Call it the Fillmore effect. In the weeks after the Pixar-Disney movie "Cars" was released, we saw a lot more eBay sellers mention the hippie character in the film when they were trying to unload their Volkswagen minibuses from the 1960s. "Cars" didn't have an effect on just minibuses, either. We also saw the value … Continue reading “Cars” helps spur new interest in VW minibuses
Category: Movies
“Cars” passes $400 million mark
The Disney-Pixar film "Cars," part of which takes place on old Route 66, has passed the $400 million mark for total box-office receipts, reports Box Office Mojo. "Cars" has grossed $240 million domestically, which is No. 2 for all of the year 2006, and at least $160 million internationally. I say "at least" because there … Continue reading “Cars” passes $400 million mark
Amazon.com taking “Cars” DVD pre-orders
My friend Mike Ward pointed this out this morning: Amazon.com is taking pre-orders for the widescreen version of Pixar/Disney's movie "Cars," which featured Route 66 prominently in the film. The DVD is set to arrive Nov. 7. The price is $20.99, which is about nine bucks off the retail price. There's been a lot of … Continue reading Amazon.com taking “Cars” DVD pre-orders
Film review: “Route 66: An American (bad)Dream”
The filmmakers should rename it, "Route 66: A (bad)Movie." An "open-source" film-making company, Veb Film Leipzig, made a "Route 66: An American (bad)Dream" and posted it on Google Video in the past week or so. The premise: three young German men drive an old rented Cadillac across the country and document their experiences on film. … Continue reading Film review: “Route 66: An American (bad)Dream”
A roadie in the making
For his son's 10th birthday, Michael Bates of the Batesline blog in Tulsa took him down Route 66 for an overnight trip to Oklahoma City. They checked out older alignments, saw the Round Barn, cruised Davenport's brick streets, had a terrific time at Frontier City, talked about Radiator Springs in the movie "Cars," and at … Continue reading A roadie in the making
“Life Is a Highway” — the original
I know folks are lovin' the "Cars" soundtrack and Rascal Flatts' pretty good version of "Life Is a Highway." But it's worth remembering Tom Cochran's original from 1992, which is pretty swell, too. Here it is: UPDATE: Rascal Flatts' version for "Cars" can be seen here. And the link to the Cochran video has been … Continue reading “Life Is a Highway” — the original
Confirmed: “Cars” DVD comes out Nov. 7
USA Today reports that the "Cars" DVD will be released Nov. 7, as previously rumored. The report also has some details about the DVD's extras: The disc includes an all-new short film Mater and the Ghostlight. A behind-the-scenes feature, Inspiration for Cars, tells how writer/director John Lasseter made the film, which already has grossed more … Continue reading Confirmed: “Cars” DVD comes out Nov. 7
Die-cast cars from the movie “Cars”
An EZBoard.com post has a reference page about die-cast cars from the "Cars" movie, including photos of rare ones, like the jazzed-up Radiator Springs version of Lightning McQueen. Check it out. (Hat tip to Pixar Planet for the news item.)
“Cars” used to publicize Arizona’s Route 66
Mickey News, a Web news site devoted to Disney, is using the movie "Cars" to publicize Arizona's Route 66 and does quite a good job of it. The news release seems tailored to British readers, as prices for trip packages are listed in British pounds, not dollars. That makes sense, as "Cars" opened in the … Continue reading “Cars” used to publicize Arizona’s Route 66
New book guides you to California movie scenes
"Hollywood Escapes," written by Harry Medved and Bruce Akiyama, guides movie buffs to old movie locations all over Southern California, reports the Hollywood Reporter. Incidentally, Medved has co-written some great movie books, like "The Golden Turkey Awards" and "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and How They Got That Way)." "Hollywood Escapes" includes directions … Continue reading New book guides you to California movie scenes