Verbal Diorama - Episode 139 - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - Verbal Diorama

Episode 139

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Published on: 10th February, 2022

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is such an underrated gem. I know I say that a lot, but it is.

Adults fall into the trap of seeing a bright, colourful, funny animated movie, and assuming it's "just for children" (as we know from the Verbal Diorama mantra, animation is not just for children!), but also because it is a bright, colourful, funny animated movie that just happens to masquerade as something way more deep and meaningful than its looks or title might suggest.

There's a serious undercurrent of childhood bullying and the insecurities that stem from that, workplace sexism, waste culture, greed and excess, the fast food epidemic and obesity as well as the environmental crisis we all find ourselves in. Plus, we can all relate to wanting to make that one person proud, who doesn't seem to truly understand us.

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, in their writing & directorial debut, gave us something really special to chew on here. It's yummy, and would foreshadow their greatness to come...

See also episodes on The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Mitchells vs The Machines....

I would love to hear your thoughts on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs !

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Thank you to all the patrons Simon E, Sade, Claudia, Simon B, Laurel, Derek, Jason, Kristin, Cat, Andy, Mike, Griff, Luke, Emily, Michael, Scott, Mark, Brendan, Ian M, Lisa, Sam, Will, Jack, Dave, Chris, Stuart and Ian D.

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EPISODE THANKS TO....

Most excellent patrons:

Andy for his patron thoughts. You can find him @geeksaladradio on Twitter and his podcast Geek Salad on all your podcast apps.

Scott for his patron thoughts. You can find him @MSMRpod on Twitter and his podcast Monkey See Monkey Review on all your podcast apps.

Simon for tagging the actual Phil Lord who then I had a little Twitter convo with. You can find him @simonbrew/@filmstoriespod on Twitter and his podcast Film Stories on all your podcast apps.

Ian D & Brendan - thank you for your comments too! Much appreciated!

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Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song

Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe

Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)

Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio

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About the Podcast

Verbal Diorama
The podcast on the history and legacy of movies you know, and movies you don't.
Are you interested in how movies are made? Do you wonder how a film went from conception to completion? If so, Verbal Diorama, hosted by Em, is the award-winning(!) podcast for you!

Movies are tough to make, and Verbal Diorama is here to celebrate the coming together of teams of extraordinary cast and crew, bringing us movies that inspire us, delight us, make us laugh, make us cry and frighten us. This podcast discovers the stories behind the scenes, and proves how amazing it is that movies actually exist!

Welcome to Verbal Diorama. The podcast all about the history and legacy of movies you know, and movies you don't! Subscribe on your favourite podcast app, and enjoy new episodes every week. Winner of the 2024 Ear Worthy Independent Podcast Awards for Best Movie Podcast.
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About your host

Profile picture for Em .

Em .

Hi! I'm Em. I created Verbal Diorama in 2018, and launched the podcast in February 2019 to rapturous applause and acclaim.... from my cat Jess.

The modus operandi of Verbal Diorama is simple: movies are tough to make! The coming together of a team of people from all walks of life to make something to entertain, delight and educate us for 90+ mins is not an easy task, and yet so many succeed at it. That must be something to celebrate.

I'm here to do just that - to celebrate movies. Their history and legacy, and why they remain so special to so many of us.

Episodes are audibly book ended by Jess. She sadly passed away in March 2022, aged almost 18. She featured in many episodes of the podcast, and that's why you can hear her at the end of every episode. The role of official feline producer is now held by the comparatively quieter Evie and Peggy.

I love podcasts, and listen to many, but never my own.

I unashamedly love The Mummy (1999) and Grease 2. I'm still looking for a cool rider.