Episode 72: Lincoln

Yes, friends, there is no typo in the episode title. (And don't let the first few minutes of the show fool you!) Though Josh had planned, many months ago, to discuss the 1996 live-action remake of 101 Dalmatians this week, Mike pulled a fast one, a good old-fashioned bait-and-switch. So, instead of spotted dogs, the topic this week is the greatest president America has ever known: Abraham Lincoln, the subject of a new film from Steven Spielberg, appropriately titled Lincoln. Though Gabe couldn't join us for this impromptu review, Mike and Josh did welcome into the show Peter Labuza of the excellent Cinephiliacs podcast to discuss Pierre Trudeau, John Ford, Woodrow Wilson, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Were Josh, Mike, and Peter all as ecstatic about Lincoln as most critics and audiences are? You'll have to listen to find out!

Note: at one point in the show, Peter references an independent filmmaker and critic named Dan Sallitt. Though Peter said Mr. Sallitt was a former writer of LA Weekly, he meant the LA Reader.

Episode 71: The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

Yes, friends, it's that time again: time for Gabe and Josh to dip into the direct-to-DVD well and see if they get oil, water, or...something in between. This week, they take a look at the highly anticipated return to Pride Rock with Simba, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa, and all our jungle friends with 1998's The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. Could any sequel to the immensely popular Lion King live up to expectations? Did the people at DisneyToon Studios even try to live up to expectations? Which accents did Gabe bust out this week? And what the hell do Nikki and Paolo from Lost--yes, the dearly departed TV series--have to do with Simba and the lioness villain of this new film? You'll have to find out by checking out the new episode!

Episode 70: Wreck-It Ralph

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to break some hearts. Or, depending on who you believe, it's time to re-evaluate Josh's sanity. This week, Josh, Mike, and Gabe delve deep into Walt Disney Pictures' newest animated feature, the video-game-set Wreck-It Ralph, featuring the voices of John C. Reilly, Jane Lynch, Sarah Silverman, and Jack McBrayer. Two of your hosts loved the movie. One of your hosts...did not. Two of your hosts found the movie endearing, moving, exciting, and purely entertaining. One of your hosts...did not. This one's packed with contentious discussion, plus you can find out exactly how far down the road Josh has the show planned out. By then, you're sure to be questioning his sanity, too, but you can only do that if you listen to the new episode!

Episode 69: The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again

Is ​The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again​ one of the greatest and most underrated sequels of all time? Is it a cinematic classic? Or is it a movie so bad that even Mike said it's "terrible"? You can, of course, take a wild guess, but we bet you know the answer. After discussing the 1975 original at the end of September, it's time for Mike and Josh to tackle this 1979 follow-up, placing Don Knotts and Tim Conway as leading men as well as comic relief. They don't exactly pull it off, sadly, partly because Knotts and Conway are only so funny, and partly because this movie is so packed with Western-movie cliches, it gave your hosts whiplash. But don't let that scare you away--take a listen to the new episode, to listen to, among other topics, exactly how unfortunate it is that ​Muppet Treasure Island​ made less than, of all things, ​The Apple Dumpling ​Gang Rides Again​.