Episode 124 - SISTER ACT 2: BACK IN THE HABIT

Comedy sequels rarely enjoy the longevity, let alone the renown, of their predecessors. Not so in the case of Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, an inspired follow-up that turns a fish-out-of-water tale into an underdog story with a funky fresh twist. Whoopi Goldberg puts on her inspirational teacher hat for the movie that courageously celebrates the true heroes of America's failing education system: show choirs.

Blythe Rudloff joins our mighty chorus to rap about the awesome power of musical performance. So if you want to be somebody and want to go somewhere, you gotta wake up and pay attention to this divine episode!

Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
Directed by Bill Duke
Produced by Scott Rudin and Dawn Steel
Written by James Orr & Jim Cruickshank and Judi Ann Mason
Based on characters created by Paul Rudnick
Starring Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Najimy, Wendy Makkenna, Mary Wickes, Lauryn Hill, Ryan Toby, Alanna Ubach, Barnard Hughes, Michael Jeter, Maggie Smith, and James Coburn

Episode 91 - THE PAGEMASTER

Culkin! Lloyd! Between the combined star power of these two 90's movie pillars, it's a wonder The Pagemaster isn't more of a mainstay in our collective memory. Perhaps the "Macaulay mystique" had waned by 1994, or maybe kids just don't go to the movies for reminders to visit their local library. A love letter to the written word, the live-action animated hybrid paints a shared universe of anthropomorphic books and familiar literary characters (strictly those in the public domain) in a rare cinematic attempt to encourage reading.

It turns out we both could stand a re-read, having remembered this 80-minute breeze more for the associated promotional content than the actual film itself. So get your library card ready and join us as we determine if this short story is a classic, or if it has us longing for that giant floating exit sign in the sky. When in doubt, look to the books!

The Pagemaster (1994)
Directed by Joe Johnston and Maurice Hunt
Produced by David Kirschner and Paul Gertz
Screenplay by David Casci, David Kirschner, and Ernie Contreras
Starring Macaulay Culkin, Christopher Lloyd, Ed Begley Jr., and Mel Harris; and the voices of Patrick Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Welker, and Leonard Nimoy