Andrew Stanton interview

Video interview with Pixar's Andrew Stanton, director of Finding Nemo and Wall-E. Among other things, he talks about two things that enabled the success of Pixar: the creative egalitarian dictatorship of John Lasseter and the ability of Steve Jobs to protect everyone from any outside business pressures and just create.

Wall-E

Wall-E was wonderful...best new film I've seen in a long time. With it, Andrew Stanton joins Brad Bird in Pixar's top tier of directors, with the much-heralded John Lasseter in third place. But I can see where Tyler Cowen was coming from when he stated in his short review that the film was "not recommended for children" and that "some bold genius at Pixar will be fired". Wall-E was funny, charming, and endearing but also subversive, disturbing, and dystopian. That combination that usually doesn't play well at the box office but some of my favorite films ride that fine line between comedy and disconcerting drama.

Some other thoughts and observations:

• This was the first Pixar movie to include live action sequences. What, they couldn't 'toon Fred Willard?
• Disney is selling all sorts of Wall-E merchandise to go along with the movie, much of which will end up in a landfill somewhere. Just like the movie. It's a full circle. Very clever, Disney.
• Here's a list of easter eggs and references in the film and here are some Apple-specific references. My favorite was a scene near the end with Wall-E, the autopilot, and the autopilot's buddy that referenced the Luke/Vader/Emperor struggle at the end of Jedi.
• I doubt it was an explicit reference, but the future earth of Wall-E resembles that of the under-appreciated Idiocracy.
• The ending credits are a fun little tour through art history.
• Presto, the funny short movie played before Wall-E, is available for purchase from the iTunes Store for $1.99. Here's the Buy n Large corporate web site. Galax-E is a font inspired by the lettering from Wall-E.