I've gone a bit Disney mad in the past few days. I do think that collectively, they are some of the best films ever made. They appeal to mostly everyone and, just like Shakespeare, they are timeless stories which will be enjoyed by viewers, I believe, forever.
What I'd like to blog about today though is Disney's sister company Pixar. The interesting story behind Pixar is that when it was first owned by Steve Jobs, it was rapidly losing money due to the fact that no one truly believed it could go anywhere as a film company. It's work included only small time advertising work and it's revenue barely covered the means. As a result of this Steve Jobs considered selling it. The company may well have faded into nothingness!
Imagine that! No Toy Story! No Bug's Life! No Incredibles! They have only made 13 feature films to date, and compared to the amount of films out there that's a microscopically tiny number, but just think the gap in our lives that would have been left if we didn't know who Woody and Buzz Lightyear were.
Because Toy Story made Pixar, thanks to Disney investing in the company and promising to distribute Toy Story (which went on to gross $350 million) we have these characters and this wonderful team of filmmakers in our lives. I only re-watched 'The Incredibles' for the first time today and I'd forgotten quite how good it was. What Disney and Pixar have always been good at, and the reason why I believe they surpass every film company out there is that they manage to do this with every single one of their films:
Accurately represented by this amusing GIF...
What does GIF stand for?...
A Graphics Interchange Format! Who knew? I find this interesting sometimes, how the acronyms sound amazing and catchy yet what they actually stand for is instantly forgettable. See I've already forgotten what GIF stands for. Like DVD, Digital Versatile Disc? Yawn. Or even Laser! Bet you didn't even know that was an acronym. It stands for 'Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.' Imagine how different Austin Powers would be without acronyms! 'Frickin' sharks with frickin' light-amplification-by-stimulated-emission-of-radiation beams attached to their frickin' heads!'
I apologise if you don't understand the reference. But anyway, as I was saying. Disney and Pixar have the capability, through their story telling, both in writing and visually, to get us right where we weren't expecting. Or 'right in the feels' as the internet says nowadays. Interestingly enough, the Avengers, from which that GIF is taken from, was written by Joss Whedon, the selfsame screenwriter who jointly with others, penned Toy Story. So it's no wonder that 'Avengers Assemble' is sitting pretty at 3rd in the all time gross list.
It appears as though everything Disney touches turns to gold. And I think this is a well earned trait for such an incredible bunch of storytellers. Everyone's got their favourites, and I think Pixar in particular have that extra spark of genius. The only downside to Disney proper, if you can call it a downside, is they are a re-teller of stories. And could even be described as an adaptation company. Jungle Book, Robin Hood, Alice in Wonderland, Hercules, Tarzan. All stories which already existed in some form. Though I would say, their skill is to take a story, like The Jungle Book which is notoriously difficult to read and more than likely a story otherwise destined for insignificance, if it weren't for Disney's re-telling. With expert voices, catchy songs, and characters you really don't want to die. I mean when Baloo the bear almost dies I cry every time! I even shed a tear for the Incredibles a couple of hours ago! Disney just capture the feelings that humans feel and give them back to us in ways we don't see coming as an audience. That is their genius I think.
What makes Pixar particularly special for me, however, and it's why I'd go as far to say - horror of horrors - I think they're better than Disney, *Ducks and hides from a barrage or insults and complaints*, is that their ideas and their stories are 100% original. I mean Toy Story. That's a dream we all have and we all believe when we're little. That our toys come to life when we're not looking, and even when we are looking. A child's mind can create the most amazing stories which are never heard by anyone else, and I bet you've all forgotten the ones you came up with. None of our toys match but as a child you make them match, you give them reasons to exist in the same world and that's incredible! That's why the team of Woody and Buzz against the evil Doctor Porkchop works. We all had an evil Doctor Porkchop as a child. Me and my brother used to (this is embarrassing but I care not) have so many toys and they lived in a world we created when we shared a room when we were really little. We had David's bed and Peter's bed and my teddy bear I've had since I was born was the King of David's bed and all our toys had adventures in the world we could see because we'd invented it. And you'll laugh but I'd bet everything I own that you did the same thing!
But that's why Toy Story is such a genius idea. That's why Bug's Life is amazing for the same reason, and Finding Nemo. Original stories which do everything that Disney does, but with that expert level of creativity, and they are, in my opinion, the only company around who create original stories anymore. I mean I loved the Avengers more than I could ever love any film, but that's a story that exists already. In comic book form but still, the ideas are already there for someone to make money out of. I hate to be cynical about something I really love but it's true. But Wall-E? And Up? Find me a film which tells those stories and I will buy you a house. The bit at the start of Up? It's been said by many people, but that was more romance and story-telling than Twilight did in 6 films or whatever the hell that money making racket is onto to now. Did we really need another vampire story?
Off the point. This is why, to be involved even slightly with a company like Pixar would be something beyond my wildest dreams. To be among the people who create these incredible films would be like David heaven. Therefore one day, when I'm qualified enough I will apply for a job at Pixar. I won't do it now, because I tried once before and I go so far in filling out the application and I realised I couldn't fill it out. They only want the best! And rightfully. So I'm afraid I've lied to you dear reader, I've not tried anything new today.
Ok I did.
And I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'd never seen the Incredibles before today. And I've never seen Finding Nemo or Ratatouille or Cars either. But within the next few days I will have. I've always told that little white lie before now because I really felt as though I should have! I always said 'I've seen it, but only once.' The ultimate deception. But I'm out there now, I've said it. And I feel like I've been rude to Pixar for not watching these films. But I did try something new today then. I tried the Incredibles and it's now among my favourites. I can't make a top 3 Pixar films because they're all my top Pixar films.
And that is why I cannot wait for Brave, or The Good Dinosaur, or their other, as yet unnamed film.
Ooooor, last but not least I can't wait for Monster's University where we find out how Mike and Sully became friends! I literally only just found this trailer now. It's 8 hours old! You heard it here first people!
In short well done Mr Lasseter.
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