Penguins are anything but rare birds in Hollywood these days.
March 27, 2007 (Press Release) --
In the footsteps of "March of the Penguins" and "Happy Feet," the wave continues with the recently released "Farce of the Penguins" spoof, the DVD release of 1995's animated "The Pebble and the Penguin" and the upcoming summer cartoon "Surf's Up," about surfing penguins.
The penguins that instigated the action in "Madagascar" starred in their own cartoon short and are being developed as lead players for a cartoon TV show.
Even Robert Altman's final movie, "A Prairie Home Companion," featured Garrison Keillor telling a droll joke about the birds: "Two penguins are standing on an ice floe. The first penguin says, 'You look like you're wearing a tuxedo.' The second penguin says, `What makes you think I'm not?'"
When asked why the joke is funny, Keillor replies, "I guess because people laugh at it."
The same somehow holds for penguins. People laugh at them and love them unconditionally. Why? Just because they're funny and lovable.
"They're an anthropomorphic gift. A little kid dressed in too many winter clothes, walking around and falling in the snow," said Chris Jenkins, producer of "Surf's Up," which hits theaters in June.
Penguins have a big day Tuesday, when "Happy Feet" debuts on home video, along with the high-definition Blu-ray and HD DVD disc premieres of "March of the Penguins," the Academy Award-winning film that was a surprise documentary smash.
That film prompted comic Bob Saget's parody "Farce of the Penguins," which came out on DVD in January. Tuesday's DVD release of the 1995 animated flick "The Pebble and the Penguin," with a voice cast led by Martin Short, also is part of the penguin proliferation.
"They're taking over the world," said Jeff Bridges, who provides the voice of a has-been surfing penguin in "Surf's Up."
"They got a great publicist, man. It's all going to be penguin movies from here on out. No more actors. It's just going to be penguins taking over," added Shia LeBeouf, who offers lead vocals for the movie as a surfing prodigy mentored by Bridges' character.
People have always been charmed by penguins because they see a lot of themselves in the birds, the way they walk upright and congregate in communities like humans hanging out on street corners.
Penguins' human traits have made them popular with animators over the years. A classic cartoon short has Bugs Bunny exasperated with a tiny penguin that comes into the rabbit's keeping. A silent penguin thief touches off the action of the "Wallace & Gromit" cartoon "The Wrong Trousers."
Even Robert Altman's final movie, "A Prairie Home Companion," featured Garrison Keillor telling a droll joke about the birds: "Two penguins are standing on an ice floe. The first penguin says, 'You look like you're wearing a tuxedo.' The second penguin says, `What makes you think I'm not?'"
When asked why the joke is funny, Keillor replies, "I guess because people laugh at it."
The same somehow holds for penguins. People laugh at them and love them unconditionally. Why? Just because they're funny and lovable.
"They're an anthropomorphic gift. A little kid dressed in too many winter clothes, walking around and falling in the snow," said Chris Jenkins, producer of "Surf's Up," which hits theaters in June.
"The Pursuit of Happyness"
When it comes to delivering a commercial crowd-pleaser, Will Smith is at the top of the list. Smith charmed his way to another $100 million hit and his second Oscar nomination in this tear-jerker based on the true story of a single dad whose struggle to provide for his young son while taking on an unpaid internship at a prestigious stockbroker lands them both on the streets, homeless. The film was a real father-son partnership, with Smith's boy Jaden Christopher Syre Smith playing his on-screen child. Along with a making-of featurette, the disc has a segment on Smith and his young co-star, plus a look at Chris Gardner, the man whose story inspired the movie. Director Gabriele Muccino provides commentary. DVD, $28.95; Blu-ray disc, $38.96. (Sony)
"Children of Men"
Humanity experiences the empty-nest syndrome on a global scale in this bleak tale of a near future in which all the kids have flown the coop. Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine star in the story set in 2027, when ethnic and socio-economic chaos have swept the planet after a plague of infertility leaves the human race barren. Owen plays the reluctant protector of a miraculously pregnant woman pursued by forces aiming to use her offspring for their own ends. Extras include deleted scenes, an interview segment with Owen and Moore and a documentary featuring scholars examining the social strife presented in the film. There's also a featurette on director Alfonso Cuaron's design concepts for his future world. The film is available as a standard DVD or in a combination disc with HD DVD and DVD versions. DVD, $29.98; HD DVD combo disc, $39.98. (Universal)
Source: http://movies.yahoo.com
The penguins that instigated the action in "Madagascar" starred in their own cartoon short and are being developed as lead players for a cartoon TV show.
Even Robert Altman's final movie, "A Prairie Home Companion," featured Garrison Keillor telling a droll joke about the birds: "Two penguins are standing on an ice floe. The first penguin says, 'You look like you're wearing a tuxedo.' The second penguin says, `What makes you think I'm not?'"
When asked why the joke is funny, Keillor replies, "I guess because people laugh at it."
The same somehow holds for penguins. People laugh at them and love them unconditionally. Why? Just because they're funny and lovable.
"They're an anthropomorphic gift. A little kid dressed in too many winter clothes, walking around and falling in the snow," said Chris Jenkins, producer of "Surf's Up," which hits theaters in June.
Penguins have a big day Tuesday, when "Happy Feet" debuts on home video, along with the high-definition Blu-ray and HD DVD disc premieres of "March of the Penguins," the Academy Award-winning film that was a surprise documentary smash.
That film prompted comic Bob Saget's parody "Farce of the Penguins," which came out on DVD in January. Tuesday's DVD release of the 1995 animated flick "The Pebble and the Penguin," with a voice cast led by Martin Short, also is part of the penguin proliferation.
"They're taking over the world," said Jeff Bridges, who provides the voice of a has-been surfing penguin in "Surf's Up."
"They got a great publicist, man. It's all going to be penguin movies from here on out. No more actors. It's just going to be penguins taking over," added Shia LeBeouf, who offers lead vocals for the movie as a surfing prodigy mentored by Bridges' character.
People have always been charmed by penguins because they see a lot of themselves in the birds, the way they walk upright and congregate in communities like humans hanging out on street corners.
Penguins' human traits have made them popular with animators over the years. A classic cartoon short has Bugs Bunny exasperated with a tiny penguin that comes into the rabbit's keeping. A silent penguin thief touches off the action of the "Wallace & Gromit" cartoon "The Wrong Trousers."
Even Robert Altman's final movie, "A Prairie Home Companion," featured Garrison Keillor telling a droll joke about the birds: "Two penguins are standing on an ice floe. The first penguin says, 'You look like you're wearing a tuxedo.' The second penguin says, `What makes you think I'm not?'"
When asked why the joke is funny, Keillor replies, "I guess because people laugh at it."
The same somehow holds for penguins. People laugh at them and love them unconditionally. Why? Just because they're funny and lovable.
"They're an anthropomorphic gift. A little kid dressed in too many winter clothes, walking around and falling in the snow," said Chris Jenkins, producer of "Surf's Up," which hits theaters in June.
"The Pursuit of Happyness"
When it comes to delivering a commercial crowd-pleaser, Will Smith is at the top of the list. Smith charmed his way to another $100 million hit and his second Oscar nomination in this tear-jerker based on the true story of a single dad whose struggle to provide for his young son while taking on an unpaid internship at a prestigious stockbroker lands them both on the streets, homeless. The film was a real father-son partnership, with Smith's boy Jaden Christopher Syre Smith playing his on-screen child. Along with a making-of featurette, the disc has a segment on Smith and his young co-star, plus a look at Chris Gardner, the man whose story inspired the movie. Director Gabriele Muccino provides commentary. DVD, $28.95; Blu-ray disc, $38.96. (Sony)
"Children of Men"
Humanity experiences the empty-nest syndrome on a global scale in this bleak tale of a near future in which all the kids have flown the coop. Clive Owen, Julianne Moore and Michael Caine star in the story set in 2027, when ethnic and socio-economic chaos have swept the planet after a plague of infertility leaves the human race barren. Owen plays the reluctant protector of a miraculously pregnant woman pursued by forces aiming to use her offspring for their own ends. Extras include deleted scenes, an interview segment with Owen and Moore and a documentary featuring scholars examining the social strife presented in the film. There's also a featurette on director Alfonso Cuaron's design concepts for his future world. The film is available as a standard DVD or in a combination disc with HD DVD and DVD versions. DVD, $29.98; HD DVD combo disc, $39.98. (Universal)
Source: http://movies.yahoo.com
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