Well, nobody ever accused Pixar of being anything other than creative, thoughtful, and detail-oriented. The animation studio’s next film, Monsters University, marks the first prequel they’ve ever entertained as a company, and while there’s been some hand-wringing over the project based on concerns over originality, it’s hard to feel that much anxiety over their 2013 offering when the preview material is as spot-on and engaging as this bit of ingeniousness. I grant that promotional work is one of Pixar’s realms of expertise: they know how to advertise and promote their projects like nobody else. The in-depth Monsters University website is no exception. Put simply, this thing is comprehensive. In point of fact, I…
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G-S-T Review…Finding Nemo 3D
Andrew Stanton’s colorful and delightful film literally bursts off the screen in its 3D re-release. A massive hit for Stanton and the animation powerhouse, Finding Nemo significantly raised the bar not only for the studio but for computer animation in general. Impressive world building, Shakespearean like story and characters, the film is endlessly endearing and layered ever so subtly for the kid and adult audiences . Really it was Pixar finding their groove. It showcased hundreds if not thousands of dynamic digital elements, was the biggest jump in story and quality for the studio at the time and would further propel their meteoric success. It also made Ellen DeGeneres a household name (well that…
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Ohhh, Look…Cinema Inspired Bento Boxes
Not too much happening in the film world right now so we thought this Yahoo article/slideshow was worth a look. There’s lots of artists and creative people in the world and many of them consider the kitchen their studio and food their medium. Some of these have been on the web for a while but they’re always worth a minute or two to look over. So have enjoy these pint-sized but impressive culinary recreations of some of the film world’s most beloved characters. Enjoy! Is today a slow day for film news or am I hinting at what my lunch plans are? Guess you’ll find out in about an…
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Ohhh Look…Super-fan/Robot Builder Makes Real-Life WALL·E
There’s a saying that film inspires art…or something like that. These days there’s no shortage of avid film fans attempting to bring things from the film world into the real world. Gadgets, vehicles, costumes, etc. you name it, someone’s probably working on it. Things like replica light sabers and proton packs get ohhs and ahhs but they’re nothing new. So when creating something from a film, borrowing an expression from the current 2012 Olympics, how do you go for the gold and make something really special? This is how. Recently we’ve seen the amazing journey and awesome dedication that turned Pixar’s favorite Easter Egg the Pizza Planet truck into reality.…
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G-S-T Review…Brave
Stories of fantasy and high adventure are certain to contain genre stand-bys like magic, kingdoms a far, fair maidens and the like. Yet in Pixar’s latest (and first true period-piece) this “maiden” is not a damsel in distress by any means. Brave‘s Princess Merida actually has more in common with any number of Hayao Miyazaki’s female protagonists than it does the colorful princesses whose posters grace little girls’ walls. It channels some of the more stand-up kind of womanly characters we’ve seen in the last few decades…even if in this case she is defiant to a fault. With a line like “I am Merida, and I’ll be shooting for my own hand”…
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“The CineMagic 8-Ball” – In Theaters 6/21/12
When so many movies are released each weekend and trailers often seem better than the movie itself, what should one do? In this precarious situation, we consult the The CineMagic 8-Ball (TM) to help us see through the nebulous marketing haze. Doing so just might save us all a disheartening trip to the cinema and spare us unnecessarily springing for $7 popcorn. See what the 8-Ball says about this week’s releases… ——————————————————————————————————————————————- ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter explores the secret life of our greatest president, and the untold story that shaped our nation. Visionary filmmakers Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov (director of Wanted) bring a fresh and…
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Sweet (Teaser) Trailer…'Monsters University' – UPDATED
Remember that charming little animated film from Pete Docter all the way back in 2001? You know, the one with the adorable characters hiding in closets to scare kids? Yeah, thought that might ring a bell. Well, for those of you who fell in love with the likes of Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan (“Sulley” for short) Pixar’s next film will take us back to the duo’s college days before they were best friends. So enjoy this glimpse into how these two suffered some knocks (well mostly Mike) became the best of pals with the first teaser trailer to the Monsters, Inc. prequel Monsters University… By the way, in a crafty…
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Ohhh, Look…First Look At 'Wreck-It Ralph' Characters – UPDATED
Last week we got a look at Ralph, from Pixar’s upcoming Wreck-It Ralph. It wasn’t much but it did have that old school, side-of-an-arcade-game look/feel to it. But this morning, USA Today has 4 exclusive images from the feature. In the film about a vintage 8-bit brute, Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) has been bashing buildings for 30 years as the well-mannered hero Fix-It Felix, Jr. (30 Rock’s Jack McBrayer) has constantly repaired all his demolition handiwork. Ralph decides he no longer wants to be the “bad guy”, but in his attempts to change his ways he unleashes a deadly enemy who threatens to destroy every game in the arcade. Behold, some…
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Ohhh, Look…'Wreck-It Ralph' Character Images
This goes out to all you Pixar fans and 8-bit junkies. In case you haven’t heard, the gang at Pixar has come up with a pretty awesome sounding idea for a film called Wreck -It Ralph. Disney announced this project last August at the D23 Expo along with a string of titles. Most of those mentioned have already hit theaters but this has been one that we at G-S-T have been the most excited about. In the film, the main character Ralph decides he no longer wants to be the “bad guy”, and ventures into other games in hopes of becoming a “hero”. See? Told you it sounded awesome! While many film fans…
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Pixar Family Favorites Returning To AMC THEATRES For Memorial Day Weekend
With the summer movie season heating up, four popular Disney•Pixar movies are returning exclusively to AMC Theatres for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. From May 25 through May 28, Toy Story 3, Ratatouille, Up and WALL•E will be featured at AMC locations around the country. Theater goers will get a special treat for coming out to the cinema. Each film will be accompanied by a classic Pixar short film and an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming movie, Brave. Sounds good to me! “There are some great films coming out Memorial Day weekend but nothing specifically for families and young children,” said Sun Dee Larson, vice president of Film Marketing at AMC. “We’re…