School of Movies

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.

Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice

[School of Movies 2016]

We start off with my initial thoughts on coming back from the cinema. The first 16 minutes is relatively spoiler-free and Sharon asks me the following questions. Then we get to the rotten meat of the whole bloody affair. 

 

Then there’s a considerably more positive ten minute piece from Eric Jones 

 

Then we hit the main event and Bob Chipman joins myself, Sharon Shaw and Jerome McIntosh to discuss the film in a more meta context, including what DC Warner’s options are, moving forward. 

00.00.30: First Impressions
00.40.00: A More Positive Response
00.56.00: The Main Event

Sucker Punch

[School of Movies 2016]

In the run-up to Batman V Superman, let's take a dive into the mind of director Zack Snyder. Let's look at how he sees the world, how he sees the human psyche and how he sees women.

 

Prepare for a furious battle of wills as Alex goes in guns blazing to take apart a film he never wants to talk about again, and Lorin Grieve of A Year of Steam defends the movie he loves. Sharon lies somewhere in the middle, but there's a hell of a lot about this that bothers her too. Get some interpretations that the filmmakers definitely didn't consider, and learn how very vague their feelings are on what this story is actually about.  Is this a determined feminist text or something far more clumsy and unintentional? The evidence gets presented in and epic disassembling that hopefully will leave your minds clearer. 

Guest:

Victoria Grieve  @VixenVVitch  

 

The Force Awakens

[School of Movies 2015]

Part 1: A film so important and so passionately adored by us that we needed two shows and two groups of guests to fully cover, welcome to part 1 of our Force Awakens show. With us for this first outing in which we discuss Rey, Finn, Ren, Han, Huxx, Snoke and the hugely positive side of this effectively being a retelling of the events of A New Hope.

Part 2: The second installment in our epic Force Awakens show brings in three new voices and a Star Destroyer-full of speculation.  We move onto the characters we have not yet covered, as well as talking details and theorizing wildly about later movies in this series as well as talking about how the landscape of Star Wars in cinema has now changed forever. 

If you love these shows support their production on patreon.

 

Guests:

 

Jerome McIntosh of GameBurst

James Carter of Cane and Rinse

Parris Lilly of Film Tangent

James Batchelor of the Bond and Beyond

Alex Eding of Plaid Hat Games

Mad Max: Fury Road

[Digital Drift 2015]

We had planned to release The Lost World this week but Mad Max: Fury Road appeared out of nowhere and turned out to be rather special. So we broke suddenly, veered off the road, picked up a couple of passengers and thundered into an epic analysis review. 

We begin with a 45 minute discussion of the original Mad Max trilogy, all of which contain elements that found their way into this new incarnation. You can listen to that without spoiling the new movie, but then go see it and come back for the next act.

I lay down my thoughts on the meta-story that developed upon its release, specifically it’s detractors and the symbolism that layers on as a result. After that we talk long and hard about every aspect of this astonishing and deeply surprising new blockbuster. Surprising both in how the story develops and its sheer quality and fulfilled ambition. This is a film we want absolutely everyone to see. 

If you love these shows support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/alexandershaw

Guests:

Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse

James Perkins of The Digital Fix

The Great Mouse Detective / Oliver & Company

[School of Movies 2016]

We're back on the Disney shows with Daniel Floyd, this time on the cusp of the 90s renaissance. This episode delves lightly into two of the last examples of their Dog/Cat/Mouse fetishism that defined the post-Walt wilderness years.

The Great Mouse Detective, originally named Basil of Baker Street (from the novel) is Sherlock Holmes with rodents. Oliver is the Twisty Dickens tale with a cat and a bunch of dogs in a painfully late 80s New York, presided over by prostitute-hating mayor Rudy Giuliani. We never see him in the film, but he's there all the same, along with his derision for people of colour and the impoverished, which fits rather well into the Victorian principles of the source novel.

This show was actually recorded several years ago and I apologise for my frequent interruptions of Dan and Sharon. I knew better than that back then and I have no excuse. I'll simply try my level best to let them speak without butting in as we record the next Disney shows.

Guest:

Daniel Floyd of New Frame Plus