It's another week of fond farewells as we say goodbye to the Richard Todd/Glynis Johns Disney costume dramas of the 1950s. We've loved these Disney movies for their amazing production design and costuming, how they capture the language of bygone eras, and the promise of Richard Todd taking his shirt off. In THE SWORD AND THE ROSE not only is that promise realized, we get a legitimate contender for first truly female-led movie in the live action Disney canon, a delightful interpretation of Henry VIII as a fun-loving party animal, and Vicky might have found herself a new catchphrase.
Over four years ago, our hosts watched both versions of Disney's The Shaggy Dog, and it was such a rough experience that not even our Summer of Sequels could get us to watch the follow-up to the 1959 original. The time has finally come, however, and we are pleased to announced that THE SHAGGY D.A. takes every single aspect of this kook-a-dook premise and knocks it right out of the park. Starring several of our favourites of the Disney 60s and 70s live action fare all doing some of their best work, dynamite slapstick comedy, and a man running around in a dog suit, there's no shortage of fun to be had or talked about.
Not going to lie to you, D-Lovers, this episode isn't almost 90 minutes because we had a whole lot to say about Disney's BEDTIME STORIES. Sure, it's acceptable enough family fare with some serious problems that we definitely get into. But given this is the only Disney movie that features Adam Sandler, the reality is we spend a large chunk of time discussing our beloved Sandman in general, both in this movie, in others, and his career in general. But don't worry, we won't be pivoting into an Adam Sandler podcast anytime soon - our hosts just needed to get this out of their system.
In this Minnie Mouse-isode edition of the Summer of Sadness, we attempt to unpack the enigma that is Tim Burton. A man whose whole aesthetic and, well, everything screams "outsider" yet whose only dreams were to draw animation for Disney. And despite an awkward beginning, he would go on to direct several successful movies for them. Tim Burton may be a riddle we'll never quite solve, but his history and philosophies, such as they are, sure are fun to discuss.