How's It Hold Up?

(Spoiler Section Length - 1min 38sec) We've watched Ghoul School, but what about the movie that began this loose trilogy of Scooby, Scrappy and Shaggy traveling around an encountering real monsters? Are the titular Boo Brothers as much of a treat to be around as the girls from Ghoul School? Does the plot flow any better? It it any good at all? Listen to find out! The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeo...

By 1935 even Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoons transitioned away from black and white and into full color - but one of the last few black and white cartoons was fundamental in building a dynamic that is explored over the course of both of these shorts, and many more in the future. Specifically, the dynamic between the three pals known and Mickey, Donald and Goofy. The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod...

(Spoiler Section Length - 6min 29sec) Some movies attain near mythological status, whether because of their quality or because of the effect they had on people who saw them at a young age. This particular movie is often touted as being one of the best that animation has to offer, while also being held up as a 'that movie scarred me as a child' type of film by adults who vaguely remember it...

For the year of 1935, this podcast has put a lot of focus on Disney cartoons, but what about its competitors? What about the Fleischers, in particular? They've got two cartoon stars in this era - Betty Boop and Popeye. But one of those two characters was hit particularly hard by the Hays Code. How's that affecting the focus of Boop cartoons by 1935? This short is a prime example. Is it a g...

(Spoiler Section Length - 4min 23sec) There are lots of franchises that are synonymous with the 1980s era of toy-commercial-turned-show-or-movie. Transformers, GI Joe, My Little Pony, to name a few. But what about Hallmark's attempt: the Care Bears? Though they're less often remembered, they were actually the first ones to get in on the movie craze for these merchandise machines, and their...

Long ago we met Warner Bros first cartoon star, Bosko. But his star faded fast, and has aged particularly poorly, resulting in him being hardly remembered nowadays. Today we meet the first lasting Looney Tunes star, who still appears in media to this very day: Porky Pig. That's right, Looney Tunes as we know it today didn't start with Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck or even Egghead (the proto-Elmer...

(Spoiler Section Length - 9min 35sec) Sometimes the story behind the making of a movie is more interesting than the movie itself. this particular film's production story involves many famous names, from the likes of Hayao Miyazaki all the way to George Lucas. Yet the film itself has also managed to garner a cult following in the years since its release, and a fuzzy spot in the memory of many a...

The classic fable, retold by Disney! This short ended up serving as inspiration to a great many people in the animation industry, and was successful enough to eventually get a sequel. But it's also a tale that's been told many a time before and since. Does this near-century old version hold up? Listen to find out! The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Co...

(Spoiler Section Length - 6min 6sec) A lot of animated movies copy Disney and Pixar. Those two studios have had a massive influence on the animation medium and in particular what commercial films released in the US look and feel like. But every now and then you get a movie that tries something new, tries to break the mold in interesting ways, and sometimes, as in the case of Into the Spider-Verse,...

A new year, but the same mouse! But he's in color this time! There's also a certain duck and a concert with cameos from a certain dog, a certain cow and a certain horse. Considered by some to be one of the best cartoons ever made, this band concert was a smash hit back in the day, but is it still a fun listen (and watch) today? Listen to find out! The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompete...

(Spoiler Section Length - 6min 54sec) Time for another patented Disney remake! Except, does it really count as that if the setting is completely different, the tone is completely different, the story is completely different, and all the characters are completely different? Does it really count as a remake if the only similar thing between it and the original is an orphan boy named Pete and an anim...

Our final short of 1934, and the last hurrah for the classic Mickey & Minnie vs. Pete cartoons that began with the likes of The Gallopin' Gaucho all the way back in 1928. Unlike those previous shorts, in this one, Minnie has a gun. It's a fun Western romp, but like most Westerns, it's not without its negative racial stereotypes. Does this short manage to overall stay enjoyable desp...

(Spoiler Section Length - 15min 2sec) We take a trip down memory lane today, with a movie some of our hosts vaguely remember from childhood, and a certain one of our hosts literally cried watching. It's a movie from back when colorful live-action musicals were still at least a little in vogue, and a from back when Don Bluth still worked for Disney. It's a movie about a boy and his cartoon...

What happens to old cartoon stars once they leave the studio that they became famous at? Mostly they become forgotten, shadows of their former selves. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit faded into obscurity once he left Disney's hands, and Warner Bros' old star Bosko didn't do much better. Over at a new studio producing cartoons for MGM, Bosko starred in this short, which rather than doing much n...

(Spoiler Section Length - 4min 19sec) This is one of those ephemeral 'oh yeah i think i might've rented that from blockbuster once' movies, the kind that vaguely sticks in your mind but that you never actively recall until it is specifically brought up. It's a movie that released in a decade of animated excellence that does not exhibit the animated quality of its contemporaries (ev...

Two cartoons with some threadbare connections, featuring a playful pup and a vocal villain. One's in black and white and the other in color, and yet both are important. For what reason? And perhaps more importantly, are they actually enjoyable to watch? Listen to find out! The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creat...

(Spoiler Section Length - 2min 47sec) It's time for another 80s animated movie made for the purpose of selling a brand of toy. Yes, just like Transformers the Movie, Rainbow Brite is made to sell, well, Rainbow Brite toys! And also like Transformers, this movie involves a large cast, is mostly set in space, and has lots of fighting and monsters. But this time battles are fought with rainbows!...

Back to the 80s we go, with a movie based on a franchise that got its start in the 50s. That's right, it's Alvin and the Chipmunks (and importantly: the Chipettes), off on a hot-air balloon adventure around the world. There's diamond smugglers, bad guys with gold teeth, and baby penguins to be found on this adventure, but does this globe-trotting adventure featuring different cultures...

Today we take a jaunt over to Walter Lantz and the "cartunes" he's was churning out for Universal. This is one of his earliest color shorts, and is a retelling of "The Elves and the Shoemaker." Does it look good? Does it sound good? Is it any fun to watch? Listen to find out! The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3...

Which pets are blessed with the fairest forms and faces? Which pets know best all the gentle social graces? Which pets live on cream and loving pats? Naturellement! The Aristocats! This 1971 classic was on constant repeat on the VHS players of many a kid in the 90s and early 2000s, and is fondly remembered by everyone on this episode of the podcast. But it's also been quite a while since any o...

It's time: Donald Duck is here! Over the course of two cartoons, we chart the famous duck's debut and different facets of the character that are introduced in each short. What made Donald such a hit among audiences? And does whatever magic worked back then still work today? Listen to find out! The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution...

After over a decade of searching, an ebay purchase, and the borrowing of a VHS player, we can finally watch this obscure movie from Danika's childhood, involving woodland critters and aliens and a hawk named Gracko. This is a sequel to a film we haven't watched, and the English dub rather than original language version. Was this movie worth the effort, or did it deserve to be forgotten? Li...

It's time for another Popeye cartoon - and one that's part of his actual series, instead of technically a Betty Boop cartoon! This one's a bit of a musical, set to the song of the same name as the short, and features a much more expressive version of Popeye, along with an Olive Oyl who sounds more like what she's known for. Do we end up enjoying it? Listen to find out! The Curtain...

Now we're getting really obscure, with a movie that one of our lovely hosts watched on Sci Fi channel late at night many years ago. She only really remembered the end, and what an end it is. The rest of the movie is certainly a trip, too. For the right reasons? The wrong reasons? The answer lies within. The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attri...

Mickey's back, and bigger than ever! ...At least, in his imagination. To entertain a group of children, Mickey tells a story based on Gulliver's Travels, with a couple of embellishments on his part, too. Given our history with Gulliver's Travels and its not-so-good adaptations, how does this short film fare? Listen to find out! The Curtain Rises Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed...