In a rare interview, Dick Van Dyke recalls his memories of making Mary Poppins. He said that Walt Disney didn't hire him because of his singing and dancing skills - but rather because he had read a comment made by Van Dyke decrying the trend away from family entertainment. Van Dyke also good-naturedly jokes about the ribbing he takes from the Brits about his less-than-convincing Cockney accent - and he's also written to First Lady Michelle Obama thanking her for saying that Mary Poppins is her favorite movie. To read click here

Lisa Marks is our favorite British ex-pat freelancing in Hollywood (how many other chicks do you know who would actually send you a Christmas card depicting Steve McQueen's motorcyle jump in The Great Escape?) Lisa has a fascinating new article for London's Guardian newspaper site in which she interviews actress Yeardley Smith, whose main claim to fame is providing the voice of Lisa Simpson in The Simpsons TV series. Although Smith concedes she has the dream job of a lifetime (she's paid $400,000 per episode!), there is a downside. She's one of the most recognizable voices in pop culture, but her face is virtually unknown. Smith and her boyfriend Adam Carl have produced an independent film titled Waiting for Ophelia which Smith has financed herself. Despite her reputation in the film industry, however, she suffers a fate common to most independent filmmakers: she can't get the film screened, let alone distributed. To read Lisa's interview, click here