Disney's Earth Movie Revives Classic Tales of Animals

Remember those old Disney documentaries from the 1950s and 60s about animals as they go about their daily business of survival? They were quite entertaining with a musical score to accompany the scenes and antics of the "stars." Those movies made it appear that the animals were more human and had human-like emotions as they make choices.

Well, when we all thought those movies were long gone, we now have one inspired by the mid-1980s documentary series, Planet Earth, which was a hit with students and lovers of nature worldwide. Now, Disney, in cooperation with Greenlight Media and the Discovery Channel, is bringing back the spirit of its classic animal tale features with its own version of the Earth series in a full-length movie narrated by James Earl Jones.

Earth, which will be shown worldwide on Earth day on April 22, 2009, will take audiences on a journey with three wilderness families as they take on challenges in environments we would call harsh, but are otherwise home to them, no matter how cruel.

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Mark Hamill's Lightsaber to Go to Space and Back

The STS-120 crew of the Space Shuttle will launch in October carrying a big piece of the International Space Station (ISS). But apart from that, it will also be carrying something smaller and shaped like a flashlight. It's Mark Hamill's lightsaber prop which was used in George Lucas's third Star Wars film, The Return of the Jedi. It will be carried on board the orbiter for the duration of the trip to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the popular science-fiction movie series that has created a huge cult following.

Chewbacca, the Wookiee, will officially hand over the lightsaber to officials of the Space Center Houston (shown with lightsaber case is mdirector of marketing Roger Bornstein). The father and son "clone tandem" of Boba Fett and Jango Fett will also be there to for the send off. When it gets back to Earth, it will be greeted by stormtroopers (one on the left looks female), R2D2 and will be housed in an exhibit at Space Center Houston along with moonrocks.

This is a good publicicty stunt for George Lucas, but I'd rather that he be the one sent to space and back, then be the exhibit at the space center, or at least until people get bored of looking at him through a glass case. Maybe they should use carbonite instead for a more permanent exhibit. Yeah, that would work! But seriously, what would the world do without him? His movies have inspired millions to go into the sciences, bringing out the creative juices of many which led to activity and commercialism that continues to spur the world economy. He's a genius.

There's more about this and plus a Luke Skywalker Jedi pose in i-Mash

Light saber weapon being developed in U.S.

Click here to watch the licensed Clone Wars movie sneak peek from thenewsroom.

Take Luke Skywalker's Lightsaber home! This official replica 's not going into space. Order now!

Feel like you're not yet a Jedi? Then take the wisdom of Yoda from Dagobah to your abode instead! "Compelling, am I not?"

Luke, go to Dagobah... There you shall find Yoda, who will teach you the ways of the force.