Pixar Corner Celebrates the Holiday Season!

Once again, we have a brand new logo to correspond with the time of year. Christmas is just around the corner (pun intended), and to celebrate, Pixar Corner has an all new seasonal logo just for the 2011 holidays!

As all previous logos, this new piece of art was created by the very talented artist, Paul Robin. Be sure to visit his blog here.

Paul Robin tells me that the story behind this new Christmas logo takes place during nighttime...the night before Christmas. While delivering presents, Santa has dropped his hat in the corner...more specifically, Pixar Corner.

Look forward to more fantastic art from Paul, some thrilling Pixar news, and an exciting holiday season!

First 'Cars 2' FYC Posters

The awards season is getting started. Pixar has released their first two 'For Your Consideration' posters for their contendant this year, Cars 2.

Despite all the negative reception it got, I don't see why Cars 2 can't be nominated or even win an award at the Oscars this year. The animation was top-notch, and the sound was absolutely breathtaking. I quite enjoyed the characters as well, both old and new; they were a blast. Above all that, Cars 2 came with a valuable message about friendship. Sure, it wasn't as emotionally heavy as Up or Toy Story 3, but it did pack an important life lesson.

That said, I'm looking forward to the Oscars, and all the other awards this year. There were a ton of stupendous films this year, both animated and live action, and some of them are not even out yet! Rango was one of my personal favorites..

It's going to be an exciting awards season this year!

Pixar Website Updated with 'Small Fry'

Pixar's official website has recently been updated with a file on the latest short film to come out of the studio, Small Fry.

Click on the 'Short Films' heading and you'll be taken to a gallery of all of Pixar's shorts, and at the top you will see the same image seen above. Clicking on the image will take you to a short page with the film's plot.

I also just found out that Small Fry was the second project to be animated at the Pixar Canada studio, the first one having been Air Mater. I wonder what else they are cooking up for us right now...

I really like this new promotional image for the short. I just love the concept of Mini Buzz looking up at the actual Buzz (whose only visible body parts are his legs). Again, we have pure genius coming from Pixar, as always.

Small Fry is playing in theaters now with Disney's The Muppets! Don't miss it!

Even More Images from 'Small Fry'

The Muppets and Small Fry hit theaters tomorrow (I'm so excited), and to celebrate, we have two more images to add to our gallery of Small Fry stills!

This first one, as you can see, shows Mini Buzz excitedly looking out into the outside world from his display case. Joining him in this pic is a miniature version of the Evil Emperor Zurg, Buzz Lightyear's arch nemesis.

In the still seen below, Mini Buzz, never missing a chance to cause mischief, has climbed on top of Rex's head. How will Bonnie's toys get rid of this pest?

The more clips, trailers, and TV spots I watch for The Muppets, the more I want to see it. Be sure to check out this 'Muppetational' TV spot for the new film, and don't miss the little bit of Small Fry footage at the end! And look for the hidden Cars 2 poster at the 4 second mark in the video. The Muppets sure do love Pixar!

The Muppets and Mini Buzz will arrive in theaters tomorrow!

Watch the Epic New 'Brave' Trailer!

It's finally here. We can now enjoy the very first full-length trailer for Pixar's upcoming tale about Medieval Scotland, Brave.

As it is the first trailer featuring actual footage from the film, all the footage is fresh, and as there was no actual dialogue in the teaser, we get to hear Merida, and all the other characters' voices for the first time, all except King Fergus, who I think was the one speaking in the teaser.

Also, we get a glimpse at some more plot details that remained unknown before today.

Watch below, and prepare to be astonished.

Everything I've seen from this film so far looks absolutely awesome, epic, spectacular...the list could go on. Of course, you cannot judge a film by its trailer, but like I said the other day, Brave sure looks like it is living up to all the previous Pixar classics.

Now, the 2012 "news cycle" begins. As the months progress, we will make the transition from Cars 2 to Brave, just as last year we moved on from Toy Story 3 to Cars 2. We will see more and more new stills and trailers pop up from time to time, until June arrives once again, and we get to experience what will most likely be the animated phenomenon of 2012...Brave.

Another 'Small Fry' Still

The Muppets and the new Toy Story Toon, Small Fry, hit theaters in just a week! We already have two pics and a 30-second clip to enjoy from the short film, but it looks like we have one last still to savour before watching the entire Toon.

The image shows the mischevious Mini Buzz (voiced by Teddy Newton) wearing Woody's hat and smiling naughtily at the rest of the gang. It certainly looks like the fast food restaurant imposter will not be making life much easier for Bonnie's toys.

What trouble will Mini Buzz cause next? Find out next week when Small Fry hits theaters on November 23rd!

Brave Trailer Arriving Tomorrow

Things like this happen all the time.

Well, as it turns out, the new Brave trailer we have been craving for will be released tomorrow instead of today as initially planned. It kind of sucks, but it's only 24 more hours of waiting, so there's no point in being upset. Besides, at least we have something to look forward to tomorrow.

I will have the all new trailer up on the blog as soon as I can, so that will either be very early in the morning, or sometime in the afternoon (Pacific Standard Time).

Get ready, because tomorrow, we will experience something epic, something amazing...we will experience, Brave.

30 seconds from 'Small Fry'...

Shortly after the new stills we saw on the weekend, we can now enjoy 30 seconds of fresh footage from the latest Toy Story adventure, Small Fry. Buzz is left behind at a fast food restaurant, and must find a way to escape before it's to late...but instead ends up at a support group meeting for discarded "Fun Meal" toys, and is invited to take a seat...

Catch Small Fry in theaters November 23rd with The Muppets! Just a few days to go...

New 'Brave' Stills Released; Trailer Debuts Tomorrow

Princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) in Disney-Pixar's "BRAVE"

There hasn't been much Brave related news in a while, so I leaped with joy when I saw the three all-new images from the newest Pixar film today.

Not only that, but the newest trailer for the fantasy film will be released on the web tomorrow!! Now we don't even have to wait for The Muppets to arrive in theaters (although I probably will still be watching it anyway).

The picture seen at the top features Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald), the protagonist of the film, encountering one of those mysterious blue, glowing, levitating things seen in the teaser trailer and the poster. Another shows Lord MacGuffin (voiced by Kevin McKidd), Lord Dingwall (voiced by Robbie Coltrane), and Lord Macintosh (voiced by Craig Ferguson), standing with pride amongst a crowd, staring at who-knows-what. Lastly, this other still has the entire family of Queen Elinor (voiced by Emma Thompson), King Fergus (Billy Connolly), Merida (sitting quite unhappily dressed in royal garments) and the Royal Triplets (Harris, Hubert, and Hamish).

By the looks of these pictures, Brave will be as amazing as it sounds. It seems all ancient and traditional, but it seems hard to find the relation between previous Pixar films and it, and yet, I get the sense that it will have all the elements that fans have grown to love about the studio's films; the stupendous characters, the breathtaking animation, the hysterical humour, and most importantly, the touching, moving emotion.

Look forward to a fantastic new trailer tomorrow! Brave hits theaters June 22nd, 2012!

First Look at 'Small Fry'

Mini Buzz meets Woody in 'Small Fry'

Ironically, today I was thinking to myself, 'Hmm, Pixar hasn't released any clips or stills from Small Fry yet'. Then, I go on my computer a few hours later and I find two never-before-seen images from the upcoming short film, along with some new facts about the plot.

Small Fry revolves around Buzz being left behind at a fast food restaurant, while an irritating miniature version of himself takes his place in Bonnie's bedroom. Our favorite space ranger then has to deal with a gang of "Happy Meal" like toys, including a mermaid voiced by Glee's Jane Lynch.

The mermaid's name has been announced to the public; Neptuna. Judging by the picture seen below, she may be the leader of the rejected toys at the restaurant.

Angus MacLane, director of the short, talked with USA Today about Small Fry.

MacLane describes the short as "the Prince and the Pauper tale for toys" only that "one of them happens to be 3 inches tall".

He tells how Small Fry is about how these miniature fast food meal toys feel unloved after always being discarded right after all the food has vanished from the table.

"These toys' existence is about being really popular before the meal and then being totally forgotten about. And sometimes they don't even get played with."

Most of the cast from the short has been confirmed. Tim Allen and Tom Hanks are set to return as Buzz and Woody, respectively, Joan Cusack reprises her role as Jessie the cowgirl, and John Ratzenberger is back as the voice of Hamm the piggy bank. Neptuna the mermaid is voiced by Jane Lynch, and guess who has been cast as the cheeky Mini Buzz...

Teddy Newton, director of Day & Night and voice of the Chatter Telephone in Toy Story 3. Now that I think of it, he does sound like the perfect voice for a naughty little 3-inch Buzz. His voice work should be hilarious! Also, Angus MacLane, the director of the short, will voice several of the fast food restaurant toys, including T-Bone and Super Pirate.

Pixar wants audiences to remember to just "give these guys a little bit of love", 'these guys' being the little toys you get with your burger and fries.

Small Fry hits theaters November 23 with Disney's The Muppets. The new film starring Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Kermit the Frog, and all the other awesome characters looks incredible all on its own already, so the latest Toy Story Toon is just another bonus! Plus, there are rumours that the next Brave trailer will also play with the film, so it's even better!

A Look Inside Pixar Canada

The satellite animation studio that Pixar set up in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia in April of last year has been kept under wraps for a pretty long time. No one except those talented enough to work at the studio have seen the inside of Pixar Canada...that is, until now.

A few images of the Vancouver studio's interior have surfaced on the web. It definitely looks like it's living up to the look and feel of the main studio in Emeryville!

Here are a few of my favorite images:

 Some comfy sofas right next to a colorful display of colorscripts.

 Mike Wazowski greets people who pass this wall infested with artwork from the films.

An awesome spot for settling down and having a nice conversation, reading a book, or simply relaxing.

 Yet another place for grabbing a seat and sipping down a warm cup of coffee, with marvelous Ratatouille art of display.

 Some Pixar Canada employees at an important-looking meeting. I think that's Amir Nasrabadi, general manager of Pixar Canada (the one closest to the Sulley statue).



That's about all we can see of the Vancouver Pixar studio right now, but hopefully we'll get another inside scoop on Pixar Canada sometime in the future!

John Lasseter Now Officially a 'Star'

It was about time that John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer of Pixar and Disney, got his very own star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame! Not too long ago, Toy Story composer Randy Newman was also made a part of Hollywood history.

Check out this video of the ceremony:

As you can see, Lasseter's star is located right in front of the  famous Disney-owned El Capitan theater, where, I believe, all of Pixar's films have premiered. So it's the perfect spot for Mr. Lasseter to have his shining star, isn't it?

The ceremony was attended by Cars 2 stars Owen Wilson and Emily Mortimer, Toy Story cast members John Ratzenberger and Don Rickles, Pixar composer Randy Newman, and so many others...including McQueen and Mater themselves.

Congratulations to John Lasseter! Who knows, maybe someday Lee Unkrich will get a star, or Andrew Stanton? Or what about Pete Docter and Brad Bird?

Cars 2 Now Available on Blu-ray and DVD!

Now Available!

The wait is over. Cars 2 has crossed the finish line, and has finally arrived on home video, for anyone to enjoy in the warmth of their home.

As all previous Pixar home video releases, the Cars 2 Blu-ray and DVD is jam-packed with loads of spectacular bonus features, all giving the ultimate inside scoop into the making of the film. If you want the very best special feature experience possible, I would recommend the 5-disc Blu-ray edition, as it comes with an entire disc filled with exclusive bonus material.

For a sneak peek filled with videos of pretty much everything that will be included on the home video release of this exciting family adventure, visit this post.

Here is the music video for the catchy song, "You Might Think" from the movie.

I'll probably be getting my copy of the 5-disc set today. I can't wait to see Hawaiian Vacation and Cars 2 all over again, and I am absolutely hyped about watching Air Mater and all the bonus material!

If you are planning on buying Cars 2, don't forget to visit this website to print out a coupon that will save you $5 when buying the film. But hurry, this offer only lasts for a week!

So race on over to Target, ToysRUs, Best Buy, or whatever store you want, but you won't want to miss out on the biggest animated spy thriller ever! Get your hands wheels all over Cars 2 now!