What's Mr. Purcell Doing?

[GuruGuru214]

So basically, Sam & Max might be a better fit for Dreamworks?

...Nah.

[Sausy Gibbon]

I think also it could be that all Pixar movies have a moral were Sam and Max rarely do.

[redm]

monsters inc has always been my favorite pixar movie, A Sam & Max movie does sound pretty cool tho I must admit

[1nky]

Originally Posted by Falanca

Well, that's something.

That's sadly true. Flawless, beautiful animation comes with a price if we're talking about characters that don't fit the general archetype of a CGI movie character. But, you know, movie industry has always marked their accomplishments with doing things out of ordinary, who's to say a possible Pixar movie starring Sam and Max, that retains their humor that everyone loves, will not completely change the way we look at animation? I think that's a risk some people should try to take, and I can't think of any other fictional duo fitting such a role.

Agreeing with most of your points. To be honest, I've been kind of hoping that Pixar would take itself in another direction when it came to storytelling. It's great at hooking in a diversity of audiences with themes that reach out to many people, and managing to keep concepts fresh (I'm astounded they managed to make a Toy Story 3) - but that's kind of turned into a bit of a comfort zone, and it'd be cool for them to push their boundaries a little, even if everyone won't exactly like it.

Granted, the subjects don't have to be Sam and Max - though that would be quite cool, indeed. While Telltale has managed to succeed in putting a narrative that lasts hours to a series of shenanigans that eventually lead up to something, I am a bit skeptical of how anyone would pull of a complete feature film.

If they could, though - that would be something to see.

[Falanca]

Originally Posted by 1nky

Granted, the subjects don't have to be Sam and Max - though that would be quite cool, indeed. While Telltale has managed to succeed in putting a narrative that lasts hours to a series of shenanigans that eventually lead up to something, I am a bit skeptical of how anyone would pull of a complete feature film.

If they could, though - that would be something to see.

Well, if Pixar sets their minds on such a thing, I believe the first thing they would think of working on would be Sam and Max. Or... If they ever wanted to make a movie with a lot of cartoon violence and downright absurdity -without the use of crude imagery and language, or well, not TOO many of'em -, they would question if they could do it BECAUSE of the availability of Sam and Max to them. If we talk about Pixar, I can think of nothing else. I mean, what else they can work on, other than an IP? South Park? Beavis and Butthead? Those are just too risky and kind of pointless. Taking all these risks and working on an IP would also be just a waste of good marketing opportunity, as there are already many people who are fans of Sam and Max.

Filling 90 minutes with a Sam and Max kind of storyline, characters and dialouges would be the easiest thing, I believe. I wonder why you are skeptical about that, above all other things.

[jeeno0142]

How about Sam and Max in a Pixar short? That might work.

[crfh]

I'd love that

[Sausy Gibbon]

I think what 1nky means is similar to a quote from Purcell that Sam and Max work best in short doses, which capture the surealism of the original without having to explain Non sequiturs in exposition. I don't believe this is always true as Sam and Max are so flexable. Probably my first option for a film story would be a standard crime story with a villain or number two would be a road trip.

[Falanca]

Originally Posted by Sausy Gibbon

I think what 1nky means is similar to a quote from Purcell that Sam and Max work best in short doses, which capture the surealism of the original without having to explain Non sequiturs in exposition. I don't believe this is always true as Sam and Max are so flexable. Probably my first option for a film story would be a standard crime story with a villain or number two would be a road trip.

It always varies within the motives of whoever the villain is. The surroundings Sam and Max has to go through depends on the plan of the villain. Sam and Max is there to narrate and make jokes about the places and the bad guy. So in the end, get a creative bad guy and write him an elaborate yet totally ABSURD goal, and you'll get a good movie scenario for Sam and Max.

[monkeyhead234]

Originally Posted by GuruGuru214

So basically, Sam & Max might be a better fit for Dreamworks?

...Nah.

dream works sucks. "monsters vs aliens"? wtf kind of movie title is that?

[Falanca]

Originally Posted by monkeyhead234

dream works sucks. "monsters vs aliens"? wtf kind of movie title is that?

I know right? I can't even think of anything that can be successful bearing a title very similar to this!

[GuruGuru214]

Originally Posted by monkeyhead234

dream works sucks. "monsters vs aliens"? wtf kind of movie title is that?

The title sucked, but I really enjoyed the movie. At any rate, "Monsters vs. Aliens" is better than "Cowboys & Aliens".

[Vyse220]

well sam & max worked for a kids cartoon, then maybe...

nah

[mDt]

Originally Posted by mathman77

Wow, everyone hated Cars? I hated Ratatouille the most (it's too long for its own good). Everything else Pixar made is great.

YOU'RE DEAD TO ME, CAN OPENER!

I loved Ratatouille. Maybe it's because I love Patton Oswalt or maybe I like how it's animals and a human world.

I think what I hated about Cars the most was the obvious car jokes (Bar-har-har, dipstick reference, bar-har-har), the inclusion of Larry The Cable Guy (Look, I know he's "based" on, or in tribute of, the guy who worked for Pixar who died in a bridge accident, but it came at such a time where I was entirely sick of redneck jokes), and the fact that it was a world where cars are the humans. I not really a guy for realism or anything, I'll watch a lot of the animal world Dreamworks stuff like Madagascar and Kung-Fu Panda, but at least animals are already equipped with character and personality. Even Toy Story, almost all the toys had faces, and if they didn't, it's not like suddenly a set of eyes and a mouth were sprouting on them when Andy wasn't around. If it was an inanimate object that came to life, the properties of that object didn't change when he left. I think the only movie I enjoyed that did that was most likely Brave Little Toaster, and part of that was probably because I have fonder memories of it as a child. Cars seems like a caricature, and there's something about the style of it that I didn't like.

What's funny is that there's a webcomic (I'll post it if I can find it) where it shows stick figure guys pitching all the ideas for Pixar movies, weaving them as deeply-knit stories, but when it shows what's happening at Dreamworks, it's just "Animals are doing things that animals don't normally do. And they all make this one face." "Brilliant." That's what Cars feels like to me - Cars doing things that Cars aren't normally supposed to do. And Lightning McQueen MAKES the face (Half a smile, one eyebrow up). To me, How To Train Your Dragon should have been Pixar, and Cars should have been Dreamworks.

EDIT:



This comic also brings up Wall-E which I didn't really see too many people mention in this thread - that's not entirely a squeaky-clean movie. The world has gotten so careless and lazy, depending on machines, that they destroy their planet and live in a space station where they all ride hovering scooter beds and have little to no experience walking anymore? That's pretty bleak, even by Disney standards.

There was an interview with Maurice Sendek on the Where The Wild Things Are DVD where he said he only signed off on the movie because he knew Spike Jonze understood that the movie had to be
"dangerous." That's what I like about some of the Pixar flicks, and why I think it's still pretty cool that Purcell is over there right now, even though I hate the Cars franchise. I think Pixar still understands that in order to make something that both children and adults can enjoy, you can't keep everything too sheltered. You have to push boundaries.

As for what individual people at Pixar have done... has anybody else seen "Bring Me The Head of Charlie Brown?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=codEc4P016E

^ Made by Jim Reardon, who worked for The Simpsons, Tiny Toon Adventures, and also co-wrote Wall-E, when he was a student at CalArts.

[1nky]

Originally Posted by Falanca

Well, if Pixar sets their minds on such a thing, I believe the first thing they would think of working on would be Sam and Max. Or... If they ever wanted to make a movie with a lot of cartoon violence and downright absurdity -without the use of crude imagery and language, or well, not TOO many of'em -, they would question if they could do it BECAUSE of the availability of Sam and Max to them. If we talk about Pixar, I can think of nothing else. I mean, what else they can work on, other than an IP? South Park? Beavis and Butthead? Those are just too risky and kind of pointless. Taking all these risks and working on an IP would also be just a waste of good marketing opportunity, as there are already many people who are fans of Sam and Max.

Filling 90 minutes with a Sam and Max kind of storyline, characters and dialouges would be the easiest thing, I believe. I wonder why you are skeptical about that, above all other things.

Whoa, wait - I don't think that if Pixar had to move in this direction, they'd pick Sam and Max - they would pick a new idea altogether. What I'm saying is that I guess it's doable, considering what other people have manged to pull off, using subject matter that's usually spontaneous and all over the place.

I honestly don't think it would be that easy, though. It could just be me used to certain formats, however...

[Falanca]

Originally Posted by 1nky

Whoa, wait - I don't think that if Pixar had to move in this direction, they'd pick Sam and Max - they would pick a new idea altogether. What I'm saying is that I guess it's doable, considering what other people have manged to pull off, using subject matter that's usually spontaneous and all over the place.

Well, everything said after this point can just be assumptions. But I don't know, they have Steve Purcell over there and they have a moderately sized fanbase over here. It just seems easy to me, definitely more than "doable".

Originally Posted by mDt

[...]awesome comic[...]

I love the Pixar stickmen in that comic. Especially the one in the far right, opening his arms like "see the world from my eyes for one second". Oh my god so adorable.

I'd like to add Puss in Boots to that "Dreamworks generalization" by the way.

[monkeyhead234]

Originally Posted by GuruGuru214

The title sucked, but I really enjoyed the movie. At any rate, "Monsters vs. Aliens" is better than "Cowboys & Aliens".

sorry but i really lost interest in dream works after Shrek 3

[TentuZero]

Originally Posted by monkeyhead234

sorry but i really lost interest in dream works after Shrek 3

Ah...i thought the same thing...shrek 3 was horrible. Simply horrible. Anywho, steve will continue the comic when he feels up to it i presume.

[Leplaya]

I dont think a cartoon of Sam and max made by Pixar would be any good. Besides Purcell himself said so. I wouldn't mind a new cartoon show of Sam and max, as long as it can be somewhat faithful to the original comics. Also. I would be furious if Dreamworks adapts Sam and Max. I don't want them to do it just to pop culturdize it and add stuff into it thats not even part of the original comics.

[RMJ1984]

Pixar should talk to Valve about a TF2 movie :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxMtGXdndzU

2 hours film could be fun