Mousterpiece Cinema

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Episode 233: Bolt Jan 27, 2016

Show notes

How much do you loathe the evil Dr. Calico? Are you a friend of canines, or are you a deceptive feline-like minion? It's these questions that are up for debate in the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, as Josh and Gabe talk about the 2008 animated film Bolt, starring John Travolta and a pre-close-cropped/Woody-Allen-ingenue Miley Cyrus, about a superheroic dog and his person. Except, of course, the lead character of Bolt doesn't realize that he's actually an actor playing a superheroic dog, which makes things pretty crazy when he's let loose on the real world. Josh and Gabe are joined by past guest Tasha Robinson of The Verge to talk about all things Bolt, from its rocky production to its voice cast to its rabid loathing of cats. Plus, a tease of next week's all-Boston-accented episode! Get excited, and get listening!

Episode 232: A Bug's Life Jan 23, 2016

Show notes

We're getting small on this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. Tiny, you might say. As tiny as the size of an ant or some other kind of insect. Yes, we're talking about bugs this week because our movie is Pixar's A Bug's Life from 1998. Gabe and Josh are joined by friend of the show (and this week, thanks to Skype issues, a fairly echo-y friend) Griffin Newman to talk about all things ants...and Antz. You remember Antz, don't you? The first of two 1998 computer-animated films about quirky male ants who fall in love with the princesses of their respective colonies? The rivalry between Pixar and DreamWorks Animation is a hot topic in this episode, as are outtakes, voice work, and Gabe's daring suggestion that A Bug's Life may not even be as good as the first Cars. Prepare to be shocked throughout--check out the show now!

Episode 231: Cinderella III: A Twist in Time Jan 15, 2016

Show notes

Are you ready to go back? Back...to the future? Well, OK, it's more like back...to the end of the beginning in this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. That's because Josh and Gabe are talking about yet another direct-to-DVD sequel, Cinderella III: A Twist in Time. As you might expect from the subtitle, this Cinderella story isn't your average, run-of-the-mill princess movie, but it's got a dash of science fiction. See, when one of Cinderella's evil old stepsisters gets her hands on the Fairy Godmother's magic wand, she and her eviller stepmother are able to turn back the clock so Cinderella never had her happily ever after. Can good triumph over evil? Does Prince Charming need to be leeched? Is this movie better than the original? Are any direct-to-DVD sequels better than the original? Someone from Slate actually made that argument, and you best believe we're citing it this week. Now check out the show!

Episode 230: Freaky Friday (1976) Jan 09, 2016

Show notes

Welcome to 2016, everyone! Movie Mezzanine's got itself a new look for the whole site, and that has even affected Mousterpiece Cinema. Once upon a time, a long while ago, Josh and Gabe aired new episodes every Saturday; for the last year and a half, we've been releasing episodes on Wednesdays. Now, as you can see, we're back to our Saturday schedule! Maybe it's fitting--kind of--that the schedule shift begins as Josh and Gabe talk about a different day of the week, and a particularly odd one. In fact, it's Freaky Friday, the 1976 film starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris as a daughter and mother who inadvertently switch bodies with each other on one fine Friday and get into all sorts of madcap misadventures. Could it be that this film leans too hard on old-fashioned gender norms? Is its madcap style not something that's particularly funny? Is the 2003 remake better than this one? Find out now!

Episode 229: Summer Magic Dec 29, 2015

Show notes

It's the end of 2015, friends, and to stave off the cold weather (as well as a cold that has besieged Josh's sinuses), Josh and Gabe want to flip the old Christmas-in-July concept and talk about summer in December. Specifically, they're talking about the 1963 Disney musical Summer Magic on this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. You know Summer Magic, right? The one with songs from Richard and Robert Sherman? Songs like, uh, "Femininity"? (Bad news: the song is as bad as you might think based on its title.) Did Josh and Gabe enjoy another Hayley Mills-led live-action film from the 1960s, or is this not a Pollyanna-esque situation? And what does "The Music Man" have to do with this? (It does figure into the show.) Find out now!

Episode 228: Star Wars: The Force Awakens Dec 20, 2015

Show notes

Friends, the time has finally come. Anticipation has hit a fever pitch. Crowds are lining up around the block just to see the result of years of buildup. Yes, friends, you know what we're talking about. It's the battle to end all 2015 battles: is Gabe about to eat a heaping pile of crow, or did he hate the new Star Wars movie? That's right, as we approach the end of 2015, it's time for Josh and Gabe to face the biggest movie of the year, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. As you may know, Josh has been looking forward to this one for a while, but Gabe's been obstinately against it. But now that the movie's out, did the movie surprise them? Did it win them over? They're joined by friend of the show Anthony Breznican of Entertainment Weekly to talk the big issues: are the new characters fun? Did the movie do well by our old friends Han Solo, Leia Organa, and...R2-D2? Spoilers abound here, so be warned, but if you're ready and if the Force is with you, then check out the new show!

Episode 227: Miracle Dec 16, 2015

Show notes

All you hosers, eh, listen up! We got a real corker of an episode of Mousterpiece Cinema coming your way, and this week, Gabe and Josh are facing off in a colder climate than usual: the ice rink. Yep, they're back in skates again, metaphorically speaking, because this episode's all about an underdog hockey team overcoming insurmountable odds to beat a European foe. No, it's not D2: The Mighty Ducks! We're talking about the 2004 film Miracle, starring Kurt Russell as the coach who would bring the U.S. Olympic hockey team to victory over the dreaded Soviet Union hockey team. But at least one of your hosts dares to prefer a Mighty Ducks movie to a Kurt Russell-led sports drama; hear who's bold enough to say so, plus impressions of Katharine Hepburn so good, we're going to get Cate Blanchett to hand over her Oscar. (Well, maybe not yet.) Check out the show now!

Episode 226: Bad Santa Dec 09, 2015

Show notes

'Tis the season to be jolly, to make merry, to welcome friends into your home to celebrate the holidays. And on Mousterpiece Cinema, 'tis the season for holiday-themed episodes of the podcast! And now that we're all Santa Clause-d out on the show, it's time get a bit naughty. A bit...bad, you might say. So what better film to discuss this week than Bad Santa? Yes, this 2003 comedy starring Billy Bob Thornton as a low-down-and-dirty thief who dresses up as a mall Santa is from the Walt Disney Company, so it's on the docket this week. Josh and Gabe welcome Scott Tobias back to the program to debate...well, not that much! Spoiler alert: we're all big fans of this movie, just as we're not very big fans of the idea of the impending sequel. But hey, even when we're all agreeing, the spirit of the season demands that you listen. So...you know what to do!

Episode 225: The Good Dinosaur Dec 01, 2015

Show notes

It's a first this week on Mousterpiece Cinema, as Gabe and Josh talk about yet another Pixar movie; what's so special is that this is the first time in a single year when there have been two new Pixar movies. This summer, of course, we had the wonderful Inside Out; for the holidays, Pixar has given us The Good Dinosaur, wherein the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs...didn't wipe them out. In fact, the dinosaurs and humans coexist in this film, but does that lead to a good story? Josh and Gabe are joined by friend of the show Scott Renshaw of Salt Lake City Weekly to answer this burning question, as well as do our due diligence and insert at least one reference to The Big Lebowski into this discussion of a movie co-starring Sam Elliott. Plus, one of us calls the movie "disappointing"! A lot! It's not who you think! Check out the show to find out who said it!

Episode 224: Race to Witch Mountain Nov 25, 2015

Show notes

Friends, we've got no time for preamble on this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. We're off to the races, heading to...which mountain? Which one? Which--we have to figure that mystery out soon, because Josh and Gabe are talking about the last film in the infamous Witch Mountain franchise, the 2009 remake Race to Witch Mountain. Once more, they're joined by IGN TV editor Eric Goldman to talk about the important questions, such as...seriously, which mountain? OK, aside from that, there's time to debate the presence of a smaller-than-expected version of The Rock, a depiction of convention culture that's not terribly friendly, and the random appearance of Garry Marshall. (Please, call him Mr. Marshall!) If you're ready for a race, then check this episode out!

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