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

Episode 85 - THE PIRATES OF DARK WATER

Part of the Fox Kids television block's splashy debut in the early 1990s, The Pirates of Dark Water is a showcase for the artists, animators, and linguists of Hanna-Barbera. Fearsome creatures and nonsense phrases abound in this high seas fantasy that draws from a variety of global maritime traditions. The result is a truly expansive alien world that's especially appealing to fans of horrifically transmogrified beasts.

Yet like many a swashbuckler, this aesthetically daring series was cut down in its prime. Join us as we examine our enduring fascination with buccaneers, while diving into Dark Water's mythology and imagining if the show had been given the opportunity to reach its natural conclusion.

The Pirates of Dark Water (1991-1993)
Created by David Kirschner
Starring George Newbern, Brock Peters, Roddy McDowall, Frank Welker, Jodi Benson, Tim Curry, and Héctor Elizondo

Episodes featured in this podcast:
"The Quest" (aired 2/25/1991)
"The Game Players of Undaar" (aired 11/29/1992)
"The Living Treasure" (aired 5/23/1993)

Episode 83 - PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON

Gentleness is a virtue in Puff the Magic Dragon, a touchy-feely cartoon special inspired by what's either one of the most anodyne pop music hits of all time, or a devious Trojan horse planted by the counterculture. That's a pretty unfair legacy for a short film that explores concepts like anxiety and alienation, though its deeply 1970s sensibility doesn't exactly discourage the double entendres.

So with that being said, grab a few buds and enjoy this high flying episode posted on the innocuous date of April 20!

Puff the Magic Dragon (1978)
Directed by Charles Swenson and Fred Wolf
Produced by Charles Swenson, Peter Yarrow, and Romeo Muller
Written by Romeo Muller
Aired by CBS on October 30, 1978
Starring Burgess Meredith, Philip Tanzini, and Robert Ridgely