Post by pitbulllady on May 27, 2006 15:31:51 GMT -5
I got to live out a dream yesterday by attending the world premier of the movie Cars, Pixar's latest, at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina, with some friends of mine from the Luxo Forums. We had a great time, despite some nasty and potentially dangerous weather(there was a tornado in a nearby country)and one of our contact people failing to show up and bring press credentials for myself and one other person. I was in redneck Heaven here, being from the deep South and very tuned in to the whole NASCAR phenomenon, and this was quite an experience for me, to say the least!
We got to see several big-name stars on the red carpet, including Paul Newman, Cheech Marin, Nelly, Tony Chalube, Bonnie Hunt, John Ratzenberger, Owen Wilson(one of our entourage got him to autograph her stuffed "Lightning McQueen" plushie; he was just out strolling around among the crown, blending right in with all the other rednecks, and yes, Owen Wilson IS a bona fide redneck-and this is a compliment coming from me), Larry the Cable Guy(FUN-NY!), John Lasseter, Bob Iger, richard Cook, Ed Catmull, Country music singer Brad Paisley(who performed live on stage before the movie), Chuck Berry, Country band Diamond Rio(who sang the "Star Spangled Banner"), and of course, the star drivers of NASCAR, who got more attention than the Hollywood stars, as befits this region! Few people recognized John Lasseter, but you should have heard the crown when Dale Earnheart, Jr. got out of his limo!
I won't give away too many spoilers for the movie, since it will not officially open until June, but I will say this much: One, this is Pixar's best film to date, in terms of both animation and character developement, and two, I really, REALLY want John Lasseter to write and direct the sequel to Monsters, Inc.. For one, he followed his formula for "no villains", though there was an antagonist in the form of another race car. The main character, Lightning McQueen, is quite unlikeable at first; he's arrogant, selfish, overly competitive, and thinks that winning and success are what it's all about. He snubs those who admire him, thinking that he's better than they are, and treats those who work for him very rudely, causing his entire pit crew to quit on him, not once, but several times. The entire movie is about how he learns, through often difficult experiences, that friendship and loyalty are far more important than fame and being on top, and that the past is a very important aspect of our lives, and that we must learn to value the past and the experiences of those who paved the way for us. He learns to show that side of himself that he's had to keep hidden in order(or so he thinks)to be a successful competitor, and winds up being a much better individual for it. No one gets blown up, or beaten with a shovel. I can so much see Mr. Lasseter taking Randall through a similar learning experience and character arc, and revealing the REAL Randall Boggs that we know is hidden underneath that competitive, desparate exterior, though as with Lightning McQueen, Randall probably isn't going to go quietly! Their personalities are very much alike, really, though Lightning is much more arrogant and much more of a show-off than Randall ever was!
pitbulllady
We got to see several big-name stars on the red carpet, including Paul Newman, Cheech Marin, Nelly, Tony Chalube, Bonnie Hunt, John Ratzenberger, Owen Wilson(one of our entourage got him to autograph her stuffed "Lightning McQueen" plushie; he was just out strolling around among the crown, blending right in with all the other rednecks, and yes, Owen Wilson IS a bona fide redneck-and this is a compliment coming from me), Larry the Cable Guy(FUN-NY!), John Lasseter, Bob Iger, richard Cook, Ed Catmull, Country music singer Brad Paisley(who performed live on stage before the movie), Chuck Berry, Country band Diamond Rio(who sang the "Star Spangled Banner"), and of course, the star drivers of NASCAR, who got more attention than the Hollywood stars, as befits this region! Few people recognized John Lasseter, but you should have heard the crown when Dale Earnheart, Jr. got out of his limo!
I won't give away too many spoilers for the movie, since it will not officially open until June, but I will say this much: One, this is Pixar's best film to date, in terms of both animation and character developement, and two, I really, REALLY want John Lasseter to write and direct the sequel to Monsters, Inc.. For one, he followed his formula for "no villains", though there was an antagonist in the form of another race car. The main character, Lightning McQueen, is quite unlikeable at first; he's arrogant, selfish, overly competitive, and thinks that winning and success are what it's all about. He snubs those who admire him, thinking that he's better than they are, and treats those who work for him very rudely, causing his entire pit crew to quit on him, not once, but several times. The entire movie is about how he learns, through often difficult experiences, that friendship and loyalty are far more important than fame and being on top, and that the past is a very important aspect of our lives, and that we must learn to value the past and the experiences of those who paved the way for us. He learns to show that side of himself that he's had to keep hidden in order(or so he thinks)to be a successful competitor, and winds up being a much better individual for it. No one gets blown up, or beaten with a shovel. I can so much see Mr. Lasseter taking Randall through a similar learning experience and character arc, and revealing the REAL Randall Boggs that we know is hidden underneath that competitive, desparate exterior, though as with Lightning McQueen, Randall probably isn't going to go quietly! Their personalities are very much alike, really, though Lightning is much more arrogant and much more of a show-off than Randall ever was!
pitbulllady