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The Polar Express is a 2004 computer-animated film, based on the children's book of the same title by Chris Van Allsburg. Written, produced, and directed by Robert Zemeckis of Back to the Future fame, the human characters in it were "animated" using "live action" performance capture technique, with the exception of the waiters who dispense hot chocolate on the train, because their feats were impossible for animated actors to achieve. Performance capture technology incorporates the movements of live actors into animated characters. The film stars Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen, with Tom Hanks in six distinct roles. It was produced by Castle Rock Entertainment in association with Shangri-La Entertainment, ImageMovers, Playtone, and Golden Mean, for Warner Bros.. The visual effects and performance capture were done at Sony Pictures Imageworks. The studio first released the $170 million film in both conventional and IMAX 3D theaters on Wednesday, November 10, 2004. The film was the last one to which Michael Jeter made a contribution, as he died on March 30, 2003; thus, it was dedicated to his memory. The titular locomotive itself is based off the real-life Pere Marquette 1225 steam one. (more)
Random Quote of the Moment
“ | Max: Santa didn't forget your gift, did he? Goofy: Every year I ask for the same thing, and every year I get it. Max: What's that? Goofy: Your happiness. |
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News
- As part of a new multi-year licensing deal (no doubt helped by Universal Studios having acquired Classic Media in 2016), Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer will be returning to its original broadcast network, NBC, starting this year, after over five decades of airing on CBS. Frosty the Snowman will also be joining Rudolph on NBC, thus ending its 54-year run on CBS.
- Connecticut is opening the Connecticut Christmas Movie Trail, a tourist trail highlighting the filming locations of the many Christmas-themed movies for the Hallmark Channel, Lifetime, and Netflix that have been filmed in the Nutmeg State. Residents and movie lovers can also enter an online contest (submissions due before 11:00 PM EST on November 6th) to win a chance to attend the launch event on November 13th, where they can meet Hallmark stars Wes Brown, Erin Cahill, and Michael Rady, and also become an extra in an upcoming Hallmark holiday movie.
- Actor Ken Page, who portrayed Dwight in The Kid Who Loved Christmas and voiced Oogie Boogie in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, died at the age of 70 on September 30th.
- Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson, who portrayed Jefferson Jones in the Christmas in Connecticut remake and voiced the Old Donkey in The Star, died at the age 88 on September 28th.
- Award-winning actress Maggie Smith, who played Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter movies, Violet Crawley on Downton Abbey, and Aunt Ruth in A Boy Called Christmas, died at the age of 89 on September 27th.
- James Earl Jones died at the age of 93 on September 9th. Best known for voicing Darth Vader in the Star Wars franchise (including its infamous holiday special) and Mufasa in Disney's The Lion King, he also voiced Santa Claus himself in the Recess episode "Yes, Mikey, Santa Does Shave".
- Peter Renaday, who voiced Ebenezer Scrooge in The Real Ghostbusters episode "Xmas Marks the Spot", the Forever Tree in Piney the Lonesome Pine, and Splinter in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, died on September 8th at the age of 89.
- In commemoration of its 70th anniversary, White Christmas will be re-released in select AMC Theaters on December 15th.
- In an attempt to entice more subscriptions to Disney+, the Walt Disney Company shut down the DisneyNOW, ABC, Freeform, and FXNow apps on September 23rd. Similarly, Warner Bros. Discovery will be shutting down the Boomerang app on September 30th and move its content to the Max streaming service.
- Voice actress Rachael Lillis, known for voicing Misty and Jessie in the 4Kids dub of Pokémon (including its Christmas episode), passed away from breast cancer on August 10th at the age of 46.
- In the 4th Annual Astra TV Awards, FX's The Bear episode "Fishes" has been nominated for six awards, including Best Writing and Directing in a Streaming Comedy, and Best Guest Stars in a Comedy (actors Bob Odenkirk and Jon Bernthal, and actresses Jamie Lee Curtis and Sarah Paulson); Saturday Night Live's "Kate McKinnon" broadcast has been nominated for the show's new category, Best Host; and Hannah Waddingham: Home for Christmas has been nominated for Best Variety Special.
- Great American Family is hosting the first-ever Great American Family Christmas Festival, featuring holiday movie premieres, ice-skating, celebrity meet-and-greets, a Santa’s Crafting Village, and live entertainment, in the Park at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York from November 20th to January 5th.
- Weigel Broadcasting launched MeTV Toons, a spin-off channel of MeTV devoted entirely to classic animation, on June 25th. Not unlike Warner Bros. Discovery's own Boomerang, the channel features such classic WB-owned cartoons as Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, and Popeye, along with classic cartoons from other non-Disney studios, such as The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Woody Woodpecker, Inspector Gadget, and The Real Ghostbusters.
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