Period Piece

The Greatest Beer Run Ever: Zac Efron, Part 5

Our Zac Efron retrospective series comes to a close with a brand new movie and a brand new jawline! This week, Documentary Now! writer/producer Matt Pacult joins Caroline and Ned to break down Zac's new AppleTV+ Vietnam War comedy, The Greatest Beer Run Ever. The trio also chat about the new look Zac debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival, his role as a brand ambassador for Kodiak Cakes pancake mix, and where they think his career might head next as he celebrates his 35th birthday this week.
You can follow Matt on Instagram (@mattpacult), and be sure to watch the new season of Documentary Now! on IFC and AMC+.
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can also follow us on Twitter or Instagram (both @rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

The Greatest Showman: Zac Efron, Part 4

After a brief detour with Neighbors, Caroline and Ned return to "Zac Efron: Oops All Musicals" territory with The Greatest Showman — one of the wildest cinematic endeavors of the past decade. And to break down the circus insanity, they're joined by a very special guest: Caroline's sister, Katie Siede!
Together, the trio chat about CGI lions, impressive aerial stunts, and Zac's unique brand of musical theater earnestness. Plus Katie and Caroline reminiscence about trying to learn the "This Is Me" choreography; Ned celebrates the athleticism of Dog Boy; and everyone is thoroughly baffled by the choice to frame P.T. Barnum as a hero of the oppressed.
Is this movie good? Is it bad? Forget it, Jake. It's The Greatest Showman. 
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can also follow us on Twitter or Instagram (both @rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

Hairspray: Zac Efron, Part 2

Hey there, teenage Baltimore! Don't change that channel, 'cause it's time for the Role Calling podcast, brought to you by Ultra Clutch Hairspray!
After bursting onto the scene as an aughts teen heartthrob in High School Musical, Zac Efron got a chance to put his spin on a 1960s teen heartthrob too — in the 2007 movie musical Hairspray. How does his work as Link Larkin hold up today? And how does this movie as a whole hold up today? Caroline and Ned get into the good, the bad, and the John Travolta of it all in the latest installment of their "Zac Efron: Oops, All Musicals" series.
Watch Seth Rudetsky break down James Marsden's performance of "It's Hairspray" 
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can also follow us on Twitter or Instagram (both @rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

The Mask of Zorro: Antonio Banderas, Part 1

Don your masks and saddle your horses, it's time to tackle the classic (and maybe unfairly forgotten) 1990s swashbuckling adventure, The Mask of Zorro! This week, Ned and Caroline kick off their brand new Antonio Banderas series with arguably his most iconic big screen performance to date. And they enlist their friend and fellow Zorro fan Jon Harrison to help them do it.
From playful performances to smokin' hot romances, the trio go deep on what makes this film so special. And Ned should know, he's spent a lifetime championing this former childhood fav. 
Also, we forgot to mention it in the episode, but we have a brand new Instagram account! Follow us there, where we're @rolecalling.
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can also follow us on Twitter (@rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

Anastasia: Meg Ryan, Part 4

Once upon a December, Caroline and Ned were strangers, starting out on a journey, never dreaming how their dreams would come true. Now here they are, podcasting about Meg Ryan's voice performance in the much-loved (non-Disney) princess animated fairy tale, Anastasia.
To help them take this journey to the past, they enlist the expertise of Dr. Sam Summers (@samsummers0), animation academic and co-host of the excellent podcast Disniversity. The trio chat about the wild, weird career of director Don Bluth; the unique animation style of Anastasia; and, of course, the "cultural semiotics" of Meg Ryan's casting!
Listen to Disniversity wherever you get your podcasts (https://linktr.ee/disniversity), follow the show on Twitter (@Disniversity), and buy Sam's book, DreamWorks Animation: Intertextuality and Aesthetics in Shrek and Beyond.
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can get in touch on Twitter (@rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

The Green Knight: Dev Patel, Part 5

The Summer of Dev is finally here! This week, Caroline and Ned try to make sense of David Lowery's transfixingly ambiguous medieval epic The Green Knight. Plus they share some final thoughts on Dev's career, introduce the star of their next retrospective series, and ponder "What does the fox say?"
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can get in touch on Twitter (twitter.com/rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

The Personal History of David Copperfield: Dev Patel, Part 4

Released mid-pandemic, The Personal History of David Copperfield got a little lost in the shuffle last year. But Caroline and Ned are here to tell you why Armando Iannucci's whimsical Dickens adaptation is worth seeking out! Plus they look at how casting Dev Patel as an icon of British literature just might be the key to unlocking his full range of skills as an actor—which is hopefully good news for the upcoming Green Knight.
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can get in touch on Twitter (twitter.com/rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

Mary Poppins Returns: Emily Blunt, Part 4

Mary Poppins Returns was fairly swiftly forgotten after its 2018 release, but what this podcast presupposes is... maybe it's kind of great? But don't just take Ned and Caroline's word for it! Midway through this episode, Ned phones up his 5- and 8-year-old cousins to get their take on this modern Disney musical. Beyond that, Ned and Caroline discuss how this 54-years-later sequel compares to the original, try not to cry over Ben Whishaw's performance, and dig into the Lin-Manuel Miranda of it all. Plus, of course, they look at what Emily Blunt brings to the iconic role of Mary Poppins herself.
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can get in touch on Twitter (twitter.com/rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

The Prestige: Christian Bale, Part 5

Are you watching closely? In the final episode of their Christian Bale retrospective series, Caroline and Ned dive into one of their favorites: Christopher Nolan's 2006 dueling magician drama, The Prestige. A movie that might just inadvertently sum up Christian Bale's entire movie star persona. But what makes The Prestige so great? How do its many twists hold up on a rewatch? And how did Christian prepare for a role that has a whole lot going on beneath the surface? Ned and Caroline dive into all that and more, with just the bare minimum of terrible British accent impressions. Plus they introduce the star of their next retrospective series!
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can get in touch on Twitter (twitter.com/rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.

Little Women (1994): Christian Bale, Part 2

It's the big one! Caroline and Ned dive into Christian Bale's early career, and dig into where Caroline's obsession actually started. That's right, it's time to talk about thespian club movie nights, Newsies dance numbers, and DVD bootlegs of "Blood Drips Heavily on Newsies Square." All that plus more Little Women chat than you could ever want or need from a movie podcast! Which March sisters do the hosts relate to most? Why was Ned in a secret book club? And just how many versions of Little Women can Caroline manage to discuss in a single episode? Listen to find out, as Role Calling examines Christian Bale's performance as Laurie in Gillian Armstrong's 1994 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's iconic novel.
Our theme music was created by Patrick Budde, and our logo was designed by Nick Wanserski. You can get in touch on Twitter (twitter.com/rolecalling) or email us at rolecalling@gmail.com.