Boundin: Gopher Plush

I'm very thrilled to have recently added yet another rare Pixar short films plush to my collection...the 2004 Pixar Studio Store exclusive Gopher from Boundin'!

 Boundin' is Pixar's classic short that was released in front of  The Incredibles in theaters. It tells the simple story of a little lamb dealing with the changes and ups and downs in life and a wise Jackalope who teaches the lamb how to he can approach them with a positive outlook...how to "rebound" from life's troubles. It's a very sweet film with a relatable and universal message for all.

This plush follows the "Boundin Buddies" plush 2-pack (featuring the Jackalope and Lamb) that I was lucky enough to get back in January this year. I have been waiting ever since then to track this one down and I can now say my Pixar Studios Boundin' plush collection is complete!

Like the Boundin' Buddies set, this little guy is made by Pixar's "go to" company, Thinkway toys. Including his hair, he stands at about 5 1/2 inches tall and about 3 1/4 inches wide. He is a soft, polyester material.

His likeness is pretty close to the film, but (as seen in the screen shot above), this gopher has taller hair and blue, rather than brown, eyes.

This is one out of seven "short films plush" that I've been lucky enough to own. The other ones are Alec the bunny from Presto, Stu from Lifted, Bambino from La Luna, Bird from For the Birds and the Jackalope/lamb 2-pack from Boundin'

If you're a fan of this short film and would like to add this plush to your collection, be sure to keep checking eBay periodically by using the link below:
Pixar Studios Exclusive: Boundin' Plush

Best of luck on the hunt and feel free to comment or email me with any questions you might have. 

Finding Nemo: Hasbro Aquarium Adventure Play Set + Aquarium Gang & Ocean Gang Figure Gift Packs

Back in 2003, Hasbro Toys released a bunch of Finding Nemo merchandise to coincide with the film's release. Their line-up included a selection of bath toys, plush, games, candy and, of course (no toy line would be complete without them), figures and play sets.

In today's post, I'm thrilled to share with you the "Aquarium Adventure" playset as well as two figure gift packs, "Aquarium Gang" and "Ocean Gang", which are all apart of Hasbro's Finding Nemo Figure/Play Set collection and are meant to be used together. There is one more play set as well, "Fishing Boat Escape", which I reviewed separately HERE.

These items are extremely rare. It's hard enough to find pictures of them online, let alone find them for sale on eBay, so how did I get them? Well, here's my success story: a few weeks ago, I was online just casually browsing for old Finding Nemo merch that I may have let slip under my radar. During my search, I came across THIS small/blurry image from an old eBay listing. It really sparked my interest and I immediately started searching around for them. 30 mins of searching later, I had no luck whatsoever.

I then found this 2003 Toy Fair press release (scroll down to the very middle of the page), which made me even more interested in tracking the figures and the play sets down.

It was after midnight and I was concluding my search by just typing in "Finding Nemo figures" on eBay (rather than the name specific searches I was doing up to that point). I scrolled down the page, and in a small eBay search results thumbnail, I saw them. I recognized the figures and play set immediately.

The catch? The listing was ending in 36 seconds and no one had placed a bid. I had that amount of time to click on the listing, enlarge the picture and make sure every single character and accessory was there. Sure enough, all was accounted for, and with three seconds left, I put in my bid and won the auction for only $9.99! It was unreal. Yes, I was getting everything loose without the original packaging, but it didn't even matter to me since I probably would have opened it up one of these days anyway. 

OK, now with that story out of way (sorry, it was too good not to document here), let's move on to checking these toys out in more detail. First off the...

Aquarium Adventure Play Set:

This set includes everything you see in the image above and is based on [some of] what you see in the "Tank Gang's" dentist office aquarium. We have a Tiki mask/Mount Wannahockaloogie slide (the main portion of the set) as well as a Tiki hut/palm tree base, a hot pink shell and kelp tree and two figures: Gill and Nemo. See the official press release packaged photo of this set HERE and the official loose photo HERE.

One of the set's play features is that Gill can be inserted onto one of the pegs sticking out from the palm tree or on top of the pink kelp tree. Turn the dial on the bottom of the palm tree's base to spin the tree and simulate "swimming action" (video example below).

As seen below, Nemo also has a play feature. He has a wheel on his belly which gives him "swimming action" (his fins spin) when you push him along (video example below).

Finally, turn "Mount Wannahockaloogie" around to reveal a "hiding place", including a shell that can be opened and closed.

 Now onto the two figure packs starting with the...

Aquarium Gang:

This set includes the entire "Tank Gang" seen in the film: Gill (same one from the Aquarium Adventure Play Set), Deb, Bloat, Nemo, Jacques, Bubbles, Gurgle and Peach. This set also includes additional accessories, such as an opening treasure chest (the one that Bubbles obsesses over in the movie) and a kelp tree. There are ten pieces to this set total.

Aside from Peach, each character (like Gill from the Aquarium Adventure Play Set), has a hole underneath them so that they can be attached to the play set's palm tree or on top of either of the kelp tree accessories. 

 What's cool about peach is that she's fastened to a suction cup that can be attached to any glass, plastic or other similar surfaces.

  
Note: The Nemo included with this set is not the same one included with the Aquarium Adventure Play Set. This Nemo, like the rest of the gang, has a hole underneath him (rather than a wheel).

Here's a look at the Aquarium Gang figure set together with the Aquarium Adventure Play Set:

 Last but not least, let's take a look at the second figure pack in this series...

 Ocean Gang:

 

This is another ten piece set that includes: Chum, Bruce, Anchor, Sheldon, Squirt, Crush, Tad, Marlin, Dory and a purple coral tree.

Again, Sheldon, like the rest of the fish characters, can be attached to the coral tree or other trees included throughout the sets.

Similar to the Nemo included with the Aquarium Adventure Play Set, the Squirt figure here moves his fins and "swims" as you push him along (video example below. Note: Squirt's wheel has less grip than Nemo's and wouldn't work on hard wood. I had to find a different surface where he would work, hence the board game box).

Again, see packaged photos of both figure sets HERE. Sorry for the quality, it's literally the only picture I can find online of both sets.

If you're thinking what I'm thinking, you're wondering "Hey! Where's Pearl?" It seems only natural that they would have included her in these sets along with Sheldon, Tad, Nemo and Squirt. The answer to that question is that she was made and is included in the other play set that goes along with this line, "Fishing Boat Escape." As mentioned at the beginning of this post, I've yet to track down that one, but hope to complete this Finding Nemo Hasbro figure collection with it soon enough.

If you're now interested in tracking any of these Finding Nemo figure/play sets down, keep checking eBay regularly and hopefully you'll hit the jackpot. Best of luck!

Please, feel free to comment with any thoughts or questions you might have.

UPDATE 4/13/16-  I finally got the "Fishing Boat Escape" Play Set I mentioned here! This collection is now complete. Visit my full post HERE to check it out. 

Cars: Snot Rod with Flames

Following the other three related posts from this past week (Wingo with flames, Boost with flames and DJ with flames), I wanted to wrap things up there with Mattel's latest release/version of Snot Rod from the original Cars...Snot Rod with Flames! As seen in the film (screen shot above), this character is one of the four "trouble maker" tuner cars that messes with Mack by trying to put him to sleep. He was released last year as part of the 2013 "Tuners" sub-line (number 8/10).

This is a 1:55 scale diecats metal car with yellow, plastic, translucent "flames" coming out of his two side exhaust pipes. These are meant to simulate the flames that Snot Rod has in the film when he sneezes. As seen in the package below, the flames/pipes are removable.

 Last year was the first time Snot Rod was released with the addition of flames, but if you missed him, he has been just recently re-released. He can be currently and very easily be found in stores as part of the 2014 World of Cars line. The original 2006 Snot Rod (without flames) can be seen HERE in a previous post.

If you're looking to just easily grab this one online, you can pick Snot Rod up on Amazon or on eBay using the link below:
Cars: Snot Rod with Flames

Cars 2: Kimberly Rims & Carinne Cavvy 2-Pack

Literally just released by Mattel, here we have the brand new Cars 2  Kimberly Rims and Carinne Cavvy "movie moments" 2-pack! I was lucky enough to find it at my local Toys R Us today and I was pretty pumped since this pack just barely started hitting shelves.

As seen in the screen shot above, both Kimberly and Carinne can be seen as spectators during the very beginning of the WGP Porto Corsa race.

These are 1:55 scale diecast cars with added plastic accessories. They are numbered 6/9 of the 2014 "Race Fans" sub-series.

I know I've said it before, but it's still amazing to me how many of these background characters (that you only see for a split second) get made into diecasts. I'm not complaining, the more the merrier, but I'm interested in their character selection process and how Pixar has come up with so many names for them! With Cars 3 in the works as well, I'm pretty sure this diecast line will be never-ending.  

Since this is a new item, Amazon only has it available from one seller for $34.99 (+$4.99 shipping) but more will be coming as soon as this release is more widespread. As far as eBay, there are currently only four being sold, but again, that should change very soon. If you do want to snag one of these early on eBay, you can do so by using the direct link below:
Cars 2: Kimberly Rims & Carinne Cavvy 2-pack

Toy Story of Terror: Blu-ray Review

Today I'll be switching gears a bit from my Cars collection (yes, pun intended) to bring you my full write-up on Pixar's latest home video release...Toy Story of Terror!

Toy Story of Terror is directed by the fantastic Angus Maclane (Small Fry, BURN-E) and originally premiered on ABC on October 16th last year as a Halloween season special. Historically, it marked Pixar's very first 30 minute (well, technically around 22 minutes without commercials) television film.

As of this past Tuesday (August 19th), almost a year later, the film is now available to own in all of its high definition glory with an excellent array of bonus features. I'll be reviewing my personal copy, which is on Blu-Ray (with a digital copy), but the film is also available on DVD, iTunes/Disney Movies Anywhere and Amazon's Instant Video.

NOTE: This isn't a full review of the film itself, but I do have to add here that I absolutely love it. I was able to catch it just twice on TV last fall, but was never able to record it because of our lack of DVR. I have now been able to watch it three additional times since purchasing the Blu-Ray and, I have to say, I have a better appreciation for it each time I watch it. I remember the first time I watched it, I was shocked at how fast the pacing went. I felt like I didn't even have time to soak in all the humor, details and subtle references (plus, it was a pain to sit through the commercials). Now, I can just sit back and relax with the ability to watch, re-watch, pause and fast forward at my leisure.

Toy Story of Terror, despite being a television release, has all the quality, wit, charm and heart of a Pixar theatrical release crammed into just 22 minutes. Many of your favorite toys are back (including Buzz, Woody, Jessie, Mr. Potato Head, Mr. Pricklepants and Rex) and are voiced by all of the original actors. In addition, we get to meet a cast of all new characters as well, who fit into the Toy Story franchise seamlessly (such as the fan favorite, Combat Carl). The music is superb (scored by Michael Giacchino, see my full review of the soundtrack release HERE), the animation/lighting is flawless, the sound is incredible and the story is an absolute blast with some good twists and turns. If you've yet to see the film, I can't recommend it enough. My hat is off to Angus Maclane and his entire "team of specialists"! 

Alrighty, onto the Blu-Ray and special features...

First of all, the menu, which is of course based on the old-school horror movie that the toys are watching at the beginning of the film. I really love the way they went about doing it. It's subtlety creepy, "Halloweenie" and has a really cool black and white "old movie" film look to it. As a side note, if you keep the menu playing for long enough, you'll see a light turn on in the castle. Keep on listening and you'll hear a guy turning on a sink, brushing his teeth, stepping on a cat and then falling down the stairs. It was a funny touch!

The bonus features include:

• All three Toy Story Toons that have been released up until this point (Hawaiian Vacation, Small Fry and Partysaurus Rex). Each "toon" includes an audio commentary. What's really neat, is that this is the first time we've gotten a commentary for Partysaurus Rex, which was a blast to watch/listen to! Mark Walsh (the film's director) and some of his team seemed to have had a really fun time recording it while making it extra fun and unique. Additionally, I think it's also cool that we have all four Toy Story short films conveniently on one release now.

•  Team of Specialists- This little 13 minute (or so) documentary takes you behind the scenes into the making of Toy Story of Terror and follows director Angus Maclane as he goes through a typical production day.

• Deleted Scenes (with intros by the film's editor Axel Geddes) - There are three deleted scenes included with this release, including: The Pencil Topper Trilogy, Travel Brochers and Road Trip Roulette. Note: Did you catch who did the scratch voice for the pencil topper Benny? If you said Peter Sohn, you'd be right! His voice is unmistakable.

•   D23 Teaser- This teaser premiered at the D23 convention last August and is made up of some of the film's most "intense" moments. It really brings a full-on horror movie vibe!

• Vintage Toy Commercials (with intros by Angus Maclane)- Pixar went ahead and produced three 1980's/90's style "toy commercials" based on some of the new characters seen in the film: Combat Carl, Transitron and Old Timer. These commercials are meant to depict what real TV ads would have been like if these toys were really produced. For example, Combat Carl's commercial is in the same vein as the old G.I. Joe PSA cartoons and Transitron's is a take on the old Japanese Transformers and/or Voltron commercials. Pixar did the same thing with Lotso Huggin' Bear back in 2010, which you can view HERE.

There are a few ways to view the film (all of which I've done): Of course, with or without the film-makers' commentary, but you also have an option to view it with the above mentioned three vintage toy commercials during the three commercial breaks! I thought that was a pretty clever addition.

The audio commentary (featuring Director Angus MacLane, Director of Photography Ian Megibben and Editor Axel Geddes) is really fun and entertaining, with some really interesting insights into the making of the film. You can really tell that Angus and his team had an absolute blast making Toy Story of Terror. Their love and passion for the work, characters and franchise really comes through.

Also, for a limited time, DisneyMoviesAnywhere.com has some additional exclusive bonus content, only available through the site/app. These include: Bob's Boatyard deleted scenes (2:04) and Film Studies with Professor Pricklepants (2:35). Definitely check those out as well!

All in all, this is a great release of a great film with the highest of sound and picture quality. I'm not disappointed in the slightest so I'm gonna go ahead and give it five out of five stars.

For additional products surrounding Toy Story of Terror, check out the label to the right. In addition to the mentioned soundtrack review, there you'll find info on a recent book release based on the film and an action figure set as well. 

Thanks so much for taking the time to visit the blog and be sure to check back daily for more from my Pixar collection!

Cars: DJ with Flames

Following my last two posts (Wingo with flames and Boost with flames), here we have Mattel's latest release/version of DJ from the original Cars...DJ with Flames! As seen in the film (screen shot above), this character is one of the "trouble maker" tuner cars that messes with Mack by trying to put him to sleep. He was released last year as part of the 2013 "Tuners" sub-line (number 3/10).

This is a 1:55 scale diecats metal car with blue, plastic, translucent "flames" coming out of his two exhaust pipes to simulate the colored flames that DJ has in the film.

Last year was the first time DJ was released with the addition of flames, but if you missed him, he has been just recently re-released. He can currently be found in stores as part of the 2014 World of Cars line. The original 2006 DJ (without flames) can be seen HERE in a previous post.

If you're looking to just easily grab this one online, you can pick DJ up on Amazon or on eBay using the link below:
Cars: DJ with Flames

Cars: Boost with Flames

Following yesterday's post (Wingo with flames), here we have Mattel's latest release/version of Boost from the original Cars...Boost with Flames! As seen in the film (screen shot above), this character is one of the "trouble maker" tuner cars that messes with Mack by trying to put him to sleep. He was released last year as part of the 2013 "Tuners" sub-line (number 9/10).

This is a 1:55 scale diecats metal car with purple, plastic, translucent "flames" coming out of his two exhaust pipes to simulate the colored flames that Boost has in the film.

Last year was the first time Boost was released with the addition of flames, but if you missed him, he has been just recently re-released. He can currently be found in stores as part of the 2014 World of Cars line. The original 2006 Boost (without flames) can be seen HERE in a previous post.

If you're looking to just easily grab this one online, you can pick Boost up on Amazon or on eBay using the link below:
Cars: Boost with Flames