It's not as if Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby did much to dispel some of the more stereotypical images of NASCAR fans, but you can always count on a documentary to provide a slightly more informed approach. Movieweb reports that GOOD (a socially minded collective that includes a print and online magazine and a documentary film production unit called Reason Pictures) have announced that they are putting a doc into production about the kids who dream of making it to prime time racing and the culture of NASCAR racing in the U.S.

The film is being directed by Marshall Curry, who was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 for his political doc Street Fight, about an election in Newark that turned into an all-out brawl between the candidates. Racing Dreams will be about kids who race in the World Karting Association's National Pavement Series -- which by the sounds of it are not your average go-karts, since they travel at speeds in excess of 60-70MPH. The series has been a training ground for future NASCAR racers. The film is going to follow three boys age 10-13 as the work their way through the highly competitive circuit -- and if Sports Moms and Dads has taught me anything, it's that when competition and family mix, it can get pretty ugly.

NPR talked about the onslaught of children's films at the box office lately on Day to Day last Friday and wondered about the quality control going on behind the scenes. They interviewed film historian Charles Solomon, who comments that the scarcity of animated and children's films used to make them an important part of a childhood experience, but things have changed. These days, the sheer amount of films pile on so quickly that before you blink, three different animated movies have been released at the box office. Suddenly you're buying everything from Flushed Away action figures to Over the Hedge video games, but your kids aren't getting the same messages and experience that you had when you saw The Rescuers for the first time.

It's no secret that kid's movies can rake in a ton of dough; the studios are busy falling all over themselves trying to make them. It seems like as more get churned out, fewer of them that have great stories and characters. They'll just market the hell out of them so that every box of cereal, kid's TV show, and billboard is plastered with images of the upcoming film and your children will refuse to eat anything green or brush their teeth until you take them to see it.

Now, I love animated films probably more than an adult should, but the problem is pretty rampant with the films aimed at children that are being released today, as we posted about previously on Cinematical. The trouble is that for every Spirited Away released, there comes a slew of films like Happy Feet, Barnyard, and The Ant Bully. These films took some critical hard hits, but they've made bags of cash (the seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of Happy Feet has almost cleared $200 million already). Studios are more concerned with cranking out a product in a timely manner, even if it's sub-par and relies on fart jokes and recycled plots. As a result, quality children's entertainment is getting harder and harder to find. Parents may appreciate the fact that they can now take their kids to see a movie aimed at children almost any weekend now, rather than having to wait ... but at what cost?

What do you think, parents? Is the onslaught of animation worth the decrease in quality kiddie fare? Or is it enough just to be able to plunk your tot down for 90 minutes with a kiddie-pack combo, even if what they're seeing isn't quite up to the standards you remember from your own childhood hours at the movies?

Pharmaceutical juggernaut Roche is using the upcoming CGI film Happy Feet as a vehicle to tell people to get flu shots. According to a press release from Roche, "Happy Feet presents a wholesome storyline in a wintery backdrop that serves as an ideal platform for communicating to consumers, especially moms, about the flu."

Roche will be tying in with the film through TV, print, and online spots, meaning it'll be hard to avoid this sucker. I'm still having trouble deciding if this is a great idea, or a potentially bad idea. I know it's a good thing to be informing the public about flu shots, especially for the young and the elderly, but what comes next? Will we see Mickey and Minnie touting the latest children's cough medicine? Shrek showing everyone the benefits of dental hygiene and a new mouthwash? Statler and Waldorf plugging for adult incontinence products?

It's one thing to use a good opportunity to inform the public, but it's a bit different when you're using it to help your bottom line. Roche manufactures a flu shot, so of course they'd be interested in having more people line up to get them. It's not the first time a studio has used their characters to sell products, but as far as I can remember it's the first time a pharmaceutical company has gotten involved in the process.

It might seem far fetched now, but imagine your child's favorite character talking to them about some new wonderpill, and it's a bit scary.

Irvin Allen, who portrayed bad guys in two James Bond movies, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and The Spy Who Loved Me is on trial for allegedly stabbing his wife Chamlong, slitting her throat, and leaving her locked in a room in the Thai food business run by the couple in London. The murder took place last year in late April two days before a custody battle for the couple's three daughters was to take place. Allan also appeared in Lolita and Revenge of the Pink Panther and is now retired from acting. The trial is still ongoing.