Hello to Pete and Hannah's watch list. I am your host Pete Mitchell. I'm here with my great co-host Hannah.
How are we doing?
Hannah, today we are here for the AFI Top 100 show.
Once again.
It's movie number 99 and the movie that we are going to review today is...
Toy Story.
Yes, it is from 1995 and it's movie number 99. I wasn't on the original list.
And have you seen this beforehand?
Yeah, I think this one is safe to say if you have a child or this is one of the movies that plays all the time.
Yeah, definitely.
I would definitely say this is definitely one of... just in that whole... everyone could enjoy it. Even as a family, parents would enjoy it with their kids and stuff.
100%. I was a teenager when this movie came out so I'm not really the right audience but I went and saw it at the movies.
I took my younger brother. He was 10 years old at the time and we saw this a few times and then...
It became his identity.
We had videotape and then you watch it every night and I end up moving out of that room because I could not deal with it anymore.
Great times.
The elevator pitch for anyone that hasn't seen Toy Story.
We follow Andy's toys as they come to life but their life is turned upside down when a new toy arrives.
Yeah.
The Makers Studio was Pixar.
Oh, Pixar.
Now Pixar at the time was a studio that hadn't made a feature film.
Yeah, they're the new kids in the block.
And they teamed up with Disney and Disney was the backer for this movie. They gave them a budget of $30 million.
Pixar started its life with Lucas Films.
Yes.
So it was a subsidiary of them.
And then Steve Jobs was a big backer and he ended up becoming CEO and chairman of Pixar.
And then he helped do the deal with Disney.
And it was a three-pitcher deal.
So this is the first of the three pitches they did.
Pixar was later bought by Disney for $6.7 billion in 2006.
The technology was the first type of done short movies but had never done a full...
Yes, 3D was mainly used...
Like the only time Disney had ever tried to do it was with both Beauty and the Beast in the ballroom scene and Rescuers, I believe.
Rescuers Down Under.
Yes.
So Pixar was a big component of Rescuers Down Under.
Yes.
And so using 3D was still very new to the animated scene.
The original script was written by Lasseter, also Cohen and Josh Weedon of Buffy fame.
And he went to direct Firefly and also the Avengers movies.
And his own revengeful death.
Lasseter also had an adventure death.
Yes, that was well.
He was the long time chairman and creative director of Pixar films.
And he ended up full...
Charges.
Yes, yes, yes.
Not a great misconduct allegations, I would say.
The actors of the movie.
So Lasseter, he did also Toy Story 2, Bugs Life, he did the Cars, Cohen and he did Wally, or Lois O'Hara.
We know what you're thinking.
The actors in the movie. So the main role is played by Tom Hanks.
Yes.
And Tom Hanks, you know, he was on a heater run at this stage.
Oh, he is at his peak in the 90s.
So he'd done movies in the 80s such as Big and The Money Pit.
Yes.
Also the...
Splash.
Splash, yes, the mermaid comedy, directed by Ron Howard.
In the 90s, he really was on a heater. He did, in the League of their Own, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Toy Story.
Yeah, I mean, yeah, wow. He does his story biggest films.
He wasn't the first choice, so, Hennie.
The first choice for the top...
Woody.
Woody was Paul Newman.
Oh, interesting. Oh, I guess because of the cowboy aspect.
And Paul Newman went on to later star in Cars.
Yes.
Who is... he is amazing.
While filming the other movies, he would film the record buzz...
We record Woody scenes.
Woody.
And in those scenes, when he was doing it in the League of their Own, he was fine.
But when he was doing Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, he refused to because it was breaking those characters.
Yes. But interesting because...
So it took a lot of years to make this film and there was so many different...
Yeah.
We did that after we got through the cast.
We also had Tim Allen.
Now, a lot of people were up for the role of Buzz Lightyear.
Yeah, I'd guess. It's the hotshot.
So the first choice was Billy Crystal.
He was called.
Okay, yeah, funny guy.
And he turned it down because everyone thought that this movie wasn't going to work.
Yeah, of course.
And so...
I missed a lot of the animated... any animated projects.
Jim Carrey was also called.
Wow.
So there was a lot of different calls, but they end up going with Tim Allen, who was at the star.
Of Home Improvement Television Star.
He went on to do some movies as well.
He was also the Scott Calvin out of the Centacles.
Yeah, he's one of the most incredible Centacles.
Originally, he was doing stand-up.
So he was a set-up comedian.
Who else was in the cast?
We had John Ratzemberger.
He was Cliff from Cheers.
Yeah.
We had Don Rickles, who was a famous stand-up comedian.
He was big on the roast.
It's a lot of...
He was born in 1995, Ann.
He also starred in Casino.
Oh, really?
This one?
That is the same year.
Any Pots was also in this.
And Andy's Mum was played by Laurie Metcalf, who was a star of Roseanne, and also went on to
star as Sheldon's Mum in Big Bang Theory.
It's funny because Annie Pots played Sheldon's grandmother.
And Laurie Metcalf played Sheldon's mum.
That is funny.
I love that.
So some stories at the time.
So when they were making this movie, the first cut of this movie, they Disney hated it.
And they were going to take the project back.
They really hated it.
Woody was really snarky.
Yes, I've seen these real footage of this.
He was...
He tormented all the toys, not just Buzz.
Yeah, he was a dictator.
Yeah, he was not very nice at all.
And that's why in the film, he still feels like a dictator.
They still got a little bit of that.
And then afterwards, they were talking...
Like Steve Jobs said, this is not going to work.
Disney were going to take the project back over.
Pixar were in big trouble.
They weren't making money at the time.
They needed this project to...
They really...
Because they were doing commercials and little short films.
They needed this to work.
So just like Ben Hurd last week, where MGM were throwing all the stuff in,
Pixar were doing the exact same with Toy Story.
That's what Hollywood does.
They throw all the chips on the table and see what works.
So they completely changed the story.
And then two weeks later, they showed a rough cut to Disney executives.
And they gave them to go ahead to finish the movie.
Yes, I love it.
When they first showed the movie, it was a very secret project.
So when they were showing it to test audiences,
they were actually telling people that it was Operation Dumbo Drop.
Yes, I have heard of that name.
Yes.
And Operation Dumbo Drop, which is starring Danny Glover,
was about dropping an elephant in a war zone.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
As a thing.
So...
Oh, that's interesting.
So that was the movie that everyone thought they were turning up to watch.
And it was actually Toy Story.
So the initial reaction to the film was $353 million worldwide.
It was the second highest-grossing movie.
Hannah, what do you think the first movie was?
What was the first?
It was Die Hard with a Vengeance.
Simon says himself, John McClane, 30.
It's so...
Like, what a two-far.
I mean, Die Hard with a Vengeance and Toy Story.
Critics loved it.
It was groundbreaking.
It was still provoking great voice work.
At the Academy Awards, it won a special achievement award.
It was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay.
I could totally see it.
They didn't have an animated feature.
No, that doesn't happen until 2001 or something?
It was also nominated for Best Song.
Yes.
Well, I could get...
So Randy Newman, he did the original songs.
Yes.
He wasn't the first choice.
They wanted to go with someone else for the songs.
A little bit.
John Lester, he pushed really hard for Randy Newman.
And Randy Newman's song, You've Got a Friend With Me, is just a real time...
It's iconic.
I think that even the rest of the soundtrack was filled with his music.
It's great.
He was a hot favourite going into the Oscars, because it was a long time coming in to get
nominated.
It's been nominated many times since as well.
And he was beaten by...
...Pokehauntus.
Oh, of course.
Colours of the Wind.
Colours of the Wind is a brilliant song.
But not sure.
And Disney were trying to push Pokehauntus, like no man alive.
Vanessa Williams, our song that song.
Yes.
Disney would never let Twister and Win in Pokehauntus, because they put a lot in Pokehauntus.
Do you think it should have won for a screenplay?
What would it have been up against?
As a screenplay, it's actually really funny.
And I think what it is, is that the delivery of them is important.
Yeah, well, personally, I think it should have won for Best Song.
I really do think it should have won for Best Song.
I think for Best Song, I understand, but Colours of the Wind is a brilliant song.
But if you go from what had a lasting impact, I'd say...
How many times have you heard Colours of the Wind?
Many times.
You're like, you're...
You can paint for the Colours of the Wind.
You are all the...
I love my Disney movies.
But I will never go into how much I dislike Pokehauntus slash Pokehauntus 2.
Never ever watch Pokehauntus 2.
One of the...
The person that won Best Rooks Screenplay was Kristen Macquarie.
Of course!
You feel suspect.
Now, I'm watching Suspect.
That movie has been cancelled.
Yes.
I would say Toastery.
I'd say Toastery deserved it.
The Toastery's writing is a match.
I just want to...
If we can go into quotes, just how quotable Toastery is.
Definitely we'll go into Toastery.
Let's keep going on this Oscar theme.
Best Picture that year.
So these are the nominees.
And you tell me that if Toastery should have been nominated.
It should have been nominated, right?
Braveheart?
Of course.
Apollo 13.
Babe.
The Postman.
And Sense and Sensibility.
Now, I think the Babe...
I think Babe has taken...
That'll do.
That'll do, Pig.
That'll do.
That has taken Toastery's probably spot there.
But you cannot tell me.
The Postman or Sense and Sensibility is better than Toastery.
What's this?
Oh, okay.
It's not the best.
So if we're doing the Oscars now.
Do you think...
Oh, Toastery, yeah.
100%.
I think it probably wins.
I don't think it wins.
I think they definitely...
Like, there's just no chance that with...
You don't think it wins?
At the moment and this time of the Oscars.
They would never choose an animated movie.
Like, there's been so many chances where an animated movie could totally get at the spot.
They don't even nominate some of them because they just don't believe in them.
They definitely copped out and they gave it to a special achievement award for the groundbreaking technology.
Well, that's the same with Snow White, so I also got a special achievement award.
Even though it's like, which will be mad, this is the first feature length animated movie.
Yeah.
But, you know, it's a beauty of the beast.
Like, got nominated for...
Action to the film recently, Rotten Tomatoes, 100% Letterbox has got a 4.1 rating and IMDB has got 8.3.
So, really high rated.
It's actually higher rated than Ben Hur.
Yeah, understandable.
Okay, and every week we do a show called Movie News and in that show we do clickbait.
Yeah.
And we take turns.
So, I thought we'd do a take turns on...
A hotty-take.
Hotty-hot takes for Toy Story.
Now, would you like to go first hand?
My hotty-hot take?
Yep.
What's your hotty-hot take?
The villain of this story is obviously Woody.
Yeah.
Like, 100%.
100%.
Without a doubt.
I mean, he is the cause of the problem.
Two villains, Sid and Woody.
I wouldn't even go...
Sid's not a villain.
Sid's like the kind of...
You always like the bad guy.
No, you're welcome.
You always like the bad guy.
I mean, he can be redeemed.
But no, Sid is just like, is a bad seed, obviously.
I had that hot take as well.
Woody is definitely the bad guy.
Woody instilled all of them with this, like, kind of hierarchy that he's cause he's number one toy, he gets to make the decisions.
Yeah.
And then this new kid comes in, he's favorited, he's new.
Humps.
And then he is like...
Like, he's just helping around.
He's like taking on the extra workload, so Woody doesn't have to do it.
Woody's like, this ain't happening, brah.
And then he almost murders the guy.
Yeah.
This goes perfectly into my hot take, that this is a buddy cop film.
This is Leif the Weapon.
Yes.
Well, Leif won.
Woody is Danny Glover's character, Roger Murto.
Yeah.
He's too old for this stuff.
He's the old guy.
And then the new guy comes in with his new gun, the Beretter.
And it's rigged.
Rigged.
And he has a different idea.
Absolutely worth this stuff.
He has a different idea of how the system should work.
Yeah.
And like this movie becomes a buddy cop movie in Toy
Where it's like, I'm not a toy, I'm a space ranger.
It's really good how this film, not only that, it captures a lot of it, because it's an actual film, not written for kids.
It's written by just adults who are just children.
Yeah.
It has this great, just, you know, taking like adult themes and just making it work.
Yeah.
And just like not really.
This new like iteration of Disney from like Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, a lot of it.
The Renaissance, we're talking about.
Yeah.
They are some of.
This is the first Pixar movie, but this is right in that wheelhouse of like both adults and kids.
Yeah.
They're appealing to both.
They are able to appeal to the whole audience that they're going for and Disney struggle with it nowadays with trying to appeal to every market rather than an audience.
You got another hot take.
What's my another hot take?
Do you have one?
Another one?
I've got a few.
I've got a few here.
What do you say?
Like this, this changed the game animation.
So this made it towards a computer sort of place.
It's so interesting to watch this film.
I thought it had done so well.
I thought I thought like I could see how like that was like, oh yeah, you they've cut corners in a sense, but it was because this is 3D animation to really have to do something.
I can't do that on any cost anymore.
But the way they able to express facial animation, they're still, Disney is still struggling to do that today with some of their live action films.
It's ridiculous.
My next hot take, my final hot take is this is not the best Pixar movie, but it is the best Toy Story movie.
Yes.
It's really hard.
I think so too.
It's the best Toy Story even though I do love three.
I think three is such an emotional masterpiece.
For those who don't know, Toy Story has had four different movies.
Four movies and some spin-offs.
Oh, I forget about the prequel.
It's like a movie and then it's had the four Toy Story movies.
There's a rumored Toy Story 5 as well.
Yes.
It also had like some cartoons.
Spin-offs.
It's had little movies.
It has like four or five shorts.
So you have two which introduces a new character and Woody's past.
Three goes into Andy's an adult and then he's the debate of getting rid of the toys.
And then the fourth movie is this new kid and she using just like crafting her own toys.
Because kids are weird nowadays.
They're like cats.
They're like, oh my god, it's a box.
It's more exciting than the toy.
The hundred dollar toy I just got.
Yes, it's again the Toy Story growing with the audience as well.
Yes.
I would say four is probably the least progressive out of the three out of the rest of the films.
Did you have any other like tidbits that you did when we were doing the research for Toy Story?
Toy Story?
Yes.
I was fine. I wasn't going to go through fan art or weird stuff about Toy Story.
I know there is a dedicated fan base to Spanish Buzz and Jesse.
I know there is such a thing.
And I know there are so many.
There's a lot of lovely like Toy Story 3 has a lot of like a lot of edits and a lot of like just memes.
Because they used a lot of like they're using Ken and Barbie.
I mean, they're just very iconic.
So, Toy Story Barbie was supposed to be in it.
But Mattel didn't want them to use Barbie because their foot was going to fail.
Barbie was supposed to be like a Sarah Connor Terminator sort of thing.
It is always my favorite story where everyone thinks is going to fail and then the movie turns out to be the best thing since Lice Bread.
Let's get on to our review.
So, as usual, we every review that we do for all the movies and we drop a review every day on our social media pages.
We like to break it into reasons to, reasons not to.
And then should you watch or should you miss and then a rating.
For those who don't know, we have our ratings pinned to our Instagram and TikTok pages.
And Facebook also explains how we rate movies.
So, one is I fell asleep.
Two is I played my phone.
Three is golf cart.
Four is banger and five is an all time classic.
So, let's get on to the review of Toy Story movie number 99 on the A5 Top 100.
Readiness to Hen.
Reasons is this.
It's an amazing family classic.
Yeah.
It's got an interesting great animation style with its 3D animation that still holds up today.
Yeah, for sure.
And it's got some of the funniest moments and scenes in history.
At Brisk 81 minutes.
Oh, yeah.
It's not even like it doesn't even reach the 90 minute mark and you go through a whole journey.
I remember being as a child and thinking this is such a long movie because you go through so much with these two characters that you're on the edge of your seat.
But now as a child, I'm like, oh yeah, we're just going through here.
Great music as well, like not just the, you got a friend in me, but it's also strange things are happening to me.
The scene where the boss is about to fly.
Yes.
And like just the rising of like it's like steps.
Also no more.
It's so good.
So good.
This is a great time for you to say some of the great iconic things.
I just want to, for our audio listeners, we have a special guest.
I have a figurine of my favorite scene in the movie, which is Buzz dressed as a Mrs. Nesbitt.
And as he goes to Woody, see the hat.
I'm Mrs. Nesbitt.
Like some really iconic ones like Mr. Potato Head, Don Rickles just giving one after the line.
Just going to Woody.
Woody also naked my boot.
Yeah.
To infinity and beyond.
When Buzz says, you're a strange.
You're strange.
I pity you, strange man.
You're strange little man.
And all these just really great jokes and stuff that just pull out.
Like he's like Sid is like, Sid has the same worry.
He chops toys and like plays with them and he calls himself like a doctor.
And Buzz goes, I don't believe he's gone through one year of medical school.
That's one of the best lines of the movie.
I was like, what a good line.
Uh, reasons not to.
I think Buzz, uh, grates my gears a bit.
Mr. Potato brings nothing to the table but negativity.
And the toys turn on Woody really quickly considering like you always...
Well, it's been there, the seeds of deception are there.
Yeah, they're over-strived by the potato.
It's a coup d'etat.
Let's be honest.
Coup d'etat.
Yeah.
Mutiny, mutiny, mutiny.
That's all they wanted.
Look, I'm not huge out of the two Buzz and Woody.
I go for Bo Peep.
But like, seriously.
I was always a Woody.
I always loved Woody.
I thought it was, I don't know why.
I was just like, yeah, Woody, he's standing up for them.
Woody's got this.
And I would always, yeah, I don't know.
Now looking back, I'm like, Woody is not a good person here.
But he does redeem himself time and time again in these, in all four of the movies.
He does like, even though he is usually the cause of why everyone's, what's happening, you know, he does try and redeem it every time.
It's such a like, Woody at the time, like he's getting replaced by something that he doesn't even know is toys.
And then he gets put in that toy box.
Like, when you watch this the first time and you go, oh, I did that to my toys.
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
Like, no, I, I,
Speaking of the claw, there's no way that seed pulls that many toys out of the claw machine.
Yeah, it's ridiculous.
It pulls the alien and then the double.
It pulls Woody and Buzz.
Yeah.
Like there's no way in the history of mankind, no, it pulls that many toys from a claw machine.
I have seen people use different tricks for claw machines.
It's ridiculous.
It's crazy.
I, I'd like to say I just love the themes of just the ideas of being scared of being replaced and, and, and, you know,
It's funny how like this movie is self identity, new technology and it's replacing hand drawing.
Yes.
Cause eventually we do, we fall out like Disney stopped their last two hand drawn animations where Princess and the Frog and Winnie the Pooh, the 2010 version.
And then now it's just computer and it's stunning.
But then, you know, you kind of, that's why the new animated film is trying to bring it back.
But the floor wish in a floor of it is that it hasn't, they haven't seemed it right.
It doesn't look just right.
Yeah.
Well, it wasn't very successful.
It came out in the US.
Yeah.
Let's, let's not look at Disney's flaws.
But we could go to Pixar's flaws, which they do make good movies now, but unfortunately I think because of Disney.
As a society past Pixar by.
I would say not.
I think their stories are trying to grapple new issues because they've gone through most of the obvious ones, especially for kids.
And they're trying to tackle new issues.
And I guess they're trying to lean into more human and interesting stories, but I'm not capturing what they used to.
And I guess it's also because they're doing, you know, there's stuff.
What's your best Pixar movie?
My favorite, my personal favorite is Coco.
I loved Coco so much.
The twist in Coco is great.
It's, I never, I, watching it, I didn't think much of it.
And then you, it's beautiful.
Other movies stunning because it's one of their best.
If we read the list would replace Toy Story.
No, I think Toy Story, the reason Toy Story is on this list, I know for a reason.
And it may be the reason why Ben, her and a few of the other movies on this list are because how much they impacted cinema rather than say, but I think Toy Story does deserve to be on it.
I think 100%, not just because it's like, you know, 3D animation, but I think showing how much like writing, writing and acting and all that's important to a film because all of that came together really well.
Like a story of, you know, this could never work to it all blend seamlessly.
And it did create one of the most profitable, like Toy Story is like very profitable.
And we have four to five movies in it.
Does this have to be hard on the list?
Without knowing what else is on this list.
I know there's a film next week that's, I think it should be higher than, but that's just because it's, you know, it's weird.
I, it's hard to say because there isn't that much animation on the AFI Top 100.
I believe the only one else is Snow White, which I would argue make shouldn't technically be on this list and should be one of the other.
I personally think this should be higher than Snow White.
I think this should be higher than Snow White, but I think I would.
I see why Snow White's on it though.
I see why Snow White's on it.
I would argue Snow White shouldn't be the one from Disney to be on it.
Now, an important question these days because a lot of movies like Disney will not release another movie in Australia.
Would you buy this on Blu-ray if you have a chance to?
Yeah, yeah, 100%. It's because it's on Disney Plus and then into it.
Buy it on physical media. It's so important because like that streaming services can take movies our way at any time.
So we've been seeing that a lot recently.
So buy your physical media again.
I think this is one of the few movies that will, I don't think it will ever, they won't let this one go because it still does well.
You think society's gonna turn on Toy Story?
Should you watch or miss Toy Story?
A thousand percent of watch.
If you haven't watched this, I don't know why.
If your own way listens to the book.
I don't know.
Thanks for listening though.
I don't know why you haven't seen Toy Story.
Follow and subscribe. Give us a like.
Go watch Toy Story.
Ready for this one. I think it's an all-time classic.
It's an all-time classic.
There's, watching it again made me go, oh wow, this is perfect.
And if you had a chance, would you watch this again?
100%. I've watched this all the time.
So every week we're going to give feedback from the previous episode and answer any questions that anyone has when it comes to us talking about any of the AFI movies.
We had a review left on Apple Podcasts.
Jay Leprinski, he said, great first episode.
Good insight into the film and love the banter.
We'll continue to listen.
Thanks. I really appreciate your feedback.
So what's on our agenda for next week, Hannah?
It's movie number 98 in a Tiengki Doodle Dandy.
And so for those playing along at home, you can rent it for $4.99 on Apple TV.
I think I also, I own it on DVD as well.
Yes, we do.
Leave the feedback good or bad and we'll address it on future weeks.
What's next for us? Yes, it's What's Next.
Our show where we try to figure out what to watch next.
We're going to review Australian premiers and we are going to watch Bottoms.
We're going to also review Journey to Bethlehem, which is the greatest story ever told.
In quotation marks.
The Netflix movie with Julie Roberts and Mahershali.
The world we live in.
Also, we have movie news.
We have blockbuster showdown.
We have Can You Guess the Movie?
And we also have the champion.
I'm your host, Hannah. I'm your host, Pete.
Until next week when we try to watch another AFI top classic movie, the Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Bye for now. Bye.