Saturday, July 28, 2018

Episode 361: Armageddon

Well, folks, it's time to rip off a particularly painful Band-Aid on this week's episode of Mousterpiece Cinema. Josh and Scott are headed back in time about 20 years to talk about one of Michael Bay's earliest, and possibly worst, films, the sci-fi action film Armageddon. Josh and Scott are joined by friend of the show Emma Stefansky of GQ and Vanity Fair to talk about this Baysterpiece, its massive ensemble cast, and its utter disregard for all logic, common sense, or joy. (It's possible that one of your two hosts really hated this movie.) What good is there in this film? Is it secretly enjoyable in spite of its bad scriptwriting? Does Michael Bay even deserve all of the blame? And do your hosts and guest indulge in a fair bit of profanity this week? The answer to that last one is yes, so...earmuffs, children! Now, go listen to the new show!

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Episode 360: WALL-E

Hey, folks! It's that time of the month again, as Scott and Josh head back into the annals of Mousterpiece Cinema episodes to do a Revisited show! This week, Scott and Josh are headed into the reaches of deep space and hundreds of years into the future to spend time on a luxury space cruise liner with lots of overweight humans and a couple of plucky robots. Yes, that's right, we're talking about the 2008 Pixar film WALL-E on this episode, and your hosts are joined by friend of the show Angie Han of Mashable to talk about the now-decade-old film. Is WALL-E still an adorable masterpiece? Is this Pixar's boldest film to date? Does it make a lot of sense how and why human babies are still getting churned out in the 2800s? You'll have to listen to the show to find out!

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Episode 359: Ant-Man and the Wasp

Hey, folks! No, we haven't gone invisible on you--we've just shrunk this brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema down to a miniscule size for your entertainment. Yes, you might have already guessed it, but this week on the show, Scott and Josh are headed to the quantum realm of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to discuss the MCU's 20th movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp. They're joined by longtime friend of the show and new member of the Six-Timers' Club, film critic and podcaster Tim Grierson, to talk about whether this sequel measures up to the 2015 original, how well the movie handles making Evangeline Lilly a bigger part of the story, and whether or not this movie has enough Michelle Pfeiffer. Should more MCU movies be low-stakes? Should Scott Lang hang out with the Avengers more often? Do the post-credits scenes live up to their promise? You'll have to find out on the new show!

Saturday, July 7, 2018

Episode 358: What's Love Got To Do With It

Hey, folks! It's time for yet another brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and this week, Scott and Josh are taking the spotlight for a musically themed movie. Specifically, they're talking about the 1993 biopic of Tina Turner, What's Love Got To Do With It, which depicts the rise of young Anna Mae Bullock into one of the biggest rock stars in the world, but only after surviving an intensely abusive relationship with songwriter/guitarist Ike Turner. Scott and Josh are joined by Craig Lindsey of Nashville Scene and The Village Voice to talk about the blend of musical performances and harrowing display of spousal abuse, and why Scott dislikes how biopics end with the real person showing up at the end. Does this movie hold up after 25 years? Is it remotely fair that Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne have only ever been nominated for Oscars for just this film? Will Proud Mary keep on turnin'? You'll have to check out the show to find out!

Note: Apologies in advance for the fact that you're going to hear some outside background noise in this episode--as much as possible has been removed (without making it impossible to hear the conversation), but you can blame Skype for this one.

Saturday, June 30, 2018

Episode 357: Tombstone

Hey, folks! It's time for a rootin', tootin', brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, so git your six-shooters, rustle up some grub, and shoo away any nearby varmints so you can enjoy this episode. As you may have guessed, this is a Western-themed episode, because Scott and Josh are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Western drama Tombstone, featuring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton, Sam Elliott, and a whole lot more actors. Scott and Josh are joined by return guest Libby Hill of the Los Angeles Times to talk about this film, its shaky production history, and whether or not that production history translated into an equally shaky film or if the movie has earned its mild cult status in the late-2010s. Does this movie hold up? Is it too earnest for its own good? Does it do poorly by the women folk? Are we your huckleberry? You'll have to listen to the show to find out!

Saturday, June 23, 2018

Episode 356: Incredibles 2

Hey, folks! Get suited up, because it's time for a brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and this one is going to be particularly...super. That's right, Scott and Josh are headed back to Municiberg to talk about Pixar's new film Incredibles 2. (Why, Brad Bird? Why have you forsaken the "The" in the title of this sequel?) Your hosts are joined by Kristy Puchko of Pajiba to talk about the biggest movie from Pixar (at least at the box office). It's been 14 years since the original film--does this movie pay off on the promise of the 2004 film? Has it been too long? Is this a case where, like Finding Dory, Pixar should have left well enough alone, or is this more like Toy Story 2 or Toy Story 3? Only one way to find out--check out the new show!

Saturday, June 16, 2018

Episode 355: Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Hey, folks! It's time for a brand-new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema, and p-p-p-p-p-p-p-please believe us, you'll want to check it out. Yes, this week, Scott and Josh are revisiting the 1988 classic hybrid of live-action and animation, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, from director Robert Zemeckis and featuring Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd and more. Scott and Josh are joined by not one, but two return guests this week: Todd Van Der Werff of Vox and Monica Castilo of The Lily (the latter of whom joins the Five-Timers' Club!). All four of them struggle to find a whole lot to criticize about this wonderful film, instead talking about the unique acting on display, the visual effects, the message about civil rights embedded in the story, and more. It's a fun-filled episode, so check it out now!