Right then, let’s do this one last time: three ghosts, one bad man – and this time, not a Muppet nor a Mickey in sight. With the festive season upon us once again, film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers gather to tackle the Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come of Scrooge retellings – Robert Zemeckis’ motion-capture madness-fuelled 2009 version, Disney’s A Christmas Carol. Prepare for discussions of Jim Carrey’s malleable face, the wildest variants of the three ghosts yet, front-flipping Bob Hoskins, a deeply unnerving Bob Cratchit, a brief history of Zemeckis’ ImageMovers Digi ..read more

Ladies, gentlemen, Stitches and glitches – it’s finally time. At long last, film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers blast off to Hawaii for 2002’s beloved Lilo & Stitch. But will it live up to the hype? (Spoiler: Absolutely yes.) For this episode, our duo are joined by very special guest Maria Lewis – author, TV writer, podcaster and more – to bask in the glory of Ohana, discussing the film’s affecting human story, its presentation of Polynesian culture, the meaning of ‘good’ and ‘bad’, terrible ’00s Elvis covers, and violent memes. Plus, Ben gets some mysterious voic ..read more

With the journey to Hawaii taking a little longer than expected, film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers are passing the time with a bonus mini-episode – presenting an early reaction special on Walt Disney Animation Studio’s new feature, Wish. It’ll still be covered in full down the line – but for now, we discuss our expectations going in, our feelings on the songs and story, the end-credits characters who made us lose our minds, and how the film taps into Disney’s 100th anniversary celebrations. Enjoy – and get ready for Experiment 626 to land in the very near future. Ne ..read more

After the Disney 100 miniseries, it’s time to get back on the path of the Wilderness Years as film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers plunge into the mysterious depths of 2001’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire. And this time, they’re joined by very special guest Irenosen Okojie – author, and founder of the Black To The Future festival – to get to grips with an all-out science-fiction action-adventure movie, the first of its kind in the Walt Disney Animation Studios catalogue. Together, our intrepid trio talk the Greek origins of the Atlantis myths, the instant appeal of Michael ..read more

Concluding the Disney 100 miniseries, film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers venture down to London’s ExCeL centre to attend the hottest ticket in town: the Disney 100 Exhibition. Inside, they find all kinds of artifacts pertaining to the films covered on Disniversity – with original artwork, iconic props, historic pieces of music, effects models, and more. First up, they discuss the exhibition in general terms, sharing thoughts on the whole experience – before going into a (spoiler-y?) run-through of the most exciting pieces on display. Along the way, Sam reveals his su ..read more

Disney 100 week continues, and film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers are brought into the hallowed halls of the Roy E. Disney building for a grand reunion of the studio’s many legendary characters in brand new centenary short film Once Upon A Studio. Packed with Disniversity Legends, TDLFs, and oddbods we never saw coming, expect a flying trip through the best gags, most unexpected appearances, and the artists being celebrated for an eight-minute short that seems tailor-made to appeal to listeners of this podcast. Plus, Ben and Sam unpack that Walt and Mickey moment, ta ..read more

As Disney 100 week begins, film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers pause regular class to present a miniseries exploring Disney’s centenary. First up: what actually is Disney 100, what does it mean, and what exactly are we marking 100 years of? We look into the history to talk contracts, self-mythology, and a century of cultural impact – and discuss the various ways that Disney is celebrating its own legacy this year. Then, we look back on the short that started it all – presenting a miniaturised version of our regular show format to discuss 1923’s Laugh-o-gram short Alic ..read more

The years keep coming, and they don’t stop coming. Film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers return to the London Podcast Festival for a sold-out show that leaves Disney’s Magic Kingdom behind for the swirling swamp of 2001’s Shrek. For our 50th episode, it’s finally time to tackle the big green guy in the room – a figure who not only changed the trajectory of Walt Disney Animation Studios movies for years to come, but has played a major part in Sam’s academic pursuits. Together, Ben and Sam talk fart jokes, Farquaad, Farkle and more as they break down the film’s overt Disn ..read more

Leaving Dinosaur (Plus Lemurs) in the past where it belongs, film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers head further into the Disney wilderness on a trip to Peru, with 2000’s The Emperor’s New Groove. It’s not only a film with an important role in Disniversity history (to be explained), but marked a new groove for the studio itself – plunging Disney further into irreverence, absurdity, and cartoon antics. Expect discussions of the film’s tumultuous making-of, the nightmarish experience Sting had on music duties, the film’s major Looney Tunes influence, and the legendary perf ..read more

As the sun rises on a new era of Disney – the Wilderness Years – film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers go back millions of years (while the studio looks to the future) in 2000’s Dinosaur. Strap in for Disney animation’s first CGI-centric film – with Ben and Sam exploring how the filmmakers blended prehistoric creatures into footage of live-action environments, with mixed results. Plus, there’s the very different version that could have been, courtesy of Phil Tippett and Paul Verhoeven; the bizarre DinoLand USA theme park area closely tied to the lore of the film; a whol ..read more