I love Aladdin, but for me his most memorable roles were Dead Poets' Society and Good Will Hunting.

Good Will Hunting has been my favourite movie ever since I first saw it, and remains so to this day. Not because I think it's the best movie ever, it has its flaws and there are parts I don't love, but man, something about that movie just gets me every single time.

"Oh Captain, my Captain" somehow sums it up best for me. So very, very sad.

Just randomly listening back to your first podcast on Episode I, and went to find the Casting Anakin video. They had Michael Angarano in their top 3 and didn't cast him?! He's the only one of the 3 kids that's still acting, and he was fantastic as a kid too. He didn't give the best read in the clip they showed, but neither did Jake Lloyd, and Michael went on to be great as a kid in Almost Famous, amongst other things. Although he probably looks back now with a sigh of relief that he dodged that bullet...maybe.

I think the author just thought Dauntless was so COOL! and BADASS! and her excitement over the whole wearing dark clothes! and leaping off moving trains! and getting tattoos! irritated me. I don't know, I don't remember much about the story now because I read it so fast and disliked it so much that my brain can only dredge up random pieces of information about the story. I do remember one character being so EVIL! that it took me entirely out of the story. Write in a villain, by all means, but give them some kind of humanity/sympathy/motivation beyond mustache-twirling, please. I actually feel that is especially important in YA fiction. The YA phase of one's life is the time when you learn about life not being black and white, so YA books that present the world that way drive me mad.

The world of Divergent made no sense to me, which was a major block for me. (And Tris was annoying, and Four was such blatant teengirlnip that I was quickly bored by him. He's the typical Bad Boy With A Heart Of Gold that we've seen soooooo many times before. Never any suspense there as to a) where he came from and b) whether he'd fall in love with Tris or not.)

But I shouldn't be too critical because writing is hard. I am trying to write a YA dystopian novel just as a response to this, and The Hunger Games, because I've pinpointed mostly what I am not seeing and what I want to see, so rather than just ragging on existing works, I figured I should write what I want to read. But it turns out world-building is super hard, so maybe I should cut Veronica Roth some slack. (Maybe not. She can go cry into her giant stack of money and just not read her Amazon.com reviews at all.)

Re-listening to this commentary, I'm going to give another shameless plug to Twisted, for anyone who hasn't seen it but is interested in a Wicked-style Aladdin parody. They touch on so many things that you mention in your commentary, including the "cut off your ear because they don't like your face" line, a running gag that nobody understands the Genie's pop culture quotes, and a hilarious callback at the end to the opening scene with the old guy telling the tale. Not to mention secondary storyline about Disney vs Pixar, and their opening number "Dream a Little Harder" that includes the lyric "If you're good and you're attractive, no need to be proactive, good things will just happen to you!" which pretty much encapsulates a lot of the Disney oeuvre.

The trailer is here, the whole thing is on YouTube. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgINfwAZNAY

Hah, yes I am and I am thoroughly enjoying this conversation. I don't feel "mansplained" to or shouted down at all, personally. Believe me, I've been shouted at before (usually by my sister, because I'm often not strident enough in my beliefs to suit her taste) and this is much different.

I don't like Twilight because it disturbs me that it shows an abusive, controlling relationship as something pure and romantic and to-be-striven-for. I consider myself a feminist, and I understand that some people do love the story, and that's fine. My co-counselors and I at summer camp spent some time talking to our campers about the content, acting it out with rag dolls (gotta do something in Arts & Crafts, there are only so many friendship bracelets one can make) and having them re-imagine scenes with Edward described as being ugly, instead of gorgeous. Amazing how something romantic can turn offputting in a moment as soon as you reverse all of Edward's adjectives! I wasn't trying to stop them from liking Twilight, and some of them do still enjoy it, but we wanted them to think about the content instead of just soaking it in without any critical thought. (And many of the girls who, as 14-16 year olds, loved Twilight, are now horrified by it.)

There was a scene around the end of the second season (I think) of The Vampire Diaries (TV series, not the books) where Elena tells Stefan that she doesn't want to become a vampire, because although she loves him right now, she's sixteen years old and she can't be sure that she'll love him forever. She wants a chance to grow up and change her mind, and have a family, and be normal. And he accepts that. (Sadly the show stole all of Elena's agency in later seasons and rendered itself unwatchable, but that moment was a big middle finger to Twilight and I for one loved it.)

I respectfully disagree. For me, social commentary is one of the most compelling and interesting parts of any story. I don't really care much about how it's shot or what genre it is in, as long as it speaks to me on some level. I don't mean I have to directly relate to it (though it sure helps) but I have to see some kind of bigger picture in it for it to mean something to me. But that's what I'm interested in and that's why I write, to explore those kinds of ideas.

I'm keen for a commentary on "Frozen".

Good point. I don't know the answer to that one.

"Frozen" is another one where the songs end halfway through the movie. But then again, so is "Aladdin", once you get past "A Whole New World", right? And there's not really any big villain number.

Hmm that's true. I'm not very well versed on any of this musicals theory, I just know what I glean from watching a lot of them!

"Each showtune must serve as a dramatic element in a play or film by helping to develop character and/or move the story forward. As much as everyone loves a showstopper, it has to work as a cohesive part of the storytelling process – otherwise the only thing it really stops is audience interest. The most memorable show songs tend to gel around three kinds of character experiences –

    Transition - a moment of change or conversion.

    Realization - reaching an insight or new level of understanding.

    Decision - after long wrangling, a character finally makes up his or her mind."

http://www.musicals101.com/score.htm#Types

Do the more successful Disney musicals subscribe more closely to the form?

I listened to the podcast you linked in the other forum, from the guy who wrote "Spotlight". I was hoping, as an author of YA fiction myself, to get some insight from the interview about what it is that he felt made the story work. I think I just wasted half an hour of my life listening to someone wail on about how everyone is wrong to disrespect it because Stephenie Meyer is really good, even though her prose is lacking but her allegory is interesting. I disagree.

I read the first Twilight book at summer camp (I was a counselor) because my campers were all reading it and talking about it, so I felt that I should have some perspective on it. I read the first book in about 48 hours, including reading under my covers with a flashlight while the girls were sleeping. It was a very easy book to read and I digested it quite quickly. I knew where the story was going, but was along for the journey. I went straight into New Moon and found it a trial because Bella's moping was SO irritating, but I really enjoyed Jacob's character. I moved on to Eclipse and I remember almost nothing from that book so I guess that sums it up for me. I do recall reading Breaking Dawn (I think that either came out during the same summer, or the following summer) and laughing and groaning in equal share as I read it. By that point I was finding it offensive and another counselor and I spent some time reading portions out to our campers and discussing how controlling and abusive Edward was. Jacob's character went in that direction too, and the whole fourth book was just laughably bad.

I do remember discussing Breaking Dawn with the girls prior to its release, and saying that I hoped Bella became a vampire, lost her self-control and killed Jacob's father (he's in a wheelchair, he's a sitting duck). Which would change the focus of the battle between Edward and Jacob over who 'deserves' Bella to who is going to be stuck with her / take responsibility for what they've turned her into. Of course that didn't happen, Bella turned into a perfectly self-controlled vampire and had the world's most perfect baby, and I gagged and threw the book on the floor.

For the record, I haven't seen the movies and I think Robert Pattinson is incredibly unappealing. I have long subscribed to the "mop" theory as explained on your podcast - call it Edward and they will swoon, no matter what it looks like. (Notably,Stephenie Meyer said she envisaged Edward as looking like Henry Cavill, back when he was in "The Count of Monte Cristo". Now that one I can get on board with.)

I'm with the FIYH podcast on Twilight, there is very little in the podcast that I disagree with - except the assertion that the books get better as the series goes on. I would argue the complete opposite.

And if we're sharing YouTube videos about Twilight, I like the "Alex Reads Twilight" ones. They're hysterical.

So when are you going to do Frozen?

Good to know that "The Book of Eli" is not a movie I should bother seeing. It sounds pretty awful.

On the subject of the Bible, and for anyone with secular humanist leanings, I cannot recommend this book enough: http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Name-Was-Jud … 003T0FMIS/

"My Name Was Judas" - C.K. Stead (2006)

"My Name Was Judas" purports to give an alternative account of the life of Jesus, as witnessed by his childhood friend Judas who didn't, in this telling, hang himself (or even betray Jesus in the first place) being guilty only of skepticism where his fellow disciples were not. In this telling, after the crucifixion Judas lived to a ripe old age and finally got to tell his story in his dotage. (- Amazon reviewer's words, not mine, as they were more succinct)

I recently re-read it and was reminded of it when you brought up mention of the fig tree. Here is that scene, according to this book:

Jesus, in the lead, marched like a general through his camp, so preoccupied with thoughts of tomorrow’s battle he failed to notice his foot soldiers. In the garden at the back of the house there was a fig tree. Seeing it, Jesus declared he was hungry and wanted fruit.

It was spring, not the time of year for figs or any other fruit, but I supposed he must be exhausted and confused. He stared up into the branches, finding only leaves. I expected the recognition of his mistake to strike him, and that he would laugh at himself, but not at all – he seethed with rage. The tree had denied him. It would be punished. He cursed it. Let it never bear fruit again! Let it die!

I looked at my fellow disciples. They were avoiding one another’s eyes. No one spoke. Jesus set off again, still black with rage, and we followed, an unhappy band at the end of what should have been a day of triumph.

It is not available in the USA (shocker) but can be purchased internationally and as an e-book.

I loved it, as someone who grew up attending Catholic school, but for whom faith never really "took". According to the author: "I see Judas as a much-maligned character, and in my novel he doesn't betray Christ literally. He simply doesn't believe in his divinity."

A fascinating read. Highly recommend.

Just listening to this now. I haven't seen the movie but it seems interesting, so I'll have to look it up.

Teague, what are your thoughts on the music for "Tangled"? I was re-watching it the other week and started out saying "The problem with this movie is that there's only one song" (because I only remembered "At Last I See the Light"). Halfway through the song my roommate said "There are lots of songs in this." I said "Yeah...but can you remember any of them? What was the melody of the song that JUST finished?" We honestly couldn't recall. So I looked at the credits afterwards to find out who wrote the songs, and was shocked that it was Alan Menken, because usually he's great. What happened there? Is it just me that can't remember any songs from that movie or did Menken drop the ball?