School of Movies

Gargoyles

[School of Everything Else 2017]

This week, on commission from Nicholas Kosky and Joel Robinson, we cover the first season of the celebrated mid-90s animated series. 

Released in 1994, just a little after we were getting into sit-coms like Friends and Frasier, this show somehow attained a cult following AND a 52-episode second season. Those two things don't happen together very often. 

With us is longtime Gargoys aficionado Greg Bishansky to keep us in the know on all the background detail of the production. 

Next week: Stranger Things

Wonder Woman

[School of Movies 2017]

This is a big one, a DC movie that we not only don't hate, but actively love.
Wonder Woman is breaking all sorts of new ground and Gal Gadot looks set to be the next universally beloved big screen superhero, joining a fairly small group that includes Reeves as Superman, Maguire as Spider-Man, Downey Jnr. as Iron Man and Evans as Captain America.

To mark this occasion we assembled a dream team of Bob Chipman of Geek.com and Laura Kate Dale of letsplayvideogames.com

We spend two and a half hours discussing Diana's debut in solo form, highlighting the best aspects and touching on a few of the flaws. Largely though this is a celebration of a magnificent, empowering, inspiring experience.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2

[School of Movies 2017]

Back with Marvel for one of their best movies yet. We kick off with why this hit me like a freight train, right in the soul, and then move on to an extensive and tasty discussion about these wonderful characters, old and new. With us are Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse, Brendan Agnew of Cinapse.co and Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst. This episode, like the movie, is very special. 

We also kick off with a big announcement for not one but TWO brand new podcast feeds, which I've set up to make our back catalogue as accessible as possible to absolutely everyone.

So search your podcatcher app for

The School of Movies Archive: http://schoolofmoviesarchive.podbean.com/

 and

The School of Everyone Else Archive: http://schoolofeverythingelsearchive.podbean.com/

The Lion King

[School of Movies 2017]

This episode will be the deepest single Disney show we will ever do. It weighs in at just under four hours long, so I'd recommend absorbing it in two sessions, unless you have a long drive or a flight. But if you love the film you'll feel like you've died and gone to never-ending Lion Heaven!

Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits joins us again to examine this magnificent beast of a film. Disney had taken a year off after Aladdin to develop their next two theatrical, animated projects, a sweeping Broadway musical melodrama, sure to go down in history as one of their greatest achievements (Pocahontas... it didn't) and a fun little movie about lions (which became known as one of their greatest achievements).

More than anything else, this movie made Bambi redundant for me. I never much gelled with the little dear, and while the death of his mother did have a shocking impact its repercussions were felt for all of 90 seconds. Lion King spends the rest of the movie either overtly avoiding confronting grief or stepping up to face it. The courageous subject matter, the beautiful animation, the majestic James Earl Jones, the amazing music and brilliant songs put this one at the highest peak for me.

This super special episode also includes the debut of the SteamHeart trailer.

Guests:

Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits

Aladdin

[School of Movies 2017]

This one was recorded immediately after the Beauty and the Beast show, so we are absolutely exhausted by the end. What you can't hear because I trimmed it out is all the times we lose our thread and forget the point we were making. The magic of audio editing.

As it is, with musical breaks and comedy clips, this is another superbly detailed show where we praise the animation and efforts that went into making this a truly unique Disney experience.

It was recorded one month before Robin Williams died, and 23 years after master songwriter Howard Ashman died, and it is a celebration of their amazing work.

Extra Credits: https://www.youtube.com/user/ExtraCreditz

Cane and Rinse: http://caneandrinse.com/

Support our shows on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/alexandershaw

Come listen to my audio drama series, New Century:http://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/

Guests:

Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

Beauty and the Beast

[School of Movies 2017]

Get ready for a show of epic proportions, and a roller-coaster journey through the making of an absolute classic.

Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits and Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse join us for a deep study into what made this work so well, and why it manages what so many of the previous films in the canon couldn't quite reach. Every aspect is discussed, from animation to music, to rejected ideas, to what makes Beast and Belle so endlessly appealing and what function the supporting cast serve.

This is either one to absorb in two sittings or a long evening spent watching the movie with the sound off at the same time... twice.

Support our shows on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/alexandershaw

Come listen to my audio drama series, New Century:http://newcenturyshow.podbean.com/

Guests:

Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

The Little Mermaid

[School of Movies 2017]

We finally his the 90s third renaissance for Disney, and this kicks off a series of two hours plus shows of super detail and perspective on this era. Disney was under new management and after a string of mediocre successes and big failures now aimed to pull themselves out of the doldrums they had settled into following Walt's death. This entailed a storm of creativity with artists being ridden ruthlessly by cold-hearted businessmen. By all rights it shouldn't have produced such wonderful results... but it did. 

The Little Mermaid is a story of a human girl born as a mermaid, who just never feels right down under the sea, looking up longingly at our world. The emotional arc of the movie is the barely-seen King Triton getting over his overprotective desire to see his child stay down aith her family, culminating in him letting her go for her own happiness. 

Plus it has a Jamaican crab. 

Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits and Extra Histories joins us again and you will hear the music of Alan Menken and the late, but indescribably great Howard Ashman. 

School of Movies is funded not by advertising, but by Patreon. It's you guys who keep this show going, help us pay our bills and buy more stuff to watch and talk about. So if you get a major kick out of these shows consider throwing a few dollars per month our way: https://www.patreon.com/alexandershaw

Guests:

Daniel Floyd of Extra Credits

Episode 501

[School of Everything Else 2016]

 

This is one of the films of the year. A Japanese fable delivered in stunning stop-motion by American studio LAIKA, the team behind Coraline, ParaNorman and Boxtrolls. 

Every single one of you needs to see it. 

 

Joining us are animation experts Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse and Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst. Among other things we discuss the climate for animated films and what it takes to make a hit, which this, tragically, despite its beautiful direction, tight, well-delivered script, vibrant, fun characters and playful yet heartrending score, is not. 

 

Guests:

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

The second collection of clips from my shows, this time covering the period between 2013 and 2016 when Sharon became my co-host, Digital Drift and School of Movies. They are pulled from fewer overall episodes but they are more meaty and substantial with some of the funniest, sustained moments and memories. You'll also hear from my guest spots from That Awful Sound and The Mana Pool along with a host of new voices.

And of course the now-infamous introduction of Dramatic Readings and Bad Reviews Against Humanity.

Volume 3: Digital Drift

Avatar Responses [DD49 2014 - 0.01.00]
The formation of Digital Drift [0.02.05]
50 Shades Trilogy Rant [DD06 - 0.06.25]
We Hate Movies [DD05 - 0.09.30]
Rhianna Pratchett [DD08 - 0.25.38]
Spider-Man 3 - Harry's Problem [DD12 - 0.32.18]
Transformers - Non-Dairy Dessert [DD32 - 0.36.01]
I've Been a Bad, Bad Angel [That Awful Sound #18 - 2015 - 0.37.36]

Volume 4: School of Movies

Robin Hood - Hysterical Inaccuracy [SOM143 2016 - 0.57.53]
Flight of Dragons - Racist Wizards [SOM145 - 1.05.21]
Terminator 3 - Joshua Rants [DD72 Mid-2015 - 1.11.02]
Deadpool - Colossus on Music [SOM146 - 1.24.06]
Making Fantasy Fun [Mana Pool #393 - 2015 - 1.27.11]
The New Century Multiverse 101 [1.35.58]
Jurassic Wrestling [DD68 - Mid 2015 - 1.47.54]
The Daddle [DD44 - Late 2014 - 1.56.32]
Crap Chinese Toys [DD48 - 1.59.50]
RobertCop 2 [School of Everything Else #88 - 2.09.35]
Grey [SOEE87 - Late 2015 - 2.14.17]
Credits [2.22.50]

Episode 500

[School of Everything Else 2016]

Alex's 500th Podcast.

 

I've been at this game for almost a decade and produced and hosted  four media discussion shows, Digital Cowboys, Digital Gonzo, Digital Drift and School of Movies. 

What we have here is a collection of highlights from the first few years. This celebratory episode ended up as two, simply because there was so much to choose from. So Episode 501 will be released next week. Consider them like Kill Bill Volumes 1 & 2. 

This is significant interviews, first meetings, moments of particular insight and of course the absolute funniest bits, many of which were suggested by you guys while I was putting this together.

Volume 1. Digital Cowboys

• Another Day at the Office [Joinee Radio, Early 2007 - 0.01.22]
• Curse of the Golden Flower [Digital Cowboys Episode 01 - 0.06.36]
• An Important Announcement [DC48, 2008 - 0.08.58]
• First Meeting With Daniel Floyd [DC10, 2009 - 0.12.13]
• Red vs Blue Interview [DC126 - 0.15.24]
• Giant Bomb Snackbox [DC104 - 0.19.40]
• Jonathan Coulton Interview [DC121 - 0.22.23]
• Dominik Diamond Interview [DC133 - 0.27.07]
• The Wii - First Meeting With James Batchelor [DC130 - 0.32.51]
• First Meeting With Neil Taylor [DC167, 2010 - 0.34.37]
• Duke Nukem Kicked Out [DC180 - 0.35.18]
• Legends of Zelda - Opening Montage [DC164 - 0.38.41]
• Paul & Storm Interview [DC163 - 0.42.53]
• Digital Cowboys - The Last One [DC109, 2011 - 0.49.10]

Volume 2: Digital Gonzo

• New Solo Show [Digital Gonzo Episode 42, 2011 - 0.55.23]
• Thor - Alex Doing Mr Plinkett Doing Thor [DG70, 2012 - 0059.44]
• Never Mind the BuzzGeeks: Cosmocats [DG33 - 1.02.20]
• Back to the Future - Time Travel [DG19 - 1.05.00]
• Fire [The Internet News - 1.09.42]
• Never Mind the BuzzGeeks: Coffee Commercials [DG39 - 1.13.06]
• Movie Clichés - The Wilhelm Scream [DG34 - 1.15.43]
• Schools [The Internet News - 1.17.44]
• Blue Sun Audio Drama [DG35 - 1.22.25]
• James Bond - The Henchman Agent #1 [DG43 - 1.29.30]
• James Bond - Henchman Agent #2/Herr Stamper [DG45 - 1.33.51]
• Firefly - The Henchman Agent #4 [DG106 - 1.33.52]
• Batman Returns - The Henchman Agent #3/The Finale [DG77 - 1.36.51]
• Alien - Shotgun Penis [DG74 - 1.41.36]
• Alien Resurrection - Alien DNA/Executives [DG82 - 1.45.29]
• Superman IV - Physics! [DG133, 2013 - 1.51.56]
• Sound of Gonzo - Snowboarding Spy [DG102 - 1.57.00]
• The Last Airbender - Exposition Scrolls [DG95 - 1.59.26]
• Sound of Gonzo - Vice City/Dance Hall Deadlock [DG142 - 2.00.47]
• Iron Man 3 Avengers in Advertising [DG154 - 2.02.51]
• Return of the King - Lyra on LOTR [DG112 - 2.06.40]
• The Two Towers - Gollum [DG111 - 2.07.36]
• An Unexpected Journey - Gollum-Off [DG113 - 2.11.29]
• Fan Response - First Meeting With Bob Chipman [DG149 - 2.12.25]
• Pacific Rim - Signing Off [DG161 - 2.21.30]
• Tower of the Sorcerer - "Can I Ride It?" [DG150 - 2.32.15]

The Hero's Journey

[School of Everything Else 2016]

This show (which is one of the best individual podcasts we've ever put together) is all about The Hero's Journey. It explores the monomyth, the idea that nearly all of the tales that we embrace as a species are telling the same story. 

Carl Jung theorized with the collective unconscious that our brains are all roughly the same shaped organ, with very similar emotional responses which have remained very similar for thousands of years, so it stands to reason that there would be certain universally appealing themes that we like to explore time and again. 

Joseph Campbell codified this in the 1940s by examining our mythology, dating back to ancient times and analyzing recurring patterns in the most abiding stories from all over the world when he put together his seminal work; The Hero With a Thousand Faces. This includes a multi-part symbolic series of events a hero always seems to go through in some form or another and what that really means. 

Christopher Vogler took this further with his book The Writer's Journey, examining the most popular and successful movies and the similarities therein.

And we ourselves have produced literally hundreds of podcasts covering our favourite movies, the greater proportion of which this manner of thinking can be applied to. 

So it's time to take a deep dive into what those steps are and why they are so important to our species. 

Joining us are Megan Hopwood and Lorin Grieve, both of whom have also taken a longtime interest in this. 

You're in for a treat here.