Once Upon A Nostalgia

Wow! We made it to our 50th episode! Happy Bicentennial episode everyone! In Part 1 Avery explains why she chose “Alice in Wonderland” from 1951 for our 50th episode...and it’s actually a pretty good reason. Joel and Avery discuss all the different versions of this story and how the original Disney movie compares to the newer versions. Joel remembers a live action version that was nightmare fuel from the late 90s but had an amazing cast! Anyone else remember that one? Avery had more nostalgia for this one since she owned the VHS and appreciates the movie much more than Joel. In Part 2, after watching the movie, we discuss the lack of plot or character development. Joel feels very strongly and takes issue with *SPOILERS* the ending and how it all ends up being a dream. It feels like that plotline is worn out by now, however, this movie came out over 50 years ago and was probably one of the first stories to use that “cop out” to explain everything. We also discuss how popular this movie is within the psychedelic community and have a fun discussion on drugs and how they are portrayed in the movies. We bring up the controversy surrounding the author of the book and try to give a little more information on the few facts surrounding this issue. Overall, we agree that this movie could be better, but neither of us hated it. We can appreciate it for its creativity and quirky characters. So join us as we discuss “Alice in Wonderland”!

Happy Monday Disney friends! This week we are discussing “The Princess and the Frog” from 2009. Avery admits to NEVER having seen this movie! So finally she has an excuse to watch it. She tells Joel what she was doing in 2009 and why she missed it when it was released...but then she just never got around to watching it. As we like to do when one of us hasn't seen a movie, Avery guesses the plot and characters from the DVD cover. Listen to find out how close she gets! After watching the movie, both Joel and Avery have some concerns about this choice of Fairytale, time period, and location. This movie was a first for Disney as it became the first African American princess fairytale. And yet, there are some controversies around this which we discuss in depth. Avery also has a problem with the idea of marriage being the ultimate goal in life. Can we move past this old fashioned thinking? This was 2009 for goodness sake! Joel and Avery also argue about the origin of the term “sus”. It has nothing to do with this movie, but if you want to hear two millennials try to explain this term, go ahead and listen! Also, Joel re-tells the original fairytale this movie is based off of and it is ridiculous. It seriously might be the worst story of all time. So if any of this interests you, please listen to our podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts! Enjoy!

Hello friends! Welcome to our 48th episode! We can hardly believe we’ve been releasing new podcast episodes every Monday for almost a year! That’s crazy! We hope you’re enjoying our little chats as much as we like having them. It’s been a fun way to re-watch some of these Disney classics, including this week’s movie, “Cinderella” from 1950. We are trying to focus on some of the classics and this is definitely a CLASSIC. Joel thinks this might be his favorite classic Disney princess, while Avery still likes Aurora the most. As always, we discuss in Part 1 our memories, which we were surprised at how little we did remember of this movie, especially the music. In Part 2 we discuss the need for more character development and back story into the evil stepmother. We just don’t understand why she can be so mean to poor Cinderella. So hey Disney! Now that Cruella is out...want to do an evil Stepmother origin story? We also discuss the problematic love between Prince Charming and Cinderella. Disney and the whole falling in love in one night and getting married immediately is a very old fashioned idea now. Besides the problematic character development and love story, we both still enjoyed this film and realized most of the film is actually about the animal side characters. Who doesn’t love sewing and singing mice? Don’t wait until Midnight to listen to this week’s episode, come join us as we discuss “Cinderella”.

Happy Monday everyone! Welcome to our new episode on “Robin Hood” from 1973. Joel chose this movie because this was one of the few VHS movies he owned growing up. Even though Aladdin and Tarzan were his favorites, he watched this so often the tape stopped working. Avery had seen this as a child as well, but only a few times so she didn’t remember much of the movie. We talk about recognizing this as an older movie as children and would usually prefer watching the newer 90s movies...but we still both loved this movie growing up. Avery immediately recognized many of the voice actors in this film as favorite characters from other movies like, “Aristocats'' or “Jungle Book.” We discuss how Robin Hood may be one of the original superheroes in folklore and how he would be a great asset to the Avengers. There are many moments of the film where we have to suspend belief in the law of physics or reality...but we dont mind too much, especially because this is a Disney movie with talking animals. Reality isn’t really a focus here. Avery discusses the Bechdel test as always and Joel gives a little background on the original story of Robin Hood. Overall, we both love this film and definitely were overwhelmed with memories and nostalgia for it. So please join us and listen to us discuss this Disney classic!

Who Who What What?? Did you say a NEW episode is out for our podcast? Happy Monday everyone! Welcome to our NEW episode Monday! This week we discuss the 1963 classic, “The Sword in the Stone”. Joel quickly guessed this movie from the three clues last week. Bermuda totally gave it away. If you know anything about this movie, you know why Bermuda is important. Joel and Avery discuss the most powerful armor in existence: plot armor. If you are not familiar with this type of armor, we discuss it in previous episodes, but it basically means the character is too important to die, so in every dangerous situation that seems impossible to escape they always make it out alive. I wish life worked like that...Ahhh, the magic of film. We also dig deep into the squirrel scene and whether or not that would hold up today and the issues behind the messages in that scene. Avery and Joel make a bet about a certain animal Madam Mim turns into...listen to hear who wins the bet! We both agree Archimedes is one of our favorite characters, but you may be surprised with the other favorite character Joel chooses. So sit back, relax, and listen to our silly and sometimes inappropriate Disney podcast! Enjoy!

Welcome to our 45th episode! Today we will be discussing the 2016 animated film, “Moana.” If you listened to our last episode you’ll know Avery was unable to guess the movie from the clues, because Joel is a trickster and made her think of 90s pirate movies. Hopefully some of you tried guessing on our IG page and were able to figure it out! This is one of the most recent released movies we have watched so we don’t have as much nostalgia for it, HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean we don’t love it just as much as the older Disney movies. If anything, we might love this movie equally if not more than many films from our childhoods. Everything about this movie is perfect. From the strong, female lead character, to the character development and plot, to the amazing music and lyrics. We discuss all the effort and work that went into making this as accurate and sensitive to Polynesian culture as they could. They had an entire team of advisors that made sure every aspect of the film was historically and culturally accurate. We love everything about this movie and I’m sure you do too...so listen and enjoy this week’s episode on “Moana”!

Welcome to this month’s DisNOT episode. Avery chose this film from her childhood with open, innocent childlike wonder and nostalgia...and then it all takes a dark turn in Part 2. Both Joel and Avery had seen this movie and really enjoyed some of the funny characters and lines when they were kids. This movie is very quotable and both Avery and Joel remember quoting this movie in their daily lives. Who doesn’t remember laughing at Dana Carvey while dressed as a turtle and asking if he’s not “turtly enough for the turtle club?” However, after watching this movie again today, we have both come to very different opinions. Someone once asked if this movie should be a cult classic and we both agree the answer is no. It is simply a bad movie. We now get the 1% rating it has on rotten tomatoes. If you haven’t seen this movie or haven’t seen it in a long time, listen to our episode and learn WHY we think it’s so bad and why it does NOT hold up to today. This may be the worst one we’ve watched so far, but that’s ok, because it was still entertaining and our nostalgia for it will never go away...but that is where this movie shall stay, in our memories.

In this week’s episode we decide to do a classic and discuss the 1991 film, “Beauty and the Beast.” You will hear Joel and Avery try to sing right off the bat, and it does not go well. Sorry to our listeners. From there, Joel shares his high school experiences with this musical and Avery shares her experience with this musical on the stage as well. Avery played a very significant role in the play, but you’ll have to listen to find out which character she played. We both have very fond memories of this movie and know the songs very well. After watching the movie, both Avery and Joel agree on who the REAL villain is, and if you haven’t seen the movie in awhile you might be surprised to find out who we think it is. We discuss the concerning themes of Stockholm syndrome, imprisonment, and emotional issues with the characters, as well as the many plot holes and questionable storyline. Even with all it’s issues, however, we both still love this movie and will continue watching it in the future. So join us as we talk about “Beauty and the Beast.” Enjoy!

As by request, we are discussing “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” from 1988. This goes to show you if you comment on our IG with your requests we might actually choose your movie! Avery had many feelings watching this movie. This one definitely left an impression on little Avery. She remembered all the scary parts, which haunted her as a child. Joel only saw this once as a teen, so his memories were vague, and he did not feel as strongly about it. We jump all over the place with our discussion, from arguing about the ol’ chicken or the egg debate to struggling with speaking English good(lol), to wanting to know Judge Doom’s origin story and why Christopher Lloyd was so good for that role. After watching the movie again, we both agree, this is definitely not a PG movie. Ah, the good old 80s. Letting kids watch inappropriate movies for 40 years. We have to give this movie mad props for the work they did to make the cartoons seem real and interact with humans. The animation is amazing. We also love that this is the only movie that was able to get the rights to have Warner Bros cartoons, Disney cartoons, and so many more characters in one movie! How awesome is that? Avery is now old enough where she actually enjoys watching this movie now, so join us and go watch “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and then come listen to our podcast!

Hello everyone and welcome to Episode 41 of the podcast. In this week’s episode we discuss “The Iron Giant” from 1999. This is our 3rd DisNOT movie thus far. Many people assume this is part of the Disney universe, however, it is actually a Warner Bros. Production and was written and directed by Brad Bird. Yes, the same Brad Bird that goes on to write and direct “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille”. This movie was his directorial debut. It didn’t do so well in the box office, mainly because they didn’t market the movie enough, but eventually people began to notice it and now is well loved by many...including the critics. Joel has warm nostalgia for this film and loved watching this growing up. Avery had only seen this maybe once or twice. However, neither of us remembered most of the film. We discuss whether this movie, which is based in the Cold War era, would be relevant to kids who watch it today and we also came up with an awesome part 2 if Brad Bird ever wants to meet up with us. So listen and laugh along to our podcast about “The Iron Giant”! Thanks!