Winnie the Pooh - Dove Family Approved

Dove Review 
The animation is warm and wonderful, like water colors from a Golden Book, and the characters are delightful and the humor is wholesome. What more could you ask for in viewing a summer movie with your family? Pooh ("Oh bother") Bear is back along with Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet and the rest of the gang. Several kids chuckled and laughed at the screening I caught. One part that made them snicker was when Pooh spots a note at his door and says, "Good thing I noticed it or I wouldn't have seen it." Pooh mostly likes to eat honey or search for honey but to his credit when Piglet digs a hole Pooh "supervises".

A Disney short screened before the movie, "The Ballad of Nessie Short", about a sea monster, and it was delightful. Then we got straight to Pooh. When Eeyore loses his tail (or, as the gang posts on a sign, "tael"), Pooh and his friends go off in search of the missing ending. And then the pot is sweetened, literally, when a reward of a pot of honey is offered to whoever finds the tail. Tigger sings and dances (which caused some of the early laughter) and the gang won't stop until the missing tail is found. In the meantime, various tails are tried on Eeyore including an umbrella, a dart board, and a knitted tail. When it unravels Eeyore reminds everyone that "all good things come to an end".

We are happy to award this delightful movie our Dove "Family-Approved" Seal for all ages. Parents are sure to crack a smile along with the kids. Take your honey...er, someone special with you and your kids will thank you.

Toy Story 3 crosses $1 billion mark!

Well what do you know? Family films ARE profitable! 

DISNEY•PIXAR’S TOY STORY 3 WILL CROSS $1 BILLION TODAY; DISNEY TO BECOME FIRST STUDIO WITH TWO
$1 BILLION FILMS IN ONE YEAR

BURBANK, Calif. – August 27, 2010 – Two weeks after becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time, Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 3 will cross the $1 billion mark at the global box office today,  joining Alice in Wonderland as the second $1 billion film this year from The Walt Disney Studios – the first studio in history to accomplish this feat.  Disney first crossed the $1 billion threshold with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest in 2006.  Toy Story 3 becomes the only animated film to reach this milestone and the seventh title in industry history. 

“It’s been an incredible year as we saw the Pixar team bring Buzz and Woody back to the big screen and watched Tim Burton’s vision for Alice in Wonderland take the world by storm,” said Rich Ross, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios.  “These box office triumphs prove that creative storytelling brought to life by imaginative, inspired and talented professionals is something audiences respond to the world over.” 

As of Thursday (8/26/10), Toy Story 3 tallied more than $592.9 million internationally, Disney’s largest international animated release. Latin American audiences have contributed $138 million making Toy Story 3 the highest grossing Disney film ever released in the region.  Toy Story 3 is the most successful UK release in Disney history and currently stands as the fourth biggest title in territory history with $102.4 million in box office receipts so far.  In Japan, the film has taken in $111.2 million and spent five consecutive weeks as the #1 movie.  Toy Story 3 currently ranks as the #7 film in global box office history and domestically ranks #9 with $404.6 million in receipts to date.

Alice in Wonderland began setting records during its opening weekend (March 5-7), becoming the biggest March opening in industry history, the highest 3D opening ever and The Walt Disney Studios’ biggest opening for a non-sequel film.  Internationally, the film went on to tally more than $690 million, becoming Disney’s biggest overseas release of all time and the fourth biggest title ever released overseas.  Worldwide, the film took in $1.0243 billion, ranking it as the #5 film in global box office history.  

Disney Prexy, Mark Zoradi Steps Down

Disney Prexy Mark Zoradi Steps Down 

Mark Zoradi, president, Walt Disney Studios Motion

Pictures Group, has resigned effective immediately.

Another sad day at the Mouse Factory. I've known Mark Zoradi since his promotion to President of the Disney Motion Picture Group in 2006. He and former boss Dick Cook were, to me savvy businessmen with a special sensativity for wholesome entertainment; the kind that made Disney the most successful family-friendly brand on the planet.  Mark and Dick will both be sorly missed according to a Disney executive I spoke with.  And, I second that emotion. I hope the studio doesn't lose its way in all this restructuring. Faithful followers will notice if the direction changes as little as one degree. We at The Dove Foundation will be watching.

I wish nothing but the best for Mark and his family  as he transitions to the next new thing!

Disney's "A Christmas Carol" Review by The Dove Foundation

Christmas Carol, Disneys A Review by The Dove Foundation

Crystal Dove Seal trophies given Hollywood execs

Best Family Movies of 2008 Receive Crystal Dove Seal Awards
Source: http://www.dove.org/

April 1, 2009 (Grand Rapids, MI) - The Dove Foundation announced today the winners of the CRYSTAL DOVE SEAL, an award designed to highlight Hollywood’s film-making achievements for the vast and diverse family audience. The CRYSTAL DOVE SEAL pays special tribute to those companies that have demonstrated increased awareness in the value of providing the huge family audience with more appropriate choices.

Dove posted a ballot on its website at http://www.dove.org/ during the month of February inviting visitors to cast a vote for their favorite Dove Approved movies in seven categories, Comedy, Drama, Action/Adventure, Animated Feature, Documentary, Musical, and Limited Release. Thousands of online voters selected the “best of the best” Dove Family-Approved movies for 2008.

Dove Foundation co-founder and CEO, Dick Rolfe just returned from Los Angeles where he presented the solid crystal trophies for this year's winners. “These outstanding films represent the highest examples of quality storytelling combined with positive values that most Americans hold dear,” Rolfe said.

Disney Dumps Dawn Treader

Well, it's official. Disney has dropped out of the Narnia franchise and won't participate in "Voyage of the Dawn Treader." See story at Reuters.com

This could be a bad time for Walden Media or a freeing time, it depends on who they collaborate with to complete this epic franchise.

Disney was always timid about the Christian imagery in the Narnia stories. During "The Lion Witch and Wardrobe," Disney emphasized the secular messages in the film while Walden and Douglas Gresham (Lewis' stepson) launched a religious grassroots marketing strategy. Both Disney and Walden ignored the religious market when promoting "Prince Caspian," assuming that the first episode would be enough impetus for the Christian "underground" to carry their water.

Unfortunately, a prevailing message that preceeded the opening of Caspian was that "it is much more violent that LW&WR...more like 'Lord of the Rings'." This was a needless turnoff, since the level of violence is pretty much the same in both episodes, it's just that there are more battle scenes in Caspian.

I heard that Walden made a calculated error by postponing the opening of "Prince Caspian" to give "Nim's Island" which opened April 4th a better chance against competition. That decision did nothing to help "Nim's Island." In fact, Caspian's debute of May 15th was quickly deflated by "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" which opened May 21st.

I believe that a Fox-Walden co-production will help greatly in making sure the message is pure Lewis, and in marketing the film properly to faith-based, faith-friendly and family-friendly audiences.

Of course, there is also a possibility that Sony may want to play a role, given Amy Pascal's recent comments about looking for more family-oriented opportunities.

In the final analysis...Aslan is still on the move!

Christian Entertainment Review

This issue introduces Family Entertainment Central and its partners; The Dove Foundation, Parents Television Council and Plain Games. Click on the cover and enjoy!