Top 5 Pixar Films

For my birthday last Thursday my fantastic girlfriend bought me Disney's Fantasia. I had put off comitting to purchasing the Disney DVD's/Blu-Rays for a long time. I had always planned on only buying them when I had my first child and, when the boy/girl was barely born, we would start to watch all the Disney 'Classic' Collection in chronological order. With this single present, it has started me off early and within days I have watched Fantasia, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Beauty and the Beast. I believe this has no replaced my James Bond marathon indefinately.

So, having noticed that Pixar are credited on Beauty and the Beast (responsible for the, now quite dated, 3D dance-hall Beauty and Beast dance within during the unforgettable song "Beauty and the Beast"...), what better time to reflect on my current favourite Pixar films (especially as their track-record seems to have been stalled by Cars 2 according to the US reviews)...

5. Ratatouille - I have only watched this once and I think it is at '5'. I need to watch it again if I'm honest as, I'm sure you'll see, I've cheated a little and films such as A Bugs Life, The Incredibles and Up shockingly don't get a look in. Bottom-line is that the whole idea of criticism is something very close to my heart and this seems to tackle it in such a way that art - and what is art - is the core of the story. This, in itself is huge, expansive story-telling ... but for kids.

4. Cars - This was the last Pixar film which I have watched and it has always come across as the lesser credible film in the Pixar canon. I have to tell ya' - I completely disagree. This film, like the best of Pixar, focusses on a bigger topic: Capitalism and destruction of small-town America. The fact that we currently see how print-press may be having an exceptional hit in the recent news, again, shows how the bigger fish ultimately eat the small fish in the capitalist business structure. I am a little worried that Cars 2 will tarnish the reputation of this brilliant first outing.

3. Toy Story Trilogy - I'm not going to split them up. They are all, very much, independent films but so many aspects cross-over. If I say how much I love the characters - thats in all three films. If I like the colours and the playful attitude, again, this is in all three. The only thing I could fundamentally separate the films by is the narratives in each film and they are so evenly match I think I can comfortably place them in a third-place tie.

2. Wall-E - I only recently told a pupil that I believed this is my favourite

film and, akin to Cars it is because of the profound themes it explores. Add to this some incredible sequences - most of which do not even require dialogue - and you have an accessible, deeply moving, highly intelligent, artistically-experimental mainstream film. Can you get anything more awesome?

1. Finding Nemo - But, when I think of the story, I look at Nemo. A film with so much heart. Two-characters on the road to discovery and what, I believe, will bring a tear to my eye when I have my own child. I think, visually, it takes you to a place which, on one level you know and feel like you are a part of, but you are shown the ocean in a way you have never seen. In the same way that I believe Jurassic Park is my favourite film, I understand that it is a personal preference - opting for The Godfather as my 'professional' favourite film. Finding Nemo is my personal favourite whilst, Wall-E would reside as my 'professional favourite. But this is my blog... so personal wins out.

Simon and Jo Film Show 01/01/2011: Tron: Legacy and THE Top 10 Films of 2010!

Back into the 'dream location' that is the Ritzy in Brixton, the main review is Tron and Jo and I have managed to watch Tron prior to watching Tron: Legacy. This gives us ample opportunity to discuss both films in relation to each other ...

We also manage to cover a bunch of news articles from the last two weeks whilst changing our Top London Box-Office to the Worldwide Box-Office of 2010.

Then, to finish, we reveal our favourite films of 2010. Just like last year, these are revealed to each other at the same time as revealing the information to you dear listener.

Links

Facebook-er of the week is Mark Harrison, whilst we urge you to follow - on twitter - KaffLaws.

Blog of the week is Jess at Insight into Entertainment whereby she has a great game called 'Movie Mash-Up' so check it out and enjoy the fun and games. Click on the links to go directly to the website!

Trailers

Music

All music between the breaks is from the incredible soundtrack to Tron: Legacy by Daft Punk, whilst during the Top 10 Films of 2010 the songs are the sounds from each film - except in the odd case where something wasn't available I got music from the trailer.

Remember - you can always email The Simon and Jo Film Show directly using this email: simonandjoshow@gmail.com

We are also on Twitter  and Facebook.

The Simon and Jo Film Show:25/07/2010

Considering how Simon is in immense pain due to an unforeseen tooth ache (root canal and crown due on Monday...), it is lucky this podcast made it out! We record in the safety of Jo's pad in Stockwell as Simon manages to discuss the plus points of Pixars latest Toy Story 3, whilst we then move onto the London box-office, the new releases and then - to finish - the 1984 classic Repo Man.

Links

Email us on simonandjofilmshow@gmail.com
We briefly mentioned Mad Hatters Matineecast and He Shot Cyrus, whilst also completely supporting the latest Slash Filmcast featuring a reviewer, Armond White, who hated Inception.

Music

All music is from the soundtrack to Toy Story 3. 

Simon and Jo Revealed in the Summer...

Some new videos filmed right outside Buckingham Palace ... obviously, when you hear my reaction to Jo's choice of top-film-of-the-summer, this was filmed before the last podcast because my view on it has changed...





Apologies about the lighting in the second video ... the question is this: bad lighting and buckingham palace? or good lighting and park in front of buckingham palace? [Like Big Brother] You decide.

We do have a bunch more videos and - on the right hand-side bar, or here - you just need to click on the link to be hooked up to all the previous videos we have done!