Mousterpiece Cinema

Hey, folks! Get as much ham as you have nearby, stuff it into your mouth, and start listening to the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, as quickly as you can! On today's show, Scott and Josh are talking about Hayao Miyazaki's 2008 film Ponyo, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairy tale The Little Mermaid. Your hosts are joined by David Sims of The Atlantic to discuss the Studio Ghibli film, the stentorian tones of one Liam Neeson, and yes, of course, ham. (And also things like the English-language dub of the film.) Is Ponyo secretly one of Miyazaki's great works? Has it been properly rated? Are the ham jokes coming off too...hammy? Gotta listen to find out!

OK, folks, strap in and get ready for a wild ride, because on this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, Josh and Scott are headed to the far reaches of the galaxy to get into some scrapes and messes. This week on the show, they're headed back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to discuss Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, the new film starring Chris Pratt, Kurt Russell, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper as a talking raccoon, and Vin Diesel as Baby Groot. Josh and Scott are joined by Brad Oman (aka Ethan Anderton) of Slashfilm to talk about Marvel's new hit, and whether it surpasses the 2014 original. Is it still as fresh as the first film? Are the characters as lovable? And are babies jerks? Answers to these and other burning questions await you!

Avast, ye landlubbers! Now that we have your attention, it's time for a new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. This week, Josh and Scott are doing another Revisited episode of the podcast, wherein they discuss the 2003 blockbuster Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. This smash hit launched the movie-star career of one Johnny Depp, best known as Captain Jack Sparrow, but after 15 years and countless sequels, does the iconic character and the film in which he first appeared hold up? Are Josh and Scott able to separate art from the artist? Will we offend the Orlando Bloom fans out there? (Or, as they're best known, the Or-fan-dos?) Find out now!

Hey, friends! Earth Day was a week ago, but we're still celebrating on a new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. On last week's show, Scott and Josh talked about the first feature-length nature documentary from Disney, so it's only fitting that on this week's show, they talk about the newest Disney nature documentary, Born in China. The film, narrated by everyone's go-to person on Chinese culture, John Krasinski, tells four different stories and might even include some drama, but is it any good? Scott and Josh are joined by freelance writer Karen Han to talk about the film, its accuracy, its narrator, and kids' favorite, Amazon's Jack Ryan. (It'll all make sense in the end.) Check out the show now!

Happy Earth Day, friends! Scott and Josh are celebrating this important day in style by talking about a nature documentary on a new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. It's not just any documentary, either: it's the first feature-length documentary from Walt Disney Pictures, The Living Desert, from 1953. Though Josh has discussed a few new DisneyNature films on the program in the past, this is the first time we're going back to the era of the original True-Life Adventures, which had everything: bitter battles among insects, delicate mating rituals, and...square dancing. Yes, this old documentary may have some familiar tricks up its sleeve, as your hosts find out. But does it hold up to 60-plus years of scrutiny? Find out on the new show!

Hey, friends! As Easter recedes into the rearview, there's no better time for a very special b-b-b-b-b-b-bonus episode of Mousterpiece Cinema! This time, Josh and Scott are celebrating the 29th anniversary of one of the greatest and saddest films of all time, the Studio Ghibli classic Grave of the Fireflies, one of the rare Ghibli films that Disney doesn't own. Fair warning, friends: this movie, which begins with its protagonist, a Japanese boy, dying destitute and alone, is a big ol' downer. Here's how much of a downer it is: just talking about this movie on the show made Josh get teary-eyed! Really. Does Scott join him in collapsing in a puddle of tears? Is the film's sadness enough to make the film worth watching? Should you ever watched a dubbed Ghibli film? Find out the answers on this special supplemental episode!

Well, it took until April, but this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema represents something of a rite of passage for Josh's still-new-ish co-host Scott. This week on the podcast, they're discussing the 1967 film The Happiest Millionaire, which some people may know best as the last film in which Walt Disney had any serious involvement before he passed away. But for this episode, it represents something of slightly less importance: it's Scott's first time talking about one of the batty live-action films from the Disney studios in the 1960s and 1970s. Because, make no mistake: this is a weird, weird movie. Even if you haven't seen the film--especially if you haven't--make time for this episode: there's alligators and cars and jiu jitsu. And more! Check it out now.

Friends, we encourage you to look to the skies for this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. Josh and Scott are going to be flying high because they're revisiting a cult classic from the Walt Disney Company: The Rocketeer, the Joe Johnston adaptation of the Dave Stevens graphic novel, starring Bill Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Timothy Dalton, and more. The real question this week is not if the movie holds up for either Josh or Scott. The real question is: which of them is a bigger super-fan of this movie? The 1991 film may have been unjustly forgotten by some, but both of your hosts are huge fans, so this is a top-to-bottom gushfest. But what of the future for The Rocketeer? Does this movie stand out even more in an era of grimdark superhero films? Only one way to find out: listen to the new show!

Get your tuxes ready, prep your hair in the right kind of wave, and polish off your gun, too: we're going to a high school reunion! That's right, folks: on this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, Scott and Josh are heading back to the 'burbs for a reunion as they discuss the 1997 hitman comedy Grosse Pointe Blank, starring John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd, and more. They're joined by Mike D'Angelo of Las Vegas Weekly and The A.V. Club to talk about this cult favorite that helped push Cusack a little further towards the always beloved High Fidelity. Does Grosse Pointe Blank still hold up after 20 years? Is John Cusack still better suited to characters like Martin Blank or did his paycheck-heavy work in later years fit him better? And are all three of the gentlemen on today's show madly in love with Minnie Driver? Find out now!

Hello, friends! It's time for Scott and Josh to discuss a tale as old as time...a song as old as rhyme! ...Again! Yes, this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema talks about Beauty and the Beast for the second time in two straight weeks, but this one's all about the new live-action film starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, and more. Scott and Josh are joined by friend of the show Monica Castillo of the New York Times to review this monster box-office hit; money aside, does it live up to our expectations? Could it ever hope to compete? Is this a surprise success or surprisingly painful? There's a lot to discuss in this one, so get ready and start listening!

Gather 'round, friends, as Scott and Josh revisit a tale as old as time on this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. You know, some say it's even a song...well, as old as rhyme. Yes, that's right, we're discussing one of Disney's finest animated films on this week's show, the 1991 adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, featuring some of the studio's most memorable songs, characters, and sequences. Longtime listeners won't be surprised to know that Josh remains an ardent fan of the story, but is Scott also on board? Is this Disney's best animated film? Does LeFou seem like he was written as gay from the very beginning? And, related to that last question, does Scott's opinion of the live-action remake (which he, unlike Josh, had seen by the time of this recording) color his view of the animated film? You'll have to listen to find out!

NOTE: To tie into our upcoming Revisited show, we're publishing this early episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, with just Josh and no co-host. Enjoy!   Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, beauty and the beast. Yes, friends, just in time for its 20th anniversary, Josh takes a look back at the pinnacle of the Disney Renaissance, 1991's Beauty and the Beast! After the last couple of weeks, and with the holidays right around the corner, nothing could be better than revisiting this old-fashioned classic. But you might find a few surprises here, such as a discussion of the alternate 18-minute opening or Josh wondering about the origins of the Beast. You'll have to check out the new Mousterpiece Cinema, though; just make sure you don't go into the West Wing!

For six long years, we've been in trouble, friends. No pleasure here on Earth we've found! We are truly men of constant sorrow. OK, not really, but the lyrics to "Man of Constant Sorrow" are rattling around Josh and Scott's brains this week as they discuss the Joel and Ethan Coen Depression-era comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou? on this new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. They're joined by Sam Adams of Slate to discuss George Clooney's first major foray into film comedy as the wordy escaped convict Ulysses Everett McGill, the Coens' relationship with non-white characters, the soundtrack, and the unexpected resonance of the film's political subplot. Lucky for you, you're not in a tight spot--just dive into the new show!

Hey, friends! It's time to get your trusty space helmets on and suit yourself up, because this week on Mousterpiece Cinema, Josh and Scott are on a mission. A mission...to Mars. (Sadly, not one from God, because the Blues Brothers aren't a Disney property. Oh well.) In fact, Josh and Scott are talking about the 2000 sci-fi epic Mission to Mars, starring Gary Sinise, Tim Robbins, and Don Cheadle, directed by Brian De Palma. (Yes, the Brian De Palma.) They're joined by longtime friend of the show Peter Labuza of The Cinephiliacs to discuss the important questions. Is Mission to Mars an underrated De Palma film? Is it better than the other 2000s-era Mars movie, Red Planet? Are the allusions to 2001: A Space Odyssey earned? And what would cause Peter to say "I want to die"? Gotta listen all the way to the end to find out!

Hello, friends! It's time for another new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, as Josh and Scott dive back into the extensive career of one of America's finest filmmakers, Martin Scorsese. Though it was little-seen originally, Scorsese's story of the young Dalai Lama, Kundun, is our topic for this week's show. Josh and Scott are joined by Bilge Ebiri of The Village Voice to talk about this artful, gorgeous, yet potentially emotionally distant story and its place in Scorsese's filmography. Is this movie too unlike the rest of his career, or does it fit right in? And what's more, is it really necessary that Disney's executives had to literally apologize to the Chinese Prime Minister for this film? Only one way to know for sure: check out the new show!

Hey, friends! We're going back in time for this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, because Josh and Scott are revisiting yet another Disney classic for the show. This time around, to tie into its recent Blu-ray re-release, your hosts are talking about the 1940 animated classic Pinocchio, all the way from Jiminy Cricket to Monstro and all the other animals and characters in between. Plus, Josh is rectifying a grievous error he made last month so that all of you listeners know for sure that Revisited episodes are a little bit different from all the rest. (It involves Albert Brooks.) But the more important question: is Pinocchio still as good as people say? Does Scott think this is a leap forward from Snow White? Which of your co-hosts is dubbed a living Wikipedia? And how did it take six episodes for Scott to wonder if Josh must hate him? Find out now!

Time for a new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, friends! This week, Josh and Scott are going it alone again as they return to the scene of a very dastardly crime. Last month, the crime was that of a defenseless woman being abducted by two nefarious bank robbers; this month, the crime is that of a defenseless woman being abducted by two nefarious...people whose identities are obscured. That's right, we're talking about the 1997 remake of That Darn Cat on this episode of the show, and both Josh and Scott are amazed at how different so much of the film is aside from the title and very basic premise. Sure, there's a teenager (Christina Ricci) and an FBI agent (Doug E. Doug), but the original film didn't have warring mechanics, two nagging parents, a pair of doofus security guards, a wig-wearing butcher, and references to the films of Budd Boetticher! How much can be attributed to the film's writers, who also wrote Ed Wood and last year's American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson? Is this film an improvemen

Hey, folks! It's time for a very exciting, fancy, bedazzled new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and we hope you've gotten yourselves dressed up to the nines. See, it's time for a royal wedding! At least, that's the subject of the film up for discussion on this week's show, the 2004 sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, starring Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews, and Chris Pine in his feature film debut. Josh and Scott are prepared with their tuxes and tails to talk about a lighthearted film, especially after another week of such tumult and turmoil in the world, so what better film than a story of a strong, intelligent woman poised to take a seat of power who is threatened with overthrow by a fatheaded lout--um...OK. Well, even with that plot, Josh and Scott are ready to discuss this sequel, whether it improves on its predecessor, if its characterization of the heroine is consistent, and what the hell Stan Lee (yes, really) is doing in this movie. Check it out now!

Hey, friends! It's time for another episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and this week, Josh and Scott are going all the way back to the beginning. We're not going back to the beginning of the Disney animated canon, but to just about the beginning of history to discuss Disney's take on the Greek myth of Hercules. The 1997 film is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, so maybe it's time to reconsider it as unfairly underrated, at least compared to the rest of the Disney Renaissance. Here to help review the film with Josh and Scott is Fran Hoepfner of The Onion, and discuss the important things: does this film feature one of James Woods' best performances? Is it truly an underrated gem? Is Hercules too dumb of a character to fall in love with? And how gross is this movie? Find out now!

Hey, folks! It's time for an all-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and don't worry--you're not seeing things. We really are discussing the very first Disney film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, on today's podcast. This is the first in what will become a monthly mini-series within the overall podcast, wherein Josh revisits some big-name films from past episodes while new co-host Scott Renshaw talks about them for the first time. So what better way to kick off this Revisited mini-series than with the first Disney film? Longtime listeners may remember that Josh respects, but doesn't love, this film; is Scott more of a fan? Does he like it less? Is it insulting to single dimensions to call Snow White single-dimensional? Find out now!