Do you all realize what a metaphysical can of worms this podcast opens up? I was joined by Allie Mahai, a true Kaufman-head (in the sense that she’s a fan of his, and NOT that she’s found a portal into his head and is controlling him), to open that can and let the worms flow all over the place. We talked about identity, gender, and celebrity in the hilarious and haunting ‘Being John Malkovich,’ which is maybe the most bonkers movie ever made. 7 films down, 393 go. Or should I say…7 and 1/2 films down! (This was a reference to the movie, you had to be there.)

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Link to Lindsay Zoladz article “Do ‘Get Out’ and ‘Being John Malkovich’ Exist in the Same Universe?”

Link to Rob Harvilla article “Make the Case: ‘Being John Malkovich’ Was a Head Trip Masterpiece—and the Best Film of 1999”

Link to Ryan Lattanzio article “John Malkovich Initially Thought ‘Being John Malkovich’ Should’ve Been ‘Being Tom Cruise’”

Link to Scott Tobias article “Being John Malkovich at 20: why the surrealist comedy demands a rewatch”

I love two things: the opera, and this podcast! I also love several more things: my guests Callie Webb and Kasey Leibas (two people I love, and the hosts of My Friend Show podcast (which I also love)), who joined me to talk about the bizarre, bewitching, unhinged, morbid 1987 romcom ‘Moonstruck’ (a final thing I love). We talked about the opera, love, death, Italians, makeovers, Cher, Nic Cage’s hairy chest, binaries, getting hit by a bus, and so, so much more. Stay to the end for my Cher impression! 6 films down, 394 go.

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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, and Long Live King Bitch

Link to Emily VanDerVerff article “Moonstruck: Life in the In-Between”

Link to Garin Pirnia article “13 Enchanting Facts About Moonstruck”

Link to Priscilla Page Patreon article on 'Moonstruck'

Link to Roger Ebert review of ‘Moonstruck’

The nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards are here, and the official Best Original Podcast Oscar Correspondent (my former high school calligraphy teacher, Kyle “Mr. Genther” Genther) joined the show to talk about all the snubs, surprises, and MANK’S of the 2020-2021 awards season. EuroVision’s Best Original Song campaign starts HERE! 

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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

It’s been one year and one day since I last set foot in a movie theater. To celebrate this ominous anniversary, I was joined by Brad Beideman, Jordan Wold, & Maggie Calcagne of Popcorn Restaurant: A Movie Theater Podcast and Emily Walborn & Nako Narter of Half Asian Half Hour to reminisce on our favorite movie-theater-memories, reflect on what makes the going to the movies such an other-worldly experience, and dream about the day when we can all grab an icee, an AMC hot dog, and maybe even some dots as we sit down to see whatever happens to be out, regardless of its quality. I sure do miss the movies, gang. (Or should I say: I shirt do miss the movies, gang.)

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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

You’ve all been demanding it, and it’s finally here: Best Original Podcast is joining the WandaVision discourse. Unfortunately for me, I am not at all knowledgeable about Marvel, and I didn’t love the show that much—but luckily, my friends Serena Osmus and Jack Wampler know way more about it and were a lot more enthusiastic! They joined the show to talk about WandaVision’s genre-hopping, the Jeremy Renner app, and where the MCU is headed in Phase 4. Plus, stick around for my Doctor Strange impersonation (it’s really good). Sorry for how bad this episode sounds! 

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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

We may have already looked at all of the 2017 Best Original Screenplay nominees, but now it’s time to talk about the best of the rest! Enter the 2017 Original Screenplay Draft, a game where myself, Arden Jurskis, and Roman Kissack took turns selecting our favorite non-nominated screenplays from 2017—which could very well be the greatest year for original screenplays in decades. We each selected four original films, one adapted, and one franchise blockbuster to assemble our super-teams. As for who one? Well, one day, when we’ve all died and ascended to the afterlife, God will greet us as the doors of Heaven and let us know who emerged victorious…and the losers will rot in Hell. (Or you guys can vote for who won on Twitter or whatever.)

Listen to Arden’s podcast Disney+ Podcast+

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Jill Lambie is a lady. Dakota Lovins is a bird. Can I make it any more obvious? I was joined by Jill to talk ‘Lady Bird,’ Greta Gerwig’s beloved coming-of-age-movie meets love-letter-to-Sacramento. We covered the film’s nostalgic, memory-like aesthetic, charming performances, and our feelings about our own hometowns. Plus, Jill recommended that I watch Bridgerton—just like my therapist did earlier in the day! If 5 people tweet @PodBestOriginal on Twitter, I will do a special Bridgerton episode. Let’s make it happen, BOP-heads! This marks the end of our 2017 nominee episodes! 5 films down, 390 go! 

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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, and Long Live King Bitch

Link to Esther Zuckerman article “How Greta Gerwig Turned the Personal ‘Lady Bird’ Into a Perfect Movie”

Link to Julie Miller article “How Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird Came to ‘Look Like a Memory’”

Link to Kate Erbland article “Greta Gerwig Explains How Much of Her Charming Coming-of-Age Film ‘Lady Bird’ Was Inspired By Her Own Youth”

Link to Terry Gross interview “Greta Gerwig Explores Mother-Daughter Love (And Angst) In 'Lady Bird’"

Eight podcasts episodes in one month? And still no Amber Varnado as a guest? How come, Dakota Lovins? Well, that changes today! I was joined by Amber, a notorious ‘Three Billboards’ defender, and the two of us LITERALLY fought one another about this movie. Punches were thrown, people were defenestrated, and podcast studios were firebombed—but who emerged victorious? Was Amber able to convince me that ‘Three Billboards’ is actually good? Or did my astute observations about the flaws of the movie (i.e., racist cop bad) change her perception? Find out on this week’s episode of Best Original Podcast! 4 films down, 391 go.

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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

Link to Alyssa Rosenberg article “‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ didn’t need its racist cop”

Link to Christina Radish article “Martin McDonagh on Directing 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' and Writing for Frances McDormand”

Link to Ira Madison III article “Tone-Deaf ‘Three Billboards’ Tries Absolving White People of Racism. And Oscars Season Loves It.”

Link to Joe Utichi article "Golden Globe Winner Martin McDonagh On ‘Three Billboards’, Strong Women, And Why Formulas Are “F–king Boring”

Link to Tim Parks article “The Feel-Good Fallacies of ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’”

In the mood for love on this Valentine’s Day? Best Original Podcast has you covered! I was joined by hopeless romantic Gabby Tedesco to break down our 5 favorite movies that make our hearts sing and swoon. The world of modern romance is cruel and cold, but this podcast was made with a secret ingredient: love. Happy Valentine’s Day! XOXO, from your secret admirer (just kidding—it’s me, Dakota)

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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

I talked about how the delightful, fevered romance that is ‘The Shape of Water’ honors and inverts the fairytale genre—and how it might be set in the same cinematic universe as ‘Hairspray’ (2007). You’re going to learn more about fairytales than you ever wanted to know. Sorry for that! 3 films down, 392 to go. 

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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

Link to Ben Sachs article “The Shape of Water is wondrous, but woefully narrow-minded”

Link to Emily Dickinson poem “After great pain, a formal feeling comes — (372)”

Link to Jenna Marotta article “Why Guillermo Del Toro and Vanessa Taylor Didn’t Speak While Writing Their Film”

Link to Kate Bernheimer essay “Fairy Tale Is Form, Form Is Fairy Tale”

Link to Library of Congress article “Who wrote the poem at the end of ‘The Shape of Water?’”

Link to Matt Grobar article “‘The Shape Of Water’s’ Guillermo Del Toro On The ‘Biggest Missing Piece’ Co-Writer Vanessa Taylor Brought To The Table”

Link to Michelle Ruiz article “In Praise of the Weird and Actually Pretty Underrated Film That Will Definitely Win at Least One Oscar This Year”

Link to Sheila O’Malley review for RoberEbert.com