feels like a lot of time and care went into this restoration. A fine looking image that I feel fans will be pleased with. The Lpcm 2.0 Audio Track offers some real kick, especially during the final showdown. Dialogue is clear and the gooey sound effects are top notch.
Special Features
Disc 1 (Blu-ray) & Disc 2 (DVD)
Unrated Version of the film.
Director’s Commentary – Director Brian Yuzna discusses getting the cast to come back for the sequel, shooting on a short schedule, the make-up effects, low budget challenges, and comparisons to the first movie. Moderated by David Gregory.
Cast & Crew Commentary – Brian Yuzna, Jeffrey Combs, Howard Berger, Robert Kurtzman, Tom Rainone, Mike Deak, Screaming Mad George, & John Buechler all participate in this commentary. An FX heavy commentary with each artist detailing their work on the film during their scenes and the challenges of working under strict time constraints.
Cast Commentary – Actors Jeffrey Combs & Bruce Abbott deliver a funny and amusing commentary here. They spend most of the time making fun of the movie MST3K style. Pretty entertaining stuff.
Brian Yuzna Remembers Bride of Re-animator (10 minutes) – A lot that’s covered here is already covered in Yuzna’s Audio Commentary.
Splatter Masters: The Special Effects Artists of Bride of Re-animator (15 minutes) – FX artists Robert Kurtzman, Screaming Mad George, Tony Doublin, and John Buechler look back on the work they did on Bride. Pretty sweet stuff with some behind-the-scenes home video footage.
Getting Ahead in Horror (24 minutes) – An archive making-of piece composed of behind-the-scenes footage. Here, we get a great look at almost all of the special effects in the movie. My favorite extra on the disc.
Deleted Scenes:
– Meg is Re-animated (8 minutes) – Probably came from the workprint. We also see some behind-the-scenes footage on the making of this scene. Interesting to note that this deleted scene fixes one plot hole.
– Carnival Sequence (2 minutes) – Only shown in still photos with a filmmakers commentary.
Theatrical Trailer (2 minutes)
Disc 3 (Limited Edition Exclusive)
R-rated version of the film.
Behind-the-Scenes Reel (14 ½ minutes) – More home video footage of the special effects scenes and make-up
Other Goodies:
24 Page Booklet – Includes new writing by Michael Blyth and a few color photos.
Re-animator: Dawn of the Re-animator (Limited Edition Exclusive) – Full 1992 comic prequel to the original Re-animator. Booklet is glorious and thick!
See larger image Bride of Re-Animator (Director Approved 3-Disc Limited Edition) [Blu-ray + DVD] New From: $54.99 Usd In Stock
The post Blu-ray Review: Bride Of Re-animator appeared first on Destroy the Brain!.
The Movie
Stuart Gordon’s Re-Animator is one of the greatest ‘80s horror movies of all time. No other horror flick up until that point successfully combined gore, horror, and humor quite like that movie did. There were horror movies that were intentionally funny (like Motel Hell for example), but what made Re-Animator special and original is that it took the fear of death and poked fun at it. Blood and guts are now funny thanks to director Stuart Gordon. The idea that something disturbing like a severed limb or a dead body could actually be funny still fascinates me. I have Re-Animator to thank for that.
Bride of Re-Animator has a cult fan base; if it didn’t, Arrow Video would not have wasted their time releasing it on Blu-ray. Unfortunately, the movie isn’t as good as the first. This is typical among most horror sequels. The thing that bugs me the most about Bride is the number of plot holes the filmmakers didn’t even try filling. What the sequel gets right is the gory goods that definitely deliver. What the sequel gets wrong is the story details.
Eight months after the events that took place in the previous movie, Herbert West (played by Jeffrey Combs) and Dan Cain (played by Bruce Abbott who now has a mid-90s Bruce Campbell styled haircut) are now doctors at the Miskatonic University Hospital where they are secretly still doing reanimation experiments. How both men are now employed as doctors at the same hospital in the previous movie makes no sense to me after everything that happened, not to mention Herbert West’s death scene. Both men (especially Herbert) are now more focused on reanimating body parts stolen from the Hospital’s morgue and combining these parts to create living freaks.
Dr. Hill (whose head is clearly seen crushed to the size of a grapefruit in the previous movie) is now back and reanimated to get his revenge on Herbert and Dan while they are in the process of completing a huge experiment. Using the body parts from the morgue and Dan’s dead girlfriend’s heart, Herbert and Dan create a whole living female. Other complications take place that jeopardize the experiment such as a detective who becomes suspicious of the missing body parts and Dan’s 2 love interests.
Not every movie needs a sequel. Re-Animator is perfect the way it is. If you feel you absolutely must see these characters again for one more movie, then here it is. Not everything about the movie is disappointing however. The special make-up effects from Knb Efx Group and Screaming Mad George (just to name a few) make up for the plot holes and are definitely worth checking out. I really feel that Bride of Re-animator is a success as a gory FX freak show, but a failure as a story. Sorry horror fans.
Audio/Video
Arrow Video brings Bride of Re-Animator to Blu-ray for the very first time in America, and the results are satisfying. For this 3 Disc Limited Edition release, both R-rated and Unrated cuts of the film are offered in 1080p with a 1:78:1 Aspect Ratio. The transfers for both cuts look identical except the brief scenes added in the Unrated cut take a bit of a noticeable dip in quality. Added shots in the Unrated cut appear darker than the rest of the movie and show much less detail. The rest of the image however looks great and feels like a lot of time and care went into this restoration. A fine looking image that I feel fans will be pleased with. The Lpcm 2.0 Audio Track offers some real kick, especially during the final showdown. Dialogue is clear and the gooey sound effects are top notch.
Special Features
Disc 1 (Blu-ray) & Disc 2 (DVD)
Unrated Version of the film.
Director’s Commentary – Director Brian Yuzna discusses getting the cast to come back for the sequel, shooting on a short schedule, the make-up effects, low budget challenges, and comparisons to the first movie. Moderated by David Gregory.
Cast & Crew Commentary – Brian Yuzna, Jeffrey Combs, Howard Berger, Robert Kurtzman, Tom Rainone, Mike Deak, Screaming Mad George, & John Buechler all participate in this commentary. An FX heavy commentary with each artist detailing their work on the film during their scenes and the challenges of working under strict time constraints.
Cast Commentary – Actors Jeffrey Combs & Bruce Abbott deliver a funny and amusing commentary here. They spend most of the time making fun of the movie MST3K style. Pretty entertaining stuff.
Brian Yuzna Remembers Bride of Re-animator (10 minutes) – A lot that’s covered here is already covered in Yuzna’s Audio Commentary.
Splatter Masters: The Special Effects Artists of Bride of Re-animator (15 minutes) – FX artists Robert Kurtzman, Screaming Mad George, Tony Doublin, and John Buechler look back on the work they did on Bride. Pretty sweet stuff with some behind-the-scenes home video footage.
Getting Ahead in Horror (24 minutes) – An archive making-of piece composed of behind-the-scenes footage. Here, we get a great look at almost all of the special effects in the movie. My favorite extra on the disc.
Deleted Scenes:
– Meg is Re-animated (8 minutes) – Probably came from the workprint. We also see some behind-the-scenes footage on the making of this scene. Interesting to note that this deleted scene fixes one plot hole.
– Carnival Sequence (2 minutes) – Only shown in still photos with a filmmakers commentary.
Theatrical Trailer (2 minutes)
Disc 3 (Limited Edition Exclusive)
R-rated version of the film.
Behind-the-Scenes Reel (14 ½ minutes) – More home video footage of the special effects scenes and make-up
Other Goodies:
24 Page Booklet – Includes new writing by Michael Blyth and a few color photos.
Re-animator: Dawn of the Re-animator (Limited Edition Exclusive) – Full 1992 comic prequel to the original Re-animator. Booklet is glorious and thick!
See larger image Bride of Re-Animator (Director Approved 3-Disc Limited Edition) [Blu-ray + DVD] New From: $54.99 Usd In Stock
The post Blu-ray Review: Bride Of Re-animator appeared first on Destroy the Brain!.
- 5/4/2016
- by Joshua Lightfoot
- Destroy the Brain
Kitty Gordon: Actress in silent movies and on the musical comedy stage. Rediscovering a long-forgotten silent film star: Kitty Gordon It seems almost unthinkable that there are still silent stars who have not been resurrected, their lives and films subject to detailed, if not always reliable, examination. Yet I am reminded by Michael Levenston, a Canadian who has compiled what is best described as a “scrapbook” of her life and career, that there is one such individual – and not just a “name” in silent films, but also from 1901 onwards famed as a singer/actress in musical comedy and on the vaudeville stage in both her native England and the United States. And she is Kitty Gordon (1878-1974). 'The Enchantress' and her $50,000 backside Kitty Gordon was a talented lady, so much so that Victor Herbert wrote the 1911 operetta The Enchantress for her; one who also had a “gimmick,” in that...
- 12/12/2015
- by Anthony Slide
- Alt Film Guide
Tangerine
Directed by Sean Baker
Written by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch
USA, 2015
Director Sean Baker (Starlet, Prince of Broadway, Take Out) was reportedly inspired to make Tangerine, after observing the customers of a donut shop in Hollywood’s red-light district. Tangerine’s stars are a pair of first-time actresses, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor. They play two trans sex workers – Sin-Dee, who’s just been released from a 28-day stint in prison for drug possession – and her best friend Alexandra who prepares for a gig singing at a local nightclub. The film follows the duo over the course of a day – opening on a donut shop which serves as one of the key locations the two transitioning male-to-female call girls hang out. It’s the morning of Christmas Eve at the sketchy intersection of Santa Monica and Highland in Los Angeles and Alexandra and Sin-Dee are sharing a red-and-green sprinkled donut.
Directed by Sean Baker
Written by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch
USA, 2015
Director Sean Baker (Starlet, Prince of Broadway, Take Out) was reportedly inspired to make Tangerine, after observing the customers of a donut shop in Hollywood’s red-light district. Tangerine’s stars are a pair of first-time actresses, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor. They play two trans sex workers – Sin-Dee, who’s just been released from a 28-day stint in prison for drug possession – and her best friend Alexandra who prepares for a gig singing at a local nightclub. The film follows the duo over the course of a day – opening on a donut shop which serves as one of the key locations the two transitioning male-to-female call girls hang out. It’s the morning of Christmas Eve at the sketchy intersection of Santa Monica and Highland in Los Angeles and Alexandra and Sin-Dee are sharing a red-and-green sprinkled donut.
- 7/16/2015
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Curious to know what movies are coming to Netflix Watch Instantly over the next few weeks? Get a head start and mark your calendars using the list below, just released to us by Netflix. Note: Listed below are just the movies, not the television shows. Avail 11/1 Artifact (2012) First known as an actor, Jared Leto has also found success in the music industry with his band 30 Seconds to Mars. This documentary follows the band as it makes the album "This is War" while battling recording giant Emi in a pivotal lawsuit. Babes in Toyland (1961) Ray Bolger, Tommy Sands, Annette Funicello, Ed Wynn, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, Henry Calvin Composer Victor Herbert's operetta comes delightfully to life in this 1961 fantasy...
Read More...
Read More...
- 11/4/2014
- by Movies.com
- Movies.com
Looking for what's new on Netflix streaming for November? You've come to the right place.
We've rounded up the best TV shows and movies arriving soon. So take some time to peruse this list, and maybe block off a weekend or two so you can binge-watch Season 9 of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" or something. Oh, and you might want to make a note about November 22; "Snowpiercer" is worth the wait.
Here's a much larger rundown of what's new on Netflix in November, provided by Netflix. All title dates are subject to change.
Available November 1
"Artifact" (2012)
First known as an actor, Jared Leto has also found success in the music industry with his band 30 Seconds to Mars. This documentary follows the band as it makes the album "This is War" while battling recording giant Emi in a pivotal lawsuit.
"Babes In Toyland" (1961)
Composer Victor Herbert's operetta comes delightfully to...
We've rounded up the best TV shows and movies arriving soon. So take some time to peruse this list, and maybe block off a weekend or two so you can binge-watch Season 9 of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" or something. Oh, and you might want to make a note about November 22; "Snowpiercer" is worth the wait.
Here's a much larger rundown of what's new on Netflix in November, provided by Netflix. All title dates are subject to change.
Available November 1
"Artifact" (2012)
First known as an actor, Jared Leto has also found success in the music industry with his band 30 Seconds to Mars. This documentary follows the band as it makes the album "This is War" while battling recording giant Emi in a pivotal lawsuit.
"Babes In Toyland" (1961)
Composer Victor Herbert's operetta comes delightfully to...
- 10/28/2014
- by Tim Hayne
- Moviefone
“Toyland, Toyland, little girl and boy land…” Hey, why aren’t you singing along? Don’t you know the lyrics to Victor Herbert’s operetta Babes in Toyland? Well, you’d better brush up, because the Walt Disney Pictures adaptation (in Technicolor, no less) of that operetta is in the spotlight on this week’s episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. Josh and Gabe are guest-free once again as they explore Mother Goose Land and Toyland, which are adjoined by the Forest of No Return. (Don’t worry, that forest isn’t as terrifying as it sounds.) And after only a few minutes, your intrepid co-hosts answer a very pertinent and timely question: is this actually a Christmas movie? The answer isn’t as easy as you might think, and neither is this surprisingly bifurcated film. So, in the words of the dastardly Barnaby (seriously), come. Let’s pussyfoot. And check out the new show!
- 12/21/2013
- by Josh Spiegel
- SoundOnSight
25 Days Of Christmas: Television Specials and Holiday Films
Throughout the month of December, TV Editor Kate Kulzick and Film Editor Ricky D will review classic Christmas adaptions, posting a total of 13 each, one a day, until the 25th of December.
The catch: They will swap roles as Rick will take on reviews of classic television Christmas specials and Kate will take on Christmas movies. Today is day 2.
Day 2: Babes in Toyland/March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934)
Written by Frank Butler and Nick Grinde
Directed by Gus Meins and Charley Rogers
What’s it about?
This Laurel and Hardy musical, originally titled Babes in Toyland but later retitled March of the Wooden Soldiers, follows the misadventures of several of the residents of Toyland. Mother Peep, the Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe, is about to be evicted by the evil Silas Barnaby, who is scheming to coerce the beautiful Bo-Peep into marrying him,...
Throughout the month of December, TV Editor Kate Kulzick and Film Editor Ricky D will review classic Christmas adaptions, posting a total of 13 each, one a day, until the 25th of December.
The catch: They will swap roles as Rick will take on reviews of classic television Christmas specials and Kate will take on Christmas movies. Today is day 2.
Day 2: Babes in Toyland/March of the Wooden Soldiers (1934)
Written by Frank Butler and Nick Grinde
Directed by Gus Meins and Charley Rogers
What’s it about?
This Laurel and Hardy musical, originally titled Babes in Toyland but later retitled March of the Wooden Soldiers, follows the misadventures of several of the residents of Toyland. Mother Peep, the Old Woman Who Lives in a Shoe, is about to be evicted by the evil Silas Barnaby, who is scheming to coerce the beautiful Bo-Peep into marrying him,...
- 12/2/2011
- by Kate Kulzick
- SoundOnSight
Today's generation is surrounded by technology. Rapidly-advancing tools of all sorts are so prevalent in every aspect of our lives that we depend on them, nay, expect them to make our lives easier, more enjoyable, and more interesting. Multi-billion dollar industries such as cinema are in no way immune from the public's desire for bigger and better things. Moviegoers have the options of watching films in a variety of locales, in IMAX or 3D, via regular projection screens or the latest in digital picture. For those who prefer to stay close to home, the options multiply. Satellite TV, cable TV, Redbox, a widespread availability of DVDs, and even the disappearing neighborhood rental store all combine to contain every movie that the discerning film aficionado could ever hope to watch, available at the push of a button or a short drive up the street.
Well... almost every movie. It may seem...
Well... almost every movie. It may seem...
- 1/21/2011
- Shadowlocked
Filed under: Columns, Cinematical
Welcome to Framed, a column at Cinematical that runs every Thursday and celebrates the artistry of cinema -- one frame at a time.
There are three distinct camps when it comes to Disney's 1961 Technicolor musical, 'Babes in Toyland.' Many Victor Herbert enthusiasts despise the Mickey Mouse extravaganza's saccharine spectacle, Laurel and Hardy fans call it a poor remake of 1934's 'March of the Wooden Soldiers' and then there are those who find it undeniably magical. While there's certainly a case to be made for all three perspectives, it's hard to peg 'Babes in Toyland' as a complete wash. When it comes to Christmas stories, they don't come more colorful than this. The bright and cheerful sets and costumes are dizzying, but if you can catch your breath between the songs and dancing there's a lot of charm and artistry to be admired in this storybook classic.
Welcome to Framed, a column at Cinematical that runs every Thursday and celebrates the artistry of cinema -- one frame at a time.
There are three distinct camps when it comes to Disney's 1961 Technicolor musical, 'Babes in Toyland.' Many Victor Herbert enthusiasts despise the Mickey Mouse extravaganza's saccharine spectacle, Laurel and Hardy fans call it a poor remake of 1934's 'March of the Wooden Soldiers' and then there are those who find it undeniably magical. While there's certainly a case to be made for all three perspectives, it's hard to peg 'Babes in Toyland' as a complete wash. When it comes to Christmas stories, they don't come more colorful than this. The bright and cheerful sets and costumes are dizzying, but if you can catch your breath between the songs and dancing there's a lot of charm and artistry to be admired in this storybook classic.
- 12/23/2010
- by Alison Nastasi
- Moviefone
Filed under: Columns, Cinematical
Welcome to Framed, a column at Cinematical that runs every Thursday and celebrates the artistry of cinema -- one frame at a time.
There are three distinct camps when it comes to Disney's 1961 Technicolor musical, 'Babes in Toyland.' Many Victor Herbert enthusiasts despise the Mickey Mouse extravaganza's saccharine spectacle, Laurel and Hardy fans call it a poor remake of 1934's 'March of the Wooden Soldiers' and then there are those who find it undeniably magical. While there's certainly a case to be made for all three perspectives, it's hard to peg 'Babes in Toyland' as a complete wash. When it comes to Christmas stories, they don't come more colorful than this. The bright and cheerful sets and costumes are dizzying, but if you can catch your breath between the songs and dancing there's a lot of charm and artistry to be admired in this storybook classic.
Welcome to Framed, a column at Cinematical that runs every Thursday and celebrates the artistry of cinema -- one frame at a time.
There are three distinct camps when it comes to Disney's 1961 Technicolor musical, 'Babes in Toyland.' Many Victor Herbert enthusiasts despise the Mickey Mouse extravaganza's saccharine spectacle, Laurel and Hardy fans call it a poor remake of 1934's 'March of the Wooden Soldiers' and then there are those who find it undeniably magical. While there's certainly a case to be made for all three perspectives, it's hard to peg 'Babes in Toyland' as a complete wash. When it comes to Christmas stories, they don't come more colorful than this. The bright and cheerful sets and costumes are dizzying, but if you can catch your breath between the songs and dancing there's a lot of charm and artistry to be admired in this storybook classic.
- 12/23/2010
- by Alison Nastasi
- Cinematical
As Toy Story 3 arrives on DVD and Blu-ray, we look at other films in which toys walk and talk under their own power, and they've been doing it for quite a while too!
The Toy Story triumvirate will reign supreme among stories of toys coming to life and it's hard to imagine any single film or series that uses the premise of living playthings ever besting the perfect trio of movies.
But having given the hat trick fair praise, the toys in Andy's room weren't the first to walk and talk under their own control, and other stories feature toys springing to life when their owners aren't around or by the power of dreams and wishes, the magic of midnight or, in one case, the might of military grade munitions chips.
So, if you still have room for more childhood toy fantasies and adventures beyond Woody, Buzz and their crew,...
The Toy Story triumvirate will reign supreme among stories of toys coming to life and it's hard to imagine any single film or series that uses the premise of living playthings ever besting the perfect trio of movies.
But having given the hat trick fair praise, the toys in Andy's room weren't the first to walk and talk under their own control, and other stories feature toys springing to life when their owners aren't around or by the power of dreams and wishes, the magic of midnight or, in one case, the might of military grade munitions chips.
So, if you still have room for more childhood toy fantasies and adventures beyond Woody, Buzz and their crew,...
- 11/25/2010
- Den of Geek
As Toy Story 3 arrives on DVD and Blu-ray, we look at other films in which toys walk and talk under their own power, and they've been doing it for quite a while too!
The Toy Story triumvirate will reign supreme among stories of toys coming to life and it's hard to imagine any single film or series that uses the premise of living playthings ever besting the perfect trio of movies.
But having given the hat trick fair praise, the toys in Andy's room weren't the first to walk and talk under their own control, and other stories feature toys springing to life when their owners aren't around or by the power of dreams and wishes, the magic of midnight or, in one case, the might of military grade munitions chips.
So, if you still have room for more childhood toy fantasies and adventures beyond Woody, Buzz and their crew,...
The Toy Story triumvirate will reign supreme among stories of toys coming to life and it's hard to imagine any single film or series that uses the premise of living playthings ever besting the perfect trio of movies.
But having given the hat trick fair praise, the toys in Andy's room weren't the first to walk and talk under their own control, and other stories feature toys springing to life when their owners aren't around or by the power of dreams and wishes, the magic of midnight or, in one case, the might of military grade munitions chips.
So, if you still have room for more childhood toy fantasies and adventures beyond Woody, Buzz and their crew,...
- 11/25/2010
- Den of Geek
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