Show #191: Clerks - The Animated Series

Libby Cudmore and Joseph Wade of The OST Party drop by the shop to speak to the staff of SOTSM about some items on their receipt they feel short-changed by, such as this animated adaptation of Kevin Smith's debut feature given a new lease of life by Seinfeld scribe David Mandel and the talented folks at Disney TV Animation. That's correct! This is technically a Disney cartoon, and that's not the only surprising detail in a discussion loaded with corporate interference, jokes which aged like milk and tales of misspent youth in the company of Kevin Smith and Kevin Smith-adajacent media. Don't forget to pick up something off the hot food counter for your Post Podcast Repaste on the way out!

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Show #188: Atlantis: The Lost Empire

An entire civilisation hidden away from sight to ensure its survival in the face of oncoming calamity? Not to worry, we haven't turned into a current affairs show just yet; rather we're poring over the artifacts from this 2001 entry in Disney's oeuvre prior to the precipitous drop-off in support for their traditional animation wing, for which, in the eyes of more than a few folks, this shoulders some of the blame. Is that accusation warranted? Is there more to this film than some pretty stellar design work? Didn't we see that same nerdy linguist dude in Stargate? All of this will be expounded upon at greater than usual length, but looking at the news at time of posting it ain't like you got someplace else to be, so look forward to your new life with us under the sea!

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Show #187: Treasure Planet

Our voyage through animated adaptations of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure continues in the company of Christmas Creeps' and The OST Party's own Joseph Wade, in search of the perhaps unfairly maligned Treasure Planet. A long-deferred labour of love for Disney stalwarts John Musker and Ron Clements that came about around the same time as the company's dwindling interest in traditional animation in the early 2000s, is its bad rep warranted or more a case of missing the boat in terms of contemporary film trends? Space pirates, depressed teenagers, obligatory fart noises and a maddening glimpse at alternate cartoon history await to be unearthed right under that big X!

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Show #183: The Thief And The Cobbler

A podcast thirty one accumulated hours in the making, SOTSM broaches the subject of the animation albatross known as The Thief And The Cobbler!

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With the recent passing of the esteemed Richard Williams and the tributes that followed a pair of titles repeatedly stood out: his undeniably popular work Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and another convoluted and perhaps notorious production called The Thief And The Cobbler. Delayed, waylaid and recut into various releases in its unfinished state, many had given up Williams' grand artistic statement as folly. But is this being uncharitable to what he strove to achieve not just in the film itself but animation as a whole? Crime, corporate skullduggery and a years long quest for perfection almost distract us from savouring a cartoon spectacle the likes of which may never be seen again!

Show #180: Recess - School's Out

School might be out but we're back to work and getting a bit wistful for our salad days while catching up with the feature filming outing of Recess!

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An old friend returns to our midst for one last caper, and for an essentially made-for-TV movie that was lucky enough to get a cinema run School's Out strikes a surpisingly effective note of nostalgia that resonates with us sensitive podcast personalities as Niall expounds upon at length. Baby's First 60s Mixtape and the depraved actions one takes to maintain a disguise also find room in a refreshing radio release!

Show #169: FernGully - The Last Rainforest

After surviving a months long heatwave Niall and Dwayne display their green credentials and take their forebears to task with an environmental impact study on FernGully: The Last Rainforest!

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Conceived in an era when the welfare of the planet was the cause celebre of film stars, politicians and the general public alike, FernGully presents an idyllic vision of our natural world and the innumerable reasons for humanity to value and protect it. However does its message cut to the core of this massive problem? Do its contemporaries perform any better? When does saying "YES" repeatedly in a Tim Curry voice stop being fun? (Never) The answers to these hard hitting issues and more await your ears!

Show #168: Toons N' Tunes - Disney & Fleischer In The 1920s & 30s

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It's the inaugural instalment of a new recurring feature, where we cast an eye and an ear over the many instances where music and animation collide and how they amplify the potency of both art & artist. Naturally we start at the nascent beginnings of this pairing, from Walt Disney's experimental efforts in Silly Symphonies to the many outings of the Fleischer Brothers' breakout star Betty Boop and on to even stranger sounds than those! Duck noises, censor baiting and depressingly relevant politics await for you to listen up!

Show #157: Rock-A-Doodle

Rain delays play but now you finally get to hear us wade through the washed up mess that is Rock-A-Doodle!

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Don Bluth, Donny old boy, we keep coming back to you despite our best interests and we're starting to wonder why. Rock-A-Doodle is expectedly the incoherent muddle that unfortunately has come to overshadow the bright spots in your career, but perhaps we're drawn back because of the infinitely more fascinating circumstances surrounding the inception and production of this film. Literary history, real life tragedy and obvious better story ideas that somehow got passed over are uncovered within!

THE SHORT VERSION

Horny animator strikes again

Evil owl fellas

Seamless interplay

Show #156: Recess

It's a hard life returning to the confines of those old school walls but take solace in the fact that you'll always have Recess!

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Part of the new wave of original Disney TV shows that arose in the wake of stiff competition from other kids networks, Recess was a bonafide enduring hit when it first aired. But does this tall tale of schoolyard shenanigans have anything to offer audiences today? Subversive political messages, creepy fans and our own educational history all come out to play!

THE SHORT VERSION

The big house

Societal analogues 

Homages

Show #112: A Christmas Carol (2009)

We ain't afraid of no ghost, and to prove it we're gonna forge on with our annual holiday tradition with Disney's A Christmas Carol!

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An admirable effort from seasoned director Robert Zemeckis this year, who for whatever reason persists in his odyssey to create the most terrifying human simulacrums committed to film, suitable in this instance however as the more ghastly elements of Charles Dickens' classic book are pushed to the fore. Bolstered even further by some entertaining voice performances, more's the pity when the film regularly skids off the tracks and mars the atmosphere for some not-as-exhilarating-as-they-think-they-are action set-pieces.

THE SHORT VERSION

Horrifying apparitions

Lack of restraint

Immersive 3D!

Show #111: Star Wars Rebels

Jeremiah O'Connor returns from beyond space to give his expert opinion on officially approved side story Star Wars Rebels!

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Shameless opportunism? Us? Nah, we were just so excited to get Jerry back on the podcast because Star Wars Rebels is a genuinely great franchise spin-off show and, as Jerry goes into exhaustive detail about, evidences a good approach for dealing with a universe this large. By offering a premise with original characters with no significant ties to established figures the show is free to play around in this fantastical setting, giving the audience a chance to invest in a story that will surely come to prominence on its own merits.

Jerry's Twitter

Jeremiah's Strange Times

THE SHORT VERSION

Hopeful heroes

Sinister Sith

Some sideburns wearing a man

Show #99: Knight Rider, But Robocop Instead

Fast, furious and and full of fun, Motorcity burns bright and briefly.

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Sounding all too similar to a previous show we've covered, Motorcity delivers a fast paced action cartoon about rebelling against an autocratic regime that was unceremoniously cut down in it's prime by backroom decisions. What we have though is a comforting stew of familiar influences that coalesce into an entertaining whole, if a little rote, that touches on a few interesting themes during it's brief brilliant lifespan.

THE SHORT VERSION

Awesome automobiles

Corporate makeovers

Hail to the Duke!

Show #80: Mahwty! Mahwty Wake Up!

Martin Schneider comes by to pack us into his beat-up station wagon for a long emotional road trip through A Goofy Movie!

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One of the lesser appreciated works of Disney's filmography and all the more impressive for the depth and heart on display for a film spun off from a TV sitcom. A Goofy Movie shows an unforeseen complexity to the character of Goofy and his relationship with his son Max. Over the course of their cross country journey they learn how to truly communicate, whether it be with each other or with other significant figures in their life, and gain a better understanding of each other and themselves, all through the intervention of Bigfoot and the music of pop star from the future Powerline.

THE SHORT VERSION

Goofy the nuanced character

Family bonding time

Be excellent to each other

Show #60: Garguys and Gargirls

Jake Bourke has broken free of his prison of living stone just in time to join us for some Gargoyles!

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An experiment by Disney in the 90s to create an action show which turned out pretty well, Gargoyles is a dramatic and thematically complex cartoon. Alongside contemporaries such as Batman: The Animated Series and Swat Kats it brought some much needed substance to daytime animated fare as well as keeping a good portion of the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast in business. We talk loss, betrayal, cool voices and Jake reveals his innermost desires.

Jake's Twitter

Jake's Site

THE SHORT VERSION

ANGEL OF THE NIIIIIGHT

Legitimate businessman

Pranks

Show #56: Regular Old Brown Lions

After a few weeks of consternation where the tyrannical producers of SOTSM demanded rewrite after rewrite we finally bring you the strange story of Disney's The Emperor's New Groove.

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The Emperor's New Groove is a competent, fairly entertaining piece of animation bouyed up by a very strong cast and an unusual choice of protagonist. The real meat of this podcast however delves behind the scenes of the film's creation; a six year saga of heartache, corporate interference and general all round frustration, all preserved for posterity in Trudie Styler's illuminating documentary The Sweatbox.

Throw in some speculation about the production woes afflicting other areas of the media and this show is just about worth the wait. Hey, maybe they'll make a documentary about the troubled production of this episode in the future!

THE SHORT VERSION

Friendship

Moral Choices

The wonderful Eartha Kitt

Show #49: Shoulda Had A Robot Moustache

Jerry O'Connor returns with his vast knowledge of lore to help us turn the tide of Star Wars: Clone Wars!

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The recently cancelled CG Clone Wars cartoon caught our interest recently and in turn brought our thoughts back to Genndy Tartakovsky's 2003 adaptation where it all began. Tartakovsky and his collaborators bring their flair for character design and action sequences beautifully into the Star Wars universe, leading to some exhilarating and perhaps fantastical set pieces. Continuity fans beware however as Jerry sets us straight on how the show has played havoc with the carefully established Star Wars chronology.

Jerry's Twitter

Jerry's Website

THE SHORT VERSION

This never happened.

Or this.

Arc Troopers are probably real though.

Show #36: I Wish Jeff Bridges Were In More Cartoons

While visiting an old arcade Niall and Dwayne are caught in a strange beam and transported to a super stylish virtual world in the midst of turmoil, the world of Tron: Uprising!

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A spin-off TV series meant to bridge the gaps between the films Tron and Tron Legacy, Tron Uprising is an intelligent and masterfully crafted cartoon which explores many complex themes; the rule of government, insurrection, xenophobia, existentialism, ethical and moral quandaries. All this while still being an action-packed show with plenty of appeal to audiences young and old. Unfortunately cancelled before it was able to finish out the season what we are left with is an incomplete product that is nonetheless essential viewing for sheer entertainment value and to wonder at what more could have been achieved.

THE SHORT VERSION

In this land, the man with rocket punch is king.

Funny Faces

We love you Virtual Jeff Bridges

Show #35: What Happened Gravity?

Our first Academy Awards special is released way past the point of relevance, but released it shall be nonetheless!

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What started out as a snappy bonus episode quickly became an ordeal of massive proportions yet we doggedly struggled on til completion. Pretty late as far as Oscar specials go but hey! Lessons have been learned and we shall strive to be more punctual next year.

Anyhow we get down to a bit of banter about this year's Oscar shorts and their various merits and how all that muss turned out. We also have a bit of discussion thrown in about the feature length animations, a few of which you may expect to hear about in more detail on a future podcast, so watch this space!

THE NOMINEES! 

Paperman

Head Over Heels

Fresh Guacamole

 Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare

Adam and Dog