Enter the reception area of Monsters, Inc., where you are directed to three different areas:

Mike’s New Car: Another portal to view the new short.

Monster TV Treats: These are great; various holiday and sporting event tie-ins.

Ponkickies 21: What, exactly, is a ‘Ponkickie’? (Besides a word driving my spell check insane … ). It is a popular Japanese kiddie show (featuring a Zoog Disney-like hostess named Connie) for which Pixar produced exclusive animation of Sulley, Mike and Boo. You can play along with them as the play Janken (the Japanese version of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”) and the Lucky Door Game. Viewable with or without English subtitles.

Peek-A-Boo: Boo’s Door Game: Help Mike (who I don’t think is voiced by Billy Crystal here) search through kid’s bedrooms from around the world to find all the pieces of Boo’s door in this fun DVD game.

Disney Storytime: Welcome to Monstropolis: Read along or to yourself as Roz narrates a tour of Monsters, Inc. Remember: DON’T TOUCH THE MONSTERS! Ends with a nice little moral about facing your fears.

“If I Didn’t Have You” Music Video: A shorter cut of the Goodman/Crystal version, with scenes from the movie. Used as a promotion for the film’s soundtrack on Disney resort television.

DVD-ROM: Access an exclusive interactive game, register your DVD online or go directly to the official Monster’s Inc. website through your computer’s DVD-ROM drive.

Outtakes: Yet another access.

Company Play Program: You can’t tell the players without a program, although apparently Mike had complete creative control over the production of Put That Thing Back Where It Came From Or So Help Me!

Here you can read a note from the director himself as well as view a full list of musical numbers (including such ditties as “I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Kid’s Scream”, “She’s a Killing Machine (Love Theme)” and “(No One to Call Me) Kitty”) and biographies of the … talented monsters who brought down the house (literally) with their performances. Again, anyone who has ever done a community theater production will appreciate this one. Pure riot.

On the Job with Mike and Sulley: A Channel 13 Special Report, featuring more fun new animation.

Welcome to Monsters, Inc.: The company commercial, Fullscreen and uninterrupted.

Your First Day: A mock training film, using footage from the film and even concept art.

The History of the Monster World: Through drawings and narration, discover the heretofore unknown origins of why monsters scare man.

Employee Handbook: Your orientation binder includes such useful sections as “Hazard ID Symbols”, “Repetitive Scare Injury” and “10 Ways to Get Fired”.

Monster of the Month: Find out who succeeded in dethroning reigning ‘Monster of the Month’ Sulley.

Scarer Cards: Monsters, Inc.’s resident dorks, Needleman and Smitty, narrate this motley assortment of trading cards, which include bios and stats of all the major players. Each pack comes with “Stale Gum Included” … gee, just like in the human world.

Toon Talk Trivia:

• Monsters, Inc. received a total of four Oscar nominations, including Best Animated Feature, Best Score, Best Song and Best Sound Editing. It won Randy Newman his first Oscar after 16 nominations (including 7 for Disney and/or Pixar films) for the end title song, “If I Didn’t Have You”.
• The film was also nominated for the American Cinema Editors Award.
• John Goodman will have some big paws to fill when he returns to Disney as the voice of Baloo in the upcoming theatrical sequel The Jungle Book II: Mowgli’s Story, due Spring of 2003.

Coming Soon in Toon Talk:

• Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away makes its English-language debut, featuring the voices of such Disney faves as Daveigh Chase, David Ogden Stiers, Susan Egan and John Ratzenberger, opening September 20^th.
• A very special Platinum Edition 2-disc DVD set of the Academy Award-winning animated motion picture classic Beauty and the Beast, featuring three different versions of the film and an enchanted castle-full of extras, on sale October 8^th.
• Also available October 8^th, the DVD debut of one of Toon Talk’s “Top 10 for 2001”, Walt Disney: The Man Behind the Myth.

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-- Kirby C. Holt

Kirby, a former Walt Disney World Resort Cast Member (and Trivia Champ), is a lifelong Disney fan and film buff. He is also an avid list maker and chronic ellipsis user ...

Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.

The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.

-- Posted September 30, 2002