The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1980 features the second-highest-grossing film at the box office, 9 to 5 . Directed and co-written (with Patricia Resnick) by Colin Higgins and starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Dabney Coleman and Elizabeth Wilson, 9 to 5 grossed $103.3 million and was nominated for an Oscar for its theme song. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/nine-to-five-1980 ), K...
Mar 23, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 11Ep. 1
This special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features the James Bond film You Only Live Twice . Directed by Lewis Gilbert from a screenplay by Roald Dahl (based on the Ian Fleming novel) and starring Sean Connery, Tetsurō Tamba, Akiko Wakabayashi, Mie Hama, Karin Dor and Donald Pleasence, You Only Live Twice was the fifth and final film in Connery’s original run as James Bond. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogereb...
Mar 16, 2022•52 min•Season 8Ep. 14
For the tenth episode of our special retrospective season, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 1994, the winning year in our audience choice poll, for Frank Darabont’s The Shawshank Redemption . Written and directed by Frank Darabont (based on the novella by Stephen King) and starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler and Clancy Brown, The Shawshank Redemption was nominated for seven Oscars and is often regarded as one of the greatest movies ever m...
Mar 09, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 10Ep. 10
For the ninth episode of our special retrospective season, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 to feature another future cult classic, Jim Jarmusch’s Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai . Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch and starring Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Isaach de Bankolé, Henry Silva, Camille Winbush and Tricia Vessey, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai was a minor hit that has become one of Jarmusch’s most acclaimed films. The contemporary reviews quote...
Mar 02, 2022•1 hr•Season 10Ep. 9
For the eighth episode of our special retrospective season, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 1994 to feature Dave’s personal pick, Alex Proyas’ The Crow . Directed by Alex Proyas, based on the comic book by James O’Barr and starring Brandon Lee, Ernie Hudson, Rochelle Davis and Michael Wincott, The Crow was marred by tragedy after Brandon Lee’s on-set death, but went on to become a box-office hit and launch a franchise. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode...
Feb 23, 2022•1 hr•Season 10Ep. 8
For the seventh episode of our special retrospective season, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 to feature another major box-office flop, Francis Ford Coppola’s The Cotton Club . Directed and co-written by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Richard Gere, Diane Lane, Gregory Hines, Lonette McKee and Bob Hoskins, The Cotton Club was part of a string of commercial failures for Coppola. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www...
Feb 16, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 10Ep. 7
For the sixth episode of our special retrospective season, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 to feature another of Jason’s personal picks, Arthur Penn’s Bonnie and Clyde . Directed by Arthur Penn from a screenplay by David Newman and Robert Benton and starring Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Gene Hackman, Michael J. Pollard and Estelle Parsons, Bonnie and Clyde was nominated for 10 Oscars and won two. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley ...
Feb 09, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 10Ep. 6
For the fifth episode of our special retrospective season, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 1989 to feature another foreign film pick, Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso . Written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore and starring Philippe Noiret, Jacques Perrin, Marco Leonardi, Agnese Nano, Salvatore Cascio and Leopoldo Trieste, Cinema Paradiso won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https:...
Feb 02, 2022•1 hr•Season 10Ep. 5
For the fourth episode of our special retrospective season, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 2007 to feature another of Josh’s personal picks, Gregg Araki’s Smiley Face . Directed by Gregg Araki from a screenplay by Dylan Haggerty and starring Anna Faris, Danny Masterson, John Krasinski, Adam Brody and Roscoe Lee Browne, Smiley Face premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received a very limited theatrical release. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode ...
Jan 26, 2022•52 min•Season 10Ep. 4
For the third episode of our special retrospective season, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 to feature another documentary pick, Jeffrey Blitz’s Spellbound . Directed by Jeffrey Blitz and featuring eight contestants from the 1999 National Spelling Bee, Spellbound premiered at the South by Southwest film festival and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogereb...
Jan 19, 2022•58 min•Season 10Ep. 3
For the second episode of our special retrospective season, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 1996 to feature another notable filmmaking debut, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Hard Eight . Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson, Hard Eight was based on Anderson’s 1993 short film Cigarettes & Coffee . The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www...
Jan 12, 2022•58 min•Season 10Ep. 2
For the first episode of our special retrospective season, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 1977 to feature the second-highest-grossing film at the box office, Hal Needham’s Smokey and the Bandit . Directed and co-written by Hal Needham and starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason and Jerry Reed, Smokey and the Bandit grossed $126 million and spawned multiple sequels. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Ron Pennington in The Hollywood...
Jan 05, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 10Ep. 1
In the second of two special holiday episodes for this year, we’re looking back to our season on the films of 2003, to talk about Christmas romantic comedy Love Actually . Written and directed by Richard Curtis and starring Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy, Keira Knightley and an extensive ensemble cast, Love Actually has become a perennial holiday favorite and an influential romantic comedy. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.ro...
Dec 29, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 7Ep. 17
This special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features the Wachowskis’ The Matrix . Written and directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski and starring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving, The Matrix was one of the highest-grossing movies of 1999 and has become one of the most influential sci-fi and action movies of all time. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-matrix...
Dec 22, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Season 9Ep. 15
In the first of two special holiday episodes for this year, we’re looking back to our season on the films of 2003, to talk about Christmas classic Elf . Directed by Jon Favreau from a screenplay by David Berenbaum and starring Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Bob Newhart and Ed Asner, Elf has become a perennial holiday favorite on TV, in theaters and on streaming services. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.c...
Dec 15, 2021•49 min•Season 7Ep. 16
In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1999, 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 tenth season, a special bonus season featuring selections from all the years we’ve covered in the past, starting with 1977 box-office ch...
Dec 10, 2021•34 min•Season 9Ep. 14
The finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features our audience choice pick, Alexander Payne’s Election . Directed and co-written by Alexander Payne (adapted from the novel by Tom Perrotta) and starring Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein and Jessica Campbell, Election prevailed over 11 other movies in our audience choice teen movie tournament. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/election-1999 )...
Dec 08, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 9Ep. 13
The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features our future cult classic pick, Troy Duffy’s The Boondock Saints . Written and directed by Troy Duffy and starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Willem Dafoe and David Della Rocco, The Boondock Saints was barely released in theaters but built a cult following on home video. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Robert Koehler in Variety ( https://variety.com/2000/film/reviews/boondock-saints-111...
Dec 01, 2021•53 min•Season 9Ep. 12
The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features our producer David Rosen’s pick, Mike Judge’s Office Space . Written and directed by Mike Judge and starring Ron Livingston, David Herman, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole, Diedrich Bader and Ajay Naidu, Office Space was Judge’s first live-action film. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/office-space-1999 ), Rita Kempley in the Washington Post ( https://...
Nov 24, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 9Ep. 11
The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, Sam Mendes’ American Beauty . Directed by Sam Mendes from a script by Alan Ball and starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari and Chris Cooper, American Beauty was nominated for eight Oscars and won five, including Best Picture. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/american-beaut...
Nov 17, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 9Ep. 10
The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Chris Smith’s American Movie . Directed by Chris Smith and featuring Mark Borchardt, American Movie won the Grand Jury Prize for documentary at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/american-movie-2000 ), Glenn Lovell in Variety ( https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/am...
Nov 10, 2021•55 min•Season 9Ep. 9
The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features Jason’s personal pick, Wes Anderson’s Rushmore. Directed and co-written (with Owen Wilson) by Wes Anderson and starring Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray, Olivia Williams and Mason Gamble, Rushmore premiered at the 1998 Toronto International Film Festival before going into wide release in February 1999. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rushmore-1999 )...
Nov 03, 2021•53 min•Season 9Ep. 8
This special Halloween episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez’s found footage horror movie The Blair Witch Project. Written and directed by Myrick and Sanchez and starring Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams and Joshua Leonard, The Blair Witch Project premiered at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival and went on to become one of the most successful independent films of all time. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roge...
Oct 27, 2021•1 hr 6 min
The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features our foreign film pick, Tom Tykwer’s Run Lola Run . Written and directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu and Herbert Knaup, Run Lola Run won the audience award for world cinema at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/run-lola-run-1999 ), Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly ( https://ew.co...
Oct 20, 2021•47 min•Season 9Ep. 7
The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features Josh’s personal pick, David Fincher’s Fight Club . Directed by David Fincher from a screenplay by Jim Uhls (based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk) and starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter and Meat Loaf, Fight Club was a commercial and critical disappointment but has since become a cult classic. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fig...
Oct 13, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 9Ep. 6
The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features our documentary pick, Wim Wenders’ Buena Vista Social Club . Directed by Wim Wenders and featuring a group of legendary Cuban musicians, Buena Vista Social Club was nominated for the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-buena-vista-social-club-1999 ), Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times ( https://www.latimes.co...
Oct 06, 2021•48 min•Season 9Ep. 5
The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, the Dardenne brothers’ Rosetta . Written and directed by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne and starring Émilie Dequenne, Fabrizio Rongione, Olivier Gourmet and Anne Yernaux, Rosetta won the Palme d’Or and Best Actress awards at Cannes. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rosetta-2000 ), Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entert...
Sep 29, 2021•49 min•Season 9Ep. 4
The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features the year’s biggest flop, Barry Sonnenfeld’s Wild Wild West . Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, based on the 1960s TV series The Wild Wild West and starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh and Salma Hayek, Wild Wild West was a box-office failure and was nominated for nine Razzies. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wild-wild-west-1999 ), Janet Mas...
Sep 22, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 9Ep. 3
The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides . Written and directed by Sofia Coppola (based on the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides) and starring Kirsten Dunst, Kathleen Turner, James Woods, Josh Hartnett and Jonathan Tucker, The Virgin Suicides premiered at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/t...
Sep 15, 2021•55 min•Season 9Ep. 2
The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features the second-highest-grossing film at the box office, M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense . Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette and Olivia Williams, The Sixth Sense grossed $672.8 million worldwide and was nominated for six Oscars. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-sixth-sense-1999...
Sep 08, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 9Ep. 1
