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!

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Episodes

10 hours ago

On episode 51, Grace and Scott dive into the world of Girltrash!, a 2007 lesbian crime web series created by Angela Robinson (D.E.B.S., The L Word, Herbie Fully Loaded, etc.) that was never fully finished, and the prequel feature-length movie musical, Girltrash: All Night Long, directed by Robinson's partner and cinematographer Alex Kondracke which was shot in 2010 but released in 2014. The characters are as messy as the production history, but that doesn't mean it's not fun!
Will Tyler and Daisy win the Band Slam battle of the bands? Will Monique get her money? Will Colby have her first lesbian romance? Are any of them good at singing?? We find out all this and more in our discussion of Girltrash: All Night Long.
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

50. Rent (2005)

Thursday Jun 25, 2026

Thursday Jun 25, 2026

For our 50th episode, we're covering the theatre kid classic Rent (2005). Grace and Scott go deep on Jonathan Larson's adaptation of Puccini's opera La Boheme, talking about the (aging?) cast, the cuts from the stage show, and how you measure a year in the life (love).
Directed by Chris Columbus and written by Stephen Chbosy, Rent stars Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Tracie Thoms, Rosario Dawson, Taye Diggs, Jesse L Martin, and Wilson Jermaine Heredia, with music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson.
Plus, we go discuss Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day!
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

49. Golden Eighties (1986)

Thursday Jun 18, 2026

Thursday Jun 18, 2026

With Scott back from vacation, he and Grace go on their own trip to Belgium for Chantel Akerman's shopping mall musical, Golden Eighties (1986). Is it a brilliantly quirky examination of consumerism and romance through a feminist lens? Is it a poor attempt at recreating the lushness of an MGM Technicolor Musical? Do songs need to be good?
Golden Eighties was directed by Chantal Akerman and written by Akerman, Pascal Bonitzer, Henry Bean, Jean Gruault, and Leora Barish, with music by Marc Hérouet and starring Delphine Seyrig, Myriam Boyer, Granny Cottençon, Lio, Pascale Salkin, John Berry and others
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 Jun 11, 2026

While Scott is out on vacation, Grace's co-host from the Sounds Of Silvestri podcast Clarence fills in to talk about Jonathan Demme's final film, Ricki And The Flash (2015). We get into bald eagle back tattoos, Lady Gaga bar rock covers, and Boomer politics while trying to figure out if Meryl Streep can convincingly play a conservative struggling rock star and how a Midwesterner would really respond to a rude conversation in a doughnut shop. 
Ricki And The Flash was written by Diablo Cody and directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Rick Springfield, Mamie Gummer, Audra McDonald, Sebastian Stan, and producer Marc Platt's son Ben Platt. Featuring songs by Tom Petty, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen and more.
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

47. Kiss Me Kate (1953)

Thursday Jun 04, 2026

Thursday Jun 04, 2026

For episode 47, Grace and Scott discuss the 1953 film adaptation of Cole Porter's musical Kiss Me Kate, starring Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, and Tommy Rall with an early appearance from Bob Fosse. Is Shakespeare's The Taming Of The Shrew too misogynistic? Is Ann Miller's dancing too darn hot? Should musicals be in 3-D? We attempt to answer all these questions and more!
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 28, 2026

We've made it to the final week of Big Bad Elephants month, and it's a big one: Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie. 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, Grace and Scott wade into Christian children's programming with the first feature film from the VeggieTales, a musical retelling of the story of Jonah with talking vegetables! Is it insidious indoctrination or just some good Christian fun? We'll decide!
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

45. Into The Woods (2014)

Thursday May 21, 2026

Thursday May 21, 2026

Big Bad Elephants Month continues with Rob Marshall's Into The Woods (2014). 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, Grace and Scott journey Into The Woods to discuss Disney's adaptation of the classic Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical of the same name. Directed by the coiner of our Big White Elephants phrase himself, Rob Marshall, we decide if he pulled off another incredible movie musical like Chicago, or if he made a Big White Elephants. Meryl Streep rapping, James Corden singing, Chris Pine tearing his shirt open. This movie's got everything! (except competent pacing or direction or humor?)
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

44. Top Secret! (1984)

Thursday May 14, 2026

Thursday May 14, 2026

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!

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