Cowabunga, dudes! We’re traveling back to March 30, 1990, when the world’s most unlikely heroes burst from the sewers and straight into pop-culture history. Nathan is joined by longtime friend and fellow movie buff Kyle Radford to talk about the surprise indie hit that mixed martial arts, mutant mayhem and teenage angst into one slice of pure turtle power.

From Jim Henson’s Creature Shop suits to Casey Jones’ questionable life choices, the guys dig into everything that made this movie way better than it had any right to be. They swap stories about VHS rentals, forbidden viewings, action figures and the eternal debate—who’s the best turtle? (Spoiler: it’s not Raphael.)

So grab a slice, crank up that M.C. Hammer end-credits jam and join us for a totally tubular trip back to where it all began.

Read Nathan's thoughts on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

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It’s not your fault. This week on You Had Me at Rewind, Nathan Chandler travels back to Dec. 5, 1997, to revisit Good Will Hunting, the film that made therapy cinematic and turned two childhood friends, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, into Hollywood legends.

Nathan is joined by returning guest Beau Gatlin for an in-person conversation recorded deep in the heart of Texas. Together they unpack why the story of a janitor-genius from South Boston still resonates, reflect on Robin Williams’ unforgettable performance and explore how this film made emotional vulnerability cool long before it was mainstream.

From Elliott Smith’s moody soundtrack to the movie’s lasting influence on pop culture (and a few laughs about AOL screen names), Nathan and Beau dig into what makes Good Will Hunting both timeless and very, very ’90s.

Read Nathan's thoughts on Good Will Hunting.

Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/moviesarelife

This job would be great if it wasn’t for the customers.

We’re heading back to October 19, 1994, to talk about Clerks — the scrappy, black-and-white indie that turned convenience store chaos into cinematic history. Shot for $27,000 on maxed-out credit cards, Kevin Smith’s debut launched a generation of filmmakers (and Jay & Silent Bob) while capturing the sarcasm, boredom and pop-culture debates of ‘90s slackerdom.

Nathan is joined by Marisa Boyd for a conversation about Clerks’ raw DIY spirit, its laugh-out-loud realism and why the female characters might just be the smartest people in the room. They also reminisce about video stores, Magic Eye posters, the power of the Weezer Blue Album and that unforgettable “37” scene.

It’s a love letter to indie film, Gen-X humor and the jobs we couldn’t wait to quit.

Read Nathan's thoughts on Clerks.

Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/moviesarelife

Life is like a box of chocolates — and this episode has a little bit of everything. Nathan is joined by longtime friend Abel Cass to revisit Forrest Gump, the 1994 Best Picture winner that defined a decade and divided movie fans ever since.

Together they look back at what made Robert Zemeckis’ sweeping Americana epic so unforgettable, from Tom Hanks’ iconic performance to its groundbreaking special effects, timeless soundtrack and endlessly quotable lines. The two also reflect on how the film hits differently as adults and parents, why it resonated so deeply in the ‘90s and how its portrayal of love, history and innocence still sparks debate today.

Plus, a nostalgic 90s Pop Quiz, memories of small-town movie theaters and a few laughs about homemade Forrest Gump reenactments.

Run, Forrest, Run… back to 1994 with us.

Read Nathan's thoughts on Forrest Gump.

Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/moviesarelife

The series premiere of You Had Me at Rewind kicks off with a trip back to 1999 and the comedy that defined awkward teenhood: American Pie. Nathan and Whitney Chandler revisit the raunchy classic that shocked parents, spawned sequels and gave us band camp stories, Stifler chaos and one unforgettable apple pie. Along the way, they swap first memories, share laughs and ask—why does this outrageous movie now feel so strangely innocent?

Read Nathan's thoughts on ‘American Pie’.

Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/moviesarelife

Werner Herzog’s 2005 documentary Grizzly Man tells the true story of Timothy Treadwell, the self-styled protector who spent 13 summers living among Alaskan grizzly bears before his tragic death. Using Treadwell’s own footage, Herzog transforms what could have been a simple wilderness chronicle into a haunting meditation on obsession, mortality and the fragile boundary between humans and nature.

In this episode, Nathan revisits Grizzly Man nearly twenty years later to explore Herzog’s perspective, the lasting impact of Treadwell’s footage and why this film remains one of the most thought-provoking documentaries of the 21st century.

Up next: Alfonso Cuarón’s Gravity (2013).

Read Nathan's thoughts on ‘Grizzly Man’.

Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/moviesarelife

Before Parasite made Bong Joon-ho a household name, he delivered one of the most haunting detective stories of the 21st century. Memories of Murder follows a trio of detectives in 1980s South Korea as they chase a serial killer—and slowly unravel in the process.

In this episode, Nathan digs into how the film blends procedural drama with social critique, why it feels so influential on works like Zodiac and True Detective and why that final scene still lands like a gut punch.

Bleak, brilliant, and unforgettable—this is Bong Joon-ho at his best.

Up next: Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man—a documentary as mesmerizing as it is unsettling.

Read Nathan's thoughts on ’Memories of Murder’.

Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/moviesarelife

The countdown begins! In this first episode of Reel 21, Nathan revisits Superbad—Greg Mottola’s 2007 teen comedy that launched a thousand McLovin jokes—and asks: does it really deserve a spot on The New York Times’ list of the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century?

What starts out as a raunchy teen comedy reveals surprising layers of sweetness, friendship and emotional honesty. Nathan reflects on the film’s legacy, standout performances from Jonah Hill and Michael Cera, and why Superbad might just be more essential than it gets credit for.

Plus: Does the cop subplot still work? And what makes this movie actually hold up nearly two decades later?

Next up: Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder—which Nathan’s never seen.

Read Nathan's thoughts on ’Superbad’.

Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/moviesarelife

The New York Times named them the 100 best movies of the 21st century. But what about the ones they left off?

Reel 21: 100 Essential Films of the 21st Century is a new movie podcast from Nathan Chandler. From Parasite to The Dark Knight to La La Land, Nathan counts down from #100 to #1—watching every film on the NYT’s list and the ones audiences believe deserved a spot.

Each episode of Reel 21 quickly unpacks one essential film: what makes it unique, how it holds up and where it fits in the cinematic story of our century.

It’s the best of the century—curated by critics, completed by the crowd.

In this episode, Nathan sits down with documentary filmmaker Jonathan Berman to discuss the newly restored 20th anniversary release of his 2005 film Commune—a fascinating portrait of Black Bear Ranch, a real-life countercultural commune founded in 1968 with help from rock legends like The Doors, Frank Zappa and The Monkees.

Together, they explore the ideals and contradictions of communal living, what it means to build something outside the system and why Commune feels more relevant than ever in today’s fractured world. Jonathan shares the behind-the-scenes journey of tracking down former residents, preserving decades-old archival footage and telling a story that still sparks conversation and curiosity.

Whether you're drawn to the 1960s counterculture, alternative living experiments or just love thoughtful documentary filmmaking—this is a conversation worth tuning into.

Watch the film / Learn more: communethemovie.com

Follow the film on Instagram: @communethemovie More from Jonathan Berman: OpenSignalStudios.com

Read Nathan's thoughts on ‘Commune.’

Support the podcast: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/moviesarelife