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Small Fry

Stocking Stuffer: Pixar Short Film Collection Volume 2 Now on Blu-Ray

5 December 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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PIXAR_SHORTS_COLLECTION_VOLUME2Pixar’s short films are what made me fall in love with them, many years ago. I’ve discussed in the past how I first saw Tin Toy back at an Animation Film Festival in Boston back in the 1990’s, so the Pixar shorts collections are always a favorite in our house. This time around, my four-year old has taken over and proclaimed this his favorite thing to watch ever. And truthfully, I love to watch him laugh and delight at the wonderful stories Pixar is telling. I could join him in watching this collection over and over (and have!).

Included in Volume 2, in addition to seven rarely screened student films from directors John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Pete Docter are:

BURN•E – BURN•E is a dedicated, hard working robot that finds himself locked out of his ship and quickly learns that completing a simple task can often be a difficult endeavor. Based on characters from ‘WALL•E.’ (Directed by: Angus MacLane)

Dug’s Special Mission – In this funny short based on the character from ‘Up,’ Dug is sent on a foolish mission by Alpha, Beta and Gamma so that they can hunt for the Bird of Paradise Falls by themselves. Soon Dug discovers that where he belongs is not where he’s been looking. (Directed by: Ronnie del Carmen)

George & AJ – Inspired by Carl’s escape, senior citizens around the city unite to make their own “escapes,” much to the chagrin of George and A.J., in this short that features characters from ‘Up.’ (Directed by: Josh Cooley)
Air Mater – In this hilarious short, Mater decides he wants to learn how to fly and is accidently recruited by an elite group of formation flyers, the Falcon Hawks. (Directed by: Rob Gibbs)

Time Travel Mater – When a clock lands on Mater’s engine, he travels back in time to 1910 where he meets Stanley, the founder of Radiator Springs. (Directed by: Rob Gibbs)

Your Friend The Rat – ‘Ratatouille’s’ Remy and his brother Emile guide fans through world history from a rat’s perspective. (Directed by: Jim Capobianco)

Partly Cloudy – This humorous short features baby-delivering storks who receive their special packages high in the stratosphere, from clouds who sculpt babies and bring them to life. (Directed by: Peter Sohn)

Presto – When Presto, a great turn-of-the-century magician, neglects to feed his rabbit one too many times, the magician finds he isn’t the only one with a few tricks up his sleeve. (Directed by: Doug Sweetland)

Day & Night – This short follows Day, a sunny fellow, who encounters Night, a stranger of distinctly dark moods. As their suspicions turn to curiosity, they are delighted to find that this budding friendship can offer a new perspective on the world. (Directed by: Teddy Newton)

Hawaiian Vacation – Fans will love this “Toy Story Toon,” as Woody and Buzz lead a group of toys in giving Ken and Barbie the Hawaiian vacation of their dreams – without ever leaving home. (Directed by: Gary Rydstrom)

Small Fry – Fans’ favorite team of toys is back in this clever “Toy Story Toon.” Buzz Lightyear is left behind at a fast food restaurant where he finds himself in a support group for discarded toys. As Woody and the gang devise a way to rescue their friend, Buzz tries to escape the toy psychotherapy meeting. (Directed by: Angus MacLane)

La Luna – The timeless fable of a young boy coming of age in the most peculiar of circumstances, in which he discovers his Papa’s and Grandpa’s unusual line of work. (Directed by: Enrico Casarosa)

Here are a couple of clips from two of our favorite shorts:


Pixar Short Films Collection 2 is available now – a perfect stocking stuffer!

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Filed Under: Disney Merchandise, Disney Movie News & Reviews, Movie Reviews, Movies & Books, Reviews Tagged With: Burn-e, Day and Night, Disney Pixar, Disney|Pixar, Dug's Special Mission, Hawaiian Vacation, La Luna, Partly Cloudy, Pixar, Pixar Short Film Collection Volume 2, Pixar Short films, Pixar shorts, Presto, short films, Small Fry, Your Friend the Rat

REVIEW: The Muppets – Together Again

21 November 2011 by Suzannah Otis 6 Comments

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Muppet Show lunchbox
First day of school, with my Muppet Show lunch box, 1978

I can’t remember which came first, my stuffed Kermit doll that rarely ever left my arms, or watching The Muppet Show each Sunday night, like clockwork. What I do know is that I fell instantly in love. Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s, kids growing up didn’t think the Muppets were real, they knew they were.

It was a simpler time of rainbows and unicorns and the Muppets let kids know it was okay to dream. Way before I knew of a magical place called Walt Disney World, I knew of the magical place called The Muppet Theatre. I wanted so badly to be able to sit in the audience, or better yet, visit backstage with Scooter.

When The Muppet Movie was released back in 1979, we were able to see where the Muppets came from and they became even more endeared to us. Famed film critic Roger Ebert had this to say about the original Muppet Movie:

“They turn out, somehow, to have many of the same emotions and motivations that we do. They are vain and hopeful, selfish and generous, complicated and true. They mirror ourselves, except that they’re a little nicer.“

So very true.

For fans like me, the Muppets never really went away, but I can understand how an entire generation really doesn’t have that Muppet upbringing to draw from. When Jim Henson passed away in 1990, I actually grieved. I was about to graduate high school in the coming year and it was as if my childhood was ending in more ways than one. We were lucky to soon have the Muppets living on at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but it wasn’t quite the same as having those jokes and skits each week, or full-length feature films of our favorite furry friends (aside from the themed movies putting the Muppets into classic tales). For that reason, I am so grateful to Jason Segel for making it his mission to bring the Muppets back to the big screen. {Some spoilers may be contained below, continue reading at your own risk}

 

The Muppets cast
The cast of characters, old and new

I was lucky enough to attend a media screening of The Muppets last Saturday. I am already a fan of Jason Segel’s writing and acting, so I was excited to see where The Muppets took us. I was not disappointed. The Muppets opens with the story of Walter and Gary, brothers who grew up doing everything together. While Gary (Jason Segel) continued to grow in height, Walter stayed the same. Walter bares more resemblance to say, Scooter than he does Gary, so things got a little tough for him. When Walter and Gary discovered The Muppet Show on their television, Walter found a new reason for living. He became the Muppets biggest fan.

Similar to the original three Muppet films, The Muppets focuses more on the Muppets story than the humans.  With the usual musical and dance numbers, the Muppet and human cast acknowledge that there is an audience watching. It lets us not only get in on the joke, but be a part of it. The story then focuses on Gary’s trip to Los Angeles with his girlfriend of 10 years, Mary, (Amy Adams). Gary brings his brother along for the vacation and Walter’s dreams of taking the Muppet Studios tour is about to come true. The Studios are the first stop, and Walter is shocked to see they have fallen into disrepair and are for the most part abandoned.

Walter sneaks into Kermit’s old office where he overhears the villain of the story, oil barron Tex Richman, discussing his plans to demolish the studios and drill for oil. When the loophole of the “Standard Rich and Famous Contract” is brought to light, I couldn’t help but smile at the reference to the original Muppet Movie. Walter knows they have to find Kermit and save the Studios, no small task as the price to buy it back is 10 million dollars, and no one knows where the Muppets are today. As they travel across the globe to retrieve Muppets and put on a Muppet telethon, we see pieces of Muppet history from the movies and show, mixed with slapstick humor and puns.

The rest of the film is full of heartwarming nods to the past that older fans will recognize, and plenty of laughs for a new generation. Lines like “may I suggest we save time and pick up the rest of the Muppets in a montage?” and “we can travel by map!” let you know these are the Muppets we know and love. Some fun new moments for me included the Swedish Chef and Camilla the Chicken getting subtitles, so we finally knew what they were saying. While there are a host of guest star cameos and a subplot about Gary and Mary, the real story is about the Muppets, friendship, and how growing up doesn’t have to mean growing apart.

I won’t give away all of the movie, but I will admit to tearing up when the Muppet telethon begins with the original Muppet Show opening. It was truly magical to see it unfold live before your eyes, and to know that my children will now love and appreciate the Muppets and learn from them as I did so many years ago.

Kermit sang those famous words 32 years ago; “Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection…” while Gonzo later crooned, “I’m going to go back there someday…” Well, I think we’ve done both. Welcome back, Muppets. We’re so happy you are Together Again.

 

The 7-minute short which precedes The Muppets is a hysterical piece of work from Pixar, featuring the Toy Story gang back again, including Bonnie, beneficiary to Andy’s toys. “Small Fry” takes a look at some fast food kids meal toys, and how they just want to be played with too. Jane Lynch stars as the voice of Neptuna, a discarded mermaid warrior toy and leader of the discarded toy support group. The names and types of abandoned toys got laugh after laugh in the theatre; pure genius!  Make sure you arrive on time to the theatre so you don’t miss this one!

 

The Muppets opens nationwide on November 23.

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Filed Under: Movie Reviews, Movies & Books, Reviews Tagged With: Amy Adams, Buzz Lightyear, Disney movie reviews, Disney|Pixar, film critic roger ebert, Jane Lynch, Jason Segel, Mini Buzz, Movie Reviews, movies, Muppet Studios, Muppets, Muppets movie review, Neptuna, November 23, Pixar, Small Fry, The Muppets, The Muppets movie, Toy Story, Walt Disney Pictures

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