Mousterpiece Cinema

Please sit back, with your tray tables in their upright and locked positions and your seat belts fastened. This episode of Mousterpiece Cinema will be a wild flight indeed. What's that? You think it's super-creepy to imagine yourself, a human, taking a ride in an anthropomorphic plane? OK, fine, it's weird, but is it weirder than one plane fearing that he'll suffocate? Or the possibility of a Trail of Tears in a world of planes? How about birds that are apparently made of wood? Yes, it's that time again: time for Josh to scratch his head in befuddlement over the "world of Cars." And this time, Gabe is back to join him in a discussion of the new DisneyToon Studios film Planes: Fire and Rescue. Along with return guest Scott Mendelson of Forbes, Josh and Gabe set out to answer the important questions. Is Planes: Fire and Rescue better than its predecessor? Is it a good movie? Is "George Lexus" a good pun-style version of George Lucas? Lots of laughs in this discussion--so it's funnier than the movie, you might s

Hold on to your hats (and other necessary items), folks. We're getting small on this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema as we tackle a genre classic from June of 1989. No, it's not Batman; it's Disney's try at B-movie science-fiction, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Remember? The days when Rick Moranis could headline a movie of his own? Ah, those were the good times. Anyway, on this episode, Josh and Gabe debate whether Moranis is enough to make this hold up after a quarter-century. Are the effects any good? Were they ever? (The answer, as Buzzfeed would say, may surprise you.) And will Gabe reveal another Disney-related crush in this week's show? What's more, how the hell does a series of chintzy dinosaur movies called Prehysteria! figure into this discussion? Things get crazy pretty quickly on this one, so get ready for a wild and weird episode of Mousterpiece Cinema!

It's time for a new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, friends. And this week, we can open your eyes and show you a whole new world. Scratch that, we will open your eyes regarding a little film called Aladdin. Josh and Gabe are joined on the show this week by past guest Marc Vibbert of the Animation Fascination podcast to discuss the 1992 film that one of these three folks considers the best Disney animated film ever made. That's high praise, and someone else in the discussion doesn't think it's merited. But more to the point: is Robin Williams still funny? ...In this movie, that is. From Williams to Howard Ashman to the depiction of Middle Eastern culture all the way to watching a movie on VHS in 2014, this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema careens from one topic to another, almost like a comedian's endless, improv-heavy riffs. So jump on your magic carpet and take a listen!

Don't worry, friends, you haven't broken your concentration. Yes, this is a new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. And yes, this week, Josh and Gabe are talking about one of the most influential and iconic films of the 1990s, the decidedly family-unfriendly Quentin Tarantino epic Pulp Fiction. Why does Pulp Fiction count for this podcast? Well, Josh will explain everything in due time. And who better to join your very own Jules and Vincent on the show this week than Jason Bailey, film editor of Flavorwire and author of a book on a certain film called Pulp Fiction? And in case you're concerned that a few guys talking about how much they love Pulp Fiction would get boring, you might be happy to learn that one of the participants...well, he's not so enamored anymore. Who doesn't love Pulp Fiction? You'll have to listen to the show to find out!

It's a big day here at Mousterpiece Cinema HQ, as we're celebrating our third anniversary with our 150th episode! Yes, friends, it's really been three years since Josh started a podcast about Disney movies all on his own by ranting about Cars 2. Things have changed a ton, of course, since those halcyon days, and today, we've got a corker of a show for you. Josh and Gabe couldn't help but ring the bell for the 1996 animated adaptation of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which might be the most underrated film of the Disney Renaissance. And they're joined in their conversation by Grantland/Entertainment Weekly writer Mark Harris, who's also the author of the new film history book Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and The Second World War. Come for the discussion about Quasimodo's struggle for acceptance as being an encoded gay story, and stay for Josh's mini-interview with Mark during the Audible section of the show. This episode's a big one, so check it out!

This week on Mousterpiece Cinema, Josh and Gabe are going back to the jungle with one of the most iconic vine-swingers of all. He's daring, he's brave, and he's...probably about to hit some tree that's in his way. Yes, we're not talking about Tarzan this week, but his goofier counterpart, George of the Jungle. Specifically, we're talking about the agreeably silly live-action adaptation of this Jay Ward creation from Walt Disney Pictures, starring a young Brendan Fraser, a young Leslie Mann, a young Thomas Haden Church, and a...well, not-young John Cleese, among others. And to add to the fun, Josh and Gabe are joined by IGN TV Executive Editor Eric Goldman in a typically free-form discussion that covers the ins and outs of proper physical comedy, the consistency of various poop jokes, widescreen vs. pan-and-scan DVDs, and, of course, the Cheers spin-off Wings. Don't worry, it all ties into George of the Jungle, so check it out! But...oh, no, watch out for that tree!

We've finally reached our conclusion of the not-so-esteemed franchise all about an absent-minded professor, his bouncy green creation, and all of the sports games he rigs so he can secretly take home a ton of cash from gambling. (OK, maybe that last part isn't entirely true.) Yes, on this week's Mousterpiece Cinema, Gabe and Josh--sans guest--tackle the 1997 remake of The Absent-Minded Professor known as Flubber. (If you're a new listener, don't worry: we've already discussed the 1960s movies about Professor Brainerd. Just closing things out!) And, as you might expect, Flubber isn't exactly the best of the series. Josh uses this film as a chance to discuss his opinion of the John Hughes oeuvre/alienate pretty much everyone in the living world, and Gabe uses it as a way to figure out the logic of getting married on a college campus during the middle of the week. In short, it's a good, old-fashioned episode of the podcast, so check it out now!

Listen well, all of you! OK, maybe that's a bit of a rude welcome, but it does fit with the film in question on today's new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. For our first episode here at Movie Mezzanine, hosts Josh Spiegel and Gabe Bucsko traveled to a world of magic, fantasy, and extraordinary cheekbones by discussing the newest film from Walt Disney Pictures, Maleficent. Josh and Gabe invited two of The Dissolve's senior editors, Tasha Robinson and Genevieve Koski, onto the show to debate the merits of this reinvention of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale featuring Angelina Jolie as the self-proclaimed Mistress of All Evil. Were they impressed by the CGI backgrounds, the fantasy, and the romance? Or were they terrified by Jolie or the truest terror of all, Sharlto Copley and his Scottish accent? Don't wait any longer to find out--check out the show pronto!

It's a big week here on Mousterpiece Cinema, as Gabe and Josh take a look back at the shared and separate lives of Richard and Robert Sherman, the two men responsible for some of the most memorable pieces of music in the Walt Disney Company. If you've ever had "It's a Small World" stuck in your head (and you probably do now; sorry for that), you can thank the Shermans. If you love the music in Mary Poppins, that the Shermans, too. But you may not know that the two men had a fractious and contentious relationship as brothers from almost the very beginning. Gabe and Josh tackle their lives and the documentary, but leave with a song in their heart. And speaking of leaving, you'll want to stick around to the end of the episode to hear about where Mousterpiece Cinema is headed starting in June. Listen and find out!

There are few things more associated with summer in America than our national pastime of baseball. So there's no better time for Walt Disney Pictures to release a baseball drama based on a true story, right? Well, while that may be true in theory, in execution, their latest film, Million Dollar Arm, is missing the right stuff. At least, according to Josh and Gabe as well as this week's guest, Scott Tobias of The Dissolve. In fact, this trio spent far more time wondering what could have been. Would a story about the two young Indian men Jon Hamm's J.B. Bernstein finds to play American baseball have worked? Or what about a story featuring their coach, played here by Bill Paxton? How about a loose romantic comedy with Hamm and Lake Bell? Ah, perchance to dream. But even if you haven't seen Million Dollar Arm, you should check out this week's episode. Come for the Mad Men references and stay for the in-depth Jerry Maguire discussion!

Welcome, everyone, to a very important podcast-cum-intervention, wherein Josh finally gets Gabe to open up about why exactly he hates dogs. Sure, this episode is ostensibly about the 2004 Disney film Teacher's Pet, but it's all just a ruse to get Gabe to reveal his past childhood traumas. It turns out that neither Josh nor Gabe were terribly familiar with this film, based on a Disney animated TV series from the early 2000s. As such, Josh probes Gabe's psyche, and Gabe pushes back, especially when debating the merits of Hocus Pocus and Newsies. You can tell, clearly, that this is a loopy, tangential episode, but how could it not be? Strap in for a goofy episode; you just might hear a bit of singing from Gabe if you stick around long enough.

A fine oo-de-lally to you, friends, as Robin Hood and Little John would say. Yes, those two scoundrels and some of their friends are at the center of this week's new Mousterpiece Cinema, which is all about the 1973 Disney animated film Robin Hood. Josh, in the past, hasn't made any bones about the fact that he's not too hot on this adventure, but Gabe and return guest Alexander Huls both have nostalgic love for this movie, even if they don't have nostalgic love for the song "Love," which is also from this movie. (In fact, Gabe chose to compare that scene to, of all things, Play Misty For Me.) Has Josh softened on the film or is he put off by a potential laziness in the storytelling and animation? Or have Gabe and Alex hardened a bit? And how early does Alex's pet peeve of whistling get brought up? Listen to the show to find out!

This week on Mousterpiece Cinema, we're feeling a bit silly. A bit wacky, you might say. Possibly even a bit...goofy. Yes, it's time for Josh and Gabe to goof off while talking about the 1995 film A Goofy Movie. And, as you might expect with a subject like Goofy as well as his son Max, Josh and Gabe go off topic quickly and frequently. From Prince to Space Jam to Pauly Shore, they're bouncing off the walls this week. (And, OK, fine, Pauly Shore is in A Goofy Movie, so that's technically on topic, but why in God's name is Pauly Shore in this movie? Why?) There's tons of tomfoolery and general goofiness this week, as you might expect, so start listening!

It's been one week since the last episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, but just barely. On this week's show, Josh and Gabe had to grin and bear it while discussing the new Disneynature documentary Bears. They're joined by Sound on Sight contributor Zach Lewis to debate some of the big questions: how much do documentarians owe to telling the truth in their films? Is it OK to tell a story of the real world, with animals, and have it not be a documentary? Should Werner Herzog direct the next Disneynature film? (The answer, at least to the last one, is a clear yes.) Bears may not have made a great showing at the box office, but your hosts spent a fair bit of time this week parsing through the John C. Reilly narration, twinkly score, and an interview that shattered some of our illusions of what in the film really happened. But all you need are the bare necessities: headphones, iTunes, and this episode. So get to it!

It's time for a first on Mousterpiece Cinema, as Josh and Gabe discuss the first-ever live-action sequel in the Disney canon of films, Son of Flubber, the presumably anticipated sequel to The Absent-Minded Professor. Josh wasn't keen on the first film, but Gabe was, so the question is: did this sequel satisfy or was it a letdown like most sequels are? We won't answer the question here, but consider this much (and consider it a warning for families): it took Gabe only a few minutes to start using profanity in discussing Son of Flubber. Yes, that's right, it's an Earmuffs Special this week! (All thanks to Gabe. Send him your hate mail.) Also, stick around to the end to hear Gabe commit to appearing on another sequel-centric episode later this year. You may be shocked by which movie he's willing to pay to see!

News team...assemble! ...What's that? Oh, right, we're not talking about Ron Burgundy and his anchormen friend this week, we're talking about The Avengers! OK, just one of the Avengers in his latest solo picture: Captain America: The Winter Soldier. (Of course, as Josh found out, Captain America isn't actually the Winter Soldier. Oh well.) This week, Josh and Gabe are joined by Marvel aficionado and TV.com contributor Andy Daglas to talk about this new entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Anthony Mackie, and Robert Redford. So yes, it's a big episode full of discussions of dudebros, high-fiving at action movies, and co-star reunions. Oh, and there's talk of post-credits scenes, because Josh couldn't resist. And you shouldn't resist either....to download this episode. (Obviously.)

It's Mousterpiece Cinema's 138th episode spectacular! Get ready for guest stars galore, clips, and surprises! ...OK, fine, we're not going to ape the style of that great clip show from The Simpsons, but it is our 138th episode anyway. This week, Josh and Gabe take a trip back in time to dynastic China to discuss one of the entries in the Disney Renaissance, Mulan. They brought back past guest Dan Schindel of Film School Rejects, Nonfics, and Movie Mezzanine to debate the important issues such as: what the hell is Harvey Fierstein doing in this movie about Asian culture? (Quick note: there are a couple of earmuff-worthy moments here, if the little ones are listening.) Will this movie make men out of the trio of hosts? Do they see their reflection staring back at them? Listen to the show to find out!

Hi-lo, friends, time for a fun new Disney movie podcast episode! OK, OK, maybe Constantine won't take over the podcast anytime soon. But the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema is all about the newest Muppet adventure, Muppets Most Wanted, with everyone's favorite frog, pig, bear, dog, and...whatever back in fine form. Josh and Gabe are joined by Muppet expert and past guest Estelle Hallick of This Happy Place to talk about this sequel and if, like the opening song says, it's not quite as good as the 2011 film. Turns out that maybe one or more of your hosts have soured, ever so slightly, on the Jason Segel-led nostalgia-fest. Is Muppets Most Wanted better than The Muppets? Is it worse? Could they do it all again? Is the entire episode spoken in question form? Will you find out by listening to this new episode?

Friends, do you feel the need? The need for...a new video-game adaptation? Well, good! (You did say "Yes," right?) Because on the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, Gabe and Josh are putting the pedal to the metal to discuss the new action film from Touchstone Pictures, Need for Speed. With Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame, as well as Michael Keaton, and Imogen Poots--whose name is so delightful to say, Josh can't help but say it a few extra times--how could this movie go wrong? Well...it turns out that the filmmakers found a few ways to screw up, at least according to Gabe. Josh's a little more willing to give the film leeway, but as you'll hear, it all comes down to what they think of The Fast and the Furious franchise. So sit back and enjoy the ride, because this episode's racing to the finish line! [Insert at least fourteen more racing puns here.]

Faith and begorrah! Time to grab your blarney stone or find a four-leaf clover, dearies, because just in time for St. Patrick's Day, Mousterpiece Cinema is celebrating in style. (Here, "style" means doing goofy Irish accents a fair bit.) Only two days before the holiday when everyone's Irish, Josh and Gabe look back at one of the earliest Disney live-action films, Darby O'Gill and the Little People. They're joined this week by Andrew Welch, co-founding editor of To Be (Cont'd.), to decide if this film has charm outside of being one of the first appearances from a pre-007 Sean Connery. And how, exactly, does this quaint little story about leprechauns and their pots of gold connect to...Buffy the Vampire Slayer? You'll have to get lucky and listen to the show to find out!