The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features Josh’s personal pick, Curtis Hanson’s Wonder Boys . Directed by Curtis Hanson from a screenplay by Steve Kloves (based on the Michael Chabon novel) and starring Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr. and Katie Holmes, Wonder Boys was nominated for three Oscars and won one. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wonder-boys-20...
May 22, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 18Ep. 6
The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features our documentary pick, Agnes Varda’s The Gleaners and I . Directed by and featuring Agnes Varda, The Gleaners and I is considered one of the greatest documentaries of all time. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-gleaners-and-i-2001 ), Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times ( https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-06-ca-47419-story.html ), ...
May 15, 2024•52 min•Season 18Ep. 5
The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark . Written and directed by Lars von Trier and starring Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse and Peter Stormare, Dancer in the Dark also won the Best Actress award at Cannes for Björk’s lead performance. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dancer-in-the-dark-2000 ), Edward ...
May 08, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Season 18Ep. 4
The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features the year’s biggest flop, L. Ron Hubbard adaptation Battlefield Earth . Directed by Roger Christian from a screenplay by Corey Mandell and J.D. Shapiro and starring John Travolta, Barry Pepper, Forest Whitaker and Kim Coates, Battlefield Earth was a passion project for Scientology follower Travolta. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/battlefield-earth-...
May 01, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 18Ep. 3
The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast . Directed by Jonathan Glazer from a screenplay by Louis Mellis and David Scinto and starring Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman and Cavan Kendall, Sexy Beast was nominated for an Oscar for Kingsley’s supporting performance. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly ( https://e...
Apr 24, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 18Ep. 2
The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features the highest-grossing film at the box office, John Woo’s Mission: Impossible II . Directed by John Woo from a screenplay by Robert Towne and starring Tom Cruise, Thandiwe Newton, Dougray Scott, Ving Rhames, John Polson and Anthony Hopkins, Mission: Impossible II topped the worldwide box office and firmly established the series as a blockbuster franchise. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert...
Apr 17, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 18Ep. 1
This special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1987 features James L. Brooks’ Best Picture nominee Broadcast News . Written and directed by James L. Brooks and starring Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, William Hurt and Robert Prosky, Broadcast News was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/broadcast-news-1987 ), Vincent Canby in The New York Times ( https://...
Apr 12, 2024•1 hr•Season 16Ep. 17
In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1939, 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 1939 movies. 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://goforjason.com/ ...
Apr 05, 2024•28 min•Season 17Ep. 15
The finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features our audience choice pick, the Marx Brothers comedy At the Circus . Directed by Edward Buzzell from a screenplay by Irving Brecher and starring the Marx Brothers (Groucho, Chico, Harpo), Kenny Baker, Florence Rice, Eve Arden and Margaret Dumont, At the Circus prevailed over two other movies from classic Hollywood comedy stars in our 1939 audience choice poll. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Frank S. Nuge...
Apr 03, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 17Ep. 14
The thirteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features our future cult classic pick, Universal horror sequel Son of Frankenstein . Directed by Rowland V. Lee from a screenplay by Willis Cooper and starring Basil Rathbone, Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lionel Atwill and Josephine Hutchinson, Son of Frankenstein was the third movie in Universal’s franchise based on Mary Shelley’s classic novel. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from B.R. Crisler in The New...
Mar 27, 2024•53 min•Season 17Ep. 13
The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features our producer David Rosen’s pick, Ritz Brothers comedy The Gorilla . Directed by Allan Dwan and starring the Ritz Brothers (Jimmy, Harry, Al), Patsy Kelly, Anita Louise, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi and Edward Norris, The Gorilla was the fourth film adaptation of Ralph Spence’s play. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1939/05/28/archives/the-screen-the-gor...
Mar 20, 2024•56 min•Season 17Ep. 12
The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, Civil War-era epic Gone With the Wind . Directed by Victor Fleming and starring Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard and Hattie McDaniel, Gone With the Wind won 10 Oscars including Best Picture. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Frank S. Nugent in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1939/12/20/archives/the-screen-in-review...
Mar 13, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 17Ep. 11
The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features the New York Film Critics Circle Best Film winner, William Wyler’s Wuthering Heights . Directed by William Wyler from a screenplay by Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht and starring Laurence Olivier, Merle Oberon, David Niven, Flora Robson, Geraldine Fitzgerald and Hugh Williams, Wuthering Heights is the earliest surviving film adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode comes ...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 17Ep. 10
The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features Jason’s personal pick, Howard Hawks’ Only Angels Have Wings. Directed by Howard Hawks from a screenplay by Jules Furthman and starring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Thomas Mitchell, Rita Hayworth and Richard Barthelmess, Only Angels Have Wings is often considered one of Hawks’ greatest films. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Frank S. Nugent in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1939/05/12/arc...
Feb 28, 2024•58 min•Season 17Ep. 9
The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features our foreign film pick, Jean Renoir’s The Rules of the Game . Directed and co-written by Jean Renoir and starring Nora Gregor, Paulette Dubost, Mila Parély, Marcel Dalio, Julien Carette, Roland Toutain, Gaston Modot and Jean Renoir, The Rules of the Game was considered a failure until its restoration and rediscovery in the 1950s. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Variety ( https://variety.com/1938/...
Feb 21, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 17Ep. 8
The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features a special Valentine’s Day pick, Leo McCarey’s Love Affair . Directed and co-written by Leo McCarey and starring Charles Boyer, Irene Dunne, Maria Ouspenskaya and Lee Bowman, Love Affair was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Frank S. Nugent in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1939/03/17/archives/the-screen-love-affair-a-bittersweet-roma...
Feb 14, 2024•53 min•Season 17Ep. 7
The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features Josh’s personal pick, George Cukor’s The Women . Directed by George Cukor from a screenplay by Anita Loos and Jane Murfin and starring Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell, Joan Crawford, Paulette Goddard, Mary Boland and Joan Fontaine, The Women was based on the hit 1936 Broadway play by Clare Boothe. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Mildred Martin in the Philadelphia Inquirer , Mae Tinee in the Chica...
Feb 07, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 17Ep. 6
The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features our animation pick, the Fleischer brothers’ Gulliver’s Travels . Directed by Dave Fleischer, based on the novel by Jonathan Swift, and starring the voices of Sam Parker, Pinto Colvig, Jack Mercer, Tedd Pierce and Lovey Warren, Gulliver’s Travels was the first feature-length animated film from Fleischer Studios. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Frank S. Nugent in The New York Times ( https://www.ny...
Jan 31, 2024•58 min•Season 17Ep. 5
The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features the Cannes Film Festival winner, Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington . Directed by Frank Capra from a screenplay by Sidney Buchman and starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains, Thomas Mitchell, Eugene Pallette and Edward Arnold, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was awarded the top prize at the 2019 recreation of the canceled 1939 Cannes Film Festival. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from ...
Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 17Ep. 4
The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features the year’s biggest flop, ice skating showcase The Ice Follies of 1939 . Directed by Reinhold Schünzel and starring James Stewart, Joan Crawford, Lew Ayres and Lewis Stone, The Ice Follies of 1939 was created as a showcase for the International Ice Follies touring ice show. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Frank S. Nugent in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1939/03/17/archives/the-scree...
Jan 17, 2024•57 min•Season 17Ep. 3
The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features our pick for a movie from a major filmmaker, John Ford’s Stagecoach . Directed by John Ford from a screenplay by Dudley Nichols and starring John Wayne, Claire Trevor, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell and Louise Platt, Stagecoach was Wayne’s breakthrough film and the first Western that Ford shot in Monument Valley. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Frank S. Nugent in The New York Times...
Jan 10, 2024•1 hr•Season 17Ep. 2
The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features one of the highest-grossing films at the box office, fantasy musical The Wizard of Oz . Directed by Victor Fleming, based on the novel by L. Frank Baum, and starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Burt Lahr, Jack Haley, Margaret Hamilton and Frank Morgan, The Wizard of Oz was nominated for six Oscars and is considered one of the greatest movies ever made. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Frank S. Nugen...
Jan 03, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 17Ep. 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 Japanese animated movie Tokyo Godfathers . Directed and co-written by Satoshi Kon and starring the voices of Toru Emori, Yoshiaki Umegaki and Aya Okamoto, Tokyo Godfathers was Kon’s third feature-length animated film. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/tokyo-godfathers-2004 ), Manohla Dargis in th...
Dec 27, 2023•51 min•Season 7Ep. 16
In the first of two special holiday episodes for this year, we’re looking back to our season on the films of 1980, to talk about holiday horror movie Christmas Evil . Written and directed by Lewis Jackson and starring Brandon Maggart, Jeffrey DeMunn and Dianne Hull, Christmas Evil was banned and vilified in its initial release but has since become a cult classic. Visit https://www.awesomemovieyear.com for more info about the show. Make sure to like Awesome Movie Year on Facebook at http://www.fa...
Dec 20, 2023•55 min•Season 11Ep. 18
NOTE: This episode was a timed exclusive over on our producer David Rosen’s Patreon. Sign up to one of the tiers for access to bonus episodes and more great content from us, Piecing It Together and David Rosen. https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosen This special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1975 features the movie most requested by listeners on our social media pages, Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon . Written and directed by Stanley Kubrick (from the novel by William Mak...
Dec 13, 2023•47 min•Season 15Ep. 16
NOTE: This episode was a timed exclusive over on our producer David Rosen’s Patreon. Sign up to one of the tiers for access to bonus episodes and more great content from us, Piecing It Together and David Rosen. https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosen This special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1975 features Robert Altman’s Best Picture nominee Nashville . Directed by Robert Altman from a screenplay by Joan Tewkesbury and starring Ronee Blakley, Henry Gibson, Ned Beatty, Ke...
Dec 06, 2023•59 min•Season 15Ep. 15
In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1987, 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 1987 movies. 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://goforjason.com/ ...
Dec 01, 2023•40 min•Season 16Ep. 14
The finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1987 features our audience choice pick, Paul Verhoeven’s RoboCop . Directed by Paul Verhoeven from a screenplay by Edward Neumeier and Michael Miner and starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Miguel Ferrer, Ronny Cox, Kurtwood Smith and Daniel O’Herlihy, RoboCop prevailed over two other classic action movies in our 1987 audience choice poll. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/review...
Nov 29, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 16Ep. 13
This bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1987 features a special Thanksgiving pick, John Hughes’ Planes, Trains and Automobiles . Written and directed by John Hughes and starring Steve Martin, John Candy and Laila Robins, Planes, Trains and Automobiles marked Hughes’ transition from teen movies to more adult fare. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/planes-trains-and-automobiles-1987 ), Richard Schickel i...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 1 min
The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1987 features our future cult classic pick, Bruce Robinson’s Withnail and I . Written and directed by Bruce Robinson and starring Paul McGann, Richard E. Grant, Richard Griffiths and Ralph Brown, Withnail and I was inspired by Robinson’s own experiences as a young man in the 1960s. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/19/movies/film-withnail-an...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Season 16Ep. 12
