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Disney’s Musical Scores Big
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Music, Prime Time, Cable, Ratings,
It would be almost impossible to count the number of TV movies the Disney Channel has premiered. From Halloweentown to Surf Girls, Disney knows how to appeal to the tween and teen set. But even this huge, money-making cable channel couldn’t predict the runaway success of High School Musical, which drew more than 6 million viewers the second time it aired. The soundtrack became a number one album, and the DVD sales went through the roof. Disney did what any cable network would have done – they ordered a sequel.
High School Musical 2 dominated Disney all weekend, airing on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And this time, Disney’s original movie set a viewership record. No less than 17.24 million viewers tuned in to see the sequel of the much-loved musical flick. Seventeen million – those numbers are even better than last season’s American Idol, the number one network show. With this amount of watchers, Disney’s movie became the most-watched cable broadcast of all time. The original Musical has already been viewed by more than 200 million in 100 different countries.
On Saturday, I decided to see what all this hype was about. I went to the video store and rented their only remaining copy of High School Musical, then sat down on my couch to find out what all the fuss is about. I was prepared to keep my nose turned up. After all, it’s just another Disney movie, right?
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| Xinjuanet
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Who’s Ready for High School Musical 2?
Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Kids, Music, Prime Time, Cable, Cable/Satellite,
Seriously, who isn’t ready for High School Musical 2? I’m a little older than the typical screaming pre-teen Zac Efron fan, but I have to admit I find a little twinkle of charm in the first High School Musical—so I’ll likely give the sequel a look this Friday. Hey, what else is there to watch on a Friday night? Summer TV is pitiful and the wait for the fall season is never-ending. So seeing something light and easy like High School Musical 2 should fit the bill nicely. And I owe it all to my niece. My own kids aren’t that interested, but my niece is a full-fledged maniac about the Disney movie. The movie is the follow-up, of course, to the original 2006 story of high school woes set to music. And it took off like wildfire—spinning into a myriad of plays, a tour, album—good god, even an ice show! This time around, the gang is working at a country club (yep, all of them), so you can bet there will be plenty of musical outbursts as they plan a talent show. And with the certainty of success for the latest High School Musical, there are talks of a third installment landing on the big screen.
Read More | Yahoo! News
Anne Hathaway Becomes Jane…and a Major Hollywood Player
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Miramax, Drama, Period, Romance, Casting, New Releases,
Anne Hathaway, 24-year-old actress, has come a long way since she gained notice in Disney’s two Princess Diaries flicks. Since then, Hathaway appeared in the critically-acclaimed Brokeback Mountain, and acted opposite Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada. Now, Hathaway is starring in Becoming Jane, the semi-fictional Jane Austen flick scheduled for release today…but is Anne Hathaway ready to become an A-list star?
There was a point during production when Hathaway seriously considered walking away from Becoming Jane, which is loosely based on the life of novelist Jane Austen. To the delight of moviegoers, Hathaway stuck with the project, though she did have to do a lot of research for the part. The actress had to learn to speak in an English accent and study the customs of the late 18th century just to play the role. Though Becoming Jane is certainly about a real person living in a real time, the movie itself is not based on actual events.
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Read More | CNN, Entertainment Weekly
Dropping Dimes One-on-One Tourney: Semi-finals
Posted by Alvin Lai Categories: Site Features, Talent,
The “versus” idea seems to be a theme of the summer. Did a little surfing and found a bad ass tournament but the voting is a bit questionable because Jack Bauer of ‘24’ was ousted in the first round! Not that I have anything in particular against Indiana Jones…
I have also seen hottest celebrity tournament brackets but here’s a hottest Disney princess tournament that some might find interesting.
Of course I am partial to our very own one-on-one-tourney. It’s the semi-finals! So let’s see who made the final four and then announce this week’s match-ups.
Click to continue reading Dropping Dimes One-on-One Tourney: Semi-finals
Disney to Ban Smoking in All Future Releases
Posted by Johnny Mercedes Categories: Disney, Miramax, Touchstone, Family, Distribution, Filmmaking,
Two months ago, the MPAA announced that any films submitted for rating would now be scrutinized for instances of cigarette smoking, particularly when it is glamorized. This new regulation was aimed at keeping these images away from the eyes of young, malleable children, and could affect said film’s rating, though the deciding criteria remains unknown. Now family-friendly juggernaut Disney has become the first major Hollywood studio to back the MPAA’s anti-smoking decision to help keep cigarettes away from the youth of America.
The decision was made as a result of recent studies exploring the affect current films have on children given the ubiquitous nature of these images — the results don’t look good. It seems that 90 percent of all films depict smoking, and that children with the highest exposure to these films are three times more likely to try smoking.
In addition to banning smoking in all upcoming releases, Disney has said it will place anti-smoking public service announcements on any future DVDs that feature smoking, and they are encouraging theater owners to do the same on the big screen. The company’s two other labels, Touchstone and Miramax, will also be strongly discouraged from producing or distributing movies with images of smoking, though how strong the discouragement remains unclear.
Disney may be taking an important step in the fight against this national health crisis, but film is only a small piece of the pie. It is up to our government to implement proper anti-smoking education for children — a quick PSA before a movie will do nothing. And it helps to remember that smoking, unlike violence or sexual imagery, is around children all the time, wherever they go. The only way to make real change is with parents who feel a need to protect their children. Light a fire under them, and the problem will smoke itself.
Read More | Reuters
E3 2007: The Big Three: Who “Won” E3?
Posted by Edie Sellers Categories: Casual, Corporate News, E3, Editorial, Hardware, Microsoft, Nintendo, Nintendo DS, PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360,
It always seems a bit silly to declare a “winner” of E3. It’s just so juvenile. This is a complex industry that can’t be distilled down to the simple question of “who beat whom.”
But we just can’t help it, can we?
Comparing the three keynotes this year, however, really is a grab-bag of possible outcomes. All three offered something interesting, and picking a single “winner” this year more than ever depends how you define “winning.”
My rundown is after the break.
Click to continue reading E3 2007: The Big Three: Who “Won” E3?
E3 2007: Microsoft’s Press Conference Recap And Impressions
Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Accessories, Action, Activision, Adventure, Bungie, CAPCOM, Casual, Corporate News, Driving, E3, Electronic Arts, First Person Shooters, Hardware, Microsoft, Party Games, PC, Puzzle, Release Dates, Retro, Role Playing Games, SEGA, Simulation, Special Editions, Sports, Strategy, Survival Horror, Take2, Third Person Shooters, Trailers, Ubisoft, Xbox 360, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox Live Marketplace,
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend E3 this year – instead, I’m on vacation in Cape Cod, using awful hotel Wi-Fi to watch streamed press conferences. Not the most glamorous way to take it all in, but exciting announcements, great games and new details are welcome no matter how you hear about them.
Here’s my personal transcription (in very brief form) of all the announcements and showings, along with some reflection on what Microsoft had to show.
Click to continue reading E3 2007: Microsoft’s Press Conference Recap And Impressions
E3 2007: Live Notes From Microsoft Media Briefing
We hope you guys are ready, because while E3 may be quite a bit smaller this year, the announcements coming from all the game companies should still prove to be large. The Microsoft briefing is right about to start, and we expect to see and hear some fairly exciting announcements. Halo 3 anyone? Fable 2 FTW? Any unannounced exclusives? Check back here in 30 minutes for the full scoop.
UPDATE: Alright guys, hit the break for the news!
Click to continue reading E3 2007: Live Notes From Microsoft Media Briefing
Box Office Breakdown: Almighty Only Does Alrighty
Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Disney, MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Family, Political, Religious, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases,
Question: When is being the #1 movie just not enough? (Hint: You have three chances to answer this question correctly).
Answer(s):
- When the critics don’t really have anything good to say about you
- When you made less than 1/2 of what your predecessor did on opening weekend
- When it cost over $175 million just to create you
Apparently having God on your side doesn’t guarantee you heavenly box office numbers. Evan Almighty, the follow-up to 2003’s Bruce Almighty, failed to bring in a large congregation this past weekend. Although it did better than the rest of the flock, it’s $32 million take paled in comparison to Bruce’s $68 million opening. And then there’s that glaring $175 million bill…
Of course, we shouldn’t feel so badly about Steve Carell’s career. I have a feeling that God is providing for him in other ways.
Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Almighty Only Does Alrighty
Is Pirates Worth the Hype?
Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Disney, Action, Adventure, Sequels, Box Office, New Releases, Theatrical Reviews,
Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean was a surprise success – able to delight both children and adults, the flick pulled in big star power and even bigger box office numbers. That’s quite an achievement for a movie that was, essentially, based upon a theme park ride. The slick production, clever acting, high-priced sets, and interesting costumes all make the third installment to this multi-million-dollar franchise look wonderful. But…is it actually worth the time and money that moviegoers will have to invest?
At nearly three hours long, At World’s End feels less like the Pirates attraction and more like the never-ending It’s a Small World tunnel. Children will love the silly gags, amazing effects, high-action drama, and the sword fighting. But, it holds almost none of the appeal of the first film and does little to fix the damage wrought by the second (Dead Man’s Chest, which was one action sequence after another, coupled with a quickly-confusing script and a few plot twists that made audiences scratch their heads and go “am I in the right theater?”).
Click to continue reading Is Pirates Worth the Hype?
Read More | TV Guide
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