Show #162: Animalympics

It's the first proper show of the new year with a semi-different format that we're still working out! The obvious starting point for this approach? The TV movie Animalympics of course!

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We're always looking to do better here at SOTSM so 2018 seems as good a time as any after putting this out for so long to freshen up our methods a little bit. What we're hoping to try here is to divert our tendency to overthink & tangentialise to the purpose of highlighting those hidden links and pathways lying just under the surface of the animation world. To that end while we figure out where to begin with this we thought we'd look at a more auspicious start in the bright career of cartoon creative Brad Bird, with his first professional credit on this 1980 TV special from the director of Tron, and follow his route from there. What other surprising staff will we discover? Is this format really going to inspire any substantial change? Will Niall's voice hold out until the end of the recording? The answers to these questions may only be found on the almost new, almost improved Secret Of The Sailor Madness!

THE SHORT VERSION

Athletic animals

Spaced-out sports

Formative experiences

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 #136: Watership Down (1978)

The first proper podcast of the year but there are already grim portents of things to come with the dark harbinger that is Watership Down!

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Even a critical hardware error won't stop this train a-comin', yet some of us were surprised to find that this adaptation of Richard Adams' classic book didn't hit as hard as expected. Sure it has all the bunny brutalising and horror movie-style atmosphere of relentless dread its reputation would suggest, but nobody ever talks about how remarkably merciful it is also, a factor which should come up more in ever-present discussion of the film. Not to worry though, we find other avenues to bring up woodland creature slaughter so your children's dreams will remain terrifying all thanks to this podcast!

THE SHORT VERSION

Happy rabbits

Not-so-happy rabbits

Not a rabbit

Show #131: Capitol Critters

This election year be sure to exercise your civic duty and be an informed voter on the dangerous policies of Capitol Critters.

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Another Simpsons wannabe that misses what made that show appealing, Capitol Critters is a pungent mess of clumsy political hot takes interspersed with cartoon animal slapstick capering, and if you think that sounds like two elements that'd mix about as well fire & gasoline you would be entirely correct. As subtle as a sledgehammer and somehow even less graceful, it's amazing it lasted as long as it did.

THE SHORT VERSION

PTSD

Even, nuanced discussion of social issues

You're alright VP Cat

Show #116: Kung Fu Panda

A cartoon combat contender that arrives once a generation, or a decent film that arrives at least once in a while for Dreamworks, it's Kung Fu Panda!

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Amidst their barrage of silly talking animal films ol' Dreamworks finally found one that stuck and has since expanded into a host of sequels and spin-offs. Who knew the secret was making a great movie with appeal beyond easy pop culture jokes? References still abound in Kung Fu Panda but of the more sincere variety, translating the archetypes of martial arts cinema for a family friendly audience and delivering punch, panache and a whole lot of pathos in equal measure

THE SHORT VERSION

Jackie Black's First Strike

Versatile villains

Food fighting

Show #71: I'll Have To Engage PCP Power

Anthony Askew of Dynamite In The Brain is coming up fast to join us for a few laps of the way out Wacky Races!

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Wacky Races has quite the cultural footprint but besides that it's a pretty okay cartoon. It's a Hanna Barbera show so what do you expect? On this viewing we find ourselves siding with supposed villains Dick Dastardly and Muttley and pondering how they wound up in this silly situation. We spin a yarn of Cold War defection, organised crime and corruption that may not actually be true but is still a lot of fun to talk about!

Anthony's Twitter

THE SHORT VERSION

War heroes

Useful gadgets

Dirty rotten cheaters

Show #62: The Parfait After Tomorrow

Martin Schneider returns to deliver a forecast of film fun in Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs!

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Wringing an enormous amount of potential from an old children's picture book Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs spins a bright, humourous and touching story along with a loving homage to blockbuster disaster movies.That it does all this while subverting numerous cinematic tropes makes it stand out as a unique and wonderful feature and a refreshing alternative to other comparatively cynical animated movies.

Martin's Twitter

Current Releases Movie Reviews

THE SHORT VERSION

Mad scientists

(Un)seasonable weather

Positive representations

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 #44: From One Legend To Another

Martin Schneider joins our posse to ride out across the vast and beautiful cinematic wilderness that is Rango!

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With all three of us gushing over this well regarded but not widely known 2011 Oscar winner this podcast turns into a bit of a film geek love-in, even more so than usual. Listen in to hear such diverse topics as local geography, Christian film reviews, pedantic IMDB entries and just what the hell is going on with Hollywood and Westerns these days.

Martin's Twitter

Current Releases movie reviews


THE SHORT VERSION

The Old West

The New West

Survivable injuries