Podbit · The Rest Is Entertainment
Tom Hanks has watched 2001: A Space Odyssey 119 times and always found something new. When he finally met its star Keir Dullea, he became a 'babbling fool' — proof that even Hollywood's biggest star gets starstruck.
Where this was said
At 10:45 · chapter starts 9:00
A listener named Charlotte asks what Hanks struggles to let go of, inspired by the Toy Story 3 incinerator scene that made her promise never to throw away her daughter's toys — a promise she has kept for 17 years. Hanks responds warmly, confessing to a battle between Marie Kondo's joy principle and the 'diabolically sounding' Swedish death cleaning practice, concluding that some items — like the sweatshirt he wore the day he moved his son into college — simply cannot be discarded regardless of their condition. [1] — Tom Hanks "56-year-olds who grew up with Toy Story: Tom Hanks noted that Toy Story's original audience has now aged to 56, and those fans are now shar…" 09:54 He then speaks with genuine emotion about the multigenerational reach of Toy Story: the original audience is now in their mid-50s and sharing the films with their own children. This leads to a vivid anecdote about meeting Keir Dullea of 2001: A Space Odyssey — turning into 'a babbling fool' — and his elevator trick with young children who can't compute that Woody is real until he asks them to close their eyes.
Pixar threw out 80% of the original Toy Story because the DNA was fundamentally wrong. Starting over from scratch — changing the entire Woody-Buzz dynamic — was the decision that made the franchise what it became.
Pixar threw out approximately 80% of the original Toy Story during production, deciding there was something intrinsically wrong with its DNA before starting over.
The original Toy Story audience is now in their mid-50s. They're watching the films again with their own children, who are the same age they were at the first viewing. The emotional contract renews itself with every generation.
Tom Hanks noted that Toy Story's original audience has now aged to 56, and those fans are now sharing the films with children who are the same age they were when they first saw it.
Tom Hanks told Keir Dullea — star of 2001: A Space Odyssey — that he had seen the film 119 times and always found something new.
When Tom Hanks meets children in elevators, his identity as Woody simply doesn't compute — until he tells them to close their eyes and imagine Woody. The moment their face explodes with recognition is, he says, the production of high art.
Robby Hoffman isn't fearless — she's terrified all the time. The difference is she does it anyway, because not doing it feels worse than the fear itself.
John Mulaney texted Robby Hoffman out of nowhere saying he'd been a fan for a while and wanted to make a Netflix special with her. Robby called it 'shocking, horrifying, anxiety-inducing, surreal and thrilling' — and said yes.
Mulaney is buttoned-up, suit-wearing, classy. Robby is gritty, raw, and undefined. Together they made the collab nobody expected. Batman and Robin. Eminem and Dido.
Music had Pope Gregory forcing notation. Comedy has had 'magical thinking' — he's just got funny bones. But jokes work through discoverable, teachable mechanics. Writing down the rules doesn't kill the magic; it gives more people access to it.
Howard Ashman had one insight nobody else had: animated Disney films should be Broadway musicals. The third song of every great musical is the character sitting alone explaining what they want. That's 'Part of Your World.' That structure — combined with Alan Menken's compositions — generated Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, and turned Disney Animation into the most profitable creative engine in entertainment history.
The Lion King musical has been running for 30 years across Broadway, London's West End, and global touring companies. It has grossed over $11 billion in total revenue — more than Avatar, more than Avengers: Endgame, more than any album, more than any video game. It generates an average of $350 million in revenue every single year. Disney owns it outright.
The anonymous French artist Invader has hidden 1,500 pixelated mosaic artworks across Paris alone, with thousands more scattered across 80+ cities — affixed to the Eiffel Tower, the Hollywood sign, and even sent to the International Space Station. He might be even busier than Banksy.
The Flash Invaders app turns city streets into a treasure hunt, letting players scan Invader's hidden mosaics for points. Players have collectively logged over 47 million flashes. Unlike most mobile games that glue you to a screen, this one forces you to look up and engage with your surroundings.
New York draws thousands of young, talented performers every year chasing Broadway stardom — but the hard truth is that most of them never make it. Zelig Williams was one of the rare exceptions.
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