Episode 246: Tom and Huck

Hey, folks! If you were hoping we'd be discussing the Disneynature film Born in China this week on Mousterpiece Cinema, we're sorry to let you down. (It's hard to review movies that haven't opened yet and were inexplicably delayed for a year.) Instead, Josh and Gabe are going back to Hannibal, Missouri to talk about the 1995 film Tom and Huck, starring Brad Renfro and...JTT! Remember JTT? Sure you do, you're a 90s kid. Yes, Jonathan Taylor Thomas plays Tom Sawyer here, but is it possible that his acting style is too...well, 1990s to work for an old-fashioned character? Does his haircut meet the smell test? And how sturdy are the female performers? Get ready for answers to these and many more questions on the new Mousterpiece Cinema!

Episode 245: The Jungle Book

Don't worry, folks, you're not having a flashback. We're not talking about the 1967 animated film The Jungle Book on this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema; instead, Josh and Gabe are talking about the live-action remake of the same name, featuring the voices of Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken, and more! And they're joined by friend of the show Genevieve Koski of The Next Picture Show to talk all things Kipling. Or, all things Disneyfied Kipling. Does this film improve upon its animated predecessor? Are its effects as impressive as promised? Is Gabe going to continue his streak of being super-negative? Find out now!

Episode 244: Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend

Hey, folks! On this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, Josh and Gabe are traveling to the African continent to explore a strange new society that may indeed hold a surprising link to the Jurassic period of Planet Earth. Just think: what if there were still dinosaurs walking among humanity? Wouldn't that be crazy? Wouldn't that change our perception of science? Wouldn't...you want to be the first person to reveal this discovery, damn the consequences? That's one of the lessons our lead characters learn in this week's film, Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, which we discussed with guest Tom Nix. And guess what? This movie is...uh...well, put it this way, one of your hosts is convinced this might be one half of the worst double feature we've ever discussed on the podcast. And that's even including a crazy performance from "Downtown Abbey"'s own Julian Fellowes. ("Downtown Abbey," right? Not "Downton"?) Check out why this movie might be so bad now!

Episode 243: Benji the Hunted

Hey, folks! This week on Mousterpiece Cinema, we have truly gone to the dogs. Forgive the obvious pun, but Josh and Gabe's discussion of the 1987 film Benji the Hunted will arguably go down as one of our oddest episodes. It's safe to say that Gabe has--spoiler alert--never hated a movie as much as this story of the famously scrappy dog surviving in the forest after a disaster at sea. And it's safe to say that Josh hasn't had quite as much joy as in going through Benji's history as the lead of a live-action kids' TV show with cheesy aliens in a long time either. So...yeah, this is a strange, strange episode. Check it out now!

Episode 242: Walt Disney Treasures: Disneyland, USA

Hey, friends! On this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, Josh and Gabe are going back in history with one of the Walt Disney Treasures box sets. Specifically, Josh and Gabe are going to learn about the early history of the first Disney theme park with their discussion of the 2-disc Disneyland, USA DVD set, covering four different episodes of the Walt Disney anthology TV show from the 1950s and 1960s. Just as you might expect with an anthology TV show, there's plenty of grab-bag topics to discuss here, from the placement of Song of the South in the first episode to how white audiences contrast with black performers and employees to...a rendition from "Bye Bye Birdie." But most importantly: Josh and Gabe talk more about the idea for Disney to have a streaming service encompassing its decades of films, shorts, and TV shows, and they need your help to get Disney's attention! Find out how in this episode!