The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features the box-office champion, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy . Directed and co-written by James Gunn and starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, Guardians of the Galaxy is the tenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Manohla Dargis in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/01/movies/chris-pratt-s...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 22Ep. 1
This bonus episode for our retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1967 with Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samourai . Written and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and starring Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon, Caty Rosier and Jacques Leroy, Le Samourai was the one movie that Josh, Jason and producer David Rosen all had as a possible pick in our movie draft for the season. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in The New York Tim...
Jun 18, 2025•57 min•Season 20Ep. 13
In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1941, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about their favorite 1941 movies. Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear You can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/ , on Instagram at...
Jun 13, 2025•39 min•Season 21Ep. 15
The fourteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our audience choice poll winner, William Wyler’s The Little Foxes . Directed by William Wyler from a screenplay by Lillian Hellman (based on her play) and starring Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright, Charles Dingle, Dan Duryea and Carl Benton Reid, The Little Foxes defeated two other Davis films in our 1941 audience choice poll. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in Th...
Jun 11, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 21Ep. 14
The thirteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our future cult classic pick, H.C. Potter’s Hellzapoppin’ . Directed by H.C. Potter and starring Ole Olsen, Chic Johnson, Martha Raye, Hugh Herbert, Jane Frazee, Robert Paige and Mischa Auer, Hellzapoppin’ was based on Olsen and Johnson’s hit Broadway revue. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from T.S. in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1941/12/26/archives/hellzapoppin-makes-its-film-ap...
Jun 04, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 21Ep. 13
The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our producer David Rosen’s pick, Abbott and Costello in Hold That Ghost . Directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Joan Davis, Richard Carlson and Evelyn Ankers, Hold That Ghost was Abbott and Costello’s third feature film of 1941. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Thomas M. Pryor in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1941/08/08/archives/at-the-capitol.html ), Wil...
May 28, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 21Ep. 12
The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, John Ford’s How Green Was My Valley . Directed by John Ford from a screenplay by Philip Dunne and starring Roddy McDowall, Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara, Anna Lee, Sara Allgood and Donald Crisp, How Green Was My Valley was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New Yor...
May 21, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 21Ep. 11
The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features the Best Film pick from both the National Board of Review and New York Film Critics Circle, Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane . Directed and co-written by Orson Welles and starring Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, Ruth Warrick and William Alland, Citizen Kane is widely considered the greatest film ever made. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (...
May 14, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Season 21Ep. 10
The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features Jason’s personal pick, George Cukor’s The Philadelphia Story . Directed by George Cukor and starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart and Ruth Hussey, The Philadelphia Story was adapted from the hit Broadway play by Philip Barry. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1940/12/27/archives/the-screen-a-splendid-cast-adorns-the-scr...
May 07, 2025•56 min•Season 21Ep. 9
The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our animation pick, Disney’s Dumbo . Directed by Ben Sharpsteen and starring the voices of Edward Brophy, Verna Felton, Cliff Edwards and Herman Bing, Dumbo was Disney’s fourth animated feature film. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1941/10/24/archives/walt-disneys-cartoon-dumbo-a-fanciful-delight-opens-at-the-broadway.html ), Time ,...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 21Ep. 8
The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our foreign film pick, Hiroshi Shimizu’s Ornamental Hairpin . Written and directed by Hiroshi Shimizu and starring Kinuyo Tanaka, Chishū Ryū and Tatsuo Saitō, Ornamental Hairpin was adapted from a short story by Masuji Ibuse. Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear You can find Jason on Facebook a...
Apr 23, 2025•48 min•Season 21Ep. 7
The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features Josh’s personal pick, Preston Sturges’ Sullivan’s Travels . Written and directed by Preston Sturges and starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake, Sullivan’s Travels was one of two Sturges films released in 1941. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1942/01/29/archives/comic-tour-in-sullivans-travels-on-the-paramounts-screen-a-yank-on.html )...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Season 21Ep. 6
The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our documentary pick, Harry Watt’s Target for Tonight . Written and directed by Harry Watt and starring members of the Royal Air Force, Target for Tonight was the first documentary feature to be awarded an Oscar. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Variety , the Monthly Film Bulletin ( http://www.screenonline.org.uk/media/mfb/997449/index.html ), and Colvin McPherson in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch . ...
Apr 09, 2025•53 min•Season 21Ep. 5
The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features the year’s biggest flop, William Dieterle’s All That Money Can Buy . Directed by William Dieterle and starring James Craig, Walter Huston, Edward Arnold, Anne Shirley and Simone Simon, All That Money Can Buy was co-written by Stephen Vincent Benét, based on his short story “The Devil and Daniel Webster,” and later rereleased under that title. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in Th...
Apr 02, 2025•58 min•Season 21Ep. 4
The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features one of the Venice Film Festival’s top award winners, Alessandro Blasetti’s The Iron Crown . Directed and co-written by Alessandro Blasetti and starring Massimo Girotti, Gino Cervi, Elisa Cegani and Luisa Ferida, The Iron Crown was awarded the Mussolini Cup for best Italian film at the 1941 Venice Film Festival. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Howard Thompson in The New York Times ( https://www.ny...
Mar 26, 2025•59 min•Season 21Ep. 3
The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our pick for a notable debut feature, John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon . Written and directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet, The Maltese Falcon is the third adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 novel. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1941/10/04/archives/the-maltese-falcon...
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 21Ep. 2
The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features the box-office champion, Howard Hawks’ Sergeant York . Directed by Howard Hawks and starring Gary Cooper, Joan Leslie, Walter Brennan, Margaret Wycherly and George Tobias, Sergeant York is based on the diaries of real-life World War I veteran Alvin York. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1941/07/03/archives/sergeant-york-a-sincere-biog...
Mar 12, 2025•59 min•Season 21Ep. 1
This special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider . Directed and co-written by Dennis Hopper and starring Hopper, Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson and Luke Askew, Easy Rider is a key touchstone of 1960s counterculture. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/easy-rider-1969 ), Gene Moskowitz in Variety ( https://variety.com/1969/film/reviews/easy-rider-1117790631/ ), and Vin...
Mar 05, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 19Ep. 17
The twelfth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1980 with our audience choice winner, the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker production Airplane! . Written and directed by Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker and starring Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges, Airplane! was producer David Rosen’s pick for our audience choice poll of 1980 films. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Eber...
Feb 26, 2025•59 min•Season 20Ep. 12
The eleventh episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1953 with the third of Josh’s three picks, Max Ophüls’ The Earrings of Madame de… . Directed by Max Ophüls and starring Danielle Darrieux, Charles Boyer and Vittorio De Sica, The Earrings of Madame de… is based on the novel by Louise de Vilmorin. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from A.H. Weiler in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1954/07/20/archives/the-screen-in...
Feb 19, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 20Ep. 11
The tenth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1987 with the third of Jason’s three picks, family comedy Ernest Goes to Camp . Directed and co-written by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney, Victoria Racimo, Lyle Alzado, Iron Eyes Cody and John Vernon, Ernest Goes to Camp is the first of nine feature films based on Varney’s popular Ernest P. Worrell character. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Caryn James in The New York...
Feb 12, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 20Ep. 10
The ninth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1992 with the third of our producer Dave’s three picks, Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant . Directed and co-written by Abel Ferrara and starring Harvey Keitel, Frankie Thorn, Zoë Lund and Victor Argo, Bad Lieutenant premiered at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bad-lieutenant-1993 ), Janet Maslin in...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr•Season 20Ep. 9
This bonus supplement to the eighth episode of our special retrospective 20th season features guests ML Compton and Skip King talking with Jason about their experiences in the punk scene and their thoughts on Wolfgang Büld’s 1977 documentary Punk in London . Visit https://www.awesomemovieyear.com for more info about the show. Make sure to like Awesome Movie Year on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear and follow us on Twitter @Awesomemoviepod You can find Jason online at http://g...
Jan 31, 2025•44 min
The eighth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1977 with the second of Jason’s three picks, documentary Punk in London . Directed by Wolfgang Büld, Punk in London features influential early punk bands including The Jam and The Clash. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Time Out ( https://www.timeout.com/movies/punk-in-london ) and Chris Barsanti in PopMatters ( https://www.popmatters.com/111807-punk-in-london-punk-in-engl...
Jan 29, 2025•56 min•Season 20Ep. 8
The seventh episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 2003 with the second of our producer Dave’s three picks, Michael Bay’s Bad Boys II . Directed by Michael Bay and starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Gabrielle Union and Jordi Molla, Bad Boys II was one of the highest-grossing movies of 2003. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bad-boys-ii-2003 ), A.O. Scott in The New York T...
Jan 22, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 20Ep. 7
The sixth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1975 with the second of Josh’s three picks, Dario Argento’s Deep Red . Directed and co-written by Dario Argento and starring David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia and Macha Méril, Deep Red is considered a landmark of the giallo subgenre. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Linda Gross in The Los Angeles Times , Vincent Canby in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes...
Jan 15, 2025•59 min•Season 20Ep. 6
The fifth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 2007 with the first of our producer Dave’s three picks, the Lonely Island’s Hot Rod . Directed by Akiva Schaffer and starring Andy Samberg, Isla Fisher, Ian McShane, Jorma Taccone, Danny McBride and Bill Hader, Hot Rod was the first feature film from comedy troupe The Lonely Island. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hot-rod-20...
Jan 08, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 20Ep. 5
The fourth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 2012 with the second of two Christmas episodes, on Edward Burns’ The Fitzgerald Family Christmas . Written and directed by Edward Burns and starring Edward Burns, Michael McGlone, Kerry Bishé, Heather Burns, Marsha Dietlein Bennett and Caitlin FitzGerald, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come ...
Jan 01, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 20Ep. 4
The third episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1999 with the first of two Christmas episodes, on Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut . Directed and co-written by Stanley Kubrick (adapted from the novel by Arthur Schnitzler) and starring Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack and Todd Field, Eyes Wide Shut was the final movie that Kubrick directed before his death. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://w...
Dec 25, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 20Ep. 3
The second episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1989 with the first of Josh’s three picks, J.F. Lawton’s Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death . Written and directed by J.F. Lawton (under the name J.D. Athens) and starring Shannon Tweed, Karen Mistal, Bill Maher and Adrienne Barbeau, Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death was a staple of basic cable programming in the 1990s. Visit https://www.awesomemovieyear.com for more info ab...
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 20Ep. 2
