Paul & Amy cross the pond for 2003's Christmas romantic comedy smash Love Actually! They dissect director Richard Curtis's curious understanding of love, learn the fates of each character in the 2017 sequel short, and watch deleted scenes that would have introduced even more plots into the film. Plus: Lindy West discusses her essay "Shit Actually" that kicked off a critical re-evaluation of this movie. Next week Unspooled pulls out another stocking stuffer to talk The Matrix! You can join th...
Dec 16, 2021•2 hr 54 min
Paul & Amy feed 1986’s creature feature musical Little Shop of Horrors! They credit director Frank Oz for getting Audrey II’s physicality just right, dive into the career of Four Tops singer Levi Stubbs, and debate whether the heightened tone of the film feels more theatrical or more cinematic. Plus: A young Jack Nicholson’s astonishing cameo in the original Little Shop. Next week Unspooled shakes out its first holiday stocking stuffer, Love Actually! You can join the conversation for this s...
Dec 09, 2021•1 hr 34 min
Amy & Paul go to bat for 2001's mega-hit Bollywood sports musical Lagaan! They compare star Aamir Khan to Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, learn about a key last-minute change to the love triangle plot, and ask what makes the choreography of the musical numbers feel both heightened and naturalistic. Plus: Was Lagaan's campaign to win an Oscar a success? Next week Unspooled concludes this series on musicals with Little Shop Of Horrors! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled F...
Dec 02, 2021•1 hr 40 min
Amy & Paul shoot up 2002's darkly comic musical revival Chicago! They interrogate director Rob Marshall's choice to use rapid cuts over long takes, discuss how Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones contrast perfectly with each other, and revisit a time when Oscar voters were thirsty for any musicals at all. Plus: Some of the many parodies Chicago has inspired. Next week Unspooled continues our series on musicals with Lagaan! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled F...
Nov 25, 2021•1 hr 37 min
Paul & Amy know 1978’s retro musical sensation Grease is the word! They praise Stockard Channing’s fiercely independent performance as Rizzo, compare the film to contemporary period piece American Graffiti, and explore the early career of “Plastic Bubble”-boy John Travolta. Plus: revisiting an infamous awards disaster masterminded by Grease producer Allan Carr. Next week Unspooled continues our series on musicals with Chicago! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Fa...
Nov 18, 2021•1 hr 31 min
Paul & Amy kidnap 1993's Gothic stop-motion musical The Nightmare Before Christmas! They praise the carnival-esque compositions of Danny Elfman, compare Oogie Boogie's big musical number to the Max Fleischer cartoon it was inspired by, and dig into the thorny question of who this film's true auteur is, Tim Burton or Henry Selick. Plus: Why did the studio want Jack Skellington to have eyes? Next week Unspooled continues our series on musicals with Grease! You can join the conversation for thi...
Nov 11, 2021•1 hr 38 min
Amy & Paul drift off into 1984's Wes Craven sleeper slasher film A Nightmare On Elm Street! They give qualified praise to Johnny Depp's first-ever screen role, appreciate Craven's meta-sequel New Nightmare, and rank Freddy Krueger within the pantheon of slasher icons. Plus: Freddy appeared in a rap video? Next week Unspooled kicks off a new series on musicals with The Nightmare Before Christmas! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.face...
Nov 04, 2021•1 hr 54 min
Amy & Paul take a hike through 1999's revolutionary found-footage film The Blair Witch Project! They praise Heather Donahue’s often maligned performance, revisit the film's enormously successful viral marketing campaign, and discuss the film's pioneering of immersive, hand-held horror. Plus: Should directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez be credited as the film's producers instead? Next week Unspooled’s Scaretober series concludes with Nightmare On Elm Street! You can join the conversati...
Oct 28, 2021•1 hr 53 min
Acclaimed comic book writer and artist Ed Brubaker (Criminal, Reckless) joins Paul & Amy to talk about three of his favorite films, including a bruising film noir and a futuristic romance. He also shares his fantasy casting for Jack Reacher and his take on Inception! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 26, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Paul & Amy get a taste of 2016's French coming of age/horror film Raw! They debate whether Justine's dilemma is a metaphor for drugs or sexuality, analyze the infamous bikini wax scene, and ask what makes this a "female" film. Plus: Is director Julia Ducournau's even wilder follow up Titane worth seeing? Next week Unspooled’s Scaretober series continues with The Blair Witch Project! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/grou...
Oct 21, 2021•1 hr 28 min
Tim Blake Nelson (Old Henry, O Brother Where Art Thou?) talks to Paul and Amy about three of his all time top films, including a documentary about a radical artist and a period piece that takes the "period" elements seriously. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 19, 2021•43 min
Amy & Paul get revved up over 1974's archetypal slasher film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre! They draw parallels between the film and post-Vietnam America, examine the Sawyer family's relatable drive to survive in a harsh capitalist world, and prepare themselves for the next remake. Plus: Amy tells the story of the Candy Man murders. Next week Unspooled’s Scaretober series continues with Raw! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook....
Oct 14, 2021•1 hr 31 min
Paul & Amy get hypnotized by 1920's German silent horror film The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari! They learn about the history of German Expressionism, discuss the relative importance of realism and stylization in film, and watch a trailer for a bizarre 80's remake. Plus: Who are Paul & Amy's favorite Garbage Pail Kids? Next week Unspooled’s Scaretober series continues with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www....
Oct 07, 2021•1 hr 33 min
Amy & Paul make heads turn with 1973's horror classic The Exorcist! They praise Ellen Burstyn's quiet but strong take on a desperate celebrity mother trying to save her 'sick' daughter, coin the term "cinematic one night stand" for one-off iconic performances, and grimace over the grotesque special effects inspired by real-life medical procedures. Plus: Amy accidentally cursed her ex-boyfriend with a Santeria candle! Next week Unspooled’s Scaretober series continues with The Cabinet of Dr. C...
Sep 30, 2021•1 hr 43 min
Melanie Lynskey (Lady Of The Manor, I Don't Feel At Home In The World Anymore) tells us three of her favorite films, including the breakthrough film of a fellow New Zealander and a retro camp classic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 27, 2021•39 min
Paul & Amy close the book on Unspooled's second season with some hard choices - which movies covered during the past year of the podcast are going to space? They agree on the fate of a low budget horror classic, disagree on including a groundbreaking romance, and Josh & Devon get in the mix to advocate for an indie auteur's most poignant film. Plus: NASA astronomer Michelle Thaller helps us with the logistics of sending our Top 100 to space, and explains why Contact depicts the life of a...
Sep 23, 2021•1 hr 51 min
Amy & Paul race through 2015's post-apocalyptic action masterwork Mad Max: Fury Road! They learn why director George Miller brought on feminist playwright Eve Ensler as an advisor, praise the film's playful and careful worldbuilding, and ask whether Miller comes from the 'tyrant' school of directing. Plus: Witness young dating show contestant Tom Hardy! Next week tune in for Unspooled's Season 2 finale, and find out which films will be added to our ultimate list! You can join the conversatio...
Sep 16, 2021•1 hr 49 min
Paul & Amy go deep into 2010's mind-bending Christopher Nolan heist film Inception! They gawk at the protagonist's name, learn the origin of the famous "braaam" sound, and ask whether Nolan's cerebral vision of blockbuster filmmaking has aged well. Plus: What's the actual longest-lived parasite in the human body? Next week Unspooled's summer blockbuster series concludes with Mad Max: Fury Road! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.faceb...
Sep 09, 2021•2 hr 4 min
Amy & Paul let loose with 2011's breakthrough Kristin Wiig comedy Bridesmaids! They praise Wiig's nuanced lead performance, break down the dynamics of the airplane scene, and discuss how Bridesmaids transcends tokenistic conversations about women in comedy. Plus: What happened in Vegas in an early draft of the film? Next week Unspooled's summer blockbuster series continues with Inception! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.co...
Sep 02, 2021•1 hr 45 min
Paul & Amy blearily remember 2009's Todd Phillips black comedy The Hangover! They praise the film's star-making casting choices, discuss how to improvise within a carefully storyboarded script, and ask whether a mainstream comedy this transgressive can (or should) be made today. Plus: Is Mike Tyson actually a bad singer? Next week Unspooled's summer blockbuster series continues with Bridesmaids! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.face...
Aug 26, 2021•1 hr 51 min
Amy & Paul run from 1993's Harrison Ford/Tommy Lee Jones thriller The Fugitive! They praise an action film where the lead characters wear sensible shoes, compare Jones' performance to the actors he beat out for an Oscar, and take a close look at the two line exchange that sums up the whole movie. Plus: Is U.S. Marshals a worthy sequel? Next week Unspooled's summer blockbuster series continues with The Hangover! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at ...
Aug 19, 2021•1 hr 50 min
Paul & Amy jump over 1994's Keanu Reeves bus-gone-wild action thriller Speed! They learn about the expanded role of the bus passengers in early drafts of the script, listen to newly minted star Sandra Bullock field condescending questions about her role, ask if Keanu's Jack Traven is more soulful than he lets on. Plus: is the film score a secret masterpiece? Next week Unspooled's summer blockbuster series continues with The Fugitive! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspo...
Aug 12, 2021•1 hr 45 min
Amy & Paul zoom at 88 miles per hour into 1985's Robert Zemeckis time travel comedy Back To The Future! They ask why Eric Stoltz wasn't the right choice for Marty McFly, discuss the film's critique of Reaganomics, and debate whether Steven Spielberg has had too much influence on our brains. Plus: Was the DeLorean originally supposed to be a fridge? Next week Unspooled's summer blockbuster series continues with Speed! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Gro...
Aug 05, 2021•1 hr 57 min
Steve Zahn (The White Lotus, Treme) tells Paul & Amy three movies he would send to space, including an operatic Western classic and the journey of a grizzled mountain man. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Aug 04, 2021•37 min
Paul & Amy neuralize 1997's Will Smith sci-fi comedy Men In Black! They learn about the wild career of director Barry Sonnenfeld, ask how Smith became so skilled at picking hit starring vehicles, and wonder why blockbuster films with this much personality are so hard to come by today. Plus: What if Wild Wild West was good? Next week Unspooled's summer blockbuster series continues with Back To The Future! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https:/...
Jul 29, 2021•1 hr 58 min
Unspooled is happy to share this bonus interview from the How Did This Get Made feed with our listeners! June Diane Raphael welcomes Dr. Kate Grossman to give us the 4-1-1 on the Covid-19 vaccine and its safety and efficacy rates, while dispelling disinformation around getting vaccinated. We hope this helps anyone who is unsure about getting vaccinated feel more educated and empowered to do so. For more information on getting vaccinated go to www.vaccines.gov Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...
Jul 29, 2021•27 min
Amy & Paul break out of 1993's prehistoric creature feature Jurassic Park! They revisit the moment in film history when CGI was starting to break into the mainstream, learn how director Steven Spielberg decided to embrace realism in the film's dino designs, and debate whether John Hammond gets a bad rap. Plus: An in-depth breakdown of Jurassic Park vs. Jaws.Next week Unspooled's summer blockbuster series continues with Men In Black! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspoo...
Jul 22, 2021•1 hr 49 min
Paul & Amy break the block open with a new Unspooled series on summer blockbusters! They ask why the Fast saga has succeeded where so many original ideas have failed, try to pinpoint when franchise films lost their sense of joy, and preview some of the big films coming out soon, Plus: Narrowing down the shortlist of blockbusters to cover over the next two months. Next week Unspooled continues the summer blockbusters series with Jurassic Park! You can join the conversation for this series on ...
Jul 15, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Gunpowder Milkshake) joins Unspooled to talk about her top 3 films she would send to space, including a 90s rom com classic and a horror masterpiece. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 14, 2021•34 min
Amy & Paul come home to 1995's space disaster docudrama Apollo 13! They ask if this is secretly a film about disappointment, spot a cameo by a legendary director, and discuss whether there's a successor to Ron Howard among today's generation of filmmakers. Plus: What's the actual version of the film's most famous quote? Next week Unspooled kicks off a new series on summer blockbusters! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/g...
Jul 08, 2021•1 hr 32 min
