Episode 229: Summer Magic

It's the end of 2015, friends, and to stave off the cold weather (as well as a cold that has besieged Josh's sinuses), Josh and Gabe want to flip the old Christmas-in-July concept and talk about summer in December. Specifically, they're talking about the 1963 Disney musical Summer Magic on this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. You know Summer Magic, right? The one with songs from Richard and Robert Sherman? Songs like, uh, "Femininity"? (Bad news: the song is as bad as you might think based on its title.) Did Josh and Gabe enjoy another Hayley Mills-led live-action film from the 1960s, or is this not a Pollyanna-esque situation? And what does "The Music Man" have to do with this? (It does figure into the show.) Find out now!

Episode 228: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Friends, the time has finally come. Anticipation has hit a fever pitch. Crowds are lining up around the block just to see the result of years of buildup. Yes, friends, you know what we're talking about. It's the battle to end all 2015 battles: is Gabe about to eat a heaping pile of crow, or did he hate the new Star Wars movie? That's right, as we approach the end of 2015, it's time for Josh and Gabe to face the biggest movie of the year, Star Wars: The Force Awakens. As you may know, Josh has been looking forward to this one for a while, but Gabe's been obstinately against it. But now that the movie's out, did the movie surprise them? Did it win them over? They're joined by friend of the show Anthony Breznican of Entertainment Weekly to talk the big issues: are the new characters fun? Did the movie do well by our old friends Han Solo, Leia Organa, and...R2-D2? Spoilers abound here, so be warned, but if you're ready and if the Force is with you, then check out the new show!

Episode 227: Miracle

All you hosers, eh, listen up! We got a real corker of an episode of Mousterpiece Cinema coming your way, and this week, Gabe and Josh are facing off in a colder climate than usual: the ice rink. Yep, they're back in skates again, metaphorically speaking, because this episode's all about an underdog hockey team overcoming insurmountable odds to beat a European foe. No, it's not D2: The Mighty Ducks! We're talking about the 2004 film Miracle, starring Kurt Russell as the coach who would bring the U.S. Olympic hockey team to victory over the dreaded Soviet Union hockey team. But at least one of your hosts dares to prefer a Mighty Ducks movie to a Kurt Russell-led sports drama; hear who's bold enough to say so, plus impressions of Katharine Hepburn so good, we're going to get Cate Blanchett to hand over her Oscar. (Well, maybe not yet.) Check out the show now!

Episode 226: Bad Santa

'Tis the season to be jolly, to make merry, to welcome friends into your home to celebrate the holidays. And on Mousterpiece Cinema, 'tis the season for holiday-themed episodes of the podcast! And now that we're all Santa Clause-d out on the show, it's time get a bit naughty. A bit...bad, you might say. So what better film to discuss this week than Bad Santa? Yes, this 2003 comedy starring Billy Bob Thornton as a low-down-and-dirty thief who dresses up as a mall Santa is from the Walt Disney Company, so it's on the docket this week. Josh and Gabe welcome Scott Tobias back to the program to debate...well, not that much! Spoiler alert: we're all big fans of this movie, just as we're not very big fans of the idea of the impending sequel. But hey, even when we're all agreeing, the spirit of the season demands that you listen. So...you know what to do!

Episode 225: The Good Dinosaur

It's a first this week on Mousterpiece Cinema, as Gabe and Josh talk about yet another Pixar movie; what's so special is that this is the first time in a single year when there have been two new Pixar movies. This summer, of course, we had the wonderful Inside Out; for the holidays, Pixar has given us The Good Dinosaur, wherein the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs...didn't wipe them out. In fact, the dinosaurs and humans coexist in this film, but does that lead to a good story? Josh and Gabe are joined by friend of the show Scott Renshaw of Salt Lake City Weekly to answer this burning question, as well as do our due diligence and insert at least one reference to The Big Lebowski into this discussion of a movie co-starring Sam Elliott. Plus, one of us calls the movie "disappointing"! A lot! It's not who you think! Check out the show to find out who said it!