The animators at Pixar definitely love to throw in allusions to some of their favorite movies in their own films. Vimeo user Jorge Luengo Ruiz has put together a first-rate compilation video that gives you side-by-side comparisons between Pixar movies and the movies that they’re referencing in particular scenes. While I definitely had noticed some of these when watching Pixar movies in the past, Ruiz has a really sharp eye for the way different shots are set up to mimic shots from classic movies. Basically, to make a video like this, you really have to know your movies.
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Here are some interesting tidbits I learned from the video:
- The original Toy Star is positively loaded with allusions to other movies. In sum, Ruiz spotted allusions to Total Recall, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Trek, Alien, The Shining, and The Exorcist.
- Toy Story 2 contains multiple references to the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Vertigo. Other Hitchcock classics to get mimicked in Pixar movies include Rear Window in Toy Story 2 and The Birds in Finding Nemo.
- I’ve always maintained that Wall-E is not just a great sci-fi-themed kids’ movie but a great science fiction movie, period. This is why I was happy to see the multiple allusions to Blade Runner in the film, as I consider it the best overall sci-fi movie ever made.
My descriptions aren’t doing the video justice, so you should really check it out yourself below.
