Children's Film Links: Watching and Making Films
LEGO Studios:
Film School with Building Blocks This website has extensive information on
how to make films, along with terrific suggestions and information
about how films work.
Street-Level Youth Media: http://www.street-level.org
A fascinating, nationally recognized Chicago organization involving
some
1500
inner-city kids per year in video, web, and various other technology art-based
media. They organization used video projects to ease gang tensions, provided
kids
with
access to website and video production equipment (and a safe place to
go after
school and in the evening), collaborated with local schools, and raised/earned
money to provide participating students with scholarships and sometimes with
paid
staff positions. The website itself is wonderful, with a great links section and
with such concise information that can hardly be summarized. Really, check it out.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
The second film in the Harry Potter series, which promises many more books and
films to come.
Treasure Planet
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/treasureplanet/
Disney's new release, done in a combination of animation and CGI, based on Robert
Louis Stevenenson's Treasure Island. Think Treasure Island
in space with robots. It's by the guys who directed Aladdin, Hercules,
The Little Mermaid, and The Great Mouse Detective, but Treasure
Planet is not a musical. It's going to be the first film to be released
in both regular theaters and large-format theaters (IMAX) simultaneously. And
this film looks shiny and interesting. I regained some faith in Disney pictures
with Lilo & Stitch, so I figure it's worth seeing.
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The second installment of the Lord of the Rings. This is much scarier
and darker than the The Fellowship of the Ring, so it may not be appropriate
for very young children.
The Wild Thornberrys
Nickelodeon's latest TV-to-big screen release. Supposedly this will kick off
a whole series of Thornberry movies.
The Way Home
Korean Film with excellent reviews, but no word yet on when it's going to be
released outside of New York/LA.
The Jungle Book II
A sequel to the 1967 animated Disney film, starring the voices of John Goodman
as Baloo, Haley Joel Osmant (this will be his fourth time doing Disney voice
work) as Mowgli, and Tony Jay as Shere Kahn. Originally meant to be released
direct-to-video, there's really no news yet on whether this movie will deserve
its widespread theater release. Other sequels that Disney made to its classics
in recent years (Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, and Winnie the
Pooh) have all gotten new treatments, and it's tough to guess what the quality
of this one will be.
Asterix and Obelix Vs. Ceasar:
http://www.asterix.tm.fr/lefilm/
(official French site, with some pages in English)
Released in France in 1999, enjoyed immense popularity there. Starring Christian
Clavier and Gerard Depardieu. Our favorite wacky Italian, Roberto Benigni, co-stars
as Lucius Detritus. Supposedly hitting theaters sometime in 2003; might just
be direct-to-video. Its sequel, Asterix and Obelix Meet Cleopatra, is
due in theaters in June 2003.
Asterix and Obelix Meet Cleopatra:
http://missioncleopatre.com/
(official French site)
Sequel to 1999's Asterix and Obelix Vs. Ceasar,
which was one of the most commercially successful French films ever. Parody
of the Elizabeth Taylor film Cleopatra. Based on the 1965 French comic
book of the same title. Starring Christian Clavier and Gerard Depardieu.
Star Wars: Episode II
Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
Ice Age
Monsters, Inc.
Big Fat Liar
Barbie as Rapunzel
Barney: On the Move (VHS only)
Return to Neverland
Kermit's Swamp Years: The Real Story Behind Kermit the Frog's Early Years
Beauty and the Beast Platinum Edition DVD
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
The Powerpuff Girls Movie
ET: The Extra Terrestrial Collector's Editon DVD (2 discs) and Ultimate
Collector's Edition DVD (3 discs)
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