1-Week Rental | Behind the Scenes Film Analysis

This week on 1-Shriek Rental, Laci Elizabeth* Goth and Matt Chokes continue their examination of 2010s horror films by going through The Purge (2013). It's the best night of the year to buy and sell exotic reptiles. But what other crazy shenanigans happen in this movie? Well, it's mostly a home invasion story. But there's a reason for that! And we tell you all about it by going through the history of this movie and the larger franchise it spawned.

Watch this The Purge podcast in full on YouTubE: https://youtu.be/UbMWku0pdAc

We are taking next week off, and will return on Friday, October 23, 2026 with an episode about Jordan Peele's Us (2019)!

Time stamps:

• 00:13:00 — History segment: How James DeMonaco had the idea for The Purge and built it into an enormous action/horror franchise
• 00:39:07 — Movie discussion + The Purge film analysis
• 01:31:42 — Star ratings + final review of The Purge

THE PURGE (2013) was directed by Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, Max Burkholder, Edwin Hodge, Tony Oller, Rhys Wakefield, Chris Mulkey, and Arija Bareikis as Grace.

Sources:

• "An oral history of 'The Purge' franchise: From micro-horror breakout to Trump-era cautionary tale" by Sonaiya Kelley | The Los Angeles Times (2018) - https://bit.ly/4y5hBcO
• "'The Purge' Trilogy Director James Demonaco Talks About the Movies' Shocking Origin" by Robert DeSalvo | Fandango (2016) - https://bit.ly/4ASTXmA

Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/10/the-purge/#transcript

Artwork by Laci Roth.

Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts:

• PodJob: A James Bond Podcast | Check it out on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).
• The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast | Check it out on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4gXjtiR), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4gTE8Ev), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead)

Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).

Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode:

• "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM
• "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg
• "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ

Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast:

• Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts
• Facebook: @1weekrental
• Instagram: @1weekrental
• TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9
• Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9
• Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social

1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

*Elizabeth, the bride of Frankenstein in Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

Welcome to 1-Shriek Rental, where your hosts Matt Chokes and Laci Elizabeth* Goth take you through horror films all through the month of October. And this October, Ms. Goth and Mr. Chokes are specifically taking a look at horror movies from the 2010s, starting first with 2015's word-of-mouth sensation It Follows.

Writer/director David Robert Mitchell was inspired by recurring childhood dreams about being followed by an amorphous, slow threat. It's a deliciously simple idea: It moves slow, but it's never gonna stop moving toward you. It will be the thing that defines you, the thing you can never escape, the thing that will ruin your life and turn you into a bad person. And it's why we think this movie is actually a metaphor for getting a job.

Watch this It Follows podcast in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/48KBGjG8wzI

Next week (Oct. 9, 2026): The Purge (2013)!

Time stamps:

• 00:10:00 — History segment: Career overview of writer/director David Robert Mitchell; origins of It Follows; casting Maika Monroe; success and legacy of It Follows
• 00:43:15 — Movie discussion + It Follows film analysis
• 02:08:03 — Star ratings + final review of It Follows

IT FOLLOWS (2015) was directed by David Robert Mitchell. Starring Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Lili Sepe, Olivia Luccardi, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, and Bailey Spry as Annie.

Sources:

• "'It Follows': The Story Behind the Year's Creepiest Film" by David Fear | Rolling Stone (2015) - https://bit.ly/4d2GM8s
• "Exploring the horror of It Follows: David Robert Mitchell interview" by Ben Rawson-Jones | Digital Spy (2015) - https://bit.ly/4hvmg1D
• "Maika Monroe balances acting with kiteboarding" by Lynn Hoppes | ESPN (2012) - https://bit.ly/4yESRcN
• "Sundance It Girl Maika Monroe Won't be Going Back to Kiteboarding" by Daniel Schindel | Los Angeles Magazine (2015) - https://bit.ly/4yhTOav
• "David Robert Mitchell Talks It Follows" by Drew Tinnin | Dread Central (2015) - https://bit.ly/4ym4RQ1
• "Myth of the American Sleepover Director on Making a Gentler American Graffiti" by Brian Brooks | IndieWire (2011) - https://bit.ly/4ymhk6h
• "The Yahoo Movies Interview: 'It Follows' Director David Robert Mitchell on His Surprise Horror Hit" by Gwynne Watkins | Yahoo! (2015) - https://yhoo.it/4xSaKUc

Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/10/it-follows/#transcript

Artwork by Laci Roth.

Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts:

• PodJob: A James Bond Podcast | Check it out on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).
• The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast | Check it out on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4gXjtiR), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4gTE8Ev), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead)

Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).

Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode:

• "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM
• "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg
• "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ

Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast:

• Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts
• Facebook: @1weekrental
• Instagram: @1weekrental
• TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9
• Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9
• Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social

1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

*Elizabeth, the bride of Frankenstein in Bride of Frankenstein (1935).

We travel back in time to the perfect year, 1995, when nothing at all was bad about the world. And it was in that year that you would have met a family unstuck from time, the Bradys, who are here to make sure you have nothing but sunshine days. You might remember The Brady Bunch Movie as a movie that sticks it to the cheesy old '70s sitcom, that injects double entendres and crass humor into those squeaky-clean Bradys, but you will be surprised to find that this is basically an update of the show that mostly keeps the wholesomeness and sweetness, and it works beautifully.

The story can now be told! We take you through the history of Brady Bunch ephemera, the weird TV movies and spin-offs that eventually lead to The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel in the 1990s. Then we take you through The Brady Bunch Movie itself, celebrating its neato blending of past and present and refreshing lack of world-building. Just imagine what a Brady Bunch movie would be like if it were made today. It'd be 2 hours and 45 minutes long, it'd take an hour for you to meet a single Brady, the horse statue would be beneath a dusty old sheet, etc.

Watch this Brady Bunch Movie podcast in full on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@1weekrental

Next week (Oct. 2, 2026): It Follows (2014)!

Time stamps:

• 00:16:05 — History segment: A brief history of The Brady Bunch TV series and the many revival attempts; the casting and production of The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel
• 00:51:30 — Movie discussion + Brady Bunch Movie film analysis
• 01:59:12 — Star ratings + final review of Brady Bunch Movie

THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE (1995) was directed by Betty Thomas. Starring Gary Cole, Shelley Long, Christine Taylor, Jennifer Elise Cox, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Paul Sutera, Olivia Hack, Jesse Lee Soffer, Henriette Mantel, Michael McKean, Jean Smart, Alanna Ubach, and RuPaul as Mrs. Cummings the guidance counselor.

Sources:

• "'Sure, Jan': How 'A Very Brady Sequel' Became a Trippy, Quippy Cult Classic" by Ashley Spencer | Vice (2021) - https://bit.ly/4h4dRTS
• "The Way We All Became The Brady Bunch: How the Canceled Sitcom Became the Beloved Pop Culture Icon We Are Still Talking About Today" by Kimberly Potts (2019) - https://amzn.to/3TF2lVY
• "A very Brady book about the making of America's favorite TV family" by Jacqueline Cutler | New York Daily News (2019) - https://bit.ly/4heN0TS
• "New team to rewrite 'Brady'" by Andy Marx | Variety (1993) - https://bit.ly/4AsEZ6r

Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/09/brady-bunch-movie/#transcript

Artwork by Laci Roth.

Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts:

• PodJob: A James Bond Podcast | Check it out on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).
• The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast | Check it out on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4gXjtiR), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4gTE8Ev), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead)

Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).

Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode:

• "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM
• "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg
• "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ

Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast:

• Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts
• Facebook: @1weekrental
• Instagram: @1weekrental
• TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9
• Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9
• Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social

1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

Cashing in on well-known intellectual properties is by no means a new thing in Hollywood. Look all the way back to 1985, when Clue opened to disappointing box office with a confusing marketing gimmick of having three different endings. You could go see Clue A, Clue B, or Clue C. This was a bad idea, but today, all three endings are included in the film and follow, one after the other, and it's beautiful. If all IP cash-grabs were as great as the Clue movie, we'd have no problem with them! A loving tribute to classic screwball comedies with a brilliant cast that perfectly matches the material, all of it anchored by an extraordinary performance by the late, great Tim Curry.

In the history segment, we take you through the gestation of this movie, from original director John Landis to final director Jonathan Lynn (of My Cousin Vinny and The Whole Nine Yards), to the casting of Carrie Fisher as Miss Scarlet before her dropping out to go to rehab, to the misguided marketing strategy to the disappointing box office and critical performance, to Clue's rediscovery on home video.

Then in the movie discussion, we struggle to explain and keep track of everything that happens in this movie, so we instead debate whether what happens in a movie matters, and what does it mean to matter anyway?

Watch this Clue podcast in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/g6g95ChsEWg

Next week (Sept. 25, 2026): The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)!

Time stamps:

• 00:13:05 — History segment: A brief history of Cluedo the board game; development of Clue movie under original director John Landis; Jonathan Lynn is hired as writer and later as director; casting the movie; the movie's ill-fated "three endings" gambit; cult film legacy of Clue
• 00:54:50 — Movie discussion + Clue film analysis
• 01:37:55 — Star ratings + final review of Clue

CLUE (1985) was directed by Jonathan Lynn. Starring Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Camp, Lee Ving, Bill henderson, and Jane Wiedlin as the Singing Telegram Girl.

Sources:

• "The Crazy Story Of How "Clue" Went From Forgotten Flop To Cult Triumph" by Adam B. Vary | BuzzFeed News (2015) - https://bzfd.it/4Ac5WLt
• Review of Clue by Roger Ebert | The Chicago Sun-Times (1985) - https://bit.ly/4xqyAWM

Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/09/clue/#transcript

Artwork by Laci Roth.

Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts:

• PodJob: A James Bond Podcast | Check it out on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).
• The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast | Check it out on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4gXjtiR), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4gTE8Ev), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead)

Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).

Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode:

• "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM
• "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg
• "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ

Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast:

• Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts
• Facebook: @1weekrental
• Instagram: @1weekrental
• TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9
• Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9
• Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social

1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

Laci and Matt head to Witch Country to hang with the Owens Sisters, Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gilly (Nicole Kidman). Together they learn about the power of blood magic, sisterhood, and body oil.

Practical Magic was a critical and commercial disappointment when it came out in 1998, but it's a beloved classic at this point with a sequel out in movie theaters today! (What remarkably good timing.) Were the late-'90s critics correct? Does this movie jump awkwardly from family movie to dark horror to rom-com to domestic drama, all with a cloying Alan Silvestri score that sounds like leftovers from Richie Rich? Am I (Matt) tipping my hand about how I feel about this movie? Folks, Laci and I are in huge disagreement about Practical Magic, so you gotta listen to hear all about it!

Watch this Practical Magic podcast in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6jBPkskTINo

Next week (Sept. 18, 2026): Clue (1985)!

Time stamps:

• 00:09:15 — History segment: Alice Hoffman writes the Practical Magic novel; director Griffin Dunne hires a witch consultant; reception and legacy of Practical Magic; sequel
• 00:45:22 — Movie discussion + Practical Magic film analysis
• 01:52:40 — Star ratings + final review of Practical Magic

PRACTICAL MAGIC (1998) was directed by Griffin Dunne. Starring Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Aidan Quinn, Stockard Channing, Dianne Wiest, Goran Visnjic, Evan Rachel Wood, Alexandra Artrip, Margo Martindale, and Chloe Webb as Carla, a body oil sales technician.

Sources:

• "How Practical Magic Pissed Off a Real-Life Witch" by Savannah Walsh | Vanity Fair (2023) - https://bit.ly/4gJamlx
• "The Surprisingly Easy Way the Story of 'Practical Magic' Came to Author Alice Hoffman" by Eden Gordon | Mental Floss (2026) - https://bit.ly/4yqsbf9
• "Practical Magic Got Cursed by an Actual Witch. Is That Why It Bombed?" by Lila Shapiro | Vulture (2017) - https://bit.ly/46yJU8t
• "Stockard Channing Answers Every Question We Have About Practical Magic" by Jessica Goldstein | Vulture (2020) - https://bit.ly/3UxAasl
• "Bewitched: Practical Magic Author Alice Hoffman on the Hotly Anticipated Sequel and Why All Women Should Have a Coven" by Savannah Walsh | Vulture (2026) - https://bit.ly/4xA6zMJ
• "Evan Rachel Wood shades Practical Magic 2 cast for not reaching out amid recasting, praises 'sweetheart' Joey King" by Leigh Blickley | Entertainment Weekly (2026) - https://bit.ly/4ywLIe4
• "Practical Magic's Lost Director's Cut Was Stunningly Beautiful, Says Writer" by Haleigh Foutch | Collider (2020) - https://bit.ly/3VksIAU
• "Thank the '90s for Practical Magic" by David Sims | The Atlantic (2018) - https://bit.ly/4dvbnvl

Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/09/practical-magic/#transcript

Artwork by Laci Roth.

Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts:

• PodJob: A James Bond Podcast | Check it out on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).
• The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast | Check it out on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4gXjtiR), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4gTE8Ev), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead)

Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).

Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode:

• "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM
• "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg
• "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ

Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast:

• Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts
• Facebook: @1weekrental
• Instagram: @1weekrental
• TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9
• Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9
• Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social

1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

Laci and Matt turn in their longest podcast ever to talk about Oppenheimer... and honestly, it could have been twice as long. There's so much to say about this movie, which, after spending the summer consuming the man's movies, it's pretty easy to call his best film, and one of the best films of the 21st century.

In the history segment, we go through the life and legacy of the real J. Robert Oppenheimer and try to parse what drew Nolan to him. In some ways, Nolan's quotes about Oppenheimer the man and the movie are directly contradicted by what his movie seems to be saying. And that only makes this miracle of a film all the more fascinating.

In the movie discussion, we go as fast as we can through the three-hour running time that breezes by. Film critic Bilge Ebiri said Oppenheimer is "an action movie about scientists talking" and that's about right. It's about some pretty dark shit. But it also might be the most entertaining movie ever made.

One last time, THANK YOU to the amazing Wade Hymel and TJ Barends for helping us produce our Summer of Nolan theme song!

Watch this Oppenheimer podcast in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Gb65tOc4kBQ

Get more 1-Week Rental on Patreon: https://patreon.com/1weekrental

Next episode (Sept. 11, 2026): Practical Magic (1998)!

The Summer of Nolan is our summer 2026 miniseries covering the movie career of Christopher Nolan through nine movies on the main feed (plus additional episodes on the Patreon!), presented in chronological order, starting with Memento and going through Oppenheimer. And don't be surprised if our old pal Odysseus drops by to tell us about his long journey home to his wife.

Time stamps:

• 00:03:25 — Opening thoughts on Oppenheimer
• 00:14:35 — History segment: The life and legacy of J. Robert Oppenheimer; the long development of a movie adaptation of the Oppenheimer biography American Prometheus; casting Cillian Murphy; reception and success of Oppenheimer
• 01:09:15 — Movie discussion + Oppenheimer film analysis
• 03:33:15 — Star ratings, final review of Oppenheimer, and ranking Christopher Nolan's movies

OPPENHEIMER (2023) was written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Based on AMERICAN PROMETHUS by Kai Bird and Martin Sherwin. Starring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Florence Pugh, Alden Ehrenreich, Jason Clarke, Josh Hartnett, David Krumholtz, Benny Safdie, Dylan Arnold, Tom Conti, and Gary Oldman as Harry S. Truman. Plus a million other people.

Sources:

• "The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan" by Tom Shone (2020) - https://amzn.to/4yiNtw0
• "American Prometheus: The Triumph & Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer" by Kai Bird & Martin Sherwin (2005) - https://amzn.to/4cvnmIQ
• "Christopher Nolan and the Contradictions of J. Robert Oppenheimer" by Dennise Overbye | The New York Times (2023) - https://bit.ly/4gnJFkZ
• "A nuclear legacy in Los Alamos" by Alicia Inez Guzmán | Searchlight New Mexico (2024) - https://bit.ly/4c5Hr8C
• "In 'Oppenheimer,' Cillian Murphy leads a Nolan epic" by Lindsey Bahr | The Associated Press (2023) - https://bit.ly/4qxUiq3
• "An Action Movie About Scientists Talking" by Bilge Ebiri | Vulture (2023) - https://bit.ly/4qCwi5e
• "Why Did Oppenheimer Say "Now I am Death, the Destroyer of Worlds" and What Did It Mean?" by James Grebey | SyFy.com (2023) - https://bit.ly/4hQtzCJ
• "The Decision To Drop The Bomb" 1965 NBC News Documentary - https://youtu.be/lb13ynu3Iac

Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/09/oppenheimer/#transcript

Artwork by Laci Roth.

Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts!

• PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).
• The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4vtO6jG), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4w1qDat), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead).

Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).

Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode:

• "Summer of Nolan" - https://youtube.com/shorts/CAIzthDLrT8
• "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM
• "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg
• "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ

The "Summer of Nolan" theme song was written by Matt Stokes. Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends. Performed by:

• TJ Barends - backing vocals
• Wade Hymel - drums, percussion, and backing vocals
• Laci Roth - vocals
• Matt Stokes - vocals, guitar, and bass

Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast:

• Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts
• Facebook: @1weekrental
• Instagram: @1weekrental
• TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9
• Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9
• Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social

1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

Matt and Drew go through Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk. The man made a dad movie... but he still put all his wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey Nolan stuff all over it. Does it work? Does he try to turn up the Spielberg schmaltz just a little too much? Or is it his secret masterpiece? We discuss all that and so much more.

Follow Drewbie Doobie's Movies!

• Boiling Cactus Productions

• TikTok: @drewbiedoobiemovies

• Instagram: @drewbiedoobiemovies

Hey folks, we had to postpone our Oppenheimer episode one week. We're busy at Los Alamos putting the final touches on a giant episode, so we just needed a little more time. Since we have a lot of new listeners who weren't with us last summer, we're re-posting the season finale to last summer's miniseries, The Summer of Rock, our podcast about the surprisingly fun movie Jungle Cruise starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. We'll return in a week with a brand-new episode. See you then!

Original release description:

This is the end, beautiful friends. We conclude the Summer of Rock with the much-better-than-I-remembered Jungle Cruise, a movie we abruptly pivoted to covering after trying to watch Black Adam and giving up out of boredom.

We cover the history of movies based on theme parks, the rocky production of Jungle Cruise, its unfortunate failure at the box office, and then we go through the movie itself, trying to figure out if this is one of The Rock's better late-career performances or if he's being carried entirely by Emily Blunt.

The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock's career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn't long before the bumps returned, and we'll be telling the story for you all summer long!

Next week: We'll have a shorter bonus episode to wrap up the Summer of Rock, and we'll answer a few mailbag questions. Our next proper episode will be September 12, 2025, about FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992).

Bonus video: Matt does a deep dive into Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland, the 1989 English-language anime: https://youtu.be/nkFqlLFebn8

Time stamps:

• 00:02:59 — Wrapping up the Summer of Rock (sort of)
• 00:15:40 — General thoughts on Jungle Cruise
• 00:22:45 — History segment, part 1: The Jungle Cruise Disney theme park attraction and the craze of adapting theme park rides into movies
• 00:37:50 — History segment, part 2: the production and COVID-hampered release of Jungle Cruise; the production gets attention for featuring Disney's "first" "openly gay" character
• 00:58:40 — History segment, part 3: The Rock's movie career after Jungle Cruise: Red Notice, Black Adam, Red One, and The Smashing Machine
• 01:16:00 — Movie discussion + Jungle Cruise film analysis
• 02:10:50 — Star ratings + final review of Jungle Cruise

Sources:

• "Disney's 'Jungle Cruise' Movie Coming Out Scene with Gay Character ... But Avoids the Key Word" | TMZ (2018) - https://bit.ly/3UPda4W
• "Dwayne Johnson & Chris Evans' $200M+ Christmas Action Movie 'Red One' Opens To $34M: Is It A Bomb Or A Streamer's Rounding Error?" by Anthony D'Alessandro | Deadline (2024) - https://bit.ly/47R1iH9

Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Summer of Rock" - https://youtu.be/dvRY72jNIEE "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ

"Summer of Rock" theme song credits:

• Words and music by Matt Stokes
• Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds
• Personnel:
  • TJ Barends - backing vocals
  • Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals
  • Laci Roth - vocals
  • Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass

Follow Wade on Instagram: @wadealready Follow TJ on Instagram: @baresoundstwitaj

Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast:

• Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts
• Facebook: @1weekrental
• Instagram: @1weekrental
• TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9
• Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9
• Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social

1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

Six years later, it's interesting to look back at the summer of 2020 and remember that Christopher Nolan's Tenet was intended to save the movie industry in the midst of its worst crisis ever, the COVID-19 pandemic. Nolan was locked in a battle with Warner Brothers over its desire to debut his new film on its recently launched streaming service, HBO Max. Nolan insisted it open in movie theaters. But when would that be allowed to happen? Turns out, it opened in a lot of places, including America, and ended up making $365 million worldwide, which is an incredible feat.

But how would it have played in a normal summer? Would it have been the same kind of blockbuster as Inception, Interstellar, and The Odyssey? This is a very, very difficult and challenging movie, for all its popcorn picture trappings. And we are still trying to figure out what exactly is going on with it and how we feel about it.

Still, you have to be grateful when movies like Tenet get made, and at such a huge level.

Watch this Tenet podcast in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OnmbkyP3_Tc

Get more 1-Week Rental on Patreon: https://patreon.com/1weekrental

Next episode (Aug. 21, 2026): Oppenheimer (2023)!

The Summer of Nolan is our summer 2026 miniseries covering the movie career of Christopher Nolan through nine movies on the main feed (plus additional episodes on the Patreon!), presented in chronological order, starting with Memento and going through Oppenheimer. And don't be surprised if our old pal Odysseus drops by to tell us about his long journey home to his wife.

Time stamps:

• 00:01:41 — Opening thoughts on Tenet
• 00:18:35 — History segment: The Sator Squares; backwards filmmaking; Christopher Nolan's obsession with nuclear war, Oppenheimer, and making a backwards movie; casting John David Washington as the Protagonist; Tenet gets wrapped up in a quest to save cinema during COVID-19
• 00:59:40 — Movie discussion + Tenet film analysis
• 02:45:15 — Star ratings + final review of Tenet

TENET (2020) was written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring John David Washington, Robert Pattinson, Elizabeth Debicki, Kenneth Branagh, Himesh Patel, Dimple Kapadia, Clémence Poésy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Fiona Dourif, Martin Donovan, and Sir Michael Caine as Sir Michael Crosby.

Sources:

• "The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan" by Tom Shone (2020) - https://amzn.to/4yiNtw0
• "How Tenet was inspired by palindromes, the memes of the ancient world" by Sam Leith | The Telegraph (2020) - https://bit.ly/4fSFH4V
• "Tenet is Dazzling, Deft, and Devoid of Feeling" by Anthony Lane | The New Yorker (2020) - https://bit.ly/4bEIdZZ
• "'The biggest film I've done': Christopher Nolan on the secret world of Tenet" by Garry Maddox | The Sydney Morning Herald (2020) - https://bit.ly/4xU5nnZ
• "Christopher Nolan leads industry fury over Warner Bros' streaming move" by Andrew Pulver | The Guardian (2020) - https://bit.ly/3S6DlWN
• "'Tenet' Review: Christopher Nolan's Long-Anticipated Time Caper Is a Humorless Disappointment" by Mike McCahill | IndieWire (2020) - https://bit.ly/4i2ZRKM

Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/08/tenet/#transcript

Artwork by Laci Roth.

Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts!

• PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).
• The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4vtO6jG), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4w1qDat), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead).

Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).

Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode:

• "Summer of Nolan" - https://youtube.com/shorts/CAIzthDLrT8
• "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM
• "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg
• "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ

The "Summer of Nolan" theme song was written by Matt Stokes. Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends. Performed by:

• TJ Barends - backing vocals
• Wade Hymel - drums, percussion, and backing vocals
• Laci Roth - vocals
• Matt Stokes - vocals, guitar, and bass

Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast:

• Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts
• Facebook: @1weekrental
• Instagram: @1weekrental
• TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9
• Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9
• Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social

1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

We said The Prestige is the "most" Christopher Nolan movie, and that Inception is his most autobiographical... but it turns out we were wrong, because both apply to Interstellar. It's a movie where a character literally says, "I'm not afraid of death. I'm afraid of time." It's a movie about a man who desperately wants to return home to his children, except that he wants even more to go do some cool stuff in outer space. The movie's working title was Flora's Letter, referring to Nolan's real-life 11-year-old daughter Flora, the inspiration for the character of Murph. And it's probably Nolan's best movie.

Laci and Matt spend more than three hours celebrating this masterpiece, and talk a lot about whether you should even care if the human race got resurrected via a tube of sperm on another planet hundreds of years in the future.

Watch this Interstellar podcast in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Glak3Nnn7As

Get more 1-Week Rental on Patreon: https://patreon.com/1weekrental

Next episode (Aug. 14, 2026): Tenet (2020)!

The Summer of Nolan is our summer 2026 miniseries covering the movie career of Christopher Nolan through nine movies on the main feed (plus additional episodes on the Patreon!), presented in chronological order, starting with Memento and going through Oppenheimer. And don't be surprised if our old pal Odysseus drops by to tell us about his long journey home to his wife.

Time stamps:

• 00:01:41 — What have we learned about Christopher Nolan so far? And how does it apply to Interstellar?
• 00:20:00 — History segment: Producer Lynda Obst and physicist Kip Thorne develop Interstellar for Steven Spielberg, with Jonah Nolan as the screenwriter; Spielberg leaves, Christopher Nolan comes aboard; the science of Interstellar is always emphasized during the movie's development; Nolan works with composer Hans Zimmer on the movie's music before shooting begins; casting Matthew McConaughey; release, reception, and legacy of Interstellar
• 01:24:43 — Movie discussion + Interstellar film analysis
• 03:10:55 — Star ratings + final review of Interstellar

INTERSTELLAR (2014) was directed by Christopher Nolan. Screenplay by Nolan with his brother Jonah. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Mackenzie Foy, Matt Damon, David Gyasi, Bill Irwin, John Lithgow, Casey Affleck, Topher Grace, Timothée Chalamet, and Michael Caine as Professor Brand.

Sources:

• "Interstellar: How Christopher Nolan's Space Exploration Movie Achieved Lift-Off" by Dan Jolin | Empire (2014) - https://bit.ly/451fLOh
• "The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan" by Tom Shone (2020) - https://amzn.to/4yiNtw0
• Sleepless in Hollywood: Tales from the New Abnormal in the Movie Business by Lynda Obst (2014) - https://amzn.to/4xjbtOa
• "Wrinkles in Spacetime: The Warped Astrophysics of Interstellar" by Adam Rogers | Wired (2014) - https://bit.ly/4wbvs0r
• "Writer with real stars in his eyes" by Jay Fernandez | The Los Angeles Times (2007) - https://lat.ms/4pSL4UO
• "All About Christopher Nolan's 4 Kids, Who All Worked on 'The Odyssey' With Him" by Bailey Bujnosek | InStyle (2026) - https://bit.ly/4bwYeRI
• "Meet the Woman Behind Dunkirk" by Rebecca Keegan | Vanity Fair (2017) - https://bit.ly/4bvzlps
• "Christopher Nolan on Dunkirk, Taking His Kids to Phantom Thread" by Christina Radish | Collider (2018) - https://bit.ly/3RP25mf
• "Steven Spielberg Worked on 'Interstellar' for One Year and Says 'I Became Fascinated With It' Before Dropping Out: 'It Was a Much Better Movie in Nolan's Hands'" by Zack Sharif | Variety (2026) - https://bit.ly/4cmPqht

Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/08/interstellar/#transcript

Artwork by Laci Roth.

Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts!

• PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).
• The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4vtO6jG), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4w1qDat), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead).

Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).

Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode:

• "Summer of Nolan" - https://youtube.com/shorts/CAIzthDLrT8
• "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM
• "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg
• "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ

The "Summer of Nolan" theme song was written by Matt Stokes. Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends. Performed by:

• TJ Barends - backing vocals
• Wade Hymel - drums, percussion, and backing vocals
• Laci Roth - vocals
• Matt Stokes - vocals, guitar, and bass

Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast:

• Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts
• Facebook: @1weekrental
• Instagram: @1weekrental
• TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9
• Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9
• Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social

1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.