"Cars 2" Left Out for Oscar Noms; "La Luna" Nominated

The Oscar nominations for the 84th Annual Academy Awards have finally been announced, and there is some disappointment yet some excitement in the air for Pixar fans.

First of all, Pixar's 12th feature film Cars 2 did not get a nomination for the "Best Animated Feature" category. In fact, many animated films from 2011 that I had hoped to see nominated were not recognized by the Academy this year, like Disney's Winnie the Pooh. Since now neither Cars 2 or Pooh are nominated, I hope Rango takes the prize.

I would've loved to see Cars 2 nominated, but even if it isn't, that doesn't stop it from being a great film.

On the bright side, there is still a chance for Pixar to walk away with an Oscar this year. Their new short, La Luna, directed by Enrico Casarosa, received a nomination for the "Best Animated Short Film" category, and is sure to win. I have not seen La Luna yet (only a short yet breath-taking 30-second clip), as it doesn't debut in cinemas until June 22, but it most definitely looks like a beautiful little fable.

The 84th Annual Academy Awards will take place on February 26. Stay tuned.

Behold the Awesome Cars Die-Cast Exhibit!

There's a pretty astonishing exhibit going on right now over at the Peterson Automotive Gallery in Los Angeles. It's called "From Silver Screen to Die-Cast: Disney-Pixar Cars Imagined by Mattel". It is essentially an exhibition of every single Cars, Cars Toon, and Cars 2 die-cast car ever made. Being both a big Cars fan and a Cars die-cast collector, I would not miss a chance to get into this spectacular exhibit!

And it features more than just little collectible cars. There is even a section that educates people on the history and evolution of Cars die-cast packaging! The astounding 1:55 scale fully-animated Lightning McQueen ALIVE toy also makes an appearance.

There are also some sweet recreations of famous Cars posters and movie scenes using the die-casts, along with a car-shaped shelf filled with more die-casts! Another section of the exhibition focuses on extremely rare or never-before-seen Cars die-casts.

The exhibit will also give you a sneak peek at the new Cars die-casts coming in 2012!

Watch an awesome video from the exhibition below:

 

I would do nearly anything to go see this downright mind-blowing exhibition.

End of Year (Pixar) News! Happy 2012!

The year of 2011 has come to a close, but that's not stopping Pixar from giving their fans one last thing to talk about this year. Or rather, multiple last things to talk about.

Unfortunately, not all of this is exactly good news. UPMAD (the Untitled Pixar Movie About Dinosaurs), which was announced at D23 Expo earlier this year and is currently in production at the Emeryville-based studio, being directed by Bob Peterson (co-director of Up; voice of Dug) has had its release date taken away by Disney's new film, Frozen, formerly titled The Snow Queen.

The new Pixar film about dinosaurs living in the modern world was set for release on November 27, 2013, but is now left without a certain release date until further notice.

The news broke about a week ago, when Disney's calendar read "Frozen" on the 27 of November, 2013, which led many to think that Bob Peterson's dino-film had been given this new title. However, it was soon announced that "Frozen" was simply the new title for Disney's The Snow Queen.

So once again, an attempt to release more than one Pixar feature film in the same year has been jeopardized.

On the happier side, Pixar's 2011 spy film, Cars 2, now holds the title for the most successful animated movie of the year. It even made the top-ten list of the overall highest grossing films of 2011, coming in seventh place, above three of the years blockbusters; Thor, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and Captain America: The First Avenger.

Mater and McQueen raked in a total of $551,852,396 worldwide at the box office this year, with $191,452,396 of the film's earnings made in the US and Canada.

Pixar honcho John Lasseter was recently over at the currently in-construction Cars Land at Disney's California Adventure (it opens this coming summer) testing out the spectacular new ride, "Luigi's Flying Tires".

"This was awesome!" he says. Check it out:

Cars Land will opens its doors summer 2012! Another thing to look forward to this new year!

Last but not least, Brave was recently listed on both Yahoo! and Rotten Tomatoes as one of 2012's most anticipated films! So I guess passionate Pixar fans are not the only ones looking forward to Pixar's first fairy tale, set in the highlands of medieval Scotland. Can't wait for Merida to hit the big screen!

So I guess this concludes 2011 here at Pixar Corner. It's been an amazing year. Cars 2 came out, Toy Story 3 won two Oscars, Pixar celebrated its 25th anniversary, the Toy Story Toons kicked off, and Pixar Corner turned one year old! And these are just a very short few of the spectacular, amazing, incredible things that happened this year.

There are a whole lot of things to look forward to in 2012, some being the release of Brave, and Finding Nemo being re-released in 3D (and most likely in Blu-ray). So prepare yourself, it's going to be a fantastic year.

See you in 2012.

More 'Cars Toon' Die Cast Cars Coming Soon!

We haven't seen a whole lot of new Cars Toon die casts in a while, since all the new Cars 2 merchandise took over back in May. However, it looks like the popular line of Cars Toon collectibles will be returning in a bit, and this time with some of the newer Tall Tales.

Take5aDay has got a nice picture, which you can have a look at above, of a fine-looking Moon Mater die cast car. I really can't wait for this to come out, I have several other Cars Toon die casts, and they are all awesome collector's items.

I also hear there's some new Cars 2 die casts coming up, so keep your eyes peeled for those as well!

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!

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!

Awesome Stills From 'Air Mater'

It's been almost a whole year since we last saw a brand-new Cars Toon, so now that Air Mater is coming on the Cars 2 home release, it's quite exciting to see Mater in another one of his hilarious Tall Tales.

While we won't get to see Mater fly until Tuesday, we can enjoy these fantastic new images from the short. They're amazing! Pixar Canada did a spectacular job on this Toon!

Doesn't Mater look AWESOME as a Falcon Hawk??

Catch Air Mater on the Cars 2 home release this Tuesday. Don't miss out, because Mater is going to fly! This is going to be the best Cars Toon ever!

Pixar Canada Reveals Studio and Current Project!

Until today, Pixar's studio in Vancouver, BC, Canada, remained quite mysterious. Now, the Vancouver Sun has given us an inside scoop on what the studio has been up to for the last year and a half.

First of all, it has been confirmed that Air Mater is in fact being produced at the Vancouver studio, as previously speculated. But after seeing the concept art which was revealed when the studio first opened, it was almost certain that something involving Mater flying was being worked on at Pixar Canada. Don't forget to catch Air Mater, the first ever Pixar project to come from the Canadian studio, on the home video release of Cars 2 on November 1!

Also, the location of Pixar Canada has now been revealed to the public; Gastown in Downtown Vancouver, where the famous steam clock can also be found. Having have visited this street several times before, I can tell you that it is quite the sight with countless flowers everywhere you look, and fancy lamp posts lined along the the street. I'm almost certain that Pixar is very happy with the place they chose to put their second animation studio.

As seen in the picture above, the replicas (or at least copies of the replicas) of McQueen and Mater that have been touring the United States and Canada for the past few months are now on display right in front of the Pixar Canada studios, to mark the location of where dozens of talented artists and animators go to work everyday. These two cars may stay there only temporarily, but there is a chance that they could stay as permanent decor, or at least be moved slightly.

We are prone to find out what else Pixar Canada is cooking up for us soon, but for now, just enjoy Air Mater on the Cars 2 Blu-ray and DVD!

Sneak Peek at Cars 2 Blu-ray/DVD!

We are already halfway through the month of October, and before you know it, it'll be November! And you know what that means...Cars 2 on Blu-ray and DVD!

As always, Pixar has released a few clips of what is to come on their next home release.

Check out this cool trailer for the film. It's not a new trailer however, it's one of the ones we saw a few months ago before the theatrical release of Cars 2. So now instead of "Coming soon to theaters" it says "Coming soon to Blu-ray and DVD", but it's still a really awesome trailer.

Here is a short clip called "Getting Behind The Wheel", which shows how the geniuses behind the sequel to Cars got to experience the racing world while making the film.

The next clip is an extended look at Hawaiian Vacation, the Toy Story Toon which played in front of Cars 2 in theaters, and will be included as a bonus feature on the home video release. If you haven't watched Hawaiian Vacation, I think that this clip gives you a pretty good taste of what the short has in store.

Lastly, here is a 5-minute sneak peek at Cars 2 itself. That's right! Five full minutes of awesome footage from Cars 2! It's the entire scene where Mater gets Lightning involved in the World Grand Prix after seeing the cocky Francesco Bernoulli boast about how he could easily beat Lightning McQueen in a race.

Also, you may have seen this already, but here is a nice and short look into Air Mater, the latest Cars Toon, which will be on the Cars 2 Blu-ray and DVD as well.

Race on over to your local retail store on November 1st and get your hands...er, I mean wheels...all over the smash hit of the summer, Cars 2!

Cars 2 Returns to Theaters for Labour Day

This weekend, Pixar is bringing Cars 2 back to the big screen all across North America for all those who did not get a chance to see it during its first round, and also to hopefully make a little extra money. Of course, many Pixar fans will also get the opportunity to watch the film one last time before it is released on home video in November.

So if you missed Mater and McQueen earlier in the summer, or just want to watch the spy-thriller one more time on the sliver screen, now's your chance!

Cars 2 is in theaters for Labour Day weekend. Go! Go! Go!

Cars 2 Coming to Home Video Nov. 1st

After having recently heard some of the Blu-ray and DVD details about Cars 2, we now have an actual release date! The film is set to hit store shelves on November 1st, and will feature an all new Cars Toon, entitled Air Mater. A clip from the Toon has been posted onto YouTube by Disney/Pixar (watch below). I've heard rumours that this Air Mater is being produced at Pixar Canada. Just take a look at this picture that was posted on the web when the Vancouver studio first opened.

The Cars 2 Blu-ray and DVD will also include Hawaiian Vacation, which premiered alongside Cars 2 in theaters in June.

Here is the clip for Air Mater:

Pretty good stuff, don't you think?

Stay tuned as we will probably soon see a list of bonus features that will be included on the Blu-ray.

Cars 2 arrives in stores November 1st, 2011!

Cool Cars 2 Target TV Spot!

I was at Target the other day checking out the Cars 2 toys and die-casts when this cool Target commercial featuring McQueen, Francesco, and Mater showed up on the screen. It really caught my attention so I searched it up on YouTube and sure enough it was there for me to post on the blog. I really like the animation and idea behind this ad, very impressive and creative. And I love the little Target pitties seen in front of the store! Watch below, and check out the official Cars 2 Target page here.

The Easter Eggs In Cars 2

Pixar is known to always hide little surprises here and there in each and every one of their films. People call these hidden wonders "Easter eggs". Some of the most popular Easter eggs that almost always show up in Pixar movies are the code A113, the famed Pizza Planet truck first introduced in Toy Story, and let's not forget, a reference to Pixar's next feature film. This year's Cars 2 did not break tradition, and sure enough, there were plenty of hidden treasures to make the film even more enjoyable and entertaining. Disney/Pixar released an official list of all the Easter eggs in Cars 2, which I have posted below. See which ones you found the first time through, and find out which ones you missed out on! Also, if you happened to find a hidden gem when you watched Cars 2, but you didn't see it on the list, please do share your discovery in the comments!

• NOD TO THE NUMBER — The number A113, which refers to John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton’s former classroom at CalArts, makes an appearance in every Pixar film. In “Cars 2,” you can see A113 in two places: as the number on Mater’s license plate, and as the number on Siddeley the spy jet’s tail fin.
• THAT’S INCREDIBLE — In Radiator Springs, Mater drives past the Radiator Springs Drive-in, and the movie displayed on the marquee is “The Incredimobiles,” a car-ified version of Disney/Pixar’s 2004 film “The Incredibles.”
• TAKE OUT OR DELIVERY — The Pizza Planet Truck, first seen in the original "Toy Story", makes an appearance in almost every Pixar film. It actually appears twice in “Cars 2”—as a guest on the “Tire Talk” television show just before the Mel Dorado show comes on, and in the Radiator Springs epilogue as a race spectator when the jet-propelled Mater flies by.
• SNEAK PEEK — In every Pixar film, savvy viewers can catch a sneak peek at a tease for the studio’s next release. In “Cars 2,” there is a “car-ified” version of prominent figures from 2012’s “Brave.” When the Lemons crash into Ye Left Turn Inn in the London sequence, look closely!
• DINNER IS SERVED — In Paris, there is a restaurant called Gastow’s, a car-ified reference to Gusteau’s, the gourmet Parisian restaurant from “Ratatouille.”
• MAKING THE ROUNDS — In the London leg of the World Grand Prix, a banner advertising “Lassetyre” tires is visible, a reference to director John Lasseter.
• FROM V8 TO V9 — The exterior of Flo’s V8 Café has been extended in “Cars 2” to accommodate the set for “Flo’s Cooking Show,” which was to be featured in a segment of the film that was eventually cut. However, you can still catch a glimpse of the extension when the café is viewed from the outside.
• A STAR IS BORN — “Cars 2” director John Lasseter voices two characters in the film: John Lassetire, Jeff Gorvette’s crew chief, and a gambling car in the Porto Corsa Casino. His Porto Corsa line: “C’mon, fuzzy dice!”
• LEWIS LENDS A LINE — “Cars 2” co-director Brad Lewis performs the voice of Tubbs Pacer, one of the Lemonheads featured in Porto Corsa.
• WATERCOLOR WARFARE — Thompson, the spy train in “Cars 2,” contains many weapons with which the spies are outfitted. In the scene in which Mater is being equipped for his espionage duties, one of the weapons on display is actually a very lethal looking paintbrush.

Cars 2 Blu-ray Available For Pre-order!

Only a few weeks after being released in theaters, Cars 2 is already available for pre-order on home video! A release date has not been announced yet, but expect sometime in November.

Here is a list of all the different versions set to be released:

• 2-disc set includes 1 Blu-ray disc and a DVD; available in Blu-ray and DVD packaging
• 5-disc set includes 1 Blu-ray 3D disc, 2 Blu-ray discs, 1 DVD, and Digital Copy
• Director's Edition (11 discs) includes Cars DVD, Blu-ray, Digital Copy; Cars Toons DVD, Blu-ray, Digital Copy; Cars 2 DVD, 2 Blu-ray discs, Bly-ray 3D, Digital Copy; comes with John Lassetire figurine and case for all 11 discs

Looks like DVD-only owners will have to wait a little bit longer to get Cars 2 on a 1-disc DVD edition. I'm already dying to get Cars 2 on Blu-ray. I bet there's gonna be a whole lot of awesome bonus features to watch! You can pre-order the 2-disc set, 5-disc set, and Director's Edition on Amazon.

Click to enlarge

Get your hands wheels all over the Cars 2 Blu-ray this holiday season!

Cars 2 Character Profiles: Miles Axlerod

All people (or in this case cars) deserve a chance to turn their life around and do the right thing. Miles Axlerod is doing so by leaving behind his days of being a big oil baron, and becoming a completely eco-friendly vehicle, and creating his own alternative fuel, Allinol! It seems almost too good to be true...

Read this official description:

Miles Axlerod

Sir Miles Axlerod is a former oil baron who has sold off his fortune, converted himself into an electric vehicle and has devoted his life to finding the renewable, clean-burning energy source of the future—ultimately discovering what he believes is the fuel everyone should be using. Axlerod is also the car behind the World Grand Prix, a three-country race he created that attracts the world’s top athletes—but it’s really an excuse to show off his new wonder-fuel, Allinol.

Also, watch his turntable video:

Cars 2 Character Profiles: Rod "Torque" Redline

We've met British agents Finn and Holley, but there are spies from all over the world to stop the evil Professor Z and his gang of lemons. From the U.S.A. we have Rod "Torque" Redline, known to countless cars as the #1 American spy on the planet.

Read this official description:

Rod "Torque" Redline

Rod “Torque” Redline is considered by many as the greatest American spy in the world. Recruited after the Cold War for both his brains and brawn, Torque is a tough-as-nails Detroit muscle car with a mastery of disguises. In his latest deep-cover operation, he obtained vital information about the plot to sabotage the World Grand Prix. So Rod plans a rendezvous with his British counterparts to share his discoveries at the World Grand Prix welcome reception in Tokyo, Japan. But with the bad guys hot on his tailpipe, Rod is forced to ditch the intel early and with the first party guest he sees – a rusty American tow truck named Mater.

Also, check out his turntable video:

Cars 2 Character Profiles: Siddeley

How on Earth would Finn and Holley be able to get themselves around the globe in their top-secret missions? One answer: Siddeley the spy jet.

Read this official description:

Siddeley

Siddeley is a state-of-the-art British twin-engine spy jet. At 176 feet from nose to tail and an impressive 157-foot wingspan, the super sleek silver-bodied Siddeley streaks through international skies at record-breaking mach 1 speeds. Outfitted with all the latest in high-tech spy equipment, including cloaking technology, defensive weaponry and afterburners, Siddeley is Finn’s steadfast partner-in-fighting-crime around the globe.

My Cars 2 Review

On Friday, I was super excited to finally be watching Cars 2, and I am happy to say it that this film is no disappointment! Read my spoiler-free review on the film below!

When John Lasseter was travelling the world doing publicity for the first Cars, he had cars as characters in his brain, and he couldn't help but think, "What would Mater do here?" Cars 2 sprang from that idea of the cars travelling around the world. The international aspect of the film is definitely present when you watch Cars 2. You certainly see it when Mater mistakes wasabi for pistachio ice cream, and in his mishap at the high-tech Japanese toilet. Cars 2, I think, is a movie that everyone the world over can enjoy, especially because it goes global. The people of Japan, France, Italy, and England will feel proud to see their countries up on the big screen as part of this big spy film.

While this movie lacks the heavy emotion of previous Pixar works, it is still very fun and extremely exciting. I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of the film, just like how I was crying for the last fifteen minutes of Toy Story 3. This animated spy flick actually gets pretty intense for a G-rated movie...in fact, it's probably the most violent G-rated movie I've ever watched! The action is very exhilarating, and I was actually chewing my fingernails at one point. Not to mention, all the explosions look amazing, especially on the big screen in 3D! Even though it won't make you tear up like Up or Toy Story 3, Cars 2 still brings an important message of friendship.

The look of Cars 2 is absolutely spectacular. Pixar has continued to make each of their movies even more dazzling than their previous effort. From all of the colorful neon lights in Tokyo and their reflections imprinted on the bodies of the cars, to massive crowds at the World Grand Prix, and massive explosions, Cars 2 is one of the most stunning films so far this year.

Michael Giacchino once again succeeds in composing a score that supports the story. He even inserted a really catchy theme that shows up here and there throughout the film. Also, the songs that various artists contributed are quite catchy!

Cars 2 succeeds in being quality family entertainment, and also a very awesome spy film. I think that the reason that critics aren't liking it as much is because since it was made by Pixar, they were expecting something as good as Finding Nemo or Toy Story 3. But Cars 2 was a very fun sequel, I enjoyed it, and so did many other people. For me it was a joy seeing these characters back in a really exciting adventure, and I loved meeting a bunch of these remarkable new characters. Needless to say, Pixar is yet to fail, because Cars 2 is a success in its own way.

Pixar News Lineup!

Pixar's newest short, "Hawaiian Vacation", now in theaters with "Cars 2"

Several things debuted on the web between all the excitement from the release of Cars 2! Read about them below.

First up, Cars 2 director and Pixar chief creative officer John Lasseter will be getting his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year!!! It was about time!! Congratulations to Mr. Lasseter!

As you can see, the still seen above from Hawaiian Vacation was released on the web as well. I sure remember that part of the short film. It was followed by a really funny guest appearance who I am sure you will remember from Toy Story 3...

Check out this video featuring Cars franchise guardian, Jay Ward as he gives you an inside scoop on Cars 2:

Over at Animation World Network, check out two great interviews regarding Pixar's two newest shorts, Hawaiian Vacation, and La Luna.

Cars 2 earned an approximate $25.7 million yesterday on its opening day! Looks like Cars 2 will be quite commercially successful!

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more updates on how Cars 2 does at the box office, and also, when the Brave teaser trailer hits the web!

Cars 2 Brings Awesome Stuff To The Big Screen

Today at 1:00 pm, I caught the first IMAX 3D screening of Cars 2 at my local theater, and it was AWESOME...honestly. It was an even better experience watching it in IMAX, which made it look absolutely spectacular.

I was disappointed that the teaser trailer for Brave was not shown infront of the screening I went to of Cars 2. Now I need to wait until it's released on the web. [groan]

Cars 2 was exactly what I expected it to be...a fun, action-packed spy thriller, that happens to star Mater and Lightning McQueen. It may not be as emotional as previous Pixar films, such as Toy Story 3 and Up, but that's because it wasn't meant to be that. As many people have stated, Cars 2 may not be Pixar's best, but it is still a very entertaining movie. Even Pixar's worst can be way better than what a lot of other studios release.  It is definately tied with The Incredibles for Pixar's most action-packed movie.

I'll have my full review on Cars 2 up on the blog later on this weekend. And as for Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation, it was absolutely hilarious!

So should you take the time to watch Cars 2? Answer: Heck yes.