I'd like to thank the management of the Century Stadium theater in Orange. They made a couple of brilliant decisions for a kids' movie that made the experience of being in a theater full of kids 10 times better. Until the previews started, they kept the work lights on and the sound on the advertisements barely audible. What this meant was that parents could see perfectly well to help their kids settle in and not worry about wandering off or someone not being able to find the. And it meant that the children weren't competing with the theater sound. They were able to talk and play, getting it out of their system, and when they trailers started, with louder sound and lights off, they got the message that it was time to sit and watch. It helped, of course, that the movie was great and kept their attention, but I think those two details made a world of difference.

Those posters are awesome G.C.


< I'm stealing one for my avatar. Thanks, mr. avatar-per-day.

Man, I all-kinds-of loved it. I've been chewing on it since yesterday evening, but I'll go ahead and say it: I think it's the best movie love story since... man, I don't even know what "since" to use. When was the last time you saw a movie where you totally bought a love-at-first-sight, and watched it develop into something so deep and rich? (And was it ever animated?) Seriously: love is when you know your directive but you're more concerned about helping your beloved reach theirs. This is as universal a statement as they get.

Sure, the environmental message, the "stand up and make a difference" message, the "we're being lulled into complacency" message - they're all there. But as opposed to some who think that the message is too preachy, I actually buy what Stanton was saying about coming up with those secondarily to support the love story.

My favorite making-of tidbit is that Stanton made the team watch a silent movie at lunch, every day for a year. No wonder Wall-E is a goofy, unassuming little tramp. No wonder so much can be expressed without words. Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd - the masters - were doing it so long ago. And Pixar clearly understands that you must saturate yourself with good work in order to make good work.

In turn, now that I'm saturated with Wall-E, perhaps I can move forward past this little creative block I've been having. It was one of those movies that make you want to make movies.

Actually, the second bit you refer to is the only one I wish had not been included. It yanked me right out of the story and held up a big sign that said, "Hey, scored one off of GWB!" Even though I am one hundred per cent in sympathy with the implied criticism, I hate being reminded of partisan politics during an enchanting animated feature. And I am sure this will become a talking point when WALL-E becomes the next hot topic in culture war debates. Too bad, because it's a universally appealing story that can and should be available to anyone. (Not that there shouldn't be art that is more directly confrontational - but WALL-E could reach hearts and change minds moer subtly. I hope it isn't percieved as being exclusionary.)

Yes, I see your point. But subtle, imho, is becoming less and less of an option when people in this country (who are actually turning into the manatee people on Wall-E) aren't paying attention or are being too complacent.

And if Wall-E does become some talking point, more people will go out and see what all the fuss is about. These people then might actually learn something.

Eh, that line will go right over most people's heads. Yes, it's a little more pointed than the rest of the satire for those who understand the reference, but the film already has plenty of political points it's making. Maybe not political in the sense of specific politicians, but rather pointed indictments in the fields of environmentalism, big business, societal decay and other rather political issues for a "cartoon."

Y'all may be right. Part of my reaction is that the line made me think of issues unrelated to the story at hand, (Iraq, specifically) rather than the more global "what are we becoming" points inherent in the story. So, it struck me as distracting and needlessly partisan. But, amen to it anyway.

I must say that, one day later, as I am here at Epcot watching people go by, I am VERY aware of how badly the American public needs the mirror that WALL-E is holding up, myself included.

We saw it at El Cap. On the way out, we walked through the store. I asked my friend Jeff if he wanted to buy something as a souvenir.

"I'd like something that I can leave for a future generation to clean up," he replied snarkily.

:snap: