027 Space Jam (1996)

“YOU EVER HEARD OF THE DREAM TEAM? WELL, WE’RE THE MEAN TEAM, WUSSY MAN!”

This week on Retro Grade Podcast, we talk about 1996’s Space Jam, featuring Michael Jordan and the Looney Tunes. We revisit this classic film in response to the recent release of Space Jam: A New Legacy. Having been conceived by a series of commercials featuring Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny, this Warner Bros. classic marked the beginning of a new era of digital filmmaking, combining 2D animation with live action actors in a green screen studio that had to be created entirely in computers from that time. It was NOT easy.

From animating the Looney Tunes characters into the real world to adding Michael into the animated world, we dive deep into the animation process and talk about the movie’s unsung heroes: the animators who brought this film to life. We talk about the reception of the film from critics, the box office figures both domestically and internationally, and the legacy the film has. We go into Michael Jordan’s basketball career, what inspired him to take up baseball, and ultimately how the film incorporates these events into the narrative.

Lastly, we go over the marketing of the film, from the tie in soundtrack featuring Seal, R Kelly, Quad City DJs, Coolio, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Method Man, B-Real, Salt N’ Pepa, Monica, (and very young Jay-Z!) to the merchandising of the film and how that helped the film cement its place in cinema history. So everybody get up it's time to slam now, we got a real jam goin' down, welcome to the Space Jam episode of Retro Grade Podcast!

Also, next week we are celebrating our ONE YEAR anniversary for a special episode: Retro Grade: Retrospective! A title entirely crafted by the creative genius of Jorge Montoya. On this episode we will look back and celebrate our wins, critique our short-comings, and open the floor up to our listeners and answer some of your hard hitting questions! It’s gonna be fun.

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