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Wall E Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Steve Carr To Direct 'Short Circuit' Remake

Filed under: Comedy », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Deals », Scripts », Family Films », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Remakes and Sequels »

When I first began writing at Cinematical, I was certain I would remember every single news story that I had written, and would be able to call up every single project at a moment's notice. I think that ability lasted six months. So when there's news about the Short Circuit remake, I have to shake my brain a bit to remember that it's actually a real thing. If I feel that way, you probably do too, and will feel a similar jolt when you hear that Short Circuit: The Remake* has a director. Yes, it's being remade, and they consider Wall*E to be its promotional reel. Now Variety reports that it can boast Steve Carr as its director.

Carr is perhaps best known for bringing the world Paul Blart: Mall Cop, a film that shook the winter cinema for weeks and weeks on end. Now he'll be directing the "subversive" Short Circuit that was penned by Dan Milano. At last, Variety tells just what Dimension Films considers to be a radical script: "Built by the military to be a highly sophisticated weapon, Johnny 5 develops a conscience and personality after being hit by lightning. He befriends a lonely boy and his fractured family."

So, in other words, it's the plot of just about every lost puppy / cat / alien movie ever made between 1980 and today. Even worse, it sounds suspiciously like it borrowed all its shocking new element (a lonely boy) from The Iron Giant or even T2: Judgement Day. Perhaps every film that came before this remake was its promotional reel. It's all been leading up to this one, folks.

*Not its official title by any means. It's my own.

Watch Out, Filmmakers! The End of the World is Scary!

Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Thrillers », Newsstand », Fan Rant »



Hey, have you ever thought why movies destroy Planet Earth so often? Lisa Kennedy of The Denver Post did, and not only could she not understand why, but she concluded that doing so was very unethical because it's scary. If you can't help but relish or understand the War Against the Machines, she begs you to at least think of the children: "Even films pitched to the kids aren't safe. A lavish action sequence in the enjoyable 3-D spectacle Monsters vs. Aliens gleefully wrecks the Golden Gate Bridge. As beloved as it is by critics, the opening scenes in WALL-E of an uninhabitable metropolis suggest filmmakers don't think hard enough about the impact visions of apocalyptic or post-cataclysmic landscapes might have on developing imaginations. Too often, they're feeding the pleasures of their own inner kid or teen."

You know, call me crazy but I think Andrew Stanton actually really thought about that opening sequence. I believe he may have had a specific meaning in mind, something along the lines of "if you keep throwing away stuff, you'll eventually run out of room." I even think he handled it relatively gently by introducing a dancing robot. No? He was all about flaunting his CGI skills? My bad. Sorry kids, here's a new toy to numb your emotional trauma. Throw it away when you're bored. No, trash doesn't pile up -- it turns into rainbows!

I'll freely admit that disaster movies can make annihilation pretty damn insipid, but complaining that Watchmen or WALL-E is irresponsible for showing devastation not only misses the point, but suggests someone is determined to live in a fluffy delusion where landfills don't even exist (let alone fill up!) and nuclear weapons shower us with lollipops instead of radiation poisoning.

Surprise! The People Chose 'The Dark Knight'

Filed under: Awards »

It's not really a surprise, but our beloved The Dark Knight has grabbed the top honor at the 35th People's Choice Awards. If there was any award the film was sure to get, that's the one I'd pick. Aside from Favorite Movie, the film also scored a win in the Favorite Action Movie category, and an acting nod for Christian Bale and Heath Ledger. That's right -- one prize, Favorite On-Screen Match-Up. (Chemistry, baby!) Plus, a win for Favorite Cast and one more for Bale as Favorite Superhero -- sorry Tony Stark.

With all the love and press, however, the Dark Knight wasn't able to sweep the ground out from under Will Smith, who picked up both Favorite Male movie Star and Favorite Male Action Star. And outside the realm of irresistible geek fare, Wall-E nabbed Favorite Family Movie, The Secret Life of Bees scored Favorite Movie Drama and Independent Movie (over Zachary? I think not.), and, egads, 27 Dresses won the prize for Favorite Movie Comedy. Really, people? Over Pineapple Express, Tropic Thunder, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and the other great comedies last year? Geez.

Wrapping up the Favorite wins: Favorite Leading Man went to Brad Pitt, Funny Male Star went to Adam Sandler (did we go back to the '90s?), Female Movie Star went to Reese Witherspoon, Leading Lady went to Kate Hudson (again, what year are we in?), Female Action Star went to Angelina Jolie, Funny Female Star went to Tina Fey, and Favorite Song -- Meryl Streep and "Mamma Mia."

Cinematical readers, you're "People," so I ask: Are these your choices?

Discuss: Which DVDs Are On Your Christmas List?

Filed under: Fandom », Home Entertainment »

Movie fanatics are a tough bunch to shop for because we own everything. The moment it goes on sale, it's in our hot little hands, leaving our families and friends high and dry when it comes to DVDs and box sets. How many people will try to buy you The Dark Knight this Christmas? (Thank goodness for store credit and gift receipts.)

Still, with budgets being tightened all across the country, there's probably a lot of you that have put The Dark Knight on your Christmas list to be purchased by those generous people in your circle. Or maybe there's some movies such as Tropic Thunder or Wall-E that you caught as a rental, and are now desperate to own.

Of course, we aren't all about the new and shiny here. With the format war being decided in favor of Blu-ray, older movies are being reissued every day. Plus, there are always box sets and anthologies making us drool -- the Ultimate Collector's Casablanca or that ridiculously huge Dirty Harry Ultimate Collector's Edition. (It seems the height of arrogance that I Am Legend has a similar release this year, doesn't it?)

So, why not share the DVD you hope to find under your tree this Christmas? While you're at it, why not tell us which DVD releases you think were the best of the year? The Tropic Thunder DVD was a universal favorite here at Cinematical, but The Dark Knight's bare bones release left us disappointed. Enough responses, and we'll put together a poll to decide the question once and for all.

'Wall*E' Goes Hardcore in Final Trailer

Filed under: Animation », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Disney », Family Films », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »




Wall·E clips have been hitting the Internet about every two seconds in the past two weeks. I haven't watched a single one of them, because I don't want to see a second more of this movie until the lights go down in the theatre. But I couldn't resist watching, and posting, this new trailer from IGN. If you do not want to see even five seconds of new footage, avoid it, but it doesn't feel too spoiler-ish of a trailer. Instead, it is a wicked spoof of every post-apocalyptic trailer made in the last ten years, but it casts our cute robots as action heroes. Or at least Eve is -- that is one tough girl! There is a bit of "Princess Leia on the Death Star" about her.

I'm not sure if this movie is actually as explosion packed as the trailer implies, or if it is just edited really well. Clearly, someone at Pixar is having way too much fun.

Wall*E opens June 27th.

My Dreams Have Been Realized -- A Real Wall-E!

Filed under: Animation », Disney », Fandom », Family Films », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »

This is just too cool not to share with you all, and I hope you pardon my indulgence. I know I should look at this cynically as yet another piece of ridiculous movie marketing, but I don't want to. My grasp on reality is officially slipping (or I've regressed into a five-year-old), because my cynicism has melted, and I am now convinced Wall-E exists. There is video proof. He is real.

My life will be forever incomplete because I want one for my very own. I want him to wheel around my house and chirp at me. Thanks, Disney/Pixar -- I will never be happy again. (It does make you wonder what happens to things like this. Seriously, Disney, if you need a home for one, call me. I will treasure him forever.)

Wall·E opens June 27th.



Wall-E Spotted in LA! from Blink on Vimeo.










[via Slashfilm]

Wall E Meets a Hula Hoop

Filed under: Animation », Comedy », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Disney », Family Films », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »


WALL-E v/s Hula Hoop
by DrMalo



Maybe you're completely sick of all things Wall·E, but I'm not. He's like candy, only without the bad side effects. Every video clip that comes across the Internet, I watch it. And post it. I like that they are just bits of character work and giving nothing away.

I think this one is better than the magnet one posted last week, if only for the blissful shot of Wall·E wheeling away in the hula hoop, whistling like Artoo the whole time.

[via Empire]

New Clip From Pixar -- Wall-E Versus the Magnet

Filed under: Animation », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Disney », Family Films », Movie Marketing », Trailers and Clips »

After a weekend of reading and writing things New York ComicCon, I can't help but think "Hooray! Pixar!" with this. If you're craving some Wall-E, Disney has you covered this week with a little clip entitled "Wall-E vs the Magnet." No plot spoilers, no extra details, it's just Wall-E in all his adorableness. Watch the clip here.

I wish I could understand how Pixar managed to make a character so instantly endearing. The movie could completely let me down, but I will still be all melty and sniffly at the sight of his limpid eyes. He just strikes such pity -- and in this new clip, it is because he seems so high strung. Life seems very dramatic for this robot -- and he's definitely the brother of R2-D2. Listen to his beeps! (They share the same father, Ben Burtt, or at least in the sound effect sense.)

Incidentally, I didn't realize what a voice cast this had. I knew Fred Willard was in it, but Sigourney Weaver? Wouldnit be cool if this movie was full of sci-fi nods? It probably isn't but seeing Ripley pop up in anything outer space related is always cool.

Wall·E opens June 27th, 2008.

Gallery: WALL-E

New Wall*E Photos To Gaze Upon

Filed under: Animation », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Disney », Family Films », Newsstand », Images »



There are spies everywhere! There was a Pixar: 20 Years of Animation exhibit in Finland, and it was chock full of pictures from the upcoming Wall·E. They are all collected over at ComingSoon.net, and the only reason I picked this one is that fantastic photo of Wall·E's eyes in the middle, on the far right.

Even Finland has better film exhibits than my home town. What the hell? I'd love to see a Pixar exhibit.

Anyway, enjoy all the photos of Wall·E's world. There's no spoilers as far as I can tell, just a glimpse of the incredible detail that we expect from our favorite animation studio. I cannot wait to see this movie, and there isn't a soul I know who isn't bewitched by it. Wall· E opens on June 27th, at which point we will enjoy world peace as we all bond together in our love for a robot. It could happen!



Great, Detailed List of Pixar In-Jokes and Easter Eggs

Filed under: Animation », Comedy », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Disney », Shorts », Fandom », Tech Stuff », Scripts », Family Films », Home Entertainment », Comic/Superhero/Geek »

I am almost totally caught up on the films of 2007. The only major awards contender I haven't seen yet is Pixar's Ratatouille. Damn you Netflix and your "Very Long Wait" status! I've heard great things though, and now I've got an added reason to check out the DVD. Over at JimHillmedia, a Disney-focused news site, a reader wrote in: "Can you please help me win a bet at work? A co-worker of mine says that WALL-E makes a brief cameo appearance in Ratatouille. More importantly, this guy has bet me $100 that I'll never ever be able to find that robot in this movie." (WALL-E is the title character of Pixar's next film -- WALL-E.) The post answers that question and adds a really neat compilation of lots of the "cameos," in-jokes, and easter eggs in Pixar shorts and features.

It seems there are all kinds of callbacks and interconnections in the Pixar universe, and you fans of the films should definitely check out the site. It will help you watch the movies with fresh eyes. Some of the crossovers are very fast and will require a pause button. For example, the birds from the Pixar short "For the Birds" appear in Cars...for a tenth of a second. Others are much easier to spot. Look carefully at those toys in Monsters, Inc. and you'll see some old friends. A boy at the dentist in Finding Nemo is reading an Incredibles comic. And did you know that a "Pizza Planet" truck drives through each and every Pixar feature? Oh, and by the way, it sounds like that guy who wrote in to the site was duped. if you want to find WALL-E, he's not in Ratatouille, just the disc's special features. Rats!
 
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