“Avatar the Last Airbender” from Nickelodeon (2005-2008) has been hailed as the “greatest shows of all time,” Avatar Aang and friends have a lot to offer modern audiences. What makes these characters so dynamic? What has made this series so enduringly popular? What made Aang so successful when his sequel heroine Korra was not? Could the series have…

Episode 11: “Frozen II” Disney Animation Studios (2019) Part 2 of our Double Feature 9beginning with an analysis of “Frozen” in episode 10. When Elsa starts hearing mysterious, haunting voices, she has no choice but to unlock an Enchanted Forest and drag the gang into another magical, chilly, dress-making adventure, right? Take a closer look at som…

Episode 10: “Frozen” by Walt Disney Animation (2013) Part 1 of a Double Feature (continued with “Frozen II” in episode 11)—Frozen has made a big impact on our current culture. If you have been caught up in Frozen fever or if you have just been sick of Frozen, this will be a valuable ex-location of the strengths and significant weaknesses of this me…

Episode 09: “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” by P. Jackson and J.R.R. Tolkien (2001) How do you approach breaking down a story as long and layered as the one created by Tolkien (and then visualized and retold by Peter Jackson)? The Lord of the Rings series is wonderfully entertaining as a fantasy/action trilogy, but for viewers willi…

Episode 08: “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse” by Columbia, Sony, and Marvel (2018) Winner of the “Best Animated Feature” Academy Award in 2019, this gem was largely overlooked in theaters. But, with excellent writing, beautiful visuals, and compelling relevance for our modern context, this film has all the trappings of future cult classic. Explor…

Episode 07: “ Toy Story 4” by Pixar Animation Studios (2019) Does Toy Story 4 measure up to its rich prequel trilogy? In artistry and micro-writing, almost definitely. But, this installment is towing some big macro-writing problems. Identify the problems and then take a turn resolving them in this episode of Story Talk.--- Support this podcast: htt…

Episode 06: “The LEGO Movie 2: the Second Part” by Warner Brothers Pictures (2019) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/story-talk/support

BLITZ TALK: Disney Studios’ latest remake, “Mary Poppins Returns,” is a well-crafted movie, but does it measure up to its classic predecessor of 1964? Join Laura in analyzing this stunning movie with a rather stagnant script. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/story-talk/support…

Episode 04: “Pride and Prejudice” by the BBC (1995)--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/story-talk/supportBy storytalk@splode.co (Laura Randle)

Episode 03: “Cars” (and the sequels) by Pixar Animation Studios (2006, 2011, 2017)--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/story-talk/supportBy storytalk@splode.co (Laura Randle)

Like a golden butterfly from a chrysalis of interwoven symbols, Ella emerges as Queen from this fresh, yet classic, rendition of the tale. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/story-talk/supportBy storytalk@splode.co (Laura Randle)

Episode 01: “Dr. Strange” by Marvel Studios (2016)--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/story-talk/supportBy storytalk@splode.co (Laura Randle)