Hell Is A Musical

Zero Science
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  • FILM REVIEWS

Scott Kurland loves musicals. Lillian "Lilz" Martin does NOT love musicals. Thus Scott has made it his goal to expose Lilz to movie musicals in an effort to find ones that connect with her. Sometimes it works. (Mostly not.) Share in their mutual frustration on Hell Is A Musical, available wherever podcasts can be found.

  1. 25/11/2025

    061 - The Muppet Movie ("I Miss My Pudding") (w/ Danielle Brown)

    The Muppet Movie is a 1979 musical road comedy, and the feature film debut of The Muppets, Jim Henson's famed ensemble of puppet characters. Produced by Henson himself, the film was directed by James Frawley and written by Muppet Show writers Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns, and followed the origin story of the puppet troupe as Kermit The Frog travels across the country to make it big in Hollywood, meeting a cavalcade of friends along the way. The film starred Henson and Muppet ensemble players like Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Dave Goelz, with human performances by Austin Pendleton and time-defying legend and cryptozoological enigma Charles Durning, a plethora of cameos from the likes of Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Steve Martin, Mel Brooks, and many more, and featured a soundtrack by Kenneth Ascher and Paul Williams. (Mr. Sex himself!) The Muppet Movie was a major commercial and critical success, and was deemed culturally significant by the Library of Congress in 2009. On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott close out #HotDurnAutumn with a screening of The Muppet Movie, joined by special guest and friend of the pod Danielle Brown. Join them for flawless Miss Piggy imitations, stentorian renditions of "America The Beautiful", and one last marveling at the gloriousness of Charles Durning in his endless quest to finally git that frawrgg. #HotDurnAutumn ...with Lilz & Scott!

    1hr 45min

  2. 10/11/2025

    060 - The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas ("In 1921 We Finally Got Buttermilk") (w/ Jenna Sokalski)

    The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas is a 1982 musical comedy film based on the stage musical of the same name. Directed by Colin Higgins, it followed the "Chicken Ranch" brothel located in Lanville County, widely accepted and traditionally beloved by the small town of Gilbert, but faced with closure upon its discovery by a TV morality watchdog. The cast featured Dolly Parton, Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Jim Nabors, and the singularity-altering, reality-warping presence otherwise known as Charles Durning. It was a major box office hit upon its release, and an Academy Award nomination for Durning, despite only being in the film for one scene. On this episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott are joined by return guest, burlesque artist, and declared Dolly Parton expert Jenna Sokalski for a viewing of The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, and take in the sights, sounds, and oddly kitschy and polished vibes for a movie about a brothel. Join them as Jenna worships at the altar of patron saint Dolly, Lilz does a little side-step, and Scott gets really really annoyed. All the while Charles Durning delights everything in sight, as if he could do any less. #HotDurnAutumn ...with Lilz & Scott!

    1hr 27min

  3. 19/09/2025

    059 - O Brother, Where Art Thou? ("Hey Moe, I Peed On My Shoe")

    O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a satirical comedy-drama musical film released in 2000, written, produced, and directed by The Coen Brothers. The film starred George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, and CHARLES DURNING in a 1930s Mississippi setting. In which a trio of escaped convicts travel across the American South in search of a supposed buried treasure, as Clooney attempts to re-connect with his divorced wife and children. The story was heavily influenced by Preston Sturges' film Sullivan's Travels, while also borrowing loosely from Homer's epic Greek poem The Odyssey, and featured a backdrop of period folk music, produced and arranged by T-Bone Burnett, and featured performances by Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley, John Hartford, and numerous others. The film was a major box office success in its time, earned major critical praise for its sharp writing and gorgeous autumnal aesthetics, while its soundtrack swept the 44th annual Grammy Awards. On a rare, guest-free episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott take in a viewing of O Brother, Where Art Thou? and are thoroughly delighted. (Not to give away the ending of the podcast.) Join them as they ruminate on ancient brands of hair cream, point out innumerable Big Lebowski references that are totally there, engage in time-honored bouts of fisticuffsmanship, and bask in the majesty of CHARLES DURNING. #HotDurnAutumn ...with Lilz & Scott!

    1hr 13min

  4. 22/08/2025

    058 - Cats Don't Dance ("Don Knotts Is My Grandpaw???") (w/ Kendra Beltran)

    Cats Don't Dance is a 1997 animated musical film directed by Mark Dindal, which featured an ensemble cast including Scott Bakula, Jasmine Guy, sung vocals by Natalie Cole, Jon Rhys-Davies, Ashley Peldon, and various others, and featured a soundtrack of musical numbers composed by Randy Newman and contributions to choreography by Gene Kelly; his final film contribution before his death in 1996. The film features an alternate 1939 where humans and anthropomorphic animals co-exist and work in Hollywood; in which the animals are not allowed any leverage in show business. The story follows Indiana-native Danny T. Cat (Bakula) venturing to Hollywood to start an acting career, and eventually facing and overcoming the injustices inherent in the system in order to get better parts for him and his friends. The film was not a commercial success and received mixed-to-positive reviews upon release, but over the years has developed a cult following for its dark satirical undertones, and allegories to the plight of black actors and actresses during this same time period. On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott are overwhelmed with whimsy as they sit through a screening of Cats Don't Dance with return guest Kendra Beltran of the Crushgasm podcast! Join them for perplexing old Hollywood references that would probably go over the heads of young children, make an excruciating amount of furry jokes, and kneel in deference to the will of the immortal godking tyrant whose name is whispered by mere mortals as Don Knotts. ...with Lilz & Scott!

    1hr 28min

  5. 30/05/2025

    057 - Ride The Cyclone ("Ziggy Pawdust") (w/ Jon Reilly)

    Ride The Cyclone is a 2008 musical written by Canadian playwrights Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell. It features a high-concept story of a quintet of High School choir students, plus one mystery teenager, who were killed while riding the Cyclone, a fictional malfunctioning roller coaster operating out of Uranium City in Saskatchewan. (Ride The Cyclone marks the second installment of Richmond's "Uranium Scream Teen Trilogy" of musical plays set in the exaggerated version of the town.) The musical follows a highly experimental format in which the six main characters reflect on their own demise in the afterlife, the collapse of their former boomtown home, and plead with an omnipotent fortune telling machine The Amazing Karnak to be allowed a second chance at living. The musical touches upon a wide assortment of musical styles, and features a loose and esoteric form of storytelling and plot. The musical was a critical success upon its release, developed a strong cult following, and would be performed in venues as varied as independent theaters to off-broadway. On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome back Jon Reilly of the Life's But A Song podcast for a viewing of a special recorded version of the musical. Join them on a confusing and bewildering journey filled with French whores, anthropomorphic space cats, creepy ghost girls, and hope for redemption and rebirth. And fortunes for a quarter. (I looooooooooove quarters!) ...with Lilz & Scott!

    1hr 27min

  6. 14/03/2025

    056 - Les Miserables ("All Aboard The Snuggle Bus") (w/ Maggie Noel)

    Les Miserables is a film adaptation of the period musical of the same name. Released in 2012, it followed the exploits of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict going to great lengths to find personal redemption at the height of the French Revolution. The film version, directed by Tom Hooper, sought to emulate the epic scope of the stage musical, and featured grandiloquent and verbose set pieces and crowded chorus numbers, with an ensemble cast led by Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, and numerous others. The film was a major box office hit, won many Academy Awards (Including a noteworthy Supporting Actress win for Hathaway), and set a new standard for movie musicals featuring live performances by the actors as opposed to backing tracks...in spite of largely receiving middling reviews upon its release. On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome back Maggie Noel (Friend of the pod and late of the Rock Candy podcast) to help them through a viewing of Les Miserables. Join them as they slog their way through an obscene amount of extreme close-ups, marvel at just how British 19th century France is in the action, and make a lot of the same jokes everyone's already made about Russell Crowe's singing voice. (It's not good.) ...with Lilz and Scott!

    1hr 45min

  7. 16/02/2025

    055 - Better Man ("Milk & Cigarettes / Cigarettes & Milk")

    Better Man is a 2024 musical biopic depicting the life of English singer-songwriter and former Take That member Robbie Williams. It was written, directed, and produced by Michael Gracey (On the heels of his success with noted piece of treacly crap The Greatest Showman), and features the central conceit of replacing the film version of Robbie with that of an anthromorphic CGI chimpanzee. Robbie Williams himself stars as the narrator and singing voice of the film version of Williams, portrayed via motion capture and acted by stage actor Jonno Davies. Steve Pemberton, Kate Mulvany, Alison Steadman, and Damon Herriman also star, and the soundtrack features a collection of Robbie Williams hits set to theatrical set pieces. On a new (Wait, really?!) episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott take in a viewing of Better Man, and literally record the episode immediately after the screening from a car in the parking lot of a Showcase Cinemas. Join them as they cast a hypothetical Pearl Jam biopic, enjoy a delicious meal of spaghetti flingers and NASCAR fries, are thoroughly bewildered by the sight of a giant ape-man doing cocaine and other ilicit deeds. ...with Lilz and Scott!

    1hr 13min

  8. 28/05/2024

    054 - Yentl ("Arson: The Gentleman's Crime") (w/ David Allen Prescott)

    Yentl is a 1983 film directed and starring screen actor and Broadway mainstay Barbra Streisand. Based on the Isaac Bashevis Singer short story Yentl The Yashiva Boy, Yentl the film follows the story of an Ashkenazi Jewish woman in Poland in 1904 who decides to disguise herself as a man so that she can receive an education in Talmudic law. Various misunderstandings follow as the titular Yentl attempts to keep her ruse afloat, and gets wrapped up in romances both unrequited and reluctant. The film also featured a supporting cast of Mandy Patinkin, Amy Irving, Nehemiah Persoff, and Miriam Margolyes, among various others. On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott take in a viewing of Yentl with all-star guest David Allen Prescott, who is incredibly upset to both find a Barbra film that doesn't hold up, and never fully embraces its own latent queerness. Join them as Scott gives the behind-the-scenes scoop on just how much Barbra Streisand whiffed the subject matter, Lilz puts her foot down against the music of Stevland Hardaway Morris, and David debuts a raunchy and unwelcome new personae. ...with Lilz and Scott!

    1hr 32min
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About

Scott Kurland loves musicals. Lillian "Lilz" Martin does NOT love musicals. Thus Scott has made it his goal to expose Lilz to movie musicals in an effort to find ones that connect with her. Sometimes it works. (Mostly not.) Share in their mutual frustration on Hell Is A Musical, available wherever podcasts can be found.

Information

  • Creator
    Zero Science
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    62
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Zero Science
  • Show Website
    Hell Is A Musical