DCOMmentaries

Al and Val fight the return of the evil Yan Lo alongside Wendy Wu in this homage to Kung Fu comedy! Will they beat him AND win Homecoming Queen?! Listen to find out.

***RECORDED PRIOR TO SAG-AFTRA STRIKE)***

Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (June 16, 2006)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by John Laing (Adventures of Swiss Family Robinson, Power Rangers, Go Girls)

Written by Vince Cheung & Ben Montanio (The Steve Harvey Show, Wizards of Waverly Place, Baby Daddy), B. Mark Seabrooks (In Living Color, Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper, Surviving R. Kelly)

Starring: 

Brenda Song as Wendy Wu (Ultimate Christmas Present, Get a Clue, Phil of the Future, Stuck in the Suburbs, Suite Life, The Social Network, Station 19)

Shin Koyamada as Shen (The Last Samurai, The Yokai King)

Susan Chuang as Nina Wu (Dharma & Greg, Miss Congeniality 2, Cold Case, character actor)

Justin Chon as Peter Wu (Just Jordan, Twilight, Dr. Ken, Deception, Dramaworld)

Tsai Chin as Grandma Wu (character actor since 1957 - Joy Luck Club, The Interpreter, Memoirs of a Geisha, Casino Royale, Now You See Me 2, Shang-Chi)

Michael David Cheng as Kenny Wu (character actor)

Andy Fischer-Price as Austin (character actor - this was his first movie)

Ellen Woglom as Jessica Dawson (character actor - Californication, Outlaw, Inhumans)

James Gaylyn as Mr. Medina (You Wish, Eddie’s Million Dollar Cookoff, Power Rangers, Xena, Bridge to Terabithia, Avatar)

Sally Stockwell as Coach Gibbs (You Wish)

Michael Saccente as Mr. Garibay (Zequel)

Synopsis: Wendy Wu is a teenager who seems to have the perfect life: she's beautiful, popular and one of the two candidates to be voted Homecoming Queen. However, her life is changed when Shen, a monk from China, imparts to her the shocking truth about herself- she is a reincarnated Yin Warrior, whose destiny is to battle the evil Yan Lo.

Fun Facts: 

Brenda song did all her own martial arts - she has a Black Belt in Tae Kwan Do

Shin Koyamada is U.S.A. Shaolin Kung Fu Champion in real life

Next Movie: Read it and Weep

Creators & Guests

FINALLY! Al and Val get to bop to the top with the original High School Musical! Joined by special guest, Phylicia McLeod (of Unlearning Podcast), will they be able to win the big game AND make it to their audition? Listen to find out.

High School Musical (January 20, 2006)

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)

Joey Miyashima as Dave Matsui (Karate Kid II, Double Teamed, Right on Track, HSM 3, character actor)

Joyce Cohen as Ms. Falstaff (Read it and Weep)

Anne Kathryn Parma as Susan (Go Figure)

Nick Whitaker as Alan (Read It and Weep, Hatching Pete)

Falcon Grace as Cyndra (Pixel Perfect)

Synopsis: Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), the star athlete at a small-town high school, falls for nerdy beauty Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) at a holiday karaoke party. When they return to campus, Troy and Gabriella audition for the upcoming school musical. Meanwhile, the jealous Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) conspires to squelch their chances. The two must struggle to make it to auditions while also meeting their existing obligations to the basketball team and the academic decathlon.

Fun Facts: 

Drew Seeley sang for Zac Efron

Ashley Tisdale auditioned for Gabriella

HSM was the working title, but they couldn’t come up with anything better before time ran out

Corbin planned to audition for Ryan, but saw Lucas’s audition and thought he was better for it

This was the Disney Channel's most successful movie at its time with 7.7 million viewers in the premiere broadcast. The Cheetah Girls 2 (2006) broke this record with 8.3 million viewers on its premiere night. High School Musical 2 now stands as the highest rated Disney Channel original movie premiere with more than 17.2 million viewers.

Originated from a 1999 script for Grease 3, which would have featured JT, Brittany, and Christina.

They filmed at a real high school WHILE CLASS WAS IN SESSION

Soundtrack was the best selling album in 2006

Originally casted Cassie Steele for Gabriella, but her schedule on Degrassi prevented her from doing it

Lucas and Ashley didn’t like each other during the first movie’s filming

Next Movie: Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior

Al & Val thoroughly enjoy Stu Krieger's last film in the DCOM cinematic universe. Ali & AJ show their true colors and there's MUSIC!

Cow Belles (March 24, 2006)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by Francine McDougall (Go Figure - stopped directing films in 2013 - does commercials)

Written by Stu Krieger (Zenon (1999), Smart House (1999), Phantom of the Megaplex (2000), Rip Girls (2000), Zenon: The Zequel (2001), The Poof Point (2001), Tru Confessions (2002), Gotta Kick it Up (2002), 

Going to the Mat (2004), Zenon Z3 (2004), Now You See It… (2005))  and Matt Dearborn (Secret Life of Alex Mack, Even Stevens, Zeke & Luther)

Starring: 

Alyson Michalka as Taylor Callum (Now You See It…, Aly & AJ, Phil of the Future, iZombie, Easy A, Hellcats) 

Amanda (AJ) Michalka as Courtney Callum (Aly & AJ, Super 8, Schooled, She-Ra and the Princess of Power, The Goldbergs)

Jack Coleman as Reed Callum (Days of Our Lives, Dynasty, Heroes, The Office - character actor)

Sheila McCarthy as Fran Walker (Richard Scary, Emily of New Moon, Marvin the Tap Dancing Horse, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Murdoch Mysteries, Umbrella Academy, Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3)

Michael Trevino as Jackson Meade (Vampire Diaries, Roswell New Mexico)

Christian Serratos as Heather Perez (Ned’s Declassified Survival Guide, Twilight, Selena, Walking Dead)

Von Flores as Nick Perez (Earth: Final Conflict - character actor)

Paula Brancati as Sarah Van Dyke (Jump In, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Being Erica, Slasher)

Michael Rhoades as Bob Fenwick (character actor)

Duane Murray as Pete "Big Pete" (character actor)

Jean Yoon as Corrine (Kim’s Convenience)

Synopsis: Two spoilt sisters are made to work in the family business in the absence of their father, but when someone empties the company accounts, they must track down the culprit to save the business.

Fun Facts: 

Premiered the same day as Hannah Montana (2006) on Disney Channel.

Aly Michalka got her permit just to do the driving scenes.

https://findtheinvisiblecow.com/

Next Movie: High School Musical

Creators & Guests

Al and Val discovered they were twins with magic powers in this Mowrie sister classic! 

Twitches (October 14, 2005)

IMDB Wikipedia

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

Written by Melissa Gould (Beverly Hills 90210, Lizzie McGuire), Dan Berendsen (Up Up and Away, Scream Team, Eddie’s Million Dollar Cookoff, Stuck in the Suburbs, Halloweentown High, Twitches Two, Cheetah Girls: One World, Hannah Montana movie, Wizards of Waverly Place the movie, Camp Rock 2, Sabrina the Teenage Witch), HB Gilmour (Twitches & Twitches Two)

Starring: 

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

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

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

David Ingram as Aron DuBaer (Anne with an E)

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

Jennifer Robertson as Ileana Warburton (Comedy, Inc., Wingin’ It, Schitt’s Creek, Ginny & Georgia)

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

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

Synopsis: Reunited on their 21st birthday, twin sisters (Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry) use their magic powers to save their kingdom from the forces of darkness.

Fun Facts: Originally, Tia was supposed to play Camryn and Tamera was supposed to play Alex, but the two wanted their roles to be switched.

Next Movie: Cow Belles

Al & Val FINALLY enjoy a DCOM dog movie! 

Life is Ruff (July 15, 2005)

IMDB Disney Wiki

Directed by Charles Haid (TV Director - Doogie Howser, Nip/Tuck, ER, Criminal Minds + Actor - Hill St Blues) 

Written by Eddie Guzelian (Almost exclusively a cartoon writer until Walking Dead)

Starring: 

Kyle Massey as Calvin Wheeler (That’s so Raven, Cory in the House, Fish Hooks, Millennials)

Kay Panabaker as Emily Watson (Read it and Weep, Summerland, Phil of the Future, No Ordinary Family, stopped in 2012)

Mitchel Musso as Raymond Figg (Hatching Pete, Hannah Montana, Phineas & Ferb)

Carter Jenkins as Preston Price (Bad News Bears, Valentine’s Day, Famous in Love)

Mark Christopher Lawrence as Calvin’s Dad (Tiger Cruise - character actor)

Judith Moreland as Calvin’s Mom (character actor)

Yolanda Wood Strange as Rondel’s Mom (Read it and Weep, HSM 3)

Synopsis: Calvin is a likeable, bright 13-year-old who has almost everything he could want in life - except a prized rare copy of a comic he collects. When he hears about a dog show with a $5,000 prize, he decides to get a dog and enter, to win the money and buy the comic. However, he doesn't bargain for the fact that he comes to love Tyco, the accident prone, lovable mutt he rescues from the pound.

Fun Facts: 

No Wikipedia AT ALL

Tyco’s real name is Jed

Next Movie: Twitches

Creators & Guests

Al & Val are joined by Damon Royster to ROAST this confusing sports DCOM. PARTY PARTY!

Go Figure (June 10, 2005)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by Francine McDougall (Cow Belles - stopped directing films in 2013 - does commercials)

Written by Patrick J. Clifton & Beth Rigazio (Read it and Weep, Raising Helen) 

Starring: 

Jordan (Hinson) Danger as Katelin Kingsford (Eureka, Kevin from Work)

Brittany Curran as Pamela (13 Going on 30, Men of a Certain Age, Dear White People, Chicago Fire, The Magicians)

Whitney Sloan as Amy "Hollywood" Henderson (stopped in 2007)

Cristine Rose as Natasha Goberman (Ferris Beuller TV Show, Ellen, Heroes, How I Met Your Mother)

Ryan Malgarini as Bradley Kingsford (Freaky Friday, Gary Unmarried)

Tania Gunadi as Mary "Mojo" Johnson (Pixel Perfect, Enlisted, a lot of voice acting)

Amy Halloran as Ronnie (Surviving Christmas, In Her Shoes) 

Sabrina Speer as Shelby Singer (her last movie)

Jake Abel as Spencer (The Lovely Bones, Percy Jackson, Love & Mercy, Supernatural, Walker)

Kristi Yamaguchi as Herself (D2, On Edge, Fresh off the Boat)

Jodi Russell as Linda Kingsford (Right on Track)

Curt Dousett as Ed Kingsford

Paul Kiernan as Coach Reynolds (Luck of the Irish, Double Teamed)

Anne Sward as Ginger (Johnny Tsunami, Buffalo Dreams)

Synopsis: Katelin's a 14-year-old girl who's determined to make it in the world of figure skating. When she discovers that famous Russian skating coach Natasha Goberman is coming to teach at a local private school she's determined that Natasha will be her coach, even though it's an expensive school. Katelin decides to try to get a scholarship.

Fun Facts: 

Go Figure was nominated in the Young Artist Awards for Best Television Movie or Special.

Soundtrack:

Everlife - "Go Figure" 

Bowling for Soup - "Greatest Day"

Caleigh Peters - "I Can Do Anything" 

Brie Larson - "She Said"

Hope 7 - "I Want Everything"

Superchic(k) - "Anthem" 

Raven-Symoné - "Life Is Beautiful" 

Cadence Grace - "Crash Goes My World" 

Junk - "Life Is Good" 

Next Movie: Life is Ruff

Creators & Guests

Al & Val went to the Buffalo Preserve and sang a little Bill Withers to get through Buffalo Dreams. This flick is a little tough to get through, but the cast is star studded, and this episode is silly.

Buffalo Dreams (March 11, 2005)

IMDB Wikipedia

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

Written by Marjorie Schwartz Nielsen (wrote 5 total things, this was the last)

Starring: 

Reiley McClendon as Josh Townsend (Eddie’s Million Dollar Cookoff, The Kid, Pearl Harbor, The Fosters) 

Simon R. Baker as Thomas Blackhorse (North of 60, Shanghai Noon, I Robot, Murdoch Mysteries, Outlander)

Graham Greene as John Blackhorse (Dances with Wolves, The Green Mile, Snow Dogs, The Red Green Show, Man on the Train, Defiance, Wind River, Molly’s Game, Longmire, Red Dead Redemption, The Last of Us)

Tessa Vonn as Scout Blackhorse (stopped acting in 2008)

Max Van Ville as Moon (Big Momma’s House 2, Drillbit Taylor, Mr. Woodcock, stopped acting in 2012)

Chris Hunter as Kyle (The Amanda Show, That’s So Raven, Phil of the Future, South of Nowhere, stopped acting in 2009)

Adrienne Bailon Houghton as Domino (Cheetah Girls 1-3, Coach Carter, 3LW Music Videos, mostly music videos)

Geraldine Keams as Abuela Rose (Skinwalkers, Edge of America, Rutherford Falls, Reservation Dogs)

Christopher Robin Miller as Virgil (Going to the Mat, Return to Halloweentown, Hatching Pete, Professor Layton, Mythica, The Wingfeather Saga)

George Newbern as Dr. Nick Townsend (Adventures in Babysitting, It Takes Two, Father of the Brides, Bull, Providence, Justice League cartoon, Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Scandal) 

Jane Sibbett as Blaine Townsend (Santa Barbara, Herman’s Head, It Takes Two, Friends, Snow Dogs, 

Seth Packard as Wylie (Dadnapped, Hatching Pete)

Chris White as J.G. (Read it and Weep)

Synopsis: In this thought-provoking story, two teenage boys struggle to become friends despite their different racial and cultural backgrounds. Josh has relocated to New Mexico where his father works in a research lab. Native American Thomas Blackhorse allows Josh to join his group of friends, but the boys will have to work hard to bridge the cultural gap and make their friendship work.

Fun Facts: 

Disney Channel's one of the most unknown movies after The Jennie Project (2001) and Ready to Run (2000).

Land Acknowledgement: Shikaakwa, traditional land of the Potawatomi, Odawa, Sauk, Ojibwe, Illinois, Kickapoo (Kiikaapoi), Miami (Myaamia), Mascouten, Wea, Delaware, Winnebago, Menominee, and Mesquakie 

Next Movie: Go Figure

Creators & Guests

Al & Val sit down with a chat with everyone's favorite Aunt, Holly Fulger. Holly, who played Aunt Judy in all three Zenon films, discusses her career, her experience working on Zenon, and her current projects. And she just turns out to be the nicest person ever!

Holly's IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0298104/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_2_nm_6_q_holly%2520fulger

Holly on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/holly_fulger

Holly's Non-Profit: True Beauty Discovery - https://www.truebeautydiscovery.org/about

Creators & Guests

Al and Val do some magic tricks to get to the bottom of the magical mystery, Now You See It. Will they be the next great kid magician? Listen to find out.

Now You See It… (January 4, 2005)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by Duwayne Dunham (Little Giants, Halloweentown, The Thirteenth Year, Ready to Run, Double Teamed, Right on Track, Tiger Cruise, Clone Wars + Edited Return of the Jedi)

Written by Bill Fritz (mostly a producer on Real Housewives) (and STU!)

Starring: 

Aly Michalka as Allyson Miller (first movie, Aly & AJ, Cow Belles, Phil of the Future, iZombie, Easy A, Hellcats) 

Johnny Pacar as Danny Sinclair (Flight 29 Down, Make it or Break It)

Frank Langella as Max (Dave, Junior, Eddie, Sweet November, Frost/Nixon, Robot & Frank, Muppets Most Wanted, Captain Fantastic, The Americans, Trial of the Chicago 7)

Chris Olivero as Hunter (Double Teamed, Kyle XY)

Gabriel Sunday as Brandon (Year One, Hanukkah, O Hanukkah (A Magical Time of Year), Passover.Gay)

Amanda Shaw as Zoey Cunningham (Stuck in the Suburbs)

Deneen Tyler as Ms. McAllister (Stuck in the Suburbs, Runaway Jury, Benjamin Button, Treme, 12 Years a Slave, Dallas Buyers Club, Logan Lucky, Billionaire Boys Club, Looking for Alaska)

Spike Spencer as Paul (voice actor - mostly anime)

Patricia French as Madame Susette (Army Wives, The Change Up, Wanderlust, Anchorman 2, Dumb & Dumber To, Squidbillies, The Thing About Pam) 

Devyn A. Tyler as Linking Rings Girl (Stuck in the Suburbs, Glory Road, Great Debaters, Benjamin Button, 12 Years a Slave, Underground, Watchmen, Antebellum, The Underground Railroad, Deep Water, Snowfall)

Synopsis: An ambitious student producer uncovers a real wizard who is just learning the extent of his incredible powers during the filming of a reality TV show.

Fun Facts: 

Aly Michalka’s debut

Stu always calls this World Greatest Magician - I wonder if they changed the name at one point

A large portion of this movie was filmed in an abandoned bank in New Orleans, Louisiana. Crew had to evacuate the Louisiana set because of Hurricane Ivan.

The only magic tricks that were not actually performed by the cast were the ones involving generated special effects, such as the floating card trick that Max uses to rate the first trick the students perform.

Next Movie: Buffalo Dreams

Creators & Guests

Al and Val are joined by pal Sam to return to Halloweentown...oops no go to Halloweentown High...oops they're not at Halloweentown High...what is happening in this movie? We don't know, but Lucas Grabeel is in it.

Halloweentown High (October 8, 2004)

IMDB Wikipedia

Directed by Mark A.Z. Dippé (Pixel Perfect - mostly VFX credits)

Written by Paul Bernbaum (Halloweentowns) & Dan Berendson (Up Up and Away, Scream Team, Eddie’s Million Dollar Cookoff, Stuck in the Suburbs, Twitches, Twitches Two, Cheetah Girls: One World, Hannah Montana movie, Wizards of Waverly Place the movie, Camp Rock 2, Sabrina the Teenage Witch)

Starring: 

Kimberly J. Brown as Marnie Piper (Halloweentown, Quints, a lot of soaps)

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

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

Joey Zimmerman as Dylan Piper (mostly stopped acting)

Emily Roeske as Sophie Piper (doesn’t act)

Finn Wittrock as Cody Trainer (Unbroken, My All American, The Big Short, La La Land, Landline, American Crime Story, If Beale Street Could Talk, Judy, American Horror Story, Ratched)

Clifton Davis as Principal Phil Flannigan (Amen, Any Given Sunday, Max Keebles Big Move, Madam Secretary, Godfather of Harlem)

Lucas Grabeel as Ethan Dalloway (Return to Halloweentown, HSM 1-3, Milk, Switched at Birth, Family Guy, HSM the Musical the Series)

Eliana Reyes as Cassie (almost no other credits - stopped in 2006)

Michael Flynn as Edgar Dalloway (Halloween 4, Everwood, one ep of HSMTMTS)

Olesya Rulin as Natalie (Hounded, Poof Point, HSM 1-3, Greek, NCIS LA) 

Todd Michael Schwartzman as Pete (HSM is only other credit)

Frank Welker provided special vocal effects (Fred on Scooby Doo, Dr. Claw on Inspector Gadget, Megatron on Transformers, Hefty & Poet on The Smurfs, Ducktales, Alvin & the Chipmunks, Talespin, The Real Ghostbusters, Kermit on Muppet Babies, Darkwing Duck, Tiny Toon Adventures, Garfield & Friends, Pocahontas, Mortal Kombat, Aladdin TV Series, Captain Planet, Independence Day, Space Jam, Mars Attacks, George of the Jungle, The Mask TV Show, 101 Dalmations TV Show, Animaniacs, Mulan, Pinky & The Brain, Hercules TV Series & Video Game, Timon & Pumba TV Show, Buzz Lightyear Star Command, Recess, Tarzan TV Shows, The Mummy Returns, Dexter’s Laboratory, House of Mouse, New York Minute, Johnny Bravo, Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2, Lilo & Stitch TV Show, Kim Possible, George in Curious George, McDonaldland, Shrek Forever After, Toy Story 3, World of Warcraft, Futurama, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Simpsons)

Synopsis: Marnie organises a student exchange programme between her mortal school and the Halloweentown High. The first students to participate in this programme are a witch, a warlock, a troll and an ogre.

Fun Facts: 

Made it more family friendly when II got criticism for being too dark

Emily Roeske’s last film / Lucas Grabeel’s first film

Next Movie: Now You See It

Creators & Guests