list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Cars on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Cars/230280/default.aspx Title: Cars
Year: 2006
Director: Joe Ranft, John Lasseter
Plot: A pedal-to-the-metal race car determined to prove his worth on the tracks discovers that life isn't always about crossing the finish line first in Toy Story director John Lasseter's mechanically minded tale of friendship and loyalty. Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) may be just a rookie, but he's convinced that he can realize his dream of zooming by the checkered flag if he can only make it to California in time to compete in the upcoming Piston Cup Championship. When Lightning takes a detour into the slow-moving, Route 66 town of Radiator Springs, however, it begins to appear as if his shot at the big time has effectively stalled out. Of course, Lightning's exciting cross-country trek wasn't all for naught, and after befriending such quirky Radiator Springs residents as Sally the Porsche (voice of Bonnie Hunt), Doc Hudson (voice of Paul Newman), and Mater the Tow Truck (voice of Larry the Cable Guy), the eager young racer learns that sometimes life is more about the voyage than the outcome of the race. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 53
Number of Lists: 65
Number of blog posts: 13
Number of discussion threads: 4
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 11 May 2009 19:55:46 GMTCars2006Joe Ranft, John LasseterA pedal-to-the-metal race car determined to prove his worth on the tracks discovers that life isn't always about crossing the finish line first in <a href=/films/90113/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Toy Story</a> director <a href="/players/P___202358/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Lasseter</a>'s mechanically minded tale of friendship and loyalty. Lightning McQueen (voice of <a href="/players/P___200996/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Owen Wilson</a>) may be just a rookie, but he's convinced that he can realize his dream of zooming by the checkered flag if he can only make it to California in time to compete in the upcoming Piston Cup Championship. When Lightning takes a detour into the slow-moving, Route 66 town of Radiator Springs, however, it begins to appear as if his shot at the big time has effectively stalled out. Of course, Lightning's exciting cross-country trek wasn't all for naught, and after befriending such quirky Radiator Springs residents as Sally the Porsche (voice of <a href="/players/P____33956/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Bonnie Hunt</a>), Doc Hudson (voice of <a href="/players/P___104390/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Paul Newman</a>), and Mater the Tow Truck (voice of <a href="/players/P___357943/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Larry the Cable Guy</a>), the eager young racer learns that sometimes life is more about the voyage than the outcome of the race. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide53Tag Target (>10)651343http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u49805d2rvn.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Cars/230280/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/the_mow/archive/2009/5/7/42160.aspx Post By: The_MOW
Post To: The_MOW Blog
Post Date: 5/7/2009 9:38:08 PM
Body: "Lightning McQueen" (voiced by Owen Wilson) is an arrogant, cocky rookie racecar who thinks he can win the coveted "Piston Cup" without help. He even has fired three crew cheifs, and ignored advice from "The King" (voiced by racing legend Richard Petty). During the championship race, "McQueen", "The King" and top rival "Chick Hicks" (voiced by Michael Keaton) finish the race in a three-way tie, thanks to "McQueen" sticking out his tongue (yes, the cars have eyes, teeth and tongues). After looking at the finish at many angles to determine a winner, and discovering the tie, a tie-breaker is ordered to take place in Los Angeles, California. On the way to California, "McQueen" is separated with his tractor trailer truck, "Mack" (voiced by John Ratzenberger), and ends up in the rundown town "Radiator Springs", an out-of-the-way town passed by the famed Route 66, which was built to take 10 minutes of travel time. Sadly, the town has been greatly affected by Rt. 66 not connecting through the center of town. "Radiator Springs" has a unique group of residents that "McQueen" slowly begins to love -- especially "Sally" (voiced by Bonnie Hunt), who is assigned to defend "McQueen", who is arrested for speeding. Now, "McQueen" tries to learn a way to get away from "Radiator Springs" and its residents. But he learns from them a greater lesson in life. The first thing you will notice with this film is the great animation. The characters themselves, are quite cartoonish in appearance, and the backgrounds are amazing. The animators got the smallest details as close to perfect as they can get with their computers. The cast is pretty good in their roles. The only problem I could see is that many of the supporting characters were not developed well, and only used to move the story along. You may be surprised at who provided the voices as the cast list scrolls during the closing credits. There is some pretty good jokes in this movie, a few of which are visual jokes (watch for the RV that looks like a rock and roll icon). I would have liked to have seen more jokes that makes kids laugh, but only the adults in the audience would understand why they're laughing. I also would have liked to have seen a lot more car and NASCAR-related puns. And speaking of NASCAR. You fans out there have to keep a look out for some of the most famous cars on the racing circuit. And what makes these characters even more special is the drivers who drive the real cars voice the animated versions. The songs in this movie are good. Some of them are covers of classic car-themed tunes the adults watching the film may know. The adults may go away humming the classics, but none of the original tunes are really not that memorable. Adults will enjoy this as a cute movie. Kids will certainly enjoy this movie, and hopefully will understand the moral of the story. The movie is not perfect, but it certainly is entertaining.
]]>Fri, 08 May 2009 01:38:08 GMTThe_MOWThe_MOW Blog5/7/2009 9:38:08 PM"Lightning McQueen" (voiced by Owen Wilson) is an arrogant, cocky rookie racecar who thinks he can win the coveted "Piston Cup" without help. He even has fired three crew cheifs, and ignored advice from "The King" (voiced by racing legend Richard Petty). During the championship race, "McQueen", "The King" and top rival "Chick Hicks" (voiced by Michael Keaton) finish the race in a three-way tie, thanks to "McQueen" sticking out his tongue (yes, the cars have eyes, teeth and tongues). After looking at the finish at many angles to determine a winner, and discovering the tie, a tie-breaker is ordered to take place in Los Angeles, California. On the way to California, "McQueen" is separated with his tractor trailer truck, "Mack" (voiced by John Ratzenberger), and ends up in the rundown town "Radiator Springs", an out-of-the-way town passed by the famed Route 66, which was built to take 10 minutes of travel time. Sadly, the town has been greatly affected by Rt. 66 not connecting through the center of town. "Radiator Springs" has a unique group of residents that "McQueen" slowly begins to love -- especially "Sally" (voiced by Bonnie Hunt), who is assigned to defend "McQueen", who is arrested for speeding. Now, "McQueen" tries to learn a way to get away from "Radiator Springs" and its residents. But he learns from them a greater lesson in life. The first thing you will notice with this film is the great animation. The characters themselves, are quite cartoonish in appearance, and the backgrounds are amazing. The animators got the smallest details as close to perfect as they can get with their computers. The cast is pretty good in their roles. The only problem I could see is that many of the supporting characters were not developed well, and only used to move the story along. You may be surprised at who provided the voices as the cast list scrolls during the closing credits. There is some pretty good jokes in this movie, a few of which are visual jokes (watch for the RV that looks like a rock and roll icon). I would have liked to have seen more jokes that makes kids laugh, but only the adults in the audience would understand why they're laughing. I also would have liked to have seen a lot more car and NASCAR-related puns. And speaking of NASCAR. You fans out there have to keep a look out for some of the most famous cars on the racing circuit. And what makes these characters even more special is the drivers who drive the real cars voice the animated versions. The songs in this movie are good. Some of them are covers of classic car-themed tunes the adults watching the film may know. The adults may go away humming the classics, but none of the original tunes are really not that memorable. Adults will enjoy this as a cute movie. Kids will certainly enjoy this movie, and hopefully will understand the moral of the story. The movie is not perfect, but it certainly is entertaining. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/28/35661.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/28/2008 3:01:55 PM
Body: Paul Newman passed away on Friday after a long battle with cancer, and he will be sorely missed. As early as May he had been planning to direct a stage version of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, but he had to cancel due to his health. He’s a winner of every major award an actor can pull down, from Oscar to Emmy, and he appeared in over 50 feature films. Besides his work in film, television and on the stage, he also served in World War II, and has been a longtime humanitarian. Paul Newman retired from acting in May of 2007, but he left behind a large body of work that should be in your Netflix queue or on your shelf at home. Here’s a look at some of his best films, and why you should be watching them in tribute. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Arguably the film Newman is the most famous for, this was the first pairing of Redford and Newman. Although originally it was to be Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, and then a handful of other stars, including Jack Lemmon, until Redford finally got the part. However, Newman was originally supposed to play Sundance, and Redford to play Butch. What a different movie that would have been. A great followup to this pairing is The Sting, but avoid the sequel that doesn’t have Newman or Redford in it. The Hustler The Hustler stands to this day as a cinematic masterpiece, and Newman’s performance in it stands among his very best. Singer/actor Bobby Darrin was supposed to star in this film, but Newman made the role his own and made “Fast Eddie” Felton into a film legend. The far inferior 1986 sequel The Color of Money with Tom Cruise doesn’t hold a candle to the original, but Newman won his Best Actor Oscar for his reprisal of the Felton role, but most critics agree this was a nod to his role in The Hustler. Hud This movie is an adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s early novella Horseman, Pass By, and saw Newman nominated for Best Actor in his portrayal of the “man with the barbed-wire soul.” It actually won for Best Supporting Actor, Actress, and Cinematography, but it is Newman’s selfishly hard-hearted modern day cowboy that holds this movie together and makes it worth watching more than once. Cool Hand Luke Newman’s portrayal of a prisoner who just won’t submit to the system and the will of the warden will be remembered forever, and it’ll come to mind every time you eat a hard-boiled egg. It’s famous for the line “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate,” and some of the best scenes ever of Newman grinning from ear to ear. If you’re a nonconformist, like Newman often was in his acting choice, you’ll love this movie. The Hudsucker Proxy This is a dark horse among the Coen Brothers films, but it’s my favorite of theirs right after Miller’s Crossing. Newman’s portrayal of a cigar-chomping business executive who growls out all of his lines is classic, although this film only grossed $3 million dollars at the box office, and was the Coens biggest flop. Still, it is well worth watching, if just for Newman. He literally chews up the scenery. Road to Perdition This was Paul Newman’s final feature film, although he did go on to star in HBO’s Empire Falls and to lend his voice to the Disney/Pixar hit Cars. Newman plays Irish mob boss John Rooney to Tom Hanks’ Michael Sullivan, and reportedly had author Frank McCourt send him tapes of himself speaking so he could get the voice right. It’s a tragic role for Newman, and a fitting swan song to his entire career. They definitely don’t make ‘em like him anymore. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Sun, 28 Sep 2008 19:01:55 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/28/2008 3:01:55 PM Paul Newman passed away on Friday after a long battle with cancer, and he will be sorely missed. As early as May he had been planning to direct a stage version of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, but he had to cancel due to his health. He’s a winner of every major award an actor can pull down, from Oscar to Emmy, and he appeared in over 50 feature films. Besides his work in film, television and on the stage, he also served in World War II, and has been a longtime humanitarian. Paul Newman retired from acting in May of 2007, but he left behind a large body of work that should be in your Netflix queue or on your shelf at home. Here’s a look at some of his best films, and why you should be watching them in tribute. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Arguably the film Newman is the most famous for, this was the first pairing of Redford and Newman. Although originally it was to be Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, and then a handful of other stars, including Jack Lemmon, until Redford finally got the part. However, Newman was originally supposed to play Sundance, and Redford to play Butch. What a different movie that would have been. A great followup to this pairing is The Sting, but avoid the sequel that doesn’t have Newman or Redford in it. The Hustler The Hustler stands to this day as a cinematic masterpiece, and Newman’s performance in it stands among his very best. Singer/actor Bobby Darrin was supposed to star in this film, but Newman made the role his own and made “Fast Eddie” Felton into a film legend. The far inferior 1986 sequel The Color of Money with Tom Cruise doesn’t hold a candle to the original, but Newman won his Best Actor Oscar for his reprisal of the Felton role, but most critics agree this was a nod to his role in The Hustler. Hud This movie is an adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s early novella Horseman, Pass By, and saw Newman nominated for Best Actor in his portrayal of the “man with the barbed-wire soul.” It actually won for Best Supporting Actor, Actress, and Cinematography, but it is Newman’s selfishly hard-hearted modern day cowboy that holds this movie together and makes it worth watching more than once. Cool Hand Luke Newman’s portrayal of a prisoner who just won’t submit to the system and the will of the warden will be remembered forever, and it’ll come to mind every time you eat a hard-boiled egg. It’s famous for the line “What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate,” and some of the best scenes ever of Newman grinning from ear to ear. If you’re a nonconformist, like Newman often was in his acting choice, you’ll love this movie. The Hudsucker Proxy This is a dark horse among the Coen Brothers films, but it’s my favorite of theirs right after Miller’s Crossing. Newman’s portrayal of a cigar-chomping business executive who growls out all of his lines is classic, although this film only grossed $3 million dollars at the box office, and was the Coens biggest flop. Still, it is well worth watching, if just for Newman. He literally chews up the scenery. Road to Perdition This was Paul Newman’s final feature film, although he did go on to star in HBO’s Empire Falls and to lend his voice to the Disney/Pixar hit Cars. Newman plays Irish mob boss John Rooney to Tom Hanks’ Michael Sullivan, and reportedly had author Frank McCourt send him tapes of himself speaking so he could get the voice right. It’s a tragic role for Newman, and a fitting swan song to his entire career. They definitely don’t make ‘em like him anymore. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/christhilk/archive/2008/8/26/34430.aspx Post By: ChrisThilk
Post To: ChrisThilk Blog
Post Date: 8/26/2008 10:01:11 PM
Body: Much like I’ve engaged in DIY film fests of The Godfather or Marx Brothers or other topics, I decided to watch all the Pixar films I currently own back to back. Starting off withToy Story and its sequel I then moved to Monsters, Inc, Finding Nemo and then Cars. Each film gets a little bit longer but also features a little more in the way of character shading. The characters of Cars are more fully realized than those of Toy Story (no easy task, it’s true) and so are able to inhabit a more fully realized larger world as a result. I think what most sticks out at me about these films is that they’re massively entertaining but in a way that does not require full brain shut-off. You don’t necessarily *need* to be fully engaged to enjoy them but it’s so much more rewarding if you’re paying attention to the breadth of Pixar’s creations. That’s not just in terms of the little visual easter eggs that are dropped into the movies but the character development and real honest-to-goodness story arcs that are created. Pixar does such a better job than any of their animated competitors are doing in creating films that don’t rely on cheap gags to be entertaining for all ages it’s a little sick. Originally posted on:Chris Thilk
]]>Wed, 27 Aug 2008 02:01:11 GMTChrisThilkChrisThilk Blog8/26/2008 10:01:11 PMMuch like I’ve engaged in DIY film fests of The Godfather or Marx Brothers or other topics, I decided to watch all the Pixar films I currently own back to back. Starting off withToy Story and its sequel I then moved to Monsters, Inc, Finding Nemo and then Cars. Each film gets a little bit longer but also features a little more in the way of character shading. The characters of Cars are more fully realized than those of Toy Story (no easy task, it’s true) and so are able to inhabit a more fully realized larger world as a result. I think what most sticks out at me about these films is that they’re massively entertaining but in a way that does not require full brain shut-off. You don’t necessarily *need* to be fully engaged to enjoy them but it’s so much more rewarding if you’re paying attention to the breadth of Pixar’s creations. That’s not just in terms of the little visual easter eggs that are dropped into the movies but the character development and real honest-to-goodness story arcs that are created. Pixar does such a better job than any of their animated competitors are doing in creating films that don’t rely on cheap gags to be entertaining for all ages it’s a little sick. Originally posted on:Chris Thilk http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_July_21_Road_Trip/625/32851/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: The_American_Dream
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 7/21/2008 4:13:13 PM
Body: Of corse "Fear and Loathing" is a true road trip. Adding a whole new meaning to the second word of that phrase. Hunter Thomson is a classic road tripper as well as an acid tripper. Interestingly, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" does not feature allot of moving. They are in Las Vegas. But that sometimes is half the point of a road trip, not going any where. "Cars" and "Local Hero" do this far more benignly. Just to add to the list now, there are some classics that come to my mind as road trip movies; "It Happened One Night" a perfectly enjoyable comedy that is in many ways the original road trip, and "Two for the Road" where a more than a dash of drama is thrown into the mix of the comedy that is often in road trip movies, and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" as a road trip version of perhaps the first road trip ever; The Odyssey.
]]>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:13:13 GMTThe_American_DreamWeekly Theme7/21/2008 4:13:13 PMOf corse "Fear and Loathing" is a true road trip. Adding a whole new meaning to the second word of that phrase. Hunter Thomson is a classic road tripper as well as an acid tripper. Interestingly, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" does not feature allot of moving. They are in Las Vegas. But that sometimes is half the point of a road trip, not going any where. "Cars" and "Local Hero" do this far more benignly. Just to add to the list now, there are some classics that come to my mind as road trip movies; "It Happened One Night" a perfectly enjoyable comedy that is in many ways the original road trip, and "Two for the Road" where a more than a dash of drama is thrown into the mix of the comedy that is often in road trip movies, and "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" as a road trip version of perhaps the first road trip ever; The Odyssey. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_July_7_Foodie_Heaven/625/32708/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: pippin06
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 7/18/2008 8:03:07 AM
Body: [quote user="unclefestering"] [quote user="leeroy711"] Also, am I the only one ever that thought Ratatouille was weak? I've liked pretty much all of the Disney/Pixar movies but this just did nothing for me. [/quote] And I thought I was the only person on the planet unmoved by Ratatouille. Thank god, I don't feel so alone any more. [/quote] Oooh. I disagree that Ratatouille was weak. Maybe your hunger pangs at the gourmet food were quashed at the sight of rats, but I think this is one of Pixar's finest. It's got an artistic sensibility to it matched or surpassed only by Wall-E (highly recommend the robot flick), a wonderful and inventive story, great voice performances (Peter O'Toole as the food critic, Come. On.), and beautiful animation. Also, I think it gets better with repeat viewings because you catch more of what you missed the first time. Sure, it's not all razzle dazzle like Lightning McQueen (Cars) or boffo superheroes (the Incredibles) or cute fishies (Finding Nemo) or Tom Hanks (Toy Stories), but it's far from weak. Though I acknowledge that the laughs aren't as instantaneous as in some of those other flicks, but Ellen DeGeneres and Tom Hanks can't be in all of their films (that's John Ratzenberger's job).
]]>Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:03:07 GMTpippin06Weekly Theme7/18/2008 8:03:07 AM[quote user="unclefestering"] [quote user="leeroy711"] Also, am I the only one ever that thought Ratatouille was weak? I've liked pretty much all of the Disney/Pixar movies but this just did nothing for me. [/quote] And I thought I was the only person on the planet unmoved by Ratatouille. Thank god, I don't feel so alone any more. [/quote] Oooh. I disagree that Ratatouille was weak. Maybe your hunger pangs at the gourmet food were quashed at the sight of rats, but I think this is one of Pixar's finest. It's got an artistic sensibility to it matched or surpassed only by Wall-E (highly recommend the robot flick), a wonderful and inventive story, great voice performances (Peter O'Toole as the food critic, Come. On.), and beautiful animation. Also, I think it gets better with repeat viewings because you catch more of what you missed the first time. Sure, it's not all razzle dazzle like Lightning McQueen (Cars) or boffo superheroes (the Incredibles) or cute fishies (Finding Nemo) or Tom Hanks (Toy Stories), but it's far from weak. Though I acknowledge that the laughs aren't as instantaneous as in some of those other flicks, but Ellen DeGeneres and Tom Hanks can't be in all of their films (that's John Ratzenberger's job). http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/25/31666.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/25/2008 1:01:30 PM
Body: Until last year’s brilliantly directed Ratatouille, all of Pixar’s animated features could be summed up with one word (toys, bugs, monsters, fish, superheroes, cars). Then the more complex plot synopsis of “rat functions as a culinary Cyrano in a French restaurant’s kitchen” came along and ruined the studio’s tradition of simplistic scenarios. Fortunately, this year Pixar is back on track with Wall-E, a movie that can be summed up as being about, in a word, robots. But in their pipeline they’ve got a couple sequels (Cars 2, Toy Story 3) and a couple multi-word synopses (2009’s Up and 2011’s The Bear and the Bow are, at the least, each described with two words: old man and fairy tale, respectively. Only 2011’s Newt could have been pitched using a single word: newts. So, while Pixar seems like it currently has enough on their hands, I’d like to suggest a few more single-word pitches for animated films in order to get things back to basics: Birds - They’ve given us a movie featuring a variety of bugs and a movie featuring a variety of sea creatures, so the obvious next place to go is a movie featuring a variety of birds. And since Pixar has already made a short about birds (For the Birds), they already have a starting point to jump off from. Animals - I guess it’s a pretty general word, but Pixar really needs to give us their answer to either (or both) Madagascar or (and) Kung Fu Panda. Maybe since DreamWorks has taken care of the African animals and the Asian animals, Pixar can go with the most interesting animal continent: Australia. Penguins - Yes, they’re birds and they’re animals, but this pitch needs to be separate. Though we’ve already seen Sony’s Surf’s Up and Warner Bros.’ Happy Feet, this still needs to be done, just so Pixar can win an Oscar with it and make up for losing to Happy Feet last year. Dinosaurs - Another one to make up, this time for Disney’s bomb from 2000, Dinosaur. Also, because every non-Pixar movie needs a Pixar equivalent (Antz vs. A Bugs Life; Shrek vs. Monsters, Inc.; Shark Tale vs. Finding Nemo; Robots vs. Wall-E; etc.) and we haven’t yet seen Pixar do a prehistoric pic in response to Fox’s Ice Age franchise. Bees - If DreamWorks can do both Antz and Bee Movie, then Pixar needs another kind of bug movie, too, preferably one with flying insects. Preferably to make us forget Jerry Seinfeld’s obnoxious promotions, also. Band - I think what Brad Bird did for superhero movies (it was both the best of its kind and the best spoof of its kind) should be done for rock bands. Plus, isn’t it about time Pixar made a real musical animated feature? Fruit - Pixar’s answer to VeggieTales, or simply it’s contribution to the long tradition of animated talking foods, from the vegetable cart on Pinwheel to the singing burger in Better Off Dead. Supermarket - If fruit is too specific, here’s a more general idea: anthropomorphic grocery items, from the produce aisle to the whatever is on the opposite side of the store aisle (in my local market it’s meats). This would be a great opportunity for more product suggestion (a la Apple Computers in Wall-E and Trix cereal in Presto), or even pure, blatant product placement. Furniture - A little bit Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, a lot bit Brave Little Toaster. Basically, Pixar needs to give Luxo Jr. a feature already. Disney - Since Pixar is owned by the Walt Disney Company, and since our old friends Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto haven’t had a good movie in a long, long time, I think it only makes sense that John Lasseter should produce a computer-animated movie featuring the classic Disney gang. Past attempts to make CG versions of the characters have been disappointing, but if anyone can make it work, Lasseter can. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:01:30 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/25/2008 1:01:30 PM Until last year’s brilliantly directed Ratatouille, all of Pixar’s animated features could be summed up with one word (toys, bugs, monsters, fish, superheroes, cars). Then the more complex plot synopsis of “rat functions as a culinary Cyrano in a French restaurant’s kitchen” came along and ruined the studio’s tradition of simplistic scenarios. Fortunately, this year Pixar is back on track with Wall-E, a movie that can be summed up as being about, in a word, robots. But in their pipeline they’ve got a couple sequels (Cars 2, Toy Story 3) and a couple multi-word synopses (2009’s Up and 2011’s The Bear and the Bow are, at the least, each described with two words: old man and fairy tale, respectively. Only 2011’s Newt could have been pitched using a single word: newts. So, while Pixar seems like it currently has enough on their hands, I’d like to suggest a few more single-word pitches for animated films in order to get things back to basics: Birds - They’ve given us a movie featuring a variety of bugs and a movie featuring a variety of sea creatures, so the obvious next place to go is a movie featuring a variety of birds. And since Pixar has already made a short about birds (For the Birds), they already have a starting point to jump off from. Animals - I guess it’s a pretty general word, but Pixar really needs to give us their answer to either (or both) Madagascar or (and) Kung Fu Panda. Maybe since DreamWorks has taken care of the African animals and the Asian animals, Pixar can go with the most interesting animal continent: Australia. Penguins - Yes, they’re birds and they’re animals, but this pitch needs to be separate. Though we’ve already seen Sony’s Surf’s Up and Warner Bros.’ Happy Feet, this still needs to be done, just so Pixar can win an Oscar with it and make up for losing to Happy Feet last year. Dinosaurs - Another one to make up, this time for Disney’s bomb from 2000, Dinosaur. Also, because every non-Pixar movie needs a Pixar equivalent (Antz vs. A Bugs Life; Shrek vs. Monsters, Inc.; Shark Tale vs. Finding Nemo; Robots vs. Wall-E; etc.) and we haven’t yet seen Pixar do a prehistoric pic in response to Fox’s Ice Age franchise. Bees - If DreamWorks can do both Antz and Bee Movie, then Pixar needs another kind of bug movie, too, preferably one with flying insects. Preferably to make us forget Jerry Seinfeld’s obnoxious promotions, also. Band - I think what Brad Bird did for superhero movies (it was both the best of its kind and the best spoof of its kind) should be done for rock bands. Plus, isn’t it about time Pixar made a real musical animated feature? Fruit - Pixar’s answer to VeggieTales, or simply it’s contribution to the long tradition of animated talking foods, from the vegetable cart on Pinwheel to the singing burger in Better Off Dead. Supermarket - If fruit is too specific, here’s a more general idea: anthropomorphic grocery items, from the produce aisle to the whatever is on the opposite side of the store aisle (in my local market it’s meats). This would be a great opportunity for more product suggestion (a la Apple Computers in Wall-E and Trix cereal in Presto), or even pure, blatant product placement. Furniture - A little bit Pee-Wee’s Playhouse, a lot bit Brave Little Toaster. Basically, Pixar needs to give Luxo Jr. a feature already. Disney - Since Pixar is owned by the Walt Disney Company, and since our old friends Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto haven’t had a good movie in a long, long time, I think it only makes sense that John Lasseter should produce a computer-animated movie featuring the classic Disney gang. Past attempts to make CG versions of the characters have been disappointing, but if anyone can make it work, Lasseter can. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/6/23/31558.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 6/23/2008 1:00:41 PM
Body: Though it may be more appropriate to watch videos of his comedy routines, particularly of his classic “Seven Dirty Words” bit or his routine on death, this is a film blog, so I’m sharing a clip from … an animated television series. But it’s a cartoon spun-off from a movie, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, which is probably Carlin’s most memorable film, so I find it worthy. Especially because Carlin reprised his role as Rufus. The first season of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures actually featured the voices of Carlin, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, as Rufus, Ted and Bill, respectively. It wasn’t completely rare for cartoon spin-offs to retain the lead actors of the original movies/TV shows, and it’s not like any of the principals were too big for Saturday morning (Reeves didn’t really become a big star until a few years later), but in retrospect it at least seems surprising. The main reason I wanted to share this clip was to recognize Carlin’s ability to transcend his iconic status as a pioneer of obscene stand-up in order to do a lot of kid-friendly work. In addition to appearing in the Bill & Ted movies and the first season of the animated series (none of the stars stayed on for the second, much-altered season), Carlin lent his voice to Pixar’s Cars, Disney’s Tarzan II, the Weinstein Company’s Happily N’Ever After and the children’s program Thomas the Tank Engine and appeared as the conductor on the Thomas spin-off Shining Time Station. And in the above clip Carlin’s two sides meet, as the animated Rufus comes across a George Carlin comedy album. Were kids suddenly introduced to the obscene Carlin? Did they run out and buy his albums only to discover that he had a filthy mouth? Probably not. I had grown up with his comedy, hearing his routines before I was even as old as there are dirty words, but I’m sure that when this episode aired, I failed to see the true genius of the joke. Now I appreciate it to its fullest. To quote the animated Carlin, the reflexive moment is indeed “most amusing.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:00:41 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com6/23/2008 1:00:41 PM Though it may be more appropriate to watch videos of his comedy routines, particularly of his classic “Seven Dirty Words” bit or his routine on death, this is a film blog, so I’m sharing a clip from … an animated television series. But it’s a cartoon spun-off from a movie, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, which is probably Carlin’s most memorable film, so I find it worthy. Especially because Carlin reprised his role as Rufus. The first season of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures actually featured the voices of Carlin, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter, as Rufus, Ted and Bill, respectively. It wasn’t completely rare for cartoon spin-offs to retain the lead actors of the original movies/TV shows, and it’s not like any of the principals were too big for Saturday morning (Reeves didn’t really become a big star until a few years later), but in retrospect it at least seems surprising. The main reason I wanted to share this clip was to recognize Carlin’s ability to transcend his iconic status as a pioneer of obscene stand-up in order to do a lot of kid-friendly work. In addition to appearing in the Bill & Ted movies and the first season of the animated series (none of the stars stayed on for the second, much-altered season), Carlin lent his voice to Pixar’s Cars, Disney’s Tarzan II, the Weinstein Company’s Happily N’Ever After and the children’s program Thomas the Tank Engine and appeared as the conductor on the Thomas spin-off Shining Time Station. And in the above clip Carlin’s two sides meet, as the animated Rufus comes across a George Carlin comedy album. Were kids suddenly introduced to the obscene Carlin? Did they run out and buy his albums only to discover that he had a filthy mouth? Probably not. I had grown up with his comedy, hearing his routines before I was even as old as there are dirty words, but I’m sure that when this episode aired, I failed to see the true genius of the joke. Now I appreciate it to its fullest. To quote the animated Carlin, the reflexive moment is indeed “most amusing.” Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/cinemarian/archive/2008/5/13/28822.aspx Post By: CinemaRian
Post To: CinemaRian Blog
Post Date: 5/13/2008 4:05:01 AM
Body: By this time the novelty of computer animated films is completly gone, never to return. There was a time when every new CGI film (Toy Story, Shreck, A Bug's Life, Antz) was greeted with wide acclaim and enthusiam. In addition to being entertaining for young and old alike, there was just something cool about seeing something other than traditional cell animation. But now the days when the visuals of these films alone provided thrills is over, and the market is now being flooded with product (I think there were something like five CGI films released this year alone). Even Pixar, the standard for quality in the business, is begining to loose its luster. After a string of great films, culminating with the masterpiece Finding Nemo, which features more real drama between its animated fish than most films with human characters, the studio the good but not great The Incredibles. This year's Cars shows that the well has dried up. They need to go back the drawing board and come up with something orignal.There is a sense of going through the motions when it comes to Cars. Part of the problems is that the main character is a jerk, so its hard to get involved with his (it's?) story. That protagonist is Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) an arrogent young race car. That the car has a personality is not surprisng because the movie apparently takes place in an alternate universe where there are no people and cars are sentitent creatures. Putting aside the obvious questions (Why do they have buildings that only humans could use or get into?), the story follows Lighting as he competes with two other cars for a major racing title. On the way to the race in California, he gets arrested and sentenced by a small town judge (Paul Newman) to community service. While in the town, he begins to learn obvious life lessons, such as that it's not a good idea to annoy everyone, and falls in love with the town D.A. (Bonnie Hunt). The movie lacks the wit of the Toy Story films, the visual whimsy of A Bug's Life and Monster's Inc. and the basic drama of Finding Nemo. Although there are some occasionly funny one-liners, the movie doesn't have much going for it in the comedy department, and it seem like 116 minuets an awful long time for this simple a story. The anthropormophised cars are not really beliavable as sentient creatures (they seemd to do an awful lot without hands). But for the most part the animation is not the problem here, it's the story. If this were a live-action films about a human race car driver, I would have the same criticism - we've seen this movie over and over again. It's not that the movie is okay for kids and not adults, it's that there's nothing original here for anyone. Cars (2006)
]]>Tue, 13 May 2008 08:05:01 GMTCinemaRianCinemaRian Blog5/13/2008 4:05:01 AMBy this time the novelty of computer animated films is completly gone, never to return. There was a time when every new CGI film (Toy Story, Shreck, A Bug's Life, Antz) was greeted with wide acclaim and enthusiam. In addition to being entertaining for young and old alike, there was just something cool about seeing something other than traditional cell animation. But now the days when the visuals of these films alone provided thrills is over, and the market is now being flooded with product (I think there were something like five CGI films released this year alone). Even Pixar, the standard for quality in the business, is begining to loose its luster. After a string of great films, culminating with the masterpiece Finding Nemo, which features more real drama between its animated fish than most films with human characters, the studio the good but not great The Incredibles. This year's Cars shows that the well has dried up. They need to go back the drawing board and come up with something orignal.There is a sense of going through the motions when it comes to Cars. Part of the problems is that the main character is a jerk, so its hard to get involved with his (it's?) story. That protagonist is Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) an arrogent young race car. That the car has a personality is not surprisng because the movie apparently takes place in an alternate universe where there are no people and cars are sentitent creatures. Putting aside the obvious questions (Why do they have buildings that only humans could use or get into?), the story follows Lighting as he competes with two other cars for a major racing title. On the way to the race in California, he gets arrested and sentenced by a small town judge (Paul Newman) to community service. While in the town, he begins to learn obvious life lessons, such as that it's not a good idea to annoy everyone, and falls in love with the town D.A. (Bonnie Hunt). The movie lacks the wit of the Toy Story films, the visual whimsy of A Bug's Life and Monster's Inc. and the basic drama of Finding Nemo. Although there are some occasionly funny one-liners, the movie doesn't have much going for it in the comedy department, and it seem like 116 minuets an awful long time for this simple a story. The anthropormophised cars are not really beliavable as sentient creatures (they seemd to do an awful lot without hands). But for the most part the animation is not the problem here, it's the story. If this were a live-action films about a human race car driver, I would have the same criticism - we've seen this movie over and over again. It's not that the movie is okay for kids and not adults, it's that there's nothing original here for anyone. Cars (2006) http://www.spout.com/blogs/mswallack/archive/2008/1/24/24297.aspx Post By: MSWallack
Post To: MSWallack Blog
Post Date: 1/24/2008 2:04:45 PM
Body: To see this movie is to know, instantly, why Disney was willing to spend lots and lots and lots of money to buy Pixar. Cars is another absolute winner in the in the Pixar stable (feather in the cap? trophy in the case? pick your cliché). Suffice it to say that adults will not be bored or disappointed and kids will love the film. I can't think of a single demographic that won't enjoy Cars. Oh, and for the tech geeks out there, most of the animation was about as good as animation has ever been.
]]>Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:04:45 GMTMSWallackMSWallack Blog1/24/2008 2:04:45 PMTo see this movie is to know, instantly, why Disney was willing to spend lots and lots and lots of money to buy Pixar. Cars is another absolute winner in the in the Pixar stable (feather in the cap? trophy in the case? pick your clich&eacute;). Suffice it to say that adults will not be bored or disappointed and kids will love the film. I can&#39;t think of a single demographic that won&#39;t enjoy Cars. Oh, and for the tech geeks out there, most of the animation was about as good as animation has ever been. http://www.spout.com/blogs/meandonlyme93/archive/2007/12/6/22600.aspx Post By: meandonlyme93
Post To: meandonlyme93 Blog
Post Date: 12/6/2007 11:07:31 PM
Body: Honestly, this is tough to say b/c I am 14 yrs old, but this is my altime fav. movie. It has a great story line, and it is made by one of the greatest ever, Pixar!!!! It is a good movie for kids from 1-100! My grandma likes it, my friends like it, and the kids I babysit like it! It is just an all-around great movie, THUMBS UP!!!
]]>Fri, 07 Dec 2007 04:07:31 GMTmeandonlyme93meandonlyme93 Blog12/6/2007 11:07:31 PMHonestly, this is tough to say b/c I am 14 yrs old, but this is my altime fav. movie. It has a great story line, and it is made by one of the greatest ever, Pixar!!!! It is a good movie for kids from 1-100! My grandma likes it, my friends like it, and the kids I babysit like it! It is just an all-around great movie, THUMBS UP!!! http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspxLoved-It
Number of films tagged: 509

Number of people who tagged: 179

Number of times used: 921

]]>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:56:35 GMT509179921Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspxfriendship
Number of films tagged: 6791

Number of people who tagged: 154

Number of times used: 980

]]>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:42:20 GMT6791154980Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fantasy/MemberTagFilms.aspxfantasy
Number of films tagged: 1044

Number of people who tagged: 128

Number of times used: 480

]]>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:54:25 GMT1044128480Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/movie/MemberTagFilms.aspxmovie
Number of films tagged: 364

Number of people who tagged: 115

Number of times used: 188

]]>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:57:46 GMT364115188Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/cute/MemberTagFilms.aspxcute
Number of films tagged: 210

Number of people who tagged: 98

Number of times used: 314

]]>Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:46:12 GMT21098314Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/film/MemberTagFilms.aspxfilm
Number of films tagged: 657

Number of people who tagged: 82

Number of times used: 190

]]>Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:35:41 GMT65782190Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/satire/MemberTagFilms.aspxsatire
Number of films tagged: 170

Number of people who tagged: 55

Number of times used: 120

]]>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:27:25 GMT17055120Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/animated/MemberTagFilms.aspxanimated
Number of films tagged: 83

Number of people who tagged: 40

Number of times used: 101

]]>Sun, 23 Aug 2009 19:30:41 GMT8340101Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/clever/MemberTagFilms.aspxclever
Number of films tagged: 57

Number of people who tagged: 40

Number of times used: 74

]]>Sat, 20 Jun 2009 14:40:08 GMT574074Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/predictable/MemberTagFilms.aspxpredictable
Number of films tagged: 40

Number of people who tagged: 37

Number of times used: 52

]]>Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:32:00 GMT403752Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/touching/MemberTagFilms.aspxtouching
Number of films tagged: 87

Number of people who tagged: 36

Number of times used: 110

]]>Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:15:29 GMT8736110Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/charming/MemberTagFilms.aspxcharming
Number of films tagged: 46

Number of people who tagged: 30

Number of times used: 57

]]>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:29:19 GMT463057Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/small-town/MemberTagFilms.aspxsmall-town
Number of films tagged: 53

Number of people who tagged: 28

Number of times used: 62

]]>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:39 GMT532862Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/California/MemberTagFilms.aspxCalifornia
Number of films tagged: 84

Number of people who tagged: 25

Number of times used: 91

]]>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:42:04 GMT842591Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/racing/MemberTagFilms.aspxracing
Number of films tagged: 404

Number of people who tagged: 24

Number of times used: 34

]]>Tue, 28 Apr 2009 13:07:10 GMT4042434Tag