Pheaturing Charles Fleischer And Joanna Cassidy

 

Hello, kids, welcome to the Phile for a Monday from Walt Disney World. Instead of Halloween, Disney decided to just celebrate the beautiful serenity of autumn. Cinderella smells like a pumpkin today! Because she slept in a pumpkin coach last night! Because she can no longer afford rent! Ride Ops, tell wheelchair guests "I know you're faking it." You'll be right 72% of the time. Cast Members, remember to refer to any fight, protest, or riot in the park as a "birthday party." Having breakfast in the park? Remember: "Dead roach on your plate, Your day will be great!" Now hiring clowns! Just regular clowns! Not to do anything scary! Certainly not to murder anyone! Just clowns who clown around, okay. Girls, take our quiz and find out which Disney Prince is your soulmate: The gay one, the ethnic one, the drunk one, or the poor one! New discount for people who hate theme parks: Don’t come here and save $149! Okay, let's see what is going on in the entertainment news. 

There is little doubt that "The Mandalorian Season 2" will be littered with more references to the original Star Wars film trilogy. However, it looks like the second season could also tease at an unexpected Jabba the Hutt connection. A photo from the premiere episode has hinted at the possibility that we'll be seeing someone from Return of the Jedi. The still from the first episode of "The Mandalorian Season 2" was shared on Twitter and it shows Mando in a tavern talking to an alien. Check it out... 

Interestingly, the alien in the photo happens to be a Weequay, who are best known for being employed by Jabba's palace in Return of the Jedi. One unfortunate Weequay even suffered the horrific fate of being thrown into the Sarlacc Pit by Luke Skywalker. Of course, this probably isn't the same Weequay considering that the alien species has appeared numerous times in other Star Wars projects. However, it's still cool to see this connection to Return of the Jedi considering that one particular Weequay ended up in the Sarlacc Pit with Boba Fett, who is expected to return in "The Mandalorian Season 2."

Disney+'s "WandaVision" is the only Marvel Cinematic Universe offering we'll be getting this year and the team behind the highly anticipated series is working extra to finish filming the show ahead of its release later this year which has yet to be announced. Production has been quite grueling and troublesome for the show's cast and crew, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. And that is the reason why one of "WandaVision"'s lead stars Elizabeth Olsen opted to withdraw from her supposed appearance in the 25th annual edition of New Zealand's Armageddon Expo. Olsen was initially advertised to appear at the event to headline her own panel which would've also featured a Q&A session but the organizers announced last minute that she won't be able to join the event anymore due to scheduling changes for the show's filming, much to the chagrin of fans who bought tickets solely for her panel. We've yet to hear an explanation from Olsen who's been out of social media since early September and even though her withdrawal from the geek conference caused disappointment amongst fans, it's pretty understandable that she would prioritize the MCU spinoff series before anything else. 

Diehard fans of Marvel's one and only Spider-Man seemingly had their dreams shattered when Sony dismissed ongoing rumors that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were set to reprise their roles as Peter Parker in the MCU's third Spidey flick. To make matters worse, we may have new evidence that could finally debunk Garfield's involvement in the film, as much of a bummer as that sounds. The British actor is actually in New York filming a new movie. One would assume that it's the untitled Spider-Man 3 given the fact that the Marvel Studios and Sony co-production is also filming in the said state. Well, I hate to break it to you though as Garfield is actually filming a different project. The 37-year-old actor resumed production for the Lin-Manuel Miranda-directed Tick, Tick... Boom!, a Netflix adaptation of the iconic musical of the same name. As much as I'd like to think that Garfield can pull double duty, obviously, it wouldn't be possible for him to film two movies at the same time so that could already be a dead giveaway that the rumors of him appearing in the MCU were indeed false all along. But considering Spider-Man 3 is scheduled to film until March next year, anything can still happen but yeah, it's all just wishful thinking at this point. I think I speak for a lot of webheads out there when I say that the potential inclusion of Maguire and Garfield in the project could spell great things for the MCU. Let's face it, if they pull the trigger, Spider-Man 3 has the makings of becoming the biggest crossover event in superhero film history and as I've said before, it would be a missed opportunity if it doesn't happen. Not gonna lie though, I remain hopeful. 

The Lincoln Project, which is a group of Republicans dedicated to stopping the reelection of President Donald Trump, recently put up billboards in Times Square criticizing Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump for their comments about COVID-19, and what they called their complicity in the "Trump administration's failed response" to the virus. Check this out...

The Lincoln Project, which includes George Conway, husband of former Donald Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway, called Ivanka and Jared, "out-of-touch bullies" and "indifferent" to the suffering of Americans. Jared and Ivanka threatened to sue the Lincoln Project over the billboards, with a letter. In response to the legal threat from Ivanka and Jared, the Lincoln Project published a three page letter from their lawyers, tweeting "This will not be the last they hear from us." Some of the highlights include: "Peddle your scare tactics elsewhere." "Your clients are no longer Upper East Side socialites, able to sue at the slightest offense to their personal sensitivities." "The Lincoln Project's billboards, in any event, are entirely accurate." "Ms. Trump endorses the Trump Administration policies that have lead to an unacceptable number of American deaths every bit as much as she once endorsed that can of beans." "In the meantime, may I assert, that if Mr. Kushner and Ms. Trump are genuinely concerned about salvaging their reputations, they would do well to stop suppressing truthful criticism and instead turn their attention to the COVID-19 crisis that is still unfolding under their inept watch." You should read the letter, it's an interesting read.

Last week while out on a royal outing, Prince William got served, but not in the way you would think. Prince William appeared alongside Kate Middleton for her ongoing “Hold Still” photography project, created back in May in response to living during a pandemic. This appearance was specifically set to engage with the public, answering questions and hearing their thoughts on the project. But meeting with the public was apparently not the only errand on Prince William’s list. While out, Prince William was photographed on the sidewalk outside of a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant, peering in presumably at the menu and several people eating just on the other side of the window. KFC, of course, could not pass such an opportunity up. Including an image of Prince William looking in through their window, KFC UK & Ireland captioned it by taking a line from The Lion King...

  Though this was hilarious enough on its own, KFC soon felt the remorse so many of us have felt at one time or another when we realized we’d missed an opportunity. KFC tweeted again...

People won’t be letting Prince William forget his longing look at the Colonel’s secret recipe anytime soon. The one thing everyone wants to know though is did he get a bucket of chicken? 

Instead of doing this blog thing I should be listening to this album...

Maybe not. Actually, I think I would dig that album. So, some NFL teams are changing their logos this year, just like the new Miami Dolphins one...

Hmmmm. Okay, moving on. Ever freeze a Disney movie on Blu-ray or Disney+? Its fun to do...

Ever wonder what Disney characters do after their movie is over? This is what Tarzan is up to...

He doesn't look happy. Haha. So, do you like pizza rolls? You should always let them cool down before you stick one in your mouth otherwise this would happen...

Ack! Hahaha. So, when you go to Disney World Mickey Mouse mouse ears are very popular, and there's all different kinds. Like this one for instance...

Hahahahahahahaha. So, today's two guests Charles Fleischer and Joanna Cassidy were in the Disney movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Did you know I auditioned to be in that movie and almost had a part? Check it out...

Hahaha. When I didn't get the part of Judge Doom I auditioned for another part.

Hahahahahaha. Okay, when I didn't get the part of Eddie Valiant then I auditioned for one other role...

Hahahahahahaha. You're welcome, people. My dad almost was in the movie too...

I love the look on his face. So, my favorite scene in the movie is this...

Blink and you'll miss it though. If I had a TARDIS I would go back in time and see Roger and Jessica and the parks, but knowing my luck Jessica might not look how I want her to look...

Yikes! That was actually a real thing, people. Okay, so, we all know when it comes to gifts, it's supposed to be the thought that counts. But is one bride justified in feeling a little disappointed that her fiancé made her engagement ring himself? And no, he's not a jeweler... he's apparently just a regular guy. The bride-to-be (well, hopefully...) wrote to the Phile to find out if she's being unreasonable. 

"My fiancé and I looked at a lot of rings. I don’t like traditional rings and I picked out a ring with a different stone, not a diamond that was priced at $149. This is NOT a money issue. He has a great job and makes plenty of money or I wouldn’t ask him at all. The thing is... he didn’t get me that ring. He made one himself. I do love that he spent time making this ring, BUT the little rhinestones keep falling off (they’re superglued on) and he has to repair it. It isn’t made of metal, so I can’t get it wet and I’m super paranoid about breaking the big stone. It just kind of makes me feel like I wasn’t even worth $150 out of one paycheck. I’ve seen ring posts on here where the woman wants something outrageous, but I wasn’t asking for much I don’t think. I don’t wear my ring all the time simply because it breaks and the stones fall out it definitely will not last. So, would I be wrong if I asked him what happened to the one we talked about and picked out together? I probably don’t need to mention it, but I have been wondering about it and feeling like maybe the engagement wasn’t as important to him as I thought?" The super-glued DIY ring situation is probably untenable. For now, put the ring he made away for safekeeping. Tell him that it has sentimental value because he made it for your engagement, but it has proved too fragile for daily wear, and that you would appreciate having a sturdy, more traditional ring as a symbol of his love for daily wear. Although you showed him an example you liked, he could have been confused and overdid the quirky funk when you said you didn't want a traditional ring. But are you sure it wasn’t a joke? I’m picturing some weird nonmetal ring with rhinestones glued on and I genuinely can’t imagine anyone seriously thinking that’s going to work. So there you have it. It's perfectly acceptable to question your fiancé's judgment if they get you a DIY freaking engagement ring. Come on, man! 

Hahaha. If you spot the Mindphuck let me know. Now from the home office in Port Jefferson, New York here is...

Top Phive Ways Disney Is Following The State's New Guidelines

5. All indoor attractions now held outdoors

4. Cast Members no longer allowed to kiss (exception: Andrea)

3. Only one guest in an attraction at a time

2. All water turned off throughout the park

And the number one way Disney is following the states's new guidelines is...

1. Guests politely asked not to die

Hahaha. Hard to believe we're 7 months into a pandemic that has killed over a million people and some people are still like "I won't wear a mask, because FREEDOM." And yet, we must believe it. Because COVIDiocy is an epidemic as widespread as the virus itself. "COVIDiots" are tough to reason with. Especially because their mere maskless existence could literally kill you if you try to talk to them IRL. So if you encounter one in the wild, the best and safest thing you can do is post about it. Internet-shaming may be our best tool against this particularly dangerous strain of human stupidity. 

Okay, let's take a live look at Port Jefferson, shall we? 

Looks like a quiet day there, and the Seawolf is not at the dock. 

Ambulances

Boo boo trucks

Jerry Walker 

March 16th, 1942 — October 23rd, 2020 

Mr. Nojangles. 

James Randi 

August 7th, 1928 — October 20th, 2020 

Abracadaver.

The 138th book to be pheatured in the Phile's Book Club is...

The legendary Jerry Seinfeld will be on the Phile on Wednesday. 

Today's guests are two of the stars from the 1988 American live-action/animated fantasy-comedy film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Please welcome to the Phile... Charles Fleischer and Joanna Cassidy.

Me: Hey, you two, welcome to the Phile from Walt Disney World! This is so cool to have you both here. How are you both? 

Charles: I'm as good as I can get. I have taken my medication. 

Joanna: I'm just great, Jason. 

Me: Joanna, I saw a bunch of videos of you on YouTube of you on Johnny Carson. You were on that show quite a bit, right? 

Joanna: Yes, I was. 

Me: How many times were you on the show? 

Joanna: About four times. I loved being on that show. I would've been on it more but I didn't want to pursue it. I thought it would be a little awkward. 

Me: What was Johnny like in real life, Joanna? 

Joanna: Oh, he was incredible and he was lovely to me. He could not have been nicer, he was great. 

Me: I forgot you were in Blade Runner, apart from Roger Rabbit. You still look the same. What is your secret? 

Joanna: Well, thank you. That's very nice of you to say. Genes. Not the washed kind even though I do wash my face. I think eating right, exercising, my mother taught me skin care when I was younger. I always wash my face before I go to sleep. I rub my skin and take very good care of it. It's what important for me and women. I see women who go to bed with their make-up on. I'm horrified, I can't believe that they would do that. Being youthful looking is fun, people relate to me differently. 

Me: So, Charles, what was it like being part of such an iconic character as Roger Rabbit? 

Charles: Playing that character has given me a lot of positive responses from individuals. 

Me: How did you get involved with Roger Rabbit? 

Charles: Bob Zemeckis, the director had seen me do my stand-up and called me and said come in and audition for the Eddie Valiant character and after a couple of other things I got the gig. 

Me: That's cool that Zemeckis approached you, right? 

Charles: It went through his casting agent but sure. I gave worked with him many times. 

Me: Really? What other Zemeckis films were you in? 

Charles: Back to the Future and Polar Express. They used my voice and my face for a lot of the elves. They used my face and Steven Tyler's face. 

Me: Holy crap, that's a little scary. 

Charles: Well, it depends on what your tolerance level is. 

Me: So, Joanna, how did you get the part of Dolores in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? 

Joanna: I met with Robert Zemeckis and I had a reading with him and I met both he and Spielberg. I guess they had seen me in Under Fire and Robert seemed to like it. I don't know beyond that, I cannot say.  

Me: Was it fun looking like you were living in the 1940s? 

Joanna: Yes. I went to a professional make-up artist, one of the only late greats and he taught me how to do 40s make-up. I did my own make-up in the movie. I had a wonderful hair guy. All the make-up people were terrific. Sometimes it's hard to sit in the chair, they had a lot of make-up to do on Christopher Lloyd. I just wanted to get in and out because they did a lot of hair stuff with me. Doing my own make-up was fun anyway. 

Me: Charles, how did you come up with Roger Rabbit's voice? 

Charles: Just like any time I play a character it depends on what they say and in this case what he looked like. He wasn't a human being so he couldn't like a human and couldn't be too high or too low because of his size so it was one of those magical conundrums. 

Me: How many times do you do Roger's voice daily now? 

Charles: If I did that everyday I wouldn't be interviewed by you, I'd be in a padded room somewhere. There's not an every day occurrence that I do Roger's voice. 

Me: When you first read the script did you think it was gonna be such a big hit? Honestly it could have gone either way and become a big flop, right? 

Joanna: I was happy to be in it but didn't know how it was going to translate into a major motion picture. It was such difficult working circumstances with all the special effects guys and Charles Fleischer under the camera in a rabbit suit. If anybody would have come onto the set they would have thought what are they making. It was just a very unusual undertaking. 

Me: Charles, what was it like wearing the full rabbit suit on set? Did you do that because you felt like you needed to get into character? 

Charles: Well, not to get into character but anytime as an actor I'm in a movie I go to the set and put on a costume. It's part of what I do, and it made sense to put on a rabbit suit as my voice was being recorded live on the set and I rehearsed right next to Bob. It was good fore the press kind of view. If anyone would've come on set and I wasn't wearing the suit they would say, "He doesn't look anything like a rabbit." 

Me: What did the rest of the cast think about your crazy outfit? 

Charles: Bob thanked me because he said it helped him a lot to associate my voice with the character, instead of working with an empty space. 

Me: I love the scene in the bar where Judge Doom comes in and breaks the plates and stuff. I bet that scene took a long time to shoot, am I right? 

Joanna: It did take a long time. Of course. 

Me: What was it like to see Bob Hoskins perform with nothing there, when they did all the "fake fighting"? 

Joanna: Well, he was just a major actor. Nothing ever stopped him. He was always in a good mood, he would always offer to do it a million times without thinking twice about it. He was amazing. 

Me: I wish I could have interviewed him. He was one of my favorite actors... 

Joanna: Well, we all have to go. It's not a shame, he left a body of work that is extraordinary. No worries there. 

Me: That is true. Do you have any favorite memories of working with Bob? 

Joanna: Aside from the fact that we had blast working together, it was amazing working with him. Every day was new, he was exciting, he was different. He just reacted so beautifully. It was just a pleasure. 

Me: Charles, what was it like working with Bob for you? 

Charles: He was a great human character actor. He was just really warm and funny and a theatrical man. 

Me: Joanna, what is your finest memory of the movie itself? 

Joanna: I don't have a favorite scene. I think all the animation is so fascinating and so extraordinary. 

Me: What about you, Charles? What is your favorite scene or what was the most difficult scene to film? 

Charles: I have no response to that. I consider things most difficult. 

Me: Charles, were you aware of Gary K. Wolf's book Who Censored Roger Rabbit? I read that book and liked it a lot. 

Charles: Well, when I found out I was doing it I looked into it but it wasn't the pursuit of my work. 

Me: Has Gary ever told you what he thought of your portrayal of his character? 

Charles: Oh, yes, he continuously praises me. He's a good guy. You should interview him. 

Me: I wish I could. Joanna, did you have a favorite cartoon or a favorite animated movie when you were a kid? 

Joanna: I'm trying to think now. We used to go to the Saturday cartoons. Popeye was one of my favorites.  

Me: I love Popeye. Anything else? 

Joanna: I'll tell you which one I loved... Road Runner. 

Me: Hahaha. I like it you didn't mention Disney cartoons. Hahaha. Mel Blanc played a few of his characters in the movie as a matter of fact. Charles, did you get a chance to meet Mel Blanc? 

Charles: Ummmmm, his son was there. I met him once at a studio but I just got around to saying hi. I knew his on-camera work from Jack Benny, so I knew of him prior. 

Me: So I read that you read that you were up for the role of Wonder Woman before Lynda Carter, is that true? 

Joanna: I was, yes. 

Me: Do you regret not getting that part or happy looking back you didn't get it? 

Joanna: I think it would have been typecasting. I don't think I would have gotten the Blade Runner role because of it. I think people get stale in that kind of monumental part. It's an iconic role bit if I had my choice of course I would choose Blade Runner to be in. 

Me: Charles, did you get to ad lib at all as Roger? 

Charles: Well, when I came upon with something that was relevant it came out in rehearsal. But I couldn't keep changing things because it had to match. 

Me: Over the years there were talks of a sequel or a prequel to the Roger Rabbit film. Do you know anything about that? 

Charles: There are always talks about it. It's been over 30 years, so you do the math. 

Me: Why don't you think they have Roger in the parks anymore or don't use him really with anything? 

Charles: Part of the problem is his owned by two different studios, Disney and Amblin so that's the main factor. 

Me: Was Kathleen Turner ever on set when she recorded her lines? 

Charles: No, a lady named Betsy Brantley was on Jessica's spot at that time. She was later replaced by Kathleen. 

Me: That's cool. Charles, Joanna, thanks so much for being on the Phile. Please both of you come back soon. 

Joanna: Thank you, Jason. 

Charles: It was a pleasure talking to you.

That about does it for this entry of the Phile. Thanks to my guests Charles and Joanna. That was cool. The Phile will be back on Wednesday with Jerry Seinfeld. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Mask it or casket. Bye, love you, bye. Kiss your brain.

I don't want you, cook my bread, I don't want you, make my bed, I don't want your money too, I just want to make love to you. - Willie Dixon