S1E8: Ratatouille

January 28, 2019

Taylor Gaines and Tyler B. Commons study abroad for the eighth episode of “Natural Selection,” diving deep into the recipe book for 2007’s “Ratatouille.”

For Brad Bird’s counter-cleanliness classic, the guys discuss Pixar’s trademark research trips, pet rats, the late Anthony Bourdain’s opinion of the film, making rats cute, and shooting up your own home. They also talk about the strangest split-second of any Pixar movie, vampire food critics, making a movie about rats and humans where the audience is rooting for the rats, and criticism’s presentation in movies.

Featuring: An exciting update to the Natural Selection rankings and a DRAMATIC READING.

Rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts.

Continue Reading →

S1E7: Cars

January 21, 2019

Taylor Gaines and Tyler B. Commons ride the highway of life into the year 2006 on this episode to discuss Pixar’s seventh film, “Cars.”

Before diving into the movie, they discuss the word “literally,” the fact that there are three “Cars” movies, the real-life inspiration for its characters and events, and how close Lightning McQueen was to not having eyes. Later, they go deep on the film’s eternal runtime, Lightning being an asshole, the creepiness of John Lasseter directing “Cars,” how little chemistry the romantic leads had, and why Taylor was insulted by the movie’s portrayal of rural America.

Where will it land in the Natural Selection rankings? Stay tuned to the end to find out!

Rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts.

Continue Reading →

S1E6: The Incredibles

January 14, 2019

On this week’s episode, it’s super time for another Pixar classic: 2004’s “The Incredibles.”

Taylor Gaines and Tyler B. Commons break down how the creators of the movie saved Bob, Steve Jobs’ insults, where the director got distracted, incest jokes (?), and a murderers’ row of unbelievable characters. They also marvel at how Syndrome precluded the future of internet culture, amazing bits involving capes and bosses, and what truly makes “Incredibles” great. Stay tuned to the end to find out where it falls in the Natural Selection Pixar rankings.

Rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts.

Continue Reading →

S1E5: Finding Nemo

January 7, 2019

On the fifth official episode of Natural Selection, Taylor Gaines and Tyler B. Commons dive into the big blue sea for 2003’s “Finding Nemo.”

They discuss the deep research that went into the film, how the story evolved during the movie’s development, their history with and nostalgia for Nemo’s journey, and how the movie feels in 2019. They also examine the saddest, most animalistic Pixar scene to date, the studio’s most complicated character relationship so far, and praise the incredibly expansive underwater world of the film. And, of course, they rank the movie in the Natural Selection categories to see where it winds up.

Rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts.

Continue Reading →

S1E4: Monsters, Inc.

December 24, 2018

On the fourth episode of Natural Selection, Taylor Gaines and Tyler B. Commons take a trip into Monstropolis for the 2001 film “Monsters, Inc.”

They talk about how one of Pixar’s cutest characters was born a 30-year-old-man, the “Beautifully-Shaded Penny Problem,” the number of hairs on Sully’s body and debate which characters would make modern-day memes. They also label Mike as “problematic,” discuss their favorite deodorant flavors and see where the movie falls in the Natural Selection rankings.

Rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts.

Continue Reading →

S1E3: Toy Story 2

December 17, 2018

On the third episode of Natural Selection, Taylor Gaines and Tyler B. Commons return to Andy’s world to re-animate 1999’s “Toy Story 2.”

They discuss memory versus reality in “Toy Story 2,” a terrifying work baby story, Buzz’s irrepressible sexuality, the increasingly confusing world of in-movie Pixar “production” and the unsettling Prospector outtake. They also find time to mention Blink-182, Y2K fears, Ty’s rapidly deteriorating exoskeleton, world’s best film “Arrival,” and whether or not toys feel pain before diving into their rankings. 

Rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts.

Continue Reading →

S1E2: A Bug’s Life

December 10, 2018

On the second episode of Natural Selection, Taylor Gaines and Tyler B. Commons shrink themselves down to celebrate the 20th anniversary of 1998’s “A Bug’s Life.” 

They stack up the most interesting facts about the making of the film, debate whether the royal family should have been overthrown long before the events of the movie, and search for a message that people can take into their boring everyday lives. They also find time to discuss one-hit wonder Kevin Rudolf, the word “interesting,” Android vs. iPhone and the morality of killing mosquitoes.  

Rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts.

Continue Reading →

S1E1: Toy Story

December 3, 2018

On the first episode of Natural Selection, Taylor Gaines and Tyler B. Commons get out their old toys and talk about the first ever Pixar movie — and classic — “Toy Story.”

They trace the history of Pixar that led to the film’s release, discuss how incredible the team was at making movies from the jump and dive into some of the still-resonant themes from the movie. They also discuss whether Sid is actually a bad guy, whether “You’ve Got a Friend In Me” is actually a good song, and slide the movie into its rightful spot in the rankings.

Rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts.

Continue Reading →