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Episode Archives

Ep 12

Lightyear (Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story)

Retro Spectacles nears the finish line on the Toy Story franchise deep dive with the spin-off that broke Pixar’s streak. “Lightyear” (2022) opens with a title card: “This is the movie that Andy fell in love with in 1995.” Teddy and Mitcz reject that premise within minutes. What was pitched as “Andy’s Star Wars” landed ... Listen to "Lightyear (Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story)"
Ep 11

Toy Story 4 (Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story)

Retro Spectacles continues the Toy Story franchise deep dive with the sequel nobody asked for that made a billion dollars. Toy Story 3 closed the book on the Andy trilogy with a Best Picture-nominated goodbye. Toy Story 4 survived John Lasseter’s Me Too departure, Rashida Jones and Will McCormack walking off the project, and a ... Listen to "Toy Story 4 (Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story)"
Ep 10

Toy Story 3 (Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story)

Retro Spectacles continues the Toy Story franchise deep dive with Toy Story 3, the trilogy closer that almost became a very different movie before Pixar reclaimed Woody, Buzz, Andy, and the emotional finale that defined the end of the Andy years. Before Lee Unkrich’s version became a Best Picture nominee, Disney’s Circle 7 Animation had ... Listen to "Toy Story 3 (Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story)"
Ep 9

Toy Story 2 (Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story)

Retro Spectacles continues the Toy Story franchise deep dive with the 1999 sequel that almost never happened. Disney wanted a cheap direct-to-video sequel. Pixar said no. Then somebody accidentally deleted 90% of the film’s files. Then John Lasseter scrapped the script and rewrote it in a weekend. And somehow, “Toy Story 2” emerged as one ... Listen to "Toy Story 2 (Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story)"
Ep 8

Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story & Pixar’s Story

Retro Spectacles launches its first-ever franchise deep dive with the animated classic that started it all: Pixar’s 1995 “Toy Story,” directed by John Lasseter, starring Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Jim Varney, John Ratzenberger, and Annie Potts. Mitcz & Teddy break down how Steve Jobs bought Pixar from George Lucas for pennies, ... Listen to "Franchise Deep Dive : Toy Story & Pixar’s Story"
Ep 7

Palate Cleanser : Rage Against the Machine, Grief, and Angst

Retro Spectacles continues the palate cleanser with Part 2 of the albums that shaped Mitcz & Teddy’s adolescence. Teddy’s pick: Rage Against the Machine’s 1999 album “The Battle of Los Angeles.” After his father died suddenly of a heart attack when Teddy was 11, nothing at home sounded like what he was feeling until Bulls ... Listen to "Palate Cleanser : Rage Against the Machine, Grief, and Angst"
Ep 6

Palate Cleanser : Dead Kennedys & Punk Awakening

Retro Spectacles hits pause on the deep dives for a palate cleanser. Before the next series kicks off, Mitcz & Teddy each picked an album and related songs that had a huge impact on their adolescence. In Part 1, Mitcz tells the story of the summer before 7th grade when his best friend Kevin handed ... Listen to "Palate Cleanser : Dead Kennedys & Punk Awakening"
Ep 5

Hidden Gems : Election (1999) & Life (1999)

In the final episode of our inaugural series about Hidden Gems (movies Mitcz & Teddy feel deserve more credit), we both picked comedy films from a year packed with hits : 1999. First up, Mitcz picked the Matthew Broderick & Reese Witherspoon MTV Film “Election” about an exceedingly ambitious high schooler trying to win it ... Listen to "Hidden Gems : Election (1999) & Life (1999)"
Ep 4

Hidden Gems : The Frighteners (1996) & Small Soldiers (1998)

The penultimate Retro Spectacles series opener “Hidden Gems” episode is here with a bang! But what’s a hidden gem? We think you’ll agree with our picks today, but we define them as art (in this case movies) that we think got lost in the shuffle but are much better than the lackluster fanfare they received ... Listen to "Hidden Gems : The Frighteners (1996) & Small Soldiers (1998)"
Ep 3

Hidden Gems : The Island (2005) & Brazil (1985)

The Retro Spectacles inaugural series “Hidden Gems” reaches its 3rd installment today. What’s a hidden gem to Mitcz & Teddy? Simply put : art (in this case movies) Mitcz & Teddy have determined are much better than the size of the audiences they originally captured. In this episode, we go back to a pre-Transformers Michael ... Listen to "Hidden Gems : The Island (2005) & Brazil (1985)"