Ranking Alan Menken's Oscar Nominations

by Cláudio Alves

Alan Menken accepts the Best Original Song Oscar for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
Earlier this week, Alan Menken celebrated his 75th birthday. As a stage composer turned motion picture maestro, he's authored a number of original musicals, enchanting generations across the decades. Indeed, many could probably credit Disney's favorite composer with the soundtrack of their childhood – I know I can. For his efforts, Menken amassed 19 Oscar nominations and eight victories, many of which he shared with the writers who put words to his music. To celebrate the man's legacy, I shall give him the same treatment bestowed on John Williams a few months ago and rank all his nods, both in the score and song categories…

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Woof! It's another 'First & Last' game.

Can you guess the movie from its first and last shot? 

The answer once you scroll down is after the jump...

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The Phantom Link

• The Atlantic "Fear of a Black Hobbit" insightful piece about politics and 'nostalgia' franchises
• Boy Culture the latest updated edition of "Encyclopedia Madonnica" (one of our all time fav showbiz books) is out. Buy one if you haven't yet and love Madonna. It's a treasure trove.
• Vulture looks at Baz's tortured artists from Moulin Rouge! to Elvis

Very significant Broadway news regarding The Phantom of the Opera, A trans riff on Gotham City characters, Superman II cosplay, and more after the jump...

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Yes No Maybe So: That other "Pinocchio"

by Nathaniel R

Pinocchio is everywhere. It's a cyclical thing that happens with a lot of "public domain" characters who are essentially free IP for storytellers. Consider that in the 21st century alone Pinocchio has appeared --take a deep breath the list is long-- as a supporting character multiple films in the Shrek franchise, as a character in a TV musical (Geppetto), as the subject of two live action adaptations (interesting enough both were Italian films) and three animated adaptations (from Canada, Italy, and Russia). Next up in the next several months he'll be the lead in a new video game (only hot and 20something this time), and have two more feature-length adaptations of his story. We've already seen the trailer for the Guillermo del Toro's stop motion version of the story which arrives in December. Now we get the trailer to the live action (with lots of CG characters) version from director Robert Zemeckis which will be on Disney+ beginning September 8th.

A Yes No Maybe So™ breakdown after the jump...

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Weekend Watch: Lightyear is "soft" in theaters while Staircase still intrigues on HBO

by Nathaniel R

You didn't comment on the new format of listing both box office and tops in streaming from a few services but we're trying it again (Let us know what you think). There's a lot to discuss this week...

Weekend Box Office June 17th-19th 🔺 = new or expanding /  ★ = Recommended links if we've written about it
WIDE (OVER 800 SCREENS)	PLATFORM RELEASES
PIXAR'S LIGHTYEAR	BRIAN AND CHARLES

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