Copper kettles, woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with string...

Pixar’s short films - what everyone really cares about

Yes, Pixar’s feature films are hailed as “masterpieces,” as “visual works of genius.” They’re “revolutionary,” and “expertly crafted.” Blah blah blah.

(I’m just paraphrasing of course and not quoting anyone in particular. I don’t really think they’re exaggerations of the critical acclaim heaped on most of Pixar’s productions though.)

However, we all know the true source of Pixar’s popularity: its short films. Sure, you might think of Nemo, or Buzz Lightyear, or a family of superheroes (moment of silence out of respect for Edna Mode), or even George Lucas perhaps, when you hear the word “Pixar,” but there is no denying the power of the shorts.

They set the stage for the feature film after all! And they’re much more challenging. I mean, they have to tell a funny, clever, visually stunning story in just a few short minutes. A few minutes of pure, unadulterated genius. For the most part. Plus, the studio uses the short films as a training ground for soon-to-be Pixar gods (i.e., career advancement for staff), and to test new methods and ideas.

Thankfully, Pixar (or its new parent, Disney) recognizes the genius of the shorts as well, and last year released a collection of them, ranging from the mid-1980s all the way up through 2006. Here’s what the collection includes (plus bonus features), according to Wikipedia…

  • The Adventures of AndrĂ© and Wally B. (1984)
  • Luxo Jr. (1986)
  • Red’s Dream (1987)
  • Tin Toy (1988)
  • Knick Knack (1989)
  • Geri’s Game (1997)
  • For the Birds (2000)
  • Mike’s New Car (2002)
  • Boundin’ (2003)
  • Jack-Jack Attack (2005)
  • One Man Band (2005)
  • Mater and the Ghostlight (2006)
  • Lifted (2006)

But now for the important information: my personal favorite, Lifted, is, thank god, on the list. This short played before the 2007 film Ratatouille, and it is, in two words: TOTALLY WICKED. According to Pixar’s official site, Lifted tells the following story:

When an overconfident teen alien gets behind the controls of a spaceship, he must attempt to abduct a slumbering farmer under the watchful eye of a critical instructor. But abducting humans requires precision and a gentle touch, and within a few missteps it’s painfully clear why more humans don’t go missing every year.

That little bit of poetic lyricism aside, this short is actually short on words (ha, get it?); it is, like most of Pixar’s short films, a great study on how to make a seriously entertaining silent film. And apparently, animation makes for very expressive body language and sour glances, among aliens at least.

A close second goes to the great For the Birds, however, for always being a classic. Sigh, those birds are just hilarious. (The bird is the word!)

Sadly, the collection does not include the short Presto, which appeared before Wall-E, and which, I thought, was just as good, if not better (or at the very least more purely enjoyable in a Bugs Bunny-style way - no offense intended to beyond-reproach Wall-E), than its main act.

Finally, I have to answer what I know everyone is thinking: Okay, so there’s a Volume 1, then where is Volume 2? Or is it just cockiness to release a Volume 1 without a Volume 2 already in the works? Volume 2 is as of yet unavailable, so the mystery remains… But fingers crossed for Presto!

You can also buy Pixar’s shorts individually via iTunes. Click on the buttons below to buy some of the shorts highlighted in this post (wow, that sounded official!):

Lifted(Lifted)

For the Birds(For the Birds)

Presto(Presto)

And click on the link below to see Hawaiian-shirt guru (and chief creative officer of Pixar) John Lasseter explain the collection and why he thinks short films are cool too:

John Lasseter interview (Pixar Short Films Collection)

December 8, 2008 | Filed Under Movies 

comments

Leave a Reply




  • string theories

    What line of work you in, Bob?

    - Ryan the Temp to "Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration" at The Office's Christmas party

    Add to Technorati Favorites

  • featured brown paper packaging

    What is it with accessories and DVD sets these days? Are knick knack companies going through some rough times? Or are studios just really desperate to sell DVDs? (Probably the latter.) First there was A Christmas Story (Ultimate Collector's Edition), with its cookie cutters, recipe book, apron, commemorative Christmas tin... (Whoa, I know.)

    And now there's The Notebook (Limited Edition Gift Set), which comes with a scrapbook album (with stickers!), notecards, envelopes, and "themed" bookmarks. But... wait for it... no new DVD extras or features! So totally worth it. Check out Entertainment Weekly for the lackluster DVD set review (a grade of D - harsh). Or, even better, Amazon's video montage of the contents, set to the soothing, Jane Austen movie-esque sounds of The Notebook's theme music. Hey, they know their audience.