The Academy has spoken . . . (and so have I).

The nominations for the 84th Annual Academy Awards were announced earlier this morning in Beverly Hills, California.

There are some surprises, but overall they're fairly predictable. Cars 2 has no chance of seeing any Oscar glory, without a nomination in the Animated Feature category. I'm not very surprised by this, since Pixar really broke its streak with that picture. However, Pixar can redeem itself with Enrico Casarosa's short La Luna, which has a nomination in the Animated Shorts category. From what I've heard of this elusive short, it is a stunning shoe-in for the prize.

Surprisingly, Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss in Boots both got a nomination, but Tintin didn't, perhaps as a result of the impassioned debates surrounding motion capture's place among the world of animation. I was very glad that Tintin won the Golden Globe for Animated Feature--it tells a great story with eye-catching visuals, and really shows what the future of mo-cap holds.

My biggest beef this year is with Hugo. It has the most nominations at 11. It is beautifully nostalgic with stunning visuals, but the story of Selznick's original The Invention of Hugo Cabret is sucked dry by Scorsese's ignorance of character depth. The film is pretty to look at, but it does not tell a compelling story. Scorsese won the Golden Globe for Directing, and I think it is egregious. I did not like the film one bit, if you couldn't tell.

However, I am ecstatic about the attention that The Artist is getting. It is a true film--a crowning achievement of the modern filmmaking world. It is funny, emotional, and musical with great acting and set pieces that you can't help but get lost in...all without a spoken word.

Another thing I'm ecstatic about? The Muppets' "Man or Muppet" not only being nominated for Best Original Song, but also being a surefire winner in the sparse category. It is a bang-up song from the most outstanding film of last year.

Below, find the full list of nominations. My predictions for who will win are in red, but who I want to win is in bold. I didn't make predictions in every category, since I don't even pretend to be qualified to do that. There's also the occasional commentary on my selections. You'll notice a lot of things are bolded and red. This is just because I, perhaps naively, think that the Academy will be just this year. Enjoy . . .

Best Picture
"The Artist" Thomas Langmann, Producer
"The Descendants" Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" Scott Rudin, Producer
"The Help" Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers
"Hugo" Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers
"Midnight in Paris" Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers
"Moneyball" Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers
"The Tree of Life" Nominees to be determined
"War Horse" Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role
Demián Bichir in "A Better Life"
George Clooney in "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin in "The Artist"
Gary Oldman in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt in "Moneyball"

Actor in a Supporting Role
Kenneth Branagh in "My Week with Marilyn"
Jonah Hill in "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte in "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer in "Beginners"
Max von Sydow in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
--
Not a great film, but Plummer was fantastic.
--

Actress in a Leading Role
Glenn Close in "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis in "The Help"
Rooney Mara in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep in "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams in "My Week with Marilyn"
--
Same as with Beginners, the film left a lot to be desired. However, Meryl Streep owned the role of Thatcher. She was phenomenal.
--

Actress in a Supporting Role
Bérénice Bejo in "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain in "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy in "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer in "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer in "The Help"

Animated Feature Film
"A Cat in Paris" Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli
"Chico & Rita" Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
"Kung Fu Panda 2" Jennifer Yuh Nelson
"Puss in Boots" Chris Miller
"Rango" Gore Verbinski

Art Direction
"The Artist" Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
"Hugo" Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo
"Midnight in Paris" Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil
"War Horse" Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography
"The Artist" Guillaume Schiffman
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Jeff Cronenweth
"Hugo" Robert Richardson
"The Tree of Life" Emmanuel Lubezki
"War Horse" Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design
"Anonymous" Lisy Christl
"The Artist" Mark Bridges
"Hugo" Sandy Powell
"Jane Eyre" Michael O'Connor
"W.E." Arianne Phillips

Directing
"The Artist" Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Alexander Payne
"Hugo" Martin Scorsese
"Midnight in Paris" Woody Allen
"The Tree of Life" Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)
"Hell and Back Again" Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front" Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory" Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
"Pina" Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel
"Undefeated" TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement" Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin
"God Is the Bigger Elvis" Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson
"Incident in New Baghdad"James Spione
"Saving Face" Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom" Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing
"The Artist" Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius
"The Descendants" Kevin Tent
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
"Hugo" Thelma Schoonmaker
"Moneyball" Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film
"Bullhead" Belgium
"Footnote"
"In Darkness" Poland
"Monsieur Lazhar" Canada
"A Separation" Iran

Makeup
"Albert Nobbs" Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
"The Iron Lady" Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)
"The Adventures of Tintin" John Williams
"The Artist" Ludovic Bource
"Hugo" Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse" John Williams

Music (Original Song)
"Man or Muppet" from "The Muppets" Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio" from "Rio" Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)
"Dimanche/Sunday" Patrick Doyon
"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg
"La Luna" Enrico Casarosa
"A Morning Stroll" Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe
"Wild Life" Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)
"Pentecost" Peter McDonald and Eimear O'Kane
"Raju" Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren
"The Shore" Terry George and Oorlagh George
"Time Freak" Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey
"Tuba Atlantic" Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing
"Drive" Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Ren Klyce
"Hugo" Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl
"War Horse" Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson
"Hugo" Tom Fleischman and John Midgley
"Moneyball" Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin
"War Horse" Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson
"Hugo" Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning
"Real Steel" Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon" Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
"The Descendants" Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash
"Hugo" Screenplay by John Logan
"The Ides of March" Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon
"Moneyball" Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Screenplay by Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)
"The Artist" Written by Michel Hazanavicius
"Bridesmaids" Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig
"Margin Call" Written by J.C. Chandor
"Midnight in Paris" Written by Woody Allen
"A Separation" Written by Asghar Farhadi
--
(I couldn't pick between these two! I identify so well with Midnight in Paris that I am probably very bias towards it's screenplay, but I think it deserves to win. But so does The Artist. Hmm...)
--
The 84th annual Academy Awards will air live from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on February 26.

Stay tuned for more up-to-date, exciting awards season news and opinion! Only at Disney, etc.

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Animation Roundtable features Lasseter, 'Pooh' director, and a discussion on MoCap

Briefly: Watch the Hollywood Reporter's roundtable discussion with the Animation contenders this awards season. Those in the discussion include Stephen J. Anderson (Winnie the Pooh), Jamie Beard (Tintin), John Lasseter (Cars 2), Chris Miller (Puss in Boots), Jennifer Yuh Nelson (Kung Fu Panda 2), Carlos Saldanha (Rio) and Gore Verbinski (Rango).

Make sure to watch all three parts of the discussion, which covers a range of topics, including the controversial "motion capture vs. animation" debate.

Enjoy.

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The 83rd Annual Academy Awards

The biggest night in Hollywood has just about wrapped up (at least it has for you and I--I'm sure the night has just begun for all of the big stars out there), and I have to say there were absolutely no surprises this year. The King's Speech was the big winner, with four awards for Best Actor, Screenplay, Directing, and Picture--it certainly deserved these awards. It was a phenomenal cinematic piece.

And, of course, Toy Story 3 won for Best Animated Feature (see pics of the Animated Feature Symposium from a few days ago at TPB here) and Randy Newman won for Best Original Song, "We Belong Together." Oh, and he had, by far, the best acceptance speech of the night. Although I am ecstatic he won this award, what was up with his "live performance"? The tempo was way sped up, Randy's voice was drowned out, and none of the instrumentation but the piano was live. That aspect of the awards were a bit of a let-down.

In fact, the whole ceremony felt very detached and weird; they kept trying to find a theme with their little vignettes about past Oscar shows, but nothing really clicked. Not only that, but all of the jokes were, quite frankly, just lame. And Anne Hathaway was plain annoying. The whole time . . . I approve of the winners (although I still think Toy Story 3 should have won Best Picture, and Day & Night for Animated Short), but the show itself could have been much better.

Congrats to the crew at Pixar, the guys behind The King's Speech, and all of the other winners.

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Happy Birthday Pixar! (with Link Round-up!)

It was 25 years ago today that the best movie studio of all-time officially came into being. Above you will find their original logo--it would soon be replaced, however, by a cute little lamp named Luxo, Jr.

Over at Cartoon Brew you can read Pixar's full, original press release from February 3, 1986. It is very interesting to see what the studio thought of themselves then, without having known how successful and iconic they would become.

At The Pixar Blog you can read the wonderful story of Pixar's creation from David A. Price, author of The Pixar Touch.

Anywho, in honor of Pixar's illustrious 25 years (and having being my favorite film studio of all-time), here is a massive Pixar link round-up for your reading pleasure:


Probably the most exciting bit of news is that Randy Newman will perform his Oscar-nominated song from Toy Story 3, "We Belong Together," live, during the Awards ceremony on February 27. Also performing will be Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi accompanied by Alan Menken with their piece "I See the Light" from Disney's Tangled. I am much more excited for Mr. Newman's performance since, as you know, the music from Tangled didn't exactly knock my socks off, whereas I just loved all of the songs from TS3. Just writing this post got the chorus of "We Belong Together" stuck in my head . . . again.

While we're on the subject of the Academy Awards and the third Toy Story, it's worth mentioning that Lee Unkrich and Teddy Newton (director of Day & Night) will both be on-hand at a symposium at the Smuel-Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills on February 24 to join all other nominees in the Animation categories in order to "discuss their films' development and their creative processes as well as present clips illustrating their techniques." Let's hope these discussions will be recorded and uploaded to the worldwide web so we can all get our Pixar-thirsty, grubby little mitts on 'em.

Now, while we're on the subject of Day & Night, it has recently won the VES (Visual Effects Society) Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short. It is no surprise that the short won for its visual effects--it definitely broke several barriers in the field by combining classic 2D animation techniques with the world of CG... TS3 was also nominated, but lost to How to Train Your Dragon.


Above, you will find a picture of Tom Hanks recording his voice for an upcoming Toy Story Toons short, most definitely the short that will be attached to Cars 2, whose synopsis can be found here. He is surrounded by the energetic crew of animators (turned directors): Angus McClane, Bobby Podesta, and Scott Clark.

Speaking of Pixar shorts, in a recent interview with AWN, Reher of Pixar, leaked some info about future Pixar shorts. Reher told AWN that:

It's funny, the new film we're finishing production on now, which will be attached to Brave in 2012, it's three characters and two sets, and man, how easy it is. It's different, there're no gags…

It's beautiful, it's lyrical, it's very different from all the other ones. It's amazing how easy it can be when you just have 3 characters and 2 sets."

Read the rest of the larger discussion with Newton, Reher, and Wellins for more interesting tidbits on Pixar, their short films, and the overall process.


It has long been said by many that Lee Unkrich looks like Office regular Andy Bernard (played by the always-funny Ed Helms). To secure any and all suspicions, Mr. Unkruch went to the set of The Office and took the above photo, tweeting: "Amazing day visiting set of The Office. How is it that all these people are so incredibly cool and friendly? Reminded me of Pixar." This is not the first time that Pixar and The Office have united--Woody and Up and numerous other Pixar-related themes and characters have made their way onto the show in the past. Being a huge Pixar and Office fan, I think it is all very, super cool.

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That's all the Pixar news out there for now! (Unless you call the constant "leaking" of new Cars 2 characters news. If that's the case, head over to TPB for the scoop).

Once again, Happy Birthday, Pixar! It's been 25 wonderful years of great films, whimsical stories, and truly timeless characters.

I cannot wait to see what the next 25 years will bring . . .

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'TS3' Award Updates

Everyone's favorite animated film of last year has been raking in the awards. Last night it won, to nobody's surprise, the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature. Pixar has swept the category every year since its creation half a decade ago.

In his acceptance speech, Lee thanked everyone at Disney and Pixar, John Lasseter, Randy Newman, and the whole cast of "an animated movie that beats with a human heart." His speech was certainly the most genuine (and funny) of the evening. Watch it in its entirety here.

In addition to this honor, Toy Story 3 has been nominated for three Orange British Academy Film Awards by BAFTA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The nominations include Animated Film, Adapted Screenplay, and Special Visual Effects. The awards will be presented in a few weeks on February 13 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.

Also, Toy Story 3 has won a Critics' Choice Award and the Golden Tomato from the king of all film review websites, Rotten Tomatoes.

All of these honors bestowed upon Toy Story 3 are excellent and well-deserved. However, they will be small bananas compared to the Oscar for Best Picture that I am certain Toy Story 3 is going to win.

Certain!

(I hope . . .)

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My Top 10 Films of 2010

I love movies. I love writing them, shooting them, watching them, and analyzing them. There isn't anything like seeing a really great movie, is there?

Here are the movies from last year that I thought were really great. Without further ado, My Top 10 list of movies from 2010:

#10: Red
Yeah, I know. An empty action flick makes it on the "Top 10" list for the entire year? What is up with that?! Well, I loved this movie. It's one of those movies where, once you manage to shut your brain off and just enjoy what you're seeing, you will be thoroughly entertained. There was not a strong story in the slightest, but I still loved it. I know, I know--this is coming from the guy who is all about story, story, STORY!, but sometimes it's nice to not have to analyze a film and just be able to appreciate some good old-fashioned grenade baseball by a mentally-ill John Malkovich...y'know?

#9: Legend of the Guardians
Zach Snyder, the director of Watchmen and 300, is the only director I know of who can manage to make a film about owls so amazingly epic. Legend of the Guardians was the classic hero's journey tale of a supposed weakling experiencing the world through a journey of trials to eventually undergo self-discovery and better themselves and others. It has been a done thousands of times since stories were first told ages ago, but it never gets old--it just works . . . especially when there are owl sword fights, it is amazingly animated (did you see that "water on the feathers" sequence?!?), and is just great storytelling with likable characters.

#8: How to Train Your Dragon
DreamWorks doesn't have what I'd call a perfect score as far as their films go. They are very much hit (Kung-Fu Panda) and miss (Bee Movie, Monsters vs. Aliens, every Shrek after the second one...), but I was pleasantly surprised by How to Train Your Dragon. It had a very good story (definitely the hero's journey, once again), wonderful animation, and lots of "heart" which we aren't used to seeing from Mr. Katzenberg...

Read my full review of the film here.

#7: Inception
A heist movie that takes place in . . . the mind?! Directed by Christopher Nolan?!? Are you kidding me?! That combination made this one of my most-anticipated films of last year. Momento and Dark Knight easily rocketed Mr. Nolan to my top 5 favorite directors, and I was very interested to see what he'd do with a completely original work. And he didn't disappoint. There was action, humor, philosophy, and even a great, ambiguous ending that we all love debating so very much. For all of that, though, I feel like it was missing the "x factor"--maybe it's the fact that I had already seen and loved Shutter Island and was kinda sick of seeing Leonardo whining about his dead wife. Maybe I just couldn't relate to the characters' situations. Or maybe it's just that I'm subconsciously upset that Christopher thought of the film premise before I did. Whatever the reason, it is still a phenomenal film, and deserves its #7 slot.

#6: Tangled
Yeah! The 50th film to come out of Walt Disney Animation Studios has got it all (or at least most of "it"). Humor, heart, gorgeous animation galore, and some of the funniest animated characters I have ever seen . . . it's all there, and it's there in heaping quantities. The story is solid, the characters are well-animated, and it is just great entertainment. My one beef with the film, however, was its soundtrack--there were no good songs! I was very disappointed in Mr. Menken, especially after his previously-impeccable track record. Still, Tangled is a wonderful film.

Read my full review here.

#5: Shutter Island
What a great film. I love period movies, and the 1950s especially. The style of the film--very "Hitchcockian"--was great to look at. The way the shots were lined up, the sets were decorated, the characters acted, and even the color tones used, all helped to really suck you onto Shutter Island. In that respect, the film definitely delivered--a movie should transport you to a different time and place, and Shutter Island definitely did that. And, not only did it do that, but its superb acting performances, major twist, and (yet another) ambiguous ending made it a joy to watch and an Oscar-worthy movie. It had story, great acting, and a twist; what more can you ask for?

#4: The King's Speech
I went into this movie not knowing much about it. I knew it was a period piece about a guy doing a speech or something, but that was about it. I wasn't expecting anything out of it except maybe a history lesson, but I was sorely mistaken--I enjoyed it. Like, really enjoyed it. Taking the simple premise of "A guy who has to give a lot of speeches has a speech impediment," they made something really special. It is funny, dramatic, and engrossing. The suspense and tension the director managed to get across to the audience is awe-inspiring; you really do get butterflies in your stomach when Colin Firth steps up to the microphone to deliver his speech. Easily the best part of the film, however, was Geoffrey Rush's performance as His Majesty's speech coach--he was very funny, very witty, and just a joy to watch. If you haven't seen The King's Speech, go see it. Right now. You won't be disappointed.

#3: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Edgar Wright, director of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, created something really special with Scott Pilgrim. When I first saw Sin City and 300 and the other Miller adaptations, I thought that was the quintessential "Filmographic Graphic Novel." I was mistaken; Scott Pilgrim is. The more "interactive" components, like the pee meter in the bathroom and the bursts during the fight sequences made this movie the graphic novel movie. It was just so cool to watch. And, not only that, but it was so funny. All of the characters were perfectly cast, and the story was really engaging. I don't think there was one thing wrong with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Not a thing...

#2: The Social Network
Talk about buzz. This is probably the most-hyped film of 2010, and deservedly so. David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en, Benjamin Button) is easily in my top 3 favorite directors of all-time. The Social Network portrays a really gripping story and utilizes great acting to enhance the story even further. And, not only was the story great, but the screenplay itself was. The dialogue was so wonderfully-crafted and just perfect--it was witty when it had to be, subtle when that was key, and powerful during the several climaxes. That screenwriter should (and definitely will) win an Oscar. Everything about The Social Network was great. Just great.

#1: Toy Story 3
This should be no surprise to my regular readers out there. I am not choosing this film because it is a Pixar film, but because it truly, truly was the best film of 2010. It had a flawless story, even more character development for characters we've already seen twice before, humor, action, homages to classic movies, a great score, gorgeous animation, and more "heart" than I know what to do with. There is too much to say about how great this film was, so I'll just point you to my full review right here.

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Well, there you have it, folks. The best movies of last year. Obviously, I loved many more movies than just those 10, but these are the best of the best, and each one of them deserves its spot. Once the Oscar nominations are announced I'll post my predictions here, but I hope this satiates your film-thirst for the time being.

On to 2011! . . .

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Massive Link Round-up: 'Toy Story' short gets a plot, Awards, Postage stamps, and more!

Happy New Year, everybody!

Since Disney, etc.'s posting has been on a temporary hiatus as of late, this shall be a massive link round-up summarizing all of the important Disney, Pixar, entertainment, and "everything in-between" news from the last few weeks. Enjoy....

At the top of this post, you will find some wonderful mash-up art from DeviantArt user iamclu, courtesy of HeyUGuys. It is just awesome, ain't it?...


Rumors that a Toy Story short will be attached to Cars 2 have been all but confirmed. After it was leaked that the next short will include Ken and Barbie going to Hawaii, Mike at The Pixar Blog did some very thorough investigating and discovered an Amazon.com product page for a picture book based on the short. Here's the synopsis:

Bonnie is off to Hawaii, and Barbie and Ken are excited to go along on their first tropical vacation! But when they're accidentally left behind, it's up to Buzz, Woody, and the rest of the toys to create a Hawaiian paradise right in Bonnie's room.

Based on the latest animated short featuring the toys from Disney/Pixar Toy Story, this full-color storybook includes punch-out postcards that girls and boys ages 3-7 will love sending to their friends!

Read all about the short and its synopsis at The Pixar Blog here or Amazon here.



Above you will find a video tribute, The Beauty of Pixar, by Leandro Copperfield, who says that "Pixar's films have always been important in my life." It is a very well-edited video, and will remind you just how great Pixar is.


As we get further and further into this Awards season, more news of the Oscars are being leaked and announced. Recently, Variety has reported that Disney will not enter Randy Newman's Toy Story 3 score into the running for Best Original Score. Instead, they will focus their efforts on promoting his tune We Belong Together for Best Original Song. It really is a great song, and helps to lighten the mood of the film while it plays during the closing credits. Not only that, but it is a great song on its own. It definitely deserves one o' them little gold guys. Also, I think it is a smart move for Disney not to enter Newman's score--there are tons of great scores this year, and I doubt the Academy would vote for a score that is simply (yet expertly) an extension of two already-existing scores.


You may have heard of Disney's brilliant "For Your Consideration" ad campaign for where they are comparing stills from Toy Story 3 to past Best Picture winners including The Sting, Lord of the Rings, The Sound of Music, Platoon, Shakespeare in Love, and Slumdog Millionaire, among others. They are very funny, and I hope they manage to snag Pixar the Best Picture nom and, with some luck, the award itself. Go to the Disney Awards site here to see the newly-released series of advertisements, as well as an additional (and boldly hilarious) one here.


Current accolades for Toy Story 3 include: being at the top of Moviefone's list of the best films from 2010, being at the top of Rotten Tomatoes' list of the best films from 2010, being on Quentin Tarantino's list of the best films of 2010 as well as Edgar Wright's top 5 list, a Golden Globe nom for Best Animated Feature, being one of the films honored on AFI's list of the top ten films of 2010, and being at the top of Time Magazine's list of the best films from last year. With all of that under its belt, how can you say that it won't win that Best Picture Oscar? I think it will. It just has to...


While we're on the topic of Pixar, it's worth noting that the U.S. Postal Service has announced that later this year, a collection of commemorative Pixar stamps will be released. They'll be in sheets of twenty, include the above five designs, and instead of having a set value, they'll be valid for every first-class letter forever. Expect to see them on August 19 later this year.



Above, you will find a behind-the-scenes video for the upcoming animated film Rango. The short video, which features Johnny Depp, is very interesting, showing how director Gore Verbinski coached the voice actors while also incorporating their movements into a type of mo-cap/animation hybrid. It's really quite interesting...

The headline How Disney Designed The Military's Electromagnetic Launch System says enough about this article. A bizarre, surprising, and thoroughly engaging read... Check it out here.

In an interview with Collider, David Fincher let loose the information that his upcoming remake/adaptation 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea will be in 3D. Although I hate 3D with a fiery passion, I am very, very excited to see a version of Jules Vernes classic story told with modern effects by one of my favorite directors. Read the full interview here.


Tron: Legacy was visually-stunning, but was quite under-whelming. The story was weak, the acting was dry (although I appreciated seeing Jeff Bridges returning to a Dude-type philosophy on the big screen), and the overall feel of the movie just didn't do justice to its original counterpart. I couldn't even follow the Light Cycle scene well enough to enjoy it! I certainly agree with RT's 49%. However, it is doing decently at the box office, having made over $130 million so far. They still need $40 million more to make their money back, but I'm sure that they will...



Let's conclude this New Year's link round-up with a bang. Watch the above video of the "Fountains and Fireworks" show that was shown at Disney's California Adventure a couple of nights ago...

And that's all there is to post about for now! You are now completely up-to-date on all Disney, Pixar, entertainment, and everything in-between news. I hope you enjoyed it, and be sure to keep checking your favorite blog for all of the best news...

And once again, Happy New Year!

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'TS3': For Your Consideration Ad Campaign

Above you will find a recently-released advertisement--it is part of a "For Your Consideration" campaign by Disney, promoting Toy Story 3 for Best Picture at the Oscars.

There will be numerous more print ads like this one, in which TS3 characters re-enact scenes from films that have previously won the coveted Best Picture prize. This will hopefully convince A.M.P.A.S. voters that animation should be taken just as seriously as any other media of film.

And not only that, but they're going to be super funny. This one is. I can't wait to see other TS3 characters parodying other films...

According to Disney chairman Rich Ross, "We wanted to come up with a campaign that kept our aspirations clear but at the same time used a tongue in cheek approach."

More on the awards season as it develops...

(If you weren't aware, I have already predicted that Toy Story 3 will shatter the Oscars this year and win the Best Picture statuette.)

Source: Deadline

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'Toy Story 3' Link Round-up: Featurettes, Storyboards, the Screenplay, Interviews, and more!

The Toy Story 3 Blu-ray has been officially released, and I'm planning to watch the complete trilogy back-to-back-to-back this weekend. It's gonna be awesome.

Anyways, to coincide with the release of the Blu-ray and DVD, Disney has released a few things online for our viewing pleasure.

The first is this set of previews, letting you in on what you'll get to see within the Bonus Features section of the Blu-ray.

Next up is a set of storyboards from the "Thrown Away" sequence in Toy Story 3. They are huge images, and slightly cleaner than I'd have expected storyboard drawings to be. Still, they get the action across effectively, and obviously did their job well:






NPR's Fresh Air conducted a wonderful interview with Lee Unkrich and Michael Arndt here. It's definitely worth a listen--if you wondered why you cried at the end of the movie (twice), this will satisfy your curiosity. They talk about everything from advances in technology, to the infamous story retreats, to how Lee thinks of his animators as his actors. Give it a listen if you've got the time. You'll enjoy it. I promise.

Also check out Ned Beatty's (voice of Lotso) recent interview with Hollywood.com here.

I also thought I'd mention this article published in the LA Times yesterday. It predicted a victory for the Conservatives at this year's midterm elections, based purely on the popularity of Toy Story 3. While I think that this theory is completely absurd, it's an entertaining op-ed piece.

Finally, Walt Disney Animation Studios has released the complete Toy Story 3 screenplay, written by Michael Arndt, for your reading enjoyment here. It is located on their "Awards" site, which also indicates the other categories that they hope Toy Story 3 will be nominated for. These include Best Original Song for Randy Newman, Best Director for Lee Unkrich, and Best Picture for Darla K. Anderson. See the complete list of potential nominations here.

I'm calling it right now: Toy Story 3 will be the first animated movie to ever win Best Picture at the Oscars. Maybe I'm just being blindly optimistic, but that's how I see it playing out. It really is the most critically-acclaimed and the highest-grossing film of the year. It deserves Best Picture.

I loved Toy Story 3, and am now the proud owner of the complete trilogy on Blu-ray. I'm planning on watching every Toy Story, as well as every special feature, this Friday night. And I can hardly wait.

Next stop: Awards Season!

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The 82nd Annual Academy Awards

Up won one for the Best Animated Feature, Christoph Waltz won for Best Supporting Actor, and, unfortunately, Randy Newman did not win for his Original Songs from The Princess and the Frog (The Weary Kind won from Crazy Heart). No surprises, but I'm glad that Christoph and Docter both won, and they both had great acceptance speeches.

Sadly, Up did not win for Best Original Screenplay. My second choice would've been Quentin for the wonderful Inglorious Basterds script. Oh well, I suppose that The Hurt Locker deserved it too.

Michael Giacchino won an Oscar for Best Original Score! Even though this is not a surprise in the slightest, I am still very happy for him. The score of Up truly was pheonomenal--it was filled with emotion, heart, and a timeless melody. Congratulations, Michael Giacchino! (And great acceptance speech, too! I like the Ellie Badge.)

Well, The Hurt Locker was the big winner tonight. Up, while not winning Best Picture, still took home two awards and was also graced with its prestigious Best Picture nomination. Congratulations to Pixar, Michael Giacchino, and all of the other winners! See the full list of winners here.


(Also, take a look at Lee Unkrich's Twitpic page. Along with the above photo, he has taken a couple more at the Oscars ceremony which he attended. Very cool.)

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The Academy Award Nominations

The nominations for the Academy Awards have finally been announced! Among the most nominated films are Avatar and Up in the Air, but it is also worth noting that, for the first time since Beauty and the Beast, an animated film has been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar! This picture, of course, it Up. Below you will find the complete list of this year's nominations, as well as my predictions and who I want to win. My predictions are in yellow, and who I am hoping will win are italicized. Enjoy...

Best Picture:
‘Avatar’
‘The Blind Side’
‘District 9’
‘An Education’
‘The Hurt Locker’
‘Inglourious Basterds’
‘Precious’
‘A Serious Man’
‘Up’
‘Up in the Air’

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow, ‘The Hurt Locker’
James Cameron, ‘Avatar’
Lee Daniels, ‘Precious’
Jason Reitman, ‘Up in the Air’
Quentin Tarantino, ‘Inglourious Basterds’

Best Actor:
Jeff Bridges, ‘Crazy Heart’
George Clooney, ‘Up in the Air’
Colin Firth, ‘A Single Man’
Morgan Freeman, ‘Invictus’
Jeremy Renner, ‘The Hurt Locker’

Best Supporting Actor:
Matt Damon, ‘Invictus’
Woody Harrelson, ‘The Messenger’
Christopher Plummer, ‘The Last Station’
Stanley Tucci, ‘The Lovely Bones’
Christoph Waltz, ‘Inglourious Basterds’

Best Supporting Actress:
Penelope Cruz, ‘Nine’
Vera Farmiga, ‘Up in the Air’
Maggie Gyllenhaal, ‘Crazy Heart’
Anna Kendrick, ‘Up in the Air’
Mo’nique, ‘Precious’

Best Actress:
Sandra Bullock, ‘The Blind Side’
Helen Mirren, ‘The Last Station’
Carey Mulligan, ‘An Education’
Gabourey Sidibe, ‘Precious’
Meryl Streep, ‘Julie & Julia’

Best Animated Feature Film:
‘Coraline’
‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’
‘The Princess and the Frog’
‘The Secret of Kells’
‘Up’

Best Film Editing:
‘Avatar’
‘District 9’
‘The Hurt Locker’
‘Inglourious Basterds’
‘Precious’

Best Cinematography:
‘Avatar’
‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’
‘The Hurt Locker’
‘Inglourious Basterds’
‘The White Ribbon’

Best Adapted Screenplay:
Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, ‘District 9’
Nick Hornby, ‘An Education’
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, ‘In the Loop’
Geoffrey Fletcher, ‘Precious’
Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner, ‘Up in the Air’

Best Documentary Feature:
‘Burma VJ’
‘The Cove’
‘Food, Inc.’
‘The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers’
‘Which Way Home’

Best Foreign Film:
Israel - ‘Ajami’
Argentina - ‘El Secreto de sus Ojos’
Peru - ‘The Milk of Sorrow’
France - ‘Un Prophete’
Germany - ‘The White Ribbon’

Best Original Score:
‘Avatar’
‘Fantastic Mr. Fox’
‘The Hurt Locker’
‘Sherlock Holmes’
‘Up’

Best Original Screenplay:
Mark Boal, ‘The Hurt Locker’
Quentin Tarantino, ‘Inglourious Basterds’
Alessandro Camon and Oren Moverman,
‘The Messenger’
Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, ‘A Serious Man’
Peter Docter, Bob Peterson, Tom McCarthy,
‘Up’

Best Original Song:
‘Almost There’ from ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
‘Down in New Orleans’ from ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ Music and Lyric by Randy Newman
‘Loin de Paname’ from ‘Paris 36,’ Music by Reinhardt Wagner Lyric by Frank Thomas
‘Take It All’ from ‘Nine,’ Music and Lyric by Maury Yeston
‘The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)’ from ‘Crazy Heart,’ Music and Lyric by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett ’

Best Costume Design:
‘Bright Star’
‘Coco Before Chanel’
‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’
‘Nine’
‘The Young Victoria’

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