Screen Junkies » cars 2

DVD Rundown: Cars, Fanny and Alexander, Blue Velvet, Mutiny On The Bounty, Band of Brothers/The Pacific

Joseph Gibson — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:42:55 +0000

Every Tuesday sees the release of a plethora of cinematic treasures, and this week is no exception. From Cars 2 to Cars 3D to the Cars Director’s Edition, there are tons of options to choose from. It can be pretty hard to wade through all those DVDs and Blu-rays, so here’s a handy list of this week’s best titles. I hope you like Cars… and Fannies.

Choose a DVD or click ‘Next Page’ to continue…


Cars 2	Fanny and Alexander	Blue Velvet	Mutiny on the Bounty	Band of Brothers

What’s Playing This Weekend? (June 24th)

Jame Gumb — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:06:33 +0000

This week, we’ve got a film for kids, a film involving kids, and a film about a guy who gets paid to act like a kid. I’m not sure any of that information actually means anything, but it looks good in an intro paragraph.

How does Cars 2 match up to other Pixar films? Does Cameron Diaz pull off her role as bad teacher? Is it weird watching Conan O’Brien’s pasty skin on the big screen? You’ll get the answer to those questions and more in this week’s edition of What’s Playing?

Cars 2

If you liked Cars, I’ve got some good news. The gang from the original is back, and this time, they’re competing with cars from around the globe in the first ever World Grand Prix.

3 photosI Wish 'Cars 2' Looked As Awesome As Its Poster Art

If you didn’t like Cars, then you’re pretty much S.O.L.

Best Review
I blow a piston whenever 2006′s Cars gets trashed as the runt of the Pixar litter. The sequel is a tire-burning burst of action and fun with a beating heart under its hood.

Peter Travers – Rolling Stone

Worst Review
Mater is dumb, excitable and puppy-dog loyal, his idiot-savant automotive expertise grounded in humble, blue-collar simplicity. I doubt anyone will protest much, but Pixar has now found its redneck Jar-Jar Binks. Such a proud moment.

A.O. Scott – New York Times

Our Recommendation
While it might not be the best of the bunch, anything with the name Pixar on it is going to be at least tolerable, especially if you’re stuck taking kids to the movies. And with the top critics split, there’s a reasonable chance you might enjoy it.

Bad Teacher

As the tag line says, some teachers just don’t give an F. Unfortunately, some film critics do.

6 photosCameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz stars in this dark comedy about a gold-digging teacher who is dumped by her rich fiancee and is forced to come up with a plan b.

Best Review
“Bad Teacher” is exactly the one-joke movie that you probably expect it to be, but there are enough variations and shadings of that one joke to sustain its brief running time — just barely.

Christy Lemire – Associated Press

Worst Review
We’re not on Elizabeth’s side, or anyone else’s, really. We’re just watching a film try to pass off misanthropic blunt-wittedness as ”edge.”

Owen Gleiberman – Entertainment Weekly

Our Recommendation
If you’re in the mood for a comedy, Bad Teacher might get the job done. But based on the lackluster reviews, you’re probably better off waiting for something better.

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop is a behind the scenes look at O’Brien’s 32-city comedy tour that took place after his less-than-amicable departure from NBC.

New Trailer: 'Conan O'Brien Can't Stop' And So He Didn't

Fans of Conan are sure to be pleased, but will non-fans be able to enjoy the film?

Best Review
If the principal audience for “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” is obviously the comedian’s legions of fans, it’s probably most interesting as a detached study of the workings of fame.

Andrew O’Hehir – Salon.com

Worst Review
The whole thing becomes a sort of “Song of Myself” for needy multimillionaire comics at work and play.

Michael Phillips – Chicago Tribune

Our Recommendation
Overall, reviews have been favorable, with the film currently holding a 79% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. That seems to indicate that even non-fans can find something to enjoy about this film. Or, you can always sit at home eating prunes and watching Leno.

Review: Cars 2

Fred Topel — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:56:00 +0000

A lot of people think Cars is Pixar’s worst movie. I disagree. I think A Bug’s Life is far worse. Cars 2 is a real contender though. It’s boring, stupid and full of bad creative decisions. Aw man, now I’m going to have to watch Bug’s Life again and see if it’s still worse than Cars 2.

Cars 2 is about the world of international superspy cars. While Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) is in a race, Mater (Larry the Cable Guy the Voice Actor) gets mistaken for an undercover spy. Finn McMissle (Michael Caine) and Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) take Mater along on their mission assuming all the way that the dumb tow truck act is his cover.

New ‘Cars 2′ Trailer Ends With A Douche

Okay, bad creative decision #1: Making Cars a spy movie. The whole point of Cars 1 was to slow down and appreciate life. Now it’s a busy generic caper. Bad creative decision #2: Cars with guns. Something about this feels wrong to me. It’s not exciting, for one. Also once you put guns on cars, they’re not even really cars anymore. They’re toys and gadgets but less of a story, and much less of a movie.

Lightning becomes the B story to all this nonsense. You hardly see him race at all! Of course he doesn’t believe Mater’s spy stories so they argue and Lightning makes Mater feel bad and then Lightning feels bad for making Mater feel bad. They tack on this message of friendship but it’s got no heart.

3 photosI Wish 'Cars 2' Looked As Awesome As Its Poster Art

The plot that ties Lightning’s race to the spies is ridiculous too. Miles Axlerod (Eddie Izzard) is testing out his new alternative fuel via this international race. The villains are oil drillers who want to sabotage the clean alternative fuel. Bad creative decision #3: Political message in a Pixar movie. I know it’s all environmentally conscious to support alternative fuel, but come on. This is not the way to educate kids on driving a hybrid.

The pseudo-foreign locations look great, especially a Tokyo of cars. The Monte Carlo and London settings look nice too, though you lose so much color in the 3D version. Along with those artistic visions come immature cultural stereotypes too. Japan is full of fast talking anime characters on video screens.

Cars 2 is the most childish Pixar movie too. There are so many pee and poop jokes and car farts. It’s still lowbrow even if you call it leaking oil. Mater basically gets off in a Japanese bidet. It’s fine if kids like this but they’ll outgrow it. They like Toy Story and Up too but they keep watching them and buying the new special editions every time they re-release.

The short before the film is a Toy Story short, which is also silly but it has more inspired jokes than Cars 2. At least the “Toy Story Toon” helps me deal with Toy Story 3. I don’t have to accept that as the final word on Buzz and Woody, because we could always see them again in short form.

Cars 2

Screen Junkies — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 18:05:13 +0000

Director: John Lasseter & Brad Lewis

Cast: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy

Synopsis: All the world’s a racetrack as racing superstar Lightning McQueen zooms back into action, with his best friend Mater in tow, to take on the globe’s fastest and finest in this thrilling high-octane new installment of the “Cars” saga. Mater and McQueen will need their passports as they find themselves in a new world of intrigue, thrills and fast-paced comedic escapades around the globe.

Release Date: Jun 24, 2011

Just Give In And Watch A ‘Cars 2′ Trailer

Joseph Gibson — Thu, 12 May 2011 17:23:47 +0000

Today a new trailer for Cars 2 dropped, exciting fans of unnecessary sequels the world over. There’s talking cars, spy action, Michael Caine, and America’s Favorite Funnyman Larry The Cable Guy.

From what I can tell, this trailer does have some new footage in it. So if you’ve been clamoring for a few extra scraps from the Cars 2 table, you’re welcome. You only have a month and a half left to wait for the whole thing, since the movie is coming out on June 24th. Memorize the date. Or, you know, don’t.

Preview Still From Pixar’s ‘La Luna’ Looks Typically Magical

Geoffrey Golden — Fri, 06 May 2011 02:17:30 +0000

Whenever I go see a Pixar movie, I always forget about the shorts. They’re fantastic, but they always come to me as a surprise. Like, “oh yeah, there’s gonna be a short – nice work, me, cause I get to watch a Pixar short now.”

Below is the first sneak peak at “La Luna,” a new short about a little boy on a boat with his father and grandfather, learning about their unusual family business for the first time. “Why is this unconscious man wearing cement shoes, grandpapa?” “La Luna” won’t premiere in front of Cars 2: Return of the Creepy Looking Car-People. Toy Story short “Hawaiian Vacation” opens with Cars 2, so we don’t know which film this 7 minute short will be paired with. Unless it’s Cars 3, it’ll probably be great. (ComingSoon.net)

(Click to embiggen.)

La Luna is the timeless fable of a young boy who is coming of age in the most peculiar of circumstances. Tonight is the very first time his Papa and Grandpa are taking him to work. In an old wooden boat they row far out to sea, and with no land in sight, they stop and wait. A big surprise awaits the little boy as he discovers his family’s most unusual line of work. Should he follow the example of his Papa, or his Grandpa? Will he be able to find his own way in the midst of their conflicting opinions and timeworn traditions?

I Wish ‘Cars 2′ Looked As Awesome As Its Poster Art

Geoffrey Golden — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 01:06:53 +0000

I am not excited about Cars 2. The first one was Pixar‘s weakest effort, in my humble opinion, and the trailer for Cars 2 doesn’t lead me to think this outing will be any better. That said, holy f*ck, check out these badass new Cars 2 posters.

The first one’s inspired by classic Bond movies. Now I’m tempted to fashion my Corolla with a giant evil monocle, just to see what would happen. (Answer: probably not much of anything.) The other two posters are part of their “Cars visit other locations in the 60s” series, and they’re beautifully drawn.

Cars 2 races into theaters Jun 24. I’ll wait ’til they make a 2D movie based on these posters. (Cinema Blend)

‘Cars 2′ Posters Are Probably Much Classier Than ‘Cars 2′

Geoffrey Golden — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 03:04:56 +0000

Cars 2 is the rare Pixar movie I’m not excited about at all. I didn’t think Cars was very good, but if selling dump trucks full of Cars toys, Cars pencil toppers, and Cars cars – actual automobiles with eyes inconveniently painted on the windshield – allows them to make more WALL-E‘s and Toy Story 3‘s, then sell away.

However, here is something to get excited about, toon nerds. These new posters from Cars 2 are classy. As in, you could buy them framed at a Bed Bath & Beyond classy. Seriously, though, the shading and retro style are truly magnifique on these concept arts turned posters. I still probably won’t see it in theaters, but now I wish Cars 2 slightly better success than I did before. You’re welcome, John Lasseter. (Cinema Blend)

New ‘Cars 2′ Trailer Ends With A Douche

Joseph Gibson — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:03:09 +0000

Pixar’s upcoming Cars 2 somehow manages to make a sequel to Cars seem a little bit exciting. It accomplishes this pretty simply: By adding spies. If it’s a hit, I expect Disney to apply this formula to some of their other least-loved movies – Treasure Planet 2 – with spies, Home on the Range 2 – with spies, Fantasia 2000 2 - with spies. In the hopes of making that last one happen, I have a personal interest in the success of Cars 2, so I’m allowing you to watch the trailer right here. Go ahead and send the link to your friends too. As an added bonus, you’ll get to figure out what the headline means. (via The Latino Review)

‘Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation’ Trailer Is a Little Ken-Heavy For My Tastes

Penn Collins — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:28:15 +0000

If I was running Pixar, I would be reluctant to say goodbye to the Toy Story cash cow, too. Since it’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday, the animation behemoth has decided to run a Toy Story short before this summer’s Cars 2. It makes sense that they would use the beloved toys to buoy the interest in the inferior Cars franchise, but it’s hard not to view this death rattle as a bit of a down note on which the series will end. Much like Michael Jordan’s myriad comebacks.

As for the trailer itself, it makes Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation appear pretty derivative by Pixar’s high standards. When did the writers use Brady Bunch plots as inspiration? The trailer focuses on Barbie and Ken, the two Shrek-iest chracters in the Toy Story universe. That Ken! Such a diva with his luggage and ambiguous sexuality! (Vulture)

‘Toy Story’ Goes Hawaiian In New Shorts That Hopefully Won’t Make Us Cry

Geoffrey Golden — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 03:00:46 +0000

After the frightening, emotionally-intense sobfest that was Toy Story 3 – “dear lord, not the incinerator…” – it’s nice that Woody and the gang get a “Hawaiian Vacation.” Hopefully it won’t end in Mr. Potato Head getting buried at sea or something.

Below are pictures from the first Pixar short in a series that’ll follow Buzz, Woody, the little alien guys, uh… the new characters… the whole gang on what looks like a pretend island vacation, while their asshole human guardians get to do the real thing. Here’s what director Gary Rydstrom (who also helmed Pixar’s “Lifted” short) has to say about the series:

“Woody becomes kind of like what’s-his-name on “Love Boat”…Captain Stubing!”

You know, all these years I’ve always associated Woody with a post-”Mary Tyler Moore Show” Gavin MacLeod. Now I finally know I’m not alone.

“As toys who get played with all the time, they have a pretty good imagination, when it’s time for a little playacting, they’re good at it.”

Will their pretend island vacation be anything like Charlie Sheen‘s porn star filled real one? Only one way to find out: the first short will open in front of Cars 2 on Jun 24, and you can catch the second installment ahead of the way cooler Disney film The Muppets this December. (The Playlist, Photos From Entertainment Weekly)

“I’m pretending to be a fish, you guys. I’m totes imaginative.”

They didn’t used to be sad all the time.

John Lasseter Is Strangely Miscast As “John Lassetire” In ‘Cars 2′

Geoffrey Golden — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 03:42:52 +0000

Cars might be the worst of the Pixar movies, but let’s be real – even the worst Pixar movie is better than 90% of all current animated movies. I wouldn’t put Cars on the same level as a furry wet dream like Alpha and Omega. So I’m not super-pumped for Cars 2, but this Pixar we’re talking about. They’ve made me laugh and cry, those brilliant bastards, so maybe they can even get me to like a Cars movie.

The news that Pixar director/darling John Lasseter (Toy Story) will cameo in Cars 2 is interesting to me for a few reasons: 1. The character he’s playing is named John Lassetire, which I’m told is a clever pun, but I don’t get it at all. What’s a “Lassetire?” It’s like solving the DaVinci Code, you guys. 2. The 1-line cameo was dreamed-up by producer Denise Ream (heh heh – Ream), who was inspired by George Lucas’ cameo in Revenge of the Sith. Dear Lord, this is what she’s talking about. Not sure that piece of info bodes well for the film. 3. This car that’s supposed to be John Lasseter looks like… well, a car. I guess making cars look like actual people is tough stuff, even for the best animators in the business. (AP via Cinema Blend)

John Turturro To Be “The Jesus” Of ‘Cars 2′

Joseph Gibson — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 20:06:39 +0000

Pixar’s Cars 2 is exciting a lot of people who like talking cars and cool spy adventures (I’m pretty sure an interest in at least one of those two subjects covers 90% of Earth’s population). Now it seems that fans of John Turturro can also get in on the fun – the actor has signed on to play Francesco Bernoulli, rival to Owen Wilson’s Lightning McQueen. Check out this eerily elaborate backstory for a character in a Disney cartoon:

“Francesco Bernoulli grew up in the shadow of the famous Monza race course in Italy where he and his friends would sneak onto the track and race the famous Pista di Alta Velocita bank turn. He was an instant winner on the amateur circuit and soon became an international Formula Racer champion. The ladies love Francesco’s open wheels, youngsters look up to his winning spirit and fellow racers envy his speed. But Francesco’s biggest fan is Francesco himself, as evidenced by his racing number. As the most famous race car in Europe, #1 Francesco is a favorite to win the World Grand Prix, which also makes him Lightning McQueen’s chief rival.”

Cool, now I know way too much about an Italian talking car in a kids’ movie. Thanks, internet. Cars 2 is set for a June 24th premiere. (via Comingsoon.net)

Car Fetishists Will Get Weirdly Excited By These ‘Cars 2′ Videos

Geoffrey Golden — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 04:28:01 +0000

There are all kinds of weird fetishes out there, from furries who dress up in animal costumes to eproctophiliacs who get turned on by farts. (Note to Hollywood producers: why no eprcrocto rom-com starring Jennifer Aniston, who loves to smell Jack Black‘s farts?) If you prefer tailpipe to tail, these odd turntable videos to promote Cars 2 will be auto-erotic entertainment for you.

Meant to mimic the way cars spin in car shows, I think anthropomorphizing the cars makes this YouTube outing feel a little creepy. Especially because they’re turning slowly and there’s no music. No distractions. Just you and the car. Imagine getting inside Holley Shiftwell, clutching her, driving her insane as you press firmly on her… brakes?

And not coincidentally, I’m putting the breaks on this line of thinking.

Cars 2 zooms into theaters June 24th and features the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Lovable Cable Guy and Michael Caine. (Collider)

Ken And Barbie Go Hawaiian In New Pixar Short

Wookie Johnson — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:43:46 +0000

Despite the belief that they would clean their room and eat all of their vegetables like a good animation house, Pixar isn’t ready to put their toys away just yet. Toy Story 3‘s Ken and Barbie will return to the screen with a short film that we’ll see before next summer’s Cars 2. Animator Floyd Norman (who wins the award for having the most animator-y sounding name) tweeted:

“Ken and Barbie want to go to Hawaii. I don’t know what it’s gonna be attached to. Fun stuff, however.”

So, is it them wanting to go to Hawaii, or do they actually go to Hawaii? And if they do go, are they subject to TSA screenings? You just know that Ken’s got something stuffed inside of himself. I need more here, Floyd. (via Collider)

‘Toy Story’ Characters Return to the Big Screen

Jame Gumb — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:44:11 +0000

There are no plans to make another Toy Story seque l, but that won’t stop Woody and the gang from returning to the big screen. According to director Lee Unkrich, the iconic characters will be back in theaters for a series of animated shorts which will run before full-length Disney films, starting with this summer’s Cars 2.

“We don’t have any plans to make another Toy Story movie but we’re doing a series of short films with the Toy Story characters. We just finished the first one and it’s going to be on the front on Cars 2 when it opens next summer in theaters.”

That sounds like the perfect way to strike a balance between giving fans more of what they want without cheapening the quality of the original films. Perhaps the same idea can be applied to the Brendan Fraser classic, Furry Vengeance. I’d hate to see it jump the shark, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want more computer-generated talking raccoons! (The Telegraph via Movie Line)

Michael Caine-Mobile Blows Stuff Up In ‘Cars 2′ Trailer

Col. Longshanks — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 17:04:15 +0000

Disney has dropped the trailer for Pixar’s Cars 2. Michael Caine joins the talking automobile cast as a British intelligent agent who gets into it with Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) as they take part in the first world Grand Prix. First of all, the British government would never spend millions to train an Aston Martin to spy for them, and second, I have it on good authority that anything voiced by Larry the Cable Guy is banned from Asia. Aside from all that, Pixar has never screwed anything up. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first Cars, which I believe is the national consensus, but it made enough to warrant a sequel, so here’s hoping Caine can bring some class to the franchise by shooting rockets out of his nostrils.

First Look Round-Up! Aliens, Cowboys, Pirates, Ravens, and Cars! Oh My!

Wookie Johnson — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:38:41 +0000

Yahhaw! Here we go with anuther Non-Monumental News Round Up! And this one is rootin’ tootinier than the last. We got a lot of non-monumental items to glance at in our boredom, so let’s git to it!

Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides – has a teaser poster featuring a metallic, pirate skull. It looks like The Expendables teaser poster dressed as Capt. Jack Sparrow for Halloween. (IMP Awards)

John Cusack Is Dressed Like Edgar Allan Poe - Here’s a snapshot of John Cusack on the set of James McTeigue‘s The Raven. It looks more like John Cusack dressed as Johnny Depp for Halloween. (Daily Dead)

First Look At Cars 2- Pixar provides the first official image from Cars 2, showing Lightning McQueen and Mater the Tow Truck participating in the World Grand Prix — an international race to determine the fastest car in the world. While overseas, Mater gets caught up in the world of spy espionage. A backward hillbilly getting mistaken for an international spy? That sounds more like the plot of a Larry the Cable Guy movie. Oh. (Hey You Guys)

Cowboys & Aliens teaser poster - Those aliens don’t stand a chance against Daniel Craig’s boomstick and Nintendo Power Glove. Sadly, no naked Olivia Wilde. Now THAT would be a tease. (Yahoo)

Cat Dressed As A Taco - And here’s a picture of a cat dressed as a taco.

‘Cars 2′ Teaser and Concept Art

Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Pixar has dropped a teaser trailer for Cars 2 that gives away little to nothing. One thing is for certain: lasers could possibly be involved in the sequel. Mater and McQueen are traveling the world this time around, getting into intrigue, thrills, and lasers. John Lasseter is directing again with help from Ratatouille producer Brad Lewis.

Cars 2 races into theaters Jun 24, 2011

Check out the teaser and some concept art below.

(ComingSoon)