Quote of the Day #24

"Hey, Buzz! You're flying!"

"This isn't flying. This is falling - with style!"

Toy Story (1995)

Image: pixar-planet.fr

Pixar have just announced there will be a

 Toy Story 4 coming out in 2017.

Are you excited?

Or did you think the trilogy ended perfectly?

Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @TicketStubBlog

Quote of the Day #17

"I have to get out of here! I have to find my son! I have to tell him how old sea turtles are!"

Finding Nemo (2003)

Image: disneypicture.net

Happy Father's Day!

Who is your favourite movie dad?

Comment below or tweet @TicketStubBlog

Top Ten Animals in Film

Clockwise from top: Babe (1995), Free Willy (1993), Bambi (1942), Jaws (1975), War Horse (2011), Life of Pi (2012), Finding Nemo (2003) & 101 Dalmatians (1996) 

Animals in film often provide comedy and comfort but also danger and destruction to characters and cinema audiences. With the epic trailer for the new Godzilla (2014) featured as this week's Trailer Thursday, I want to ask: who stands out as your favourite on screen animal?

From sweet little Bambi to the terrifying Jaws, there are tonnes that I have missed out in my Top Ten (including some in the picture above) so tweet me your favourites @TicketStubBlog and YOU could be featured in my next post. 

1. Baloo in The Jungle Book (1967)

Baloo is the lovable bear who becomes Mowgli's guide and adoptive parent through the depths of the jungle as Mowgli returns to the man-village.

Best Moment? Baloo singing Bare Necessities

2. King Kong in King Kong (1933)

From a lovable bear to a frightening giant gorilla: King Kong. The stop animation and effects in this film are remarkable for 1933 and King Kong is still rather scary - made even more so by Fay Wray's shrill scream in the scene above.

Did You Know? Kong's roar was in fact a lion and a tiger's roar combined together and run backwards at a low speed.

3. Dory in Finding Nemo (2003)

The forgetful fish, Dory, who helps Marlin try and find his son Nemo is one of the most comical animal characters on screen. The adorably optimistic regal blue tang fish, voiced by the hilarious Ellen DeGeneres, will return in Pixar's 2016 sequel: Finding Dory.

Best Dory Quote? "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim!"

4. The Birds in The Birds (1963)

Another scary choice, this time a collective mass of birds. The Hitchcock film sees the birds descend on Bodega Bay and attack all those who live there. The other day, a mass of black birds gathered, as they do in the scene above, when I left for work. Needless to say, I was quite on edge!

The birds gather outside my house!

Did You Know? When audiences left the premiere at Leicester Square's Odeon cinema, they were scared even further by the sound of screeching and flapping birds from loudspeakers hidden in the trees.


5. Dug in Up (2009)

You wouldn't expect a golden retriever in the tropical landscape of South America. And I guess you wouldn't expect to hear its thoughts either. Well, this is what happens in Pixar's Up. Though he may not be the most intelligent dog, and is often distracted by squirrels, Dug has a big heart and is a comforting pet to Russell and eventually Carl.

Want to Know More? I wrote a blog post on ZooScope about all the animals in the film and how they are represented. If you fancy reading, just click here.

6. Jack the Dog in The Artist (2011)

The Artist is a modern take on the silent black and white films of the 1920s. Jack the Dog provides great visual comedy, particularly in the scene with Oscar winner Jean Dujardin at the breakfast table.

Did You Know? Jack the Dog was played by three Jack Russell Terriers: Uggie, Dash and Dude

7. Richard Parker in Life of Pi (2012)

An unlikely environment for a tiger - on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean with a boy named Pi. The ferocious tiger is beautifully digitally animated and a real tiger was used in some scenes. However, recent stories have emerged that the tiger 'nearly drowned' on set.

Did you know? The film won for Best Director, Visual Effects, Score and Best Cinematography at last year's Oscars and is adapted from the best selling novel by Yann Martel.

8. Mr. Fox in Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

George Clooney plays the title role in Wes Anderson's adaptation of Roald Dahl's book. The sly and wild yet urbane fox steals food from three farmers every night. Fed up with Mr. Fox, the farmers seek revenge in destroying the fox's home. Mr. Fox leads the escape for his family and woodland creature friends.

Did you know? It took seven months to complete the very first Mr. Fox puppet

9. Kermit the Frog in The Muppets (2011)

He may be made of felt but he is still an animal - clue is in the name Kermit the Frog. The TV and film star will return in the sequel Muppets Most Wanted (2014) which was featured as a Trailer Tuesday last month.

Did You Know? Kermit the Frog has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

10. Timon and Pumbaa in The Lion King (1994)

I cannot pick one - they come as a pair! Timon, the clever meerkat, and his smelly warthog friend, Pumbaa, take care of Simba as he grows up in the jungle after Scar tells the lion cub to 'run away and never return'. The two animals even had their own TV series.

Best Timon and Pumbaa Quote? 
Timon: Gee, he looks blue
Pumbaa: I'd say brownish-gold
Timon: No, no, no. I mean he's depressed
Pumbaa: Oh.


Who is your favourite animal in film?

Comment below or tweet your suggestions to
 @TicketStubBlog

Top Ten Firework Scenes

Remember, remember the 5th of November...but what movie scenes can you remember with fireworks? 

I've picked my Top Ten but I'm sure there are plenty I've missed. 

Feel free to tell Ticket Stub your favourites by tweeting @TicketStubBlog and you could be featured in the next post!

1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Merry and Pippin are the two cheeky chappies in this first film of the epic trilogy. They attempt to steal one of Gandalf's magical fireworks, however, the two hobbits get into a little spot of bother...

2. Toy Story (1995)

Buzz is strapped to a rocket and it's about to blow up in the sky. How will Woody and Buzz escape?

Woody: "Hey, Buzz you're flying!" 

Buzz: "This isn't flying. This is falling, with style!"

3. Manhattan (1979)

Woody Allen's black and white classic is one of the best ever film openings. Along with Allen and his character Isaac, we as the audience begin to romanticise New York "all out of proportion". With George Gershwin's masterpiece Rhapsody in Blue and the fireworks exploding over the Manhattan skyline, how could you not fall in love with this city?

4. Mary Poppins (1964)

The fireworks during Step In Time cause all the chimney sweeps to rush down Mr Banks' chimney and take over proceedings in his town house. The effects are rather impressive for the time too.

5. Mulan (1998)

Fighting Shan Yu on the rooftops of China's Imperial City, Mulan is running out of ideas...cue the little dragon, Mushu, who fires a huge firework rocket on Mulan's command which instantly kills the villain, but also sets off a great display!

6. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

There is no video available on YouTube, but I have inserted a picture here. This scene shows Ennis (Heath Ledger) beating up two guys who insult him with homophobic remarks during the July 4th celebrations. 

Image: theatlantic.com

7. The Little Mermaid (1989)

This is where Ariel first sees Prince Eric. His world is made even more mesmerizing by the fireworks display from the ship. Ariel just has to see more, much to the dismay of Sebastian. 

"Jumping jellyfish!"

8. To Catch a Thief (1955)

Fireworks and sparks fly between Grace Kelly and Cary Grant as they look across at the display on the French Riviera. And we all know what those flashes of fireworks symbolise, Mr Hitchcock...

9. Titanic (1997)

(Again, there is no video on YouTube - I will get the actual screen-grab soon.) For me, this has always been a memorable scene. All alone out in the cold Atlantic, it is the extreme over-head wide shot of the ship releasing the firework that shows how fatally doomed the Titanic and its passengers truly are. 

Image: thetruthaboutguns.com

10. A Bug's Life (1998)

You can always count on Pixar to be clever - here the "harvester salute" sees the harvested plants collide together in the air to create the insects' very own fireworks display as the 'warrior' bugs return to their home.

I hope you all have a wonderful Bonfire Night! Wrap up warm, enjoy the fireworks - and if you can't go to a display, be sure to take a look at these movies instead!

Soundtrack Saturday: Up (2009)

Image: chungaboo.com

"Adventure is out there!" Up (2009)

We’re carrying on with the Disney theme this week after Tuesday’s post on Saving Mr. Banks...this week’s Soundtrack Saturday is Pixar’s Up.

Up tells the astonishing tale of Carl, a 78 year old who wishes to fulfil his and his late wife’s dream of reaching Paradise Falls in South America. From meeting as kids, Ellie and Carl dream of being adventurers, and share a passion for the explorer C.F. Muntz and his ‘Spirit of Adventure’ to reach the Falls. Once Ellie dies, Carl realises that they never made that dream trip to Paradise Falls. He therefore decides to tie thousands of balloons to the house he built with Ellie, as you do, and sets off on a fantastical journey with a young stowaway named Russell. Along the way they encounter Dug, a dog who can talk via a special collar, and Kevin, a rare tall bird that Muntz has been trying to capture for decades.

This soundtrack is an original score by Michael Giacchino, who has composed for films such as Star Trek, Mission Impossible III and other Pixar movies including Ratatouille and The Incredibles. The reason I love this soundtrack is how it captures childhood dreams of adventure. This is certainly true with the track ‘Carl Goes Up’ as Carl releases the balloons and the apt title ‘Seizing the Spirit of Adventure’ at the climactic end of the movie. However, the most memorable track is found right at the beginning of the film and is full of emotion. Tissues at the ready...

I had to share this soundtrack just for one piece of music. ‘Married Life’ displays Carl and Ellie’s life together from marriage, building their house and dreaming of moving to Paradise Falls. They save money, but life gets in the way. I won’t describe every detail because this moment is cinema in its purest form – image and music, no dialogue. And it works. For me, it is arguably one of the greatest sequences not just in animation but in cinematic history. You may think that’s over dramatic, but it is quite a feat to achieve this kind of emotion within a short sequence of 4/5 mins and, more importantly, displaying it through animation. I’m not going to lie, I cry nearly every time I watch it. I AM NOT ASHAMED. If you do not listen to the whole soundtrack, at least watch this clip. The music will break your heart. Plus, it is a better love story than you’ll ever find in any romantic comedy.

Best track? Married Life

Available on Spotify? Yes