* Pixar gambles on a robot in love Jun 27, 2008
Over lunch they sketched on napkins characters that would end up in A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc and Finding Nemo. PHOTO: NY TIMES NEWS SERVICE. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
At Pixar, everyone gets to be a critic Jun 27, 2008
The winning streak started in 1995 with "Toy Story" and continued with "A Bug's Life" (1998), "Toy Story 2" (1999), "Monsters Inc." (2001), "Finding Nemo" (2003), "The Incredibles" (2004), "Cars" (2006) and "Ratatouille" last year. "It's a very egalitarian atmosphere here, but not unreasonably so," said Morris, who arrived at Pixar in 2005 to produce "Wall-E" after spending the previous 17 years as an executive at Lucasfilm Ltd. "Everyone gets to comment, everyone gets a say, but then it's up to... (East Bay Business Times, CA)
Stars Thrilled To Be Aboard 'WALL·E' Jun 27, 2008
"WALL;E" reunites Ratzenberger with director Andrew Stanton, whom he previously worked with on "A Bug's Life" and "Finding Nemo." But from writing and voicing various characters, the filmmaker has had a hand in pretty much all of the Pixar films, as well as his counterparts John Lasseter and Pete Docter. "Andrew is remarkable. There's no hubris with him or any of them, really," Ratzenberger said. (Click2Houston, TX)
Pixar Director Flying High With 'WALL·E' Jun 26, 2008
"While "WALL;E" is only Stanton's third film as a director in 10 years (he also co-directed "A Bug's Life" in 1998), he's more than happy to wait his turn in the Pixar stable of filmmakers to bring another project to the fore. After all, Stanton and his fellow directors -- including Pixar chief Jon Lasseter ("Toy Story" and "Cars"), Docter ("Monsters, Inc."), Brad Bird ("The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille") -- often contribute to each other's films.And Stanton said that there's no better of a... (Click2Houston, TX)
Q&A: 'WALL-E' director Jun 25, 2008
The director and writer of WALL-E, the story of a lonely robot in love that opens Friday, also directed Finding Nemo and A Bug's Life; his writing credits include Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo. Not bad for a guy who didn't plan on writing or directing. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Andrew Stanton has helped push the boundaries of animation at Pixar Jun 22, 2008
Since then, as writer, director, or executive producer, he's had a hand in "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2," "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo," and "Ratatouille.". "Nemo," which Stanton co-wrote and directed, won an Oscar for best animated feature in 2004. (Boston Globe)
Robot idea finally comes to life Jun 22, 2008
" "WALL-E" is an original comedy about the last robot left on Earth after mankind bolted. WALL-E, which stands for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class, just keeps plugging away, compacting trash into neat building-block cubes. The idea sprouted at a 1994 brainstorming lunch with Pixar pioneers Stanton, John Lasseter, Pete Docter and Joe Ranft (who died in a 2005 car crash). "We were trying to figure out what to do next because we were finishing up 'Toy Story' and we realized that meant we... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Pixar's Biggest Gamble Jun 13, 2008
If there's any anxiety at Pixar about doing an I Am Legend for the junior set, you won't hear it from John Lasseter, Pixar's creative director and the inventive mind behind Toy Story, A Bug's Life and Cars. He's his usual beaming, cartoon-round, Hawaiian-shirt-wearing self as he waxes rhapsodic about WALLE and, in passing, confides the secret of the studio's success: "The people who work here are doing what they've wanted to do their whole lives.". (Time.com)
Scientists Announce Top 10 New Species; Issue SOS May 24, 2008
And, in the category of life imitating art is a "Dim" rhinoceros beetle -- Megaceras briansaltini -- which, according to the author, looks like the Dim character from the Disney film "A Bug's Life." "The international committee of taxon experts who made the selection of the top 10 from the thousands of species described in calendar year 2007 is helping draw attention to biodiversity, the field of taxonomy, and the importance of natural history museums and botanical gardens in a fun-filled way,"... (PR Newswire)
Theme parks across the country rollout new attractions May 24, 2008
the character Heimlich from Disney Pixar's 'a bug's life' goes to pieces along the parade route during a rehearsal for the new Pixar Play Parade at Disney's California Adventure Park in Anaheim, Calif. RELATED LINKS. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Travel)
He's happy on the outside May 23, 2008
The big-budget films (Superman Returns, A Bug's Life, Se7en), the boutique studio hits (the recent 21, The Usual Suspects, American Beauty), his own production company, plus two Academy Awards for acting, sure make him look like a traditional movie star. And yet. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Disney's Block Party Bash May 16, 2008
Disney's Hollywood Studios presents a new daily parade featuring characters from "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Monsters, Inc.," and "The Incredibles.". At Disney s Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios) in Orlando, Florida, a new Block Party Bash blasts through the theme park each afternoon at 3:00 p.m. in an interactive parade. (Suite101.com)
On the Net: A bug's life thrives online May 8, 2008
JAKE COYLE AP Entertainment Writer. In this image released by the Sundance Channel, Isabella Rossellini's is shown as a spider in the short film series "Green Porno." (AP Photo/Sundance Channel, Brian Jacson). (Florida Times-Union)
A kid we can count on May 6, 2008
Despite jumping directly from The Kids in the Hall to four seasons of NewsRadio and voice work in A Bug's Life (plus about three dozen other U.S. television and film appearances), Foley can be counted on to return to the simple pleasures of Canadian cultural production at least once a year - most recently on Odd Job Jack, the TV movie Prom Queen: The Marc Hall Story and Little Mosque on the Prairie. Related Articles. (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)
Fox Animating Anubis Apr 15, 2008
He's worked on Finding Nemo, The Road to El Dorado and A Bug's Life. Comic fans may also be familiar with his work from Darkhorse and Marvel's Thor. (IGN FilmForce)
Fox Animation weaves 'Tapestry' Apr 14, 2008
As an artist, he has worked on such projects as "Finding Nemo," "The Road to El Dorado" and "A Bug's Life." He also penciled for Marvel on 10 issues of "Thor" and has produced comics for Darkhorse. Special Report. (Variety)
Taking the kids: Disney magic behind the scenes Apr 1, 2008
is being readied to open, characters from "Toy Story" and 11 other Pixar movies like "Finding Nemo," "Cars," "Ratatouille" and "A Bug's Life" are the stars of a new interactive parade at California Adventure with floats up to two stories high. (The "Bug's Life" float is 45 feet long. (CNN -- Travel)
Top 25 Animated Movies of All Time Mar 19, 2008
A Bug's Life, arguably Pixar's most underrated film, is the story of Flik, an independent-thinking ant who sets out on a mission to help save his colony from a gang of freeloading grasshoppers in order to get back in the good graces of the Queen. But when a group of "warrior bugs" that Flik recruits turn out to be a bumbling circus troupe, the tiny hero must believe in himself to save Ant Island once and for all. (IGN FilmForce)
Pro animator advises originality Jan 17, 2008
Masson went on to say that in 1998, two more computer animated films were produced, "Antz" and "A Bug's Life." In 2006, 13 computer-animated films hit the big screen, and projections for 2007 through 2009 include 40 films worldwide. Page 1 of 2. (Northeastern News, MA)
Seth Rogen, Will Ferrell, Anna Faris Flicks Lead Most Eagerly Awaited Comedies: '08 Movie Preview Jan 9, 2008
Think "A Bug's Life" (or "Three Amigos," for you older readers). The difference between those movies and this one. (VHI.com -- Music News)
'The Lion King' Jan 6, 2008
He first produced "The Rescuers Down Under" and then "The Lion King." In all, he supervised 21 animated Disney features, including "Pocahontas," "Toy Story," "Mulan," "A Bug's Life," "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo" and many more -- some of which he might even end up working on again, on stage. He explained that Disney is not part of the League of American Theaters and Producers, the Broadway group recently struck for 19 days by the stagehands union, because "we would prefer not to collectively... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
'Enchanted' gives Disney another holiday hit Nov 28, 2007
1 million haul of Disney's "Toy Story 2." Disney released all five of the top-grossing movie debuts over Thanksgiving, with "Unbreakable," "A Bug's Life" and "101 Dalmatians" trailing "Toy Story 2" and "Enchanted.". "It's a really good place to launch a movie," said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney. (CNN -- Showbiz)
'Enchanted' casts spell over Thanksgiving box office Nov 26, 2007
Enchanted' casts spell over Thanksgiving box office - USATODAY.com. The top five-day Thanksgiving weekend openings, all from Disney (in millions). (USA Today)
'Enchanted' opening; Nov 26, 2007
"Enchanted" ranks a distant second, followed by "A Bug's Life," "Unbreakable" and the 1996 version of "101 Dalmatians.". "Enchanted" drew a heavy contingent of family filmgoers, as expected, but Disney said it played broadly, with almost half the audience over age 25. (Los Angeles Times)
Bee Movie has an all too familiar buzz Nov 22, 2007
Following Antz, A Bug's Life, Flushed Away and Ratatouille, Bee Movie is yet another animated flick with a starry cast in which a creature that ordinarily would seem pesky is rendered as not just harmless but even lovable and idiosyncratically human. Enough already. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Colin Brady on Astro Boy Nov 16, 2007
He joined Pixar, where he helped animate Toy Story, A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2. He then bounced back to ILM to do animation on 1999's Magnolia, 2003's Hulk and 2004's Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events. (Suite101.com)
Here it goes again: Yes, Apple's latest iPod line is actually better Sep 13, 2007
But while watchable, theatrical films such as A Bug's Life made me long for the iPhone's larger display. Apple says Nano can operate for up to 24 hours of audio playback or five hours of video playback off a single charge, both excellent. (USA Today -- Money)
DICON 2007 to focus on cultural content, technology Sep 7, 2007
At the conference, guest speakers include David Eun of Google, a U.S.-based search engine; Leo Chu, a world-renowned animator; Shuzo John Shiota, a computer graphics expert known for his celebrated role in popular Japanese animations; and Sue Bea Montgomery, who helped produce Hollywood animation features such as "A Bug's Life.". For further information, visit the conference website at www. (Korea Herald, Korea)
Hayden Panettiere Stars in SHANGAI KISS Debuting on DVD October 9, 2007 From Starz Home Entertainment Aug 22, 2007
She also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Album for her work in "A Bug's Life Read-A-Long." Leading man Leung has appeared in major films such as Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand and Saw and Kelly Hu recently appeared as a "massage therapist" working in a fake massage parlor in the television series, "In Case of Emergency.". SHANGHAI KISS was filmed on location in Los Angeles and Shanghai and was shot in anamorphic 35mm to capture Shanghai as it has never been seen in a Western... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Invasion of the idea snatchers Aug 18, 2007
Antz / A Bug's Life (1998): Animated insects (who may or may not have been threatened by asteroids) were the other major obsession of '98. Mission to Mars / Red Planet (2000): Millennial jitters reach their peak in two movies about Mars. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Joe Fischetti Roxbury Neighbors Plan Event to Benefit Injured Fire Fighter Aug 15, 2007
He has been in more than 40 movies, has done voice parts for the animated films "Ice Age" and "A Bug's Life" and was selected as one of the sexiest men alive by People magazine. He started his show business career as a stand-up comic. (Voices, CT)
Exclusive Interview: Andrew Stanton Aug 4, 2007
The writer and animator cut his teeth on films like Toy Story and A Bug's Life before graduating to directing in 2003 with Finding Nemo, a film which won him an Academy Award. Subsequently, Stanton has contributed his voice to projects like Brad Bird's The Incredibles and continues to develop features, the latest of which is Wall-E, scheduled for release in May of 2008. (IGN FilmForce)
Nostalgia keys Pixar's success Jul 16, 2007
"The short films that precede Pixar features, for example, offer sound effects and music, but little dialogue. Instead, shorts such as "One Man Band" (where two street musicians duel for a child's coin) and "Knick Knack" (in which a snowman tries to escape his snow globe) rely on clever storytelling, timing and perspective.The short playing before "Ratatouille" -- "Lifted" -- centers on why a sleeping farmer is hovering over his bed: an alien spaceship driving lesson is to blame."Those short... (Florida Today)
Old School, Inc.: Beneath Pixar's digital dazzle lies reverence for the past Jul 12, 2007
The studio showed its reverence for Japanese filmmaking legend Akira Kurosawa in "A Bug's Life" (1998). Like the Western remake "The Magnificent Seven," the plot of "A Bug's Life" was based on Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai." ... Though Pixar head and co-founder John Lasseter directed "A Bug's Life," Bird perhaps best summarized their backward-looking perspective in a piece he wrote for Animation World Magazine in 1998 about drawing for "The Simpsons.". (North County Times)
Disney-Pixar's Most Original Comedy of the Summer, ''RATATOUILLE,'' Gives Audiences More Than Meets the Eye Jul 7, 2007
John's voice has appeared in every Pixar movie including as Hamm the piggy bank in Toy Story and Toy Story 2, PT Flea in A Bug's Life, The Underminer in The Incredibles, and Mack the truck in Cars. Mabel's living room has several framed photos depicting Mabel and her late husband as members of the French resistance during WWII. This might explain how Mabel learned to use a shotgun. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
Pixar rat cooks up a revival Jul 5, 2007
After Pixar's second feature, A Bug's Life (1998), each of the next three films improved box office performance ... Cars also had the weakest reviews of any Pixar release since A Bug's Life. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Bruce Willis Takes A Beating From Underachieving 'Ratatouille' Jul 3, 2007
2 million over the weekend, "Ratatouille" was the studio's lowest grossing opening since "A Bug's Life" hauled $33. 3 million in 1998 five films ago. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Reanimated: Pixar and Disney Games Jul 3, 2007
A Bug's Life(Disney Interactive, Sony PlayStation and Nintendo 64). In A Bug's Life, players control an inventive little bug trying to help his community fight back against a gang of ruthless grasshoppers. (BusinessWeek)
Ratatouille cooks up lukewarm box office win Jul 2, 2007
It was the lowest opening for a Pixar-produced release since the studio's second effort, A Bug's Life, launched with $US33. 3 million in 1998 on its way to a $US163 million total. (Stuff.co.nz)
Cartoon rat beats Bruce Willis Jul 2, 2007
The latest from director Brad Bird, who also wrote and directed the hugely successful The Incredibles in 2004, dominated the weekend despite a lower opening take than any Pixar film since 1998's A Bug's Life. Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Pixar's partner Disney, said the movie had been up against heavier competition than, say, 1999's Toy Story 2 or last year's Cars. (Guardian Unlimited -- Film)
Gourmet rat rules weekend box office Jul 2, 2007
While Ratatouille easily dominated the weekend, it had the smallest debut among releases by Disney's Pixar Animation unit since 1998's A Bug's Life, which opened with $33. 3-million. (Globe and Mail)
Ratatouille feasts on weekend box office Jul 2, 2007
While "Ratatouille" easily dominated the weekend, it had the smallest debut among releases by Disney's Pixar Animation unit since 1998's "A Bug's Life," which opened with $33 ... While "Ratatouille" easily dominated the weekend, it had the smallest debut among releases by Disney's Pixar Animation unit since 1998's "A Bug's Life," which opened with $33. (MSNBC -- Movies)
'Ratatouille' cooks up $47.2M at the box office Jul 2, 2007
The animated story about a rat who yearns to be a chef fell about $4 million short of most analysts' projections and had the lowest opening of any Pixar film since 1998's A Bug's Life, which opened to $33. 3 million. (USA Today)
Ratatouille serves up recipe for success Jul 2, 2007
Pixar was not exactly in crisis but, after an unbroken string of critical and box office triumphs with the Toy Story movies, A Bug's Life and , its 2006 release looked gleaming but underpowered. Ratatouille is more engaging than Cars, the characters more loveable. (Telegraph.co.uk)
ROGER RHOTEN, manager of the Sebastiani Theatre... Jun 29, 2007
The film, directed by Brad Bird and produced by Sonoma's own John Lasseter - creator of "Cars," "Toy Story," and "A Bug's Life" - will open for an extended engagement today, Friday, June 29, at the Sebastiani Theatre in Sonoma. Opening night will also mark the beginning of a fund-raising drive with a special raffle to benefit the Sebastiani Theatre. (Sonoma Index-Tribune, CA)
Monster job, but don't be scared Jun 28, 2007
Sculpture, collage, paintings and multi-media installations from Toy Story, Monsters Inc, Cars, Finding Nemo and A Bug's Life are designed to show that the work of the San Francisco-based Pixar Animation Studio is about much more than just computers. The Australian Centre for the 00004000 Moving Image show includes more than 500 pieces of artwork plus a stunning zoetrope a 3D spinning wheel which, with the help of strobe lighting, is the best possible explanation of animation. (Melbourne Herald Sun)
'Ratatouille' looks tasty, thanks to Palm Bay grad Jun 28, 2007
" -- Variety's Justin Chang."Easily the best Pixar movie since 'A Bug's Life,' 'Ratatoullie' is deliciously delightful. " -- Internet Reviews' Steve Rhodes.Martorelli and his team employed their lighting tricks to make even drawings of food whet appetites."For instance, we had a shot of Remy laying on grapes and cheese, and our job was to make that look as delicious as possible," Martorelli said.To research, Martorelli studied the cinematography of food-filled live-action films such as... (Florida Today)
Pixar perfectionists Jun 27, 2007
John Lasseter, an executive producer on "Ratatouille" and Pixar's creative mastermind whose "Toy Story" started the era of computer-animated feature films, said the new movie follows the same guidelines as the company's previous hits, which include "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2," "Monsters, Inc." and "Cars.". The storytellers at Pixar describe themselves as big kids who want to make the sort of films they like to watch - tales that work for all audiences, parents with small children, teenagers... (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Apple's iPhone isn't perfect, but it's worthy of the hype Jun 27, 2007
When I finished watching A Bug's Life, iPhone offered to remove it from the device to free up some. IPhone provides a wireless connection to YouTube. (USA Today -- Money)
DISNEY-PIXAR'S LATEST OFFERING, "Ratatouille"... Jun 26, 2007
The film, directed by Brad Bird and produced by Sonoma's own John Lasseter - creator of "Cars," "Toy Story," and "A Bug's Life" - will open for an extended engagement on Friday, June 29, at the Sebastiani Theatre, 476 First St. E., Sonoma. Opening Night will also mark the beginning of a fund-raising drive with a special raffle to benefit the Sebastiani Theatre. (Sonoma Index-Tribune, CA)
The pixar predicament Jun 24, 2007
After Pixar's second feature, "A Bug's Life" (1998), each of the next three outgrossed the one before ... "The Incredibles" (2004) grossed less than "Finding Nemo." "Cars" (2006) grossed less than "The Incredibles." "Cars" also got the weakest reviews of any Pixar release since "A Bug's Life." And Disney's gain might be proving Pixar's loss -- the studio's founder and creative mastermind, John Lasseter, now has responsibility for Disney animation, too. (Boston Globe)
'Surf's Up' Is Latest Example Of Hollywood Deja Vu (Cartoon Penguins, Anyone?) May 30, 2007
com : Movies : Movie News : 'Surf's Up' Is Latest Example Of Hollywood Deja Vu (Cartoon Penguins, Anyone. end addStyle function //////////////////////////////////////////////////////// // not in use with optimized navigation clickMenu : function(h){ window. (VHI.com -- Music News)
'Shrek The Third' Knocks 'Spider-Man 3' Out Of First May 21, 2007
From "Bambi" to "A Bug's Life," one animated film rules them all. With its monster weekend, "Shrek the Third" jumped to the very top of this list of the all-time biggest animated film openings. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Top 10 Feedback May 19, 2007
A Bug's Life is way better than TMNT or Ice Age ... A Bug's Life is right behind the Toy Story movies and Incredibles for me. (IGN FilmForce)
Disney/Pixar's RATATOUILLE to Kick off the Summer with ``Big Cheese Tour'' May 12, 2007
Pixar has created several of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time: "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2," "Monsters, Inc.," "Finding Nemo," "The Incredibles," and "Cars." Pixar has won 20 Academy Awards and its films have grossed more than $3. 7 billion at the worldwide box office to date. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
'Heroes' star wishes for powers of her own May 11, 2007
She was also the voice of Dot in the film "A Bug's Life." Amid lots of light teen roles, she co-starred at 15 with Joely Richardson in "Lies My Mother Told Me," a fiercely dramatic cable movie based on a true story. Diversions. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
It's a 'go' for this big bro Apr 29, 2007
Garrett, also known for his voice-over work for such animated features as "Casper" and "A Bug's Life," won Emmy Awards in 2002, 2003 and 2005 for supporting actor in a comedy series. Marc and Rory Shevin of Coldwell Banker, Hidden Hills, have the listing. (Los Angeles Times)
For Disney and Pixar, wonder comes at a high cost Apr 25, 2007
Born of an idea from the animator Jan Pinkava ("A Bug's Life") and others, "Ratatouille" is not only original but also a bit subtler than some of its Pixar predecessors. Without superheroes, as in Bird's "Incredibles," or talking toys, as in the "Toy Story" films, it is about a rat who wants to cook in a French restaurant that once had a high rating, but has slipped a couple of notches. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)
S'pore animation company developing 'crowd animation' software Apr 16, 2007
"And the company said there is a huge market potential for such technology. Dr Wong said: "I think you've seen many of the movies like "Batman - The Return", "A Bug's life" and "Lord of the Rings" that used crowd animation and many more will be coming too. It will become a common entity so I believe the demand is relatively high in the forthcoming years. (Channel NewsAsia, Singapore)
Meet the wackiness (web exclusive) Apr 2, 2007
Animated films often draw on visual jokes to craft their dense environments (recall a mosquito ordering an O-positive Bloody Mary in A Bug's Life), but, as in the preceding example, at least those jokes were clever. There's nothing inherently clever about a giant purple octopus/butler named Lefty or an old man who wears clothes backwards and draws a smiley face on the back of his head. (Daily Iowan, IA)
Cold-weather fowl rule the waves Mar 28, 2007
In 1998, the insect cartoons "Antz" and "A Bug's Life" both found eager audiences, as did the dueling asteroid adventures "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact.". This summer's rodent animated comedy "Ratatouille" follows last fall's rat tale "Flushed Away.". (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Hollywood can't get enough penguins Mar 28, 2007
Let's make a nod to it right at the beginning," said Ash Brannon, who co-directed "Surf's Up" with Chris Buck.Doubling up on similar scenarios is not unusual in Hollywood. In 1998, the insect cartoons "Antz" and "A Bug's Life" found eager audiences, as did the dueling asteroid adventures "Armageddon" and "Deep Impact. "This summer's rodent animated comedy "Ratatouille" follows last fall's rat tale "Flushed Away. (Florida Today)
Penguins, at home in tuxedos, rule Hollywood's red carpet Mar 27, 2007
In 1998, the insect cartoons Antz and A Bug's Life both found eager audiences. Likewise, crowds should have little trouble distinguishing Surf's Up from Happy Feet. (The Clarion-Ledger)
Keepin' it Reel Mar 22, 2007
Acosta and Ashley Johnson won third place in the amateur "Visual and Taste" category for their "A Bug's Life" caterpillar confection. The theme inspired other flights of fancy, including chocolate biplanes attacking a 3-foot high King Kong cake. (Durango Herald)
AppleTV connects computer, television in fine fashion Mar 22, 2007
I watched A Bug's Life, The Little Mermaid and episodes of The Office, among other fare. All looked nearly as good as they do on DVD, whether I was watching something stored on Apple TV or just streamed from iTunes. (USA Today -- Money)
