Ahhh Monsters!

Pixar has finally released the trailer for Monsters University and it looks very cute. We have to wait another year before it comes out, but I'm definitely looking forward to it!

 

Brave

Sad day. I missed the opening of Cars Land because I was in Arkansas for my cousin’s wedding. I actually had a blast so it was ok. I never thought I would enjoy Arkansas. Anyway, I made up for missing Cars Land by getting to go to the world premiere of Brave at the grand opening of the Dolby Theatre. Lots of stuff premiered. I have wanted to see this movie since I first saw the title art. Then, when I found out about the short, La Luna that went along with the movie, I was even more excited. Well, I have to say that I was not disappointed in the least. The entire night was awesome.

Let’s start with the red carpet: it was grass. So fun! Disney always goes above and beyond for their premieres. They always find a way to do some clever stuff. At least with the 3 I have been to. I was kind of hoping to see John Lasseter, but sadly he was no where to be seen. We went into the theatre and were handed our 3D glasses and naturally I wasn’t too thrilled with that, but I know that Pixar knows what they’re doing. I grab my free Brave bucket full of popcorn and am placed in the very first row.

La Luna starts and I suddenly forget that I’m in a movie theatre. I was completely enchanted. Clever and cute just like every single short Pixar has ever made. They continue to out do themselves. The short is about a boy who learns the “family business” by venturing out with his grandpa and father. I don’t really know what else to say without ruining it so I’ll leave it at that. You’ll just have to see for yourself.

Then, Brave starts and I felt like I was there in Scotland with all the characters. Maybe because our seats were so close, but the movie was seriously beautiful. The animation and the scenery were just incredible. And to top it off the story is very heart warming and the movie was just good overall. Once again, Pixar has created a hit. A movie that you could watch a million times and never get bored.

The movie opens everywhere tomorrow and you MUST see it! I’m definitely preparing to buy the DVD.

Good Bye to a Legend

Sad freaking day! For all of you Disney animated movie fans, Glen Keane retired on Friday after working as a Disney animator for 38 years! How insane is that?!? He drew the Beast in The Beauty and the Beast, Ariel in Little Mermaid, Alladin in Alladin and most recently he drew Repunzel in Tangled. I have watched many Disney animation documentaries and he has been in every single one of them. He went to CalArts and then worked for Disney immediately after he graduated and has been there ever since. I heard rumors not too long ago that DreamWorks wanted him for something so part of me wonders if he retired so he could explore more animation worlds. Obviously, Disney is the place to be if you want to be an animator, but there's still a big animation world out there. Either way, it makes me sad to see such a legend go. Here's the letter he wrote to his collegues:


Dear Colleagues and Friends of the Walt Disney Animation Studio,

After long and thoughtful consideration, I have decided to leave Disney Animation.

I am convinced that animation really is the ultimate art form of our time with endless new territories to explore. I can’t resist it’s siren call to step out and discover them.

Disney has been my artistic home since September 9,1974. I owe so much to those great animators who mentored me—Eric Larson, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston—as well as to the many other wonderful people at Disney whom I have been fortunate to work with in the past nearly 38 years.

Over these four decades I have seen so many changes, but the one thing that remains the same is that we all do this because we love it.

I am humbled and deeply honored to have worked side by side so many artists, producers and directors during my career here at Disney, and I am tremendously proud of the films which together we have created. I will deeply miss working with you.

With my most sincere and heartfelt good wishes for your and Disney’s continued artistic growth and success,

Glen

I hope where ever he goes, he still does amazing things.

Weekend Movie - Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

Wow. It's been a while. The end of the year has been nuts with work, my grandmother getting ill, and then of course the holidays. Luckily, I have had this week off so I have been able to breathe a little bit.

For awhile, there weren't any good movies out and then all of a sudden I want to see every movie ever! So I started off with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and it didn't disappoint in the least. This is definitely one of the few franchises that has been able to last through multiple sequels that have been just as amazing as the previous. Tom Cruise is looking a tiny bit old, but he did all of his own stunts so I guess he's not too old. Some of the things these writers come up with are just freaking awesome. And to make this movie even better, it's directed by a Pixar alum, Brad Bird. He directed The Incredibles. Who knew that someone could go from animation to live action without even skipping a beat. See this movie!

It's Here!!!!

YES PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

Star of Stars

I am so so happy for John Lasseter. Today he received a star on the Walk of Fame and he definitely deserves it. Pixar has made so many incredible, life changing movies and all because Lasseter had a dream and drew a lamp playing with a ball. Congrats John! Keep up the good work! I would hug my star if I was given one too.

Pumpkin King

Tim Burton is kind of amazing. There are times where I think that whatever he has to do with is going to be insane, but now that I got a glimpse into his life I feel like I have a better understanding. I still think he's a little nuts, but in a good way. I went to see his exhibit at LACMA on Saturday and it was incredible. Makes me wish I could draw. I loved the way it was laid out. You start in his early years when he was living in Burbank with his parents feeling alienated and then the exhibit takes you through his time when he was studying at Cal Arts to his time working at Disney and then to his most recent movies and adventures. He has a freaking insane imagination. He draws all of these crazy little creatures with scary teeth, but it's amazing what he can do with these little sketches. He can create such simple drawings with many layers. It's kind of fascinating. He must have some crazy nightmares and he must just draw all the time. I didn't know about half of the little stories and characters he created until the exhibit. The thing that makes me sad though is that all the plaques kept saying how alienated he felt and how he turned to drawings to create his own worlds. Makes me sad that such creativity came out of sadness. There was one sketch of him and his mom sitting at the dinner table and neither one of them looked happy. There was another of his parents just watching TV and it makes me wonder if his childhood with his parents wasn't great. But I guess amazing creativity has to come from somewhere, right? Either way, if you haven't seen it, you definitely have to. It's at LACMA until Oct 31.

Good Friday

Yet another reason why I should have been an animator or need to work in that field. Ex-Pixar animator William Joyce heads the Moonbot Studios team who has created an iPad app called The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. It’s meant for kids, but I would totally buy this app and play with it all the time. The book is an interactive book, which I think are the best. I feel like it helps kids become one with the story. Very cool. You have to watch the video to know what I’m talking about. Now I need to go out and buy an iPad. Happy weekend all!

Pigeon: Impossible

I'm back! Did you miss me? Moving was fun and I'm pretty sure I lost 10 pounds, but I'm back to the grind eating all the crap and not moving all day so I'll gain it back in no time.

I wanted to share something fun and light for my first day back. This is a very cute short created by Lucas Martell. Not sure who he is, but his short is very cute. It’s about “a rookie secret agent [who] is faced with a problem seldom covered in basic training: what to do when a curious pigeon gets trapped inside your multi-million dollar, government-issued nuclear briefcase.” I find this very funny because I freaking hate pigeons. They’re so annoying and gross. If you have 6 minutes, watch this.

Toy Story 4?

Is there really going to be a Toy Story 4 movie in 2015? According to Tom Hanks and John Lasseter, there might be. I really really hope they’re just playing around. Pixar isn’t one of those companies to kill a project just for the money. I feel like Toy Story 4 would be doing just that. Andy has given up his toys so now the adventure continues with Bonnie. She’s super cute and all, but I think Andy needs to be around. Sigh. Please don’t let this be a flop. I'm already scared with everyone saying Cars 2 was a flop even though it was very good. I don't want Pixar to fail.

Good Friday

I hope everyone enjoyed Harry Potter last night. I had an issue with the ending, but otherwise it was very good. Another awesome movie opens today and I feel like my childhood is being revisited with Disney’s new Winnie The Pooh movie. John Lasseter had a hand in making this so I have no doubt it’s going to be good. It’s been hand animated giving it the look and feel of the original, which I truly appreciate. Seems like Disney is actively trying to stay true to their own roots and not trying to out do themselves. My mom refuses to see it because she loved the original so much, but I honestly think this movie will be just as good and I’m looking forward to it. I might even bring my little Tigger stuffed animal with me.

Weekend Movie - Cars 2

All I have to say is that all the critics can kiss my butt. Cars 2 was very good. It was very clever and entertaining. It was basically a spy movie in cartoon form and instead of people, the characters were cars. Very awesome. I mean, if the critics went in thinking it was just going to be another racing movie, than sure they wouldn't like it, but I think they're dumb. Pixar always has the most clever ideas when it comes to the littlest things and I definitely think that makes them stand out from the rest. The all star cast didn't hurt either. If you haven't seen this movie yet and aren't sure if you want to because of what the critics are saying, ignore them and go see it! The movie has a tiny bit of politics in it when it comes to using gasoline versus finding another form of fuel, but there's so much more to the story and the tiny bit of politics can be over looked. It's hard to even begin to explain the plot line so you just have to see it.

The short before the movie was a Toy Story short where Ken and Barbie think their going to Hawaii, but they get inside the wrong travel bag. The rest of the toys feel bad for them so they try to create Hawaii in the bedroom. So freaking cute. Again, Pixar and their cleverness takes the prize.

We saw it at the El Capitan and afterwards, they had this Gran Prix thing at Hollywood High School and even that was awesome. They had tricycle racing and picture taking and it was all set up like the movie. They even put down a floor so it looked like we were walking on a newly paved road. You could even make Lego cars and race them down a track. So cool! I felt like I was 10 years old. Definitely an awesome time. I definitely recommend seeing the movie at the El Cap so you can experience the after show.

Brave!

I hope everyone had an awesome weekend. Sorry I missed the blog yesterday. Hopefully, todays blog will make up for it. I’m so excited for Pixar’s Brave! These teasers are getting me all riled up. This poster is so gorgeous and the renderings of the characters look amazing!

I’m interested to see the trailer before Cars 2. Disney added a story synopsis to their movie website:

Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In “Brave,” a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts.

Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Witch (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

There are some awesome actors in this movie. I’m so excited I can barely contain myself!

Good Friday

The new Pixar short, La Luna that will be shown in connection with the new Pixar movie Brave premiered at the Annecy International Animation Festival in France on Monday night. The director was finally able to share the poster on his blog. How gorgeous! I can’t wait to see it!

Weekend Movie- Kung Fu Panda 2

To be honest, I saw this movie last Thursday night, but we’ll call it a weekend movie. I tried to watch the first movie right before seeing this one, but I was only able to get through the first half before my privileges were taken away by free movie viewing web sites. But what I saw, I liked. The storyline was very cute so I was excited to see the second one. I was pleasantly surprised. DreamWorks is an amazing company and they do amazing things, but sometimes they have the potential to make lousy movies. This series is not one of them. It had me laughing and feeling my heart ping all at the same time. I think what I like the most is that there is a message for everyone. The first movie is all about making your own destiny and the second one is all about taking advantage of what you have and being thankful for it. I think my favorite line from the first movie is a line the wise turtle says “the past is history and the future is a mystery, but today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present.” Amazing. That line will stick with me. So needless to say, I recommend the movie. The panda gets to kick more butt and win of course.

I watched a behind the scenes video from DreamWorks and the animators got to play with baby pandas before making the movie. I’m so jealous. I want to play with a baby panda. I loved seeing all the research they did with their visit to China. They did an amazing job with all the animation. Definitely a must see.

Things Are A Changin’!

California Adventure is changing and I can’t wait to see the finished product! When I was at the Pirates premiere, I could see the changes they’ve made already to the front entrance and I think it’s going to look amazing. It’s going to look something like this; minus all the cars and lights of course:

When it’s all done, I might need to spend some good quality time there looking at every little thing. The first thing to kick off the new park is the Little Mermaid ride opening in June. Here are some awesome stills from the ride as well as a video interview with the Imagineers. Get your tickets, cause we’re going!

Manic Monday

Happy Monday to everyone! Sorry there wasn't a blog on Friday. The site was down and I didn't have the time to keep checking it throughout the day to see if it was up and running again. I hear it erased some people's posts as well. Looks like all of mine are intact.

Yesterday was an incredibly lazy day and there wasn't much on TV, but while I was surfing, I found Monsters Inc. Of course I stopped and had to watch it. I almost forgot how good the movie is. How clever everything is and how much I miss Disneyland. The Monsters Inc ride is very cute. I talked about the Pixar prequel a little bit and Pixar has released an official synopsis for the new movie as well as a color logo. I was only able to find the logo in black and white before. Here is the synopsis, which matches the rumors:

Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan are an inseparable pair, but that wasn’t always the case. From the moment these two mismatched monsters met they couldn't stand each other. Monsters University unlocks the door to how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends.

I bet it's going to be a very heart warming story. I mean the relationship between Boo and Sully is just too cute in the first one. I'm looking forward to this. Looks like the release date will be June 2013. That's too far!

La Luna

Pixar has been revealing info regarding their new short called La Luna that will appear before their new movie Brave expected to be released sometime in 2012. The synopsis sounds interesting:

La Luna is the timeless fable of a young boy who is coming of age in the most peculiar of circumstances. Tonight is the very first time his Papa and Grandpa are taking him to work. In an old wooden boat they row far out to sea, and with no land in sight, they stop and wait.

A big surprise awaits the little boy as he discovers his family’s most unusual line of work. Should he follow the example of his Papa, or his Grandpa? Will he be able to find his own way in the midst of their conflicting opinions and timeworn traditions?

I’m very intrigued. Pixar always has the best shorts and I don’t doubt that this one will be good as well. Pixar also revealed the title card and a still from the short both shown above.

Kevin Reher, who produced shorts Day & Night and Partly Cloudy, has been named as producer. He hinted at the film's setup in an interview back in February:

The new [short] we're finishing production on now... it's beautiful, it's lyrical, it's very different from all the other ones. It's amazing how easy it can be when you just have three characters and two sets.

La Luna's total running time is 6:53, making it Pixar's longest theatrical short film to date by nearly one minute. So exciting!

Good Friday

YES! I am very much looking forward to Cars 2. I’m also really looking forward to their new land at California Adventure. Here is a brief trailer from the movie. It looks awesome. Plus, the cast is an all star cast!

A Wonderful Nightmare

I am so excited for this! I received a letter in the mail more than a year ago as a teaser and it’s almost here. LACMA will be having a Tim Burton exhibit starting in May and ending in October. There will be over 700 drawings, paintings, photos, moving images, storyboards, puppets, concept art, costumes, etc. Tim Burton is even bringing in work from his own archives. Stuff that hasn’t even been released. That sounds awesome. Yes, Tim Burton can be a little batty, but in kind of an awesome way. It makes me wonder what kind of dreams he has at night. I love how he uses so much color in everything he does. Even if the story is a dark story, there is so much color. I love the super artsy stuff. I think my favorite thing Tim Burton did was Beetlejuice. It’s one of those movies you can watch over and over again and always notice new things or gain appreciation for new things as you get older. I used to watch the cartoon before school when I was a kid, which he produced as well. I remember it being kind of gross, but I could handle it. Tim Burton will also have a book signing at LACMA. This is like the wet dream for crazy minds.