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Disney
"Toy Story" and "Tangled" may not be in theaters these days, but their characters are making brief big-screen comebacks.
A new seven-minute "Toy Story" short will run before showings of "The Muppets," which opens Nov. 23, and it sounds awesome. You know those display cases in fast-food joints showing all the toys available in their kids' meals? (Uh, not that I would know since I only feed my kid vegan gluten-free granola that I mine from my backyard quarry by hand and -- oh, never mind.)
This short focuses on those tiny toys, USA Today reports, and a Happy Meal-size version of Buzz Lightyear who kidnaps the real Buzz and tries to take over his life.
Apparently the real Buzz ends up at a support group for fast-food toys, which sounds hilarious. Of course they're going to have issues, what with some characters being more popular than others, and some toy groups having longer runs in the restaurants than others. Naturally, the short features the voices of Tim Allen as Buzz, Tom Hanks as Woody, John Ratzenberger as Hamm the piggy bank, and Joan Cusack as cowgirl Jessie.
Buzz Lightyear is left behind at a fast food restaurant when a kids' meal toy version of Buzz takes his place.
The awesome Yahoo! Projector blog reminds us that another "Toy Story" short, in which Ken and Barbie think they're going on a Hawaiian vacation, ran before "Cars 2."
And just today, Disney announced that when "Beauty and the Beast 3D" hits theaters in January, it will come with a short called "Tangled Ever After," featuring preparations for Rapunzel and Flynn's wedding. And it includes one of my favorite characters -- Maximus, the personality-filled horse from the Palace Guard.
The press release says "when Pascal and Maximus, as flower chameleon and ring bearer, respectively, lose the gold bands, a frenzied search and recovery mission gets underway. As the desperate duo tries to find the rings before anyone discovers that they’re missing, they leave behind a trail of comical chaos that includes flying lanterns, a flock of doves, a wine barrel barricade and a very sticky finale. Will Maximus and Pascal save the day and make it to the church in time? And will they ever get Flynn’s nose right?"
Is it wrong that I'm considering going to "Beauty and the Beast 3D" just for the short?
Most of us who are parents today didn't grow up with movies that featured shorts, newsreels and all the other goodies that generations before us often saw along with their films. I can remember a few shorts popping up in the 1970s -- I have a strong recollection of some live-action skiing short before a "Cinderella" re-release -- but they certainly weren't regular happenings. I welcome this trend, and perhaps it's a little bit of a trade-off for all the commercials we now have to sit through at the theaters.
What do you think about some movies running animated shorts with popular characters before new films? Tell us in the comments.
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I am a baby-boomer and when we went to the movies we saw a cartoon (usually an MGM cartoon); a short (always the 3 Stooges); one or two previews (not 7 or 8 like they show today); never any commercials; and two features (the main one and a b movie). All for the unthinkable price of .25 cents. The theater was packed and we spent the entire Saturday afternoon in the movies and we were in heaven. Oh, and we all got a dime to spend at the candy store (you could actually bring in your own snacks) and would get penny candy that would last the entire afternoon. Ah, the good old days!
For me it was fifty cents and there was giveaways and prizes. And the serial installment of some adventure story. You went with your friends and had a ball.
It's not a trade-off to have the shorts in lieu of commercials. You're certainly going to have both, thus turning your movie going experience into a 3 hour affair, filled with screaming, crying, nagging, whiney, wandering kids, who lose interest 15 mins into the movie. Kiss that $100 goodbye.
I would go to the movies more often if they played movie shorts, versus Pepsi commercials and 20 minutes of trailers. Now you go to the movies, you hear teens talking outloud, making plans for next week. They are all on their phones and texting each other. And don't get me started about the couple who brings all of their four kids and a crying, one month old baby - to watch an R rated or serious film - because they can't find a babysitter. $12-$15 to get in the door. Another $10 for popcorn and a small drink. $5 for a candy bar. NOOOO thank you.
There are shorts before Pixar films. They even have issued a collection of them on DVD. As you would expect some of them are outstanding. There are also shorts before the Ice Age Movies. I am of the Sat. Matinee Generation. I got 25cents a week allowance when I was ten and I always spent it going to the movies. Later when I was a teen we often stayed in the theater following the matinee and saw the first feature of the evening show as well, for free because they didn't clear the theater after the matinee.
Gael, the movie opens Nov 23, not Friday. :)
Heidi, I adjusted the date re "Muppets." Thanks! Guess I can't wait.
Nah...a few years ago there were a bunch of people who paid for a movie ticket just to watch the trailer for Episode 1. Then they wasted money on second movie ticket once EP1 was released....
"Uh, not that I would know since I only feed my kid vegan gluten-free granola that I mine from my backyard quarry by hand and -- oh, never mind."
Why even say this? It has nothing to do with the article.
ugh why can't they just let us watch the short and not have to sit through beauty and the beast 3D to get it?! i would pay 5$ to watch a short maybe, but i have B & B at home, why in the heck would i want to pay to watch it, in 3D, for my whole fam? but i would LOVE to see the tangled ever after. i guess i will just have to wait until it comes out on DVD. better yet disney, why not just do a tangled 2? (that's actually good, unlike cinderella 2, little mermaid 2, etc etc which all totally suck).
Just one small note...cartoon movie shorts are where the saturday morning cartoons had their beginning. They have been around for a long time and I'm glad to see the theaters have rediscovered how much of a draw they can be in addition to the movie. Long Live Movie Cartoon Short Features!!