In what the Disney Desk hopes to be a recurring segment, it is time for another Internet Minute Power Hour! With so much to cover on the main show, Carter and Sydney realized it was easier to dedicate an extra episode a month to covering the news, opinions, and personal moments that usually fill the regular Internet Minutes.
This week, your podcast hosts talk about their Ghost Tour in the Delaware River Valley, Ghost of Yhotei, watching The VVitch, and the drama of Ben Solo.
We have a rare treat as Spooky Season ends! With Halloween falling on a Friday, we not only have a Halloween Weekend, but a Dia de los Muertos weekend! So what better way to celebrate than diving into one of Pixar's unsung gems?
Coco released in 2017 and was an early film in Disney Desk's early history. While it was a hit off of release, it has gained a substantial following post-release and stands as one of the studio's best films post Up/Toy Story 3.
Tune in as Carter and Sydney talk musicals, side quests, and what we remember from those who came before us.
Halloween Week is upon us! To wrap up Disney Desk's Spooky Season, Carter and Sydney decide to head back to the world of Laika claymation.
Last year, the duo watched Coraline for the first time and were blown away by the studio's debut feature. But before the Disney Desk began, Carter had been previously enchanted by another Laika feature. ParaNorman was their follow up to Coraline, and while it received the same praise from critics, it began a downward trend of diminishing returns at the Box Office.
Grab a hot chocolate and send the season off with a beautiful, gross and dark film.
On Carter and Sydney's Spooky Corner (24:03 - 48:08)
Viewer beware, it's time for a scare. When we talk about 90's, millennial nostalgia, one of the first pop cultural entities that comes up is Goosebumps. R.L. Stein's classic tween horror series stands as one of the pillars of childhood reading, and lead to an equally iconic television series. Both Carter and Sydney have nostalgic memories of both the books and the series with Carter having a particular affinity for the series.
Coming back to the landmark show as adults, does the Disney Desk still get Goosebumps? Tune in to find out!
On Carter and Sydney's Spooky Corner (18:25 - 44:08)
If you think of Studio Ghibli, if you think Hayao Miyazaki, or if even if you just think of anime, there's a good chance your first thought is Spirited Away. After briefly retiring, Miyazaki returned to make the film that permanently changed the world's relationship with anime.
And the fact that it is centered around ghosts and spirits is justification enough for the Disney Desk to return to their Ghibli Fest festivities. Listen in as Sydney experiences the landmark film for the first time, as she and Carter talk dream logic, plutonic romance, and the way we treat kids.
On Carter and Sydney's Spooky Corner (35:00 - 1:06:00)
MWAHAHAHAHA! A cool breeze waves through the Delaware Valley, meaning Spooky Season is once again upon us! All month long, your favorite Halloween fanatics will be discussing the great Halloween films and series of their childhood while talking about their nostalgic memories of the season.
To kick off the month, Carter and Sydney break down Monster House, one of the more iconic - or perhaps infamous - films of their childhood. The motion capture film has developed a massive cult following, and the Disney Desk is here to discover if it earns its holiday bona fides.
On Carter and Sydney's Spooky Corner (31:10 - 1:06:31)
- Syndey and Carter make candy tier lists!
Our inaugural "Disney Through the Decades" month comes to an end by covering the Mouse that Started it All. Five years into the company's history, Walt Disney Brothers' Studio released Steamboat Willie, starring their new character Mickey Mouse.
Do we even need to explain what happened after that?
Listen in as Sydney and Carter talk about the starting points of Mickey Mouse and how he represents Disney's transition from a plucky animation studio to a multimedia empire.
Long time viewers may have noticed for the last few months, we have been foregoing our usual "Internet Minute Segment." While there has been a lot of interesting news and art to talk about, Carter and Sydney have found themselves so deep into the episode topics, having a separate break in the episode didn't make sense.
So for September, the Disney Desk is doing an Internet Minute Power Hour: a full bonus episode dedicated to discusing recent news and events!
Please note that this episode was recorded before the recent Return of Jimmy Kimmel.
As the Disney Desk decided to begin their study of Disney Decades, they decided that they would always leave one episode to discuss how Disney depicts the decade. A piece of art not necessarily made in that decade, but about that decade.
To that end, Carter and Sydney spend this week covering Princess and the Frog, the 'real life' fairy tale set in 1920's New Orleans. A somewhat controversial release in 2009, the discourse of the time had much to say about how Disney envisioned the city and how it took on the era of Jim Crow.
Listen in as we talk fashion, the train tracks, and Prohibition.
After covering the pinnacle of the decade with Snow White, Carter and Sydney rewind to the earliest days of "Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio."
The earliest days of Walt Disney Animation were defined by the studio's short films. From the experimental Alice Comedies to Oswald and Mickey Mouse Cartoons to Silly Symphonies, this era of shorts helped define what a 'Disney' film is.
And as the studio grew and their investments in technology began to pay out, you can watch in real time as the pieces are put in place to make the first feature length animated film.
We also go on a really long rant about B5. Remember B5?
It is time to travel back in time with The Disney Desk! To celebrate another year with the podcast, Carter and Sydney will be periodically taking a month to look over a single decade to see where Walt Disney Studios was at the time, and where filmmaking and pop culture as a whole were.
To begin, we are doubling up with the 1920's and 1930's, as Walt and Roy Disney begin their careers in Hollywood amidst the Roaring Twenties and The Great Depression. After the studio makes a name for itself with beloved and iconic shorts, Walt calls his shot and aims for the stars with the first hand-drawn animated feature film: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Beyond its culture-shaking importance, how does the film hold up in a modern lens? Tune in to find out!
It turns out Sydney and Carter are bad at reading schedules. Because after celebrating the end of Carter's Birthday month last week, they discovered there is actually five Sundays in August this year. So what to do? A Patreon Exclusive drop!
Returning to the world of Ghibli, Howl's Moving Castle was an episode the Disney Desk did back during their Disney Desk and Friends Month, calling on mutual friend Molly to fill them in on the finer details of the novels that inspired the film.
Tune in as the trio talk war, wizards, and the underlying themes that define Miyazaki.
Today, August 24th, we celebrate everyone's chatty co-host, Carter! This is the first time the Disney Desk has ever had an episode on a host's birthday! So to celebrate, Carter has decided to break out the film that he describes as 'Getting him back into Disney' growing up. Wreck-it Ralph was a curveball from the studio, bringing in new voices to create an anarchic, utterly charming film.
Tune in as Sydney and Carter talk rules, abrasiveness, and open gifts!
Last year, the Disney Desk dedicated the entire month of July to one of their favorite animated shows: King of the Hill. For years, the idea of returning to Arlen, Texas, as been discussed by the show's original creative team. That promise was finally fulfilled this Summer with Season 14 of King of the Hill.
But instead of just covering another topical release, Carter decided to use his birthday powers for chaos. Steven Universe, the Cartoon Network hit about Steven and his celestial family of Crystal Gems, has been on of Carter's most influential shows, one he has threatened to cover on the show since its inception.
So this week, Carter and Sydney not only cover the newest season of King of the Hill, but the first season of Steven Universe, finding common ground between their classic Americana settings and the endless idealism of their protagonists in spite of the chaos around them.
The early 2000's were a gold mine for a particular kind of 'ok-ish' kids film. Max Keeble's Big Movie, Good Burger, Small Soldier and so on were littered across TV networks and Blockbuster stores, begging for repeat viewings. This week, Carter uses his birthday month to dive into a film that he would watch religiously as a kid. 2002's Big Fat Liar is a fascinating mixing of 00's tropes, kid celebrities, and camp that they truly don't make anymore. Listen in as Sydney and Carter discuss a somewhat forgotten film from a bygone era, from a time before Netflix gobbled up the 'ok-ish' film space.
Break out the confetti, it's time for another birthday month! Every February and August, one of your Disney Desk hosts celebrates their birthday, meaning the entire month is dedicated to the films, shows, and art that define them. As Summer rolls along, it's time to celebrate your chaoticly chatty co-host: Carter!
Growing up in the 2000's, Carter was riding the high of Sam Raimi's Spider-man when a new comic book movie caught his attention. While Tim Story's Fantastic Four might not have been the most 'accurate' depiction of the characters, it still holds a fond place in Carter's heart and made the characters some of his favorites.
Twenty years later, Marvel's First Family has finally come to the MCU, promising a lovingly retro-futuristic reboot of the characters. Listen in as Carter and Sydney talk meta, charisma, and camp.
In 2015, Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton debuted on Broadway, becoming an instant hit both critically and financially. The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is perhaps the defining piece of art of the decade and a persistent part of the cultural conversation even as its 'moment' passed.
At long last, the Disney Desk sits down to watch the proshoot of the original cast on Disney+. Listen in as Carter and Sydney talk I Want Songs, Mythology, and whether or not Hamilton is 'dated.'
As Sydney and Carter discussed during their Toy Story talk, Pixar hit the ground running and never looked back. With Toy Story, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo in rapid succession, the studio has arguably the most successful start in animation history.
But right after Toy Story, Pixar released a slightly more subdued film. One that was vital to the company's story yet lacks the cultural presence of the titanic releases that come after.
1998's a bug's life was the follow up to Toy Story and despite critical praise and finanically success, it remains the quiet oddball for Pixar's early run.
Listen in as the Disney Desk covers stereotypes, world building, and everything 90's.
After a month of no nonsense, straight to the topic episodes, Carter and Sydney decided it was time to take a breath and catch up on a busy Summer of Disney and animation news. So for this week only, it's an all Internet Minute episode! Listen in as the pair talk about the return of Hall of Presidents, Disney suing an AI company, and the controversy surrounding creative changes with Elio.
While Sydney is on vacation, the Disney Desk welcomes you back to the vault for one of our Patreon episodes. The first episode Carter and Sydney ever recorded, Turning Red was a fascinating discussion about a film that promised to be a new evolution of the Pixar formula. And years later, as the discourse around Pixar's future and their originals rages on, the film continues to be a hotbed of conversation.