Countdown to Up: 10 Days to Disney•Pixar’s 10th film

Every day, counting down to May 29th I will be featuring one Pixar title, in anticipation of Disney•Pixar’s Up. The Pixar films will be featured in order, but since there are only 9 that have been released, I am starting out with The Pixar Short Films Collection. Every day, there will be trivia* about the featured title, as well as one piece of Up trivia.

-John C.

The Pixar Short Films Collection, is a highly entertaining collection of Pixar’s first 13 short films. I highly recommend adding this to your collection of Pixar films, if you don’t already have it. The films included on the disc are:

•The Adventures of Andre & Wally B. (1984)

•Luxo Jr. (1986)

•Red's Dream (1987)

•Tin Toy (1988)

•Knick Knack (1989)

•Geri's Game (1998)

•For the Birds (2001)

•Mike's New Car (2002)

•Boudin' (2004)

•Jack-Jack Attack (2005)

•One Man Band (2006)

•Mater and the Ghostlight (2006)

•Lifted (2007)

The Pixar Short Films Collection Trivia

• John Lasseter made the film The Adventures of Andre & Wally B.to entertain his children; ironically, it frightened them instead

• Luxo Jr. was the first computer-animated short nominated for an Academy Award

• Tin Toy was the first fully-CG film ever to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short

• Whenever John and Nancy Lasseter go anywhere on vacation, she always makes a point of buying a snow globe from that particular place. It was from this practice that the initial idea for the film Knick Knack was born

• In Geri’s Game, The wooden cigar box containing the chess pieces is marked "Pt. Richmond Hand Made Pixar Shorts". Pixar Animation Studios used to be located at Point Richmond, California

• According to Pixar's website, the first four birds in For The Birds, actually have names and individual characteristics. From left to right they are: Chipper, Bully, Snob and Neurotic. Look closely and you'll see them act out their personalities

• The model-T Ford that appears in Boundin’ is from the, at the time, upcoming Pixar movie Cars

• Mater and the Ghostlight was the final film (voice) project for Paul Newman

• In Lifted, the sound effect heard in the spaceship every time that the body hits something can also be heard in Apple's OS X operating system. It is the alert sound "Hero"

Up Trivia

This was the very first animated film as well as the first 3-D film ever to open the Cannes Film Festival. Up premiered there on May 13th. Although it was not screened in competition, the film was met with huge applause and very positive reviews. It currently holds a rating of one hundred percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

*All trivia is courtesy of IMDb