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Now in its fourth season, this animated TV series starring the chatty canine first introduced in Susan Meddaugh’s beloved Martha Speaks (Houghton, 1992) continues to entertain children and enhance their vocabularies. Like the original picture book and its follow ups, the show, which airs on PBS Kids and is produced by WGBH Boston and Studio B Productions, features a family pet with an extraordinary ability.
Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar kick off the summer movie season with a computer-animated feature film that blends adventure, elements of folklore and fantasy, and a whole lot of heart. Brave (PG) premieres in theaters on June 22, in traditional and 3D formats. Set in a mythical time in the untamed Scottish Highlands, the story centers around Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), daughter of the boisterous King Fergus (Billy Connolly) and stately Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson).
Director Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and a star-studded cast team up to present a new take on a cult classic. Dark Shadows (PG-13), a gothic comedy based on the TV daytime soap opera that aired on ABC from 1966 to 1971, premieres in theaters and IMAX on May 11. Depp plays the elegantly ghoulish 18th-century vampire Barnabas Collins, a role originated for the TV series—and raised to celebrity status—by Jonathan Frid. The actor and several of his fellow cast members make cameo appearances in the film (Frid passed away on Friday, April 13, 2012, at the age of 87). Created by Dan Curtis, the TV series produced more than 1,000 episodes and was groundbreaking for its use of supernatural themes and its portrayal of a conflicted, often compassionate vampire protagonist.
