Our beloved pal Katie Stebbins (from our Herbie and Flightplan episodes) returns for the real main course here: the prickly, maniacal, fascinating Christmas family dramedy THE FAMILY STONE. We go way, WAY deep (tying our third-longest episode so far) on a movie that just needs it because there's just so much to untangle: this is a film packed with huge stars and WILD tonal swings, a film that lurches so wildly in different directions that it can so easily rub so many people the wrong way, a film that absolutely should not work in any way, and yet, somehow, does, thanks to its talented cast and fierce, committed spirit.

This is a tremendous conversation, because we just kept finding more things worth unpacking, discussing, psychoanalyzing (I personally found this conversation extremely enlightening in regards to my own unconscious biases and how I process characters with anxiety, so this was unequivocally fascinating to me)

Katie's always good to talk with, and after enlivening the chat on two dirtweed garbage movies, I'm excited to finally present her with a movie worthy of her time and conversation, because this one is one of the best episodes we've ever done, and I'd love for you to hear it!

Preorder for Katie's amazing 1949 Film 'Zine (available 1/16): https://www.etsy.com/listing/4435144828/top-ten-by-year-1949-zine-9-pre-order

Katie's 2025 Media Scrapbook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dJfm9BSETQ79HA9277MpF6ub3TX6B6WP/view?usp=sharing

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Katie's Twitter: ⁠⁠https://x.com/_katiestebbins_⁠⁠

Katie's Bluesky: ⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/feminaridens.bsky.social⁠⁠

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

Our expert Oscars handicapper and group-chat BFF Shaun Swayne follows up covering Best Picture winner CRASH by joining us for the film that should have won Best Picture, Ang Lee's moving, elegiac western BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. We delve into the fairly hostile culture that a movie about "gay cowboys falling in love" was released into, and the power of the film to override those qualms and become an enormous critical and commercial hit, thanks to the power of Lee's filmmaking and the entire complement of good young actors giving their all.

We discuss its elegant, heartbreaking storytelling subtlety, my history with the towns of central Wyoming, and a tidal wave of hideous pop culture parody that obligates a shamed, surface-level speedrun through the references.

This feels like the most emotionally incisive and possibly the best episode we've done, and I'm excited to bring it to y'all! Check it out!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

Our wonderful pal Kev Koeser (Tasting Menu) swoops in at the eleventh hour to save us again as we cover moribund Oscar bait Memoirs of a Geisha! We discuss its lackluster source material, its controversial casting, and somehow absolve Rob Marshall's direction as one of the least-guilty culprits here.

Other topics include Spielberg's near-miss racial-insensitivity trifecta, the insanely poor plotting and pacing making our protagonist both basically a total bystander to her own narrative AND everything magically working out for her anyway, Ted Levine's biggest fan, and maybe the wildest pop culture reference Rugrats ever made.

This was such a fun episode about such a long, slow movie, please check it out, we had a blast!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Kev's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/maxrebosroadie.bsky.social⁠

Tasting Menu: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tasting-menu/id1773585423⁠

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

The homie Soham Gadre (Chicago Reader, Fangoria, Paste Magazine, Polygon, Screen Slate, The Film Stage) joins us to take aim at the infamous biopic genre as we pick apart WALK THE LINE, a handsomely-made but inert piece of work that dives headlong into every winsome cliche in the book as it goes to cover the Man in Black.

We discuss our distaste for the lurching, numbing structure of the genre, we talk about the disastrous decision to have Phoenix do his own singing, its disinterest in anything even remotely political or socially conscious, its disservice towards Cash's first wife and the actress hired to play here, and how two of us still kinda liked it? Thanks basically entirely to the photography and Reese Witherspoon's excellent performance.

Other topics include Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, Stuart Little skateboarding existentially, a performance from a chicken outlaw with a brain transplant, having your life saved by cosmic berserker Werner Herzog, and the night that the skeletons came back to life.

We had a blast with this thing ,CHECK IT OUT!

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Soham's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sohamandcheese.bsky.social

Soham's Twitter: https://x.com/sohamncheese

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver (⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠)

One of my podcasting heroes, the great Alex Goldman (Hyperfixed) braved illness and weather to join us for "the most mediocre film ever made", a film seemingly everyone has seen and no one cares about, the second-highest-grossing film of 2005, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe.

We discuss the film's nebulous religious bent, its inexplicably horrendous special effects work, and its listless direction and lead performances, as they spent the money and traveled the miles to imitate Lord of the Rings, but made it look like a green screen in the fields of England.

Other topics include Tilda Swinton's white-girl dreads, the questionable ingredients of Turkish delight, and Santa Claus's gender essentialism.

This was so much fun and I was so thrilled to have Alex on to make it sing, check it out!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Alex's Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/AGoldmund⁠

Alex's Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/agoldman.bsky.social⁠

Hyperfixed: ⁠https://www.hyperfixedpod.com/⁠

Scout Tafoya: Unloved: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOFeRop1Zt8⁠

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver (⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠)

In one of our absolute most fun episode so far, the great Daniel (y'know, from Sport!) joins us as our '05 holiday marathon continues with a completely non-existent, inexplicably summer-vacation-y Christmas release, CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN 2. We allow ourselves to wander to and fro as we delve into the bizarrely detailed history of this franchise, which deviates greatly from its true-story origins as turn-of-the-century scientists, pick apart a movie that seemingly no one remembers, a plotless, listless, affectless summertime slapstick hangout mediocrity that is less unpleasant than its bullshit-heavy predecessor but just never once makes a case for it to exist.

We had SO MUCH FUN sifting through the wreckage of this nothing garbage, this is maybe among the most fun episodes we've recorded, please check it out!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Daniel's Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/amcnal.bsky.social⁠

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

Our holiday marathon continues as our pal Andrew McNally (Allston Pudding) stops by to delve into FUN WITH DICK & JANE, one of the least-existent films in our list, a belated remake of a completely forgotten late-70s fluffy social satire buoyed to the top 20, a little bit by culturally relevant corporate scandals and a LOT by the enduring star power of Jim Carrey. This one floated through a lot of hands before settling with a right-before-fame Judd Apatow script, Tea Leoni taking over in the Jane Fonda role, and Alec Baldwin basically playing Jack Donaghy a year before 30 ROCK.

We delve into the film's strange anachronisms and unintentionally prescient present of this weird little anomaly, which feels like it was assembled by committee and yet inherited a very fitting cultural moment, a moment that Ralph Nader, Newgrounds, Enron, Jeff Garlin, shock collars, Darude's "Sandstorm", Rancid's "Time Bomb" , ICE, and our weird obsession with the Nostalgia Critic all intersect in a very fun episode.

CHECK IT OUT!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Daniel's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/oceanviewdining.bsky.social

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

Our wonderful and erudite pal Scott Nye returns (first appearing on our Mr. & Mrs. Smith episode) for a movie that deserves much more thoughtful analysis, JARHEAD! We delve into the difficulty of selling a movie whose chief appeal is that it's unpleasant and nothing happens in it other than a lot of furious masturbation, the tangled web of Sam Mendes' cultural reputation, the iconographical ubiquity of "Jesus Walks" and the delirious, craven futility of making belated, ooh-rah terrorist-killing cash-in sequels to a work so disenfranchised with the military and its culture.

This was a really awesome conversation with a lovely and smart friend about a movie seemingly everyone remembers but nooobody has gone back and checked on, basically a perfect choice for our project. Check it out!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Scott's Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/railoftomorrow.bsky.social⁠

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

Convenient Parking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uH68Atht7MM

Convenient Parking 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJZ1-NQvHG4

We invite the charming, chaotic chatterboxes of The Weekly Podcast Massacre to be our guests for an episode covering the sprawling mortal chaos of YOURS, MINE & OURS. We delve into somehow the less successful of the two films released in late 2005 remaking a golden-age Hollywood film based on a true story about a couple trying to deal with the wacky hijinks of their large family of children. We discuss the much more compelling original film's powerhouse leads and interesting generation-gap plot line, the lament of another David Koechner appearance, a long, long, LONG list of actors that could have replaced Dennis Quaid, and, for some reason, the 2005 Royal Rumble?

ALL THAT AND MORE ON THIS WILD, DELIGHTFUL, HILARIOUS EPISODE OF BOX OFFICE GROSS!!!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Weekly Podcast Massacre: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-weekly-podcast-massacre/id1575641950

WPM's Twitter: https://x.com/WeeklyMassacre

WPM's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/weeklymassacre.bsky.social

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )

We have been teasing this portent of doom for months and have finally arrived at the infamous CHICKEN LITTLE! We grab two true animation experts, the great TJ Dobbin (Sin City, Batman Begins) returns and the great Joe Kowalski debuts to pick apart this nightmare epic; its hideous animation, its compromised, borderline-nonsensical narrative, its painfully unfunny attempts at irreverence, the only thing more gobsmacking than how misbegotten this film was...was how phenomenally it did at the box office!

We are compelled to delve into every facet of this baffling piece of work. Check it out!

Brian's Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/SchmanthonyP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Brian's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/schmanthonyp.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Bluesky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/wormsgreenrealm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Rob's Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://artofilliterates.substack.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TJ's Bluesky: ⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/tjamesdobbin.bsky.social⁠⁠

TJ's Website: https://strawberrypenguin.ca/

Joe's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/pogiejoe.bsky.social

Joe's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PogieJoe

Theme Song: "Any Day Can Be Bicycle Day" by Ether Driver ( ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://etherdiver.bandcamp.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ )