Episode 211: Porco Rosso

As we fight off the summer blues, it's time for another episode of Mousterpiece Cinema! And what better way to fight off the blues than by taking to the air? This week, Josh and Gabe tackle yet another film from the Studio Ghibli filmography, Hayao Miyazaki's Porco Rosso. You know the film, right? It's the one about the Italian World War I flying ace who has the face of a pig and gets himself in a ton of trouble with a dashing and arrogant American flyer. Josh and Gabe don't come to blows like these two characters, but they have a nice debate over whether the film's a comedy or drama (or neither), and whether Michael Keaton's style of acting meant each of his performances were immensely similar. Strap in and get ready for a new podcast now!

Episode 210: Pollyanna

Hey, friends! It's time to play the glad game on this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, as Gabe and Josh harken back to a simpler time in America. It's a time when kids could climb trees without a worry in the world, when the entire town attended a local bazaar, and when grouchy old men taught people about what prisms were. Yes, it's time to review the 1960 film Pollyanna, starring Hayley Mills, Jane Wyman, and Karl Malden, among others. Were Gabe and Josh won over by the boundless optimism of this film and its title character? Or were they left as cold as mean old Mr. Pendergast? This is a super-packed episode, with impersonations of Elvis and Kirk Douglas as well as Gabe recounting his experience at last weekend's D23 Expo. Check it out!

Episode 209: Dick Tracy

Freeze, flatfoot! That's right, we're talkin' to you, ya stick in the mud. C'mere. Yeah, c'mere. We got a brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema here, right here for the taking. Yeah, sure, it's free. 'Course it's free! Ain't no coppers here to stop you from taking it. OK, fine, enough of the goofy talk, but we do have a new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema for your edification and entertainment. This time, Josh and Gabe are in the big city, facing down some of the biggest criminals as they discuss the 1990 comic-book adaptation of Dick Tracy. Warren Beatty! Al Pacino! Madonna! Mandy Patinkin! Dick Van Dyke! And more! Josh and Gabe are joined by the managing editor of Indiewire, Kate Erbland, to talk about Dick Tracy as well as its continued legacy. Will there be a new one? Will Warren Beatty wear the fedora and trenchcoat again? Did he...already? On TV? In a special filmed by Academy Award winner Emmanuel Lubezki? He...well, just listen to find out!

Episode 208: The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea

Have you ever watched The Little Mermaid and thought to yourself, "Yeah, but what if the stern, taskmaster parent was Ariel, and the rebellious kid was her daughter? I'd like to see that movie!" No? Too bad! Because it absolutely exists, and it's this week's movie on Mousterpiece Cinema. Gabe and Josh are headed back to the ocean blue to talk about The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, featuring all of your favorite characters: Ariel! Sebastian! Flounder! Scuttle! Morgana! Oh, you know who Morgana is: she's Ursula's crazy sister! If none of this sounds palatable to you, how about special guest Alan Scherstuhl of The Village Voice? (We should hope so.) Get ready for a wild, strange episode that invokes everything from Milhouse van Houten to Sarah Palin. (Really.) Check it out!