Report From "Avatar Day" in Toronto

By John C.

I just got back from Avatar Day at the Toronto Scotiabank theatre, where I viewed 16-minutes of specially selected footage from the upcoming film, in IMAX 3D. The turnout was good, and the audience was receptive and seemed to really enjoy the footage.

The footage started with an intro from James Cameron. Then we were treated to six scenes from the film. The first one was a scene where the army general (Stephen Lang) was warning his troops of the dangers of the Na’vi. The second showed Jake (Sam Worthington) getting his brain scanned and “becoming” a Na’vi. The third was Jake getting chased through the jungle by an alien creature. The fourth saw Neytiri (Zoe Saldana) fighting off some creatures that were attacking Jake. The fifth was a sort of night time run through the jungle. The sixth one showed Jake taming a dragon-like creature so that he could ride it.

The CGI animation is amazing, and the 3D effect is excellent. The sense of depth is very believable. The backgrounds are extremely realistic, and the way Pandora glows at night is certainly beautiful. As for the Na’vi and other creatures, they have more of an animated look to them. They aren't exactly as photo realistic as I had heard they would be. The dialogue is not always the most believable, but I don’t think that really matters in this type of film.

I have to say, this will certainly be a great film in terms of special effects. I just hope that it doesn’t turn into too much of a good thing. Especially if the rumoured 3-hour plus running time is true. The fanboys are certainly already sold on this, but the bigger question is, how will this appeal to mainstream audiences? One thing’s for sure, the way to view this film will be in IMAX 3D.

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story

The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story

http://www.theboysdoc.com/

Release Date: August 21st, 2009 at the AMC Yonge & Dundas

Rated PG for mild thematic elements, smoking images and brief language

Running time: 101 minutes

Gregg V. Sherman (dir.)

Jeff C. Sherman (dir.)

(LtoR) Robert B. Sherman, Richard M. Sherman and Walt Disney © Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.

Our reviews below:

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The Boys Review By John C.

**** (out of 4)

Walt Disney once said that for every laugh there should be a tear. While there may be more tears than laughs in The Boys: The Sherman Brothers’ Story, that saying still rings very true. This true story of the brothers close collaboration, but eventual social separation, is very heartbreaking. But it’s also very uplifting considering all the songs they have written. The Sherman brothers, Richard and Robert, were famous for writing some of the most beloved Disney songs of all time. They wrote everything for Winnie the Pooh, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Jungle Book, The New York Worlds Fair theme song It’s a Small World After All, and the list goes on and on.

Anyone who’s deterred from seeing the film thinking it will be a boring documentary comprised only of interviews, need not fear. The film is very well made, and never drags. I was captivated from the beginning right through to the end. The camera work is smooth, never shaky, and it’s beautifully edited and put together. Anyone who’s a fan of classic Disney will enjoy seeing the footage from so many classic films and the archival footage of many Disney legends. What makes it even better is that it’s all set to a score of the classic Sherman brothers’ songs.

The documentary is incredibly touching and moving, and anyone who sees it will no longer be able to listen to any of their songs in quite the same way. You will always remember the artists behind them, and a lot of the songs even take on a deeper meaning and feelings of sadness. Their relationship was strained because they had to work together, but if they hadn’t worked together, these songs may have never been written. And those songs were truly a gift to the world.

It’s more than a documentary, it’s an emotional masterwork that moved me to tears. And it’s one of the best movies of the year. You shouldn’t see this film, you have to see it.

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The Boys Review By Erin V.

**** (out of 4)

It is a rare occurrence (I find) to see a documentary this well put together, clear of where it is coming from emotionally, and enjoyable to watch. The Boys succeeded on every level for me. Directed by Jeff Sherman (Robert’s son) and Gregg Sherman (Richard’s son), it is clear that this project was a labour of love for them to make about their fathers'/uncles'.

We are taken through the lives of the Sherman brothers’ sequentially, starting with their father when they were kids. This part is told through interviews with the Sherman brothers’ themselves and old photographs. As the film progresses through their life, it is interesting to hear accounts of the same events through the very different eyes of the two brothers. We see how they came to work together so famously for Walt Disney, but also what happened afterwards. Because of their different personalities, while they worked well musically together, they had trouble getting along at times outside of the studio. As we are taken through their lives, we get a glimpse of who they really are.

While The Boys is a very emotional and moving film, it is also funny at times. Overall, unlike some documentaries with interview after interview of people sitting there discussing something with no real thread holding it all together, this actually follows a storyline - their life. I cared about what I was watching, enjoyed hearing the classic songs and seeing snippets of the movies again, and all around had a good time. This is one documentary that anyone who fondly remembers the Sherman brothers’ songs, or is just into music, should definitely see. I recommend it all the way.

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The Boys Review By Nicole

**** (out of 4)

The Boys is a well made, and fascinating documentary about Disney’s best known song writing duo, the Sherman Brothers. Not only did I get to hear many songs that I so fondly remember, I also enjoyed hearing the story of Robert and Richard Sherman.

We see them in their younger years, find out about how they started their career in music, meet each of their families, and most of all, get a sense of who Richard and Robert really are. Robert Sherman is more shy and sensitive, where as Richard Sherman is more hyperactive and out going. The brother’s different personalities shine through and bring them together musically, but causes them and their families to slowly drift apart outside of the business context.

As an artist coming from a creative family, I found it interesting to see how these two brothers work together as artists. The interviews with the Sherman Brothers are very interesting, and often hilarious, as we get to hear each brother’s account as to what happened in their lives. If you are into music, or the arts in general, then The Boys is a documentary that you will definitely want to see.

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The Boys Review By Maureen

**** (out of 4)

“The Boys” is a heartwarming and heartfelt documentary about the legendary songwriting pair, brothers Robert and Richard Sherman. It’s obvious that this film was a labor of love for Robert’s son, Jeff, and Richard’s son Gregg.

“The Boys’ chronicles the brothers’ lives right from childhood. With their father Al Sherman being a popular songwriter in the 1930’s it is no surprise that musical talent was in their genes. It was interesting to see how the brothers were so similar in terms of talent yet so different in temperament. It was that difference that ultimately distanced them in latter years. I found it sad to watch how both physically and emotionally frail older brother, Robert seemed compared to his younger brother, Richard with both men being in their eighties.

The documentary goes back an forth between the two brothers each giving their own account of events. There are also many interviews with family members and people in the industry who worked with them. It was delightful seeing individuals such as Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke reminisce about “Mary Poppins and other films.

What I loved was the trip down memory lane seeing clips of old and more recent Disney films and hearing the wonderful classic songs that many of us will never forget. If you have ever been a fan of the Sherman brothers work, or a big Disney fan “The Boys” is a must see.

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The Boys Review By Tony

**** (out of 4)

The Boys is a documentary on the Sherman Brothers, Robert and Richard, produced by Robert’s son Jeff and Richard’s son Gregg. For about sixty years they have written many unforgettable songs for films, mainly for the Disney studio, including Mary Poppins and Winnie the Pooh, as well as the ultimate earworm “It’s a small world after all” written for the 1964 World’s Fair. Beginning a century ago with the immigration from the Ukraine to the U.S. of their father Al Sherman, who was also a successful songwriter, the film follows their lives from birth (Bob in 1925 and Dick in 1928) to the present day.

The Boys is truly a labour of love, with years of preparation brought together by brilliant editing. In a hundred minutes it moves seamlessly back and forth between past and present, with reminiscences of the brothers seen together in previous documentaries and now far apart–Robert living alone in London and Richard with his family in Beverly Hills. Generous film clips and interviews with dozens of colleagues and admirers come exactly where you would want to see them, resulting in a continuous narrative that is never boring. What mainly drives the story is the differences between the brothers that privately kept them and their families apart. Remarkably, though living just a few blocks apart, the cousins Jeff and Gregg didn’t really know each other until they met at the 2002 London premiere of a stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and decided no longer after some forty years to ignore each others’ families.

As some suggested, the way their different personalities complemented each other is what made them successful. Robert was the introverted wordsmith, never the same physically or emotionally after seeing action and Holocaust in the war in which his brother was too young to serve. Robert would sit back and suggest changes to the constant flood of ideas coming out of his extroverted musician brother as he pounded away at the piano. During staged joint public appearances, their personal differences were always hidden by an air of jovial banter. As we go back and forth between current interview segments filmed separately in extreme closeup, their conflicting memories of the same events are at times amusing, but at other times as they are brought to tears we can feel the love between them as brothers never left them even though they couldn’t stand each other.

As a bonus, the mystery of a half century is solved–the role of Roy, the big guy (lampooned by John Candy in an SCTV sketch) who popped up with Jimmy Dodd as the only other adult on the old Mickey Mouse Club.

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(LtoR) Richard M. Sherman, Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and Robert B. Sherman on the set of “Mary Poppins” © Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Consensus: An extremely well made documentary that is worth going out to see, especially if you love classic Disney. **** (Out of 4)

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(LtoR) Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman © Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.

Shorts

Shorts

http://shortsmovie.warnerbros.com/

Release Date: August 21st, 2009

Rated PG for crude content, not recommended for young children.

Running time: 89 minutes

Robert Rodriguez (dir.)

Robert Rodriguez, and Elizaveth Avellán (prod.)

Robert Rodriguez (Screenwriter)

Robert Rodriguez, Carl Thiel, and George Oldziey (music)

Jimmy Bennett as Toe Thompson

Jake Short as Nose Noseworthy

Kat Dennings as Stacey Thompson

Trevor Gagnon as Loogie

Devon Gearlart as Cole Black

Jolie Vanier as Helvetica Black

Revle Rodriguez as Lug

Leo Howard as Laser

Leslie Mann as Mom

Jon Cryer as Dad Thompson

William H. Macy as Dr. Noseworthy

James Spader as Mr. Black

Angela Lanza as Teacher

Alejandro Rose-Garcia as John/Boyfriend

Cambell Westmoreland as Blinker #1

Zoe Webb as Blinker #2

Chris Orf as Goofy Host

Tina Rodriguez as Female Employee

Jack Hurst as Male Employee

Jonathan Breck as Security Guard

Racer Rodriguez as Bully #1

Rocket Rodriguez as Bully #2

Elizaveth Avellán as Voice of the Baby

and Bianca Rodriguez as the Baby

SHD-01460

(L-r) JOLIE VANIER as Helvetica Black, DEVON GEARHART as Cole Black, JIMMY

BENNETT as Toe Thompson, RACER RODRIGUEZ as Bully #1 and ROCKET

RODRIGUEZ as Bully #2 in Warner Bros. Pictures’ magical fantasy adventure

“Shorts.” Photo by Van Redin

Our reviews below:

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Shorts Review By John C.

***1/2 (out of 4)

After the excellent first two Spy Kids films and the alright, but not as good, third Spy Kids and Sharkboy and Lavagirl, Robert Rodriguez blasts back into action with Shorts. Like his other films for all audiences, this one is also imaginative, inventive and totally original. I thought it was about as good as the first two parts of the Spy Kids trilogy, and that’s really saying something. Especially considering that I didn’t walk in expecting all that much.

Shorts takes place in the made-up town of Black Falls Community, where everyone works for the Black Box company, which manufactures black cubes that can transform into pretty much any gadget you need. Three brothers (Laser, Lug and Loogie) find a mysterious rock at the end of a rainbow that can grant any wish they want. The wishing rock subsequently ends up in the hands of Tobey Thompson (Jimmy Bennet), who is always being picked on by the school bullies, Cole and Helvetica Black (Devon Gearhart and Jolie Vanier), who are the kids of Carbon Black (James Spader) who heads the Black Box Corporation. The many different story lines are all connected in some way or another by the mysterious rock.

The story is told in 6 out of order parts. The fractured narrative is done very well, and will only be confusing to younger kids and those not paying attention. The way each segment connects with the previous one is very clever and inventive. The movie plays as part kids fantasy-adventure and part technological satire. It’s smart entertainment for both kids and adults. The scenes at The Black Box Corporation are especially great.

There have been some really good live-action films this summer that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, this is definitely one of them, along with G-Force. Robert Rodriguez has once again created a fun, fantasy world where literally anything can happen. Take the whole family to see Shorts in theatres. It’s a great way to end the summer.

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Shorts Review By Erin V.

***1/2 (out of 4)

Shorts: The Adventures of the Wishing Rock - called Shorts for short - this is a fun family film told out of sequence in a series of shorts, hence the title.

Narrated by lead character, Toby (Toe) Thompson, this method is not at all confusing if you watch along carefully. It follows the adventures of the residents of Black Falls community. In Black Falls, everyone works for Mr. Carbon Black, the maker of the Black Box - which is a small electronic device that is everything from a calculator to a toaster... The scene in the office of Mr. Black, featuring the rival purple triangle and silver cylinder, (see picture below), is one of my favorites.

When three brothers in the community find a wishing rock at the beginning of a rainbow, they inadvertently misuse it’s powers before their baby sister informs them that they should throw it away. Unfortunately, it keeps on turning up again, in the hands of various members of the community. When Toby finds it, he uses it to try to make his life better, as he is bullied at school a lot, by the daughter and son of Mr. Black himself. The problem is, a wishing rock like this can easily end up in the wrong hands... But who’s hands are the right ones anyway?

Shorts is a great family adventure. It is loads of fun, and despite how silly it gets at times, in the community of Black Falls and all of it’s eccentric people, we can actually believe that it makes sense. This is the kind of movie that is a fun treat to end the Summer with. The acting is good from the whole cast, the music is a lot of fun, and the special effects are quite cool, considering the production size. Robert Rodriguez once again displays his master at storytelling by leading us to not only believe, (in a sense), but follow along with this partially ‘out of sequence’, yet quite clever story. Gather up the whole family and go see this one in theatres.

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Shorts Review By Nicole

***1/2 (out of 4)

Once again, Robert Rodriguez has created a fun, quirky little gem that is great for the entire family. This film takes place in an imaginary suburb named Black Falls, so named because everyone works for the company Black Box Unlimited Worldwide Industries Incorporated. This company creates an electronic device that that can turn into whatever electronic thing you need.

Things start to get interesting when a rainbow coloured rock falls from the sky. One of the residents, 11 year old Toby (Toe) Thompson finds the rock. The rock is actually a wishing rock, found at the beginning of the rainbow. Toby wishes for friends, to defend him from the bullies at school. He ends up with tiny aliens, who know martial arts. Through a series of short flashback segments, narrated by Toby, we see all the quirky things that happen when each of the Black Falls residents get hold of the rock. There are crocodiles that can walk like people, a giant booger monster, a wise baby, as well as Toby;s parents getting stuck together. But disaster strikes when the bullies, son and daughter of Black Box Inc.’s president Carbon Black, get hold of the rock. Once the rock gets in the hands of their father, watch out! Can the kids restore things before the adults ruin everything?

I really enjoyed Shorts. The acting is good, and the characters are all really funny. The storyline, while totally off the wall, is well written, fun, and very original. The way that all the little details come together is just brilliant. Everything about this film worked for me. I liked the underlying messages too, about overuse of technology, increasing self centredness, and the importance of family and community. With no objectionable content, and no frightening scenes, this movie is nothing but pure, manic fun for the whole family.

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Shorts Review By Maureen

***1/2 (out of 4)

What happens when Robert Rodriguez gets hold of a magical wishing rock? He gets the kind of movie any filmmaker would wish for. “Shorts - Adventures of the Wishing Rock” is an energetic, full of fun, family fantasy adventure movie. In short, it’s really good.

The story is told in a series of out of sequence shorts narrated by the lead character, 11 year old Toby (Toe) Thompson (Jimmy Bennett). Toby lives in Black Falls with his older sister and his parents who are employed at Black Box Industries. Toby is the constant target of bullies and his life starts to get really interesting once he finds a rainbow coloured wishing rock. The rock ends up changing hands throughout the movie with one wish leading to another and all kinds of crazy things happening including mini-aliens, flying crocodiles and a booger monster.

The nice thing about Shorts is that the fast -pace and far, out adventures all connect well and keep the story making sense. The ending message about working together being more powerful than wishing alone makes this a good family choice.

Both kids and adults will enjoy all the special effects. The acting is good all around and the score that Robert Rodriguez composed worked really well to keep the sense of fun and adventure going.

If you like high energy, fun movies, go see ‘Shorts”

This one’s a winner for the whole family.

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Shorts Review By Tony

***1/2 (out of 4)

Based in Austin TX, over the past two decades Robert Rodriguez and Elizabeth Avellán have produced a number of successful films, and six kids. Along with violent cult films such as the El Mariachi trilogy, Sin City and Grindhouse, the last with his friend Quentin Tarentino, Robert Rodriguez has directed several family features to amuse and involve his own growing family–the Spy Kids trilogy and The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lavagirl in 3-D, the latter based on ideas from his son Racer. He has also written many of his films and served as chief cameraman and composer. With extensive use of digital technology and CGI, he has a good track record for efficiency and thrift which attracts talent that will work for less than usual, knowing that for a modest time commitment including perhaps some babysitting they will have fun and come out with something good. Shorts departs from the Latino character of previous films without Rodriguez regulars like Cheech Marin and Danny Trejo.

The first two Spy Kids films were brilliant, rich with images that were at once sophisticated and childlike, that delighted kids and their parents alike. As an adult I didn’t care as much for the two 3-D kids films that followed, and based on the three trailers available on Apple.com I thought that Shorts might also have an appeal limited to pre-teens. We were pleasantly surprised. In some ways Shorts may be the best of the lot. The title refers to the way the film is divided into episodes that are shown out of sequence–0,2,1,4,3,5–that some may find confusing but make sense when you see it.

The discovery of a rainbow-covered rock that grants wishes to anyone holding it changes the lives of a company town where the ruthless Mr. Black (James Spader) produces handheld black devices that can transform into everything useful. Main character and narrator Toe Thompson (Jimmy Bennett) is being bullied by Cole Black (Devon Gearhart) and his sister Helvetica (Hel for short, played by Jolie Vanier). Toe has a teenage sister (Kat Dennings) and parents (Jon Cryer & Leslie Mann) who find themselves on rival development teams for the new Black do-all device–the loser facing immediate dismissal and banishment. Others who come into brief possession of the wishing rock include three brothers (with an all-wise telepathic baby sister played by the youngest Rodriguez) and the top Black researcher (William H. Macy), a germophobe who lives with his son in a house sealed up in plastic.

It may all sound silly but is dazzling in its imagination and effects. Adults will be delighted by the satirical undertone. For example, the large X promoting the new black box reminded me of both a gaming device and a rival’s operating system and countless handheld apps. Even at home Toe’s parents communicate by texting each other, until an inadvertent wish brings them together like Siamese twins.

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SSFF-00011

JAMES SPADER as Mr. Black in Warner Bros. Pictures’ magical fantasy adventure “Shorts.” Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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Consensus: Another great family movie from the director of Spy Kids, Robert Rodriguez. Shorts is a lot of fun, and would make for a great end of Summer movie to see with the family in theatres. ***1/2 (Out of 4)

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kids-with-rock

Lug (REBEL RODRIGUEZ, left) and Laser (LEO HOWARD, right) watch as Loogie

(TREVOR GAGNON) closes his eyes to make a wish on the Rainbow Rock in Warner Bros. Pictures’ magical fantasy adventure “Shorts.” Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Trailer Watch: Avatar

As you probably know, tomorrow, August 21st, is Avatar day. Today, Apple Movie Trailers has made available the teaser trailer for the film. Here is a direct link to the trailer in 3 HD formats, which I got off of Marketsaw 3D.

480p

720p

1080p

While the look of the Na'vi isn't as realistic as I had heard it would be, nor as beautiful as the posters, the film looks to be filled with spectacular animated action. And the CGI is quite good. I will have to wait and see the footage in IMAX 3D to get the full experience. One thing's for sure, if this film doesn't deliver on every possible level, it could end up being one of the biggest failures in the history of film making. But if it does deliver, it will be a huge leap forward. It's kind of a gutsy move by James Cameron, especially considering the rumored over $300 million budget.

Check back tomorrow night for my report on Avatar day in Toronto.

Have you seen the trailer yet? Leave a comment below with your thoughts.

-John C.

New UPisode on Apple Trailers

Apple Trailers now has the second UPisode entitled First Aid.

Watch it here, along with the previous UPisode titled Animal Calling. You can also see both teaser trailers, and the trailer that we reported on last week.

Update - (March 15th): Two new stills from UP have surfaced in the last few days. Thanks to Pixar Planet/Upcoming Pixar, (see here, and here).

Tell us what you think in the comments below.