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Episode 10 – Wall-E

Wall-e hugs Eve in space

Ethan Perkins and Matt Robison talk about the 2008 Pixar film Wall-E.

We cover a large number of topics, including: whether or not this is the most Pixar of Pixar, the deep Christian themes and how counter subversive it is to the typical environmentalist agenda, the themes of love, purpose, and stewardship, Wall-E’s infectious humanity, Auto as a pharisee and the spirit of the Law, the significance of the Hello, Dolly song, longing for a return of the magic Pixar touch, and how it flips certain sci-fi tropes on its head.

A picture of the red eye of HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey, Auto’s obvious inspiration both in design and character:

Red eye of HAL 9000

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Episode 9 – Hotel Transylvania 2

Dracula putting Dennis in carseat - monsters behindAdrian Young and Matt Robison discuss the 2015 animated comedy, Hotel Transylvania 2.

During this episode, we talk about: the classic monster movies of old and the throw-backs in the movie, the relation between “monster” movies and the “slasher” movie, the history of physical comedy in animation, superimposing relatable archetypes on top of these recognizable monsters, adding a personality to a mummy, some of the potentially serious subject matter like cross-cultural marriages, the overall lack of focus, favorite B movies, why Mavis even likes Johnny, the genius of Mel Brooks, how jammed-packed the voice talent is overall, and the final fight sequence that gets the high praise of “better than tenuous.”

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Episode 8 – Big Hero 6

The team stands before the cut door

Steve Akers joins the show again to talk about the Disney movie Big Hero 6.

Some of the things we talk about: comparisons to other movies like The Iron Giant and How to Train Your Dragon, the portrayal of depression and loneliness, the diversity checkbox, the meta-comments of Fred, the question of a robot being offended, the privacy issues that would come up with technology like Baymax, what might be explored in a sequel, the technology in this movie that might as well be “magic,” how unbelievably dangerous Wasabi’s plasma blades are, Callaghan’s convoluted plan, and our biggest pet peeves.

About Steve:

Christian. Husband and father. VP of Engineering at Appriss. Amateur TV philosopher. Lover of movies.

View other episodes with Steve.

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Episode 7 – Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Nausicaa on her glider over the desertTharon Hall and Matt Robison talk about the 1984 Miyazaki classic, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, the movie that kicked off Studio Ghibli and helped inspire animators around the world.

During this episode, we talk about: the post-apocalyptic setting, Disney movies that were released around the same time, the influence the movie (and Miyazaki) has had all the way to Wall-E, the strength of the movie’s heroine, the animation and some of our favorite scenes, our first introductions to foreign films when young, the villains of the movie, the relationship of mankind with the earth, comparisons to the manga/comic, and the appropriateness of scaring children.

A moving tribute from John Lasseter, director of Toy Story and now chief creative officer at Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios and DisneyToon Studios. A good rundown of the importance of Miyazaki.

Here is Lasseter introducing Nausicaa, and talking about the influence it had on The Rescuers Down Under:

Image of the fox squirrel:

Fox squirrel licking Nausicaa's finger

The closing shot:

Last scene of Nausicaa - green sprout

For a list of other Miyazaki films, go here. Some other favorites are Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Spirited Away, Porco Rosso, and Princess Mononoke.

About Tharon:

Tharon Hall is a Christian father of four, grandfather of two and a self-proclaimed “Microcontroller Evangelist.”. He grew up in the era of Speed Racer and Godzilla movies. Tharon has never lost his love of animation. He is also a “maker of things” in the Internet of Things.

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Episode 6 – Frozen

Elsa singing in her castle

Marc Drummond and Matt Robison talk about the 2013 Disney hit Frozen.

In the course of the discussion, we cover several topics, including: the sudden transformation of Hans, Frozen’s relation to the Disney renaissance that kicked off in 1989, the subversion of fairy tale tropes, romantic comedies going all the way back to Pride and Prejudice, the questionable decisions of Anna and Elsa’s parents, the many voices of Alan Tudyk, the similarities to Wicked, and the how the songs bring out and foreshadow the main themes of the movie.

There are also some dad jokes sprinkled throughout this episode. We apologize. But not really.

Documentary referenced in regards to the Disney Renaissance: http://www.wakingsleepingbeautymovie.com/

In Pride and Prejudice, it’s Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham.

The How It Should Have Ended Video:

Psalm 103:4

…for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.