Animator Bill Justice, who worked on such classic Disney features as Bambi, Fantasia, and Alice in Wonderland passed on February 10, 2011 at the age of 97.
Bill Justice was born on February 9, 1914 in Dayton, Ohio. He studied painting portraits at the John Herron Art Institute. Indianapolis, Indiana. Upon graduation in 1935 he moved to California. Mr. Justice went to work at Walt Disney Productions in 1937. He worked on the ground breaking film Fantasia (1940). His best known work may have come with Bambi (1942), for which he animated the character of Thumper. Over the years he would serve as an animator on such feature films as Saludos Amigos (1942), The Three Caballeros (1944), The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949), and Alice in Wonderland (1951). Mr. Justice also worked on numerous shorts, from "Der Furher's Face (1942)" to "Noah's Ark (1959)." Among the characters he animated in shorts were Chip and Dale. It was Bill Justice who animated the opening to The Mickey Mouse Club. He also provided a good deal of animation for the TV series Disneyland.
Bill Justice would also design titles for Disney's live action films, starting with The Shaggy Dog (1959). He would provided titles for The Parent Trap (1961), Bon Voayge (1962), and The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964). He also provided stop motion animation for Babes in Toyland (1961) and Mary Poppins (1964).
In 1965 Bill Justice joined Walt Disney Imagineering. He worked on programming Auto-Animatronic figures for various Disneyland attractions, including the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Haunted Mansion.
Bill Justice was one of the last remaining animators of Walt Disney Productions' Golden Age. He worked on several classic works of animation, from shorts to features. He would earn a lasting place in pop culture in animating the opening to The Mickey Mouse Club.That he also worked in Disney Animatronics and provided titles and stop motion for Disney's live action films makes him all the more remarkable. He will certainly be remembered.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The 2011 Super Bowl Commercials
Let's face it, there may be more people who actually tune into the Super Bowl to watch the commercials than the game itself (especially this year). And there are probably many more who do not watch the game at all, but watch the commercials online. Unless the Rams are playing, I generally fall into that category.At any rate, it seems to me that the commercials are often more anticipated than the game itself.
This year I think produced a better batch of commercials than usual. That is not to say that there were not some very bad commercials this year. Indeed, some were downright offensive. Groupon Inc. used two ads spoofing public service announcements for well known causes. One spoofed public service announcements for saving the whales. The other, and the one that generated the most controversy, spoofed public service announcements for the human rights situation in Tibet. Personally, I think both were in very poor tastes. There are some things one simply does not joke about, among them a number of related species nearing extinction and the oppression of an entire people are two of them. The ad mentioning Tibet caused such outrage that it has since been pulled from the air. As far as I know, the one mentioning whales has not been. PErsonally, I don't think either should have aired at all.
Fortunately, the men bashing commercials of last year seem to have largely disappeared, although Pepsi Max produced one of the most offensive adverts of the bunch. As far as the commercials aired this year, I would say it was the third most offensive in the bunch. Entitled "First Date," the commercial features a young woman and a young man on their first date. The young woman is thinking such things as "Is he the one," "will he be a good father," and so on. The young man is thinking, "I want to sleep with her," over and over. Quite frankly, I find this to be an offensive stereotype of the male of the species in the extreme and not generally true of men. Not once on a first date have I ever repeatedly thought, " I want to sleep with her." In fact, my thoughts have been more akin to that of the young woman, pondering if she is the one, if she is good marriage material, and s on (here I must point out, of course, that I have thought "I want to sleep with her" on a first date, but I think everyone--including women--do at some point). The simple fact is that this Pepsi Max commercial is downright sexist, and Pepsi should be ashamed of themselves. It is no more right to bash men than it is women.
Enough of talking about the bad ads. Here are the commercials I thought were the best. The first is from Bridgestone, in which a beaver makes some very big changes. It's entitled "Carma"
Next up is an ad from CarMax, in which a modern day driver encounters customer service from the Sixties at a filling station. It's entitled "Gas Station."
Next is a Volkwagen advert which centres around the insect for which their best known car was named. It is entitled "Black Beetle."
Finally, there is the commercial which seems to be considered the best Super Bowl advert this year by general consensus. It is another commercial from Volkswagen and concerns a pint sized Darth Vader testing his power over The Force. Naturally, it is titled "The Force."
This year I think produced a better batch of commercials than usual. That is not to say that there were not some very bad commercials this year. Indeed, some were downright offensive. Groupon Inc. used two ads spoofing public service announcements for well known causes. One spoofed public service announcements for saving the whales. The other, and the one that generated the most controversy, spoofed public service announcements for the human rights situation in Tibet. Personally, I think both were in very poor tastes. There are some things one simply does not joke about, among them a number of related species nearing extinction and the oppression of an entire people are two of them. The ad mentioning Tibet caused such outrage that it has since been pulled from the air. As far as I know, the one mentioning whales has not been. PErsonally, I don't think either should have aired at all.
Fortunately, the men bashing commercials of last year seem to have largely disappeared, although Pepsi Max produced one of the most offensive adverts of the bunch. As far as the commercials aired this year, I would say it was the third most offensive in the bunch. Entitled "First Date," the commercial features a young woman and a young man on their first date. The young woman is thinking such things as "Is he the one," "will he be a good father," and so on. The young man is thinking, "I want to sleep with her," over and over. Quite frankly, I find this to be an offensive stereotype of the male of the species in the extreme and not generally true of men. Not once on a first date have I ever repeatedly thought, " I want to sleep with her." In fact, my thoughts have been more akin to that of the young woman, pondering if she is the one, if she is good marriage material, and s on (here I must point out, of course, that I have thought "I want to sleep with her" on a first date, but I think everyone--including women--do at some point). The simple fact is that this Pepsi Max commercial is downright sexist, and Pepsi should be ashamed of themselves. It is no more right to bash men than it is women.
Enough of talking about the bad ads. Here are the commercials I thought were the best. The first is from Bridgestone, in which a beaver makes some very big changes. It's entitled "Carma"
Next up is an ad from CarMax, in which a modern day driver encounters customer service from the Sixties at a filling station. It's entitled "Gas Station."
Next is a Volkwagen advert which centres around the insect for which their best known car was named. It is entitled "Black Beetle."
Finally, there is the commercial which seems to be considered the best Super Bowl advert this year by general consensus. It is another commercial from Volkswagen and concerns a pint sized Darth Vader testing his power over The Force. Naturally, it is titled "The Force."
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Tura Satana Passes On
Tura Satana, who achieved cult stardom with Russ Meyer's Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! on 4 February 2011 at the age of 75.She was born Tura Luna Pascual Yamaguchi on 10 January 1935 in Hokkaido, Japan. Her father was of Japanese and Filipino descent, while her mother was of Cheyenne, Scottish, and Irish descent. The family moved to the United States, where young Tura would be interred at Manzanar during World War II. Afterwards the family moved to Chicago. As a young woman she worked as a model and an exotic dancer. When comedian Harold Lloyd took erotic photographs of her, he suggested that she should go into acting.
Miss Satana would make her movie debut with a small role in Billy Wilder's Irma La Douce (1963). She would also appear in a bit part in the film Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed (1964). She guest starred on the series Burke's Law and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. It was in 1965 that she appeared as Varla in the film Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, directed by Russ Meyer. The film would achieve cult status, as would Tura Satana. It remains her most famous role.
She would go onto guest star on The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. She appeared in the films Our Man Flint (1965), The Astro-Zombies (1968),The Doll Squad (1973), Mark of the Astro-Zombies (2002), Sugar Boxx (2009), The Haunted World of Super Beasto (2009), and Astro-Zombies M3-Cloned (2010).
Zura Satana did not have an extensive filmography and her roles would be extremely limited as a result, but she was very good at what she did. Trained in several martial arts, Miss Satana could give the impression of being very deadly and very efficient, but at the same time still remain feminine. Given that female characters of that sort were very rare at that time (as of 1965 there was Mrs. Gale on The Avengers--Emma Peel would make her debut on The Avengers and Honey West would make her debut on her self titled show later in the year), it is little wonder she made such an impression.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Actor Michael Tolan R.I.P.
Actor Michael Tolan passed on January 31, 2011 at the age of 85.The cause was heart disease and heart failure.
Michael Tolan was born Seymour Tuchow on November 27, 1925 in Detroit. He graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit. Following graduation he was with a repertory company in Detroit. He studied under Stella Adler in New York. He also won a fellowship to study acting at Stanford University. It was while he was at Stanford that he was cast as gangster James Malloy in the movie The Enforcer (1951).
Throughout the Fifties Mr. Tolan appeared in such films as Insie the Walls of Folsom Prison (1951), Fort Worth (1951), The Savage (1951), Hiawatha (1951), and Julius Caesar (1953). His career would primarily be on television and on stage. In the Fifties he appeared on such shows as Inner Sanctum, The Web, Kraft Theatre, Studio One, Decoy, Diagnosis: Unknown, and Omnibus.
In the Sixties Michael Tolan played Dr. Tazinski on The Nurses and Jordan Boyle on The Senator (one of the series that aired under the umbrella title The Bold Ones). He appeared on the shows Armstrong Circle Theatre, Naked City, The United States Steel Hour, Route 66, The Outer Limits, Felony Squad, Tarzan, The Invaders, The Rat Patrol, Mannix, Mission: Impossible, and Dan August.He appeared in the movies Roseanna (1967), Hour of the Gun (1967), Journey into the Darkness (1968), The Lost Man (1969), and John and Mary (1969).
In the Seventies Mr. Tolan appeared in such shows as Nichols, Circle of Fear, Owen Marshall: Counsellor at Law, The F.B.I., Barnaby Jones, Hallmark Hall of Fame, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, McMillan and Wife, and Kojak. He appeared in the films The 300 Year Weekend (1971) and All That Jazz (1980). From the Eighties into the Naughts Mr. Tolan appeared in such shows as Nurse, Law and Order, and Murder She Wrote. He appeared in the films Talk to Me (1984), Presumed Innocent (1990), and Perfect Stranger (2007).
Michael Tolan also had a stage career. He made his Broadway debut in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter in 1955. He would later appear in such plays as The Genius and the Goddess (1957) and Unlikely Heroes (1971). He also helped found the American Place Theatre, a successful Off Broadway playhouse.
Michael Tolan was born Seymour Tuchow on November 27, 1925 in Detroit. He graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit. Following graduation he was with a repertory company in Detroit. He studied under Stella Adler in New York. He also won a fellowship to study acting at Stanford University. It was while he was at Stanford that he was cast as gangster James Malloy in the movie The Enforcer (1951).
Throughout the Fifties Mr. Tolan appeared in such films as Insie the Walls of Folsom Prison (1951), Fort Worth (1951), The Savage (1951), Hiawatha (1951), and Julius Caesar (1953). His career would primarily be on television and on stage. In the Fifties he appeared on such shows as Inner Sanctum, The Web, Kraft Theatre, Studio One, Decoy, Diagnosis: Unknown, and Omnibus.
In the Sixties Michael Tolan played Dr. Tazinski on The Nurses and Jordan Boyle on The Senator (one of the series that aired under the umbrella title The Bold Ones). He appeared on the shows Armstrong Circle Theatre, Naked City, The United States Steel Hour, Route 66, The Outer Limits, Felony Squad, Tarzan, The Invaders, The Rat Patrol, Mannix, Mission: Impossible, and Dan August.He appeared in the movies Roseanna (1967), Hour of the Gun (1967), Journey into the Darkness (1968), The Lost Man (1969), and John and Mary (1969).
In the Seventies Mr. Tolan appeared in such shows as Nichols, Circle of Fear, Owen Marshall: Counsellor at Law, The F.B.I., Barnaby Jones, Hallmark Hall of Fame, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, McMillan and Wife, and Kojak. He appeared in the films The 300 Year Weekend (1971) and All That Jazz (1980). From the Eighties into the Naughts Mr. Tolan appeared in such shows as Nurse, Law and Order, and Murder She Wrote. He appeared in the films Talk to Me (1984), Presumed Innocent (1990), and Perfect Stranger (2007).
Michael Tolan also had a stage career. He made his Broadway debut in Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter in 1955. He would later appear in such plays as The Genius and the Goddess (1957) and Unlikely Heroes (1971). He also helped found the American Place Theatre, a successful Off Broadway playhouse.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Maria Schneider Passes On
Actress Maria Schneider, who starred in such films as The Passenger (1975) and Jane Eyre (1996), passed yesterday at the age of 58 after a long illness.
Maria Schneider was born on 27 March, 1952 in Paris. Her mother was Marie-Christine Schneider, the Romanian model, and her father was actor Daniel Gélin. Born out of wedlock, her father would not acknowledge her until she was a teenager. At age fifteen she left the German town in which her mother was raising her for Paris. There she made a meagre living as a model and sometimes a film extra. It was legendary actress Brigitte Bardot who came to her rescue. She put her up in her home and found her an agent at William Morris.
Miss Schneider started in films with small roles in such film as L'arbre de Noël (1969) and Les Femmes (1969). Her first credited role came with Les jambes en l'air (1972). She appeared in such films as La vieille fille (1972) and What a Flash (1972) before appearing in her famous role in Last Tango in Paris (1972). The film was controversial for it sexual explicitness, so much so the MPAA ratings board gave it an "X" rating (even today it is rated "NC-17"). Miss Schneider became a sex symbol over night, much to her dismay. She wanted to be taken seriously as an actress. She would spend much of her career trying to escape the image Last Tango in Paris had conveyed. She appeared in the films The Passenger (1975) and La Baby Sitter (1975). Her career declined in the late Seventies.
In the Eighties she appeared in such films as Merry-Go-Round (1981), Yoroppa tokkyu (1984) and Bunker Palace Hotel (1989). She appeared on the TV series L'or noir de Lornac. In the Nineties she appeared in such films as La condanna (1991), Au pays des Juliets (1992), Jane Eyre (1996), Something to Believe In (1998), and Actors (2000). In the Naughts she appeared in such films as La repentie (2002), La Clef (2007), and Cliente.She appeared on the shows Maigret and A.D. La guerre de l'ombre,
Maria Schneider was born on 27 March, 1952 in Paris. Her mother was Marie-Christine Schneider, the Romanian model, and her father was actor Daniel Gélin. Born out of wedlock, her father would not acknowledge her until she was a teenager. At age fifteen she left the German town in which her mother was raising her for Paris. There she made a meagre living as a model and sometimes a film extra. It was legendary actress Brigitte Bardot who came to her rescue. She put her up in her home and found her an agent at William Morris.
Miss Schneider started in films with small roles in such film as L'arbre de Noël (1969) and Les Femmes (1969). Her first credited role came with Les jambes en l'air (1972). She appeared in such films as La vieille fille (1972) and What a Flash (1972) before appearing in her famous role in Last Tango in Paris (1972). The film was controversial for it sexual explicitness, so much so the MPAA ratings board gave it an "X" rating (even today it is rated "NC-17"). Miss Schneider became a sex symbol over night, much to her dismay. She wanted to be taken seriously as an actress. She would spend much of her career trying to escape the image Last Tango in Paris had conveyed. She appeared in the films The Passenger (1975) and La Baby Sitter (1975). Her career declined in the late Seventies.
In the Eighties she appeared in such films as Merry-Go-Round (1981), Yoroppa tokkyu (1984) and Bunker Palace Hotel (1989). She appeared on the TV series L'or noir de Lornac. In the Nineties she appeared in such films as La condanna (1991), Au pays des Juliets (1992), Jane Eyre (1996), Something to Believe In (1998), and Actors (2000). In the Naughts she appeared in such films as La repentie (2002), La Clef (2007), and Cliente.She appeared on the shows Maigret and A.D. La guerre de l'ombre,
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
A Video Tribute to Audrey Hepburn
Here is the second video I have made with Windows Moivemaker, a tribute to Audrey Hepburn. The song is Doris Day's version of "Dream a Little Dream of Me (my favourite version is the one by Cass Elliot, but I wanted one that was closer to Audrey's golden age from the late Fifties to the mid-Sixties). I used more transitional effects on this video, in part because, unlike my previous video, the shifts from image to image could be somewhat jarring. Anyhow, without further ado...
Monday, January 31, 2011
Composer John Barry Passes On
John Barry, who composed scores for James Bond films and many other movies, passed on 30 January 2011 at the age of 77. According to the BBC he died of a heart attack.
John Barry was born John Barry Prendergast in York on 3 November 1933. His father managed various cinemas throughout York, leading young John Barry to take an interest in movies. He showed a talent for music early, learning piano and trumpet. It was while serving in the military in Cyprus that Mr. Barry began performing as a musician. In the mid Fifties he served as an arranger for Ted Heath's Orchestra. In 1957 he formed his own band, The John Barry Seven. It was in 1959 that he broke into television, composing the theme to the series In 1960 he broke into movies, writing the score for the movie Never Let Go. Over the next few years he composed the score for the movie Beat Girl (1960) and the 1961 Girl on the Roof.
Eventually John Barry would come to the attention of the producers of a film called Dr. No, with whose score the producers were unhappy. John Barry gave them a new score (although Monty Norman would be credited with the "James Bond Theme"). John Barry's success with Dr. No would lead him to score most of the Bond films up to The Living Daylights (1987), as well as such films as Man in the Middle (1963), Zulu (1963), A Jolly Bad Fellow (1964), The Ipcress File (1965), The Knack...and How to Get It (1965), King Rat (1965), Born Free (1966), The Wrong Box (1966), The Quiller Memorandum (1966), Petulia (1968), The Lion in Winter (1968), They Might Be Giants (1971), King Kong (1976), The Deep (1977), The Game of Death (1978), The Black Hole (1979), Howard the Duck (1986), Dances with Wolves (1990), Chaplin (1992), The Scarlet Letter (1995), Playing by Heart (1998), and Enigma (2001).
Mr. Barry also composed extensively for television, including the themes for the shows The Human Jungle, Juke Box Jury, Vendetta, The Newcomers, Discs a Go-Go, The Persuaders, The Adventurer, and Great Mysteries.
John Barry was definitely one of the greatest film composers of all time. While "The James Bond Theme" itself is credited to Monty Norman, the scores of Dr. No and the further James Bond movies were all written by John Barry. Additionally, John Barry would compose such iconic scores as the ones for Born Free, The Lion in Winter, Mary Queen of Scots, and Dances with Wolves. His style was bigger than life, which made it perfectly suited for spy films such as the Bond movies, The Ipcress File, and The Quiller Memorandum. Few film composers achieved as much as John Barry did.
John Barry was born John Barry Prendergast in York on 3 November 1933. His father managed various cinemas throughout York, leading young John Barry to take an interest in movies. He showed a talent for music early, learning piano and trumpet. It was while serving in the military in Cyprus that Mr. Barry began performing as a musician. In the mid Fifties he served as an arranger for Ted Heath's Orchestra. In 1957 he formed his own band, The John Barry Seven. It was in 1959 that he broke into television, composing the theme to the series In 1960 he broke into movies, writing the score for the movie Never Let Go. Over the next few years he composed the score for the movie Beat Girl (1960) and the 1961 Girl on the Roof.
Eventually John Barry would come to the attention of the producers of a film called Dr. No, with whose score the producers were unhappy. John Barry gave them a new score (although Monty Norman would be credited with the "James Bond Theme"). John Barry's success with Dr. No would lead him to score most of the Bond films up to The Living Daylights (1987), as well as such films as Man in the Middle (1963), Zulu (1963), A Jolly Bad Fellow (1964), The Ipcress File (1965), The Knack...and How to Get It (1965), King Rat (1965), Born Free (1966), The Wrong Box (1966), The Quiller Memorandum (1966), Petulia (1968), The Lion in Winter (1968), They Might Be Giants (1971), King Kong (1976), The Deep (1977), The Game of Death (1978), The Black Hole (1979), Howard the Duck (1986), Dances with Wolves (1990), Chaplin (1992), The Scarlet Letter (1995), Playing by Heart (1998), and Enigma (2001).
Mr. Barry also composed extensively for television, including the themes for the shows The Human Jungle, Juke Box Jury, Vendetta, The Newcomers, Discs a Go-Go, The Persuaders, The Adventurer, and Great Mysteries.
John Barry was definitely one of the greatest film composers of all time. While "The James Bond Theme" itself is credited to Monty Norman, the scores of Dr. No and the further James Bond movies were all written by John Barry. Additionally, John Barry would compose such iconic scores as the ones for Born Free, The Lion in Winter, Mary Queen of Scots, and Dances with Wolves. His style was bigger than life, which made it perfectly suited for spy films such as the Bond movies, The Ipcress File, and The Quiller Memorandum. Few film composers achieved as much as John Barry did.
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