Toy Story 3 (2008) – Lost Projects

25/05/2026 / Joe Baker / 2 Comments

In January 2004, then-Pixar CEO Steve Jobs announced that the Walt Disney Company would not renew its distribution deal with Pixar Animation. At the time, Pixar was quickly earning its status as one of the world’s leading animation studios, responsible for a string of box-office hits, including Toy Story (1995), Monsters, Inc. (2001) and Finding Nemo (2003). Anticipating the split, then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner downplayed the fallout and Pixar’s discontent with the terms of their deal, arguing Disney could continue producing sequels to Pixar’s films without their involvement, since Disney retained the rights to Pixar’s characters and franchises under their original contract. To that end, Eisner launched a new animation studio in Glendale, California, dubbed Circle 7 Animation, named after Circle 7 Drive, where the studio was located, solely established to develop sequels to Pixar’s films without any input from their creative team, most of which were intended to be budget-friendly, direct-to-DVD releases.

Among Circle 7’s first projects were early drafts for Monsters, Inc. 2, Finding Nemo 2 and, of course, Toy Story 3. During this time, several ideas for a third Toy Story instalment were considered, including a whodunnit-style mystery in which Woody and the gang investigate a string of missing toys in Andy’s grandmother’s attic, and another where Andy’s mother remarries, leading to the toys becoming lost in Mexico, encountering knock-off versions of themselves, such as El Buzz and Mr. Papaya Head. Eventually, however, a screenplay by Jim Herzfeld was selected, with screenwriters Bob Hilgenberg and Rob Muir revising both the dialogue and the narrative as many concept artists, including Ric Sluiter, Jim Martin and Shane Zalvin, began developing the project’s visuals through a variety of sketches and art pieces.

In this rendition of Toy Story 3, Buzz Lightyear begins to malfunction, prompting Andy’s mother to send him back to the factory in Taipei, Taiwan, where he was manufactured, unaware that a global recall has been issued to destroy, rather than repair, all defective Buzz Lightyear units. Upon learning this, Woody, Jessie, Rex, and the rest of the gang embark on an international rescue mission, facing a series of chaotic and comedic set pieces, such as a tense encounter at a daycare centre inside the towering Taipei 101 skyscraper. Meanwhile, at the factory, Buzz narrowly escapes destruction by a machine known as “The Smasher” and teams up with a duo of faulty, recalled toys known as Cindy Scissors, a superheroine with bladed legs, and Rosey, a defective bed warmer doll, to deliver a letter to the company’s elusive founder, Mr. Kagoy. However, their journey is complicated by the arrival of Daxx Blastar, a flashy new Star Command toy intended to replace Buzz, who narcissistically confronts them. As all hope seems lost, Woody and the gang arrive to help expose the corrupt board members’ scheme to destroy all the Buzz Lightyear units, as Mr. Kagoy, who is secretly aware that all toys are alive, rescinds the recall order and promises to repair all the defective units and return them to their owners. As the gang prepare to head home, Daxx makes one last attempt to stop them, but is humorously thwarted and subsequently shipped off to Sid’s house, thanks to Jessie and the gang. The story concludes with a cheerful montage of Woody, Buzz and the rest of the toys returning home to Andy, whilst the previously recalled toys, Cindy and Rosey, find new owners.

This proposed continuation of the Toy Story franchise would have been a mixed bag to say the least, expanding on the beloved world of sentient toys in bold and imaginative ways while regressing in others. For example, taking the characters out of the American suburbs to explore another country would have allowed Woody and the gang to venture through a rich tapestry of tropical forests and vibrant cities across Taiwan, setting itself apart from any locations we have seen in the franchise previously. Moreover, Buzz’s underlying character arc, from inevitable destruction to rediscovery, mirrors the existential themes of earlier instalments, while new characters, such as Cindy and Rosey, offer fresh perspectives on value, identity and rejection. Conversely, the narrative frequently exhibits signs of overreach, juggling multiple subplots, a sprawling cast of characters and locations, and a corporate conspiracy angle that risks overshadowing the story’s emotional core. Additionally, Daxx Blastar, the central antagonist of the film, is largely underdeveloped and almost cartoonishly evil when compared to the antagonists of previous entries, making the factory’s climactic showdown feel rather lacklustre. What’s more, some narrative turns, like Mr. Kagoy’s sudden awareness of the toys’ sentience, feel overly convenient and lack sufficient setup for what is supposed to be a grand reveal.

In my opinion, however, the biggest problem with this iteration of Toy Story 3 is that it shares far too many similarities with the franchise’s prior entry, Toy Story 2 (1999), with the gang setting off on a journey to recover one of their members (who has been taken by humans for one reason or another and is unlikely to return), while having a toy antagonist to contend with. As a result, this rendition of Toy Story 3 also lacks the emotional and satisfying conclusion of the actual third instalment, revisiting familiar territory and suggesting a new cycle of conflict, leaving the door open for further sequels and coming adventures for Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang, which simply isn’t fitting for a third instalment of an iconic series.

In summary, Circle 7 Animation was ultimately a strategic backup plan, an animation studio created by Disney to protect and extend its ownership of Pixar properties during a time of uncertainty. But, in January 2006, after Bob Iger succeeded Michael Eisner as CEO, Disney changed course. Iger opted to purchase Pixar outright for approximately £6.07 billion ($7.4 billion), bringing the studio’s creative and commercial power fully under Disney’s corporate umbrella. As part of the acquisition, Circle 7 Animation was shut down, with all of its in-development projects cancelled. Pixar’s own version of Toy Story 3, released in 2010, took a different creative direction and became a critically acclaimed and award-winning triumph. Today, the Circle 7 rendition of the film only exists in remnants, each a glimpse into a parallel timeline that never came to be, a fascinating ‘what if’ in animation history. With tighter writing and deeper character development, it might have stood as a worthy continuation of one of Disney and Pixar’s most beloved franchises. Personally, though, I feel the rendition of Toy Story 3 we eventually received is a near-perfect series finale (before the unnecessary sequels materialised), so I’m not too disheartened we never saw this iteration of the toys’ third outing.

Jaws (1975) – Anniversary Retrospective

20/06/202529/06/2025 / Joe Baker / 1 Comment

“Here’s to Swimmin’ With Bow-Legged Women…” – Captain Quint

In the summer of 1975, a ferocious great white shark swam into cinemas and, by extension, cinematic history, as Jaws, directed by a then-relatively unknown Steven Spielberg, didn’t just terrify cinemagoers; it changed the film industry forever in more ways than one.

Now, decades on, amid its 50th anniversary, it’s hard to imagine a world without it, not simply because of John Williams’ iconic original score or the unforgettable characters, but because Jaws was essentially the first summer blockbuster. Before the film’s release, summer wasn’t considered prime time for big-budget releases, but rather a dumping ground for lower-tier films. Nevertheless, Universal Pictures took a gamble with Spielberg’s shark-centric cliffhanger. This gamble paid off in a big way when Jaws hit cinemas on June 20th, 1975, instantly becoming a box office phenomenon, grossing over $470 million worldwide, equivalent to around £1.8 billion today when adjusted for inflation. It became, for a time, the highest-grossing film ever made until the then-titled sci-fi blockbuster Star Wars arrived in 1977. Still, half a century on, Jaws certainly hasn’t lost its bite.

Beginning life as a relatively short yet commercially successful novel, written by the late American writer Peter Benchley and published by Doubleday in 1974, Jaws recounts the story of an enormous great white shark preying upon the fictional coastal town of Amity, a tourist hotspot located on the south shore of Long Island, halfway between Bridgehampton and East Hampton, prompting a local police chief, a marine biologist, and a crusty fisherman to track it down. The novel grew out of Benchley’s increasing interest in shark attacks after he read about the exploits of Frank Mundus, an author and shark angler-turned-conservationist from Montauk, New York, thought to be the inspiration for the character of Captain Quint.

Although the adaptation wasn’t particularly faithful to his best-selling novel, as it streamlines the plot, focuses more on the hunt for the shark, and significantly alters some characters and subplots, Benchley’s mixed feelings towards the film were not a result of this. Instead, while he acknowledged the film’s success and massive influence on pop culture, he also expressed some regret for the portrayal of sharks his work had brought about, specifically the exaggerated depiction of them as purely murderous beasts, as Benchley was, in actuality, a passionate advocate for shark conservation and ocean preservation, co-founding the Peter Benchley Ocean Awards, which honours individuals and organisations making substantial contributions to marine conservation.

While the premise of Jaws is simple yet compelling, what truly turned the story into something extraordinary was Spielberg’s guidance. Ironically, one of the most influential choices he made during production came out of pure necessity, as the animatronic shark, nicknamed; “Bruce,” after Spielberg’s attorney, continually malfunctioned on set, leading the aquatic killer to be absent from many scenes. As a result, rather than relying on the animatronic, Spielberg employed suggestion, sound design, and innovative cinematography to build tension, often placing the audience in the position of the shark through filmmaking techniques, such as submerged P.O.V. shots. However, Jaws is, of course, best known for its brilliant two-note theme by legendary composer John Williams, a nerve-wracking piece now etched into pop culture and instantly recognisable to most. Much like the shark itself, Williams’ score functions as an ominous, underlying presence for the majority of the film’s runtime, audibly characterising the ocean as a place of dread where any ripple could spell doom, serving as a stark contrast to Amity’s amiable summer spirit. Through these aspects and others, Jaws demonstrated the power of suggestion over spectacle, a quality that even modern blockbusters haven’t quite recaptured despite their access to contemporary visual effects.

What gives Jaws its staying power isn’t just its clever filmmaking; it’s also its characters, as the late Roy Scheider portrays Police Chief Brody as the perfect everyman, caught between his fear of the ocean and his responsibility to protect his town and its residents, whilst Richard Dreyfuss brings humour and intelligence to the film as the marine biologist and oceanographer Matt Hooper. However, the late Robert Shaw’s Captain Quint is perhaps the most widely admired of the trio, harbouring many memorable moments, including the celebrated scene where he chillingly recounts his ventures during World War II and the sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis, the ship he was aboard. Together, the three form a triad that grounds the story in real, human stakes, their boat-bound journey to pursue the shark forcing the characters to face their fears, confront their trauma, and earn each other’s respect. That is, before the film shifts back to nail-biting suspense for its final explosive moments, where the shark is blown to bits in spectacular fashion, thanks to the oxygen tank lodged in its teeth.

In the decades since its release, Jaws has left an enormous wake, with the film frequently being cited for reshaping the public perception of sharks (for better and for worse), causing shark phobia to rise amongst the general populace as U.S. beach attendance rapidly declined. Then, there’s the pop culture impact, where it’s difficult to overstate just how deeply Jaws burrowed into the cultural imagination, with the previously mentioned score by John Williams becoming a musical shorthand for looming danger in almost all media, getting utilised, spoofed and referenced in everything from The Simpsons to Finding Nemo (2003). Moreover, in addition to spawning multiple sequels (of varying quality), revolutionising how films were marketed, and turning Steven Spielberg into one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, Jaws bears one of the most well-known posters in cinematic history, with the image of the shark ominously approaching a swimming woman becoming almost iconic as the film itself, likely peddling countless copies to avid cinephiles, alongside the rest of the film’s varied merchandise, i.e. t-shirts, comic books, toys, video games, records, mugs and even inflatable sharks.

This legacy even led to a handful of real-world experiences, as Universal Pictures took it upon themselves to let fans step into the world of Jaws, bringing the film to life via attractions at many of their renowned theme parks worldwide, starting with an attraction at Universal Studios Florida in 1990. This attraction allowed guests to board a tour boat through Amity, only to be ‘attacked’ by a massive, animatronic shark rising from the water, complete with fire effects, water splashes and close calls. Although the attraction did close in 2012 to make space for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley, an immersive area based on the Harry Potter franchise, the Jaws attraction was immensely popular and beloved even after its many years of operation.

In summary, it’s incredibly impressive that exactly fifty years later, Jaws still thrives, not only as a film, but as a piece of widespread pop culture, with even those who haven’t watched the classic blockbuster being well aware of its existence. Jaws remains unnerving, thrilling, and strangely beautiful in its pacing and simplicity, standing as an iconic flick you can watch today and feel that same sense of creeping dread audiences felt in 1975, declaring the film a strong testament to storytelling, craftsmanship and the belief that sometimes, what you don’t see is what stays with you the longest. Consequently, however, all these years later, the water doesn’t feel all that safe…

Jurassic Park IV (2005) – Lost Projects

04/05/202505/05/2026 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Before 2015’s Jurassic World brought dinosaurs back to the silver screen in the form of a glossy soft reboot, an earlier, radically different concept was drawn up for the fourth instalment of the franchise, with the aptly titled; Jurassic Park IV, set for release in mid-2005. This scrapped, now-long-forgotten sequel would’ve taken the series in a bold and contentious direction, concentrating its narrative on a crazed storyline revolving around genetically engineered dinosaur-human hybrids being deployed worldwide as weaponised combatants by a sinister organisation. While this ludicrous idea did reach the concept art and early scripting stages, the project was ultimately discarded, with executives fearing it would undermine the cinematic legacy and relatively grounded tone of the franchise’s earlier instalments, relegating the unproduced film to become an obscure yet fascinating piece of the franchise’s history, following the success of the 1993 classic that began its journey.

From the information currently available, this hybrid storyline seemingly first came about as a result of esteemed director and the series’ executive producer Steven Spielberg’s supposed dissatisfaction with the prior entry in the franchise; Jurassic Park III (2001), wanting the subsequent sequel to be more daring and worthy of being part of the renowned franchise, hence the jump towards more outrageous concepts. The previously mentioned hybrids were to be intelligent, humanoid, combat-capable creatures that blended human and dinosaur physiology. Among the early illustrations was a Triceratops hybrid, a fully upright, green-skinned creature with humanoid proportions, three toes on each foot and one prominent horn atop its head, the other broken. A Tyrannosaurus Rex hybrid, which stood upright like a human and bore reddish-brown and charcoal-black skin, retaining the creature’s stubby, two-fingered hands, now with more muscular, human-like arms. And, lastly, a Velociraptor hybrid, which went through numerous iterations, with concept artist Carlos Huante, who developed many of the designs, once referring to the creature as the “Raptor-Man” in a since-deleted post on Instagram. Depicting the creature as agile and lean with a humanoid frame augmented by raptor-like features, the Velociraptor hybrid was perhaps the most unsettling of the early designs, blurring the line between futuristic horror and evolutionary fantasy, with one design even bearing a high-tech weapon on its left arm.

Carlos Huante later claimed that the concept of the dinosaur-human hybrids was shut down almost immediately after Steven Spielberg and executives at Amblin Entertainment reviewed the artwork, as they believed the idea strayed too far from the franchise’s core identity, shifting its focus from scientific plausibility and natural wonder to over-the-top, militarised science fiction. Nevertheless, whether intentional or not, the first public hint of this odd creative decision came in October 2003, when palaeontologist and longtime franchise dinosaur consultant Jack Horner appeared on Minnesota Public Radio. In response to a caller’s question regarding the speculative “Dinosauroid,” a hypothetical, intelligent descendant of the omnivore Troodon, a relatively small, bird-like theropod, Horner cryptically answered that the caller should; “Keep Thinking About That for a Couple of Years,” adding; “Go See Jurassic Park IV,” suggesting the franchise would explore the notion of dinosaur evolution.

Interestingly, despite this concept of dinosaur-human hybrids eventually being axed along with this iteration of the series’ fourth instalment, a similar idea had actually appeared during Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights in 2002, an annual scare event often featuring well-known franchises from the horror and sci-fi genres, within the attraction; Project Evilution. In the story of the tropical jungle-themed scare maze, Dr. Burton, a deranged InGen scientist, had conducted twisted experiments, mixing human and dinosaur DNA to create dinosaur-human hybrids that would terrorise visitors, which may have influenced or prefigured many of the illustrations that emerged during the development of Jurassic Park IV.

Outside of the central dinosaur-human hybrid concept, the story of Jurassic Park IV would have focused on ex-Navy Seal Nick Harris, as he is covertly enlisted by John Hammond to travel to the now-restricted island of Isla Nublar to locate Dennis Nedry’s missing canister of dinosaur embryos, lost during the events of Jurassic Park (1993). After landing on the island, avoiding threats and recovering the canister, however, Nick would be captured and taken to an archaic castle in the Swiss Alps. There, Baron Herman Von Drax, the CEO of the corrupt organisation, the Grendel Corporation, would reveal they had created dinosaur hybrids that partially shared DNA with both humans and domestic dogs, which Von Drax had supposedly found a way to control utilising radio signals. From there, the rest of the story follows Nick as he is forced to train the dinosaur-human hybrids to obey Von Drax further, concluding with Nick obtaining complete control of the hybrids, leading to a gigantic action sequence where the carnivorous creatures chase down Von Drax, some even sporting bulletproof armour.

In summary, though shelved, this sequel and, by extension, the notion of dinosaur-human hybrids, remain one of the most absurd yet intriguing ‘what-if’ chapters in the franchise’s history. And, whilst this rendition of Jurassic Park IV never came to fruition, many of its concepts actually did via the eventual, aforementioned soft-reboot; Jurassic World, converting the idea of dinosaur-human hybrids to Jurassic World scientists combining various strands of dinosaur/animal DNA in an attempt to manufacture a formidable, marketable beast, inadvertently resulting in blood-thirsty creatures like the Indominus Rex and the Indoraptor, the latter of which even maintaining the idea of being used as a weapon, but in a manner that felt more grounded in the world established by earlier franchise installments. Additionally, protagonist Nick Harris shares several similarities with Chris Pratt’s ensuing character, Owen Grady, with the two not only sharing the same military background, but also serving as trainers to a squad of carnivorous dinosaurs. Still, in my opinion, discarding this original storyline for the franchise’s fourth instalment was definitely a wise move, narrowly avoiding a creative decision that could have morphed the series into something laughably ludicrous and utterly unrecognisable from what it once was.

Iconic Lines in Cinema – Film List

12/04/202429/05/2025 / Joe Baker / 1 Comment

In my opinion, screenwriting has always been the most significant aspect of filmmaking amongst its many pivotal elements, given that storytelling and characterisation are ultimately what the creation of a film revolves around. These aspects are naturally fueled by lines of dialogue, which often become prominent in pop culture when associated with a certain character, scene or franchise, occasionally even adding layers of subtext to the grander narrative. Here is a small selection of my personal favourites…

Alien (1979)

“You Still Don’t Understand What You’re Dealing With, Do You? The Perfect Organism. Its Structural Perfection Is Matched Only By Its Hostility.” – Ash

Jaws (1975)

“You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat…” – Chief Martian Brody

Titanic (1997)

“I’m the King of the World!” – Jack Dawson

The Thing (1982)

“You Gotta Be Fuckin’ Kidding…” – Palmer

The Shining (1980)

“Here’s Johnny!” – Jack Torrance

Casablanca (1942)

“Here’s Looking at You, Kid.” – Rick Blaine

Toy Story (1995)

“To Infinity and Beyond!” – Buzz Lightyear

The Terminator (1984)

“I’ll Be Back.” – The T-800

Trainspotting (1993)

“Choose Life.” – Renton

Poltergeist (1982)

“They’re Here…” – Carol Anne Freeling

Citizen Kane (1941)

“Rosebud…” – Kane

Jurassic Park (1993)

“Welcome… to Jurassic Park.” – John Hammond

Frankenstein (1931)

“It’s Alive! It’s Alive!” – Dr. Henry Frankenstein

The Sixth Sense (1999)

“I See Dead People…” – Cole Sear

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

“I’m Sorry, Dave. I’m Afraid I Can’t Do That.” – HAL 9000

The Truman Show (1998)

“You Were Real. That’s What Made You So Good to Watch…” – Cristof

Apocalypse Now (1979)

“I Love the Smell of Napalm in the Morning…” – Robert Duvall

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

“You’ve Got Red on You.” – Various

Forrest Gump (1994)

“Mama Always Said Life Was Like a Box of Chocolates. You Never Know What You’re Gonna Get.” – Forrest Gump

Goodfellas (1990)

“As Far Back as I Can Remember, I Always Wanted to Be a Gangster…” – Henry Hill

Pulp Fiction (1994)

“You Know What They Call a Quarter Pounder With Cheese in Paris?” – Vincent Vega

Gone With the Wind (1939)

“Frankly, My Dear, I Don’t Give a Damn…”

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

“You Probably Heard We Ain’t in the Prisoner-Takin’ Business, We in the Killin’ Nazi Business, and Cousin… Business Is A-Boomin!” – Lt. Aldo Raine

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

“May the Force Be With You.” – Han Solo

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

“My Precious…” – Gollum

Outstanding Original Scores in Cinema – Film List

16/07/202321/08/2025 / Joe Baker / 2 Comments

I’ve always considered original scores to be a very underappreciated element of filmmaking, as many audience members rarely seem to take notice of the beautiful and indelible soundtracks that saturate many scenes throughout cinematic history. These scores serve an important purpose in audibly immersing the audience in a narrative via dramatic, unnerving or sorrowful tracks that evoke deep emotion inside them (even if they aren’t aware of it), greatly enhancing the cinematic experience. Here are some of my personal favourites…

Dune (2021) – Composer, Hanz Zimmer

Favourite Tracks: Herald of the Change, Ripples in the Sand

Drive (2011) – Composer, Cliff Martinez

Favourite Tracks: I Drive, Bride of Deluxe

Jaws (1975) – Composer, John Williams

Favourite Tracks: Main Title and First Victim, End Titles

Dunkirk (2016) – Composer, Hanz Zimmer

Favourite Tracks: The Mole, Supermarine

WALL-E (2008) – Composer, Thomas Newman

Favourite Tracks: 72 Degrees and Sunny, Define Dancing

Arrival (2016) – Composer, Jóhann Jóhannsson

Favourite Tracks: Arrival, Kangaru

Halloween (1978) – Composer, John Carpenter

Favourite Tracks: Halloween Theme – Main Title, Myer’s House

Ratatouille (2007) – Composer, Michael Giacchino

Favourite Tracks: Ratatouille Main Theme, End Creditouilles

Jurassic Park (1993) – Composer, John Williams

Favourite Tracks: Welcome to Jurassic Park, Journey to the Island

The Neon Demon (2016) – Composer, Cliff Martinez

Favourite Tracks: The Neon Demon, Something’s in My Room

A Ghost Story (2017) – Composer, Daniel Hart

Favourite Tracks: The Secret in the Wall, Safe Safe Safe

Vertigo (1958) – Composer, Bernard Herrmann

Favourite Tracks: Prelude and Rooftop, Carlotta’s Portrait

The Shape of Water (2017) – Composer, Alexandre Desplat

Favourite Tracks: The Shape of Water, Elisa’s Theme

Nocturnal Animals (2016) – Composer, Abel Korzeniowski

Favourite Tracks: Revenge, City Lights

Edward Scissorhands (1990) – Composer, Danny Elfman

Favourite Tracks: Storytime, Ice Dance

The Social Network (2010) – Composers, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Favourite Tracks: In Motion, Painted Sun in Abstract

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) – Composer, Daniel Pemberton

Favourite Tracks: Gimme the Goober, Spider-Man Loves You

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001) – Composer, John Williams

Favourite Tracks: Hedwig’s Theme, Diagon Alley and the Gringotts Vault

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – Composer, Alexandre Desplat

Favourite Tracks: Mr. Moustafa, Daylight Express to Lutz

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) – Composer, Ennio Morricone

Favourite Tracks: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Ecstasy of Gold

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) – Composer, Alexandre Desplat

Favourite Tracks: Mr. Fox in the Fields, Jimmy Squirrel and Co.

Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) – Composer, John Williams

Favourite Tracks: Main Title, The Princess Appears

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) – Composer, Daniel Pemberton

Favourite Tracks: Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy), Canon Event

Blade Runner 2049 (2017) – Composers, Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch

Favourite Tracks: Tears in the Rain, Blade Runner

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) – Composer, Jon Brion

Favourite Tracks: Theme From Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Bookstore

Ten Film Facts You Should Know (Part One) – Film List

07/06/202318/05/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Cinema has always been full of surprises, particularly when it comes to the creation of certain projects, as fascinating stories often occur during the pre-production, production and post-production stages of iconic films (some intentional, others happy accidents), with many of these happenings eventually making it onto the silver screen or the furthest reaches of the internet, remaining a sheltered piece of film history. So, here are ten film facts you should know to expand your cinephile knowledge and triumph over your family and friends at your next trivia night.

A Ghost Story (2017)

During the production of the indie drama; A Ghost Story, for the prolonged shot in which her character eats a pie, several variations of pies were baked and tested in preparation for the scene. Actress Rooney Mara, a self-confessed picky eater, ultimately opted for a reduced-sugar, gluten-free vegan chocolate pie. Writer-director David Lowery claimed it was delicious, but Mara disagreed, declaring it tasted vile.

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Jurassic Park (1993)

Following the end of production on the iconic blockbuster; Jurassic Park, all the cast were given a Velociraptor model, signed by director Steven Spielberg, as a gift. The model looked rather frightening, so actress Ariana Richards positioned her model in her house to startle arriving guests. Actress Laura Dern, however, placed her model in her son’s room near his crib. But, when her son was older and witnessed it looking over him, he grew terrified of the model, forcing Dern to put the Velociraptor model into storage.

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Shrek (2001)

Originally, comedian Chris Farley was cast as the voice of the titular character in the animated smash-hit; Shrek, recording almost all of the character’s dialogue. However, after his sudden death in 1997, the role was given to his then-fellow Saturday Night Live performer, Mike Myers. As such, Shrek’s air quotes in the film are a homage to one of Farley’s most well-known characters, Bennett Brauer, who commonly used air quotes. A story reel featuring a sample of Farley’s recorded dialogue was eventually leaked to the public in 2015.

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Toy Story 2 (1999)

Whilst working on the sequel to the cherished animated flick; Toy Story, released in 1995, one of the animators accidentally entered the code; “rm *,” which, when entered, deletes everything on the computer as fast as possible. As a result, the team behind Toy Story 2 lost roughly 90% of the film. Fortunately, supervising technical director, Galyn Susman, had recently had a child, so she took a copy of the film home with her so she could work from home, allowing the team to cover the extra copy in blankets and drive it back to Pixar Animation Studios, where they were able to recover the majority of the film.

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Halloween (1978)

In the original screenplay for the horror classic; Halloween, then-titled; The Babysitter Murders, the events of the story took place over several days. Due to the filmmakers only possessing a budget of around £260,000, however, it was ultimately a budgetary decision to change the screenplay to have everything occur on the same day, reducing the number of costume changes and locations required. Furthermore, it was decided that Halloween, the scariest night of the year, was the perfect night for Michael Myer’s teenage massacre, hence the title change.

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Pulp Fiction (1994)

Forming an interesting link between two quintessential crime-thrillers, Mr. Blonde, a.k.a. Vic Vega, portrayed by Michael Madsen in 1992’s Reservoir Dogs, is actually the brother of Vincent Vega, portrayed by John Travolta, from Pulp Fiction. At one point, the director of both films, Quentin Tarantino, even had a spin-off in development titled; Double V Vega, which would’ve served as a prequel to both films. However, the film was eventually scrapped because both actors were too old to portray younger versions of themselves.

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Oculus (2013)

Although the film wasn’t released until 2013, had co-writer and director Mike Flanagan agreed to develop his supernatural horror flick; Oculus, in a found-footage style similar to Paranormal Activity, released in 2007, the film would’ve been released much earlier as a number of production companies were interested in the project, even preparing to back the film as early as 2006. Flanagan, however, refused to do so.

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Shaun of the Dead (2004)

After the release of the treasured British horror-comedy; Shaun of the Dead, in 2004, duo Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright considered writing a sequel to the film that would’ve replaced zombies with another monster. But, they ultimately decided against it, as they thought too many characters perished in the original to continue the narrative. The proposed title for this sequel was; From Dusk Till Shaun. Humorously, a mocked-up poster can be seen for the film in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, released in 2018, a film that takes place in an alternate reality.

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Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

All of the visual effects throughout the critically acclaimed, universe-hopping comedy-drama; Everything Everywhere All at Once, were completed by nine people (including the two directors), with most of the visual effects accomplished by a core group of only five individuals. Moreover, none of the visual effects team academically learnt visual effects, they were all friends who simply taught themselves how to create convincing effects with tutorials they found online for free.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

In the swashbuckling blockbuster; Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Johnny Depp’s beloved character, Captain Jack Sparrow, is shown to have gold teeth, these gold teeth were actually Depp’s idea. However, Depp predicted that the film’s executives would desire fewer gold teeth, so he instructed his dentist to implant more gold teeth in his mouth as a bargaining tool. Jack’s final number of gold teeth in the film was what Depp had envisioned all along for the money-hungry pirate.

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The Problem with Live-Action Disney Remakes – Film Discussion

18/07/202009/10/2025 / Joe Baker / 1 Comment

In years recent years, Disney has noticeably been taking quite an aggressive approach to reimagining many of the company’s classic animated adventures into live-action blockbusters, which I personally feel is having a bad influence on the rest of the film industry in more ways than one…

Despite Disney actually began the trend of remaking their classic films all the way back in 2010 with the semi-sequel/remake of ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ directed by Tim Burton. Disney didn’t begin to get truly rampant with its approach until the later successes of ‘Cinderella’ and ‘The Jungle Book’ in 2015 and 2016, respectively, with ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ ‘Dumbo’ and ‘Aladdin’ following not far behind, eventually leading to their most recent releases, that being ‘The Lion King’ and ‘Lady and the Tramp.’ Yet, whilst all of these films did receive mostly positive reviews from both critics and audiences upon their initial release, I personally have never understood why. As, for me, none of these remakes ever manage to really justify their existence, with each new film simply feeling like nothing more than a product, a money machine disguised as a film created purely to rinse profit out of Disney fans who desire to see their childhood classics recreated in a new light and, by this point, I just find it irritating.

Of course, remaking iconic films is nothing new for the film industry, with dreadful remakes, such as ‘RoboCop,’ ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Robin Hood,’ all being great examples of how taking a classic film and giving it a sleek modern aesthetic doesn’t automatically make it superior to the original. However, it’s the way Disney goes about executing their remakes that makes them even more frustrating, as even though most reimaginings may not differ too much from the original story, the majority of Disney remakes feel almost identical to their animated counterparts, featuring nearly all of the same scenes and dialogue, now just dragged down by much weaker visuals, vocal performances, and songs. This, in turn, also allows directors and writers to simply borrow material from previous filmmakers without having to innovate much themselves. Another issue I have with Disney converting their animated classics into live-action is that many of the original stories were always envisioned to be animated as they were being written, meaning when transferred into a different style of filmmaking, they usually are forced to rely on enormous amounts of CGI.

Although most audiences seemingly don’t take issue with Disney’s constant remakes, there are still some Disney fans who have spoken out about losing interest in Disney’s future live-action endeavours. In particular, I personally recall many weren’t looking forward to watching the ‘Aladdin’ remake around the time of its release, which I feel is understandable, as just from its trailer alone, it was clear that not only would the film intensely mirror the original, but it was obvious just from a glance that its visuals were also far, far duller, as the remake was lacking in both colour and style. Focusing more on being semi-realistic rather than fully engaging in its elements of fantasy (which, for a narrative revolving around a powerful genie who grants three magical wishes, feels like a huge mistake to me). Whilst the original ‘Aladdin’ may not be the most visually enthralling of Disney’s catalogue of family flicks, the classic style of 2D hand-drawn animation is still very pleasing to look at, even by today’s standards for CG animated films.

It may even surprise some to know that many of these bland remakes were actually directed by talented filmmakers like Jon Favreau and the previously mentioned Tim Burton. Yet, with each new film, every director’s unique style always seems to be stripped away or completely absent, as not only does each remake barely utilise any creative cinematography or editing, relying nearly entirely on CG effects to impress the audience. But usually inventive directors such as Guy Ritchie, who has made phenomenal use of his unique style of editing and humour in the past within his films, like ‘Snatch’ and ‘The Gentlemen,’ suffers as a result of how simply generic and even somewhat boring his reimagining of ‘Aladdin’ is, and while Disney may not be entirely to blame for this, I do believe the company would prefer to keep each remake fairly easy to digest in order to appeal to a wider audience.

In addition to both the visuals and directing, however, the cast of the original animated flicks were also a huge contributing factor to them becoming as beloved as they now are, with not only actors like Robin Williams as the original ‘Genie,’ of course, but also lesser-known actors such as Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella as ‘Timon’ and ‘Pumbaa,’ to Jodi Benson and Pat Carroll as ‘Ariel’ and ‘Ursula,’ as all these voices not only gave the characters great comedic timing and a distinct tone, but they soon even became an extension of the characters themselves, making them recognisable purely through their voice. Whereas Disney’s newer remakes prefer to just take the much easier approach of simply casting the most relevant actors at the time and throwing them into an iconic role, and whilst actors, like Donald Glover and Chiwetel Ejiofor, will always be superb at their craft, forcing these performers into roles within ‘The Lion King’ simply due to their popularity will always make their vocal performance feel very out-of-place when in comparison with the original film.

The final area I find Disney remakes to be most lacking is the tampering of classic Disney songs, as although I’m personally not an enormous fan of musicals within the realm of live-action, I’ve always enjoyed many of the songs in Disney animated classics. As, not only do I feel these songs add to the characters and the story of each film immensely, but many classic Disney songs also manage to become iconic amongst themselves, with nearly any fan of animation more than likely know all the words to ‘Be Our Guest,’ ‘The Circle of Life,’ and ‘Under the Sea’ (just to name a few). But, when it comes to the remakes, once again, both the original score and songs feel far duller, even in spite of the legendary Hans Zimmer returning for ‘The Lion King’ remake to recreate many of his classic tracks. Still, a few of the reimaginings do at least attempt to throw in some original songs, which unfortunately end up being mostly forgotten due to them being overshadowed by the classic songs audiences are more familiar with.

In summary, it seems the influx of live-action Disney remakes won’t be stopping anytime soon, with ‘The Lion King’ racking in over £1 billion worldwide, Disney will most likely continue this remaking trend until their audience completely loses interest, as reimaginings of ‘Mulan,’ ‘Peter Pan,’ ‘The Little Mermaid,’ ‘Pinocchio,’ The Sword in the Stone’ and ‘Lilo and Stitch,’ as well as many, many more, are already set for release. Whilst the House of Mouse does still have a few original films on the horizon, Disney seems to be heading down a similar path to their paired animation company Pixar, that being one of laziness, relying mostly on their previous stories and franchises for profit rather than creating something new which, in turn, is also encouraging other production companies to do the same. So, if you share my opinion, perhaps sit out Disney’s next live-action release, stay at home, and just relive many of the beautifully animated stories from the past, as I honestly believe many of these films are timeless.

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Film Quiz – Test Your Knowledge of Cinema

25/06/202010/10/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Do you believe yourself to be a certified cinephile? Test your knowledge of cinema with eighty multiple-choice questions from a number of iconic films, all with varying degrees of difficulty. Available now via this link to Kahoot!

Be sure to challenge your family and friends for the best experience possible.

Link: https://create.kahoot.it/share/joe-baker-reviews-film-quiz/b59322c6-64a1-4bbc-ac79-db83cf6ab3b0

Beautiful Shots in Cinema – Film List

19/07/201918/05/2025 / Joe Baker / Leave a comment

Throughout history, there have been many captivating shots in cinema that inventively visualise the stories they are illustrating, thoroughly enthralling the audience in their stories by combing imaginative framing/composition with an attractive colour palette and exceptional lighting. Some shots even go so far as to convey the narrative behind a certain character, item or location merely through a single image, becoming commemorated in the annuals of cinema for decades to come. Here are a few of my personal favourites…

Blade Runner 2049 (2017) – Cinematographer, Roger Deakins

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The Matrix (1999) – Cinematographer, Bill Pope

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Jaws (1975) – Cinematographer, Bill Butler

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Psycho (1960) – Cinematographer, John L. Russell

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Pulp Fiction (1994) – Cinematographer, Andrzej Sekula

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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) – Cinematographer, Douglas Slocombe

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The Revenant (2016) – Cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki

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American Beauty (1999) – Cinematographer, Conrad Hall

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Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) – Cinematographer, Robert Richardson

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Don’t Breathe (2016) – Cinematographer, Pedro Luque

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Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) – Cinematographer, Ben Davis

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Annihilation (2018) – Cinematographers, Rob Hardy and Robert Hardy

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Interstellar (2014) – Cinematographer, Hoyte Van Hoytema

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American Psycho (2000) – Cinematographer, Andrzej Sekuła

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The Shape of Water (2017) – Cinematographer, Dan Laustsen

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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) – Cinematographer, Allen Daviau

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2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) – Cinematographers, Geoffrey Unsworth and John Alcott

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The Road (2009) – Cinematographer, Javier Aguirresarobe

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Life of Pi (2012) – Cinematographer, Claudio Miranda

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Fight Club (1999) – Cinematographer, Jeff Cronenweth

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The Shining (1980) – Cinematographers, John Alcott and Martin Kenzie

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Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010) – Cinematographer, Bill Pope

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A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – Cinematographer, Jacques Haitkin

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The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) – Cinematographer, Andrew Lesnie

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Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014) – Cinematographer, Emmanuel Lubezki

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What Happened to Pixar Animation? – Film Discussion

21/03/201910/10/2025 / Joe Baker / 1 Comment

Whatever happened to the beloved animation studio, Pixar Animation?

Pixar Animation used to create some phenomenal animated adventures that the entire family could enjoy, regardless of their age. Mixing brilliant storytelling with beautiful animation and incredibly memorable characters, each film never failed to stand out amongst the rest. Some of the films, like ‘Monsters, Inc.’ or ‘WALL-E,’ for example (two of my personal favourite Pixar films), really got creative with their own narratives and fleshed out their individual worlds. However, in recent years, I’ve noticed a severe downgrade in the quality of their films, as it seems ever since the release of ‘Toy Story 3’ back in 2010, Pixar has had a real reliance on sequels, prequels and spin-offs over original films. While still mostly enjoyable, I have noticed the storytelling, character arcs and world-building all seem to be lacking when compared to their earlier films.

In recent years, films such as ‘The Good Dinosaur,’ ‘Monsters University,’ ‘Brave,’ ‘Finding Dory,’ the ‘Cars’ sequels/spin-offs and, of course, the upcoming ‘Toy Story 4.’ Have all ranged from sub-par through to simply awful, the ‘Cars’ series, of course, being the best example of this as this series has always been Pixar’s black sheep. Never truly having the magic that makes Pixar special, always feeling like more of a cash-grab than anything else. ‘Cars 2’ being the most prominent example of this, as this film is one of Pixar’s only poorly reviewed films to date. The ‘Cars’ series has always felt very immature to me, although I didn’t hate the original film, it’s definitely no one’s favourite. In regard to Pixar’s other sequels; ‘Finding Dory’ and ‘Toy Story 4,’ ‘Finding Dory’ is nothing more than a reskinned ‘Finding Nemo,’ except for a few amusing characters; the film has nothing more really to offer. Despite having fantastic reviews from critics for some reason, the film was never anything other than a massive nostalgia slap for me. As, of now, ‘Toy Story 4’ hasn’t yet been released, but I feel when it does it’ll be another film with great reviews, but with nothing truly memorable about it, as I personally believe the ‘Toy Story’ trilogy concluded so satisfactorily, I don’t truly don’t understand why they feel the need to continue that story other than profit.

‘Monsters University’ is probably my favourite of Pixar’s recent continuations of their old stories, although I don’t think the film reaches the heights of ‘Monsters, Inc.’ due to less originality and a lack of adult themes. I do still think the film is very witty, and it does explore the monster world further. It’s one of the few films I can say where it feels there was true thought put into it, as it doesn’t just lean on the legacy of the previous film. Finally, we come to Pixar’s original films. This being ‘The Good Dinosaur’ and ‘Brave,’ now whilst I don’t think these films are awful per se. They simply just aren’t that memorable. ‘Brave’ has a few amusing moments and an interesting setting, but falls more into classic 2D animated stories at points. As for ‘The Good Dinosaur,’ it’s simply a ‘returning home’ story, with nothing of note at all other than the nice animation. It seems most people agree with me on this one, too, considering it’s very low box office return.

Now, of course, there are some recent exceptions, Pixar’s ‘Inside Out,’ ‘Coco’ and last year’s ‘Incredibles 2,’ which I did enjoy very much. These films proved to me that Pixar still has some great stories in them, although these films aren’t perfect and I wouldn’t rank them as high as the classic Pixar films personally, they definitely show potential. I would love to see more original animated films like this from Pixar. Considering how much money ‘Coco’ made when it was released, it’s clear they still make money just from the Pixar name alone. So, why do they feel the need to rely on sequels? Many people would point to Disney pulling their leg, and although I could believe that. I also think it’s due to Pixar simply becoming uninterested; they now think of themselves as the animation giants the audience believes they are. This means they no longer take risks and are comfortable simply gaining profit from their previous franchises.

This could also be due to a lack of original ideas; of course, Pixar simply feels more comfortable returning to their previous stories. But, considering some of their big competitors such as DreamWorks Animation, Blue Sky Animation, Warner Bros. Animation and Illumination Animation are all still pumping out original films (granted, not all quite to the usual Pixar standard). Films, such as ‘Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie,’ ‘Ferdinand,’ ‘The Lego Movie’ and ‘Despicable Me’ are all still very enjoyable to watch. Some of these films even made a pretty big box office return, with the ‘Despicable Me’ spin-off; ‘Minions,’ becoming one of the highest-grossing animated films ever, earning over £900 million. Even the company that teamed up with them (that being Disney) are beating them recently when it comes to original animated flicks, with Walt Disney Animation Studios’ ‘Zootopia,’ being one of my favourite films of 2016.

In summary, what happened to Pixar Animation is very clear to me. They simply got lazy, focusing far more on wanting to make a large profit rather than giving their audience new, exciting stories. The company isn’t completely dead; films like ‘Coco’ and ‘Inside Out’ clearly prove there is still talent there. But, with the older writers, directors and animators now backing down from the company so newer faces can arise. I’m concerned that Disney and Pixar executives may continue to push for more sequels, prequels and spin-offs with the knowledge that the films will always make money regardless of their quality. This is mostly why I fear for ‘Toy Story 4,’ as even though I really hope the film is great, I currently have a lot of doubts in my mind about it. Pixar, however, has also recently brought out a trailer for their next film following on from ‘Toy Story 4,’ titled; ‘Onward,’ which does appear to be a completely original story focusing on elements of fantasy and adventure. So, perhaps not all is lost for the iconic animation company just yet, but only time will tell, I suppose.

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