Episode 233: Bolt

How much do you loathe the evil Dr. Calico? Are you a friend of canines, or are you a deceptive feline-like minion? It's these questions that are up for debate in the new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, as Josh and Gabe talk about the 2008 animated film Bolt, starring John Travolta and a pre-close-cropped/Woody-Allen-ingenue Miley Cyrus, about a superheroic dog and his person. Except, of course, the lead character of Bolt doesn't realize that he's actually an actor playing a superheroic dog, which makes things pretty crazy when he's let loose on the real world. Josh and Gabe are joined by past guest Tasha Robinson of The Verge to talk about all things Bolt, from its rocky production to its voice cast to its rabid loathing of cats. Plus, a tease of next week's all-Boston-accented episode! Get excited, and get listening!

Episode 232: A Bug's Life

We're getting small on this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. Tiny, you might say. As tiny as the size of an ant or some other kind of insect. Yes, we're talking about bugs this week because our movie is Pixar's A Bug's Life from 1998. Gabe and Josh are joined by friend of the show (and this week, thanks to Skype issues, a fairly echo-y friend) Griffin Newman to talk about all things ants...and Antz. You remember Antz, don't you? The first of two 1998 computer-animated films about quirky male ants who fall in love with the princesses of their respective colonies? The rivalry between Pixar and DreamWorks Animation is a hot topic in this episode, as are outtakes, voice work, and Gabe's daring suggestion that A Bug's Life may not even be as good as the first Cars. Prepare to be shocked throughout--check out the show now!

Episode 231: Cinderella III: A Twist in Time

Are you ready to go back? Back...to the future? Well, OK, it's more like back...to the end of the beginning in this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. That's because Josh and Gabe are talking about yet another direct-to-DVD sequel, Cinderella III: A Twist in Time. As you might expect from the subtitle, this Cinderella story isn't your average, run-of-the-mill princess movie, but it's got a dash of science fiction. See, when one of Cinderella's evil old stepsisters gets her hands on the Fairy Godmother's magic wand, she and her eviller stepmother are able to turn back the clock so Cinderella never had her happily ever after. Can good triumph over evil? Does Prince Charming need to be leeched? Is this movie better than the original? Are any direct-to-DVD sequels better than the original? Someone from Slate actually made that argument, and you best believe we're citing it this week. Now check out the show!

Episode 230: Freaky Friday

Welcome to 2016, everyone! Movie Mezzanine's got itself a new look for the whole site, and that has even affected Mousterpiece Cinema. Once upon a time, a long while ago, Josh and Gabe aired new episodes every Saturday; for the last year and a half, we've been releasing episodes on Wednesdays. Now, as you can see, we're back to our Saturday schedule! Maybe it's fitting--kind of--that the schedule shift begins as Josh and Gabe talk about a different day of the week, and a particularly odd one. In fact, it's Freaky Friday, the 1976 film starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris as a daughter and mother who inadvertently switch bodies with each other on one fine Friday and get into all sorts of madcap misadventures. Could it be that this film leans too hard on old-fashioned gender norms? Is its madcap style not something that's particularly funny? Is the 2003 remake better than this one? Find out now!