Halloween and Christmas are on a crash course to collide in our first bonus episode, as we tackle the Tim Burton classic The Nightmare Before Christmas. Join us as we discuss which holiday this movie belongs to (spoiler alert: it’s both!) and what makes it such a sneaky strong entry in our scoring rubric. Don’t…
Timeline
The Emperor’s New Groove: Irreverent Success Marks Disney’s Transition
This week, we tackle The Emperor’s New Groove, a movie Disney surprisingly turned into an irreverent cult classic despite the production process being an absolute mess. Join us as we discuss this hilarious, quotable film and its surprising number of strengths. Don’t miss: The origins of this film’s concept and how it became the story…
Tangled: Disney’s Triumphant Revival
Disney’s Revival kicks in full force as we discuss Tangled, a return to form for Disney after a decade of exploration and experimentation with different story structures and subjects. Join us as we highlight the strength of the music and cinematography and discuss the weaknesses it may have, despite some of our sentimental attachments to…
Fantasia: Disney’s Innovations Continue
Disney shattered the world’s view of animation with Snow White, but after that, Walt still wasn’t satisfied. No, Disney continued to push the boundaries with their next film, perhaps even further than they should have. This brought us Fantasia, full of vibrant animation, new techniques in musical recording, and the loveable, iconic Sorcerer Mickey. Don’t…
Frozen: Disney Takes the World by Storm
We’re taking on the viral sensation that is Frozen! Join us in our longest episode to date, as we discuss how this film took over the world using incredible music, complex and relatable characters, and a new twist on the power of love. Don’t miss: The crucial role music plays in this movie – and…
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad: Disney Tackles Classic Literature
Double the trouble awaits you when you dive in with us to The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, a Wartime Era package film that saw Disney take on two classic works of literature. Listen as we discuss how the mischief of Mr. Toad comes to life in The Wind in the Willows and how…
The Rescuers: A Miniature Disney Adventure
We’re off on an adventure as we tackle The Rescuers, an inspiring tale of two little mice and their rescue of a young girl kidnapped by a treasure hunter. Listen as we discuss the creative theming of a world of mice, the changes in animation techniques, and the way the shortened run time limited its…
Meet the Robinsons: Glimpsing Disney’s Path Forward
Keep moving forward with us as we discuss Meet the Robinsons, one of the final films of Disney’s digital age that marked a return to form and showed glimmers of hope during a bit of a creative slump for the studio. Don’t miss: How going back to the tried and true formula of strong story…
The Little Mermaid: A New Breed of Disney Movie
Dive into the most successful era of Disney film with The Little Mermaid, which brought Broadway-style musicals into animation and prosperity back to the studio with the help of legendary composing team Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. Don’t miss: The way this film’s music changed the game and set the tone for the decade to…
101 Dalmatians: Spotting What Makes a Disney Classic
Everyone’s got puppy fever in our next installment – we’re tackling One Hundred and One Dalmatians, a charming entry in the canon that showcases Disney’s building blocks for success, including one of the best villains the studio has ever created. Don’t miss: How design contributed to Cruella’s character development and her place in the iconic…