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One of the better, indeed perhaps even the only good, Disney live-action remakes was Tim Burton’s Dumbo. It largely stuck to the story, wasn’t particularly woke, wasn’t filmed in Xinjiang (where the concentration camps are) like Mulan. No wonder stock holders are crushing the company; with all those bad movies, who would still want to hold its stock?! In any case, fans who loved Tim Burton’s “Dumbo” will be sorely disappointed if they were hoping for a sequel, or even just another Disney movie from him. Done with the company and calling it a “horrible big circus,” Burton is gone,...

There are days when you wake up wanting to conquer the world. Today I woke up like this, like a rebel. With the temptation to do something subversive. Something really transgressive, that breaks the mold, that makes the entire universe feel a chill. Something definitely historical, countercultural, provocative, wild and criminal. Determined to do so, at first my pulse trembled at the thought of possible consequences. Retaliation is becoming more and more prevalent. The stakes are becoming increasingly higher. But I have remained steadfast in the purpose of exercising my freedom, whatever the cost. So, while holding my breath, with...

Generations of children have been charmed by the magical tale of the boy who never grew up, but Peter Pan is now on a list of banned movies. Bosses at Disney have blocked anyone under the age of seven from watching the 1953 animated classic on its streaming service over concerns that it portrays racial stereotypes, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Three other long-standing family favourites – The Aristocats, Swiss Family Robinson and Dumbo – have also been removed from children’s accounts for breaching ‘content advisories’ that were recently put in place. Parents have been left dumbfounded after trying...

Walt Disney's Dumbo (review) flew to the top of the box office on Friday, with "just" $15.318 million counting $2.6 million in Thursday previews. This may turn out to be a classic "rank doesn't matter" scenario, and not in a good way. 30 years ago, Tim Burton's Batman broke the opening weekend box office record with a then-unthinkable $43 million Fri-Sun debut, just one week after Ghostbusters II had broken that same record with $29 million. And now, in 2019, we're discussing whether a likely over/under $48 million launch for Dumbo is good enough. Yes, inflation is a thing and...

At around 8.15pm on September 15, 1885, Jumbo, the celebrity elephant in P.T. Barnum’s circus had finished his evening performance early in Ontario, Canada. Matthew Scott, Jumbo’s lifelong trainer began the arduous process of loading the enormous animal back into his ornate boxcar that was lacquered with crimson and gold paint and featured massive double doors in the middle to facilitate easy access for the seven ton animal celebrity. The circus handlers were under strict orders from the Grand Trunk Railroad depot not to begin loading the elephants until 9.55pm, long after a westbound express freight train was due to...

Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall were given the red carpet treatment in Communist Cuba on Monday night at a historic meeting with the President of the socialist state. Charles and Camilla have this week become the first British royals to visit post- revolutionary Cuba since 1959. On Monday night, Anthony Stokes, Britain’s ambassador to Cuba, justified the trip in the face of criticism: “We and the European Union have a very strong policy of engaging with the Cuban government, and we believe that is the right way - not only to talk about the more difficult issues, but...

Google 'happy american couple.' Are you on the list? Are you even the right color?

Tim Burton is to direct Disney's live action remake of the 1941 classic Dumbo. The iconic cartoon will be remade as a live-action movie with computer generated characters playing the big-eared elephant and his family. To bring the movie into the 21st century, a family story will be added to reflect dumbo's journey.

As I was getting a tour of DreamWorks, I didn’t ask, but just looking at faces, I could tell there were some folks who are here not because they were born here, but because they want to be here and they bring extraordinary talents to the United States. And that’s part of what makes America special. And that’s part of what, by the way, makes California special, because it’s always been this magnet of dreamers and strivers.

Obama: 'The Problem Is ... I’m Not the Emperor of the United States' Daniel Halper February 15, 2013 1:42 PM In a Google hangout last evening, President Barack Obama explained that his problem is that he's "not the emperor of the United States": "This is something I’ve struggled with throughout my presidency," said Obama. "The problem is that I’m the president of the United States, I’m not the emperor of the United States. My job is to execute laws that are passed."

PYONGYANG, North Korea — Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh took the stage in North Korea during a concert for new leader Kim Jong Un, in an unusual performance featuring Disney characters. Performers dressed as Minnie Mouse, Tigger and others danced and pranced as footage from “Snow White,” “Dumbo,” “Beauty and the Beast” and other Disney movies played on a massive backdrop, according to still photos shown on state TV. The inclusion of characters popular in the West — particularly from the United States, North Korea’s wartime enemy — is a notable change in direction for performances in Pyongyang. Actors...

KABUL – The Afghan government and the U.S. signed a deal Sunday governing night raids by American troops, resolving an issue that had threatened to derail a larger pact governing a U.S. presence in the country for decades to come. The raids were a constant source of tension between Kabul and Washington. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called repeatedly to stop the raids, saying that they are provocative when carried out by foreign troops. The U.S. military has said such operations are essential for capturing Taliban and Al Qaeda commanders. A resolution of this dispute is a key step toward...

The United States is offering some breathing room in its seemingly ironclad set of sanctions against Iran, underscoring the difficulty the U.S. and other countries may have in truly freezing out the Iranian regime. The State Department on Tuesday announced exemptions for 11 countries from the newly passed economic sanctions expected to hit Iran's financial and energy sectors. By summer, the U.S. is expected to penalize nations that make oil purchases through Iran's central bank unless they can show they've made a significant reduction in their Iranian oil supply.

My first thought was, “perhaps this is simply how it’s done.” After all, they were playing ‘Hail to the Chief,’ which, for all I know, informs them to stand at attention. But then I noticed that people seemed to be moving about, and a few were even holding up camera phones and filming the event. It made me wonder if the audience was even comprised entirely of military, which would of course raise further questions as to why there were no unprompted cheers.

African-Americans have been an integral part of the White House since it was built in part by slaves. In Family of Freedom: Presidents and African Americans in the White House, veteran U.S. News White House reporter Kenneth T. Walsh traces this sometimes fraught history from its roots all the way to the Barack Obama presidency. As he began his second year in office, Obama's presidency was not going well. His legislation to overhaul the healthcare system was still bogged down in Congress. The unemployment rate, which polls showed was the top concern of most Americans, remained stubbornly high at about...

Nick Danger taught me that ridicule is a powerful instrument in getting rid of the bad guys. If it's accurate, it's fair game. I have a suggestion for a moniker for our illustrious president: Dum BO, Pin it on him. Watch what happens. Get out the popcorn. Anybody got any pictures of BO's ears?

The Obama administration’s new approach to dealing with companies that hire illegal immigrants results in firings, not deportations, the New York Times reported Friday. Instead of immigration sweeps at factories and farms which used to lead to illegal workers being shipped out of the country, the administration’s new policy—government conducted audits labeled “silent raids” by employers—usually only result in the workers losing their jobs, the Times said. The Times article comes just over a week after the president delivered his highly anticipated speech on immigration reform, which was criticized on both ends of the political spectrum.

WILKES-BARRE - With fellow personnel still grieving and performing, the groomer killed by a circus elephant was identified following an autopsy Saturday. Andrew Anderton, 48, of Florida, died from multiple traumatic injuries over his entire body, Luzerne County Coroner John Corcoran said. The death was ruled accidental and it didn't appear the elephant, a female named Dumbo, attacked Anderton, Corcoran said. "If these animals just bump you, you're in trouble," he said. "It was tragic." Corcoran said he could not release the exact location Anderton called home because family members were still being notified, he said. The African elephant did...

A White House official said the incident was an attempted act of terrorism. The FBI is investigating and President Obama, celebrating Christmas in Hawaii, was told of the incident about three hours after the plane landed, officials said. Obama has told White House officials that all appropriate measures be taken to increase security for air travel, a spokesman said. Nevertheless, officials said, they are not prepared to raise the terrorism alert level, currently at orange -- or the second-highest of five levels -- for domestic and international air travel.