This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by one of MJ's co-hosts on Reel Perspective, Missy Lonsinger! They close out Spielberg Season 1 with a beloved childhood favorite of many, Hook! They discuss whether or not it is a film that is looked at favorably because of nostalgia blinders, the Oscars it was and was not nominated for, cinematographer Dean Cundey's background shooting horror films, and Sarah and MJ come clean about their dislike of the film for the whole internet to hear.

In this episode, Sarah had to bow out of recording at the last minute due to unforseen circumstances. Fortunately, MJ is not flying solo and has returing guest Katie Doe to talk about the final Indiana Jones film of the inagural Spielberg season, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. They talk about the layer of polish that the franchise has by this point, the chemistry between Sean Connery and Harrison Ford, Spielberg's eye for camera movement and blocking, as well as John Williams' excellent score, and whether or not Indiana Jones should be recast!

On this very special bonus episode of LJFAM, Sarah is joined by Jamie Benning of Filmumentaries to discuss his Kickstarter campaign for a documentary about the life and career of Jaws production designer, Joe Alves. They discuss Jamie's career and what led him to want to make the film, as well as what he and his crew need to make the Kickstarter campaign a success and fulfill their vision for the film.

You can donate to the Not Your Average Joe Kickstarter until 19 December 2022 here

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Andy Gaudion of Ramblin' Amblin to talk about Spielberg's second forray into historical drama, Empire of the Sun. They discuss his growth between The Color Purple and Empire of the Sun, how he took a deeply personal story and made it his own, the influence of David Lean on the sweeping nature of the story, and how child Christian Bale looks like a compressed version of adult Christian Bale.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Russ Bailey to talk about The Color Purple. The film was a blindspot for all three of them and Spielberg's first foray into making a historical drama. They discuss the phenomenal performances in the film, the wonderful cinematography, score, and art design, as well as a glaring "flaw" that didn't make the film sit quite right with them. Also, Sarah and MJ talk about bizarre movies that made them cry.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Cameron Harrison to talk about Indiana Jones' second adventure, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. They talk about the similarities the film has with James Bond movies, the much darker tone of the sequel, how attractive Harrison Ford is in the movie, the film's messier nature, and what, if anything, all this has to do with 1941.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Kip Mooney to talk about one of Spielberg's most successful and beloved films. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. They discuss how Spielberg masterfully balances whimsy, horror, and grief as well as whether or not E.T. is cute, the merits of having a real puppet on set, the way the film is told like an adult drama from a child's POV, and whether or not one of Spielberg's famous buddies makes a cameo appearance.

This week, Sarah and MJ are joined by Chris Payne to talk about the first installment in the Indiana Jones franchise, Raiders of the Lost Ark. They discuss the classic influences of the film, the masterful filmmaking on display, how Spielberg was able to right the ship of his career following the disastorus 1941, and how Indiana Jones should have been America's answer to James Bond.

In this episode, Sarah and MJ are joined by Rob Daniel to talk about what is widely considered Spielberg's worst film, 1941. They talk about *what* kind of movie they suspect it was trying to be, what elements do work, what elements don't work, and a slew of other movies that accomplish its same goals in much more successful ways. Also, conspiracy theories about Bambi's mom.

LJFAM is now live on Patreon! You can support the show with a monthly donation and get some cool bonus content and a shout-out on each episode!