You Want More TOY STORY? How About A Clip From A New Short Called HAWAIIAN VACATION!

Anytime we get to see anything from Pixar is a treat, but this short has the characters of TOY STORY so of course this is a must see.

This time around it is a clip from their upcoming short entitled HAWAIIAN VACATION that will pre-roll in front of CARS 2 this summer.

Here is what you're about to see:
Set in new owner Bonnie's bedroom, "Hawaiian Vacation" features Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) and Buzz (voice of Tim Allen) and the rest of the favourite Toy Story 3 toys as they create the ultimate Hawaiian vacation for Ken (voice of Michael Keaton) and Barbie (voice of Jodi Benson).

It seems Ken badly miscalculated their travel arrangements, so the gang has to create a dream getaway in Bonnie's Midwestern bedroom - in the middle of winter. Toy Story Hawaiian Vacation also features the voices of Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris, Blake Clark, Bonnie Hunt, Timothy Dalton, Kristen Schaal, Jeff Garlin and John Ratzenberger.

Here's what director Gary Rydstrom had to say about it (from EW):
"We wanted to figure out a story that would include everybody, which is crazy because it is under six minutes. It takes place in Bonnie’s room — Woody, Buzz and Rex and everybody is in on it. Ken wants to take Barbie on a perfect vacation to Hawaii by stowing away in Bonnie’s backpack, but they get left behind in the middle of winter while she goes off without them. Ken kind of screwed up. [Laughs] Barbie probably does all the planning, and he tried to plan this one."

So have a watch!

I Guess It's True About Movies: REX Sells.

Jim here. Got a new image for TOY STORY 3 - Rex the dinosaur. Nothing earth shattering about it really. Click to enlarge.

If I were you, I would brace myself for an onslaught of character promos for the movie over the coming months what with the release of TOY STORY 3 slated for June 18th, 2010 (kinda like what Dreamworks did for MONSTERS VS. ALIENS).

If you haven't seen the TOY STORY 1 & 2 double feature that's playing right now, do yourself a favor and check it out. It is a heckuva deal and great entertainment! I saw it last weekend (my daughter loved them of course) and the 3D is awesome - especially in the second one.

Thanks to Empire Theaters for the screening.

Buzz Lightyear Returns To Earth After 15 Month Mission In Space! Ready For 3D Premiere of TOY STORY...

Jim here. Yep. Buzz made it. He spent the last 15 months aboard the International Space Station as part of the joint Disney / NASA educational outreach program. Tim Allen probably wishes it was him instead of the toy - but hey, he at least gets to lend his voice once again for TOY STORY 3!

Buzz softly touched down September 11th on the Discovery STS-128 mission.

Mr. Lightyear will be treated to a full ticker tape parade along Main Street USA at Walt Disney World, Florida on October 2 - which also happens to be the premiere of his TOY STORY 1 and TOY STORY 2 double feature in stereoscopic 3D. The double bill is a limited 2 week engagement (unless demand soars which it probably will).

The next big 3D release after it will be Disney's A CHRISTMAS CAROL on November 6 - so I would look for the TOY STORY 1 & 2 event to be extended ala Hannah Montana's concert movie.

Will TOY STORY characters once again fill the holiday stockings of kids worldwide AND the coffers of Disney again? You bet. This is as solid a hit as you can imagine. Two movies for the price of one, beloved characters and all in 3D. Kids are pumped up for this!

Look for TOY STORY 3 in theaters June 18, 2010. And ah, yeah - awareness will be through the roof for this one!

Quick Post: Venice Film Festival Creates 3D Prize

Michael here. I am very pleased by the news that the Venice Film Festival has added a sideline award for "the most creative feature film among those in Stereoscopic 3D produced between September 2008 and August 2009."

The winner will be decided by a three-person panel made up of Italian director Nadia Ranocchi, U.S. film historian Dave Kehr, and U.S. film critic Scott Foundas.

Filmmakers worldwide have been pushing the boundaries of stereoscopic 3D in service of their unique creative visions, and critical acknowledgement is important. This award points to how 3D is gaining respect as a novel yet powerful new tool in the filmmaker's arsenal.

Also, Toy Story 3D and Toy Story 2 3D will be premiering at the festival as part of a celebration honoring Pixar genius John Lasseter with the Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement award.

The 66th Venice Film Festival will run from September 2 to 12.

3D Quick Updates: TRON LEGACY, TOY STORY and DARK COUNTRY

Jim here. Got some quick updates for you from the 3D world:

1. TRON LEGACY: Brand spankin' new trailer - check it out!



2. TOY STORY: Brand spankin' new trailer for TOY STORY 1 & 2 - Two 3D movies for the price of one for a limited 2 week engagement starting October 2.

3. DARK COUNTRY: I am damn disappointed in Sony for shelving the 3D distribution for this movie. This Thomas Jane project looks awesome and to pull the mat out from under everyone like this sucks big time. I have not heard why Sony has decided to do this, but I am shaking my head. Here is a new trailer for the movie which now seems destined for direct to DVD:



Keep it on MarketSaw for 3D updates when they happen!

A World First - How About A Some 3D Gaming Before That 3D Movie!

Jim here. Thanks to Matt in the UK for sending me another great story - this time Register Hardware has the goods on a new 3D Gaming System being set up for use before 3D movies are shown in 20 UK based VUE Entertainment screens (RealD) starting on July 10, 2009.

The game seems fairly rudimentary but of course it is first generation stuff and the idea is to involve the audience with an interactive gaming experience in 3D before 3D movies. Awesome idea that is finally coming of age.

O2's ASTEROID STORM brings the viewers into the mix by using two or more infrared cameras on the theater ceiling to track their hand movements. Sections of the audience simply raise their hands to control whatever it is on the screen that they are responsible for. In this case they must maneuver a damaged space ship in an asteroid field out of harms way. The game's server then takes the audiences various hand movements and plots out the real time motion of the space ship.

Of course asteroids are coming at you in 3D while this is happening! This game will show in front of ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS and TOY STORY in major UK cities.

Some locations are: Vue Leicester Square, Vue Bristol Cribbs Causeway, Vue Edinburgh Waterside, Vue Finchley road, London, Vue Kirkstall road, Leeds, Vue West End, AMC Manchester, AMC Birmingham, Truro Plaza.

Time to get this over to North America PRONTO. Think of the imaginative games you can come up with! Now, most of the time my immediate neighbors in a theater leave a lot to be desired - blazing light from their phones or incessant talking... Perhaps these games can bring us all closer together! Gain respect from your fellow movie goer and become part of the greater good!!

Catch A Glimpse Of Upcoming 3D Animations Right Now

Jim here. Entertainment Weekly is offering you a chance to see some movie stills from upcoming 3D movie animations if you happen to have a pair of anaglyph glasses hanging around.

Or you can get the glasses in the March 27 issue of Entertainment Weekly, on newsstands right now...

I personally don't like using them, but hey it is only some pics, not a movie. Kinda cool seeing TOY STORY and ALPHA AND OMEGA (2010) - So enjoy!

Update On Disney 3D Movies For 2009

Disney had just given us their 2009 schedule of releases and I have snagged the 3D ones of course! There is an amazing FIVE 3D movies from Disney in 2009. Let's take a look:

1. February 27th - JONAS BROTHERS: THE 3D CONCERT EXPERIENCE
"...a high-energy Walt Disney Pictures rockumentary feature film event from director Bruce Hendricks (“Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert”). The film blends excerpts from the Brothers’ red-hot “Burning Up” concert tour, including guest performances from Demi Lovato and Taylor Swift, with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, off-the-wall segments, a never-before-heard song ("Love Is On Its Way"), swarming fans and a lot of JB-style humor—giving fans never-before-seen insights into the lives of KEVIN, JOE and NICK."

CAST: Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, Nick Jonas, Demi Lovato, Taylor Swift
DIRECTOR: Bruce Hendricks
PRODUCERS: Art Repola, Johnny Wright, Philip McIntyre, Kevin Jonas Sr., Alan Sacks
GENRE: Rockumentary
RATING: G
RELEASE DATE: February 27, 2009
NOTES:
• The “Burning Up” tour was one hot ticket: the Brothers sold out three Madison Square Garden shows in record time. On November 18, 2008, the Brothers released a photo diary
book: “Burning Up: On Tour with the Jonas Brothers.”
• Jonas Brothers’ “A Little Bit Longer” album debuted in August 2008 at # 1 on the Billboard Top 200 as the 3rd highest debut of 2008. It has since gone platinum. Their next
single is “Tonight,” which hits the radio in January 2009.
• Disney’s “Camp Rock” debuted on Disney Channel in June 2008 as the network’s #2 original movie of all time with 8.9 million viewers.
WEBSITE: Disney.com/JONAS3D.com

2. May 29th - UP
From Disney•Pixar comes “Up,” a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 9-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. From the Academy Award®-nominated director Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.”), Disney•Pixar’s “Up” invites you on a hilarious journey into a lost world, with the least likely duo on Earth. “Up” will be presented in Disney Digital 3-D™ in select theaters.

VOICE TALENT: Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger, Delroy Lindo, Jordan Nagai
DIRECTOR: Pete Docter
CO-DIRECTOR: Bob Peterson
PRODUCER: Jonas Rivera
COMPOSER: Michael Giacchino GENRE: Animation/Adventure
RATING: TBD
RELEASE DATE: May 29, 2009
NOTES:
• John Ratzenberger is tapped yet again to lend his voice, this time as Construction Foreman Tom.
Ratzenberger is the only actor to voice a role in all of the Disney•Pixar films.
• Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino has received numerous accolades for his work on previous Disney•Pixar films “Ratatouille” (GRAMMY® Award winner, Best Score Album Soundtrack; Annie Award winner, Best Music in an Animated Feature Production; Oscar® nomination, Best Original Score) and “The Incredibles” (Annie Award winner, Best Music in an Animated Feature Production; GRAMMY nomination, Best Score Album Soundtrack).
WEBSITE: Disney.com/UP

3. July 24th - G-FORCE
Producer Jerry Bruckheimer brings his first 3-D film to the big screen with G-FORCE, a comedy adventure about the latest evolution of a covert government program to train animals to work in espionage. Armed with the latest high-tech spy equipment, these highly trained guinea pigs discover that the fate of the world is in their paws. Tapped for the G-FORCE are guinea pigs Darwin (voice of SAM ROCKWELL), the squad leader determined to succeed at all costs; Blaster (voice of TRACY MORGAN), an outrageous weapons expert with tons of attitude and a love for all things extreme; and Juarez (voice of PENELOPE CRUZ), a sexy martial arts pro; plus the literal fly-on-the-wall reconnaissance expert, Mooch, and a starnosed mole, Speckles (voice of NICOLAS CAGE), the computer and information specialist. Directed by two-time Oscar®-winning visual effects master Hoyt Yeatman—G-FORCE takes audiences on a high-octane thrill ride, proving once and for all that size really doesn't matter.

CAST: Bill Nighy, Will Arnett, Zach Galifianakis, with the voices of Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Jon Favreau, Penelope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, Tracy Morgan
DIRECTOR: Hoyt Yeatman
SCREENPLAY BY: The Wibberleys and Ted Elliott & Terry Rossio and Tim Firth, based on a story by Hoyt Yeatman (credits not final)
PRODUCER: Jerry Bruckheimer
GENRE: Comedy-Adventure
RATING: TBD
RELEASE DATE: July 24, 2009
NOTES:
• Director and visual effects master Hoyt Yeatman has teamed with producer Jerry Bruckheimer on such movies as “Armageddon,” “Con Air” and “The Rock.” G-FORCE is Yeatman’s directorial debut.
• G-FORCE is producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s first 3-D movie.

4. October 2nd - TOY STORY
They’re toys, they talk—at least when people aren’t around—and they’re back…celebrating the return of the “Toy Story” franchise—in Disney Digital 3-D™ this time! TOY STORY, the film that started it all, takes moviegoers back to that fantastic fun-filled journey, viewed mostly through the eyes of two rival toys—Woody (voice of TOM HANKS), the lanky, likable cowboy, and Buzz Lightyear (voice of TIM ALLEN), the fearless space ranger. The comically-mismatched duo eventually learn to put aside their differences when circumstances separate them from their owner Andy and they find themselves on a hilarious adventurefilled mission where the only way they can survive is to form an uneasy alliance. Disney•Pixar’s TOY STORY kicks off a Disney Digital 3-D™ Toy Story celebration, which includes “Toy Story 2,” opening Feb. 12, 2010, and culminates in a brand new adventure starring Buzz and Woody: “Toy Story 3”—in theaters June 18, 2010.

CAST: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger,
Annie Potts, John Morris, Erik von Detten, Laurie Metcalf, R. Lee Ermey
DIRECTOR: John Lasseter
PRODUCERS: Ralph Guggenheim, Bonnie Arnold
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs
ORIGINAL STORY BY: John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton and Joe Ranft
SCREENPLAY BY: Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen and Alan Sokolow
GENRE: Animation-Comedy/Adventure
RATING: G
RELEASE DATE: October 2, 2009
NOTES:
• TOY STORY, originally released on November 22, 1995, was the first fully computer animated feature film and the highest grossing movie of the year with nearly $192 million domestically and $362 million worldwide.
• The four people behind the original story of TOY STORY—John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton and the late Joe Ranft—are the key creatives (writers and/or directors) responsible for most of Disney•Pixar’s subsequent releases: "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2," "Monsters, Inc." "Finding Nemo," “Cars," "WALL•E" and the 2009 release "Up."
• TOY STORY was nominated for three Academy Awards® and two Golden Globes.®
• Director John Lasseter was awarded a Special Achievement Award (Oscar®) by the Academy Awards® for his “inspired leadership of the Pixar TOY STORY team, resulting in the first feature-length computer-animated film."
• John Lasseter made his feature film directing debut with TOY STORY in 1995. He has since directed such Pixar classics as “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2” and “Cars” and served as executive producer of all other Pixar films to date. He is currently the chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and principal creative advisor of Walt Disney Imagineering.

5. November 6th - DISNEY'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL
DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL, a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event. Ebenezer Scrooge (JIM CARREY) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (GARY OLDMAN) and his cheery nephew (COLIN FIRTH).
But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it’s too late.

CAST: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn, Cary Elwes, Fionnula Flanagan
DIRECTOR: Robert Zemeckis
PRODUCERS: Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, Jack Rapke
SCREENPLAY BY: Robert Zemeckis
BASED ON THE CLASSIC NOVELLA BY: Charles Dickens
GENRE: Fantasy Adventure
RATING: TBD
RELEASE DATE: November 6, 2009
NOTES:
• Jim Carrey tackles seven roles, including Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come.
• The Dickens novella was first published on December 19, 1843, becoming an instant—and enduring—success.

What an AWESOME lineup of 3D from Disney to meet what will surely be the year of 3D: 2009! I have got to say I am looking forward to each and every one of these efforts and especially UP and A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

Which one(s) are you looking forward to?