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

ThawedCast pt. 3

Wait What? - Frozen Turns 10

Wait, What? - Frozen Turns 10

With the journey to Hawaii taking a little longer than expected, film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers are passing the time with a bonus mini-episode – presenting an early reaction special on Walt Disney Animation Studio’s new feature, Wish. It’ll still be covered in full down the line – but for now, we discuss our expectations going in, our feelings on the songs and story, the end-credits characters who made us lose our minds, and how the film taps into Disney’s 100th anniversary celebrations. Enjoy – and get ready for Experiment 626 to land in the very near future.

Next up: Lilo & Stitch. We promise!

Disniversity is brought to you by Ben Travis (@benstravis) and Sam Summers (@samsummers0), with art by Olly Gibbs and music by Nafets. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @disniversity. This podcast is not affiliated with Disney.

—

Welcome to Disniversity, the podcast crash course through the history of Disney’s animated classics, with film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Dr. Sam Summers. Each week, we’ll be moving forward in time through the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios catalogue, watching every feature film in chronological order – from Snow White to Wish. Watch along with us, and listen as we explore each film’s historical context, advances in animation and lasting legacy, and talk about how they stand up today.

BONUS: Wish (Reaction Special)

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. 
Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast.  instagram.com/jodipolasky, instagram.com/philipehlke. Visit thawedcast.com

Wish

Ladies, gentlemen, Stitches and glitches – it’s finally time. At long last, film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers blast off to Hawaii for 2002’s beloved Lilo & Stitch. But will it live up to the hype? (Spoiler: Absolutely yes.) For this episode, our duo are joined by very special guest Maria Lewis – author, TV writer, podcaster and more – to bask in the glory of Ohana, discussing the film’s affecting human story, its presentation of Polynesian culture, the meaning of ‘good’ and ‘bad’, terrible ’00s Elvis covers, and violent memes. Plus, Ben gets some mysterious voicemail messages from Disniversity alumni, Sam goes ultra-deep on a vast Lasting Legacy, and Maria talks the importance of the Oceanic Story Trust. It’s a big, buoyant conversation on a film we’ve been desperate to cover for years now – so go ahead, and get stuck right in.

Next up: A Christmas Carol (2009, Robert Zemeckis). Then, Treasure Planet.

Disniversity is brought to you by Ben Travis (@benstravis) and Sam Summers (@samsummers0), with art by Olly Gibbs and music by Nafets. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @disniversity. This podcast is not affiliated with Disney.

—

Welcome to Disniversity, the podcast crash course through the history of Disney’s animated classics, with film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Dr. Sam Summers. Each week, we’ll be moving forward in time through the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios catalogue, watching every feature film in chronological order – from Snow White to Wish. Watch along with us, and listen as we explore each film’s historical context, advances in animation and lasting legacy, and talk about how they stand up today.

139 – Lilo & Stitch (w/ Maria Lewis)

Avast, me hearties! Disniversity is back on the map – and film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers are hoping to find hidden riches in 2002’s Treasure Planet. Our intrepid heroes are joined by animation (and particularly anime) lover Kambole Campbell, zord-ing up with the crew to talk the legacy of Disney pirate stories, farting slug-men, and the Anakin Skywalker-coding of Jim Hawkins. Plus, we discuss the pirate-to-sci-fi ratio of the film’s genre mashup, Sam unspools a wild Dracula-centric dream about much-desired Treasure Planet toys, and the ultimate question is pondered: exactly how long is this John Silver?

Next up: Brother Bear

Disniversity is brought to you by Ben Travis (@benstravis) and Sam Summers (@samsummers0), with art by Olly Gibbs and music by Nafets. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @disniversity. This podcast is not affiliated with Disney.

—

Welcome to Disniversity, the podcast crash course through the history of Disney’s animated classics, with film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Dr. Sam Summers. Each week, we’ll be moving forward in time through the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios catalogue, watching every feature film in chronological order – from Snow White to Wish. Watch along with us, and listen as we explore each film’s historical context, advances in animation and lasting legacy, and talk about how they stand up today.

140 – Treasure Planet (w/ Kambole Campbell)

The trail through the Wilderness Years continues into the American wilds, as film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers discover the true meaning of brotherhood – and bears – in 2003’s Brother Bear. Along the way, they discuss a lesser batch of Phil Collins songs; unpick the odd morality at play in the film’s depiction of nature; and discover what happens when brothers become bears, bears kill brothers, bears become brothers, brothers kill bears, and every other possible combination of that you could possibly imagine. Plus, there’s much talk of those ‘hilarious’ moose, Sam gets into the deeply unsavoury questions of animal attraction posed by Brother Bear 2, and we wave goodbye to the straight-to-DVD era.

Next up: Bonus special on the straight-to-DVD sequels. Then, Home On The Range!

Disniversity is brought to you by Ben Travis (@benstravis) and Sam Summers (@samsummers0), with art by Olly Gibbs and music by Nafets. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @disniversity. This podcast is not affiliated with Disney.

—

Welcome to Disniversity, the podcast crash course through the history of Disney’s animated classics, with film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Dr. Sam Summers. Each week, we’ll be moving forward in time through the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios catalogue, watching every feature film in chronological order – from Snow White to Wish. Watch along with us, and listen as we explore each film’s historical context, advances in animation and lasting legacy, and talk about how they stand up today.

141 – Brother Bear

Mele Kalikimaka as the ThawedCast covers 'Moana,' the monumental 2016 film from Walt Disney Animation Studios, directed by longtime Disney Animation dynamic duo John Musker and Ron Clements, and co-directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams. Bridget, Lara and Philip revisit the mythical ancient Polynesian world of Moana of Motunui (Auli'i Cravalho) and her adventures with the demigod Maui (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson). Moana--a princess of sorts as the daughter of the chief--is faced with inheriting the leadership of an insular island nation that has abandoned its seafaring roots. However, she must learn to sail in order to restore the Heart of Te Fiti, a magical relic bestowed on her by the ocean. Failing in her mission would doom her island to a growing famine. Guided by her grandmother's spirit and the power of the ocean, she first seeks out the aid of the shapeshifter Maui. He reluctantly agrees to accompany her, first to retrieve his magical fishhook, and then to potentially face the perils posed by the demon Te Kā, who has corrupted the influence of the nature goddess Te Fiti. Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast.  instagram.com/partoflarasworld,  instagram.com/bridget5246, instagram.com/philipehlke. Visit thawedcast.com

Moana

Jodi, Bridget and Philip talk about 'Spellbound' (2024), a new animated musical from Netflix and Skydance Animation. This is the second animated feature to come from Skydance after 'Luck' (2022) and is directed and co-written by 'Shrek' director Vicky Jenson. The film takes viewers to the enchanted, or rather, cursed, kingdom of Lumbria, ruled by King Solon and Queen Ellsmere. Their daughter, Princess Ellian, must determine whether to become queen, since the king and queen were transformed into feral monsters and have been hidden away in the palace for a year. Ellian manages to contact two oracles who are unable to reverse the enchantment but point her toward a possible solution. She must guide the two lizard-like monsters on a journey to a lake of light, but must contend with the fact that this perilous quest will likely leave her, her kingdom, and her family forever changed. Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast, instagram.com/bridget5246, instagram.com/philipehlke, visit thawedcast.com

ThawedCast pt. 4

Spellbound

Philip, Lara, Jodi, and Bridget discuss the new Disney animated sequel, 'Moana 2'. Moana returns to screens after eight years since the original. Set a number of years after the first film, the heroine has embraced her role as a wayfinder and is searching for other inhabited islands in an attempt to establish contact with the outside world. After receiving a vision from her ancestors, Moana sets out to an island that once served as the hub of her civilization. There are dark spirits and frightening creatures standing in her way, so it is bound to be a perilous voyage, posing tremendous risk to Moana and her newly formed crew. Follow The ThawedCast: Conversations About Animation: twitter.com/thawedcast and instagram.com/thawedcast.  instagram.com/partoflarasworld,  instagram.com/bridget5246, instagram.com/philipehlke, tiktok.com/@jodipolasky47. Visit thawedcast.com

Moana 2

What’s up, Goobs. As the Wilderness Years draw towards an end, film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers go back to the future with 2007’s time-travelling oddity Meet The Robinsons. And they’re joined by special guest Al Horner, who has his very own peculiar history with what might be *the* defining Wilderness movie. Together, they discuss the oddest Robinsons, discover the joy of ‘crogs’, and discuss Walt Disney’s vision of a ‘great big beautiful tomorrow’. Plus, Sam unpicks the insane lore of the spin-off game, there’s a spot of actual time travel, and Ben ponders the big question: who, exactly, is Pete Robinson? The future has arrived!

Next up: Bolt

Disniversity is brought to you by Ben Travis (@benstravis) and Sam Summers (@samsummers0), with art by Olly Gibbs and music by Nafets. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @disniversity. This podcast is not affiliated with Disney.

—

Welcome to Disniversity, the podcast crash course through the history of Disney’s animated classics, with film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Dr. Sam Summers. Each week, we’ll be moving forward in time through the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios catalogue, watching every feature film in chronological order – from Snow White to Moana 2. Watch along with us, and listen as we explore each film’s historical context, advances in animation and lasting legacy, and talk about how they stand up today.

144 – Meet The Robinsons (w/ Al Horner)

The podcast crash course through the history of Disney's animated classics, by film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Dr Sam Summers. 

Each week, we’ll be moving forward in time through the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios catalogue, watching every feature film in chronological order – from Snow White to Wish. Watch along with us, and listen as we explore each film’s historical context, advances in animation and lasting legacy, and talk about how they stand up today.

Note: This podcast is not affiliated with Disney.

New tracks tagged #walt disney animation studios