For the first time in its history the Cannes Film Festival, probably the most famous film fest in the world, will open with a feature length animated movie, Pixar’s latest offering, Up, directed by Pete Docter who directed Pixar’s 2001 international hit Monsters Inc. The film will be in digital 3-D (increasingly common for big studio animation these days, which can be fun but a bit awkward for those of us who wear spectacles – trying to fit the 3-d glasses over your own isn’t terribly comfortable) and concerns an elderly man who attaches balloons to his house to take to the skies.
Its due for release at the end of May in the US, but for some unfathomable reason the UK won’t get it until mid October. Those of us of a certain age no doubt remember the bad old days of the 70s and 80s when UK releases were routinely months after the US screenings and how infuriating that was, but for most large movies now that’s less common and it is hard to work out why studios do it these days for some films (especially major releases) – it means US viewers will be waiting on the DVD release while we’re still waiting to see the actual film in cinemas. In an international film market where the industry is screaming out loud about download movie piracy (including adverts before every screening in UK cinemas) this strategy makes even less sense. I’m really pleased to see an animated film opening the Cannes Festival, but surely if they can take it to Europe for that why do UK viewers have to wait many months to see the film legally in cinemas? From the trailer though, it looks terrific – balloons, zepplins, biplanes, fun and adventure done the Pixar way, oh yes.(via the BBC)
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