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.

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.

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!

Magic

Ok, I'm kind of over the Bin Laden thing now. I mean I know it's important and people are happy about it, but that's the ONLY thing in the news. I guess it's better than something petty about a celebrity, but it's a little exhausted. All NPR and KROQ talked about this morning was Bin Laden. All BBC.com and LATimes.com had on their pages yesterday was the death of Bin Laden. Again, it's much better than something silly, but I'm a little tired of it. Maybe my attention span sucks. Either way, I'm going to attempt to get our minds off of it for a few minutes.

I've been having these crazy urges lately. I want to sit down and watch all the Back To The Future movies, E.T., and Jaws. I want to go on the tram ride at Universal Studios. I want to take a tour of the Warner Brothers lot and the Paramount Lot. I've been on both lots before, but for some reason I've been getting these intense urges to hang out on a studio lot. I'm not sure where this is all coming from, but the feelings just keep getting stronger and stronger. A bit ago, I found a Pixar documentary on NetFlix. It wasn't on instant so I couldn't watch it, but a few weeks ago it was instant and I watched it like 3 times. I'm getting an urge to start doing something great. Making movie magic or something. Because of my intense urge, I thought I would share a clip that I'm sure everyone has seen, but it's probably my favorite and I feel like it's kind of important. Especially now. Makes me want to get out and do something.

Bump in the Road

Why does it seem that every time someone has success with something, someone else comes along saying it was stolen from them? It may very well be true, but it seems to be happening a lot lately. First with J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter and now with Pixar and Cars. A U.K.-based screenwriter, Jake Mandeville-Anthony is suing Disney and Pixar claiming that Cars and Cars 2 are based on a story and characters he submitted to them in 1993.

The lawsuit was filed March 14, 2011. Anthony claims he sent copies of his works to various production companies, including Disney and met in person with Jim Morris, then an executive at Lucasfilm, and gave him copies of his project. Morris later joined Pixar in 2005 and was named General Manager and Executive Vice President of Production in September 2008. Anthony says in his complaint that he sees overwhelming similarities between his creation and the Cars franchise. So now he's trying to stop the release of Cars 2 on June 24. Sucks man. I mean, if Jim Morris really did steal the idea, that sucks. I would be pissed too, but if this dude is just out to get money, he's an ass. I'm not sure who to believe in this industry anymore...

Zoom-Zoom

As I’ve said many many times before, I love Pixar. I wish I could work there, but their offices are up north. Their next movie is Cars 2 scheduled to come out during the summer and I’m very excited. Not only that, but Disney California Adventure is supposed to have a Cars Land and that is even more exciting. Almost everyday, Pixar announces a new car that will appear in Cars 2. The first one is British secret agent Finn McMissile voiced by Michael Caine, which is super awesome!

The second new character is John Lassetire named after John Lasseter who will also be the voice. I kind of like the name play.

There are 2 new Italian cars named Uncle and Aunt Topolino who live near Porto Corsa in the small village of Santa Ruotina. They are aunt and uncle to Luigi from the first movie. Uncle owns the village tire shop and Aunt is a master cook with the best fuel in the village. I love the play on names here too because Topolino is the Italian name for Mickey Mouse. Sigh. Pixar, you’re awesome.


Here are a couple more new cars in their turn table introductions:

Shu Todoroki


Francesco Bernoulli


And there are many more. Of course, all of these cars will be made by Mattel into real toys.


Mattel plans to release 150 “Cars 2” toys this fall. That’s a lot! I feel like I’m 12 again! If that didn’t make you excited, check out the movie trailer!

Weekend Movie - Tangled

What a weekend, huh? Crazy shooter man killing and wounding a bunch of people including a congresswoman and a judge in Arizona. Insane stuff. So what better way to escape all that than with a Disney cartoon. I was finally able to gather the troops and see Tangled. My dad had some work to do so my mom and grandma were finally able to see the movie too. So cute!

I know Disney said they would stop making princess movies, but I think this one falls under Disney animation and not Disney princess. The male character, Flynn, was just as prominent if not more so than the female character, Rapunzel. It was a very good balance for boys and girls. Well, the movie isn't really for kids, but no Disney movie ever is. Either way, I think little boys would have been just as intrigued with this movie as little girls. I'm sure that was the goal anyway.

I was surprised there was singing in the movie. I know the majority of Disney movies have singing, but I didn't think this movie needed it. Rapunzel sang a song to allow her magical powers to come to life and that worked with the movie, but the rest of the singing for me wasn't necessary.

The plot was along the lines of the typical Rapunzel stories where she's locked in a tower and a man comes and finds her and saves her. Rapunzel's mom got very sick when she was giving birth and she was healed with a magical flower in turn causing Rapunzel to have magical powers. Rapunzel's hair comes to life and can turn anyone younger and heal any wounds so this old lady steals her when she's a baby and locks her in this tower so she can use the powers to stay young forever.

Rapunzel thinks this lady is her mother and has no idea about the outside world. She meets Flynn, who is a thief hiding in her tower and she asks him to take her to the castle because every year on her birthday they send floating lanterns into the air that she can see from her window and she wants to see them up close. Throughout the movie, she figures out that she's the reason they float the lanterns. It's her king and queen parents looking for their lost princess. Of course, Flynn and Rapunzel fall in love and live happily ever after in the castle. Simple and fun.

There were parts where I was totally teary eyed. I don't know why. I guess the movie was kind of heart warming.

The lantern scenes were so pretty! The animation was definitely amazing. This movie ranks high on my Disney animation movies list. Oh and the iguana was the best side kick ever! I want him. This is a must see!

Write Me A Letter

Sorry I'm super late today. I'm dealing with a broken pipe at my grandma's house. I'm still here so bare with me. I had a blog set for today and can't get to it right now so this will have to do and I will post the one I had planned tomorrow.

I'm a huge fan of Pixar as you all may know. I love every one of their movies and I wish I could work there, but unfortunately their office is in northern California. Anyway, Pixar has released their own Forever stamps. I want them all! They have images from Toy Story, Wall-E, Up, Cars, Ratatouille, etc. They're so cool! I'm going to run out and get some now, but then I may never use them cause they're too cute. Either way, they're awesome!

Tangled Is It

Looks like Tangled will be Disney’s last princess movie for a while. Disney realized that only little girls are interested in princess movies and once these little girls hit a certain age, they don’t care anymore. So, if you’ve noticed, Tangled is geared towards boys and girls. They’ve made the male character in the movie just as prominent as the female character and instead of calling the movie Repunzel, they named the movie Tangled. Smart Disney, smart.

I find it interesting that Disney is more interested in appealing to larger audiences rather than getting rid of bad messages. I’m a Disney movie lover, don’t get me wrong, but the messages are awful. All the princesses need men to be happy otherwise they die from a red apple or stay in a deep sleep forever. Oy vey. So needless to say, I’m not too sad to see the princess movies go. Yeah, Disneyland and everything about Disneyland will still be about the princesses, but I just choose to see that as women running the happiest place on Earth. Works for me.

Outsourcing

My brother and I used to watch The Simpsons all the time. It was our little tradition. Sometimes we would record them and watch them multiple times, but we both grew out of it. I can’t remember the last time I watched a full Simpsons episode. I find some of the episodes to be funny, but for the most part I’m kind of whatever about it.

I’m not sure how this happened and why it was allowed, but a UK graffiti artist by the name of Banksy created a controversial title sequence for the episode that aired in the states on Sunday. Basically, it shows that a lot of the animation for the show is outsourced to South Korea. This is interesting to me for many reasons. Number one, you would think the sequence would be pulled. No one wants anyone to know they use sweat shop workers to create their animation and merchandise. And number two, the producer laughed it all off and said “I guess that’s what we get for outsourcing.” Really? You’re ok with this? It’s usually something people want to cover up, not joke about.

I felt bad when I watched this because the sequence made me laugh. The artist uses some extremes that are kind of funny, but I guess he's trying to show how ridiculous South Korea can be in their factories. See for yourself.

Weekend Movie - Despicable Me

I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend. There weren't many movies out that were worth seeing except Despicable Me and even then I was a little hesitant to see it. I'm not the biggest fan of Steven Carell or 3D and they have pushed the movie so much that I was scared it was just going to be awful. Normally, movies that have commercials everywhere including on the side of every single bus tend to suck, but I have to say this was an exception. Steve Carell wasn't annoying at all and the movie was uber cute. Yes, uber. I think the reason Steve Carell wasn't too annoying was because number one I couldn't see his face and number two because he put on a thick Russian accent so it was almost as if it wasn't even him. But in all seriousness, he did a very good job. His character has these little yellow people he calls minions and I could eat them they're so cute and this little girl he adopts is even cuter. Ugh. So much cute!!! If you're looking to puke rainbows and hearts of cuteness everywhere, I recommend this movie. You will be wanting to see it again and again.

This is the best part of the entire movie:

The Classics

I’ve been thinking about childhood and TV lately and it’s got me wondering where all the awesome shows went for kids. I turn on the TV now and all of the shows are kind of lame. Nickelodeon has turned into a weird network. When I was a kid, there was SNICK, which had some awesome shows like Are You Afraid of the Dark, All That, and Ren and Stimpy and then after school there were shows like Pete and Pete, Double Dare, Hey Dude, Clarissa Explains It All, Solute Your Shorts, Doug, Rocco’s Modern Life, and Rugrats. Then as I got older, there were shows like The Secret World of Alex Mac and Rocket Power. Even the Nick Jr shows were good when we were at home sick. There were shows like Eureka’s Castle, David the Gnome, and Gulla Gulla Island. TV watching then didn’t rot the brain as much as it does now. Kids watch shows now that don’t make sense and are just gross. Where did all the good shows go? It makes me so sad. My childhood was built on those shows. I know some of you agree. I found this site not too long ago where these guys made and sold DVD’s of all the classic shows. The quality wasn’t great because they obviously made them in their basement, but I bought the entire series of Are You Afraid of the Dark and Solute Your Shorts. They had all the good shows on DVD. The guys who had this site were gods. This particular site no longer exists, but there is an equivalent here, but it looks like tomorrow is the last day you can buy any of these DVD’s on this site!

There needs to be someone who takes all of these classic shows and puts them into a DVD set for all of us who remember and miss the classics. And I’m talking the real shows and not some boot leg copies someone burned and sold from their basement. Maybe I will write a letter to Nickelodeon and ask them to have a weekend where they only play the classics. Who wants to sign it? All we have now are clips on YouTube to tide us over.

SNICK Intro


Rocko's Modern Life


Rugrats


Clarissa Explains It All


Are You afraid of the Dark? Intro


Pete and Pete


Doug Intro



Hot Topic has brought us some memorabilia from our favorite shows as well.

Manic Monday

We all love the adorable Pixar movies where a fish needs to find his father or a giant furry animal is trying to find his favorite human through a pink door with flowers. Pixar gives us heart warming stories and lovable characters. Some even make us cry when a man decides to strap his house to a huge batch of balloons to be closer to his deceased wife. Or others that make us laugh and cry when the lonely robot is separated from the female robot that he falls in love with at first sight. Pixar always guarantees a good story. We all walk away from the theatres thinking how great the stories are. Pixar has the ability to drag an adult to an animated movie. Not only are the movies amazing, but the shorts before the movies are unforgettable. These 3 to 5 minute long shorts tell of silly little worlds and people doing silly little things. It gets us in the mood for the movie to follow.

I once found all of the Pixar shorts on DVD, but the price was always kind of ridiculous. This past weekend, I found the DVD for $20. Yup. So I decided to pay a little more and buy the Blue Ray version. I mean why not. These cartoons can be watched over and over forever. I am not sure what my favorite is. I know a lot of people love the short about the birds and then some love the one about the guy who plays chess with himself. When I watched the DVD last night, I realized there were a lot I haven’t seen. Here are some good ones to tide you all over for the day. Happy Monday!!!