Falling With Style: A Pixar Movie Marathon

It’s a… sports movie? Derek and Doug discuss the one movie that neither of them had seen prior to starting the podcast and the third entry in Pixar’s most polarizing series, Cars 3! It ignores the second film pretty much entirely, deals with themes more akin to Toy Story or Up, and passes the legacy of Lightning McQueen down to an unexpected protégé. Does Cars 3 correct the mistakes of Cars 2? Wil...

Derek and Doug are joined by Katie from Novel Gaming for a return to the ocean and Pixar’s beloved cast of aquatic characters. We’re talking about Finding Dory , a wildly successful sequel released thirteen years after its wildly successful predecessor, explores the diverse experiences of folks with disabilities, whether intentionally or not, and brings closure to Dory's story from Finding Nemo ....

Derek and Doug tackle a strange entry in Pixar’s canon and the only movie that neither of them particular cared for: The Good Dinosaur. But why? There are certainly good ideas and things that Pixar did right in its alternate reality dino film, but what is it about The Good Dinosaur that fails where pretty much every other Pixar film succeeds? What’s missing? And what was going on behind the scenes...

Derek and Doug are joined this month by Emily, a behavioral analyst and applied improvisation practitioner, to take a dive deep into the mind. That’s right! We’ve made it to Inside Out ! From the absolutely perfect casting and stunning visual effects to the perfectly balanced story of Riley and the emotions that take care of her, there’s nothing we can’t praise about one of Pixar’s finest. Film Re...

Hope you’ve had your coffee and studied up, because Doug and Derek are visiting one of the monster world’s most prestigious institutions of learning: Monsters University ! And despite Derek thinking he wouldn’t have much to say about this flick (ha!), we actually dive pretty dang deep into failure, fear, and fraternity in Pixar’s first and only prequel to date. Film Release: June 21, 2013 Discord...

If you could change your fate... would you? We're talking about Brave, Pixar's Academy Award-winning fairy tale and a production full of firsts: Pixar's first historical film, first film to feature a female lead character, and first film to be directed by a woman (until it wasn't). We talk all about one of Pixar's bigger public controversies, the removal of director Brenda Chapman from her own fil...

We've covered the first twelve movies in the Pixar Animation Studios canon, which means we've been doing this for a year now! What better time to stop down and look at the bigger picture to this point! Which movies are our favorites? What overall themes and trends are we noticing? What's on the horizon? And how do 62 (sorta) random folks rank these first twelve movies? Listen in to find out. Join...

It’s a spy movie!? Derek and Doug are talking about Cars 2 , a film derided by many as Pixar’s worst and a low-point for the studio. But is Cars 2 actually a bad movie? Stunning destinations across the globe, a star-studded cast, a plot involving Big Oil, and… more machine guns than you’d expect? Lots to consider in our conversation about this very weird, very unexpected spy comedy set in the worl...

Derek and Doug are joined by friend of the podcast Tommy to talk about Toy Story 3 , the movie that, at the time, we all thought was the end of the Toy Story saga. We get into growing up and letting go, contemplating existence after relationships fade, the significance of garbage throughout the story, just how far Pixar evolved since its first film, tortilla body horror, and much, much more. We al...

Derek and Doug are joined by friend of the podcast Cassie to talk about the Pixar film that can make you cry in eight minutes flat: Up . How did Pixar manage to make a movie starring an old man flying his house to South America work so incredibly well? How does Up prepare us for future Peter Docter creations? And what does Up say about dreams, grief, and the way we view elderly folks in the real w...

Derek and Doug are joined by friend of the podcast Josh to talk about the final lunch meeting movie released nearly 15 years after it was conceived: WALL-E . Why did it take so long, and how did the final product benefit from the wait? What can we take away from Pixar’s ambitious post-apocalyptic romance? And is WALL-E a creep or nah? Stay 'til the end to hear us chat with an Amazon worker about h...

Derek and Doug are joined by Kevin from The 3028 podcast to talk about Pixar’s critically acclaimed, commercially successful, but often overlooked culinary masterpiece Ratatouille . How does a film with a strange-but-perfect recipe for success—a recipe that garnished, er, garnered it plenty of success at the time—end up leaving a seemingly rodent-sized cultural footprint? Listen to find out our th...

It’s the Cars episode! Derek and Doug are joined by Dallin and Amanda from the Lost in the Vault Podcast to try to determine: does Cars cross the finish line strong, or is it Pixar’s first wreck? Where does it speed ahead of its Pixar predecessors, and where should it have stopped in the pit for a few extra tune-ups? And what did Derek think of the first Pixar movie he’d never seen even once prior...

Derek and Doug leave their capes at home and suit up for a very important mission: dissect The Incredibles , Pixar’s iconic superhero movie and first film to feature an entirely human cast. For the first time ever, Pixar tapped an outside director and gave them more creative control than ever before. Clearly the risk paid off, but what did that mean for Pixar—and for animation as a medium—moving f...

Derek and Doug are joined by special guest Mara from the Toku Ladies Podcast (@TokuLadies_Pod) to embark on an epic journey through all things Finding Nemo ! What will they find? Stunning visuals! A delightful cast of characters! Thematic depth rivaling the Mariana Trench! Mind-blowing clownfish trivia! And ultimately: an incredible movie that’s barely aged over the near twenty years since its rel...

Derek and Doug visit the world of monsters in Pixar’s fourth feature film, Monsters, Inc. Pixar’s “fur movie,” Monsters, Inc . is a wildly ambitious movie technically, but do its characters, relationships, and narrative stack up to the strides it clearly makes in animation? How does the world of monsters work in relation to our own? What would’ve happened to all those kids if Randall’s plan worked...

Derek and Doug are joined by special guest Vicki from the Novel Gaming Podcast (@NovelGamingPod) to discuss Pixar’s first—and for many years, only—sequel. How does it compare narratively to the first? In what ways did Pixar up the ante for their third feature film? And why is it such a miracle that Toy Story 2 even exists? Listen in to find out! Film release: November 24, 1999 E-mail us: pixarpodc...

Derek and Doug are back to burrow into A Bug’s Life , Pixar’s insect-centric sophomore showing. In some ways, it’s a perfect follow-up to the smash hit Toy Story , in others it’s a bit perplexing, and oddly, this story of ants finding their collective strength against an oppressive gang of grasshoppers feels more relevant and important than ever. Film release: November 20, 1998 E-mail us: pixarpod...

In the inaugural episode of Falling With Style , Derek and Doug talk about the movie that launched one of the most acclaimed animation studios in history, permanently changed the animated film landscape, and introduced an unforgettable world where our toys come alive and love us as much as we love them: it’s Toy Story ! Film release: November 22, 1995 E-mail us: pixarpodcast@gmail.com Doug on Twit...

Doug loves Pixar. Derek does too...but hasn’t seen a bunch of them and barely remembers the ones he has. In this preview episode of Falling With Style , get to know our history with this monumental animation studio before we begin our monthly dive into every film. Check out our debut episode on September 13! E-mail us: pixarpodcast@gmail.com Doug on Twitter: @ickybooley Derek on Twitter: @DerekBGa...