Paul & Amy break all the rules of David Fincher’s 1999 cult sendup of masculinity Fight Club! They ask how seriously we’re meant to take the film’s grand pronouncements on consumerism and conformity, discover how badly Edward Norton hurt himself while beating himself up, and ask if this holds up as Fincher’s very best film. Plus: Which costume choice for Tyler Durden went too far for Fincher?

Next week. Paul and Amy are watching The Hunger Games! You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

Check out this week's spotlight episode from the archives, The Matrix: https://www.earwolf.com/episode/the-matrix/

Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

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Paul & Amy put their hats in the ring for 1999’s acidic high-school satire Election! They praise director Alexander Payne’s brilliant eye for humanist detail, discuss how Matthew Broderick channels his Ferris Bueller image to subversive ends, and posit that America has only become more like high school since the movie’s release. Plus: How Election almost derailed Reese Witherspoon’s career.

Next week. Paul and Amy are watching Fight Club! You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

Check out this week's spotlight episode from the archives, Mean Girls: https://www.earwolf.com/episode/mean-girls/

Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

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Paul & Amy time warp to 1975’s cult musical sensation The Rocky Horror Picture Show! They ask what makes a movie camp, discover the genius marketer who helped the film find its audience, and debate whether Rocky Horror is actually best appreciated in a rowdy theater. Plus: How Rocky is like a katamari.

Next week, Paul and Amy are watching Election! You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6.

Check out this week's spotlight episode from the archives, Little Shop Of Horrors: https://www.earwolf.com/episode/little-shop-of-horrors/

Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

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Amy & Paul make the hard sell for 2013’s manic Wall Street exposé The Wolf Of Wall Street! They learn how the film’s unusual funding gave director Martin Scorsese freedom to push the limits of this story, ask if this is Leonardo DiCaprio’s best performance, and try to nail down, once and for all, whether Scorsese approves of the actions he depicts. Plus: Did Leo base his performance on a meme?

Next week, Paul and Amy are watching The Rocky Horror Picture Show! You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6.

Check out this week's spotlight episode from the archives, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs: https://www.earwolf.com/episode/snow-white-and-the-seven-dwarfs/

Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

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Paul & Amy spritz on John Waters’ subversive 1988 comedy Hairspray! They learn how star ensemble player Divine was like Godzilla, compare the soundtrack to the 2007 Broadway production, and marvel at how this PG film snuck radical ideas about race, gender and body positivity into the mainstream. Plus: The curious legacy of Pia Zadora.

Next week, Paul and Amy are watching The Wolf Of Wall Street! You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6.

Check out this week's spotlight episode from the archives, Grease: https://www.earwolf.com/episode/grease/

Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

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Paul & Amy slice into 2004’s nasty low-budget horror Saw! They learn why Cary Elwes holds a grudge against the filmmakers, appreciate how much dread Leigh Whannell and James Wan were able to wring out of simple production design choices, and meditate on the term ‘torture porn’ and what audiences get out of films like these. Plus: Why was Danny Glover in a Pilates infomercial?

Next week, Paul and Amy are watching Hairspray! You can join the conversation for this series on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6. Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

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Paul & Amy reflect on Douglas Sirk's piercing 1959 melodrama Imitation Of Life! They learn what made this epochal film a favorite of Steven Spielberg's, discuss what Sirk has to say about race in America, and ask what this slyly satirical blockbuster has in common with Starship Troopers. Plus: The murder that nearly overshadowed the film's release.

Next week, Paul and Amy are watching Saw! You can join the conversation for this series on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6. Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

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Amy & Paul high-kick into John G. Avildsen’s 1984 martial-arts megahit The Karate Kid! They learn about the movie’s semi-autobiographical origins, discuss the post-Karate careers of stars Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, and ask whether this is even better than Avildsen’s older, more acclaimed fight-centric film. Plus: is that supposed to be The Beach Boys?

Next week. Paul and Amy are watching Imitation Of Life! You can join the conversation for this series on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6. Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

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Paul & Amy rev up for 1968’s sleek Steve McQueen thriller Bullitt! They break down the film’s all-timer car chase, learn how McQueen brought a counter-cultural energy to the cop archetype, and ask if any modern actor has McQueen’s energy. Plus: The real San Francisco officer that inspired Bullitt.

Next week. Paul and Amy are watching The Karate Kid! You can join the conversation for this series on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6. Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

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Paul & Amy dissect Mary Harron’s murderous corporate-world satire American Psycho! They learn how star Christian Bale almost lost the role to Leonardo DiCaprio, ask if all the events in the film are ‘really happening,’ and unpack American Psycho’s infamous reputation before it was even released. Plus: the not-so-secret inspiration for Patrick Bateman.
 

Next week. Paul and Amy are watching Bullitt! You can join the conversation for this series on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6. Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices