Unspooled

Paul & Amy break the block open with a new Unspooled series on summer blockbusters! They ask why the Fast saga has succeeded where so many original ideas have failed, try to pinpoint when franchise films lost their sense of joy, and preview some of the big films coming out soon, Plus: Narrowing down the shortlist of blockbusters to cover over the next two months.
Next week Unspooled continues the summer blockbusters series with Jurassic Park! 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]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

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Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Gunpowder Milkshake) joins Unspooled to talk about her top 3 films she would send to space, including a 90s rom com classic and a horror masterpiece.

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Amy & Paul come home to 1995's space disaster docudrama Apollo 13! They ask if this is secretly a film about disappointment, spot a cameo by a legendary director, and discuss whether there's a successor to Ron Howard among today's generation of filmmakers. Plus: What's the actual version of the film's most famous quote?

Next week Unspooled kicks off a new series on summer blockbusters! 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]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

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Tom Scharpling (The Best Show, Steven Universe) joins us to talk about his new book It Never Ends and his top 3 movie musicals! He talks about why he loves excess in musicals, Jack Nicholson’s directorial career, and going to Papa Roach’s basketball game.

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Paul & Amy invade 1986's James Cameron space action classic Aliens! They learn what this film had in common with Platoon, ask why the aliens feel less threatening here than they did in the first film, and try not to call Ripley 'badass.' Plus: Do the deleted scenes that give more backstory to Ripley help or hurt her character?

Next week Unspooled's space series concludes with Apollo 13! 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]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

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Welcome to Top 3, a semi-regular bonus series where we ask our favorite creative people to talk about three films they love! In this interview, Daveed Diggs talks about growing up on Abbott & Costello, a new film from Côte d'Ivoire he can't stop thinking about, and some of the influences that went into Blindspotting (both the film and series).

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Paul & Amy orbit 1972's Russian outer space mood piece Solaris! They learn why director Andrei Tartovsky disdained nearly all American films, compare Solaris to the many movies it influenced, and decry the 'explainer' culture of modern film fandom. Plus: A dramatic reading of the trailer for the Solaris remake!

Next week Unspooled's space series continues with Aliens! 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]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

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Amy & Paul burst out of 1979's sci-fi horror pioneer Alien! They learn about the film's original darker ending, contrast it with another classic horror film Unspooled has covered, and ask whether today's filmmakers have lost the visual imagination that made Alien feel so innovative. Plus, the eternal debate: Alien or Aliens?

Next week Unspooled's space series continues with Solaris (the 1972 original)! 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]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

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Paul & Amy reach out to 1997's Robert Zemeckis extraterrestrial encounter film Contact! They learn about the long journey Carl Sagan's story took to the screen, ask whether Matthew McConaughey's character is too daffy, and debate the existence of God and aliens. Plus: How did they get Bill Clinton to cameo?

Next week Unspooled's space series continues with Alien! 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]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

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Amy & Paul totally get into 1995's Jane-Austen-in-high-school comedy Clueless! They discuss what makes this a perfect Emma adaptation, learn which actor's mistake director Amy Heckerling intentionally kept in the film, and play a Paul Rudd themed guessing game. Plus: Ronna Glickman (Jessica Chaffin) dishes out some love advice. (This episode originally aired live on YouTube as part of Unspooled’s “Spool Party” series.)

Next week Unspooled's space series WILL resume with Contact! You can join the conversation for our space film 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]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

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