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Post by ShyViolet » August 22nd, 2006, 2:55 pm

What have the Pixar pictures made to date? $3b? Take out Disney's share of half. That's $1.5b. Add 50% for the staff and infrastructure and that's $2.25b. Even if one wants to be generous and include potential license fees for the characters (which Disney owned already) and/or RenderMan, I'd still peg that at £3-to-3.5b, or $4b MAX.
Also, I can't help wondering if Pixar has done as well in the international market as in the domestic American market.

I know that Cars did significantly less outside of the U.S. than in the U.S.
(only about 150 million global I think)

I think A Bug's Life and Monsters Inc were a definete step in the right direction, both of them had that classic Disney feel, not a "Pixar" feel that some of the other films had.

As far as timelessness, A Bug's Life probably came the closest to really achieving that goal.
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!

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Post by Ben » August 22nd, 2006, 4:36 pm

Well, apart from myself, a LOT of my hard-core animation friends are passing on cars too.

We used to all meet up and normally go and see every animated film that came out (that's how I discovered South Park in the end), but since there have been too many to keep track of we only go and see the ones that really interest us (as opposed to just catching EVERYthing like we used to).

That said, none of them seemed bothered to see Cars, which is probably why I haven't caught it yet either. It just doesn't look interesting enough.

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Post by Josh » August 22nd, 2006, 5:04 pm

I enjoyed Cars, as it has a real heart. In fact, the film actually made me think.

Cars touches on small towns and businesses that have been forgotten, thanks to a "bigger, better" way of life. Close to where I live, there are several smaller businesses, struggling to survive. They might not offer the most products or the best prices, for reasons beyond their control. However, they contain some of the friendliest workers you're likely to meet, offering personal and professional service. Cars reminded me not to take those places - or those people - for granted.

Then, there's also Cars' final race. When
Lightning McQueen pushes The King across the finish race,
well, I was moved [no pun intended].

I hope you and your friends check Cars out sometime soon, Ben. You might enjoy it more than you think. :)

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Post by Ben » August 23rd, 2006, 7:36 am

As part of my Mod duties, I do have to check all the hidden spoiler content (just to be sure) and even though I know you'd never post anything inappropriate Mickey, I automatically took a look.

What you posted there, and how I can guess that plays out on screen, is exactly the kind of homespun cutesie-ness that I am finding more and more cloying and predictable.

We all know what would have happened in a real race. ;)

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Post by ShyViolet » August 23rd, 2006, 2:12 pm

Lightning McQueen pushes The King across the finish race,
well, I was moved
That was kinda hackneyed....but still sweet. :) I didn't completely believe that Lightening/Owen had undergone that change in character, but it was still nice to see.

We all know what would have happened in a real race. Wink

Mike Barrier said the exact same thing you said, Ben! :wink: He also said that the crowd probably would not have booed the "bad" guy (Chick Mallick) the way they did at the end, (when he won the Piston Cup.) :roll: They probably would have cheered him anyway.

In my opinion one of the nicer scenes was when Luigi and Guido shocked the racing audience at the end by changing all the tires at lightning speed. (no pun intended.) :wink:
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Post by Josh » August 23rd, 2006, 3:34 pm

Sorry about the spoiler, Ben. I didn't think about that. :(

Personally, I loved that scene. I know what you mean about it not happening in a real race. Still, I guess I just like to believe that even though things like that don't usually happen, they can - and, once in a while, do. :)

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Post by Ben » August 23rd, 2006, 7:25 pm

That is true, Mick. Keep believing!

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Post by droosan » August 23rd, 2006, 7:53 pm

What makes it resonate, though, is that the Lightning McQueen who we meet at the beginning of the film would have gone on as if it were a 'real' race, and wouldn't have even thought twice about it.

McQueen's experiences in Radiator Springs steer him toward his actions in that climactic moment; it doesn't come across as 'cloying' at all, in the context of the film (IMO).

'Predictable', though, maybe. :wink:

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Post by Ben » August 25th, 2006, 3:08 pm

Yep, but that whole story arc concept is cloying, and done to absolute death.

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Post by ShyViolet » November 20th, 2006, 7:05 pm

So...what do you guys think of Jim's newest Lassetter/WDI story? :wink:

www.jimhillmedia.com

What makes it resonate, though, is that the Lightning McQueen who we meet at the beginning of the film would have gone on as if it were a 'real' race, and wouldn't have even thought twice about it.
I actually think this is a great message, but IMO we didn't see enough of Lightening's selfishness or nastiness for any of it to register. I mean, I know one of the Pixar dictums is 'like your main character', but if you're trying to make him come off as UNlikable in order to prove a point, softening him ultimtely dilutes everything you are trying to say.
I actually didn't think Lightening was all THAT much of a jerk. For one thing, although he has contempt for both Mater and the Ruste-eze crowd at first, he doesn't actually express any of that to them, so they never really know what he thought. If he was actually mean (and we saw their hurt reactions) and then later on he got to really care about them, that would have mattered so much more.

Also, in that he wanted to leave Radiator Springs and not have to fix up their road...well, maybe it wasn't very nice, but I did understand how he felt.
:wink:
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Post by ShyViolet » November 27th, 2006, 9:41 pm

You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!

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Post by Groaning » November 28th, 2006, 3:00 am

I don't read his articles anymore. Jim Hill is crazy.
[img]http://www.pixarplanet.com/images/rat.jpg[/img]

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Post by Daniel » November 28th, 2006, 6:52 pm

Poor Jim, so misunderstood :(

Btw: that was funny Vi :P

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Post by ShyViolet » March 20th, 2007, 11:17 pm

http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/ ... smart.aspx


Ahhhh, bad news for the Disney web community!! :? :P


:wink:


As someone said, hope this doesn't mean more Scrooge articles!! :P

Inspector Gadget/Don Adams: Wowsers!! :)


J/K :P

Image

(As to the changes mentioned in the article itself: um.....no comment. :wink: )

*********************************************

It's pretty much a non story though--basically, Jim's just repeating what we alreadyknow--loose lips sink ships in Emeryville and now Burbank, etc...
Someone on the forum there made an interesting point about how this story is coming out the week after we just got a ton of info on FG and particularly Rupunzal--has Disney been giving Jim heck for that? I hope not. :wink:
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Post by Daniel » March 21st, 2007, 1:26 am

That's the way the ball bounces! :(

Its sad, but I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. But now it can be like the good old days, where we weren't given spoilers! Um, yay?

Than again, I love hearing about all that stuff, so I hope Jim can still get some news once in a while. :P

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