Episode 146: The Boys: The Sherman Brothers' Story

It's a big week here on Mousterpiece Cinema, as Gabe and Josh take a look back at the shared and separate lives of Richard and Robert Sherman, the two men responsible for some of the most memorable pieces of music in the Walt Disney Company. If you've ever had "It's a Small World" stuck in your head (and you probably do now; sorry for that), you can thank the Shermans. If you love the music in Mary Poppins, that the Shermans, too. But you may not know that the two men had a fractious and contentious relationship as brothers from almost the very beginning. Gabe and Josh tackle their lives and the documentary, but leave with a song in their heart. And speaking of leaving, you'll want to stick around to the end of the episode to hear about where Mousterpiece Cinema is headed starting in June. Listen and find out!

Episode 145: Million Dollar Arm

There are few things more associated with summer in America than our national pastime of baseball. So there's no better time for Walt Disney Pictures to release a baseball drama based on a true story, right? Well, while that may be true in theory, in execution, their latest film, Million Dollar Arm, is missing the right stuff. At least, according to Josh and Gabe as well as this week's guest, Scott Tobias of The Dissolve. In fact, this trio spent far more time wondering what could have been. Would a story about the two young Indian men Jon Hamm's J.B. Bernstein finds to play American baseball have worked? Or what about a story featuring their coach, played here by Bill Paxton? How about a loose romantic comedy with Hamm and Lake Bell? Ah, perchance to dream. But even if you haven't seen Million Dollar Arm, you should check out this week's episode. Come for the Mad Men references and stay for the in-depth Jerry Maguire discussion!

Episode 144: Teacher's Pet

Welcome, everyone, to a very important podcast-cum-intervention, wherein Josh finally gets Gabe to open up about why exactly he hates dogs. Sure, this episode is ostensibly about the 2004 Disney film Teacher's Pet, but it's all just a ruse to get Gabe to reveal his past childhood traumas. It turns out that neither Josh nor Gabe were terribly familiar with this film, based on a Disney animated TV series from the early 2000s. As such, Josh probes Gabe's psyche, and Gabe pushes back, especially when debating the merits of Hocus Pocus and Newsies. You can tell, clearly, that this is a loopy, tangential episode, but how could it not be? Strap in for a goofy episode; you just might hear a bit of singing from Gabe if you stick around long enough.

Episode 143: Robin Hood

A fine oo-de-lally to you, friends, as Robin Hood and Little John would say. Yes, those two scoundrels and some of their friends are at the center of this week's new Mousterpiece Cinema, which is all about the 1973 Disney animated film Robin Hood. Josh, in the past, hasn't made any bones about the fact that he's not too hot on this adventure, but Gabe and return guest Alexander Huls both have nostalgic love for this movie, even if they don't have nostalgic love for the song "Love," which is also from this movie. (In fact, Gabe chose to compare that scene to, of all things, Play Misty For Me.) Has Josh softened on the film or is he put off by a potential laziness in the storytelling and animation? Or have Gabe and Alex hardened a bit? And how early does Alex's pet peeve of whistling get brought up? Listen to the show to find out!

Episode 142: A Goofy Movie

This week on Mousterpiece Cinema, we're feeling a bit silly. A bit wacky, you might say. Possibly even a bit...goofy. Yes, it's time for Josh and Gabe to goof off while talking about the 1995 film A Goofy Movie. And, as you might expect with a subject like Goofy as well as his son Max, Josh and Gabe go off topic quickly and frequently. From Prince to Space Jam to Pauly Shore, they're bouncing off the walls this week. (And, OK, fine, Pauly Shore is in A Goofy Movie, so that's technically on topic, but why in God's name is Pauly Shore in this movie? Why?) There's tons of tomfoolery and general goofiness this week, as you might expect, so start listening!