Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 2 Blu-ray Review

Pixar have a long and storied tradition with short films. As with their parent company, Disney, before them, the studio got their start with short films - films like The Adventures of André and Wally B., Luxo Jr. and Tin Toy. But while Disney has largely moved away from shorts (although seem to have returned to the format in recent years, with great short films like The Ballad of Nessie and Paperman), Pixar have remained loyal to short production - having one precede each of their feature films.

So, five years after its original Short Films Collection, Pixar have now released the second collection of its acclaimed short films on Blu-ray and DVD; and it's been worth the wait!

Pixar Short Films: Volume 2 Trailer

Check out the great trailer for the Pixar Shrot Films Collection: Volume 2 DVD and Blu-ray. The trailer highlights the importance of shorts to Pixar's history, and the bonus features looking at pivotal Pixarians and how they got their starts in the business with short films.

I'm loving the focus on Presto and La Luna, my two favourite Pixar shorts, which are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of what they bring to the table - zany hilarity and quiet beauty; Pixar's a diversely talented place.

Be sure to get the collection when it's out on 13th November in the US, or 12th in the UK (I emailed HMV, and alas, that 15th October release date a while back was incorrect

Pixar Short Films Volume 2 Due on 15th October in the UK

Well this kind of makes up for the huge delay for getting Brave in cinemas over here...

UK retail sites, including Sainsbury's, HMV and Amazon.co.uk, are listing the Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 2 for release on 15th October - almost a month before its US release date. The follow up to the original Short Films Collection, which will include short films from 2007's Your Friend the Rat to 2011's La Luna, as well as student films from John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter, is due for release on DVD and Blu-ray in the US on 13th November.

Related news: Curious: Pixar Shorts Mini Collection and Cinderella's Out on Blu-ray - A Sneak Peak at Special Features

And be sure to vote in our polls, to the right, and on Facebook, for the second round of our "A113 Ten Years" voting!

Curious: Pixar Shorts Mini Collection

We were just recently told that the Pixar Shorts Collection: Volume 2 is due on 13th November, including shorts from Your Friend the Rat to La Luna (presumably), and then this was brought to my attention.

Blog reader, Charl, commented on our post about the Shorts Collection: Volume 2, talking about a "Pixar Shorts Mini Collection" that he'd spotted listed on South African sites. The collection is indeed listed on several sites (see here, here, here and here) for about 30 South African rands, which equates to about £2.30, or $3.60; certainly cheap!

The interesting thing, though, is that no sites, bar one, provide a description. The one description provided sounds exactly like the Pixar Shorts Collection: Volume 1. But look at the cover art! Up their with 2002's Mike's New Car, are the very recent Cars Toons, Moon Mater and Unidentified Flying Mater, and the Toy Story Toons, Hawaiian Vacation and Short Fry. Huh?

Misleading cover art? Maybe. Mistaken description? Maybe. One site says it was released in 2008 - which would make it a ploy to try and get money of unknowing customers - whereas another claims a recent 2012 release date. Who knows, it's confusing, but certainly interesting!

Anybody have R30 spare to find out?

Thanks to Charl for the tip-off!

Pixar Short Films Volume 2 Due on 13th November

It's a good time to be an American Pixar fan. With Finding Nemo 3D and Monsters, Inc. 3D due in cinemas later this year, Brave due on DVD and Blu-ray and Nemo due on Blu-ray for the first time, there was already a lot of Pixar goodies to enjoy - and now there's one more. Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 2, which we saw hints at a while back (originating in our interview with La Luna director Enrico Casarosa), has now been officially dated for a (US) release date of 13th November.

This'll be a particularly grand day for US fans, as Brave is due for home video release that same day! Stitch Kingdom tells us that the Blu-ray collection is now available to pre-order on Amazon. The collection will include shorts from where the first collection left off, from Your Friend the Rat up, at least, until this year's La Luna. We can also glean from the cover-art (above) that the set will include the Toy Story Toons - or at least Hawaiian Vacation. No word on whether it'll include Partysaurus Rex, and we'll have to wait for an official announcement to get the full break down of shorts included.

Exciting news, also, though, is that the collection will include student films by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter! Included, at least, are John Lasseter's Nitemare and The Lady and the Lamp; Stitch Kingdom detail even more too. The collection will also contain special features looking at how some of the Pixar talent got their start in animation.

Exciting news indeed and a must for any Pixar fan! No word on a UK release date though.

Finding Nemo Blu Ray Due 4th December

Almost a decade after it first hit cinemas, Andrew Stanton's Finding Nemo is finally ready to appear on Blu Ray.  The release date is currently set for 4th December, likely about a month after we'll see Brave and Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 2 released on home video, and the Oscar winning animated film (re-released in cinemas in 3D on 14th September) will likely prove a very popular Christmas present - I'll certainly be asking for it!

No bonus features have been announced as of yet, but expect it to follow in the tradition of recent Pixar Blu Ray releases; including the original DVD special features and a new round table discussion with the film-makers.

Via Pixar Talk and Pixar Post.

Pixar Short Films: Volume 2 Due in November

La Luna director Enrico Casarosa hinted at it a few weeks back in an interview with this blog, but now we have confirmation and a release date for the Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 2. Enrico, whose directorial debut, La Luna, will be featured on the collection, said we could expect an announcement on the collection soon, and the above image - a German flyer - states a November 2012 release date for the DVD and Blu Ray release.

The first collection featured all the shorts from 1984's The Adventures of André and Wally B. up until 2006's Lifted, this collection presumably picks up where that left off, with 2008's Presto. We can also see from the front cover that Day & Night, Dug's Special Mission, the Toy Story Toon, Hawaiian Vacation, and Partly Cloudy will be featured on the set. Enrico told us that La Luna's going to be on there, and it's fairly safe to assume that BURN-E, the Cars Toon, Air Mater, and the Toy Story Toon, Short Fry, (after failing to appear on The Muppets' home video release) will all be on here too.

Look also for behind the scenes features on the shorts, as Enrico said that "[the commentary track for La Luna is]supposed to be on the DVD of the shorts, you know, there’s a new shorts [DVD], and that’ll be available soon.". Well, we now know when soon is, so expect other special features for the other shorts also.

Via Pixar Talk, who link the story back to us.