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[0:00] Jesse McAnally: Hello, I'm Jesse McAnally.

[0:02] Andrew DeWolf: And I'm Andrew DeWolf.

[0:00] Jesse McAnally: And welcome to Musicals with Cheese, the podcast where I try to get Andrew to like musical theater. And on this very spooky Halloween episode, we have an extra spooky special guest.

[0:24] Andrew DeWolf: Oh, this is a really special guest for you in particular, I think, Jess.

[0:31] Jesse McAnally: Yes, this might be the most special guest I will ever have on this podcast if I don't want to sleep on the couch tonight.

[0:36] Andrew DeWolf: Oh, man.

[0:36] Jesse McAnally: Or in your basement. There's a lot riding on this.

[0:44] Andrew DeWolf: It really is like the pressure's on. Please join me in welcoming the star of The Daughters of the Domino and the co-host of the brand new podcast, Cinema with Cheese, only on the Broadway Podcast Network. It's Miranda Moffat.

[1:02] Miranda Moffat: Yeah, those are all the most relevant things that I have in relation to you, Jesse, is being the star of the movie and being on a podcast with you.

[1:02] Jesse McAnally: Yep.

[1:12] Miranda Moffat: And you know, sometimes we kiss and stuff.

[1:12] Andrew DeWolf: Sometimes.

[1:14] Miranda Moffat: Is there anything more intimate than being on a podcast with someone? That is truly higher than romance, like.

[1:24] Jesse McAnally: Higher than deciding to live the rest of your lives together.

[1:24] Miranda Moffat: Yes. My fiancé, everyone, Miranda Moffat.

[1:24] Miranda Moffat: Hello.

[1:32] Jesse McAnally: Thank you for coming on. Would you believe in the eight years of doing this podcast, you have never made a proper in the show appearance?

[1:40] Miranda Moffat: I haven't. I feel like I've contributed to some things, haven't I?

[1:45] Jesse McAnally: Yeah, but not mentioned many times.

[1:47] Miranda Moffat: Yes. I talk about you quite often.

[1:49] Jesse McAnally: My reputation precedes me and my jokes, which Jesse steals frequently.

[1:55] Andrew DeWolf: Oh, I'm sure he does.

[1:57] Jesse McAnally: Obviously, any time I've ever gotten a laugh on this show, it's probably been a joke stolen from her.

[1:57] Miranda Moffat: Probably.

[2:03] Jesse McAnally: Love you anyway, though.

[2:05] Miranda Moffat: You know, you like plied us with booze for our Mamma Mia and Greece nights.

[2:11] Jesse McAnally: That's true.

[2:11] Miranda Moffat: You might have been in those. You may have appeared.

[2:14] Jesse McAnally: But those aren't official episodes. Those aren't numbered episodes.

[2:17] Miranda Moffat: No. I was a very passing presence, but I did ply you with alcohol.

[2:21] Jesse McAnally: Yes. And now I don't have a functioning liver.

[2:26] Miranda Moffat: Don't worry, I still do.

[2:31] Jesse McAnally: This week is important because this is like one of the most special things for you specifically, Miranda. And it's a continuation from last year when we covered Scooby Doo on Zombie Island and Patreon request, we are back at it.

[2:45] Andrew DeWolf: And I would consider this a musical more than most Scooby Doo things.

[2:50] Miranda Moffat: It's at least a song in it.

[2:51] Jesse McAnally: There are a couple songs.

[2:52] Miranda Moffat: I will say, I think, I believe I may be mistaken, but I want to say that this is the first instance of there being like diegetic singing in a Scooby Doo property. Anything if I'm not mistaken?

[3:04] Miranda Moffat: Well, there have been like episodes of the TV series where they were like, there was a band playing or like they were at a dance, but like having a concert.

[3:11] Jesse McAnally: I think this is like the first instance of it. And then after this, there are many other instances of it where like the Hex Girls and other like groups play.

[3:18] Miranda Moffat: But I could be mistaken.

[3:19] Andrew DeWolf: I mean, I don't think Don Knotts sang anything.

[3:23] Miranda Moffat: Probably not.

[3:24] Andrew DeWolf: Probably not.

[3:25] Miranda Moffat: This laid the way for whatever that reggae band in Scooby Doo 2002 to sing at Daphne.

[3:32] Andrew DeWolf: Reggae band? What are you talking about?

[3:34] Miranda Moffat: They weren't reggae, though.

[3:36] Andrew DeWolf: Oh, God.

[3:38] Miranda Moffat: God, which one are you talking about?

[3:40] Andrew DeWolf: There is a moment in Scooby Doo 2002, where some early 2000s band just starts singing at Daphne and they've got shitty hair.

[3:50] Miranda Moffat: The live action one you're talking about?

[3:51] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, yeah.

[3:52] Miranda Moffat: I see. Okay. But like, I'm saying like, this is the first instance of there being like a concert happening in a Scooby Doo property, I think. And then like after that, like Legend of the Vampire, like when the Hex Girls show up again, like it's kind of started a trend of that happening, other than just like the overall trend of there being funky music playing behind all of the like chase scenes.

[4:06] Andrew DeWolf: Gibberish songs.

[4:14] Miranda Moffat: Yes, gibberish songs. These ones are legit.

[4:18] Jesse McAnally: Yes, and they are a sexual awakening for many a bisexual young woman.

[4:23] Jesse McAnally: This week, we are talking about the iconic Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost.

[4:26] Andrew DeWolf: The Cartoon Network presents a Scooby Doo mystery.

[4:30] Jesse McAnally: They've unmasked the world's scariest villains, but this time Scooby Doo and the gang may have finally met their match.

[4:39] Andrew DeWolf: Conjure up the ghost of a 300 year old witch, and it's going to take more than a box of Scooby Snacks to send her back to where she came from.

[4:47] Jesse McAnally: Cartoon Network's Cartoon Theatre presents Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost.

[4:52] Andrew DeWolf: Saturday at seven, right here on Cartoon Network.

[4:55] Jesse McAnally: So, Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost is a film written by Jim Stenstrom, sorry, directed by Jim Stenstrom, and written by Rick Kopp, David A. Goodman, Davis Dua, and Glenn Leopold.

[5:08] Andrew DeWolf: It is based on Scooby Doo by Hanna-Barbera.

[5:12] Jesse McAnally: It is the second of the four Scooby Doo direct-to-video films to be animated overseas by Japanese animation studios MOOC Animation, premiering October 5th, 1999.

[5:23] Andrew DeWolf: The VHS included a pilot episode for Courage the Cowardly Dog, entitled The Chicken from Outer Space, shown at the end.

[5:30] Jesse McAnally: The film earned 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

[5:34] Andrew DeWolf: David Parkinson of Radio Times gave the film two out of five stars, saying, this full-length cartoon featuring the ghost-hunting teenage detectives is something of a mixed bag.

[5:45] Jesse McAnally: The plot of Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost is Scooby Doo and the mystery gang visit Oakhaven, Massachusetts, to seek strange goings-on involving a famous horror novelist and his ancestor, who is rumored to be a witch.

[5:56] Andrew DeWolf: Now, last year, I very famously said, Scooby Doo on Zombie Island Mid, Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost.

[6:05] Jesse McAnally: Great. Stand by that. Miranda, we'll go into your history in a little bit, but Andrew, I'm assuming this is a first watch for you.

[6:14] Andrew DeWolf: It was, it was. And you got such a great copy of this as well.

[6:20] Jesse McAnally: We had all the ads in there. This was really an incredible viewing experience.

[6:26] Andrew DeWolf: Yes, he had the Cartoon Network Premiere recording with commercials and everything, and the Scooby Doo Project, which is a famous...

[6:35] Jesse McAnally: I felt like I was watching two specials at once. I was like, the Scooby Doo Project pulled me right in.

[6:41] Andrew DeWolf: But Scooby Doo and the Witch's Ghost is a bit more of a typical Scooby Doo affair.

[6:46] Jesse McAnally: But honestly, it's, I think, one of the best. I don't know.

[6:50] Andrew DeWolf: After having seen Zombie Island, and I think I was kind of mixed on that one.

[6:55] Jesse McAnally: This one, I think it holds up pretty well.

[6:59] Andrew DeWolf: I don't know.

[7:00] Jesse McAnally: The Tim Curry of all really helps that.

[7:02] Andrew DeWolf: Tim Curry does a great job.

[7:04] Jesse McAnally: Yes, he does.

[7:05] Miranda Moffat: Now, Miranda, what's your history with Scooby Doo as a property, as well as Witch's Ghost?

[7:11] Miranda Moffat: I've been obsessed with Scooby Doo since I was a kid.

[7:14] Miranda Moffat: I very clearly remember watching the original series, Scooby Doo, Where Are You, Scooby Doo? Every time that I was homesick, it was running on Cartoon Network.

[7:23] Miranda Moffat: And then also the new series that came out in the mid-2000s, the What's New, Scooby Doo? I watched those religiously.

[7:29] Miranda Moffat: And then I also had all of the movies on VHS, specifically Legend of the Vampire.

[7:33] Miranda Moffat: I love that one.

[7:34] Miranda Moffat: And I used to rewatch the Hex Girls concert part of it over and over and over again, back when you would just pop the VHS in and rewind it a little bit and then pop it back in.

[7:43] Miranda Moffat: Back in the olden days, I was born in the 1900s.

[7:46] Jesse McAnally: So I have loved Scooby Doo forever.

[7:49] Miranda Moffat: And I've specifically been obsessed with the Hex Girls forever, as you can see by my t-shirt that Jesse so nicely bought me.

[7:56] Miranda Moffat: I have five of these now at this point.

[7:58] Miranda Moffat: And they're some of my favorite things that I own.

[8:02] Jesse McAnally: So I love Scooby Doo. I'm a diehard fan.

[8:04] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah.

[8:05] Miranda Moffat: Andrew actually helped me acquire some of them because he used to work at an establishment that had a lot of those.

[8:10] Andrew DeWolf: Well, thank you.

[8:11] Miranda Moffat: Yeah.

[8:12] Andrew DeWolf: When I worked there, the Hex Girls was actually like a big thing.

[8:17] Andrew DeWolf: We would have a section for Scooby Doo stuff.

[8:21] Miranda Moffat: But then we would have a different section for Hex Girls stuff.

[8:26] Andrew DeWolf: It was seen as its own thing because it was profitable, that profitable.

[8:31] Miranda Moffat: It really was a bisexual awakening for many.

[8:34] Andrew DeWolf: I still own the CD that they released with the-

[8:39] Miranda Moffat: I don't know if it was with the VHS or came later.

[8:41] Miranda Moffat: But I have the CD with all the songs on it from Witch's Ghost still.

[8:46] Miranda Moffat: And I think that this is also the most compelling mystery of the four anime Scooby Doos.

[8:54] Andrew DeWolf: Because I think we talked about last time how this felt more like an anime than it did a Scooby Doo special.

[9:00] Miranda Moffat: And they did this one, Cyberchase, Alien Invaders, and Zombie Island.

[9:06] Andrew DeWolf: And I think this one's the best as far as the tone management, the actual mystery.

[9:11] Miranda Moffat: And, you know, it's still for kids, but it is darker and it doesn't- it's not brightly lit and neon the way a lot of the later versions have been.

[9:20] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, I really like that they have two mysteries because it kind of- it eliminates the really common thing with Scooby Doo, which is that there's just like a really obvious red herring character.

[9:31] Miranda Moffat: But in this one, there's actually a red herring mystery.

[9:34] Miranda Moffat: Like one of the mysteries is just like the fake mystery.

[9:37] Miranda Moffat: And then there's actually the real thing going on that you get- find out afterwards.

[9:41] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah.

[9:43] Miranda Moffat: And we have a bonus character, which is, oh god, Ben Ravencroft, which is obviously Stephen King, played by Stephen King film alum, Tim Curry.

[9:55] Andrew DeWolf: I think it was fresh off of playing Pennywise at this point.

[9:58] Jesse McAnally: Yes.

[9:59] Miranda Moffat: And we've recently lost Tim Curry, so we have to honor him somehow on this podcast.

[10:05] Andrew DeWolf: And I think as far as like a stage actor, he's fine.

[10:08] Miranda Moffat: As far as a film actor, he's fine.

[10:10] Jesse McAnally: His voice acting was really kind of where he- I found him most compelling.

[10:14] Miranda Moffat: And here, he's playing it so underhanded and so- like so turned down, Tim Curry, so that when he puts it to 100 in the final sequences, I feel like I got a nice curry in my diet.

[10:29] Andrew DeWolf: RIP to a real one, though.

[10:30] Miranda Moffat: I mean, he is- I love his voice just in general, but he in this specifically is just hilarious because like what accent is he even doing?

[10:39] Andrew DeWolf: Like half of the people sound like they're doing like transatlantic accents.

[10:44] Miranda Moffat: He's like kind of British at times and kind of not, but like we're supposed to be set in Massachusetts.

[10:49] Andrew DeWolf: Like where are my Bostonian accents?

[10:55] Miranda Moffat: Where are you?

[10:56] Andrew DeWolf: They're supposed to be in Salem and no one-

[10:59] Miranda Moffat: Fake Salem.

[11:00] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, fake Salem.

[11:01] Miranda Moffat: And Ravencroft is supposed to be from there, I think, but then he's like-

[11:06] Andrew DeWolf: Yes.

[11:07] Miranda Moffat: I guess he's been spending too much time in Europe because he's got a bit of a British accent going on.

[11:12] Andrew DeWolf: I don't know.

[11:13] Miranda Moffat: Well, then he's got the mayor.

[11:15] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, specifically the way he says book.

[11:17] Miranda Moffat: He's like book.

[11:19] Andrew DeWolf: We're looking for the book.

[11:22] Miranda Moffat: Book.

[11:23] Andrew DeWolf: Book.

[11:24] Miranda Moffat: Book.

[11:25] Andrew DeWolf: Book.

[11:26] Miranda Moffat: Book!

[11:27] Andrew DeWolf: Because it isn't, Velma.

[11:29] Miranda Moffat: It's a spell book.

[11:30] Andrew DeWolf: Oh, yes.

[11:31] Miranda Moffat: And sorry, the mayor.

[11:32] Andrew DeWolf: Yes, the weird, basically the mayor from Jaws mayor in this movie.

[11:34] Miranda Moffat: Yeah.

[11:36] Andrew DeWolf: And he's like doing a JFK voice.

[11:39] Miranda Moffat: Not really much interpretation on just like doing John F. Kennedy.

[11:43] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah.

[11:44] Miranda Moffat: They're like, you know, New England, northeast.

[11:46] Andrew DeWolf: And he's like, I in New York, right?

[11:49] Jesse McAnally: I mean, Andrew, you used to live in Boston for a good period of years.

[11:52] Andrew DeWolf: Like, is this accurate to like what it was like?

[11:54] Andrew DeWolf: Or was there not enough lighting?

[11:56] Andrew DeWolf: You know what? I will say the setting they kind of got, the visual, like the architecture of the buildings that they designed.

[12:03] Andrew DeWolf: I mean, it's New England.

[12:05] Andrew DeWolf: They got the cobblestone streets and the little, what do they call those style houses?

[12:11] Andrew DeWolf: I can't even think of it.

[12:12] Andrew DeWolf: But it's like Massachusetts has a very particular style of house.

[12:15] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah.

[12:16] Andrew DeWolf: That's pretty common.

[12:17] Andrew DeWolf: And they have those there.

[12:18] Andrew DeWolf: So, you know, it felt authentic in that respect.

[12:21] Miranda Moffat: But none of the townspeople have not even a Boston accent, just like a New England accent.

[12:27] Andrew DeWolf: They don't even try.

[12:28] Miranda Moffat: But you're right, though.

[12:29] Miranda Moffat: Like the one of the things that I in particular love about Witch's Ghost as something to enjoy, like during Halloween, is that it really hits the vibe of like autumn fall in New England.

[12:41] Miranda Moffat: In particular, like obviously the town is meant to be basically a quasi Salem that's trying to like get the reputation of a Salem to be spooky so that people will come and be tourists there.

[12:50] Andrew DeWolf: Like it really, it really hits the vibe of fall correctly for me.

[12:55] Andrew DeWolf: Like it's just nice to look at.

[12:57] Andrew DeWolf: Much better than like, oh God, where were they? Like fucking New Orleans in Zombie Island where it's just...

[13:06] Jesse McAnally: Yes.

[13:07] Andrew DeWolf: And it takes forever for that movie to get off the ground.

[13:09] Jesse McAnally: Here it's like, you know, page five, we're off to Boston.

[13:13] Andrew DeWolf: Yes.

[13:14] Jesse McAnally: Yeah, it is.

[13:16] Andrew DeWolf: The pacing really is fast.

[13:18] Andrew DeWolf: I remember we watched the movie together again today while we were kind of working.

[13:20] Andrew DeWolf: I remember looking up being like, oh my God, the movie's almost over.

[13:23] Andrew DeWolf: Like we're already at the climax.

[13:24] Jesse McAnally: Like it does.

[13:25] Andrew DeWolf: It moves fast.

[13:27] Andrew DeWolf: I mean, for us, yeah.

[13:28] Andrew DeWolf: But Andrew had a wonderful early, late 90s commercials for like Barney's Christmas and...

[13:36] Jesse McAnally: It was compelling. It got you in the mood. It was like, you know what? I'm there. It is 1999. I am watching the premiere of Scooby-Doo and the Hex Girls or whatever the hell this is called.

[13:50] Andrew DeWolf: The thing that I was most shocked by in that, because I also sat through that out of morbid curiosity so that if you had things to say I could like know about them, was the amount of Christmas commercials they were playing in late October.

[14:03] Jesse McAnally: Makes me sick.

[14:04] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, it's true. Nowadays, they'd be playing that in early October.

[14:10] Jesse McAnally: And just like how much garbage was marketed to children back then and now. I think we have rules and regulations on that.

[14:18] Andrew DeWolf: We have to do like a bonus part for the Blair Witch Scooby-Doo thing that's going on there.

[14:23] Jesse McAnally: Well, we'll save that at the end.

[14:24] Andrew DeWolf: Because that is too good. It's too good.

[14:29] Jesse McAnally: We got to talk about Witch's Ghost a little bit, because I think one of the strangest benefits of it is kind of how irrelevant the Scooby-Doo of it all is.

[14:38] Andrew DeWolf: Because all the other kind of Scooby-Doo movies really try to bring the dog and Shaggy into the plot in some way.

[14:45] Jesse McAnally: And here, they aren't. They really are just kind of, we got to keep them because they're here.

[14:51] Andrew DeWolf: But we want to show these big-titty goth girlfriends for a bit.

[14:57] Jesse McAnally: It's Ravencroft and Velma. They're like the stars.

[15:02] Andrew DeWolf: Whereas Shaggy and Scooby, they're just like eating whatever food is at that restaurant.

[15:07] Jesse McAnally: They got the clam chowder.

[15:09] Andrew DeWolf: They put them in a little corner for much of the film, and they get chased a bit, but they're not driving the narrative.

[15:18] Jesse McAnally: The worst one is Alien Invader, where it is Shaggy's film to drive the narrative, because he's in love with a sexy, hippie alien woman.

[15:27] Andrew DeWolf: What?

[15:28] Jesse McAnally: Yeah, Jesse does not like that one.

[15:30] Andrew DeWolf: That one is okay.

[15:31] Jesse McAnally: I mean, in the scope of all the Scooby-Doo movies, we're talking the Boo Brothers.

[15:36] Andrew DeWolf: We're talking the Reluctant Werewolf.

[15:40] Jesse McAnally: These four films are by far one of the best of the bunch, other than some of the newer ones.

[15:45] Andrew DeWolf: But these ones are still solid.

[15:48] Jesse McAnally: Alien Invaders is still solid, but it's not the best of the four.

[15:51] Andrew DeWolf: Can I pause for a quick second?

[15:53] Jesse McAnally: Because you brought this up.

[15:54] Andrew DeWolf: Andrew, try to guess the premise of the Reluctant Werewolf.

[15:58] Jesse McAnally: What do you think is the driving fact of that?

[16:02] Andrew DeWolf: Is this the one where Shaggy becomes a werewolf?

[16:05] Jesse McAnally: Yes.

[16:06] Andrew DeWolf: Okay.

[16:07] Jesse McAnally: No, I can't guess it because I've sort of seen some of this one.

[16:10] Andrew DeWolf: Do you remember that Dracula, literal Dracula, needs him to win a car race?

[16:15] Jesse McAnally: So he turns him into a werewolf.

[16:17] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, this one is like Wacky Races in Abbott and Costello meet Wolfman or whatever.

[16:24] Jesse McAnally: I don't know what's happening.

[16:25] Andrew DeWolf: Basically, yes.

[16:27] Jesse McAnally: It took a very weird turn in the 80s.

[16:31] Andrew DeWolf: I want to say that 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo was the first time that they decided to do a like, okay, monsters are real one.

[16:36] Jesse McAnally: And then after that, it just sort of like all went downhill with like the Boo Brothers one, and then the Reluctant Werewolf, and there were a couple other ones in there.

[16:45] Andrew DeWolf: But like they've really gone back and forth on whether or not they want the series to like have actual monsters.

[16:51] Jesse McAnally: And I'm glad they did because like the Witch's Ghost, Zombie Island, Alien Invaders, Cyberchase, like those are the best ones and the monsters are real.

[16:59] Andrew DeWolf: But I feel like the series themselves like very staunchly say like, no, it's always a guy in the mask.

[17:05] Jesse McAnally: And then the movies are kind of like a little bit more flippant about it.

[17:08] Andrew DeWolf: It's a special occasion.

[17:10] Jesse McAnally: The monsters, they come out for Halloween.

[17:12] Andrew DeWolf: They don't, they're not all the time, you know.

[17:14] Jesse McAnally: Shut the fuck up.

[17:18] Andrew DeWolf: We got to talk Hex Girls.

[17:19] Jesse McAnally: Like we can't not.

[17:21] Andrew DeWolf: Yes.

[17:22] Jesse McAnally: Andrew, of course, you know about the Hex Girls.

[17:24] Andrew DeWolf: Like I take it you didn't watch this as a kid or anything like that.

[17:27] Jesse McAnally: So you don't really know their impact.

[17:29] Andrew DeWolf: I've never been a big Scooby-Doo guy.

[17:31] Jesse McAnally: I don't know.

[17:33] Andrew DeWolf: It's fine.

[17:34] Jesse McAnally: I watched it when I was a kid. I had like Boomerang and it was playing on there a lot.

[17:38] Andrew DeWolf: Oh, yeah.

[17:39] Jesse McAnally: You had money as a kid.

[17:40] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah.

[17:41] Jesse McAnally: Yeah.

[17:42] Andrew DeWolf: But I don't know. I just it was never my favorite.

[17:44] Jesse McAnally: I think it might have been because I saw some of the other not Scooby-Doo's like the one where it's the Scooby-Doo is a dune buggy or Jabberjaw.

[17:57] Andrew DeWolf: Ripoffs or they were trying to be other Scooby-Doo's.

[18:00] Jesse McAnally: Yeah.

[18:01] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah.

[18:02] Jesse McAnally: I'm trying to remember the name of the one where he's a dune buggy.

[18:04] Andrew DeWolf: But whatever.

[18:05] Jesse McAnally: It doesn't.

[18:06] Andrew DeWolf: You've never heard of this one.

[18:07] Jesse McAnally: No.

[18:08] Andrew DeWolf: You know, Jabberjaw.

[18:09] Jesse McAnally: No.

[18:10] Andrew DeWolf: I mean, is it is it an official Scooby-Doo like property?

[18:13] Jesse McAnally: No. This is Hanna-Barbera saying we got Scooby-Doo. Let's do different versions of Scooby.

[18:17] Andrew DeWolf: They just pumped out Scooby-Doo's.

[18:21] Jesse McAnally: It was like you just clone the original like Scooby-Doo gang replaced the dog.

[18:27] Andrew DeWolf: It was like Seth MacFarlane writing TV shows. You replace the dog with something else.

[18:31] Jesse McAnally: You know, he's a bear in this one. He's an alien in this one.

[18:33] Andrew DeWolf: He's a shark Jabberjaw. He's a shark.

[18:36] Jesse McAnally: Then there's one where he's a dune buggy. They drive around.

[18:39] Andrew DeWolf: Oh, okay. Yes. I do know what you're talking about.

[18:41] Jesse McAnally: Actually. Now that you say that the shark thing. Okay.

[18:44] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, that's weird.

[18:47] Jesse McAnally: They're like, yeah, let's make some more money.

[18:48] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah.

[18:49] Jesse McAnally: And it was like we let's make more Scooby-Doo but like it's not Scooby-Doo. It's this other thing.

[18:53] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, it was literally called speed buggy and speed buggy.

[18:58] Jesse McAnally: Scooby-Doo clone only. It's a speed buggy.

[19:00] Andrew DeWolf: So the speed buggy talks instead of the dog.

[19:03] Jesse McAnally: Yeah. And the speed buggy talks and he's got like a it's not like a stutter but he like like he's like revving up his engine as he talks. He's like.

[19:11] Andrew DeWolf: And you've got this character with a speech impediment.

[19:18] Jesse McAnally: That is with the gang.

[19:20] Andrew DeWolf: Okay. Okay. Yes. This is this is firing a neuron.

[19:24] Jesse McAnally: So basically I got I saw too much of that and it it's like it infected me and I couldn't respect Scooby-Doo as much.

[19:30] Andrew DeWolf: I think Scooby-Doo deserves a bit more than what I've given it. It's it's there's some better stuff in there.

[19:35] Jesse McAnally: I do have a clear memory of the first time I watched this specific special when I was younger. I was very young. I was at my grandmother's house and it was airing on Cartoon Network or whatever and I was like mid Halloween or what whatever time and I remember specifically like me and my brother watching it. He was like playing on his Game Boy or something and it's right at the point when Shaggy throws a bucket of water on the witch and she said what was that supposed to do anything. He's like it worked on the Wizard of Oz that my grandmother said stimulating stuff you've got here. I just walked out of the room.

[20:15] Andrew DeWolf: That sounds like that sounds like Bev.

[20:20] Jesse McAnally: She was not a big fan of the stuff we watched.

[20:23] Andrew DeWolf: I'd see I don't remember the first time that I watched specifically Witches Ghost, but just I just remember it being like one of my favorite things to watch specifically during Halloween. Like I watch Scooby-Doo all the time all year round but like specifically for Halloween time. I really like to watch Witches Ghost and also Zombie Island.

[20:43] Jesse McAnally: So the Hex Girls.

[20:44] Andrew DeWolf: So the Hex Girls.

[20:45] Jesse McAnally: I'm going to put a spell on you.

[20:46] Andrew DeWolf: I really like the Hex Girls.

[20:48] Jesse McAnally: I didn't realize that they were eco Goths and Wiccans.

[20:53] Andrew DeWolf: I thought they were just LARPers and it turns out they're not.

[20:56] Jesse McAnally: Well, I mean they are but they're it's not like just that.

[21:00] Andrew DeWolf: Now what is an eco Goth?

[21:02] Jesse McAnally: It is a Goth who cares about the environment.

[21:04] Andrew DeWolf: Probably. Any kind of old girl that you find on the dating apps.

[21:09] Jesse McAnally: I also find it hilarious though like specifically that this movie spends a lot of time being like actually Wiccans were like very well-respected healers in their time and they were good people and like the hysteria around the Salem Witch Trials wasn't justified and at the end they're like nah, they were actually evil the whole time.

[21:29] Andrew DeWolf: Like well, no the Wiccans weren't though. There was just also actual witches like that were different than the Wiccans.

[21:36] Jesse McAnally: I suppose they're like they're like yeah Wiccans are okay, but you know some of them deserve some of them deserves to be burned just a few of them though.

[21:44] Andrew DeWolf: One bad egg and we throw the Wiccans out.

[21:47] Jesse McAnally: Right?

[21:48] Andrew DeWolf: Well, the thing is that the Wiccans are the only good one. If anything this this movie is deeply anti-Christian.

[21:54] Jesse McAnally: It's essentially saying Wiccans are the true religion. They're the only ones who can stop the witches. No one else can do it.

[22:03] Andrew DeWolf: You got to have a very particular kind of religious person to be able to solve this problem for you.

[22:08] Jesse McAnally: Exactly. And it's it's a it's a Wiccan in this case and Wiccans I guess are the only ones who can defeat witches which doesn't make a lot of sense.

[22:16] Andrew DeWolf: But it I guess that is the Scooby-Doo lore. I don't know if they stick with that or not.

[22:20] Jesse McAnally: But is someone pure of heart. So I guess this eco goth is pure of heart.

[22:25] Andrew DeWolf: Well, it's pure of heart and a Wiccan though because like by blood Wiccan has to be by blood.

[22:31] Jesse McAnally: Yes.

[22:32] Andrew DeWolf: So Wiccan Wiccan is a ethnicity and a religion.

[22:35] Jesse McAnally: So there's a supremacy thing happening here too.

[22:37] Andrew DeWolf: We're talking about blood percentages.

[22:40] Jesse McAnally: Which is there kind of is though.

[22:42] Andrew DeWolf: Is there a one drop rule to Wiccans?

[22:44] Jesse McAnally: Tim Curry also like the like bad Ben Ravencroft the character like at the end is like basically saying that they're a superior race. Did you catch that? Like they basically says like we're a superior brand of people and like very very weird kind of thing to pull in.

[22:59] Andrew DeWolf: The confusion with the movie always at the end is like what was your end game here? Like what were you going to take over the town?

[23:07] Jesse McAnally: The world like you wanted more power to do what?

[23:11] Andrew DeWolf: You're already a famous and rich writer. What else do you want?

[23:15] Jesse McAnally: And he's a white man. He can do anything he wants ever.

[23:18] Andrew DeWolf: What more does he require?

[23:20] Jesse McAnally: What's crazy is he gets the book. He can now do magic. And now he's like, you know what? I'm going to bring back my evil great great great grandmother for like no reason.

[23:29] Andrew DeWolf: It's it really it's like the worst thought out plan.

[23:32] Jesse McAnally: Although I think also in the movie he should have been sucked into the book without the lady needed to grab him.

[23:38] Andrew DeWolf: You know, I think once he reads from the book and he does the magic he is now also a witch and he should also get sucked into the book.

[23:44] Jesse McAnally: I agree with that. I think alternatively like I think a better plot. Well, I don't know better but maybe one that would make more sense would be that he like brought this person back to be like to try to show the world that hey Wiccans aren't bad.

[23:56] Andrew DeWolf: And then she ends up coming back and is like evil. He doesn't expect it. Like I feel like that would have been then you don't have a twisted villain.

[24:02] Jesse McAnally: I guess but I don't know that would have made a little more sense.

[24:05] Andrew DeWolf: Tim Curry speech where he becomes like evil and that would that mean that now we're just missing a huge element of the fun.

[24:12] Jesse McAnally: Yeah, which is like if it's really two stars less than it is without Tim Curry in this role in this film.

[24:20] Andrew DeWolf: I agree. That's true.

[24:21] Jesse McAnally: Some of the magic of Scooby-Doo is sort of like the silliness of it and the like this doesn't exactly make perfect sense, but it's very fun and the guest stars.

[24:30] Andrew DeWolf: I think that's really the best part of it is bringing back the guest star element the famous character actor coming on and having the adventure with you.

[24:41] Jesse McAnally: That's true. But do you know who is always on the ride for Scooby-Doo Frank Welker my OG I think there's not been a single Scooby-Doo property thing that has happened that he has not been involved in and I'm pretty sure he's the only original cast member that was in this movie because I want to say like I know Daphne was Mary Kay Bergman.

[25:03] Andrew DeWolf: Rest in peace.

[25:04] Jesse McAnally: Rest in peace. Yes, who then her protege actually grade the lease or Greg Griffin. I think I ended up taking over Daphne after her and then I know that Shaggy was like Scott Ennis or Ennis in this one because Casey Kasem refused to come back because okay.

[25:20] Andrew DeWolf: I want to highlight that for a second Billy West did Shaggy in zombie Island and he is so shit a Shaggy Scott Ennis is so much better.

[25:29] Jesse McAnally: He's pretty good. He's no Casey Kasem or Matthew Lillard, but he's he's pretty good.

[25:34] Andrew DeWolf: I want to say Velma and this was BJ Ward who she did it for kind of the 90s. She actually was in like a couple of different roles in different movies before in like not as Velma and then she was Velma for a little bit and then I think somebody else took it over for in like 2002.

[25:48] Jesse McAnally: So like Frank Welker is really the only original cast member in this movie and also in a lot of the like really good like zombie Island this one cyber chase and alien invaders.

[25:59] Andrew DeWolf: I think like he's the only original one if I'm not mistaken and when he dies, I think that's kind of the death of Scooby-Doo like in my opinion.

[26:06] Jesse McAnally: Oh my God easy that he's so involved and he played Fred who no one cares about except for the hardcore fans.

[26:12] Andrew DeWolf: I know the hardcore fans love Fred.

[26:15] Jesse McAnally: I love Fred. I love Frank Welker. I really what I need him to do is I need him to just film like 50 more movies to last me until I die and then they can just like release them periodically for me.

[26:28] Andrew DeWolf: Like I don't know that I can watch Scooby-Doo if he ever is not Fred.

[26:32] Jesse McAnally: The only two people that have played Fred that were not Frank Welker are our three Glenn Howerton in the Velman series. You've got Zac Efron for Scoob and Freddie Prince Jr. for the live-action film.

[26:46] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, and I don't think any of them did a good job.

[26:49] Jesse McAnally: No Glenn Howerton's probably the closest and that is a bad adaptation there.

[26:53] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, you know Frank Welker voiced Jabberjaw in Jabberjaw.

[26:59] Jesse McAnally: What we're learning is the man will show up for the right amount. He also has a role in troll but not troll to just troll the original troll just troll.

[27:14] Andrew DeWolf: He can kind of do, like, animal noises and a bunch of other stuff, too. Frank Welker. I'm pretty sure he was, like, also, like, Slimer in the Ghostbusters show. He's Cujo in Cujo. Yeah, he can make those animal noises, I'll tell you. Tell you what. Speaking of animal noises, how about we go into a mid-show and then we talk about some of the songs in this.

[27:36] Jess McAnally: Okay.

[27:37] Andrew DeWolf: Only if you make some dog noises right now.

[27:42] Jess McAnally: You're no Frank Welker, I'll say that. It's like how if I try to do a British accent, you can't get rid of the natural Jess sounds.

[27:45] Andrew DeWolf: The natural Jess sounds.

[27:52] Jess McAnally: Where it's just like, ah, it's like Keanu Reeves doing a British accent. You can't get rid of the Keanu.

[28:11] Andrew DeWolf: The Cartoon Network has many stars, but only one sun. A giant celestial body that is, in some way, linked to every toon alive. And that sun is named Velma. Every toon, everywhere, has a connection to the Cartoon Network's bespectacled super sleuth. Like Brainy Smurf, who's terrorized by Asriel, who's littermates with Sebastian, who tours with the Pussycats, who are assisted by Alan, who shares clothes with Freddy, who solves mysteries with Velma. Then there's Betty, who takes steborobics with Judy, who shares a house with Astro, who goes to speech therapy with Scooby, who solves mysteries with Velma. Space Ghost Petal Zorak, who did a guest stint on Jabberjaw, where he was captured by a guy who looks remarkably like Shaggy, who solves mysteries with Velma. It's easy to trace a path to Velma, that gaseous star at the center of the Cartoon Network universe. What's your connection?

[29:14] Jess McAnally: Mystery Inc. put them away, but someone has turned them loose. And now it's up to the gang to save us all. That dude's wearing his freak hat 24-7. Scooby-Doo 2, Monsters Unleashed. Starts Friday, March 26.

[29:33] Andrew DeWolf: Hey guys, sorry to interrupt you in the middle of the show, but we've got a shill on you. Today's show is brought to you by the extremely kind donations by our donors over at Patreon. Andrew, take it away!

[29:54] Andrew DeWolf: Oh my god, our current patrons... Oh no, I gotta do the thing first. Pardon me. Patreon's where you go if you want to support us and we also have extra content on there. My goodness, I don't fucking know. We'll read your name too. Our current patrons are...

[30:33] Jess McAnally: These folks give us a little extra financial support that helps us keep the lights on here at Musicals with Cheese. If you'd like to join them in supporting us and get all those fun perks that Andrew did not even mention, come join us over at Patreon.

[31:07] Andrew DeWolf: Oh, dare I read our most recent review?

[31:10] Jess McAnally: Oh god, no. Is it bad? Is it good?

[31:13] Andrew DeWolf: I sent it to you, don't you remember?

[31:15] Jess McAnally: Oh, is that the most recent one?

[31:17] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, that is our most recent podcast review. And I think it's your fault.

[31:23] Jess McAnally: It is my fault. I was given those beans. So this review was written by our lovely friend PDX Redcoat. I'm pretty sure they've given us a positive review in the past, which is why this hurts even more. And I will say, they didn't give us a one star, they gave us a three stars.

[31:43] Andrew DeWolf: That's not bad.

[31:44] Jess McAnally: And they're totally above average.

[31:46] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, yeah. Like most things in my life.

[31:50] Jess McAnally: Their header says, needs more musical theater. Well, I initially subscribed for the musicals. This was the only podcast that talked about musical theater specifically. After it transitioned into the cheese wheel, I stepped away as I didn't need another general pop culture podcast to tell me that Alien was a good movie.

[32:08] Andrew DeWolf: Fair enough.

[32:09] Jess McAnally: Imagine my delight when it was announced that the original incarnation of musicals with cheese was returning. Sadly, since resubscribing, there have been about 20 episodes of the majority of which have either not been musical related or only tangentially connected with musical theater. I hope for more musical content going forward and fewer rerun episodes of the cheese wheel or non-musical movie reviews.

[32:26] Andrew DeWolf: You know what? Boy, is that the wrong episode to read that in?

[32:30] Jess McAnally: They might have a point.

[32:34] Andrew DeWolf: Which is why in this episode, I'm announcing a brand new spinoff podcast where Miranda Moffat and I are going to be talking about recent cinema releases because I am now a film critic and get to go to these things.

[32:49] Jess McAnally: Wow, how important.

[32:53] Andrew DeWolf: Narcissist, aren't you?

[32:54] Jess McAnally: A little bit.

[32:55] Andrew DeWolf: I would say I'm more than a little a narcissist.

[32:58] Jess McAnally: No.

[32:59] Andrew DeWolf: And in these, we will come right out of the theater, talk about it, have uptakes and all that jazz. And occasionally they'll appear on the musicals with cheese bonus episode as the main feed. But we're going to do that pretty regularly. It won't be a weekly thing. It'll be whenever we get to see the most recent stuff. So I hope you will subscribe currently on the Broadway Podcast Network at Cinema with Cheese. Don't consider it like a spiritual sequel to musicals with cheese. It's not going to have the same tone. It's going to be a little bit more artsy and pretentious.

[33:33] Jess McAnally: That's great. And you're going to hear a lot more Miranda.

[33:35] Andrew DeWolf: How does that fix their original complaint about not having musicals?

[33:39] Jess McAnally: Oh, it doesn't at all.

[33:43] Andrew DeWolf: Once again, we're going to do what we want. Can I tell you what I, you know, for all the stuff that we do, as far as like reviewing musical theater and movies and that kind of stuff, I have never, maybe not since I was a teenager on Twitter, ever written a review. I've never left a YouTube comment. I've never left a review on a podcast or a movie or nothing, any. I don't want anybody to know my opinion ever. And people can do whatever they want. I don't care. If I don't like it, I will scroll away.

[34:12] Jess McAnally: The thing is, she's always baffled that anyone has any opinion on what we do ever. I'm just like, why do you care? Find something else to watch then. I don't know. Why are you leaving a review?

[34:26] Andrew DeWolf: It's because they like us. They want more from us that they can enjoy because they love us.

[34:31] Jess McAnally: I guess. They got to learn to love who we really are, though.

[34:34] Andrew DeWolf: I guess, but you know, I don't know. I'm just like, if I don't like something, I will just move on.

[34:41] Jess McAnally: Like what you like. I also think like this is our Halloween episode and we can announce it here for our November themed months this year. It's going to be the Wizard of Oz. Well, specifically attempts at a Wizard of Oz sequel. There have been so many of them and we have a lot of really cool guests that I can't reveal here in case they drop out last minute, but I'm excited about it. So November is going to be a big month for here at Musicals with Cheese and a lot of them are real musicals. So get off our dicks.

[35:16] Andrew DeWolf: All right, let's get back to the show.

[35:18] Jess McAnally: It's good to have contempt for your audience, Andrew.

[35:21] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, if you're going to have contempt for anyone, it should be people that like you.

[35:42] Jess McAnally: Starting tomorrow. I'll kill you all. It haunted them. I get crazy and I'll kill you all. It terrified them. I'm every nightmare you've ever had. Now it's back. I'm everything you ever were afraid of. From Stephen King's bestselling novel, It, starting tomorrow. This holiday season, something untamed, something unbelievable.

[36:10] Andrew DeWolf: I can talk to animals. My butt's gone to sleep. And something unexpected. There's your sister. Talk like a monkey, dress like a gig. Yeah, you get used to it. Is coming to a theater near you. You will have your own challenges. The Wild Thornberrys Movie. That is so wrong. Rated PG. December 20th in theaters everywhere.

[36:36] Jess McAnally: The story of how a little orphan girl with the help of her friends outsmarts the nasty Miss Hannigan and finds the family she's always dreamed of. Annie, on sale now from Columbia TriStar Home Video.

[37:05] Jess McAnally: It's time for everyone's favorite part of the show, where Andrew and Miranda have to go head to head to guess whether these real life letterbox reviews are a one star or five star based on nothing but the review alone. It's time for Brieviews.

[37:17] Andrew DeWolf: It's time for Brieviews, Brieviews, Brieviews. It's time for Brieviews.

[37:27] Jess McAnally: Bring it on.

[37:28] Andrew DeWolf: OK.

[37:28] Jess McAnally: Oh, Miranda's confident.

[37:30] Andrew DeWolf: I have a lot of experience with this, which means I have a pretty solid disadvantage, I would say.

[37:35] Jess McAnally: Andrew almost had a perfect game last week.

[37:37] Andrew DeWolf: This shit brain rots you. The more you play it, the worse you get. It's a 50 50 shot.

[37:43] Jess McAnally: I'll flip a coin, I guess.

[37:45] Andrew DeWolf: That's how I started out thinking. And then you start you start to believe there's a logic to it and you're wrong.

[37:52] Jess McAnally: All right, Andrew, you're first.

[37:54] Andrew DeWolf: OK. Goth women and women is spelled W.I.M.E.N. W.I.M.E.N. Goth women. I mean, if I'm giving a review of goth women, I'm probably going to give it a five, right? Is that your answer?

[38:08] Andrew DeWolf: We'll go five.

[38:09] Jess McAnally: That is wrong. That was a one.

[38:13] Andrew DeWolf: What? That's ridiculous.

[38:14] Jess McAnally: It's embarrassing for them is really what it is.

[38:18] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, I also agree. Like, don't I remember I didn't write these. Don't kill the messenger here. I swear I didn't write the one star goth women review.

[38:32] Jess McAnally: Miranda, are you ready?

[38:33] Miranda Moffat: Yeah, what's up?

[38:34] Andrew DeWolf: Hey, Thorne, I'm free every single day. I'll drop plans for you. And a walking emoji.

[38:39] Miranda Moffat: That's five.

[38:40] Jess McAnally: That is correct. That was an easy one.

[38:43] Andrew DeWolf: This is this is unfair. You're cheating for her.

[38:48] Miranda Moffat: Andrew, I love you.

[38:50] Andrew DeWolf: You can't withhold sex.

[38:52] Jess McAnally: Oh, fuck. Or maybe you can. You don't know.

[38:57] Andrew DeWolf: All right, Andrew, you're right. Your turn.

[39:00] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, yeah. Ooh, ooh, ooh. I have such nostalgia for this one.

[39:05] Jess McAnally: Yeah.

[39:06] Andrew DeWolf: So, OK, we're going to go we're going to go five.

[39:10] Jess McAnally: That was a one.

[39:11] Andrew DeWolf: You fucking idiot. Fuck is that, dude? That's so crazy.

[39:14] Jess McAnally: I should have realized there was the nostalgia critic. He's very critical of this nostalgia.

[39:22] Andrew DeWolf: He did do an episode on this and he gave it a positive review.

[39:25] Jess McAnally: Of course he did. This is exactly the type of thing he would say is good.

[39:28] Andrew DeWolf: You want to know the best thing about Miranda? She has no fucking idea who the critic is.

[39:35] Miranda Moffat: Wait, no, that's not true. You have to have some passing idea.

[39:39] Jess McAnally: She has absolutely.

[39:41] Miranda Moffat: I don't know what you guys are talking about.

[39:42] Jess McAnally: Blissfully unaware.

[39:45] Andrew DeWolf: Lovely unaware.

[39:47] Jess McAnally: All right, Miranda, your turn.

[39:48] Miranda Moffat: Yeah.

[39:49] Jess McAnally: All right. Let's settle this about the hex girls once and for all dot dot. Fuck one, marry one, kill one.

[39:55] Miranda Moffat: Ooh, do we have to answer? I would. I am actually very curious about your answers.

[40:00] Miranda Moffat: Oh, Mary.

[40:06] Miranda Moffat: Mary Thorne, I think.

[40:08] Miranda Moffat: Fuck Dusk, kill Luna.

[40:12] Andrew DeWolf: Which which one is the drummer?

[40:14] Miranda Moffat: Luna.

[40:15] Andrew DeWolf: I think that's Luna, right? Because she has like the.

[40:17] Miranda Moffat: Luna's got the red hair.

[40:19] Andrew DeWolf: Wait, I thought Luna was the drummer.

[40:21] Miranda Moffat: Or is. Oh, wait, hold on. I don't remember. All I know is Thorne is the lead.

[40:25] Andrew DeWolf: Thorne is the lead.

[40:26] Miranda Moffat: Wait, I have it on my shirt. Hold on. Thorne is the lead.

[40:29] Andrew DeWolf: I feel like I feel like I. Luna's a keyboardist.

[40:32] Miranda Moffat: OK, yeah.

[40:33] Andrew DeWolf: Dusk is the drummer.

[40:35] Miranda Moffat: OK, so I changed my answer. Thorne, Mary Thorne, fuck Luna, kill Dusk.

[40:40] Andrew DeWolf: But who would you fucking kill, though? You'd marry the drummer.

[40:42] Miranda Moffat: Marry the drummer.

[40:46] Andrew DeWolf: Fuck Thorne.

[40:48] Andrew DeWolf: Andrew and I have the same answer.

[40:50] Jesse McAnally: Yeah.

[40:52] Andrew DeWolf: I think Thorne's too much of a woman for me.

[40:54] Jesse McAnally: She's too much of a woman for me.

[40:59] Andrew DeWolf: It's good for a night, but you know, I don't think I can handle that.

[41:05] Jesse McAnally: I'm going to get pulled into a book. I'm worried about that. Anytime we have an argument, she can just hex girl me into a book. It's over. I gotta hang out with Ben Ravencroft for the rest of my life.

[41:19] Miranda Moffat: Don't you guys want some excitement in your lives for once?

[41:23] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, for once! One night! Drums are exciting.

[41:27] Jesse McAnally: Are you sure Dad's a dentist?

[41:29] Andrew DeWolf: Dad's a dentist. He's got money.

[41:33] Jesse McAnally: That's the keyboardist, I think, right?

[41:35] Andrew DeWolf: Doesn't that hurt? No. The dentist is Thorne's.

[41:39] Jesse McAnally: No, Thorne's dad is the fucking local t-shirt seller.

[41:41] Andrew DeWolf: Is he?

[41:43] Jesse McAnally: He's also the dentist.

[41:45] Andrew DeWolf: No, no, no. Red-haired is the dentist.

[41:49] Jesse McAnally: She's the first one to look at me and she pulls her teeth out.

[41:53] Andrew DeWolf: That's right, that's true. That's why I'm marrying her. It's the keyboardist.

[41:59] Jesse McAnally: I thought you said you wanted to marry Dusk, the blonde, the drummer.

[42:01] Andrew DeWolf: No, I don't want the blonde. I'm changing my answer.

[42:05] Jesse McAnally: I think I mixed them up, too.

[42:07] Andrew DeWolf: I think I had it backwards. The other one doesn't have anything going on. There's literally no character.

[42:13] Jesse McAnally: She just bubbles from the Powerpuff Girls.

[42:15] Andrew DeWolf: She basically is, but you know what? When I was young and I had no friends other than my sister and her friend, Holly, we would decide who we were amongst different groups of three and I was Thorne. That was me.

[42:29] Miranda Moffat: How did you win that one? My goodness.

[42:31] Jesse McAnally: Because I was the youngest, so I get what I want. My sister's very nice and loves me very much.

[42:37] Miranda Moffat: Are you that nice to your sister, Andrew?

[42:39] Andrew DeWolf: My sister tried to stab me with a pen once.

[42:43] Miranda Moffat: Is she your younger sister or your older sister?

[42:47] Andrew DeWolf: Younger. Oh, that makes sense.

[42:49] Miranda Moffat: I was a younger sister, too. I also psychologically tortured my older sister sometimes. It happens.

[42:55] Jesse McAnally: Was that a one star or five star?

[42:57] Andrew DeWolf: Read it again for me.

[43:01] Miranda Moffat: It's up for interpretation. Let's settle this about the Hex Girls once and for all. Fuck one, marry one, kill one.

[43:09] Jesse McAnally: Five.

[43:11] Miranda Moffat: That is correct! Andrew's kicking her ass.

[43:15] Andrew DeWolf: You came up with the easy ones.

[43:17] Jesse McAnally: I'm not intending to.

[43:19] Miranda Moffat: That's true. I would have thought the other two were fives, too.

[43:21] Jesse McAnally: Andrew.

[43:23] Andrew DeWolf: Is Ireland mentioned?

[43:25] Jesse McAnally: It might be. Where did he say he lives?

[43:27] Andrew DeWolf: He just says Europe, doesn't he? No Ireland mentioned. This is a one.

[43:31] Miranda Moffat: That is correct! You're on the board!

[43:33] Jesse McAnally: I didn't think that one through. That was close.

[43:37] Jesse McAnally: All right, Miranda. Last one. Man with a ponytail invites teens back to his home for the weekend.

[43:45] Miranda Moffat: Fuck it. Five.

[43:47] Jesse McAnally: That is correct! Miranda has a perfect game. Congratulations.

[43:51] Miranda Moffat: Thank you.

[43:53] Andrew DeWolf: You went in all bravado and confidence there, buddy. She kicked your ass.

[43:59] Jesse McAnally: You know what? That actually is the opposite. I said I was at a huge disadvantage.

[44:03] Miranda Moffat: She did.

[44:05] Jesse McAnally: Let's talk about the song starting with the Scooby-Doo theme as sung by the one and only Billy Ray Cyrus.

[44:13] ♪ Musical number: "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" — performed by Billy Ray Cyrus ♪

[44:27] Andrew DeWolf: You know, this is something you've told me recently that I was like it can't be. I would have known. But we watched it today and sure-a-fucking-nuff it was Billy Ray Cyrus singing that song. And it's like clear as day, but when you're watching it you don't really think about it, you know?

[44:45] Jesse McAnally: It's just that fucking song. I thought it was Simple Plan.

[44:47] Andrew DeWolf: No, that's a What's New Scooby-Doo. God, that's a good version of that song, too. What's new Scooby-Doo? Gonna come on you. Da-da-da-da-da.

[44:55] Jesse McAnally: What the fuck?

[44:57] Andrew DeWolf: It's a dog, bro.

[45:01] Jesse McAnally: It's a talking dog, man. Um, Billy Ray Cyrus did fine.

[45:05] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, he's fine.

[45:07] Jesse McAnally: I think the OG is my favorite, though.

[45:09] Andrew DeWolf: Like the original 60s? Yeah.

[45:11] Jesse McAnally: Scooby-Dooby-Doo, Where are you?

[45:15] Andrew DeWolf: I kinda like the version that they did in the 2002 movie.

[45:19] Jesse McAnally: I don't remember what that sounds like. I remember it had like little mixed things and it had the in the middle. I really like that one.

[45:27] Andrew DeWolf: Okay. Do they make it like pop-punk? I feel like that's something new.

[45:31] Jesse McAnally: Yeah, that's kind of like the James Gunn-y Superman version of the Scooby-Doo theme.

[45:35] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, yeah. I was into that one. Um, I just don't like I don't like versions like this where it's just like It's the Scooby-Doo theme as sung by this guy. No real variation. I like a variation. I like change and doing a take on it.

[45:51] Jesse McAnally: You don't like it sung by the achy, breaky, heart guy?

[45:53] Andrew DeWolf: No. Um, I wonder if he blames this on corrupting his daughter the way he blames Mulholland Drive for corrupting his daughter.

[45:59] Jesse McAnally: What?

[46:01] Andrew DeWolf: Are we thinking of the right person? Yes. Do you not remember him in Mulholland Drive?

[46:05] Jesse McAnally: We covered that episode on the previous podcast. He blames his daughter?

[46:09] Andrew DeWolf: He blames that on it for his daughter? Yeah. He said, if David Lynch had never cast me in Mulholland Drive, I would have never come to LA and without me coming to LA I would have never put her into Hannah Montana and ruined her life like that.

[46:21] Jesse McAnally: Okay.

[46:23] Andrew DeWolf: He absolutely would have done that. It doesn't matter what movie it was.

[46:27] Jesse McAnally: That's right.

[46:29] Andrew DeWolf: Billy Ray Cyrus seems like a not well adjusted man.

[46:33] Jesse McAnally: I never liked that guy.

[46:35] Andrew DeWolf: And he sucks in Hannah Montana too. He's not funny at all.

[46:37] Jesse McAnally: The thing is, Miley Cyrus is actually a really great sitcom actress. She can, she's like uncomparable to Lucille Ball for like the faces she pulls. There's a reason why that show kind of worked. And it wasn't Billy Ray Cyrus.

[46:51] Andrew DeWolf: No.

[46:53] Jesse McAnally: It was not Billy Ray Cyrus. Speaking of not Billy Ray Cyrus, let's talk about the Hex Girls opening song, Hex Girls.

[47:03] ♪ Musical number: "Hex Girls" — performed by The Hex Girls ♪

[47:53] Andrew DeWolf: I love this because they just kind of wander around the woods and accidentally stumble upon them rehearsing for nobody.

[48:01] Jesse McAnally: And they're doing like a hundred percent. Like, this is not just like, you know, going through the motions, dress rehearsal. This is like lights and everything going on. We're gonna do the choreography. And then they wrap it up and they're like, hey, great show! And they're like, thanks. What are you doing here? Very blunt, very unpleasant.

[48:21] Miranda Moffat: Unpleasant. They're a bunch of people that found them by going through the middle of the woods and are looking at them while they're sitting there in the dark playing their songs and they're three girls by themselves. I would be suspicious too. I will say one of my favorite things is just kind of how outwardly aggressive they are toward the Scooby gang at every point.

[48:41] Jesse McAnally: I agree. I love that. They have to be suspicious because otherwise they wouldn't function as like a red herring, you know?

[48:47] Andrew DeWolf: No one's allowed to like Scooby in the game. And if they do, they're usually the villain.

[48:53] Jesse McAnally: Yes. So really they're the only safe ones. But that's kind of why I think the Hex Girls work best here is because every other time they're just chummy with the mystery gang. I don't want that. I want them to be kind of cold with them still because they are pop stars.

[49:09] Miranda Moffat: I feel like they work really well here. I haven't seen the other stuff but I imagine without the aspect of are they actually witches, you kind of lose a little bit of that.

[49:19] Jesse McAnally: Yeah, they're never as prominently featured in something as they are in The Witch's Ghost. Legend of the Vampire they're in, but they're really just there to be like a musical act and be like, hey, we're going to go see our friends or our friends are going to come see us. I think the only time they're really characters again is in the series Mystery Incorporated where they are there for an episode. Do you remember that one, Jesse?

[49:43] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, doesn't Daphne pretend to be Thorne?

[49:47] Jesse McAnally: Yes. Or she's like, there is another singer. That is one of the episodes where they come back and are like actual characters. But it's not the same.

[49:57] Miranda Moffat: Fair enough. Fair enough.

[49:59] Jesse McAnally: I like this song, but it's not my favorite of the Hex Girls songs.

[50:03] Andrew DeWolf: What's your favorite?

[50:09] Jesse McAnally: We'll talk about it. It's next. Is it Earth, Wind, Fire and Air?

[50:13] ♪ Musical number: "Earth, Wind, Fire and Air" — performed by The Hex Girls ♪

[50:55] Andrew DeWolf: I was always confused by that song because why are there two mentions of air in that Earth, Wind, Fire and Air? Wind and Air, same thing?

[51:07] Jesse McAnally: Wind doesn't rhyme with anything.

[51:09] Andrew DeWolf: When they were writing the lyrics, they were thinking of Earth, Wind and Fire, but then they were like, oh, the four elements, Earth, Wind and Fire and Air.

[51:19] Jesse McAnally: You know, we don't need Earth. There's no need for that.

[51:23] Andrew DeWolf: It is a good song, don't get me wrong. It's catchy as fuck, but that always bothered me. You could have just Earth, Water, Fire and Air.

[51:31] Jesse McAnally: This is true. They were thinking of the band Earth, Wind and Fire.

[51:37] Andrew DeWolf: Still, the song fucks and it wraps up the film. The only thing I don't like about it is why they let the Scooby gang ruin it by dancing their stupid dances throughout it.

[51:51] Jesse McAnally: Because it's the final number. You've got to involve all the cast and you have a nice little dancey dance number to wrap everything up. That's how it works.

[51:59] Andrew DeWolf: You sound like the producers of every DreamWorks film in the 2000s.

[52:03] Jesse McAnally: Or every Bollywood film ever.

[52:07] Andrew DeWolf: See, Bollywood films, at least they were singing and dancing throughout the entire film. I guess. I like it.

[52:13] Jesse McAnally: Yeah, and then the song I have never paid any attention to until this watch, which is It's a Mystery, which plays in the end credits.

[52:21] ♪ Musical number: "It's a Mystery" — performed by The Hex Girls ♪

[53:23] Andrew DeWolf: Also a banger, yeah. We watched through the end credits today and we're like, hey, this is actually a good song too.

[53:29] Jesse McAnally: I don't think I've heard that one. I think I missed the end credits. Not a Hexgirl song, it's just like a general...

[53:33] Andrew DeWolf: No, the Hexgirls sing it apparently.

[53:35] Jesse McAnally: Oh, really?

[53:37] Andrew DeWolf: It is the singers, yeah. Okay. There's a few other songs on the soundtrack that are not in the film, like a song called Zoinks, and a song called Scooby Snacks, and a song called Those Medellin Kids.

[53:47] Jesse McAnally: Yeah, that's the album I have. It's like a full CD album of it. Obviously there's only like three songs in the movie itself, so there are some other things on there. And they also include some songs from Zombie Island, including Terror Time, which is the best part of all of Zombie Island.

[54:01] Andrew DeWolf: That is a good... Cause it's terror time again. That's a good one. Yeah.

[54:07] Miranda Moffat: You have a lovely voice. Did anyone tell you that?

[54:09] Andrew DeWolf: Stop it.

[54:11] Jesse McAnally: Get a room. We're reaching the end of this episode, which means me and Andrew are allowed to have our tangent corner.

[54:19] Miranda Moffat: Alright.

[54:21] Jesse McAnally: I'll go take a nap. See you later.

[54:23] Jesse McAnally: Nah, nah, you gotta stay through it. So this recording that Andrew had, had the premiere as well as interstitial pieces of the Scooby-Doo Project, which was a mixed media project from the gentleman behind Too Many Cooks and the recently released Fuddy. I think his name's like Casper something. What an apt name for somebody doing spooky things. Casper Kelly is his name. At approximately 1400 hours, state and federal authorities uncovered a duffel bag in the woods. Said bag contains 24 hours of Scooby-Doo episodes. Excuse me, what, what episodes? The Spacey Space Cook? Which Witch is which? Yes, all of them. Will you be releasing them to the public? We'll be showing them in a marathon type situation.

What about the whereabouts of the kids? I can't discuss that at this time. You'll just have to watch the marathon. No more questions. Where are the kids? So he was a big part of like Adult Swim, but really the first foot in the door for being working at Cartoon Network was the Scooby-Doo Project, which he wrote, directed and produced, basically reusing old footage. And the audio recording was done over the phone by the actors while recording Zombie Island. So they threw this together on a cheap budget. And in a lot of ways, it has outlasted a lot of these specials as far as its cold standing. Now, Andrew, can you describe what this is? I think the only way to describe it is it's just it's a very short version of the Blair Witch Project, but with Scooby-Doo characters.

Essentially, it's filmed on a camcorder. And they just kind of inserted the animated characters onto this onto the screen there when they're supposed to be. Otherwise, I think Velma is behind the camera most of the time. Yeah. You just hear her talking. It's really good, though. I don't know. So it's like live action footage. And they put like the characters in their 2D animated form. And it was really, really well received. But a little bit of complaints about how dark it felt as far as the vibe for kids. Well, yeah, they get they get disappeared at the end. It's literally it's did you watch it, Miranda? I did. Yes. What did you think of it? Because I know you're the Scooby expert. And this is a fresh watch for you.

I mean, I think it's a little bit like jarring and uncanny valley just because you're used to seeing the animation look a certain way and like putting it up against like live action footage is just weird. But I think that's the point. I do want to talk about one other thing. And then I will let you go back to this. I don't know. I know Jesse and I have showed him this thing. There is something I don't know who made it, but you can find it on like TikTok or YouTube. And it's basically do you know what I'm talking about, Jesse? Yes, I do. Yes. Probably the creepiest thing that I have seen. It's not an official Scooby Doo property or anything like somebody fan like a fan made it. And it is basically like Scooby Doo like is an alien, essentially.

And so Velma starts to ask like, why is like she breaks the fourth wall to be like, why is the dog talking? And then you find out at the end that like, all of these different iterations of Scooby Doo have been Scooby Doo like recreating the world every time they realize what's happening. And that like, he's weird. And he's talking and they ask about it like it's genuinely frightening, especially because Scooby Doo is such like a nice childhood love property. You should watch it. If you like the Blair Witch Thing, I think you will very much enjoy this. I did not. It really freaked me out. But it's kind of related to me in my mind. The Blair Witch One is not not nearly as scary in comparison. But you know, I just love the seeing Shaggy looking at the corner in the end.

I'm so glad I got to see the ending. I was worried that they weren't going to show me the ending because they kept they kept saying that the whole thing was going to air at the end, like after the movie, but I got to see the end. So yeah, I mean, it's only 17 minutes. It's a special and it got the start of someone who is still doing really good work. I know you haven't seen Buddy yet. I've watched it recently and it doesn't pull any punches. And it's not like a perfect movie, but I was really impressed by it. If you like too many cooks, and that's your scheme, that is that that's a good watch. And same for the Scooby-Doo Project. If you like too many cooks, I know a lot of you do because you really liked our too many cooks episode.

Yeah, go check that one out. And also, if you like traditional Scooby-Doo, I think this is the best special you're going to find. The Witch's Ghost. I think this is the best Scooby-Doo animated film. I think it is the most effective. And I thoroughly enjoy watching it every year. It's time for everyone's overall thoughts on our cheese ratings. Andrew, why don't you start us off? Yeah. So I thought it was pretty good. I'm not like the biggest fan of Scooby-Doo. It's very formulaic, but I do feel like this one worked. It works pretty well. I also just like the vibes. I'm you know, I'm from Massachusetts, New England area. So the Salem vibe is really fun. And it's around Halloween time. And I know Salem becomes like a madhouse.

So I love that part of the plot is that they're trying to appease the tourists, basically. They're trying to make it into a Salem. Yeah. Bring the tourists. It's very cool. I really like that. And Tim Curry does a really great job, even if it is very obvious that he's the bad guy, like right from the very start, but whatever. That's Scooby-Doo. It's made for children. They wouldn't know. Only I do. Um, so I'm going to give it I'm going to give it shredded cheddar cheese, but specifically to be used to make New England clam chowder or clam chowder, as they would say. Are you a fan of chowder? I thought you only eat chicken nuggies. I only eat chicken nuggies. I don't eat chowder.

[1:01:01] Miranda Moffat: Yeah, I would agree. I would say as far as like the Scooby-Doo movies and properties are concerned, as like specifically the movies themselves, I would say Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost. And if you like Scooby-Doo Zombie Island, those two are probably tied for me, I think. I know Jesse does not like Zombie Island as much, but I feel like as far as the general public, those two are probably the number one. So definitely check it out. And yes, Andrew is correct. The fall vibes are immaculate. That is one of the best things about this. It's just very cozy. It's comforting. It's fun to watch. Yeah, you should just watch it. The Hex Girls are amazing. They are their own subculture. And Tim Curry is the best. Rest in peace to the king. I would rate this like a ghost pepper cheese of some sort because it's a little spicy and because ghosts.

[1:02:04] Miranda Moffat: If you could, could you rank the four late 90s Japanese animated Scooby-Doo's? I don't know. Witch's Ghost and Zombie Island are like kind of neck and neck for me. But I would say probably like Witch's Ghost, Zombie Island, Cyberchase, Alien Invaders.

[1:02:19] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, I agree with that. And did you give a cheese rating? Yes. Yes, you did. Yes, I did. I love this. My thoughts are very clear. I am giving it bourgeois meat, Cajun turkey cheese, which is a healthier take on the traditional hog's head cheese. I give it that because there's a giant turkey at the end of this that they think replaces a real life ghost. They think that that will bring the tourist instead of a fucking ghost. They only bring it for a few years and then the turkey is going to die. So no, he took the old the live forever potion from our last episode. I don't know about that, but maybe.

[1:02:56] Jesse McAnally: That's a large feast, though. Speaking of food, who's going to pay the tab that Scooby and Shaggy ran up at that restaurant now that Ben Ravencroft is dead?

[1:03:05] Andrew DeWolf: His life insurance.

[1:03:07] Jesse McAnally: Yeah, his estate.

[1:03:08] Andrew DeWolf: We'll have to cover it.

[1:03:10] Jesse McAnally: Yeah.

[1:03:10] Andrew DeWolf: I mean, is he really dead? He's just missing.

[1:03:14] Jesse McAnally: He's not dead. Yeah, he's just-

[1:03:16] Andrew DeWolf: We know where he is.

[1:03:16] Jesse McAnally: I just love that immediately Scooby and Shaggy start making jokes. I'm just like, bro, someone just died. People died, Shaggy.

[1:03:25] Andrew DeWolf: He's barely a per- He was a witch at that point. A warlock.

[1:03:29] Jesse McAnally: You know, that's not what a warlock is.

[1:03:32] Andrew DeWolf: Um, actually, a warlock has to have plus three pallet instead.

[1:03:36] Jesse McAnally: No, a warlock has to gain their power from a demon.

[1:03:40] Andrew DeWolf: Fucking nerd.

[1:03:42] Miranda Moffat: Um, Miranda, you have been lovely. Truly, like, a really great plus one for this, uh-

[1:03:50] Jesse McAnally: Thank you.

[1:03:50] Miranda Moffat: episode. Please promote your second podcast and anything else you might want people to find you at.

[1:03:55] Miranda Moffat: Uh, well, as Jesse mentioned, we have the new podcast called Cinnamon with Cheese, where we'll be talking about movies. You can hear me there. We also do the theater and the D together, where we talk about the different shows that we've seen in, uh, Detroit. Uh, I'm Nina, and ours is the Domino. You should go see the movie, wherever it's playing. It's in festivals right now. It may be streaming soon at some point. Um, but lastly, I would like to say, please don't think that I'm just a fucking bitch, because I said that you shouldn't comment on things. You can comment on things. I love reading people's comments and TikTok and everywhere. They make the world go round, and they're very funny. I just personally don't think that anybody would care what I had to say. So, still, please comment. It's okay to like things and love things, but, you know, I just won't say anything about it.

[1:04:44] Andrew DeWolf: I also feel like you agree that you would never comment on anything. So, I understand that.

[1:04:51] Jesse McAnally: No, of course. I've famously never had an opinion.

[1:04:56] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, that's why you don't give them every week.

[1:05:01] Jesse McAnally: On that note, thank you all for listening, and get ready for our Wizard of Oz coverage for theme month November. It's gonna be great. Wizard of Oz sequels. They're all terrible, guys.

[1:05:14] Andrew DeWolf: But we've got some really cool guests, some fan favorites, some new people that I need to double check that are still good to join us. It's gonna be a cool month. And then in December, you know, holiday shit. And then we will have ended our first year back as Musicals with Cheese, and we're back to Thunderous Middling Needs More Musical Theater.

[1:05:35] Jesse McAnally: We're doing our best, guys. I don't know what you want. There's only so much.

[1:05:39] Andrew DeWolf: There's only so many musicals in the world.

[1:05:43] Jesse McAnally: We do the fourth episode of The Music Man.

[1:05:46] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, why not? Fuck it.

[1:05:49] Jesse McAnally: Let's do a comparison. We'll compare all of them.

[1:05:52] Andrew DeWolf: Unless you guys have really good screeners of new musicals that they don't have access to yet.

[1:05:59] Jesse McAnally: You got your, you know, if you got the pulse on that stuff, maybe send it their way and they'll review it.

[1:06:04] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, I mean, I've got some interesting ones that we almost covered Teeth this October.

[1:06:09] Jesse McAnally: That would have been an interesting one about a vagina that eats dicks.

[1:06:12] Andrew DeWolf: God, I remember watching that movie when I was like, too young to be watching that movie.

[1:06:17] Jesse McAnally: That's weird.

[1:06:17] Andrew DeWolf: Michael R. Jackson's follow up to A Strange Loop was the Teeth musical.

[1:06:22] Jesse McAnally: That's a choice.

[1:06:23] Andrew DeWolf: He won the Pulitzer. Hey, maybe it's great. I have not checked it out yet.

[1:06:28] Jesse McAnally: But I do have a bootleg.

[1:06:30] Andrew DeWolf: So we got we got stuff.

[1:06:34] Jesse McAnally: But, you know, we got to follow where the views are.

[1:06:36] Andrew DeWolf: And the views are like Michael is still like one of our most downloaded episodes, even though it's musical adjacent.

[1:06:40] Jesse McAnally: So fuck us, I guess.

[1:06:44] Andrew DeWolf: Yeah, fuck us, I guess.

[1:06:46] Jesse McAnally: We'll see you next week on Musicals with Cheese.

[1:06:49] Miranda Moffat: Thank you again for joining us, Miranda.

[1:06:50] Miranda Moffat: You're welcome.

[1:06:51] Jesse McAnally: Thanks for having me.

[1:06:59] Jesse McAnally: The Musicals with Cheese podcast is hosted by Jesse McAnally and Andrew DeWolfe.

[1:07:13] Jesse McAnally: Our executive producer is Jesse McAnally and our creative producer is Elizabeth Esten.

[1:07:18] Jesse McAnally: This show is mixed and edited by Jesse McAnally.

[1:07:21] Jesse McAnally: Our theme song was composed by Andrew DeWolfe and the artwork was designed by JRL Studios.

[1:07:27] Jesse McAnally: Our keeper of the cheese is the one and only Juliet Antonio.

[1:07:30] Jesse McAnally: If you have the funds available, we would love to have you over at Patreon, where you can get tons of fun perks, including full bonus episodes.

[1:07:37] Jesse McAnally: Also, if you don't mind, could you leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or a comment on Spotify? Just a few extra words to let us know how we're doing.

[1:07:44] Jesse McAnally: And if you have any corrections, ideas, or just want to say hello, send us an email at musicaltheaterlives at gmail.com.

[1:07:50] Jesse McAnally: To listen to our entire backlog of episodes, please visit bpn.fm slash cheese.

[1:07:56] Jesse McAnally: Thank you so much for listening, and we'll see you next week.