If the executives over at Disney decide to send out Christmas cards this year, they would do well to send out photo cards with a certain royal jungle cat.  It would only be fitting, seeing as The Lion King has dominated the box office the past two weeks.  Yes, you read correctly.  The Lion King.  The animated classic, originally released in 1994, completed a two-week limited engagement in theatres across America.  And, for the first time ever, it was shown in 3D.

The Lion King is 3D has outshined all competitors. Maybe Disney will release other classics in 3D now!

In the two weeks since The Lion King was rereleased, it has earned upwards of $64 million.  Wait, it gets better…The Lion King has defeated every single newcomer at the box office since its opening.  This includes the Brad Pitt baseball biopic Moneyball, which some critics are foreseeing as potential Oscar gold for the actor, and Dolphin Tale, a feel-good true story from the producers of The Blind Side, which stars Morgan Freeman and Harry Connick, Jr.  An animated film from 1994 beat out original fare at the movies. Let’s just take a moment for that to sink in.  AND the movie itself will be released on a Blu-Ray combo pack at the beginning of October, but audiences still paid the hefty 3D ticket price to see it.  This lion truly is king!

Seventeen years later, audiences are still mesmerized by The Lion King.  The story revolves around Simba, a young lion cub, who “just can’t wait to be king”.  Simba’s father, Mufasa, rules over Pride Rock.  But his evil uncle, Scar, plots to take rule from Mufasa and in true Shakespearian style, kills Mufasa and blames Simba.  Simba, riddled with guilt, runs away from Pride Rock, leaving Scar to take his place as king.

While the story of The Lion King is gripping and entertaining, it’s the voice talents that really shine.  James Earl Jones brings his booming voice to the role of Mufasa, and Jeremy Irons is in all his creepy, villainous glory as Scar.  Let’s not forget 90’s staple Jonathan Taylor Thomas as young Simba, who grows up to become the sweet and dashing Matthew Broderick.  Even Whoopi Goldberg lends her chops to the role of a hungry hyena in cahoots with Scar.  And the incomparable Nathan Lane rounds out the cast as Timon, who teaches Simba all about “Hakuna Matata”.

It looks like this lion truly packs a punch!  What do you think?  Have you rediscovered The Lion King?  What other movies would you want rereleased in 3D?  Sound off below!

This past Sunday, some Hollywood celebrities got a reason to send out some Christmas cards.  What better way to say hello to your closest friends than with a picture of you clutching your newly-won Emmy!  While perennial favorites like Mad Men and The Daily Show with Jon Stewartcontinued their winning streaks, the night belonged to the newbies, as many of these talented actors walked away with their very first statues.

The cast of 'Modern Family' had plenty to celebrate at the Emmy Awards. Hopefully they'll share the joy with Christmas cards.

I could not be happier for Melissa McCarthy.  The Mike & Molly star, who announced the nominations earlier in July, actually won her first Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.  And this was her first nomination!  To most, she may be the break-out star of this summer’s hilarious moneymaker, Bridesmaids.  But to me, she will always be Sookie St. James, the neurotic, perfectionist chef on Gilmore Girls.  McCarthy beat out past Emmy winners Edie Falco and Tina Fey, as well as front-runner Laura Linney for The Big C, Martha Plimpton from Raising Hope, and the always-funny Amy Poehler for Parks & Recreation.

Two Modern Family stars walked away with Supporting Actor and Actress comedy gold.  Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen, who play married couple Phil & Claire Dunphy, won their first Emmys.  They both beat out stiff competition, especially Bowen, who trumped fellow castmate Sofia Vergara and last year’s winner (and host for the evening) Jane Lynch from Glee.  And she also beat out the last Golden Girl, Betty White.  Burrell beat out the other brilliant men of Modern Family: last year’s winner Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Ed O’Neill, as well as past winner Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) and Glee favorite Chris Colfer.

Kyle Chandler, star of Friday Night Lights, won his first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama.  The win is big, not only for Chandler, but for the show itself.  Lights had been critically-acclaimed (a rarity for an NBC show these days), but hadn’t caught on with viewers.  After being cancelled by NBC, the show was picked up by DirecTV, where it ended its run this past year.  Critics had always agreed that the show deserved more recognition from the Emmys; Chandler’s win may be some vindication, though not enough for some.

Other winners included Julianna Margulies for The Good Wife, Margo Martindale for Justified (her first), Peter Dinklage for Game of Thrones (his first), Jim Parsons for The Big Bang Theory (his second), and Kate Winslet for Mildred Pearce (her first Emmy, which she can add to her Oscar, her SAG award, and her 2 Golden Globes…that’d be an awesome Christmas card!).  What did you think?  Were you happy with these year’s Emmys?  How did Jane Lynch do as host?  Sound off below!

I was out to coffee recently with a friend.  It was a nice day, so we took our coffee al fresco, and, I’ll be honest, I had a blueberry muffin (hey, it’s got fruit! Don’t judge).  Our conversation veered, as it normally does, to television: terrible new storylines to old favorites, our all-time favorite shows, you know, the usual.  But then, he throws me a curveball.  Totally random, out of the blue, he asks, “What television character would you want to get Christmas cards from?”  I looked at him, taken aback by his ridiculous question, but I pondered it for a few minutes.  I couldn’t pick just one, and, before I knew it, we talked for a good 45 minutes on this topic.  Here’s what I came up with:

A Christmas card from Cameron Tucker on "Modern Family" might be the coolest card ever!

•    Cameron Tucker from Modern Family.  2010’s Emmy winner for Outstanding Comedy, Modern Family boasts one of the greatest ensemble casts on television, and no one shines brighter than Eric Stonestreet’s lovable character, Cam.  As one half of the show’s gay couple, Cam is a hilarious blend of heart, wit, and charm.  Cam has got a flair towards the dramatic, and he has an excellent eye for detail, so a Christmas card from him would be elegant, sophisticated, and downright hilarious.  He once dressed up his daughter Lily in a Carmen Miranda get-up; this man is a comedy genius!

•    Liz Lemon from 30 Rock.  I’m going to say it.  Tina Fey is the funniest woman in Hollywood right now.  There.  I said it.  Watch an episode of 30 Rock and you will see her flex her comedy chops, with some of the funniest and most well-written scripts in the business.

•    Dorothy Zbornak from The Golden Girls.  Betty White is riding high nowadays, and granted her work on The Golden Girls resonates with audiences today, but give me Bea Arthur’s dry, acerbic Dorothy any day.  In fact, I credit Arthur with teaching me the subtle art of sarcasm.  A Miami-themed Christmas card from this feisty grandma would be the perfect holiday treat!

I could regale you with countless others (and believe me, there are many), but that list seems good for now.  Can you think of any to add to the list?  Leave me a comment and we’ll talk.

The man I call the Godfather Al Pacino was spotted in Beverly Hills on a Sunday some  Decembers ago doing the single fatherly thing…taking his kids, twins Olivia and Anton, shopping for Christmas. I wondered what the Godfather would purchase for his children. I laughed to myself because I just pictured Al Pacino sitting on a throne as his subjects – oops, I mean children – waited to see him with their requests for Christmas. Or maybe they would have professional pictures with him sitting on the throne and each twin posing on either side of him for their annual Christmas cards to give to family and friends.

Al Pacino takes his adorable twins shopping for a Christmas tree, just like any other Dad!

As I viewed this picture of the twins with their celebrity Dad, I began thinking otherwise when I noticed how the Godfather and his family were dressed…especially Mr. Pacino, who was wearing a hat that sat high on the top of his head, dark sunglasses, a brown scarf, and big over coat. I said to myself, “Does it really get that cold in Beverly Hills, or was he hiding from his fans and paparazzi?” Olivia and Anton were dressed like typical pre-teens. These were not Christmas cards picture taking outfits. I guess the twins figured they’d leave the Christmas cards sending and picture taking up to their mom and Al’s ex, actress Beverly D’Angelo. After all, she’s a pro when it comes to Christmas preparations. If you ever had the chance to see her in the film National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, she played Clark Griswold’s wife, Ellen, in the hilarious Christmas film.

Al Pacino has always played men of great power and authority in his films like the Godfather series, Scarface, Serpico, and Dog Day Afternoon…just to name a few. So I was caught off guard by the purchase made by this larger than life man during this Christmas shopping excursion with his children. It turns out, they were shopping for a Christmas tree. His daughter Olivia was carrying a clip board and pencil and appeared to be checking a list…perhaps checking it twice, just like Santa (te-he). She looked very professional as Anton looked over at whatever information was written on the clip board. This tree shopping must’ve been a major project!

The next thing I noticed is the Christmas tree the family had picked from the lot. Pacino’s son was holding the cutest littlest Christmas tree I’d ever seen. It didn’t even come up to his waist, and Al being a mere 5’ 7” it didn’t even come up to his knees. I couldn’t believe that a man of such fame and fortune chose such a cute little Christmas tree. Perhaps they wanted to include this little tree in the photos that would accompany their Christmas cards. After all, Mr. Pacino wouldn’t want anything too big to outshine his Godfather reputation with his friends and fans.