DCOMmentaries

Al and Val are joined by DCOMmentaries superfan, Zach Roberts, to rock out with the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato in Camp Rock! It's REALLY good!

Camp Rock (June 20, 2008)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by Matthew Diamond (Family Ties, Gold Girls, Gilmore Girls, General Hospital)

Written by Regina Y. Hicks (Sister Sister, Jump In!, Camp Rock 2, Girlfriends, showrunner on The Upshaws & Central Park), Karin Gist (Jump In!, Camp Rock 2, Girlfriends, showrunner on Mixed-ish, Our Kind of People, Mike), Julie Brown (Camp Rock 2, Clueless TV show)

Starring: 

Demi Lovato as Mitchie Torres (Camp Rock 2, Barney & Friends, music videos, Smurfs)

Joe Jonas as Shane Gray (Camp Rock 2, Jonas, music videos) 

Meaghan Martin as Tess Tyler (Camp Rock 2, 10 Things I Hate About You show, Awkward, Kingdom Hearts)

Alyson Stoner as Caitlyn Gellar (Camp Rock 2, Cheaper by the Dozen, Suite Life, Ghost Time, Kingdom Hearts, Phineas & Ferb, music videos)

Maria Canals-Barrera as Connie Torres (Camp Rock 2, The Tony Danza Show, Justice League, The Proud Family, Wizards of Waverly Place, Cristela)

Daniel Fathers as Brown Cessario (Camp Rock 2, Murdoch Mysteries, Snatch show, character actor)

Julie Brown as Dee La Duke (Animaniacs, Clueless show, Strip Mall, The Middle, character actor)

Anna Maria Perez de Tagle as Ella Pador (Camp Rock 2, Hannah Montana) 

Jasmine Richards as Margaret "Peggy" Dupree (Camp Rock 2, Naturally Sadie, Overruled, RedaKai, Bomb Girls, stopped in 2013)

Jordan Francis as Barron James (Camp Rock 2, Da Boom Crew, Carl^2, Connor Undercover, A Christmas Serenade)

Roshon Fegan as Sander Loyer (Camp Rock 2, Shake it Up, Greenleaf, Dragons: Rescue Riders)

Nick Jonas as Nate Gray (Camp Rock 2, Jonas, music videos, Smash, Scream Queens, Kingdom, Midway, Jumanji 2)

Kevin Jonas as Jason Gray (Camp Rock 2, Jonas, music videos)

Synopsis: A teenage girl desperately wants to spend her summer in a rock camp, but the only way she can get in is by working in the kitchen. When a teen pop star overhears her singing, he sets out to find the girl behind the voice.

Fun Facts: 

They created Nate and Jason once Joe was cast, wanting to launch the Jonas Brothers’ careers with the movie

Renee Sands is Peggy's singing voice

Next Movie: Cheetah Girls: One World

Creators & Guests

Al and Val go back to the future in Disney Channel's Minutemen. Will they make it in time to save the world...and maybe their social lives?!

Minutemen (January 25, 2008)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by Lev Spiro (TV Director - Cousin Skeeter, Arrested Development, Weeds, Everybody Hates Chris, UnReal)

Written by John Killoran (only written two other things), David Diamond (Old Dogs, stopped in 2010), David Weissman (The Family Man, Evolution, Old Dogs, also stopped in 2010)

Starring: 

Jason Dolley as Virgil Fox (Complete Savages, Cory in the House, Read it and Weep, Hatching Pete, Good Luck Charlie)

Luke Benward as Charlie Tuttle (We Were Soldiers, Because of Winn Dixie, Dear John, Good Luck Charlie, Girl Meets World, Criminal Minds)

Nicholas Braun as Zeke Thompson (Sky High, 10 Things I Hate About You show, Poor Paul, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Succession)

Chelsea Staub Kane as Stephanie Jameson (Starstruck, Jonas, Fish Hooks, Baby Daddy, Hot Streets, 9-1-1)

J. P. Manoux as Vice Principal Tolkan (Galaxy Quest, Emperor’s New Groove, Ocean’s Eleven, Scooby Doo, Knocked Up, ER, Aaron Stone, Veep) 

Steven R. McQueen as Derek Beaugard (Everwood, Chicago Fire, Vampire Diaries)

Dexter Darden as Chester (Maze Runner, Saved by the Bell)

Kellie Cockrell as Jocelyn Lee (Return to Halloweentown)

Synopsis: Three high school kids invent a time machine intended to save fellow students from embarrassing situations. Unfortunately, they discover that turning back the clock can have its consequences. Now the Feds are after them and there's the slight problem of a black hole to deal with.

Fun Facts: The principal is named after the principal in Back to the Future

Next Movie: Camp Rock

Creators & Guests

Al & Val return to Coventry with the Mowry twins in Twitches Too! Will they solve the "mystery" and save the day again? Probably, cause it's the same mystery...

Twitches Too (October 12, 2007)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by Stu Gillard (Scream Team, Full Court Miracle, Going to the Mat, Twitches, Charmed, 90210)

Written by Written by Dan Berendsen (Up Up and Away, Scream Team, Eddie’s Million Dollar Cookoff, Stuck in the Suburbs, Halloweentown High, Twitches, Cheetah Girls: One World, Hannah Montana movie, Wizards of Waverly Place the movie, Camp Rock 2, Sabrina the Teenage Witch), HB Gilmour (Twitches & Twitches Too), Randi Reisfeld (Twitches & Twitches Too)

Starring: 

Tia Mowry as Alexandra "Alex" Nicole Fielding / Artemis DuBaer (Twitches, Sister Sister, Bratz, The Game, Instant Mom, Christmas movies, Family Reunion)

Tamera Mowry as Camryn "Cam" Elizabeth Barnes / Apolla DuBaer (Twitches, Sister Sister, Strong Medicine, Christmas movies)

Kristen Wilson as Miranda DuBaer(Dr. Doolittles, Dungeons & Dragons, Stopped acting in 2011)

Patrick Fabian as Thantos DuBaer (character actor, Joan of Arcadia, Better Call Saul)

Kevin Jubinville as Aron DuBaer (character actor - Doc, Rabbit Fall, Ice Princess, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Murdoch Mysteries)

Pat Kelly as Karsh (Twitches)

Leslie Seiler as Ileana (Comedy, Inc., Second City Toronto person)

Chris Gallinger as Demitri (Cow Belles, stopped acting in 2018)

Arnold Pinnock as David Barnes (Twitches, Tru Confessions, New York Minute, Life with Derek, The Listener, Travelers, Murdoch Mysteries)

Karen Holness as Emily Barnes (Ultimate Christmas Present, Twitches, Cashing In, Make it Pop, Christmas/Hallmark movies) 

Jackie Rosenbaum as Beth Fish (Twitches, stopped acting in 2010)

Nathan Stephenson as Marcus Warburton (Radio Free Roscoe, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Pearlie, stopped acting in 2012)

Jayne Eastwood as Norseng (character actor/voice actor - King of Kensington, Care Bears, ALF, Babar, Material World, Busy World of Richard Scarry, Noddy, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 1-3, Chicago, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Murdoch Mysteries)

Synopsis: Twin sisters and twin witches Alex and Camryn didn't meet until they were 21, but their combined power managed to save their home from the forces of darkness. Since then they have been working together to strengthen their magic powers.

Fun Facts: 

Just like in the first Tia stepped in the play Tamera's part for a small scene when Camryn's party started. Tamera stepped in the play Alex when Camryn sees Marcus studying with Alex and gets jealous.

Next Movie: Minutemen

Creators & Guests

Al and Val make their triumphant return and are joined by special guest Phylicia McLeod to break down High School Musical 2! This one's going to be good! You can Bet On It!

High School Musical 2 (August 17, 2007)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by Kenny Ortega (started as a music video director, Newsies, Hocus Pocus, Cheetah Girls 2, HSM 2&3, Descendants 1-3)

Written by Peter Barsocchini (HSM 1-3, HSMTMTS)

Starring: 

Zac Efron as Troy Bolton (HSM 1-3, 17 Again, New Years Eve, The Lucky One, Neighbors, Baywatch, The Greatest Showman, Down to Earth with Zac Efron)

Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella Montez (HSM 1-3, music videos, Sucker Punch, Spring Breakers, Gimme Shelter, Powerless, The Princess Switch 1-3, The Knight Before Christmas, Tick Tick Boom)

Ashley Tisdale as Sharpay Evans (HSM 1-3, Suite Life, music videos, Phineas & Ferb, Skylanders Academy, Carol’s Second Act)

Lucas Grabeel as Ryan Evans (Halloweentown High, Return to Halloweentown, HSM 1-3, music videos, Milk, Switched at Birth, voice acting ie Family Guy, HSMTMTS)

Corbin Bleu as Chad Danforth (HSM 1-3, Jump In, music videos, Flight 29 Down, One Life to Live, HSMTMTS)

Monique Coleman as Taylor McKessie (HSM 1-3, horror stuff, HSMTMTS)

Bart Johnson as Jack Bolton (HSM 1-3, Hyperion Bay, character actor, HSMTMTS)

Olesya Rulin as Kelsi Nielsen (Hounded, Poof Point, Halloweentown High, HSM 1-3, Greek, NCIS LA) 

Alyson Reed as Ms. Darbus (A Chorus Line, Ghostwriter, character actor, HSM 1-3, Ad Astra, HSMTMTS)

Chris Warren Jr. as Zeke Baylor (Love & Basketball, Men of Honor, The Bold & The Beautiful, HSM 1-3, Sistas)

Mark L. Taylor as Thomas Fulton (The Other Me, character/voice actor, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Homeward Bound, The Mask cartoon, Melrose Place, Saving Grace)

Jessica Tuck as Darby Evans (HSM 3, Judging Amy, Days of Our Lives, One Life to Live, True Blood, General Hospital, For All Mankind)

Robert Curtis Brown as Vance Evans (Zenon: The Zequel, HSM 3, Search for Tomorrow, Trading Places, Handmaids Tale, CSI: Vegas, Station 19) 

Ryne Sanborn as Jason Cross (HSM 1-3)

Kaycee Stroh as Martha Cox (HSM 1-3)

Synopsis: It's summer break and the kids of East High are out for some fun in the sun. Unfortunately, they are all broke and must get jobs in order to be able to afford to enjoy themselves. Troy thinks his problem is solved when he gets a job at Sharpay's family resort, but doesn't realise she has an ulterior motive for hiring him. Luckily, some of his fellow Wildcats have jobs there too.

Fun Facts: 

Miley Cyrus makes a cameo

The premiere drew 17.6 million viewers, making it not only the most-watched Disney Channel Original Movie in history, but the most-watched in cable history, even more than NFL Monday Night Football

Filmed again while classes were in session

This was the first Disney Channel Original Movie to be released on Blu-ray.

Next Movie: Twitches 2

Creators & Guests

Val shows Al Star Wars: A New Hope for the very first time! Listen to find out what she thinks in this previously Patreon-exclusive episode! 

ALSO, a special announcement from Val!

Creators & Guests

Al & Val hop on their dirt boards for the follow-up to Johnny Tsunami, EIGHT YEARS IN THE MAKING! 

Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board (June 8, 2007)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by Eric Bross (TV Movie Director)

Written by Ann Austen & Douglas Sloane (Johnny Tsunami & Motocrossed), Max Enscoe (Return to Halloweentown)

Starring: 

Brandon Baker as Johnny "Pono" Kapahala (Johnny Tsunami, One World, stopped in 2015)

Jake T. Austin as Chris (Wizards of Waverly Place, Go Diego, Go!, The Fosters, 

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Grandpa (Johnny Tsunami, Man in the High Castle, character actor, voice actor)

Robyn Lively as Carla (character actor)

Mary Page Keller as Melanie Kapahala (Johnny Tsunami, character actor)

Yuji Okumoto as Pete Kapahala (Johnny Tsunami, Cobra Kai, character actor)

Jonathan McDaniel as Sam Sterling (That’s So Raven, Raven’s Home)

Andrew James Allen as Jared (character actor)

Rose McIver as Val (Eddie’s Million Dollar Cookoff, Masters of Sex, A Christmas Prince, iZombie, Ghosts)

Phil Brown as Troy (Avatar: The Way of Water, character & voice actor)

Akoni Kama as himself (professional skateboarder)

Synopsis: Johnny Kapahala is back in Hawaii, hoping to catch some surf and also attend the wedding of his grandfather, the legendary surfing hero. All he really wants to do is get on the mountain boarding team, but life quickly gets complicated for Johnny as he meets his 12-year-old uncle (his step-grandmother's son), and gets involved in a turf war between rival boarding shops.

Fun Facts: 

Jake T. Austins first Disney production

Chris plays the same video game featured in Stuck in the Suburbs and Life is Ruff

Next Movie: High School Musical 2

Creators & Guests

Al & Val jump into the world of Double Dutch with Corbin Bleu and Keke Palmer - will they win regionals? Or will they get KNOCKED OUT?

Jump In! (January 12, 2007)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by Paul Hoen (Luck of the Irish, Tru Confessions, You Wish!, Eddie’s Million Dollar Cookoff, Cheetah Girls, Read it and Weep, Dadnapped, Camp Rock 2, How to Build a Better Boy, ZOMBIES 1-3)

Written by Doreen Spicer (Proud Family creator), Regina Y. Hicks (Sister Sister, Camp Rock, Camp Rock 2, Girlfriends, showrunner on The Upshaws & Central Park), Karin Gist (Camp Rock, Camp Rock 2, Girlfriends, showrunner on Mixed-ish, Our Kind of People, Mike)

Starring: 

Corbin Bleu as Isadore "Izzy" Daniels (HSM 1-3, HSMTMTS, One Life to Live, character actor)

Keke Palmer as Mary Thomas (Akeelah & the Bee, True Jackson VP, Winx Club, Scream Queens, Hustlers, Lightyear, Nope, Proud Family, Human Resources, musician)

David Reivers as Kenneth Daniels (character actor, HSM 3)

Shanica Knowles as Shauna Lewis (Hannah Montana, character actor)

Laivan Greene as Keisha Ray (All of Us, stopped in 2009)

Kylee Russell as Karin Daniels (Zombies 1-3)

Mazin Elsadig as Chuck Coley (Degressi: The Next Generation, Stoked)

Jajube Mandiela as Yolanda Brooks (Degressi: The Next Generation, Murdoch Mysteries)

Synopsis: A young boxer fills in when a member of his friend's skipping team drops out at the last minute, and he finds a passion for this new sport. He starts to question whether boxing is what he really wants to do, and has to decide to follow his heart.

Fun Facts: 

• David Reivers is actually Corbin’s dad
• Drew 8.2 million viewers on its premiere night, beating out The Cheetah Girls 2 (2006) and High School Musical (2006).
• Everyone, except for the main characters, was on professional double dutch teams.
• Raven Symoné was originally going to play Mary Thomas.

Next Movie: Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board

Creators & Guests

Al & Val pack up and move into their dorms at Witch U to see if anyone can truly replace KJB (spoiler: they can't)

Return to Halloweentown (October 20, 2006)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by David Jackson (Buffalo Dreams, Miami Vice, 21 Jump Street, Swamp Thing, Nash Bridges, The District, One Tree Hill)

Written by Max Enscoe (Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board), Annie DeYoung (Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board, Princess Protection Program, Starstruck), Juliet Giglio (TV Christmas movies)

Starring: 

Sara Paxton as Marnie Piper & Young Aggie (Hounded, Darcy’s Wild Life, Aquamarine, character actor)

Lucas Grabeel as Ethan Dalloway (Halloweentown High, HSM 1-3, music videos, Milk, Switched at Birth, voice acting ie Family Guy, HSMTMTS)

Joey Zimmerman as Dylan Piper (All 4 Halloweentowns and basically nothing else)

Summer Bishil as Aneesa (The Magicians)

Judith Hoag as Gwen Piper (All 4 Halloweentowns, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Armageddon, Big Love, Nashville, The Magicians)

Kristy Wu as Scarlett (Flight 29 Down, did some voice work - stopped acting in 2016)

Katie Cockrell as Sage (HSM 3, Camp Rock 2, Yellowstone)

Kellie Cockrell as Sapphire (Minutemen, Camp Rock 2, Yellowstone)

Keone Young as Silas Sinister (Rip Girls, character actor: Alias, Deadwood, NCIS + Voice Actor: Star Wars, Avatar)

Leslie Wing as Chancellor Goodwin (character actor, HSM 1-3, stopped acting afterward)

Millicent Martin as Professor Priscilla Persimmon Periwinkle (character actor since 1957, Days of Our Lives, Frasier, Grace & Frankie)

Debbie Reynolds as Agatha "Aggie" Cromwell (All 4 Halloweentowns, Singing in the Rain, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Debbie Reynolds Show, Rugrats, Will & Grace)

Scott Stevenson as Dr. Ichabod Grogg (Poof Point)

Christopher Robin Miller as Burp-Urp-Snurt-Pfsfsfsfst III (Going to the Mat, Buffalo Dreams, Hatching Pete, Professor Layton, Mythica, The Wingfeather Saga)

Synopsis: Marnie Piper arrives at the Halloweentown University - known to everyone as Witch U. Her best friend Aneesa is a student there too, and before you can say `abracadabra' the bewitching pair find themselves in magical mischief and mayhem.

Fun Facts: 

Millicent Martin was going to be playing Aggie because Debbie had scheduling conflicts. When she became available, they made a new part for Millicent

Next Movie: Jump In!

Creators & Guests

AL AND VAL ARE BACK! The strikes are over and that means the podcast is back on, returning with Read it and Weep, the story of a girl who finds out fame and influence aren't all they're cracked up to be.

Read it and Weep (July 21, 2006)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by Paul Hoen (Luck of the Irish, Tru Confessions, You Wish!, Eddie’s Million Dollar Cookoff, Cheetah Girls, Jump In, Dadnapped, Camp Rock 2, How to Build a Better Boy, ZOMBIES 1-3)

Written by Patrick J. Clifton & Beth Rigazio (Go Figure, Raising Helen) and Julia DeVillers (only credit)

Starring: 

Kay Panabaker as Jamison "Jamie" Bartlett (Life is Ruff, Summerland, Phil of the Future, No Ordinary Family, stopped in 2012)

Danielle Panabaker as Isabella "IS" (Stuck in the Suburbs, Sky High, Shark, a couple Hallmark movies, The Flash)

Alexandra Krosney as Harmony (Stuck in the Suburbs, character actor)

Marquise C. Brown as Lindsay (Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide, character actor)

Allison Scagliotti as Sawyer "Myrna" Sullivan (Drake & Josh, Warehouse 13, Stitchers, Raven’s Home)

Jason Dolley as Connor Kennedy (Complete Savages, Cory in the House, Hatching Pete, Good Luck Charlie)

Chad Broskey as Marco Vega (1 ep of a couple Disney shows then stopped in 2016)

Tom Virtue as Ralph Bartlett (Under Wraps, Brink, Horse Sense, Even Stevens, character actor, Big George Foreman)

Robin Riker as Diana (Brink, Don’t Look Under the Bed, character actor, Brothers, Get a Life, Thunder Alley, soap operas)

Nick Whitaker as Lenny Bartlett (High School Musical, HSM 3, Hatching Pete)

Falisha Fehoko as Jennifer #1 (High School Musical)

Malinda Money as Jennifer #2 (Pixel Perfect, HSM)

Joyce Cohen as Miss Gallagher (Wish Upon a Star, Pixel Perfect, HSM)

Synopsis: A schoolgirl's (Kay Panabaker) private journal becomes a best-seller after she accidentally hands it in as a homework assignment.

Next Movie: Return to Halloweentown

Creators & Guests

Al and Val are joined by some of members of the Improvised DCOM cast to break down the highest rated DCOM of 2006! Let's wish on a shooting star and head to Barcelona!

We know we were supposed to do Read It and Weep...Al got Covid so our recording schedule got a little wonky! But we'll get to that next!

***TWO SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THIS EPISODE - ONE AT THE BEGINNING AND ONE TOWARD THE END***

Improvised DCOM Cast featured in this episode:
Caleb Gibson
Elizabeth Fulton
Taryn Gomez
Shane Tolomeo
Jordan Zelvin
Ziv Haikin
Taka Hana Miller
(Michael Erickson)

Cheetah Girls 2 (August 25, 2006)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by Kenny Ortega (started as a music video director, Newsies, Hocus Pocus, HSM 1-3, Descendants 1-3)

Written by Bethesda Brown (1 other credit), Alison Taylor (Cheetah Girls, Married with Children, Just Jordan, lots of Disney shows), Deborah Gregory (Cheetah Girls 1-3)

Starring: 

Raven-Symoné as Galleria "Bubbles" Garibaldi (Zenon, Cheetah Girls 1&2, That’s So Raven, Raven’s Home, Tinkerbell series)

Adrienne Bailon Houghton as Chanel "Chuchie" Simmons (Cheetah Girls 1-3, Coach Carter, Buffalo Dreams, 3LW Music Videos, mostly music videos)

Sabrina Bryan as Dorinda "Do" Thomas (Cheetah Girls 1-3, random things)

Kiely Williams as Aquanette "Aqua" Walker (Cheetah Girls 1-3, 3LW Music Videos, The House Bunny, Stomp the Yard 2)

Belinda as Marisol Durán (Camaleones, Music Videos, Welcome to Eden)

Kim Manning as Lola Durán (Manos a la obra)

Lynn Whitfield as Dorothea Garibaldi (Cheetah Girls, Heartbeat, The Cosby Mysteries, Stepmom, A Time for Dancing, Greenleaf)

Lori Alter as Juanita Simmons (Cheetah Girls, Power Play, Family Biz)

Golan Yosef as Joaquin (first movie)

Peter Vives as Angel (Velvet, La Riera, Night & Day, Jo també em quedo a casa, Supernormal, Sentimos las molestias

Abel Folk as Luc (Secrets de família, Laura, Raquel busca su sitio, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Ventdelplà, 

Synopsis: A teenage vocal group, whose members are also best friends, continue their crusade to become a top pop group. One member decides to enter the group in a Barcelona music festival, and the girls are thrilled. It's Viva Espana as they set off for the adventure of a life-time.

Fun Facts: 

Their premiere outdid HSM with 8.3MM viewers

Peter Vives Newey (Angel) is an accomplished pianist, but for the film he had to learn to play the guitar which took him three weeks to practice.

The entire movie was filmed in Spain, even the NYC scenes

Next Movie: Read it and Weep