Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest-ID-81352.asp" target="_blank"><b>Latest: Video: Clip From Pixar's Upcoming Short 'The Blue Umbrella'</b></a> <p>The next Pixar short is 'The Blue Umbrella' playing in front of Monsters University in June. Like Paperman, the short focuses on finding love, in this case a blue umbrella and a red umbrella.</p> <p>[[yt:http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lVFNRrL79w0]]</p>
Originally Posted By magic0214 Its just Johnny Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet, with umbrellas instead of hats.
Originally Posted By mawnck Good lord it certainly is. And with 95% less charm and 100% less Andrews Sisters. Blecchh.
Originally Posted By magic0214 <<100% less Andrews Sisters>> Everything in life needs more Andrew Sisters.
Originally Posted By mawnck Dang straight. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEqj3FIBFwI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...j3FIBFwI</a> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9LnVFkicmg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...nVFkicmg</a> and most definitely <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgTsBsSngrc" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...sBsSngrc</a>
Originally Posted By skinnerbox I wasn't too eager to see Pixar's G-rated Animal House to begin with. But now? I'll wait for the Disney Channel premiere in 2014. Rippin' off the classics, once again.
Originally Posted By Manfried This seems a lot like the last short, the b/w one with the paper airplanes.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>This seems a lot like the last short, the b/w one with the paper airplanes.<, "Paperman" was Disney, not Pixar.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Rippin' off the classics, once again.>> Finally got around to see Brave on blu - that one won't ever be coming out again. Disliked it even more than before - and I'd like to put a hit out on Mark Andrews having seen him in the extras - annoying toad. But there was a trailer for Planes - they are even ripping off their own material now. Looked woeful. I can't believe it has a theatrical release now.
Originally Posted By Manfried <<"Paperman" was Disney, not Pixar.>> Uh, last time I looked, it was all part of the same company and the same guy is in charge creatively of all animation.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<... and I'd like to put a hit out on Mark Andrews having seen him in the extras - annoying toad.>> Don't get me started! What a waste of video! The guy is certainly in love with himself. For a famous creative environment that supposedly attempted to instill the Celtic culture in their daily production of Brave, I must admit that Pixar really missed the mark on this film. The only thing truly Scottish about the movie was the landscape. That was beautiful. Everything else was stereotypical tripe. More insulting than honorific.
Originally Posted By leemac The DVD extras were a real eye-opener to me in terms of both his personality/attitude and his film-making. There is an alternate opening scene on the DVD that he tried to force on the production when he came onboard. It was so literal and obvious - no subtlety at all - just Fergus and the bear. It demonstrated to me that Andrews is a color-by-numbers movie maker. Brave actually made me angry watching it again. I can forgive detritus like Cars and its sequel as you know what you are going to get - it is as simple as it comes. However Brave promised to be different. Aside from the visuals and the vocal talents there is so little to enjoy. Merida is a highly unappealing character - all brat with no redeeming qualities shown. At least you got to understand Ariel's desires in TLM to allow you to empathize with her plight. Merida gives you nothing - and her inability to accept any sort of responsibility over her mother's transformation again failed to give you that "in". Brave is so unoriginal - it just pinches from other Disney classics (I did expect to hear Menken/Ashman's brilliant The Mob Song as they all streamed out the castle after the bear). I hope that at some point and in some form Brenda and Irene Mecchi are able to release their version of this folk tale.
Originally Posted By leemac <<Everything else was stereotypical tripe.>> Sadly so true. I still can't fathom why all of the characters except for Elinor are such caricatures of Celtic bloodlines. I couldn't really understand the witch's crow in the theater but it was clearer on DVD and made me very annoyed as the dialogue was so modern - at one point is says something like "nice pants" - which isn't even a British expression. There were a couple of other lines that also take you out of the period context. It is lazy movie-making. And who was the voice of the crow? Steve Purcell - the man who came from virtually no-where to end up as a screenwriter and co-director on Brave.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox <<Steve Purcell - the man who came from virtually no-where to end up as a screenwriter and co-director on Brave.>> Never underestimate the Underground Railroad between Lucas and Pixar.
Originally Posted By leemac ^^ and the CalArts connections. I gather from a colleague that he was there after the like of Lanzisero, Burton etc. I don't know his comic book work or the stuff he did for Lucas but considering his main contribution at Pixar has been Cars, Cars 2, Mater and the Ghostlight, Brave and The Legend of Mordu I hope he is shoved out as soon as possible.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox Huh? Purcell didn't attend CalArts. He went to CA College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland.
Originally Posted By leemac ^^ That is weird - I've had a couple of people tell me that he has been telling folks he attended CalArts. I'm off to snoop some more!
Originally Posted By utahjosh I agree that Brave lacked great storytelling. It was paint-by-numbers storytelling. I did love the visuals and some of the characters, but it's not great. It's not as horrible to me as some of you have said - I think it just felt short of our VERY high expectations. I think Monsters University looks great! As for the blue umbrella, I'll withhold judgement until I seem more. But I do love the photorealism here - it's neat to see Disney go there for a short.
