Mousterpiece Cinema

Get out a box or two of tissues, friends, because if you're like Gabe or Josh, you're probably going to need them as we discuss Toy Story 3 on the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. Closing out their trilogy of discussions about what might very well be the best American cinematic trilogy ever, Gabe and Josh invite past guest Scott Renshaw of Salt Lake City Weekly on to discuss this final chapter in the saga of Sheriff Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of their pals. Is this the greatest of all the Toy Story films? Does the ending hit on the same emotional level now as it did in 2010? Will Gabe drop any more crazy movie-related theories this week? You can only find out if you listen! (Note: There's a bit of wonky sound issues in this episode, thanks to the ever-fickle Skype. Apologies!)

This is what's called serendipitous timing, folks. If you're downloading this episode the day it drops on iTunes, then we're just one day away from the Academy Awards, and the film we're talking about on the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema may very well walk away with an Oscar this year. No, we're not going over Frozen again; instead, it's time to discuss Hayao Miyazaki's newest, and possibly final, film, The Wind Rises. Gabe and Josh are joined by Film School Rejects' Rob Hunter to debate Miyazaki's fictionalized biopic of Japanese airplane designer Jiro Horikoshi. Did Miyazaki need to be more strident in his criticism of the man who helped Japanese fighters fly in World War II? Is this film more than just a bunch of beautiful animation, or hollow aside from the visuals? And is the English-language dub going to be worth watching aside from hearing Werner Herzog as an animated character? Find out on the new episode!

Well, friends, as you can tell from the title, this episode's a mouthful. We hit the 350-Like threshold on Facebook a few weeks ago, and you know what that means: time for another b-b-b-b-b-b-b-bonus episode! This time, per Gabe's suggestion, your intrepid co-hosts tackle not one, not two, but three movies, all from the now-Disney-owned Lucasfilm: Willow, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, and Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure. Yes, really, these are movies that we sat down and watched willingly. (OK, some less willingly than others.) And, as you might expect from a bonus show, this one's full of goofy tangents as well as a few impersonations. Listen carefully, and you'll hear Josh impersonate Wilford Brimley, and Gabe may even impersonate...Taylor Lautner? Yup. Now go forth on your own caravan of courage and check out the new show!

Well, friends, it's about that time again: time for the sexism talk. Not the sex talk, mind you. That's...well, we're not going to have that talk with you ever. You're on your own. But the sexism talk, specifically sexism in Disney movies, is something we're a bit more prepared to tackle. And we do so in the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, focusing on the 1961 comedy The Absent-Minded Professor, starring Fred MacMurray, Keenan Wynn, and a whole lot of flubber. Between Gabe and Josh, one of your co-hosts enjoyed the film and laughed at its many slapstick sequences; the other one was turned off by the main character's treatment of his fiancee. Can you guess who's who? No? Well, then, get to downloading the new episode! Don't bounce off the walls, just listen to the new podcast. Get it? Bounce? Because flubber...never mind.

Who's ready to go back to Never Land? Well, if this new episode is any indication, the answer may not be your intrepid co-hosts Gabe and Josh. While they still believe in faith and trust and pixie dust, they're not totally on board with Return to Never Land, the theatrically released sequel to Peter Pan from 2002. In fact, they're so not on board that, eventually, the conversation turned to a ranking of the films of Steven Spielberg. (Blame Hook for that.) And so, what begins as a frustrated discussion about why this DisneyToon Studios release falls so flat--hint: don't set your whimsical story during World War II--ends as Josh wondering if Gabe's lost his mind by ranking Hook over Jurassic Park. Yes, really. Anyway, think happy thoughts and listen to the new podcast!

As we quickly approach the American release of Hayao Miyazaki's latest film, The Wind Rises, it's time once more for Mousterpiece Cinema to wade into the past of Studio Ghibli. This week, Gabe and Josh focus their sights on Howl's Moving Castle, with two special guests: Simon Howell of The Televerse and Andrew Daar of This Was TV. Both guests are huge Miyazaki buffs, and Josh is well-known for not being an ecstatic fan of every Miyazaki film. BUT. If you think you know where this conversation is going, trust us, you don't. Unless you presume this conversation is heading down tangential avenues, talking about Jeff Daniels, Werner Herzog, and Poochie the rappin' dog. In that case, you're right. But still! Listen to the show, because you won't know for sure until you hear it, not just read it in a description.

Get the Roundup gang together and put on the record player, because it's time for a new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema! (We're not making any promises about whether or not you can hear the episode on a record player.) Yes, it's time for Gabe and Josh to move on from the first adventures of Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear, and onto the sequel, Toy Story 2. This 1999 release was totally redone by Pixar's animators within just nine months, but is widely considered one of the best sequels ever made; in this episode, Gabe and Josh, along with guest Dan Schindel, debate whether that consensus still holds up. Is Toy Story 2 the best film in the trilogy? Are there too many pop-culture references? And, let's answer that age-old question: is Estelle Harris really a goddess? Find out on the new episode!

Yes, friends, as you can see from the title of this episode, it's time for a good old-fashioned "Pull off the bandage" episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. Gabe and Josh, first-timers to the 2002 comedy Snow Dogs went in as open-minded as possible, but this dumb, goofy movie about an uptight dentist dealing with dogs in Alaska wore them down quickly. They're joined by Sound on Sight contributor Zach Lewis to discuss many important matters, such as the acting talents of Sisqo and James Coburn, a 1970s mystery co-written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins, 1980s pop stars making cameo appearances in new movies, Terrence Howard's reference to War Machine in the first Iron Man, and the qualitative merits of Jingle All The Way. Also, Snow Dogs. We promise, we did talk about Snow Dogs in this episode. But we also went on a few tangents. Can you blame us?

It's time, again, to play the music and light the lights. OK, fine, we're not actually talking about The Muppet Show on this week's Mousterpiece Cinema, but one of the Jim Henson-era Muppet movies is close enough, right? With only a couple of months away from the brand-new Muppets movie, set in Europe and focusing on a heist, Gabe and Josh take on The Great Muppet Caper, which is...set in Europe and focuses on a heist. Joining them is return guest Anthony Strand of ToughPigs.com, and the real challenge this week is getting to the bottom of a difficult question: why doesn't Josh love this movie like everyone else? It's a sad state of affairs, indeed, but Anthony and Gabe do their best to figure it out, just like the rest of you. Check it out to see if Josh embraces his inner Anglophile!

Did you know that a dream is a wish your heart makes? And we knew you, once upon such a very dream. OK, OK, we're not actually confusing the topic of this week's Mousterpiece Cinema, the 1959 Disney classic Sleeping Beauty, with the 1950 Disney classic, Cinderella, but can you blame us? The two movies, as well as the old favorite Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, maybe share a few too many similarities, all of which are unearthed and uncovered on the new show. Gabe and Josh are joined by longtime friend of the show Kate Kulzick of The Televerse and Sound on Sight's TV section to tackle this lush and artistic standby of Disney's animated canon. But is the romance of two pretty people enough to trump a surprisingly high number of plot holes and a lack of character? Or will there only be one brave soul to stand in defense of this movie in the face of at least one dragon-like opponent? You can only find out by listening to the new show, so don't wait another minute!

Happy new year, friends! We're kicking things off in 2014 right by going back to the old bedroom and playing with some of our toys. That sounded a little weird, right? Well, the non-weird thing said in a weird way may be the secret theme of the first new Mousterpiece Cinema of 2014, as Gabe and Josh journey back to the very first fully computer-animated feature film, Toy Story. For this episode, Alex Dowd of The AV Club joined Gabe and Josh as they put on their nostalgia goggles, just a bit, and praised the antics of Buzz Lightyear, Sheriff Woody, and the rest of Andy's lovable toys. BUT. It may turn out that one of these three gentlemen is a bit heartless, a bit cruel, and a bit unwilling to accept Buzz Lightyear as being a great guy. (Hint: it may be the same person who, in 2013, revealed that he doesn't like that dogs that much.) Because it's Toy Story, though, there's a happy ending. ...Again, that sounds weirder than it should. Anyway, take a listen to this episode and travel...wait for it...to infinity

Wind's in the east...mist comin' in. Like something is brewin' and 'bout to begin. Can't put me finger on what lies in store, but I feel what's to happen, all happened before. Oh, excuse us, we were just reciting one of our favorite underrated lines from Mary Poppins, the Disney musical classic that happens to be the subject of this week's new Mousterpiece Cinema. What's that, you say? Oh, sure, Gabe and Josh have already profiled that film on the podcast, but this week, they're talking about the new Disney film Saving Mr. Banks, which is focused squarely on the making of Mary Poppins, from the perspective of the character's creator, P.L. Travers, as played here by Emma Thompson. Were Gabe and Josh as charmed by this film as they were by Mary Poppins? Did Tom Hanks' portrayal of Walt Disney himself win them over? Or are they swearing off the Disney myth entirely, throwing it to the curb like so many pears in a fruit basket? The answer is more complicated than you think, so check out the new show to find out!

"Toyland, Toyland, little girl and boy land..." Hey, why aren't you singing along? Don't you know the lyrics to Victor Herbert's operetta Babes in Toyland? Well, you'd better brush up, because the Walt Disney Pictures adaptation (in Technicolor, no less) of that operetta is in the spotlight on this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. Josh and Gabe are guest-free once again as they explore Mother Goose Land and Toyland, which are adjoined by the Forest of No Return. (Don't worry, that forest isn't as terrifying as it sounds.) And after only a few minutes, your intrepid co-hosts answer a very pertinent and timely question: is this actually a Christmas movie? The answer isn't as easy as you might think, and neither is this surprisingly bifurcated film. So, in the words of the dastardly Barnaby (seriously), come. Let's pussyfoot. And check out the new show!

Friends, as we approach another Christmas, it's time to limp across the finish line, gasping for air. In 2011, by himself, Josh took a look at the 1994 holiday comedy The Santa Clause. In 2012, Josh and Gabe, along with guest Marc Vibbert, did the same with the 2002 sequel, The Santa Clause 2. And now, it's just Josh and Gabe, gaping in awe at the terror and foul horror of the 2006 end of the trilogy, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. On the one hand, sure, this movie has Tim Allen, Martin Short as Jack Frost, Alan Arkin, Ann-Margret, and more. But on the other hand, it has Martin Short singing a poor parody of "New York, New York," and Alan Arkin doing some of the worst acting of his life. Put it this way, there are plenty of tangents in this episode because it just got too painful to talk about this film after a while. But stay to the end, and you'll hear Josh and Gabe get more delight out of saying the name "Smaug" than they did in watching this movie. It's a painful film, but the episode inspired by

OK, we know that we kept you waiting for an extra week, but finally, it's time for Mousterpiece Cinema to get cold. In fact, we're so cold, we're...wait for it...Frozen! Yes, this week, Josh and Gabe take a look at Walt Disney Animation Studios' newest film, a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen featuring the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, and more, and music from the composers of The Book of Mormon and Avenue Q. With such high expectations and hopes, were Josh and Gabe thrilled with this frigid fairy tale? And what about their guest, returning favorite Corey Atad? Did this tale of sisterly love work magic on the trio? And what of the attached Mickey Mouse short, Get a Horse!? One of these stories inspired Gabe to say he wanted to vomit--no joke. The only way to find out what inspired such intense hyperbole (we hope it's hyperbole), though, is to listen to the show, so check it out!

We've all gathered here today not to mock him, but to express our concern and worry for Vince Vaughn. Yes, friends, you might well consider the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema as a kind of career intervention, even if Mr. Vaughn may not be...you know, listening to the show. But he should be, because the topic of discussion is his new film, the Touchstone/DreamWorks comedy Delivery Man, a remake of the French-Canadian comedy Starbuck. The story is about a slacker whose sperm donations in the early 1990s were used to sire over 500 children, many of whom want to know the identity of their biological father, but that only inspired Josh, Gabe, and their guest, Tim Grierson of Deadspin, Paste Magazine, Screen International, and Playboy, to wonder when the Vince Vaughn they loved a decade ago is coming back. Take our word for it: even if you didn't see Delivery Man (and you probably didn't, based on the box office), you want to listen to this episode. It's a must!

Only a few days after the apparently-real, not-fake International Men's Day, it's time for your podcast co-hosts to have another one of their typical bro-hangs. And is there a better movie to bro out to than the 2003 film The Jungle Book 2? Possibly! But this movie is the subject of the new Mousterpiece Cinema, and you may not be shocked to learn that Josh and Gabe weren't too impressed with yet another entry from DisneyToon Studios. That's in spite of John Goodman and Haley Joel Osment stepping in to voice Baloo and Mowgli, too. But even though the movie's not too great, the discussion inspired by it is a ton of fun, and yes, because it's just Josh and Gabe, a bit tangential. You know what they say, though: the tangents are the best part of any discussion! (OK, we just made that up right now. But still. Check out the new show.)

Friends, it's hammer time. (Listen, someone was going to make that joke, so it might as well be made right here.) Yes, once more, your intrepid hosts of Mousterpiece Cinema jump into the ever-expanding pool known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This week, Josh and Gabe have their sights set on Marvel's newest, Thor: The Dark World. Joining them is return guest Keith Phipps, editorial director of The Dissolve. And it turns out that, at least in one of your hosts' perspectives, this film is the deep end of the MCU. Is this sequel better than the 2011 original? How much did Josh, Gabe, and Keith love Tom Hiddleston as Loki? And what the hell was going on with the post-credits scene? Answers lie within, so grab your nearest cape and hammer and get listening!

There's music galore in the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and why shouldn't there be? On this week's podcast, Josh and Gabe put on their diving gear and went under the sea to swim and frolic and generally be merry with the starfish, bass, crabs, and even more sea life. Yes, it's time to talk about one of Disney's biggest, brightest, and most beloved animated classics: The Little Mermaid. Josh and Gabe were joined this week by Salt Lake City Weekly film critic Scott Renshaw to discuss the 1989 classic's influence, its animation, its character work and, of course, its many memorable songs. Do all three of your hosts love The Little Mermaid as much now as they did before? Does the film hold up to repeat viewing? And does Gabe's irrational hatred of dogs rear its ugly head once again? Only one way to find out: check out the new show!

The autumn has arrived, and with it, the grand sport of football, in which burly dudes suit up to run into each other's bodies with blunt force. Ah, football. And it's the topic of this week's Mousterpiece Cinema, as Gabe and Josh talk about the 2000 Disney sports drama Remember the Titans. They're joined by RogerEbert.com contributor Danny Bowes, who, in an interesting wrinkle, wasn't able to rewatch Remember the Titans in time for the podcast. But fear not! One of your hosts would argue that's not a bad thing, as the movie, Denzel Washington's inherent Denzel-ness aside, may not be up to snuff. There's talk of Flutie Flakes, Caleb Carr, Hayden Panettiere, Stephen King, and...well, also the movie in question. It's a grab bag this week, so take a listen to see if you too remember...well, you know.