I’ve begun to see a pattern in Pixar films…they like to make slight references to Stanley Kubrick films. In Toy Story the carpet outside of Sid’s room was the same as the carpet Danny is playing on in The Shining. In Toy Story 2 the first few notes of the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme played as Buzz stepped on the bottle caps in the video game. I was watching A Bug’s Life and could have sworn to see a couple. I’m not sure, and want to see if I’m right.
*When PT the Flea is announcing to the flys the Flaming Death trick, the background score sounds like the opening score to A Clockwork Orange.
*When the warrior bugs, and Flik, are flying back to Ant Island, the background music sounds like a sly rendition of the Blue Danube Waltz, which was in 2001. The IMDB lists that 2001 was referenced, and I think this was the scene, but I couldn’t be sure.
Am I right? Does anyone else know of any more SK references in Pixar films?
Well in Toy Story when Buzz is first looking around the room we see a shot from inside his helmut and we hear him breating. I thought this was a tip to 2001 when Bowman is walking around the all white apartment. And what a great reference it would be because Bowman is about to evolve to a new level and Buzz is going to do that in the course of the film.
Then I got the DVD.
Then I watched it with the directors commentary. They claim that this is the first of many Star Wars references. This one going to Darth Vader.
Oh well…
But the Star Wars references were obvious in TS2 when Zurg and Buzz have the “You killed my Father!” – “No Buzz, I AM your father!” exchange. Can’t think of any other references right now, but I’ll bet there were more.