VIDEO GOLD: 25 YEARS OF PIXAR ANIMATION
I remember being in the car with my cousins on the way to see "Toy Story" for the first time. Contemplating the idea of a computer generated film and imagining that the film was made by some sort of giant super computer program, wondering if the fact that it was all computers would be entertaining enough for the length of the movie. I was so deliciously naive. And I was blown away.
One time I tagged along on a date with my brother Gabby and his future-wife to see "A Bugs Life." I was so scared of those effing grasshoppers. I still kinda fear them. "Toy Story 2" has one of my favorite film intros to watch over and over ad nauseam and which I have YouTubed many times. It is the pure glory and imagination of playing with toys perfected. When I saw "Monsters, Inc." with my cousin Dex we were in a theatre full of children and we were enthralled in the film and at the tease death of Boo near the end of film. Our theatre was a symphony of loud, blubbering children (myself included). Finding Nemo induced tears after the first scene and I can remember feeling chills on my arm hearing Gill (Willem Dafoe) dreaming of escape. "The Incredibles" was like nerd porn for me; super-heroes and Pixar coming together for perfection. I remember sitting in the theatre wishing Sam Jackson would dress as Fro-Zone for a live-action movie. "Cars" didn't get me into the theatres but I eventually enjoyed it with the biggest "Cars" fan I know: my nephew Gabrielito. Watching him enjoy it--and continue to enjoy it--makes me happy. "Ratatouille" I rented on-demand with my mother, which was the perfect atmosphere; and afterwards we had a long conversation about her time living in France. "Wall-E" I borrowed from a friend on DVD and ended up not watching it for months and having to dodge questions about whether I enjoyed it. Eventually I saw it and I immediately had to watch it again. I couldn't believe how little dialogue and plot there was yet how much was magically told in simple movements and visuals. "UP" was a movie I saw on a date with a girl and Pixar yet again stole my tears and probably sealed in that girls mind the fact I was, indeed, a cryer. Which I am. "Toy Story 3" was another one I saw with Dex and it invented my favorite "Toy Story" character: Lots-o Huggin' Bear! "Brave" was a joy to watch with my girlfriend and then we watched it again in theatres with her mother and Derrick. Essentially what I'm getting at is I love Pixar movies. Enjoy.
Comments
John Carter of Mars, for all intents and purposes, IS a Pixar movie, because it was made by Pixar people (Andrew Stanton) and was shown to the Pixar braintrust. I wish it had been sold more that way. C'mon, "By the Writer/Director of Finding Nemo."