Amaya welcomes fellow podcaster (and CNU Captain) Nick Delaney to discuss movie musicals and the use of autotune in film adaptations of musicals. Nick dishes on the highs and lows of being a content creator, Amaya has an incredibly late revelation (‘Wicked Part One’ fans beware of potential spoilers), the two discern what makes or breaks the quality of a movie musical, and Amaya makes sure the world knows how bad Apple TV’s ‘Spirited’ (2022) is.

Be sure to check out Nick Delaney’s coffee/film review podcast, “Coffee Nick’s Movie Picks”: https://linktr.ee/coffeenicksmoviepicks

Feel free to donate to the podcast at Patreon.com/HalflingCinephile and get you some Halfling Cinephile merch, access special content, and you can leave me feedback and give me suggestions for future episodes!

An official ‘Wicked’ film adaptation had been a tease for over ten years among fans of the Broadway show, and Jon M. Chu's 2024 showstopper did not disappoint one bit. This episode, I talk with my good friend Marcus Sledge about their experience with ‘Wicked Part One’, as well as their limited knowledge of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939) and its assorted derivations. Where I have been a fan of ‘Wicked’ on Broadway since I was 13, Marcus had never seen or listened to the 2003 musical, nor the 1939 classic – and they had not even fully seen the 1978 film adaptation of ‘The Wiz’, a Black theatrical reimagining of the classic film. Marcus and I get into their first impressions of the story of our favorite green girl, differences between the stage production and the latest interpretation of ‘Wicked’, the excellence of the cast’s performances, and the unspeakable and well-rounded beauty of the musical as a whole.

Feel free to donate to the podcast at Patreon.com/HalflingCinephile and get you some Halfling Cinephile merch, access special content, and you can leave me feedback and give me other movie suggestions for future episodes!

“IIIII’LL drink to that.”

Whether you rock with musicals or you can't stand them, Apple TV's original musical comedy 'Schmigadoon!' (absolutely to be confused with 'Brigadoon') is quite the hidden gem. A fan of musical theater myself, I find the humor of the series particularly smart, as it takes a deliberate and intelligent stab at the absurdity of musicals in all their performative nature. Trying to unravel the amalgamation of half a century’s worth of musical stories is one of the most entertaining parts of watching 'Schmigadoon!', especially when it reaches its second installment, 'Schmicago'. This episode, I'll explain what exactly 'Schmigadoon!' (and 'Schmicago') means, and I'll happily help you understand some of the humor in the series.

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“I’m thirteen, deal with it!”

This one goes out to all you girls out there. ‘Turning Red’ (2022), which ought to be called “The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Adolescence,” has topped out as my favorite period piece. Led by an all-female creative team, this coming-of-age story gets in the weeds about growing up as a girl, and director Domee Shi’s bold visual style makes talking about uncomfortable topics, like menstruation, a little less icky. ‘Turning Red’ beautifully addresses themes of girlhood, and sources of identity for adolescents. I’ll get into what makes movies so darn special, and what animation like that of ‘Turning Red’ brings to the table like no other medium.

Feel free to donate to the podcast at Patreon.com/HalflingCinephile and get you some Halfling Cinephile merch, access special content, and you can leave me feedback and give me other movie suggestions for future episodes!

“Dr. Mindy, can I be vulnerable in your car?”

Finally, a star-studded movie that isn't a waste of time OR a waste of money. Don’t Look Up (2021) is a big fat mirror of a political satire that was produced with sophistication and authenticity. Comedy genius Adam McKay let improvisation do its thing, while still maintaining a tasteful visual professionalism. The film’s release was incredibly relevant as we tiptoed out of global quarantine, and the story’s climate-centric conflict raised similar issues that the pandemic was revealing to us. Painfully relatable and always funnier than I remember, Don’t Look Up is an infuriating parody of American culture that has made its mark on cinematic history.

Feel free to donate to the podcast at Patreon.com/HalflingCinephile and get you some Halfling Cinephile merch, access special content, and you can leave me feedback and give me other movie suggestions for future episodes!

“Alright, let's get pregnant, shall we?”

Private Life (2018) is a movie that’s just as quaint as it is audacious. Writer-director Tamara Jenkins created an impressive work of fiction, and she repurposes exhausted cinematography tactics and editing techniques. Starring acting giants Kathryn Hahn and Paul Giamatti, the story of Richard and Rachel’s journey through infertility holds your attention regardless of its small scale.

Feel free to donate to the podcast at Patreon.com/HalflingCinephile and get you some Halfling Cinephile merch, access special content, and you can leave me feedback and give me other movie suggestions for future episodes!

"I can't reaaad!" -Richard Kind, Everybody's in L.A.

John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A. was a riot and I legitimately believe it went underappreciated. It was like the entire show ran on fumes, and that was every piece of its charm. Comedian John Mulaney and his creative team did their (incredibly apparent) absolute best to tame logistics and put on a live six-episode talk show. Everybody’s in L.A.’s energy went so hard, they literally called their own Emmy win on live TV. This episode, I’ll tell you all about the premise of the show, explain why it was such an ambitious project, and, of course, I’ll address the real Emmy episode.

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“Dimple, no dimple.”

¡Hola, hispanohablantes! Coco (2017) is a movie that seeps and overflows with emotion, and not for nothing. The various departments of this film’s production pooled their talents to create a magical world with a heart-wrenching story at its center. Mexican culture serves the story in every facet, from technical aspects like plot devices to performative aspects like the songs and score. Coco is beautiful beyond description, in visuals and in writing, and it’s one of the best examples of what Pixar Animation Studios is capable of.

Feel free to donate to the podcast at Patreon.com/HalflingCinephile and get you some Halfling Cinephile merch, access special content, and you can leave me feedback and give me other movie suggestions for future episodes!

“Oh my word, it’s the noble Phoenix!”

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish really has got it all. Stakes perfectly round out Puss’ character arc, a phenomenal voice cast laid down an entertainment factor that, I gotta say, was just right, and functional animation gave the story a reason to be animated. Anyone looking to make a successful sequel, animated or otherwise, should take a page out of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’s book.

Feel free to donate to the podcast at Patreon.com/HalflingCinephile and get you some Halfling Cinephile merch, access special content, and you can leave me feedback and give me other movie suggestions for future episodes!