Charlie Jane Anders, long-time sci-fi author and sci-fi entertainment journalist (whose work has won — among others — the Crawford Award, Hugo Award, Lambda Literary Award, Locus Award, Nebula Award, and Theodore Sturgeon Award) joins the gang as we dig deep into what went right with Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers and what went wrong with Warner Bros.’ The Bride.

Among the topics of discourse are everyone’s favorite Pixar flicks, the value of kid-friendly memes for all-quadrant toons, the ups and downs (real and imaginary) for Disney’s previously A+ animation brand over the last 15 years, whether Maggie Gyllenhaal’s big-budget monster-mash ever had a commercial chance in hell and if Scream 7’s massive decline portends grim fortunes for Scream 8.

Recommended Reading

* Scott Mendelson notes that Hoppers’ solid opening again debunks Disney’s narrative implictely blaming its early 2020s box office struggles on wokeness.

* Jeremy Fuster reports on a distinctly “America 2026” demand among the unions representing Universal Studios park workers: protection from ICE.

* Lisa Laman goes long debunking the idea that cancel culture or performative wokeness was anything beyond an online bubble and/or a strawman to wield against the disenfranchised voices supposedly controlling the narrative.

* Ryan Scott details how, believe it or not, Scream 7 could have been even worse.

* Charlie Jane Anders picks 2025’s best sci-fi/fantasy novels.

If you like what you hear, please like, share, comment, and subscribe (using a cartoon mallet) with every justified ounce of strength and passion. If you’d like to reach out and offer good cheer, request in-show discussions, or suggest ideas for bonus episodes, please email us at [email protected].

* Scott Mendelson - The Outside Scoop and Puck News

* Jeremy Fuster - TheWrap

* Lisa Laman - Dallas Observer, Pajiba, Looper, Comic Book and Autostraddle

* Ryan C. Scott - SlashFilm and Fangoria

* Max Deering - Fangoria and Action For Everyone

* Charlie Jane Anders - Washington Post and Happy Dancing

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