Cars 2

97 Original Scores Up for Oscar; DRIVE and ATTACK THE BLOCK Ruled Ineligible

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 23rd, 2011 at 12:04 pm

As the 84th Academy Awards move closer, we’re starting to get a better sense of how things will pan out. We recently shared the 39 songs that will contend for the Best Original Song category, and now the Academy has announced the 97 original scores eligible for the Best Original Score award. AMPAS is notoriously picky when it comes to eligibility in this category, and as we feared the scores for both Drive and Attack the Block have been deemed ineligible. Also disappointing is the ineligibility of Alexandre Desplat’s mesmerizing score for The Tree of Life.

While it’s upsetting to see some of the year’s best work side-lined, there’s plenty to be happy about. I was a huge fan of Howard Shore’s work in Hugo and Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross’s score for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, as well as The Chemical Brothers’ brilliant work in the criminally underseen Hanna. Hit the jump for the full list, as well as who I think will make the cut.

39 Songs Contend for Best Original Song Oscar; Nominees Include THE MUPPETS and CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 19th, 2011 at 2:38 pm

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences announced today that 39 eligible songs will contend for the Best Original Song Oscar this year. Important to note is that a relatively recent rule change states that songs must be judged in the capacity that they appear in each film. In early January the voting body will get together and watch clips from each eligible movie in which the 39 songs are featured, after which they will determine the nominees. The list of eligible songs include three tracks from The Muppets, Sigur Ros frontman Jonsi’s song “Gathering Stories” (which director Cameron Crowe co-wrote) from We Bought a Zoo, and composer/songwriter/eight-time Oscar-winner Alan Menken’s “Star Spangled Man” from Captain America: The First Avenger. I’m partial to Jonsi’s work or “Man or Muppet” from The Muppets, but we’ll see how the Academy’s taste stacks up towards the end of January.

Hit the jump to check out the full list of eligible songs. The 84th Academy Award nominations will be announced on January 24th.

CARS 2 Blu-ray Review

by Scott Wampler    Posted: December 7th, 2011 at 7:47 am

John Lasseter—he of the illustrious, awe-inspiring career with Pixar Animation Studios—has produced some truly great films for that studio over the years, not least of which were the Toy Story films.  This shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone, of course, seeing as how Pixar’s the gold-standard as far as cinematic animation goes these days, but it’s also not to say that Lasseter’s above making missteps.  Prior to seeing Cars 2 (recently out on Blu-ray), I wasn’t convinced that this was a sequel worth making, as the original Cars—beloved as it is by kids and Larry The Cable Guy enthusiasts everywhere—simply wasn’t my cup of tea.  So, is Cars 2 a misstep, or is it another fine addition to the Lasseter canon?  Hit the jump for my review of Cars 2 on Blu-ray.

2012 Oscar Preview: Best Animated Feature, Best Original Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Technical Category Quick Picks

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 26th, 2011 at 10:19 am

Continuing on with our look at the 2012 Oscar race, today we delve into Best Animated Feature and the technical categories. As Pixar’s Cars 2 was the studio’s worst-received feature to date (it currently sits at 38% on Rotten Tomatoes), we’ve got ourselves an actual competition in the Animated Feature category. Not only that, but if all 18 films that were submitted to the Academy are deemed eligible, we’ll have a total of five nominated films. This leaves us to debate the merits of Rango and The Adventures of Tintin against the likes of Puss in Boots and Arthur Christmas.

Additionally, we’ve taken a stab at Best Original Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay, and the technical categories. As these are incredibly tricky to predict this far out (and my picks would be doomed to haunt me come February), I’ve simply listed a couple of frontrunners in each category instead of going in depth. Though it’s still early, we’ve got an overall picture of how things look like they’ll stack up; so hit the jump to check out the state of the race so far. If you missed our previous preview articles, be sure to take a look at our picks for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, and Best Actor and Best Actress.

TOP 5: SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, IMMORTALS, CARS 2, THE EXPENDABLES 2, Billy Crystal and Brian Grazer Take on 2012 Oscars

by Jason Barr    Posted: November 12th, 2011 at 12:49 pm

I’m going to bypass my usual opening paragraph musings this week and simply wish everyone a Happy Veterans Day weekend. Given that I don’t have any immediate family or friends who serve, I won’t claim to know the first thing about the sacrifices that each serviceman/woman and their respective families and friends are continually asked to make. I reap all of the benefits of their service without any of the concessions. As a result, I owe a debt of gratitude to each and every one of them.

In this week’s “Top 5″ installment you can find the first trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman, a cornucopia of interviews for Immortals and Cars 2, new set images from the set of The Expendables 2 featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme, and a look at the road that led Billy Crystal and Brian Grazer to the top of the 2012 Oscars. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

Producer Denise Ream Talks CARS 2

by Tommy Cook    Posted: November 7th, 2011 at 10:08 am

Judging by the comments on the previous Cars 2 DVD/Blu-ray coverage, the film seems rather divisive with a lot of you – most bemoaning its failure to live up to previous heights of Pixar yore. I’m not sure the comparisons are necessarily fair – as Cars 2 doesn’t intend to have the same gravitas as other Pixar films. It’s the lightest of the studio’s fare and the most freewheeling narratively. The movie’s not afraid to go off on silly tangents – like the extended wasabi joke or the master of disguise jet plane sequence. Do all the jokes land? No. Does the movie feel like it could lose twenty or so minutes. Sure, it does. But  the thing that really irks me – those that use Cars 2 as a sign of the Pixar-Apocalypse, waving their pitchforks proclaiming ‘Hear ye, hear ye – this be the moment Ol’ Glorious Pixar sold out. Now The End is Nigh”. It’s one film. ONE. Let’s hold off on the judgment at least until Brave…

In the fifth and final interview (taken part at Pixar headquarters in Emeryville, CA), Cars 2 producer Denise Ream discusses how to budget/schedule an animated feature, what inspired her to get into the animation field and the differences between producing live action (as she previously worked at ILM on the Star Wars prequels) versus animation. For all this and more, hit the jump.

Pixar Supervising Animators Dave Mullins and Shawn Krause Talk CARS 2

by Tommy Cook    Posted: November 5th, 2011 at 1:44 pm

Last week in conjunction with the release of Cars 2 on DVD/Blu-ray, I was able to travel up to Pixar headquarters (Emeryville, CA), to tour the grounds and speak with the team behind the sequel. In today’s installment (the fourth of five interviews): I speak with supervising animators Dave Mullins and Shawn Krause. Mullins has been working with Pixar since 2000 on projects as varied as Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Cars; whereas Krause dates back to 1994 having served as animator and layout artist on Pixar’s first film – Toy Story. Both bring an experienced and well-learned perspective to how the animation process has changed over time and Pixar’s role in it.

In the following interview with the two, they also discuss what separates a “good” animated mouth from a “bad” one, who their favorite character to design in Cars 2 was and how to imbue inanimate talking cars with human characteristics. For the full interview, hit the jump.

18 Animated Feature Films Submit for 84th Annual Academy Awards

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: November 4th, 2011 at 2:49 pm

Under consideration for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature will be 18 contenders, some of which have yet to have their qualifying runs on screen. Major features include The Adventures of Tintin, Rango and Cars 2. Disney/Pixar has won 6 out of 10 years, while winning the last four in a row, but with DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots in the running, it could very well be their turn. Though there are some dark horses in the mix.

Submitted films must satisfy the category’s qualifying rules, including their theatrical release, in order to continue the submission process. In order to activate the award category at all, no fewer than 8 animated features must be released in theaters in Los Angeles County within the calendar year. If these films meet requirements for other categories, including Best Picture, they may be eligible for those awards as well. Hit the jump to see the full list.

John Lasseter CARS 2 Interview

by Tommy Cook    Posted: November 1st, 2011 at 10:47 am

John Lasseter has a firm handshake. You see a guy in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts and your first thought is this must be one of those free thinking who cares what the world thinks? I’m gonna wear what I want and dance to my own drum type people. But the handshake says differently. It sizes you up, puts you in your place. Tells you it belongs to a man who knows what he wants, who’s in complete and total control. This is what makes John Lasseter such a compelling figure: at once one of the leading creative minds in animation (Toy Story, A Bugs Life, Cars, Luxo Jr.), whilst at the same time the shrewdest of businessmen (Lasseter is the largest shareholder in Disney; Pixar is valued upward of 7.4 billion).

In the third of five interviews running this week (in conjunction with the release of Cars 2 on Blu-ray/DVD today), I speak ever so briefly with the big man himself – John Lasseter (I was only allotted two questions). Click through to watch as Lasseter explicates on the fish-out-of-water dynamics of the Cars series and what he finds so darn fascinating about inanimate talking objects.

Pixar FX Technical Director John Reisch and Effects Supervisor Gary Bruins Talk CARS 2

by Tommy Cook    Posted: October 31st, 2011 at 10:17 am

In all honesty, one of the more striking aspects of Cars 2 is the simple rising of an ocean wave in its opening moments.  It’s weird to think that animated water could leave such a mark – but the water in this little toon was more “real” and majestic than many an ocean I’ve seen in so-called live action films or, you know, in person. It’s one of those strange moments when fiction overtakes reality. I almost forgot I was watching an animated film – that was until the talking cars showed up.

So it was serendipitous that my interview with FX Technical Director John Reisch and Effects Supervisor Gary Bruins began simply enough with them showing me through the process of creating ripples in a wave. In the second of five interviews conducted at Pixar headquarters in Emeryville, California, the twosome also discuss their favorite segments from the film, the development of the animation process over time and why FX work isn’t just EXPLOSIONS!!!  The Cars 2 Blu-ray/DVD hits shelves tomorrow.

Pixar Character Designer Jay Shuster Talks CARS 2

by Tommy Cook    Posted: October 29th, 2011 at 7:12 pm

Last week I was invited up to Pixar Studios in Emeryville , CA to interview the animation team behind Cars 2. Upon leaving the confines of the studio, one journalist said to another: “You know that Jay Shuster – he’s a cartoon character in and of himself”. With long sideburns and a trademark grey cap, Shuster is an (ahem) animated conversationalist. He may be the only person I’ve met who gesticulates more often than I do. It’s really not much of a stretch to picture Shuster in cartoon form. More importantly though, Shuster is one of the main character-designers for Pixar – specializing in (as I would learn) robotic and environmental designs. He’s the guy responsible for Wall-E and Lightening McQueen – which makes him just about the most talented cartoon-character-come-to-life I’ve yet encountered.

In the first of five interviews conducted in conjunction with the Blu-ray/DVD release of Cars 2 (which gets released Tuesday), Shuster discusses when he first comes into the animation/development process, characters that didn’t make the final cut of Cars 2 and the very first thing he ever designed as a boy. For the full interview, hit the jump.

Weekend Box Office – It’s a Draw. COWBOYS AND ALIENS Tie THE SMURFS with $36.2 Million Each

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: July 31st, 2011 at 10:21 am

At the moment the estimates for the weekend’s two top films are dead even: a box office rarity.  Both Cowboys and Aliens and The Smurfs are claiming estimates of $36.2 million – a figure that is slightly embarrassing for one film and a near miracle for the other.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Cowboys and Aliens	$36,200,000	$36.2
2	The Smurfs	$36,200,000	$36.2
3	Captain America	$24,900,000	$116.7
4	Harry Potter 7b	$21,900,000	$318.4
5	Crazy Stupid Love	$19,300,000	$19.3
6	Friends With Benefits	$9,300,000	$38.2
7	Horrible Bosses	$7,100,000	$96.2
8	Transformers 3	$5,970,000	$337.8
9	Zookeeper	$4,200,000	$68.7
10	Cars 2	$2,300,000	$182

Did You Miss the RATATOUILLE Easter Egg in CARS 2? See It Here Along with Many Others

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: July 5th, 2011 at 2:20 pm

One of the joys of Pixar films is that the animators and creatives at the studio go out of their way to infuse each film with a number of hidden easter eggs for hardcore Pixar fans to spot. Their latest output, Cars 2, is no exception. While a lot of the widely known eggs like the Pizza Planet truck and the number A113 show up, some hidden gags are bit more subtle. Now Disney has released a list of all the easter eggs that were hidden in the film, and they’ve also pointed out specific parts of the movie that were “car-ified” (Director John Lasseter wanted to infuse as many of the locations and buildings surrounding the Cars world with automobile references or car-reminiscent shapes, hence “car-ified”).

Hit the jump to check out the list to spot what you may have missed. The film features the voice talents of talent of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Emily Mortimer, Jason Isaacs, Bruce Campbell, John Turturro, Thomas Kretschmann, and Michael Caine. Cars 2 is in theaters now.

Holiday Box Office – TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON Dominates Worldwide with $379 Million in Six Days

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: July 4th, 2011 at 10:47 am

We have reached the end of Paramount’s long, long seven-day launch of Transformers: Dark of the Moon.  So, on this no-news day, let’s take a look at some of the more salient figures regarding Michael Bay’s third installment in his blockbusting franchise. Yesterday, Tf3 broke the all-time record for the Fourth of July weekend at $97.5 million.  With Monday’s estimate of $18.9 million included, the record for the four-day holiday weekend has also fallen. The previous winner was 2004’s Spider-Man 2 with $115.8 million. The holiday take for Transformers 3 now stands at $116.4 million. So, that’s more.

Title	Weekend	Holiday	Total	Worldwide
Transformers 3	$97.5	$116.4	$181.1	$379

Weekend Box Office – CARS 2 Scores $68 Million Win; BAD TEACHER Overachieves with $31 Million

by Nicole Pedersen    Posted: June 26th, 2011 at 9:28 am

After posting a strong start on Friday, Cars 2 went on to finish the weekend with an estimated $68 million from its 4,115 locations.  That was more than double what its closest competitor, Bad Teacher, took in; but not quite enough to get the sequel higher than fifth place on the list of All-Time Pixar Studio champions.

	Title	Weekend	Total
1	Cars 2	$68,000,000	$68
2	Bad Teacher	$31,000,000	$31
3	Green Lantern	$18,350,000	$89.3
4	Super 8	$12,100,000	$95.1
5	Mr. Popper’s Penguins	$10,300,000	$39.4
6	X-Men: First Class	$6,600,000	$132.8
7	The Hangover Part II	$5,865,000	$232.9
8	Bridesmaids	$5,372,000	$146.6
9	Pirates of the Caribbean 4	$4,700,000	$229
10	Midnight in Paris	$4,480,000	$28.5

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design