Saturday, August 27, 2016

Episode 263: The Incredible Journey

Friends, we hope that you're prepared. We hope you're mentally ready. We hope you are set to embark upon a journey. An exciting journey. A trepidatious and perilous journey. Perhaps even...an incredible journey. If that wasn't enough of a hint, this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema is all about the 1963 film The Incredible Journey, featuring a heroic Siamese cat, a heroic Labrador Retriever, and a heroic English Bull terrier, and very little else. What happens when these three domesticated animals are on their own in the Canadian wilderness? Is it exciting? Is it fascinating? Do Gabe and Josh even care? This one might be more of a howler for them than they'd hoped. Listen to the new show to find out!

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Episode 262: Pete's Dragon

Friends, your eyes don't deceive you--this episode of Mousterpiece Cinema is indeed focused on the Disney film about a boy and his dragon in the forest, Pete's Dragon. Of course, there's an important distinction to make--this is the 2016 remake of the 1977 film! (Josh talked about the 1977 film all on his lonesome way back in 2011.) On the bad-news front, Gabe was under the weather and unable to unleash his typical #hottakes for this episode; on the good-news front, Josh was joined by friend of the show Adam Kempenaar of the prolific Filmspotting podcast! Josh and Adam talk about the surprising quality of the 2016 film, the emotionally visceral friendship between Pete and his CGI dragon Elliot, the work of David Lowery (and whether them bodies really are saints), and more! Check it out now.

Monday, August 15, 2016

Lucasfilm Bonus Episode Seven: Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Hey, friends! Are you ready for another very special b-b-b-b-b-b-bonus episode of Mousterpiece Cinema? It's been a little while since Gabe and Josh got together for a bonus recording, but they did so last month--in fact, they recorded this episode in the same place for the first time in the show's history. And this Lucasfilm-centric bonus episode is all about the last film that George Lucas had any direct say over in the Star Wars franchise, the 2008 animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Christopher Lee, among others. (Really!) But even though the TV show of the same name has garnered praise, this movie that kickstarted the Cartoon Network program isn't so hot, at least to Josh and Gabe. Listen for more details on just how surprising this movie is!

Saturday, August 13, 2016

Episode 261: NausicaƤ of the Valley of the Wind

It's time for a new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, friends! This week, Josh and Gabe are going back to the beginning of the era of Studio Ghibli. In fact, they're going back before the beginning, to the film that led to the creation of Studio Ghibli, from director Hayao Miyazaki: it's NausicaƤ of the Valley of the Wind. Josh and Gabe are joined by Justine Smith of Vague Visages to talk about this early Miyazaki effort, and whether or not it might be his very best film. Or is this movie not as emotionally engaging as films like Princess Mononoke or Kiki's Delivery Service? Did this movie set the foundation or raise the bar so high nothing else could clear it? Only one way to find out now--listen to the show!

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Episode 260: Jack

Hey, friends! It's time for a new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and boy, do we have a corker for you this week. There's good news and bad news, too. Good news: this episode is all about a film from Francis Ford Coppola, director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now! Bad news: those movies aren't from Disney, but his 1996 film Jack...is. And this Robin Williams-led film about a boy who looks like he's 40 is the subject of this week's podcast. Josh and Gabe are joined by friend of the show and soon-to-be co-star of the Amazon revival of The Tick, Griffin Newman. Josh, Gabe, and Griffin debate the important issues, like: how bad is this movie? No, really...how bad is this movie? Plus, Griffin talks a bit about working on the pilot for The Tick, and reveals one of the all-time great stories of working with a peer of Coppola. This is a long episode, so strap in and check it out now!