"Worth a Mention's" Howie Weed" reports that a number of remakes are in the works. New versions of "Total Recall," based on a Philip K. Dick story, "Clash of the Titans," and "The Never-Ending Story" are all in the works.
The upcoming "Race to Witch Mountain" is being billed as "a "modern re-imagining" of 1975's "Escape to Witch Mountain, not a remake. I'm looking forward to seeing the actors who played the children in the original in cameo appearances.
Which remake do you wish had never been released? Is there a movie you'd like to see remade?
Today we send birthday greetings to one of Hollywood's all-time most enduring and alluring stars, Elizabeth Taylor. Here are some of my favorite Taylor movies for family viewing:
1. Lassie Come Home Taylor co-stars with Roddy McDowall and cinema's most beloved dog in this classic story.
2. National Velvet The all-time best girl and a horse movie ever stars has Taylor as Velvet Brown, who raced her horse in the Grand National with the help of Mickey Rooney, Angela Lansbury, and the magnificent Ann Revere as her mother.
3. Father of the Bride One of the most beautiful sights ever put on screen is Elizabeth Taylor walking down the aisle in this gentle comedy about a wedding that creates great upheaval in the family, especially for the bride's father (Spencer Tracy).
4. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Mature teens and their parents will appreciate this Tennessee Williams dysfunctional family story about power, money, frustration, and ambition, also starring Paul Newman and Burl Ives.
5. The Taming of the Shrew Taylor and then-husband Richard Burton star in Shakespeare's rowdy comedy about an angry and outspoken woman "tamed" by a high-spirited man who thinks all he wants in a wife is money but finds himself falling in love (some mature material, brief nudity).
6. Little Women Taylor plays the artistic and sometimes socially ambitious daughter Amy, the youngest of the March girls, in this version of Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel.
7. Jane Eyre Taylor has a small but unforgettable part as the young Jane's only friend in the cruel boarding school.
8. Ivanhoe Taylor's performance as Rebecca is so winning that it makes it hard to root for Ivanhoe's romance with Rowena.
This is what television used to look like. Watch this beguiling episode of "Father Knows Best" where Bud gets into trouble for shirking his chores to play a baseball game. It is impossible not to charmed by the innocent wholesomeness of the story and by the matter-of-fact portrayal of the role that the church and the clergy plays in the life of the family.
The lucky winners of the Mary Poppins 45th anniversary DVD have been notified. Many thanks to all who entered and here are the answers to the quiz: 1. Who is the author of the original book about Mary Poppins? P.L....
NPR has an excellent column by Barbara Bradley Hagerty about the increasing success of faith-inspired films. The San Antonio (Texas) Independent Christian Film Festival in January attracted more than 2000 audience members. And "Fireproof" has made more money than "Slumdog...
New York Noir is a documentary about the experience and influence of African-Americans in the history and culture of New York City. It will be shown on the Documentary Channel this week and it is available for purchase online. I...
Michael Landon Jr.'s new film is The Velveteen Rabbit, based on the classic book by Margery Williams about the stuffed toy bunny loved so dearly that it becomes "real." The movie opens in select cities this Friday, February 27, and...
The third in the award-winning series of Gustafer Yellowgold is coming out on DVD March 17, featuring guest artists Lisa Loeb and Wilco's John Stirratt and Pat Sansone. These tuneful treats from artist/songwriter Morgan Taylor are family favorites, with singable...
Christianity Today asked parents what scary movies have "worked" with their kids -- scared them enough to be entertaining and instructive but not too much to be truly upsetting. I found the comments very insightful. Here are some excerpts: I...
My other job is in the news: Interview in Business Week with Maria Bartiromo: With regard to the subprime mess, compensation was structured so that people were paid based on the number of transactions rather than the quality of transaction....
Howie Weed of the industry newsletter "Worth a Mention" has some news very much worth a mention indeed. He reports that "'Toy Story 3' is definitely on its way (This eagerly awaited sequel will roll into theaters on June 10,...
Wired Magazine has a fascinating story about the breathtaking special effects in "Coraline." In an era when we are used to astonishingly "true" images generated by computers, the old-school charms of this stop-motion movie, where everything you see was actually...
Jeannette Catsoulis tells us the Oscars should embrace the lowbrow in Las Vegas CityLife: [S]tudios spend all year milking dollars from young people only to turn around at Oscar time, overcome with shame and a newly minted commitment to quality,...
Just before the Oscars every year, two other important awards are announced. The Razzies (named for the rude noise called a "raspberry") are given to the worst of the year from Hollywood. This year the recipients are: Worst Picture: The...
"Don't Give an Oscar to 'The Reader'" is the headline of an angry Slate essay by Ron Rosenbaum, author of Explaining Hitler: The Search for the Origins of His Evil. Rosenbaum says it is "a film in which all the...
One of the most intriguing elements of the graphic novel is the excerpts from other documents that provide a glimpse into the story's layered and fullly-imagined world. Warner Home Video is supplementing the feature film release with Watchmen: Tales...
The Lights, Camera ... Faith! A Movie Lectionary book series by Peter Malone, MSC with Rose Pacatte, FSP, explores movies that highlight themes or issues emphasized in the Gospel. The books propose practical points for reflection, conversation and personal growth,...
The results are in! Beliefnet's movie awards have been announced. The judges picked: "WallE" for best film, Richard Jenkins in "The Visitor" for best performance, and "Lord Save Us From Your Followers" for best documentary. Audience picks: "Gran Torino," Queen...
"Fanboys" has less of a sense of humor about its subjects than they do about themselves. It is so afraid of offending the demographic that it cannot decide if it is making fun of passionate fans of popular culture or...
A generation ago the technology first became widely available to allow families to document their lives with home movies and audio recordings. The use of these artifacts has transcended the "can you believe I used to look like that" and...
Every family should observe Black History Month and movies like these are a good way to begin discussions and further study. 1. Glory The true story of the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of their own...
Are you ready for a jolly holiday with Mary Poppins? Take this quiz about everyone's favorite nanny! Send your answers to me at moviemom@moviemom.com with "Mary Poppins" in the subject line before midnight on February 25 and three random entries...
Keshia Knight Pulliam, who played Rudy, the littlest child on The Cosby Show and now plays Miranda on Tyler Perry's House of Payne, stars in Perry's latest film, "Madea Goes to Jail." I was thrilled to get a chance to...
Radiantly beatific, Angelina Jolie glows with mother love in bright red lipstick and a series of divine cloche hats as Christine Collins, a devoted single mother, in this fact-based drama directed by Clint Eastwood. In 1928 Los Angeles, while she...
Disney reveals the bloopers and accidents behind the scenes at "High School Musical 3: Senior Year." It's fun to see how the young stars bounce back from their mistakes with such good spirits and good humor. Get ready to giggle...
The National Review has updated its 1994 list of the top conservative movies with selections from the best conservative movies of the past 25 years, including films like The Incredibles, 300, Forrest Gump, and Braveheart. As with their last list,...
The most important moment in Bill Maher's new documentary about the dangers and hypocrisy of religion is at the conclusion of his visit to a tiny trucker's chapel. As he does throughout the movie Maher challenges the very notion of...
Americans do love our underdog stories and this one has the ingredients. There's a David -- an engineering professor named Robert Kearns (Greg Kinnear), who had a "flash of genius" and invented a gadget that all the geniuses in Detroit...
Once movie spies were sleek and cool and impeccably dressed. They were devil-may-care, they had joie de vivre, they seemed to know everything, and they were unstoppable. The bad guys had endless money to spend on sociopathic sidekicks and elaborate...
This Week with George Stephanopolous is conducting a poll on the best-ever movies about politics. Visit the site to vote -- and I'd like to hear your picks as well. Mine would include "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "State of...
In honor of the upcoming release of "High School Musical 3" on DVD, Disney was nice enough to send along this interview with director Kenny Ortega of the series about the audition process. He talks about what he looks for,...
Sometimes "nice" can be very high praise, and that is the way I mean it when I say that the utterly snark-free "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" is as nice as it gets. With a gossamer-weight plot line that...
It seems like a very minor infraction compared to the recent Chris Brown/Michael Phelps/A-Rod transgressions, but Miley Cyrus had to apologize again -- twice -- for a photograph that appeared to mock Asians. Her first apology was a bit defensive...
If you are in the Washington DC area, you can hear me almost every Sunday on Kevin McCarthy's BDK Movie Show around 4:40 on WJFK. Last week we talked about whether "Coraline" is too scary for kids. Past shows are...
"Lifelines," which I wrote about as one of the overlooked gems of 2008, opens April 3 in New York. It is about a deeply wounded family's visit to a therapist and the revelations and connections and consequences that result. I...
Epiphany has announced the winners of its most inspiring film awards. Fireproof," from Samuel Goldwyn Films and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, has won the $100,000 Epiphany Prize for "Most Inspiring Movie of 2008," sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation, a...
A Valentine for my readers -- this YouTube compilation of 10 great first kisses from recent television series, including "The O.C," "One Tree Hill," "Veronica Mars," and "Gilmore Girls."...
I received warring press releases this week from both sides in the controversy over a film called Silencing Christians, each accusing the other side of intolerance and censorship. Each side believes that the other is infringing on its right to...
Both of this week's big mainstream releases are suffering from bad timing. "The International," inspired by the BCCI banking scandal of 1991, is about a multi-national bank that is involved in everything from weapons sales to political payoffs and even...
Abraham Lincoln was born 200 years ago today. This film, directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda, is an appealing look at his early law practice and his tragic romance with Ann Rutledge. Particularly exciting and moving are the...
The new release called "The Uninvited," based on a Korean horror film, reminded me of the unrelated (but very spooky) 1944 movie of the same name, starring one of my favorites, Ray Milland. The original The Uninvited is the story...
Many thanks to Liza Levenson and Meredith Stone of the Bannockburn Elementary School for hosting me in the 4th grade yesterday! I loved talking to your students about movies....
Dr. Ted Baehr, founder of the Movieguide® family guide to movies and entertainment, has announced in a Hollywood online press conference the nominees for the $100,000 Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring Movie of 2008 and the $100,000 Epiphany Prize for...
If you see this movie, stay through the end credits to watch an interview with co-star Bernie Mac, who died not long after filming was completed. It is a better reminder of his gifts than the movie itself, a formulaic...
Maybe it is just too soon, maybe we are just too used to the high-gloss satire of "Saturday Night Live" and "The Daily Show," maybe it's the kaleidoscopic structure, but this movie feels like a rough draft. Director Oliver Stone...
This has been something of a bad boy week. A-Rod confessed to steroid use. "Dark Knight" star Christian Bale was taped when he erupted into a furious and very profane rage at a technician on his set. A photograph of...
Last year, I did a Valentine's Day tribute to great movie couples, from Mickey and Minnie to The Princess Bride and with suggestions for all ages. This year, I'm listing five of my all-time favorite falling-in-love (or realizing you're in...
My second DVD pick of the week for Valentine's Day is the other new Audrey Hepburn release, "Funny Face," a gorgeous musical set in Paris with Fred Astaire and songs by Gershwin. The title tune, and "How Long Has This...
Justin Long, Bradley Cooper, and Kevin Connelly, the male stars of "He's Just Not That Into You," made a very funny short film explaining to men that it is all right for them to see the movie because it does...
On Idol Chatter, Kris Rasmussen has come up with a two-part list of haunting moments in movies that is well worth exploring and every one of the films and those added by the commenters is a worthy addition to your...
It is always a challenge to guide parents about how scary a movie is, but it is especially difficult with this week's release of "Coraline," the 3D stop-motion animated film based on a popular book for children by Neil Gaiman....
I love Beliefnet's gallery of Memorable Movie Nuns from Paul Asay. He includes some of my favorites like Lilies of the Field, with Sidney Poitier building a chapel under the direction of flinty Lilia Skala and Susan Sarandon as real-life...
The best news since the settlement of the lawsuit that permits "The Watchmen" to open as scheduled on March 6 is the availability of these new extras and goodies. Check out the Watchmen's YouTube channel, too....
The rare sequel that improves on the original, "Madagascar 2" keeps the silliness and steps up the heart. In the first film, four zoo animals run away and after a series of adventures are sent to live in an African...
I love Walden Media's commitment to quality entertainment for families. Their films include Bridge to Terabithia and The Chronicles of Narnia. And I am also a very big fan of libraries. I am always inspired by the dedication and generosity...
In my other job, I appeared on the Lehrer Newshour again last night talking about President Obama's limits on executive compensation for the bailout financial services firms. And I wrote a column about it for CNN.com, too. I also got...
If you add up all the recent movies about ordinary-looking people who walk among us with special hidden powers, you might conclude that there are no normal people left. The accountant next door might be a secret mutant, time traveler,...
In honor of Black History Month, I am proud to post this wonderful tribute to Martin Luther King from Little Dizzy films. The song was written by Pat Boone the day he heard the news of Martin Luther King Jr's...
Alex Charwick sits down at a table with two microphones and a sign that says "Interviews 50 Cents" and talks to everyday Americans about their lives. The results are enthralling. In this interview, he talks to an Algerian-American man who...
When I'm not being the Movie Mom, I am editor and chair of a small company based in Portland, Maine that evaluates corporate behavior and performance. I've had a lot to say recently about the billions of dollars paid out...
The beloved best-seller by Sue Monk Kidd has been brought to screen with great care, deep sincerity, and a perfect cast. Unfortunately, it is so careful, so lovingly burnished, so deliberate that it becomes sluggish, never finding the distinctive voice...
In the words of Entertainment Weekly, House and Cuddy will "do the deed" this season. The popular television series is about the irascible doctor who is a master diagnostician but who constantly battles with his frustrated supervisor about his disregard...
Movie Mom's Archives
Movie Mom's full archives of more than 1,400 reviews (including her 200 best films for families) and 400 blog posts is now on Beliefnet for searching.