Best Original Podcast

In outer space, no one can hear you…clean?! Animation Month continues to roll along right on schedule, and for Week 5, Kyle Genther joined the show to talk ‘WALL-E’ (2008). We discussed the film's unique ability to blend genres, how it stands out from the rest of Pixar’s filmography, and our different interpretations of the ending. Later, I gave Kyle two quizzes to determine if he could survive in Outer Space, and, if so, which planet he would live on. 14 films down, 386 to go.

Opening Song: Put On Your Sunday Clothes (from the ‘Hello Dolly’ Soundtrack) 

Closing Song: The Cosmos by Porches.

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Link to Hannah Selinger article “I Think About This a Lot: The ‘Happy’ Ending of Wall-E”

Link to PDF “WALL-E: About the Production”

Anyone can podcast…and in this case, the Devil made us do it! Ryan Kiourkas joined the show for the long-anticipated Week 4 out of 7 of Animation Month(s) to talk both this episode’s Original Screenplay nominee ‘Ratatouille’ (2007), AND new release ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It,’ which we saw in theaters right before recording. It’s the double feature that nobody has been asking for! We talked our experience at The Conjuring, our relationship with rats, how to survive a night in a walk-in freezer, and tons of other whacky stuff. Later, I gave Ryan two rat-related quizzes. This is the most unhinged episode yet, so you better buckle your seatbelts, get back to your sewer (because you’re a dirty, dirty rat), and pray that the Devil doesn’t come for you next—or else you might just find yourself as a guest on this podcast *wink*! 13 films down, 387 to go.

Opening Song: Satan Pulls the Strings by The Avett Brothers

Transition Song: Ball of the Dead Rat by The Teeth

Closing Song: Rat in a Hat by ???

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We’re also available on Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever else you listen to all your silly little shows

Best Original Podcast is a proud member of Light Switch Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter @LightSwitchPod, and be sure to check out the other outstanding shows we have to offer: Half Asian Half Hour, Popcorn Restaurant, and Long Live King Bitch

Someone find my super suit! I’m going to need it for Week 3 out of 7 of Animation May, where Anthony Daniel joined the show to talk Brad Bird’s superhero classic, ‘The Incredibles.’ We talked about the how the film plays off of archetypes in an original way, my childhood trauma from watching this movie, and whether or not it could/should be considered an objectivist text. Later, I gave Anthony a quiz to determine his superpower. 12 films down, 388 to go. 

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We’re also available on Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever else you listen to all your silly little shows

Best Original Podcast is a proud member of Light Switch Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter @LightSwitchPod, and be sure to check out the other outstanding shows we have to offer: Half Asian Half Hour, Popcorn Restaurant, and Long Live King Bitch

Link to Bill Desowitz article “Brad Bird & Pixar Tackle CG Humans Like True Superheroes”

Link to Jessica Winter article “Full Metal Racket”

It’s Week 2 out of 7 of Animation May! Once more, I was joined by Ryan Kiourkas and Cody Krull to discuss Pixar’s ‘Finding Nemo,’ the second animated film ever to receive a Best Original Screenplay nomination. We talked about how the film held up to our childhood memories compared to last week’s experience with ‘Toy Story,’ the clash between Disney and Pixar over the making of the film, my fear of the ocean, and much more. Later, I gave the boys a quiz to see if they would be successful at finding Nemo. Do you believe in miracles? 11 films down, 389 to go. 

P.S. The audio quality was way better than last week’s episode, but it came at a cost: we lost Zoom connection partway through the recording. I decided not to edit out Ryan and Cody’s insane ramblings. Enjoy!

P.S.S. I’m disheartened to announce that not a single one of you tweeted at me last week with the hashtag I provided in the episode description. 

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We’re also available on Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever else you listen to all your silly little shows

Best Original Podcast is a proud member of Light Switch Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter @LightSwitchPod, and be sure to check out the other outstanding shows we have to offer: Half Asian Half Hour, Popcorn Restaurant, and Long Live King Bitch

Link to Ashley Fetters article “10 Years Ago, Finding Nemo Was Disappointing by Pixar Standards” 

Link to Holly Ware article “DISNEY TOME DESCRIBES EISNER’S ‘NEMO’-PHOBIA”

It’s Animation May on Best Original Podcast! Over the next seven weeks, I’ll be going through each of the animated films that have received nominations for Best Original Screenplay, starting this week with Pixar’s rookie debut, ‘Toy Story.’ Ryan Kiourkas and Cody Krull joined the show to talk about how revisiting the film compared to our childhood memories of it, ‘Toy Story’s’ tumultuous production history, if Syd is actually a bad kid or just sorely misunderstood, how unlikable Woody is, and, most importantly, how tumbleweeds were invented. Later, I gave the boys a quiz to find out which Toy Story characters they are—and the results were pure poetry. I’m glad the Oscars are over and we can get back to talking about some original screenplays! 10 films down, 390 go.

P.S. I am so sorry that the audio quality for this episode sounds like I recorded it while aggressively crinkling rolls of tinfoil in my hands. I promise I was not doing that—I just forgot my microphone and had to record with my phone. I’m only human (like that Christina Perri song from the Twilight movies). 

P.S.S. I also said this was episode 22 and that was a lie. It’s only episode 21. It was wrong of me to mislead you in this way, and I’m deeply sorry. Please don’t start a hate campaign against me on Twitter with the hashtag “#BestOriginalPodcast?MoreLikeWorstOriginalPodcast!” and get me trending. I would hate that. -XOXO Dakota

Listen and subscribe on Spotify

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Follow us on Twitter @PodBestOriginal

We’re also available on Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever else you listen to all your silly little shows

Best Original Podcast is a proud member of Light Switch Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter @LightSwitchPod, and be sure to check out the other outstanding shows we have to offer: Half Asian Half Hour, Popcorn Restaurant, and Long Live King Bitch

Link to Andrew Gay article “The Cowboy, the Spaceman and the Guru: Character and Convention in the Screenwriting of Toy Story”

Link to Entertainment Weekly article “'Toy Story': The inside buzz”

Link to Joe Blevins article “Maybe destructive Sid from Toy Story wasn’t such a bad kid after all”

Link to Kirsten Acuna article “'Toy Story' Had An Unwatchable Script Until Joss Whedon Saved It”

Link to Nicholas Barber article “The dark side of Toy Story”

The 93rd Academy Awards have come and gone, and whether you like Steven Soderbergh’s big swings or absolutely despised them, you can’t deny that the ceremony was…interesting. Kyle Genther returned to the show to talk about the hits, misses, and anticlimactic ending from an Oscars show that will likely go down in history as one of the biggest train wrecks of all time. Later, to leave behind the films of 2020 on a positive note, Kyle and I each came up with three alternative awards to hand out. Best Pipes! Grooviest Dance Moves! Best Not-Quite-Picture! I don’t want to spoil the winners, but here’s a hint: they all went to Anthony Hopkins. 

P.S. Sorry that there is so much annoying noise in the background. I was doing my laundry. I’m only human. 

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Best Original Podcast is a proud member of Light Switch Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter @LightSwitchPod, and be sure to check out the other outstanding shows we have to offer: Half Asian Half Hour, Popcorn Restaurant, Long Live King Bitch, and Want To Game

By popular demand (and because I had already scheduled him anyway), my former high school calligraphy teacher, Kyle “Mr. Genther” Genther, returned to Best Original Podcast for us to make our boldest Oscar predictions. Thomas Vinterberg for Best Director? ‘A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon’ for Best Animated Feature? ‘Mank’ for Best Picture? We didn’t actually predict any of those…but it would be crazy whacky sexy fun if they happened! But when all is said and done, all that really matters this awards season is that ‘Husavik’ is given its rightful Oscar glory, ensuring a spot in cinema history for ‘Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga.’ Big thank you to Mr. Genther, who will be returning after Sunday’s ceremony to talk about the results.

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We’re also available on Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever else you listen to all your silly little shows

Best Original Podcast is a proud member of Light Switch Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter @LightSwitchPod, and be sure to check out the other outstanding shows we have to offer: Half Asian Half Hour, Popcorn Restaurant, Long Live King Bitch, and Want To Game

Lars and the Real Girl? More like Dakota and the Real Ryan Kiourkas! Ryan returned to the show to talk about the moving, sincere kindness that drives ‘Lars,’ Ryan Gosling’s layered performance & stunning singing voice, and our experiences showing this movie to our moms. Later, I gave Ryan a quiz to determine what his real dream girl would be like...and what that reveals about Ryan's secret desires. My previous episode with Ryan as a guest is by far the least-listened-to episode of the show so far; don’t let him down like this again, or he will be banished from the show forever! 9 films down, 391 go! 

Listen and subscribe on Spotify

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Follow us on Twitter @PodBestOriginal

We’re also available on Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever else you listen to all your silly little shows

Best Original Podcast is a proud member of Light Switch Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter @LightSwitchPod, and be sure to check out the other outstanding shows we have to offer: Half Asian Half Hour, Popcorn Restaurant, and Long Live King Bitch

Link to Gavin Spoors article “Between the Lines: The Sincerity of the ‘Lars and the Real Girl’ Screenplay”

Link to interview with Craig Gillespie and Ryan Gosling

Link to Jenna Benchetrit article “Filling a Lonely Void in ‘Lars and the Real Girl’”

Link to Margy Rochlin article “Guy and Doll, and the Woman Behind Them”

Link to Roger Ebert article “Oh, you beautiful doll”

Link to Sam Fragoso article "Director Craig Gillespie Gets Real About 'Lars and the Real Girl'"

Having a podcast is a crazy thing to do. It’s a socially accepted form of insanity—and I was joined by Ryan Kiourkas (my former co-host of the fabled podcast And Now Our Watch Begins) to be insane together. We talked about Spike Jonze’s weird and wonderful ‘Her,’ and debated whether the film was more romantic or melancholy. Then, I gave Ryan a quiz to help him find his perfect AI soulmate (spoiler alert: she has more scalp tattoos than you). 8 films down, 392 go. Be sure to tune in next week when Ryan returns to talk about ‘Lars and the Real Girl!’

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Follow us on Twitter @PodBestOriginal

We’re also available on Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever else you listen to all your silly little shows

Best Original Podcast is a proud member of Light Switch Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter @LightSwitchPod, and be sure to check out the other outstanding shows we have to offer: Half Asian Half Hour, Popcorn Restaurant, and Long Live King Bitch

Link to Chris Michael article “Spike Jonze on letting Her rip and Being John Malkovich”

Link to Mark Harris article “Him and Her: How Spike Jonze Made the Weirdest, Most Timely Romance of the Year”

Link to NPR interview “Spike Jonze Opens His Heart For ‘Her'"

Link to Uproxx article “Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema on capturing Spike Jonze’s ‘Her’ through a non-dystopian lens”

How can you not be romantic about podcasting? It’s Opening Day 2021, and to celebrate the greatest unofficial holiday on Earth, Brian Schlosser joined me to vote on a bracket of the best baseball movies and crown a single champion. Hollywood has such an interesting, intimate relationship with America’s pastime, and it was a real treat to watch all of these baseball films—from classics like ‘Bull Durham’ and ‘A League of Their Own,’ to contemporary showstoppers like ‘Moneyball’ and ‘Everybody Wants Some,’ to obscure gems like ‘The History of the Seattle Mariners’ and ‘Bang the Drum Slowly.’ Also 'Fever Pitch,' which sucks, but I love it. Stick to the end to hear Brian & I make our World Series predictions, and if you haven’t yet voted on my Twitter polls for the listener bracket, STAY IN LINE AND VOTE! Happy Opening Day everyone! 

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We’re also available on Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever else you listen to all your silly little shows

Best Original Podcast is a proud member of Light Switch Podcasts. Follow us on Twitter @LightSwitchPod, and be sure to check out the other outstanding shows we have to offer: Half Asian Half Hour, Popcorn Restaurant, Long Live King Bitch, and Want To Game