More Movies Please!

Let me ask you one simple question: are you going to throw away your shot at listening to a podcast episode featuring an amazing movie about a certain somebody named…

Alexander Hamilton?

I sure as heck hope not! We’re wrapping up our entire month of musicals with the captivating, rapturous 2020 film by Thomas Kail, Hamilton. Boy, what a doozy this one is.

From his humble beginnings all the way to his gruesome demise, Alexander Hamilton shows us what it takes to not only be a person who holds their convictions most dear, but also form an entire freaking nation. He’s dedicated. He’s a dreamer. He… has some serious flaws.

We’ve all got the honor of seeing his life dramatized in one of the most invigorating and electrifying stage plays that’s ever been made. Seriously, if you walk away from this movie without a stirring of intense emotion, then you should watch it again because you probably missed something important. There’s a reason why it’s one of the most successful Broadway shows ever, and that reason is on full display here. If you haven’t already, then sign up for Disney+ and watch it.

This is a deep movie about an important man’s entire life. There’s far too much to recount in the show notes of a podcast. Stop reading this and just listen to the episode already!

(Recorded on July 30, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Hamilton - IMDb

Hamilton trailer - YouTube

Hamilton - Disney+

Alexander Hamilton - Wikipedia

This is a pretty decent primer on this historical figure. There are many books that have been written about him, and you should probably read those too, but this is a good start.

Alexander Hamilton | Ron Chernow - Goodreads

Titanic - IMDb

Wizarding World

Motion Picture Association film rating system - Wikipedia

Today's MPAA Ratings Hold Little Value for Parents - WIRED

Shrek - IMDb

Pantages Theatre - Broadway in Hollywood

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Across the Universe - IMDb

Waitress - IMDb

Gobo (lighting) - Wikipedia

Barn doors (light modifier) - Photokonnexion

Why Movie Posters All Look the Same - The Wrap

Seriously, all posters look the same and they all tend to use blue and orange colors.

Alexander Hamilton's Complicated Relationship to Slavery - History

Hamilton Tops Tony Awards With 11 Wins - Playbill

Phillipa Soo - IMDb

How I Met Your Mother - IMDb

George III of the United Kingdom - Wikipedia

Jonathan Groff - IMDb

Who’s gonna run this bitch? | Gabriel Iglesias - YouTube

Mindhunter - IMDb

Armageddon - IMDb

The Book of Mormon

About Us | More Movies Please! - Libsyn

Scrubs - IMDb

Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) - Amazon

Follow Us:

Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!

Our Libsyn site!

Our Instagram profile!

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Put on your finest Christmas duds and warm up those pipes of yours because we’ve got a comedy horror… musical in store for you? Wait wait. This one is a comedy and a horror and a musical? All in one movie? You bet your butt it is! For our latest B-movie bonus episode, we watched the gruesome and hilarious John McPhail film, Anna and the Apocalypse.

So it’s Christmas time in the U.K. and wouldn’t you know it, there’s a zombie apocalypse on. Just everyone’s luck, right? You’re about to finish up high school, you’ve got big plans to travel the world, and then everyone starts turning up dead! Or rather, undead.

This is exactly the predicament Anna Shepherd finds herself in. Dang it, she just wants to start living the life she wants to live already! She wants it so bad that she’s singing it out loud. In fact, everyone’s singing in this one. It is a musical after all.

But what’s to be done when zombies start taking over and eating everyone? Well, as the age-old wisdom goes, you start bashing in some zombie brains if you want to make it out alive. If you’ve still got a song in your heart, well then you’d better belt it out, as well. You never know how many of those opportunities you’ll have before you end up dead.

Damn! I mean undead. Undead! Sheesh. You’d think I’d never seen a comedy horror musical about a zombie apocalypse before now or something.

When it comes to our monthly B-movie episodes, there’s only one question we’re trying to answer by the end: is this movie brilliant or a blunder? We’ll leave it to you to listen to the episode to find out.

(Recorded on July 23, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Anna and the Apocalypse - IMDb

Anna and the Apocalypse trailer - YouTube

Zombieland - IMDb

Shaun of the Dead - IMDb

La La Land - IMDb

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - IMDb

Oblivious to the Zombies | Shaun of the Dead - YouTube

Dawn of the Dead - IMDb

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 - IMDb

Dragon Ball Z - IMDb

Scooby Doo, Where Are You? - IMDb

Every "Meddling Kids" comment from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? - YouTube

Santa Baby | Eartha Kitt - YouTube

Magic Mike - IMDb

Grandma’s Boy - IMDb

World War Z - IMDb

Across the Universe - IMDb

The Walking Dead - IMDb

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead | Max Brooks - Goodreads

Learn how to protect yourself from the inevitable zombie apocalypse with this informative and entertaining guide. From the son of famed filmmaker, Mel Brooks!

Follow Us:

Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!

Our Libsyn site!<

Support the show

Put on your finest Christmas duds and warm up those pipes of yours because we’ve got a comedy horror… musical in store for you? Wait wait. This one is a comedy and a horror and a musical? All in one movie? You bet your butt it is! For our latest B-movie bonus episode, we watched the gruesome and hilarious John McPhail film, Anna and the Apocalypse.

So it’s Christmas time in the U.K. and wouldn’t you know it, there’s a zombie apocalypse on. Just everyone’s luck, right? You’re about to finish up high school, you’ve got big plans to travel the world, and then everyone starts turning up dead! Or rather, undead.

This is exactly the predicament Anna Shepherd finds herself in. Dang it, she just wants to start living the life she wants to live already! She wants it so bad that she’s singing it out loud. In fact, everyone’s singing in this one. It is a musical after all.

But what’s to be done when zombies start taking over and eating everyone? Well, as the age-old wisdom goes, you start bashing in some zombie brains if you want to make it out alive. If you’ve still got a song in your heart, well then you’d better belt it out, as well. You never know how many of those opportunities you’ll have before you end up dead.

Damn! I mean undead. Undead! Sheesh. You’d think I’d never seen a comedy horror musical about a zombie apocalypse before now or something.

When it comes to our monthly B-movie episodes, there’s only one question we’re trying to answer by the end: is this movie brilliant or a blunder? We’ll leave it to you to listen to the episode to find out.

(Recorded on July 23, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Anna and the Apocalypse - IMDb

Anna and the Apocalypse trailer - YouTube

Zombieland - IMDb

Shaun of the Dead - IMDb

La La Land - IMDb

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - IMDb

Oblivious to the Zombies | Shaun of the Dead - YouTube

Dawn of the Dead - IMDb

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 - IMDb

Dragon Ball Z - IMDb

Scooby Doo, Where Are You? - IMDb

Every "Meddling Kids" comment from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? - YouTube

Santa Baby | Eartha Kitt - YouTube

Magic Mike - IMDb

Grandma’s Boy - IMDb

World War Z - IMDb

Across the Universe - IMDb

The Walking Dead - IMDb

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead | Max Brooks - Goodreads

Learn how to protect yourself from the inevitable zombie apocalypse with this informative and entertaining guide. From the son of famed filmmaker, Mel Brooks!

Follow Us:

Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!

Our Libsyn site!

Our Instagram profile!

Our Twitter profile!

Send us Fan Mail

When it’s musical month you can bet on us watching and talking about a movie that just gets our toes tapping. This week, we’ve got a musical all the way from 1935, starring the two greats, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Which one of their ten co-starring films is in store for us today? Why, it’s the Mark Sandrich film, Top Hat!

If you wanted to hear us talk about our various haircuts, how hot it is these days, and how much Sean envies Steven’s fluffy hair, then you’re listening to the right podcast. Welcome to More Haircuts Please! We’re very happy to introduce this brand new show to you today, dear listener. Thank you for tuning in.

Nah, just kidding. Today, we’re actually launching a new podcast about our distaste for other classic and much-loved musicals. Down with The Wizard of Oz! Down with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory!

Just kidding again. We’re talking about Top Hat today, for reals. It’s one of the many films that starred both Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, a.k.a. “Fred & Ginger.” They really cornered the market on dazzling audiences with great songs, astounding dancing, and plot lines that may not carry the most substance, but are still a heck of a lot of fun.

There’s a serious case of mistaken identity in this one. Isn’t that how it always goes in films? A man loves a woman. The woman thinks he’s actually another person altogether and is, therefore, a lying, cheating, cad of a man because he’s hitting on her while being married to a mutual friend. It sure does make for quite the contentious relationship, and also quite the enjoyable movie.

Steven (and Sean) enjoyed many of the brilliant and surprisingly recognizable songs peppered throughout the film. When you hear the opening chords and verses of Cheek to Cheek you know you’re in for a great time.

Sean had a lot of fun watching the capable cinematography. All of the shots were designed to showcase the incredible talents of the two leads. It’s hard to watch a film like this one and not feel the urge to get up and start dancing along with them.

We’ll have a very special musical in store for you next week. Tune in to listen to us discuss something wonderful.

(Recorded on July 16, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Top Hat - IMDb

Top Hat trailer - YouTube

Fred Astaire - IMDb

Ginger Rogers - IMDb

The Wizard of Oz - IMDb

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory - IMDb

Tunnel of Terror Scene | Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory - YouTube

Hellraiser - IMDb

The Exorcist - IMDb

The Gay Divorcee - IMDb

Conspiracy Theory - IMDb

Lucille Ball - IMDb

Job Switching | I Love Lucy - IMDb

Dr. Mantoots | Scrubs - YouTube

Inside Will Smith's Luxurious $2.5 Million, 2-Story Movie Trailer - Business Insider

The Greatest Showman - IMDb

The Pirate - IMDb

Support the show

When it’s musical month you can bet on us watching and talking about a movie that just gets our toes tapping. This week, we’ve got a musical all the way from 1935, starring the two greats, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Which one of their ten co-starring films is in store for us today? Why, it’s the Mark Sandrich film, Top Hat!

If you wanted to hear us talk about our various haircuts, how hot it is these days, and how much Sean envies Steven’s fluffy hair, then you’re listening to the right podcast. Welcome to More Haircuts Please! We’re very happy to introduce this brand new show to you today, dear listener. Thank you for tuning in.

Nah, just kidding. Today, we’re actually launching a new podcast about our distaste for other classic and much-loved musicals. Down with The Wizard of Oz! Down with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory!

Just kidding again. We’re talking about Top Hat today, for reals. It’s one of the many films that starred both Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, a.k.a. “Fred & Ginger.” They really cornered the market on dazzling audiences with great songs, astounding dancing, and plot lines that may not carry the most substance, but are still a heck of a lot of fun.

There’s a serious case of mistaken identity in this one. Isn’t that how it always goes in films? A man loves a woman. The woman thinks he’s actually another person altogether and is, therefore, a lying, cheating, cad of a man because he’s hitting on her while being married to a mutual friend. It sure does make for quite the contentious relationship, and also quite the enjoyable movie.

Steven (and Sean) enjoyed many of the brilliant and surprisingly recognizable songs peppered throughout the film. When you hear the opening chords and verses of Cheek to Cheek you know you’re in for a great time.

Sean had a lot of fun watching the capable cinematography. All of the shots were designed to showcase the incredible talents of the two leads. It’s hard to watch a film like this one and not feel the urge to get up and start dancing along with them.

We’ll have a very special musical in store for you next week. Tune in to listen to us discuss something wonderful.

(Recorded on July 16, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

Top Hat - IMDb

Top Hat trailer - YouTube

Fred Astaire - IMDb

Ginger Rogers - IMDb

The Wizard of Oz - IMDb

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory - IMDb

Tunnel of Terror Scene | Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory - YouTube

Hellraiser - IMDb

The Exorcist - IMDb

The Gay Divorcee - IMDb

Conspiracy Theory - IMDb

Lucille Ball - IMDb

Job Switching | I Love Lucy - IMDb

Dr. Mantoots | Scrubs - YouTube

Inside Will Smith's Luxurious $2.5 Million, 2-Story Movie Trailer - Business Insider

The Greatest Showman - IMDb

The Pirate - IMDb

Maverick - IMDb

Sixteen Going on Seventeen | The Sound of Music - YouTube

Eric Blore - IMDb

Marty Feldman - IMDb

Joy Ride - IMDb

The Santa Clause - IMDb

Gene Kelly - IMDb

Follow Us:

Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!

Our Libsyn site!

Our Instagram profile!

Our Twitter profile!

Send us Fan Mail

We’re keeping this musical train rolling this week with a movie that has thrills, chills, and a whole lot of blood spills. Is it too much blood? When it comes to Sweeney Todd, there is no such thing! That’s right, this week, Steven and Sean are talking about the gruesome Tim Burton musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Is there anything grander than jolly ol’ England? You’ve got pale skies, grimy streets, and a non-stop supply of the tastiest meat pies around. What’s that you ask? What’s in the meat pies?

Oh…

It’s probably best not to ask those sorts of questions. You may not like the answer.

Instead, you’d do well to watch and enjoy this masterful tale of revenge. There are some truly great songs thrown in, as well. Every single actor is bringing their A-game to this tale. Johnny Depp as the wronged, titular barber; Helena Bonham Carter as the hopeful baker and accomplice with love in her heart; the great Alan Rickman as the maddening judge who will surely get his comeuppance. That’s just to name a few.

Steven has only the best things to say about the music and sound work that was done for this film. We’re sure the stage versions of this musical were done very well, but this movie was impeccable. Not only was the sound great, but we’re tipping our hats to the actors who nailed these songs. Who knew they could sing so well? We didn’t but we’re glad to have experienced their talent.

Sean spent most of his movie-watching time marveling at the beautiful, mostly monochromatic cinematography in this film. Dariusz Wolski crafted an astounding look for this film. His work supports the grim story so well that this film feels like it sets the bar for any Sweeney Todd adaptation. It’s grisly, confident, and dazzling.

This may be a tough film to watch given the buckets of blood, but it’s always worth a viewing. Tales of revenge and a barber who’s maybe a little too skilled with his straight razors don’t come along very often. This one is special.

We’ve got another great musical in store for you next week! Tune in to keep the songs and chatting going.

(Recorded on July 09, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - IMDb

 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street trailer - YouTube

Carrie - IMDb

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 - IMDb

Bodies - Drowning Pool

We were totally wrong about who sang that song. It wasn’t System of a Down at all!

Led Zeppelin - Wikipedia

Scrubs - IMDb

The Nightmare Before Christmas - IMDb

Sean made the mistake that everyone makes: The Nightmare Before Christmas is not a Tim Burton movie. He may have produced it, but the amazing Henry Selick directed it. Apologies.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - IMDb

The Greatest Showman - IMDb

The Count of Monte Cristo - Wikipedia

Johnny Depp - IMDb

Helena Bonham Carter - IMDb

Alan Rickman - IMDb

Support the show

We’re keeping this musical train rolling this week with a movie that has thrills, chills, and a whole lot of blood spills. Is it too much blood? When it comes to Sweeney Todd, there is no such thing! That’s right, this week, Steven and Sean are talking about the gruesome Tim Burton musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

Is there anything grander than jolly ol’ England? You’ve got pale skies, grimy streets, and a non-stop supply of the tastiest meat pies around. What’s that you ask? What’s in the meat pies?

Oh…

It’s probably best not to ask those sorts of questions. You may not like the answer.

Instead, you’d do well to watch and enjoy this masterful tale of revenge. There are some truly great songs thrown in, as well. Every single actor is bringing their A-game to this tale. Johnny Depp as the wronged, titular barber; Helena Bonham Carter as the hopeful baker and accomplice with love in her heart; the great Alan Rickman as the maddening judge who will surely get his comeuppance. That’s just to name a few.

Steven has only the best things to say about the music and sound work that was done for this film. We’re sure the stage versions of this musical were done very well, but this movie was impeccable. Not only was the sound great, but we’re tipping our hats to the actors who nailed these songs. Who knew they could sing so well? We didn’t but we’re glad to have experienced their talent.

Sean spent most of his movie-watching time marveling at the beautiful, mostly monochromatic cinematography in this film. Dariusz Wolski crafted an astounding look for this film. His work supports the grim story so well that this film feels like it sets the bar for any Sweeney Todd adaptation. It’s grisly, confident, and dazzling.

This may be a tough film to watch given the buckets of blood, but it’s always worth a viewing. Tales of revenge and a barber who’s maybe a little too skilled with his straight razors don’t come along very often. This one is special.

We’ve got another great musical in store for you next week! Tune in to keep the songs and chatting going.

(Recorded on July 09, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - IMDb

 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street trailer - YouTube

Carrie - IMDb

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 - IMDb

Bodies - Drowning Pool

We were totally wrong about who sang that song. It wasn’t System of a Down at all!

Led Zeppelin - Wikipedia

Scrubs - IMDb

The Nightmare Before Christmas - IMDb

Sean made the mistake that everyone makes: The Nightmare Before Christmas is not a Tim Burton movie. He may have produced it, but the amazing Henry Selick directed it. Apologies.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - IMDb

The Greatest Showman - IMDb

The Count of Monte Cristo - Wikipedia

Johnny Depp - IMDb

Helena Bonham Carter - IMDb

Alan Rickman - IMDb

Alice in Wonderland - IMDb

Matt Gourley - Wikipedia

Gone Girl - IMDb

Top Hat - IMDb

Dariusz Wolski - IMDb

Follow Us:

Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!

Our Libsyn site!

Our Instagram profile!

Our Twitter profile!

Send us Fan Mail

It’s week two of our month of musicals series and in-store, for us this time is a classic. Steven and Sean are wooing our lady loves by pretending to be dastardly pirates in this week’s episode. It’s the 1948 Gene Kelly and Judy Garland film, directed by Vincente Minnelli, The Pirate.

Shiver me timbers! Wait wait, it’s not really that sort of pirate film. It may be called The Pirate, but there’s not a single peg leg, eye patch, or bottle of rum to be found. At least, not to our knowledge, but who knows what was going on in the Caribbean during the time this film was set. Seriously, who could tell? It’s not as if this film was the most historically accurate thing ever made. What’s up with all the white people in the Caribbean? Do we not know the history of that area of the world or is this just a case of old Hollywood whitewashing the past?

Given the rough history of the film industry, it’s probably the second one.

Troubling issues aside, this film is actually a lot of fun. This is one of those classic musicals that feature both amazing songs and dance sequences that’ll just floor you. I mean, come on, Gene Kelly’s in it!

So there’s a woman, Manuela, who wants to see the world, but then she becomes engaged to Don Pedro, who used to be the dreaded pirate Macoco but is now posing as a respectable mayor. All’s well and good until an acting troupe comes to town and its leader, the dashing Serafin, meets Manuela and falls head over heels for her. Serafin recognizes Don Pedro for who he really is and masquerades as Macoco to blackmail him into leaving Manuela. Serafin wants to be with her so bad that he’s willing to risk losing his reputation and life for her, which he nearly does. Luckily, Manuela catches on that Serafin isn’t Macoco, falls in love with him too, and they both work together to show their town that Don Pedro isn’t who he claims to be.

Plus there’s loads of song and dance numbers, including one especially noteworthy sequence featuring fire, sword fighting, and Gene Kelly’s beefy thighs. Talk about a movie that has it all!

Steven, indeed both of us, enjoyed the songs and music in this film. They’re all full of fun, emotion, and do a decent job of telling the story. The technology and equipment used to record audio back then was certainly not as sophisticated as what’s used now. The sound collection and design was done well, but it’s not necessarily something that stands out these days. Still, those songs are great.

Sean was amazed by the very nimble camerawork on display. What must those camera setups have been like to keep up with Gene Kelly, doing some of his best work, as he dashes and climbs around the set? Those camera grips on set must have been the muscliest people in Hollywood at that time. Aside from the movement, this is a Technicolor delight and looks as good now as it ever has.

We’ve got another great musical in store for you next month! Get ready, it’s going to be an intense and bloody one…

(Recorded on July 02, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

The Pirate - IMDb

The Pirate trailer - YouTube

Fruit Loops with Marshmallows

Who the heck thought this would be a good idea? I mean, it looks like a delicious idea, but it feels impossible to look at without hurting your teeth.

Big Game - IMDb

Ben Wyatt presents “Requiem for a Tuesday” | Parks and Recreation - YouTube

Dredd - IMDb

The Greatest Showm

Support the show

It’s week two of our month of musicals series and in-store, for us this time is a classic. Steven and Sean are wooing our lady loves by pretending to be dastardly pirates in this week’s episode. It’s the 1948 Gene Kelly and Judy Garland film, directed by Vincente Minnelli, The Pirate.

Shiver me timbers! Wait wait, it’s not really that sort of pirate film. It may be called The Pirate, but there’s not a single peg leg, eye patch, or bottle of rum to be found. At least, not to our knowledge, but who knows what was going on in the Caribbean during the time this film was set. Seriously, who could tell? It’s not as if this film was the most historically accurate thing ever made. What’s up with all the white people in the Caribbean? Do we not know the history of that area of the world or is this just a case of old Hollywood whitewashing the past?

Given the rough history of the film industry, it’s probably the second one.

Troubling issues aside, this film is actually a lot of fun. This is one of those classic musicals that feature both amazing songs and dance sequences that’ll just floor you. I mean, come on, Gene Kelly’s in it!

So there’s a woman, Manuela, who wants to see the world, but then she becomes engaged to Don Pedro, who used to be the dreaded pirate Macoco but is now posing as a respectable mayor. All’s well and good until an acting troupe comes to town and its leader, the dashing Serafin, meets Manuela and falls head over heels for her. Serafin recognizes Don Pedro for who he really is and masquerades as Macoco to blackmail him into leaving Manuela. Serafin wants to be with her so bad that he’s willing to risk losing his reputation and life for her, which he nearly does. Luckily, Manuela catches on that Serafin isn’t Macoco, falls in love with him too, and they both work together to show their town that Don Pedro isn’t who he claims to be.

Plus there’s loads of song and dance numbers, including one especially noteworthy sequence featuring fire, sword fighting, and Gene Kelly’s beefy thighs. Talk about a movie that has it all!

Steven, indeed both of us, enjoyed the songs and music in this film. They’re all full of fun, emotion, and do a decent job of telling the story. The technology and equipment used to record audio back then was certainly not as sophisticated as what’s used now. The sound collection and design was done well, but it’s not necessarily something that stands out these days. Still, those songs are great.

Sean was amazed by the very nimble camerawork on display. What must those camera setups have been like to keep up with Gene Kelly, doing some of his best work, as he dashes and climbs around the set? Those camera grips on set must have been the muscliest people in Hollywood at that time. Aside from the movement, this is a Technicolor delight and looks as good now as it ever has.

We’ve got another great musical in store for you next month! Get ready, it’s going to be an intense and bloody one…

(Recorded on July 02, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

The Pirate - IMDb

The Pirate trailer - YouTube

Fruit Loops with Marshmallows

Who the heck thought this would be a good idea? I mean, it looks like a delicious idea, but it feels impossible to look at without hurting your teeth.

Big Game - IMDb

Ben Wyatt presents “Requiem for a Tuesday” | Parks and Recreation - YouTube

Dredd - IMDb

The Greatest Showman - IMDb

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - IMDb

Top Hat - IMDb

Judy Garland - IMDb

Gene Kelly - IMDb and his Wikipedia article

The Wizard of Oz - IMDb

Singin’ in the Rain - IMDb

The Sound of Music - IMDb

Fake Doctors, Real Friends - Apple Podcasts

The Taming of the Shrew - Wikipedia

Titanic - IMDb

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 - IMDb

Hugh Hefner - Wikipedia

Will & Grace - IMDb

Ravenous - IMDb

Titus - IMDb

The Princess Bride - IMDb

“Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” | The Princess Bride - YouTube

Fifty Shades of Grey - IMDb

Zombieland - IMDb

Rule 32: Enjoy the little things | Zombieland - YouTube

Cinema Paradiso - IMDb

Follow Us:

Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!

Our Libsyn site!

Our Instagram profile!

Our Twitter profile!

Send us Fan Mail

On the podcast this week, Steven and Sean are belting out some majestic tunes as we kick off an entire month of movie musicals! Oh, what a beautiful day. We’re starting things off with the Michael Gracey film that’s all about chasing your dreams, The Greatest Showman.

You may know Mr. Phineas Taylor Barnum from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus from when just about all of us were kids, but did you know the story about how he became the man we know him as today? Well, according to this film, he went through quite the rollercoaster ride to become a venerated performing star.

Okay, but spoiler warning, this one is a dramatization of events that happened over a hundred years ago, so you’ll have to forgive it for taking some artistic liberties with the story it tells. That’s just how show biz goes. P.T. Barnum knew it and now you know it. Does that mean this film isn’t a rousing celebration of artistic drive, amazing showmanship, and the similarities and differences in us all? Heck no! It’s all of those things and more.

Plus, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more engaging film with such catchy songs. Seriously, we still can’t get them out of our heads. We were also fascinated by the personal arcs all the characters went through in this film. It wasn’t just Barnum that became someone greater than he was. We see the wonderful people in his show learn their true worth. We see his business partner realize that love is more important than social prejudices. We see separate people become a family of like-minded, loving performers.

Steven was a huge fan of the sound design that was featured in the film. It was very competently made, but when it’s a musical we’re talking about, the sound design tends to play second fiddle to the songs. They were stellar. They felt modern, but not in a way that was out of place or inappropriate for the movie. It all just sounded so great.

Part of what makes this movie special is the combination of wonderful music and eye-catching visuals, which Sean was a big fan of. It’s amazing to us that a first time director could craft such a confident, great looking film. From moment one, it displays bold, soaring camera work and glossy lighting. This is a film that not only sounds amazing, but also looks amazing.

Stay tuned for next month’s musical! It’s going to be an older one and just as fun.

(Recorded on June 25, 2020)

Links to Stuff We Mentioned:

The Greatest Showman - IMDb

The Greatest Showman trailer - YouTube

P.T. Barnum - Wikipedia

The real history of Phineas T. Barnum is as we suspected—he was a raging asshole that did truly awful things. It’s worth knowing about who this man was in real life, but prepare yourself for disappointment.

Hakuna Matata | The Lion King - YouTube

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - IMDb

When we say that everyone should watch Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, we mean that everyone should watch the show. Yes, you too. It’s the best.

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