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Today marks the release of the 17th movie from Pixar Animation Studios. First launched in 1986, they have consistently been one of the most successful movie studios producing consistently outstanding content that wins over audiences of all ages, critics and even The Academy (26 Oscars!). To celebrate the release of Finding Dory, two fans put together this fantastic video called "The Evolution of Pixar" analyzing their progress with animation technology over these past 30 years. It's kind of amazing to see how far they've come, and they still produce some of the best animation, the best movies, and the best storytelling out there. From YouTube (thanks to SlashFilm for the tip): "Finding Dory is almost here, and to celebrate, here is over 30 years of Pixar animation. To infinity and beyond!" This video was edited/created by Andy Schneider and Jonathan Britnell. Pixar Animation Studios first launched in 1986, and released their first short film,...

2015 marks the first time that Pixar has released two major films in a single calendar year: Inside Out this summer and The Good Dinosaur this past Thanksgiving weekend. Of course, animation geeks are ecstatic, not just because there are two new Pixar features to pore over — but also two new Pixar shorts. Long before Toy Story, the company established its reputation by producing award-winning computer-animated cartoons, showcasing the latest technology via entertaining little vignettes, mostly conceived by Disney-trained animator John Lasseter. As Lasseter led Pixar into blockbuster territory, he kept his shorts division open and active, so that the next generation of artists could have the same experience he did of experimenting in public. The result has been three decades’ worth of some of the funniest, most imaginative, and most technically accomplished mini-movies ever made. Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Luxo Jr., the first animated short...

Pixar short film: Those three words bring to mind clever, charming little movies like “For the Birds,” “Geri’s Game,” and, of course, “Luxo Jr.” With the latest in that line of animated shorts, “Sanjay’s Super Team,” Pixar is going in a few new directions, with both story and animation style. “Super Team” will screen in front of “The Good Dinosaur,” Pixar’s new feature opening in theaters this Wednesday. It’s a very personal story. Similar could be said of “La Luna,” the short paired with 2012’s “Brave.” But with “Sanjay’s Super Team,” Pixar head John Lasseter encouraged director Sanjay Patel to make the short even more personal and more directly based on his childhood than his earlier versions of the film, and Patel was surprised that the studio wanted his name to be in the title. The short tells the story of little Sanjay, who is...

Disney and Pixar has recently teased its next animation, The Good Dinosaur, with a new trailer but they’re also sharing the short film that will be accompanying it onto the big screen. Following in the illustrious footsteps of Presto the Rabbit, Luxo Jr. and most recently, Lava’s lovelorn volcano Uku comes Sanjay in Sanjay’s Super Team. This month’s Empire debuts a new picture showing that super team in action.Those Hindu superheroes, who young Sanjay encounters in his adventure, are (left to right): Durga, goddess of power and protection, the four-armed Vishnu, and the badass-looking Hanuman. These aren’t the Avengers though, stresses director Sanjay Patel. “I had to be clear that I didn’t want them to be superheroes with six-packs throwing fists and punches everywhere,” Patel tells Empire. “I wanted them to be graceful and androgynous, and that was exciting for the animators.

Pioneering woman director Lois Weber socially conscious drama 'Shoes' among Library of Congress' Packard Theater movies (photo: Mary MacLaren in 'Shoes') In February 2015, National Film Registry titles will be showcased at the Library of Congress' Packard Campus Theater – aka the Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation – in Culpeper, Virginia. These range from pioneering woman director Lois Weber's socially conscious 1916 drama Shoes to Robert Zemeckis' 1985 blockbuster Back to the Future. Another Packard Theater highlight next month is Sam Peckinpah's ultra-violent Western The Wild Bunch (1969), starring William Holden and Ernest Borgnine. Also, Howard Hawks' "anti-High Noon" Western Rio Bravo (1959), toplining John Wayne and Dean Martin. And George Cukor's costly remake of A Star Is Born (1954), featuring Academy Award nominees Judy Garland and James Mason in the old Janet Gaynor and Fredric March roles. There's more: Jeff Bridges delivers a colorful performance in...

Every year, the National Film Registry within the Library of Congress selects 25 films worthy of preservation. The films must be at least 10 years old, and this year’s crop includes such films as Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, The Coen Brothers’ The Big Lebowski, the John Wayne vehicle Rio Bravo and the beloved children’s classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

The full list of films now includes 650 films, with the most recent now being from 2004, James Benning’s documentary 13 Lakes.

The full list of additions is below:

13 Lakes (2004) Bert Williams Lime Kiln Club Field Day (1913) The Big Lebowski (1998) Down Argentine Way (1940) The Dragon Painter (1919) Felicia (1965) Saving Private Ryan (1998) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) The Gang’s All Here (1943) House of Wax (1953) Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport (2000) Little Big Man (1970) Luxo Jr. (1986) Moon Breath Beat (1980) Please Don’t Bury Me Alive! (1976) The Power and the Glory...

Every year, the members of the National Film Preservation Board (Nfpb) selects 25 films to be added to the Registry, and these films will be preserved in the Library of Congress for all-time due to their significant contribution to American society. After watching the great documentary These Amazing Shadows (which is about the National Film Registry) several years ago, I wondered when The Big Lebowski would get in. A couple years ago I was still wondering the same thing. For a movie that didn't blow up the box office when it was released or rack up tons of awards, it has entered the national consciousness and even created an annual festival that's been going around the country since 2002. Today, The Dude is finally in the registry. The Nfpb have announced their selections, and The Big Lebowski is among them. Other films added to the registry include Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,...

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington has announced the twenty-five films that have been added to National Film Registry this year. Each of these titles are set to be preserved for all time as "cinematic treasures."

Amongst the highlights of this year's batch are the Coens' "The Big Lebowski," Polanski's "Rosemary's Baby," Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan," the original "House of Wax" and "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," the John Wayne classic "Rio Bravo," and iconic 1980s comedy "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

Every year, twenty-five films that are deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant have been added to the list. One condition - the films must be at least ten years old. This year's full list includes:

13 Lakes (2004)

Bert Williams Lime Kiln Club Field Day (1913)

The Big Lebowski (1998)

Down Argentine Way (1940)

The Dragon Painter (1919)

Felicia (1965)

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

The Gang's All Here (1943)

House of Wax (1953)

Into the Arms of Strangers: Stories of the Kindertransport...

Each year, the Library of Congress selects 25 films to be named to the National Film Registry, a proclamation of commitment to preserving the chosen pictures for all time. They can be big studio pictures or experimental short films, goofball comedies or poetic meditations on life. The National Film Registery "showcases the extraordinary diversity of America’s film heritage and the disparate strands making it so vibrant" and by preserving the films, the Library of Congress hopes to "a crucial element of American creativity, culture and history.” This year’s selections span the period 1913 to 2004 and include a number of films you’re familiar with. Unless you’ve never heard of "Saving Private Ryan," "The Big Lebowski," “Rosemary’s Baby” or "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." Highlights from the list include the aforementioned film, Arthur Penn’s Western "Little Big Man," John Lasseter’s 1986 animated film, “Luxo Jr.," 1953’s “House of Wax,...

Spanning the years 1913-2004, the 25 films to be added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for 2014 include Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby, Arthur Penn’s Little Big Man, John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski. The annual selection helps to ensure that the movies will be preserved for all time. This year’s list brings the number of films in the registry to 650.

Also on the list are John Lasseter’s 1986 animated film, Luxo Jr; the original Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder; and Howard Hawks’ classic 1959 Western Rio Bravo. Documentaries and silent films also make up part of the selection which represents titles that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant; they must also each be at least 10 years old. Check out the rundown of all 25 movies below:

2014 National Film Registry...

If you’re a hard-core Pixar fan, then you no doubt realize the animation studio loves to put little Easter eggs into each and every one of its movies. These hidden nods to earlier films delight those who catch them, even if they’re not integral to the stories being told. Pixar has been doing this for years, but it’s only now that it has started chronicling them for the public. This new video, starring Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich, reveals some of the hidden delights from movies like Up, Cars and Ratatouille. It’s by no means all inclusive – which is a minor disappointment – but maybe the studio will make more of these cool little videos if fans like this one. Things kick off with the Luxo Jr. ball, then move on to grape soda...

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Even though we're right around the perfect time for real easter eggs, those aren't the kind we're talking about. In this case, we're talking about hidden references to other films within the filmography of Pixar Animation. We've featured some cool easter eggs from Pixar films in the past like Brave and Up, but a new video straight from Disney and Pixar, complete with an intro from Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich, puts some more of them on display, including the frequent appearances of the ball from their original short Luxo Jr. There's even a few that I'll bet you didn't even notice. It's not all-inclusive, but it's cool. Watch it! Here's the video from Pixar, telling fans to join in on the easter egg hunt (via Movies.com): There's tons more references between Pixar films that you can notice by rewatching the films. Sometimes, you don't even know...

Thanks to the recent release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we've spent the last few weeks talking about how good Marvel Studios is as sprinkling little Easter Eggs into their films. But let's not forget: Pixar has been doing similar brilliant work in the same regard for the last 19 years - a.k.a. since they began making feature films. Die hard fans of the studio's animated movies have spent years studying their favorite titles and analyzing them frame by frame, but now Pixar has released an official video highlighting a few of the best ones. Hosted by Lee Unkrich, the director of Toy Story 3 and the co-director of Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc. and Toy Story 2, the video puts the spotlight on some of the most clever little bonuses featured in Pixar movies. Not only does the Luxo Jr. ball appear in nearly every one of the studio's films,...

Since they've been around, Pixar has always enjoyed putting fun little Easter Eggs in their films. Some of them are quite obvious, while others remain a little more hidden. Regardless, fans typically scour each film to try and find them. While there's several in Monsters University, Disney/Pixar have revealed three of them that you may have missed.

Disney/Pixar were kind enough to shoot this helpful little guide our way to help you keep a lookout for these hidden gems while you watch the film. By no means is this all of them however, so you'll still have to keep a keen eye out there:

A113 – The School of Scaring classroom number is A113, which refers to the former classroom of John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton at CalArts. The number makes an appearance in every Pixar feature film.

Pizza Planet – The Pizza Planet truck is...

Fans of Disney•Pixar’s feature films love to scour the screen in search of the Hidden Gems the filmmakers sneak into each film: Wall•E’s explorations uncover a Mike Wazowski antenna ball, paying homage to Monsters, Inc., and in Up, the classic Luxo Jr. ball can be seen in the girl’s bedroom as Carl Fredricksen’s house flies by her window.

Disney•Pixar’s Monsters University features a few such gems, three of which are revealed here:

A113 – The School of Scaring classroom number is A113, which refers to the former classroom of John Lasseter, Brad Bird, Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton at CalArts. The number makes an appearance in every Pixar feature film.

Pizza Planet – The Pizza Planet truck is in the driveway of the Jox fraternity house when Mike is riding Archie the Scare Pig down Greek Row. The Pizza Planet truck, which first made an appearance in “Toy Story,...

The Pizza Planet delivery truck first appeared in the original Toy Story. You.ll remember it was the conveyance Buzz and Woody use to get back to Andy.s house from Pizza Planet. Since then it.s showed up in every Pixar movie. It.s even in Monsters University, as you can see in the photo above. And here.s what it looked like during its first appearance in Toy Story, back in1995. The Pizza Planet truck isn.t the only easter egg in Monsters University. Director Dan Scanlon worked an homage to the classic Luxo Jr. ball . but not in a place you might expect. It.s on the wall behind the commentators for the Scare Games. Hidden in a bit of colorful graffiti, there.s a blink-and-you.ll-miss-it graphic of the ball, which Disney let us freeze-frame. But wait, there.s more! In the photo below, shared by...

Looking for Easter Eggs in Pixar films has now become a yearly pastime. The animation studio hides plenty of regular in-jokes in its most recent films, and it’s also tradition to include a tease for the studio's next film as well. Monsters University is no different, and now Pixar is fessing up to the film’s Easter Eggs by providing images for some of them. The only one I spotted during the film was the Pizza Planet truck, but as you’ll see after the jump the film also includes references to the Luxo Jr. ball and the number A113—a nod to the CalArts classroom where Pixar’s original animators got their start. Bob Peterson, director of next year’s Pixar film The Good Dinosaur, has confirmed that Monsters University does indeed include a reference to his film, but it is sadly not included in this batch of official images.

When watching a Pixar film, it’s good to keep an eye open for hidden jokes.

Or two eyes, if you have them.

After Monsters University’s debut last weekend, Pixar is now offering up a guide for fans who may have missed some of the hidden background gags.

Animators are also notorious for slipping in references to as-yet-unseen Pixar flicks. Remember in the original Monsters, Inc., when Boo handed Sulley a Jesse the yodeling cowgirl doll, a Luxo Jr. ball and then this familar clownfish, about two years before Finding Nemo came out?

Unfortunately, Pixar isn’t confirming if...

An incredible and rewarding work of art that’s improved with age.

About a year ago, Disney produced 3D conversions of both Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King for Blu-ray. The latter was re-released in theaters for two weeks as part of the home video promotion. Unexpectedly, it did gangbusters at the box-office, even taking the number one spot for two consecutive weekends ahead of new releases. Not bad for a seventeen year old film. Sensing there was more money to be made, Disney came up with a new game plan. Even though the 3D version of Beauty was on store shelves, they would re-release it in theaters as well that January. Makes sense, since the average household doesn’t have a blu-ray player in their home theater, let alone 3D capability. Future re-releases would include, The Little Mermaid and Monsters, Inc., as a tie-in to its sequel...

Everyone loves a good Easter egg. And throughout the years, there have been plenty to be found in Pixar's big-screen cartoon adventures: from the Mike Wazowski antenna ball in Wall-e that pays tribute to Monsters, Inc. to the famed animation house's iconic Luxo Jr. ball that appears in a little girl's bedroom in Up while the balloon-festooned house flies by her window. And Brave is certainly no exception. So what hidden gems can be had in Pixar's latest 3-D computer-generated fantasy?     Eagle-eyed moviegoers will be able to catch a couple of fun homages. The first comes courtesy of the Witch, the eccentric old hag disguised as a woodcarver...

Fans of Disney.Pixar.s feature films love to scour the screen in search of the Hidden Gems the filmmakers sneak into each film: Wall.E.s explorations uncover a Mike Wazowski antenna ball, paying homage to Monsters, Inc., and in Up, the classic Luxo Jr. ball can be seen in the girl.s bedroom as Carl Fredricksen.s house flies by her window. Disney.Pixar.s epic action adventure Brave features a few such gems, two of which are revealed here:

Ancient Delivery . The Witch, an eccentric crone disguised as a woodcarver specializing in whittling wooden bear figurines and conjuring haphazard spells, showcases her mysterious and inexplicable knowledge of the future with a carved figurine of the infamous Pizza Planet truck, an iconic delivery vehicle that.s appeared in nearly every full-length feature film from Pixar Animation Studios since 1995.s Toy Story.

No Monsters In The Closet . A carving of Sulley,...

For more than fifteen years, Pixar has represented the gold standard in computer generated films. Since the studio’s early days of making groundbreaking short films to producing Oscar-winning feature-length movies, Pixar has become a brand associated with quality animation and adorable characters. There have been some bumps along the road, from a love-hate-owner relationship with Disney to some questionable sequels, but few studios can boast such a consistent level of quality and innovation. This week, Pixar will be releasing its 13th full-length feature, Brave, with an entire new cast of characters different from any other Pixar film. This gives us a chance to look into Pixar’s past and remember some of the favorite characters from their films. Luxo Jr. First appearance: Luxo Jr. (1986) Not everyone has seen this loveable short film from the mid-80s. Along with The Adventures of Andre and Wally B. in 1984, Red’s Dream in 1987, and Tin Toy in 1988, Luxo Jr. was...

Computer-generated motion picture animation from “Vertigo” to “Toy Story” to the 3D spectacles of today will be explored during “The Development of the Digital Animator,” the latest installment of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Marc Davis Celebration of Animation, on Monday, May 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Several pioneers of digital animation will revisit the long path from laboratory to cineplex during a panel moderated by animator and historian Tom Sito.

When “Toy Story” burst onto the scene in 1995, computer-generated imagery was, for many, a bold new technique in animation. However, its lengthy and meticulous development can be traced back to its first public exposure with the mesmerizing title sequence for “Vertigo” (1958). Of equal importance to the technical developments were the influential animators and designers who devised artistic uses for engineering advances.

Scheduled panelists include:

Rebecca Allen, an experimental filmmaker...

(from left to right) Dimanche (Sunday), La Luna, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, Wild Life and A Morning Stroll Over the last two days I was able to watch all five of the films nominated for Best Animated Short at the 2012 Oscars. Along with the Live-Action Short category and the Documentary Short Subject category, these are virtually the most impossible categories to predict whether you've seen them or not. Typically at the final hour some outlet will come out with news relayed to them by an Academy member that would seem to indicate a winner, but I personally don't have the luxury of such information so all I can do is watch and decide for myself. That said, after watching all five of the nominees for the first time William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg's The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore stands out as the...

[1] Over the years, we've learned a lot about how Pixar develops and produces their feature animated films, but we've learned very little about how the beloved short films get created. So I decided it was time we find out. I shot a message over to Enrico Casarosa, the director of Pixar's next short film La Luna, who was happy to shed some light on the process. "How Does A Pixar Short Film Get Made?" Find out, after the jump. While most people won't get to see La Luna until its released in June 2012 attached to Brave, the short has been playing the film festival circuit and already short listed for the Best Animated Short Film Oscar. I was lucky enough to catch a screening of it at the 2011 Telluride Film Festival, and I loved it so much that they used my quote [2] in their "For Your Consideration" advertisements. [3] A Very...

John Lasseter has a firm handshake. You see a guy in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts and your first thought is this must be one of those free thinking who cares what the world thinks? I’m gonna wear what I want and dance to my own drum type people. But the handshake says differently. It sizes you up, puts you in your place. Tells you it belongs to a man who knows what he wants, who’s in complete and total control. This is what makes John Lasseter such a compelling figure: at once one of the leading creative minds in animation (Toy Story, A Bugs Life, Cars, Luxo Jr.), whilst at the same time the shrewdest of businessmen (Lasseter is the largest shareholder in Disney; Pixar is valued upward of 7.4 billion). In the third of five interviews running this week (in conjunction with the release of Cars 2...

Filed under: Movie News

Over the weekend, thousands of cosplayers descended upon New York Comic Con. There were Darth Vaders, Spocks and even Mr. Ts. However, none of them were dressed as -- at least to our knowledge -- Luxo Jr. a.k.a. the Pixar lamp. Maybe that's because the one person who actually was dressed as Luxo Jr. was too busy shooting this clip, which shows a man (or woman -- we're not really sure) imitating the opening credits you see before each Pixar movie -- where Luxo jumps in front of the Pixar logo and takes the place of the "I." The person in the costume actually does a pretty good job of imitating it, but you can judge for yourself ahead.

Continue Reading...

Exactly 25 years ago, a little desk lamp pounced on a rubber ball and accidentally deflated it. The lamp sadly hopped away, only to return seconds later with an even larger, more impressive ball. In a way, Luxo Jr., which premiered at a Dallas computer-graphics conference called Siggraph on Aug. 17, 1986, is the perfect metaphor for the then-fledgling studio that created it: Pixar. The short film announced the arrival of a new player in the animation scene, but Pixar had much larger toys waiting in store.

On the 25th anniversary of Pixar's first project, it seems appropriate to consider exactly how the studio has altered the world of animation.

Exactly 25 years ago, a little desk lamp pounced on a rubber ball and accidentally deflated it. The lamp sadly hopped away, only to return seconds later with an even larger, more impressive ball. In a way, Luxo Jr., which premiered at a Dallas computer-graphics conference called Siggraph on Aug. 17, 1986, is the perfect metaphor for the then-fledgling studio that created it: Pixar. The short film announced the arrival of a new player in the animation scene, but Pixar had much larger toys waiting in store.

On the 25th anniversary of Pixar’s first project, it seems appropriate to consider exactly how...

Twenty three years ago, fledgling studio Pixar took a giant leap for animation by creating some tiny baby steps.

Now the top name in cutting edge animation, Pixar wasn't always so prominent and beloved. The studio was originally George Lucas' in-house special effects group, went independent and focused on hardware sales, and then, following their purchase by a certain Steve Jobs, finally began fully concentrating on bringing computer animation to life, determined to change the way the art is created and viewed.

The studio released its first independent short film in 1986, "Luxo Jr.," which followed the Lucasfilm-era release of "Andre and Wally B.," on which John Lasseter, the legendary Pixar animator/director/producer, made his CGI debut. "Luxo Jr." earned the studio an unexpected Academy Award nomination for Best Short Film, heralding, quietly, the coming animation revolution.

Then came "Red's Dream," the story of a lonely unicycle, in 1987. Following that was "Tin Toy,...

Cars 2 is the rare Pixar film that feels like a mess. So many times, you wonder how they are going to balance the different aspects of their next summer hit, but by the time the credits roll you no longer question it. With Pixar's latest, I still had trouble deciding why they would go in so many various directions all at once. The core audience is going to have a blast, there is little doubt. If you have a young boy, and you collect those little cars, you have a lot more to deal with and it will be shoved down your throat starting with this gorgeous, often funny package. But these days, I expect more from Pixar. My review after the jump. The first Cars gave a lot of people problems because it was the first from the do-no-wrong company that didn't have the same emotional story. Something was missing,...

When audiences see Luxo Jr. hop across the screen at the beginning of Pixar movie, we expect pure magic every time out. That's because the pioneering computer animation company has set the bar incredibly high, consistently making some of the best animated films ever. Talk about pressure. Cars 2 is the latest film to be held to that standard and it actually makes the grade. Just barely. The film forgoes the emotional complexity of Pixar's previous work and distinguishes itself by going the other way. It's their first mindless action film. Think Pixar does a James Bond sequel. If Cars 2 was a live-action film with humans, it might be another studio's best film of the year. But since it's Pixar, it places near the bottom of their impressive list. Still, it's my opinion that a slightly sub par Pixar movie is like a piece of perfection compared to everything else.

And How Young Sherlock Holmes Unexpectedly Paved The Way For Pixar

The story of how Pixar began is a fascinating one when you consider the creative risks that a young John Lasseter took that ultimately cost him his job at a company he would later (practically) run! This, somewhat Shakespearean tale, can be punctuated quite well by a series of films that all, in some way, lend themselves to the development of the Pixar we know and love…

1. The Fox and the Hound (1981)

In 1975 the California Institute of the Arts set up a new programme for animation, taught by three members of Disney’s ‘Nine Old Men’, whilst that is impressive in itself the students they taught in that inaugural year included John Lasseter, Brad Bird, John Musker, Henry Selick and Tim Burton with artists like Joe Ranft, Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter.

After graduating Musker, Bird, Selick and Burton...

The Ichiro Suzuki of Hollywood, Pixar so far has batted 11-for-11 in feature film hits, generating $6.6 billion in worldwide grosses and 40 Oscar nominations. Woody and Buzz Lightyear to Wall•E and Lightning McQueen have yielded even more in ancillary revenue for parent company Disney from toys, clothes, DVDs, and theme-park attractions. Pixar has 1,200 employees so there’s a lot of credit to go around, but no single person has been more vital to the Pixar success story than chief creative officer John Lasseter. The 54-year-old, Hawaiian shirt-wearing filmmaker has directed five of Pixar’s features, including this month’s Cars 2.

Previously we highlighted an awesome Lego version of the trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and now another spectacular Lego trailer for another Disney property has just hit the net. Now Collider has stumbled upon this fantastic and impressive recreation of the first trailer for Cars 2 using Lego bricks. Look carefully because even Luxo Jr. in the infamous Pixar Animation Studios logo has been given a Lego form. YouTube user Patrick Bolvin is behind this fine creation, but please note that he was hired by Disney/Pixar and Lego to make this trailer. Check out the Lego trailer plus the original to compare below! Here's the cool new Lego trailer for Pixar's Cars 2: Here's the original trailer for Cars 2 for comparison: Cars 2 sees Lightning and Mater traveling around the world for the Race of Champions that includes other disciplines like Formula One.

[1] We've featured a handful of director [2] montages [3] here on /Film recently, and while this "25 Years of Pixar" compilation isn't quite that, it's actually pretty similar. In terms of look, tone, and quality, I'd say Pixar is as consistent as many directors. For the video, NkMcDonalds pulled scenes from works spanning over decades -- from '80s shorts to this year's Cars 2. If you like Pixar as much as I do, it'll definitely make you smile and it might even make you tear up a little tiny bit. Watch it after the jump. [via Go Into the Story [4]] Watching all the Pixar films spliced together like this, it's very easy to see how the studio has evolved over the years from a technical standpoint. Clips from films like A Bug's Life, which looked sophisticated at the time, now look clunky next to the sleeker visuals of newer movies like Wall-e and Up. But it also becomes...

So the rumours and hearsay were true. We haven’t seen the last of Woody and gang which we were lead to believe with the great swansong known as Toy Story 3. The gang will be back for a short film to run before Cars 2 this summer.

Disney sent us over this press release for people to read then check out the clip below:

“In celebration of their recent Oscar® win for Best Animated Feature, Woody, Buzz and the rest of the “Toy Story 3” gang head to the big screen again this summer in “Hawaiian Vacation,” a 3D animated short directed by seven-time Academy Award®-winner Gary Rydstrom. “Hawaiian Vacation” will appear exclusively with the upcoming “Cars 2” theatrical release, which races into U.K. cinemas on July 22, 2011, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select cinemas. John Lasseter returns to the driver’s seat...

Appearing exclusively with the theatrical release of the forthcoming Disney-Pixar feature Cars 2, the animated short Hawaiian Vacation features Buzz, Woody and all your favourites characters from Toy Story 3 in an all-new adventure! The folks at Disney have just sent us the films official synopsis (which sounds like a great addition to the Toy Story franchise), two images and the first teaser clip for the movie. Check them all out below:

In celebration of their recent Oscar® win for Best Animated Feature, Woody, Buzz and the rest of the “Toy Story 3” gang head to the big screen again this summer in “Hawaiian Vacation,” a 3D animated short directed by seven-time Academy Award®-winner Gary Rydstrom. “Hawaiian Vacation” will appear exclusively with the upcoming “Cars 2” theatrical release, which races into U.K. cinemas on July 22, 2011, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D in select cinemas. John Lasseter...

Disney Pixar have just released this brand new clip from the new Toy Story short which is set to sit in front of Cars 2 when it’s released 22nd July.

This timing couldn’t be more perfect after Lee Unkrich and his team walked away with the Best Animation Oscar for Toy Story 3 at this years academy awards.

Love this new clip, especially the Lego men who I think have their debut in the Toy Story franchise. So great to see the Toy Story cast back. I wonder if this means that we could expect more Toy Story following this short. Lets hope so!

Check out the clip below and have a read of what we can expect in the synopsis below.

Disney•Pixar’S “Hawaiian Vacation” Takes “Toy Story” Characters On Brand-new Adventure

Appearing Exclusively with “Cars 2” Theatrical Release, New Short Film Features Buzz, Woody and Favorites from “Toy Story 3”

Burbank,...

Ever wonder how Pixar.s best-of-the-best stack up against one another? Well, now you can get a general idea thanks to a graphic artist named Juan Pablo Bravo. Bravo.s .100 Pixar Characters. puts some of our favorite animated characters side-by-side providing an estimated sense of the size of each. But, as Pablo points out, the creation is only an exercise and doesn.t reflect the actual dimensions of the characters. However, this thing is awesome. If someone filled in all of the silhouettes this could be ideal for a kid looking for some new wallpaper to decorate his or her room. It.s got just about everyone from Toy Story.s Buzz to Pixar.s Luxo Jr., down to my personal favorite, Wall-e. Bravo even threw in some of the newest editions to the Pixar family, Toy Story 3.s Mr. Pricklepants, Lotso and Twitch. Click on the sample below...

Have you ever wanted to know how Mr. Incredible compares in size to Woody? How Nemo would stack up against Sully? Where the iconic Luxo Jr. lamp fits in with everything? Now you finally can. Designer Juan Pablo Bravo has painstakingly taken main characters from the Pixar films and placed them all in a silhouetted, size-specific lineup, just in case you need to know where everyone fits in. What's even more impressive is that he's done it in chronological order by release date.

Visit his site to download the massive version, which you can also find right here, and also check out his equally impressive 50 Movie Cars piece, which shows you the make and model of 50 iconic film and television vehicles. That is something I'd love to have as a poster, and that Pixar piece would make a nice wraparound for a child's room. Right? Or should I just admit...

'Visually, it's exponentially more complex than the first two,' Lee Unkrich says.

By Eric Ditzian

Buzz Lightyear in "Toy Story 3"

Photo: Pixar

All this week, during MTV News' investigation of the world of 3-D movies, we've been talking to the minds behind the biggest upcoming CG-animated films. This genre, after all, has embraced 3-D technology like no other, partly because kids are among the most receptive audience and partly because creating three dimensions in a computer is in many ways easier than shooting with 3-D cameras in the real world. Thus far we've chatted with the filmmakers of "Shrek Forever", "Yogi Bear," "Despicable Me" and "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax."

Wrapping up of week of animated coverage is a chat with "Toy Story 3" director Lee Unkrich. Driving down the winding road from George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch north of San Francisco, Unkrich gave MTV News a call...

John Lasseter is very excited about the new “Toy Story 3” toys. As he should be, given that he’s chief creative officer of Pixar and Disney. But it’s more than that. Lasseter is a lifelong toy enthusiast who has exhibited his interest in playthings since the beginnings of Pixar, with short films like “Luxo Jr.” and “Tin Toy.”

The animator-turned-exec was in New York City to unveil the new line of “Toy Story 3” toys and be inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame, an honor he shares with no less than Walt Disney. “Toys have been such a big part of my life,” he told MTV News during the event. “And of course it's my love for toys that was the original idea for ‘Toy Story,’ so it's fun. It’s like we’ve come full circle.”

It’s no surprise then to learn that he...

It’s that time of year again, when sites the web-over compile helpful holiday shopping lists to guide you into the deepest, darkest pits of retail with a map that will hopefully get you out alive. Here now, without further ado, is the 2009 Quick Stop Holiday Shopping Guide.

(If you see anything you like, please support Quick Stop by using the links below to make your holiday purchases - it’s appreciated!)

I’ve banged on about for years, and I’m going to keep going virtual door to virtual door until the word gets out about Qi. If you’ve never heard of the UK quiz program Qi, you’re missing out on one of the funniest “educational” shows ever devised (the devisee being creator/producer John Lloyd, formerly of Blackadder, Not The Nine O’Clock News, and Spitting Image). The key to Qi (which stands for “Quite Interesting...

Earlier today in honor of the Blu-ray and DVD release of Pixar's Up, I published a special edition of This Week in Blu-ray as well as a very cool article entitled 10 Fun Facts About Pixar's Up. And now I'm back with more fun stuff to celebrate this major release, including additional facts about the film -- as well as an international Q&A with director Pete Docter (who also directed Monsters, Inc., another Pixar flick hitting Blu-ray today). First, more hidden facts about Up: In the sequence where Carl’s house first lifts up, the Luxo Jr. ball can be seen in the girl’s bedroom as the house goes by her window. The Pizza Planet Truck, which first made an appearance in Toy Story, has made a cameo in nearly every Pixar film. In Up, the Pizza Planet truck can be seen at an intersection when Carl's house flies over the town. The...

In anticipation of Disney Pixar’s November 10th release of Up on DVD and Blu-ray, here are some little know facts from the movie.

* In the sequence where Carl’s house first lifts up, the Luxo Jr. ball can be seen in the girl’s bedroom as the house goes by her window.

* The Pizza Planet Truck, which first made an appearance in Toy Story, has made a cameo in nearly every Pixar film. In Up, the Pizza Planet truck can be seen at an intersection when Carl’s house flies over the town. The truck makes as second appearance in the Fentons Creamery parking lot at the end of the film.

* The number A113, which refers to Brad Bird and John Lasseter’s former classroom at CalArts, makes an appearance in every Pixar film. A113 is the courtroom number when Carl makes an appearance to plead his case.

* Fentons...

Two months after Norwegian lamp manufacturers Luxo As threatened surprise legal action, it seems that they and Pixar have settled their dispute over the hop-happy anglepoise mascot. Details are of course shrouded in the expected fog of corporate secrecy but, thankfully, there's no longer going to be any need to get the courts involved. If there was some kind of payment agreed, there's not any indication of how much. There has been some kind of amicable agreement, however, and it seems that Luxo Jr. will remain the Pixar front man, the lavish collectors set of Blu-rays and replica lamp will stay on the market and the six-foot RoboLuxo can keep entertaining the crowds at Disney's theme parks. THR Esq., the legal blog at The Hollywood Reporter, suggest that maybe the current Luxo merchandise from Disney Pixar might be the last: Disney will stay out of the lighting business, and for...

Just in time for the Halloween holiday, College Humor has come out with an animated short chronicling a senseless murder...and you see it at the beginning of every Pixar movie. Whether you've seen the original short or the first thirty seconds of Toy Story or Wall-e, you are aware of Luxo Jr., the legally questionable icon of the incredibly successful animation studio. But as you sit down to watch those adorable monsters/fish/rats, have you ever once questioned what the "I" did to deserve such an end so grotesque and gruesome? I personally think it's another example of how our country turns a blind eye to violence. If Luxo Jr. were to rip off his lampshade, however, there would be protests outside the theater. For shame. Enjoy the video embedded below.

Luxo Jr. was the mischievous desklamp star of Pixar's first Oscar-nominated short -- a lively light source who'd later go on to grace their animated logo and become the closest thing they have to a Mickey Mouse. His presence is always a welcome one -- well, to everyone but the Luxo company of Norway, who sued last month for copyright infringement when they learned Disney would be packaging some copies of the Up Blu-ray with a limited edition Luxo Jr. lamp. The complaint also cites a new attraction at Walt Disney World, the La Times reports, that is "a six-foot animatronic version of the lamp." And yet that would seem to be the least of the beloved mascot's troubles, at least as envisioned by this ingenious short film parody from CollegeHumor.com.

Maybe it's not your cup of tea, but I'm continually impressed with the original content College Humor puts out each month. Okay, not all of it is comedic gold, but there's definitely enough of the good stuff to wonder who, exactly, is behind all these hilarious shorts ... because I think they should be writing some big-screen comedy so that we don't have to deal with more mall cops and bad Eddie Murphy fat suit humor.

My buddy Aaron sent over their latest video this morning, and it recreates the Pixar opening (ya know, Luxo Jr. hops over to the letter 'I' in Pixar and stomps on it), but instead -- and in the spirit of Halloween -- they go the horrific angle and imagine a scenario in which the other letters freak out and accuse Luxo Jr. of murdering their buddy. From there they go to a funeral for the letter 'I',...