The first volume of Pixar�s award-winning shorts on DVD (some were previously collected on VHS under the title Tiny Toy Stories) includes 13 mini-movies from the vaults of the studio (they have one of those too, don�t they?) ranging from the sublime (Geri�s Game, Boundin�) to the � not so sublime (Mater and the Ghost Light). Viewing them all at once, one not only gets an opportunity to see the evolution of the Pixar studio, but the art form of computer animation itself, beginning with the brief but revolutionary (for its time -- it looks quaint today) The Adventures of Andr� & Wally B.

Of the early efforts, Luxo Jr. is the most well known, mostly because its titular character has been prominently featured in the studio�s logo for years (prompting the nickname �The Lamp� for the company now owned by �The Mouse�). The most influential would be Tin Toy, which not only led to Toy Story, but also won the first Academy Award for a short animated wholly with computers. Other highlights include the �non-busty� version of Knick Knack, the hilarious For the Birds and the feature-inspired Mike�s New Car and Jack-Jack Attack, as well as such recent additions as the droll One Man Band and Lifted (see above).

Rounding out the disc is the informative feature �The Pixar Shorts: A Short History�, which offers up a glimpse at the early days of the animation unit, back when they were literally working off of one computer (and in a hallway, no less). Also included are audio commentaries for each short, plus four vignettes from Sesame Street starring the cast of Luxo Jr.

My only complaint about this collection is that it doesn�t include the many commercials for other companies Pixar produced over the years, although you do see brief snippets of them in �Short History�. Also MIA are those �ABC Saturday Morning� interstitials starring the Toy Story gang and (granted, for obvious reasons) Your Friend the Rat. But hey, that at least gives us something to look forward to on the inevitable Volume 2.

Coming Soon:

• The animated world meets ours in Disney�s musical fantasy Enchanted, starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden and Susan Sarandon (November 21).
• This year�s Walt Disney Treasures includes the latest batch of Donald Duck cartoons, rare Oswald the Lucky Rabbit shorts, and a look at the �Stories, Secrets and Magic� of Disneyland (Disney DVDs, December 11).
• �What time is it?� Time for High School Musical 2 to hit Disney DVD! (Also available December 11.)

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