Claire and Gavia discuss Steven Spielberg's acclaimed 2021 adaptation of West Side Story, a musical about two young lovers caught in a turf war between rival gangs. Among other topics we delve into Spielberg's unique technical expertise, West Side Story's complicated political legacy, the lost art of movie-musical filmmaking... and Claire's passionate love for Mike Faist, who earned widespread praise for playing the charismatic gang leader Riff.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan discuss the classic musical The Court Jester, starring Danny Kaye as a hapless circus performer forced to go undercover as a court jester as part of an elaborate seditious scheme. The film also stars a young Angela Lansbury, Basil Rathbone, and Glynis Johns. Topics include the film's connection to other medieval satires, the influence of vaudeville on Hollywood performance, Danny Kaye's motor-mouth, and much more.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan discuss Baz Luhrmann's directorial debut, the beloved Australian classic Strictly Ballroom (1992), starring Paul Mercurio as a would-be champion ballroom dancer and Tara Morice as his unlikely partner. Topics include the development of Luhrmann's distinct aesthetic, the film's successful deployment of tropes and queer subtext, and much more.
Read MoreIn this week's episode, Gavia and Morgan find themselves unexpectedly at odds over classic movie musical The Music Man (1962), starring Robert Preston as small-time conman Harold Hill and Shirley Jones as the librarian who falls for him in spite of herself. Is this movie justifiably beloved or an interminable purgatory? You be the judge.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan dive into Disney Channel classic High School Musical 2 at a Patreon subscriber's request. They discuss the film's cultural impact, its Marxist themes, its blast-from-the-past fashions, and much more.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia break down the 2012 film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Rock of Ages. They compare the film to other jukebox musicals, assess its box office performance, and — most importantly — discuss what the hell is going on with Tom Cruise.
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