Yesterday Dina Lohan, the poster child for stage mother’s everywhere announced that her fallen starlet of a daughter, Lindsay Lohan, would be dropping her last name and going by just ‘Lindsay’ from now on. Yes, that’s right, just ‘Lindsay’. Dina spoke to website PopEater and told them that;
"Lindsay is dropping the Lohan and just going by Lindsay,"
"Plus, me and [younger daughter] Ali will be officially changing our last names back to my maiden name, Sullivan."
So as soon as I read this I laughed, out loud. Loudly. Because then I read this quote that was given by a ‘family friend’ (aka Dina);
"So many of the greatest people in showbiz are known by just their first name. Look at Oprah and Beyonce. Now you can add Lindsay to that list,"
I'm sorry, what now!? Oh what a delusional world this family must live in. Did they just infer that Lindsay Lohan, the former child star who peaked with ‘Mean Girls’ (which was released in 2004 by the way) and has been known more for her legal troubles and her bad botox than for anything else lately is in the same league as Oprah, or Madonna, or Beyonce?! Um, what?
This is the problem with Hollywood and Hollywood stage parents. Lindsay Lohan has been convinced by her fame whoring parents that she’s just as important as Oprah. That she’s just as recognizable as Madonna. That’s she just as talented as Beyonce. Please. At this point Lindsay Lohan is on the way to begging for a spot on ‘Celebrity Apprentice’! Can you not see that happening?! Nothing would make me happier than seeing ‘Lindsay’ having to make and sell pizza in the middle of NYC then hearing Donald Trump announce ‘You’re Fired Lindsay Lohan’!
So somehow, Lindsay Lohan thinks she’s important enough to simply be known as ‘Lindsay’. Right. From now on, you can just call me ‘Kelli’. I’m sure that will catch on as well as ‘Lindsay’ will.
Scene and Heard
Confessions from a Pop Culture Mummy
March Break – two words that strike fear and dread into the hearts of most parents! Aw c’mon, you know it’s true! I drive my kids to school on snow days because the thought of them being home together all day makes my head spin. So, if you’re not one of the lucky ones who get to go away for March Break the key to a successful and fight free ‘stay-cation’ is to have a plan.
If you want to take the kids to a movie, Disney’s Mars Needs Moms opens this weekend and is a truly fantastic movie to take the entire family. It's the story of a young boy named Milo (perfectly voiced by Seth Green) who’s Mom (another fantastic performanceby Joan Cusack) is abducted by aliens from Mars. Milo quickly realizes how much he needs his Mom. With the help of an underground earthman named Gribble and a rebel Martian girl called Ki, Milo embarks on a mission to save his Mom.
Aside from the fact that the movie really shows how valuable Moms are (bonus points) this is a great flick with a great story and superb voice casting. We got to see a sneak preview last week and just the other morning my kids were reciting the dialogue to each other and laughing hysterically! It was a definite hit for them, and I had kids ranging in age from 3-9 who all loved it.
Mars Needs Moms wasn’t just funny, but also touching. I am not ashamed to admit that I shed a few tears watching this move - definitely making it worth the price of admission. Check out the trailer below, and if you go see make sure you stay for the credits. One of my favourite things about this movie is that as the credits were rolling they ran clips that showed the audience how they filmed the movie using the actors and CGI animation. It was super interesting and shows you how big a business animation is!
If you’re in Toronto, or planning on going there, you should definitely go check out the TIFF Bell Lightbox. There are so many cool things to do there for the whole family over March Break. There’s a Tim Burton exhibit on until April 17th that your little film buffs will love, as well as FREE drop-in activities and workshops for the whole family. Every Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 am to 3:30 pm, parents and children can drop in to participate in free activities.
They are also hosting a Back to the ’80s Film Series showing The Last Starfighter on Saturday, March 12 at 2pm and Gremlins on Saturday March 19 at 2pm.
Of course Teletoon also has you set should with some great movies for the whole family as well as terrific website with tons of games and downloads that your kids will love. Not only can you watch the movies together but the website will keep your kids occupied long enough for you to enjoy a coffee in peace and quiet. Which is priceless during March Break!
Scene and Heard
Confessions from a Pop Culture Mummy
The business of animation is much different now than it was when I was little. Heck it’s different now than it was 15 years ago. In the last decade or so, animation has become huge business, with studios like Disney/Pixar and DreamWorks basically re-writing the future of the animated movie. The studios have raised the stakes with animated feature films by ensuring they not only appeal to kids but to parents as well. But engaging the parents is where it gets tricky.
It’s the missing piece if you think about it. Marketing a movie to kids is relatively simple, but the kids aren’t the ones who are buying the movie tickets. Television commercials and fast food toys used to work in getting kids excited about the latest film release– but in this generation of healthier eating and marketing savvy parents who own pvr’s or subscribe to cable channels that don’t rely on typical commercial marketing, this means studios had to be smarter. So they brought in not just studio voice actors but big name Hollywood stars and started making movies that appealed to parents as well as their children so everyone could enjoy the experience.
And it's worked so well that, not only do we line up with our kids to see the latest blockbuster animated movie, we wait for it! We anticipate the theatrical release because it’s something we can share with our kids that we enjoy too. And it’s not just the audience that loves the big name celebrities – the celebs themselves love starring in top grossing movies that they can watch with their kids. Angelina Jolie actually said the stories in these animated movies are often better than most scripts out there - and what celebrity wouldn’t want to be part of a hit movie?!
2011 will give us sequels to the animated smash hits Cars, Happy Feet and Kung Fu Panda – three movies that had huge numbers at the box office.
Kung Fu Panda was released in May of 2008 and featured a star studded cast that would leave most directors salivating. Not only does it star Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman and Angelina Jolie as the main characters, but the supporting roles were voiced by the likes of Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen and Jackie Chan.
When Kung Fu Panda was first released, Angelina Jolie was pregnant with twins Vivienne and Knox. The cast went to Cannes – Cannes – to promote the movie! Imagine – Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, a pregnant Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt all walking the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival for a cartoon!
But the best part – Kung Fu Panda was praised universally not just for its cast but for being a really great movie!Kung Fu Panda was a movie which paid homage to traditional Kung Fu movies, was applauded for staying true to Chinese culture and has an underlying message for kids that believing in yourself was the most important trait you could possess.
Kung Fu Panda’s appeal to both parents and kids was immediately evident as it owned the box office on its opening weekend, grossing $20.3 million on its opening day and $60.2 million on its opening weekend. The film became DreamWorks's biggest opening for a non-sequel film. Yes, animation is big business. And that kind of box office success isn’t the only reason why animated films have appealed to Hollywood’s elite. Stars like Robin Williams, Will Smith, Bonnie Hunt, Bruce Willis, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Angelina Jolie’s love Brad Pitt have all voiced characters in animated features – many because of their desire to be in a movie they could show to their children.
Hollywood’s most famous parents are walking the red carpet with their kids and loving the fact that they can sit down and watch their own movie with their family. During the press tour for this movie Angelina said she loved that her character was so disciplined, focused and strong because it set such a great example for her own kids.
So it’s no wonder DreamWorks will be releasing a sequel to Kung Fu Panda this summer, with the original star studded cast returning. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Kung Fu Panda, you really are missing out! But never fear because TELETOON is airing Kung Fu Panda on March 12 (at 7pm ET/PT), the perfect beginning to your March Break. Make sure you check it out with your family and get ready for the 3D sequel that will hit theatres this May.
Scene and Heard
Confessions from a Pop Culture Mummy
More upcoming TELETOON Big Ticket Movies on
Saturdays at 7pm ET/PT:
- March 19: Madagascar 2
- March 26: Babe: Pig in the City
- April 2: Scooby-Doo: Camp Scare
- April 9: Horton Hears a Who
- April 16: Space Chimps
You can check out www.teletoon.com for more details.
This blog proudly sponsored by TELETOON Network
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