IMDB #7: Toy Story

Title: Toy Story

Year Released/Rating: 1995 G

Starring: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles

Directed By: John Lasseter

Written By: John Lasseter, Peter Docter

Genre: Children's animation

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

• Billy Crystal was originally offered the chance to voice Buzz Lightyear, but declined. After seeing the finished film, he said the decision was the biggest mistake of his career. Upon learning this, John Lasseter telephoned Billy's house to offer him the role of Mike Wazowski in Monsters, Inc. (2001). Billy's wife answered the telephone and said "John Lasseter wants to speak to you." Billy took the telephone from his wife and said "Yes".
• The carpet in Sid's house is modeled after the carpet in the Overlook Hotel in The Shining (1980). The Shining is Editor Lee Unkrich's favorite movie. When Buzz gets wacky at the "tea party" he calls himself Mrs. Nesbit. The name of one of Pete's grade school teachers and in college, he had a Toyota pickup truck pretty much like the one the pizza delivery guys used. It too had a "YO" on the gate.
• The toolbox on top of the milk crate that Woody is trapped in is a Binford, the same type of tool that Tim Allen used on his television show Home Improvement (1991).
• Tom Hanks recorded his dialog during the breaks of Sleepless in Seattle (1993) and A League of Their Own (1992). He didn't want to record his dialog during the breaks ofPhiladelphia (1993) or Forrest Gump (1994) because he felt he shouldn't do comedic roles in between minutes of playing serious roles.
• Pizza Planet was originally Pizza Putt, a combination pizzeria/mini-golf course.

Summary: A cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman figure supplants him as top toy in a boy's room.

Review: 

An absolute classic Disney movie.  I adore Toy Story.  I even went to see it in the theaters the first time it was released.  The play of characters are great.  It even makes me get a bit choked up.

Best Bits: 

• Woody: All right, that's enough! Look, we're all very impressed with Andy's new toy.  Buzz: Toy?  Woody: T-O-Y, Toy!  Buzz: Excuse me, I think the word you're searching for is "Space Ranger".  Woody: The word I'm searching for I can't say because there's preschool toys present.
• [Woody finds Buzz dressed up as "Mrs. Nesbitt" and in the company of two headless dolls]  Woody: What happened to you?  Buzz: One minute you're defending the whole galaxy, and, suddenly, you find yourself sucking down darjeeling with Marie Antoinette... and her little sister.  [chuckles nervously]
• Sergeant: [about the second present Andy opens ] It's... it's bedsheets!  Mr. Potato Head: Who invited that kid?
• Woody: Buzz, will you get up here and gimme a hand?  [Buzz throws his broken-off arm to Woody]  Woody: Ha-ha, ha-ha. That's real funny. THIS IS SERIOUS!
• Rex: What if Andy gets another dinosaur? A mean one? I just don't think I can take that kind of rejection!
• [Mr. Potato Head rearranges his facial features crazily]  Mr. Potato Head: Hey, Hamm. Look, I'm Picasso!  Hamm: I don't get it.  Mr. Potato Head: You uncultured swine! What're you lookin' at, ya hockey puck?
• Buzz: How dare you open a space man's helmet on an uncharted planet? My eyeballs could have been sucked from their sockets!  [closes his helmet]

IMDB #9: Monsters Inc.

Title: Monsters Inc.

Year Released/Rating: 2001 G

Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Mary Gibbs

Directed By: Pete Doctor, David Silverman

Written By: Pete Doctor, Jill Culton

Genre: Children's animation

Star Rating:  5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

• It normally took 11 to 12 hours to render a single frame of Sulley because of his 2.3 million individually animated hair strands (Total number of hairs: 2,320,413).
• Mary Gibbs was so young that it proved difficult to get her to stand in the recording studio and act her lines. Instead, they simply followed her around with a microphone and cut Boo's lines together from the things she said while she played.
• John Goodman pushed for Steve Buscemi to voice the villain Randall.
• There are retro Disneyland posters in the Monstropolis travel store and some of the children's bedrooms.
• John Goodman and Billy Crystal sometimes recorded their lines in the same room together, an unusual move for animated films, where actors more often work alone.Steve Buscemi and Frank Oz (Randall and his assistant Fungus) also recorded their lines together for the bathroom scene.
• In the first scene, one of the toys on the boy's bedroom shelf is the toy plane that hung from the ceiling and caused Buzz to "fly" in and as Mike and Sully go through the scare floor, the rolling clown, from Toy Story (1995) can be seen in the background. Also, when Randall is practicing camouflaging into backgrounds of walls, one of the images given to him is the wallpaper Andy had in his room.

Summary: Monsters generate their city's power by scaring children, but they are terribly afraid themselves of being contaminated by children, so when one enters Monstropolis, top scarer Sulley finds his world disrupted.

Review: 

The interaction between Mike and Sully is what really makes this film.

Best Bits: 

• Mike: Roz, my tender, oozing blossom, you're looking fabulous today. Is that a new haircut? Come on, tell me it's a new haircut, isn't it? It's got to be a new haircut. New makeup? You had a lift? You had a tuck? You had something? Something has been inserted in in you that makes you look... Listen, I need a favor. Randall was working late last night out on the scare floor. I really need the key to the door he was using.  Roz: Well, isn't that nice? But guess what? You didn't turn in your paperwork last night.  Mike: He didn't... I... no paperwork?  Roz: This office is now closed. [closes the window on Mike's fingers] Mike: YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
• Yeti: [Referring to despondent Sully] Aw, poor guy. I understand. It's not easy being banished. Take my buddy Bigfoot. When he was banished he fashioned an enormous diaper out of poison ivy. Wore it on his head like a tiara. Called himself "King Itchy".
• Randall: Okay, I think I know how to make this all go away. What happens when the whistle blows in five minutes?  Mike: I get a time out?  Randall: Everyone goes to lunch! Which means the scare floor will be...  Mike: ...Painted? Randall: EMPTY! I'll be empty, you idiot! See that clock?When the big hand is pointing up... [forces Mike's arm up]  Randall: and the little hand is pointing up... [forces the other arm up] Randall: the door will be in my station. But when the big hand is pointing down...  [forces Mike's arm down]  Randall: the door will be gone. You have until then to put the kid back. Get the picture?
• Sulley: Hey, Mike, this might sound crazy but I don't think that kid's dangerous.  Mike: Really? Well, in that case, let's keep it. I always wanted a pet that could kill me.
• Mike: I think I have a plan here: using mainly spoons, we dig a tunnel under the city and release it into the wild.  Sulley: Spoons?  Mike: That's it, I'm out of ideas. We're closed. Hot air balloon? Too expensive. Giant slingshot? Too conspicuous. Enormous wooden horse? Too Greek.

IMDB #6: The Incredibles

Title: The Incredibles

Year Released/Rating: 2004 PG

Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee

Directed By: Brad Bird

Written By: Brad Bird

Genre: Children's animation

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

• Jason Lee (Buddy/Syndrome) recorded his vocals in four days, while Craig T. Nelson(Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible) recorded his vocals over the span of two years.
• Brad Bird was listening to Public Radio International and heard Sarah Vowell, a frequent contributor to the PRI program "This American Life". He felt her voice was perfect for Violet even though she had never acted before. To convince her, Pixar animators animated one of Vowell's segments from "This American Life" and sent it to her.
• Samuel L. Jackson was cast as the voice of Frozone because Brad Bird wanted the character to have the coolest voice.
• When Elastigirl is attempting to discern the location of Mr. Incredible in the island's command center, you see her looking at an energy consumption grid. You then learn that Mr. Incredible is on Level A1, in Cell Block 13, or A113. Previously in the film, Mr. Incredible has a meeting in Conference Room A113 before the second Omnidroid fight. A113 is a frequent Pixar in-joke based on one of the room numbers for the animation program at Cal Arts.
• Seen attending Bob and Helen's wedding are (left to right) Gazerbeam, Edna "E" Mode, and government agent Rick Dicker sitting in the front row, as well as Dynaguy, Stratogale, Thunderhead, and Metaman in the pew behind them. The latter four have one thing in common: they're all seen later (for the last time) in flashbacks within Edna's "No Capes!" monologue. In the superhero database on the DVD, it says for those same heroes Edna mentioned, "Died in action, suit malfunction."
• The Incredibles (2004) is the first, and thus far only, Pixar movie NOT to feature a distinct appearance of the Pizza Planet truck. Many people claim to have spotted it, but screen caps only show blurry, "Rorschach test" images, and nothing that can be clearly identified as the Pizza Planet truck. Lee Unkrich has confirmed that the truck does not appear.
• In the beginning of the film, when a robber is going through a woman's purse on the roof of a building, a Mr. Incredible Pez dispenser can be seen among the items scattered on the ground.

Summary: A family of undercover superheroes, while trying to live the quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world.

Review: 

A truly underrated Pixar movie.  Many overlook it in favor of Monsters Inc or Toy Story (both of which I do love).  This movie has an understated elegance about it.  The story of a family struggling to make it and fit in is gorgeous.  I love the message of being true to yourself.  All of the references to superheroes, comics, and spy movies are amazingly fun!  And of course it's hilarious.  A great family movie.

Best Bits: 

• Lucius: Honey?  Honey: What?  Lucius: Where's my super suit?  Honey: What?  Lucius: Where - is - my - super - suit?  Honey: I, uh, put it away. [helicopter explodes outside]  Lucius: *Where*?  Honey: *Why* do you *need* to know?  Lucius: I need it!  [Lucius rummages through another room in his condo]  Honey: Uh-uh! Don't you think about running off doing no daring-do. We've been planning this dinner for two months!  Lucius: The public is in danger!  Honey: My evening's in danger!  Lucius: You tell me where my suit is, woman! We are talking about the greater good!  Honey: 'Greater good?' I am your wife! I'm the greatest *good* you are ever gonna get!
• Mr. Incredible: No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid; I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for... for ten minutes!
• Lucius: [Bob and Lucius are sitting in a parked car, reminiscing] So now I'm in deep trouble. I mean, one more jolt of this death ray and I'm an epitaph. Somehow I manage to find cover and what does Baron von Ruthless do?  Bob: [laughing] He starts monologuing.  Lucius: He starts monologuing! He starts like, this prepared speech about how *feeble* I am compared to him, how *inevitable* my defeat is, how *the world* *will soon* *be his*, yadda yadda yadda.  Bob: Yammering. Lucius: Yammering! I mean, the guy has me on a platter and he won't shut up!
• Edna: You need a new suit, that much is certain.  Bob: A new suit? Well, where the heck am I gonna get a new suit?  Edna: You can't! It's impossible! I'm far too busy, so ask me now before I can become sane.  Bob: Wait? you want to make me a suit?  Edna: You push too hard, darling! But I accept!
• Kari: [on phone message] Hi, this is Kari, sorry for freakin' out but your baby has *special needs*.
• [after seeing Jack-Jack's superhero outfit]  Helen: What on earth do you think the baby will be doing?  Edna: Well, I am sure I don't know, darling. Luck favors the prepared.

IMDB #4: Pirates of the Caribbean

Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

Year Released/Rating: 2003 PG-13

Starring: Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush

Directed By: Gore Verbinski

Written By: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie, Jay Wolpert

Genre: Action Adventure

Star Rating: 4/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

• Johnny Depp wore contact lenses which served as sunglasses so he wouldn't be squinting in the sun all the time.
• The scene where Orlando Bloom impersonates Johnny Depp's performance was devised by Bloom who asked producer Jerry Bruckheimer if he could put it into the movie.
• When returning from a night shoot on one of the Caribbean islands, Keira Knightley's boat struck a reef and went down. The only people aboard were Knightley, her mother Sharman Macdonald and the boat's skipper, all of whom escaped unharmed and were rescued within a few hours. However, the incident ultimately determined that the rest of the island night shoots needed would complete filming in a studio, rather than on location.
• The East India Company (the real-life counterpart of the film franchise's East India Trading Company) really did brand pirates with a "P" but it was put on their forehead instead of their arm.
• The "Fort" in Port Royal is actually not on St. Vincent's, but at a closed down amusement park (Marineland) in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
• The name "Barbossa" might have been derived from the real Turkish pirate "Barbarossa". Barbarossa, also known as "Redbeard", was once a pirate in the Aegean and the Mediterranean seas before he became a fleet admiral of the Ottoman Empire navy.

Summary: Blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate "Captain" Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor's daughter, from Jack's former pirate allies, who are now undead.

Review: A fun movie, but just don't think about it too much.  The best part of the movie is definitely Geoffrey Rush's Captain Barbossa.  He is such a hoot.  Love him!  The rest of the cast is ho-hum in comparison.  It's still a fun movie to watch for a night in.

Best Bits: 

• Jack Sparrow: Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly... stupid.
• Norrington: No additional shot nor powder, a compass that doesn't point north, [looks at Jack's sword] and I half expected it to be made of wood. You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of.  Jack Sparrow: But you have heard of me.
• Will Turner: This is either madness... or brilliance.  Jack Sparrow: It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide.
• Elizabeth: Captain Barbossa , I am here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal .  Barbossa: There are a lot of long words in there, Miss; we're naught but humble pirates. What is it that you want?  Elizabeth: I want you to leave and never come back.  Barbossa: I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request. Means "no".
• Jack Sparrow: Parleley, parlelellyleloooo, par le nee, partner, par... snip, parsley...  Ragetti: Parley?  Jack Sparrow: That's the one. Parley. Parley.  Pintel: Parley? Damn to the depths whatever man what thought of "Parley".  Jack Sparrow: That would be the French.

NMF #14: The Black Hole

Title: The Black Hole

Year Released/Rating: 1979 PG

Starring: Maximillian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster

Written By: Jeb Rosebrook, Bob Barbash, Richard H. Landau, Gerry Day

Directed By: Gary Nelson

Genre: Action Adventure

Star Rating: 5/5 stars

Where I Got It: We own it

Trivia:

• To film the special effects, Disney originally wanted to rent the Dykstraflex camera system that was created for Star Wars (the first computer-controlled camera) from Industrial Light & Magic. However, the price and rental terms were unacceptable so Disney created its own version instead. What resulted was Disney's A.C.E.S. (Automated Camera Effects System), which was radically superior to the Dykstraflex system; the Mattescan system, which enabled the camera to move on a matte painting (that was previously impossible); and a computer-controlled modeling stand.
• Dr. Reinhardt's ship was originally called the Centaurus. It was renamed Cygnus after the constellation where the first known black hole was discovered in 1964.
• At the time of its release, the movie featured the longest computer graphics sequence that had ever appeared in a film: the "green grid" sequence that appears under the opening titles.
• Almost all of the dialog in the film was re-recorded by the cast during post-production looping (ADR) - with the exception of only a couple of lines.
• This was regarded as the last big special effect production to be made under the "old studio system." All of the elaborate special effects were created within the Disney studio and not farmed out to outside special effects companies.

Summary: A research vessel finds a missing ship, commanded by a mysterious scientist, on the edge of a black hole.

Review: This is one of those movies that J was amazed that I haven't seen.  Of course, we had to rectify that tonight.  This is a treasure.  I loved the story, the design, the effects, the actors.  For 1979, this just looks amazing.  Dr. Reinhardt is a mix between a James Bond villain and Captain Nemo.  In fact, the entire Nemo is a lot like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but in space.  The rest of the crew are fun and very logiacl in their behavior.  Plus the dialogue is a lot of fun.  And the sets look great for the year.  There is a great consistency to the universe.  I can't believe I've never seen this.

Best Bits: 

• Dr. Hans Reinhardt: Some cause must have created all this, but what caused that cause?
• Lieutenant Charles Pizer: Vincent, were you programmed to bug me?  V.I.N.CENT: No, sir, to educate you.
• Kate McCrae: If there's any justice at all, the black hole will be your grave!
• [after first seeing the black hole]  Lieutenant Charles Pizer: Every time I see one of those things I expect to spot some guy dressed in red with horns and a pitchfork. Dan Holland: It's a monster, all right. V.I.N.CENT: A rip in the very fabric of space and time.
• Lieutenant Charles Pizer: When I volunteered for this mission, I never thought I'd end up playing straight man to a tin can.
• Dan Holland: It's only dinner.  V.I.N.CENT: Said the spider to the fly.
• V.I.N.CENT: A wolf remains a wolf, even if it has not eaten your sheep.
• Dr. Hans Reinhardt: Maximilian, the time has come to liquidate our guests.

Distractions...

Today I should be finishing packing and reading for the Spring Into Horror Readathon.  Instead, I am finding distractions for myself on the interwebs...  Enjoy my distractions.

1. How awesome is he? I adore Newsies and really want to see it on Broadway, but I guess this is as close as I am going to come for awhile.

2. She is just amazing. Makes me want to watch every single one of these Disney movies (especially Hercules [love the Muses and Megara])

3. Can't wait until their new album... "Ghosts that We Knew"

4. Schmidt's work out video -- love him and the douchebag jar

5. Julian Smith "Buffering" -- he always makes me laugh

P.S. I did pack a few boxes and scrub the kitchen counters.  That counts, right?

Disney or Bust!

It's official.  In about one hour we are piling into the car and heading to Indy to catch a plane to Orlando. We're going to Disney World!!!!! I have decided to have a computer free vacation.  I will not be taking my laptop.  I will not be on Facebook.  I will not be updating my blog.  I will have my phone, but will mostly leave it in the hotel.  I want to spend some great time with the boys away from most technology. So I won't be around to respond to any comments on the blog or FB crap.  Never fear, I will be back on Sunday.  And then I will return to my regularly scheduled posting!