Falling With Style: A Pixar Movie Marathon

We’re doing something we’ve never done before—we’re recording an episode about a movie that’s still in theaters! Elemental is an immigrant story and romcom, and the odds seemed stacked against it long before it was released. But why? With just one viewing under our belts, we attempt to sort through all the criticism to find what feels fair and what doesn’t.

Film Release: June 16, 2023

Well, we did it. Derek and Doug watched every movie currently in the Pixar Animation Studios canon and don’t have any other movies to talk about until Elemental comes out. So what better time to look back on the entirety of the canon, reflect on Pixar’s nearly-thirty years of feature films, and update our personal rankings.

Film Release: n/a

Grab a meat-bread-meat sandwich and strap in, because it’s a space epic, it’s a time-travel sci-fi flick, it’s a hero’s origin story, and… it’s a film within a film? That’s right, Derek and Doug are talking about Lightyear, the Pixar movie that tackles the question, “What inspired the Buzz Lightyear toy anyway?” It’ll probably never be able to escape its legacy and context, but we’re doing our best to untangle just what works and doesn’t about this Toy Story spin-off.

Film Release: June 17, 2022

U Know What’s Up! Derek and Doug are joined by Theresa Berry to talk about what instantly became on of their favorite Pixar movies: Turning Red! It’s the movie that took us back to the early 00s when boy bands ruled the world and one that celebrates tween cringe instead of condemning it. An unabashed tale of puberty inspired by 90s anime, video games, and teen TV  movies. Enjoy!

Film Release: March 11, 2022

Silenzio Bruno! It’s time for Derek and Doug to enjoy a perfect summer in the Italian Riviera. That’s right, we’re talking about Luca, a truly lovely film about three kids who find friendship in a small coastal village and one that resonated instantly and powerfully with the queer community. What makes this relatively quiet and straight-forward Pixar outing such a powerhouse? Dive in deep with us as we get into all the details.

Film Release: June 18, 2021

Get in the zone, because we’re about to get existential. Derek and Doug are joined by Melissa Mowry to discuss a movie about living, dying, inspiration, and disappointment. We’re talking about Soul, Pixar’s first film to feature a Black protagonist and Black co-director, Pixar's first and a very rare occurrence in American feature-length animation. How does Pixar tackle telling a universal story through the lens of a Black musician in New York City? Well, there’s plenty to praise and plenty to shine a critical light upon. Grab a slice, put on some jazz, and enjoy.

Film Release: December 25, 2020

We’ve made it to the year 2020, which means we’ve made it to a very unique era of Pixar movies for a number of reasons, some intentional and exciting, some certainly incidental and unfortunate. Derek and Doug are talking about Onward, the suburban fantasy about two brothers reconnecting through an adventure to… revive their dead dad for just one day? Yep! How does this fantasy world stack up to other Pixar-crafted universes? Which characters land perfectly and which feel hindered by unusual narrative decisions? And did Onward REALLY invent gay people? Join us on this epic adventure to find out!

Film Release: March 6, 2020

“They’re doing another one?!” Derek and Doug are joined again by Tommy from Distant Echoes: A Star Wars Podcast to talk about the sequel no one was expecting: Toy Story 4. Previously, Tommy hadn’t watched it and wasn’t sure he ever would. What’d he think? Where do we ultimately fall on whether a fourth Toy Story film was necessary after what many considered a perfect ending in Toy Story 3? How much can we gush about action hero Bo Peep? And what’s the deal with Forky?

Film Release: June 21, 2019

Fans waited fourteen years for this sequel! Derek and Doug are talking about Incredibles 2, Pixar's follow-up to the family-focused superhero smash hit from 2004. It picks up moments after the first one left off, but how are things different both on and behind the screen? Does this installment have a clearer takeaway than the first? Who are our favorite new superheroes and what are our favorite Jack-Jack superpowers? And will Doug ever understand anything that Brad Bird says? Suit up, hit play, and find out!

Film Release: June 15, 2018

On March 9, 2022, amidst national discussion over Florida's "Don't Say Gay" legislation, the LGBTQIA+ Employees of Pixar and their allies released a statement to Disney leadership challenging several claims that Disney is a company with a history of supporting LGBTQIA+ people. Among those claims was the massive assertion that "nearly every moment of overtly gay affection is cut [from Pixar' films] at Disney’s behest."

We just wanted to talk about Pixar's statement, reflect on how it provides new perspective to some of our own thoughts on the lack of strong queer representation in Pixar's canon, and express hope for the impact on queer representation it could have.

Derek and Doug are joined this month by Stephania to talk about Coco, Pixar’s critically-adored love letter to Mexico. Look, Coco’s really good. Like really, really good. But what about Pixar’s not-quite-a-musical made it such a beloved story and massive success? How’d Lee Unkrich end up making a movie about Día de Muertos, and what's the story behind Adrian Molina becoming co-director? And what can creators learn about getting stories like Coco right? We dig into it all.

Film Release: November 22, 2017

It’s a… sports movie? Derek and Doug discuss the one movie that neither of them had seen prior to starting the podcast and the third entry in Pixar’s most polarizing series, Cars 3! It ignores the second film pretty much entirely, deals with themes more akin to Toy Story or Up, and passes the legacy of Lightning McQueen down to an unexpected protégé. Does Cars 3 correct the mistakes of Cars 2? Will this franchise ever end? And how did Doug feel about the one Pixar film he’d never seen? Tune in and find out!

Film Release: June 16, 2017

Derek and Doug are joined by Katie from Novel Gaming for a return to the ocean and Pixar’s beloved cast of aquatic characters. We’re talking about Finding Dory, a wildly successful sequel released thirteen years after its wildly successful predecessor, explores the diverse experiences of folks with disabilities, whether intentionally or not, and brings closure to Dory's story from Finding Nemo. Does it stick the landing, and does it live up to Nemo? Dive in with us to find out!

Film Release: June 17, 2016

Derek and Doug tackle a strange entry in Pixar’s canon and the only movie that neither of them particular cared for: The Good Dinosaur. But why? There are certainly good ideas and things that Pixar did right in its alternate reality dino film, but what is it about The Good Dinosaur that fails where pretty much every other Pixar film succeeds? What’s missing? And what was going on behind the scenes that may tell some of the story?

Film Release: November 25, 2015

Derek and Doug are joined this month by Emily, a behavioral analyst and applied improvisation practitioner, to take a dive deep into the mind. That’s right! We’ve made it to Inside Out! From the absolutely perfect casting and stunning visual effects to the perfectly balanced story of Riley and the emotions that take care of her, there’s nothing we can’t praise about one of Pixar’s finest.

Film Release: June 19, 2015

Hope you’ve had your coffee and studied up, because Doug and Derek are visiting one of the monster world’s most prestigious institutions of learning: Monsters University! And despite Derek thinking he wouldn’t have much to say about this flick (ha!), we actually dive pretty dang deep into failure, fear, and fraternity in Pixar’s first and only prequel to date.

Film Release: June 21, 2013

If you could change your fate... would you? We're talking about Brave, Pixar's Academy Award-winning fairy tale and a production full of firsts: Pixar's first historical film, first film to feature a female lead character, and first film to be directed by a woman (until it wasn't). We talk all about one of Pixar's bigger public controversies, the removal of director Brenda Chapman from her own film, and how it sheds light on more recent Pixar controversy. And of course, we spend plenty of time talking about an incredibly unique entry in the Pixar canon featuring a princess, magic, a dark legend, and... mathematics?

We've covered the first twelve movies in the Pixar Animation Studios canon, which means we've been doing this for a year now! What better time to stop down and look at the bigger picture to this point! Which movies are our favorites? What overall themes and trends are we noticing? What's on the horizon? And how do 62 (sorta) random folks rank these first twelve movies? Listen in to find out.

It’s a spy movie!? Derek and Doug are talking about Cars 2, a film derided by many as Pixar’s worst and a low-point for the studio. But is Cars 2 actually a bad movie? Stunning destinations across the globe, a star-studded cast, a plot involving Big Oil, and… more machine guns than you’d expect? Lots to consider in our conversation about this very weird, very unexpected spy comedy set in the world of Cars.

Film Release: June 24, 2011

Derek and Doug are joined by friend of the podcast Tommy to talk about Toy Story 3, the movie that, at the time, we all thought was the end of the Toy Story saga. We get into growing up and letting go, contemplating existence after relationships fade, the significance of garbage throughout the story, just how far Pixar evolved since its first film, tortilla body horror, and much, much more. We also talk about the Toy Story 3 movie we nearly got from Disney without any involvement from Pixar at all (gasp!).

Film Release: June 18, 2010

Derek and Doug are joined by friend of the podcast Cassie to talk about the Pixar film that can make you cry in eight minutes flat: Up. How did Pixar manage to make a movie starring an old man flying his house to South America work so incredibly well? How does Up prepare us for future Peter Docter creations? And what does Up say about dreams, grief, and the way we view elderly folks in the real world? Stay through the end to hear us chat with animator Sam Palmer who shares his background and his perspective on talking dogs in biplanes, perfecting fabric in Up, character silhouettes, and the wizardry of Pixar Animation Studios!

Derek and Doug are joined by friend of the podcast Josh to talk about the final lunch meeting movie released nearly 15 years after it was conceived: WALL-E. Why did it take so long, and how did the final product benefit from the wait? What can we take away from Pixar’s ambitious post-apocalyptic romance? And is WALL-E a creep or nah? Stay 'til the end to hear us chat with an Amazon worker about how their experience working for the real-life giant corporation colors the way they view WALL-E and its fictional giant corporation, Buy n Large!

Film Release: June 27, 2008

Derek and Doug are joined by Kevin from The 3028 podcast to talk about Pixar’s critically acclaimed, commercially successful, but often overlooked culinary masterpiece Ratatouille. How does a film with a strange-but-perfect recipe for success—a recipe that garnished, er, garnered it plenty of success at the time—end up leaving a seemingly rodent-sized cultural footprint? Listen to find out our theories! And stay for dessert with a special guest: Doug’s brother, a professional chef!

It’s the Cars episode! Derek and Doug are joined by Dallin and Amanda from the Lost in the Vault Podcast to try to determine: does Cars cross the finish line strong, or is it Pixar’s first wreck? Where does it speed ahead of its Pixar predecessors, and where should it have stopped in the pit for a few extra tune-ups? And what did Derek think of the first Pixar movie he’d never seen even once prior to Falling With Style? Tune in and find out!

Derek and Doug leave their capes at home and suit up for a very important mission: dissect The Incredibles, Pixar’s iconic superhero movie and first film to feature an entirely human cast. For the first time ever, Pixar tapped an outside director and gave them more creative control than ever before. Clearly the risk paid off, but what did that mean for Pixar—and for animation as a medium—moving forward? Listen in and find out!

Film release: November 5, 2004

Derek and Doug are joined by special guest Mara from the Toku Ladies Podcast (@TokuLadies_Pod) to embark on an epic journey through all things Finding Nemo! What will they find? Stunning visuals! A delightful cast of characters! Thematic depth rivaling the Mariana Trench! Mind-blowing clownfish trivia! And ultimately: an incredible movie that’s barely aged over the near twenty years since its release.

Film release: May 30, 2003

Derek and Doug visit the world of monsters in Pixar’s fourth feature film, Monsters, Inc. Pixar’s “fur movie,” Monsters, Inc. is a wildly ambitious movie technically, but do its characters, relationships, and narrative stack up to the strides it clearly makes in animation? How does the world of monsters work in relation to our own? What would’ve happened to all those kids if Randall’s plan worked? And how big exactly is Sulley’s tie? Only one way to find out! The door’s open—come on in!

Film release: November 2, 2001

Derek and Doug are joined by special guest Vicki from the Novel Gaming Podcast (@NovelGamingPod) to discuss Pixar’s first—and for many years, only—sequel. How does it compare narratively to the first? In what ways did Pixar up the ante for their third feature film? And why is it such a miracle that Toy Story 2 even exists? Listen in to find out!

Film release: November 24, 1999

Derek and Doug are back to burrow into A Bug’s Life, Pixar’s insect-centric sophomore showing. In some ways, it’s a perfect follow-up to the smash hit Toy Story, in others it’s a bit perplexing, and oddly, this story of ants finding their collective strength against an oppressive gang of grasshoppers feels more relevant and important than ever.

Film release: November 20, 1998

In the inaugural episode of Falling With Style, Derek and Doug talk about the movie that launched one of the most acclaimed animation studios in history, permanently changed the animated film landscape, and introduced an unforgettable world where our toys come alive and love us as much as we love them: it’s Toy Story!

Film release: November 22, 1995

Doug loves Pixar. Derek does too...but hasn’t seen a bunch of them and barely remembers the ones he has. In this preview episode of Falling With Style, get to know our history with this monumental animation studio before we begin our monthly dive into every film.

Check out our debut episode on September 13!