2 fun reasons why I enjoyed Pixar’s “Up”

After seeing and hearing a lot of great reviews and media hype, I went and saw Up tonight (in 3D!) with my friend Shayna. Two very cool inclusions by the directors and writers of Up made the Pixar film particularly enjoyable.

The first treat in Up was the name-dropping of an Oakland ice cream parlor that is literally two blocks away from the Earshot Presents Clubhouse. Fentons, which turns 115 in July, is not only mentioned in the middle of Up, but it is also visually featured towards the end of the film (although, aside from the distinctive logo, it doesn’t bare much resemblance). As it turns out, Up director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera live in Oakland and have young children they take to Fentons. The Piedmont Avenue creamery is also a popular stop for Pixar employees, who work at the Oakland production facility only ten minutes away.

Second, in a scene in which one of the main characters is watching a home shopping show on his television, the film uses the audio of one of my very favorite YouTubes ever. The viral video from which they excerpted is one that Earshot Presents shared with you last February. To give you a hint, it involves a digital camera, a horse, and a butterfly. Or is it a moth? Up cuts off the clip before the confusion sets in. It was hilarious to hear it nonetheless!