Monsters University

[Patrick Thistle]

Watched this last night.

I loved Monsters, Inc. so was a bit worried that it might be disappointing. But it was excellent. It even threw a couple of curveballs in.

Also, the resolution showed a marked maturity because everything doesn't get made OK in the end and Mike and Sulley have to live with the consequences of their actions.

[jason voorhees]

Monsters University

Monsters University - 2013
Directed by - The Desklamp
Starring - They're pushing 70
****

Have to agree, Jmund. In a prequel, the job is to show how a character developed, and to set the stage for the, uh, quel. Monsters U did the job so well, and they did such a great job of matching the animation of Monsters Inc without making anything look obsolete, that in a few decades people may be confused as to which film came out first.

It was interesting seeing the usage of two 60-year-olds as the main characters, with Buscemi as a 50-year-old as the villain for this reason...the end of the baby boomers and the beginning of Generation X, and with it the end of American industrialism and the beginning of whatever Buscemi was in Ghost World and whatever Linklater's Slacker was all about.

Growing up, it was impossible to tell who was related to me by blood and who was related by my father's work when we'd visit someone on the weekend. In postwar America, it was possible to get a job at the factory and work your way up, gaining friends and prestige along the way. There's parts of America that's possible, but even in Louisiana, where people leave high school in order to get a job on the oil rigs, you will almost always hit a glass ceiling.

(I remember talking to a Cajun oil rig operator at the Louisiana Childrens Museum, and he was saying how he knew the workings of the oil rig inside and out after working on one for 20 years, but had to teach it to an Ivy League-educated 20-year-old who had no clue about anything and who was going to be his boss. He worked for BP. I thought about him often over the next few weeks when the oil spill happened.)

The movie works as a marvelous fantasy, both in terms of presenting a fantasy world and a vision of how things used to be. We once built great and wonderful things before we shopped at Wal*Mart.

I think about a 60 Minutes piece about Billy Crystal, where they visited his childhood home, and went to his backyard where he made his own personal Yankees Stadium for his wiffle ball games. At one point describing the field and the games he'd have with his friends, he said once in a while they would do an Old Timers Game, when the Yankees would have former greats from years and decades and half-centuries past play a game. Billy imitated being an old man with the bat, and one could easily envision he and his friends actually playing that game because (a) it was funny, (b) it was on TV and in Yankees Stadium, and (c) because of (b), it meant that these were legends who had to be respected and honored by spending time to imitate them.

Say what you want about Billy Crystal, from his Catskills Borscht Belt act to his Yankees obsession to his treatment of his uncles and family members who must've worked in the factory, he's always cared about his elders.

[Patrick Thistle]

Monsters University

That's a very interesting observation regarding the working your way up thing.

I liked it when the CDA agent who was obviously Roz in a suit appeared, as well.

[WOM]

Monsters University

jasoń voorhees wrote: Say what you want about Billy Crystal, from his Catskills Borscht Belt act to his Yankees obsession to his treatment of his uncles and family members who must've worked in the factory, he's always cared about his elders.

I've never liked him since I heard a story Gary Dell'Abate told about him snidely blowing off a couple of little kids who'd asked for his autograph.

[Ray de Galles]

Monsters University

Who the fuck is Gary Dell'Abate and why should we take his word on Billy Crystal, who has always seemed like a total mensch?

I really don't want to hear a bad word about Crystal. I even watched 'Parental Guidance' on a flight last week just because he was in it...well, him and Bette Midler...and, let's be honest, Marisa Tomei featuring didn't hurt either.

.

[WOM]

Monsters University

Gary Dell'Abate is one of Howard Stern's crew, and IIRC, he's been to a number of media things where Crystal was. A couple of stories made it seem like he wasn't the nicest guy in the world.

[Ray de Galles]

Monsters University

Harumph, I'm not basing my judgment on a God Of Showbiz based on testimony from a lackey for the American Chris Moyles.

[Ginger Yellow]

Monsters University

I'm glad to hear the positive feedback since the early buzz I'd been seeing elsewhere was that it was very much in the recent Pixar vein of being decent but not at all inspired.

[WOM]

Monsters University

Harry Truscott wrote: Harumph, I'm not basing my judgment on a God Of Showbiz based on testimony from a lackey for the American Chris Moyles.

You're not? Well...fine then....

[jason voorhees]

Monsters University

Mr. Dell'Abate is not a lackey, but he's a flunkey, a donkey, a skunky...

He's become even more famous for one of the worst first pitches in baseball history.

I've never liked him since I heard a story Gary Dell'Abate told about him snidely blowing off a couple of little kids who'd asked for his autograph.

Well, again, he respects his elders.

Stuttering John interviewing Crystal on Howid.

[Ray de Galles]

Monsters University

WOM wrote:

Harumph, I'm not basing my judgment on a God Of Showbiz based on testimony from a lackey for the American Chris Moyles.

You're not? Well...fine then....

It was (at least partially) a gag, "Harumph" is the universal signal for mock indignation, no?

I'm would want firmer evidence that Crystal isn't a stand up guy though...and even then I'd probably stick my fingers in my ears rather than listen to it.

[WOM]

Monsters University

jasoń voorhees wrote: He's become even more famous for one of the worst first pitches in baseball history. [/url]

Did you check out Carly Rae Jepsen's yet?

http://mashable.com/2013/07/15/carly-rae-jepsen-baseball/

[jason voorhees]

Monsters University

Yes, figured I could stretch out Bababooey's infamy before that one goes international (or more international than Canada.)

[Patrick Thistle]

Monsters University

Ginger Yellow wrote: I'm glad to hear the positive feedback since the early buzz I'd been seeing elsewhere was that it was very much in the recent Pixar vein of being decent but not at all inspired.

I think it was the best one since Up.

After the appalling Cars 2, the next sequel (called Planes) is being branded as a solo Disney effort. I think Pixar know they blotted their record with Cars 2.

[Ray de Galles]

Monsters University

You might be interested to hear that the quality of Cars 2 is being hotly debated on the 'Cory Monteith is Dead' thread.

[WOM]

Monsters University

Of all places...