Mousterpiece Cinema

Latest Episodes:

Episode 115: Up Oct 25, 2013

Show notes

Hi there! On this tearjerking episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, Gabe and Josh are going on a trek into the darkest reaches of the Venezuelan jungles to discover a lost species of animal to bring back to civilization, and have traveled in an old house lifted up via balloons and--squirrel! OK, fine, the truth is slightly less adventurous: they're talking about Pixar's 2009 film Up, and are joined in doing so by Slate film critic Dana Stevens. Is Up as emotional and romantic now as it was a few years ago? More importantly, are the relationships that grouchy old Carl has with the living as interesting as the one he has with his recently deceased wife? And what's this whole business about one of your hosts not...liking...dogs? (And it may not be who you think.) You can't know if you don't listen, so get some hankies ready and listen to the new show!

Episode 114: Escape from Tomorrow Oct 18, 2013

Show notes

Today's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema is a bit different, a bit crazy, maybe even a bit surreal. Josh and Gabe decided to break from tradition even more than in the past. Yes, this episode is a first, because the film up for discussion isn't technically...a Disney movie. But Escape from Tomorrow was shot and set in the Disney theme parks, so that kind of counts, right? Right? OK, good. To join them in talking about this highly controversial new drama, Josh and Gabe are joined by Jacob S. Hall of Movies.com, ScreenCrush.Com, and OneOfUs.Net. And if you were hoping to hear a fierce debate over the moral and legal issues surrounding this movie, well, you are in luck. But if you think Josh was the most negative on the film, think again. You may hear Gabe in a whole new light. But you'll have to listen to find out!

Episode 113: The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad Oct 12, 2013

Show notes

Who's ready for a ghost story? If you're excited to get spooked a bit, to get a fright or two...well, you'll have to fast-forward to the final 15 minutes of this week's movie of choice on Mousterpiece Cinema, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Sure, the Headless Horseman makes a stunning and scare-ifying appearance in this package film, but not until the very end, a source of distress in this week's conversation. Josh and Gabe are joined by Geoffrey Denson, a Mousterpiece Cinema fan who's also a recent big donor to Sound on Sight. Is one half of this two-part movie better than the other? Is the animation too cartoonish, as Walt Disney feared? Is Gabe's Bing Crosby impression up to snuff? Check out the new show to find out!

Episode 112: The Sixth Sense Oct 05, 2013

Show notes

Wouldn't it be awful if this episode description invoked that most famous line from the 1999 psychological thriller The Sixth Sense? Wouldn't that be the hackiest thing ever? Of course it would be, which is why we see new podcasts! They're walking around like regular podcasts, but they don't know they're new. All right, it's out of our system, but can you blame us? Yes, the new Mousterpiece Cinema is all about M. Night Shyamalan's star-making film, catapulting him into the Hollywood stratosphere only a few years before he'd begin descending into something of a public joke. And someone who's having none of that joke is Gabe, who's a no-show this week, for reasons Josh divulges in the episode. In Gabe's place, Josh got three excellent guests: Scott Meslow of The Week, Alexander Huls of Film School Rejects and Movies.com, and Mark Pfeiffer of Reel Times. Goofy jokes aside, all four are pretty big fans of The Sixth Sense, so there will be less ragging on Shyamalan than you might think. But plenty of Dreamcatcher references. (OK, one Dreamcatcher reference.) But enough talk: take a listen to this scare-ifying new show!

Episode 111: Ghosts of the Abyss Sep 27, 2013

Show notes

It's Josh's birthday, and his wish has come true: to travel to the depths of the ocean to explore the wreck of the infamous Titanic. OK, maybe that wasn't exactly his birthday wish, but that is the topic of this week's Mousterpiece Cinema: the 2003 documentary Ghosts of the Abyss, starring and directed by Oscar-winner/cinematic titan James Cameron. Josh and Gabe are joined by Sound on Sight's very own Josh Slater-Williams to tackle this documentary, in both its theatrical hourlong version and extended DVD version. Is one better than the other? Are the scenes in the expanded version crucial enough that the hourlong version may suffer in comparison? And what does Bill Paxton peeing have to do with any of this? All these topics and more are dealt with in the new podcast, so check it out today!

Episode 110: Peter Pan Sep 18, 2013

Show notes

All you need is faith and trust, friends. Don't you want to fly to Neverland? It's just past the second star to the right, straight on till morning! OK, maybe Josh and Gabe aren't exactly Peter Pan and Tinker Bell (or vice versa, though they haven't decided just yet which role suits each of them best), but Disney's 1953 version of J.M. Barrie's classic children's story Peter Pan is the topic of discussion on today's all-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema! Once more, the dynamic duo are guest-free, but they found plenty to talk about regarding the film's presentation of Native Americans and women, as well as the crocodile with a clock in its stomach, and even more. And you just might hear Gabe admit to--gasp!--agreeing with Josh! Wholeheartedly! No fooling! Just listen to the new show to find out!

Episode 109: The Three Musketeers Sep 13, 2013

Show notes

It's all for one, one for all, all for love, and more for you. (Some of that may have been written by Alexandre Dumas. But probably not all of it.) Yes, this week on Mousterpiece Cinema, Josh and Gabe are talking about the 1993 adaptation of the classic story The Three Musketeers, starring Kiefer Sutherland, Chris O'Donnell, Charlie Sheen, and Tim Curry. And this week, it's just Josh and Gabe--they're guest-free and debating whether they're Athos and Porthos, Athos and Aramis, or some combination in between. They debate the 90s-era stardom of Chris O'Donnell, Kiefer Sutherland's young-Jack-Bauer-like line readings, and exactly who needed to die in this movie. And yes, according to at least one of your hosts, someone did need to die. Find out who in the new podcast!

Episode 108: The Muppet Movie Sep 06, 2013

Show notes

Are you confused? Feeling lost, perhaps? Well, you should try Hare Krishna. But if you have and found that religion to be more of a myth (myth! myth!), then maybe it's time to move right along and discover the fabled rainbow connection on the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. If you haven't figured out yet what movie's on the docket today, then you really are in for an education. (And you have no excuse for not having seen it yet!) We're talking about the 1979 family classic The Muppet Movie, of course, and Josh and Gabe are raring to go in reviewing this iconic film. They're joined by Estelle Hallick of This Happy Place in debating the villains who get away, the best and worst cameos and songs in this great Muppet story, and more. Don't hope that something better will come along--it has, and it's this show! So take a listen!

Episode 107: My Neighbor Totoro Aug 30, 2013

Show notes

It's that time of year again, as Gabe and Josh go back into the Studio Ghibli coffers to take a look at one of their Disney-distributed animated movies. This time, they tackle one of the most beloved films from director Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbor Totoro, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. To join them in discussing this story of the imaginative spirit of childhood, Gabe and Josh brought back self-described "super-hipster" Zack Handlen of The AV Club. They discuss the difference between the film's English and Japanese-language dubs, the film's very unique connection to Troma Films (yes, really), and there's maybe a bit of singing in between. So grab your Totoro doll, hop on the catbus, and get ready for a wild ride of a show!

Episode 106: Oliver & Company Aug 24, 2013

Show notes

Which Oliver Twist-related pun should we start this description off with? There are just so many to choose from, even if this week's new Mousterpiece Cinema focuses on an Oliver Twist adaptation, Oliver & Company. So maybe we could say that this is a podcast...podcast for sale. Or we could ask, shocked, if you want...MORE? And so on. Kidding aside, this week's episode is no joke. Gabe and Josh are joined by Anthony Breznican of Entertainment Weekly to revisit this 1988 Disney animated film that represents a transitional period right before Disney's Renaissance period, to sing a few bars of a Billy Joel song or two, and to discuss the state of hand-drawn animation at Walt Disney Feature Animation. If you're a hand-drawn animation advocate--and who isn't?--you'll want to stay around for the whole show, as Anthony describes in detail his recent interview with the head honcho himself, John Lasseter. Now, if you've got just enough street savoir faire, take a listen to this week's show!

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected