February 27, 2015

Episode 20 - A GOOFY MOVIE


Almost the polar opposite of the operatic musical dramas that defined the output of Walt Disney Animation Studios during the 1990s, A Goofy Movie is a simple, sweet story about a single dad and his insecure teenage son trying to bond with each other on a summer road trip.

Loosely based on Goof Troop, a mid-90s weekday afternoon cartoon series featuring many of the same characters, A Goofy Movie mostly eschews spectacle for a handful of well-defined relationships, small scale drama, and classic Disney slapstick.  Even with the occasional cartoon mayhem and comic exaggeration, it's a surprisingly recognizable world, grounded in familiar emotions and elevated by a stellar soundtrack that's still influencing modern pop culture.



A Goofy Movie (1995)
Directed by Kevin Lima
Produced by Dan Rounds
Written by Jymn Magon, Chris Matheson, and Brian Pimental
Starring Bill Farmer, Jason Marsden, Rob Paulsen, Kellie Martin, Jim Cummings, and Pauly Shore

February 20, 2015

Episode 19 - The 1st Annual Dubbie Awards!


The Grammys. The Emmys. The Oscars.

And now, the Dubbies!


We put our own spin on awards season in the inaugural Dubbie Awards, honoring the previous year in cinematic nostalgia, as well as discussing our favorite films and performances of 2014.


Categories include:

  • Best Comeback
  • Most Unnecessary Throwback
  • Future WWWW Candidate
  • Most Nostalgic Moment

February 13, 2015

Episode 18 - STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES


"She hardly even recognized me, Jar Jar" complains a plaintive Anakin Skywalker early on in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, perhaps echoing the disappointment the creators of The Phantom Menace must have felt regarding Star Wars partisans' tepid reaction to Episode I.  As such, this second prequel is crammed full of fan service-y tidbits and grace notes - sometimes interesting, sometimes awkward - meant to spark associations with the films of the original trilogy.

Yet though the effort to please is plainly visible onscreen, Attack of the Clones leaves most people cold.  Prequel whisperer Eric Wheeler returns as our special guest to help us unpack the glimmers of artistic ambition and the inevitable commercial retrenchment of Star Wars Episode II.


Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
Directed by George Lucas
Produced by Rick McCallum
Written by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales
Starring Hayden Christensen, Natalie Portman, Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Temuera Morrison, and Ian McDiarmid

Check out the rest of our series on the Star Wars saga:
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Episode IV: A New Hope
Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
Episode VII: The Force Awakens
Episode VIII: The Last Jedi

Solo: A Star Wars Story
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Star Wars: Clone Wars
Star Wars Holiday Special
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire
Caravan of Courage: An Ewok Adventure