"I'm just saying it's quite common in these types of films for unsuspecting characters to wander off and vanish."
—Mr. Pricklepants
Toy Story of Terror! is a Pixar-produced half hour Toy Story Halloween Special written and directed by Angus MacLane that first aired in primetime on ABC on October 16, 2013. The voice cast includes Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, Don Rickles, Timothy Dalton, Kristen Schaal, Stephen Tobolowsky, Ken Marino, Kate McKinnon and Carl Weathers.
What starts out as a fun road trip for the Toy Story gang takes an unexpected turn for the worse when the trip detours to a roadside motel. After one of the toys goes missing, the others find themselves caught up in a mysterious sequence of events that must be solved before they all suffer the same fate.
Followed by Toy Story That Time Forgot.
Tropes in Toy Story Of Terror:
- Actor Allusion: Combat Carl is voiced by Carl Weathers who played a soldier who loses his arm in Predator. His missing arm looks to be the exact same spot Dillon's arm was blown off by the Predator, his combat fatigues mirror his outfit in that movie, and his owner's name is Billy, one of Dillon's squadmates.
- All Animals Are Dogs: Mr. Jones the iguana has a collar and acts like a dog.
- Affectionate Parody: Of a Slasher Movie. Jessie even gets cornered by the "monster" behind a shower curtain.
- An Arm and a Leg: As soon as Mr. Jones caught Jessie, the iguana proceeds to eat Mr. Potato Head's arm before taking Jessie to the hotel manager.
- Animal Lover: Ron is shown to treat Mr. Jones very well, and his eBid handle is "iguanaluvr75".
- Better than a Bare Bulb: Mr. Pricklepants' observations of classic Horror Tropes.
- Bland-Name Product: Ron puts his acquisitions up for sale on eBid ("The #2 Auction Website!")
- B-Movie: The toys watch an old black-and-white horror movie.
- The Cameo: Older Sid from the third movie makes an appearance, this time as a tow truck driver.
- Cat Scare: In the classic horror movie that the toys watch in the car. The heroine is alone in a spooky castle after being chased by a vampire, and the suspenseful scene builds up to the surprise appearance of a cat. Lampshaded by Mr. Pricklepants, of course.
- Chekhov's Gun:
- Mr. Potato Head's arm. At first it guides Woody and co. through the motel, then gets eaten by Mr. Jones, then finally Jessie manages to retrieve it and use it to pull away a curtain, allowing Bonnie and her mother to notice the stolen toys.
- The toys initially try and fail to break out of the manager's cabinet with a paper clip. Later in the short, Jessie manages to break Woody out of a shipping box by tearing through the tape thanks to another paper clip.
- Combining Mecha: Transitron.
- Continuity Nod:
- Both Woody and Jessie fetch a large sum on eBid because they are valuable collectibles, as seen in Toy Story 2.
- Jessie's claustrophobia is also established in Toy Story 2.
- Combat Carl was introduced in Toy Story as the army toy Sid blew up in his introductory scene, although he appears to be a newer model here.
- The person who ordered Woody on eBid? None other than Al McWhiggin.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Ron. While it may be clear that he runs a legitimate business of being the manager of a roadside hotel, he sics his pet iguana to steal toys from guests so that he can sell them in online auctions for profit, regardless to what the guests would feel.
- A Day in the Limelight: For Jessie.
- Death by Genre Savviness: Mr. Pricklepants is the first to be picked off by the unseen monster moments after telling the others that it would happen. He's not dead, of course, but still.
- The Dragon: Literally Mr. Jones, Ron the motel manager's iguana.
- Dull Surprise: The two cops in The Stinger.
- Dwindling Party: Everyone is picked off one by one, until only Jessie remains.
- "Everybody Laughs" Ending: Lampshaded by Pricklepants.
- Face Your Fears: Jessie confronts her claustrophobia to rescue Woody.
- Fake-Out Opening: The special starts with a woman being chased by a vampire in a graveyard, which turns out to be a movie the toys are watching.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus:
- Pay close attention to the packages for Jessie and Woody when Ron the Manager gets them ready. Woody's box contains an address marked for Al's Toy Barn, while Jessie's box has a note inside thanking Al for his purchase. Evidently, Al still hasn't given up on collecting the Woody's Roundup line.
- One of the gravestones in the vampire film at the beginning of the special is that of someone named Simon J. Paladino, with his epitaph stating that he was "a public servant with a unique vision". In another franchise, certain people might know him as Gazerbeam.
- Final Girl: As in a Slasher Movie, Jessie is the last to be taken by the "monster", though the others aren't dead.
- Fingertip Drug Analysis: Parodied. Buzz tastes the mysterious substance they find on the floor and the only thing he can determine from it is that it's disgusting.
- Fun Size: Combat Carl's 1/3 scale counterpart Combat Carl Jr.
- Genre Savvy: Mr. Pricklepants frequently points out how the toys' situation is like a horror film.
- Groin Attack: Jessie kicks Mr. Jones in the groin, which causes him to spit out Combat Carl's missing hand.
- Handicapped Badass: Combat Carl with his missing right hand. He gets it back later.
- Hell Hotel: The motel is this through the toys' point of view.
- Helping Hands: Mr. Potato Head's dismembered arm proves to be a valuable ally during the main trio's initial run of the motel.
- Hero of Another Story: At the end, the other stolen motel toys depart with Combat Carl, intending to come back to his owner's home.
- Humongous Mecha: Transitron, who is big compared to the other toys. He is also a Combining Mecha.
- Hurricane of Puns: With Michael Giacchino on music duties, the soundtrack album (yes, there is one
) is packed with them - "The Suspension Is Killing Me," "Motel Me a Scary Story," "I've Got a Bag Feeling About This," "Iguana Be Kidding Me," "Rock 'Em Box 'Em Robots," and "FedExit (End Credits)." - I Am Not Weasel: On the manager's board of toys to sell, Mr. Pricklepants, a hedgehog, is labeled as a "German beaver." Trixie, a Triceratops, is labeled as a "Stegosaurus."
- "I Can't Look!" Gesture: Due to his small arms, Rex turns head 180 degrees after Jessie went into Mr. Jones' throat to retrieve Mr. Potato Head's arm.
- Improvised Weapon: Buzz urges the woman in the vampire film to find something in the castle she can use to defend herself. She ultimately picks up a vase, which Mr. Pricklepants points out would be useless against a vampire.
- Jerkass: The motel owner has trained his iguana to raid the rooms for toys, which he then sells online with no regard for how the children who owned the toys might feel. He also allows kids to stay free, which probably brought many unsuspecting parents to his hotel.
- Lampshade Hanging: Pricklepants is this personified in this special.
- Laser-Guided Karma: The motel owner attempts to steal a police car... and crashes into the hotel sign.
- Last of His Kind: The Pocketeer, who is the remaining member of the "Fastener Four" who wasn't sold.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Mr. Pricklepants keeps pointing out all the horror movie tropes as they happen.(movie is ending)Mr. Pricklepants: Group laughter. A sure sign that the worst is behind us and the movie is just about over.Rex: So, this is the ending?Mr. Pricklepants: Um, yes, I'd say they'd be running the credits about now.(credits roll)
- Living a Double Life: Ron, the motel manager. His business running the motel by day is genuine and perfectly legal, but sending his pet iguana at night to steal toys and other valuables left out by customers so he can immediately put them up for auction is not.
- Medium Blending: The bats on strings in the in-universe horror movie are real props that were filmed and composited into the CG footage. This is because it was surprisingly difficult to animate simulated bats on strings.
- Meta Guy: Mr. Pricklepants, to the point of invoking This Is the Part Where... multiple times.
- Non-Malicious Monster: Mr. Jones, given that all his actions reflect those of an overexcited dog.
- Nonverbal Miscommunication: Buzz and Woody both misinterpret Mr. Potato's arm, thinking it's trying to say "one" while Jessie correctly guesses it's actually pointing up.
- Now, Let Me Carry You: Jessie sneaks into a package so she'll be taken to where she can free Woody, just like Woody did for her on the plane in the climax of 2.
- Off-Model: While looking for their friends, Woody, Jessie, and Buzz encounters Mr. Potato Head's left arm who helps them, but when they reach the bathroom, the arm became a right arm before it reverts back to a left arm while it guides the trio out of the bathroom.
- Oh, Crap!: Woody's reaction, complete with appropriate musical chord, when they find out what toy has just been purchased online.Pezcat: It looks like... a cowboy doll...
- Oh, My Gods!: Transitron has "By Golobatron's Ghost, you shall be remembered!"
- "Pan from the Sky" Beginning: After the title, the camera pans down from a black and white sky with clouds shaped like the ones on Andy's wallpaper to the graveyard where the classic horror movie the toys watch takes place.
- Pet the Dog: Ron may steal toys from kids, but he runs a legitimate business with his roadside motel and clearly cares for his pet iguana.
- Pilfering Proprietor: Ron Tompkins is a motel owner who trains his pet iguana to steal toys from guests, so he can sell them online.
- Product Placement: One of the characters, Pezcat, is a Pez dispenser. Another is a bunny made out of LEGO.
- Race Lift: In the first Toy Story, Combat Carl was white. Here, he's black. Since Combat Carl is an expy of G.I. Joe, it's likely that Carls come in different races like Joes do.
- Repeat After Me: Combat Carl tries to give Jessie a pep talk:Combat Carl: When Combat Carl gets stuck in a jam he says to himself "Combat Carl never gives up. Combat Carl finds a way." Now say it!Jessie: Combat Carl never gives up-Combat Carl: You're not Combat Carl!Jessie: Ohhh! Jessie never gives up! Jessie finds a way!
- Reptiles Are Abhorrent: Played with. Mr. Jones is definitely the villain to the toys, but his behavior is more dog-like than reptilian, and clearly has no malicious intent.
- Rousing Speech: Combat Carl gives one to Jessie to get her to get in a box to rescue Woody.
- Scary Fiction Is Fun: The short film begins with the toys watching a classic monster movie on a portable DVD player while Bonnie and her mom are on a road trip. Rex is scared of it and Jessie finds it boring, but the rest of the toys are into it.
- Shapeshifting: The LEGO Bunny can do so, being made entirely of LEGO and can therefore rebuild itself into whatever it pleases. Pity it only demonstrates such in a single scene.
- Shout-Out: Even in a half-hour special, Pixar found places to put references to their other films.
- The name on the tombstone that Betsy runs into in the opening horror movie bears the name Simon J. Palladino, the civilian name of Gazerbeam in The Incredibles. The epitaph even says "A public servant with a unique vision".
- The famous Pizza Planet truck appears in a blink-and-you-miss-it shot on a flyer in Ron's office. Additionally, Bonnie's mom has an "I brake for Pizza Planet" license plate holder on her car.
- DJ Blue-Jay from Toy Story Toons: Small Fry appears on Bonnie's shirt.
- A sticker on the front door of the Sleep-Well Motel shows that they accept Buy'n'Large credit cards.
- The Luxo ball has a blink-and-you-miss-it sighting as an engraving on the underside of the bathroom sink.
- The paintings above the beds in Bonnie's hotel room are art from The Good Dinosaur, also counting as Production Foreshadowing.
- In a non-Pixar related example, two of the other toys mentioned are The Pocketeer and Speed Lacer. Pocketeer himself resembles a Fisher Price version of Nite Owl who had a line about needing pockets and zippers in his costume.
- And in another non-Pixar example, the shot of the shower curtain being ripped down is taken straight from Psycho.
- Special Effect Failure: In-universe. During the classic horror movie that the toys watch at the beginning, the vampire bat is very obviously held up by a string.
- Spit Take: Ron does this when he sees the offer he got on eBid for the "old cowboy doll".
- Stealth Pun: The old-sounding toy clock is an old timer.
- Stealing from the Hotel: This is why Mr. Potato Head leaves the backpack, to take some of the motel's free stuff back with him.
- The Stoic: The cops are surprisingly calm about the motel owner jacking and then crashing their car.
- Survival Mantra: "Jessie never gives up! Jessie finds a way!"
- The Tag: The remaining stolen motel toys escape, and the police come to arrest the motel manager who sneaks out, steals the police car, crashes in reverse into a lamp post and runs away.
- Tempting Fate: After Mr. Potato Head reunites with his arm, he says that both of them will never get separated again until the car went over a speed bump causing Mr. Potato Head's parts to fall off.
- Third-Person Person: Combat Carl talks this way. Lampshaded by Jessie. There are only two lines where he doesn't do this. ("Listen to me!" and "My hand!")
- This Is Reality: Mr. Potato Head has enough of Mr. Pricklepants' Lampshading and snaps back "Can it, Pants! Life ain't a movie!"
- Tranquil Fury: Bonnie's mother was clearly furious upon finding out the motel manager tried to steal her daughter's toys, but she remained calm the whole time while she threatened to call the police on him. The Stinger reveals that she made good on her threat.
- Vomit Indiscretion Shot: Spoofed when Pezcat vomits a pez after Jessie reaches down Mr. Jones' throat to retrieve Mr. Potato Head's arm.
