Film
Film
Sunday Feb 04, 2024
Sunday Feb 04, 2024
Welcome to a highly engaging episode of the Literary License Podcast's Book to Screen series. In this episode, dive into the timeless world of 'The Wizard of Oz' by L. Frank Baum. Join hosts Keith Chawgo, Leandro Ghezzi and Vicky Rae as they delve into the mesmerizing world of Oz, discussing its origins, Broadway adaptation, and its iconic film version that made Judy Garland unforgettable.
Immerse in the journey of Dorothy Gale, Toto, and the magical Land of Oz. Discover or even re-discover why this classic American fairy tale remains close to our hearts as we go through the fascinating characters, landscapes, and intricate quests of the story. The episode also features a deep exploration of the symbolic elements and hidden messages within the story, shedding light on some intriguing theories and metaphors.
The podcast also eloquently touches upon the complexities of the digital existence in the era of social media. The conversation raises questions about our privacy and highlights the consequential aspects of our digital interactions. Important issues like online bullying and the psychological impact of social media are also addressed, stressing the need to discern the 'false reality' it presents.
Furthermore, revealing a refreshing perspective on pop culture, we share noteworthy insights relating to manipulation in media and the portrayal of 'happy' life in advertising. Then, we decant 'The Wizard of Oz' in contrast to its widely popular cinematic version, also exploring the narrative techniques in children's fantasy novels.
The conversation wraps up with a spirited critique of 'The Wizard of Oz' film, also touching upon its African American adaptation - 'The Wiz'. Offering significant insights into the casting and production, this thrilling episode leaves no stone unturned. So whether you're a fan of the original books or the picked adaptations, this episode promises a fresh and thorough perspective on the world of Oz.
Saturday Jan 27, 2024
Iron Giant, Monster House & A Tribute to David J. Skal
Saturday Jan 27, 2024
Saturday Jan 27, 2024
Join a riveting journey with the hosts of the Literary License Podcast, as Season 7 takes a thrilling dive into the darker aspects of family films in the 'Dark Families Week' episode. In this episode, hosts Keith Chawgo, Joe Randazzo, and Vicky Ray analyze popular family favorites such as "Iron Giant" and "Monster House", while weaving in personal anecdotes and experiences.
Journey through Joe Randazzo's rollercoaster winter travel experience to celebrate his nephew's birthday, reminding us of the value of family ties. Vicky Ray shares her home renovation plans and discusses Nefarious, a captivating thriller. Keith pays tribute to David J. Skal, a significant figure in horror genre research, praising his contributions to the genre.
The episode then transitions to dissecting the film "The Iron Giant", providing fascinating insights into its development, storyline, themes, animation style and even the impact of the film on its audience. Then, it switches gears to the eerie tale of "Monster House", discussing the charming storyline, animation style, and the relatable characters of the movie.
In this engaging conversation, our hosts not only review these classic animations, but also discuss different elements from the film industry and touch upon their relevance in today's cinema history. From contemplating the future of animation to in-depth film rating sessions, this episode offers unique perspectives that every animation and horror film enthusiast will appreciate.
Sunday Jan 07, 2024
Sunday Jan 07, 2024
Watership Down is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Hampshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natural wild environment, with burrows, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language, proverbs, poetry, and mythology. Evoking epic themes, the novel follows the rabbits as they escape the destruction of their warren and seek a place to establish a new home (the hill of Watership Down), encountering perils and temptations along the way.
Watership Down was Richard Adams' debut novel. It was rejected by several publishers before Collings accepted the manuscript; the published book then won the annual Carnegie Medal (UK), annual Guardian Prize (UK), and other book awards. The novel was adapted into an animated feature film in 1978 and, from 1999 to 2001, an animated children's television series. In 2018, a drama of the story was made, which both aired in the UK and was made available on Netflix.
Adams completed a sequel almost 25 years later, in 1996, Tales from Watership Down, constructed as a collection of 19 short stories about El-ahrairah and the rabbits of the Watership Down warren.
Watership Down is a 1978 British animated adventure-drama film, written, produced and directed by Martin Rosen and based on the 1972 novel by Richard Adams. It was financed by a consortium of British financial institutions and was distributed by Cinema International Corporation in the United Kingdom. Released on 19 October 1978, the film was an immediate success and it became the sixth-most popular film of 1979 at the UK box office.
It features the voices of John Hurt, Richard Briers, Harry Andrews, Simon Cadell, Nigel Hawthorne and Roy Kinnear, among others, and was the last film work of Zero Mostel, as the voice of Kehaar the gull. The musical score was by Angela Morley and Malcolm Williamson. Art Garfunkel's hit song "Bright Eyes" was written by songwriter Mike Batt. It has garnered a cult following.
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.21); Background History (20.15); Watership Down Plot Synopsis (21.57); Book Thoughts (29.16); Let's Rate (50.29); Introducing a Film (52.51); Watership Down Film Trailer (1978) (56.13); Lights, Camera, Action (59.36); How Many Stars (1:40.44); End Credits (1:44.27); Closing Credits (1:45.25)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
Closing Credits: Bright Eyes from Watership Down by Art Garfunkel. Taken from the album Fate for Breakfast. Copyright 1978 Columbia Records.
Incidental Music: Music from Watership Down by Angela Morley. Available on the Watership Down 1978 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Copyright 1978 Vocation Records.
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Monday Jan 01, 2024
Monday Jan 01, 2024
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, it is inspired by William Shakespeare's Hamlet with elements from the Biblical stories of Joseph and Moses and Disney's 1942 film Bambi. The film was directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff (in their feature directorial debuts) and produced by Don Hahn, from a screenplay written by Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. The film features an ensemble voice cast that includes Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Rowan Atkinson, and Robert Guillaume. Its original songs were written by composer Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice, with a score by Hans Zimmer.
The film has led to many derived works, such as a Broadway adaptation in 1997; two direct-to-video follow-ups—the sequel, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998), and the prequel/parallel, The Lion King 1½ (2004); two television series, Timon and Pumbaa and The Lion Guard; and a photorealistic remake in 2019, which also became the highest-grossing animated film at the time of its release. In 2016, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The Lion King is the first Disney film to have been dubbed in Zulu, the only African language aside from Arabic to have been used for a feature-length Disney dub.
The Lion King is a 2019 American musical drama film directed and co-produced by Jon Favreau, written by Jeff Nathanson, and produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Fairview Entertainment. It is a photorealistic computer-animated remake of Disney's traditionally animated 1994 film of the same name. The film stars the voices of Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Alfre Woodard, Billy Eichner, John Kani, John Oliver, Florence Kasumba, Eric André, Keegan-Michael Key, JD McCrary, Shahadi Wright Joseph, with Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, and James Earl Jones reprising his role from the original film.
Plans for a remake of 1994's The Lion King were confirmed in September 2016 with Favreau attached to directed following box office successes for Disney remakes such as The Jungle Book (2016), which was also directed by Favreau. Disney hired Nathanson to write the screenplay in October 2016. Favreau was inspired by certain roles of characters in the Broadway adaptation and developed upon elements of the original film's story. Much of the main cast signed in early 2017, and principal photography began in mid-2017 on a blue screen stage in Los Angeles. The "virtual-reality tools" utilized in The Jungle Book's cinematography were used to a greater degree during filming of The Lion King. Composers Hans Zimmer, Elton John, and lyricist Tim Rice, all of whom worked on the original's soundtrack, returned to compose the score alongside Knowles-Carter, who assisted John in the reworking of the soundtrack and wrote a new song for the film, titled "Spirit", which she also performed. The film serves as the final credit for editor Mark Livolsi, and it is dedicated to his memory. With an estimated budget of around $260 million, The Lion King is one of the most expensive films ever made.
Opening Credits; Introduction (.37); Background History (1:02.08); The Lion King (19940 Trailer (1;05.30); The Original (1:06.41); Let's Rate (1:51.58); INTERMISSON: (1:56.58) Introducing a Film (2:07.01); The Lion King (2019) Film Trailer (2:04.06); Lights, Camera, Action (2:05.51); How Many Stars (2:43.21); End Credits (2:58.34); Closing Credits (2:59.34)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved.
Intermission Music: He Lives In You (Reprise) – Ensemble – The Lion King, Jason Raize and Tsidii Le Loka. Taken from the album The Lion King, The Original Broadway Cast Album. Copyright 1997 Walt Disney Records. .
Closing Credits: Shadowlands by Shadowland · Heather Headley · Tsidii Le Loka · Ensemble - The Lion King. Taken from The Lion King, The Original Broadway Cast Album. Copyright 1997 Walt Disney Records.
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
Interval Music: The Lion King Original Broadway Cast. Copyright 1997 Walt Disney Records.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Thursday Dec 28, 2023
Thursday Dec 28, 2023
A Christmas Horror Story is a 2015 Canadian anthology horror film directed by Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban, and Brett Sullivan. It premiered on July 20, 2015, at the Fantasia International Film Festival and had a limited theatrical release on October 2, 2015, along with a VOD release. The film is a series of interwoven stories tied together by a framework story featuring William Shatner as a radio DJ.
Tales from the Crypt is a 1972 British horror film directed by Freddie Francis. It is an anthology film consisting of five separate segments, based on stories from EC Comics. It was produced by Amicus Productions and filmed at Shepperton Studios.
In the film, five strangers (Joan Collins, Ian Hendry, Robin Phillips, Richard Greene and Nigel Patrick) in a crypt encounter the mysterious Crypt Keeper (Ralph Richardson), who makes each person in turn foresee the possible manner of their death. It is one of several Amicus horror anthologies produced during the 1970s.
Opening Credits; Introduction (2.41); Background History (54.21); A Christmas Horror Story (2015) Trailer (55.24); Take One (57.13); Let's Rate (1:38.51); Introducing a Film (1:43.14); Tales From the Crypt (1972) Film Trailer (1:45.07); Lights, Camera, Action (1:47.00); How Many Stars (3:04.06); End Credits (3:08.34); Closing Credits (3:09.45)
Opening Credits– Alex Kashadian – Copyright 2015. All rights reserved
Closing Credits: Elf’s Lament by Barenaked Ladies (featuring Michael Buble). Taken from the album Barenaked For The Holidays. Copyright 2004 Desperation Records
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Saturday Dec 16, 2023
Season 7: Episode 340 - 2 For One: The Music Man (1962)/Island of Love (1963)
Saturday Dec 16, 2023
Saturday Dec 16, 2023
The Music Man is a 1962 American musical film directed and produced by Morton DaCosta, based on Meredith Willson's 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which DaCosta also directed. Robert Preston reprises the title role from the stage version, starring alongside Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, Ronny Howard, and Paul Ford.
Released by Warner Bros. on June 19, 1962, the film was one of the biggest hits of the year and was widely acclaimed by critics. It was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, with composer Ray Heindorf winning Best Music, Scoring of Music, Adaptation or Treatment. The film also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and Preston and Jones were both nominated in their respective acting categories. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Island of Love is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Morton DaCosta and written by David R. Schwartz. The film stars Robert Preston, Tony Randall, Giorgia Moll, Walter Matthau, Betty Bruce and Vassili Lambrinos. The film was released by Warner Bros. on June 12, 1963.
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.22); Background History (37.48); The Music Man (1962) Film Trailer (38.58); Our Feature Presentation (39.47); Let's Rate (1:07.13); Introducing Our Next Feature (1:11.47); Island of Love (1963) Background Footage (1:12.40; Lights, Camera, Action (1:14.05); How Many Stars (2:23.54); End Credits (2:33.51); Closing Credits (2:35.10)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
Closing Credits: Once Upon A Christmas Song by Peter Kay introducing Geraldine McQueen. Copyright 2008 Peter Kay and Gary Barlow
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Sunday Dec 03, 2023
Sunday Dec 03, 2023
Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade is a 1955 novel by American author Patrick Dennis chronicling the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his Aunt Mame Dennis, the sister of his dead father.
The book is often described as having been inspired by Dennis' real-life eccentric aunt, Marion Tanner, whose life and outlook mirrored those of Mame, but Dennis denied the connection. The novel was a runaway bestseller, setting records on the New York Times bestseller list, with more than 2 million copies in print during its initial publication. It became the basis of a stage play, a film, a stage musical, and a film musical.
In 1958, Dennis wrote a sequel titled Around the World with Auntie Mame.
Auntie Mame is a 1958 American Technirama Technicolor comedy film based on the 1955 novel of the same name by Edward Everett Tanner III (under the pseudonym Patrick Dennis) and its 1956 theatrical adaptation by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee. This film version stars Rosalind Russell and was directed by Morton DaCosta. It is not to be confused with a musical version of the same story that appeared on Broadway in 1966 and was later made into a 1974 film, Mame, starring Lucille Ball as the title character.
Opening Credits; Introduction (2.21); Background History (15.30); Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis Plot Synopsis (17.01); Book Thoughts (21.56); Let's Rate (39.06); Introducing a Film (41.18); Auntie Mame (1958) Film Trailer (42.25); Lights, Camera, Action (45.31); How Many Stars (1:13.28); End Credits (1.18.01); Closing Credits (1:20.07)
Opening Credits– Jingle Bells by Ella Fitzgerald. Taken from the album Ella’s Swinging Christmas. Copyright 1960 Verve Records. All rights reserved.
Incidental Music: Auntie Mame Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Music by Ray Heindorf and His Orchestra. Copyright 1958 Master Classics Records.
Closing Credits: We Need A Little Christmas by Angela Lansbury, Frankie Michals, Sab Saminino- Original Broadway Cast. From the album Mame Original Broadway Recording. Copyright 1966 Columbia Master Works Records.
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Tuesday Nov 28, 2023
Tuesday Nov 28, 2023
The Uncanny is a 1977 British-Canadian anthology horror film directed by Denis Héroux, written by Michel Parry, and starring Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, Ray Milland, Joan Greenwood, Donald Pilon, Samantha Eggar, and John Vernon.
Although it is similar to the horror anthologies released by Amicus Productions and could be mistaken as one, it was actually distributed by The Rank Organisation. However, the co-producer was Milton Subotsky of Amicus.
Cat's Eye (also known as Stephen King's Cat's Eye) is a 1985 American anthology horror thriller film directed by Lewis Teague and written by Stephen King. It comprises three stories, "Quitters, Inc.", "The Ledge", and "General". The first two are adaptations of short stories in King's 1978 Night Shift collection, and the third is unique to the film. The three stories are connected only by the presence of a traveling cat, which plays an incidental role in the first two and is a major character of the third.
Its cast includes Drew Barrymore, James Woods, Alan King, Robert Hays and Candy Clark.
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.00); Background History (41.36); The Uncanny (1977) Trailer (42.08); Feature Presentation (44.37); Let's Rate (1:21.14); Introducing the Second Feature (1:35.49); Cat’s Eye (1989) Trailer (1:37.12); Lights, Camera, Action (1:38.34); How Many Stars (2:08.26); End Credits (2:26.00); Closing Credits (2:27.28)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
Closing Credits: Like A Cat by Cyndi Lauper. From the album A Night To Remember. Copyright 1989 Epic Records
Incidental Music: Cat’s Eye Soundtrack by Alan Silvestri. From the album Stephen King’s Cat Eyes Motion Picture Soundtrack. Copyright 1985 Varese Sarabande.
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Saturday Nov 18, 2023
Saturday Nov 18, 2023
The Breadwinner is a 2017 animated drama film from Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon directed by Nora Twomey. Based on the best-selling novel by Deborah Ellis, the film was an international co-production between Canada, the Republic of Ireland and Luxembourg, and received a limited release on 17 November 2017.
The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival in September. The Breadwinner received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the 90th Academy Awards but lost to Coco.
The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a 2018 American fantasy comedy film directed by Eli Roth, based on the 1973 novel of the same name by John Bellairs. It stars Jack Black, Cate Blanchett, Owen Vaccaro, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sunny Suljic, and Kyle MacLachlan. The film follows a young boy, Lewis, who is sent to live with his uncle, Jonathan, in a creaky, old house. He soon learns it was previously inhabited by a villainous warlock. Universal Pictures released the film in the United States on September 21, 2018. It was a box office success, grossing over $131 million worldwide and received mostly positive reviews from critics who largely praised the cast, but said the film did not fully live up to its potential.
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.22; Background History (37.50); The Breadwinner (2017) Trailer (38.37); Discussing Our Opening Feature (40.16); Let's Rate (1:44.34); Introducing Our Second Presentation (1:45.53); The House With The Clock In Its Walls (2018) Trailer (1:47.00); Lights, Camera, Action (1:49.06); How Many Stars (2:26.56); End Credits (2:36.02); Closing Credits (2:37.57)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
Closing Credits: I Still Believe Me by Deborah Allen and Erica Gimble. From the album Kids From Fame. Copyright 1982 RCA Records
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Sunday Nov 05, 2023
Sunday Nov 05, 2023
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a 1971 children's science fiction/fantasy book by Robert C. O'Brien, with illustrations by Zena Bernstein. The novel was published by the New York City publishing house Atheneum Books.
This book was the winner of numerous awards including the 1972 Newbery Medal. Ten years following its publication, the story was adapted for film as The Secret of NIMH (1982).
The novel centres around a colony of escaped lab rats–the rats of NIMH–who live in a technologically sophisticated and literate society mimicking that of humans. They come to the aid of Mrs. Frisby, a widowed field mouse who seeks to protect her children and home from destruction by a farmer’s plow.
The rats of NIMH were inspired by the research of John B. Calhoun on mouse and rat population dynamics at the National Institute of Mental Health from the 1940s to the 1960s.
After O’Brien’s death in 1973, his daughter Jane Leslie Conly wrote two sequels to Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.
The Secret of NIMH is a 1982 American animated fantasy adventure film directed by Don Bluth in his directorial debut and based on Robert C. O'Brien's 1971 children's novel, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The film features the voices of Elizabeth Hartman, Peter Strauss, Arthur Malet, Dom DeLuise, John Carradine, Derek Jacobi, Hermione Baddeley, and Paul Shenar. It was produced by Bluth's production company Don Bluth Productions in association with Aurora Productions.
The Secret of NIMH was released in the United States on July 2, 1982, by MGM/UA Entertainment Co. under the United Artists label. It was praised by critics for its elegant and painstakingly detailed animation, compelling characters, and deep and mature plot, and won a Saturn Award for Best Animated Film of 1982. Though only a moderate success at the box office, it turned a solid profit through home video and overseas releases. It was followed in 1998 by a direct-to-video sequel, The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue, which was made without Bluth's involvement or input and met with poor reception. In 2015, a live-action/computer-animated remake was reported to be in the works. A television series adaptation is also in development by the Fox Corporation.
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.21); Background History (4.50); Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH Plot Synopsis (6.15); Book Thoughts (11.37); Let's Rate (42.18); Introducing a Film (44.01); Secret of NIMH (1982) Film Trailer (46.00); Lights, Camera, Action (48.33); How Many Stars (1:33.30); End Credits (1.35.41); Closing Credits (1:37.18)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
Closing Credits: Flying Dreams (from The Secret of NIMH) by Kenny Loggins featuring Olivia Newton-John. Taken from the album More Songs from Pooh’s Corner. Copyright 2000 Sony Records.
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Saturday Oct 28, 2023
Season 7: Episode 332 - ANTHOLOGIES: Trick ’R Treat (2009)/Tales of Halloween (2015)
Saturday Oct 28, 2023
Saturday Oct 28, 2023
Trick 'r Treat is a 2007 American anthology horror comedy film written and directed by Michael Dougherty and produced by Bryan Singer. The film stars Dylan Baker, Rochelle Aytes, Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. It relates four Halloween horror stories with a common element in them: Sam, a trick-or-treating demon wearing orange footie pajamas with a burlap sack over his head. The character makes an appearance in each of the stories whenever one of the other characters breaks a Halloween tradition.
Despite being delayed for two years and having only a limited number of screenings at film festivals, the film received much critical acclaim and has since garnered a strong cult following.
Tales of Halloween is a 2015 American comedy horror anthology film consisting of ten interlocking segments, each revolving around the titular holiday. Segments were directed by Neil Marshall, Darren Lynn Bousman, Axelle Carolyn, Lucky McKee, Andrew Kasch, Paul Solet, John Skipp, Adam Gierasch, Jace Anderson, Mike Mendez, Ryan Schifrin, Dave Parker and, in his film debut, Jack Dylan Grazer.
The film premiered on July 24, 2015, at the Fantasia International Film Festival, before receiving a limited theatrical release and through video on demand on October 16, 2015, by Epic Pictures.
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.00); Background History (43.50); Trick ‘R Treat (2009) Film Trailer (45.33); Featuring the Presentation (48.07); Let's Rate (1:19.42); Introducing a Film (1:26.34); Tales of Halloween (2015) Film Trailer (1:26.57); Lights, Camera, Action (1:29.02); How Many Stars (2:08.17); End Credits (2:18.01); Closing Credits (2:20.35)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
Closing Credits: Everyday Is Halloween by LVCRFT, From the album V. Copyright 2023 Spooky Never Sleeps
Buy the Track or Album Here: Everyday Is Halloween | LVCRFT (bandcamp.com)
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Sunday Oct 22, 2023
Season 7: Episode 330 - DARK FAMILIES: Kuntilanak (2018)/The Hole (2009)
Sunday Oct 22, 2023
Sunday Oct 22, 2023
Kuntilanak is a 2018 Indonesian horror film directed by Rizal Mantovani and written by Alim Sudio. The plot revolves around five children who find a mirror in their orphanage. The mirror contains a ghost that kidnaps children and imprisons them inside it.
The Hole is a 2009 American 3D dark fantasy horror film directed by Joe Dante and starring Chris Massoglia, Haley Bennett, Nathan Gamble, Bruce Dern, and Teri Polo. The film follows Dane and Lucas Thompson, two brothers who move into their new house in Bensenville with their single mother, Susan. While settling in their new home, Dane and Lucas, along with their new neighbor, Julie Campbell, discover a trap door in the basement, leading to a bottomless pit and, upon opening it, accidentally unleash a supernatural force that manifests itself into any fear of the person who looks into the hole.
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.22); Background History (35.05); Kuntilanak (2018) Film Trailer (35.55); Now We Present (37.06); Let's Rate (1:02.15); Introducing a Film (1:14.57); The Hole (2009) Film Trailer (1: 16.00); Lights, Camera, Action (1:17.36); How Many Stars (1:43.22); End Credits (1:50.51); Closing Credits (1:52.42)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
Closing Credits: Don’t Let The Lights Go Out by Panic At The Disco. Taken from the album Viva La Vengeance. Copyright 2022 Fuelled by Ramen and DCD2 Records.
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Saturday Oct 14, 2023
Season 7: Episode 328 - ONCE UPON A TIME: Coraline (N Gaiman) (2009)
Saturday Oct 14, 2023
Saturday Oct 14, 2023
Coraline is a dark fantasy horror children's novel by British author Neil Gaiman. Gaiman started writing Coraline in 1990, and it was published in 2002 by Bloomsbury and HarperCollins. It was awarded the 2003 Hugo Award for Best Novella, the 2003 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers. The Guardian ranked Coraline #82 in its list of 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. It was adapted as a 2009 stop-motion animated film, directed by Henry Selick under the same name.
Coraline is a 2009 American stop-motion animated dark fantasy horror film written and directed by Henry Selick and based on Neil Gaiman's novella of the same name. Produced by Laika as the studio's first feature film, it features the voice talents of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Keith David, John Hodgman, Robert Bailey Jr., and Ian McShane. The film tells the story of its titular character discovering an idealized parallel universe behind a secret door in her new home, unaware that it contains a dark and sinister secret.
Just as Gaiman was finishing his novella in 2002, he met Selick and invited him to make a film adaptation, as Gaiman was a fan of Selick's The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach. When Selick thought that a direct adaptation would lead to "maybe a 47-minute movie", the screenplay had some expansions, like the introduction of Wybie, who was not present in the original novel. Selick invited Japanese illustrator Tadahiro Uesugi to become the concept artist upon discovering his work when looking for a design away from that of most animation. His biggest influences were on the colour palette, which was muted in reality and more colourful in the Other World, similar to The Wizard of Oz. To capture stereoscopy for the 3D release, the animators shot each frame from two slightly apart camera positions. Production of the stop-motion animation feature took place at a warehouse in Hillsboro, Oregon. Bruno Coulais composed the film's musical score.
The film was theatrically released in the United States on February 6, 2009 by Focus Features after a world premiere at the Portland International Film Festival on February 5, and received critical acclaim. The film grossed $16.85 million during its opening weekend, ranking third at the box office, and by the end of its run had grossed over $124 million worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing stop-motion film of all time after Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. The film won Annie Awards for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production, Best Character Design in an Animated Feature Production and Best Production Design in an Animated Feature Production and received nominations for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and a Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. It has since developed a cult following in the years since its release.
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.20); Background History (9.33); Coraline Plot Synopsis (10.37); Book Thoughts (12.26); Let's Rate (31.40); Introducing a Film (33.14); Coraline Film Trailer (36.35); Lights, Camera, Action (38.55); How Many Stars (1:00.24); End Credits (1:02.03); Closing Credits (1:03.30)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
Closing Credits: Dollhouse by Melanie Martinez. Taken from the album Cry Baby. Copyright 2015 Atlantic Records.
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Saturday Sep 30, 2023
Season 7: Episode 327 - MAKE/REMAKE: Beauty and the Beast (1991)/(2017)
Saturday Sep 30, 2023
Saturday Sep 30, 2023
Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated musical romantic fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 30th Disney animated feature film and the third released during the Disney Renaissance period, it is based on the 1756 fairy tale of the same name by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont (who was only credited in the French dub),[6] while also containing ideas from the 1946 French film of the same name directed by Jean Cocteau.[7] The film was directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise (in their feature directorial debuts) and produced by Don Hahn, from a screenplay by Linda Woolverton.
Beauty and the Beast is a 2017 American musical romantic fantasy film directed by Bill Condon from a screenplay by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mandeville Films, the film is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1991 animated film of the same name, itself an adaptation of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's 1756 version of the fairy tale. Starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens as the eponymous Belle and the Beast, the film features an ensemble and choir cast including Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Audra McDonald, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Ian McKellen, and Emma Thompson.
Opening Credits; Introduction (2.27); Background History (15.24); Beauty and the Beast (1991) Trailer (19.47); Original Thoughts (21.27); Let's Rate (49.53); Introducing a Remake (53.54); Beauty and the Beast (2017) Trailer (56.29); Lights, Camera, Action (58.48); How Many Stars (1:48.23); End Credits (1:55.29); Closing Credits (1:56.54)
Opening Credits– Beauty and the Beast Prologue by Alan Menken. Copyright 1991 Disney Records. All rights reserved
Closing Credits: Beauty and the Beast by Marilyn Martin. Taken from the self titled album Marilyn Martin. Copyright 1986 Atlantic Records.
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Saturday Sep 23, 2023
Season 7: Episode 326 - ANTHOLOGIES: Fantasia (1940)/Fantasia 2000 (1999)
Saturday Sep 23, 2023
Saturday Sep 23, 2023
Fantasia is a 1940 American animated musical anthology film produced and released by Walt Disney Productions, with story direction by Joe Grant and Dick Huemer and production supervision by Walt Disney and Ben Sharpsteen. The third Disney animated feature film, it consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. Music critic and composer Deems Taylor acts as the film's Master of Ceremonies who introduces each segment in live action.
Fantasia 2000 is a 1999 American animated musical anthology film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Produced by Roy E. Disney and Donald W. Ernst, it is the 38th Disney animated feature film and sequel to 1940's Fantasia. Like its predecessor, Fantasia 2000 consists of animated segments set to pieces of classical music. Celebrities including Steve Martin, Itzhak Perlman, Quincy Jones, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn & Teller, James Levine, and Angela Lansbury introduce a segment in live action scenes directed by Don Hahn.
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.00); Background History (15.06); Fantasia (1940) Film Trailer (18.19); Opening Presentation (21.15); Let's Rate (41.33); Introducing Our Second Feature (43.40); Fantasia 2000 (1999) Film Trailer (46.11); Lights, Camera, Action (48.12); How Many Stars (1:19.57); End Credits (1:24.29); Closing Credits (1:25.46)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
Closing Credits: The Age of Not Believing by Angela Lansbury. From the album Bedknobs and Broomsticks Original Soundtrack. Copyright 1971 Disney Records
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
The Web Planet
13 February – 20 March 1965
The First Doctor (William Hartnell) and his travelling companions Ian Chesterton (William Russell), Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill), and Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) ally themselves with the Menoptra, the former inhabitants of the planet Vortis, as they struggle to win back the planet from the malignant Animus (Catherine Fleming) and its Zarbi slaves.
The Crusades
27 March – 17 April 1965
The First Doctor (William Hartnell) and his travelling companions Ian Chesterton (William Russell), Barbara Wright (Jacqueline Hill), and Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) arrive in 12th century Palestine during the Third Crusade and find themselves entangled in the conflict between King Richard the Lionheart (Julian Glover) and Saladin (Bernard Kay). They also meet King Richard's sister Lady Joanna (Jean Marsh) and Saladin's brother Saphadin (Roger Avon).
Dr Who and the Daleks (1965)
is a 1965 British science fiction film directed by Gordon Flemyng and written by Milton Subotsky, and the first of two films based on the British science-fiction television series Doctor Who. It stars Peter Cushing as Dr. Who, Roberta Tovey as Susan, Jennie Linden as Barbara, and Roy Castle as Ian. It was followed by Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. (1966).
The story is based on the Doctor Who television serial The Daleks, produced by the BBC. Filmed in Technicolor, it is the first Doctor Who story to be made in colour and in a widescreen format. The film was not intended to form part of the ongoing story-lines of the television series. Elements from the programme are used, however, such as various characters, the Daleks and a police box time machine, albeit in re-imagined forms.
Opening Credits; Introduction (.43); The Web Planet Synopsis (1.27); Television Thoughts (4.25); Let's Rate (25.04); Introducing The Crusades (27.04); The Crusades Synopsis ( 34.41); Discussing the Episode (38.15); Rating the Episodes (47.42); Film: Doctor Who and The Daleks (1965) (53.08); Doctor Who and the Daleks (1965) Trailer (54.14); Lights, Camera, Action (57.24); How Many Stars (1:09.59); End Credits (1:14.56); Closing Credits (1:21.53)
Opening Credits– Doctor Who Theme. composer Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Copyright 1963 BBC World Music.
Closing Credits: We’re Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister. Taken from the album Stay Hungry. Copyright 1984 Atlantic Records
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Season 7: Episode 324 - DARK FAMILIES: Pufnstuf (1970)/The NeverEnding Story (1984)
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Pufnstuf (also known as Pufnstuf Zaps the World) is a 1970 American comedy fantasy musical film produced by Sid and Marty Krofft Enterprises and released by Universal Pictures. It is based on the children's television series H.R. Pufnstuf, a show that features a cast of puppets on a "living island."
The NeverEnding Story is a 1984 fantasy film co-written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen (in his first English-language film), and based on the 1979 novel The Neverending Story by Michael Ende. It was produced by Bernd Eichinger and Dieter Giessler, and stars Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach, Patricia Hayes, Sydney Bromley, Gerald McRaney and Moses Gunn, with Alan Oppenheimer providing the voices of Falkor and Gmork (as well as other characters). It follows a boy who finds a magical book that tells of a young warrior who is given the task of stopping the Nothing, a dark force, from engulfing the wonderland world of Fantasia.
At the time of its release, it was the most expensive film produced outside the United States or the Soviet Union. It was the first in The NeverEnding Story film series. It adapts only the first half of the book, and consequently does not convey the message of the title as it was portrayed in the novel. The second half of the book was subsequently used as a rough basis for the second film, The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990). The third film, The NeverEnding Story III: Escape from Fantasia (1994), has an original plot not based on the book.
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.22); Background History (13.09); PufnStuf (1970) Trailer (29.44); Our Opening Presentation (16.29); Let's Rate (55.07); Introducing Our Next Feature (1:00.40); NeverEnding Story (1984) Trailer (1:02.11); Lights, Camera, Action (1:03.30); How Many Stars (1:41.31); End Credits (1:49.16); Closing Credits (1:51.23)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
Closing Credits: NeverEnding Story by Limahl. Taken from the album Don’t Suppose. Copyright 1984 EMI Records/Zap the World by Billie Hayes and Martha Raye. Taken from the album PufnStuf. Copyright 1970 Capitol Records
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Monday Sep 04, 2023
Monday Sep 04, 2023
The Little Mermaid is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, first published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a human soul.
The original story has been a subject of multiple analyses by scholars such as Jacob Bøggild and Pernille Heegaard, as well as the folklorist Maria Tatar. These analyses cover various aspects of the story, from interpreting the themes to discussing why Andersen chose to write a tragic story with a happy ending. It has been adapted to various media, including musical theatre, anime, ballet, opera, and film. There is also a statue portraying the mermaid in Copenhagen, Denmark, where the story was written and first published.
The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 28th Disney animated feature film, it is loosely based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The film was written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and produced by Musker and Howard Ashman, who also wrote the film's songs with Alan Menken. Menken also composed the film's score. Featuring the voices of Jodi Benson, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Pat Carroll, Samuel E. Wright, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, and Buddy Hackett, The Little Mermaid tells the story of a teenage mermaid princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric, which leads her to make a magic deal with the sea witch, Ursula, to become human and be with him.
The Little Mermaid was released to theaters on November 17, 1989, to critical acclaim, earning praise for the animation, music, and characters. It was also a commercial success, garnering $84 million at the domestic box office during its initial release, and $235 million in total lifetime gross worldwide. Along with the major success of both Disney's 1986 animated film The Great Mouse Detective and the 1988 Disney/Amblin live-action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid is given credit for breathing life back into the art of Disney animated feature films after some films produced by Disney were struggling. It also marked the start of the era known as the Disney Renaissance. The film won two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song ("Under the Sea").
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.19); Background History (14.13); The Little Mermaid Plot Synopsis (15.17); Book Thoughts (21.47); Introducing a Film (58.50); The Little Mermaid (1989) Film Trailer (1:02.28); Lights, Camera, Action (1:03.49); How Many Stars (1:50.42); End Credits (1:52.10); Closing Credits (1:53.48)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – Copyright . All rights reserved
Closing Credits: In Harmony by Jodi Benson. Taken from the Little Mermaid Television Soundtrack. Copyright 1992 Disney Records. Kiss The Girl by Ashley Tidsdale. Taken from The Little Mermaid Soundtrack Copyright 2006 Disney Records.
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used by Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Saturday Aug 26, 2023
Season 6: Episode 321 - M&M: A Ghost Story (2017)/Coco (2017)
Saturday Aug 26, 2023
Saturday Aug 26, 2023
A Ghost Story (2017)
A Ghost Story is a 2017 American supernatural drama film written and directed by David Lowery. It stars Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Will Oldham, Sonia Acevedo, Rob Zabrecky, Liz Franke and Kesha. Affleck plays a man who becomes a ghost and remains in the house he shares with his wife (Mara). The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2017, and was released by A24 on July 7, 2017. A Ghost Story received positive reviews from critics.
Coco (2017)
Coco is a 2017 American computer-animated fantasy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on an original idea by Lee Unkrich, it is directed by him and co-directed by Adrian Molina. The film's voice cast stars Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Renée Victor, Ana Ofelia Murguía and Edward James Olmos. The story follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead, where he seeks the help of his deceased musician great-great-grandfather to return him to his family among the living and to reverse his family's ban on music. The concept for Coco is inspired by the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead. The film was scripted by Molina and Matthew Aldrich from a story by Unkrich, Jason Katz, Aldrich, and Molina. Pixar began developing the animation in 2016; Unkrich and some of the film's crew visited Mexico for research. Composer Michael Giacchino, who had worked on prior Pixar animated features, composed the score. With a cost of $175–225 million, Coco is the first film with a nine-figure budget to feature an all-Latino principal cast.
Opening Credits; Introduction (1.05); Background History (25.56); A Ghost Story (2017) Trailer (27.08); The Original (29.19); Let's Rate (1:17.37); Introducing the Double Feature (1:23.44); Coco (2017) Film Trailer (1:25.58); The Attraction (1:28.07); How Many Stars (1:53.14); End Credits (2:02.33); Closing Credits (2:04.10)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – copyright 2021. All rights reserved
Closing Credits: Proud Corazon by Anthony Gonzalez/Remember Me (Duo) by Miguel. Taken from the soundtrack Coco. Copyright 2017 Disney Records.
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used with Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.
Saturday Aug 19, 2023
Season 6: Episode 320 - MAKE/REMAKE: The Last Man On Earth (1964)/I Am Legend (2007)
Saturday Aug 19, 2023
Saturday Aug 19, 2023
The Last Man on Earth (1964)
The Last Man on Earth is a 1964 post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film based on the 1954 novel I Am Legend by Richard Matheson. The film was produced by Robert L. Lippert and directed by Ubaldo Ragona and Sidney Salkow, and stars Vincent Price and Franca Bettoia. The screenplay was written in part by Matheson, but he was dissatisfied with the result and chose to be credited as "Logan Swanson". William Leicester, Furio M. Monetti, and Ubaldo Ragona finished the script. The Last Man on Earth was filmed in Rome, with scenes being completed at Esposizione Universale Roma. It was released in the United States by American International Pictures. In the 1980s, the film entered the public domain. MGM Home Video, the current owners of the AIP film catalog, released a digitally remastered widescreen version of the film on DVD in September 2005.
I Am Legend (2007)
I Am Legend is a 2007 American post-apocalyptic action thriller film loosely based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson. Directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman and Mark Protosevich, the film stars Will Smith as US Army virologist Robert Neville. It is set in New York City after a virus, which was originally created to cure cancer, has wiped out most of mankind, leaving Neville as the last human in New York, other than nocturnal mutants. Neville is immune to the virus, and he works to develop a cure while defending himself against the hostile mutants. It is the third feature-film adaptation of Matheson's novel following 1964's The Last Man on Earth and 1971's The Omega Man.
Opening Credits; Introduction (.37); Background History (29.11); The Last Man On Earth (1964) Film Trailer (30.43); The Original (33.43); Let's Rate (55.39); Introducing the Double Feature (1:27.22); I Am Legend (2007) Film Trailer (1:30.10); The Attraction (1:32.44); How Many Stars (2:14.10); End Credits (2:322.03); Closing Credits (2:32.41)
Opening Credits– Epidemic Sound – copyright 2021. All rights reserved
Closing Credits: Mr Lonely by Bobby Vinton. Taken from the album Roses are Red. Copyright 1962 Epic Records.
Original Music copyrighted 2020 Dan Hughes Music and the Literary License Podcast.
All rights reserved. Used with Kind Permission.
All songs available through Amazon Music.