PIXAR’s Animated Short, Piper, is a Huge Squeal of Delight!

PIPER – Concept Art by Jason Deamer (Production Designer). ©2016 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
PIPER – Concept Art by Jason Deamer (Production Designer). ©2016 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

PIXAR’s original animated shorts is quite often more amazing than their feature-length films. While there are a few exceptions, namely with Toy Story, Wall*E and Up as my top three favourites, in what I’m watching attached to their movies is nothing short of marvellous. In my list of best films in this category has to be (in order): Piper, Blue Umbrella and Lifted. I admit to a slight bias towards the last item on this list, since I adore UFO stories that are not horror scenarios.

Piper is this studio’s latest entry and it’s nothing short of amazing. I do not think I can even watch this short on Blu-ray (1080p) resolution. It is very deserving of a 4K (2160p) treatment! I was amazed at witnessing every grain of sand rendered and the detail along every feather of the hero. Piper is most likely the name of the baby bird, a Sandpiper, learning how to hunt for food. Unfortunately, in his first attempt, he nearly got washed away by an ocean wave! His reaction was priceless and his ruffled look had the audience in stitches! This piece was screened along with Finding Dory, so the themes were very similar!

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Dates for Captain Smek finding Himself “Home” with a Movie (and Book Sequel News)

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

DreamWorks-Animation-HOME-5

Audiences who went to see Mr. Peabody and Sherman on the big screen were treated to an animated short, Almost Home, which will lead into DreamWorks Animation’s next animated adventure, simply titled Home. It is scheduled to be released on November 26 in North America and December 5 in the United Kingdom.

The story is based on Adam Rex’s bookHome, “The True Meaning of Smekday,” which will be getting a sequel, “Smek for PresidentHome,” set to be released October 14th. In both the book and film, the focus may be on Tip, a eleven-year-old girl, who must learn how to survive on her own when her mother gets abducted.

The film may be different since the short introduces Captain Smek (Steve Martin), the bearded leader of the Boov race, as the main protagonist. This gentle loving species is looking for someplace safe from all their enemies, but when the entire universe seems to be against them, is anyplace safe? After many landings in hostile worlds with not-so-friendly native populations nipping at them, this guardian of the peace (if he can be called that) finally finds a planet which looks safe. But for everyone on the planet Earth and a teenage girl named Tip (Rihanna) who will meet Smek, just what will happen between the two sounds like an action-adventure comedy in the making.