Paul & Amy unwrap 1983's holiday nostalgia trip A Christmas Story! They learn about the life of the film's inspiration Jean Shepherd, discover how the flagpole scene was shot, and ask if a film like this can still hold the attention of kids today. Plus: Michael Dowse, director of "8-Bit Christmas," tells us about the Christmas films that inspired him.

You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/unspooledpodcast, and 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, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]!

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Amy & Paul stop time for 1999's reality-bending blockbuster The Matrix! They marvel at the preternatural shared mind of directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski, explore the political and social after-effects of the 'Matrix' concept, and ask each other whether they would take the red pill or the blue pill. Plus: What if this movie had starred Janet Jackson and Will Smith?

Next week Unspooled wraps up the year with A Christmas Story! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/unspooledpodcast, and 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, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]!

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Paul & Amy cross the pond for 2003's Christmas romantic comedy smash Love Actually! They dissect director Richard Curtis's curious understanding of love, learn the fates of each character in the 2017 sequel short, and watch deleted scenes that would have introduced even more plots into the film. Plus: Lindy West discusses her essay "Shit Actually" that kicked off a critical re-evaluation of this movie.

Next week Unspooled pulls out another stocking stuffer to talk The Matrix! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/unspooledpodcast, and 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, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]!

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Paul & Amy feed 1986’s creature feature musical Little Shop of Horrors! They credit director Frank Oz for getting Audrey II’s physicality just right, dive into the career of Four Tops singer Levi Stubbs, and debate whether the heightened tone of the film feels more theatrical or more cinematic. Plus: A young Jack Nicholson’s astonishing cameo in the original Little Shop.

Next week Unspooled shakes out its first holiday stocking stuffer, Love Actually! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/unspooledpodcast, and 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, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]!

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Amy & Paul go to bat for 2001's mega-hit Bollywood sports musical Lagaan! They compare star Aamir Khan to Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, learn about a key last-minute change to the love triangle plot, and ask what makes the choreography of the musical numbers feel both heightened and naturalistic. Plus: Was Lagaan's campaign to win an Oscar a success?

Next week Unspooled concludes this series on musicals with Little Shop Of Horrors! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/unspooledpodcast, and 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, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]!

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Amy & Paul shoot up 2002's darkly comic musical revival Chicago! They interrogate director Rob Marshall's choice to use rapid cuts over long takes, discuss how Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones contrast perfectly with each other, and revisit a time when Oscar voters were thirsty for any musicals at all. Plus: Some of the many parodies Chicago has inspired.

Next week Unspooled continues our series on musicals with Lagaan! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/unspooledpodcast, and 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, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]!

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Paul & Amy know 1978’s retro musical sensation Grease is the word! They praise Stockard Channing’s fiercely independent performance as Rizzo, compare the film to contemporary period piece American Graffiti, and explore the early career of “Plastic Bubble”-boy John Travolta. Plus: revisiting an infamous awards disaster masterminded by Grease producer Allan Carr.

Next week Unspooled continues our series on musicals with Chicago! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/unspooledpodcast, and 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, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]!

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Paul & Amy kidnap 1993's Gothic stop-motion musical The Nightmare Before Christmas! They praise the carnival-esque compositions of Danny Elfman, compare Oogie Boogie's big musical number to the Max Fleischer cartoon it was inspired by, and dig into the thorny question of who this film's true auteur is, Tim Burton or Henry Selick. Plus: Why did the studio want Jack Skellington to have eyes?

Next week Unspooled continues our series on musicals with Grease! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/unspooledpodcast, and 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, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]!

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Amy & Paul drift off into 1984's Wes Craven sleeper slasher film A Nightmare On Elm Street! They give qualified praise to Johnny Depp's first-ever screen role, appreciate Craven's meta-sequel New Nightmare, and rank Freddy Krueger within the pantheon of slasher icons. Plus: Freddy appeared in a rap video?

Next week Unspooled kicks off a new series on musicals with The Nightmare Before Christmas! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/unspooledpodcast, and 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, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]!

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Amy & Paul take a hike through 1999's revolutionary found-footage film The Blair Witch Project! They praise Heather Donahue’s often maligned performance, revisit the film's enormously successful viral marketing campaign, and discuss the film's pioneering of immersive, hand-held horror. Plus: Should directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez be credited as the film's producers instead?

Next week Unspooled’s Scaretober series concludes with Nightmare On Elm Street! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/unspooledpodcast, and 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, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]!

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