Gee, WALL•E
I’m already committed to seeing the new Pixar movie, WALL•E, the instant it hits theaters on June 27. Therefore, watching the trailer or reading plot synopses or gathering unnecessary details about it is absolutely out of the question. This is an information blackout approaching No Country for Old Men levels.
Having said that, the new trailer came out yesterday and I want to watch it like nobody’s business. Do me a favor, head on over to Apple and watch it yourself then come back and tell me how awesome it was in as spoiler free of a fashion as possible.
Thanks for allowing me to live through you vicariously. You’re the best. I’m serious.
Filed under: Miscellaneous
Related Posts: - Body of Lies 2.0
- Trailer: Watchmen
- Trailer: Gran Torino
- Trailer: The International
- Trailer: I’ve Loved You So Long
Indeed Craig, that trailer was most awesome! This looks headed for great reviews and huge box office in usual Pixar fashion. The whole ‘personality’ thing and the relationship between the two robotoids will go over big. The is a surefire hit for both kids and adults and a most anticipated release from the people who gave us THE INCREDIBLES, FINDING NEMO, et al.
I loved that trailer too! I cannot wait to see Wall*E, I am fast becoming a sucker for Pixar films.
What is even better, when ever a film that is expected to do well at the box office comes along, it opens the same time in SA as in the US, so I will see it at the same time as everyone else.
Yeah, it’s pretty sweet, and much more of a full-on trailer than its predecessors, with a lot more plot and character to it. I’m going to be posting a Trailer Review for it on Screengrab later today, not that it matters to you considering you’re avoiding it.
craig, again i ah surprised/you’re a critic that wants no info about a movie before you see it. not even a trailer….wow….and no i’n not gonna watch make an effort a watch a pixar trailer. so no link clicking for me. yeah… :)
We’re brothers-in-arms, Craig. Like most summer popcorn flicks with eye-popping special effects (Transformers, last year), Pixar animation deserves a big screen debut. Definitely looking forward to the movie, and now that you’ve got me thinking about the summer in general, I’m just look forward to everything! Ah, I love movies…
This trailer played before The Band’s Visit when I went to see it.
Definitely one of my must-see movies for 2008.
Haha, whaaa? Only in New York would The Band’s Visit be playing at a (probably massive?) theater that would also screen Disney/Pixar movies. Or maybe I’m confused, but at Landmark Theatres we usually only see indie/foreign trailers. Well I personally don’t actually “see” them, but..anyway, yeah.
Speaking of Pixar, if anyone hasn’t seen The Pixar Story, do yourself a favor and be wowed at how that company has developed. It was made right before Rat, but it’s really, really fascinating. Go figure, I saw it at a one night only screening on a Tuesday at…a Landmark.
Daniel, I actually saw it at Cinema Village, which is not a massive theater. It’s a little bigger than your typical arthouse and plays a mix of popcorn movies, cineaste fare, foreign, etc. And, yes, I did see films like A Bug’s Life and Mulan there. So I have no doubt that this is one of the theaters that will feature Wall-E.
The trailers at the Landmark Theater near me are usually for other films playing at the theater (or that will be coming there soon).
I saw the early teaser trailer for it, and that’s enough. I’m sold on the thing, so why wreck it?
Still, I’m awfully tempted to go have a taste…
Very interesting, Alison. Cinema Village sounds quite eclectic, and I’m sure there are numerous theaters similar to it near both you and Craig. I’m sure neither of you takes it for granted.
Don’t do it, Craig…(actually, I think Pixar animation can only be fully admired with multiple viewings, so maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all…)
The Landmark theaters in Seattle are the same way. They have one residential multiplex that shows a mix of Hollywood and foreign/indie fare and the remaining smaller theaters all show foreign and indies. The smaller theaters usually only show trailers for movies pertinent to them, but occassionally you’d get a bigger movie showing.
Honestly, I loved it. The Landmark multiplex was a good place to see bigger mainstream films since it attracted a geekier audience. It isn’t attached to a mall, so there tend to be less idiots.
Craig, there’s a one-minute WALL•E short too, called “Vacuum Vignette” that appears to be unrelated to the plot. Very cute.
I swear to god, my cat has watched it 4 times. He’s even intrigued by the sound mix.
Fun way to get another glimpse of the WALL•E personality without ruining anything about the movie.
Taji gives it two paws up.
Ok, I totally just caved in and it was 31 flavors of awesome. I can’t wait.
I’ll be taking a look at the summer offerings soon, but this could be my #1.
Thanks for the tip Ryan, I didn’t know it was unrelated. I’ll check it out now.
Taji has a strong grasp of aesthetics.
WALL•E will probably be my number 1 winter offering.
In SA, there are about 3 art house cinemas. And usually they don’t even show that many art house films, they are usually flooded with films like Atonement, La Vie En Rose, Juno etc, so like films that attract award attention. Is Juno art house? I think not.
We have a million normal cinemas though, for the normal people and for blockbusters like WALL•E. But they usually end up showing things like TWBB and No Country as well.
All our cinemas are attached to a mall. At least the one’s I know of.
That “Vacuum Vignette” is quite awesome.
Cats tend to possess excellent taste, Ryan.
Any picture(s) of Taji? :-)
Nick, I wouldn’t consider Juno arthouse really. Although it was made on a small budget, to me (and many others) it’s really a big studio film disguised as an indie.
I’d like to see what Taji looks like, too. He’s become quite the famous cat. :-)
Craig, Pierre, and I have been fortunate enough to see glamor shots of Taji. He’s the most effectual top cat. Who’s intellectual close friends get to call him Taj, providing it’s with dignity. He’s the indisputable leader of the gang. He’s the boss, he’s a pip, he’s the championship. He’s the most tip top, top cat!
Oh, Cinema Village! That’s where I watched Grindhouse when I was in New York (yes, I visited the big Apple for 4 days and spent a whole afternoon in the cinema. That’s just how much of a movie geek I am. Come on! They weren’t going to release it the way it was supposed to be seen, so I hope you’ll agree I had no choice. Plus, it was raining).
There are 2 arthouse theatres in Utrecht. They’re ok, both have cafes attached to them instead of concession stands and their selections are prett good, though I still have to go to Amsterdam for some movies, and I’m a little angry at the cinema I usually like best in Utrecht because they inserted a break in TWbB. Yes, it was long. And I kind of needed to go to the bathroom. But I hate being taken out of the movie like that.
Amsterdam has a few nice ones though, “The Movies” is a favorite of mine. Haarlem, the city where my parents live, has a great, modern-looking one with comfy chairs, and I recently discovered a tiny, kind of grubby, totally nostalgically awesome one in Leiden, that still gave out “admit one” tickets out from a long roll and served tea and coffee for just one euro. The advantage of a tiny country: many other cities are less than an hour away. Oh: and every cinema sells beer. So there!
Oh, and on topic: Wall-E looks a bit too cutesy for me. But it’s Pixar, so I’ll definitely check it out.
Is Pixar like, the most, or what? They have everything Hollywood ‘toons lack: heart soul theme personality etc.
I love watching films in Amsterdam. Last time I was there I went to a Corman fest and saw MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH. I believe pot was involved.
“…looks a bit too cutesy for me.” Hedwig, you ice queen! Have you no soul?? (I kid)
It’s ok, you scored bonus movie nerd points for seeing Grindhouse in New York.
What? A break in TWBB?? Beer or no beer, that’s madness. Madness I tell you!
Christian. What do you make of this 3-D business with Pixar. Do you think Disney is strong arming them or do you think it’s voluntary. I’m skeptical, but I have faith in Pixar to make it awesome.
That’s the last time I use the word “awesome” today.
I’m assuming Pixar is comprised of tech geeks, some of whom don’t mind the 3-D at all. I wonder how much leverage Pixar has with Disney. If they took their marbles elsewhere, who wouldn’t follow? Dreamworks could use a Pixar because I tire of their cookie-cutter star-driven pop-cultural committee films. But that’s me.
It’s not just you, it’s me too.
Dreamworks vs. Pixar is proof that it’s not the technology that counts, it’s the creativity.
“I’m talkin’ about story. I’m talkin’ about
character. I’m talkin’ about–hell, Leo, I ain’t
embarassed to use the word–I’m talkin’ about
creativity.”
You lovely people are very fortunate. I live in a very large city so the variety of films that we get is nothing to complain about. We get platform releases much earlier than a lot of the other major North American markets. We also get a lot of independent fare that likely goes directly to video or only plays the festival circuit in other cities.
I can’t say that I’m terribly impressed with any of the chains. Some of the independent theatres are nice. We do have one small arthouse chain that’s rather cool. But, for living in such a bustling metropolis, we have very few theatres in the downtown core or the surrounding areas. The relinquishment of the gorgeous single screens - that started in the 80s and continued on into this century - makes me more than a little bit…testy.
Cats are very sensitive to outside stimuli. They usually like music a great deal. Though what kind can certainly vary depending on the individual feline. Dogs generally aren’t as fussy. They like to be walked, petted and have someone play with their toys with them while they roll around.
Dogs are fun. But cats make their own fun.
This is why men refer to each other as dog.
You have a high opinion of the other members of your own sex, dear sartre?
I know they’re capable of acting like dogs.
I am a dog person, no doubt about it. Most cats are far too independent for my liking. And I am allergic to their hair or something.
Must Love Dogs.
Cat’s Don’t Dance.
Reservoir Dogs.
The Cat’s Me-Ouch.
Dogs in Space.
La Noche De Los Mil Gatos.
All Dogs Go To Heaven.
Wild Cats of Paris.
The Truth About Cats & Dogs.
.
.
.
.
Doggone Cats.
Dog Day Afternoon
Cat Woman
Straw Dogs
Cat Ballou
Dogs of War
That Darn Cat
Man Bites Dog
Kitten with a Whip
.
.
.
Cats and Dogs
Faster, Pussycat!. Kill! Kill!
I’m a cat person. Absolutely. And I’d like to add to the above list:
Undercover Kitty aka. Minoes.
Touché, sartre…
:-P
To add to the above list:
Gay Purr-ee
What’s New, Pussycat?
I’m definitely a cat person, though I do like dogs too.
That genuinely makes me laugh, sartre.
Men get such a bum rap for so much. I have no complaints with the male gender whatsoever. I have (like most women over the age of 12) run across my share of jackasses and jerks. But I knew my way around from a very young age. So their behaviour never really fazed me, largely because I never got involved with guys like that. I’m fortunate in that almost all of my experiences with men have been very positive.
Though I cherish my girlfriends greatly, as a general rule I still prefer spending time with men. Even it if it’s completely platonic. If women are insecure, you get all this backbiting bitchiness and jealousy. Who needs it? That’s why all my female friends are powerful, intelligent and strong willed in their own right. That’s exactly the way I want it, too.
But I do like boys a great deal. Always have, ALWAYS WILL. Boys are nice.
Nick, your personal feeling about cats is shared by many, many men. I have known A FEW men that preferred cats, but not a lot. Guys seem rather put off by the fact that cats are self sufficient and don’t really need anybody. You can be more active with dogs: pet them and play with them and that kind of thing. If cats don’t want to play, they usually just go to sleep.
So I actually love both cats and dogs. But, if I were in front of a firing squad and had to choose, I’d pick dogs. Just by a hair.
We like girls and kitties, though we’re allergic to the later…and possibly the former as well.
How’d you like my royal “we”? Was it convincing?
You guys are freakin me right OUT. I was going to post a couple of photos of Taji on a temp page, and list a few of his favorite movies, just for fun.
Then I stop by to see what’s up a LiC this morning, and you’ve beat to me to it, ha. Lots of the same titles Taji mentioned, you guys have already listed. Eerie.
He’s not that predictable though, and he doesn’t really get this cat/dog dichotomy. Taji plays catch like a puppy and retrieves his toys. Loves it. Running and fetching is part of his daily regimen. If I’m busy or forget to play ball, he’ll initiate a game. Brings his ball in the room, mews with it still in his mouth, and drops it at my feet to get a game going. He also imitates many habits of squirrels, since one of his hobbies is squirrel-watching.
Not a typical cat — in spite of the fact that his taste in movies was so easy for you guys to guess. I’ll post some photos in a few minutes. Wary of strangers at first, but really affectionate and cuddly with people he knows.
Taji loves to travel, fascinated by hotel room service, enjoys yachting and road trips. Trim, athletic, open-minded, non-judgmental and straight-acting.
Taji’s Fierce Feline Film Fest
(Limited Time Only — until Taji’s lawyers make me take it down.)
You are a riot, Ryan.
Taji is beautiful. Thanks for sharing those photos.
Oh, and I see he hated Crash. :-)
Taji: Great taste and handsome to boot. Is he single? I might turn gay for him.
Turn gay for a cat….that’s a first.
Maybe he should rewatch Crash. Then he might change his opinion, just a thought.
Maybe, Nick.
It’s true that when Taji is trying to cough up a hairball it sounds remarkably like he’s saying “Hag-gis… Haggis… Hag-gis…”
What kind of cat do you have, Alison? Before Taji, we had a Himalayan named Kenji, and another Russian Blue named Tiva.
Kenji never weighed more than 5 pounds.
Taji weighs 17 (all muscle though; he’s solid.)
Kitten love can be a high-maintenance roller coaster, Craig.
Love Cats
Ryan, I actually don’t own a cat, though I adore them. I’m allergic unfortunately. However, I did share an apartment for awhile with someone who owned a Russian Blue named Max. He was a beautiful cat with a great personality, very playful. I actually wasn’t allergic to him - maybe it’s because he had very short hair.
Taji doesn’t look like he has an ounce of fat on him.
Everytime I see a cat video and I laugh, it always makes me feel like I’m turning into one of those crazy old cat people.
Yes, I laughed at Love Cats…the saddest thing was I’d seen many of those before. Still funny.
Haha, this is getting really funny. Great photos, Ryan, and hilarious vid, Craig. I hadn’t seen those before. Huge fan of attacking cats. Not too hard to see how those crazy old cat people become crazy old cat people, is it? Also, would turning gay for a cat really be turning “gay,” or would it be…
Mark me down with the cat people. I love their duality: all of their cerebral qualities coupled with intuition.
Also, I was mauled by a mad German Shepherd when I was just a very little kid so that forever colors my perception of dogs.
Taji looks like a real champ, Ryan, and his taste in film is very agreeable.
“Also, would turning gay for a cat really be turning “gay,” or would it be…” …something altogether creepy. Yes.
The great thing about cats, and forgive me if this was mentioned already…but I love how they’re not suck-ups like dogs are. A dog will do anything to get your love, but a cat will act all indifferent, even if it’s not. I like their independence. And of course, there’s the purring.
Exactly, Craig. Dogs are so servile. Cats tell you where to go and are not forgiving, and are not always begging for your love.
The purring always gets me, too.
The girls I like are kind of the same way. Except they generally don’t lick their own asses. As far as I know.
Haha, Craig, I should hope not.
I certainly have the personality of cat as we’ve described it. Never really thought about that…hmm…
Alexander, I too was knocked down by a neighbor’s German Shepherd when I was about 4. His name was “HB”, short for Honey Bear. Sweet, right? Anyway, one day his “cousins” came to visit and they were jogging as a pack down the street before one of them eyed me picking my nose in the driveway. Well, the whole crew bum rushed me, and let’s just say I “flinched” before “screaming.” I wasn’t hurt, but mental scars never heal. My dad was bitten by a rabid German Shepherd earlier in his life, and I was sexually assaulted by a bear of a dog whilst ice skating at Boy Scout camp one year. So yeah, I’m not a fan of big dogs.
Cats have our measure.
Where did all these concentration camp suited German Shepards come from that terrorized the children of America?
Daniel says “and there was this one time at Boy Scout camp…”
Aahahahahhaha! I had the bejesus scared out of me by one too. Riding a bike down a hill and the lil bastard came tearing out of his yard after me. I got off like an idiot, but kept the bike between me and the dog.
I think I wasn’t nearly as entertaining once I was no longer in motion and he got bored and went away. Of course I was convinced he was going to eat me. I was little. what did I know?
I certainly have the personality of cat as we’ve described it.
So do I, Daniel. Or at least that’s what men have told me.
But do you purr too?
LOL. It’s not quite in the same way.
Since you mention it sartre, the one that bit my dad actually only understood German, and that’s why it attacked him.
Fortunately, I think, I don’t have any other deviant stories from Scout camp.
As young as you were, Craig, that was a pretty rational reaction - and it worked! I think dogs just need someone to stand up to them before they cower. Cats are impressed and intimidated by nothing but themselves.
I’ve seen cats react to dogs - not only do they hiss, they arch their bodies and turn so they’re at a certain angle and it makes them look bigger. It is pretty impressive, actually.
Do you always land on your feet, Alison?
Do you get happy when you hear a can opener?
I guess it was the right thing Daniel since I lived to tell about it. Freaked me out though.
Craig, I do usually land on my feet. Can’t say I get excited about can openers though.
That would probably be a little weird, huh?
Yeah, just a little bit. :-)
” The great thing about cats, and forgive me if this was mentioned already…but I love how they’re not suck-ups like dogs are. A dog will do anything to get your love, but a cat will act all indifferent, even if it’s not. I like their independence. And of course, there’s the purring.” ~ Craig Kennedy
“Of all God’s creatures, there is only one that cannot be made slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve the man, but it would deteriorate the cat.” ~ Mark Twain
“I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” ~ Winston Churchill
I dated a girl in high school who had one green eye and one blue eye, and she could make a sound in her throat identical to a kitten purring. (Though not sure if anybody could make her do it but me ;-) )
However, she was unable to lick her own ass.
“…they arch their bodies and turn so they’re at a certain angle and it makes them look bigger. It is pretty impressive, actually…”
I have a photo of Taji someplace when he was startled by the sight of an electrical cord snaking across the floor, and his tail is as bushy as a squirrel’s.
Both Mark Twain and Winston Churchill made some incredibly witty and astute comments.
One of my favorite Twain essays is The Damned Human Race. For those of you who haven’t read it (or have and want to read it once again) here’s a link: http://www.thedamnedhumanrace.com/
These mens’ words are still as accurate as ever.
That’s a great piece, Alison! I’ve heard phrases and fragments of it quoted before, but never knew they were part of a larger essay.
there are some “incredibly witty and astute comments” here at LiC too. Craig Kennedy carrying the baton passed down from Churchill and Twain.
[hey, wait a minute. That's no baton!]
Notice though how they both said the same thing but with less words and prettier.
Winston forgot to mention that pigs are yummy, however.
[me, resisting a joke about Korean cuisine.]
[me, filling in the blanks and laughing anyway]
[me laughing, then wondering what exactly I'm laughing at]
[me, thinking this thread was a lot of fun to read and the best one I've ever read on the subject of pets at all... also thinking about the delicious suitability and fittingness of a thread about Wall-E, a robotic being that seemingly would make a good pet of one kind, largely becoming a thread about pets... now thinking about that good Mark Twain link of Alison's... now getting hungry for a banana smoothie...]
ha, Alexander!
[me, wrestling topic back around to WALL•E, with your help]
It’s absolutely true that Taji pays no attention to most of the movies we watch around here.
He does like Jacques Tati though. (Play Time, Mon Oncle) No kidding. Taji likes stylized minimalist sets and tightly choreographed slapstick. A lot.
And the fact that he immediately keyed into WALL•E — at first perking up at the sounds, and then getting captivated by the visuals — maybe says a lot about the superb design skills and savvy market-targeting of Pixar. As well as making some sort of statement about the magic of silent film — or films without dialogue — pure cinema storytelling with abstracted facial expressions that tweak our own emotions, and narrative devices as pure as cave paintings, relying exclusively on movement within the frame to relay plot and exposition.
The same kind of storytelling that can capture the attention of a rugrat for 90 minutes. The same kind of storytelling that taps into everybody’s inner rugrat.
In the “Vacuum Vignette,” Taji found a story he could follow without explanation or langauge skills. He saw characters enter the frame, and understood their simple interactions. He definitely expressed surprise at the sudden developments — the disappearing robot cockroach; the explosive burst of vacuum dust; the happy resolution.
Funny thing,Taji hates the real-life vacuum cleaner. He’ll stay hidden for an hour or two, even after it’s been put away. But he appreciated seeing a conflict with the Evil Vacuum on the computer monitor — where he knew he was safe from harm.
The same way that we might not enjoy running up against a Chigurgh in real life, but it’s cathartic and thrilling to watch him from the safe side of the screen.
mmm… banana smoothie.
which reminds me, I’m ready for a Pixar movie about monkeys.
Specifically, tiny thumb-sized marmosets.
Here I was feeling guilty for helping to drive WALL•E off the cliff, with Toonces at the wheel.
I finally succeed in pulling WALL•E from the burning wreckage (he was hanging upside down, gasoline spurting from his private parts, but whenever I tried to reach out to plug his dribble, he’d recoil and squeal “Bad Touch! Bad Touch!” still wary of my intentions because I’d tried to tighten his screws during a previous encounter).
But maybe I’ve twisted the plot one twist too many and feel like now I owe an apology to kittens and pussycats everywhere, for trampling their one chance in the LiC spotlight.
The last fucking time I take advice from Geraldine Ferarro about how to handle a sticky issue.
Ahaha, Ryan, a Pixar movie about thumb-sized marmosets would be grand.
Not sure about larger monkeys, though. I mean, we’ve had one in the White House for seven plus years. It’s time to “move on.”
Hehe @ Ferarro’s advice.
It’s true, I just showed the Vacuum Vignette to my Himalayan cat and she loved it. The wordless beauty of the thing, so well described by you, Ryan, is just enthralling on so many levels.
It’s quite late and I haven’t been home that long. But there are a couple of things in this thread that truly give me pause.
I must stress that I am not attempting to be flip. I am as serious as I’ll ever be.
Ryan’s Taji looks EXACTLY like my Zelda. As in carbon copy, mirror image, dead ringer…all that jazz. Perhaps they should date?
Then there’s this: “Cats tell you where to go and are not forgiving - and are not always begging for your love. The purring always gets me, too.”
In various locations on this planet, every single ex of mine is laughing his ass off simultaneously, as that particular description defines me so perfectly that it could practically be a bio. Just substitute Miranda for the word cats. Perhaps I should put it up on the blog instead of the one I’ve got now.