Bridget and Philip discuss ‘A Whiker Away,’ a 2020 anime film from Studio Colorido, Toho Animation and Twin Engine and distributed on Netflix. The film follows Miyo, a fanciful eighth grader in Japan who finds herself embroiled in a Faustian bargain with a feline seller of magical Noh masks. Her newfound power to transform into a cat provides a welcome escape from the stresses of her unhappy life, but she runs the risk of losing sight of the many people who love and are concerned for her. Can the love of family and friends stop Miyo from falling fully for under a cat spell forever? Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast. instagram.com/bridget5246, instagram.com/philipehlke. Visit thawedcast.com

'Suzume' is the 2022 animated feature from CoMix Wave Films and the seventh film from writer/director Makoto Shinkai, who most recently saw global crossover success with 'Your Name' (2016) and 'Weathering with You' (2019). 'Suzume' is a supernatural adventure wherein the eponymous heroine accompanies the mysterious Souta across Japan on a quest to track down Daijin, a mischievous cat-god who places a curse on Souta. Along the way they must close several gates that are unleashing restless spirits upon humanity. Failure to do will spell certain disaster for a populace whose ignorance has only inflamed the earthquake-yielding wrath of the spirits. Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast. instagram.com/bridget5246, instagram.com/philipehlke. Visit thawedcast.com

Philip and Jodi review 'Wish', the 62nd animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios. 'Wish' continues a legacy that is currently being celebrated in the Walt Disney Company's 100-year anniversary as the foundation upon which the rest of the company is built. The Disney Empire has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1923 as a company set up by Walt and Roy Disney to produce short cartoons. The role of animation as the core of the company has fluctuated significantly, from nearly seeing the animation division shut down in the mid-eighties to the highs of the nineties Renaissance. Despite a post-Covid, post-Disney+ cooling at the box office, Disney Animation continues its output of blockbuster-level films with a story inspired by the Wishing Star referenced in the company logo and theme song, "When You Wish Upon a Star." In 'Wish' we follow Asha, a new heroine who aspires to apprentice under the benevolent sorcerer-king Magnifico, who has power over wishes. The purity of one of Asha's wishes outshines Magnifico's power and makes him envious, sending an idyllic kingdom into a precarious state of discontent as it suffers under increasingly evil and despotic rule.

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Lara joins Philip to reminisce about ten years of Disney's 'Frozen'. They discuss the film's influence and how the film and animation industries have changed since 2013. They also explore the fandom of 'Frozen' and Disney more generally and consider the future for the franchise in the context of Disney's status as a film studio in 2023. Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast. Find us at instagram.com/laraakal, instagram.com/philipehlke. Visit thawedcast.com

Philip and Elliott discuss the latest live-action Star Wars series from Lucasfilm and Disney Plus, 'Ahsoka,' spotlighting the popular Jedi who first appeared in 'Star Wars: The Clone Wars.' Ahsoka Tano is portrayed by Rosario Dawson in this eight-episode exploration of the roving former Jedi. Ahsoka is searching for clues to the location of Grand Admiral Thrawn, who disappeared years prior along with Rebel hero Ezra Bridger. Rumors abound of Thawn's possible return, and his leadership could prove devastating to the frail New Republic. A small band of heroes must work together to thwart the actions of a secretive group of agents who are working to unlock the secret route to a faraway planet--a world that plays host to mysteries pivotal to the future of the galaxy. This may prove too tempting a Pandora's box to simply allow it to remain unopened, as it may be the key to rescuing Ezra. Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast. instagram.com/ellimundo, instagram.com/philipehlke. Visit thawedcast.com

Jodi, Bridget and Philip discuss the 1992 Francis Ford Coppola Film 'Bram Stoker's Dracula.' This film follows the 1897 'Dracula' novel and lends a signature artistic flourish courtesy of Coppola's visionary direction and diverse practical visual effects, vibrant costumes, ornate period sets and atmospheric score. Originally conceived as a minimalist adaptation of the original source material, Coppola along with his son Roman, who has worked on numerous music videos and Wes Anderson films, decided to expand what would have been an eccentric costume drama into a scrappy Gothic epic employing many unconventional techniques and creative choices more a film from classic Hollywood, and what results is a truly unique cinematic classic that feels simultaneously grand and intimate, with a stellar cast lending a timeless theatricality to the project. Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast. instagram.com/jodipolasky, instagram.com/bridget5246, instagram.com/philipehlke. Visit thawedcast.com

Bridget and Philip discuss the new animated film from Paramount and Nickelodeon Studios, 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.' Directed by 'Mitchell's vs the Machines' alumni Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears, 'Mutant Mayhem' incorporates numerous hand-drawn elements to enhance the cel-shaded 3D animated world of the Ninja Turtles. This new take on the franchise introduces the supervillain "Superfly," who shares a common origin with the Turtles. Initially tempted to join Superfly and his gang, and feeling stifled in their situation under their surrogate father and master, the boys Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael decide to seek favor in the eyes of humanity with the help of the PR-savvy journalist April O'Neil. Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast. instagram.com/bridget5246, instagram.com/philipehlke. Visit thawedcast.com

Philip and Jodi discuss 2010's 'TRON: Legacy,' the long-awaited sequel to 1982's 'TRON' starring Jeff Bridges as a plucky computer programmer who gets sucked into the computer world. This seminal "legacy sequel" from Joseph Kosinski, who would go on to direct the 2022 mega-hit 'Top Gun: Maverick,' also stars Jeff Bridges as Kevin Flynn and centers around Kevin's son Sam, who lost contact with his father who has been missing since 1989. Bruce Boxleitner returns as Alan Bradley/Tron and Olivia Wilde costars as the enigmatic Quorra. Sam and Alan receive their first sign of contact from Kevin in two decades, and Sam's investigation leads him to the mythical "digital frontier" from his father's bedtime stories. Though a third TRON film has long been rumored, the series has seen some recent rejuvenation with Walt Disney World attraction 'TRON: Lightcycle Run,' which opened in Magic Kingdom in April 2023. Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast. instagram.com/jodipolasky, instagram.com/philipehlke. Visit thawedcast.com

Wes Anderson's genre-bending, fourth wall-breaking new film 'Asteroid City' features a colorful cast collected in a remote desert setting. The government research hub of Asteroid City has few permanent residents but plays host to a science convention honoring the achievements of brilliant young minds. Suddenly, a quarantine befalls Asteroid City, and whether or not this eclectic congregation is allowed to leave their impromptu purgatory unscathed, it's clear that some characters carry their cage with them. Perhaps this is the diversion they need to escape their own personal prison. Philip and Jodi discuss the film's fantastical whimsy, compelling characters and wry observations on creativity and human nature. Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast. instagram.com/jodipolasky, instagram.com/philipehlke. Visit thawedcast.com

Philip and Jodi discuss the latest film from Christopher Nolan and Universal Pictures, 'Oppenheimer,' documenting the Manhattan Project and the life of its co-leader and chief researcher, J. Robert Oppenheimer. Oppenheimer would earn the nickname "Father of the Atomic Bomb" and later "American Prometheus" as the person most responsible for the creation and testing of nuclear weapons, of which only two have ever been used in combat. Despite this, the implications of this technology are haunting, and Oppenheimer retains one of the most complicated legacies of any key figure of the twentieth century. This film details the political manipulation he endured as a morally flawed, tortured genius whose work would inevitably be used in ways he abhorred, but for which he is ultimately responsible--a fitting avatar for mankind itself. Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast. instagram.com/jodipolasky, instagram.com/philipehlke. Visit thawedcast.com