Gratuitous Pausing Podcast

Episode 24 Disney Bracket: Chicken Little vs Tangled

In the face off that no one really asked for, we're comparing Chicken Little (2005) and Tangled (2010). In this episode we go in depth about CGI Lighting, speculate about the economics of Oakey Oaks, and note how weirdly blasé people usually are about suddenly being in a genre film, and moreover, conclude round two!

Casey at the Bat was written by Ernest Thayer in 1888, and read by Rick Busciglio. All other clips are owned by the Walt Disney Company, and are covered under Fair Use.

Episode 23 Disney Bracket: Lion King vs Little Mermaid

It's "My dad is a king and that causes various problems" week as we compare The Lion King (1994) and The Little Mermaid (1989). We're gonna dig into some of the structural problems, the symbolism and inspiration that the stories use, and the Great Mystery of how Flounder got a statue into Ariel's Grotto when it is larger than both entrances and he does not have thumbs.

We hope you enjoy!

Episode 22 Disney Bracket: Hercules vs Lilo & Stitch

This week, Jackson returns from being kidnapped by The Equelizers to compare Hercules (1997) and Lilo and Stitch (2002). This episode, as always we'll dig into the gender politics good (David and Nani) and bad (Phil), Lilo's connetion to music and Stitch's conection to images, true Heroism, and Zeus' casual approach to the 2nd Amendment.

You can also check out Jackson's guest appearance with The Equelizers here.

Episode 21 Disney Bracket: 101 Dalmatians vs Tarzan

We're back again this week with another pair of movies with some thematic similarities. Both One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) and Tarzan (1999) have antagonists that can't empathize with animals and explore the bonds of parent and child. Join us as we talk about Sky Cowboys, namedrop Mulan, and decide Tantor is a soft boi. And if you still haven't had enough of Jackson's melodic voice make sure to check out their new podcast about the Sherlock Holmes series from Granada Television which you can listen to here.

Episode 20 Disney Bracket: Sleeping Beauty vs Dinosaur

Here on Gratuitous Pausing, we like to ask the important questions like "What would Merryweather's gift be, math or eyebeams?" and "What would Baylene teach in the High School AU of Dinosaur?" This week we're talking about Sleeping Beauty (1959) and Dinosaur (2000), and how they use their experimental animation styles, how they use music, and how well we connect to the characters.

If you're interested in Maleficent's cut song, you can see it being performed here at the Disney D23 Expo in Anaheim: tinyurl.com/y8aogmm5.

Episode 19 Disney Bracket: The Jungle Book vs Beauty & the Beast

We're inviting you to be our guest for another weird one this week as we compare The Jungle Book (1967) vs. Beauty and The Beast (1991) so if you want to listen to us STREEETCH for things to compare, we sure deliver stretches! We'll also get into active vs. passive characters and learning to appreciate people around you.

Also this week the drinking game is "Every time we fail not to mention The Live Action Adaptions"

Episode 18 Disney Bracket: The Hunchback of Notre Dame vs Wreck-It Ralph

In this week's round-two mashup we're looking at The Outsiders - The Hunchback (of Notre Dame) (1996) and (Wreck-it) Ralph (2012). We'll unpack their themes of justice and societal oppression, how well they handle characters throwing off their stigma, and how the villains fit into it all.

Also, we foolishly forgot to refer to a certain cameo voice actor by his knightly title. Please don't haunt us, ghost of Sir Christopher Lee.

Episode 17 Disney Bracket: Bolt vs Moana

Whoo! We're into ROUND TWO now! This means we're looking at episodes we've already seen, but don't worry, we're trying to explore new things with each film! The winners from Round 1 that are being pitted against each other are Bolt (2008) and Moana (2016). We're comparing their animation, how they handle villain redemption arcs, and the role of parents and guardians in The Disney Renaissance. Also, Jackson comes out as a Night Elf, to the surprise of no one.

Equelizer's episode: Rocky Horror Truman Show

Episode 16 Disney Bracket: Frozen vs Tangled

We've come to the last match of round one Frozen (2013) vs Tangled (2010), and it's a great way to cap things off. Join us as we discuss shades of abusive parenting, wacky sidekicks, color palettes, and more.

Episode 15 Disney Bracket: Pinocchio vs Chicken Little

Sometimes the Bracket Roulette gives you a weird one - this week, it's Pinocchio (1940) vs. Chicken Little (Very obviously 2005). We're gonna nitpick about animation, explore these films' successes and failures with portrayals of women and of masculinity, and Disney's ever-evolving inspiration base.