Amy announces the winner of the final Canon call-in showdown, before presenting an episode of Unspooled, all about 1998's Titanic. Don't forget to subscribe to Unspooled on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you get your podcasts!

163 Zodiac vs. Shaun of the Dead vs. Magnolia

Jul 16th, 2018 1h 2m

We asked, and you nominated! For the final episode of the season, Amy and Engineer Sam take listener calls to hear arguments as to which of these films should enter The Canon: David Fincher’s 2007 thriller “Zodiac;” the first film in the Cornet

162 Scream (w/ Benjamin Lee)

Jul 9th, 2018 1h 12m

Arts editor at Guardian US Benjamin Lee joins Amy for the penultimate episode of the season to discuss the 1996 Wes Craven slasher “Scream.” They break down the movie’s deceptive callousness, how it makes even popcorn seem stressful, and the go

161 Grey Gardens (w/ Alissa Wilkinson)

Jul 2nd, 2018 1h 11m

Vox film critic Alissa Wilkinson joins Amy this week to discuss the 1975 documentary “Grey Gardens.” They break down the film’s more difficult moments, examining the relationship between Big Edie and Little Edie as well as the undercurrent of l

160 Tommy (w/ David Fear)

Jun 25th, 2018 1h 18m

Film critic David Fear joins Amy this week to discuss the 1975 rock musical “Tommy.” They’ll trace the roots of rock star celebrity hysteria plus The Who’s many contributions to the art form before getting into the film’s uninhibited tone, its

159 Caddyshack (w/ Alex Schmidt)

Jun 18th, 2018 1h 9m

Alex Schmidt of The Cracked Podcast joins Amy to discuss the 1980 comedy film “Caddyshack.” They’ll discuss Danny Noonan’s character arc, the pedigree of Chevy Chase, and how the film forged the foundations of modern American comedy. Plus, we’l

158 The Talented Mr. Ripley (w/ Tom Bissell)

Jun 11th, 2018 1h 28m

This week, writer Tom Bissell (The Disaster Artist) joins Amy to discuss the 1999 film “The Talented Mr. Ripley.” Tom discusses his personal connection to the film as the ostensible inspiration for Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room” before they dive int

157 Grease vs. Hairspray (w/ Adam Egypt Mortimer)

Jun 4th, 2018 1h 14m

Filmmaker Adam Egypt Mortimer joins Amy to pit the 1978 musical “Grease” against the 1988 musical “Hairspray.” They’ll get into the focus on changing identity in “Grease” and question why anyone would be into Danny Zuko. Then they’ll dive into

156 Legends of the Fall (w/ Kendra James)

May 28th, 2018 1h 7m

Writer Kendra James (Shondaland) joins Amy to discuss the 1994 film “Legends of the Fall.” Amy and Kendra talk about the depiction of World War I in film, Anthony Hopkins’ performance, and the stigma of being a “girl movie.” Plus, we’ll hear ab

155 The Fountainhead (w/ Larry Karaszewski)

May 21st, 2018 1h 14m

Screenwriter Larry Karaszewski joins Amy to discuss the 1949 film adaptation of Ayn Rand’s book, “The Fountainhead.” They consider Ayn Rand’s creative control and her anti-communist history, the casting of Gary Cooper as Howard Roark, and the c

Introducing Unspooled

May 17th, 2018 8m 41s

Here’s a preview of Unspooled, a new podcast where Amy teams up with Paul Scheer to watch the all time great films on AFI’s top 100 list. Episode 1: Citizen Kane is out right now.Check out Unspooled in Apple Podcasts: www.applepodcasts.com/unsp

154 Infernal Affairs vs. The Departed (w/ Andrew Ti)

May 14th, 2018 1h 8m

Andrew Ti (Yo, Is This Racist?) joins Amy this week to pit the 2002 Hong Kong crime-thriller “Infernal Affairs” against it’s Scorsese-directed 2006 remake “The Departed.” They discuss the Hong Kong identity, the operatic inspiration of “Inferna

153 Cry Uncle! (w/ Lloyd Kaufman)

May 7th, 2018 1h 28m

Renowned filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman (Troma Entertainment) joins Amy to discuss the 1971 comedy “Cry Uncle!” Lloyd talks about his work as a production manager on the film as well as the auteur style of director John G. Avildsen. Plus, we hear abou

152 The Breakfast Club (w/ Christy Lemire)

Apr 30th, 2018 1h 21m

This week, film critic Christy Lemire joins Amy to discuss the 1985 John Hughes film “The Breakfast Club.” They’ll touch on the film’s nostalgia appeal, its interesting individual character arcs, and the parental issues of the main characters.

151 The Exorcist vs. The Exorcist III (w/ Thomas Lennon)

Apr 23rd, 2018 1h 22m

Actor and filmmaker Thomas Lennon joins Amy live from Overlook Film Festival to pit the 1973 horror film “The Exorcist” against its 1990 sequel “The Exorcist III.” They discuss how the films use sound design to scare, the true story behind the

150 The Avengers (w/ Jenelle Riley)

Apr 16th, 2018 1h 32m

Screenwriter Jenelle Riley joins Amy to discuss the 2012 superhero movie “The Avengers.” They touch on the strengths of the main cast, the evolution of Marvel’s characters and storylines, and the prominent female stars. Plus, they dissect the f

149 Boomerang (w/ Marc Bernardin)

Apr 9th, 2018 1h 30m

Writer and co-host of Fatman on Batman Marc Bernardin joins Amy to discuss the 1992 Eddie Murphy film "Boomerang." They discuss the importance of the all-black cast, the powerful female characters, and the evolution of the Eddie Murphy identity

148 Point Break (w/ Andrew Barker)

Apr 2nd, 2018 1h 25m

Writer Andrew Barker of Variety joins Amy to discuss the 1991 action thriller “Point Break.” They examine the film as an entrance to the 90s, the complex dynamic between Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, and the greatness of character names like

147 The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (w/ Jen Yamato)

Mar 26th, 2018 1h 28m

LA Times writer Jen Yamato joins Amy this week to discuss the 1964 French-German romantic musical “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.” They talk about the background of director Jacques Demy, the film’s focus on youthful romantic optimism, and how “Th

146 Punch-Drunk Love (w/ Emily Yoshida)

Mar 19th, 2018 1h 20m

This week, film critic and host of the podcast Night Call Emily Yoshida joins Amy to discuss the 2002 Paul Thomas Anderson film “Punch-Drunk Love.” They talk about the film’s stylized rage, the strange charm of Adam Sandler, the clever camerawo

145 The Lost Boys (w/ Dallas Sonnier)

Mar 12th, 2018 1h 19m

Producer Dallas Sonnier joins Amy this week to discuss the 1987 Joel Schumacher film “The Lost Boys.” Amy and Dallas talk about the otherworldly portrayal of California, the look and fashion of the film, and the acting contributions of Jason Pa

144 Fat Girl (w/ Ruben Östlund)

Mar 5th, 2018 1h 13m

Ruben Östlund, director of Best Foreign Language Film nominee “The Square” joins Amy this week to discuss the 2001 French drama “Fat Girl.” They talk about the controversy surrounding the film’s title and its sexual themes, the relationship bet

143 Gladiator vs. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (w/ Russ Fischer)

Feb 26th, 2018 1h 17m

Amy and Russ close out Oscar Movie Month this week with the 2001 Best Picture winner and nominee respectively, Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” vs. Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” They break down the spectacle of “Gladiator,” noting the f

142 Driving Miss Daisy vs. Field of Dreams (w/ Russ Fischer)

Feb 19th, 2018 1h

Amy and Russ continue Oscars Month this week with the 1990 Best Picture winner “Driving Miss Daisy” versus runner-up “Field of Dreams.” First, they take on “Driving Miss Daisy,” discussing Morgan Freeman’s breakout role as Moke Colburn, Jessica

141 Midnight Cowboy vs. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (w/ Russ Fischer)

Feb 12th, 2018 1h

Film critic Russ Fischer joins Amy for the second week of Oscars Month with a showdown from the 1970 Academy Awards: “Midnight Cowboy” vs. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” First, they discuss the Texas cowboy identity, X-rating, and treatm