Mousterpiece Cinema

It's a moment of truth on Mousterpiece Cinema this week, as Josh and Mike are joined by special guest Simon Howell from The Televerse and Sound on Sight's flagship podcast. The trio team up to tackle the 1997 Studio Ghibli release Princess Mononoke. Along with Spirited Away, it's one of writer-director Hayao Miyazaki's most beloved films. And long-time listeners know exactly how much Josh wasn't swayed by Spirited Away. Will the experience of Princess Mononoke be any different? Do Mike and Simon need to convince him of the film's epic allure, its striking animation, and its complex characters? Find out whether or not Josh once again goes to bat for the out-there minority opinion, or if he finally succumbed to Ghibli's charms on this week's Mousterpiece Cinema!

On this week's Mousterpiece Cinema, Josh and Mike are joined by special guest Casey Ryan to tackle not one, but two movies. Yes, they shoved a discussion of the 2004 adventure film National Treasure along with its 2007 sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets into one jam-packed episode. The double-movie package may be a blessing in disguise, as the three quickly agree that both movies are cut from the same cloth, as it were. But what of Nicolas Cage and his penchant for nutty performances? Which film is your hosts' favorite? Who's the better villain--Sean Bean or Ed Harris? And who has the crazier haircut: Nicolas Cage or Tom Hanks? You'll have to listen to find out the answers to all of these burning questions!

Ole! This week, we're in a celebratory mood at Mousterpiece Cinema HQ as Josh, Gabe, and Mike talk all about The Three Caballeros, the 1944 package film from Walt Disney Pictures that brought together Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, and Panchito Pistoles for the first time. Your three hosts are joined by perhaps the movie's biggest fan, Jeff Heimbuch, MiceChat.com columnist and co-host of the Disney theme-park video podcast Communicore Weekly. And even though he was only able to appear for the first 30 minutes, Mike manages to sneak in a drive-by Ducksterpiece Theater in honor of Disney's number-one duck. There are discussions of nostalgia, sex drives, and even The Goonies in store--check out the new episode now!

This week on Mousterpiece Cinema, Josh and Gabe head back into the past, all the way to the 1960s to discuss the original long-lost-identical-twin story, The Parent Trap, starring Hayley Mills AND Hayley Mills as twins who discover each other at summer camp and conspire to get their parents back together. There's plenty to discuss, as Gabe and Josh debate accents, gold-diggers, and try to nail down exactly how great an actress Maureen O'Hara really was. Did the split-screen effect work that well in 1961? Do your hosts put on any English accents? Or are they ready for a podcast-style divorce? Check out this week's show to find out!

Once more into the fray, dear friends. Yes, this week on Mousterpiece Cinema, Josh and Gabe return to the regular schedule by ripping off another painful bandage known as the 2006 direct-to-DVD midquel The Fox and the Hound 2. But it features the voices of Reba McEntire and Patrick Swayze! What could go wrong? Well, the unfortunate answer is quite a lot. Josh and Gabe are joined by special guest Corey Atad to talk about exactly what did go wrong with this uninvolving and dull story, to discuss whether or not these types of movies destroyed Disney's reputation, and to reveal which of them worked on The Dark Knight Rises. No, the last point doesn't have much to do with The Fox and the Hound 2, but you may be surprised by the answer. You'll have to check out the new Mousterpiece Cinema to find out!

Well, folks, there's some good news and bad news. Let's rip the bandage off first: because of some unforeseen scheduling and family issues, our National Treasure discussion has been postponed until next month. But fear not! In its place, we do have a brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema for you, and it's extra-special! A month ago, Mike extended a challenge to Josh: get 100 Likes on Facebook, and discuss the 1997 TV-movie version of The Love Bug on the show. Over 100 of you have Liked us on Facebook, so your wishes have come true! This week, in our first (and hopefully not last) Herbie Challenge episode, Mike and Josh analyze The Love Bug, from Bruce Campbell to Herbie's past to Jim Douglas and his many, many wives. Check it out--and make sure to keep Liking us to keep the challenge alive!

Carry the banner! Do it for Crutchie! Dare to dream to go to Santa Fe! Some of you will recognize these as references to the 1992 flop-turned-Broadway smash hit Newsies, a cult favorite from Walt Disney Pictures. Some of you have fond memories of Christian Bale, Bill Pullman, and a cast of lovable imps and orphans singing and dancing their way through the Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City. So, some of you are like Gabe and Mike, ardent fans of the film. But the rest of you, those who don't recognize the film or hold it dear to your heart, may be more like Josh, who struggled to find anything to like about the movie. In what is arguably the silliest Mousterpiece Cinema yet, your three hosts delve into singing, dancing, New York accents, and yes, maybe even another hostile takeover into Ducksterpiece Theatre. Check it out!

Baloo the bear always told his friend Mowgli the man-cub to look for the bare necessities in life. Does that principle apply to movies, too? This week on Mousterpiece Cinema, Josh and Gabe are joined by the editor-in-chief of Sound on Sight, Ricky D, to take an in-depth look at the 1967 Disney classic The Jungle Book. Among other things, The Jungle Book is notable for being the last film Walt Disney had a strong producing hand in before he passed away. Does his influence show? Do Josh, Gabe, and Ricky think as fondly of The Jungle Book as adults as they did as children? And which member of the Rat Pack is the voice of Baloo, Phil Harris, most like? The answers to these burning questions and more are revealed on this week's Mousterpiece Cinema!

Do you have what it takes to change your fate? Can you possibly know the costs of damaging the bond among familial allies? This week, Josh, Gabe, and Michael go head-to-head with Disney-Pixar's newest movie, Brave, set in the Scottish Highlands and featuring the voices of Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, and more. There's little complete agreement this week, but it may shock you to learn that the sole voice of dissent isn't Josh! (He's sure to remind you of his black, black heart in the weeks to come.) So, with talk of heaving bosoms, archery, bumbling men, and a few Scottish accents thrown in for good measure, the new Mousterpiece Cinema is a must-listen!

With Independence Day right around the corner, the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema celebrates a part of the Walt Disney Company's history all about protecting America. Though you may not be as familiar with the period when Walt Disney and his animators worked on wartime propaganda, there was a time when Disney focused more on convincing America to get involved in the World War II effort instead of entertaining mass audiences with fairy tales. This week, Josh and Gabe are joined by Michael Crawford from Progress City, U.S.A. to discuss the pinnacle of Disney's propaganda, the full-length feature Victory Through Air Power. This hybrid of live-action and animation features a dry Russian narrator, an animated history of aviation, and an eagle pounding the life out of an octopus! Even if you haven't seen the film, this episode is a can't-miss affair, with discussions of Disney history, keeping historical context in mind in the modern day, and a few Edward G. Robinson impressions. So check out the new Mousterpie

What better way to celebrate Mousterpiece Cinema's 50th episode than with another milestone? Yes, after what feels like years but has really only been a few months, Josh and Mike have reached the end of the Herbie, the Love Bug franchise. (Or have they?) This week, they're thrilled that Herbie has finally joined the 21st century in the 2005 reboot/sequel Herbie: Fully Loaded, starring Lindsay Lohan, Michael Keaton, and Matt Dillon. Josh and Mike get loose and silly almost immediately, ping-ponging from a mini-discussion of John Carter to looking at two of the writers of Herbie: Fully Loaded, Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant, to the piece de resistance: Mike throwing down a challenge to all of you listeners! Find out about the challenge and more on the new Mousterpiece Cinema!

Almost everyone can remember the moment when their childhood innocence was shattered: it's when Bambi's mom got shot by a hunter, right? (I assume you're all nodding in agreement.) This week, Josh, Gabe, and Mike honor the 70th anniversary of Walt Disney Pictures' fifth full-length animated film, Bambi, by discussing its animation style, its overall realism, and by invoking movies like Monty Python and the Meaning of Life and Speed. How do those movies relate in any way to this one? Which of your hosts loves the film more than any other Disney animated feature? And what of the malevolent Ronno? (The right answer to that is, "Who?") Discover the answers by listening to the latest Mousterpiece Cinema!

Through the magic of the Internet, we're managing to bring you a brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema despite Josh currently being on vacation in the happiest place on Earth. And what better way to celebrate than by discussing one of the most magical and entertaining romantic comedies of the past decade? Yes, this week, Josh and Michael discuss Pixar's 2008 film WALL-E, which may be set in a dystopian future but is also a sweet and lovely story of two lonely robots who find love as humanity struggles to survive. They're joined by special guest Rowan Kaiser of The AV Club and Joystiq Magazine to talk about the fabled "Pixar moment," showtunes, gender coding in nonhuman characters and fascism! Heady stuff, and it's all part of another great Mousterpiece Cinema you won't want to miss!

Listeners, it's finally come to this. After four films starring the rascally Love Bug himself, Herbie, your hosts Josh and Michael have begun to question each other's sanity. The real culprit is the topic of this week's podcast, the 1980 film Herbie Goes Bananas, where the supposedly lovable VW Beetle faces off against scheming thieves, an outrageously horny older woman, a stuffy cruise-ship captain, and a fuming bull. (Absolutely none of that is a lie or a joke. We promise.) For anyone hoping that Michael would, for once, succumb to the Dark Side, you may be disappointed, but you'll get to hear Josh rage and rant like never before. This one's an episode for the pantheon, so check out the new Mousterpiece Cinema today!

Though it took sixty years for Disney to make a follow-up to the 1940 classic Fantasia, it's only taken Josh, Gabe, and Michael a month to discuss it on the podcast. This week, your three intrepid hosts join forces for the first time without guests to take a look at Fantasia 2000. What are their favorite segments? What are their least favorite segments? What do they think of the celebrity emcees? And how big of an axe does Gabe have to grind against the diva herself, Bette Midler? Check it all out with your very own Three Caballeros this week on Mousterpiece Cinema!

Head-to-head battles, a massive cast, snappy wit. Yes, this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema has it all. And what better way to discuss Marvel's The Avengers, one of the biggest, most popular films of the year? This week, it's a packed, epic-length show, as Josh, Gabe, and Michael are joined by special guest Adam Kempenaar, co-host of the essential Filmspotting podcast, to discuss the latest superhero film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Do they all love this new film from cult god Joss Whedon? Or will they have to lay waste to each other? And which one of your intrepid hosts Hulks out during the show? You'll have to listen to find out!

Grunt grunt grunt! Grunt--*cough, cough*--excuse me, I had a piece of hacky old shtick in my throat. Now, where was I? Ah yes, it's time for a new Mousterpiece Cinema! This week, Josh and Michael go to the jungles of Africa with the new DisneyNature documentary Chimpanzee, which is replete with beautiful imagery, a compelling day-in-the-life story about lovable chimps, and truly horrendous, movie-killing narration from Tim "The Tool Man" Taylor himself, Tim Allen. Would this movie be better if you could mute the dialogue? Does only one of your hosts indulge in a Home Improvement-style grunting impression, or both? And what would British documentarian David Attenborough sound like if he had read Allen's narration? Answers to these and other burning questions on the latest Mousterpiece Cinema!

For any fan of Disney films, discussing their many direct-to-video sequels is truly going, to quote the line, where no man has gone before. This is the final frontier, and on the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, Josh and Gabe begin to explore it with 2002's follow-up to a movie that didn't seem to need one, Cinderella II: Dreams Come True. Listen to them discuss a movie that fellow co-host Michael dubbed a "cinematic atrocity," one so bad he refused to watch it even for the podcast. Does Cinderella II live up (or down) to such hype? Is it perhaps a diamond in the rough? Or is it as bad as Josh feared? Check out the new episode to find out!

Every once in a while, Josh takes one for the team on Mousterpiece Cinema. This is one of those times, as Josh descends into the madness of the 1979 sci-fi adventure The Black Hole, which didn't exactly blow his mind. If you want to know what really gets Josh mad, what frustrates him about some latter-era Disney movies, and how confused he got, check out this week's rollicking episode of Mousterpiece Cinema!

It's the middle of April, the heart of spring, so there's no better time to talk about a movie set at the Winter Olympics, right? If that sounds crazy, here's something crazier: bobsledders...from Jamaica! Yes, this week on the podcast, Josh and Michael take a look at the 1993 sports comedy Cool Runnings, based on the crazy-but-true story of four men from Jamaica who went to the 1988 Winter Olympics to be the first bobsledders from that country. Finally, with such a wild combination, Josh and Michael are on the same page about a Disney sports movie! There are some typically nutty tangents this week, with German accents and Bad Boys II coming into play. Check out the new Mousterpiece Cinema!