A wonderful conversation, but I’m just really happy to see your byline again, Will. I don’t keep up with everything, but it feels like it’s been a while.

I think the difference is that with one exception that I recall - “Toy Story 2" - Disney/Pixar rarely if ever advertises their films with the voice actors’ names above the title as a selling point (or ANYWHERE, really - most of the time they don’t get single cards in the credits but are part of the roll). I do…

I feel that one of the worst aspects of this era of feature animation is casting voice actors as if it WAS a live-action film - Demi Moore in “Hunchback,” Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh in “El Dorado” (can you imagine ANYONE casting Robby Benson as the voice of The Beast these days?) - rather than if their voices…

Personally, I’m amazed they got the “splinters in your teeth” joke approved.

I remember the FIRST interview Clooney gave trashing the movie, years ago (the old Movieline magazine, maybe?), and one of the biggest issues he had was that the entire movie was post-dubbed. ALL of it. So it’s not so much that he feels he gave a terrible performance, but that he gave it TWICE.

I agree as well, and was surprised that it got the same mediocre ranking as other episodes this season that I barely chuckled at. I thought a lot of writing was clever, and Timmy really came to play. But I’ve gotta say - this isn’t the first week I thought “Hey, Aidy’s back,” and... it wasn’t her.

Is the sound mixing department INTENTIONALLY making sure we can’t hear lyrics week after week?

I have it on VHS up in my attic, so it’s probably melted by now. The only thing I really remember about it is Bob & Ray singing “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy?”

Interesting article.  Since there are no mentions of any writers of this screenplay, I have to assume that Jonathan Demme is solely responsible for everything you’re praising it for.

The Trump Brothers bit is so rote by now that they can’t even think to put a beard on Junior.

I really like Chloe, but she’s still a quote-unquote featured performer. Why couldn’t Melissa, a full-fledged primary cast member, have been in the cookout scene?  (Unless... she couldn’t...)

Well, for me, I don’t really know his music, so I didn’t even know they were “medleys” (although I did recognize the “Lemonade” cut). All I knew was that I felt it was the most stunning SNL music performance since Sturgill Simpson.

I spent some time over the weekend watching the evolving opening titles on Peacock, and I’ve gotta say that this new sequence is the most lethargic and unimaginative one I’ve seen in 40 years.

Not only is this essay fascinating in terms of Gandolfini’s work, Nerdwriter’s analysis is (almost) as compelling.  If this is your first exposure to his work, keep digging - he’s insightful, wide-ranging, and they’re beautifully made.  Along the same lines as this piece, check out the one about Anthony Hopkins in…

Sorry - I had a jpeg I tried to attach and I couldn’t make it work, or delete the post.  Ignore, please.

How do I delete a post?  My image didn’t translate and I can’t remove the whole thing.

Anybody know if this is going to be purchaseable / rentable on iTunes and/or Amazon when it premieres?  (NOT subscribing to HBO Anything!)

I always wondered if, at any time in the development of the movie, they asked if Tom Hanks could do more of a “cowboy” voice for the character. The fact that he doesn’t - and yet does in his voicebox and the old TV show clips, along with Stinky Pete - further complicates the character: Woody not only knows he’s a toy…

I don’t know why I possibly remember this, but in 1965 Time Magazine described the Oscar-winning song “The Shadow of Your Smile” as “beautiful when played and nauseating when sung,” and gave this example as Proof Positive: “A teardrop kissed your lips / And so did I.”

Actually, I think the first animated movie to rely on big stars as voice actors was UPA’s 1962 “Gay Purr-ee,” where the voices of Judy Garland, Robert Goulet and Red Buttons WERE the big selling point of the film. Over-the-title and everything.