pixar

Pixar, Pigs, Nazis And More: Handicapping This Year’s Oscar Shorts

7:05AM STV | If you’re like us, you used to blame your poor Oscar-pool showing on those short films that never arrived in theatres before awards night. For better or worse, that excuse is officially over. More »

‘WALL-E’ Wins Top Marks From Obese, Smoothie-Slurping Members Of L.A. Critics Assn.

8:03AM Seth | Despite our best efforts to the contrary by having a Vons worker plunge an inoculation into our arm, we doubt we’ll avoid the awards fever epidemic that hits the LA area this time of year. And how can we not, when historical precedent is being set: That’s right. The Los Angeles Critics Association—voting via touchscreen from their Barcalounger hovercraft—have declared that Disney-PIXAR’s WALL-E has succeeded in capturing their plaque-encrusted hearts. It’s the first animated film in history to receive such an honour, yet didn’t quite make the grade when placed against its peers in the Best Animated Film category. (That honour went to Israel’s Waltz With Bashir.) If their decision seems unusual, it’s not without precedent, as THR points out the group did something similar in 2000 when it gave Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon its top overall honours, but recognised Magical Flying Bamboo Warriors in the Best Kung-Fu Movie That Played Fast and Loose with the Laws of Physics category. A full list of winners is after the jump. More »

‘Wall-E’ vs. ‘The Dark Knight’: Who Has a Better Shot at Best Picture?

7:28AM Kyle Buchanan | This year’s Oscars Best Picture race is still fluid enough to account for the presence of two films that would normally seem like longshots: the Pixar masterpiece Wall-E and the box office blockbuster The Dark Knight. One is the tale of a lonely hero who talks in a funny voice, and the other is Wall-E, but both films have one thing in common: they’re huge, mainstream blockbusters, which Oscar voters don’t typically reward. However, the New York Times reports that the studio behind each film is readying a big Academy Awards push, and they’ve got their eyes set on Best Picture. Which has the better shot, and should we expect either film to wrangle a nomination for Oscar’s biggest prize? More »

‘Hancock’ Parks It At First

2:40AM Seth | Has clicking your mouse become something of a chore ever since you lost your thumb and forefinger in a spectacular illegal-fireworks demonstration on your front lawn? Fret not: Thanks to TetraMouse—the “lowest priced mouth-operated mouse on the market,” access to your weekend box office numbers is just a glottal stop away: More »

‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ Guys Now Penning ‘Forgetting Nurse Janice’ For Henson Co.

6:31AM Seth | The Dracula: The Puppet Musical sequence in Forgetting Sarah Marshall so impressed the Jim Henson Co., who produced the puppets, that they’ve hired Jason Segel and Nick Stoller to write and direct the next Muppet movie. They’re hoping the whole Apatowian raunch-with-heart formula will lend itself nicely to a story about Miss Piggy’s accidental knocking-up by Kermit’s unambitious stoner character, which will result in a mutant frig baby that both will love despite its freakishly beflippered snout. [Variety] As we noted yesterday, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (that’s the one where everyone except Draco Malfoy dies at the end. Kidding! Never read it.) is so expansive, Warner Bros. had no choice but to split it into two, billion-dollar-earning blockbusters instead of the regular one. Consider this a coup for everyone involved–particularly fans of post-jailbait-aged Emma Watson. [Variety] More »

Short Ends: My Sweet Bat Mitzvah Rendered All The Sweeter By Presence Of Sanjaya

9:40AM Seth | Well, who in their right minds wouldn’t want Sanjaya to be the celebrity of honour at their Bat Mitzvah? Still, we hear he’s pretty overbooked, and makes you pay for the hair appointment, so you might want to settle for one of this year’s castoffs. What about the creepy dude who sang “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go?” He’s probably not doing anything. [TRL] Here’s what $4,300 of N.Y. Governor dollars gets you two hours with: some Alicia Keys wannabe with a MySpace page. Sigh. Remember when high-classed hookers didn’t shamelessly whore themselves out like that? [MySpace] David Archuleta’s atrociously dressed father is reportedly the stage dad from hell, making his son cry at rehearsal, and banned once from the Star Search set for harassing another contestant. [etonline] The final book in the Harry Potter series will be split into two separate movies. That reminds us…wonder how Gay Dumbledore is doing? Yup–still gay. [LAT] Seems like the Pixar Man just likes to keep a good, CGI-directing brother down. [LAT] The Tokyo Auto Show unveils revolutionary, toddler-pee-powered Ferraris. They really need to be seen to be believed! [Jalopnik] More »