Big White Elephants

Director and Choreographer Rob Marshall once said, ”The thing about movie musicals is that there have been some brilliant ones, but when they’re bad, they’re really bad - big white elephants.” On this podcast, Grace and Scott discuss a range of Movie Musicals, from classics to DCOMs and everything in between to analyze what makes them work or why they’re Big White Elephants!

Listen on:

  • Apple Podcasts
  • Podbean App
  • Spotify
  • Amazon Music
  • iHeartRadio
  • PlayerFM
  • Podchaser
  • BoomPlay

Episodes

3 hours ago

Big Bad Elephants Month continues with Top Secret! (1984). For each week of Big Bad Elephants Month, we let the Omni-Wheel randomly select which film to cover from a list of movies suggested to us by our audience that they think will be Big White Elephants, aka bad movie musicals.
This week, we tackle SoRef's suggestion of the Zucker, Abrahms, Zucker comedy Top Secret! Val Kilmer's first movie role, pastiche and parody songs of The Beach Boys and Elvis, a cow wearing boots! We get into all of it
Connect with us on Instagram @bigwhiteelephantspod and send emails or voicemails to bigwhiteelephantspod@gmail.com so we can share them on future episodes!
Big White Elephants is a podcast where two friends, Grace and Scott, dissect movie musicals: Everything from DCOMs to MGM Classics, Japanese Punk Rock films to modern Jukebox Musicals, and all kinds of things in between! We talk about what works and what doesn't, and whether a film is a 'Big White Elephant', based on director Rob Marshall's quote ”The thing about movie musicals is that there have been some brilliant ones, but when they’re bad, they’re really bad - big white elephants.” Join us every Thursday to discuss a new musical film wherever you get your podcasts

Thursday May 07, 2026

Welcome to Big Bad Elephants Month, where we cover movie musicals our listeners suggested would be Big White Elephants, aka bad movie musicals! Randomly selected by the Omni-Wheel, we're kicking off the month with The Little Mermaid! No, not the live action one...the original!
It was suggest by our friend and theatrical lighting designer Jamie Roderick! And it was such a bold suggestion that we had to get him on the podcast to defend his rationale! We talk a lot about what makes a musical work, what the function of a song should be, how best to cater to children's sensibility, and more while going deep on the movie that kickstarted the Disney Renaissance, The Little Mermaid (1989). Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, starring Jodi Benson, Pat Caroll, and Buddy Hacket.
Connect with us on Instagram @bigwhiteelephantspod and send emails or voicemails to bigwhiteelephantspod@gmail.com so we can share them on future episodes!
 
Big White Elephants is a podcast where two friends, Grace and Scott, dissect movie musicals: Everything from DCOMs to MGM Classics, Japanese Punk Rock films to modern Jukebox Musicals, and all kinds of things in between! We talk about what works and what doesn't, and whether a film is a 'Big White Elephant', based on director Rob Marshall's quote ”The thing about movie musicals is that there have been some brilliant ones, but when they’re bad, they’re really bad - big white elephants.” Join us every Thursday to discuss a new musical film wherever you get your podcasts
 
 

42. Enchanted (2007)

Thursday Apr 30, 2026

Thursday Apr 30, 2026

On episode 42, Grace and Scott travel from the magical land of Andalasia, do some chores with cockroaches, and dream of true love's kiss while discussing Disney's Enchanted (2007)
Plus, we get visited by The Omni-wheel to decide what movie to cover for the first week of Big Bad Elephants Month!
Connect with us on Instagram @bigwhiteelephantspod and send emails or voicemails to bigwhiteelephantspod@gmail.com so we can share them on future episodes!

41. The Last Five Years (2014)

Thursday Apr 23, 2026

Thursday Apr 23, 2026

To mark the 25th anniversary of Jason Robert Brown's musical The Last Five Years, Grace and Scott cover the 2014 movie adaptation. Except Scott talks about it going forward and Grace talks about it going backwards. Just kidding, that would be silly! Either way, Jeremy Jordan is involved.
Connect with us on Instagram @bigwhiteelephantspod and send emails or voicemails to bigwhiteelephantspod@gmail.com so we can share them on future episodes!

40. Spinout (1966)

Thursday Apr 16, 2026

Thursday Apr 16, 2026

For episode 40, Grace and Scott pop up their camping tents in the woods, rev their engines, and try to avoid getting married while talking about Elvis's car racing musical Spinout (1966).
Connect with us on Instagram @bigwhiteelephantspod and send emails or voicemails to bigwhiteelephantspod@gmail.com so we can share them on future episodes!

Thursday Apr 09, 2026

Chag Pesach Semeach! Grace and Scott are joined by JoeJazzy to travel back to Egypt, free the enslaved, and part the red sea while talking about The Prince Of Egypt (1998)
You can follow Joe on letterboxd @JoeJazzy
Connect with us on Instagram @bigwhiteelephantspod and send emails or voicemails to bigwhiteelephantspod@gmail.com so we can share them on future episodes!

Thursday Apr 02, 2026

Grace and Scott get by with a little help from their friend. Namely, Katherine Mohr, co-host of This Is The Greatest Song I've Ever Heard In My Entire Life, who joins us to discuss Julie Taymor's Beatles fantasia, Across The Universe (2007). 
You can follow Katherine on letterboxd @katherinesfilms and check out This Is The Greatest Song I've Ever Heard In My Entire Life wherever you get your podcasts or on instagram @gr8songpod 
Connect with us on Instagram @bigwhiteelephantspod and send emails or voicemails to bigwhiteelephantspod@gmail.com so we can share them on future episodes!

37. Hello, Dolly! (1969)

Thursday Mar 26, 2026

Thursday Mar 26, 2026

Put on your Sunday clothes and ride the train from Yonkers down to the 14th street parade! It's time to discuss the film that arguably killed the big Hollywood Studio Musical, Hello, Dolly! (1969) featuring the one and only Barbra Streisand. 
 

36. The Gay Divorcee (1934)

Thursday Mar 19, 2026

Thursday Mar 19, 2026

Grace and Scott fly down to a fancy resort to be caught in flagrante delicto while discussing their first Fred and Ginger movie, The Gay Divorcee (1934)
Plus we recap the 98th Academy Awards
Connect with us on Instagram @bigwhiteelephantspod and send emails or voicemails to bigwhiteelephantspod@gmail.com so we can share them on future episodes!

Monday Mar 16, 2026

The Oscars may have been last night, but Awards Season isn't done quite yet! Introducing: The Ivory Elephant Awards. Our very own award show to celebrate the year in Movie Musicals and Movies With Musical Moments. Grace and Scott select winners for such prestigious awards as "Best Song and Performance in a Non-Musical Movie," "The Troy and Gabriella Award For Most Romantic Love Song," and of course, the two biggest awards of the night: "Biggest White Elephant" and "Most Not Big White Elephant." Plus, so much more!
Connect with us on Instagram @bigwhiteelephantspod and send emails or voicemails to bigwhiteelephantspod@gmail.com so we can share them on future episodes!
 

Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

Version: 20241125