Two Indie Walt Disney Biopics Due in 2014

Did Tom Hanks’ performance as Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks wet your whistle for another depiction of Mr. Disney on the big screen? Then 2014 just might be your year, because two independent biopics are scheduled to be released later this year.

Damien Hirst Meets Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse and Damien Hirst are strange bedfellows. Hirst (b. 1965) is a multidisciplinary artist foremost in the group dubbed Young British Artists (YBAs). He burst onto the scene in the 1980s, a very promising maker of paintings, sculptures, and more. He has become extraordinarily successful, which does not necessarily mean that his promise has been fulfilled.

Walt Disney Was No ‘Gender Bigot’

While we’ve already debunked Meryl Streep’s accusations that Walt Disney was a “gender bigot,” let us use her commetns as an opportunity to dig even deeper and find out what actions Disney actually undertook to encourage the advancement of women at his studio.

A Strange ’80s Anti-Smoking Disney Cartoon Made in New Zealand

“Smoking: The Choice is Yours…” is a 1981 Disney educational short directed by John Ewing, who worked on “Sleeping Beauty,” “Sword in the Stone,” and “The Jungle Book.” Ewing, however, did not make this cartoon while at Disney.

Disney Villains Perfume Bottles

The voluminous amount of Disney fanart demands that a project be truly unique to stand out from the pack. These clever Disney villain perfume bottle illustrations fit the bill .

For Sale: Walt Disney’s Mustache

There’s a reason that Disney CEO Bob Iger made $34 million last year, and that’s because he knows how to commodify every nook and cranny of the Disney enterprise, including but not limited to the facial hair of the company’s dead founder.

Disney Princesses Inspire Racy Lingerie Line

Children’s characters inspiring adult lingerie lines? Standards are different in Japan where Disney’s Consumer Products has transformed the dresses of Disney characters like Belle, Cinderella, Aurora, and Rapunzel into bras and panties.

“Walt”: The Disney Biopic That Never Was

IN THE EARLY 1980S, CARDON WALKER JR. AND I produced the “Disney Family Album” series for The Disney Channel. It was one of the very first series funded by the Channel, and the first to get any kind of critical acclaim thanks to our nomination for a Cable Ace Award for Best Documentary Series. But we had an even bigger ambition, and that was to land the Great White Whale of Disney myths, the life story of Walt himself.

Was Bambi Jewish?

Was Bambi Jewish? It sounds like the setup to an unfunny “Family Guy” joke, but it’s actually the fascinating argument put forth by Paul Reitter, an author and professor at Ohio State, in a newly published “Jewish Review of Books” piece entitled “Bambi’s Jewish Roots.”

The “Frozen” Cake to Beat All “Frozen” Cakes

Some artists create their artwork using a pencil and paper, others use a mouse and a monitor, and my favorite kind uses flour, sugar, and eggs. This insanely huge and probably delicious “Frozen” cake featuring sculpures of Olaf and Sven was made by UK-based cake-making wizard Laura Miller.

“Frozen” Smashes Disney Animation Opening Weekend Records

Disney’s “Frozen,” directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, smashed every possible box office record for a Disney film this weekend, and earned an estimated $66.7 million over the 3-day, and $93M over the five-day holiday period.

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