Halfling Cinephile

INTERVIEW: On Autotune and Movie Musicals with Nick Delaney

Amaya welcomes fellow podcaster (and CNU Captain) Nick Delaney to discuss movie musicals and the use of autotune in film adaptations of musicals. Nick dishes on the highs and lows of being a content creator, Amaya has an incredibly late revelation (‘Wicked Part One’ fans beware of potential spoilers), the two discern what makes or breaks the quality of a movie musical, and Amaya makes sure the world knows how bad Apple TV’s ‘Spirited’ (2022) is. Be sure to check out Nick Delaney’s coffee/film review podcast, “Coffee Nick’s Movie Picks”: https://linktr.ee/coffeenicksmoviepicks [https://linktr.ee/coffeenicksmoviepicks] Feel free to donate to the podcast at Patreon.com/HalflingCinephile [http://patreon.com/halflingcinephile] and get you some Halfling Cinephile merch, access special content, and you can leave me feedback and give me suggestions for future episodes!

INTERVIEW: On 'Wicked Part One' with Marcus Sledge

An official ‘Wicked’ film adaptation had been a tease for over ten years among fans of the Broadway show, and Jon M. Chu's 2024 showstopper did not disappoint one bit. This episode, I talk with my good friend Marcus Sledge about their experience with ‘Wicked Part One’, as well as their limited knowledge of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ (1939) and its assorted derivations. Where I have been a fan of ‘Wicked’ on Broadway since I was 13, Marcus had never seen or listened to the 2003 musical, nor the 1939 classic – and they had not even fully seen the 1978 film adaptation of ‘The Wiz’, a Black theatrical reimagining of the classic film. Marcus and I get into their first impressions of the story of our favorite green girl, differences between the stage production and the latest interpretation of ‘Wicked’, the excellence of the cast’s performances, and the unspeakable and well-rounded beauty of the musical as a whole. Feel free to donate to the podcast at Patreon.com/HalflingCinephile [http://patreon.com/halflingcinephile] and get you some Halfling Cinephile merch, access special content, and you can leave me feedback and give me other movie suggestions for future episodes!

TV EP: Schmigadoon! [Patreon Preview]

“IIIII’LL drink to that.” Whether you rock with musicals or you can't stand them, Apple TV's original musical comedy 'Schmigadoon!' (absolutely to be confused with 'Brigadoon') is quite the hidden gem. A fan of musical theater myself, I find the humor of the series particularly smart, as it takes a deliberate and intelligent stab at the absurdity of musicals in all their performative nature. Trying to unravel the amalgamation of half a century’s worth of musical stories is one of the most entertaining parts of watching 'Schmigadoon!', especially when it reaches its second installment, 'Schmicago'. This episode, I'll explain what exactly 'Schmigadoon!' (and 'Schmicago') means, and I'll happily help you understand some of the humor in the series. FULL EPISODE AVAILABLE ONLY ON PATREON.COM/HALFLINGCINEPHILE [patreon.com/HalflingCinephile]

Ep 14 - Turning Red

“I’m thirteen, deal with it!” This one goes out to all you girls out there. ‘Turning Red’ (2022), which ought to be called “The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Adolescence,” has topped out as my favorite period piece. Led by an all-female creative team, this coming-of-age story gets in the weeds about growing up as a girl, and director Domee Shi’s bold visual style makes talking about uncomfortable topics, like menstruation, a little less icky. ‘Turning Red’ beautifully addresses themes of girlhood, and sources of identity for adolescents. I’ll get into what makes movies so darn special, and what animation like that of ‘Turning Red’ brings to the table like no other medium. Feel free to donate to the podcast at Patreon.com/HalflingCinephile [http://patreon.com/halflingcinephile] and get you some Halfling Cinephile merch, access special content, and you can leave me feedback and give me other movie suggestions for future episodes!

Ep 13 - Don't Look Up

“Dr. Mindy, can I be vulnerable in your car?” Finally, a star-studded movie that isn't a waste of time OR a waste of money. Don’t Look Up (2021) is a big fat mirror of a political satire that was produced with sophistication and authenticity. Comedy genius Adam McKay let improvisation do its thing, while still maintaining a tasteful visual professionalism. The film’s release was incredibly relevant as we tiptoed out of global quarantine, and the story’s climate-centric conflict raised similar issues that the pandemic was revealing to us. Painfully relatable and always funnier than I remember, Don’t Look Up is an infuriating parody of American culture that has made its mark on cinematic history. Feel free to donate to the podcast at Patreon.com/HalflingCinephile [http://patreon.com/halflingcinephile] and get you some Halfling Cinephile merch, access special content, and you can leave me feedback and give me other movie suggestions for future episodes!