The Secret World of Arrietty Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi Written by Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa Starring Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett I’ve become an old man in my young age. I imagine I’m not the only one, of course; you, dear reader, may feel like you’ve become twice as crotchety as your friends …
Herbie Rides Again Directed by Robert Stevenson Written by Bill Walsh Starring Ken Berry, Stefanie Powers, Helen Hayes, Keenan Wynn Sometimes, I wonder why studios spend money on certain projects. OK, scratch that, I wonder this all of the time, not some of the time. Why spend money on this reboot or that remake or …
It’s a very special day here on Mousterpiece Cinema, as Josh and Michael cover their very first live-action sequel to a Disney movie. The honor goes to Herbie Rides Again, one of the strangest, quirkiest, and messiest movies from Walt Disney Pictures. This 1974 sequel is something of a lemon–yes, we went there–but even in …
What makes a Disney movie a true Disney movie? I asked this question while discussing The Black Cauldron with Michael Ryan on the podcast, and I’m still not sure there’s an easily quantifiable answer. Some of the film’s identifying features—a fair princess, a young man who becomes a warrior of some kind fighting off strange …
In the history of Walt Disney Pictures, few films have as well-known a reputation as 1985’s The Black Cauldron. Unfortunately, The Black Cauldron has a…well, black mark on its record; it’s known as one of the biggest flops for the studio and the animation department’s lowest point. But is The Black Cauldron as bad as …
Just as we kicked off 2012 with the first-ever full-length animated film on Mousterpiece Cinema, is there any better way to kick off the month of February with what’s possibly the most quintessential film from Walt Disney Pictures? Of course not, so with Michael Ryan taking the week off, Josh and co-host Gabe Bucsko dive …
Mary Poppins Directed by Robert Stevenson Written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi Starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, David Tomlinson I think it’s a bit dangerous to call movies classics; that title can be a heavy crown for any film to wear, whether it’s your favorite or one you’ve never heard of before. Sometimes, …
The Brave Little Toaster Directed by Jerry Rees Written by Jerry Rees and Joe Ranft Starring Deanna Oliver, Jon Lovitz, Thurl Ravenscroft Originality is so rare these days that we latch onto anything that doesn’t smell of being laughably, obviously derivative. Of course, when I say “we,” I mean film buffs because there’s no denying …
This week on Mousterpiece Cinema, Josh and Michael ask the important question: who plays with appliances as a child? This and other burning questions arise as they discuss The Brave Little Toaster, an indie animated film Walt Disney Pictures snatched up after its 1987 release. Both of your hosts were shocked by this cult favorite, …
The Love Bug Directed by Robert Stevenson Written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, based on the book Car, Boy, Girl by Gordon Buford 1968, USA, imdb As I mentioned during the Mousterpiece Cinema podcast about The Love Bug, when I was a very young boy – about 3 or 4, my parents would drive …
The Love Bug Directed by Robert Stevenson Written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi Starring Dean Jones, David Tomlinson, Michele Lee, Buddy Hackett Live-action films at Walt Disney Pictures have always occupied an interesting place, not only within cinema as a whole, but within the company. Even during the dark days of the 1960s and …
Even though it’s been over 40 years since he first drove onto the silver screen and captured America’s heart, there are a lot of questions you can ask about Herbie, that famous Volkswagen Beetle. Why does he act like a human? Where did he come from? Most importantly, why is he called The Love Bug? …
The Walt Disney Company places value in some of the strangest things, or so it seems sometimes. For example, they lavish attention on anything princess-related, but have had a long and checkered history of not catering to the young male audience in the same way. If you travel to a Disney theme park, there’s princess-related …
Quack! Quack! Quack! Yes, friends, it’s time to show some team spirit and get into a Flying V, because this week’s new episode of Mousterpiece Cinema takes a look at where it all began for one of Walt Disney Pictures’ most popular modern franchises, The Mighty Ducks. Josh is joined by Sound on Sight contributor …
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Directed by David Hand Written by Ted Sears, Richard Creedon, Otto Englander, Dick Rickard, Earl Hurd, Merrill De Maris, Dorothy Ann Blank, and Webb Smith Context is everything. Looking at anything in the appropriate context can change your view, or at least enrich it. When people in the 21st …
Happy New Year, everyone! 2012 is a banner year for Mousterpiece Cinema, because the Disney movie podcast you know and love is now being presented to you by the amazing movie website Sound On Sight! Why not start off this new year than with a look back at where it all began for Walt Disney …
Treasure Island Directed by Byron Haskin Written by Lawrence Edward Watkin Walt Disney and the word “simple” don’t go together. Disney and the concept of simplicity don’t go together, either. This isn’t to say that some attractions at the various Disney theme parks aren’t simple in their design or their impact, or that some classic …
Let’s close out 2011 with a bang, mateys! We may be three months past National Talk Like A Pirate Day, but Josh is ready to walk the plank with that old scoundrel Long John Silver after watching the first full-length, live-action feature from Walt Disney Productions, 1950’s Treasure Island. You know he’s had some rough …
The Muppet Christmas Carol Directed by Brian Henson Written by Jerry Juhl Is it right for us to see the Muppets out of their natural habitat? That question was posed to audiences in the 1990s, as Walt Disney Pictures brought us The Muppet Christmas Carol in 1992 and Muppet Treasure Island in 1996, two adaptations …
The Santa Clause Directed by John Pasquin Written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick So many high-concept ideas for big-budget blockbusters come from the deep, dark recesses of screenwriters’ fevered psyches. One wrong twist, and a comedy for the whole family turns into a warped vision of a group of seriously screwed-up individuals wreaking havoc …
“It’s in the singing of a street-corner choir, it’s going home and getting warm by the fire. It’s true, wherever you find love, it feels like Christmas.” Who else knows those lyrics by heart? Admit it, you’re a closet fan of The Muppet Christmas Carol, aren’t you? With Christmas only 7 days away, Josh takes …
Across the world, he has many names: Kris Kringle, Pere Noel, and Topo Gigio. But we all know him as…Tim Allen? Yes, friends, with Christmas two weeks away, Josh takes a look at another Christmas movie from Walt Disney Pictures on the new Mousterpiece Cinema: 1994’s The Santa Clause. He may have liked it as …
A Christmas Carol Written and directed by Robert Zemeckis All cinema is artifice. This isn’t a groundbreaking epiphany or statement, but the success of most movies hinges on the audience not taking that statement into account. But it’s true: all cinema is artifice of one kind or another. Even documentaries have some artificiality, because no …