Pizza Toast – A Baby-Sitters Club Podcast

And so our saga comes to an end. Christy and Phil bid a fond(?) farewell to Forks with “Midnight Sun” an absolutely unnecessary retelling of “Twilight” from the perspective of the boy who was there for the entire story anyway, so there’s really nothing new to be gleaned from reading this 832(!!!) page book. We […]

When is “Twilight” not “Twilight?” When Stephenie Meyer switches up the genders! Move over Bella and Edward; make room for Beau and Edythe! It’s a whole new thing with “Life & Death – Twilight Reimagined”! Check it out!

We’re at it again. And by “it” I mean “Twilight” and by “again” I mean “parodies.” This week, Christy and Phil take a look at “Vampires Suck” and “Breaking Wind” from 2010 and 2012. And… that’s all. It’s certainly something to talk about.

You ready to BREAK. SOME. DAWN… again? This week, we’re closing out the OG Twilight Saga with the back-half of “Breaking Dawn” the book and our review of “The Twilight Saga: Break Dawn, Part 2” the movie!

You ready to BREAK. SOME. DAWN? Hell yeah! It’s our review of “Breaking Dawn” the first half of the novel and “The Twilight Saga: Break Dawn, Part 1” the movie! That’s a mouthful… of b-b-b-blood!

Let’s talk about them ding dang ol’ vampires and them ol’ wharwolves, shall we? It’s “Eclipse” and “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse!” Here on Pizza Toast!

On to the next one! Last episode, Christy was very critical of “New Moon” and wasn’t looking forward to reading it again. However, could it be a better book than “Twilight?” Well, if you disregard all the suicidal ideation… yeah! It’s “New Moon” the book and the movie!

Here we go! Phil and Christy talk TWILIGHT! The book and the movie! Its fun when it’s fun!

This week, Christy and Phil talk OUAMPIRES in our role up to THE TWILIGHT SERIES!

Hey everyone! We’re back! And we’re finally talking about The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the MOVIE! Wow!

We did it! Christy and Phil made it to “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.” and… thoughts were divided. But, we liked it! We liked it.

Is it weird that Christy and Phil don’t have a whole lot of strong feelings about “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.”? Also, this book title has punctuation, which just throws everything way off.

A few years back, Suzanne Collins wrote a prequel to The Hunger Games and… no one seemed to care. Was it good? Bad? Somewhere in between? Will it answer a bunch of question we never thought to ask? The answers to all these questions and MORE, this week as Pizza Toast sings along to “The […]

It would be remiss of us to not cover the two MAJOR MOTION PICTURES that came out – “The Starving Games” and “The Hungover Games” – mocking “The Hunger Games.” Also, MAD Magazine? And Harvard Lampoon. Also… Cookie Monster. It’s fun.

And so, all things come to an end. Christy and Phil bid a fond “adieu” to the Hunger Games series and- what? Oh, sorry, we’re not actually done talking about it. Next week, there’s more. This week, though? “Mockingjay, Part 2!”

This week, we have a guest! Professor Roxanne Harde is the Professor of English and department chair at the University of Alberta’s Augustana Faculty. She’s on the show to talk about The Hunger Games, Just War Theory and whatever else we want to talk about!

How does Ben Folds fit into the Hunger Games universe? He doesn’t! But, we wish he did! Hey, guess what? “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1?” Good movie!

And we’ve reached the end of the Hunger Games series. But, really, it’s not the end. Oh, no, we’ve got a LOT more in store after we discuss the melting and the murdering and the crying and the trauma. It’s “Mockingjay” on Pizza Toast!

The next movie in the “Hunger Games” series ups the budget, ups the visuals and ups the talent. It’s “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire!”

Just when she thought she was OUT, they PULL HER BACK IN! Katniss can’t catch a break, but she sure can CATCH FIRE in “Catching Fire” the next book in Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games series. It’s bleak, y’all!

This week, we volunteer as tribute to watch “The Hunger Games!” How does it stack up to the book? About 1/1? I’d say 1/1. It’s 2012’s “The Hunger Games!”

We’re kicking off a new series this week with “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins. It’s fairly obscure, so you probably haven’t heard of it. “The Hunger Games!”

Let’s close out our “Bridge to Terabithia” coverage with 2007’s “Bridge to Terabithia” a Disney/Walden Media production that changes a few things, adds a bit more and averages out to a pretty decent little film.

Can you distill the glory that is “Bridge to Terabithia” down to its component parts and cram it into a 55 minute runtime? Katherine and David Paterson definitely say “no.” But, what do Christy and Phil think of the very Canadian 1985 TV adaptation?

Katherine Paterson’s “Bridge to Terabithia” has the unfortunate legacy of being the book everyone thinks of as the Death By Newbery trope-namer. But, it’s a much more gentle, subtle and compassionate book than people give it credit for, written by a woman processing her and her child’s grief and giving children the gift of an […]

In the Disney+ “Stargirl” sequel “Hollywood Stargirl” they throw the book out the window and do their own story. And you know what? Probably a smart choice. It’s a star-packed sizzle reel of goodness(?) with “Hollywood Stargirl!”

Seven years after the success of “Stargirl” Jerry Spinelli decided to answer a few questions: what was Stargirl going through during all of this? What happened in the year afterwards? Does she fall for a white-hot street urchin? The answers to all of these questions will be answered as Phil and Christy take a look […]

After the euphoric highs of our “Stargirl” discussion, let’s transition into the drastic lows of our “Stargirl” discussion as Christy and Phil attempt to say something, anything, nice about the Disney+ adaptation of “Stargirl” from 2020.

She’s not a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. She’s Stargirl! Christy was so correct to suggest Jerry Spinelli’s “Stargirl” for our next episode because this books RIPS. It’s so good, our episode is pretty short because we talk SO FAST! It’s just a really good book, y’all. It’s “Stargirl!”

In 2021, Netflix and Amy Poehler adapted “Moxie” into a motion picture event. How did it end up? Pretty good! It’s “Moxie” the movie!

Moxie girls fight back! That’s what we say a lot in this episode as we take a look at a book that tells the same basic story as “Radio Rebel” but mixes it up by being good. It’s Jennifer Mathieu’s “Moxie!”

What do you get when you take “Shrinking Violet” and completely alter the second half of the story and change all the character motivations and turn it into a vehicle for a rising Disney star? You get “Radio Rebel!”

This episode, Christy and Phil are taking a look at the first of a new batch of books with “Shrinking Violet” by Danielle Joseph. Are we a bit hard on this book? Maybe. Is there a single likable character in the entire novel? Perhaps. Is Christy angry at having read the whole book? Definitely. It’s […]

When was the last time you really *thought* about Austin Powers? How about Rom and Jule? Izzy’s Koala World? Well, brother? That’s too long. Also, we talk about “Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?” and it’s the final Georgia Nicolson book!

In which I explain why there’s no episode this week.

Listeners, we cried. We are not ashamed to admit, this book made us cry. Why? Was it Massimo getting jealous? Dave getting ugly? Jas getting the role of Juliet? No, no and no. It’s much much worse. Find out what happens in “Stop In The Name Of Pants!”

Let’s go to camp! In this, the first book of the final phase of the Fab Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, the Ace Gane goes into the woods, Masimo and Georgia have a secret rendezvous, Jas gets prickly, Robbie acts like a gentleman, and Dave the Laugh… is a laugh! It’s “Luuurve Is A Many Trousered […]

We’ve crested the top of the Georgia Nicolson wave and are entering the third act of the Fab Confessions! But first, “Startled By His Furry Shorts” puts in the work to move all of our characters into position to have a satisfying(?) conclusion in a few books time. How does it end? You’ll never seeContinue reading "Startled By His Furry Shorts (2006)"

This week we discuss the accuracy of the title “Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers.” Also, America: what’s that all about. Georgia’s mom has some nice insight; Georgia grows a tiny bit more; and the kids make me angry by not taking Shakespeare seriously!

This week, we’re all about “Tall Girl!” She’s such a tall girl! Also, Jesus, James Bond, Macbeth, Heidi and MOSIMO! It’s “…And That’s When It Fell Off In My Hand” Orrrrrr! “Away Laughing On A Fast Camel!”

This week, everything is très bon and fab and filled with awesomeosity as Georgia and the Aces take a trip to Paris, Georgia struggles with her red bottomosity, Jas develops a conscience, Ellen pines for Dave the Laugh and Angus… has kittens? Plus, Georgia doing the right thing? It’s “Dancing In My Nuddy-Pants!” https://ia801504.us.archive.org/23/items/pizza-toast-s-06-e-08/PizzaToast-S06E08.mp3

This week, Louise Rennison cranks things up a notch with CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! And REGRET! It’s “Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas” and it gets surprisingly… I hesitate to use the word “deep” so let’s say self-reflective. It’s self-reflective! And that’s progress!

This week, we’re taking a look at Gurinder Chada’s 2008 adaptation “Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging!” Is it fab? Is it fabbity fab? Let’s find out! https://ia601409.us.archive.org/29/items/pizza-toast-s-06-e-06/PizzaToast-S06E06.mp3

This week, it’s two Two TWO titles in ONE! Georgia and Jas and Wet Lindsay and the SG are back in “It’s OK, I’m Wearing Really Big Knickers” OR “On the Bright Side, I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God” depending on where you’re at. But, we also get to meet Dave THE LAUGHContinue reading "“It’s OK, I’m Wearing Really Big Knickers” OR “On the Bright Side, I’m Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God” (2000)"

Okay! OKAY! It’s another book and it’s about a girl and it’s a little bit SPICY. But, we’re okay with that. This week, Phil and Christy talk about Louise Rennison’s borderline sociopathic heroine(?) Georgia Nicolson in the first of her many adventures “Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging” and, you know what? We just might doContinue reading "Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging (1999)"

Hoo boy. When is a movie not a movie? When it’s just an excuse for Garry Marshall to put his grandkids on screen. Also, the Breslins. Also, Paul Williams. Also, Stan Lee? Also, what even is this movie supposed to be about? It’s “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement!”

This week, Christy and Phil ramble about puppets and Schwartzmans and sexy moms. It’s “The Princess Diaries: The Movie!” It gave us so many things. But, is it any good? Let’s find out!

With the Baby-Sitters in our rearview mirror, it’s time to look at some other books that feature young women as protagonists and have been adapted into major media franchises. And, what better place to start than with “The Princess Diaries” by Meg Cabot! It’s… it certainly is a book!

Well, it’s over. And Christy and Phil take a few minutes to reflect on Season 2 and prep the listeners for what’s in store! Again. Because we had to rerecord the entire episode.

This is it! We’re finishing out the Netflix “The Baby-sitters Club” season 2 with what may very well be the strongest episode yet. Surprised? We sure as heck were! It’s “Kristy and the Baby Parade” and we get CATHARSIS. We get YELLING! We get TEARS! And the episode is pretty good too! Join us forContinue reading "Baby-sitters Club – Kristy and the Baby Parade!"

This week, Christy and Phil sit around holing hands with their best friends as Claudia sadly bids good-bye to Mimi: grandma, Buddhist, biker bar aficionado. Is it handled well? Yes. Does it stand out like a weird thumb after the Nickelodeon goofiness of the last few episodes? OH YES? Is Janine dating Ashley? You’ll justContinue reading "Claudia and the Sad Good-bye!"