Mousterpiece Cinema

Hey, folks! It's time for a brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and this week, Scott and Josh are headed to a magical land full of strange creatures, exciting stories, and plenty of adventure. No, not Narnia. No, not Wonderland. No, not Oz. Why, it's...the land of the Four Realms, of course! Specifically, your hosts are talking about the new Disney film The Nutcracker and the Four Realms on the podcast, and they're joined by friend of the show Karen Han of Polygon to discuss this new movie and why, exactly, it is so damn strange. What's with the sexy baby voice Keira Knightley's sporting in this film? Is John Lithgow a classic Karen's Boy? And which famous meme does Karen learn about for the first time in this episode? It's a wild one, so check out the new show now!

Hey, folks! Are you ready for a raucous, wild episode of Mousterpiece Cinema? Well, dive into your nearest off-the-grid cage after downloading the show so you can dive right in! This week, we're celebrating the 20th anniversary of a film featuring Will Smith, Gene Hackman, Jon Voight, Regina King, Seth Green, Jack Black, Jamie Kennedy, Scott Caan, Jason Robards, and we could keep listing actors, but we'd be here all day. The movie, of course, is Enemy of the State, from director Tony Scott, and your hosts are joined by two old friends of the show: Danny Bowes and Jason "Five-Timers' Club" Bailey! Fair warning: not only is this a raucous episode, but it is peak Earmuffs. (So...y'know: lots of swearing.) But this one's a lot of fun, as we talk about all sorts of important things, like whether or not we love films like The Conversation, and, of course, the names of characters in the film. So check the new show out!

Hey, friends! It's that time again--time for a brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema! This week, as the merger between the dual monoliths of Disney and Fox grows ever closer, Scott and Josh are nostalgic for a period barely 20 years ago when the Walt Disney Company released a film that was all about how corporate greed nearly toppled the publication of the honest, unvarnished truth about cigarettes. Remember Michael Mann's 1999 film The Insider? You should! It's our film of the week, and Scott and Josh are joined by freelance film writer and critic Bilge Ebiri to discuss all things Insider, from Russell Crowe's remarkably intense performance to the state of journalism in the 1990s, and with just a smidgen or two of Josh's very, very bad impression of Al Pacino. (But no "Hoo-ah!" reference. Except in this description.) Listen to the new show now!

If you had to be honest with yourself, would you be able to provide the answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything? Do you even know the question of Life, the Universe, and Everything? Well, if you need a place to start, consider this brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema! In this week's show, Josh and Scott are hanging out, just a couple of super chill bros, talking about the 2005 adaptation of Douglas Adams' iconic piece of science-fiction comedy, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, starring Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, and more. Does this film hold up to the beloved novel, and to the BBC radio series that Scott loved when he was a little boy who wanted to be a big boy? Is it possible that there's such a thing as too much Sam Rockwell? How adorkable is Zooey Deschanel in this film, anyway? Find out now!

Hey, folks! It's time for Scott and Josh to head into their special spaceship and approach another Revisited episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. This week, they're in deep space with their special guest, freelance writer and podcaster Keith Phipps (now a member of the Seven-Timers' Club!), as they discuss the 1979 cult favorite The Black Hole. Remember? The big-budget film that served as Disney's first PG-rated film that Josh discussed in Episode 10 of this show! Yes indeed, and boy, is this a special movie. But not in the right way. For Keith and Scott, who grew up with this film in ways Josh didn't, does The Black Hole resonate? And what of the amazing dialogue that is in no way exposition-heavy? And what the hell happens in the ending? You'll have to find out on the new show!

Hey, folks! It's time for another brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and this week, we're talking about a very big movie, even if it's one that got ignored by audiences back in 1998. Scott and Josh are headed back to the Reconstruction era of the United States to talk about a film depicting the aftermath of slavery among African-Americans of the 1870s, Jonathan Demme's adaptation of Beloved starring Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, and more. Scott and Josh are joined by longtime friend of the show and Six-Timers' Club inductee Monica Castillo to discuss the weighty impact of Beloved, the film's epic and unique qualities, exactly how terrible of a person Josh is, and also...bingo! (It'll all make sense, promise.) Check out the new show now!

Hey, folks! It's time for a brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and this week, Scott and Josh are drinking from this very special well of water they found while wandering in the forest, and you can't tell anyone! It's very secret water, and if you let anyone know about it, you'll....be in trouble! Or we will! One of those! OK, we might have just seen a movie about people who have had a sip or two from a fountain of youth. In fact, it's our movie of the week, Tuck Everlasting, the 2002 adaptation of the Natalie Babbitt novel starring Alexis Bledel, Jonathan Jackson, a very weird Ben Kingsley and more. Scott and Josh are joined by friend of the show Fran Hoepfner of Bright Wall/Dark Room to talk about the story, the film's brief running time, the heat or lack thereof between Bledel and Jackson, Kingsley being a real creeper, and lots more. Check out the new show now!

Hey, folks! It's time for a brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and for this episode, Scott and Josh are getting ready to sit down and play some mah-jong, and listen to some epic stories about the Chinese-American experience in the 20th century. Yes, this week, we're celebrating the 25th anniversary of The Joy Luck Club, the film adaptation of the iconic Amy Tan novel, featuring Ming-Na Wen, Rosalind Chao, Tamlyn Tomita, and...Andrew McCarthy. Josh and Scott are joined by Inkoo Kang of Slate to talk about the impact this film has had on modern culture, its depiction of very different mothers and daughters, and whether or not there's such a thing as too much narration. Does The Joy Luck Club still hold up, especially in light of the recent phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians? Find out now!

Hey, folks! We're taking to the skies this week for a very special episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. Josh and Scott are revisiting one of the vaunted classics of the Golden Age of Disney Animation, the short but memorable 1941 film Dumbo. They're joined by National Catholic Register film critic Steven Greydanus for this Revisited episode of the show, as Josh looks back on a film he hasn't discussed in full in seven years. Is Dumbo one of the true classics of Disney lore? Does "Baby Mine" still have the same emotional power for adults as it did for all of us as little boys who wanted to be big boys? Or does Dumbo feel like the weak link in the Golden Age? Find out more on the new show!

Hey, folks! It's-a us, the hosts of Mousterpiece Cinema! We're getting into character this week as we talk about one of the truly memorable video-game adaptations, the 1993 film Super Mario Bros. starring Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Samantha Mathis, and more. Yes, to commemorate the 25th anniversary, we're talking about a movie with a truly awful reputation, and are joined by longtime friend of the show Scott Meslow of GQ to talk about whether Super Mario Bros. deserves its bad reputation. Is this film really as bad as everyone, including its very lead actors, say it is? Do you need to know the game to like the film, or does that make it worse? Can your hosts do a serviceable Brooklyn accent? Find out now!

Hey, folks! It's that time once more, time for another new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema! And this episodes marks yet another special occasion, as it's time for Scott and Josh to delve into another of the direct-to-DVD sequels made by DisneyToon Studios. They're heading back to the valley to get into the groove, or trying to get into the groove, with Kronk's New Groove. (Sorry, all you hopeful fans of Bambi II. We know we had it scheduled, but you'll just have to wait.) Longtime listeners will remember that Scott's a big fan of The Emperor's New Groove, while Josh was a bit cooler on the 2000 original. But what did they think of the 2005 sequel? Is it as funny as the original? Is it better for Kronk to be a sidekick? Does anyone care about his daddy issues? You'll have to listen to find out!

Hey, folks! It's time for a brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and it's another episode all about little boys who want to become big boys, and big boys who come into contact with their little-boy selves. OK, that last part might be unique to today's movie, Disney's The Kid (not to be confused with the Charlie Chaplin classic, which you all were going to do, DON'T LIE). Josh and Scott talk in-depth about the 2000 comedy featuring a very young Spencer Breslin playing the young version of a very grouchy Bruce Willis. This one's got a very overqualified cast, including Jean Smart, Chi McBride, and Lily Tomlin, and is from longtime Disney journeyman director and recent The Meg filmmaker Jon Turteltaub. But is it any good? Should The Kid be remembered as an underrated gem, or has it been rightly forgotten? And how hard does this movie's score need to chill out? Find out on the new episode!

Hey, folks! It's time for a brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and Scott and Josh are headed to the truly magical world of spirits this week. We're revisiting a film that many critics and fans might call one of the very best of the 2000s, Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away. Scott and Josh are joined by freelance writer and still the most frequent guest on the show, Alexander Huls, to talk about this 2001 animated film and whether or not it's as wonderful as everyone else says. If you've never heard Josh talk about the film--and since it was the topic of the fifth episode of the show, way back in 2011, you may not have!--you may not be shocked to hear his grumpy side rear its ugly head. Do Scott and Alex love the film? Are they less warm to its charms? Find out now!

Hey, folks! It's time for a brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and for this show, we're headed deep in the Hundred Acre Wood, where a little boy who wants to be a big boy plays with his stuffed animals. Specifically, Scott and Josh are talking about a new Disney film about what happens when that little boy a) becomes a big boy and b) has to act like a little boy all over again! Yes, we're talking about Christopher Robin, the new film starring Ewan McGregor and lots of CGI stuffed animals, all about an adult version of everyone's...uh...favorite Winnie the Pooh character. Scott and Josh are joined by Hoai-Tran Bui of Slashfilm to talk about the new film, the way that Winnie the Pooh and his friends inhabit Taoist tendencies, and why the hell everyone in the world hasn't fallen completely in love with Paddington 2. Check out the new show now!

Hey, folks! It's the dog days of summer, and we're mixing things up on this new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. Sure, it's about to be the NFL preseason, and America's true pastime, baseball, is in full swing. But this week, we're talking about a movie that's all about another big American sport, basketball. Specifically, Scott and Josh are talking about the 1998 Spike Lee sports drama He Got Game, starring Denzel Washington and a young Ray Allen as a man let out of prison and the frustrated but talented son he tries to convince to go to college, respectively. After twenty years, how well does He Got Game hold up? How shocking is it, especially in light of recent events at Disney, for a movie as adult as this one and a director as fiery as Spike Lee to have found at home at the Walt Disney Company? And which sport is truly America's greatest? Find out the answers to these questions and more on the new episode!

Well, folks, it's time to rip off a particularly painful Band-Aid on this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. Josh and Scott are headed back in time about 20 years to talk about one of Michael Bay's earliest, and possibly worst, films, the sci-fi action film Armageddon. Josh and Scott are joined by friend of the show Emma Stefansky of GQ and Vanity Fair to talk about this Baysterpiece, its massive ensemble cast, and its utter disregard for all logic, common sense, or joy. (It's possible that one of your two hosts really hated this movie.) What good is there in this film? Is it secretly enjoyable in spite of its bad scriptwriting? Does Michael Bay even deserve all of the blame? And do your hosts and guest indulge in a fair bit of profanity this week? The answer to that last one is yes, so...earmuffs, children! Now, go listen to the new show!

Hey, folks! It's that time of the month again, as Scott and Josh head back into the annals of Mousterpiece Cinema episodes to do a Revisited show! This week, Scott and Josh are headed into the reaches of deep space and hundreds of years into the future to spend time on a luxury space cruise liner with lots of overweight humans and a couple of plucky robots. Yes, that's right, we're talking about the 2008 Pixar film WALL-E on this episode, and your hosts are joined by friend of the show Angie Han of Mashable to talk about the now-decade-old film. Is WALL-E still an adorable masterpiece? Is this Pixar's boldest film to date? Does it make a lot of sense how and why human babies are still getting churned out in the 2800s? You'll have to listen to the show to find out!

Hey, folks! No, we haven't gone invisible on you--we've just shrunk this brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema down to a miniscule size for your entertainment. Yes, you might have already guessed it, but this week on the show, Scott and Josh are headed to the quantum realm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to discuss the MCU's 20th movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp. They're joined by longtime friend of the show and new member of the Six-Timers' Club, film critic and podcaster Tim Grierson, to talk about whether this sequel measures up to the 2015 original, how well the movie handles making Evangeline Lilly a bigger part of the story, and whether or not this movie has enough Michelle Pfeiffer. Should more MCU movies be low-stakes? Should Scott Lang hang out with the Avengers more often? Do the post-credits scenes live up to their promise? You'll have to find out on the new show!

Hey, folks! It's time for yet another brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and this week, Scott and Josh are taking the spotlight for a musically themed movie. Specifically, they're talking about the 1993 biopic of Tina Turner, What's Love Got To Do With It, which depicts the rise of young Anna Mae Bullock into one of the biggest rock stars in the world, but only after surviving an intensely abusive relationship with songwriter/guitarist Ike Turner. Scott and Josh are joined by Craig Lindsey of Nashville Scene and The Village Voice to talk about the blend of musical performances and harrowing display of spousal abuse, and why Scott dislikes how biopics end with the real person showing up at the end. Does this movie hold up after 25 years? Is it remotely fair that Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne have only ever been nominated for Oscars for just this film? Will Proud Mary keep on turnin'? You'll have to check out the show to find out!   Note: Apologies in advance for the fact that you're going to hea

Hey, folks! It's time for a rootin', tootin', brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, so git your six-shooters, rustle up some grub, and shoo away any nearby varmints so you can enjoy this episode. As you may have guessed, this is a Western-themed episode, because Scott and Josh are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Western drama Tombstone, featuring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton, Sam Elliott, and a whole lot more actors. Scott and Josh are joined by return guest Libby Hill of the Los Angeles Times to talk about this film, its shaky production history, and whether or not that production history translated into an equally shaky film or if the movie has earned its mild cult status in the late-2010s. Does this movie hold up? Is it too earnest for its own good? Does it do poorly by the women folk? Are we your huckleberry? You'll have to listen to the show to find out!