Unspooled

Paul and Amy hit the gas with Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn’s hypnotic neo-noir that transformed a would-be studio action movie into one of the defining films of the 2010s. They trace the unlikely collaboration between Refn and Ryan Gosling, unpack the film’s dreamlike blend of pop music, brutal violence, and Los Angeles noir, and revisit the movie’s famously misleading marketing.

You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on 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

Amy drops an emergency Unspooled episode to unpack Christopher Nolan’s epic take on The Odyssey, joined by USC classics professor Lucas Herrenroeder. Together they compare Homer’s original poem with Nolan’s bold reinterpretation, exploring everything from its Bronze Age authenticity and towering Cyclops sequence to the film’s treatment of Circe, the sirens, and the gods themselves. Along the way, they debate what Nolan changes, what he leaves behind, and how his version reframes Odysseus as a flawed hero.

You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on 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

Paul and Amy set sail with An American Tail, Don Bluth’s sweeping animated tale of immigration, family, and hope. They trace Bluth’s break from Disney, debate the film's emotional impact, and celebrate how the film’s blend of darkness and optimism helped reshape the future of American animation.

You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on 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

Paul and Amy revisit Superbad, the coming-of-age comedy that turned awkward adolescence into an instant classic. They trace the film’s origins from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s teenage years, celebrate the breakout performances of Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Emma Stone, and explore how Judd Apatow and director Greg Mottola transformed a raunchy teen comedy into a surprisingly heartfelt story about friendship and growing up.

You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on 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

While Amy's away, Paul welcomes writer-director BenDavid Grabinski for a Critics’ Choice celebrating The Muppet Movie. Together they revisit Jim Henson’s big-screen breakthrough, exploring how its blend of heartfelt storytelling, meta Hollywood satire, groundbreaking puppetry, and unforgettable songs turned a road trip with a frog into one of cinema’s most magical family films.

You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on 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

Paul and Amy unwrap Gremlins, Joe Dante’s delightfully chaotic holiday classic that proved cute can turn catastrophic in the blink of an eye. They trace the film’s journey from Chris Columbus’s much darker original script to Spielberg’s Amblin-produced crowd-pleaser, and unpack the inspired decision to keep Gizmo a hero instead of remaining a villain. Along the way, they explore the film’s sharp satire of consumerism, suburbia, and media overload, celebrate its groundbreaking practical effects, and revisit the PG-rated mayhem that helped give birth to the PG-13 rating.

You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on 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

Paul and Amy continue their alien-movie streak alive with Nope, Jordan Peele’s ambitious sci-fi spectacle. They revisit the Haywood siblings’ quest to capture the impossible on camera, celebrate Keke Palmer’s star-making performance, and unpack the unforgettable menace of Jean Jacket, one of the most original movie monsters in recent memory.

You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on 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

Paul and Amy look to the skies with Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Steven Spielberg’s awe-inspiring follow-up to Jaws and one of cinema’s most influential visions of alien contact. They unpack the film’s ambitious production, from Spielberg’s growing creative confidence, Douglas Trumbull’s groundbreaking effects work and the casting. Along the way, they explore the movie’s themes of obsession, faith, communication, and government secrecy, and why its sense of wonder still feels so powerful nearly fifty years later.

You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on 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

With Amy reporting from Cannes, Paul welcomes Jorma Taccone for a Dealer’s Choice episode on Die Hard 2, the explosive sequel that takes John McClane to a snowbound airport under siege. Together they make the case for one of action cinema’s most underrated follow-ups, celebrating Bruce Willis’s swagger, Renny Harlin’s direction, and the sequel’s knack for escalating the stakes without losing sight of character. They also dive into the film's practical effects, memorable villains, and why Die Hard 2 remains a textbook example of how to go bigger without breaking what made the original work.

You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on 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

While Amy is off at Cannes, Paul welcomes Joanna Robinson for an Unspooled Critics’ Choice episode on Josie and the Pussycats, the 2001 musical comedy that was lightyears ahead of its time. They revisit Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan’s razor-sharp satire of pop music, consumer culture, and corporate branding and unpack how a movie stuffed with logos became one of Hollywood’s smartest critiques of marketing. Along the way, they celebrate the infectious soundtrack, the pitch-perfect performances, and explore how a box-office disappointment can transform into a beloved cult classic.

You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/ https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on 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