Disney Cartoons' "The Skeleton Dance," the very first of the many cartoon shorts in Disney's series, still holds up today and seems an appropriate way to kick-off all of the spooky festivities going on in Chicago this weekend. more ›

If you're like us, that headline alone will make you excited. We don't often shill for the Disney Studios, but anything Muppet-related makes us giddy with glee. Muppets and food together? Our happiness cannot be contained. The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora will make for a very amusing couple of hours at your computer. more ›

As the Tribune Company's ongoing bankruptcy issues drag on, its creditors are already looking for a new chairman for the day that the company comes out of bankruptcy and one name that's being mentioned is former Walt Disney Company CEO Michael Eisner. The company's bankruptcy negotiations hit a big obstacle last week as negotiations between the company and its creditors fell apart. But that hasn't stopped creditors for preparing for the future. One scenario partners Eisner with Jeff Shell, currently at Comcast and a former of Disney's strategic planning staff when Eisner was still at the company. more ›

What would a scene from sound like dubbed by Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck? Well, now we know. Enjoy and, obviously, language is NSFW. [via] more ›

Today, we're going old school for the diversion. And by "old school," we mean "back to 1929 which is when this cartoon, The Skeleton Dance, was released as part of Disney's "Silly Symphony" series. It's a classic (voted among the top 25 animated shorts of all time) and a great go-to for Halloween week. more ›

We're not usually ones to shill for a corporation like Disney but, damn, this is an awesome video. [h/t our pal JOE M500] more ›

After Keanu Reeves starred in that remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still, we thought we'd seen the bottom of the barrel. What idiots we are. Courtesy of Variety we've just learned of something even worse. Much, much worse. more ›

Variety reports that Disney will be remaking The Diary of Anne Frank, with David Mamet writing and directing. The new screenplay will be based both on Frank's original diary and the play by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich. While this news makes us a bit uneasy (do we really need another version?) Mamet's remake of The Winslow Boy was unexpectedly riveting, and his Jewish-themed Homicide threw some sparks too. more ›

If you’re lucky, your toddler will be asleep, blissfully unaware when the last minutes of 2007 tick by. An earlier bed time doesn’t mean that he or she has to miss out on the festivities, though; a handful of places in and around Chicago are hosting New Year’s Eve parties for the little ones, with dancing, snacks and party favors at an earlier countdown. more ›

Now this brings back some memories. We've always had this fascination with old movie houses. It probably started with Sunday family days at the Will Rogers Theatre at 5641 W. Belmont in the mid-70's. It was the perfect capper to a day in Belmont Central. Mom would take us shopping for clothes at Goldblatt's — those stores were actually respectable then — or Jack Robbins, maybe have some lunch under the Golden Arches. Then we'd stop at a Rexall Drug store, buy candy and pop (movie theater concessions were always expensive), sneak it inside, and watch cartoons followed by a Disney movie, or maybe an old Benji flick. more ›

It's part of our national schizophrenia as Americans. Every year we bemoan the exploitation of Christmas, and every year we spend more and more money that we really don't have to buy crap to give to each other "in the spirit of the season." There's a great movie to be made about the overcommercialization of Christmas; What Would Jesus Buy? is not exactly that movie, but it still offers a lot of food for... more ›

Waaaay back when we were still aspiring animators, just getting over our Disney / WB phase and into our Fleischer Studios / Ralph Bakshi / Nelvana phase, Bill Plympton's early MTV cartoon shorts made a really big impact on us. We specifically remember "How to Kiss" and "25 Ways to Quit Smoking," two cartoons filled with dark whimsy and a loose line style allowing a freedom of movement, and a realistic mimicry of the absurd... more ›

Luis Buñuel once wrote, "A film is like an involuntary imitation of a dream; as in dreams, images appear and disappear through dissolves and shadows, time and space become flexible, shrinking and expanding at will." A film is like a dream ... or a nightmare. Why do we, as viewers, sitting in the dark, voluntarily subject ourselves to disturbing images and sounds? Do the horrors of the real world help to explain the popularity... more ›

As the CIFF winds down, the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival kicks off. Over the next ten days, kid-friendly films from around the world will be shown at seven different area theaters, from Bronzeville to Lincoln Square and even Wilmette. Some showings feature a full-length film, but most are a thematically assembled collection of shorts.There will be actors on site to read the subtitles for movies directed towards those nine and under. How thoughtful is... more ›

As it gets closer to Halloween for LAist, a contributer recollects her tale of staring down the serial killer, Richard Ramirez, otherwise known as the Night Stalker. Must think happy thoughts -- okay, free organic chocolate chip cookies for Los Angeles -- now that's a happy thought. Other happy Los Angeles thoughts include an interview with Jack Kehler of The Big Lebowski (he was the Dude's landlord), a beautiful and magical photographic moment in... more ›

It's been inspiring to see Roger Ebert slowly working his way back to writing movie reviews after his long illness. He's even gone so far as to give readers reviews of movies he missed while he was convalescing. Just don't expect to see the "thumbs up" or "thumbs down" signs in upcoming episodes "Ebert & Roeper at the Movies." Disney-ABC Domestic Television, which produces the show, said that the Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic has withdrawn... more ›

We have a huge case of the giggles today. It all started when we tried to type “jagoff” and it came out “jagoof” and we could not stop laughing at ourselves for five minutes. Then we decided to be productive and write up this edition of EOYW, which only proved that the Ticketmaster gods were laughing along with us with their offerings for this week’s ticket sales. more ›

Besides the random coyote or bunny, we rarely see wildlife roaming free among the streets of Chicago. Nearly everyday we fly (ok, well, mostly crawl) up and down Lake Shore Drive, nary a worry that a deer will make its way across. Honestly, that thought had never crossed our mind until we heard that three deer made a mad dash across Lake Shore Drive Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, two of the three died after being struck... more ›

Parents, get ready for another summer of “Can We? Can We? Can We?? Can We?????” The Empire of the Mouse is bringing the first extended run of High School Musical, stage version, to the LaSalle Bank Theater. The runaway sensation of stage and screen lets elementary and middle school kids—and their parents—live vicariously through its characters, which in turn are living vicariously through the drama department. more ›

The ABC network announced Friday that Oprah is making the long expected foray into prime time television. The two shows were explained in a press release issued by the Walt Disney company and Harpo. The first show, which seems to be in a pretty firm state, is going to be titled "The Big Give." Nothing surprising there. The premise of the reality show is to have contestants dole out large sums of money in innovative and compassionate ways. Basically, who can act like Oprah, best. more ›

"Silver Belles" via e.q. more ›

"This is like going all the way to Orlando, but then not getting to go to Disney World," said our date for the evening as he surveyed the menu at 24-hour Korean restaurant San Soo Gap San. Chicagoist's dining partner was referring, in this case, to the lack of vegetarian options on the menu. After a careful survey, we determined that there was not a single meat-free option. more ›

Let's take a look back at a week that raised this Zen koan: if Kevin Federline got into a wrestling ring with a wrestler, who would you root for? more ›

Many local news outlets are finding ways to consolidate the news, and it appears that the Daily Herald is not going to be left behind. The suburban newspaper has formed "an allegiance" (that's one tick below a fellowship) with the local ABC/Disney-owned television station, ABC7. more ›

Innocence via MomPOM more ›

The Chicago Yacht Club's 98th annual Race to Mackinac kicks off this Saturday, as about 300 boats set sail up Lake Michigan to Mackinac Island, Michigan. The longest freshwater sailing race in the world, the Chicago - Mackinac Island course covers 333 miles. more ›

Now we’re not a betting blog, but we are pretty certain that nearly every person in this country has seen a cartoon. We watched it all: Disney movies, WB cartoons—heck, we even read some in the paper. During all this cartoon consumption, we saw pretty much every violent way you could maim someone. Anvils, cliffs, electric eels, or even with sticks of dynamite, (of course). And, remarkably, never once did we think we could smite a petty enemy by pounding his head with a mallet. more ›

Hey! Guess what?! No one burned or banned any books last night (as far as we know). Way to go! Pat yourselves on the back Chicago, you deserve it. more ›

While Mark Cuban remains busy cheering his Dallas Mavericks through the NBA Finals, others interested in buying the team have been quietly meeting Tribune Company execs to inquire abou their availability. Last month, Mr. Cub himself, Ernie Banks, met with Tribune CEO Dennis FitzSimons to discuss buying the team. Two seperate groups have approached Banks, the Hall of Famer who played shortstop for the Cubs from 1953-1971, about participating in efforts to buy the Cubs.... more ›

In the style of his friendly animal counterparts in Disney movies for decades, a kooky raccoon, who we'll call Scout, was found in a precarious position—on top of a skyscraper in Chicago. more ›