NOTE: This episode was originally a timed exclusive over on our producer David Rosen's Patreon. Sign up to one of the tiers for access to this bonus episode and more great content from us, Piecing It Together, All Rice No Beans and David Rosen. https://www.patreon.com/posts/43082909 In this special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1977, we’re talking about the runner-up in our audience choice poll, disco classic Saturday Night Fever . Directed by John Badham and starring ...
Feb 17, 2021•58 min•Season 5Ep. 15
In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1984, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about which movies they hoped we would cover. Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in soon for the premiere of our seventh season, covering the awesome movie year of 2003, starting with box-office champion Finding Nemo .
Feb 12, 2021•31 min•Season 6Ep. 14
In the finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984, we’re talking about this season’s audience choice pick, Herbert Ross’ Footloose . Directed by Herbert Ross from a screenplay by songwriter Dean Pitchford and starring Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Chris Penn, Dianne Wiest and Sarah Jessica Parker, Footloose defeated Beat Street and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo in our audience choice poll of teen dance movies. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger ...
Feb 10, 2021•56 min•Season 6Ep. 13
The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features our future cult classic pick, Alex Cox’s Repo Man . Written and directed by Alex Cox and starring Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton, Olivia Barash and Tracey Walter, Repo Man received minimal studio support but went on to critical acclaim and a cult following. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/repo-man-1984 ), Vincent Canby in the New York Times (...
Feb 03, 2021•50 min•Season 6Ep. 12
The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features our producer David Rosen’s personal pick, Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters . Directed by Ivan Reitman from a script by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts, Ghostbusters was one of the biggest box-office hits of 1984 and became an enduring pop-culture phenomenon. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from...
Jan 27, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 6Ep. 11
The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features the Best Picture Oscar winner, Milos Forman’s Amadeus . Directed by Milos Forman, written by Peter Shaffer (based on his stage play) and starring F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge and Jeffrey Jones, Amadeus was nominated for eleven Oscars and won eight, including Best Picture. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/amadeus-1984 ), Peter Tra...
Jan 20, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 10
The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Marisa Silver’s Old Enough . Written and directed by Marisa Silver and starring Sarah Boyd, Rainbow Harvest and Neill Barry, Old Enough was the first Grand Jury Prize winner at the newly rebranded Sundance Film Festival. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Janet Maslin in the New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/24/movies/screen-old-enou...
Jan 13, 2021•47 min•Season 6Ep. 9
The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features Jason’s personal pick, John G. Avildsen’s The Karate Kid . Directed by John G. Avildsen from a script by Robert Mark Kamen and starring Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, Elisabeth Shue, William Zabka, Martin Kove and Randee Heller, The Karate Kid was a box-office hit that launched a long-running franchise. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-k...
Jan 06, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 6Ep. 8
The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features one of the year’s most notable foreign films, Sammo Hung’s Wheels on Meals . Directed by Sammo Hung and starring Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung and Lola Forner, Wheels on Meals is considered a classic of Hong Kong martial arts cinema. The reviews quoted in this episode come from Marc Savlov in the Austin Chronicle ( https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/1994-08-05/138520/ ), and John Krewson in the AV Club ( h...
Dec 30, 2020•51 min•Season 6Ep. 7
We're taking a break from our regular season on the awesome movie year of 1984 to feature a special Christmas bonus, Joe Dante’s holiday horror-comedy Gremlins . Directed by Joe Dante from a screenplay by Chris Columbus and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton and Frances Lee McClain, Gremlins was a commercial success and has since become a holiday favorite. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gremlins-1984 ), Ric...
Dec 23, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 7
The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features Josh’s personal pick, Thom Eberhardt’s Night of the Comet . Written and directed by Thom Eberhardt and starring Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney, Robert Beltran and Mary Woronov, Night of the Comet was a moderate box-office success and has since become a cult classic. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Variety ( https://variety.com/1983/film/reviews/night-of-the-comet-1200426036/ ), Vincent Can...
Dec 16, 2020•50 min•Season 6Ep. 6
The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features our pick for the year’s most notable documentary, Jonathan Demme’s Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense . Directed by Jonathan Demme, Stop Making Sense captured Talking Heads performances over four nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater and is often considered the greatest concert movie ever made. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/stop-making...
Dec 09, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Season 6Ep. 5
The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner Paris, Texas . Directed by Wim Wenders from a screenplay by L.M. Kit Carson and Sam Shepard and starring Harry Dean Stanton, Dean Stockwell, Hunter Carson, Nastassja Kinski and Aurore Clément, Paris, Texas won three awards, including the Palme d’Or, at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.co...
Dec 02, 2020•51 min•Season 6Ep. 4
The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features the year’s biggest flop, Walter Hill’s Streets of Fire . Directed and co-written by Walter Hill and starring Michael Paré, Amy Madigan, Diane Lane, Rick Moranis, Deborah Van Valkenburgh and Willem Dafoe, Streets of Fire was a box-office failure following Hill’s success with 48 Hrs . The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/streets-of-fire-1984 ), Janet Masl...
Nov 25, 2020•1 hr 14 min•Season 6Ep. 3
The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles . Written and directed by John Hughes and starring Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Schoeffling, Gedde Watanabe, Haviland Morris and Paul Dooley, Sixteen Candles launched Hughes’ career as a director after his earlier success as a screenwriter. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.c...
Nov 18, 2020•58 min•Season 6Ep. 2
The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features the top-grossing film at the box office, Martin Brest’s Beverly Hills Cop . Directed by Martin Brest from a screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr. and starring Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Lisa Eilbacher, Ronny Cox and Steven Berkoff, Beverly Hills Cop grossed $316.4 million worldwide and launched an ongoing franchise. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.co...
Nov 11, 2020•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 1
NOTE: This episode was originally a timed exclusive over on our producer David Rosen's Patreon. Sign up to one of the tiers for access to more great content from us, Piecing It Together, All Rice No Beans and David Rosen. https://www.patreon.com/posts/waiting-for-year-39564661 In this special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1996, we’re talking about Christopher Guest’s influential comedy Waiting for Guffman . Directed and co-written (with Eugene Levy) by Christopher Gues...
Nov 06, 2020•52 min•Season 4Ep. 16
NOTE: This episode was originally a timed exclusive over on our producer David Rosen's Patreon. Sign up to one of the tiers for access to more great content from us, Piecing It Together, All Rice No Beans and David Rosen. https://www.patreon.com/posts/space-jam-movie-39564336 In this special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1996, we’re talking about the animated/live-action hybrid comedy Space Jam . Directed by Joe Pytka and starring Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Bill Mur...
Nov 04, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 15
In the second of two special Halloween episodes, we’re looking back to 2007, the year we covered in our second season, to talk about Jeremy Saulnier’s debut feature Murder Party . Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier and starring Chris Sharp, Sandy Barnett, Macon Blair, Paul Goldblatt, William Lacey and Stacy Rock, Murder Party debuted at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Dennis Harvey in Variety ( https://variety.com/2007/film/reviews...
Oct 30, 2020•48 min
In the first of two special Halloween episodes, we’re looking back to 2007, the year we covered in our second season, to talk about cult classic Trick ’r Treat . Written and directed by Michael Dougherty and starring Dylan Baker, Brian Cox, Anna Paquin, Britt McKillip and Quinn Lord, Trick ’r Treat was sent straight to video in place of its planned theatrical release, but has since become a Halloween staple. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Joe Leydon in Variety ( https:...
Oct 28, 2020•49 min
In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1977, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about which movies they hoped we would cover. Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in soon for the premiere of our sixth season, covering the awesome movie year of 1984, starting with box-office champion Beverly Hills Cop . But first up, keep an eye o...
Oct 23, 2020•25 min•Season 5Ep. 14
In the finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1977, we’re talking about this season’s audience choice pick, Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind . Written and directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon, Francois Truffaut, Bob Balaban and Teri Garr, Close Encounters of the Third Kind defeated Saturday Night Fever and Smokey and the Bandit in our audience choice poll of iconic 1977 films. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode co...
Oct 21, 2020•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 13
The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1977 features our future cult classic pick, George Roy Hill’s Slap Shot . Directed by George Roy Hill from a script by Nancy Dowd and starring Paul Newman, Michael Ontkean, Lindsay Crouse, Strother Martin and Jennifer Warren, Slap Shot was a critical and commercial failure upon its release but has since built up a cult following. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Gary Arnold in the Washington Post ( https://ww...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 12
The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1977 features our producer David Rosen’s personal pick, comedy anthology The Kentucky Fried Movie . Directed by John Landis and written by the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker, The Kentucky Fried Movie was a pioneering film of the spoof genre that helped launch the careers of its writers and director. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Lawrence Van Gelder in the New York Times ( https://www....
Oct 07, 2020•52 min•Season 5Ep. 11
The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1977 features the Best Picture Oscar winner, Woody Allen’s Annie Hall . Directed and co-written (with Marshall Brickman) by Woody Allen and starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane and Paul Simon, Annie Hall was nominated for five Oscars and won four, including Best Picture. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/annie-hall-1977 ), Joseph McBride in...
Sep 30, 2020•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 10
The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1977 features the Golden Globes Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) winner, Neil Simon’s The Goodbye Girl . Written by Neil Simon, directed by Herbert Ross and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason and Quinn Cummings, The Goodbye Girl won an Oscar for Dreyfuss and four Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy). The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Pauline Kael in The New Yorker , Vincen...
Sep 23, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 5Ep. 9
The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1977 features Jason’s personal pick, Mel Brooks’ High Anxiety . Written and directed by Mel Brooks and starring Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman and Ron Carey, High Anxiety is a parody of the work of filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/high-anxiety-1978 ), Vincent Canby in the New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com...
Sep 16, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 8
The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1977 features one of the year’s most notable foreign films, Werner Herzog’s Stroszek . Written and directed by Werner Herzog and starring Bruno Schleinstein, Eva Mattes, Clemens Scheitz and Clayton Szalpinski, Stroszek has come to be regarded as one of Herzog’s best films. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in the New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1977/07/13/archives/film-herzogs-pilgrims-h...
Sep 09, 2020•51 min•Season 5Ep. 7
The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1977 features Josh’s personal pick, Robert Benton’s The Late Show . Written and directed by Robert Benton and starring Art Carney, Lily Tomlin, Bill Macy, Eugene Roche, Joanna Cassidy and John Considine, The Late Show was nominated for several major film awards, including the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-late-show-1977 ...
Sep 02, 2020•50 min•Season 5Ep. 6
The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1977 features our pick for the year’s most notable documentary, bodybuilding showcase Pumping Iron . Directed by George Butler and Robert Fiore and featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbu and Mike Katz, Pumping Iron helped bring bodybuilding into the mainstream as a respected sport. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Richard Eder in the New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1977/01/19/arc...
Aug 26, 2020•59 min•Season 5Ep. 6
