Once Upon A Disney

There's a snake in my boot! Larry and Andie rave over this near perfect sequel, picking up where Toy Story left off. Topics include a dual inciting incident, themes, and how Pixar solves the Buzz Lightyear problem.

Larry and Andie tackle the first Disney movie musical completed without Walt. Topics include the Fetch Quest trope, how best to marry plot and music, and the problems with a heavy edit.

In this bonus episode, Larry discusses the pilot of Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears (1985.) He posits that this series is an important pivot point, drawing from past successes in Disney animation but also laying the groundwork for Disney stories for years to come.

Join Andie and Larry for this followup to The Muppet Movie. Topics include love triangles, how cameo appearances need to drive the story, and how one of us feels Fozzie is grossly underutilized.

This BONUS episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Naslund-Mann School of Writing at Spalding University. Topics include the Mahnishtahnah, trouble with the inciting incident, and the vaudevillian nature of this movie musical.

Andie and Larry shrink down the elements of this late 80's classic. Topics include showing over telling, the primary importance of theme, and wondering who in the backyard is the real protagonist!

Larry and Andie "bounce" through this theatrical reboot of the Winnie The Pooh franchise. Topics include character continuity in a franchise, thematic challenges, how songs need pathos, and how to write a character experiencing a dark night of the soul.

Team Fritz or Team Ernst? Screenwriter Andrea Nasfell joins Andie and Larry for a discussion of this classic family film. Topics include the inciting incident, character arcs, and the structure of the film influenced by television.

Join Andie and Larry to discuss foiling, character relationships, and worldbuilding using this fast-paced Pixar classic.

Larry and Andie discuss Disney's first live action comedy and the dangers of editing a TV show into a feature - namely setups never paid off.

Join Andie and Larry for a discussion of this Disney miss - a movie which favors plot and location over character and theme - and what's up with no music?

Join Andie, Larry, and Director Tom Provost for this look at the 1961 live-action classic. Topics include dramatic questions, a recipe for Flubber, and why Mrs. Chatsworth is the true villain of the picture.

Kicking off Season 3 with the film credited with ushering in the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s! We discuss the importance of the 'mahnishtahnah,' characterization, and why the movie would end differently today.

In this last episode of Season 2, Larry and Andie tackle this truly perfect film. The prologue's exceptional use of exposition for worldbuilding and relationships, music, and complex characterizations driving plot - The Lion King has it all!

Larry and Andie heroically tackle this futuristic Disney Channel Original Movie. While it's not their favorite, the duo discuss flaws in the script and ways to improve the film.

VRRROOOM! Andie and Larry explore the highest grossing movie of 1969 starring a little VW bug named Herbie. Explorations include obstacles and complications, strong characterization, and what makes an antagonist a true villain.

Larry and Andie dig into this 1955 classic, asking lots of hard questions: how should a protagonist function, where should this film start, and why isn't Lady the hero of her own movie?

In this bonus episode, Larry takes a look at the Fluppy Dogs, a one hour Disney special that aired in 1986, never to be seen again. Larry summarizes the special, then focuses on how one goes about building a pitch for intellectual property in need of a reboot.

Director Denis Hennelly comes on board with Andie and Larry to analyze this 1979 Disney venture into space. Topics include Chekhov's Gun, 70s storytelling, and storytelling parallels with 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

Director Storme Wood joins Andie and Larry for a lively discussion analyzing 1977's The Rescuers. Subjects covered include dramatic questions, inciting incidents, and where the story really should start!

Larry and Andie talk The Muppets in their first full-length feature film. Two Mahnishtahnahs, three climaxes, and an explanation of multiple meta-references? Why, it's almost as if the Muppets wrote their own screenplay!

Join Larry and Andie for a conversation about Dumbo, the little movie that could. We compare Timothy Mouse to Jiminy Cricket, talk about the use of music, and discuss how empathy is built for a silent protagonist.

Andie and Larry discuss Disney's first all-American film, spliced together from three episodes of the Disneyland television series. Special emphasis in this podcast given to historical consideration in storytelling.

Poet Kiki Petrosino joins Andie and Larry for a look at Disney's take on the Dickensian classic, A Christmas Carol. Topics include casting choices, notes on screen adaptation following source material, and some wacky trivia in Game Time With Larry!

Larry and Andie tackle Aladdin 2: The Return of Jafar with the help of Nivi Engineer, discussing the shortcomings of a sequel film designed as the pilot for an animated series and the importance of consistency between films in a franchise.