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Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Which is the best new child-meets-alien movie? We give Elio the edge
ELIO ★★★½ PG. 98 minutes Child meets alien: it's a tale as old as time, or at least a formula that goes back to E.T. Still, given that Disney and Pixar are two branches of the same company, there's something disconcerting about Pixar releasing Elio just a few weeks after Disney brought us the live-action version of Lilo & Stitch. Both films centre on a rambunctious young orphan who has trouble making human friends, but does better when extra-terrestrials are involved – and both incorporate the expected heart-tugging moments and moral lessons, along with parodies of science-fiction cliches. So which one should you or your children see? It's a matter of individual preference, but personally I'd have to give Elio the edge. Lilo & Stitch is mostly old-fashioned slapstick, though not lacking in charm. Elio is more ambitious, and also a whole lot weirder – which is a plus, though questions might be raised about the advisability of showing a child lying on a beach next to a message scrawled in the sand that reads 'ABDUCT ME,' granting he's spelled out he wants to be abducted by aliens, not just anyone. At any rate, it isn't long before young Elio (Yonas Kibreab) gets his wish. Light years away from planet Earth, he seems to have found his chosen family in a non-violent, technologically advanced collective of aliens known as the Communiverse, who accept and appreciate him as his well-meaning aunt back home (Zoe Saldana) never could. Naturally, there are complications. It's not that the members of the Communiverse are hiding anything sinister, but they've jumped to the false conclusion that Elio is Earth's leader. Rather than confess the humiliating truth, he volunteers for a dangerous diplomatic mission involving the monstrous Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) – whose young son Glorgan (Remy Edgerly) proves to be even more of a misfit than Elio, with no true desire to move on from his larval form or join the family business of galactic conquest.
The Age
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Which is the best new child-meets-alien movie? We give Elio the edge
ELIO ★★★½ PG. 98 minutes Child meets alien: it's a tale as old as time, or at least a formula that goes back to E.T. Still, given that Disney and Pixar are two branches of the same company, there's something disconcerting about Pixar releasing Elio just a few weeks after Disney brought us the live-action version of Lilo & Stitch. Both films centre on a rambunctious young orphan who has trouble making human friends, but does better when extra-terrestrials are involved – and both incorporate the expected heart-tugging moments and moral lessons, along with parodies of science-fiction cliches. So which one should you or your children see? It's a matter of individual preference, but personally I'd have to give Elio the edge. Lilo & Stitch is mostly old-fashioned slapstick, though not lacking in charm. Elio is more ambitious, and also a whole lot weirder – which is a plus, though questions might be raised about the advisability of showing a child lying on a beach next to a message scrawled in the sand that reads 'ABDUCT ME,' granting he's spelled out he wants to be abducted by aliens, not just anyone. At any rate, it isn't long before young Elio (Yonas Kibreab) gets his wish. Light years away from planet Earth, he seems to have found his chosen family in a non-violent, technologically advanced collective of aliens known as the Communiverse, who accept and appreciate him as his well-meaning aunt back home (Zoe Saldana) never could. Naturally, there are complications. It's not that the members of the Communiverse are hiding anything sinister, but they've jumped to the false conclusion that Elio is Earth's leader. Rather than confess the humiliating truth, he volunteers for a dangerous diplomatic mission involving the monstrous Lord Grigon (Brad Garrett) – whose young son Glorgan (Remy Edgerly) proves to be even more of a misfit than Elio, with no true desire to move on from his larval form or join the family business of galactic conquest.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Elio' directors on drawing inspiration from Steven Spielberg and Roald Dahl: We both are sci-fi fans
"Elio", Disney Pixar's new film about a space-obsessed boy who suddenly finds himself beamed across the galaxy and declared Earth's ambassador by a quirky council of aliens, borrows a lot from filmmaker Steven Spielberg's "E.T. " and Roald Dahl's books, say the movie's directors. The film is directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, and Adrian Molina. Both Shi and Sharafian spoke to PTI about their movie influences and crafting a story with a universal theme. The film's producer Mary Alice said "Elio" underscores the intrigue humans have towards aliens. Shi said she drew a lot of inspiration from Dahl's books like "James and the Giant Peach", and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", while putting together the lead character. "'E.T.' was a big inspiration for us. I've always loved books by Roald Dahl. He tells stories about these lonely boys that come from a sad upbringing, a lot of the time they're orphans or have horrible families, and through their gumption, passion and perseverance, they're able to find belonging and love through a quirky world. "The tone of our movie is like, oftentimes very Roald Dahl-esque, kind of the alien ambassadors that Elio meets, they're kind of ridiculous and pompous, but also a little silly and sweet," the director told PTI in a virtual interview. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Sharafian, co-director of "Elio" said they channelled their love for Spielberg's classic movies, such as "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", John Carpenter's "The Thing", and Ridley Scott's "Alien", to create a narrative that presents aliens as "warm and friendly" figures. "Domee and I are both huge sci-fi fans. We wanted to make a movie about aliens and a sci-fi movie that portrayed aliens in a positive light. But we still wanted to have fun and pay homage to these classics and these tropes. When you watch the film, you'll see a little bit of both, friendliness and warmth, but maybe a few scares along the way," she added. Shi added that with "Elio", they wanted to tap into the universal curiosity about what lies beyond Earth. "... Is space friendly? Is it threatening? We don't know. I love that our movie kind of proposes a what-if, like, what if space was friendly? What if it was welcoming and there was a sense of belonging out there for us, and for this lonely kid named Elio? So, I love all that. All the movies that Maddie mentioned, I'm a huge fan of Spielberg, Carpenter, and Ridley Scott," she said. In the movie, a scene features a pivotal shout-out to Mumbai, encapsulating a massive emotional turn for Elio as he discovers he is not alone. "I'm a huge fan of Indian films. So, I loved the shout-out. What we wanted that scene to encapsulate was this huge emotional turn for Elio as he realises that there were people like him all around who cared about the same things that he cared about and who were there for him and there to rescue and uplift him, all the things that he thought aliens, only aliens could do. So, I'm glad we got a Mumbai shout-out in there. I hope one day we could see more," Sharafian added. According to Alice, they wanted to understand human curiosity about universe through the eyes of Elio. "We're always looking up at the stars, and we're always wondering, is there life out there? It's such a universal thing. Carl Sagan (American astronomer and planetary scientist) said as we learn more and more about space and the universe and the vastness, we're always curious about that, maybe even sometimes when we're kind of sad or tired of Earth, we wonder if there's something like Elio where we could go out into space and wish for it. "But there are a lot of sci-fi movies, Maddie and Domee are such fans of and that have been the inspirations for the movie." "Elio" boasts a stellar voice cast featuring Yonas Kibreab as Elio, Zoe Saldana as Aunt Olga, Remy Edgerly as Glordon, Brad Garrett as Lord Grigon, and Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa, among others. The film will hit theatres on June 20 in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
‘Jaws' scared swimmers out of the ocean 50 years ago. Real locations of Amity's terror
'Jaws' scared swimmers out of the ocean 50 years ago. Real locations of Amity's terror 'Duh-dun ... duh-dun ... duh-dun.' Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, the 50th anniversary of "Jaws" is here. "Jaws" was released on June 20, 1975, and ushered in the summer blockbuster era, earning an inflation-adjusted $1.56 billion. "Jaws" instilled a fear of the unknown as it villainized sharks and altered the public perception. Some moviegoers became terrified to jump into the ocean. The movie also introduced the world to a 27-year-old director Steven Spielberg, who would follow up with a string of summer blockbusters such as "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "E.T." Key movie stats from 'Jaws' How much did 'Jaws' originally gross? According to the American Film Institute, "Jaws" was a groundbreaking financial success for Universal. It became the first film to gross more than $100 million at the box office. It's the 14th-highest-grossing film when adjusted for inflation, according to IMDB. As the first summer blockbuster, it remained the highest-grossing film (not adjusted for inflation) until "Star Wars" was released two years later. Where was the movie shot? The majority of "Jaws" was filmed on location in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. The fictional town of Amity Island was represented by Edgartown on the island. Many scenes were shot in the open ocean. A few scenes were shot in California. The film had been scheduled for a 55-day shoot, but it took 159. Here's where the shark carried out some of its attacks: How big was Bruce the shark? Bruce, the mechanical great white shark and principal antagonist, is named after Spielberg's lawyer, Bruce Ramen. His length is exaggerated. While real great whites can reach up to 20 feet, Bruce measured 25 feet, surpassing the largest recorded. His relentless attacks on humans are a product of cinematic storytelling, not a reflection of real shark behavior. How many shark attacks were there in "Jaws"? Where can you watch it? Top 3 scary moments in 'Jaws' 'Jaws' turns 50 this summer and USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt celebrates with his favorite bloody moments. NBC's three-hour presentation of the original film airs June 20 at 8 p.m. ET. In addition to the three-hour presentation, 'Jaws' and its three sequels, 'Jaws 2,' 'Jaws 3' and 'Jaws: The Revenge,' are airing on Peacock. A big-screen re-release is also set for Aug. 29. CONTRIBUTING Natalie Neysa Alund SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; NOAA; Jaws Wiki; Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Disney, Pixar's ‘Elio' aims for the stars — and lands in the heart
Pixar's attention to detail in its animated films is well-known, from the way a blade of grass sways in the wind to a wisp of fuzz on a sleeve. But for its latest feature, 'Elio,' directors Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian weren't just focused on visual realism. They wanted to zoom in on the mind of its namesake protagonist, an 11-year-old orphan who feels like he doesn't belong. In pursuit of emotional authenticity, they met with child psychologists and former U.S Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to learn how children process grief and loneliness. 'As we were listening to these experts, I remember taking notes about things a lonely kid might do,' Sharafian told the Chronicle in a joint video call with Shi and 'Elio' producer Mary Alice Drumm from Pixar's Emeryville studio. 'For example, they might say 'I'm lonely' and that's a big step, because the feeling of loneliness is often accompanied by a lot of shame and guilt that their situation is all their fault.' 'Elio' is about space, both the one overhead and the one that forms around you. The boy (voiced by Yonas Kibreab) is an adventurous wannabe space cadet craving intergalactic connection because that's the only place he thinks he fits in. His extraterrestrial-hunting aunt Olga (voiced by Zoe Saldaña) assumes Elio's caretaker role — that is, until he accidentally gets beamed into the Communiverse. In the Communiverse, a United Nations-like assembly for alien civilizations, Elio thrives as Earth's ambassador. He earns the trust of the assembly's officials and makes friends with roly poly larval alien Glordon (voiced by Remy Edgerly). Unfortunately, Glordon's dad Lord Grigon (voiced by Brad Garrett) wants to rule the Communiverse, so the young duo embark on an adventure to prevent dad's hostile takeover and get Elio back home. It's no coincidence that the character's name 'Elio' is derived from Elliott, a.k.a. the bicycle-flying, extraterrestrial-harboring kid of the 1982 classic 'E.T.' In a lot of ways, 'Elio' shares similarities to Steven Spielberg's misfit boy-meets-thing premise except the alien in this case is the boy. And like E.T.'s finger and the best Pixar story lines, it's reliably touching and makes the heart glow. 'That helped me a lot for that emotional journey that he has,' said the 14-year-old actor. 'Elio has a great imagination and amazing spirit. He's always down for an adventure and he doesn't care about what other people think. And I can relate to that in a lot of ways.' While the pandemic may have informed his performance in the film, 'Elio' still experienced significant roadblocks to launch. Script rewrites were delayed by the 2023 writers' and actors' strike. In 2024, original director Adrian Molina was replaced by Shi ('Turning Red' and 'Bao,' which won the 2019 Academy Award for best animated short) and Sharafian ('Burrow'), who makes her feature directorial debut. As a result, its scheduled release date last year was pushed to 2025. To get 'Elio' completed in a condensed time frame, the Pixar team implemented a strategy titled College Project, which assembled supervisors of all the film's departments into one room. It had the atmosphere of study group cram sessions that allowed for adjustments and quick approvals. 'We were all working in the room together because we were moving so fast,' said Shi. 'It was really fun and scrappy and collaborative. It felt like we were our own little Communiverse making this movie.' Now 'Elio' is entering a crowded summer movie season against ' Despicable Me ' and ' Kung Fu Panda ' sequels. But producer Mary Alice Drumm said the team's focus isn't on the box office competition; the main job is to make the best, most entertaining film they can to keep families coming to the movies. 'People are hungry to be back in theaters together for amazing films that are beautiful on the big screen and about connection,' said Drumm. 'We feel like this is one of them.' All of Pixar's trademark diligence and attention to emotional nuance is put on display in 'Elio.' Directors Shi and Sharafian have a reputation for deftly imbuing adventurous fun with humanity, a quality that continues to set their films apart. Take, for instance, the character of Lord Grigon who wants his squishy son Glordon to carry on the family tyranny business. Glordon's line, 'I don't want to be a war machine,' is delivered with the determination of a shy 11-year-old wanting to quit piano lessons. It's a familiar dynamic to anyone who understands certain cultural expectations — especially those rooted in Asian households. So, is Lord Grigon an Asian dad? 'I wish,' said Shi with a laugh, though the Chinese Canadian admitted some traits feel more Asian than alien. 'Lord Grigon is motivated by saving face. He was rejected by the Communiverse, and that really damaged his pride. I do feel Asians are all about saving face.' Along with the emotional layers, 'Elio' is visually tantalizing, credited to visual effects supervisor Claudia Chung Sanii and veteran production designer Harley Jessup. The film is Jessup's last ride with Pixar before he retires, and his team left it all out on the storyboards. Space vessels resemble intricate origami, foggy beaches and redwood forests drew inspiration from the craggy Southern Oregon and Sonoma coastlines. The aliens bring to mind underwater creatures like ribbon eels, sea slugs and leafy seadragons — a resemblance heightened by the glittering, zero-gravity Communiverse they inhabit. Deeply embedded is an appreciation for sci-fi and horror, with easter eggs referencing 'The Thing,' 'Aliens' and 'Close Encounters' scattered throughout. 'Elio' earns its PG rating, but this being Pixar, the scares come with a wink. The aliens may look like they came out of a NyQuil fever dream, but their voices and rounded edges soften the eek factor. 'I feel like we strike that balance between scary and fun,' said Shi. 'I think about when I was a kid, how I liked to be scared sometimes. I loved Tim Burton movies. I loved 'Gremlins.' There is that sweet spot of scary-fun — a thrill.' 'Elio' closes on a hopeful, unifying note using the words of a famed astronomer not named Neil. Drumm feels it's an important message to send amid an outside world clouded by harmful rhetoric and tear gas. 'I think making a film about a place in space with people of a different species from different planets all working together resonates at all times,' said Drumm. 'At Pixar, we're always hoping to leave the audience with a little bit of hope and optimism. I think that's needed more than ever today.'
