PIXAR SHORT FILMS COLLECTION VOLUME 3 [2018] [Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code] [Multi-Screen Edition] [USA Release] Presenting Even More Multiple Academy Awards® PIXAR Best Short Animated Films!
From PIXAR and Disney and the creative minds that brought you ‘The Incredibles,’ ‘Finding Nemo’ and ‘Toy Story’ comes the studio's latest collection of delightful and inspiring animated stories with this ‘PIXAR SHORT FILMS COLLECTION VOLUME 3.’ Thirteen short films and include Oscar® winner ‘Piper’ [Best Short Film, Animated, 2016] and nominees ‘Sanjay's Super Team’ [2015] and ‘Lou’ [2017]. With unforgettable characters, insightful bonus extras and cutting-edge animation, it's a must-own for any PIXAR animated movie fan!
FILM FACT: Awards and Nominations: The following shows you what PIXAR Animated Shorts won loads of accolades and they are as follows:
Bao 2018 International Online Cinema Awards: Nominated: Halfway Award for Best Animated Film for Domee Shi. 2018 Tribeca Film Festival: Nominated: Best Narrative Short for Domee Shi. 2019 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Animated Short Film for Becky Neiman and Domee Shi. 2019 Prix Aurora Awards: Nominated: Aurora Award for Best Visual Presentation for Domee Shi.
Lou 2017 San Francisco International Film Festival: Nominated: Golden Gate Award for Best Family Film for Dave Mullins. 2017 SXSW Film Festival: Nominated: SXSW Grand Jury Award for Animated Short for Dave Mullins. 2018 Academy Awards®: Nominated: Best Animated Short Film for Dana Murray and Dave Mullins.
Piper 2017 Academy Awards®: Win: Best Animated Short Film for Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer. 2017 Annie Awards: Win: Best Animated Short Subject. 2017 Empire Awards, UK: Nominated: Best Short Film.
Sanjay’s Super Team 2016 Academy Awards®: Nominated: Best Short Animated Film for Nicole Paradis Grindle and Sanjay Patel. 2016 Annie Awards: Nominated: Best Animated Short Subject. 2016 Empire Awards, UK: Nominated: Best Short Film.
Lava 2014 Hawaii International Film Festival: Win: Audience Award for Best Short Film for James Ford Murphy. 2015 SXSW Film Festival: Nominated: SXSW Grand Jury Award for Animated Short for James Ford Murphy. 2016 Empire Awards, UK: Nominated: Best Short Film.
The Blue Umbrella 2013 SXSW Film Festival: Nominated: SXSW Grand Jury Award for Animated Short for Saschka Unseld.
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Directors: Domee Shi, Dave Mullins, Alan Barillaro, Sanjay Patel, Josh Cooley, James Ford Murphy, Rob Gibbs, Scott Morse, Kelsey Mann, Saschka Unseld, Brian Larsen, Mark Walsh, Ross Haldane Stevenson and James Ford Murphy
Producers: Becky Neiman-Cobb, Dana Murray, Marc Sondheimer, Nicole Paradis Grindle, Mark Nielsen, Andrea Warren, Laurel Ladevich, Marc Greenberg, Galyn Susman, John Lasseter, Mark Andrews, Kim Adams and Marc Sondheimer
Screenplay: Domee Shi, Dave Mullins, Alan Barillaro, Sanjay Patel, Josh Cooley, James Ford Murphy, Jeremy Lasky, John Lasseter, Rob Gibbs, Kelsey Mann, Saschka Unseld, Brian Larsen, Steve Purcell, Mark Walsh, Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, Victoria Strouse and James Ford Murphy
Composers: Toby Chu, Christophe Beck, Adrian Belew, Mychael Danna, Michael Giacchino, Dieter Hartmann, Jon Brion, Patrick Doyle, Brian Wayne Transeau and Jake Monaco
Cinematography: Patrick Lin (camera), Ian Megibben (lighting), Adam Habib (Director of Photography), Brian Boyd (Director of Photography) and Andrew Jimenez (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1, 1.85:1 and 2.35:1
Audio: English: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
English: 5.1 DTS-HD HR Digital Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
English: 2.0 Audio Descriptive
French: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Spanish: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, English, French and Spanish
Running Time: 76 minutes
Region: Blu-ray: All Regions + DVD: NTSC
Number of discs: 2
Studio: PIXAR Animation Studios / Walt Disney Pictures
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: It’s been six years since the last PIXAR Short Films Collection release, which is actually a full year longer than PIXAR and Disney waited between the first and second volumes. In that tradition comes the newest brilliant addition via ‘PIXAR SHORT FILMS COLLECTION VOLUME 3.’ Now completing the collection, along with the release of ‘Cars Toons’ shorts that aren’t repeated in this collection, and gives you PIXAR animated films almost every short the PIXAR studio has created for your enjoyment.
The previous volumes presented the shorts in chronological order, taking audiences through almost 30-years of PIXAR history. Volume 3 upsets the apple cart by presenting the shorts in reverse chronological order, starting with ‘Bao’ [2018] and ending with ‘Partysaurus Rex’ [2012]. It’s odd that for some unknown reason they reverse the short animations order on this Blu-ray disc when they also spent a lot of time and attention to make sure the entire package is uniform with the previous PIXAR volume releases. But included this time is the DVD uses FastPlay, giving you the option to sit back, relax, and enjoy 76-minutes of PIXAR short films with filmmaker introductions in standard definition, but of course it is not in HD, which does not bother me as I am more interested in the Blu-ray disc.
If like me you have been collecting all of the PIXAR films on Blu-Ray, then you already own nine of the eleven shorts on this Blu-ray disc, as well as the two “Mini-Movies.” The two shorts making their home video debut here are ‘The Radiator Springs 500 ½’ and ‘Partysaurus Rex.’ There was an opportunity to debut an unreleased ‘Cars Toon’ called ‘To Protect and Serve,’ which has never been shown outside the studio, but it remains absent from this collection despite being produced during the years covered.
Most of the prestige PIXAR short films in this set come from the theatrically released shorts, particularly the original ones. ‘Piper’ which is an Oscar winner, while ‘Sanjay’s Super Team’ and ‘Lou’ both received nominations and Bao’s Oscar status will be revealed in a few months. My personal favourite on this set is ‘Lava’ and the most unique goes to ‘The Blue Umbrella. Most of the movie-inspired shorts pale in comparison, although the two funniest shorts were based on PIXAR animated short films, includes ‘Partysaurus Rex’ from the world of ‘TOY STORY’ and ‘Party Central,’ a spin-off of ‘Monsters University.’ Several of the PIXAR shorts with this Blu-ray set were produced as bonus features for previous PIXAR home video releases, making their inclusion feel a little out of place. Now once again for the third time is a great chance to see even more thought provoking animation from very inventive PIXAR animation people who have produced amazing new PIXAR animated shorts on this Volume 3 Blu-ray disc.
Special Feature: Short Selection: Here you get to view eleven PIXAR Animation Shorts and they are as follows:
Bao [2018] [1080p] [1.85:1] [7:41] An older Chinese woman’s lunch inexplicably comes to life and becomes her child, with all the delights, frustrations, and heartbreaks that ensue. What appeals to me the most about this short is the way it balances the universal with the specific. Everyone can identify with children growing up and seeking independence from their parents. However, the specific lived-in details of life among the Chinese immigrant community and the challenges in seeking acceptance in the larger culture will resonate strongly with the people who have lived that life, even if the child happens to be a steamed bun that comes to life. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Domee Shi [Director]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Domee Shi [Director], Becky Nelman [Producer] and Rona Liu [Production Designer].
Lou [2018] [1080p] [1.85:1] [6:05] This very delightful PIXAR short manages to inject a tremendous amount of meaningful sentiment on bullying and redemption, as the contents of a lost-and-found box tries to counter the influence of a playground bully who seems intent on ruining all the other kids’ fun. I’m impressed at how expressive the animators could make a pile of playground junk, and the ultimate message of the short is both heart-warming and bittersweet. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Dave Mullins [Director/Writer]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Dave Mullins [Director/Writer], Dana Murray [Producer] and Tony Greenberg [Editor].
Piper [2016] [1080p] [1.85:1] [6:05] A small sandpiper discovers the wonders and terrors of the world outside of her nest, learning to deal with the latter with a little help from a family of small crabs. I liked but did not love this short when I first saw it with Finding Dory, but as time goes on I find I appreciate it as a story and as a technical achievement more and more. Like ‘Bao,’ where instead Piper is all about growing up and finding your way in the world, but this short filters it through the language of nature documentary rather than immigrant experience. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Alan Barillaro [Director/Writer] and Adrian Belew [Composer]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Alan Barillaro [Director/Writer] and Sarah Reimers [Editor].
Sanjay’s Super Team [2015] [1080p] [1.85:1] [7:07] A young Indian-American boy is forced by his immigrant father to turn off his superhero cartoon so he can participate in a religious ritual, learning how to mix his ancestors’ traditions with the modern popular culture around him. I really liked this short for many of the same reasons why I liked the animated short ‘Bao,’ since both mix the specific with the universal to tell a story that’s accessible to everyone but has more resonance for those who recognize the subtleties. I think personally ‘Sanjay’s Super Team’ manages to be much more visually impressive than ‘Bao,’ since the central portion of the PIXAR short depicts a cosmic battle between good vs. evil that is rendered with a totally amazing and dazzling spectacular effect. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Sanjay Patel [Director/Writer]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Sanjay Patel [Director/Writer] and Nicole Grindle [Producer].
Riley’s First Date? [2015] [1080p] [1.78:1] [4:40] This is a follow-up to the PIXAR animated film ‘Inside Out’ and expands on the gag at the very end of the animated film where we zoom in to multiple characters’ headquarters to see how their emotions are driving them. While it does not quite aspire to the degree of multi-layered meaning of the animated feature film, it still manages to build on a few of the animated feature film’s core concepts in an amusing and entertaining way. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Josh Cooley [Director/Writer]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Josh Cooley [Director/Writer] and Mark Nielsen [Producer].
LAVA [2014] [1080p] [2.35:1] [7:12] Here we get to view a winning PIXAR animated short where a volcano longs to find someone to love. This PIXAR short gives us the flavours of the rhythms and landscapes of the Pacific Islands and is essentially an animated music video that tells its whole story through a charming, and lovely song written by the film’s director James Ford Murphy and performed by Kuana Torres Kahele and Napua Greig. Between this short and Disney’s ‘Moana,’ it seems to be a good time for animation to explore the Pacific Islands. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Jim Murphy [Director/Writer]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Jim Murphy [Director/Writer] and Andrea Warren [Producer].
The Radiator Springs 500 ½ [2014] [1080p] [1.78:1] [6:12] ‘The Radiator Springs 500 ½’ tells the story about the day the town remembers its founder Stanley, Lightning McQueen is challenged to a race by a gang of no do-gooder cars who don't believe that Stanley was the best racer around. Whoever completes Stanley's toughest racing route wins. ‘The Radiator Springs 500 ½’ is just an offshoot of a ‘CARS’ story, pitting Lightning McQueen against a gang of belligerent nasty interlopers in a road rally race and of course we get to see who outsmarts the nasty interlopers. This is the first Cars Toons episode to have Lightning McQueen voiced by Owen Wilson instead of Keith Ferguson. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Scott Morse [Co-Director]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Scott Morse [Co-Director] and Torbin Bullock [Editor].
Party Central [2013] [1080p] [1.85:1] [5:33] With this PIXAR animated short we find the monsters of Oozma Kappa throw a party, and when everybody on campus goes to the Roar Omega Roar frat house, Mike and Sully craft a plan to steal the Roar Omega Roar’s thunder with the help of some appropriated doors. Luckily for them, Mike and Sulley have come up with a plan to make sure “Party Central” is the most epic party the school has ever seen. In a post-credits scene, the husband and wife wake their young son, Timmy, up and ask if they can sleep with him. They say that there are monsters in their closets, to which their son vehemently replies, "That's what I've been trying to tell you!" ‘Party Central’ manages the same achievement as the animated short of being a PG-rated college story that transfers the more adult components of the story to parallels that are still understandable to young children. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Kelsey Mann [Director/Writer]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Kelsey Mann [Director/Writer].
The Blue Umbrella [2013] [1080p] [2.35:1] [6:46] PIXAR has a long history of telling stories through ordinarily inanimate objects, with this short being essentially Disney’s ‘Paperman’ [2012] but with umbrellas. During a sudden shower in an unnamed city, a blue umbrella meets cute with a red umbrella, and spends the rest of the PIXAR animated short builds up to a reunification. This is a classic “how are we getting there?” kind of short, just as ‘Paperman’ was, but we don’t really doubt that the pair will meet up by the end of the PIXAR short and the pleasures to be extracted from it are from the journey itself rather than the destination. In this particular case, this short manages to push photorealistic CGI to much higher levels than most PIXAR animated feature films, which lends the city around the umbrellas a distinctive and winning personality. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Saschka Unseld [Director/Writer]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Saschka Unseld [Director/Writer], Brian Boyd [Lighting Supervisor] and Chris Burrows [Supervising Technical Director].
The Legend of Mor'du [2012] [1080p] [2.35:1] [6:51] The short begins with the witch inviting an off-screen guest into her cottage. Her crow assumes the guest wants the bear spell, so she tells the story of the man who became the demon bear Mor'du. The man had been the eldest of four sons of a king who lived in an ancient kingdom, all gifted in their own way and the younger three were gifted with wisdom, compassion and justness while the eldest brother was gifted with strength. When the prince brought his brothers before him by staging up a false truce, to their protests, he drank the spell, which gave him the strength, but to his surprise, in the form of a great black bear. While he would potentially have broken the spell by apologizing to his brothers, the prince instead accepted his new form and brought them and their armies down. The witch ends the story here, and offers the spell in the form of a cake to the guest, who turns out to be Wee Dingwall. He panics, says he only stopped by for water, and runs out of the cottage. This PIXAR animated short expands on the backstory from the animated film ‘Brave.’ It’s a story told on a more mythic scale, where we get a cautionary tale has the same sense of importance that of a good fairy tale does. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Brian Larson [Director/Writer]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Brian Larson [Director/Writer] and Steve Purcell [Writer].
Toy Story Toons: Partysaurus Rex [2012] [1080p] [1.85:1] [6:34] Rex disrupts the other toys blowing soap bubbles, worried they may ruin Bonnie's house. Rex is chastised by the other toys, with Mr. Potato Head calling him "Partypooper Rex." The other toys sense Bonnie approaching and scatter, leaving Rex alone when Bonnie enters and takes him to play with while she takes a bath. Rex enjoys being played with the other bath toys, but soon Bonnie's mother comes to turn off the bath and take her out. Once alone, the bath toys wish they could continue to have fun, but none of them have arms except Rex and can only function if afloat in the water. Rex initially thinks drawing a new bath is a bad idea, but after recalling Mr. Potato Head's insult, he asserts that he is ‘Partysaurus Rex,’ and helps the bath toys to start a new bath. Finally, he spots the knob on the faucet that stops the flow from the faucet, but realizes too late that this only diverts the water to the shower head. The tub starts to overflow, the other bath toys oblivious to the problem. Outside the bathroom, Woody and the other toys go to see how Rex is doing when suddenly; the bathroom door bursts open and a flood of water pours out. Later, Bonnie's mother is paying to have plumbing repairs done to the house. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Mark Walsh [Director/Writer]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Mark Walsh [Director/Writer].
Special feature: Mini-Movies: Here we get to view two PIXAR animated features and they are as follows:
Marine Life Interviews [2016] [1080p] [1.78:1] [2:04] This PIXAR mini-movie short is a follow-up to ‘Finding Dory’ and just throws a bunch of characters from that PIXAR animated film into a sort of “found footage” setup where they all talk about Dory and their experiences with her. Unfortunately, it’s just an insubstantial excuse for a lot of mugging for the camera. It’s fine, but quite well done, but with some of the characters a bit over the top. One thing I know, children will love this PIXAR animated short. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Ross Haldane Steveson [Director]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Ross Haldane Steveson [Director] and Bob Roath [Associate Producer of ‘Finding Dory’].
Miss Fritter’s Racing Skoool [2017] [1080p] [1.78:1] [2:48] This PIXAR animated short begins after the Florida 500, with Lightning McQueen congratulating Cruz for her win. The television interrupts their conversation when a commercial about Miss Fritter appears in it. She starts talking about her new racing school and how it changed the lives of some of her fellow Thunder Hollow competitors. Then, Arvy and Fare Game are behind a wooden barrier with two drawings depicting Lightning (with his Racing Center paintjob) and Cruz (as Frances Beltline), with the real ones looking annoyed. Then Miss Fritter talks about the ways to contact her for her racing school and then she starts laughing so loud that Cruz's Thunder Hollow trophy falls and wrecks. Lightning says to Cruz: "Maybe that wasn't such a great place after all." while she looks at him. This last PIXAR animated short is a type of infomercial that gives the filmmakers a chance to spend more time with the demolition derby participants from ‘CARS 3.’ This is another of those PIXAR animated short that you find it is really just a bunch of crazy gags around how bad most home-grown community advertising can be, except with different vehicles instead of people. Bonus: You get a film introduction by Jim Murphy [Director/Writer]. You also have the option to play the Audio Commentary with Jim Murphy [Director/Writer] and Marc Sondheimer [Producer].
Each of the PIXAR shorts features an introduction from the director as well as an audio commentary track with a particular person and other people involved with the PIXAR animated shorts. The audio commentary tracks are a very nice opportunity to hear from people personally involved who do not normally get much attention on PIXAR’s home video releases, since the actual PIXAR feature animated films are made by people higher up the ladder at the company. PIXAR is brimming with very talented creators, and hopefully some of them in the very near future will get their chance of actually participating on working on future PIXAR feature filmmaking eventually, as they really deserve it.
Blu-ray Image Quality – PIXAR and Walt Disney Studios presents us once again come together to bring us something ultra-special, with the Blu-ray disc ‘PIXAR SHORT FILMS COLLECTION VOLUME 3.’ The 1080p presentation of all of the thirteen PIXAR animated shorts is totally dazzling and even more spectacular. Shorts like ‘Piper’ and ‘Lava’ contain photo realistic environments that produce a vast amount of image depth. ‘Sanjay’s Super Team’ has a great deal of dark scenes with inky black backgrounds. All in all, all of the shorts have their own unique look to them and the intricate textures in both look stellar such as the dough in ‘Bao’ and the rock face on the volcanos look totally realistic.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – PIXAR and Walt Disney Studios has once again come together to give you something truly special, with this Blu-ray disc multi audio presentation. The primary audio mix for each short is in 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. Each short contains different approaches to sound mixing, but ‘Partysaurus Rex’ is a perfect example of amazing sound mixing, with sound effects and music traveling around the room as the party gets out of control. The whole audio is a very lively mix with a combination effects, music, and dialogue. The sound field is like an open playground for these stories and the sound designers do not hold back and you get that clarity that is expected from a PIXAR Blu-ray release.
Blu-ray + DVD Special Features and Extras:
Special Feature: Making Bao [2018] [1080p] [1.78:1] [6:02] Director Domee Shi reveals the inspirations behind the PIXAR animated short ‘Bao’ and why this was such a personal filmmaking experience. Domee Shi also informs us about how her childhood experiences inspired the story. Here we also get to see behind-the-scenes Domee Shi with her animated co-workers, animated test images and of course several clips from the PIXAR animated short ‘Bao.’ Contributors include: Rona Liu [Production Designer] and Ian Megibben [Supervising Technical Director].
Special Feature: Caricature: A Horrible Way of Saying “I Love You” [2018] [1080p] [1.78:1] [3:53] The creative team at PIXAR studio discuss their habit of drawing caricatures of each other for relaxation and how it leads to fun nights at the PIXAR studio and including evening bonding sessions where the goal is to make the most grotesque caricatures possible of each person. Contributors include: Domee Shi [Directpr], Ronnie del Carmen [Director] and Ben Morris [Associated Editor].
Sneak Peaks: Here we get to view three individual trailers and they are as follows: Disney Movie Rewards Promo [2018] [1080p] [1.78:1] [0:20]; Disney Now Promo [2018] [1080p] [1.78:1] [1:02] and Ralph Breaks The Internet [2018] [1080p] [1.78:1] [2:13].
Finally, the ‘PIXAR SHORT FILMS COLLECTION VOLUME 3’ gives PIXAR fans every theatrical PIXAR short released between 2012 and 2018, plus a handful produced as bonus features. Even if you own some of these animated shorts, there are two exclusives with this Blu-ray set along with filmmaker introductions and audio commentaries that cannot be found elsewhere. Also, most of what’s here is a marvel of storytelling as an art form and of animation as a medium. There are few who do it as phenomenal as PIXAR and rightly so. This amazing Blu-ray disc is a contemporary example of why the PIXAR studio continues to be a very important part of so many people’s lives, and could be an indication of where hopefully they’ll take us next, I cannot wait to find out. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
