The W.H.Y. Podcast’s path to covering La La Land begins with one of its inspirations, 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain. No discussion of what is arguably one of the greatest musicals ever made would be complete without references to banana oil and monkey fur. Talking points include a Blade Runner mashup musical, an unlikely connection to Ridley Scott’s Alien, and the artistic merits of dream ballets. Plus: Vincent Price and Chairman Mao have entered the chat??

Watch Good Mornin’ from Singin’ in the Rain here

Was Spinel (as performed by Sarah Stiles) inspired by Jean Hagen’s Lina Lamont? Watch this clip from Steven Universe: The Movie and decide for yourself!

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Intro music by Andrew Zap. Discover more of his music on Spotify

Please join David and Justin for this special amuse-bouche of an episode as they mark an auspicious milestone: the midway point of The W.H.Y. Podcast’s first season. Before his first-time watch, David makes predictions about The Shining (which may or may not be informed by The Simpsons). Meanwhile, Justin is less than loquacious about the rest of season one’s movies.

Plus, be sure to listen to the very end for David’s initial reaction to The Shining! Despite its short runtime, this episode has more endings than Peter Jackson’s The Return of the King!

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The boys discuss their second John Carpenter film, 1988’s They Live. High school celebrity crushes are discussed, Carpenter’s oeuvre is ranked, and the merits of the film’s iconic fight scene are debated. Plus, stick around for a “post-credits scene” wherein David and Justin hatch a plan to watch the movies that inspired Damien Chazelle’s 2016 musical, La La Land…!

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Intro music by Andrew Zap. Discover more of his music on Spotify

Jared Hess’s Napoleon Dynamite is a quirky little indie film that holds a special place in David’s quirky little heart. But will Justin (who is watching this for the very first time!) feel the same way? Talking points include Eraserhead what-ifs, Justin’s thoughts about human zoos, and how David is grossed out by eggs.

You can view Aaron Ruell’s photography here

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Intro music by Andrew Zap. Discover more of his music on Spotify

In this week’s episode, your intrepid hosts quickly realize there’s something about Mary in the 1962 indie horror classic, Carnival of Souls. Talking points include Elliot Ghoul, organs, and the iPod Video. Plus, how do David and Justin land themselves in cinema jail yet again with truly “juicy” (and wholly unexpected) missed-movie revelations? Can Whyhaventology redeem them??

Watch The Film That Wouldn’t Die (1990 KTWU interview with Herk Harvey and John Clifford) here

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To paraphrase Boromir, son of Denethor, one does not simply discuss Glengarry Glen Ross without earning an explicit rating.

Read the Vanity Fair 30th anniversary oral history here

Read the 1984 WFMT Studs Terkel radio interview with David Mamet here

Watch Paul Piff’s Ted Talk: Does money make you mean? here

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Intro music by Andrew Zap. Discover more of his music on Spotify

In this episode, the boys put Peter Hyams’ 1981 movie Outland under the microscope to answer only the most salient questions: How many exploding heads is too many? Is a racquetball court really the best place for a therapy session? And just how did Earth’s most annoying mailman get strung out on space meth? Justin will be on the edge of his seat to see if this gritty reimagining of the 1952 classic western High Noon passes muster with David (whose strict standards for in-movie keyboard usage are finally revealed!).

Watch the Outland miniature effects excerpt from the documentary Sense of Scale here

Read the 2014 Ryan Lambie interview with Peter Hyams here

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Can four hippies and their popsicle commander disarm a sentient nuclear device as they grapple with the finer points of phenomenology (all while battling a living beachball)? These questions and more will be answered when Justin introduces David to his favorite “bomb”-com, John Carpenter’s 1974 cult classic, Dark Star. But which host hasn’t seen a certain Sean Connery film from the same year? Or a certain zombie film from 1985? The W.H.Y. Podcast’s official list of unwatched movies is approaching critical mass!

Intro music by Andrew Zap. Discover more of his music on Spotify

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Studio Ghibli is renowned for popular fantasy films like My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle. In a very special rewatch episode, David and Justin discuss Hayao Miyazaki and Yoshifumi Kondō’s coming-of-age story Whisper of the Heart, an underrated Ghibli gem that’s magical in its own way. But does this bold reimagining of the 1989 romance manga remain faithful to the source material? Plus, both hosts are guilty of more cinema sins–including a certain award-winning Damien Chazelle film!

Intro music by Andrew Zap. Discover more of his music on Spotify

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Is Melancholia a gateway movie into the Lars von Trier Cinematic Universe? Is it wrong to find the humor in the total annihilation of life as we know it? And where’s that campaign tagline?? Listen in to find out the answers to these and other burning questions! Lots of unseen movies are discussed, but are they earth-shattering revelations?

Intro music by Andrew Zap. Discover more of his music on Spotify

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